Can you dance like a hippogriff?

The past few weeks Hallie's cases had come to a close and the witch didn't really had much work to do besides assisting other aurors with anything they needed - mostly organising and trying to collect more evidence and information about one of the criminals they were trying to track and cleaning up any mess the new set of trainee aurors had caused. It was this that had brought her to Diagon Alley. One of the trainees had interviewed a witch who had been attacked and had her belongings stolen from her home, unfortunately any record of the interview was nowhere to be found, which mean't Hallie would have to visit the witch whilst she was working in Madame Malkins Robes Store and take her through the painful ordeal of retelling the haunting story.

After deciding to use the floo network Hallie found herself sliding neatly out of the fireplace in Flourish and Blotts where she dusted off her robes, smiled politely to the sales assistant and left the book store. For a Wednesday morning the Alley was reasonably busy. There were the usual elderly wizards sitting on a bench having their post-pint conversation in the sunshine and a group of teenagers, who couldn't be old enough to have left school yet, were piling into Quality Quidditch Supplies who were no doubt on the Quidditch hype owing to the fact the world cup was in progress.

Hallie had yet to watch an international Quidditch match. She was a fan of Quidditch, at Hogwarts she'd always loved cheering on Gryffindor during their games whatever the weather but she had always been too preoccupied in her own drama to tryout for the team herself. One week she was getting caught up in a duel with a Slytherin, the next she was in the hospital wing after failing to sneak out of Hogwarts and instead being pummeled by the whomping willow and if Hallie was in decent health to fly the Gryffindor was usually found in detention for being late to class or talking to much during class. Still, she had the memories of watching the games and they were good enough for the blonde.

After awkwardly sidestepping a couple of thirty-something year olds having an argument about the wizard sleeping with the witch's sister (a conversation Hallie would loved to have heard the ending of) she continued to make her way towards Madame Malkins. Unfortunately, Hallie didn't quite reach the robes store.

'Grumpus! GRUMPUS GET BACK HERE! Look out!' Turning around on the spot to see what in Merlin's name was happening and who on earth had named their child 'Grumpus' Hallie wasn't greeted with a child but a young hippogriff that had burst from the Magical Menagerie. The blonde watched, transfixed in surprise, as the hippogriff kicked off from the ground with it's eagle talons, flapped it's wings slightly before failing to take flight and plummeting right into Hallie.

Screams of fright erupted from the students outside of Quality Quidditch Supplies and the employee from the Magical Menagerie only had time to pause and ask Hallie if she was okay before continuing to chase the loose hippogriff down the Alley as it continued it's quest for freedom leaving Hallie lying flat on her back outside Fleurish.

Raising a hand to her aching forehead Hallie felt her fingertips dampen. Blood. Continuing to feel her face Hallie's fingers traced across a deep slash that ran from her forehead, down her nose and across to the left side of her cheek. In an attempt to push herself onto her elbows the auror soon discovered that her arm wasn't in any shape to support her body for it immediately collapsed beneath her and Hallie was once again flat on her back. A slash to her face, a potentially broken arm and was continually gasping for air from where 'Grumpus' had winded her. Who names a hippogriff Grumpus anyway?

Abraham was not at work with him today. In some ways, it felt wrong. He was so used to the little boy running amok, essentially, throughout the shop that the building felt quiet, and not in a good way. But he needed time. He needed for his son to not catch onto the fact that he was confused and hurting and just plain downtrodden after the confusing afternoon he had been through recently. Victoire, Merlin help her, was a wonderful person, and as much as he had wanted to know the truth, he had an overwhelming sense of guilt now that he was no longer in her presence and had been given the time to think over what he had done. What he had caused. Erik wasn't sure that the truth was worth hurting her, as well as himself and his boy.

The worst truth, though, was that he had yet to face his family about it. He just couldn't bring himself to ask, because if they had lied to him about this, what had they really done? Replaced someone who had truly loved him with images of this stranger? Or made it up entirely, maybe? He was so distraught over the whole thing that he had actually ignored one of his customers entirely until they gave up and shoved him, alerting him to the fact that they had entered the store at all.

He was so worked up about it that he almost didn't notice the shouts from outside. It wasn't until something came swooping, literally, into his peripheral vision, that he actually looked up from- oh. He hadn't even picked up a book to read? That was so unlike him that even Erik was astounded by it. Not that there was anyone else around to realize it, since Abraham was off with Elliot in an attempt to help the employee clear his head. So neither of the people who knew him best, or who he assumed did anyway, were around to comment on it or ask him questions.

The commotion in front of Fleurish made him wake up a bit, though, and Erik pushed himself to standing, only to catch sight of a woman on the ground, clearly injured. Something was familiar about her, but he would have bolted outside regardless, so he threw open the door and pulled his wand out as he crouched beside her.

"Hallie?" he asked, eyes wide. They hadn't been very far apart in school, so aside from everything else that had happened in her life that the world, apparently, decided it had the right to know, it was hard not to place her. Her name went with her face, aside from the horrible cut that crossed it, and the fact that she seemed unable to move her arm.

Without thinking, he threw a locking charm at the door to Fleurish, making the Open sign flip around to say Closed, and did what he could to close up her cut before reaching out a hand to her. "Do you want to go to a healer? If not, I can do my best, but I really ought to take you home first. You'll need rest."

Erik wasn't sure that he really believed her when she said she was fine, but he didn't know her very well. Not well enough to tell her she was wrong. Besides, he knew that she had been through some serious things that he couldn't begin to imagine. Or could he? Now that everything in his life seemed like a complete lie, Erik was starting to understand how terrible things could be.

He felt stupid a minute later, when she asked to go back inside, considering he had just locked it. So Erik felt the embarrassment wash over his face as he turned to send an unlocking charm back at the door.

"Right, sorry," he agreed, feeling bad that he hadn't thought as quickly as he should have. So he helped her up and led her into the shop, leading her over to the cafe section to set her down on one of the booth benches and crouched in front of her.

"Do you want me to just... see what I can do? Or would you rather do that yourself?" Erik asked. In truth, he was usually more helpful than he was appearing to be, but he supposed that, if nothing else, he had a really, darn good excuse.

Hallie smiled back and was grateful that he helped walk her into the store and across to the cafe area when she was seated on a somewhat comfy bench. In all honesty Hallie had never been into Fleurish before and was pleasantly surprised that the flourist had a cafe area at all. It seemed everywhere was starting to grow complementary cafes. Then again Hallie could hardly blame them. The wizarding world was slowly beginning to become more and more business orientated. Whether it would catch up to the muggle world was another question, however.

For a moment Hallie pondered Erik's question. Really all she wanted to do was just sit and be and take in her new surroundings. The cocktail of pollen in the air was a little overpowering and would no doubt give her a headache eventually but it was tranquil. For the first time in a long time Hallie had found somewhere peaceful, where it wasn't about fighting death eaters or dodging hippogriffs. Fleurish was calm and Hallie wanted to embrace the tranquility a little longer.

'I'm not sure what's wrong with me if I'm honest.' Hallie sighed, biting her gums to prevent her from screaming as she tried to move her arm. 'I think I've broken my arm and as for my leg.'

She looked down and moved it slightly.

'It seems okay, I think I just landed badly on my ankle. It's quite sensitive' She told Erik, not wanting to go into the details of why her leg was a little more sensitive than the usual leg. Now wasn't the time to explain about having to magically regrow her leg after an amputation.

Then there was her face. There was once a time when Hallie would have insisted a healer deal with her face to preserve her pretty looks. A great ugly scar would just cause people to stare, especially when you're a student at Hogwarts but her school days were over. Hallie was no longer so in tune with how she looked, sure she wished to look nice but the blonde was at a point in her life where she didn't give a hippogriffs hairy butt on what people thought of her appearance. Besides, she'd received her fair share of staring in her lifetime, what harm would a little more do if Erik left her with a faint scar?

'Have you mended broken bones be... before?' Hallie asked, her voice trailing off as she caught sight of the children from outside now pressing their faces in to watch what was happening to Hallie. Evidently there was no such thing as privacy anymore.

Erik almost laughed at her question, though he knew that wouldn't be very nice of him. Instead, he looked to where her gaze was heading, and frowned at the kids were staring through the window at her. Of course, they likely wanted a good story for their friends or their parents. Today, a hippogriff utterly knocked this lady out, then up and dusted, he imagined them saying. Or, well, maybe something with easier vocabulary or less obscure slang. He couldn't tell exactly how old they were, besides.

"With a two-year-old," he began, moving to pull the shade down over the window before returning to her side as he spoke, "you would be surprised what I have had to mend. Bones included."

He lifted his wand to point it at her arm, giving her a gentle look in warning, before starting to set it right. This, he knew, would not be the best feeling in the world. He heard a sort of snapping sound as the bone set itself, and he cringed. Yes, he was very glad he had not taken up medicine. It almost made his stomach turn, but he sat back on his heels and looked up at her, trying to come up with something to make it easier.

"If I had alcohol, I'd offer you some. But our café is rather timid when it comes to that. We have ice, though," he offered, gesturing towards the cafe's counter with his chin. "Would that help?"

Erik, even with all of his attempts at being helpful, couldn't fully get his mind into the situation. That, he told himself, was not necessarily a good thing. Hallie had been injured, and yet he was still wondering what to tell Abraham. Merlin, but he was still being more reserved than usual, even around someone he knew. He would have shook his head at his own self were it not for the fact that he was sat right in front of her.

A two year old. Hallie was about to ask whether the two year old was his, he was surely old enough to be a Father and he wasn't bad looking so the idea of Erik having a two year old didn't seem that far-fetched, but before the question could escape her there was a sudden snapping sound, a harsh click in her arm and the feeling that somebody had stabbed her with a blunt trident. An audible gasp escaped Hallie.

'Ice would work.' She winced in reference to the ice. The sharp pain had gone as quickly as it had come but there was a lingered ache around her arm. Whether that was normal or not Hallie couldn't quite remember. The majority of her bones had been repaired whenever she had been unconscious or had other injuries distracting her from the healing pain.

Erik appeared a little distracted himself. Although he was trying to help Hallie couldn't help but get the impression that his mind was elsewhere.

'I'm sorry about all of this. I can conjure some ice if needs be. Or head to the ice cream parlor. I'm sure they'll have some there.' Hallie said, not knowing whether Erik seeing to her injuries was a hindrance and something he was beginning to regret. After all he probably had plans himself, Hallie wasn't exactly inundated with work but everybody had their own chores and to-do lists to check off.

He hadn't meant to be so obvious, particularly in front of someone like Hallie who did not really know him well enough to understand his little oddities and the fact that he wore his every emotion very pointedly on his features. It wasn't something he ever wanted to do or meant to do or, really, anything he should have done. But it had always been part of him and the fact that he had never grown out of it had driven his parents completely mad. Perhaps, Erik mused as he pulled ice from the freezer, that inability to hide his thoughts was what kept him separated from others.

He had never had a particularly long or committed relationship besides the one, and now he wasn't even confident that the single one was even true. It certainly didn't help that the woman had said quite plainly that she didn't want him. So there was that.

"It's no trouble," he replied belatedly, making his way back over to her as he wrapped a towel around the bag he had filled with ice. "I'm sorry I'm not exactly being very attentive. It has been... a hell of a week."

(ooc: I love that you used belatedly. I don't know why, I think it's because I don't see the word used often it was quite refreshing!)

There was a slight delay in Erik's response, as though he'd been pondering for a moment. Searching for the right answer he should give. Hallie was beginning to get the impression that he really didn't want to help her, that he was in over his head with a few minor injuries but was too polite to admit it. After all he had suggested he take her to St Mungo's.

A wave of guilt began to wash over Hallie. Erik had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, sure he'd helped her up from the floor as any citizen who followed the rules society dictated but she'd subjected him to dealing with her in an attempt to put on a brave-anti-hospital face.

It's been... a hell of a week. The slight wave of guilt Hallie had been feeling a moment ago had grown into a surging current. Her bottom lip sagged slightly and her eyes darted to the floor as though she were a child realising her mistakes and the responsibility was painful.

'I'm sorry.' Hallie said, glancing back up to Erik, reaching for the towel of ice so that she could press it on her wound. 'I. I didn't realise. I shouldn't of asked you to help me, I should have just gone to St Mungo's.'

Now she was rambling.

'In fact, I'll do just that now.' Hallie said, dropping the towel to the floor and attempting to raise herself from the chair before falling back onto it. Another thought had dawned on her. How was she supposed to get there? She couldn't exactly floo in case ash got into her wound and there was an increased risk of splinching now that she was already wounded so that mean't apparation was out of the window too.

Hallie sighed.

'I think I'll be okay if I just press the ice on actually.' She added with a sheepish grin trying to recover from the fact she could barely move as she bent her back so that she could reach the home made ice pack Erik had gone to the effort of making.

'Why don't you sit down and just, just rest for a moment? If you've got a few things you want to get off your chest I'm a good listener? Besides, it's not like I could escape even if I wanted to.' Hallie added with a joke.

Clearly Erik had too many thoughts racing through his mind and if he was able to admit that to Hallie perhaps she could be the shoulder for him to lean on. After all he had tried his best to help her after being bulldozed by a hippogriff.

Erik looked up sharply when she apologized and said that perhaps she ought to leave. That wasn't his intention at all, and he frowned. "No, I-" he faltered, shaking his head. "I didn't mean it like that. It's not as though it's anything you've done or anything you could help. It's just..."

He shrugged, intending to just move on and keep it to himself. But when he returned and sat on the booth seat opposite from hers, she offered to hear him out. Realistically, he knew it was probably a bad idea. After all, even Erik himself thought it was completely insane. How was he supposed to explain something that he didn't actually know the whole truth of? Asking his parents was out of the question, given how they already felt about him. If they thought that he was losing his mind and dragging not only their grandson but a random woman into it, Merlin knew what they would do.

"You're going to think that I'm insane," he began warily, running his fingers through his already messy mop of hair. "Even the other person involved with it thinks it's insane. But I guess... I can't tell anyone else about it. So if you think I'm mental, I guess that's better than keeping it in, maybe. Might be."

So he sighed, trying not to picture Victoire behind his eyes as he began trying to find the words. "A while back, my parents gave me a potion that would help me forget certain things I didn't want to deal with. I woke up, though, and had these memories of a woman whose name I couldn't remember. So when they told me they had tried to take away heartache over losing her, when they said she had died... I believed them. But last week, I ran into that same girl, and she knew nothing of it either. I have been trying to figure out how she could have ended up taking the same potion and not know it, but it doesn’t make sense even then, because she didn’t have a clue who I was and yet I knew everything about her but her name.”
 
Erik groaned, letting his head loll back onto the back of his seat. “I honestly wouldn’t put it past my parents to have done something underhanded. I really wouldn’t. I am absolutely not their favorite. But I feel like there has to be a reason, and they’ll just lie to me if I ask them about it. So I don’t know that I see a point until I’ve become able to understand it properly.”