Devil's Snare {A Sequel to The Adventures of a Death Eater}

Chapter 3: Under My Skin

 So last night I went on a mad writing spree and got three chapters written in the matter of two hours or so as I watched my Red Wings game. This was the first to be written, and there is one more for this story which I will post within the next 48 hours or so, depending on how I feel. Hope you like it! =)

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Artemis

            I abruptly sat upright in bed, grasping my left forearm. I was breathing heavily, sweating profusely. My mind tried to comprehend what had happened; I must have had a nightmare, something unusual in itself. But all I could remember is a green light…

            I removed my hand from my arm to see the Dark Mark menacingly peering up at me. It had faded slightly since January, giving me no problems, but now it was throbbing uncontrollably. I hadn’t felt a physical pain like this in a long time, if ever. I tried to shake the feeling as I started to climb groggily out of bed, but it was still there.

            Making my way downstairs, I tried to think of why it would be bugging me like it was. Perhaps I had slept on it wrong? No, I decided. That didn’t make sense. Usually the tattoo would be a way Voldemort would’ve communicated with us, sending us subliminal messages. I wondered if that was what was happening now. But since I had quit, wouldn’t it have stopped the connection?

            My thoughts were interrupted when I walked clear into someone, causing me to fall to the carpeted floor below. I looked up to see a huge, bald man staring down at me. He had a bewildered look upon his face as he offered me a hand, pulling me back to my feet.

            “You really should be more careful, Artemis,” he stated.

            I brushed myself off, rolling my eyes in the process. “I’m fine Butler. I was just thinking, is all. I didn’t see you there.”

            Butler laughed, something I hadn’t seen him do much of in my eighteen years of life. “I don’t know how you didn’t see me. You can’t miss me!” He was right about that. Butler stood at almost seven feet tall, and he had a huge muscular frame. On more than one occasion, he had been described as a mountain, and I could definitely see the resemblance.

            I shook my head. “I know, I know. My mind really isn’t the right state at the moment.”

            I noticed him frown slightly before he said, “Well, breakfast is ready in the dining room. Feel free to help yourself.”

            Stepping around him, I made my way to the dining room. Almost immediately, I found my mother feeding the twins. She glanced up at me for a moment before noticing one of the boys dumping his Cheerios all over the floor.

            “Good morning, Arty,” she greeted, kneeling down to start picking up the circular cereal from the floor.

            “Morning, mother,” I mumbled quietly. I sat down next to where she had been seated. My mother finally sat down next to me, placing the cereal she had picked up on the table in a little pile. “I see Beckett is giving you a hard time again.”

            My mother smiled, but I knew she was worn out from the twins. Myles and Beckett were a handful. Adorable, but a handful. They had taken after mother’s side of the family and had her curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes, where I had taken after my father. Myles was very similar to I was in my youth, and was always “experimenting” with his stuffed toy, Professor Primate, whereas Beckett was more of the typical boy, though he had intriguing interests in food.