Black Widow

PERSONALLY, YELENA FELT AS IF HER WHOLE WORLD HAD FALLEN APART. Her heart ached for her sister, worrying constantly. Remus and Sirius were no better, fighting with others and stressing to the end of the night. Even with Remus's secret out in the open, the two didn’t seem to worry much about that — trying to figure out where the help Natasha was, and why they weren’t notified when she was placed in the hospital. 

Natasha’s boss, Fury, told them that he had asked an Agent to contact Clint — to inform them of this mess. However, it seemed as if the Agent disappeared, all evidence of the man being ever there gone — Vanished from the face of the earth. The only proof of him being there was from the accounts of people and the security cameras. Still, the camera was blurry, glitching uncontrollably. 

The family was mad, of course — furious with whoever did this. Yelena, however… Yelena was bloodthirsty. She couldn’t sleep, couldn’t concentrate, or eat without the thought of the murder on her mind. She wanted her sister’s kidnapper six feet under the ground. She didn’t care if she had to go through hundreds, thousands, even! She wanted to save her sister. Still, the blonde knew that even with all of her determination and weapons, one 12-year-old wasn’t going to cut it against magical terrorists. 

Her eyes trailed throughout the room, her fingers playing with the pocket knife Natasha had given her. She stopped, her eyes having caught something. Closing the knife, she placed it in her pocket, heading to the figurine on her desk. It was of a snake, curled up in veins. Then, as if a lightbulb went off in her head, the girl felt a spike of hope for the first time in days. 

She remembered Natasha telling her about Jor, who was actually THE Jörmungandr or the ‘World Serpent’. She knew it was risky, but Yelena was out of all fucks to give. Besides, Jor liked Natasha, anyway! And by that Extension, he should like her!

…maybe… 

Feeling a smile form on her face, the blonde hummed a tune underneath her breath as she picked up the figurine, examining it. 

Shit. 

How the hell was she supposed to meet him? 

It felt like Natasha was reliving her childhood one step at a time, each painful moment bringing up long-forgotten memories – memories she had tried to suppress. Her patience was running thin, with having to deal with her emotions as well as support Tom in this mess. Sure, she knew she didn’t have to do so, but he was her friend, and she knew he would do the same for her. 

As her body ached in pain, her mind still remained sharp, using this extra time she had to go over happy memories of hers and plan. For what, she had no clue. One might think ‘escaping’ but Natasha also wanted to bring the Death Eaters and Voldemort down, and while she had a few ideas, she was clueless. Tom, while her friend, couldn’t be entirely trusted with information. Hell, she kept out a lot of stuff in her letters between the two. 

While Tom was a friend, Tom also had his flaws… And selling someone out was one of them. Sighing, the redhead’s eyes shut, a migraine beginning to set in. Tom groaned lightly in the background, the migraine also affecting him as well. The two quickly found out, that even if they were separated as Horcruxes, the connection that was still slightly there, heightened the closer the two were to each other. Grumbling in her native tongue, Natasha yearned for some kind of pain med but knew she would never get it. 

A few minutes must’ve passed, as the heels clinking against the floor alerted them to someone’s presence. Peeking open a single eye, Natasha tilted her head to the side in order to get a better look. The person seemed to be slouching slightly, making a weird noise with their mouth. However, the thing that caught her attention the most was the metal hand, holding two plates of food. “Peter Pettergriew…” She trailed off, meeting the rat-like face of the man, “Finally got demoted to Wait Staff? Who knows, maybe you’ll be the dishwasher, next.” 

Peter flushed, clumsily setting the plates on the floor, using his feet to push the plate to their cells. “Master asked to give me to you y-your food.” He stuttered, wrangling his hands around nervously. A flash caught Natasha’s eye, which took her attention for a second. In Peter’s old robes, a pocket knife was slowly falling out of his pocket. Feeling a bit of hope for the first time in weeks, Natasha hummed, hoping to drag out this conversation as long as she could – at least until she could get the knife. 

“You know, Sirius and Remus still talk about you…” She started, hoping to manipulate the man to come closer. His beady eyes widened, tears welling up in them. “They…They do?” His voice quivered, his bottom lip shaking. Tom sent her a questioning look, but she simply ignored it, hoping he got the message. 

Luckily, the brunette stayed quiet. “They talk about all the good times,” She noticed his legs started moving forward, and smiled, “And how you were always such a good friend – someone to really lean on, y’know?”

“Y-Yeah, I know!” He hiccuped, whipping off the snot that was dribbling down his nose with his sleeve. “I d-didn’t wanna betray my friends, b-but the dark lords' power is so magnificent! Oh, dear g-girl, if only you knew!” 

He looked like he was on cloud 9, with how he was describing Voldemort. Soon enough, he got close for Natasha to grab his robe, allowing the knife to fall out. Using the man’s shock against him, she quickly cut his Achilles Heels (which was the only thing she could reach.) He cried out in pain, hands reaching down to touch his wounds. When he did that, Natasha simply reacted by stabbing the knife through his only flesh hand. He wailed out in pain, however… the dungeons were soundproof (she quickly figured that out, after the first few torture sessions.)

He rolled around in pain, his moans of agony loud and clear. Still, he tried to drag himself to the exit. But, as luck would have it, his wand fell out of his holster, the man not noticing. “Shit!” She hissed when she noticed that it was too far away. “Nat!” Tom whispered-yelled, rolling the wand towards her since it was closest to him. Sending him a smile. Natasha quickly grabbed the wand, sending a stunning spell towards Petrgriews' way. She huffed, feeling the adrenaline starting to leave her body. Still, she took advantage of having a wand and fiddled with the chain on her ankle. 

It took her a full 30 minutes but she finally undid the last of the wards on the thing, simply casting a freezing charm on the metal and slamming her leg on the ground, freeing her from the restraint. She groaned, gripping the wall with all of her might as she pulled herself up. Her head felt woozy, but she had someone she needed to deal with. 

Peter finally seemed to have woken up, after his hit with the stunner. She didn’t even bother to put up an act, to pretend that she was okay. She wasn’t, okay? She felt like shit. He sniffled, his eyes wet with tears. His mouth moved, clearly begging. But, she heard nothing. 

She was tired of excuses from people because they decided to be shitty people. 

Raising Peter’s wand, green shot out from the man’s wand, who continued to beg until the curse hit him. Slugging her arm down, Natasha sighed, feeling a bit of comfort at the feeling of her magic flowing inside of her. However, her moment of peace was ruined when Tom cleared his throat, gesturing to his own ankle chain. 

Giving one last look at Petrgrews corpse, Natasha made her way over to Tom’s cell. 

Yelena felt like her plan was foul-proof. 

Step 1: Get a Uniform from Daphne, and a ‘wand’ 

Step 2: Sneak around the castle, and avoid ALL TEACHERS. 

Step 3: Hope the voice recording of random snakes hissing works, and opens up the entrance. 

Sure, it was a little… weird, but it’s not like she knows anybody that speaks snake! It’s not common, nor widely accepted in the area where she’s at. Sure, if she was somewhere in the middle-east, where it was a little more accepted, she’d just see it casually. However, since she was in cold, dreary London – this was the best she had to make do with.

With her newly acquired Hogwarts uniform, the blonde kept her head down, following the directions she was given to get to the third-floor bathroom. Students rushed all around, rushing to get to their next class, barely paying attention to anything but their destination. Yelena gripped the pile of books Hermione had given her, claiming it would help her ‘blend in’... Although, Yelena was pretty sure Hermione just wanted her to read the books. After a few confusing twists and turns, the blonde finally made it to the bathroom, setting down the heavy books with a groan. 

Taking a few moments to stretch her back, the blonde didn’t seem to notice when mist seemed to float out of a stall, forming into a person. “Hmph, another firstie come to make fun of me–!”

“--AHH!” Yelena screamed, throwing the nearest thing near her at the ghost, which happened to be her ‘wand’. Myrtle tilted her head to the side, before letting out a giggle. “Are you STUPID? Why would you throw your wand at a GHOST? Hmmm?...” Myrtle giggled once more, floating around the girl. Yelena gulped, but keep her face looking as un-scared as she could. Which she knew was stupid, because she just screamed in fear not even a minute ago. 

Yelena licked her lips, shrugging her hands in the pockets of her robes, “I, uh… I came to be alone.” She lied, her accent disappearing with trained precision taught to her by Natasha. However, that didn’t seem to be enough to fool Mrytle, who hummed in interest.

“You’re not supposed to be here, are you? Those books don’t have anything to do with classes, and your wand is a training wand meant for toddlers. You’re not even a witch, are you?” The ghost continued to ask, backing Yelena more and more into a corner as the ghost floated closer to her. 

Sure, Yelena had weapons on her, but what’s a knife and taser going to do on a ghost? Nothing! Panic began to consume the girl, and a strange feeling began to fill her body. It felt like she was filled with adrenaline, and her body was on high alert – a hundred different strategies forming in her head, all of them useless against someone dead.

Soon enough, Myrtle had her up against the wall. Could she run through the ghost? Would it hurt her? Would she turn into Danny Phantom? Oh God, what is she supposed to do against a freaking ghost?! “Now, would be a really nice time for a vacuum cleaner…” She whispered under her breath, hoping to get one cool, one-liner before her eventual death/turning into Danny Phantom. However, what happened after that… she wasn’t quite sure. She remembered feeling panicked – Myrtle’s giggles echoing through her head. Then, nothing. When she woke up, her body felt like it was warning her that some big storm was coming. However… it seemed the storm had already come. 

The bathroom looked like a mess – the mirror was shattered, the porcelain sinks were broken on the ground, and the toilets were squirting up water everywhere. Hell, some of the walls were singed – like they had been burnt or electrocuted with something. Her mind was in shock, but her body continued to move, pulling out the recording and hitting play. As she stood there, she let her mind process what happened, but nothing was coming up – she simply couldn’t fantom it.

Her family was the magical ones, okay?! Not her! She was normal-one and was okay with that. She didn’t want to have to go through all this magical, training stuff! She wanted to be a normal kid, who did normal stuff. Like… ride bikes, and collect pokemon cards. 

However, while she was in her thoughts, her horseshit of a plan actually seemed to have worked, the door finally open. Snapping out of her thoughts, Yelena grabbed her flashlight and prepared herself for what she was about she see down there. 

No matter what, she WAS gonna talk to Jor and convince him to help, no matter what. 

Clint Barton was NOT having a good day, hell – a good month! First, his best friend requested he protect her family, which meant protecting Remus’ secret… Well, that didn’t even last a month. Then, his best friend was shot and kidnapped by freaking wizard nazis! Finally, to put the icing on the cake, his best friend’s sister was missing! 

FUCKING. FANTASTIC! 

Letting out a sigh of frustration, the blonde pondered if he should turn off his hearing aid  – getting a massive headache from the argument that was pursuing between Remus and Sirius. They stood in the girl’s room, looking for any reason why she could be missing. Clint shuffled through drawers, leaving the undergarments for Laura for when she got home. There was NO WAY he was going through that. He would rather drown himself than dig through Yelena’s underwear drawer. 

“--Sirius, she’s probably at Hogwarts or something!” Remus reasoned, hands fumbling through her trash, “She probably wanted to see if Natasha’s friends knew something!”

The long-haired man shook his head, his mind already made up, “NO! Remus, she was probably kidnapped! Oh, God! I let another one of my kids get kidnapped!” The man wailed, his face shoved into his hands. Clint rolled his eyes at the man’s dramatics, making his way over to her desk. “Sirius, Yelena would’ve made a scene if she was kidnapped – she wouldn’t go down without a fight. You’ve been training her – she can dodge well.” He explained, dumping out her art supplies, and searching for anything in them. 

Sirius hummed, the only thing to show he heard anything at all. Out of the corner of his eyes, Clint saw something poke out from one of Yelena’s figurines. Furrowings his eyebrows, the blonde picked up the snake figurine, turned it around, and examined it. Luckily, it seemed his eyes did not betray him and he pulled off a small, piece of paper. 

“Hey,” He called out, getting the attention of Sirius and Remus, “Looks like Remus was right – she’s at Hogwarts right now.” However, the blonde kept one thing to himself. 

… that she was going to try and bribe a giant snake. 

God, his life was just fantastic.

With only one disguise, Natasha quickly offered herself up for the job of sneaking around. Sure, Tom was doing a little better physically, but she was the trained spy; this is literally what she was trained for. Unfortunately, Peter came in not wearing a mask, so… glamour spell it is!

However, by using glamorous, she also has to be extra cautious as someone could potentially see through the disguise – You never know if someone has a Mad-Moody type of eye! Still, she was fairly confident in herself – fairly. Giving Tom one last smile, Natasha took in a deep breath before opening the door, trying to make herself as small as possible. The halls were quiet, her steps echoing throughout the hallway. 

She felt the eyes of the portraits, which followed her every step. They were obviously having a conversation, but on what, she wasn’t quite sure. She was almost to the end of the hall when one of the portraits called out, 

“You! Girl!” A male voice called out, a snobby tone to it. Her feet stopped where she stood, standing still, “Are you stupid?! I’m talking to you!” 

Debating her options in her head, Natasha realized that she wouldn’t be able to get much further into the house if she caused suspicion — the portraits were able to move throughout the manor, and could easily inform someone. Taking in a deep breath, Natasha turned around, looking for the source of the sound. 

Finally, her eyes landed on the cause of the sound, consuming the details of the man. He had long, blonde hair — which almost looked white in certain lights, and was tied back with a blue ribbon. 

While his features were very aristocratic, he had almost an elfish look to him — an inhuman beauty. However, even with his natural beauty, it was not enough to excuse the hideous outfit he was wearing. 

Honestly, he went head-to-head with Dumbledore, with how bad his outfit was. He gestured her over, and the girl hesitantly made her way over, meeting the eyes of some of the other portraits, who stared down at her in curiosity and disdain. “Yes?” She asked, a fake British accent forming at the tip of her tongue. 

He hummed, looking her up and down before opening his mouth, “if you’re going to sneak throughout this manor, it would be best if you changed into more, unrecognizable robes — the rat always wore those, they practically reek of his scent, and I can’t even smell!” 

Natasha tilted her head to the side, taking in his words. He had a point, she realized. However, she was confused, “Why help me?” She asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. 

The man in the painting smirked, a cunning look on his face, “I want that madman out of my house more than anything — he’s destroying all of my antique vases!” He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. 

She couldn’t help herself, she let out a small snort. “Thank you,” she said, after she collected herself enough, “Lord…?” She trailed off, awaiting his response. 

Natasha could tell he was pleased, having heard her use his proper title. “Abraxas Malfoy, little fox. Now, I’d get going if I were you — a meeting is about to start soon.” He warned, a grim look on his face. 

Giving the man one last grateful look, she turned around, continuing the way she was going. 

“Keep your senses alert, little fox. You’re walking into the lion’s den.” 

Making her way through the long, and narrow hallways, Yelena resisted the urge to cough as dust and dirt flew up into the air. Covering her face with her sweater vest, the blonde made a sound of disgust as she stepped on a rat caucus. “Gross…” she muttered, kicking the body out of the way. 

Even with her flashlight, the girl struggled to see — easily getting lost with the many twists and turns the tunnel had. Honestly, she wondered how her sister even managed to navigate through this maze. Even when she thought she saw an exit, it would just lead to nothing, or to another area she had already been to. 

She was starting to get annoyed, still, she was determined to find this snake man, and get help for her sister. She knew that If whatever happened to Natasha happened to her, the ginger would do the same thing as well. 

Her heels clicked against the concrete, sometimes stepping into small puddles. Her feet ached — the Mary-James she was wearing doing nothing for comfort. She was cold, as water dripping from the ceiling caused her uniform to be soaking wet. Honestly, she felt like a cat in water; her uniform drooping like a cat’s fur. 

Taking a moment to rest, the girl closed her eyes, running a hand down her face. Unable to resist herself, the girl let out a loud scream of frustration, kicking her leg out in frustration. However, instead of her foot hitting like a dead rat or rock, she felt something catch her leg. Tensing up, her body was completely frozen in shock. Who the hell just caught her foot? 

Peeking open her eyes, her lips parted in shock as she took in the person in front of her. “Frustrated, huh?” The man in front of her smirked, his long, flowing hair braided down his back. Amusement flashed throughout his face, his smirk turning into a smile. “What brings you here, Yelena Belova?”

Even with his gentle grip, the girl yanked her leg back in a panic, stumbling slightly as she tried to steady herself. Was this… Jor? He had the exact same description that Natasha told her. Still, she decided to be cautious and asked, “How do you know my name?” 

He chuckled, his sea-green eyes fluttering in amusement. “Child, your sister had much to say about you. However…” he trailed off, circling the girl the same way a predator would to its prey. He took in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as he seemed to smell something. Itching for her knife, the girl resisted the feeling to grab it — she needed this man to trust her, and by stabbing him… Well, that wouldn’t do any good for her. 

His eyes opened, and even with the darkness surrounding them, she swore she was able to see a bit of curiosity and awe behind his eyes. Immediately, she was able to notice a change in behavior in the man. He seemed to almost… cautiously move around her, unlike before — as if she was a rare prize. Finally, he finished what he was saying, “…She never mentioned you could speak parselmouth. Norns, she even said that you were in a non-magi… So, how were you able to get in here?” 

Licking her dry lips, the blonde followed the man with her eyes, looking for any weak spots. Although she knew it would be no use — he was a GOD, and she was just a 12-year-old girl. Jor raised an eyebrow, waiting for her response. Heat rushed to her cheeks, embarrassed that she had zoned out. Letting out an awkward chuckle, the blonde attempted to explain, “Well, I, uh… I recorded a snake hissing, and hoped it would work.” She tried to smile, but it only looked like a grimace. 

Jor tilted his head, his lips parting in surprise. Honestly, she thought the man was gonna eat her hole, with how quiet he was being. Instead, he just broke out into uncontrollable laughter, tears forming in his eyes as he grasped his stomach. “Oh-OH! You smart, little imp! Honestly, the plan sounds so stupid — I’m surprised it even managed to work!” He cried out, finally calming down enough to speak. “Your sister said you were smart, but… even something like that sounds impossible to do, don’t you agree?” 

She grimaced, her arms crossed over each other. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” She muttered, eyes rolling in annoyance, “Rub it in on how stupid I am!” 

“As a matter of fact, it’s quite the opposite, my darling. To come up with an idea like that — so out of the box, shows to me a clear sign of intelligence.” He explained, his arms tucked behind his back as he rocked on his feet. “Boy, I’m sure my father would get a laugh out of that!” 

Still, even with her easing up a bit, she decided there was enough small talk done. Raising an eyebrow, the blonde deadpanned, “You should know why I’m here. It’s — Блядь, I’ll just get to the point. Obviously, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t need something.” Even with the man towering over her, she stood her ground — locking eyes with him. 

Humming, the God gestured for the girl to follow him. Silently cursing in her head for more walking, the girl struggled to keep up with the man, his long legs making long strides. “Slow down! Not everyone is a freaking giant!” She called out, puddles of water splashing up into her as she tried to keep up. He chuckled, but eventually slowed down, leading them to walk side-by-side. “Thank you.” She grumbled out, shivering from the cold water. 

He said nothing, simply waving his head. A flash of sea-green magic flashed over her body — her clothes now dry, and body warm. “You’re welcome.” He replied, a smirk on his face. Eventually, the two seemed to walk into a large clearing — with high ceilings and cracked floors. Her eyes fell on the large statue in the room, described just as Natasha said. “Normally, there’s not as many loops and turns in here. However, sensing a stranger — one that didn’t have the blood of Slytherin, or being a Horcrux like your sister, my defense system went up.” He opened a door, leading to a small office, cramped with many artifacts of several kind. 

Waving his hand once more, the fireplace burst into flames, warming the room. Gesturing for the girl to take a seat, he took his own in his office chair, gracefully crossing his legs over another. “So,” he started, lacing his fingers together, “What can I do for you?”

“You don’t… you don’t know what’s going on?” She asked in confusion, “Have you been living under a rock this whole time?” 

He chuckled, shaking his head, “Quite the opposite, I’m afraid. Although, I suppose you could say living under Hogwarts in secret could count as living under a rock.” He hummed, snapping his fingers. Two teacups appeared in front of them, the smell of earl gray engulfing the room. “Tea?” 

“No, I don’t want tea!” The blonde exploded, puffing up like an angry kitten. Still, that didn’t seem to deter the man, simply asking whether or not she wanted sugar in her tea. Letting out a sigh of exhaustion, she held up two fingers, taking the cup gently into her hands when it was pushed over to her. 

Taking a sip of his tea, he let out a loud, obnoxious sigh of pleasure as the liquid went down his throat. “Don’t you just love earl gray?” He questioned, setting down his cup on the desk. “But, I suppose as you said, I have been living under a rock — when it comes to Natasha. I do have a life outside the girl, and while I consider her lovely company, one like myself gets bored so easily. Yelena, how is Natasha? Is she good?” 

Clenching her jaw in anger, the girl gritted out, “She went missing over a month ago. So, no; she’s not doing good.” A sneer formed on her face, leading her to look like a rabid dog, growling in defense. Jor, thankfully, only let out an “Oh.” His face was surprised. “That’s why I’m here. Natasha said you’d always help, and… I want my sister back — I don’t care if I have sell my freaking soul!” She begged, tears filling in her eyes. 

The God in front of her sighed, tracing the top of the teacup, eyes unfocused. He was quiet, with a considerate feeling about him. “Well, I’m not a demon, so you get to keep your soul,” he joked, trying to ease the tension within the room. “However, even if I did help you, at the end of the day, you’re just a 12-year girl. If I located her, what would you do? Go in there guns-a-blazing? Not to mention, you have no magic. What would you do against fully trained wizards? And how would you explain you found her? You can’t say it was me — I’m supposed to be a myth! This is my home, Yelena—has been for centuries. I don’t want to be banished from another home.” He explained a look of sadness around him. 

“B-But… you’ll still help, r-right?” She asked, a nervous feeling in her stomach. “Right?” 

Finally, after a few moments of Yelena begging for an answer, Jor shook his head slowly. Yelena’s face dropped, and hot tears began to run down her face. 

Emotions began to consume her — anger, denial, sadness, and many others. “Why not?” Her lip began to tremble. Jor sighed, looking away from the desperate girl, “I told you why Yelena; I won't run out of my home—!”

“—THAT’S NOT A GOOD ENOUGH REASON!” She screamed, throwing the cup of steaming, hot tea at the man. He flinched a look of pain on his face. “MY SISTER COULD BE DEAD, AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS THIS STUPID, RUN-DOWNED PLACE?!?!” Rage consumed her body, shaking as a way to escape her. 

Jor tried to calm the girl, holding out a hand as a plea. “Yelena!” He tried, ducking out of the way as things were knocked off his desk in a fit of rage. His eyes widened in awe, as what looked like lightning ran through her veins. Locking eyes with her, he stepped back in shock as the girl’s eyes glowed brightly — power practically begging to be let out. However, it seemed as if the girl had no idea it was even happening, continuing her rampage of destruction. 

Before she could damage anything else, he waved his hand, catching the girl before she fell to the ground. Her eyes were closed, casting an almost peaceful look about her — tricking someone into believing what just happened never happened at all. 

“Norns…” he whispered, eyes wide with shock. 

He had never met a Child of Zeus so powerful and had no idea of their own power. Yelena Belova was a mystery. 

Something he desperately wanted to pick apart and examine. 

Tom sighed, boredom flashing on his face. Even with himself free, he still felt trapped; having to wait for Natasha to return with a disguise for him. Of course, he saw the reason for her being the one to leave, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel annoyed that it wasn’t him. 

Smart and cunning, sure — he was great at that. However, even with his acting fooling many, he knew that if he ran into the original, he’d be able to pick apart his entire act. Lord, he regretted making so many Horcruxes, (ignoring the fact that he was one) they were so hard to trick! Tapping his hand against his thigh, the ruffled man stood up from where he was sitting, making his way over to the doorway. 

It wouldn’t hurt to look out, would it? He reasoned, biting his bottom lip in a nervous way. “To hell with it,” He cursed, peeking the door open slightly. The hallways were dark, the candles hanging on the wall doing nothing. Sticking his head out further, the man took in his location in front of him, trying to figure out where he was in the manor. Sure, he had toured the mansion when he was younger, but his memory wasn’t as good as it was then. Plus, he had also been locked up in his room for months on end, only going somewhere different with someone watching his every move. 

Pushing the door open a little more, the man went to step out, only to quickly duck out of the way as heels clicked down the hall. Holding his breath, he cautiously peeked his eyes out, ears tuning in on the conversation the two death eaters were having. 

“...Supposedly, the lord has big plans – apparently, he’s gonna reveal them today.” The one man said, his crooked teeth shining under the glow of the candle he was walking past. His companion scoffed, rolling his single eye in exasperation, “Where’d you even get the info from? From those crazy twins?” He mocked. 

Tom tilted his head to the side in interest. What was his original planning on revealing? Eventually, the two finally left the hallway, giving Tom the chance to sneak out of the dungeon. Call it risky, but he was curious. And you know what they say….

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. 

Her heart fluttered within her chest, like a butterfly preparing its wings for takeoff. Even with her new disguise, and glamour, the girl still felt naked — as if someone was looking deep into her soul. Almost as if someone was saying ‘I know.’ 

Still, the girl kept her cool — her body calm and collected, going as far as to adjust her body language to be similar to the others in the room. The giant hall in which they were situated was quiet, everyone staying silent in fear. She kept her head down, only glancing up with her eyes every so often. 

Finally, after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the beast, who was the cause of all this fear, spoke up, “My friendsss… How wonderful of you all to join me on this wondrousss occasion.” Though speaking softly, his voice carried throughout the entire hall — being perfectly clear. “To grace me with othersss who ssshare the sssame view as I.”

His tongue flicked between his teeth, nostrils flaring as if he was smelling something. Her toes curled within her shoes, her mouth beginning to taste like cotton. “I have gathered you all here today to talk about my upcoming plansss, and to get updatesss from those I’ve requested.” His long fingers tapped the wooden table, sharp nails scratching up the finishing. “Luciusss… give me updates about the ministry.”

The blonde-haired man gulped, nodding quickly. Natasha narrowed her eyes, resisting the urge to kill the man. “Yes, My Lord.” Malfoy smiled, although it ended up looking more like a grimace, “All of the things you’ve asked me to do are going to plan — there’s been no talk of your return, simply talk of Barty impersonating Mad-Eye. As well as that, Ms. Dolores Umbridge has been sent to Hogwarts, and has been trying to Recruit students into your ranks… however…” Lucius trailed off, biting his bottom lip nervously. 

Voldemort’s brow bone rose up, head tilted to the side as he gestured for the blonde to continue. Clearing his throat, the man continued after a moment of hesitation, “She said her attempts at gathering students were going a bit rough as… as it seemed Natasha Romanoff and her friends created a fight-ring of sorts — a retaliation to Dolores teaching. My Lord, may I suggest—!” However, the man was quickly shut off as the snake-like man pointed his wand at the man, and a flash of bright red shot out towards Lucius. 

A scream tour out of his throat, his body falling out of his chair and onto the ground. It only lasted a couple of seconds, but Natasha still winced in sympathy. Of course, she didn’t feel bad for the man but was instead remembering her many goes under the spell. She shivered slightly, still remembering the cold feeling. Voldemort roared, his eyes narrowed in anger, “No, Luciusss — you may not! You’re useless, just like your father! You suggested the woman be sent there!” Veins were popping out of his head, his teeth grinding against each other. “My plan is failing because of YOU!” 

It was quiet for a few moments, Malfoy breathing heavily on the floor. Finally, he croaked out, “I’m s-sorry, my lord…” his voice filled with shame and fear, which seemed to satisfy the monster. Voldemort hummed, his cracked lips pursing together in thought. Finally, the snake-like man called out, “Severus… How kind of you to finally join us.”

The girl blinked, shocked at the man’s arrival. How had she not heard him? Snape grimaced, his voice soft, yet loud as he replied, “I’ve been standing off to the corner, My Lord.” She could practically feel the man’s eyes on her as if he knew something was up. Finally, his eyes drifted away from her. “Would you… like my report, sir?” Each word was said carefully. 

Voldemort stared the man down for a few moments but eventually waved the man on. “I have been leading the order off our trail, as you’ve requested. I’ve also taken note of all the potions they have asked me to brew, as well as the names of the members of the organization. Right now, they are more focused on finding Natasha Romanoff, and are planning on breaking into headquarters.” 

Natasha couldn’t help herself, her lips parted slightly in shock. Of course, she knew they were looking for her and were worried for her; but were they suicidal?! Breaking in the death eaters' quarters, knowing how small their organization was! They’d be killed on the spot, no matter how good of a duelist they are. Sure, Natasha knew a lot of them could hold themselves up in a fight if they needed to, but… a lot of them didn’t like to fight dirty, and because of that; they’d get killed. 

Justice couldn’t be served in a war. The only way to win is to kill or to stay out of the way. Hell, it’s not like they could put them in Azkaban — they’d all seen how that gone! She loved her family, she truly did, however… they were quite stupid when it come to the long hall. Snapping out of her daydream, the girl directed her attention back to Voldemort, who seemed pleased with Severus’ information. 

“My Friends,” the man announced, lips spread into a wide smile, “Soon, we shall have our ways be known — to let it be known that our ways are the right ways. Soon, we shall show the world that I am truly back. Soon, we shall go to the ministry!” 

With that final sentence, Natasha knew — everyone was fucked.