risky business |erik|

[amadeus]

Amadeus released a long breath, it curled onto the air, freezing there before drifting away. Really, he hated the snow and the cold, or at this point had grown tired of it. Generally speaking, at the current time, Amadeus held an active hatred for almost everything. His parents, his absentee elder brother, school, the people at school, the Death Eaters, himself. It was odd, to be feeling something so strong when he had felt relatively little since Ascella's death over a year ago. That event had numbed him, but Ariadne's death was something else entirely. He felt the pain now. It was crippling. Amadeus wasn't even sure why he was continuing to live.

But this anger, this pure ignominy, it was fueling him, at least enough so for once last act of defiance before he slit his wrists, or fashioned his own noose... Amadeus blinked at the morbid thoughts, wondering if he would even be able to go through with it. Though he would never admit it, even to himself, he was quite cowardly. Amadeus figured that most people, to some degree, had a fear of dying, and he was not excluded from that. But of course, what he was about to do might be suicide in and of itself. Technically speaking, Amadeus was not a Death Eater, but he was about to divulge information that was kept highly secret. It wouldn't be too much a stretch to consider it treason, given the status of his family. Though oddly, he didn't care.

Amadeus paused before Ariadne's grave, it had been hastily stuck in the back of the cemetery, a plain marker that had only her name, date of birth, and the date she died. A pauper's burial. A traitor's resting place. Amadeus stood there, brazenly defying the limits students were allowed to go on Hogsmeade weekends, having taken Floo from the Hog's Head to the closest grate to the English cemetery. It would be too risky to give this information in the village, and definitely too perilous within the school. And while this location did seem obvious, it was overtly so, to the point where nobody would expect it.

Amadeus swallowed forcefully, shifting his weight a bit, the snow crunching beneath his shoes. Now all he need do was wait. Wait for Professor Truelove to turn up, and once he did what he was planning to do, wait for his fate.

[erikoliver]

Erik had gotten very little sleep in the past two months. He’d watched as Natalia, his little sister whom had previously hated him due to his upcoming nuptials, sacrifice herself in order to save his life. He had been searching day in and day out in an attempt to locate her. He wouldn’t allow himself to believe that she was dead. There was no way should could be gone for good. If he found her cold and lifeless, he didn’t know what he would do. Erik had already failed her beyond comprehension, and if she were to be killed on his watch... well, he would never forgive himself.

He’d even postponed his wedding. After discussing it with Elliot for all of a minute, she had agreed that it would be best to wait until Nat was found. With her being both an Auror and an Order Member, she was working double-time to find Death Eaters and the captives. It was a little sickening. He missed her, of course, and worried about her safety on a daily basis, but there was nothing he could do. Elliot was trying just as hard as he was to find Nat, maybe even harder. There was only so much he could do, being a professor. He had to stay behind at what was left of the school, which was being slowly pieced back together after the attack, to take care of what students returned.

In no way had Erik been prepared for the anonymous letter. It had been a ratty-looking barn owl that had practically burst through his window the night before, requesting his presence at some English graveyard. It gave the relative location and reminded him that it was imperative that he show. Despite his better judgement, Erik hadn’t hesitated to make preparations to leave. It could’ve been any number of dastardly things, but he had a good feeling. This could be the lead that he was looking for.

The night arrived, and he left the grounds, only far enough to Apparate to the graveyard. It was an ominous pace, and he prepared himself before slipping past the gates and heading towards the back, as instructed. He was covered in a heavy black coat and dark jeans, hands in his pockets to keep from anxiously running through his hair. Names began to be recognizable, students that he had in the past. The names of those who perished. There were few that he knew well, but any name that was familiar made him feel especially anxious. Finally, he reached the back. There was a single, surprisingly small figure waiting for him, looking down at one of the pauper’s headstones.

Erik stepped forward, looking up from the snow-dusted ground to see the name. Ariadne Malfoy. He turned his head slightly, enough to see the pale face of the youngest Malfoy, one of the only two children of Draco to remain. ”She didn’t deserve to die, you know. Especially not so cruelly,” he said softly. He’d seen the girl’s body briefly, all cut up and bloodied. Obviously, one of the Death Eaters had gotten great pleasure from taking out their personal vendettas on the poor, confused young woman.

[amadeus]

Amadeus didn't once break his gaze with the headstone. His mind was wandering again, to what could have been. He had told her that it was suicide, running from them. Perhaps she had listened, but at that point it had been too late. His foolish, stupid sister. But was he any better than that- given what he was about to do?If it was ever traced back to him, he'd be dead in two days. Jezebel always meant business, anyone who dared go against her had their fates sealed. Though she wouldn't get that satisfaction, he would take his own life before she could kill him. Nothing would frustrate her more.

He grimaced slightly, wishing that he could stop thinking that way. Surely, it wasn't normal, these ideas of revenge, the morbidity of his own death being involved in them. Amadeus lightly shook his head at himself. "You shouldn't have run," Amadeus said quietly, momentarily startling himself. He hadn't meant to say it aloud. He lost track of the time that he stood there, waiting for Professor Truelove to turn up. If he would even show at all. Amadeus just hoped that the music teacher would be alone, though it would probably be him plus some other Order members, it was dangerous to go place alone these days.

Not that it ever mattered to him. His apathy at the idea of danger had only gotten stronger. What was it to anyone if he were to go just as his sisters had? His parents would allow him to disappear just as they had, pretended that they had never had a son called Amadeus. That probably infuriated him the most, they weren't allowed to mourn, simply pretend that their losses had never existed. Amadeus looked up when he heard a voice, his cold grey gaze meeting Erik Truelove's, just the music professor, he had come alone, surprisingly.

Amadeus examined the man, noting how stressed he looked. Frazzled. He obviously cared for Natalia greatly, had been losing sleep over it. His stomach churned slightly as he wondered if anyone would be this unsettled if he were to vanish. Would anyone fervently search for him? No, he concluded. He had burned too many bridges, shoved too many away. It was quite the lonely place to be. "She was doomed the minute she ran," said Amadeus, his normally hollow voiced tinged with a slight air of anger. He wasn't sure where it was directed, but it was still there.

He sighed before peering around, his gaze scanning for a hint of movement anywhere, something that might give away that someone else was there. "You came alone?" said Amadeus, snapping his eyes back to Professor Truelove's, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. He didn't know why he was so preoccupied with this, he was sealing his fate, just as Ascella and Ariadne had done. Though perhaps he might have just a bit longer after this...