Just The Way We Are - Blackinnon

Chapter 17 - Riddle House

Marlene had made up her mind before she had even finished reading the note. The parchment fell from her hands and onto the floor. She walked to the bedroom swiftly yet quietly, careful not to wake Lily. Tying her hair back, she closed her eyes for a moment and took a few deep breaths. She knew the decision she was about to make was stupid, but the urgency of her brother's note left her no choice. By the time she had sent an owl to Dumbledore, who would then have to contact the rescue team, Luther would be dead. Marlene changed out of her nightwear into skinny jeans, a hoodie and a denim jacket. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, her hand finding her way onto her stomach.

"We'll be okay, baby." She whispered, taking another breath through her nose before grabbing her wand.

Marlene shut her eyes, the words 'Riddle House' clear in her mind as she apparated with a crack. The whooshing sensation in her ears finally stopped when her feet hit the ground hard. She was stood in high grass surrounding a huge manor. The only light was coming the moon and stars above, shining down on the grand but neglected house. Vines covered the exterior and obscured some of the large windowpanes. A wide stone path led to a set of double doors which were also covered in greenery. The idea of walking straight through the front door of Voldemort's home was not particularly appealing to Marlene, so she decided to find a more inconspicuous entrance. She carefully walked towards the side of the house, holding her breath when the grass was no longer able to conceal her. The path beside the left side of the house was much narrower, however Marlene could make out a wooden cellar door in the distance, built into the ground and covered in bolts and chains. Gripping her wand tighter in her hand, she crept along the path, her body hunched over to avoid the windows. As Marlene reached the door, she soon realised there would be no way of getting in without making a lot of noise. She sincerely wished this were not her only option.

"Reducto!" She hissed.

The bolts and chains cracked, falling apart immediately. Fearing that her time of being undetected may be running out, Marlene pulled the cellar doors apart and stepped inside quickly. The basement was damp and cold – a faint dripping noise could be heard across the large room. There were large wooden barrels which must have contained twenty-year-old mead, as the smell of beer was extremely potent. A few candles were lit around the room, although Marlene still had to squint to distinguish anything. It was empty, as far as she could tell, until a hoarse cough echoed around the room, startling her. She raised her wand, murmuring 'lumos' under her breath as she walked towards the source of the noise. A man with shaggy blonde hair was slumped against the wall, his wrists and ankles in shackles. His white shirt was torn in places and covered in blood. Both of his eyes were black and blue and there was a long gash across his right cheek that finished through his lip. Luther McKinnon looked as though he was knocking on death's door.

"L-Luther!" Whispered Marlene frantically, kneeling in front of her brother.

His eyes struggled to open. When they did, he stared blankly at his sister. The confusion and doubt were evident in his face – Marlene hoped he had not been driven to insanity.

"Marlene...?" He croaked. "W-what are you doing here? Are you mental?! You shouldn't be here!"

It was Marlene's turn to be confused now.

"But... You sent an owl..."

A sinking feeling of realisation was now hitting Marlene. There was, of course, no possible way of her brother sending the note while his wrists were shackled together.

"I'm quite convincing, aren't I?" A low voice said behind her. "You are so easily fooled, Miss McKinnon. The Dark Lord will be most pleased at your arrival."

Fenrir Greyback gave a hollow laugh that filled the cellar. Marlene swung around, raising her wand and immediately shouting the first spell in her mind.

"Stupefy!"

The spell hit Greyback straight in the chest but he hardly faltered. Marlene leapt behind a cluster of barrels as the wolf man raised his own wand, laughing still. With a simple flick, the barrels exploded, shoving Marlene into the wall from the sheer force of the spell. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted across the room towards a wooden pillar, ducking to avoid a stunning spell.

"Confringo!" Yelled Marlene.

The spell hit the floor in front of Greyback, causing the stone ground to explode in his face, sending him backwards into more barrels. He growled dangerously, half of his forehead beginning to bleed where a large piece of stone had collided with it. Luther was writhing furiously in the corner, trying hopelessly to distract his sister's attacker.

"I grow tired of these games." Greyback snarled, looking more wolf like than ever.

Another flick of his wand caused the pillar to collapse onto Marlene. She fell to the floor and gasped for breath as the heavy wood crushed her, tasting blood in her mouth. Greyback walked over, leering over her body. He reached down and extended a hairy hand, wrapping it around her neck and lifting her from the ground easily. Marlene writhed and gasped for air as he held her above him, his sick grin broadening. His grip was slowly tightening-

"Th-that's enough, Greyback!" A voice called from the bottom of the staircase.

"I don't take orders from children, Black." Greyback spat but dropped Marlene to the floor regardless.

She coughed and spluttered, gasping for breath as she caressed her throat. Black? Who is he talking to? Slowly lifting her head, she looked over at the person who was addressed as 'Black'. A boy with a head of black curls was staring back at her. He looked almost exactly like Sirius, but shorter and with much softer facial features. Marlene recognised Regulus Black immediately – he was her boyfriend's brother, a Death Eater and barely seventeen years old.