Off into a chaotic night

The night was eerie as Arabella walked through the now quiet sttreet of Diagon Alley with one thing in mind heading back to the Leaky Cauldron to get something to eat. Arabella knew she wasn't suppose to be walking alone at night especailly in Diagon Alley. It wasn't her idea to be walking alone at night but she was REALLY busy today getting stuff for her new job she gotten. "God you just couldn't wait until tomorrow could you Ara?"Arabella thought to herself knowing she couldn't for she was to excited. As she gotten out her wand she pointed it in front of her and muttered. "Lumos" as the light quided her through the quiet but dark street of Diagon Alley.

Coming up on Sparks a really popular Bistro and Bakery Arabella decided to take the alleyway seeing how it was a short cut she learned while browsing through Diagon Alley during the day time. With her wand in her hand in front of her she kept on walking until she heard someone around her. Whipping around Arabella looked around and shrugged when she didn't see anybody. "Maybe it was just the wind."Arabella thought to herself seeing how it was alittle bit windy but not much. As her black traveling cloak whipped in the wind she pulled her hood over her head to block te wind from nibbing her cheeks and nose.

Khaat was working late again, this time at Sparks. She had tried to go there several times to sign the paychecks of workers but she'd gotten waylaid repeatedly by Luther Burke's attempts to make her life into a miserable mess. She had to get her workers paid, though, so she had Brian take her there for a short while when she finished at St. Mungos in order to get the job done. The bistro was very busy tonight, and the kitchen was extra chaotic and hot. She had opened the back door just slightly to get some cool air into the sweltering kitchen. Brian went out into the main restaurant to get her a tall, icy drink.

As she was signing checks, she heard a distinctive sound. A dog wimpering outside the back door. She frowned. it sounded like Rob's labrador form. His animagus. She rose and went to the door and opened it and stepped cautiously out into the alley, "Rob?" she asked. She didn't see anything, but the wimpering got more pathetic. She went out farther, calling again for Rob.

"Incarcerous!" a vicious sounding voice shouted. Before she relaxed, magic ropes wound around her tightly and bound her.

Walking through the Alleyway of Sparks Bistro and Bakery Arabella heard a dog wimpering close to the backdoor of Sparks. Not liking when animals were hurt Arabella rushed followed to tend the hurt dog but froze in her tracks when a women came outside but was all the tied up by a man who obviously wanted her for something. Not liking anyone tied up or hurt Arabella rushed foward and pointed her wand at the man. " Leave her alone you scum bag Expelliarmus!"said Arabella hoping to at lease knock his wand out of his hand so Arabella can untie the women. Arabella was sure she'll probably get hurt but she wasn't going to let this man hurt this women if she could help it. "Here I go again looking for trouble, don't know when to keep my nose out of things!"Arabella thought to herself.

Arabella nevered seen or head about this man and she read the Daily Prophet every day which was weird it didn't mention him. But Arabella knew one thing for sure he wanted this women for one thing and that was revenge or so it seems like it. Arabella knew she looked like Sophia who was probably her twin so she hoped she didn't get herself into trouble as well but if she did so what. As odd as it sounded Arabella would do anything to protect this women and Sophia when and if she ever met Sophia.

"Oh, not again!" Luther Burke sighed. "Really? Do you always have someone fighting your battles for you?" Burke glared at Khaat irritatedly. He watched the ropes disappear and Khaat go free and out of his grasp yet one more time.

"I'm so disappointed for you," Khaat sighed sarcastically. She watched Burke move to flick his wand in Sophia's direction, and she drew her own. "Sophia! Look out!" She shouted at her. She fired her wand back in Burke's direction. "Langlock!" she shouted, causing Burke's tongue to stick to the roof of his mouth so he couldn't cast any spells.

Burke was outraged and spun around and disappeared on the run down the alley. Khaat sighed with relief. Just she heard Brian shouting for her. He came dashing out the door, his wand drawn.

"Don't fire," Khaat called. "I'm alright. Its just Soph. Hold your fire." Brian lowered his wand.

"Get in here before Burke finds you," He hissed unhappily.

"Yes, Dear," Khaat said, deciding to tell him later. "Come on, Soph. Daddy's sent us a new tea blend for winter. It's pear and cardamom. It's really nice. Let's go warm up." She motioned to Soph, heading back towards the ktichen.

Arabella's eyes widen as the man sent a spell at her but sighed in relief as the Khaat blocked the spell from hitting her she sighed in relief. As Khaat made the man tongue stick to the top of his mouth Arabella laughed and smiled as he ran away. Arabella froze in her tracks as Brian came out with his wand rasied ready to strike her but was relieved when Khaat told him to hold his fire for it was only Sophia. "Why is everyone mistakening me as her?'Arabella asked herself softly as she followed Khaat and Brian into kitchen. "Um... I'm sorry to tell you but I'm not Sophia."said Arabella softly looking at the floor. "My name is Arabella, I know I look just like Sophia and let me tell you I wish I was for you two seem like nice people Sophia must be very lucky."said Arabella softly.

"I need to find out who I really am, I think I'm Sophia's long lost twin but that's impossibel for me and Sophia would had known right?"Arabella asked them softly. "I want to find out, but it will cost a fortune to do it which is something I don't have."said Arabella softly. "Look at me I'm just babbling away as always.'said Arabella softly still looking down. "I'm sorry that I'm not Sophia I get mistaken as her ALL the time but she's missing."said Arabella softly. "If she is my twin sister I'm going to go look for her and try to save her.'said Arabella softly.

Khaat was trying to wrap her mind around the information that Soph...no, Arabella?...had given them. She frowned. She'd never heard of a twin, and the Lestrange family was in every way that mattered a part of her own family. Why hadn't Matt or Emmy ever mentioened another child? She couldn't, in her farthest dreams, picture a child of Matt's or Emmy's that wasn't a part of them all. She was confused.

"Why don't we go and sit down?" Brian said. He took them into the bistro dining room to the table next to the kitchen door that Khaat and Brian almost always chose when the place was busy. They saved the best tables for the customers. The place seemed to be packed. Brian ordered a pot of the new pear tea and a plate of Lizzie's best lemon shortbread cookies. Once it was served, Khaat poured the tea for the three of them.

"So, wait. You're Sophia's sister?" Khaat said. "Why have we never heard of you before? Try explaining this again, please. If you're her sister, how did you end up so far from you family? You certainly look like her, but the rest is a bit confusing. And, what are you talking about that connecting with Sophia would cost you a fortune? Why would it cost you a fortune?"

Arabella looked at them. "That's the problem, I don't know if I'm Sophia's twin sister or not which is something I want to find out. "I don't know how we gotten seperated I'm guessing that when our real parents gotten divorce when we were seven years old our mother told Sophia while our father took me and started living in Salem in America. "said Arabella softly before taking a breath. "I came back to London my home town to persue in my dream of becoming a healer for I heard the healing program was more better here then America."said Arabella. "But when I came back I started getting mistaken for Sophia so I decided to investigate and read the papers to find out more of where she went but found nothing."said Arabella. "It's going to cost me alot for I went to St. Mungo's to see if I can a D.N.A test done or see it I get the files for Sophia and they told me it will cost me alot of money which I don't have right now."said Arabella."I know it's confusing, but please believe me the reason I didn't come back soonier is I wanted to finish my education at Salem School of magic."said Arabella softly.

"Well, first of all, wizards don't use DNA testing," Khaat said. "That's a muggle thing. Second, it would be very unlikely that you would be identical to her and not be related. My understanding of genetics is that things just dont' work that way.

"Why don't you just go ask Emmy Lestrange yourself? Even if Sophia is missing, why wouldn't you want to go ask your mother? Emmy is a very capable healer, and she can give you the information you don't have. If you lived with your biological father, surely your biological mother would know who that is and that you've been there. I see no reason why it needs to cost you a lot of money. Maybe if you were in the muggle world, but things just don't work that way here."

"St Mungos does have a good healer's training program," Brian said. "Khaat and her father run it. If you want to be a healer, you should apply. You'll find that you learn fast there. Certain things just run in magical families, and healing seems to run in the Lupin family as well as in the Lestrange family. And if Sophia is missing yet again, we need to talk to Matt. It seems to me, too, that you need to start with Emmy and Matt Lestrange."

Sophia looked at Khaat and nodded. Arabella NOW realzied things were different from the wizarding world in America. "That's what I was thinking as well, but I wanted to prove it before I started doing anything stupid."said Arabella softly.

When Khaat asked why she didn't ask Emmy Lestrange herself Arabella looked at her confused. "I guess that's because I didn't know that."said Arabella softly. "Now that I know that I will do that and that would be great if she did."said Arabella softly. Arabella shook her head. "I don't live with my father him and my real mother died I really don't know how but a letter was sent to me telling me they died so I was raised in a foster home until I was at age to move out I still have my real father last name."said Arabella softly. "But I'll go to St. Mungo's and talk to Emmy."said Arabella softly. 'Thankyou you two, I know this must really be confusing and I hope we will get this straighten out soon."said Arabella softy.

Sophia nodded. "I'll do that the same day I'll go talk to Emmy about Sophia and stuff and tell her that's Sophia s missing."said Arabella. "I hope I become a good healer like you and my mother Emmy is Sophia a healer as well?"Arabella asked her softly. Arabella nodded when Khaat said she needed to talk to Matt and Emmy Lestrange Sophia parents she gulped. She didn't have a problem talking to Emmy but how would Matt accept her? that's was the problem he would porbably go crazy.

ooc: rofl. you're using both sophia's name and ara's interchangeably. it makes me giggle because i know i'd be struggling w/ that too!

"Look," Khaat said, "We arent' meaning to be insensitive. We have the advantage of knowing Matt and Emmy and Soph, that's all. Matt might have a small conniption, but he's one of the most resilient people I know. He'll get over having one more person in his family. They have a big family as it is. They wont' be bothered by that. They'll be flexible. You need to give them a bit of time, though in order to get adjusted, but they'll be okay.

"You're certainly welcome to apply at St. Mungos as a healer. We always need more staff there. And as Brian said, it does prove to be a good training ground, although sometimes it feels like a bit of a baptism by fire instead."

"Don't short yourself, Khaat," Brian said, "You and Robert are great teachers. You always have been." He accio'd a piece of paper and a pen and handed it to Arabella. "Why don't you write down where you're staying and we'll make sure Matt and Emmy get it. They will contact you, I"m sure. It might help if we help break the news to them rather than your giving it to them cold."