An Unexpected Attack

[Nathaniel Evens]

Nate frowned, he was irritated by how much that effected him. He should be colder, more calculating, less lovey-dovey. Raking a hand roughly through his hair he then took out a cigarette and lit it. Savoring the sensual feeling of smoke lapping at his lungs he relished the idea that with the modern spells that wizards were coming up with, his habit was quite safe. Taking another drag he took a quick turn into Knockturn Alley.

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The Alley was smokey and dank, most of the patrons that inhibited the Alley had left for the day. Recently Knockturn Alley had been quite safe since the demise of Voldemort and the round up of his followers. Some still remained and were being avidly tracked and caught by the Auror department at the Ministry. Since working at the Ministry Nate was able to garner such information that would be vital to his brother and his rise to power. It would be crucial to have inside people in all departments no matter how ‘simple’ the departments might seem.

Nate was distracted from his thoughts by sounds coming from the end of the Alley. It sounded like a struggle, a woman’s voice was heard before it was muffled. Nate’s mind raced, it sounded familiar but he couldn’t be sure. Grabbing his wand, his senses on high alert he stealthily made his way down the Alley.

His first glimpse of the scene included a young woman bound but struggling as her attacker saddled her caressing her body. Nate griped his wand tighter as he felt a pit of molten lava began to rise in his stomach. He felt his body shaking with rage as he recognised the beautiful woman who was being attacked.

“Signe,” he breathed.

Suddenly his mind went sharp and his senses heightened. There were four of them in the Alley, he would have to be quick if he was to dispel them quietly. His cigarette forgotten long ago Nate moved out from his hiding place, his face covered by his black hood, and raised his wand. With four neat, quick and perfectly precise spells Nate killed them all.

“Avada Kadavra,” he whispered under his breath, “Avada Kadavra, Avada Kadavra, Avada Kadavra.”

They didn’t know what had hit them. The man saddling Signe’s body slumped against her before Nate flicked his wand and the lip body slammed lifeless into a nearby brick wall. Quickly piling the four bodies against the same brick wall Nate was finally able to approach Signe.

Slowly, cautiously he walked towards her. His heart was screaming at him begging him to pick her up and slam him to her, comfort her anyway he could but his mind told him she was in a fragile position, he needed to be careful.

Slowly he knelt by her and lowered his hood still gripping his wand, he gently checked for any injures both internal and external, moving his wand over her body he recited some spells he had learnt from Theodore for detecting injuries. Nothing seemed to be broken and Nate gave a sigh of relief. He didn’t know whether the anger that had been burning inside him would allow him to be gentle with her but he didn’t care; he lifted her gentle onto his lap and wrapped a blanket he had conjured around her half naked body. Leaning his head on her shoulder he took a shaky breath before kissing her shoulder and helping her from the ground.

“Signe,” he whispered to her as he gazed at her face, she was battered and bruised but still breathtakingly beautiful. Bringing his wand hand over her face he mumbled something under his breath while closing his eyes, he was concentrating. Once he removed his hand and trailed his fingers slowly down her face he smiled, satisfied that her injuries had been healed. She would still feel the pain but she would not look as though she’d just been attacked.

Swinging her legs up he picked Signe off the ground and carried her to a secluded alcove away from the bodies and the main Alley way. Looking down on Signe he waited for her to compose herself not wanting to rush her into anything. Lifting her onto the bench in the alcove he turned his back to her and leaned on the entrance wall to the small alcove; he lit a cigarette and began to think of why she had been attacked. Undoubtably they had said something to her, he would have to wait until she had recovered somewhat before he asked her anything, he glanced back at her.

[Signe Cortez]

With her eyes shut and her body and mind going numb, it took a moment for Si to realise that the slimy fingers from the man’s hands never got to her. Opening her eyes in shock, she saw a flash of green and the bastard’s body slam nearby into the brick wall. Through her tears, she saw a figure cautiously walk towards her and she almost flinched in fear until she recognised the familiar mop of blonde hair. Nate, she whispered and realised her silencing spell must have been lifted when the man was killed.

But .. how?

Still shaking and crying, but not really caring, Si felt the fear evaporate from her body when she realised she had been saved by Nate. But not much else got through her frazzled nerves and it was all she could do from completely breaking down on him. All she could do was look at him and cry. She didn’t seem capable of doing much else. When she felt a soft blanket around her body, she started shaking harder.

She had almost been .. the thought caught in her mind and she couldn’t finish the horrific words. Even though it never happened, the touch of the bastard’s slimy hands would be forever burned into her mind and she wondered if she was insane for not flinching at Nate’s touch. Maybe it was because she knew his touches and knew they were safe and passionate and never had the intention of hurting her.

When Nate kissed her shoulder, it was all she could do from crying harder and so she shut her eyes as the memory of today and the memory of him leaving her alone collided and brought out a painful emotional feeling in her chest. But he was here now and somehow, she felt like everything could be forgiven once she comprehended and understood what he just did.

As he lifted her up, Si could feel herself slowly calm down although she couldn’t stop the trembling; that she knew will go away in time, but for now she could slowly stop crying. When he placed her down on a bench gently, Si pulled the blankets tighter around her body and leaned back against the wall feeling very tired. She wanted her warm bed, a hot cup of chocolate and a good night’s rest but she knew that was not possible while she was still partly in shock, along with a lot of unanswered questions hanging in the air between herself and Nate.

When he glanced back at her, she could feel herself tremble every so often under his gaze; but in a way, she was glad her tears had dried up after she realised she was safe. The pain caused by the beating on her face was still there but after Nate healed her she felt slightly better, but still a bit lightheaded.

To put it simply, Signe felt like a mess and didn’t know what to think or do. Nor did she know what to say to him. She had so many rehearsed speeches she was going to shout at him, which she had composed over the past few weeks, about what the hell he did and why he did it, but after this attack on her and his finding then saving her, she felt everything had changed too much and that her speeches were petty. In many ways, Si felt like her world had just grown a little bit darker.

So all Si could do was stare back at him. There was a very long silence as she stared at him, with only the slightest trembling rolling through her interrupting the stillness. Eventually, Si opened her mouth and said “Hi.”

(OCC: Sorry its a bit confusing. I tried as best as I could to put myself in Si's position and react like how she would, but being sick and all has sort of .. frazzled my brain.)