He saw that Greyback had noted his tension, and deliberately relaxed his jaw. It was hard not to clench up again when Greyback spoke, voice slimy and horrible, about "taking care of" the little girl. He spared a thought to hope that, if her being turned was a given, that was the only way in which she had been violated that night. Or any since, for that matter. He didn't hold out a lot of hope, and wasn't sure whether to also hope she'd met with an accident meanwhile to put an end to her suffering.
No, he wouldn't think that; where there was life, there was hope, and even though he saw things in his work that made it hard to believe that every day, he still wanted to believe, and chose to. Even for werewolves.
"It would go well for you," he said, after a slight pause, "if you were to give us information to help us find her. See to her, medically. Keep her safe." He knew it was pointless to ask; Greyback had never kept his opinion about the way the Wizarding World dealt with werewolves. But this was a child. That was different, and he had to ask.
"Keep her safe? Keep her safe from what? She needs to be kept safe from you," he spat. "You and your kind who would lock her up in a hospital, feeding her potions and keeping her in chains. Forcing her to live in shame and fear. No. My Annabelle won't be chained. She's better than you, stronger than you. She and her brothers and sisters." He caught the Auror's eye.
"That's right. She's not my only new cub. But you won't have any of them. They're mine," he growled fiercely.
It was the answer he'd expected, but the claiming--and the statement there were more--still turned his stomach. Damn.
He kept his face impassive, and nodded back toward the parchment. "In that case, go on." He wouldn't respond to the accusations. He knew it was true that he, personally, would want to keep her contained, but he also knew there were better men than him who would do better. Still, it was useless to argue.
Fenrir glared at the man, and then stretched out on his bunk. He put his hands behind his head and tried to calm himself down. Rattle him, he reminded himself. Don't let the bugger rattle you.
"You've heard all about the Montgomery boy, I'll assume?" He said, glancing up at the Auror. "Pity, really. He wouldn't stop thrashing about. Of course it's my fault he died. If only he'd stayed still..." Fenrir trailed off.
"The Joneses, on the other hand, they were a work of art." He smiled nostalgically. "Did you see them? Were you there when they were found? The photos, they don't capture the essence of it. You can't smell the blood, you can't feel the horror, the fear, pulsating in the air." He took a deep breath. "I stayed, did you know that? I hid and watched. Waited for Uncle Edward to come and check on them, to find them as I'd laid them out. He was perfect, Edward was. And his screams," he shivered. "Ghastly. I wanted to wait for the first Aurors to arrive, but I had business elsewhere for the Dark Lord." He frowned. The Dark Lord had spoiled a lot of his fun over the years.
"Ah, yes. I imagine the thrashing victim is an occupational hazard for a werewolf that chooses to tear great foul gashes in his ...prey." Wallace pursed his lips. "Well, at least you shan't have to be troubled with that particular frustration any longer. Though, I will admit, I wish you had stayed for the Aurors that night; there, there would have been no witnesses.
The guard stuck his head around the corner and cleared his throat, and Wallace caught his eye and nodded, not really diverting his attention from Greyback. "Not that I'd have done anything to lose my badge, of course."
It was true. With no witnesses, there would have been no one to state it should be taken.
Fenrir watched the guard saunter out of view. "So you were there that night," he said triumphantly. "Tell me, did you enjoy the display I left for you? I tried to pose them as best I could but some of their limbs wouldn't stay attached. And rigor mortis makes it awfully hard to bend little boys into the right shapes." He watched the man closely. He'd have to be stone cold not to react by now. Come on, he thought.
"There aren't any witnesses right now, you know," he said, almost conversationally, sitting up and facing the Auror. "No one to say that I didn't attack you first. You could obliviate that stupid guard without a second thought. I doubt Kingsley would take your badge away. They'd probably pin a fucking medal on you. No one's going to cry over my corpse," he hissed, leaning in closer. "What's stopping you? You could kill me right now and no one would lose a minute's sleep. Not even you. I bet you'd sleep better at night, knowing you put me down for good. Knowing I can't get out and hurt any more little children. Your children.
"So what's stopping you, Brian," he hissed, taking great pleasure in drawing out the Auror's name. The bastard didn't think he knew him. "Why don't you just kill me now?"
No, he wouldn't think that; where there was life, there was hope, and even though he saw things in his work that made it hard to believe that every day, he still wanted to believe, and chose to. Even for werewolves.
"It would go well for you," he said, after a slight pause, "if you were to give us information to help us find her. See to her, medically. Keep her safe." He knew it was pointless to ask; Greyback had never kept his opinion about the way the Wizarding World dealt with werewolves. But this was a child. That was different, and he had to ask.
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"Keep her safe? Keep her safe from what? She needs to be kept safe from you," he spat. "You and your kind who would lock her up in a hospital, feeding her potions and keeping her in chains. Forcing her to live in shame and fear. No. My Annabelle won't be chained. She's better than you, stronger than you. She and her brothers and sisters." He caught the Auror's eye.
"That's right. She's not my only new cub. But you won't have any of them. They're mine," he growled fiercely.
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He kept his face impassive, and nodded back toward the parchment. "In that case, go on." He wouldn't respond to the accusations. He knew it was true that he, personally, would want to keep her contained, but he also knew there were better men than him who would do better. Still, it was useless to argue.
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"You've heard all about the Montgomery boy, I'll assume?" He said, glancing up at the Auror. "Pity, really. He wouldn't stop thrashing about. Of course it's my fault he died. If only he'd stayed still..." Fenrir trailed off.
"The Joneses, on the other hand, they were a work of art." He smiled nostalgically. "Did you see them? Were you there when they were found? The photos, they don't capture the essence of it. You can't smell the blood, you can't feel the horror, the fear, pulsating in the air." He took a deep breath. "I stayed, did you know that? I hid and watched. Waited for Uncle Edward to come and check on them, to find them as I'd laid them out. He was perfect, Edward was. And his screams," he shivered. "Ghastly. I wanted to wait for the first Aurors to arrive, but I had business elsewhere for the Dark Lord." He frowned. The Dark Lord had spoiled a lot of his fun over the years.
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The guard stuck his head around the corner and cleared his throat, and Wallace caught his eye and nodded, not really diverting his attention from Greyback. "Not that I'd have done anything to lose my badge, of course."
It was true. With no witnesses, there would have been no one to state it should be taken.
Reply
"There aren't any witnesses right now, you know," he said, almost conversationally, sitting up and facing the Auror. "No one to say that I didn't attack you first. You could obliviate that stupid guard without a second thought. I doubt Kingsley would take your badge away. They'd probably pin a fucking medal on you. No one's going to cry over my corpse," he hissed, leaning in closer. "What's stopping you? You could kill me right now and no one would lose a minute's sleep. Not even you. I bet you'd sleep better at night, knowing you put me down for good. Knowing I can't get out and hurt any more little children. Your children.
"So what's stopping you, Brian," he hissed, taking great pleasure in drawing out the Auror's name. The bastard didn't think he knew him. "Why don't you just kill me now?"
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