Narcissa has a BABY (born in June) (thefairest) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2008-11-01 01:12:00 |
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MASQUERADE PART EIGHT - ORDER TRAP & DEATH EATER ARREST
Who: Everyone who bought a ticket!
Where: Artemis Theatre, Diagon Alley
When: 9:00 pm October 31 - 1:00 am November 1, 1979
What: A Masquerade Ball for the Foundation for the Promotion of Wizarding Society and Culture, hosted by the Malfoys
Rating: PG-13
Status: Mostly complete
PART 8 OF 8
( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 5 ) ( 6 ) ( 7 ) ( 8 )
1:00 am - The ball concludes with a demasking.
The Order's trap goes off.
Order set-up 1 AM at Cregduff
Agnes apparated into Cregduff a little before 1am and took a deep breath. She'd need several of these to get through the night, she thought, for though she wasn't afraid - she wasn't exactly the best actress either. She'd need to remember that looking afraid was decidedly more important than swearing like a sailor at the death eaters. She also tried not to think about them deciding to killing-curse them before the aurors had a chance to get there. Mentally deciding to place herself on the side of the trio facing the death eaters (after all, of the three, she had the least family depending on her if things went awry), she stepped into the circle, feeling a tremor roll down her spine. This place was magical. She could feel it.
Meaghan was only a few seconds behind Agnes, suddenly somber and still after feigning being drunk off her head all evening. Smoothing the skirt of her costume unnecessarily, she sighed and stepped to Agnes' side, hand reaching out unconciously to grip the tiny woman's in her own. She needed some reassurance that things would be okay. She needed to know that she was going to make it home to kiss Kirley tonight. Caradoc had prepared her for the counter-curse, had prepared her to drive the stone into her skin and to draw blood. The burden of responsibility, of knowing that if things went horribly awry, it was up to her to save them, weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her eyes sought Agnes' but she had no words to exchange.
Lily, her body now clean of all cosmetic charms, followed the other girls. She took deep breaths. James had insisted that she wear a portkey that would bring her right back into his arms, and she could feel its sewn inside her trousers. She knew that if she died it would do nothing more than carry her body to him, but she didn't believe that things could escalate that far and that fast. She swallowed and made her way closer to the altar.
Caradoc had done all he could think of to prepare the girls, Dedalus and the site for an optimal performance. He, himself, was willing to put his life at risk to ensure the safety of his compatriots.
The altar was laid with the necessary instruments of various shape, size and degree as a great cauldron bubbled over with blue, viscous fluid. He squinted as first Agnes and then Meaghan Apparated into view. Stepping out from behind a standing stone with a length of rope in his hand, he gave them both a tight smile of welcome.
The sight of Caradoc's tight but determined face gave her the bit of reassurance she needed to continue. They were not going to fail--they had world much too hard for that to be an option. Reaching across the distance between them, she spread her fingers invitingly, asking both for his hand and for the necessary granite for the counter-curse. Her heart began to race a little faster in her chest; she needed Lily to get here as soon as possible--she would feel better when all the players were in place.
And Caradoc slid the granite sliver into her hand, bowing his head slightly as he did. Around the locale, there seemed to be a veil of solemnity and he was loathe to part it with speech. Silence was easier. They all knew their parts.
Agnes followed in Meaghan's wake - a little less certain about this grand scheme than she seemed to be. Oh, she was sure that Caradoc had planned things out to a T, but as far as she was concerned, fucking with dark magic was always a bad idea. Always. Her hand stretched out, looking small and insignificant in the low light.
Lily moved into place, eying the bubbling cauldron as she did. She was ready to do this. She was ready to die if it meant some of the most dangerous criminals in England were locked away in Azkaban. She didn't want to think what that would mean to James. She needed to focus. "So, I'm ready," she said, breaking the silence.
"Let's do it. We don't have much time." With lips pressed tight, Caradoc pointed first to Agnes. "I'll bind your hands and feet, then we will place you in front of the cauldron, within the inner circle." He paused. "Well within sight of any Auror that will pop in on the field below."
"Make sure I'm the one facin' the death eaters," Agnes insisted, heart pounding. This was a lot more terrifying in practise, but that wasn't going to stop her - that was for sure. "I got less to lose than these two." Clutching the granite, she purposefully took a seat on the ground, legs and arms outstretched so they could be bound. She really, really did not like that - but it had to be done, and she comforted herself with the knowledge that at least good would come of this. It had to.
Meaghan rolled the granite shard over and over in her hand, feeling the sharp edges as she tested them against different parts of her palm, trying to see which would cut the easiest. It was grim business, but it was better than concentrating on the fact that she was waiting to be tied up and left at the mercy of sociopathic murderers. Her eyes followed Caradoc as he readied the cords to bind them, her heart aching in her chest. They had to win, surely. What fairness would there be in the universe if they were lost so soon after finding each other?
When he walked passed, Meaghan reached out and captured his hand, giving his fingers a meaningful squeeze--she loved him, they would survive this, they would win, she loved him. It was all she would allow herself to do, for Dedalus' sake. Still handclasped, she sought out the eyes of each of her companions, giving each a smile and a nod to show that she was convinced they were going to be victorious. Her gaze met Agnes' last, and lingered there, her expression now full of gratitude for the sacrifice that the tiny woman was willing to make on her and Lily's behalf.
"Don't say that, Agnes," Lily murmured, reaching over and squeezing her friend's shoulder. "We're all going to be fine." She looked up at Caradoc. "You can put me in dead center, I don't care." She wasn't here to be scared or cautious, she was here to try and win this war. James wouldn't be happy with her volunteering to be right in the middle of it all, but she was going to do it anyway. She offered her arms and legs out to be bound.
"One place," Caradoc replied quickly as he set to work tying Meaghan and Lily in a most convincing fashion, "is just as well as the other." He took a step back to observe the grisly tableau before them, angling Meaghan's shoulder and then Agnes's ankle.
Moving in toward them again, he kissed each woman lightly on their forehead and bent low. "Yell as loudly as you want, as the spell doesn't necessarily call for victims to be silent or willing." He paused. "I'll be just behind the northernmost standing stone. I'm within reach - if it gets too much, call out and I'll end it."
"You are all heroes," he said gruffly, rising as he took one more look around him. All the pieces were in play - now, he could only wait. The Death Eaters would key in momentarily, with the Aurors swift on their heels. A final meaningful look to his hostages and he faded into the shades of night to watch and wait.