All in the Family

Chapter 174: The Bribe

"Well this can't be good," Lily said to the foot rest that was waddling towards her like a curious dog. She was in a room, alone. The only other furniture was a large lounge chair that was also walking around of its own free will, but away from her, towards the only door. The walls were plain and dark, the floor an ugly blue carpet that muffled the steps she began uneasily taking away as her would be attacker continued to approach.

She drew her wand and aimed carefully before snapping, "stupefy!"

It just kept going, no slower no faster. She backed farther away and squeaked when her back hit the wall. The muddy white cushion wasn't threatening looking exactly, but she didn't want to know what it was going to do to her either. "Guys? Reducto!" The blasting hex caused a crater right in its center as it kept coming.

"Lily?" She heard faintly off in the distance, but that wasn't exactly helping her as it stopped right in front of her.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" She just wanted it away from her! The door behind her rattled, but the ottoman was blocking it from being opened, bending itself to jam the handle even. Still the foot rest did not attack, but it didn't move away either. She took an uneasy step to the side, and it followed.

"Lily!" She was pretty sure that was Sirius.

"There's furniture, um, in here, not letting me leave?" She tried to explain whatever bizarre situation she was in. "I'm not hurt though, just," she decided against stupidly saying a little weirded out by a faceless, holy, ugly looking bit of cushion that hadn't actually done anything to her but menacingly walk around.

"Well, hang on alright! I can't get the door open, but I'm not just going to leave you in there. Don't freak out, I'm going to let the others know where I am."

It was all the explanation he gave before there was the slightest pop, and a very loud howl that sent an even more uneasy wave through her, it sounded far too much like Moony for her liking.

His voice came back quickly enough thankfully, she didn't even hear the pop that time. "Still good?"

"Yeah," she agreed. "You?"

"Landed in this picture frame, literally. Tried to suck me the rest of the way in, but I changed and ran over here when I heard you yell." The door was still jiggling and the noise was starting to bother her as the furniture facelessly stared her down.

"Any clue where we are?" She didn't know how that would help, but it would make her feel mildly better to know this didn't involve the Horcruxes.

"Best guess, something to do with Mundungus? Kreacher was sent to look for him last, maybe this odd house is where he's hiding out. Old codger's got to have some stowaway spots for all his junk I guess."

"I won't bet against you," she swallowed uneasily and edged along the wall towards the door. It still only followed, but the creepy way it began walking in step with her was just as weird as its presence.

"Wormtail!" The loud shout startled her, she lashed out on impulse and tried to kick the foot rest away, it retaliated by ramming into her outstretched leg. She let out a gasp of pain and wobbled as Sirius eagerly kept going, "good timing mate, can you get in there? Lily can't get out."

There was no response, and she realized why as whiskers began wiggling just visibly under the door. It didn't seem enough space for him to fit, but soon a tiny little snout was creeping through, and before her eyes the rat came wiggling right through the door's crack. It would have been weirdly terrifying if she wasn't at her fill of that.

He darted out from underneath the large chair into the far corner of the room before changing and sizing up the situation properly. To her horror, the two pieces of threatening upholstery began vibrating, and then multiplied before their eyes, a second footrest waddling towards Peter and now two heavy chairs against the door.