Here's chapter nine. Thanks to all those who have reviewed this story so far. I really appreciate it. This is coming along very nicely, and I still think that I might beat the length of KYEC with this. No promises, but that's what I think. Though you all probably know from previous experience that what I think, and what transpires are usually two completely different things. My muse is in control of this. Not me. Though I desperately wish that I was. There's just a teeny bit of fluff in this one. Not too much, but a bit. And then I sort of wash it out with another mini battle scene. I know that was a complaint that I got with KYEC. Not enough action. Well, I'm trying to fix that problem in this one. I hope you enjoy it, and don't forget to leave a review! I thrive on feedback!
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Sebastian, as soon as they'd moved in to the apartment, had put together a gym in the room that had originally been designed as a Muggle laundry room. It was cramped, but worked for what he needed, which was a place for his weights. He'd played Quidditch since his first year, taking after his father, and took pride in the shape he was in. Which meant that he worked out several times a week. He was on his weight bench, in fact, when Carys shouldered open the door and slid into the narrow room.
"Hey." She sat down on the edge of the bench and he put his weights down and sat up.
"Hey. What's up?"
Carys ran a hand through her hair. "Just wanted a bit of a break from the books. Noah took over. He's gonna give it an hour or two before we call it a night. Uncle Oliver is due over anytime now and he wants to be hard at work and very impressive when he gets here."
Sebastian chuckled. Despite the fact that Noah had known Wood all of his life, the second that he had started dating Olivia, Noah had begun trying to impress the family friend. Wood laughed at him quite a bit, but let him do what he wanted to.
"He doesn't need to impress Uncle Oliver."
"I know that, you know that, he doesn't know that." Carys tucked her hair behind her ear. "I wanted to run an idea by you."
"Okay."
"I think the idea about them using the old Malfoy manor and possibly the place that Voldemort stayed with some of the other Death Eaters in Knockturn Alley. But," she paused, glared at him as he rolled his eyes. He'd known there was a but coming. "But," she continued, "I think that it's more likely that they're in the process of moving somewhere else. Somewhere Unplottable. Or possibly someplace that moves around."
Sebastian's eyebrows went up. "Someplace that moves around?"'
"It isn't impossible, Sebastian." Carys said patiently. "I think it happens to be quite likely. Someplace that you can't fly to or Apparate to unless you've already been there? Brilliant, I think."
"If it is - moving around," Sebastian still said it as if he wasn't entirely sure she hadn't lost her mind, "then we're screwed."
"It's called Randomized," Carys told him patiently, "And places have been Randomized before. It doesn't occur often, but it does occur." Her brow furrowed as she thought. "Though right off hand all I can think of is a cartoon I liked to watch when I was a kid. Anyway, I've read about places before. Mount Olympus was said to be Randomized, Atlantis is a good example. It's hard to do, and takes years of preparation, which is why it's done so little, but it is possible. And no, we aren't screwed. No matter how random things are, if it's been going for a while, there's a pattern. It just depends on how determined you are to find it. And I've been working on a spell with your Mom. Aunt Hermione thinks it could work. She's also working on another Undetectable spell to get in under the wards and keep us undetected while we're there."
"Good. If anyone can do it, it's you and Mom. I imagine you'll get it figured out long before we figure out where exactly it is that we're going. In the meantime," Sebastian reached across her to snag the Daily Prophet. Since Lavender Brown had taken it over several years earlier, the content of the paper had become much more reliable. "we need to deal with this. Apparently this morning four of the Governors called a meeting. They're calling for the purification of Hogwarts. The removal of all Muggle born teachers and students, and the expulsion of all Squibs from the magical community."
Carys gaped, grabbed the paper from her cousin. "What!? They can't do this! It's outrageous! Horrific! Grampa Arthur will never let them do this!"
"He can't stop the Governors right now. They have to sign the law, and then he can veto, but it works just like a Muggle government. They can override the veto with ten signatures."
Carys was raging. "That is so stupid! I mean, Aunt Hermione is the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts for Merlin's sake! And her parents are both Muggles!"
Sebastian managed to keep a straight face. "I think I knew that seeing as she's my mother, Carys. This is just a diversionary tactic. The Dark Knight wants everyone's attention going in a thousand different ways so that she can step in and take over while everyone else is distracted with something else."
Carys deflated. He made sense. She laid one hand on her forehead. "The sad thing is, it's working with me. I'm so distracted by that prophecy, and the Dark Knight and now this, and our parents and finding out where they're hiding, and getting ready for another attack, it's just got me frazzled."
Sebastian would later swear that it was the night, that someone had woven a spell on him that he was helpless to break no matter how hard he tried. "I know a great way to soothe frazzled nerves."
Carys laughed. "I'm willing to try anything at this point. Do your worst, Sebastian Potter."
"Willing to try an experiment?"
"Sure. Why the hell not?"
Sebastian turned so that he was straddling the bench and facing her. Without giving himself a chance to chicken out, he leaned over and captured her mouth.
He was gentle with her, didn't do anything other than lay his mouth on hers. After a moment, the shock broke, and Carys slid her lips over his, curious as to if there way anything there. When he took her invitation and swept her lips open with his tongue and heat and flame coursed into and throughout her body, she discovered that, yes, there was undoubtedly something there.
He was very good at kissing. That was the only thought that Carys managed to latch onto. His mouth was clever, and his taste intoxicating. She'd never imagined that the boy she'd grown up with would turn into such a gorgeous and desirable man.
She wound her arms around his neck, returned his kiss feverishly. Tongues dueled, breath meshed, his hands fisted in her hair, dragging her head back to get a better angle to her mouth. She was responsive, and drugging. That was all he knew. That he didn't want to stop kissing her.
It was wild, and impulsive, an experiment to see if they'd been imagining the changing dynamics of their relationship. And it changed everything. Everything that had been a constant as long as they could remember. Nothing would be the same after that one kiss. The attraction hadn't been a product of circumstances or stress. No, once his mouth was on hers, Carys wondered if it hadn't always been there. Sebastian was thanking whatever God was listening that she hadn't thought him crazy.
When he yanked back from her, they were both breathing hard. Neither knew what to say, or do, or what came next. They sat and stared at one another, both trying to get their brains around the situation. They were both very analytical, and needed to sit back and look at the situation logically and rationally. They both knew that.
And then they were kissing again. Neither knew who had made the first move. It didn't matter, and they didn't care. The next thing they realized, she was in his lap and they were feverishly pressed together, mouths devouring each other.
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Oliver had arrived and Noah was desperate not to be alone with him. He dashed to the weight room, threw open the door, and saw Carys fall out of Sebastian's lap. He stood, stared, completely in shock as his cousin dragged her hand across her mouth as if trying to disguise the fact that she had been thoroughly kissed. Sebastian extended a hand, yanked her up, and was looking rather proud of himself.
Noah debated for a long minute. "Dammit, Sebastian." was what he finally decided upon. "Am I going to have to kick your ass now?"
Carys shook her head. "No need for that, overprotective cousin of mine." She eased past him, casting a grin over her shoulder. "Oh, and Sebastian? You got your little experiment. I want mine."
"Which is?"
"A date. Tomorrow, dinner."
Sebastian shrugged. "Whatever you want." He looked at Noah. "I really can't believe that went as well as it did."
"I can. Good thing she endorsed it though, or I would have punched you."
"You would have tried to punch me. What's that?"
Noah followed Sebastian's gaze out the window. There were several people standing below their apartment, looking up. Sebastian didn't recognize them, but had a feeling that his parents would. They were all in their forties or older, and were wearing the traditional Death Eater robes.
"They can't be attacking us again. Not this soon. It would draw too much attention to them."
Sebastian yanked his shirt over his head and grabbed his wand from the windowsill. "Which is exactly what they want." He wrenched open the door and walked to the living room window. "They know we see them. Ten, maybe twelve of them are down there. My God, who do those people look like?"
Noah craned his neck to see. "Good Lord. A couple of them look like Snape. Pictures I've seen, of course, since he was dead before we were born, but they look like him. Did he have kids?"
"Not that we knew of. Mom and Dad would have known though. Go get Carys." Sebastian walked out on to the balcony and looked down at the Death Eaters. Everyone else had fled to their houses and apartments, scared of the dozen dark witches and wizards. He recognized almost all of them. From pictures that he'd seen in old Daily Prophets. As the pieces clicked into place, he ran back in the apartment, nearly collided with Wood.
"What's going on?" Wood demanded, pushing past his nephew.
"They've broken out of Azkaban."
"Who's broken out of Azkaban?"
"All the Death Eaters that survived the war."
Wood looked down and saw old classmates, men and women younger than him that he had fought nearly twenty years earlier. "Merlin have mercy, you're right. They can't break through the wards that your parents put up."
Sebastian waved his wand. "Now they can."
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The battle was very uneven. Three teenagers and one well trained wizard against a dozen hardened Death Eaters. All four knew that going in, but they also knew that they couldn't afford to appear scared of the Death Eaters.
Noah found himself facing Crabbe and Goyle. They were scarred from their years in Azkaban, their eyes dull and lifeless, glinting only when they were casting spells. And they had increased their power. It was all Noah could do to block all the spells.
Sebastian was taking on the two Snape lookalikes. He was holding his own, though they were both at least a decade older than him and very well trained. He was getting in some curses and hexes of his own. The two men weren't as lifeless as the rest, but they exuded evil. Sebastian thought that they were probably pretty far up on the Death Eater chain of command. The Dark Knight had decided to use the big guns instead of sending less important players.
Carys was handling the three females of the group. Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode and a strange woman around her own age that she recognized as a distant cousin from her grandmother's nephew. Augusta Zabini. Her father, Blaise, was an Auror and worked for the Order of the Phoenix. Augusta had left home at fifteen to join her grandparents in the Death Eaters. Blaise still wasn't quite over losing his eldest child.
Wood handled the other five. They were strong, and they were evil. Had as much training, if not more than he did. But he was more powerful. He blocked their curses and hexes and sent them back. He didn't want to kill them, as he knew they weren't there to kill Sebastian, Carys, Noah and him. It was a show of power.
Sebastian watched their second couch be Obliterated seconds after he leapt behind it. He stood, pointed his wand at Crabbe. "Crucio!"
The bigger man waved his hand and the spell reflected off of him and was absorbed by the wards. "Come on, Potter, you can do better than that. We all know you're the son of the Boy Who Lived. Show us what you're made of."
"No, I don't think I will." Sebastian twirled his wand, mentally preparing himself to cast a wandless spell. He'd been practicing it, but hadn't yet gotten very good. Carys exceeded him greatly in that area. "See, my parents are two of the most powerful wizards of our time. Dad defeated Voldemort, Mom's Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts and single handedly captured or killed over a hundred Death Eaters. I have a lot to live up to. And I'm not about to waste my time on the likes of you!" Sebastian forced the spell from his mind and the Cruciatus Curse hit Crabbe squarely. The larger man fell to his knees, howling with the strength of the curse.
Carys grabbed Sebastian's arm and dragged him out of the way a millisecond before a Killing Curse smacked into him. She spread her arms and lifted her wand. "Pulsato!" she yelled, using one of Hermione's famous spells. All the Death Eaters in the room were knocked over by a sonic wave. Knowing that the battle was over, they Disapparated.
Noah limped over. "Nicely done."
Sebastian looked at Noah and Carys. "Yeah, but we didn't come out as on top that time." He commented, taking stock of their injuries. He had what he was nearly positive was a broken nose and a couple fractured ribs. Crabbe had been as amicable to hand to hand as he was. Noah was bleeding from many gashes, obviously having been struck by the sectum sempra curse. Carys was nursing a broken wrist and a severely bruised jaw. Wood came out of it the best, as was expected, and had nothing more than a couple of bruises.
"Okay, kids, let's get you guys all healed up. Call Ginny Sebastian. You're the least hurt one. Noah, sit down and try not to bleed on the recliner."
Noah looked at Wood. "Why the bleeding hell not? Every other piece of furniture we have is destroyed."
Wood surveyed the steaming burnt to a crisp pieces of furniture. "You're right. Bleed away, mate. I may just have to call Olivia to come baby you."
"That's not necessary." Noah, to his eternal consternation took his vocabulary after Percy, and was an expert at managing to sound pompous. Wood laughed and went about healing the gashes.
"Whatever you say. My God you three are just like your parents."
Carys grinned. "Which is exactly why we're going to win this." She plucked a wand from the floor. "Sebastian, my wave knocked this out of the hand of one of those Snape wannabe's. Aunt Hermione can trace it to a maker and look at it's spell history. It'll tell us a lot about the one at least."
Hermione came through the fireplace, having just Flooed over. "Well let me have a look at it then. Sebastian, go clean up your nose." Her sharp caramel gaze swept around the room. "Well, well, well. I take it you didn't like the furniture Carys picked very much. We're going to have to find you another apartment."
The three teenagers exchanged looks. Progress was definitely being made if their parents weren't going to try to convince them to go home. Sebastian spoke. "Actually, Mom, I think we'd like to come back to the house for a bit."
Noah nodded. "Best bloody idea you've had yet. Can't get any work done with Death Eaters constantly burning the place down."
Carys echoed the sentiment. "We'll still have the option of moving out again, obviously, but we could use the help, Aunt Hermione. We have training, and research. And they didn't send lackeys this time. There were some rather strong witches and wizards in the group."
Hermione nodded, barely able to restrain her glee. She whipped her wand around the room and boxes started packing themselves in every room. "We'll put the dishes and such in the basement for storage, and you can take your clothes with you. Carys, I understand you have some research to show me when we get home?"
Carys nodded. "See, I found this cloaked book-"
The boys groaned as Hermione's interest turned rapt.
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And there we have chapter nine. I hope you enjoyed the mini battle scene. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Draco and Ginny will be in things a little more now, but the focus is still going to be on the kids. And in the end, they're going to have to do it by themselves. There's a little humor planned for later that I think you'll all enjoy, which is part of the reason they're moving back. Next chapter will be an investigation into the old Malfoy Manor. Carys and Draco will have to face some demons of their history, and the Dark Knight will raise some Inferi. Any ideas on who she is yet? I know, and I'd LOVE to hear your theories! So review and tell me what you think!
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