devils snare [phan]

Chapter 3

On the train to Hogsmeade I couldn't help but feel nervous. This was Dan's first time in Hogsmeade and I wanted it to be a good experience, especially after all the crap he has gone through already.

The train halted and Dan, bouncing with excitement, practically dragged me off. We stood in front of Hogsmeade, clouds gray above our heads, light rain speckling the area, a chill wind passing over us, and I had never seen Dan happier. His eyes darted every which way in a child-like wonder. I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Where do you want to go?" I asked, whispering into his ear. My voice was gravely and surprisingly low. Dan's cheeks went red and he turned to me. His brown eyes skimmed my face before landing on my lips and I licked them.

"I—I'm not sure." He looked back into my eyes and managed a silly smile.

"How about Honeydukes?" I said, starting to walk towards the store.

"What's that?" he asked, walking to catch up with me. He interlaced his fingers in mine and my heart stuttered. I glanced at him and he snuggled into his Slytherin scarf.

"It's a candy store." I sent him a smile as his eyes lit up.

We walked in compatible silence, Dan bouncing from one foot to the other, our hands swinging back and forth. We got to the store and I rushed inside, watching as students were already piling in to get their own selection of sweets. The rainbow of foods, lined the walls and Dan let go of my hand to explore. I chuckled and allowed him to run around, giving me time to get him early christmas presents. I grabbed a bag and pulled three of each kind of my favorite sweet. Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frogs, Fizzing Whizbees, Liquorice Wands, Sugar Quills, Pumpkin Pasties, and Cauldron Cakes were all piled into my bag. I walked to the counter and dropped the items in front of the cashier.

"One galleon and two sickles, please."

I only had two galleons, so I dropped both. The cashier handed me my change, I dropped half in tips and kept the rest for later.

"Have a nice day." I said, smiling, before grabbing my things. "Dan?" I walked around the store but saw no sign of him. "Dan!"

"What's wrong, my boy?" the cashier leaned forward and glanced at me.

"I— uh, my friend. He's missing." I paced around the now empty shop. "the train is going to leave without us." I mumbled the after thought as I glanced down every aisle for a third time.

"Phil!" Dan's voice rang out from the chocolate aisle.

"Oh my god Dan you scared—"

"Hey, get off m—mph!" Dan's voice was cut off as a 'pop' noise rang throughout the shop. I ran to the chocolate aisle as fast as I could but saw it was empty.

"He apperated." the cashier said.

I swore under my breath and ran from the shop. The Hogwarts express was just starting to stop in the station, steam coming from the bright red train. I hissed in anguish and screamed, "Dan, where are you?" I was met with silence. I ran forward, stopping at the path for the shrieking shack. I looked up the hill to the rickety old structure.

A perfect hiding place.

I ran up the path and began to shout for Dan, trying my hardest to locate him. I came to the front down and was about to knock when I heard a cackle coming from inside. I yelped and jumped back, running around to hide on an opposite wall out of sight from anyone leaving through the front door.

"Oh he was easy to get, Lucius!" a shrill voice said. "His boy toy was long gone paying for some stupid gifts for him and—"

"You don't get it do you." Lucius hissed. "The dark lord doesn't want us to dilly-dally. Rupert was cut because he didn't dispose of him properly and now that is our job. This isn't a game, we need to be careful and leave no trace behind."

"ALLRRIIIGHT!" The shrill one cackled. "We've gotta go!"

There were two pops and then silence. I peeked around the corner to see if the two people were still there. When I saw it was all clear I ran as fast as I could up the staircase, the sound of the train's whistle whirling to life.

"Dan!"

"Ugh." Dan groaned from a behind a door. I immediately rammed the door down with my shoulder, splinters spraying everywhere. I coughed and looked down at the source of the moaning. Dan lay on the old wood floor with his wrists tied together with an old piece of twine. "Phil, you're here." He mumbled lazily, his eyes swimming around the room.

"Yeah I'm here Dan." I pulled the twine off his wrists and picked him up bridal style. "I've got you Dan."

He looked up at me with a slippery gaze, fading in and out of focus and wandering around the room.

"Where am I Phil?" he asked innocently.

"The shrieking shack." I said running down the stairs to try and catch the train.

"How did I... how did I get here?" I almost stopped right then and there, but instead I managed to jump on the train and steal an empty compartment before the train started. I placed my bag of sweets, I somehow managed to keep with me, onto the floor before turning to Dan who was sitting in my lap.

"Dan are you okay?" I asked, cupping his face with my hand.

"I'm not sure. My head... kinda hurts." He was staring deeply into my eyes.

"What's the last thing you remember?" I asked, trying to ignore how adorable the owners of the brown irises staring at me was being.

"You are so pretty." Dan giggled and poked my cheek. My face heated up and I coughed.

"Dan, please focus," he nodded slowly but didn't lose that look of awe. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"We were in Honeydukes." Dan said, his thumb rolling between his thick bottom lip and chin. I bit my own lip and stared back at Dan's eyes. "thats it."

"That's it? That's all you remember?" I asked, my eyebrows raised.

"You are really pretty Phil Lester." Dan giggled, placing his hand on my cheek and leaning up to me. "your eyes are like... three different colors! And... your hair is... perfect! And, like your face is literally so smooth! And your lips..." he leaned up and I froze, alarms going off in my head. I pushed Dan away and he pouted.

"No, I'm sorry. You are very, very pretty too but I can't do this, it would be taking advantage of you. Just go to sleep, you seem tired." I sighed, brushing his hair from his face.

"Okay." He laid down on my lap, nuzzling into my calf with a content smile on his face. Soon he was fast asleep and I relaxed. Until, I heard a pop and two people were stoop in my compartment.

I looked up and saw the boney masks and dark black cloaks.

Death eaters

I was about to scream when one of them pushed their hands against my mouth and their wand against my throat.

"No one will ever hear of this. You will tell no one of what has happened to Dan nor what you heard. Do you understand?" It was Lucius from the shrieking shack.

He pushed the tip of their wand even harder into my throat, an uncomfortable heat coming from the wand and leaving a welt. I whimpered. "Do you understand?!" he said it more forcefully and I nodded.

He chuckled before removing their hand and wand and disappearing. The second one remained, their smirk visible through their mask. I clung to Dan's scarf and squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the green light to flash and for it all to be over.

"Stupefy!" the shrill voice hissed.

I opened my eyes just in time to see a blue flash before everything went black.