REBEL

5. RAVEN BLACK - TAR BLACK

5. RAVEN BLACK - TAR BLACK

"Are we finally done here?" Dean asks, sounding so bored that I have to clench my jaw to keep from snapping at him to finally grow up.

I have half a mind to hold my wand to his throat. Yet again.

The last time I was on the verge of cursing him wasn't that long ago, although it had nothing to do with our work for the Resistance, but rather a much more personal matter.

Well, what can I say? I had laid down clear rules. By waylaying me after workout to shove his left hand into my hair and his right hand under my long-sleeved top, he grossly violated these rules. Basically, he can be glad that I only threatened him then and didn't actuallyjinx his balls. If he hadn't apologized to me immediately, I would have done it.

The ongoing tension between us since this particular incident is why I would have preferred Blaise to accompany me to Bristol. We would have been a good team, but, alas, luck wasn't on my side. Instead, here I am with Dean, who has been telling me for two hours straight that the safe house's wards are ridiculous and the whole trip is a spectacular waste of time.

I disagree. Malfoy's statements regarding the usual defensive measures were correct, but I have a strong feeling that the wards have recently been supplemented and thus strengthened. The magical signatures of the spells that were not marked on Malfoy's blueprints are still fresh, which would support his theory that the Death Eaters have become more cautious since his escape. And I don't like that. Not at all.

"So you really don't want to disarm one of the wards on a trial basis?" I ask Dean, gritting my teeth. "Not a single test?"

We couldn't do much more anyway, I know that. We've carefully verified Malfoy's information and jotted down anything else we noticed. Curse-breaking is not one of my specialties. If Dean refuses to do spot checks, I'll have to rely on his judgment, wether I like it or not.

"I've seen enough," he replies cockily. "The mission will be a no-brainer, believe me. There's nothing here that I haven't disarmed hundreds of times before. If anything, the nasty surprises are in the house."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath.

"Malfoy said that there are never more than three or four Death Eaters here at the same time," I remind him before pushing myself off the wall I've been leaning against.

We silently cross a few dark alleys to Disapparate at a safe distance from the house. A vague ripple in the air to my left tells me that Dean is right next to me. I discreetly widen the gap between us. I'm not particularly keen on him accidentally stumbling into me thanks to our disillusionments.

"We shouldn't rely on that," he scoffs. "You heard him: Parkinson is most likely here. I bet you were right that he only suggested this shithole so we could get her out first. He probably has no idea how many Death Eaters are actually waiting for us in there."

Dean has a point, after all this is the very first time we're putting Malfoy's intel to the test. He hasn't proven himself yet. I also can't rebut the Parkinson argument because it originally came from me. But for some reason I no longer believe that Malfoy's only motive is the safety of his girlfriend, affair, whatever. I don't know whether his serious reaction to my dig at him in the briefing room is to blame. Maybe it's just my general reluctance to agree with Dean.

"It wouldn't kill us to at least ask Malfoy what he thinks about them stepping up their defensive measures," I wonder out loud. "Perhaps there is another location more suitable for an initial push."

"Tsk," Dean tuts. "If they've strengthened the wards at all, then they're still a joke. Plus, I don't have to consult a Death Eater to do my job. If you find the mission too precarious to participate, ask Ron or Zacharias if they'd like to accompany me."