✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

14 | O W E

the chances that I've blown.
                 the love I could have known.
can't do this to you ...     

   EMBER TURNED AROUND, ready to rush upstairs with the Goblin by her side, as she bumped into something solid — someone solid. Her eyes wandered higher, crossing a partly bare chest, before meeting two rows of predator-like sharp teeth grinning down upon her.

   "You bad, bad girl", Fenrir Greyback growled with a satisfied smirk.

   "Out of my way, you filthy dog, I need to bring the goblin upstairs", Ember hissed through gritted teeth, her mind racing. How much had Greyback managed to overhear?

   "Scabior!", the werewolf barked, and it took not more than a blink of Ember's hazel eyes for a second man to appear on the top step of the staircase. "You will bring the goblin to Lestrange", Greyback almost whispered, without taking his eyes from Ember. He licked his lips. "Seems like little Miss Potter needs to be put back into place."

   Scabior, the Snatcher, didn't dare to ask questions. Bellatrix again yelled for Ember, and so the man tore the goblin out of Ember's grib and was gone.

   "You wouldn't dare to lay hands on me, Greyback", Ember said, her voice plain. "The Dark Lord would murder you before you even could."

   "The Dark Lord isn't around, Missy", Greyback snarled, still grinning devilishly. "And I think he wouldn't be all too unsatisfied with me, if he only knew about the games you play." One of his fingernails dug into Ember's chin, lifting her face up higher. "I knew there was something fishy about you ever since the day we got the Lovegood girl. You acted a little too soft. Always so eager to use your forces, but then it came down to it, and you refused. Why, I asked myself. And the answer was clear, wasn't it? I started to have an eye on you. Besides that pretty view —" He again licked his lips. "— it was also very interesting. You never turned."

   Ember forced herself not to blink, as if she'd stare into the eyes of a Hippogriff. Instead her eyebrows furrowed as she spat, "You dare to question my loyality? You? I wonder what the Dark Lord would say about this disrespectful behaviour. He's a master in legilimency and you think you're smarter than him?"

   "Oh, the sweet scent of despair", Greyback chugged, breathing in deeply. He had bowed down, now face to face with Ember, his finger's striking her cheek and she shuddered under his touch. His yellowish eyes noticed her small movement of incertitude with delight. "There are ways to crack you, Potter. Ways to open your mind for the Dark Lord. And he will be so grateful I ... uncovered you." Greyback's words were merely breaths now, but his face so close to hers, there was no way she couldn't understand those whispered threats.

   "You won't lay hands on her."

   Greyback's hands stopped halfway down her throat, and Ember froze on spot, losing all her concentration on her forces getting ready to attack. The sound of his voice got her surprised; but what he said was what left her startled.