Something Golden

42

December 22 1996

"Do you have to go?" Granger asks, her arms snaked tightly around my torso. She's been clinging onto me all morning, even when I went to the bathroom. "You already know the answer to that." I tell her. "It's just a few days, I'll be back before Christmas."

I peel her arms off of me, her fingers struggling to remain gripped onto my jacket. "You have to let go now, love. I need to go." Finally, she releases her hold, I take her face between my hands and place a kiss on her forehead. "Feel free to stay in my room whenever you'd like, you have a key. No visitors though please." She nods her head and forces a smile, tears beginning to fill her eyes. "And no crying." I say.

Granger chokes back her tears and I give her one last kiss before heading down to the common room to join the others. This assignment is odd to say the least. Pansy, Theo and Blaise are all to join me, the reasoning I was given was to help cross train them. Pansy and Blaise's current duties do not include any sort of fighting but when the war begins they will be expected to stand in line with the rest of us.

"Everyone ready?" I ask, joining them near the fireplace. They're nervous, it's written all of their faces but they nod. Each of them grab onto a part of my body and I retrieve the portkey from my pocket. The walls around us twist and in seconds we have gone from standing in the common room to now standing in a hotel room in Doncaster.

"Theo and Pansy will share a bed and Blaise will occupy the other." I inform them, placing my bag down.

"Where will you be sleeping?" Blaise asks.

"If I manage to find the time to do so, right here." I say, patting the couch. "Now, unpack and get changed. We leave in ten."

The streets are full of muggles who cheerfully skip along, drunk on the holiday spirit. Usually I'd be nauseated by this fact but I guess they should be allowed to enjoy what time they have left happy. I'm getting closer to fully mending the cabinet, I managed to transport a bird. It didn't survive the return but regardless, it's a major step, which means the war is approaching and muggles will not be excluded from it.

Voldemort's plan doesn't just involve conquering the wizarding world, the overachieving psychopath wants the entire world. He wants every muggle to know that we exist and that we should be feared. He's already had us visit some of their government leaders, to offer them the chance to either be an ally or an enemy, most go with the first choice. Today we will be visiting Damien Brown, the mayor of Doncaster and someone who refused our first offer.

The assignment is to last for two days, the first will be spent showing the mayor that he made the wrong choice, the second will involve using his family as a tool to change his answer. Pansy is meant to observe and take notes, Blaise is to try and convince him with words while Theo and I are meant to do the same but in the form of torture.

"You two will remain in the corner and not a single word will come from either of you, understood?" I direct at Pansy and Blaise.

"Understood." They both reply.

"And you." I say, turning to Theo. "You will take the lead."

His adam's apple bobs but he nods his head. "Yes sir."

We approach the door and I knock three times. A minute or two passes before the door slowly opens, the mayor's eyes bulging the second he sees my face. "Mayor Brown." I smile. "Lovely to see you again." He attempts to close the door but I slam my hand against it and force it open. He stumbles back and trips over his feet, falling down onto the ground.

Slowly, I approach him and lean down. "That's no way to treat a guest, where are your manners?" Grabbing him by the lapel of his coat, I lift his body and drag him to the living room, throwing him down onto a chair. He tries to get back up but I shove him back down and swiftly remove the knife from my thigh holster, stabbing it through his foot.