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A Job Well Done


Long black coaks swished at their ankles as two men walked across the field toward the line of trees they had just watched James Potter and his dog go running into. One of them laughed deeply, a low, growling sound in his throat, his pointed teeth bared as he prowled forward, nearly silent. Beside him, the taller man had a swifter gait, and his hood pushed back, his long, pale white hair flowing over his shoulders. They reached the trees and Abraxas Malfoy looked around, his dark eyes taking in the spilled ink bottle on the ground by the log that James Potter had been sitting on when they’d first apparated into the field.

“I smell them,” Fenrir Greyback murmured, breathing deeply. He let out a low breath, like a man smelling a delicious meal cooking. “Mmm… yes, the Potter boy and his little dog. They’re this way.” Fenrir walked into the woods, his prowling walk speeding up. Malfoy trailed behind, slower now as they made their way through the trees. “Over here.” Fenrir ducked around an especially wide tree, sniffing the air and exhaling loudly through his mouth. “Mmm.. yes… tasty little morsels…” Fenrir murmured.

Abraxas looked about at him, his voice stern, “Remember, Greyback, we’re not to eat what we find.”

Fenrir looked back over his shoulder at Malfoy, a sneer on his lip, “Yes I know, I know. I’m aware I’m not to bite the Potter boy, but… well, his dog smells pretty damn good, too.”

“Do what you want with the dog.”

They stepped into a clearing, bordered by some brush and Fenrir paused in his walking. Malfoy stopped, too, waiting for the werewolf to smell the air. “So close I can nearly taste the blood,” Fenrir hissed, smacking his lips together slowly. He licked his lips and teeth, eyes half closed. He turned his head, looking around, and then stared quite intently at a brush beneath a tree just steps away. A smile slowly moved across his face, his lips curling up even further, his teeth fully bared. “Hello little one,” he breathed, stepping forward slowly, menacingly toward the brush, “Helloooo!” He reached out a hand into the brush, about to grab hold of the head of hair he knew was there --

With a growl that came from deep inside his chest, Sirius leaped up from the brush, his own fangs bared, and latched onto Fenrir’s forearm with ferocity. He clamped his jaw down as hard as he could and there was a crack of bone and his mouth flooded with the coppery flavor of blood, still he did not release.

Fenrir Greyback let out an almighty growl of his own and leaped back, the big black dog holding tight to his arm as he shook it, trying to free himself.

Abraxas had been so stunned by the sudden attack that he’d taken a moment to get his wits about him again and that moment cost him dearly. “Stupefy!” James shouted, aiming his wand as he jumped up from the brush quickly. The red sparks hit Malfoy, sending him to the ground. “Stupefy!” He aimed for the werewolf this time, who was now kicking at the black dog in a desperate effort to alleviate the clamp on his arm. The sparks missed Fenrir Greyback, however, and hit Sirius and his jaw released and he fell to the ground. “Bloody hell,” muttered James, and he quickly ducked behind a tree as Fenrir, laughing, drew his wand and aimed for him.

“Good shot, kid. You’ve stunned your own dog,” Fenrir laughed, and waved his wand with a silent spell and the sparks exploded off the tree, narrowly missing James’s shoulder. Fenrir moved toward the tree, “Look, I ain’t here to kill ya, kid, even though you smell like you’d make ol’ Fenrir a great snack… the Dark Lord doesn’t want you dead. So why don’t you come along with me and we’ll have a jolly good time visitin’ his Lordship?”

James edged around the tree as he heard Fenrir coming about it. Fenrir’s breath was so hot and heavy that James could smell it as he moved closer, foul and thick. The werewolf smelled coppery, like blood. It was not lost on him, either, that this was the wolf that had bitten Remus. The name echoed about in his mind in Remus’s voice and his throat was knotted up with the knowledge that a similar fate to that of his friend’s could be upon him.

Well, that would be one way to keep Remus company during the full moon, he thought.

But then again, it sounded as though Fenrir wasn’t going to bite James but, much worse, take him to Voldemort instead.

James quickly ducked away from the tree and into the brush again. The bushes were full of brambles and they caught his clothes and hair and made his progression much noisier than he would’ve liked, though he didn’t think Fenrir needed to hear or see him to track him. He could clearly smell him just fine.

Fenrir followed James easily, hovering above the bushes, laughing in a way that made the hairs on James’s arms stand up with unease. “Enough with the hiding, you little tosser,” Fenrir growled, leaning down to the brush and ripping a part of it open wide with his thick, calloused fingers. He was so close to James’s head that James had to stop and rear back to keep from being caught up. James saw long scars along Fenrir’s forearms and thought of the scars on Remus’s skin. “Alright, that’s enough hide and seek. You’re going to like the Dark Lord. Ol’ Voldey has a fun little game for you and him to play… It’s called How Long Will It Take Daddy To Come Save You?”

“Not long at all, it seems,” a voice echoed in the woods and Fenrir’s attention turned from the brush to see Charlus, charging through the trees.

James’s heart leaped. “Dad?!” he screamed from inside the brush.

“I do apologize, Mr. Greyback, but I think your hunting’s just come to an end,” Charlus said, his wand leveled.

Greyback sneered and, forgetting about the boy, turned to face the father. “Oh Charlus, you are quite stupid, aren’t you?”

“I wasn’t the one who was kept back for failing the N.E.W.T.s three years in a row, Greyback,” Charlus said with a chortle.

“Didn’t need my ruddy N.E.W.T.s in the end, though, did I? I’ve done quite well for myself without’em,” Fenrir replied, baring his teeth. “Where have they gotten you? Making beauty products aren’t you?”

“You could use some,” Charlus answered, “Remind me and I’ll get you a coupon for a bottle from Madam Malkin’s.”

Fenrir laughed, “Unfortunately, you won’t be around later to be gettin’ any reminders… Avada --

But before he could say the words, Sirius was upon him once again, having been revived by James as the two adults exchanged words. James scrambled to his feet in the leaves. “Dad -- run!” he shouted.

But Charlus didn’t run. “Get him, Snuffles!” he shouted, excitedly, “Bite his ruddy ears off!”

James looked on in horror as Sirius held onto Fenrir’s shoulder with all his strength, his heart leaping about against his ribs uncontrollably, desperately afraid that Greyback would gain power over his friend. He was so busy concentrating on worrying for Sirius and Charlus, who had leaped forward to help Sirius, that he didn’t notice a rustling behind him. Suddenly, something grabbed his wrist and he turned to see Abraxas Malfoy clutching onto him. “DAD!!” James screamed, wrenching quickly away, aiming a swift kick to Malfoy’s knees.

Abraxas was momentarily distracted by the kick, but quickly regained himself and grabbed hold of James once again, shoving his wand deep into the side of James’s throat. “ENOUGH!” he bellowed. The scene instantly came to a half - Charlus saw James in Abraxas’s clutch and immediately stopped firing spells at Fenrir and even Snuffles released his grasp on the man’s shoulder.

Looking back to see James in Abraxas’s grasp, Fenrir chuckled evilly, backing away from Charlus and Sirius with a wicked, twisted grin on his face. “Got yer boy, haven’t we?” he snickered cruelly. “Got yer boy.” He bared his teeth, “Maybe we’ll just have a little taste… not even to kill him… the Dark Lord needn’t ever know…” He lowered his mouth to James’s shoulder.

“STOP,” Charlus shouted.

Fenrir’s eyes raised from James’s shoulder to look at Charlus. “Yes?”

Charlus swallowed back his fear. “It’s me you’re after,” he said. “Take me back to the Dark Lord instead.”

“Dad -- No!” James yelled.

Charlus threw his wand to one side.

Abraxas and Fenrir both looked surprised… but pleased, and Abraxas removed his wand from James’s neck, viciously tossing him to one side so that he hit the ground and skinned his hands and knees on the dirt and rocks. Sirius hurried to Charlus’s side, crouching low, protective, growling at the two grown wizards as they moved forward to grab hold of him.

“Snuffles, no,” Charlus said firmly, “Go to James.” He pointed and Sirius looked up at him. “Go.”

Sirius padded slowly to James’s side.

Abraxas and Fenrir were drawing it out. They were both grinning wildly. “The Dark Lord will reward us for a job well done, Greyback,” Abraxas said lowly, “For bringing this muggle lover to his due justice…”

Fenrir snarled and laughed and snapped his teeth at Charlus menacingly.

Charlus closed his eyes and drew a deep breath as Abraxas reached for his arm… “Now,” he whispered.

There was a shrieking cry and Abraxas and Fenrir both looked up as through the trees came something bright red and gold, something that looked like living fire, that streaked through, long black talons reaching and scratching the already bloody shoulder of Fenrir Greyback so that he leaped backwards in pain as the fiery thing swept back into the trees, leaving behind the sizzling sensation of it’s cry.

There were great cracks of sound and a burst of light and Dumbledore appeared between Sirius, James, and the others. Charlus leaped to one side and caught up his wand from the floor of the woods as other members of the Resistance appeared. Sirius started barking with excitement as James looked up in awe as Dumbledore blast a bright white shield between Charlus and Abraxas.

“Shyte!” shouted Fenrir, and with a crack, he’d disapperated.

Abraxas quickly did the same.

Dumbledore turned and extended a hand to James. “Up you go, Mr. Potter,” he said. With a wave of his wand, the blood on James’s palms and knees stopped flowing and the wounds healed nicely. He looked at Snuffles with a curious expression. “I didn’t know that you had a dog,” he said.

“Yeah, I - uh - found him,” James muttered.

Dumbledore smiled benignly. “Well, he was a very brave dog indeed, by the look of Mr. Greyback’s condition. May I ask what his name is?”

“It’s Snuffles,” answered James.

“Ah yes, Snuffles. A fine name for a dog.”

McGonagall, one of the members who had appeared, hurried over. “Are you alright, Mr. Potter?” she asked worriedly, quickly looking over the tears in James’s clothes.

“Yeah, I’m alright,” James replied.

She still looked quite concerned as she placed a palm on each of James’s shoulders and thoroughly inspected him.

“I’ve already gotten him fixed up, Minerva,” Dumbledore said, “He is quite healthy, I assure you.” He smiled and turned to Charlus, “And how are you?”

“I’ve never been so thankful to see a phoenix in all my life,” Charlus replied, laughing and clapping Dumbledore into a firm hug, “Bloody hell, that was a mite too close for comfort.”

Dumbledore smiled, “Thank goodness for Kingsley, keeping an eye out on things. He alerted us the moment they’d apperated.”

“Yes, me as well, which is how I got here in time to stop them taking James.” Charlus turned to his son. “That dog is a life saver,” he added thickly, “A very good dog to have about.”

James nodded, “He’s very brave,” he agreed. “And so are you, dad!” He ran to his father and wrapped his arms around him, suddenly realizing how truly terrified he’d been. “I thought - I was so scared for you…”

“I was scared for you,” Charlus replied.

“But we’re all quite alright now,” Dumbledore said happily, “And I do believe that was the last we shall see of either Fenrir Greyback or Albraxas Malfoy for a bit of time. They’ll both be wanted by the aurors’ office once we’ve reported the incident. And that will be the push we need to be able to get a warrant to inspect Malfoy Manor.” He smiled. “All in all, it was a very good day for the Resistance. We’ve gained quite an upper hand. So let us go back to the Potter’s and I’ll conjure us up a round of mead and butterbeers and we’ll celebrate a job well done after all.” He paused and looked down at the black furry dog, “And I’ll see what I can do about some biscuits for Snuffles here as well.” he said with a wink.