Delirium

Chapter 41 - Broken

~ part III of the triple update ~

~*~

George felt the culmination of fear and dread drop in his stomach like a stone as he stared at the man and woman before him.

He had only ever seen Amycus and Alecto Carrow in photographs—old newspaper headlines during their murder trial. But now, here they were, standing out in the open. On the protected soil of the Hogwarts grounds.

Murderers.

Free to do whatever they wanted.

And they both watched their niece with such cold, calculated amusement, it sent gooseflesh rising over every inch of George's skin.

He needed to get Jolie far, far away from them.

She had all but frozen in place, the shock in her countenance palpable. She didn't speak. Didn't move. Maybe her own fear wouldn't allow it.

George fought to think of anything to say—something that would help them slip away without trouble.

But the old woman with Madeline spoke first.

"Oh!" she gasped. "Jolie is your niece? And you've come to see her, too! How sweet is that!"

Amycus nodded slowly. Alecto's reptilian smile stretched impossibly wider.

"Yes," she crooned. "It's been much too long since we have seen one another, hasn't it, dear?"

Jolie's lips parted, but no sound came out. George tried to move her behind him, but she didn't budge.

"Well, come on over, then!" the woman called Ms Whitby cried, waving them closer. "I don't bite! Jolie, do you have other family here? I'd love to meet them as well—"

"Ms Whitby," Madeline murmured, trying to cut the old woman off as she watched Jolie with a worried frown.

But the two Death Eaters were already coming closer.

"Hello, Severus," Amycus called, sounding delighted as he and his sister approached step by agonisingly slow step. "I always wondered where you ran off to."

Madeline glanced over at her Head of House. "You know one another?"

George frowned. Were all Slytherins this comfortable asking Snape about his personal life?

But the professor ignored her.

"Did you?" Snape drawled in response to Amycus. "I was of the belief that my placement here at Hogwarts was common knowledge."

"Ah, yes." Amycus nodded. "Yet, we formerly saw much more of one another in the past, did we not?"

Snape's beady eyes narrowed a bit. "I suppose."

Alecto had not looked away from Jolie a single time. As she came close enough to reach out and touch her, George fought the urge to yank his witch back.

The woman held a ghostly resemblance of her niece; her skin smooth and pale as porcelain, but her lips thin and taut. Her cheekbones were high and stark, almost making her appear gaunt. Yet, she was tall and lithe, her posture ramrod straight.

George hated her immediately.

The only thing that finally tore her attention away from Jolie was Ms Whitby stepping forward and thrusting out a hand in greeting.