Living in Darkness

Chapter 7: Coming Undone

Warning: Blood, violence.
The song mentioned is Korn's, "Coming Undone."

Draco walked silently down the alleyway. Icy drops of water dripped from the fire escapes high above him, hitting his dark cloak daringly. The storm clouds even higher seemed to swirl and scurry away... as if they felt a looming threat present beneath them. Draco's steps were heavy and evenly paced. His destination clear. Just ahead of him he could see it. Red lights were gleaming out through the door casting eerie shadows as he approached.

In front of Draco was the hideout of the Slovenian Death Eaters. This was one of their many hideouts, but it happened to also be the largest. He stepped up to the underground club entrance in full cloak, mask, and hood. Not one inch of skin was visible. The Death Eater at the entrance stopped him and demanded to see his mark.

Irritated, Draco pulled up his sleeve to reveal the dark mark so hideously marring his skin. The Death Eater nodded at him letting him pass. As he went through the doors, he felt the friction in the air increase dramatically. He silently cast his self-created charm to protect himself from any unwanted attention.

The club was vast, larger than any he had ever been to. Hazy clouds of smoke swirled throughout the masses of people. Loud music blared inconveniently, causing his eardrums to ache as he shifted past two whores throwing themselves at him. He had a hard time believing hoe much support these fake Death Eaters had. It seemed as if the entire population was here, waiting for his first move. But they would never see it, they would only feel the aftermath.

Draco moved steadily through the crowd towards the back of the club where he found the stairs to the lower levels. That was where his true enemies were. The stairwell was dark and only grew damper as he descended into the shade. Finally, he reached the bottom landing and the corridor that led to their meeting room. As he approached it his gloved hand felt the long blade at his side. He opened the door.

A small group of Death Eaters were standing around their leader who was telling them what he wanted them to do. As he noticed Draco, he stopped speaking. The Death Eaters noticed him as well and parted to allow him to approach the leader.

As Draco stopped in front of him, he grabbed his wrist, pulling back his sleeve immediately. The man looked through his mask at Draco glaringly.

"You dare come here Lucius. I thought our warning was severe enough that we will only work in partnership, not submission. Say what you came to say."

Draco looked at the man and removed his mask. The shock in the room, though silent, was evident. Draco's cold silver eyes penetrated those of his mother's murderer. Draco spoke three whispered words through clenched teeth.

"I'm not Lucius." As the vibrations rang through the room, Draco pulled the machete from its holster swiftly and cleanly cut the throat of the man before him.

Blood poured furiously, the sound echoing on the cold stone walls. The man collapsed to the floor as the blade made a clinking sound as he restored it to his holster. He heard the frantic whisper of curses that his shield absorbed. The power they put into trying to kill him was enough to wield six killing curses and the room was silent once more. Draco stood amidst the bodies as he wiped away the droplet of blood that had so annoyingly flecked his cloak.

Draco went deeper into the lower levels of the club. All the Death Eaters left there were dead before he left. He had released several women locked in cages and freed men from certain torture. After the life was mercilessly taken or freed he returned to the club's main body.

An onlooker may have described Draco as angry, but Draco had never been calmer in his life. Never had he felt so sure about what he was about to do. The music was pounding into his head. The song was strangely motivating to what he was about to do. His pace fell in beat with the rhythm as he slowly made his way to the stairs that took him to the wrap around balcony above the ground level. He stood there overlooking the crowd. His lip curled in disgust. There was no decency in the entire room. They all supported this regime that had so effortlessly taken his mother's life. Draco raised a vial of clear liquid to his mouth and swallowed its contents quickly. He then reached back into his pocket pulling out a second vial of black liquid. He looked at it for a long second as he raised his free hand and the doors to the club slammed shut and braced themselves. Hardly anyone even noticed. Draco looked at his watch. It said, "Ready." A smirk crossed his face as he pulled the cork out of the vial and thrust it high into the air, smashing it into the ceiling. His heavy, dark eyes watched malevolently as the small vial shattered. The glass shards scattered and fell alongside the black, shimmering liquid that immediately began to convert into smoky black clouds as the air touched it. The smoke slowly descended down to the floor and permeated throughout the crowd. Long, black tendrils of the smoke stretched out between the people, giving out highly toxic fumes that soon took affect.

XXX

Hermione let the cold water wash over her skin. She felt like a traitor. She felt like she had committed a notorious crime. She felt like Harry would hate her. She wasn't sure what was keeping her from leaving, but she was certain of what kept her there. Maybe she was scared that the second Harry laid eyes on her, he would know. He would know that she had fallen in love with Malfoy. That she had slept with Malfoy. But the simple fact of the matter was that she couldn't leave, not now. Not when she thought she could save him...

She shut off the facet. Stepping out of the shower she looked in the mirror. It was the first time she had really looked at herself since that day in Bavaria. She recalled it clearly, as if it had just happened.

The air was chilled and the sky was dark. Nothing was going to stop her from her mission. She looked down at the note in her hand.

Harry,
I'm in Bavaria, the children are gone, Remus is dead. The camp was attacked. I'm going there. We know that is where their hideout is and I'm going to get in. I will release the children and hopefully Ginny as well. Do not try to find me, I have a plan. Tell the Order that I have turned up missing. The spy within our ranks will surly tell the dark side and distract them from the thwart in their defense. If they are looking for me, then they won't realize what's right there in front of them if I am captured. If I do not return by tomorrow evening, assume I have been captured and do as I have said.

With all my love,
Hermione

She folded the letter and sent it away with her patronus. She looked at the bottle of hair bleach in front of her. She sighed deeply and poured it into the wash basin in front of her.

"Here goes nothing," she thought, and she dipped her hair into the bleach and stripped the color from her hair.

Hours later she looked at her appearance in the mirror. She felt like she as looking at a different person. It had changed her entire appearance. The blonde hair, eyebrows, eye color, higher cheekbones and the simple fact that she had changed in appearance anyway since their sixth year made her look completely different. She cast a charm on her hair to cause it to stop growing until she cast the counter charm. She put on her black jeans, black tank top and fitted black jacket. She was unrecognizable.

XXX

She stood outside the large castle, analyzing the incredible wards around it. She knew if she wasn't careful, some horrible curse would hit her the moment she entered. She flipped open her cell phone. She had studied magic enough to understand that it was transferred in waves. She also understood that if there was enough interference in the waves it would disrupt the magic long enough for her to slip through undetected. She pressed send. The signal sent out, along with a long concocted charm, redirected every radio wave within a 600 kilometer radius. She felt the magic falter as she slipped through with a small smirk on her face.


She continued to look in the mirror, at least it had worked. She had got the kids out and gave them a portkey to the door of Grimmauld place where Harry would find them.

She finished putting her clothes on and walked to the window. If she was going to stay, she at least needed to contact Harry. She opened her window and waved at an owl. It was risky, but she didn't have her wand. She found a pen and wrote a quick note.

Harry,
I am safe. I do not have my wand, I hope this finds you alright. Keep the pretense that I am still missing, it may be enough to keep me alive as I continue to gather information. I saw Ginny. While she did not look good, she was alive. Any word on the end of the war?
With all my love,
Hermione

She gave the letter to the owl and watched him fly out into the darkness. She wondered where Malfoy had gone.

XXX

Draco watched as one by one, the air born disease grasped the unsuspecting victims. Screams could be heard over the blaring music as the pain consumed their bodies. As the first person fell, many began to panic, fighting to get to the only exit that Draco had barred long ago. The pandemonium was ferocious and finally, minutes later, bodies littered the dusty floor. Draco descended the stairs as the music continued to pound his skull. He traversed his way through the dead, pausing to look at some that he recognized. His eyes seemed to hold a dark satisfaction that eased the pain his heart felt at what was done to his mother. He released the barred doors and left the club, once full of life... but now only full of death.

XXX

Harry awoke to the sound of an owl rapping at his window. He got up grudgingly and let the pesky bird in. As he scanned the letter his face reflected that of relief at Hermione's neat scrawl. However, he felt his heart stop beating at Ginny's name.

He wrote her a response immediately.

Hermione,

Ginny is dead. Malfoy practically told me so. Ron and I are leaving for you know where soon. I wish you would come back, but I will not inform anyone but Ron of your situation. They will still believe you are missing. Be careful.

Harry

Harry left immediately to go to St. Mungo's.

XXX

"Ron, I need to talk to you." Ron stood up from his chair by Bill's bed and walked over to Harry. Harry eyed Fleur dangerously and she looked back strangely at him.

"Come on," Harry said, pulling Ron into the hallway.

"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked.

"I received a letter from Hermione," Harry said seriously, "She says she is fine, but wandless. I told her we would go on without her to retrieve the horcrux. We need to go soon." Ron glanced back at Bill's door and then back to Harry and nodded.

"Oh excuse me Harry dear, I was just bringing some cold water for Bill to bring his fever down. He's doing better," she smiled and continued into the room.

Ron looked after her, "Poor mum, she just hasn't been herself lately."

Harry looked to the floor; no one had really been themselves lately.

XXX

Hermione felt a rush of relief when she saw the owl return. She read the letter quickly and felt the shock hit her. Ginny...dead... This was all her fault, she should have got her out when she could... And when did Harry see Malfoy? At that moment she heard the door click. She quickly stuffed the letter into her pocket as the door swung open and Malfoy walked in.

He looked like he had been to hell and back. His eyes were clouded and his face darkened. He looked up at her as he shut the door, surprised she was still there.

"I didn't expect you to be here," he said, quietly. She looked at him, trying to find words... any words, but she couldn't think of anything to say. He noticed.

"What's wrong," he asked. She shook her head... she couldn't tell him, but she was hardly hiding she was upset.

"I was just worried," she whispered, scared he would see through her lie. He just looked at her and dropped it.

"So where did you go," she asked, finally swallowing her pain for the moment. He ignored the question and sat down on the bed and rested his head in his hands. An owl suddenly tapped at the window, causing Hermione to jump out of her skin.

"Oh no," she thought in horror. She watched as if in slow motion as Draco let the bird in and read the letter. He looked up at her and she almost let the words, "I can explain," slip.

Thankfully, before she did, he spoke.

"We have to go back," he said, walking out of the room.

XXX

Three Hours Later

Draco stood outside No Man's Pub in downtown Dublin, in the darkness, waiting, again. God he hated it when people were late. Finally, he heard faint footsteps.

"Bloody hell, are you ever on time, Fleur?" Draco spat, looking at her as she stopped in front of him. She just looked at him, rather irritated.

"Harry received a letter from Hermione telling him she is alright," she said softly, as if someone might hear her, "Now give me the medicine." She held her hand out expectantly. Draco thrust a small vial into her hand and turned away before touching the portkey in his pocket.


Review!!!! Did anyone know it was Fleur?!?

AN/ Draco's charm absorbs any magic meant to hit him which he can then use himself. (Cool huh? Hehe :)