Cliché

chapter 24: Charades

George followed his lead, and the two dined on the strange food.

"How is it?" Ernie asked.

"It's... good." Draco winced.

"Oh, good. It required a few rare items. Troll bogies, witch blood, moonlight carrots," It all sounded disgusting, but what he said next made the boy's want to throw up, "and a toad."

"A...toad?" The redhead asked, a sick look spreading across his greening face.

"Yes, a toad. I found one in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ummm... ah! Neville's toad!"

'Oh shit.' The blonde felt sick to his stomach. No fucking way.

"Ask your questions." Malcom grinned, angelically.

"Why are you doing this?" George asked, disgust on his face.

"Doing what?"

"You bloody know what!"

"You'll find out! Next?"

Sick. This boy was sick.

"Why would you do this to Seamus?" Draco asked.

Ernie's face softened at the mention of his boyfriend, "Seamus? I..." His eyes saddened, "I'm doing this for him... to keep..."

"To keep him?! He's not a bloody pet!" Draco hissed.

Disgust flashed across the Hufflepuff's face, "To keep him safe."

"Safe? From who?"

"From him! Don't you see?! He's everywhere! He's been watching longer than I have! So much longer!" His brown eyes were wild, and crazed as he spoke. He had true terror in his eyes.

"Who?"

"I can't say! He might be listening!"

"Just tell me! Is it Voldemort?" George asked, now scared, himself.

"No one as mundane as Voldemort, no! This one has so much more power! Veins of fire and a mind of ice. He's omnipotent. He knows everything, he sees everything."

Draco attempted to stand up from his chair, but vines wrapped around his wrists and his ankles, pinning him in place, as well as his colleague.

"Where is he?"

The smaller boy turned around, facing the wood, "He's here." With that, the boy walked into the wood to greet his master.

"We need to get out." George hissed, struggling against his restraints.

"Harry?!" Draco needed to know if his gorgeous baby boy was alright.

The raven-haired student sleepily lifted his head, his eyes lazily opening, as if he had been drugged, "D...Dra... Draco... not... as... seems." As soon as he finished his gibberish, his eyes closed and he fell back into unconsciousness.

'Not as seems?! What does he mean?!'
Oh. Oh gods. Nothing is as it seems?

"I'll get you out of this." Draco promised.

George had no luck waking Fred, and tears streamed down his face as he feared it was too late.

A branch snapped and the two turned to see Ernie's omnipotent master. The figure was decked in a long, dark robe, with the hood semi-shading the face. The male walked with long, confident strides, as if he carried all the answers to everything. Indeed, he did.

George raised his eyebrows, unamused, "What, you needed to change clothes?"

Malcom's expressions had changed now. Replacing the giddy smile, there resided a bemused look of distain.