Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

You'll Lie and I'll Believe	By : EloiseAtThePlaza Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 8401 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all Harry Potter characters, locations, aspects, etc. I do not make money from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Cora knocked on the door to Alice's flat. A full minute passed but the faint sound of footsteps could not be heard from inside the apartment.

"Alice? It's Cora. Did you get my letter?"

She knocked one more time before trying the doorknob. The flat wasn't locked, which was very odd. Since Muggle-borns were under fire in the wizarding world, Alice usually locked up the minute she returned home from work.

Something wasn't right. Cora held her wand defensively as she entered the small apartment. She used a spell to detect any human presences within the flat. No bodies, dead or alive, were revealed by the charm. She was very much alone.

The apartment was dirty. Clothes, belongings and books were strewn all over the living room floor. Dishes were piled high in the sink. Alice was a bit disorganized, but she would never allow her apartment to reach this level of filth.

The state of the apartment paired with Alice's absence suggested that she had either fled London or had been taken to the Ministry for questioning. As both possibilities were equally alarming, Cora spent the next hour searching the apartment for any information that would indicate Alice's current whereabouts.

She rummaged through every room for a note, a sign…anything to put her mind at ease. After having read every paper scattered across Alice's desk, Cora was about to give up. She was tired, scared, and extremely frustrated. She felt powerless without any knowledge of Alice's location. Even if Alice was at the Ministry, there wasn't anything Cora could do to influence the outcome of a Muggle-born's trial. Dolores Umbridge was ruthless; Alice, an unregistered Muggle-born, would be sent straight to Azkaban after her hearing.

Cora slumped out of the desk chair and landed on the carpeted floor. She was at a distinct disadvantage. If she did go to the Ministry to search for Alice, there was a high probability of running into him. He was the reason she was hiding in the first place! Was it worth the risk if she wasn't completely certain of Alice's location?

She picked up a scrap of parchment off the floor and crumbled it into a ball. Her life was turning into a nightmare. Cora desperately needed her friend's support and guidance. She could've been blatantly honest with Alice, revealing every minute detail of the Snatcher experience. Yet this would never happen. Alice was gone, most likely in danger, and Cora didn't have the slightest idea of how to save her best friend.

Cora glanced down at the wad of parchment in her hand. Recognizing Alice's handwriting, she carefully flattened out the piece of paper. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized the parchment was a note, addressed to her.

C-

I've left the country. This is the only way to avoid an inevitable trip to the Ministry. Please watch after A. My parents are terrified to contact her. They fear a letter may fall into the wrong hands and endanger her further. I've assured them D will take care of her, but I'm still worried. They're only teenagers, after all…

Use the apartment if you've had a long day at work; sorry it's such a mess. Please try to understand why I've left. I'll miss you.

All my love,

A

Cora stifled a relieved sob as she reread the note. Alice had scribbled a date in the top right hand corner: March 24th, 1998. She'd been gone for about a week.

Cora was furious with herself; she'd become obsessed with work at St. Mungo's. If she had stopped by a few days earlier and found the note, she would have been able to contact Alex, Alice's youngest sister. Due to her current predicament, she didn't have access to an owl. She'd have to wait until someone sent Alice a letter in order to borrow one.

The realization set in that it would take days, even weeks, to inquire after Alex's safety. She knew better than to venture outside of the apartment to send a letter, even if it was for a short period of time. She'd escaped the deranged Snatcher once. If he found her, even in the middle of a crowded street, she wasn't sure she'd be able to escape a second time.

"You have to eat something, Alex," Duncan urged, holding out a piece of stale bread.

"I'll grab a bite to eat when we reach the next village," Alex replied, walking ahead of him to a clearing in the forest.

"I've told you, the nearest village is a day's walk from here. Besides, it's not safe anymore. I nicked a Daily Prophet from the trash earlier, and-"

"Still reading the garbage, are you?" Alex interrupted, holding her stomach as it let out an unmistakable growl of hunger. Duncan heard it too; he caught up with her and shoved the piece of bread into her hand.

"And," Duncan repeated, choosing to ignore her interruption, "We are both 'wanted' by the Ministry for questioning, and so is Alice. Any day now the Snatchers will come looking. We have got to be prepared."

"Ooh, I have a wanted poster?" she said teasingly. Alex sobered when her boyfriend's mouth turned into a scowl.

"Lighten up, Duncan. I know this 'on the run' thing is difficult, but at least we're out of Hogwarts. As for the Snatchers…I imagine they're better company than the Carrow siblings, don't you think?"

Duncan shook his head. Alex was an optimist, and she sometimes needed a hard dose of reality.

"You don't know what the Snatchers are capable of, Alex. I've heard they've killed a few people. We need to be on our guard, constantly on the lookout, and we cannot, under any circumstances, trust strangers."

"No strangers here, Duncan," Alex said, holding back a smile. She was quite correct; they'd been walking all day and hadn't once encountered another person.

"No, but when we reach the next town-"

"Duncan, I love you, but you're a bit depressing. Try to look on the bright side. It'll improve your mood and make you feel heaps better."

"She's got a point, you know," a voice jeered.

Duncan and Alex spun around. To their horror they faced a band of Snatchers, all five of them armed with wands. Duncan drew his wand but a tall, menacing Snatcher disarmed him immediately.

"Careful, boy. A little birdie told me you're only fourteen, which means you're not allowed to do magic outside of 'ogwarts."

The Snatcher approached them, his four cronies following his lead. Duncan shielded Alex behind his back. The lead Snatcher chuckled.

"Feeling gallant? Is that your girlfriend, Duncan?"

Duncan's heart pounded in his chest. Alex tugged at the back of his shirt, silently urging him to move. Duncan stayed put, wondering if it was even worth running at this point. All five of the wizards were closing in…

"DUNCAN! COME ON!" Alex screamed, grabbing hold of his hand and pulling him backwards.

They both set off into the expanse of trees beyond the meadow. They hadn't gone far when Duncan felt the sparks of a spell singe the top of his hair. He veered left, dodging another spell. He could still see Alex in his peripheral vision, sprinting diagonally through the trees.

He squinted ahead and spotted two figures approaching. One was wearing plaid pants. Duncan stopped dead in his tracks. He'd forgotten that Snatchers could Apparate.

Duncan heard Alex's screams echo through the forest. Someone tackled him to the ground; in his confusion over the approaching Snatchers, he'd forgotten there were more behind him. He was pulled roughly to his feet, a wand jabbing at his throat.

"Keep walkin'!" a gruff voice snarled.

Duncan tried to break free but his attacker's grip only tightened. He spotted Alex a few yards away. She was struggling in the arms of a massive, ferocious man. This Snatcher didn't look entirely human. Duncan watched in horror as the Neanderthal-looking Snatcher bit into Alex's shoulder.

"Duncan!" Alex screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Greyback! That's enough!" the lead Snatcher yelled, catching up with the group.

"Boss, you said I could roughen her up!"

"I've changed my mind! She's too young, Fenrir, even for you. Give 'er to me," the lead Snatcher demanded. When Greyback refused, the Snatcher pried Alex from his grasp.

"Stubborn git," he spat at Greyback. Alex fell into his arms and sobbed.

She blew her nose into his waistcoat. The lead Snatcher seemed quite taken aback that a teenage girl was using his clothing as a handkerchief. He held her at arm's length as if she were an unpleasant, screaming toddler.

"Right- Alex Winthrop and Duncan Potage, you are 'ereby under arrest. You are both wanted by the Ministry of Magic for questioning. You will come quietly-"

"Duncan hasn't done anything! He isn't a Muggle-born; he's from a pureblood family!" Alex pleaded.

"Quiet, girl! And QUIT blowing your nose on my clothes- I'm not a tissue!" the Snatcher yelled, shaking her. Alex gave a short gasp and shut her mouth, sensing this Snatcher was just as dangerous as the barbaric one.

He continued, "Mudblood or not, truancy isn't tolerated. You're both coming to the Ministry, and I don't want to 'ear another word out of both of you."

He paused, daring either of them to challenge his authority. Duncan remained silent, praying that Alex would do the same.

"We're going to Apparate to the Ministry. You're both familiar with Side-Along Apparition?"

Alex and Duncan nodded, bracing themselves. Within a second the forest disappeared from view. Duncan felt as though he was being forced through a rubber tube. He roughly landed on a wooden floor. Looking around, he realized he was in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. He'd visited the Ministry before and it was just as he remembered it: high vaulted ceilings, fireplaces on either side of the great hallway, the sparkling fountain in the middle…

His designated Snatcher pulled him to his feet. With his arms forced behind his back once more, Duncan was ushered through the throng of wizards and witches. He glanced over at Alex; she was staring straight ahead, gasping for breath between sobs. The bite on her shoulder looked extremely painful. He wanted to tell her that he loved her, that everything would be fine…but he couldn't bring himself to utter a single syllable.

They reached the elevators at the end of the Atrium. The five Snatchers, Alex and Duncan prepared to climb into an available elevator on the far right. Duncan noticed that people were giving him strange looks; it was as though they knew the Snatchers were wrong for turning in two kids, but everyone seemed too frightened to voice their opinion.

"DUNCAN!"

Duncan peered over his Snatcher's shoulder. There was a hush throughout the Atrium as everyone looked around to see who had screamed so loudly. The crowd parted and his father rushed toward him. Duncan blinked, trying to convince himself that this wasn't all a dream.

"Release the children, you bastards!" Mr. Potage bellowed, aiming his wand at each Snatcher, unsure of whom to target first.

Duncan elbowed his Snatcher and escaped from his grasp, running over his father. He'd never been more relieved to see him. After briefly hugging Mr. Potage, Duncan turned around and realized that Alex was still struggling in the arms of the main Snatcher.

"LET HER GO!" Duncan and his father shouted in unison.

"That is quite enough!" a shrill, high-pitched voice screeched. A stout little witch approached the pair of them, her wand pointed at Mr. Potage's chest.

Duncan recognized her at once. It was Dolores Umbridge, the tyrannous witch who had tried to overrun Hogwarts during his second year.

"Mr. Potage, these two children are dangerous criminals who are wanted for questioning! To interfere with the Ministry's business is an offense in itself!"

Mr. Potage lowered his wand, his body trembling with rage. Duncan silently prayed his father wouldn't lose his temper; Umbridge would have him arrested in a second.

"Imagine my surprise, Umbridge, to find MY SON and HIS GIRLFRIEND plastered on wanted ads in today's Daily Prophet! This is absurd! Unheard of! I wasn't contacted or given any notice of my son's situation. I demand to speak to your superior!" his father seethed.

"My superior, Mr. Potage, is the Minister of Magic himself. He is too busy to entangle himself in this nonsense. Your son and Miss Winthrop will attend their respective trials. I suggest you lower your voice and accompany your son to the courtroom."

Umbridge gave him a disapproving frown before pocketing her wand. She turned to the Snatcher holding Alex. "Mr. Scabior, please escort the delinquents to the Wizengamot Courtrooms on Level Ten. I will be along in a minute."

Duncan's heart continued to beat painfully in his chest. He couldn't believe this was actually happening. Even his father, a well-respected and powerful wizard, was no match for Dolores Umbridge. It was now inevitable that he and Alex were going to be shipped off to Azkaban.

Cora awoke with a start, gasping for breath. She'd had a terrible dream in which the Snatcher, in an attempt to blackmail her, had captured her younger brother, Duncan. The Snatcher had tortured Duncan for information until her brother was writhing in pain, begging for a quick death.

"I don't know anything, I swear! Please, please just kill me…I can't take any more of this. I'm telling the truth, I don't know where she is!"

She turned on her side and fluffed the pillow, trying to clear her head of Duncan's echoing screams.

It was just a dream. Duncan was at Hogwarts, preparing for his exams. The Snatcher couldn't kidnap a student; it was impossible to infiltrate the castle, and Headmaster Snape simply wouldn't allow it.

Her thoughts meandered to a peaceful place and she quickly fell back asleep, blissfully unaware of the real trouble Duncan was currently facing.

Eh...I'm not particularly fond of this chapter, but hey, it's an update! I know there's a lot going on in the story, but fear not! Cora and Scabior will reunite soon. And for those of you wondering, yes, this story is set in 1998 (as is The Deathly Hallows). People often forget HP is set in the 90's- I blame the movies ;) )

Enough rambling! Hope you enjoyed.

Chapter title is from "Last Night" by Motion City Soundtrack.
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You'll Lie and I'll Believe