Loose Ends (working title)

[Orimis]

The wind howled in Darren's ears as he urged his boom to move faster. He felt them just behind him, pulling on him like a heavy darkness. The Malfoy manor was just a few hundred kilometers away--he was sure--but Darren's hooded pursuers were gaining on him.

Darren lacked his boyfriend's confidence on a broomstick, and so could not do much to get the Dementors away and keep his broom steady at the same time. Only when the Dementors came much too close was Darren forced adjust his grip and turn around.

There was a long, skeletal hand trailing just behind Darren's broomstick; that Dementor was one of the dozens that were determined to capture him.

Darren had no choice. He grabbed his wand and aimed back over his shoulder. A burst of silver light chased the nearest Dementor away, but it did not hold. Darren's age-old fear of heights prevented him from casting a strong Patronus.

Another Dementor caught up to Darren. Its slender fingers seized the handle of Darren's broomstick, and the broom snapped like a twig. Darren lost momentum immediately. Just when the Dementor might have caught him, however, it vanished with a faint pop.

Darren realized two things just then: first, that he had just reached the boundaries of the Malfoy home; and second, that he was still falling. He let the broom fall away from him, and quickly cast a Shield Charm to soften his collision with the Earth. He landed on the dirt path near the Malfoys' doorstep, and, though he knew he would have bruises later, the fall did not give him any serious injuries.

Darren got to his feet, shakily at first, and collected his rucksack from where it had fallen near the Malfoys' neat hedges. It was barely midnight. All over, the sprawling Malfoy stately Malfoy home was dark and at rest. Darren knew the Malfoys would not be expecting him, but he had to tell them.

As he approached the Malfoys' door, Darren thought back to his parents, who were safe and asleep in their bed, defenseless and unaware of the chaos around them. They did not know they should be grateful for Zephyrus's father, who had years ago laid protective charms around the house of Darren's parents since neither Darren nor Zephyrus could have done it themselves.

Darren gripped the knocker and felt the magic in it immediately test him, to see if he was welcome. When he wasn't blasted to bits, Darren assumed it was safe to raise the knocker and knock twice, sending deep, resounding echoes into the home of his boyfriend.

(edited for typos)

[Youko]

A low groan came from the blond as the sound echoed though the expansive home. Silently he wondered if it was his father's idea, or if the knocker always echoed though the manor like that. It took a moment for the young Malfoy heir to awaken enough to realize that it was so late in the evening. That was odd, who could possibly be at the front door at near midnight?

The sudden realization of who it could be caused Zephyrus to nearly jump out of bed and dart out of his room and down the chilled corridor that led to the staircase. He ignored the house elves that insisted that they would answer the door and skid to a stop in front of it.

He panted faintly as he calmly opened the door, his silvery-blue eyes searching for the teen he knew would be there.

The blond youth was clad in nothing but his thin Slytherin green pajama bottoms, his chest bare for all to see. Usually he wouldn't have left his room in such a state of undress, but this was deemed as an emergency.

"Darren," he murmured softly before he immediately tugged the other teen into the manor before he closed the door, "What are you doing here so late?" Zephyrus asked as he took in the other's rather pale complexion. Something was wrong.

[Orimis]

The deep green of Darren's own eyes was shaking a bit, whether from the cold or from lingering terror, tough, there was no way to be sure. To remedy the former issue, Darren adjusted his coat. It was green, much like his eyes, and a little small on him. Probably not his best choice, but he had selected it in a hurry on his way out the door.

"There were Dementors wandering the streets of Christchurch," Darren explained after a moment's pause. "At least three of them on my street alone. I got on my broom to draw them away. One good Patronus caught their attention, and then they came after me. I mean, I knew they would--it's like disturbing a bed of fire ants. Nasty, scabby, soul-eating fire ants. Anyway, I came here because your father...he needs to tell the Ministry."

[Youko]

Zephyrus raked his fingers though his already messy blond locks before he turned a thoughtful gaze to his Gryffindor boyfriend, "You flew here?" he asked before he began to look discreetly for injuries. The young Malfoy then threw conduct out the window and pulled Darren into a tight embrace, his slight panic and worry showing though for a moment.

"Dementors are a menace. They seem to be multiplying, which is why the Ministry is having so much trouble controlling them." He paused to pull away and peer into those enticing emerald eyes, "...Did you just compare Dementors to Fire ants?" The blond rolled his eyes before he took the other's hand to lead him more into the expansive house.

"Anyway, we need to inform my father what has happened."

[Orimis]

"Yes, I flew here," Darren replied, feigning hurt at Zeph's tone of surprise. Rather than address that issue, he added: "I'll send a message to Cathy and the others."

Darren, who had not released his wand since landing in the Malfoy estate, summoned his Patronus, which hovered at eye level, twittering silently.

"Yes, it's a Kiwi bird," Darren had said in answer to Zephyrus's bemused look when he had shown the Slytherin boy years ago. "Shut up. It's cute."

Darren spoke to the little bird the way a CEO dictated letters: "Dementors. Be ready."

At the end of Darren's message, the Patronus nodded, twirled a couple times, then zoomed away, passing straight through the manor walls as it went.

[Youko]

The Malfoy heir watched the small bird Patronus leave like it had every time Darren had given it a message to tell their friends. It seemed as if they were no more safe then they had been years ago.

He returned to the idea of his boyfriend actually flying from his muggle home to Malfoy manor. "And you were being chased by Dementors?" he asked with an almost disbelieving tone, "I suppose your broom was destroyed?" he asked, noticing right away that the broom was missing.

The blond Slytherin took the moment to begin leading the other to his father's study, knowing full well that man wasn't asleep yet, "You could have used the floo," he said, "or even the Knight Bus."

[Orimis]

"Like I said," Darren countered, "I got on my broom to draw them all away from the Muggles. I didn't have much of an option. And yes, the broom got destroyed. I am so sad for the loss."

This last remark was delivered with a kind of deadpanned contempt that made one of the more clingy House Elves squeak in alarm. Darren took notice of the little thing at last: it had been following them through the house.

"Yes?" Darren asked it; it just squeaked again.

"Would...would Master Hayes like some fresh clothes? These seem to be covered in dirt. That-that just will not do."

Darren looked down at himself with some surprise, as though dirt and grime were a completely alien concept.

"Oh," he said. "No, no, thank you. I can do it myself. You should...go to bed or something."

The elf did not budge. Darren sighed. He pointed his wand at himself, causing his ugly, faded jeans to be replaced by crisp black ones, and his band tee and jacket to vanish in favor of a more stately button-up and overcoat.

"Happy?" Darren asked the elf.

Thinking it was a serious question, the elf nodded, and hurried away.

[Youko]

A light chuckle was heard from the blond at the comment, "I can tell that you mourn the loss greatly," he commented in amusement before he nodded in acceptance of the other's actions. "You did the right thing, Darren." He commended lightly.

When his boyfriend turned his attention to the house elf, they both stopped as he watched with a small smile. He was so used to the house elves being around that he sort of just ignored them anymore.

Once that was done with, Zephyrus smirked, "You definitely look better," he commented before gestured to the door to his father's study, "Anyway, he's just inside." The Slytherin, of course, had not intention of leaving his muggle-born boyfriend to deal with his father alone. The man just didn't seem to realize that there were still things that Darren didn't understand.

[Orimis]

Darren approached Demitrius Malfoy's study carefully. Though the Malfoy patriarch had always been nothing but friendly to Darren, the revelation that Darren was dating Zephyrus had caused Darren to live in fear of his boyfriend's father. It was automatic. Darren could stand up to centaurs and Blast-Ended Skrewts, but the idea of imposing upon Mr. Malfoy was enough to make Darren want to melt into the floor.

He steeled himself and knocked. Demitrius's voice called out almost at once:

"Enter."

Though he had known Zephyrus since his first day at Hogwarts, Darren had never been inside Mr. Malfoy's study. It was a large, square room mostly occupied by dark mahogany-colored bookshelves. The walls were the same clean stone as the rest of the manor, and there was an area rug depicting the family crest just at Darren's feet. All of this was bathed in the soft light of a hearth that was covered in black tiling. The flames threw Mr. Malfoy into shadow, but there was no mistaking his wiry frame, even when it was obscured. The desk at which he was working was fashioned from the same wood as the bookshelves.

Darren's cheeks went pink when he remembered Zephyrus's first mention of that desk:

"We should go into my father's study and do it there. It'd be fun..."

Though it had been difficult at the time, with Zephyrus's mouth on his ear, and his hands everywhere else, Darren had refused absolutely, for fear that the elves might witness them.

Darren was grateful that Demitrius Malfoy did not look up until he had pushed the steamy thoughts out of his mind.

"Oh, Hello, Darren," Demitrius greeted. He acknowledged his son with his eyes, but remained focused on his guest: "You look frazzled."

[Youko]

Zephyrus nodded in acknowledgment when his eyes met his father's for a short moment. Malfoy's were never overly affectionate with eachother and always conducted themselves properly when in the company of another person. Though with Darren, that small rule was sometimes ignored.

The young Slytherin glanced at his Gryffindor lover for a moment as he considered what to say when the moment came. They were all in a rather dangerous situation, despite the light atmosphere of the study.

Absently, he decided that it was a good idea that they had both been taught how to use a strong Patronus at a fairly young age. It was then that he had been glad that he met Darren his first year, otherwise the Muggleborn boy might not know the spell needed to avoid being captured and perhaps killed by Dementors.

[Orimis]

"Well, I am, Sir."

When Demitrius gave Darren a quizzical sort of look, Darren pressed on:

"I was chased here by Dementors, Sir. They followed me to the perimeter of your estate, where I imagine most of them are still waiting. Before I caught their attention, they were wandering the streets in Muggle neighborhoods. You must tell the Ministry. Meanwhile, it would be prudent to organize a team with which we might round up these rogue Dementors so that they can be handled."

Demitrius remained still for several moments after Darren had stopped speaking. Just when Darren feared that the elder Malfoy might brush him off, the man stood up, nodding.

"Zephyrus, please go at once and rouse your mother. Have her contact our closest for immediate action. We will use Floo networks and apparation to spread ourselves out. We must be swift and effective."