Part One: The Trio
The camcorder was held in an expert hand. Neither shaky or jarring, the view was in focus and whoever held it knew exactly what they were doing as he focused in and out of a long range shot. His long fingers and patience may have played a key role in this.
Right now the shot was focused outside a car's windshield, watching the scenery as it flew past. The car was obviously in motion and the trees that blew by seemed to leave little blurs in their wake as the camcorder couldn't keep up with action this fast.
The shot was then shaken slightly through not by any fault of the holder. The car had just smacked into a Muggle and the camera had grabbed a lovely shot of the man smashing into the windshield then flying up over the roof.
Severus Snape quickly turned the camcorder around to the back to get a shot of the man rolling off the trunk and onto the pavement. He then focused the camera onto the driver of the car.
"Twenty points! How far did he roll?" Lucius asked, momentarily letting his view of the road slide towards the back, wanting to see his handiwork.
"Not that far. We're only going sixty." Severus' tone was dry, bored. He kept the camera on Lucius. "Explain this ridiculous idea to me again as to why I am holding this piece of Muggle machinery."
Lucius rolled his eyes, turning back to face the front. "I've explained it a dozen times. We are doing this as a favor to Lily. She asked for the deaths of her family, the Dursleys. I don't like to disappoint."
"So she told you specifically to kill them?"
"Yes, she did." Lucius chanced a look in Severus' direction. "Why is that so hard to believe?"
"Why does she want them dead?"
"Because they're Muggles."
"She doesn't think like that."
"Because they abused Potter." Even though Lucius had taken to calling the boy Harry around other people, for some reason it didn't seem right to do so around Severus.
"Ah, that would explain it." He focused the camcorder back onto the road. "But why the videos?"
"Because Lily can't come with us. We wouldn't be able to bring her diary along and since we'll be moving so quickly, I don't want to risk leaving it behind."
"So we're taping this for Lily's sake?"
"Yes. And for other reasons. Wouldn't you like to go back over one of your killings and pick out what you did wrong so you can improve it the next time?"
"I try to forget my killings."
"I will ignore that. Also, what if this is highly satisfactory. Wouldn't it be fun to watch it over and over again? Rewinding the most enjoyable parts?"
"You are a very sick man."
"I dare you to say that when you're curled up on the couch with me, this tape running, and passing the popcorn bowl around."
"A very, very sick man."
"And, what the hell? It seemed like fun at the time. A new idea."
"Has it occured to you that this new idea might be found by the Ministry? It would be all the evidence they needed to put us away," Severus remarked thoughtfully. He was fairly certain that the notion did occur to Lucius but Lucius being the man he was...
"So what? We'll hide the tapes. Or put it with the Dark Arts memorabilia. No one will ever find it. And if worse comes to worse, we'll burn 'em."
Would just dismiss it. "Wonderful."
"Oh, don't look so down. This is a perfect opportunity for us. Something to relieve the tension and boredom from sitting inside the Manor waiting for the end of the world to occur."
"True." And it would give him some time to spend with Lucius without having the Weasleys, Potter, Granger, and Lucius' miniature clone running around. Maybe this wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. "And if we're caught?"
"We'll never be caught."
Now it was Severus' turn to roll his eyes. "Where are we going now?" They had just come back from the electronics store where Lucius had purchased two camcorders and several dozen video tapes.
"Back to the Manor. We need to pick up a few things."
"Like what?"
"Like extra robes and some toiletries."
"Why?"
"Because this trip may take more than a day."
"Why is that?" Severus was beginning to feel like a parrot.
"Because we are to kill more than one person. And my contacts have told me that the Dursleys are not in just one place." Lucius reached into the back and took out a file. Opening it up, several photos of the Dursley family were displayed as well as the information concerning their whereabouts.
Severus wasted no time in shooting a picture of each of them as Lucius talked.
"The first one is Dudley."
Close up on the fat, pig boy.
Lucius continued, "Son of Petunia and Vernon Dursley. A fat oaf who relies too much on materialistic goods. Never far from his mother and father, he should be with either of them."
"Either of them? Are they divorced?"
"No. Petunia is off visiting her aunt Marge while Vernon still works. A short vacation from each other, you see."
"Ah." Close up on the photos of Marge and Petunia.
"My sources have led me to believe that the Dursleys have fallen on unfortunate times. Petunia's visit to Marge might be for financial gain."
"She hopes for a loan from her relative?"
"Yes. Something like that."
Severus kept from nodding so as not to shake the camera. He flipped the photos over. "And this must be Vernon."
Lucius glanced down. "Yes, that's him. Abusive, unruly, obese, and annoying. The entire family hates our kind, you understand."
"Naturally."
"He has strict policies on the way he carries himself. He is residing at the Dursley home right now. We shall pick him off first."
"What if Dudley is there?"
"Then we shall take them both out. Two birds..."
"Yes, yes. So how long should this trip take?"
"One, maybe two, days. Not long at all."
"Wonderful. Well, we brought enough tapes for it," Severus sighed in resignation. This wasn't exactly the way he had pictured himself spending some quality time with Lucius but whatever made the blond happy. Maybe when this whole thing was over with, they could go traveling together. Something for just the two of them, without constant pressure from the others or Voldemort.
The car drove up the long driveway of the Malfoy Manor, parking just outside the door. Lucius left the motor running.
"I hope he's ready," he mumbled as he slid out of the car.
"Who's ready?" Severus asked, still holding the camera, allowing himself to get a shot of the entire Malfoy Manor.
"Draco."
The camera wiggled a bit then flashed right back to Lucius. "What?"
"Draco. He's coming with. Didn't I tell you?" Lucius grinned shhepishly.
"You left out that little detail," Severus glowered, his fingers digging into the hard plastic on the camcorder. "May I inquire why you feel the need to drag him along?"
"Because he needs the experience. He's never seen a dead body yet. Well, except for Cedric, but he didn't count. Besides, he's been begging me to take him on one of my Muggle torturing and killing excursions. I think it will be a good learning experience."
"Says the dutiful and attentive parent."
"Don't mock me."
Severus frowned, so much for privacy. He really rather have preferred dragging along Potter or even that Granger girl. It would be infinitely more preferable than taking that annoying, clinging, whining..
"Dadddyyyyy!"
Little boy.
Draco burst from the Manor, bounding down the steps and latched his arms around his father's waist. "I'm glad you're back! I missed you!"
Severus managed to keep himself from sneering at the display of emotions. The boy had no pride or dignity for that matter. His thoughts were in no way influenced by the fact that Draco had yet to notice him or say hello.
Lucius carefully pried Draco's arms off him. "Are you already packed?"
Draco nodded enthusiastically. "I've been packed for hours," he drawled, emphasising the word 'hours.' "The House Elf should be coming out soon with my..oh, there he is!"
A House Elf, Dexter, was then spotted coming out of the house carting several bags of luggage. The poor creature looked like it was to the point of collapse.
Severus videotaped the Elf coming down the stairs, then falling down the stairs, then Draco yelling at the Elf and stomping on it for dropping his things, then the Elf slowly getting up and gathering the luggage. The camera turned to Lucius when the man spoke.
"Draco, this was going to be a short trip. Two days at most. Is all this really necessary?"
"Daddy," Draco sighed exasperatedly. "You don't really think I'll leave behind my comic collection and broomstick, do you?"
"Your collection and broomstick couldn't take up this much room."
"Of course not! I'll also need several of my best robes, just in case. You told me to always prepare, right? So I took along my winter robes in case the temperature goes down, my rainy day robes in case it rains. My short robes, in case it gets hot. My robes for dancing in case.."
"Alright."
"Also I've had to take with my shoes as well. I don't want to go around wearing robes that do not match my shoes. It's tacky and uncivilized."
Severus held back a snicker. He hoped Lucius was regretting all those times he had spoiled the boy with trips to Diagon Alley to buy out Malkin's.
"Fine, Draco."
Dexter had just finished placing the suitcases into the trunk when another Elf appeared at the doorway.
Dirk by name, the Elf made his way downwards, carting several more suitcases on his back and holding onto one end of a trunk with another Elf (Dirt) on the other end.
Dirk and Dirt loaded up the car with the suitcases, pushing the body that was already inside the trunk a bit further to the left.
"What the hell is all that?" Lucius nearly screamed.
Draco was admiring his reflection in the car's side window. "My toiletries. Surely you don't think I can go anywhere without my hairbrush, cosmetics, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, razor, soap, body wash, scrub brush, toenail clipper, nail file.."
"Alright, Draco."
"Mousse, gel, toothbrush, tweezers.."
"Shut up."
"Yes, daddy!"
Both Severus and Lucius glanced up at the door, making sure another Elf wasn't going to come straggling out. When none emerged, they figured it was safe to go ahead and get moving. If they needed anything, they could always conjure up new robes and borrow any toiletries from Draco, who seemed to have packed two of everything in case he ran out.
There was a minor scuffle for the shotgun seat, which Severus easily won by picking Draco up and literally hurling him into the back seat. Lucius would, ordinarily, not like this display of minor physical brutality against his son, but he was too busy wondering if his car was alright, as it seemed to be sagging a bit in the trunk area. He figured that so long as they took their time going over pot holes and speed bumps, it would be fine.
When Draco complained about this treatment, Lucius had shut him up by explaining that Severus held the video camera and so, needed to sit up front.
This kept Draco quiet as the car rolled out of the driveway and back onto the narrow road.
"There's another camera here in the back, daddy!" Draco squealed, picking it up and looking through the wrong end. "It's all dark."
"It hasn't been turned on," Severus explained, off-handedly. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Draco. Not now, not ever. The boy was a pain. Granted, a very easy-on-the-eyes pain, but a pain nonetheless.
"Don't touch it, Draco."
"Can I tape something?"
"No!" Both adults said in unison.
"Why not?" Draco pouted, looking over the camera, trying to find the power switch.
"Because it's expensive." That was Lucius.
"So? We're rich."
"Because you'll break it." Severus.
"I'll be careful."
"Because you're too young!" Both of them.
Draco frowned at them. "I thought I was supposed to be learning something on this trip? I hope you two aren't going to play suck face in front of me and just ignore me the whole way."
Severus sneered and turned to face Draco, so the camera shot was now on Draco's angelic features. "It is impossible to ignore you, Draco. Now either you keep quiet or potions class will be the last thing you'll have to fear." With that, he turned back around, camera view going back to the scenery.
Draco pouted some more and kicked the back of the seat but said nothing more during the ride to the grocery store.
They had entered Muggle land. More commonly known as the Piggley Wiggley. A supermarket of sorts, Lucius noted, but without the live chickens and snakes. Earlier before he had made up a list of some foods they would need. It wasn't a long list, just filled with a few items of junk food and bananas. It had been made up of items he thought Draco would appreciate during the ride, if only to keep him quiet.
While he would have much preferred going to a Wizard store, the Muggle convenience mart had been on the way and it seemed that they were getting further and further away from civilization (aka: anything that catered to Purebloods) by the minute, thus giving them no choice but to buy food there.
He handed the list over to Severus who took it and filmed it. "Bananas are the only item on here that's even slightly nutritional."
"There are granola bars on it as well. They're nutritional."
"All the same, shouldn't you be concerned with what your son puts in his mouth? He is still growing."
At that point, Draco came bounding up to them. "Look! They have mallomars! Daddy, buy me these, please?"
"Fine." Into the trolley went the mallomars and Draco took off again.
Lucius was not pushing the trolley. He had his hands near the bar but not on it, as he didn't want to touch anything that had to do with Muggles. The trolley floated along by itself, heading into the wrong aisles since Lucius had no idea as to where he was going.
"Mallomars?" Severus picked up the box and studied it. "Lucius, did you see how many calories this has in it?"
Lucius was giving him a blank stare.
"Did you see how many grams of fat? I can't believe you let Draco eat this!"
Lucius blinked.
"You don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"
"Not a clue."
Severus sighed and tossed the box back into the trolley. Even if Lucius did understand, he'd buy them anyway to keep Draco happy. Years of potions had taught him many things about ingredients. And living alone had forced him into doing his own shopping, making sure he ate balanced meals, and keeping himself healthy. "No wonder Malfoys have heart attacks at early ages," he muttered. When he had enough time on his hands, he decided that he would do the shopping for them from now on. Someone had to know about these things. And there were way too many fried foods at the Manor anyway...why in hell was he thinking this? Next thing he'd know, he'd be wearing a bloody frilly apron and a hairnet.
He buried that thought as Draco came running back.
"Daddy! They have peeps! Buy me them!" With that, Draco dumped several boxes of sugary fluff into the trolley and, without waiting for an answer, ran back to get some more stuff.
Severus held his head in despair as Lucius and the trolley went on to aisle two.
TBC