Boogieman.

However, this wasn’t one of those tasks unfortunately. Really depressing in his opinion. The best Christmas gift he could ask for is to watch the light leave the eyes of as many blood traitors as he could find, for now, he settled for scaring the life out of someone. Stalking as they turned down the alley, he began to whistle. It was chilling the way he approached, eyes completely empty as he wandered towards them. “You know how easy it is to break a bone? Without magic I mean.” He explained as he got close enough, step by step like a lithely cat. “If hit in the right place, with the right force... some bones no matter how solid just....” He made a snapping sound. “I of course prefer to see the white pieces break with my own eyes. Almost as pretty as watching the snow fall. How about you.... want to see some bones break?”

Alastor knew that whatever he did would reflect on the Order and he needed to tread carefully. It was an open secret that he was involved with them—the key to not getting caught for it was to make sure he never openly admitted to being involved. That was the one way Alastor knew how to keep safe—by staying tight-lipped—and he was very, very good at that. Even with the people he considered his friends, Alastor knew how to keep a secret. Most of the time, it was seen as a disadvantage, mostly when he kept crucial information from the people around him, but in times like these, with Antonin goading him, it was definitely an advantage. 

“If you find my name on that list, don’t hesitate to reach out, Dolohov,” Alastor replied simply. Two could play at this game—and Alastor knew there was no way in hell he would let a mad dog like Dolohov get anywhere near the people he cared about. “I think,” Alastor started, taking just one small step closer and dropping his voice so it was barely above a whisper. “You overplay your hand.” 

“Oh I most certainly won’t. But before I do...” He locked eyes with Alastor, eyes alight. “Alice Fortescue, Andromeda Black, Molly Prewett, Marlene McKinnon, Mary MacDonald... Then they’ll be followed by Arthur Weasley, Sturgis Podmore, The Prewett Twins. All the lads. I’ll even make sure to torture them while they watch the girls get torn to shreds, piece by piece.” His lips curled up, revealing fang like teeth. Antonin was no monster, not a shred of wolf in him nor was there anything that was mutated but by god he was an animal. “Your time is coming Alastor. We’ll see how many are left once I’m through. And I’ll save you for the very last. Dragging all their bodies behind me like the blood traitor, mud blood bearing display it deserves.”

Gideon tilted their head. “I’m a journalist. It would be poor form for me not to come here.” Gideon simply blinked at the callous way Antonin talked about the people he had just murdered—as if their lives were somehow worth less, were somehow devalued because of some suspicion. “Do you have evidence that they were conspiring against the Ministry?” he asked, flipping open his small notepad and pen and starting to take notes on everything he was saying. “Since when does the Ministry dole out the death penalty without a trial?” they asked, starting to get heated. “Did you have a kill order?” 

“You and I both know if you wanted that information, you have a protocol to follow and it is not interrogating the officer in charge of the scene.” He murmured as he looked at the notepad. “Tell me, Gideon. Would you prefer I set the pad alight, or the entirety of your being? Both are equally useless to me.” His tone was light, but the venom in it was pure. “I’m a hit wizard, Prewett. As long as the ends justify my means, I’m allowed free reign. You know the act that was passed. Anyone suspected of uprising is subject to many things. An execution included. I just find it more fun to implode people than to bring them to the axe man.”

alecto was prone to indulging her whims   —   she saw a crowd of people  (trying not to be a crowd)  drawn some sort of blast site and couldn’t help but be drawn towards it, too. it was just her luck, she supposed, that there was someone waiting at the center of everyone’s attention. the price paid for curiosity. 

she tore her gaze away from the blast and met antonin’s eyes, silently cursing herself for diverting from her usual route in the first place. the last thing she’d wanted was conversation.  “ I haven’t come to look for any particular reason, “  alecto said, tone soft and light as she felt was acceptable, given their surroundings. she loosed a girlish giggle for good measure; placed just enough nervousness in the sound for it to seem true.  “ I spotted all the people   …  and the tape. “  the laughter tapered out of her words, and alecto forced a careless shrug as she pivoted on her heel, turned away from the blast. better it seem like she regretted being here for some small reason, easily paired with the look of her.  “ couldn’t rightly keep on without figuring out what the fuss was, could I? “

Always so curious. Antonin almost found it endearing. “I don’t know. You could’ve just glanced as you passed by. But I really do enjoy that it brought you to little old me.” He teased as he looked back before he headed to the crowd once more. People parted for Antonin, moved out of his way for fear that the blackness within him would spread like a poison. “Come, Alecto. Perhaps we should get on out of here before people believe me to be gloating.” How terrible. “Besides, you wouldn’t want to get lumped into this mess.”

There was this deepening fear that plagued her heart, always locked and hidden, yet constant. Andromeda, Sirius, the question of their safety constantly echoed in her mind, keeping her restless, nervous && fearful. Yet, Narcissa had been raised to keep such unwanted emotions under a constant lock and key. 

his words sent a silent shiver down the witches spine, yet she stayed firm, a look of disinterest carefully placed upon her feature. “Don’t be ridiculous, just wondering what the disruption was?” Amber eyes, shifted ever so slightly to the damaged building, && Narcissa sent a silent hope to Merlin that neither Andromeda nor Sirius were foolish enough to get caught out so easily. 

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Ah but he was being far from. Turning to look at her, his scathing eyes peeled her apart layer by layer. “And yet your eyes are searching, aren’t they. Must be the price living in a family of known blood traitors.” His voice almost sounded sympathetic as he moved past her heading back to the rabble that was gathering around. A wave of his wand and the scene suddenly became hidden as he walked back to her. No one could hear them in here. “Don’t worry, Narcissa. Neither your petulant sister, nor that dog you call a cousin are in this. Not today. But that doesn’t mean that tomorrow there won’t be a hole in the ground where either of them used to be.” Oh how he would delight in battling Andromeda. Especially after nearly courting her. The horror at the thought, now.

“Do we really need a potions master? I would prefer someone more proficient in interrogation. Torture. I think we’re all fairly well versed in a bubbling cauldron, give me someone with some more mirth. Oh, he’s got nasty potions under his belt? .... That’ll do.”

Torturing that super smiley face is going to be something I enjoy immensely.

Honest to goodness I used to wonder if I should demand my parents speak to yours so I could betroth you. Now I know that was a wasted venture. All that pureblood beauty, wasted. Tch.

“Is it fair to say that someone is too pretty? Briliant, but distracting in a duel. It’s entirely unfair.”

“Do you have a soft spot, Antonin?”

Alastor and Antonin had more than their fair share of run-ins, especially back when Alastor still worked for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While they were never in the same division, he certainly had heard talk of Dolohov’s methods—and while he had never seen them firsthand, he was not afraid to do so. Alastor had been through enough—his chest and his back were crisscrossed with scars—to know that whatever Dolohov threw at him, he would never give up anyone else. And he would fight to the last second. 

A calm, rational understanding that any confrontation in his life could very easily turn into a fight to the death was strangely comforting to Alastor. When everything was so clearly a battle to the end, there was no need to fear the unknown. He knew what was coming—it was only a matter of time. His face was impassive as he turned to face Antonin, his hand dropping from where it hovered over his wand, though he knew if he needed it, all he would need to do is incant the only wandless spell he knew—and it would spring into his hand. 

Standing toe-to-toe with Antonin, Alastor simply looked at him head-on. “No.” He kept these interactions brief and his responses even briefer. That was how he kept safe. He never let his guard down. 

There was something wonderful about running into Alastor that had Antonin always ready for something fun to happen. Would Alastor fight to the death? Would he attack and be the unwilling poster boy for why the order needed to be stopped? So many options... And yet his master warned him to not provoke. It was something he was still learning to control. But every day he was getting better. “I’ve got a list of names coming into my desk soon, Alastor....” He murmured, biting his bottom lip. “And I am so excited to take every last name and cross it off. There’s going to be a purge, soon. And while I know you’ve chosen your side, truly, I am so disappointed that you picked wrong.”

Faux pouting, he canted his head. “I mean, either way you’re fun for me to poke at. A sleeping bear. But when the bear becomes complacent in his hibernation, well, he becomes complacent with all other things. When his cubs get dragged out to slaughter because the other animals got hungry. All of these people you protect... All of these things you do in the name of what? Nobility? Virtue? All for nothing. The world will crumble around you. You do know that, don’t you?”

Gideon, perhaps foolishly, sought out these raids by the Ministry. Usually, they ended something like this—with bloodshed, with people disappearing, with people being tossed into Azkaban without a trial. He knew that it was dangerous to even be around the area for hours after the conflict, but he was never one to shy away from danger. It was something that Fabian constantly warned them about, something that Molly worried over, and something that Gideon never could help. They couldn’t stand the thought of the only report of the scene coming from the Ministry. 

Raising an eyebrow, Gideon’s eyes flicked between the burned-out shell of the building and back at Antonin’s face. “I doubt you would tell me if there were.” Gideon made a mental note to get in touch with their healer friends at St. Mungo’s—someone had to know what was happening. “What law did they break?” they asked simply. “What were your marching orders?” 

Antonin looked at the other as he began inquiring.... no almost demanding answers with the edge to their voice. Like they were worried. Then he took in the face. “Oh my, oh my.... one of the Prewett twins I see..... What brought you here, I wonder?” Blood traitors. The filthiest kind that existed. But Antonin kept his temper in check. “They were conspiring against the ministry. My orders were simple. Get the information, clear the rabble...” He walked until they were a breath apart, shoulders nearly touching. “I’d say the trash was sufficiently taken out. As will be the rest of anyone who decides to go hand in hand with this.... Order.”