Alone

Chapter 23

Percy Weasley laughed evilly and pushed Narcissa forward harshly. Narcissa fell to the ground painfully.

"You see Lucius," Percy said. "I have your beloved wife, the beautiful and very much alive Narcissa Malfoy."

Lucius just stared. He felt as if he was stuck in a dream of some sort. His wand clattered to the stone ground, but he barely noticed it.

This isn't happening, Lucius thought desperately, looking at his wife's thin face. Not happening.

"Oh God," he whispered and he slid to the ground. Narcissa lifted her head slightly and looked lovingly into his eyes.

"Luc," she whispered, her hand reaching out to him. Lucius reached forward and his fingers brushed against Narcissa's lightly.

"Narcissa," he said and broke down into a sob. Lucius scrambled towards the woman and embraced Narcissa warmly.

"Isn't this touching?" Percy said sarcastically watching the couple with disgust. With a wave of his wand, Lucius was sent crashing into one of the barred doors of the cell. Draco gave a cry of alarm and was about to run forward, wanting to check if his father was all right.

"I wouldn't move if I were you," Percy said coldly, directly his wand back onto Narcissa. Narcissa looked at her husband and started to cry. Percy sneered at her before smirking at Draco.

Draco glared icily back at him, but then divided his attention back and forth between his mother and his father.

Percy opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something, but instead fell forward on to the ground, unconscious.

"Well," Jake remarked dryly, looking at everybody. "Aren't you lucky I decided to show up now?"

~~*~~

The Death Eater looked about the entrance with confusion. Where were the guards? Taking out his wand, he moved forward stealthily, looking for the perpetrator.

~~*~~

Draco snapped out of his stupor and glared at the black haired man.

"Oh yes. The Boy Who Lived to the rescue," he said sarcastically, checking to see if his mother was okay, but his voice didn't contain its usual coldness.

"A simple thank you would've been perfectly fine you know," Jake said, checking Lucius before unlocking all the cell doors.

Lucius groaned and sat up slowly, rubbing the second bump on his head.

"Why do the cell doors have to be so God-damn hard?" he muttered before clambering to his feet.

"Lucius," Narcissa whispered and hobbled to her husband. Lucius's head shot up and he ran forward to embrace his wife again.

Draco stood and watched with mixed feelings. He was angry. Angry that his father dared to just come and expect everything to be okay after all the years of pain he caused. He was relieved. Relieved that maybe now his family could live like a normal, happy and loving family instead of a cold one. He was suspicious. Lucius was after all a Death Eater and Death Eaters don't just bounce back and forth between the line of good and evil. Jealousy, he realised was also mingled in there somewhere. He was jealous that his mother would go and hug his father first without hugging him.

It was childish, he knew, but he couldn't help it. He wanted his mummy, and he wanted her now! Without knowing, a little pout started to form on his lips. He was brought back to reality when he heard someone snickering. Turning around, he saw Blaise and Jake both trying to stop laughing as they watched him.

"You're pouting," Jake said with a little smirk on his lips.

Any further conversation was cut off as a voice shouted a spell.

"Stupefy!" the Death Eater shouted, his wand pointed at Draco. Jake pushed Draco out of the way and Blaise jumped for Lucius' wand, which was still on the ground.

Sirius, who reacted the quickest, just hit the Death Eater over the head. Everybody watched as the Death Eater dropped down to the ground.

"Well," Jake said finally as he brushed his clothes off. "Let's go and find our dear old Voldie shall we? I've got a little bone to pick with him."

~~*~~

Voldemort was growing impatient. Where were the prisoners? Summoning a Death Eater he watched with narrowed eyes as he scurried forward and dropped to his knees in front of him.

"Where are the prisoners?" Voldemort hissed. The Death Eater shook visibly as he tried to answer the question.

"I don't know my Lord," he stammered as Voldemort stood.

"Don't know?" he roared and the Death Eater shrunk back into the shadows.

"I'm sorry my Lord," he stuttered profusely, wanting to get out of the room as soon as possible.

Voldemort raised his arm, wand in hand and pointed it at the Death Eater. The curse was on his lips, but the door burst open at that moment.

~~*~~

Jake and the rest of them walked silently through the halls of Malfoy Manor, wands out, ready to attack if anyone walked into their view.

Weaving their way through the corridors, Lucius stopped in front of an elaborately carved wooden door.

"Here it is," he whispered and Jake winced. His scar was starting to hurt badly. Taking a deep breath, Jake took a small step back before running forward and kicking the door open.

"Oh and he says that I don't use magic when the time counts. He just kicked the damn door with his foot," Hermione muttered under her breath as the doors flew open to reveal Voldemort standing in front of a cowering Death Eater, his wand drawn.

There was total silence for a moment before Lucy gave a little shriek and ran forward.

"Jake!" she called, half sobbing and half laughing. "I knew you'd come to save me, man you've never let me down before."

Lucy said all this with one breath, her arms thrown around Jakes neck in an extremely tight looking grip.

"Air," Jake gasped. Lucy drew back and looked at him sheepishly.

A high, cold laugh drew them out of their thoughts.

"Well if it isn't everybody's favourite hero, Harry Potter," Voldemort said mockingly. Jake pushed Lucy behind him and glared at the monster.

"Don't call me that! My name is Jake Stevens," Jake spat. Voldemort only laughed again.

"Oh pardon me for the mistake," he said politely. Jake's eyes narrowed as Voldemort threw his arms open as if to welcome him.

"Welcome to my humble home. Come in, sit down, and make yourselves at home. After all, you should be comfortable in your last few hours of life," Voldemort said with a wicked gleam in his eyes. Jake snorted.

"The only person who's going to die here today is you," he snapped. His scar was making it hard for him to concentrate and his vision was starting to go blurry.

"So eager Potter?" Voldemort asked. "Alright then. We'll have it your way. You were always the foolish Gryffindor, rushing into things without thinking it through. How, exactly, do you plan to defeat me, the Dark Lord, in his own house, with hundred of his Death Eaters at call?"

Jake felt himself go cold when he realised that what Voldemort had said was true.

"Bloody Potter," Draco muttered under his breath, boring holes into the back of Jake.

"Let the game begin then," Voldemort said. The next second, Death Eaters started to file into the room, surrounding the Order people inside.

"Shit," Jake cursed.

~~*~~

Dumbledore sighed and looked around his office. Snape was just summoned to a Death Eater's meeting five minutes ago and he feared that it may because the Order members had been found.

"What do I do?" Dumbledore mumbled, face in hands.

The door to his office suddenly banged open and Dumbledore jumped slightly. In his doorway stood three panting figures. Derek, Fred and George.

"Jake-not-back," Derek said between pants and Dumbledore frowned.

"What do you mean not back?" he asked. Derek gulped in air like it was his last life line, which, basically, it was.

"Jake-Malfoy-manor-last-night-not-back-today," Derek said and Dumbledore stared at him in shock.

"Jake went to Malfoy manor?" Dumbledore asked urgently. Derek and the twins nodded.

"George, go and get Professors McGonagall, Lupin and Flitwick. We've got to call and order meeting," Dumbledore said and both George and Fred raced out the door. Derek, meanwhile, looked unsure on what to do.

"Please wait here Derek," Dumbledore said kindly, sensing his discomfort. Derek nodded and sank into a chair. Dumbledore tapped at a piece of glass on his desk in the shape of the phoenix and muttered something inaudible to Derek's ears.

The glass statue glowed for a second before returning to normal.

Ten minutes later, wizards and witches walked into the room and the meeting of the Order of Phoenix started.