The Killing Kind ~Lucius Malfoy~

A Lead

Alexis felt the weight of her knife against her hip as she walked to cell #93. She looked both ways before pointing her wand to the lock. It clicked open and the door swung a couple of feet inwards. She opened it all the way and took a few steps inside. 

A man sat in the corner, on the ground. His eyes were closed. Alexis crouched in front of him, observing his features. She wondered if he was sleeping, even though the position he was in looked uncomfortable. 

Alexis slipped out her gloves and put them on. She looked back at the man and stroked his face gently. 

His eyes fluttered open. He was only able to open them halfway, the bags under his eyes dark. His facial hair was grown out and he appeared already half-dead. 

"Dolohov?" Alexis whispered. 

"Yes?" the man's strained voice came out hoarse. He squinted his eyes as if he couldn't see her even though her face was less than a foot from his. "Who are you?" 

Alexis looked at the man up and down, examining his disheveled clothes. "Possibly your saviour." She stood back up. 

She looked around the cell. There was a wooden bed chained to the cement wall, no mattress. A hole in the ground sat in another corner, presumably the toilet. Other than that, the room was cold and empty. 

"Are you going to get me out of here?" the man asked, his eyes straining to look up at her. 

Alexis looked down at him, disgust making her stomach flip. "In a way." 

Dolohov's lips made a sad attempt at a smile, faltering before the corners could even lift. He let out a dry laugh that turned into a cough. "Thank you," he managed. 

"I wouldn't thank me yet," Alexis said. 

She pulled out her knife, extending the blade out. She watched the man's expression turn into curiosity. She crouched back down, the knife clear as she held it between them. 

"Hmm," she said, examining her knife. "How to make this look like a suicide?" 

"You're going to kill me." Dolohov tried at a smile again. "I've heard the guards talk about someone killing ex Death Eaters. I thought you would be here sooner." 

"You're one of many," Alexis said. 

"Well, go ahead." He coughed again. "Death can't be much worse than this bloody place." 

Alexis stood and crossed her arms, peering down at the man. 

"I heard you like to torture us first." Dolohov closed his eyes. 

"Lucky for you, I don't have time to torture you." 

Alexis tucked her knife back inside her pocket. She pulled out her wand, pointing it at the man. 

"Isn't it ironic?" Dolohov coughed out. "You're killing me in the same spot that you're going to end up." 

"Is that really what you want your last words to be?" she asked. 

"You think they won't catch you, but they will," he went on, his eyes remaining shut. "We thought we were invincible once too." His hand shook as he lifted it, reaching for Alexis. She took a quick step back and his hand fell. "You think you're doing the world a favour by killing us. But murder is still murder." 

"Are you finished?" Alexis asked impatiently. 

Dolohov's eyes opened into slits, looking up at his soon-to-be killer. "We believed we were doing the right thing too. You want to believe you're a good person, but you're just as bad as we are."

Alexis lifted her wand higher, steadier. 

Dolohov smiled, a real, toothy smile that reached his eyes. "I'll see you in Hell." 

"Avada Kedavra," Alexis muttered. 

The spell hit the man in the chest, his eyes went blank, the ghost of his smile still on his face. Alexis looked at his blissful expression as she lowered her wand. She stood there longer than she should have. 

You're just as bad as we are. Dolohov's words played over and over in Alexis's head as she lied in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

Her bedroom door opened and Demetri walked in. 

"Knock much?" Alexis asked, continuing to stare at the ceiling. 

"Why would I knock?" Demetri sat on a wooden chair, leaning it back until he hit the wall. "I've seen it all. There's nothing I don't already know." 

"What do you want, Demetri?" 

"Someone's in a bad mood," he remarked, earning a scowl from Alexis. "That look could kill, you know?" He let his chair fall forward, the sound of the legs colliding with the ground echoing. "You'll be happy to hear that they ruled Dolohov's death as a suicide." 

Alexis said nothing. 

"I guess not that happy," Demetri said under his breath. "Bad news is the Ministry is suspicious. They're looking into two mysterious strangers who lied about being Ministry workers and infiltrated Azkaban. But they're keeping this a secret from the public. For now." 

"Anything else?" 

Demetri paused to examine Alexis's face. "Maybe I should tell you when you're in a better mood." 

Alexis looked at Demetri. "Tell me." 

"Cheer up first." 

Alexis threw her pillow at Demetri aggressively. "Tell me." 

Demetri blocked the pillow with his arm and it fell to the ground. "Fine. I have a lead on the Malfoy's." 

Alexis sat up. 

"Thought that might peek your interest." Demetri smirked in his cocky way. "Apparently, they were seen in France at some point. Paris to be exact. The woman was seen at some bakery, buying some pastries." 

"Who's your source?" 

"Does it matter?" Demetri asked. "I think it's worth checking out. I have the name of the bakery, the address, but that's about it." 

"We'll go tomorrow," Alexis announced, her heart pounding from the excitement of locating another Death Eater. 

"I work tomorrow," Demetri said. 

"Call in sick." 

"It's pretty important that I go in." Demetri rubbed the back of his neck. 

"More important than this?" Alexis asked, frowning. 

"It's work, Lex, I can't keep ditching. I know this is important to you but when this is over, I need a life to go back to. I can't risk it all for this." 

"Really?" Alexis asked in disbelief. "So you just want to let all those Death Eaters walk free as if they hadn't killed hundreds of innocent people?" 

"That is not what I said." Demetri sighed. "Okay, you win, per usual. I'll take the day off. But this is the last time, Lex. I mean it." 

Alexis smiled as Demetri left her room.