HUNGRY AMBITION

Ludovic rounded the corner and nearly turned around the other way when he spotted Alecto Carrow bothering some poor sod in the corner. He wasn’t one to be brave or to look out for the safety of others, and would have happily left, but then the poor second year looked him in the eye, a request for help written clearly in their eyes. He grimaced, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket, bringing it to his mouth. He’d just lit it when he stopped in front of her. The second year wasted no time in dashing off, grateful for Ludovic’s distraction. “Hey, Carrow.” He said casually, more casually than he felt. “Bothering little ones again?”

Whilst Alecto usually could do with better company than the likes of Ludo, he did hold rather decent parties with free flowing alcohol; which provided a much needed drink when it came to rather irritating badgers and lions. Raising an eyebrow as he stepped in to interrupt her heckling with the younger year, a small smirk began to appear upon her features at his questioning as she replied smoothly, “He was simply asking for directions; and I thought that I’d help him out as his senior. Pass one of those over would you?”

“It’s about Emma,” He said, almost gushing in his excitement to tell Alecto. He propped his cigarette between his lips, and then motioned for his sister to sit down. “I found out that she cast the Cruciatus Curse at Evan Rosier.” He raised an eyebrow, well aware of the excitement of this new interaction, waiting simply for his twin’s reaction to mirror his.

As soon as Alecto had heard the name Emma mentioned, it was immediately followed by look of disgust upon her features that their time was being taken up by someone much less interesting. Yet as she tilted her head to indicate for him to continue, she began to raise an eyebrow at the thought of Vanity throwing such a dangerous curse at one of their fellow snakes, and a rather forbidden one at that. How interesting. “Oh is that so.” She purred, leaning forward to her brother as she asked, “And pray do tell what caused her to cast one? I thought Rosier and Vanity were close friends, no?”

“Y-you do?” Gideon was surprised about that. Even more so that she also knew his last name. Oh boy. He had not taken that into account. Not that Gideon took much into account to begin with. Merlin’s beard she was just so gorgeous! He tried to compose himself, keep most of the stupidity to himself, unlike usual — but being so close, his heart felt like it was pounding out of its chest. “Do you maybe want to dance?” He managed to get the sentence out without stuttering much, which was quite the accomplishment. Aside from that, dancing was an activity that didn’t require much brain activity from him, and with how distracted Alecto was making him feel, that was something he desperately needed right now — if he wanted to get somewhere tonight, anyway. 

“Of course, how could I not know someone like you?” Alecto began to purr as she stepped closer towards the red haired boy, her eyes flashing with amusement at his seeming nervousness. Tilting her head to watch him as her gaze darkened, she nodded as she replied, “I suppose I could make an exception to dance with you.” And perhaps if Alecto had been thinking normally, she would have realised that she would have never found an attraction to a blood traitor as the likes of Gideon; but she wasn’t, and something drew her to the other and she couldn’t tell quite what. But she was willing to find out, especially since she hadn’t noticed either Bellatrix or Amycus entering the party recently.

It was a more interesting day than the others of the week. He was surprised by how much he’d enjoyed himself over the course of it all. If only all days were so eventful, he thought absently as he gazed at the fireplace. He wasn’t drunk tonight, a rarity in these last few weeks. He was smoking a cigarette however, ashing lazily onto the carpet below, knowing the House Elves would clean it another time. All in all, Amycus felt peaceful, and this reflected plainly on his face. This peace ended upon Alecto’s arrival, but it was a welcome absence. Nothing could ever be too bad, if she were around.

He sat up quickly, facing his sister with a grin. “I learned something today.”

It was truly a pity that she hadn’t seen her dear brother more often in the past few days, but she knew that he would have been kept amused by his little play things together with Mulciber. Yet she was itching to release the pent up frustration she had got from dealing with the likes of the Dark Lord’s lackeys, each too incompetent to have one morsel of an original thought — something that infuriated her to no end. Yet a calm sense of peace began to wash upon her as her eyes landed upon Amycus, a genuinely fond smile appearing as she remarked, “Pray do tell, I’m dying to know what.”

There hadn’t been enough time lately for Alecto to be able to spend some quality time with her dearest brother with the discovery of certain traitors in the midst of the castle, but now that she had some free time on her hands, this problem would soon be rectified. A pleased hum escaping her lips as she spotted him near the fireplace, she began to occupy the seat adjacent from him as she remarked, “Now tell me what’s got you looking so pleased.”

A small smirk upon her lips as her wand twisted in her fingers, she watched as a younger year flinched with her eyes landing upon them. “Oh don’t be frightened little one, I won’t do much harm.” She cooed as she stepped closer towards them, reaching out a hand as an invitation.

“What are you going to do about it?” He repeated Alecto, imitating her voice in a ridiculous manner, even pushing his face into a haughty look he’d often seen on her. “I thought I was the stupid one here, Carrow. I literally told you I want it back. So obviously I’m going to take it back from you somehow.” 

Seems the blood traitor was almost begging for a lesson to be taught. And Alecto was nothing if she was not obliging to those that asked. “You want it back? How unfortunate Prewett — I’m afraid you won’t get it back.” She replied as her smirk widened, and her fingers itched with the magic that began to rush through her veins to create a concealing bubble around the pair. “But why don’t you give it a shot; try get your wand back — somehow.”

Ted had noticed Alecto descending on one of his housemates from across the corridor and spared little more than a second glance before he moved to intervene. “She’s not alone.” He said, his hand resting on the first year’s shoulder as he stood behind the young muggleborn student, letting her know that a friend was near. “What can we do for you, Alecto?” He asked through gritted teeth.  

Her eyes beginning to light up as she took a step towards the figure she began to raise an eyebrow at the quivering first year. Seemed her reputation did precede her, and she was unashamed about that fact. And she had been about to teach that certain first year a lesson, before the appearance of one of her favourite mudbloods. “How fortunate for her.” She replied sweetly as she turned her attentions upon the senior of the pair. “Well I was going to teach this young little bird a lesson, but perhaps I can expand my talents upon the pair of you. Considering I know that Bella has asked me to keep out a certain eye when it comes to you, Tonks.”

Gabrielle had only been passing through, on her way back to the common room to find Edgar, when she heard someone speaking. Quickening her pace, she recognized Alecto first, before her eyes fell to the student between them - by the looks of it, a first year. Taking in a deep breath, she crossed her arms. “Did no one tell you to let things be, Alecto?”

A step forward taken towards the shaken first year at the appearance of Alecto, her smirk began to widen as she sweetly continued, “But perhaps I should help with the lesson so you learn from your mistakes.” Unfortunately just as she was about to cast a spell, the appearance of Gabrielle rather complicated things, making Alecto’s eyes flash as she replied, “Did anyone invite you to this conversation salope? Why don’t you mind your own business — or even better go back to where you came from.” Why the gall of that blood traitor.

Amycus, briefly, for just a moment, considered what it would be like to watch the memory of Alecto and her beggar’s boys. However, before he could go too deeply down this line of thought, he was distracted by the Alecto’s question. Just what have you been doing, brother dearest? A wide, almost sinister grin spread across his face. “Well, I’ve been doing quite a lot, my dear sister.” He coo’d, leaning in to her steadying hand to keep his balance. He looped an arm around her waist for a better hold, and then laughed. “I’ve been dancing with my fiance,” He said with a grin, laughing even louder. “I don’t think Emma was happy to dance with me, but she did it anyways.” He murmured.

Alecto was amused by her brother’s antics as she began to support his weight, moving to steady him just in case of another mishap similar to New Years Eve when they had encountered their lovely father. “Pray do tell.” She purred, inviting him to continue his train of speech as she nodded, her eyes flickering briefly over those around them who seemed to be too within their drunken haze to even notice the Carrow twins. How unfortunate for them when this meant that they were much easier pickings to the beings such as herself. “What a pity I did not get to witness this.” She murmured as she smirked at the way her brother seemed to be amused at the way Emma had not appreciated the dance that they inevitably had together. “And what else have you been doing Amy?’ She asked as she moved to pick up her previously hidden flask to take a much needed drink from the rather incompetent beings that surrounded herself and her brother.

Just as quickly as it had arrived, Amycus’ smile disappeared. He was in manic sort of mood this day, flipping back and forth between various extreme emotions. Perhaps he should finish off Fawley’s work, but that sounded like fun for another time. “There’s not any students in the castle.” He replied sullenly, eyes flickering from Alecto the vast amount of students in the Great Hall. “They’re all in here.” His lip curled up in disgust, “With us.” And while normally Amycus was not above fighting publicly, Aurors had arrived. More of them. He would be in a terrible mood if was thrown into Azkaban. Feeling a burst of anger, he turned to Alecto, eyebrows pulling together. “I– I hate Charlotte Fawley. I’m going to feed her her own intenstines when I see her next time. It’s her fault we’re stuck in here surrounded by every bloody idiot and mudblood in the castle.”

Alecto watched her brother’s emotions change as easily as they had arrived, reminding her all too easily of their childhood when she had tried to coach him that in the midst of all of this he was to keep a cool facade at all times; thinking first and acting later. Unfortunately their dearest father had coaxed him to always have an explosive anger in the midst of it all, meaning that thinking did not usually happen at all when he was angered. “You’re right.” She said calmly, moving a hand to be placed upon his shoulder in a move to calm her brother as she nodded at his continued words. “Perhaps. But she sent a sharp message that we are not to be estimated. The sheer number of Aurors are proof of that, I just wish that I could have participated with her in revealing the traitors in the midst. I hate that we didn’t know more about those traitors. I hate them more. And I promise you Amy, we will have our revenge. For all of this. But for now, shall we instead concentrate on developing your spells for that time to come? I discovered more in the grimoire.” Distracting her brother was one of the easiest ways she knew for him to lessen his anger, and mean that he wouldn’t move to strike out in anger — causing them to be watched by the aurors, and something she would be rather irritated at if it were to happen.

Alecto moved closer to him, stepping into his arms, and Amycus welcomed the contact, wrapping his arms around her tightly. From a distance, they might be mistaken for a pair of two lovers, but Amycus knew they were much, much more than that. They were more than anything, everything. Better than them all. He held her even tighter, laughing a little. “They begged?” He snorted at the thought of some foolish younger students lowering themselves to such a ridiculous position. “I wish I could have been there to see it.” He pulled away from Alecto then, swaying once more as he looked back out into the crowd of dancing students. “Do you want to know what I’ve been doing?”

Alecto was pleased that she was able to spend such time with her brother; her schemes with Bellatrix in the past having prevented her from being able to do so, especially when it concerned the American in their dorms. Thus as he wrapped his arms around her tightly she began to fondly ruffle his hair; unashamed of the close relationship that the two siblings had. Her smirk began to widen at his snort, as Alecto nodded at his questioning as she replied, “It was truly a sight Amy, I’ll have to pull the memory out so you can rewatch it for yourself.” However as he began to sway within her grasp, she moved a hand out to steady him as she began to nod indulgently as she asked, “And just what have you been doing brother dearest?”

Amycus hardly paid a single bit of notice to Alecto casting a silencing spell around the pair of them. Nowadays, she practically did that for every conversation the two had. She was so smart, wasn’t she? Always thinking of things that he didn’t. Amycus typically barreled into everything without very much thought or reflection, and if it weren’t for Alecto, he very well might have found himself in Azkaban many years ago. He nodded in firm agreement, shooting Shacklebolt another sinister look. Amycus had only wanted to say hello to the dogs, but now, he’d be looking for any possible opportunity to get his hands on one of them, just to the show the idiotic auror what a mistake it had been to tell Amycus Carrow no. He sighed, waving his hands. “I don’t know.” Now that he had been denied something, he found that it was all that he could think about. “I want to hurt Shacklebolt.” He tilted his head, smiling slightly at Alecto, “Do you think we could add that to our to-do list?”

Alecto’s eyes briefly flickered over those that were still in the Great Hall and awake; which at this late hour was barely anyone except for the Aurors and a couple of other older years. This meant it was the perfect time for the pair of them to pull off one of their games. She leaned closer towards her brother in her cot as she placed the grimoire down to the side as she began to raise an eyebrow at the incensed look upon Amycus’s features at the thought of Shacklebolt. “You want to hurt him? Consider that in our top five things to do.” She replied with a small smirk upon her features at the thought of hurting the bloodtraitor that gave Slytherin a bad name. “But perhaps we should try and finish some of Fawley’s work to let the little bloodtraitors think she’s still in the castle.”