Draco's Diary

I sat in the hideout I made out of a large tree, enchanted to be mundane on the outside and a large house on the inside.
It's been only about seven hours since I've been in sight of my target.
Frederick Van Gregory
I had no idea why he was to be killed, nor did I care.

I had planned my stake out thoroughly, it was meant to last no more than a day, then I would strike.
I would memorize his schedule, note the people he interacted with; If any, and obviously study his profile.
I sat down at the table in the middle of my makeshift hideout with my steaming cup of coffee. With his file placed in front of me.
I skimmed through it, glancing every so often at something that caught my eye. But then I started to carefully study every detail of the thick file. Branding every name and offense into my brain, who he is now, but more importantly, who he was.
My mind was struggling frantically to remember the name that was placed in parenthesis under the name I was told of.
Therien Forlane
Why is that name so familiar?
Honestly, it rings so many bells, an orchestra of faint familiarity.
I decided to let it go that moment, figuring it held little importance compared to the situation at hand.
I sipped my coffee and walked over to the window I carved, peering through the telescope.
It was nearing midnight, and all of the lights were on in the small cottage. The crescent moon shone brightly over the lake beneath it.
I watched and watched until one by one, each light turned off. All but one.

Tonight, I would strike.

I prepared myself diligently, making good time.
I had to make my way inside the house by three a.m. He wakes up at four to go and feed his livestock in the barn a few yards west of the cottage.

Living a life of a simple farmer. How sweet.
A former Death Eater, retired.
No one retires the life of a Death Eater. Trust me, I know.
Either you go into hiding, or you're dead.
that's the only way to stop.

I calmed myself and began to get dressed. Black leather and steel toes. I dressed lightly, no heavy coat, no matter how much the temperature had dropped. The only thing I had to keep me warm were thick socks. That was all I needed. It would be quick.
I slipped on a pair of thin black leather gloves, easy to maneuver with nimble and slender fingers.
I brought more than just my wand for protection, just in case.
I brought a 9mm handgun, just in case I was caught off guard and my wand was not in reach.
And I brought another one, just in case something happened to that one.
Easily accessible, one holstered to my waist, the other on my outer thigh.
I checked the clock, 2:50 a.m.

Time to go.

I slipped out of the tree and sprinted toward the back door. No dogs, no company.
I figured there would be a no apparation charm on the house, so I dared not try.
Frederick always locked and unlocked the door wherever he left and reentered the house.
I whispered, "Alohamora." but nothing happened.
I stood still for a moment, the door wasn't locked. Something's wrong. I've been watching this house like a hawk, I haven't seen a soul enter this house besides Frederick himself.

Something is wrong.

I entered the house more cautiously than before. There was nothing more agitating than the feeling of suspicion.
I looked carefully at my surroundings; A small table in the kitchen, basic appliances and two chairs, that was it.
I looked down at the floor, skeptical of squeaking floorboards. Plain linoleum.
I glided across the floor and into the next room, scoping out anything that would seem out of the ordinary, nothing really. A couch and a large bookcase by the fireplace. I glared at the stairs balefully. They were always the most trouble in missions like these.
I stepped lightly;
Creeeeaaaak
I mentally cursed and just booked it up the stairs on my toes.
Two doors, one on the left the other on the right.
I made a quick decision, turning left I curled my hands around the doorknob and turned it slowly.
The door floated open, and I stood in front of an empty bed.
I stood, and whispered quietly to myself, "What th-"
"EXPELLIARMUS!"
I stumbled as my wand flew out of my hand, landing somewhere beyond my line of sight. I took no time to recover myself, but whipped my gun out from my waist holster and aimed it at the surprise attacker.
There Frederick Van Gregory stood, chest heaving as he breathed in and out, harshly from the adrenaline rushing through his veins.
I smiled as I held the gun in front of me, I began to circle him. He circled back.
"Oh, Frederick, don't make this difficult. You're going to over-exert yourself." I cooed, I saw his eyes narrow.
He laughed, a bitter maniacal laugh, "Frederick. Very well played darling. I'm surprised you don't remember me. You are the spitting image of your mother, you know."
I took my left hand off the gun, holding it firmly in a kill shot with my right; "What do you mean remember you? And how the fuck do you know my mother?"
He smiled, a dirty thing of a smile, "Oh, I knew your mother very well, darling."
We stayed circling each other while we spoke; I, myself, was getting more and more confused and angrier with every word he spoke.
"I knew your father also. Oh, what a wonderful man that Rafiel was. I was his best friend you know."
"No one has time for your useless droning. You knew I was coming, how?" I didn't believe him.
Not one bit.
This mad man didn't know my parents; He didn't seem skilled enough to be in the same ranks of my parents, and that would be the only way he knew them that well. I stood across from him, we both stood staring at each other. A heavy, pressing stare. Daring one another to strike.
Frederick spoke, with malevolence in his voice,
"I am not a simpleton, little girl. I knew someone was going to be sent out to kill me ever since that night. Which is why I went into hiding in the first place. You may be my assassin, child. But I will not be going without a fight."
"Well aren't you just an ordinary little survivor." I said, with venom.
"Well, aren't you just an ordinary little spy." He said, mocking me.
He 'Accioed' back my wand and tossed it toward me.
"An honorable duel would suffice, no?"
I nodded and did the necessary steps to begin, as did he.
He fired first.
"ADAVA KEDAVRA!" I dodged it neatly, what a classy move, starting with the killing curse, he must really want this over and done with.
"CRUCIO!" He didn't dodge so neatly, he went down. Falling on his bed.
"Now, I could imagine how pissed you are. Down on my first spell. Down on a little girl's first spell. tsk-tsk. A simple killing curse would suffice, no?"
I stopped, because the man on his bed, stopped moving, his eyes wide open.
I stumbled backwards as I heard shuffling in front of me. It was nearly pitch black in the room if it weren't for the full moon hanging outside the open window, giving a faint illumination to the scene in front of me.
The thing or person tripped and fell beside the door, I sprinted toward the door to catch it. This was my prey.
And it was stolen from me.
That made me very angry.
It scrambled up from the floor and ran out of the room, and presumably the house.
I followed after it.
I ran and ran, chest heaving; You could visibly see my heart beating through my chest. I stopped at the clearing that entered the forest beside the house.
There was nothing in sight, not even a broken branch.
I cursed at the air around me and clutched my head.
What was I going to do?
I couldn't come back and claim the victory as my own!
I would never do that anyway.
I ran back to my tree but stopped as I saw a little white square on its base.

Dear assassin,
There is no need for you to worry. Consider this as just a helpful hand. I want you to take full claim of this kill, I want the air clear between us for the future. Have a great trip back to the Manor.
Maybe I'll meet you there,
Then again, maybe not.

That's it.
There was no signature or any kind of familiarity within the handwriting.
At least now I know it is a human, a very odd human, a human that wanted to stay anonymous.
I couldn't stop thinking of what had happened, what Therien had said, who killed him, how the killer had passed through my sight somehow...
I packed all of my things and sighed a deep sigh before I apparated back to the manor.
I appeared in the foyer.
I began to start towards my room, but my head started to swim; The room started spinning, I felt my knees giving out, and the room turned sideways before my head crashed onto the white marble floor.
I saw black, and heard a scream before I fell unconscious.