I'm The Violence In The Pouring Rain - Bella, Tris, Teagan

[Deleted]

Tris was in a daze, she had lost track of what was happening. Where was Bellatrix? Where was Teagan? Had she gotten away? Was there help on the way? She didn’t know. All she did know was that if she didn’t incapacitate Carrow soon she was going to get the upper hand. The wild hair girl struggled with all her might to keep the blond pinned to the ground but it was awkward and difficult. After no time at all Carrow had wiggled free enough to start attacking and it was all Tris could do to try and contain the other woman’s flying fist. She couldn’t hold, however, Carrow was simply bigger and stronger than she was. A particularly hard hit to the stomach took her breath away and she doubled over, unintentionally giving up the fight. 

Carrow scrambled to her feet and Tris made to follow her, one arm wrapped around her abdomen, the other clutching her wand. She never made it to her feet. A swift kick to the face had her vision blurring, black spots erupted before her eyes and warmth spread over her face as her head snapped back. She felt herself collapse to the ground but it was a far away feeling, as if she was outside of herself, feeling the agony through a third person. As if none of this was really happening to her. Tris struggled to keep her eyes open; they wanted to close so desperately. The blackness was creeping in on her and she fought to remain conscious. She turned her head with great effort, searching for Teagan; hoping she wouldn’t find her, praying she was far away from this danger by now. 

Her prayers went unanswered as Bellatrix’s arrival drew her attention. And then shortly after... Teagan! Who had come back to the scene and gotten herself stunned. “T…” she trying saying but her throat closed up on the words, a silencing charm. Tears streamed down her face as Teagan’s prone form floated down the alley. She watched, and cried, and tried to scream but no sound came out. Within seconds she was exhausted and the darkness began seeping into her vision again. For a moment she stilled; it would be so easy to simply close her eyes and let the world fall away. Too easy. She had to fight. She would fight. Until the last she would fight, for herself and her friend. 

Tris rolled over, biting through her lip as the pain in her body shot up, but she persisted until she was on her hands and knees. Her breath was short and no matter how much she blinked, black dots still danced before her. She needed to get up, she needed to get to her friend. But she couldn’t. She couldn’t make her body rise, she couldn’t make her mind focus enough, she had to get it together! She had to push the physical pain away. Focus. You still have your wand. Her head began to clear, the dull buzz in her ears started to die, and then...

Like an angel, Elliot had arrived. Teagan must have succeeded! Tris let out a sob at the sight of him – the silencing charm lifting as her ally disarmed Carrow. Overcoming the last of her body’s resistance she staggering to her feet, her wand still gripped in her bloodied fingers. “You should prob-“ Tris spia on the ground, unable to speak past the blood pooling in her mouth. “You should probably run now, before the Aurors get here.” Tris prayed to Merlin that Elliot had called for them, had called for Kingsley. She needed him now more than she ever had!

[Teagan Edwards]

She had headed back down towards the alley where she had last seen Tris and the blonde woman, doing her best to keep quiet as she peered down the alleyway. The two woman that had attacked them were near a body - Tris?! - and she heard the gasp come from her lips before she could even stop it. It was enough to attract the attention of the darker haired woman, and within seconds Teagan felt a stiffness in her muscles she didn’t comprehend, and she was floating down the alley into the darkness. This seemed like a nightmare, coming to live before her eyes. But there had to be an explanation, some reason that her best friend and these other two woman were able to do the things they were doing. Perhaps not a logical explanation, but there had to be something to explain.

Magic wands...

Magic hardly seemed like a plausible explanation but the whole situation was so bizarre, how could she believe anything else. Whatever the witch had done to her couldn’t be broken, no matter how much she tried to squirm as she landed on the ground in the dark. She could hear them talking, could hear Tris speaking of things such as Aurors, and Teagan had to wonder who had arrived to cause them to ignore her. She had only just called Elliot, so it certainly couldn’t be him. But laying in the dark, unable to love, all she could do was listen.

[Alecto Carrow]

This night was shortly becoming a disaster.

Alecto used to be so good at this.

Quick on her feet, muscles lean and strong, curses lining up on her tongue in their readiness to be cast.

Was it true what they said about being a mother? That it changed you?

As if I needed another reason to despise you, Crabbe.

She wasn't soft now, not by any means, but she was...out of practice. Her recent lack of action was showing painfully, and in front of Bella of all people. This was not what she needed, not tonight, not after her embarrassment with the day's meeting with the Dark Lord and Amycus. She needed a success, and if she didn't get it...

Alecto's blood was curdling as Bella gently smoothed her hair, the other woman smirking but, as luck would have it, refraining from showing the full amusement she must be feeling at this going so horribly. Bella took care of the muggle as the girl foolishly returned and, still breathing rather heavily, Alecto stepped towards her prone victim when her wand flew from her damaged hand.

Not today, you son of a b*tch.

She turned sharply as Bella spoke, willing her partner to just summon her wand back. She was about to implore as much when the dark figure at the end of the alley...threw her wand into the street. Behind them the witch was struggling to speak, struggling to find her feet, threatening of Aurors. While Alecto assumed the man here wasn't an Auror himself, he was obviously a wizard - and a dead one, at that.

"I won't forget this," she warned darkly, stalking towards the boy, focusing on his features through the still falling rain. Young, black, timid, still in his pajamas. While she'd prefer to fight with her wand, as he'd taken that option from her, Alecto balled her hand into a fist, muscle memory kicking in as she paused before him. I do have something to thank you for, brother. In the moment she planted her feet, knees bent, and rotated her hips, pulling every ounce of furious energy her body contained into her arm. Her already stinging fist connected with the bone of his chin and she grimaced painfully, shaking out her hand and quickening her pace as she left the alley for the lit-up street. Her wand lay in a dirty puddle, and as she rose from picking it up, she heard the telltale crack of Apparition echo down the street like thunder.

"They're coming," she yelled to her partner, disapparating without another word.

[Elliott Thomas]

High stress situations were not Elliott Thomas' forte. While his mind could be brilliant in some specific instances, the one he'd found himself in tonight was not one of them. All he knew was that he needed to get these witches to leave. He could distract them from Teagan and Tris until Kingsley arrived, couldn't he? And keep himself intact in the process? His "plan" to disarm and distract was working, thankfully, as both women rounded on him, and he heard Tris' voice coming from the darkness. Teagan, where are you? In the stress of this, Elliott couldn't loosen his throat enough to speak, but nodded heartily at his friend's words. He'd sent an urgent owl to Kingsley after all - the Auror should arrive any moment. The man never wasted time, and Elliott couldn't see him picking up the habit tonight.

However, Elliott's insides turned to ice as the darker woman spoke. Her features were not incredibly clear, given the distance and the rain, but he knew that voice. He'd heard it every so often since he'd begun working in the Department of Mysteries. The wife of one of his co-workers was fond of dropping in for unexpected visits that the rest of the Unspeakables politely played ignorant to. Wealthy pureblood families could get away with murder anything at the Ministry, these days. Even so, Elliott wasn't going to play into her game, not when there was so much at stake. Instead, he impulsively threw the other woman's wand out into the street behind him. You just have to buy a little time. The blonde, rage written into every inch of her, came at him, and he felt as though he'd been hit with a petrification curse, standing pathetically in the rain. She took a few moments to search his face, his appearance, her threat seeming like she was - unnecessarily, given her companion's knowledge of him - taking mental note of him, before she swung her fist into his chin.

He staggered back, seeing stars, hearing her move away from him in what felt like a different sense of time. Now you can knock 'never been punched' off of the list, Elliott thought distantly. He was still blinking away spots when he heard the woman yell, and when Bellatrix Lestrange gave him one for the road.

"I’ll tell Rodolphus you said hello."

The words were chilling, but at least, within moments, the women were gone. He would worry about her threat later - Was it safe to go to work? - and, not for the first time, was grateful for his lack of a social life at the Ministry. No one knew where he lived, no one even knew he was in a relationship. They'll put two-and-two together -

"Tris, I-I-I sent for Kingsley, I'm so sorry," he stammered as he neared her, blanching at seeing his friend in such a state. The witch had fought back tooth and nail, but while Elliott assumed she had given as good as she could, it looked like the others had gotten the better of her. They would need to go to St. Mungo's - they would need to see the Obliviators - "Where's Teagan?" he asked in panic, lighting his wand and scanning the alley with it until he saw her. Stomach lurching, anticipating the worst, Elliott quickly knelt beside her, cautiously helping her into a seated position. From first look she looked shaken, but otherwise unhurt, and he felt a guilt course through him at his relief that she wasn't as harmed as her friend. He let out a breath and hugged her to him, shuddering as the reality of this night began to fully dawn on him. "Are you hurt?"

[Deleted]

This is what he had trained for. Years spent in simulations, in tactics, in drills, had come to an end last summer when Kingsley had graduated from the program. Since then he had put that training to use every day when he was on the job, and he couldn't honestly say he wasn't behaving like an Auror even when he wasn't on duty. He couldn't shut down his trained senses, and he didn't want to - in their world, letting one's guard down, if only for a moment, could be a fatal mistake.

And Kingsley prided himself on having made few mistakes in his life.

One definitely-not-mistake had been asking Tris to move in with him around this time last year. Although they were outgrowing the small space now - she wanted one that was "theirs," and no amount of colorful throw pillows could truly change the "vibe" of the previous bachelor pad - and were starting to look into finding a more permanent place. He'd spent the evening looking through both the Prophet and a few muggle newspapers for apartment listings, Tris being out for the night with Teagan, and had gone to bed at his usual reasonable hour...only to be woken up from his light sleep by an owl interrupting the sound of steady rainfall outside the window. Quickly at attention - an owl this late was never good news - Kings retrieved the sopping and unrecognizable owl, carrying it to a perch before taking its message, drying it with a spell. While the ink had run and was slowly returning to its original place, Kings didn't wait for it to finish. He grabbed a quill and wrote an urgent note on the back of the parchment to the Auror Department. Reinforcements would arrive shortly after he did, if the owl was fast enough.

He sent the owl off, changed in an instant, and was out the door in the next, Apparating to the location Thomas had written, and hit the ground running. His ears were perked for anything out of the ordinary, and at hearing the crack of a landed punch, propelled himself towards the sound. He rounded a corner to see the end of a disapparation, and cursed himself for not being faster. In training he had been coached on how to keep emotions at bay, even when a situation became personal. But he'd never been faced with something like this and, to be honest, didn't know if he could keep himself in check if any of the assailants were still here. Wand in hand, he slid into the alleyway and quickly took stock of the scene.

A man and woman were embracing not far away - Elliott and Teagan - and a small woman, swaying on her feet - Tris - were all that was left. He sent up a red flare for the others and, his mouth a hard line, Kings went to her swiftly. Pain laced through him as he saw what they had done to her, the kind, beautiful, talented woman who chose to stand with him. They will pay for this. "Did you know them?" he asked sharply, hating himself for how harsh he sounded. He wanted to be comforting, supportive, but - if there was a chance that the people who had done this could be caught, tonight...they couldn't waste any time. And he'd never been so...vengeful, Shacklebolt. Kingsley sighed, frustrated to say the least, at himself and this night. He cupped her cheek gently as he could with trembling fingers, and when he spoke, even Kingsley didn't recognize the cold fire in his voice. "There will not be a 'next time' for this. I promise you that."

[Bellatrix Lestrange]

At the arrival of the man, Bella could feel the rage burning inside of Alecto. Normally this addition would mean nothing, a simple third victim for them to play with. But this muggle loving witch had gotten the best of Alecto, and now the blonde had her wand taken from her by some waste of space wizard. And it was amusing. Their relationship was no longer solid, there was almost more joy in watching Alecto suffer than the others. It was one thing for Alecto to sleep with someone else, that was never the issue. But the woman was a mother now, she had weakness. And Rodolphus was going to enjoy hearing about this, almost as much as he enjoyed the fact Alecto had betrayed her.

She looked back to the witch in the street, laughing at her words as Alecto headed towards the newcomer. “I’m trembling, the Aurors, anyone but them!” she spoke slowly, sarcasm dripping. To think that people still had faith in the Ministry when it was practically in the pocket of the Dark Lord. There would be no consequences for their actions, there never would be. Looking toward Alecto, her shrill laugh echoed through the alley when the blonde landed her punch. Bella stalked over after her partner’s last words, surveying the man who was stumbling backwards. He was familiar...a nameless face passed by in a hallway. Unspeakable. Oh, you’ll regret this.

“I’ll tell Rodolphus you said hello.” A crack in the air followed and Bellatrix was gone.

[Deleted]

Elliot took over the situation, which Tris was glad for, it took all she had to remain on her feet and conscious. She was bloody and aching and short of breath and if she had to fight any more, she would just pass out, and probably never wake up. Luckily they left her alone and were soon gone, Bella only mocking her as they went, which she appreciated. It beat death. She breathed out a ragged breath. She was alive. She nodded absently as Elliot approached her even though she wasn't okay, and pointed down the alley to where she had seen T taken. El took off and Tris looked after him, her mind startlingly blank. 

She had heard the telltale cracks of apparation and knew the Arurors had arrived -that had been what sent Belltrix and Alecto running despite the darker woman's parting quip to her. But Kingsley standing before her was still an utter shock. Of course, he would be here. She was just about to reach for him when his words stopped her. Her arms fell uselessly to her side and she adjusted her stance, seeking a more sturdy pose, worried still she would just fall clean over. Either from exhaustion or devastation over the way he was treating her, she wasn't sure yet. He was in work mode; there would be not sweet comfort here. So, when she spoke she made sure her voice was as strong and sure as she could manage. Giving him what he needed. "Bellatrix Lestrange and Alecto Carrow." He hadn't asked anything else and Tris didn't know if she was capable of any more than that, so she fell silent, watching her boyfriend warily.  

Tris could practically feel the tension within him, but that was normal. He was an Auror, there had been a Death Eater attack, naturally, he would be tense, they all would. If she hadn't been so run down, she probably would have been too. Another sigh and Tris rubbed at her eyes, needing to clear them of tears and blood and dirt. Then Kings was taking her by surprise again, reaching for her with slightly shaky hands. It wasn't what she really wanted, what she needed, she needed more...but it was better than nothing. He was clearly arrested by what had happened and the emotion, the clear promise there in his voice nearly sent a shiver down her spine. Half from the feeling of being protected and loved and half from fear. Fear of it all. Fear itself. She choked on a sob, bowing her head and fighting back more tears. "Kingsley." she said miserably, wrapping her smaller hands around his wrist as he held her face. "It can't happen again. We won't survive a second time. I just hope T and the baby are okay this time."

[Teagan Edwards]

She didn’t understand what was going on, but bits and pieces were starting to make sense. While she was finding it hard to believe, there was undoubtedly magic happening around her. With sticks of wood - magic wands - and Tris was one of them. A witch. Laying in the darkness, unable to do more than cry as she tried to move, Teagan’s mind was racing. Tris was obviously hurt, but she was going to be much worse off if Teagan couldn’t break out of whatever was happening to her. She tried to scream but nothing came out of her mouth, and she felt like a fish out of water. She could hear words being exchanged at the other end of the alley, followed by two sharp cracks in the air. At the second one, everything that been holding her was gone, and she felt like she could finally breathe again. But as she tried to sit up, muscles aching, she was soon joined by Elliot.

“Oh thank god,” she managed to whisper, leaning into him as he helped her into a sitting position. “I’m not hurt, at least not psychically.” Mentally? She was distraught. How was she supposed to explain this to her future husband? He wasn’t going to believe her that witches had been responsible for the attack, or that she thought Tris might also be a witch. Unless...no, there was no way. Tris and Elliot had known of each other before Teagan had met both of them, but there was no way that Elliot knew about magic - or was magic. It was impossible. Taking a few deep breaths, Teagan got to her feet and waited for Elliot to join her, linking their fingers before she walked towards where Tris - and Kingsley, apparently - were.

“I’m alright,” she said as they approached, looking between the two of them with a sigh. “And I know this sounds mad but - they were witches, weren’t they? And you’re a witch too, aren’t you Tris?”

[Elliott Thomas]

Pride would be the death of him.

Who was he to think that he could keep the one he loved safe? In the dark about the war that raged around the apartment that shared? Unknowing his true story, and the truths of some of their closest friends? Who was he to think that he'd not be caught in the lies before he told her? Who was he to think he could prevent a night like this?

He was Elliott Carter Thomas. An Unspeakable at the British Ministry of Magic. Third son of Malcolm and Daphne. And when he looked back at this night in the months to come, he'd know that this was where his life truly started to end.

While his jaw still throbbed from the punch granted him by the irate witch, his selfish relief at Teagan's uninjured state was far more palpable. It was miraculous, really - Elliott assumed that Tris had brought the attention onto herself to spare her muggle friend, and in thinking that, knew that that debt would never be repaid. Because by calling Kingsley to the scene, he knew what would happen next. More Aurors to chase down the dark witches. Obliviators to cleanse the memories of non-magical witnesses. If he Apparated away with Teagan now, would that be best? Could their friends lie to the authorities about their presence? Make it so that they were never here, that Tris was attacked alone? Right, as if the son of a lawyer would deceive the authorities. He knows the extent to which this could be pursued legally, if anyone was suspicious. It would be worse for us if we run. It would be worse for them as well. Such thoughts quieted the young man’s voice as he evaluated their options with as much speed as possible, blindly following his fiancée by the hand. But for all of his creative thinking, he felt trapped. There was no way out of Teagan's memory being obliviated. They were not yet married, and so the protections that would be extended to them then were not viable. He could plead his case, but with the current state of the Ministry, a Ministry worker getting away with violations of the Statute of Secrecy would hardly be deemed acceptable…

You’re still frightened of her reaction to knowing you lied. You can rationalize it out however you must, but you will never fully escape that truth.

He looked up slightly, ducking under his furrowed brow a tad in avoidance of the rain running directly into his eyes, to see that Kingsley had indeed arrived. He looked to Teagan at her words, pain etched into the premature lines of his face. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, for all of this. "Bellatrix Lestrange was one of them. I work with her husband. She knew me," he added quietly, feeling rather damned. Beyond all of the guilt he felt, how was he supposed to go to work? Would the Lestranges corner him, question him, in one of the many secretive locations in the Department of Mysteries? It would be far too easy for them to get him to disappear. But would it be worse if he didn't show up? Better to behave as though everything was normal?... 

Only a few moments later, it seemed, their party was joined by others he did not know, but whose presence was inevitable. Dark-cloaked Aurors and Obliviators invaded the alleyway, and Elliott mutely shook his head at his friends. Futile to fight it. I know you will want to. But we will not win that fight tonight. While Kingsley directed his comrades, he pulled Teagan’s attention to him. "When events like this happen, there is a procedure that is followed," he said thickly, trying to keep his words steady as the Obliviators rapidly dispersed, checking the scene, and one came towards them. "You will not be harmed. Soon we will be at home, and everything will be right again." Could you sound like you believe that any less? "I'm sorry, Teagan - one day, I promise, this will all be clear."

[Deleted]

Get a hold over yourself, Shacklebolt. Can’t you see she’s terrified?

Tris was swaying on her feet, giving him names, trying to appear steadier than she was. She'd survived an assault by two of You-Know-Who's finest - fiercest - while protecting her friend. She was bloodied, she was distraught, she was his, and Kings knew in that moment that he could not be included in the team going after the dark witches. He was too close to the situation. His motivation would be the heat of revenge, not the cool of justice. He would be distracted, a liability, and do more harm than good. And so he tried to temper his breathing, the rapidity of his heart, as he reached for Tris. It was not enough comfort, it was not enough assurance, he'd not approached this properly at the start - and now her emotions were pummeling her surface. Hands that worked miracles with him, with cloth, with her wand, closed around his wrist as she spoke and wept. He looked to her, mouth yet a hard line. For how could he make good on his promise, truly? He was not about to insist she stay at home until the war was done. An attack could happen anywhere, anytime - tonight was proof of that.

You’ll do better than you have been. Somehow. There has to be a way to be in contact when apart. Has she made a corporeal patronus? Used as messengers…

He had no words for the woman he loved; empty promises were not given, empty threats to those who'd wronged her were not made. Justice would be served, but not by them. Kings stepped towards her, free arm wrapping firmly around her back, body a shield to hers against the rain still pouring over them. The moment was brief, interrupted not by reinforcements but by Teagan and Elliott. He did not envy the latter in this moment, but especially in the wake of this night, could not be moved towards compassion for him. Thomas had had opportunity upon opportunity to let the truth be known, and the law was the law. As harsh as it was to be faced with the reality of it, as much as he did not want the veil placed over a friend's eyes, as infuriated as he knew Tris would be - the call was the Obliviators, not theirs. Add on to that the reality of the Lestranges knowing Thomas's involvement... You'll think of something.

He gave a nod to Teagan at her questions, to Elliott for his worry, and returned his attention to scanning the alleyway. His fellows should be arriving, but Death Eaters could be as well. Who knew how quickly they could communicate, and if Carrow and Lestrange would let fear of capture outweigh their want for chaos. They too could bring reinforcements...

But the pops of Apparition brought those on the side of good - or so he had to believe, for the corruption of the Ministry could not have spread so far, could it? He met Thomas's bleak eye with disapproval, at best, and turned from the couple to hail the incoming Aurors. He knew that Tris had to know what was coming, but what could be done? Teagan's memory would be modified. He would go with Tris to St. Mungo's. It was what it was, as much as it twisted his stomach. He spoke with the Aurors, naming names...

[Deleted]

There was no comfort in this awful place, on this terrible night, there was no solace to be had. Her boyfriend’s arm around her, something that usually brought her peace, brought her none tonight. There was nothing he could do for her, she knew, but part of her still wishes that he would sweep her up, hold her until the pain stopped. She wanted him to scream and rage but that was not Kingsley. They didn’t speak of justice or love or safety, they didn’t speak any more at all. Tris had done what she was asked and provided them with the names of their attackers and she had nothing more to give past that.

Teagan’s voice caught her ears and from her fog, she looked over at the other woman. What kind of twisted fate had brought T into their world? A muggle in the mix of a wizarding war. She wanted to answer her friend, to let her know that she was not crazy, that she was right. There was magic and witches in the world, a world she was apart of now. She started to nod but the words stuck in her throat as pops of apparition heralded the arrival of the people who would erase this all from the pregnant woman’s mind. “No.” she whispered. “Don’t leave me.” No one was listening to her though, there was a job to be done and they got to doing it without ceremony. No one cared that once Teagan was no longer the wiser of the events of the night, Tris would be alone in the memory of it all. She turned away, angry and upset. Why would Elliot not just /tell her, she would find out soon enough when her bouncing baby started doing /magic.

That was not her decision though and she was all out of fight for the night. Another time she would take her friend to task on the danger he was putting the mother of his child in by not telling her about the magical world. For right now she just wanted to leave this place for her sweet lovers nest. She wanted to feel warm again, though she felt she would never again feel safe, at least she could be warm behind warded doors. She felt dizzy and her vision was slowing going black again, she squinted to spot her boyfriend amongst all the mayhem. “Kingsley.” she said, her voice scratching at the use. She spit rainwater and blood from her mouth before trying again. “Kingsley I want to go home.”

[Teagan Edwards]

No one was answering her, and it was making things worse. Her body ached, she was worried about the baby growing in her, and no one was answering her. Louds pops startled her, and she grabbed onto Elliot, feeling a growing worry in her chest. This night of fun with one of her closest friends had turned into a disaster, and people were appearing out of thin air around them. She kept quiet as Elliot gave a name to what Teagan had to assume were magical authorities of some type. This was all too much, and she just wanted to know what was happening. Kingsley seemed to nod to her in response, but it wasn’t really telling her the truth. And Tris - her dear Tris, covered in blood - she looked just as afraid as Teagan felt.

“Someone please tell me what’s going on,” she said, realizing her voice was barely above a whisper. Kingsley had left Tris’ side to talk to the new people who had arrived, and she felt the panic only grow as one of them looked to her. She was squeezing Elliot’s arm so hard, she wondered if she was hurting him. His voice brought her back to him, and she looked at him quizzically. She understood what he was saying, to a certain degree. What was getting to her was that there was a procedure for events like this, and that was haunting to hear. Because how often did events like this, an attack by magical people, happen? One of them was walking towards them, and Teagan realized her breathing had quickened. “Why are you sorry? What’s happening Elliot?”

The man reached them, and Teagan felt the urge to run. That she needed to protect herself, because it didn’t seem like any one of her friends was going to stop this. She was pulled from her own worry though as Tris was yelling for Kingsley, and she left her fiancé’s side to go to her best friend. “Hey hey - I am right here. I will stay with you until Kingsley is done, and then we can all go home,” she said, looking back towards Elliot and the other man, who she noticed had his own wand. “We can all just go home and talk about this, right Elliot?”

[Elliott Thomas]

"We'll be home soon, and everything will be right again," Elliott repeated uselessly, wincing at the vice grip his fiancée had on his arm. Why am I sorry? Because I never should have gone to dinner with you. If I hadn't shown up, you would've kept on with your life, and you wouldn't have witnessed this tonight. His world had expanded with Teagan's entry into it - he had fallen in love, he was living with her and a dog, they were expecting a child, he had gone to fashion shows and restaurants he never would have tried on his own, he had found a partner in her, the life they lived was one he had never let himself imagine - but as for her world? From what she had seen before tonight, she likely felt the same. Being in love was an extraordinary thing that had challenged and pushed them both, but her world? He had all but piled up everything she knew and hit it mercilessly with fiendfyre.

Not that she'll remember.

    You will.

Vicious insults were hurled at himself inwardly, and Elliott felt like he was going to be sick as an Obliviator came towards them. He met the man's eye and Teagan was gone - he looked to see her joining Tris, doing her best to comfort the witch who had borne the brunt of the attack tonight. She called out to him, looking for that same comfort, comfort that he could not give, and he swallowed down a rise of bile. "We'll be home soon," he assured, and the Obliviator, appraised of the situation, spoke at his side.

"No magic-induced injuries?"

"No, sir."

"Good. Has this happened before?"

"No, sir."

"Be sure it doesn't happen again. She will still feel shaken up. She and her friend were in an accident. I'll plant the memory, her mind will do the rest."

"Yes, sir."

With a curt nod, the Obliviator crossed the small distance between their parties, and Elliott forced his feet to follow in the wizard's wake. He pocketed his wand, swallowing, balling his hands into fists in an attempt to quell the shakes. He couldn't face Tris, knowing that he had lost any trust and friendship he and the witch had shared, and met Teagan's fearful eye with his own panicked one. This is what you do when the judgement time comes? You allow them to do this to her? You're not fit to be her husband, you're not fit to be a father, you're not fit to be anything to her - "It's time to go home, Teagan," he said thickly, hand out to hold hers when the wizard stepped away. "You and the baby aren't hurt, but the medics want you to rest. We'll take a cab home and check in on Tris tomorrow, I promise."

[Deleted]

Kingsley had never felt a fury like this. Not that his hatred of the dark forces was all based on theory - no one in his office lacked an experience or two with them that was so vile that they could not, with good conscience, leave the work - but they had never come for him personally. And far more difficult to handle, as he was finding - they had never before come for the woman he loved. And that Bellatrix Lestrange would likely come away from this night without arrest, that she would likely waltz into the Ministry on Monday morning without a scratch on her, it was enough to make his blood boil. The corruption within the Ministry was so deep set, so woven into its very fabric, that fighting the Death Eaters out in the world was like putting out campfires while the forest burned behind him. How were any of them supposed to make any kind of difference when the very system was against them? And how was he supposed to keep Tris from harm when even a simple evening out in muggle London could turn this bloody?

The fury, the futility - it would pass, Kings knew the feelings would pass. He would channel this energy into the work, he would find others at the Ministry who were truly invested in change, he would help to turn the tide of this war. But for now, he tried to compress them, shove them to the back of his heart and his mind. He gave Tris's shoulder a gentle squeeze and stepped away to speak with the authorities, concise in his report as they took stock of the situation, and the sound of his love's cracked voice pulled him back. She and Teagan had been through too much - even from the little he knew of the night, it was too much, and it was about to get worse. The little crowd grew as one of the Obliviators took care of business, and as Elliott tried to draw Teagan to him after, Kings knelt in the pool of water before Tris. Blood and tears and rain ran down her face, and he reached out, wiping her face clean with a measured steadiness in one hand, holding her upright with the other.

"We're going home," he promised. She needed him - she'd needed him since Lestrange and Carrow had appeared - and he swallowed back his feelings. She needs you more than you need to deal with this. This is what's important, Kingsley. "You fought back and you saved her life, Tris. You were brave, you were so brave, and you saved her. You can rest now." He rose and took her with him, holding her up in his arms. His field training had given him enough competence to tend to her wounds, or so he hoped - she wanted to be in their home, not with more strangers at St. Mungo's...