Sympathy For The Devil: A Wolf's Tale

Chapter Fourteen: Collapsing the Tower of Card\'s



Much like a real Card tower, when one piece is pulled out of place it all crumbles and falls apart, Cardington\'s proverbial tower that he had killed and mistreated many people to build, was about to come tumbling down around him. And he even realize it yet.



Lang was getting weaker day after day, and Lily saw it. After finishing with her floo call, Lily hurried to Lang\'s room. "Lang..are you awake?" she asked, walking into his room. Lang groaned slightly as he turned to look at her with another weak smile "I am..Just waiting for you to get back." He sounded weak, and tired. Lily smiled and walked over to his dresser where she had a few vials of potions on top that helped with his blood loss. Lily guessed that was the problem, even though it had been so long. Lily smiled "Well I\'m back now.." she said as she grabbed a vial and walked to the bed, sitting next to him as she held the potion to his lips. Lang drank it slowly then sat up so he was level with her. "Thank you" he said looking at her "For everything..you\'ve been taking care of me so well.." Lily smiled "It\'s been a pleasure." she reached out and touched his hand. "Well, how did your call go?" Lang asked Lily who suddenly went pale. "I...talked to Harry...and..Teddy got attacked by Voldemort. He\'s alright, but I\'m still so worried.." Lang\'s eyes locked onto hers "Are you going to be alright?" he asked her, slowly stroking her hand with his thumb. Lily nodded "Yeah...I\'ll be alright..but, Lang, Master Cardington did something to me. While I was in my call he...just took me right there, in front of Harry. Lang, I just, I can\'t care for him.." she said, looking away. Lang frowned "That makes me very sad, Lily.." he said, lifting his hand to tilt her chin to look at him again. Lily looked into his eyes feeling tears well up once more.



"He detests me, Lang...The way he treats me.." She started, her voice breaking slightly. Lang shook his head slowly "He doesn\'t know how to show love, Lily..He\'s been that way ever since I can remember." Lily nodded slowly and took a deep breath. "Whats worse is...I\'ll always love him. I can\'t help it. No matter what he does, I\'m still crazy about both of you." Lang gave her a small smile "I know.." he said simply as he leaned forward kissing her gently. Lily returned his kiss until a small brown owl flew into the room and landed next to Lily with an envelope in it\'s mouth. Lily blinked "I haven\'t sent any owls..I wonder who this could be from?" Lang shrugged and leaned back so Lily could read her letter. Lily petted the owl before opening the letter. A news article fell out as Lily unfolded the letter and started reading.





Dear Lily,



I was so happy to hear from you when you called me last week by way of floo!

But Lily, I was thinking of some of the things you said about your \'Masters\' and

A few things didn\'t seem right to me. I talked to a few people about your situation

and your masters and Hermione helped me come across this news paper article.

It will explain more. I would have gotten it to you sooner, but those Purple-Bellied-

Turnip-Nibblers have been keeping Father and I on our toes during harvesting time!

Well, I hope to hear from you soon..And good luck!



Much Love,

Luna Lovegood.



PS: Please be careful if you go in the water..It\'s Snorfblat season!







Lily blinked at the letter for a moment, then picked up the news paper clipping. It almost looked like Card, but Lily could tell the difference. It was defiantly Lang. The article stated that Lang Greenbay was once a very powerful wizard. Almost to the standards of Voldemort. Just as bad too. Lang was the victim of the Dementor\'s Kiss and was relieved of his soul. Card Greenbay, his twin brother insisted on keeping the shell of the now soul-less Lang. Lang Greenbay was never seen again. Lily\'s eyes widened and she dropped the old looking news paper clipping. "No...It...It can\'t be.." Lang blinked "What\'s wrong? Is everything alright Lily?" Lily stood up off of the bed "No...You...You lied to me.." she said, not realizing yet what was happening. Lang sat up and reached out for her hands "Lily, I don\'t know what you\'re talking about.." Lily closed her eyes, feeling her heart break when he touched her hands. "Look at the news paper clipping...do you know anything about that?" Lang blinked at her for a moment, then looked over the article. "I swear to you Lily, I don\'t remember any of those things..You must believe me, I wouldn\'t lie to you.." Lily bit her lip gently "I believe you.." she said looking into his eyes. She could tell by the look he was giving to her that he really was telling the truth.



"It must be Master Cardington. He...He must have done something.." Lily said as she slowly sat down next to Lang thinking. "He\'s so cruel, I\'d be surprised if he didn\'t have anything to do with this." Lang wrapped his arm carefully around her, wincing slightly at the bit of pain he still felt. "You\'re so perfect Lang..." Lily said leaning gently against him "And Master Cardington...it\'s like he doesn\'t have a-.." she paused. Finally everything was starting to make sense. "A soul..." she said slowly, thinking. Lang looked down at her "Lily?" he asked seeing that she was in deep thought. Lily looked back up at him "I think I have to go see Master Cardington for a few minutes...I\'ll be back though...Alright?" Lang nodded seeing that she really needed to talk with his brother. "Alright...Be careful, Lily." Lily nodded. The two of them shared a small, gentle kiss, then Lily made her way back up to Card\'s room, making sure to grab the news paper clipping before leaving Lang\'s room.





Lily knocked on Card\'s door "Come in." Came Card\'s cold voice from the other side of the door. Lily walked in and closed the door behind her. "Master Cardington..may I have a word?" she asked, wiping her eyes so he wouldn\'t see that she was crying once she stepped into the light. "What is it, mud-blood?" he asked looking up at her from his book. Lily handed him the old news paper clipping without saying a word. As Card read it, Lily knelt beside his chair. "A little too young to be reading articles from before you were born, aren\'t you?" he asked with a small smirk before giving the paper back to her. Lily took the clipping and looked up at him again. "I suppose, Master...but please..tell me what happened with you and Master Lang?" Card looked down at her "Can\'t you work it out yourself? You\'re smart enough to get this far, after all.." Lily swallowed hard for a moment. "I think I do have it worked out, Master.."



Card closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, waiting to hear Lily\'s theory. Lily cleared her throat before she started. "You used to be the way Lang is now.." At Lily\'s words, Card closed his eyes tighter, trying not to think of the way he used to be. "Go on?" Card said with a tone of cold intrigue. "Well...Lang was a very bad wizard..and he got the Dementor\'s kiss. You...You didn\'t want to lose your own twin brother, so you sacrificed half of your own soul..You kept all of the bad, and you gave all of the good to Lang..Is that how it happened, Master?" Card opened his eyes "Thats right. " Lily looked up at him and rested her hands on the arm of the chair "Is there any way to fix it, Master?" she asked biting her lip gently. "Well, Lang is a Horcrux of sorts." Card said as he reached out and touched Lily\'s head. Lily closed her eyes and leaned her head gently against the chair. At that moment she knew that all of the hatred that he gave her was really his way of showing his love.



Lily bit her lip gently "Would that mean that Lang would have to die, Master?" Card shook his head "No, he wouldn\'t really die. His body would live on, I suppose but it would only be an empty shell." He cleared his throat, trying not to show any signs of emotion, he wasn\'t ready to be one soul again. "I won\'t fix it though until I have my revenge on the one who ordered the kiss. Bones her name was...and I will have my revenge first." Lily looked up at him. She had never seen his eyes so intense looking before. "And then what happens when she\'s dead, Master?" Card looked down at her "Either Lang and I will become one again, or we will both die." Lily felt suddenly numb. "Die? But...Master..You...You can\'t die.." Card looked back down at her with a smirk "I can do whatever I want, mud-blood. Besides...I don\'t believe that I\'ll die." Lily nodded slowly and looked down. "I will be on my way now, Master..I\'m sorry to have bothered you.."



Card shook his head "Don\'t leave yet. How is Lang?" Lily sighed slowly "He\'s still weak, Master..I\'m doing the best I can, but -" "His soul is slowly dying, Lily. Voldemort found out that the only good of me thats left is in him. He wanted to destroy it, but Lang fought him off before it could completely destroy him. Just take care of him, and if something happens, alert me immediately." Lily\'s face was suddenly washed with fear. "Y..Yes, Master.." she said, clearing her throat before she got choked up again. "One more thing, mud-blood...you know the whole plan now. If you tell another soul, including Lang who knows none of this, I will kill you. And remember..if one of us dies, so does the other." Lily nodded once more, and closed her eyes. "Yes Master.." Card crossed his arms "Now, off with you, mud-blood." he said giving her one more look. Lily nodded and walked toward the door, trying not to crack a smile, simply because she realized that he really did care about her as much as she cared for him.