Coiled (Book 1 of 2)

... Is it Divine?

"... How could you, Henry? How could you muck this up so entirely? I mean, really; what's so bloody difficult about killing a second rate wizard who walks around with his head in the clouds?!"

They've cast Muffliato around the room they've locked themselves in and Rheda Selwyn's gone out for the afternoon. But with Pandora finally sleeping upstairs and Xenophilius's family buzzing around the villa, they can't be too cautious.

And so, secure in their privacy, Amycus is relentlessly grilling Henry as the two young men sit across from one another at a small parlour table, Barty whistling softly to himself as he keeps a watchful eye trained out the window.

Waving one hand through the air dismissively, Henry Mulciber crosses one leg over the other as he relaxes against the back of his seat, "Don't blame me. This isn't on me, Carrow; not at all on me."

"How the hell do you figure that, Henry?"

"Because I didn't do it. I didn't attempt the hit. I wasn't even here for it."

"You didn't - you weren't -"

"- I've never even stepped foot on this pathetic rock before today."

"Then how ..."

"Are you slow, Carrow? Don't you get it? I outsourced."

Shrugging, he thumbs lazily at Barty, who turns and winks indulgently at Amycus.

"You -"

"- Outsourced. 'Work smarter, not harder.' That's my motto."

Having reached his absolute limit at hearing this admission, Amycus leaps out of his seat and across the table. Attacking Henry, he wraps both hands around the smaller man's neck as he slams him roughly against the floor, "BASTARD!"

At this, Barty immediately abandons his post by the window, rushing over and falling to the floor as he attempts to pull Amycus off Mulciber, "Whoa! Hey now, hey!"

Ignoring Barty completely, Amycus hovers over Henry and continues tightening his grip, "You promised me, Henry! You gave me your word! Said you'd do it yourself -"

"I -"

A gasp from below as Henry struggles to break free;

"- Never -"

Another gasp and determined wriggling as he attempts to buck Amycus off him,

"- Said that!"

"You did!"

"Barty - help -"

As Barty begins pulling at Amycus more desperately, Amycus is forced to divide his attention between the two of them. Releasing his vice-like grip on Henry's throat, he winds up and punches blindly at Barty, his fist meeting the other man's cheek.

Taking advantage of an opportunity to breathe and talk, Mulciber flails wildly beneath Amycus, "Don't you dare put words in my mouth, Carrow! I was a liaison, you idiot! I took liberties - reasonable liberties! And I put a good man on the job -"

"- A good man?! You passed it off to a bumbling, incompetent buffoon of a -"

"- Hey! Watch who you're calling a buffoon, Amy!"

"You are a buffoon, Crouch! And for god's sake - why wouldn't you just use The Killing Curse?! Why would you cast such an obscure, unnecessary -"

"- Art of the kill, Carrow."

"Art of the kill?! What does that even mean?"

"It means ..."