Twinsensibility Part Fifty Four
Apr. 29th, 2010 07:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dysonrulesI know this is exceedingly late, but I actually wrote the entire thing and LOST IT. Honestly, I have no clue what happened to it. So I had to recreate it, but it's totally different than before, which annoys me. ANYWAY, I should be able to get back on track now. *headdesk*
James and Lorcan made their way to the castle, taking care to avoid being visible from any windows. James took a bit more care than Lorcan, something in his mannerisms suggesting he planned to make a career of being a covert operative. When he tripped over an exposed tree root, Lorcan pointed out that he should probably pursue a different line of work.
James threw him a confused look, but asked no questions, likely in order to maintain a secretive air of silence. Lorcan rolled his eyes. The Anti-ward Halos, however, seemed to work nicely, as no alarm had been raised. It looked a bit incongruous on James, hovering over his head like a real angelic halo. Lorcan though horns would have been more appropriate—for both of them.
They finally reached the wall of the stone keep and James flattened himself against the wall, eyes darting to and fro. Lorcan did not even bother to lurk. They were in the shadow of the building and anyone going to spot them would have done so before, especially considering the cheerful brightness of the daylight surrounding them.
“How shall we get in?” Lorcan asked.
James grinned. “Front door, of course.”
Lorcan barely refrained from gnashing his teeth. Bloody Gryffindors.
“Criminal types never expect people to come in the front door. They always take special care with windows and alternate entries. The front is too blatant, you know?”
“Who told you that?” Lorcan asked.
“Dad, of course.”
Lorcan supposed it was possible, so he settled for a look of suspicion in lieu of an argument. James did not seem to notice. He followed the Gryffindor as he crept to the front entrance, which was a huge iron-bound portal made of what looked to be solid oak. Lorcan quickly tested it for locking and warding spells. He frowned.
“Nothing a simple Alohomora won’t open,” he said, perplexed.
James flashed white teeth at him and nodded. “Told you.” With that, he lifted his wand and cast.
The latch lifted easily after the spell and James opened the door with agonizing slowness. Lorcan kept his wand in his hand, alert for any sound other than the quiet squeaking of the door hinges. The door was surprisingly well-oiled for such an old place—Lorcan had fully expected squealing to rival a banshee.
They tiptoed inside and noticed the place was something of a wreck. A solid table sat against one wall, but two chairs were knocked over. An ancient tapestry had been ripped from the wall and lay partially atop the table, but mostly on the floor. A set of stairs led upward in a lazy spiral and another led down into darkness.
“Up or down?” Lorcan murmured.
James shrugged. “Dungeon first?”
Lorcan nodded. It seemed logical.
The floor was hard packed dirt and the stairs were formed of stone slabs. James risked lighting a Lumos as they descended into the darkness. Better to risk being spotted than miss a step and tumble down the steps to end with a broken neck.
Despite the obvious age and disrepair of the place, it was not as dusty as Lorcan would expect. Someone was apparently using it, even if they were not in residence. The steps ended in a single rough-hewn door that looked solid enough to contain a manticore.
James looked questioningly at Lorcan, who shook his head. “It’s not even locked,” he mouthed, barely daring to speak.
James nodded. He lifted his wand and Lorcan held his breath as James reached for the door handle… but it swung open before he could touch it.
For a shocked moment, the man revealed blinked at them while they stared back, and then they all lifted their wands.
“Oi!” the man yelled. “We’re discovered!”
“Halt in the name of the Ministry!” James shouted.
“Don’t move or you’re dead!” Lorcan added.
The man stumbled back into the room and someone behind him yelled, “Hey! It’s just kids!”
“We’re not kids!” James snapped with a glare. “We’re… um, special agents!”
Lorcan rolled his eyes and thought about kicking James. “Stupefy!” he shouted.
The man toppled over and all hell broke loose.
Of all the people Lysander expected to see when he wrenched open the door, Albus Potter was not even in the realm of his imagination. A grin quirked Al’s lips.
“Hullo, Lysander.”
“What? What the—?” Lysander shut his mouth with difficulty. Beyond Albus was, of course, Scorpius Malfoy.
“Lysander, thank Merlin you’re all right,” Scorpius said. “We’ve been so worried!”
Lysander tried to shake off his confusion. “Where is Lorcan?”
Albus grinned. “We all split up to search the places Rose pinpointed as most likely for you to be held. Looks like Score and I got lucky. Again.”
Scorpius sighed. “Do you have to turn every situation into an innuendo?”
Albus seemed to ponder the question before slanting a glance at Scorpius. “Yes?”
“Come on, let’s call your father and get the hell out of here before he wakes up.” Scorpius jerked a thumb over his shoulder and Lysander followed the indicated direction to see a man slumped over a potion-laden table.
“Is that the bastard that kidnapped me?” Lysander asked. He moved around Albus and walked closer to the man, his anger building with every step. When he reached the unconscious fellow he reached out and grabbed the nape of his robes to roll him over. He stared at the unfamiliar face that had recently caused him so much trauma. “Who is he?”
Albus shrugged. “Dunno. Thought you might recognize him.”
“I called the others with the coin,” Scorpius said. “They should be here any minute. How do you propose to let the Aurors know? You have a way to reach your father, right?”
“Scorpius is single-minded,” Albus explained.
“Luckily for you,” Scorpius snapped.
Albus chuckled, but the fond look he shot at the annoyed blond left no doubt where his affections lay. The glance seemed to appease Scorpius; his features softened a bit. Albus said, “I’ll send a Patronus as soon as the others arrive. I don’t want them getting into trouble. Dad expects it of me, but I would rather not have him informing Uncle Ron of Hugo and Rose’s involvement. And Dad’ll kill me if he finds Lily out of school.”
Lysander paid them scarce attention. He was searching through the items on the man’s desk, seeking clues as to why he had been kidnapped. “Did you call Lorcan?” he called absently. In truth, he was half-afraid to see his twin. He was holding it together at the moment through sheer force of will. He thought he might break down completely when he saw Lorcan again. The thought of it alone made his hands shake.
“Yeah, he’s with James. They have a coin.”
That snapped Lysander out of his growing hysteria. “Lorcan is with James? Your brother James?”
Albus smirked. “Yeah. I wonder if James will make it back alive?”
Scorpius poked him with a long finger. “Be nice. Come on, Lysander. Let’s go outside to wait for the others. Albus, make sure Mr Kidnapper doesn’t wake up before your father gets here.”
“Yes, boss,” Albus replied with a militant slap to his forehead.
Scorpius gave him a two-fingered salute, took Lysander’s arm, and led him outside. Lysander let himself be led. It was only minutes before Rose and Hugo appeared, then Lily and Absinthe.
They waited. And waited. Finally Albus stormed outside. “Where the hell are Lorcan and James?” he demanded.
“Oh, shit,” said Hugo, voicing Lysander’s thoughts.
James and Lorcan made their way to the castle, taking care to avoid being visible from any windows. James took a bit more care than Lorcan, something in his mannerisms suggesting he planned to make a career of being a covert operative. When he tripped over an exposed tree root, Lorcan pointed out that he should probably pursue a different line of work.
James threw him a confused look, but asked no questions, likely in order to maintain a secretive air of silence. Lorcan rolled his eyes. The Anti-ward Halos, however, seemed to work nicely, as no alarm had been raised. It looked a bit incongruous on James, hovering over his head like a real angelic halo. Lorcan though horns would have been more appropriate—for both of them.
They finally reached the wall of the stone keep and James flattened himself against the wall, eyes darting to and fro. Lorcan did not even bother to lurk. They were in the shadow of the building and anyone going to spot them would have done so before, especially considering the cheerful brightness of the daylight surrounding them.
“How shall we get in?” Lorcan asked.
James grinned. “Front door, of course.”
Lorcan barely refrained from gnashing his teeth. Bloody Gryffindors.
“Criminal types never expect people to come in the front door. They always take special care with windows and alternate entries. The front is too blatant, you know?”
“Who told you that?” Lorcan asked.
“Dad, of course.”
Lorcan supposed it was possible, so he settled for a look of suspicion in lieu of an argument. James did not seem to notice. He followed the Gryffindor as he crept to the front entrance, which was a huge iron-bound portal made of what looked to be solid oak. Lorcan quickly tested it for locking and warding spells. He frowned.
“Nothing a simple Alohomora won’t open,” he said, perplexed.
James flashed white teeth at him and nodded. “Told you.” With that, he lifted his wand and cast.
The latch lifted easily after the spell and James opened the door with agonizing slowness. Lorcan kept his wand in his hand, alert for any sound other than the quiet squeaking of the door hinges. The door was surprisingly well-oiled for such an old place—Lorcan had fully expected squealing to rival a banshee.
They tiptoed inside and noticed the place was something of a wreck. A solid table sat against one wall, but two chairs were knocked over. An ancient tapestry had been ripped from the wall and lay partially atop the table, but mostly on the floor. A set of stairs led upward in a lazy spiral and another led down into darkness.
“Up or down?” Lorcan murmured.
James shrugged. “Dungeon first?”
Lorcan nodded. It seemed logical.
The floor was hard packed dirt and the stairs were formed of stone slabs. James risked lighting a Lumos as they descended into the darkness. Better to risk being spotted than miss a step and tumble down the steps to end with a broken neck.
Despite the obvious age and disrepair of the place, it was not as dusty as Lorcan would expect. Someone was apparently using it, even if they were not in residence. The steps ended in a single rough-hewn door that looked solid enough to contain a manticore.
James looked questioningly at Lorcan, who shook his head. “It’s not even locked,” he mouthed, barely daring to speak.
James nodded. He lifted his wand and Lorcan held his breath as James reached for the door handle… but it swung open before he could touch it.
For a shocked moment, the man revealed blinked at them while they stared back, and then they all lifted their wands.
“Oi!” the man yelled. “We’re discovered!”
“Halt in the name of the Ministry!” James shouted.
“Don’t move or you’re dead!” Lorcan added.
The man stumbled back into the room and someone behind him yelled, “Hey! It’s just kids!”
“We’re not kids!” James snapped with a glare. “We’re… um, special agents!”
Lorcan rolled his eyes and thought about kicking James. “Stupefy!” he shouted.
The man toppled over and all hell broke loose.
XXX
Of all the people Lysander expected to see when he wrenched open the door, Albus Potter was not even in the realm of his imagination. A grin quirked Al’s lips.
“Hullo, Lysander.”
“What? What the—?” Lysander shut his mouth with difficulty. Beyond Albus was, of course, Scorpius Malfoy.
“Lysander, thank Merlin you’re all right,” Scorpius said. “We’ve been so worried!”
Lysander tried to shake off his confusion. “Where is Lorcan?”
Albus grinned. “We all split up to search the places Rose pinpointed as most likely for you to be held. Looks like Score and I got lucky. Again.”
Scorpius sighed. “Do you have to turn every situation into an innuendo?”
Albus seemed to ponder the question before slanting a glance at Scorpius. “Yes?”
“Come on, let’s call your father and get the hell out of here before he wakes up.” Scorpius jerked a thumb over his shoulder and Lysander followed the indicated direction to see a man slumped over a potion-laden table.
“Is that the bastard that kidnapped me?” Lysander asked. He moved around Albus and walked closer to the man, his anger building with every step. When he reached the unconscious fellow he reached out and grabbed the nape of his robes to roll him over. He stared at the unfamiliar face that had recently caused him so much trauma. “Who is he?”
Albus shrugged. “Dunno. Thought you might recognize him.”
“I called the others with the coin,” Scorpius said. “They should be here any minute. How do you propose to let the Aurors know? You have a way to reach your father, right?”
“Scorpius is single-minded,” Albus explained.
“Luckily for you,” Scorpius snapped.
Albus chuckled, but the fond look he shot at the annoyed blond left no doubt where his affections lay. The glance seemed to appease Scorpius; his features softened a bit. Albus said, “I’ll send a Patronus as soon as the others arrive. I don’t want them getting into trouble. Dad expects it of me, but I would rather not have him informing Uncle Ron of Hugo and Rose’s involvement. And Dad’ll kill me if he finds Lily out of school.”
Lysander paid them scarce attention. He was searching through the items on the man’s desk, seeking clues as to why he had been kidnapped. “Did you call Lorcan?” he called absently. In truth, he was half-afraid to see his twin. He was holding it together at the moment through sheer force of will. He thought he might break down completely when he saw Lorcan again. The thought of it alone made his hands shake.
“Yeah, he’s with James. They have a coin.”
That snapped Lysander out of his growing hysteria. “Lorcan is with James? Your brother James?”
Albus smirked. “Yeah. I wonder if James will make it back alive?”
Scorpius poked him with a long finger. “Be nice. Come on, Lysander. Let’s go outside to wait for the others. Albus, make sure Mr Kidnapper doesn’t wake up before your father gets here.”
“Yes, boss,” Albus replied with a militant slap to his forehead.
Scorpius gave him a two-fingered salute, took Lysander’s arm, and led him outside. Lysander let himself be led. It was only minutes before Rose and Hugo appeared, then Lily and Absinthe.
They waited. And waited. Finally Albus stormed outside. “Where the hell are Lorcan and James?” he demanded.
“Oh, shit,” said Hugo, voicing Lysander’s thoughts.