Venom & Virtue

chapter 60

My heart pounded as I ran through the Ministry, trailing after Lucius and Draco with a sense of fear in my stomach.

There was no way of knowing what would come from the endeavour, but it was obvious that Draco was intent on not allowing his father to escape responsibility of some kind.

As we rounded the corner of another corridor, I was certain that I was voluntarily walking into a terrible confrontation, one where neither wizard would be willing to back down.

A final head-to-head conflict that I'd bear witness to.

I ignored the dizziness in my vision as we ran through a narrow hallway, coming out in a wide space that I recognised from my night-time explorations of the building.

It was almost the same size as the atrium, the walls tiled in identical black and green tones.

But there was no grand fountain in the middle, the only decorative aspects coming from an array of sofas, tables and a small waterfall streaming from the ceiling, disappearing before it reached the ground.

The employees called it the Salvatio Zone; the only place in the entire Ministry where magic was blocked.

As we stepped further into the space, I felt us pass through the invisible veil, a heavy sensation taking over my limbs.

I knew the response well, the magic laced inside me reacting to the bind of the ward, as if there was thick syrup in the place of my blood.

Draco and Lucius didn't seem to notice it, the older wizard coming an abrupt stop and turning his wand upon his son, causing Draco to do the same.

"Stop!" I yelled, digging my heels into ground as I hovered nearby, eyeing the men warily.

"Shut it mudblood," Lucius hissed.

"Don't talk to her that way," Draco bit back, gripping his wand tighter.

"No, you don't understand, we've entered the safety zone," I held up my hands to indicate the space around us, "they put muggles here before they're taken for more complicated obliviation procedures."

"I have no interest in your trivia," Lucius interjected, looking down his nose at me.

"You will when you find out there's a rebound charm on this entire area," I snapped, my patience growing thin.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning, any spell you cast will split the wood of your wand and travel back into you."

I saw doubt flicker across his face, his suspicion obvious at the information, before finally, he lowered his wand, causing Draco to do the same with his own.

"It's probably better this way, now he won't be able to torture me into submission," Draco glared at the man, his expression full of malice and detest.

Lucius scoffed, "clearly I didn't do a good enough job if this is how you've turned out."

"Just because I don't agree with your ridiculous eradication scheme, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with me."

I eyed the men warily, inching towards Draco and away from the wrath of Lucius.

"And defying your own aunt, what do you have to say for that?"

"It was necessary," Draco's jaw clenched, the bone prominent under the ivory of his skin.

"It was betrayal, you disobeyed direct orders from Bellatrix, went against your own family."

"How can you stand here and defend her when she tried to kill me?" Draco yelled, his voice roaring across the space.

I winced instinctively, watching as Lucius straightened his shoulders and eyed his son with displeasure.