Title: Elite
Author:
johnnypickalotRating: Mature for gore, violence, sensitive issues and language.
Summary: One cold winter's night, George Weasley and a group of Aurors walk into an abandoned barn in search of the enemy's hideout, but come to find out, it was all a trap. What will George do when one woman nearly wipes out his whole team before they could even react.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except Gabrielle Loken. All hail J.K. Rowling & Bloomsbury Publishing.
I am not afraid of the darkness. I am apart of it. I did not notice my wrongs until recently, but now it is too late to veer from the path I have laid out before me. My life. My destiny. There is no escaping what I have become. I can easily slip between being your silent savior or your worst nightmare. You can either love me or hate me; cherish me or despise me. I can not make this choice for you. It is for you to decide. I am not afraid of the darkness…I am apart of it.
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March 18, 2002
The silence was deafening. The old barn did not creak. The wind did not blow. The trees did not rustle. The only thing to be heard was a slow and steady heartbeat coming from the middle of the stale room. If anyone was there to listen more closely they would be able to hear soft breaths being omitted from the small body as well.
Footsteps.
The heartbeat picked up just a notch as the young woman’s eyes glided over to glance at the window. She blinked as she spotted three shadows fly across the grass outside.
The footsteps grew closer.
She reached into the pocket of her black trench coat and pulled out a small gold coin, flipping it over periodically in the darkness. She reveled in the strange melody that was made between the clicking of the coin and the hasty footsteps nearing the entrance. Her eyes snapped open as she heard hushed whispers right before the door was unceremoniously kicked down.
Very discreetly, she kissed the coin and slipped it back into her pocket. Not even a millisecond later, she felt an ominous poke at her neck.
“Gabrielle Loken, you are under arrest,” growled a man who was obviously the owner of the wand sticking in her jugular.
Slowly, she looked up, “What ever for? As you can see, I am doing nothing wrong by just sitting here.”
The man’s nostrils flared as he became enraged, “You are arrested for the murder of many witches and wizards, as well as muggles. And furthermore,” he continued as he leaned up to hiss into her ear, “this is someone else’s barn; that’s called trespassing, dearie. So, we all think it’s best if you came with us without much of a fuss.”
Her jaw locked tightly before hissing back him, “You’d like that wouldn’t you.” With the quickness of a python, her fist lurched back and whacked him right in the jaw. He gave out a cry of pain as he stumbled back, holding onto his pounding face.
With all the commotion they didn’t realize that Loken had slipped out of his grasp and had given herself a good ten foot distance from them all. There were six men in the room, including the one whom she had distracted. Each of them, from what she could tell, armed with a wand. It seemed as if they had the advantage by outnumbering her. But what they did not know, is that she had the advantage of sight. She could easily tell that they were disorientated by the darkness of the room. That had been her plan. That had been the whole reason she had spent an hour in this nasty, moldy, old barn. She had become one with her surroundings to make the perfect battleground; the perfect trap.
The men looked over to her in fury and slight confusion. It made her want to laugh, yet cry. They did not know; yet how could they? How could they possibly know that they had walked so victoriously into one of the most impossible traps. She could almost hear the silent questions running through their minds. Why is there only one? Why would The Dark Lord send only her? Was there not supposed to be more? What have we gotten ourselves into..? Loken did not allow them time to get more accustomed to the darkness.
She charged straight for the middle.
The others at both sides couldn’t see a thing. All they heard was the chime of metal against leather before hearing the sickening gurgle of the man choking on his own blood. Then it was silent except for the man’s labored breathing.
“Oh, sweet Merlin. I didn’t even see her. I couldn’t even see--”, his grief was cut short by his own scream of anguish as her blade cut into the small of his back. The four others all started to panic, each running for the door; running for their life. All of them were so frightened that they had forgotten that they could easily find and kill her with a simple flick of their wand. It nearly made Loken sick to her stomach to see such powerful wizards limited to panic.
Easily, she disposed of two others before pulling out her own wand and freezing the other two with a silent Petrificus Totalus. Slowly, she stepped around the bodies and kicked over the frozen ones so she could see their faces. Both wore the same panicked and frightened expression. She could see in their eyes the recognition and the pure, unadulterated fear she evoked in their hearts.
She was not proud of this.
Gradually, though, recognition came to her face as well as she realize whom she had captured. None other than George Weasley and Dean Thomas. Loken looked around the room and also noticed that she had killed Michael Corner, Seamus Finnigan and two others she didn’t recognize. She assumed she had graduated from Hogwarts before she had a chance to meet them. Loken then returned her gaze back to the others who were now giving her a loathing glare. She could almost feel the hate pumping from the bodies.
She did not blame them.
Loken had went to school with them and had attended the same classes as them. She had actually known George quite well seeing as they were in the same year. And now, here she was, standing above with a wand in one hand, a blood-drenched dagger in the other, and four of his dead friends behind her. She definitely would have been mad as well.
But none of that mattered at the moment. She had a job to do. Her arm raised to conduct the Killing curse but she immediately stopped as she felt a cramp in her shoulder. Sighing, she wiped the blood off of her dagger before putting it back in it’s sheath. Then, delicately, she reached over and massaged her shoulder slightly, all the while, staring at her two hostages quizzically.
If she was honest with herself, she knew she had no desire to kill them. Just as she had no real desire to kill the others. She was doing a job, that was all. And right at that moment, she had no motivation to continue. Her backside ached from sitting in that ruddy chair for an hour. Her arms and shoulders were sore from her previous workout. She only had four hours of sleep the night before. She was exhausted and worn out. It was definitely time to call in a sick day.
Sighing yet again, Loken quickly cleaned off the blood from her black trench coat before giving the two men a once over. Confusion was clear as daylight in their eyes. They had no idea what she was doing and why they weren’t dead like the other four. But she didn’t give them any chance to mull it over for she disapparated without a single word.
It didn’t take long for backup to come to barn and find the mess that was left behind. A couple of the Aurors that were there gagged or were sick on themselves. Though, no one could blame them. It really was a huge, ugly mess. Not too long after, Harry Potter, found his way over and released the two of the body bind and immediately brought them both to headquarters. He didn’t want to stay around the stench of rotting corpses one second longer. He was sure the others would be smart enough to send in a cleaning crew.
----
July 30, 2002
George Weasley was nearly pulling his hair out with all this work he had to do. Not only did he get stuck with a desk job because of the little event in March, but his wife, Angelina, was pregnant yet again which only means more work later on down the road. Merlin, he should really cut back on that woman. As addicting as she is, they really couldn’t afford another baby after this. But his mother always said, ‘It doesn’t matter how much money you have, as long as you have enough love for the child. That way, you can have as many babies as you like.’
Personally, he thought his mum was a bit off her rocker to have so many children and that he would have loved to just stick with the one, thanks very much.
On the upside, they were all throwing a party for Harry tomorrow for his 22nd birthday so it was sure to be fun; seeing as they were all dropping off their children at his mum’s house so it could be an adult’s night. But, judging by all this paperwork he had to file and process, he didn’t think he was going to be able to leave his desk for at least another week. He knew he was just exaggerating and that he could probably get it all done in less than three hours but, if he was honest with himself, he came to realize that he didn’t want to leave the office. And the reason he didn’t want to leave kind of scared him.
If he was really honest with himself, he would soon realize that he was becoming obsessed. He was spending a lot of unhealthy time researching Gabrielle Loken and her wrongdoings. He couldn’t help it. He was just so curious as to how she could have gotten away with half of what she did. Everybody knew about her and the things she pulled but why hasn’t anyone caught her yet? He was determined to find out. And furthermore, he was determined to arrest her himself.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he had completely missed the memo card zip by his ear and land on his desk until it spoke to him.
“Dinner is in ten minutes. Do not be late. Angelina Weasley.”
Then it promptly vanished into thin air before George even had a chance to start putting away the documents. Once he was finished cleaning up, he headed over to the fireplaces in the lobby and floo’d home, trying to forget his troubles for this one night.
----
September 27, 2002
An owl hooted outside her bedroom window as she gazed up at her ceiling. She listened silently as Malfoy Manor creaked and settled around her as if it was just as exhausted as she was.
Today had been her birthday.
Usually she spent this day with her parents. They’d go to Diagon Alley, pick out something nice for her, then head to some restaurant to eat dinner, finishing the night off with a nice glass of champagne.
But it wasn’t like that anymore. She didn’t take random strolls out in Diagon Alley. She didn’t eat out in fancy restaurants or cheerfully finish off a bottle of champagne. She did none of that ever since her parents were killed during an Auror ambush.
It had been a very depressing day indeed. The day they were murdered was the day she had asked to not go on the mission. The Dark Lord had accepted her request and let her stay at home for he had plenty of Death Eaters signed up for the task anyway. Now, as she looked back on it, she should have gone along, because maybe she would have been able to save them. Or maybe she would have been able to die with them.
Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks as she continued to stare down her ceiling. She missed them so much. She was so alone. Gabrielle had never wanted this. All she wanted was to make her parents proud and it seemed like becoming a Death Eater was the best thing for it. But now, looking back on it, she realized that it was completely pointless.
Yes, she was part of the elite squad. She had fought in many battles and was extremely skilled. She had killed many innocents, and for what? Just so a pompous half-blood could laugh as he watched the world burn around him? It was illogical, immoral and flat out inhumane. But there was no escaping now; at least not for her. Gabrielle had absolutely nothing to go back to. No home, no family, no friends. And even if she turned herself in to the Aurors, it would be a lifetime in Azkaban; that is assuming they didn’t kill her instead. And personally, she didn’t even feel like she deserved that type of mercy. Because through and through, she was a evil and twisted person. At least to the public eye. How could they ever know that she had no choice? That it was an either join or die type of ordeal? They had no way of knowing and they wouldn’t even give it two thoughts before putting her head in the slammer.
And in a weird type of way, she was content with that, because the way she saw it was that she was going to die soon anyway; Might as well get everything over with.
Groaning softy, she sat up from her bed and rubbed her eyes. A walk is in order, I suppose, she thought to herself as she started to walk out of her room. It wasn’t long until she reached the Manor grounds and she began to stroll around the gardens, pondering to herself and trying not to let bad thoughts get to her. But it wasn’t until an hour later that she slowly began to realize that she wasn’t in the garden any longer, but over in the woods. She had been so distracted by her own thoughts, that she hadn’t noticed passing under the shields that were conjured about the house.
Loken shrugged to herself. No worries, she thought, not like anything out here could really do me much harm. Then, all of sudden, a hand flew out and pulled her down to the ground. She let out a small yelp of surprise before struggling with all her might. Then she heard his voice.
“I can’t believe it. I finally got you. I actually bloody found you!” The voice sounded so excited yet slightly lethal. Gabrielle couldn’t help but feel the tiniest bit intimidated seeing as he had the upper hand in this one.
Quickly, she whipped her leg around from under her, and kicked him right in the groin. Right as she heard the satisfying whimper of pain, she grabbed his arm and transported them to a small, empty cottage by apparition. Not waiting a second longer, she flipped the man around to look into his face only to be overwhelmed by shock.
George bloody Weasley. Again!
Then she remembered what he had just said after pulling her down. What he said so enthusiastically about ‘finding’ her.
Loken let the shock vanish from her features and furrowed her eyebrows, “Why have you been looking for me?”
George looked up at her, letting his own daze subside before answering, “I needed to know.”
“Needed to know what?,” she pushed.
“If you were even real,” he said quietly, still sharing eye contact with her.
This time, she couldn’t hide the shock from her features as she replied, “Why would you need confirmation of that?”
Weasley flushed slightly but didn’t miss a beat, “You were just so…fast. It was like you were out of a dream. I didn’t know how you could even get away with half the shit you pulled. All I know is that it was some twisted type of hate filled curiosity that led me here after six months and I do plan on killing you.”
Once he was finished with his little speech, she couldn’t help but let a smile come to her face at the sheer ludicrousness of his statement; but it didn’t stay there for very long. It took her a while to come up with a suitable reply but when she decided to speak again, she let her expression soften a bit.
“Dear Mr. Weasley. As much I would love for you to kill me and put an end to my misery, I am very sorry to say that you do not have the adequate experience and/or skill to defeat me. And, if you do decide to fight me, I will, by default, fight back. And you, my sweet boy, will die.”
Now, once she concluded her soft spoken statement, George Weasley’s face filled with fear. But just as quickly as it had appear, it faded, only to be replaced by a sheer look of determination. Then, with out warning, he took out his wand and shouted Expelliarmus, disarming her before shooting a Confundus charm her way. She easily dodged it as she tucked and rolled towards her wand but didn’t quite reach it in time before he kicked it away. Loken lunged for her wand yet again, this time grabbing it. Then just as quickly as the fight had begun, it was quickly ended as Loken cast a silent Crucio to George.
He writhed and twisted in agony as the feeling of long, thin daggers driving into every part of skin came to him. He began to groan helplessly and arch his back as the fire of the torture curse made him feel like he was burning from the inside out. Then he screamed as the ice cold nearly stole the breath from his lungs. George Weasley wished to die.
“Crucia,” Loken said lowly, watching as the Weasley brother immediately slumped down to the ground. Cautiously, she lowered herself to the ground and crawled over to him, making him look her in the eye. He saw that they were red from grief.
“I have always felt a strong connection with you. You lost your twin brother. You lost your counterpart. I’ve lost my parents, my dignity and my purpose in life. And I really don’t care if you believe me when I say this, but I am so sorry, and I know exactly how you feel,” she whispered as her moss green eyes gazed into his sky blue ones.
He was so shocked, he was gaping like a fish out of water, but she continued nonetheless, “I can’t change who I’ve become. I’m too far gone, and I’ve come to accept that. My only purpose anymore is to be the Dark Lord’s tool. A weapon of war. And the only choice I have now is to do or die. And before, I can honestly say that I was too much of a coward to die, but now, I think I am ready to die.”
George stared at her for a good two minutes before responding in a raspy voice, “I died five years ago. You could ask anybody. I’m the living dead. All I do is eat, shit, and sleep. Occasionally, I’ll sleep with my wife but there’s no passion there anymore. I know she’s cheated on me. I know my darling little baby girl isn’t mine. I am not her father…Please, kill me.”
Now, it was Gabrielle’s turn to be in a shock induced trance. She hadn’t been expecting that. If anything, she foresaw a slap to the face, but not that.
Very slowly, she rose back up to her feet, reaching into her trench coat pocket and pulled out the small gold coin before kissing it affectionately. It was her father’s coin. It gave her good luck and she feared she was going to need that luck.
Gabrielle looked George straight in the eye, ““If you have tears, prepare to shed them now,” she whispered softly to him.
A small grin appeared on his face, “Shakespeare said that.”
She nodded to him, “Indeed, he did.”
They shared a few moments of silence before they both looked at each other with an air of understanding. As if in slow motion, her arm raised up as it had that one night in the barn. Only this time, there was no cramp in her shoulder and she felt no need to hold back. Loken tilted her head back in prestige and blinked, letting a single tear fall down her cold cheek.
“Avada Kedavra,” she whispered as if to a lover, but both people in the cottage felt the words as if they were on stereo. As she exhaled, her moss green eyes gazed into his sky blue ones, and watched as the light left them.
He was gone.
Gabrielle let in a shuddery breath before looking down at her wand. As if in a trance, she slowly loosened her fingers and watched the eight inch mahogany and unicorn hair wand plummet to the ground, landing with a deafening clang.
She fell to her knees. Her hands balled up into fists. Her head rose up to look at the wall in front of her.
She wasn’t afraid anymore.
Loken’s hand reached into her coat and under her vest. Her mind relaxed at the familiar ring of smooth metal against leather. Closing her eyes and opening them slowly, she let a few more salty tears escape again. Gabrielle positioned both hands in front of her as if to pray.
Gabrielle Loken was not afraid.
With the quickness of a viper, her owns hands plunged the silver dagger into her heart, making her head dropped down in front of her. A small smile crept up on her face as she felt her own blood run down all the sides of her body before pooling around her on the floor. Then her smile grew to a grin before she let out a soft, raspy laugh.
Here she was, bleeding out on the floor of her own bedroom of her childhood home. And it was of her own doing.
Loken could say now that she was honestly happy and as she came to this realization, she closed her eyes, let out her last breath, and fell forward onto her face.
Gabrielle Loken was finally free.
I am not afraid of the darkness. I am apart of it…
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A/N: I really hope you enjoyed. I know it's a bit random for me to have written a gory one-shot, but hey. It was good, huh? :D
R&R, pleeasseee <3 :3