Beyond the Darkness

Date: 24th March, 2005 (This takes place before Daphne's wedding).
Characters: Adrian Pucey, Draco Malfoy, Dennis ~~Voldie Junior~~ Creevey.
Location: Shrieking Shack, Malfoy Manor.
Private/Public: Private.
Rating: PG.
Warnings: Kidnap, probably language.
Summary: Adrian decides to spend the morning kidnapping the new Dark Lord.
Completion: Complete.

Adrian was up late on Saturday, a morning spent in bed with Stephen far preferable to getting up and kidnapping an idiotic Gryffindor who thought he was the next Dark Lord. The two just didn’t compare and it was with a lot of bitching and complaining that Adrian finally got up and dragged Stephen to shower with him.

An hour later, Stephen was gone - Adrian had joked that Stephen needed time to prettify himself up for the wedding but he really thought Stephen would need the time to cover the marks on his neck - and Adrian was going over his plans once more, making sure everything was correct.

The Shack was quiet for a Saturday when Adrian arrived and a few compliments later, thanks to the single receptionist, he’d discovered that Dennis’s papers for being discharged had been signed already and that he was practically good to go. Fabulous. Remembering Stephen’s words about Dennis being next door to Sophia, he made his way down the corridor to the right room, not knocking before entering.

It was bloody good luck that Dennis was sleeping as really, that just made everything so much easier. Casting a full-body bind on the man, he took the opportunity to look at him, wondering why the hell he’d wanted to hurt Sophia of all people. Or how he was even capable of such magic. He knew that size didn’t equal power but he just didn’t fit the profile of a murderous psychopath in Adrian’s view.

Noticing a wand sticking out from under the pillow, he picked it up and pocketed it before pulling out the Portkey and placing it in Dennis’ hand. Holding onto it himself, he activated the spell and soon they were outside the servants’ entrance of Malfoy Manor. He knocked on the door and then kept his eyes on Dennis, determined to keep up his part of the bargain so he could be free of any promises he’d made to Sophia.

The house elves hadn't been given any specific orders for the day, but they knew that if anyone used the servants' entrance, it was secret business that Master didn't want the Mistress to know about. One elf ushered them inside, keeping a close eye on the two wizard, while one went to call on Draco.

Draco wasted no time, apparating instead of walked. "Pucey, you have the worse timing. Shouldn't you be getting ready for a wedding?" he asked, before nodding to a stairs leading downstairs. "This way."

"I was busy this morning," he replied, not bothering to say who with. "Although I have to say I'm looking forward to the wedding... It's going to be worth attending just to see the look on Greengrass's face when the vicar says 'You may kiss the bride'."

He levitated Creevey, following Malfoy downstairs and making sure Creevey's head hit the roof every time he went down a step. Nobody had said that he actually had to be careful with the man and Malfoy himself had said that as long as Adrian didn't kill him, it was fine. "What was Potter doing at Greg's funeral by the way? Did you actually invite him or was he his usual arrogant self and come because he's the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Draco snorted. "I think we need Creevey Sr. to take pictures of Daphne at such critical moment. Although the rest of the day won't be as pleasant. Two parties in two days are taxing," he said, before turning and glaring at Adrian. "And could you not do that? Cast a silencing charm so I won't have to hear it."

He continued climbing down. The door to the dungeon was already open, had been since they had first discussed. "Chains are in the corner." They were the first form of protection, but he'd made sure that the house elves put enough spells around this room to augment his own. "Do you truly think that anyone would get in the manor without an invitation?"

"I wonder how many people will notice that the bride isn't drinking alcohol," he mused, sure that Malfoy already knew about Daphne anyway. He rolled his eyes at the scolding and cast a Silencing charm instead of stopping, finding it a far more appealing way to ease his frustration than the second option which was hexing Malfoy. At least Creevey couldn't hex back.

"Oh, I snagged his wand whilst I was there. And his discharging papers are signed so people will assume, hopefully, that he's left on his own accord. The mediwitch on reception also has no recollection of my being there so there shouldn't be much suspicion."

Taking the body-bind off of Creevey, he put the chains on Creevey, tighening them until he was satisfied that he wouldn't be getting out of them without that dark magic of his. "It's Potter. He does a lot of things without permission so it's a reasonable question."

"Is there anyone who doesn't know?" Draco asked with a snort. "The groom, I'm assuming, other than that she could have written in the sky and less people would have known."

He noticed the silencing charm and how Creevey's head kept banging on the floor, and Pucey wanted him to think that this wasn't personal. However his efficiency overrode any disclaimers and objections he'd raised. Draco listened to his words and watched as he chained Creevey. The conversation with Theo about the man's looks came to mind, and he couldn't resist saying, "If you're this good at everything you do, I might ask you to marry me."

Draco put his most innocent look on his face. "And Potter wouldn't come without permission, not in this house."

"Tracey said the bint was stupid enough to put it in writing when I saw her a couple of days ago. She'll be approaching O'Shea's level of intelligence soon," Adrian said, shaking his head.

"This? This is easy," Adrian said, recalling the conversation with Stephen the night before which hadn't been so easy once they'd actually started talking. Adrian needed to gag himself of something next time so he wouldn't come out with ridiculous confessions. "But Malfoy, I'm good at everything I do," he said, looking coy. "But marriage? Who do you think I am? Greengrass?"

He snorted, not fooled by the innocent look at all. "Then the only question is why you gave him permission. I'm not stupid enough to think that you'll tell me although I'll be interested to see what you're cooking up."

"Must be the hormones," Draco said, at least he hoped so. "And no one can be as stupid as Verity, and the fact that she's trying to act like a Gryffindor and a Slytherin at the same time is a disgrace, for both houses, not that the Gryffindors would ever notice."

Draco looked at Adrian up and down, stopping when their eyes met. "No, you're much better looking than Daphne, although slightly more annoying. Nothing that a gag couldn't solve though."

He smirked. "Must you always think the worse of me? I'm hurt." He dropped the act. "I don't like my friends being killed by the unforgivables. Potter agrees that no one, especially not the aurors, should use them. Something to that effect might surface soon enough."

"She was drinking with them the night that the Hogwarts Express was attacked," he said, remembering Verity's surprise when he'd mentioned it. No need to mention who he was in there with though. "At The Three Broomsticks. The only Slytherin woman I know who goes there willingly is Millicent and even she has an excuse to be there."

He snickered. "I'll have you know that I make great noises once I stop talking," he said, looking up at Malfoy as he checked the last chain and stood. "Although if you think you're gagging me, you're deluded."

He said nothing at first, processing the information and realising that it meant very bad news for him and his 'profession'. Still... More creative curses were far more fun anyway if he had the time and energy to use them. "Interesting enough," he said neutrally. "Do you think anything will actually be done about it?"

Draco didn't have to ask who 'them' were, and he wasn't shocked to hear it. "She's been always friendly with the twins. I never knew which one she was fucking, not that I care." He took it for a given that she was fucking one or both. Why else would she be so close to them?

"So should we try without the gagging?" he said, grinning. He took the wand from Adrian and locked it into a drawer, knowing that Severus would have access, before walking outside, waiting for Adrian to seal it.

"I doubt anything will happen, but if there is enough support, the next time someone kills one of my friends, I can nail the culprit to the wall, and legally." He liked keeping his hands clean.

As Adrian stepped outside, he closed the door, and checked the wards. Creevey would be going no where, and they had a wedding to attend.