Tortured :||: Loved Series #5

4) Funny, That's Normally My Line

Ft. Blaise Zabini

Lily's POV
Today was the 1st of September, which meant the Hogwarts Express would be making its annual journey to transport the students to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Even though everyone doubted Harry would be on that train, orders were orders and a group of us were sent to search it just in case.

Yaxley stood on the line in front of the oncoming train and with a single raise of a hand, the steam engine slowed to a halt. He may not be the luckiest sort-of-fellow when it came to appearances or personality but he was definitely one of the more powerful Death Eaters in this cult of idiotic, blindless followers. He also happened to be one of the few Death Eaters I got along with and Riddle allowed me to talk to. 

See, being a powerful mage, the sister of his enemy and no doubt a key part of his rise to fame I was under Riddles watchful eye and he normally only trusted Snape or Bellatrix to watch me when he wasn't there. These days, however, Bellatrix was noticeably absent and I wasn't the only one to notice.  

Scared faces with wide eyes peered out the window as I approached the Gryffindor carriage, Draco following a few steps behind. The carriage was quite when I opened the sliding door, an almost awkward pause sounding throughout the room as everyone's eyes were on us. Finally, Cormac McClaggen, the insufferable boy who'd tried out for keeper last year, had the nerve to stand up. "My father will hear about this."

"Funny, that's normally my line," Draco said flippantly. "Now sit down."

The boy looked shell-shocked he'd been spoken to like that but I moved past him to Neville, Ginny and Luna seated in a corner booth. "He's safe." I rushed out looking my best friend in the eye and a sigh of relief instantly left her lips. 

Her love for him made me smile, the four years I'd known her and it hadn't dissipated at all. "Have you spoken to him?" Neville asked. 

"We've managed to see him briefly, yes. He, Ron and Hermione are on the run. Now, neither of us want any of you getting into trouble and risk yourselves getting hurt." I gave Ginny a pointed look.  

She smirked. "No promises there." 

"No seriously, watch out this year. Snape's headmaster, the Dementors are under You-Know-Whos control, don't use his name either." Draco warned. "Worst of all you'll have the Carrow twins following you around."

A couple of people around us nodded their heads in thanks. "Hey Gin, that Death Eater at the party, getting stunned out of nowhere, that was pretty cool, right?"

Her eyes widened. "That was you?" I shook my head and straightened up from leaning over the bench between them and kinked my head in Draco's direction. Her gaze fell on him as he blushed. "Thank you." She smiled sincerely and nodded back.

The beside us slide open and Yaxley stood in the doorway. I met his blue-eyed gaze. "As I suspected, he isn't here."

He nodded. "What shall you have us do?"

"He isn't here and neither are his two sidekicks so he's not trying to make contact with his friends and he isn't going to return to Hogwarts, it's too dangerous. I say let's go to the Ministry, check in with Pius. I will talk to the Dark Lord."

Yaxley bowed his head once more and I stepped towards the door, the Death Eaters all moving in sync with me. Ginny reached out and grabbed my wrist, causing me to pause and Draco automatically raise his wand but she wasn't fazed, staring at my hand. "Nice ring," She set her sly smile on Draco who lowered his wand and sent her a wink, hidden from the watching Death Eaters.

Snatching my arm back I sent her a neutral stare, assessing my friend was alright and safe once more before I didn't see her for quite a while. I glanced back behind me to Seamus and Dean, watching me curiously but I turned to smoke and six streams of black spiralled across the sky.