The Stroke of Midnight

[Blake Malfoy]

"It'll be midnight soon," Blake said. "You've really held out much longer than I thought you would, but I think it's about time to finish this, wouldn't you say?"

He smiled, looking rather like an alligator as he fired three spells at Roland. The first was Incendio, which sent a jet of flames toward Roland, the second was a blasting spell... and the third was a Killing Curse.

[Roland Ferrera]

It began with a V. Val... Valentoro... Valentorus?

As the spells hurtled toward him, he heard a familiar voice cry out in pain. Riley.

"Riley!" he shouted just as the spells struck him. The Incendio curse lit his robes on fire, and he was blown backwards by the force of the other spells, which knocked him down and he fell through the chasm in the ceiling.

Roland hit the ground hard, and the flames that were licking at his sleeve caught a stray bit of gunpowder from the old amunitions warehouse.

The explosion was deafening.

[Lyle Inophen]

Lyle stopped the Cruciatus curse when he heard what sounded like building being torn apart. He looked up, taking his attention off Riley, to see that the building Roland and Blake had been fighting by was actually being torn apart. He didn't see either of them, just a mass of flames and debris being thrown so far, it was raining down on them.

He reached down and grabbed Riley, pulling her back under the cover of the building they were near. He was hardly paying attention to her, waiting for a sign that either had survived.

[Riley Neves]

Riley was still in pain, and trying to catch her breath when Lyle finally let up on the curse, so she barely moved. Again, she found herself in a spot where he could easily kill her.

She heard the explosion, too. It was impossible not to, but just before that, she heard Roland call out her name. No.

Her stomach had tightened. “No,” she whispered. Had she distracted him, like she was so scared of doing, and he’d ended up getting hit with a spell, or caught in the explosion? “Roland!”

She was still weak from the pain and didn’t fight when Lyle grabbed her, pulling her against the wall. Her eyes were glued to the spectacle of the building that just seemed to keep exploding.

[Blake Malfoy]

Blake had been moving toward the chasm through which Roland had fallen, eager to see if the killing curse had hit its mark. But the explosion caught him off guard, and he was thrown violently backwards. As the ground shook and the building erupted into flames, Blake quickly apparated to a safe distance. Well, he told himself, it was very likely that, even if the killing curse missed him, he had died in the explosion.

He dusted himself off, even as the sky seemed to be ripped apart by a loud blast. But it wasn't from the building. He glanced up and saw fireworks lighting up the sky. Obviously, the New Year had begun. But Blake liked to think of them as a celebration of his own personal triumph.

Now... where was Lyle and the girl?

[Riley Neves]

Riley saw him first, and apparently, so had Lyle, who called out to the other Death Eater.

Riley's heart plummeted. “NO!” She screamed, fighting Lyle suddenly with everything she had just to get to that building. She needed to get there, because Roland was there, and Merlin, she could help him. She knew she had to get out of there, quick, but logic escaped her thoughts, and the only thing she could register was that Blake looked so proud of himself, and Roland was inside that building.

“Roland! No! Let go of me,” she fought against Lyle, completely unaware that tears were streaming down her cheeks. As Blake got closer, she knew she was going to have to get away from Lyle and apparate, or she’d be dead, and she was struggling. “You bastard!”

[Blake Malfoy]

Blake heard Lyle's voice first, although it was difficult to hear much of anything over the sound of the roaring fire and the distant fireworks. But the scream from the girl seemed to tear through the air like a machete.

Music to his ears. He glanced over and saw them, Lyle clutching the girl, who was struggling against him and crying. Lyle's smile widened as he moved towards them. "Your agony is his heartbreaking," he said in a saccharine tone, tucking his finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "Really, I'm sure he'd be touched. But you can't save him now. It's very likely he was dead before he ever hit the ground, if that's any consolation. He never felt a thing."

[Riley Neves]

There was pure, unadulterated hatred in Riley's eyes when she looked at him. Where she had been trying so hard not to use Unforgiveables and harmful curses with Lyle, she found that she wanted to throw every painful curse she knew at Blake, and then rip him apart with her bare hands. It was a frightening feeling, that much anger and hatred, and she suddenly understood how Roland had felt, knowing his family was in danger.

"Go to hell," She hissed, turning her head so that he wasn't touching her anymore. She needed to get out of here. She couldn't fight them anymore. Her body still ached horribly from the Curciatus, and all she could think about was how she and Roland had failed... and it cost him his life. She would never forgive herself.

[Blake Malfoy]

Blake laughed, a hollow, menacing sound. It was almost a shame the girl had to die. She was beautiful, and he admired her spirit. Actually, no, he just admired her figure. He was amused by her spirit, how she thought she could be so brave when she was about to die. "You first," he said.

Nodding at Lyle, he said simply, "Kill her and let's get out of here."

[Lyle Inophen]

Lyle grinned, pushing Riley away from him and he practically threw her to the ground. She hadn't put up much of a fight since the last curse, but he could hardly blame her... it had been pretty strong. She had done well just to withstand it.

"I'm sorry this has to end so soon," he said, and pointed his wand down at her. "Avada Kedavra!"

[Riley Neves]

All she needed was to be away from either of them so that they weren't touching her. It took her just a moment longer than it should have to apparate because she didn't know where to go. If there was even the slightest chance that Roland was still alive, she needed to get help.

No, she had to go to Angelique, so with a pop! she was gone, and the killing curse hit the dirt where she had been.

[Blake Malfoy]

"You idiot!" Blake yelled, giving Lyle a shove. "You should have killed her while you were holding her... she couldn't have apparated then."

He sighed. "Oh, well, no matter. She didn't see our faces, and with Ferrera dead, there's no one who can positively identify us."

[Lyle Inophen]

Lyle ground his teeth, but said nothing for a minute. He wasn't about to hold her against him, pointing a very deadly curse at himself as well so that she could duck or hit him or anything else that might make the curse hit him.

"I didn't honestly think she had the strength in her to apparate." he shrugged. "Free publicity this way."

[Blake Malfoy]

Blake shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. I doubt she'll try anything. Probably just mope about over her poor lost love." He rolled his eyes in disgust.

Blake stood there for an extra moment, watching the flames rise from the building, while fireworks sailed overhead. It was a beautiful sight. But the sound of muggle sirens began to sound in the distance, clearly coming to put out the fire before it spread. It was their cue to leave.

"OK, let's go. I think I want to celebrate the new year with my wife. I suggest you do the same... and I'll be in touch soon."

And with that, he apparated.

[Lyle Inophen]

Lyle nodded, inwardly rolling his eyes at Blake's still demanding demeanor. Things were taken care of, at least.

But he did need to get home to his wife... the wives were the alibis if they ever needed them.

He apparated just seconds after Blake, leaving nothing more than a burning amunitions warehouse for the muggles to deal with.