Close My Eyes

"My first husband used to own this lab," she said quietly. "Not that I knew about it until it was too bloody late. He chose to try to convince me he was simply an average guy. Turned out he was the biggest illegal potions lord in England at the time. Not sure how I missed that. But by the time I figured it out, he'd bolted. Bolted on the same night Abbey was born. Immediately, as a matter of fact.

"I need to know if there were any more here. I dont' know who has taken this over and opened it up again, but whoever it was, I hope they didn't try to stand up to James.

"And he was here," she said. She didn't see anyone in the room now. The light from her necklace was a bit dimmer in here. She turned to look at Hallie. "See this?" she pointed to the necklace. "My uncle had this made the moment my mother got pregnant. I don't know as much about it as I'd like. Only that it was made by Nicolas Flamel. My uncle was afraid that at some point, he would transform and accidently harm me. He didn't figure, at that time, that he would ever have children. I was the closest he thought he'd have to that--at least then. He put it around my neck right after I was born and sealed it shut with an enchantment that he was the only one who could remove it. And, since he's no longer here to do so, I have no choice. I have to wear it.

"So far, what I know it does is that it glows brighter when werewolves are around--particularly those with dark intents. The higher the danger, the brighter the stone shines. The stone protects, in particular, from my being bitten. It doesn't protect from mauling. But--the stone does appear to attack or repel or something if a werewolf tries to bite. It was Remus's way of protecting me from himself. He would have never dreamed of all of this. And he'd have been the first to want James eliminated. This was against everything Remus ever stood for.

"The fact that the stone is still glowing at all means that either the kill was very very recent and still has James' traces. Or--we are not as alone as we think we are. I would much prefer it was the former, but I can't be sure it isn't the latter. Hallie, I know Marcus considers it just part of the job to die protecting me if that's what it takes. But--if it gets close to that? Do me a favor. Apparate him out and leave me to James. Perhaps that will stop some of this madness for everyone. Perhaps the resolution is in giving him what he wants." She knew Marcus would have been outraged if he were hearing her words. Nor did she think he would ever, ever agree to it. His orders were firm--to protect her at every cost. He would not ever be moved from it, no matter how it frustrated her.

It was this point Hallie realised how little she knew about Khaat Lupin, how much back story there was to this woman she was working to protect. Perhaps it showed a judgement of the blonde's character. She didn't judge, she had hoped and believed everybody deserved a chance to be protected. In spite of Khaat being a public figure Hallie wouldn't have batted an eyelid to aid Marcus in protecting her, others would have been a little cautious but not Hallie, she'd dived straight in.

It was an interesting story, about the necklace and finally Hallie was getting some answers to the questions she hadn't felt had been the time to ask. However now they were alone, aware of what was happening Hallie wanted to talk. Not just to be polite but to try and distract her from the scene. The smell still burnt her nostrils and the sight of blood wasn't appealing no matter how many times you saw it.

'No.' She replied. 'James isn't going to hurt you, he's not going to hurt Marcus, you're both going to be fine.' A hand had rested on Khaat's wrist as she spoke these words. Nobody was going to die on her watch nor were they going to get left behind.

Yet something worried her. The necklace wasn't glowing as brightly as it had done earlier but the fact that it had been glowing unnerved Hallie. It mean't werewolves were around, werewolves no doubt had done this. Had they done this to lure Khaat to the scene of the crime, knowing she would want to investigate and find some answers?

'We need to get you to safety, Khaat.' Hallie spoke, glancing over her shoulder and into the room where Marcus was with the petty criminals. 'It isn't safe here. Whatever it is you want doing, whatever you want to know I can do it all for you but you need to be taken home first.'

Maybe it was gutsy to stand up to such an important person who had a high amount of power in society but to Hallie she didn't bat an eyelid. So what Khaat was chief warlock and director of St Mungo's that didn't mean she could choose when and where to be if it compromised her life. Hallie was an auror, it was her job to protect society against dark activity, investigate it and put a stop to it. If Khaat were to get herself into any more danger it wouldn't help matters and if James Blood was still lurking around the last thing that they needed was another attack against Khaat.

Khaat appreciated Hallie's support. She didn't usually scare. Her father and her uncle had purposely tried to encourage dueling games, using simple twigs from the trees on the family farm to try to prepare her for speed, but more importantly to train her mind for what life as a Lupin was most likely going to hold for her.

It had been a terrifyingly dangerous time. Foremost in her father's and uncle's minds at that time had been what life might be like if Voldemort gained control of the wizarding world, and how likely it might have been to need to defend oneself.

James, however, was different, at least in her mind. She'd had just too many encounters with him, and he had hurt her too deeply. He kidnapped and killed innocents, and he had always claimed that he wouldn't commit those acts if he merely got what he wanted--her. He frightened her.

"Thank you," she said to Hallie. "I had gotten, well, it wasn't even a vision. It was just sort of a knowing that there was something that was going to be horribly wrong in London. I wanted to try to stop it. Marcus took the chance that it might be Diagon Alley, and it led us here. I was hoping to keep James from killing again. And I was hoping he hadn't left the potionsmaster, whoever it was, back here and hurt.

"You're right, of course. It isn't safe here. Not that an illegal lab is ever really safe. I'm not expecting to catch James. Not today, anyway. But I'm tired of women and children dying because of his obsession with me. If surrendering to him would stop even a part of this, I'd do it. But I won't take you or Marcus or anyone else with me."

Marcus was catching just a few words of the conversation, and he glanced at Hallie and rolled his eyes in silent sarcasm. Marcus didn't believe for a fraction of a second that these killings had anything to do with her. It had everything to do with the fact that he was, flat out, a monster.

In his own encounters with her, Marcus believed James was a con man. A liar without any sort of remorse. James Blood prided himself on being an animal, but Marcus didn't think James even did that well. He certainly was not to be trusted. Tossing herself at him, Marcus believed, was utterly pointless.

Nor was he going to abandon his orders. In point of fact, he didn't work for her. While she was the client he protected, he hadn't been hired by her, he wasn't paid by her, and he didn't take his orders from her. She knew that. He had been recruited, hired, and was paid solely by Robert. He took his orders from Robert. And so far there was one order. There was no other. The order was to protect Khaat, and Khaat alone, at every cost.

Given that standing order that had never ever changed, he was not about to simply close his eyes and allow her to try to find James and toss herself at him. Besides that, Marcus rather liked her. She was his friend. He didn't see her as werewolf chow. And he was abundantly certain that Robert never had it in his plans to toss his only child, his Chief Warlock to a madman and merely forget she existed.

Admirable as it was to want to spare others, it was Marcus's very firm belief that she would be offering herself up as an entrée for not worthwhile purpose.

"Must you make us answer stupid questions?" Marcus sighed.

"What?" she asked blankly.

"You don't honestly take either of us for morons, do you? Do you think we'll drop you off on his doorstep with a note?"

"No," she said.

"Well, then? Get a grip on yourself and let's get the heck out of here, shall we? There's nothing more you can learn here...." He paused, looking at her, starting to frown very slightly. Her necklace was starting to get a bit brighter--slowly, but it was definitely getting brigher.

"Does that thing ever lie?" he asked her, pointing to the necklace.

"Not that I've ever known," she said. "Why?"

"Because it very much looks like there may well be company coming," Marcus frowned. He looked at Rookwood. "We might get a bit of dueling practice in after all."

Hallie shook her head. Khaat didn't really believe that they would let her sacrifice herself would she? Of course it was for the greater good but there had to be a way of defeating James, allowing Khaat to live a life where she wasn't constantly looking over her shoulder. There had to be a way to win the war on darkness without letting them win a battle.

Just as she was about to speak some words of comfort Marcus stepped in. Perhaps his tough love sort of take on the situation was better. Knowing Hallie her and Khaat would have talked for another five minutes before coming to a definite conclusion that Khaat wasn't going to be given as a sacrifice.

The necklace was indeed growing brighter, brighter by the second. Was this a trap? Had Blood known Lupin would come to the aid of the illegal potioneers? It couldn't have been, surely he didn't have the power to plant an imagine in her mind. Most likely he'd come to find information about Lupin's whereabouts and when they failed to provide an answer it was their death sentence. Unless Blood had been here for another reason entirely.

Hallie moved in front of Khaat, body blocking her from whoever would soon be entering the room. Her wand was raised and aiming at the entrance to the chamber where they stood. It was a new wand, a wand that she hadn't used much. It had been with her the time she'd helped rescue Khaat and her newborns but besides that mission it hadn't yet proven its worth. No matter, Hallie was confident that it wouldn't fail her now, after all the wand chooses the wizard.

'Khaat you need to go, apparate away.' Hallie ordered not taking her eyes from the tunnel that led to the underground potion lab. 'I'll take care of Blood.'

"Can't apparate from here," Khaat sighed. "Rob put a protective enchantment on this place years ago.  We can apparate or port from street level, but we have to get back up the way we got down.  Its the only way out--unless we follow the catacombs to the other end of Diagon Alley."

"You're just full of good news," Marcus sighed. "Alright, with us, then. Wands at the ready--you too, Khaat. Let's try to leave here alive, shall we? Let's just try to keep each other covered and keep moving. If we can make it up to the street level, then we'll be safe. He's not going to start anything right in front of that crowd of people."

"He might," Khaat said, knowing James' desire to make bold political statements.

"Perhaps but then we'll have lots of additional backup," Marcus said.

"And you are being very generous in guessing how many people that won't be screaming and running in the other direction," she scowled.

So they couldn't apparate? That was simply wonderful. If Blood was coming from the entrance they were then that would mean they fight him head on or try and find an escape further through the catacombs. Neither suggestion was ideal. For a start it wouldn't take Blood long to catch up to them and if they battled head on he'd probably try and go straight for Khaat. Unless they...

'I have an idea.' She said, not really listening to what the others had been saying much. 'It's a long shot but it could work.' Hallie turned to Khaat:

'If we put a disillusionment charm on you then you could hide in the corner, we'd lure Blood away from the entrance and then you could slip out?'

Of course it didn't grant Khaat full invisibility but it would at least make her camouflaged and lighting wasn't exactly brilliant down here so they could just about pull it off. Another thought had provoked her but for that a bit of polyjuice potion was needed and chances are they didn't have time to try and scavenge for some from the littered vials that were strewn across the floor.

"The only way that would work is..." Marcus began.  Khaat noticed the necklace was quickly getting brighter.  They were out of time. And--Hallie's plan had good points--but one flaw.  One that they needed to compensate for.  

"Is if she is willing to take my cloak," Khaat said quickly.  She took off her long, full dark cloak and gave it to her.  "He'll mistake you for me. But he's going to count on you going quickly to try to outrun him. We're out of time.  He's here.  You'll have to go now...."

"I can't do this," Marcus said firmly.

"Go. You and Hallie lure him out.  I'll hide in the potionsmaster's office. James won't be able to open it.  I'll be fine.  I'll follow once you get rid of James. I promise."

"You do something stupid, and I swear,...." Marcus said fiercely, not happy with her.  He had already made a mental note to verbally rip her to pieces himself when this was over. He glared hard at her, furious with her.

"Go!" she said, going into the hidden potionsmaster's office and closing the door.  He hated this plan.  

"Pull the hood up over your face.  Remember, she doesn't like to show her face.  Let's go," he said to Hallie quietly.  His wand drawn, he stepped towards the door of the potions lab as silently as possible, listening for any possible sound in the catacombs passageway.

(OOC: OMG I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS DELAYED REPLY!!)

Hallie quickly grasped the cloak from Khaat and pulled the hood up as instructed. Her heart was now racing, James Blood would be coming for her. Not only would she look like Khaat but her scent was riddled all over her. It was risky on not only Hallie but Khaat, would she manage to escape from the hidden room? Either way it seemed the only option and they had to try.

Hallie, her hand still gripped tightly to her wand, was trying to control her breathing. She'd encountered werewolves before, before she even became an auror. It was a memory that would forever haunt her, over time she'd healed, but now that moment she was running through the forest behind Cooper Cottage with Toby was flashing across her eyes. Her brother had been caught, bitten by the wolf and she'd felt guilt, told him to leave and never return. Of course Hallie had grown since then, sacrificed and learnt from this mistake but was it karma? Was this Hallie's time to become a werewolf? A punishment for her actions all those years ago.

The pair listened carefully to any sound ahead. There was something in the distance, some sort of echoed voice and hurried footsteps. Then Hallie realised, it was just her and Marcus. The petty criminals had gone, where had they gone? How long had they been gone? Then, a thought panged. Had they been werewolves? Members of the blood pack lurking in the catacombs awaiting for Khaat to appear before retreating to inform their leader? Or had they simply fled the scene for their own safety?

The sound of movement was growing louder and louder.

Marcus was careful to take Hallie's right arm because he would not have taken Khaat's left.

"Quickly," he urged, doing his best to keep up his end of the performance. "They're here. Up the stairs. Then, as soon as we hit the street, head for home."

"Home?" the deep voice seemed to slither through the tunnels of the catacombs with an isidousness that made Marcus feel like if it had been some evil potion, it would have seeped into every crack in the stone underbelly they were all in. Marcus knew well the dangers James could pose, and he certainly knew the mammoth werewolf's voice. "Do you think you'll get her out alive, Belby?"

"Move, move, move," Marcus urged Hallie even quicker. "Run." Marcus was hoping against hope that this would work, but he started to hear James' footsteps. Werewolves were just plain faster. They were going to be outrun, and then Marcus listened closer. There was more than one. James was not alone.

Suddenly James seemed to appear in front of them from nowhere. Marcus didn't know how he had gotten around them, but it caused him to jolt hard to a halt.

"Its time you gave it up, Belby," James said. "Its just been a matter of time. You're outrun and outmatched. Now, here's how its going to go. I'm going to take her, and give you a chance to leave alive."

"What makes you think I'll make it easy for you?"

"You'd die for her?" James chortled, unbelieving that any bodyguard would truly walk willingly into certain death.

"Shut up and fight if you're going to," Marcus said in a low, fierce tone.

Hallie allowed Marcus to steer her in the direction towards the exit, being careful not to speak and her head down as to not have the hood fall and reveal that she wasn't in fact Khaat. If that were to happen, no doubt it'd wind Blood up but it'd tell him that his target was here, hidden and who knows what lengths he'd go to to scout her out. Even if that destroying to the foundations of Knockturn Alley.

Lub dub. Lub dub.

The heart inside of Hallie was now an imprisoned beast, beating against the rid cage to be released. Blood had found them, caught up to them and now blocked their path.

Lub dub. Lub dub.

It appeared to be working, for now. Yet Hallie was hoping not too linger too long. Khaat was a bold person, one who would possibly stand up to Blood and defend Marcus. Would James soon catch on that the woman before him wasn't Khaat, just an impersonation.

Lub dub. Lub dub.

Hallie kept her head down but looked up enough to cast a glimpse of the two tree-trunk sized legs ahead of them. To their side were more feet, behind a few cloaks that were ragged and skimming the stone floor. They were well and truly surrounded.

Lub dub. Lub dub.

It came down to this moment. Hallie had to tame her beating heart, redirect her adrenline in her spellcasting, protect Marcus and Khaat. James Blood was vermin that had plagued Wizarding Britain for far too long she wasn't about to let him win. She could sacrifice herself, perhaps he wouldn't check it's Khaat and run off with her but would that do the world any good? He'd find out she wasn't Khaat and probably kill her. Hallie couldn't die. Sure she could sacrifice herself but it wouldn't just be herself who'd she be putting forward as a human sacrifice for the greater good. Hallie was pregnant. She had a Mother, a Brother, a Husband, friends, the Order. It wasn't as easy to hand yourself over when there were so many people relying on you.

Hallie raised her wand into the air.

Avis Birds started to flutter from the tip, black ravens. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. It seemed a nice little distraction for a few of the surrounding werewolves laughed, hissed and one of them to her left was even doubled up in stitches. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. They thought she was being silly, thinking a few little birds would be able to protect her from them. Eleven. Twelve.

Oppugno. There was a ear splitting screech that reverberated around the cave. The ravens that had been fluttering around the space above them, two even perched on a rock, had spread their wings, beaks drawn and began to dive bomb the surrounding werewolves. One werewolf let out a torturous wail as the raven attacking him began to claw at his eyes.

The majority of the flock were on Blood, they wouldn't overcome him but were a good distraction, an annoyance. Keeping her wand held tight Hallie ducked below Blood's arms and began to run as fast as her legs would carry her.

I have to get out. I have to get out. I have to get out.