𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗳𝗼𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

game of chess

Brinley Granger's POV

It's dark. Not the typical manor type of dark, but a gloomier, bleak sort of dark. It's similar to the night sky when all of the stars seem to be timidly hiding away- only leaving the endless void of black. All these days spent in this funeral home and I've yet to notice how few light sources there truly are. I find myself needing to squint to see through the hallways as a foul, grim Death Eater drags me.

I've recognized the bitter darkness of the manor before, but it never really bothered me when Draco was by my side and filling the caves between his fingers with mine. None of it really seemed to matter.

Perhaps he is my star, never ceasing to light up the atmosphere, even when the other stars camouflage between clouds.

I slip one of my hands from behind my back, relieved when the brute behind me pays no attention. My wobbling hand slithers to my neck just to glide the pads of my fingertips across the pendant dangling from my neck.

Perhaps I'm his moon.

Then, with an unforgiving shove from my assigned Death Eater, I stumble into the designated room, Luna and Will following closely behind. Without our wands, we retreat away from the vicious Death Eaters that are stalking towards us. I keep my features stone-cold and hard as steel, but I can't help but to let some raw emotion seep through my poker face as I realize the three of us are being cornered. A wall nears behind us; there's nowhere else to run.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill all three of you right now," Dolohov's voice screeches. My heart begins to thud in my ears and my breathing hitches as my back presses against the smug wall.

"I said to GIVE ME A REASON." My eyes frantically wander between Luna and Will, silently pleading for answers. What do you do in a situation like this? If I open my mouth and let words slip from my eager tongue, I'll be killed. If I disobey him and keep my cracked lips pursed shut, I'll be killed.

Sounds like I lose this broken game of chess either way.

The evil wizard saunters closer to Luna, wand outstretched and then rubbing it's tip against the bulging vein of her neck. Her eyes remain open, but appear dazed as if she is calculating something in her brilliant brain. It could be the details of a plan, or it just could be the shock of being on the brink of death. The flick of the Death Eaters wrist with the muttering of an incantation and we could all be gone.

I can hear Will struggle to remain composed, and his breathing is tattered and unsteady. Grumbles simmer from deep in his throat, but he knows better than to cause a scene while all three of us are empty-handed. My palms almost seem to physically ache for my perfect weapon, fingers coiling around the cold air my wand usually fills.

"Wait, don't kill her just yet. We could get information from them." Pettigrew's voice is deep as he tilts his head to Luna, and a quirk of his lip sketches a smirk into his hideous face. He strides to Dolohov and whispers in his ear, which causes the wand digging into Luna's windpipe to be lowered.

She takes a small, involuntary gasp and her eyes of silver widen.

"Fine. If you all want to steal a few more breaths, I would recommend you tell us everything you know."

"Everything we know? About what?" Will questions, his tone ridden with angst.

"The Order! Playing stupid will get you nowhere," he growls violently, his sharp teeth baring.

"We aren't playing stupid-"

"We don't know anything. We've been here," I reveal. The slippery words escape from my lips like soap before I even have a chance to think about them.