MTL NOVEL Chapter 31: Chapter 31:
Then she screamed. She screamed and screamed and screamed, each wail reaching a new decibel as she thrashed against her restraints.
The trio left her to it for a while. Let the helplessness of her situation sink in that little bit deeper, let her veins turn to ice through her fear - a brief intermission before Theo restarted the performance.
The moment Theo took a predatory step towards Melanie, she started spilling secrets like they'd forced Veritaserum down her throat. "The Order is still looking for Granger!" she cried. "They're planning a raid at your base in Newcastle in the next month or so!"
Theo carried on slowly stalking toward her, his lips turning upwards in the corners. Broken glass from the window crunched under his boots as he approached -
"They figured that must be where you're keeping her!" Melanie continued, her voice growing more desperate with every step Nott took.
Theo pulled the blade from Tom's skull, causing more of his blood to spray and join that already decorating the walls and floor. He turned back to her, holding the dripping dagger teasingly in front of her.
"They know she's still alive!" Melanie squealed when he pressed the blade against her chest, the end nicking the skin covering her sternum. "Please! I'll tell you everything, anything you want to know!" Tears streaked down her face and mixed with the blood collected around her cheeks. "Just please, please don't kill me!"
Theo retracted the blade, and turned back to face Draco and Blaise. He couldn't have looked more smug if he tried. His smile was practically beaming as he folded a single arm across his chest and took a deep, theatrical bow. "Taaaadaaaaa! And that's how it's done, ladies and gentlemen!"
Draco couldn't help but clap. The theatrical little bastard always did get results. Vital information and a show, it really was a joy to watch him work. "Well done Nott. Spectacular show."
Theo smirked at Blaise as he straightened. "Are you satisfied that I still have it in me, Zabini?"
"Yes, yes, I'm absolutely quaking in my boots," Blaise said sarcastically. He wore a triumphant smile as he walked towards the back of the bar. "I'm sorry for ever questioning your methods, Theodore."
"Me? Losing my touch?!" Theo spat, making a disgruntled face as he walked back towards Melanie, ready to extract the rest of the information. "Pffft, he's lost the plot. If anyone is losing their touch, it's you!"
Draco quirked a brow. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Theo said coldly as Blaise re-emerged with a dust covered bottle of bourbon. "You've been trying to get to Granger's memories for how long now? Two weeks? And all you've gotten out of her is a silly childhood birthday party?"
Blaise took a lengthy swig of the alcohol. A soft groan escaped his throat as he swallowed, and then he passed the bottle into Theo's greedy fingers, a peace offering.
They never did bicker for long, and they always reconciled at the bottom of a bottle of scotch or whisky.
Theo drained half of what was left before he handed it to Draco. "She's living in the manor, getting fed and given free roam to explore the grounds. Honestly mate, I think you're going soft."
"Hermione is at Malfoy Manor?" Melanie gasped, only to cringe away when the three men sharply turned to glare at her. She didn't speak again, chose to cower in her chair as though that made her invisible. Forgettable.
"The Dark Lord doesn't care about Granger's memories. We know that eventually we'll capture one of these lot who knows where Potter is, and we'll break them," Draco said before he took a swig of the bourbon. It burned beautifully on the way down. "They'll tell us where Potter and the rest of the rats are, and we'll stamp them out for good. Even if we don't catch anyone with that information, we can always use her to lure Potter out of hiding. You know he loves a good damsel in distress."
"So why search her memories at all?" Blaise asked as Draco passed him back the bottle. "Surely we could just store her in a dungeon somewhere until the Dark Lord wants to use her as a bargaining chip?"
Draco pushed the hair out of his face, then answered, "Searching her memories is an excuse to get inside her head. I'm only doing so because the Dark Lord is convinced there is a spy amongst our ranks."
Blaise paused and looked at Draco, the bottle just inches from his lips. "A spy?"
Draco nodded. "We have a traitor, gentlemen. A rogue snake whose slithered from the pit to leak secrets to our enemy."
Theo made a face. "What makes you think there's a traitor?"
"There have been too many instances where secret missions have been intercepted over the years, and he believes someone within the ranks is leaking secrets to the Order. Given her high status, we both believe Granger may be the one they've been leaking the information to."
"Who would be so stupid as to betray the Dark Lord?" Blaise asked.
Draco shrugged. "Someone in the inner circle."
"Oooooh, does that mean we're all suspects?" Theo laughed. "You gonna cart us away for interrogation, Malfoy?"
"You're all far too gifted at mind blocking to allow anything so simple," Draco answered. "No, the Dark Lord thinks I will find the answer in Granger's head, no matter how tedious an exercise it is."
"So that's it?" Theo asked. "That's why you're spending all these hours prying her mind apart? Just for some secret meetings that may or may not even be there?"
"No, it's just a secondary assignment. The Dark Lord has more sinister plans for the Mudblood."
"Such as?" Blaise asked, brows quirking with intrigue.
"Nott," Draco said, eyes shifting to Theo. "Over the years, you've seen Granger on the battlefield, haven't you?"
Theo gave a curt nod.
"And, despite her being a Mudblood, what did you think?"
Theo's brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Honestly?" he asked, as if it might be a trick of some sort.
"Yes, honestly," Draco encouraged. "What did you think of her skills on the field?"
Theo rolled his tongue on the inside of his cheek, seeming to consider his response carefully. When he finally answered, his voice was low, sort of... wistful. "She was incredible. I was lucky to escape with my life. She cut down our Black Masks like they were nothing, just obstacles in her way. I've never seen anyone that gifted at killing except for... well.... you, Malfoy," he continued hesitantly. "If she fought for us, I think we would have won this war years ago."
"Granger is the backbone of the Order, she always has been," Draco said as he reached for the bottle. Blaise reluctantly handed it over. "She's their chief strategist and most lethal general. They're crumbling without her, running around like scared little children without their mummy."
"Yes, we know that," Blaise said. "Potter will do anything to get her back, and they would die before they let anyone hurt her."
"Soooooo?" Theo drawled, completely lost.
"So," Draco sneered, running his tongue across his top teeth as he smiled. "How do you think they will cope if one of their own, the almighty Golden Girl herself, turns against them?"
Theo and Blaise didn't answer. Draco could practically see the gears in their head turning as they worked through his cryptic response. After several seconds, both their eyes widened as the realisation of Voldemort's twisted plan finally dawned on them.
When they both smiled, Draco continued. "How fast do you think they will fall to their knees if they Apparate onto the battlefield with the intention of saving their lost damsel, only to discover that she now fights for us?"