I remember the day I met Jim Moriarty for the first time. It had been a surprisingly bright day considering it was winter at the time.
I was still in an incredibly sour mood from the night before and I knew this mood wasn't going to change soon.
I was kicking a glass bottle down the road mumbling under my breath, not bothering to even concentrate on where I was walking, when I bumped into him.
As I glanced up at who I had wacked into, I straight away noticed his black, piercing eyes. He was one of those people that could have you hooked instantly.
A thin trace of a smile was etched on his sharp features.
"Sorry" I muttered as I stepped sideways to walk around him.
"My name is Jim Moriarty...hi" he stated as he stepped to the side with me.
I looked up at him again oddly.
Why was this man bothering to talk to me?
"Hi" I answered as I stepped the other way. I wanted to get away.
Once again he copied me as he blocked my away again.
"Rachel"
I jumped slightly at the way he had said my name. It was stern and as I looked back at his face, there defiantly wasn't a trace of a smile anymore.
"How do you know my name?" I asked.
At that moment, I should have walked away, no ran away. But I guess I'm not like most people in that way.
I watched him tilt his head side to side, snake like.
"Follow" he said in almost a whisper.
If I'd been clever like my sister or just a sensible person, I'd have ran away, but I guess I was foolish, because I followed.
We walked in silence; I kept my distance from him, still weary.
He led me into a side entrance of a building I didn't even know existed.
The building was empty, completely empty. No furniture, no carpet, just simple wooden boards.
"You're not scared, are you?" he asked mockingly.
What kind of question was that?
"No"
I tried to lie convincingly.
He laughed; it was the most terrifying laugh, all teeth and no emotion.
"Of course you are who wouldn't be?"
I wasn't sure if I was supposed to answer that so I just ignored it.
I watched as he paced over the wooden boards making them squeak and groan under his black pointed shoes.
"I've been watching you" he stated suddenly stopping pacing to turn and stare down at me.
The way he said that made it sound like it was absolutely normal thing to do, spy on people.
My fingers were twitching, and I knew that Moriarty had picked up on it.
"There's no reason to be scared" he smirked as he noticed me curl my fingers into a ball "I only wanted to know where your sister is?"
I had a feeling this man knew exactly where my sister was. I could see it in his black little eyes.
"At school...probably" I answered casually.
"Where does she go to school?" he asked as he raised one of his pointed eyebrows into an arch.
This is where I panicked. I could not tell this man where Emily goes to school. For a start I wasn't allowed and secondly, he wouldn't believe me even if I did tell the truth.
"She goes to St. Helena's school. Like me"
He laughed at this.
"Rachel, you'll learn in time that I'm a man who doesn't like being lied to" he leaned forward on his shiny black shoes.
"I'm not lying"
I had answered that too quickly and it was clear I was lying.
I watched as he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth as he let his head nod down in the direction of the floor.
Then his eyes suddenly flicked up and glared at me.
"No, you're not playing the game right..." he whined in a childlike voice.
"What game?"
There was something incredibly wrong with this man, but yet a part of me wanted to run and another part just wanted to stand there and stare at him.
He bit his bottom lip with a little smile.
"My game" he answered proudly.
"How am I supposed to play your game if I don't know how to play it?"
I'll never understand why I decided to be a sarcastic smartass instead of just being quiet. Maybe I was so afraid that this was my only way of dealing with it.
He tilted his head again, side to side.
"Is that a knife in your jacket pocket?" he stated more than asked as he pointed to the left side of my black sports jacket.
I instinctively looked down at where he was pointing.
How the hell did he know that? I keep it hidden at all times.
"I hear you're good with knives" he grinned.
If this was Moriarty trying to be friendly, I would hate to see what his nasty was.
"Well you need to be really when you're roughing it on the streets"
"I need someone with your skills, Rachel. I need you to work for me"
I knew what my answer was going to be, but the gun he was pointing at me didn't leave me any choice anyway.
That was a long time ago now, the first time we had met. I've now been working for Jim Moriarty for just over a year and a half. Throughout that time I've seen things that would terrify even the bravest of people. I learnt that Moriarty was so complex that it was impossible to understand him and to stay in his business without dying proved more than difficult.
My partner in crime (literally) is Colonel Sebastian Moran. Sebastian (or 'Seb' as well call him) is the second most dangerous man in London, after Moriarty of course. He taught me the ropes because Moriarty is most defiantly not a man who likes getting his hands dirty but is more than happy to let someone else get their hands dirty for him.
I turned the corner of the street, heading for 'Doyle's Cafe' which was where Sebastian and I met before we had to go on an 'errand' for Moriarty.
I saw Sebastian's silhouette outlined in our normal spot in the cafe. As I drew closer I saw he was biting his nails, and his head turned to the left to look out of the window every couple of seconds. I knew straight away that something was wrong.
I picked up my pace and walked straight into the cafe,
"Morning",
I turned to briefly look up at Liam who worked regularly at the cafe; he also gave me very good discounts but I had a feeling that wasn't because he liked me.
"Morning" I replied as I took up a seat opposite Sebastian.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Hello to you too" he replied, his tone jokey but his face told a different story.
I frowned at him and titled my head to the side,
"Fine, you're right. There is something wrong" he said with a sigh "Your sister"
My eyes widened. I hardly had an excellent relationship with her but I cared about her enough to worry.
"It's not the reason you think" I relaxed a little "You have to understand what I'm risking to show you this"
"Show me what?" I asked, my tone rising tone caused the only other couple in the cafe to turn and stare.
"I'm starting to regret this already" Sebastian muttered as he played with the coffee mug handle.
"You'd be worried and slightly pissed off as well if you were in my position" I replied lowering my tone again.
Sebastian gave a small nod of agreement,
"I have a message, from Emily" he explained as he reached under the table, after a few seconds of shuffling he produced a small, thin envelope, it was marked with my name on it and my current address, but there was no stamp.
"I have one thing to say to you before you open this" he paused hovering the letter in the middle of himself and me,
"What's that?" I asked.
"Don't tell anyone you have this, and more importantly don't tell anyone I was the one that gave you this"
"Ok" I replied taking the letter "Is it safe to open it here do you think"
"I should think so" Sebastian replied.
I wouldn't have cared if it wasn't, I hadn't heard from my sister in 2 years and nothing would have stopped me reading it.
I flipped the envelope over and saw it was sealed with her schools stamp. I tore it open and began reading at once,
'Hi Rach,
Sorry it's taken me so long to write to you. It was hard for me to know what to say after...well after we parted ways. I thought you hated me, I don't blame you if still do now. It was selfish of me to accept the offer. Twins shouldn't be parted and it was wrong of me, I hoped you'd understand why I decided to come here after awhile but I realise now that you may never forgive me for this. I know you wanted to come here and study magic with me here at Hogwarts and for that I'm truly sorry. I remember the look of complete heartbreak when you saw only one envelope on the doormat and not two like it should have been.
I've kept in contact with mum and she said that you had ran away. At first I didn't believe her, but then when I came home for the holidays I realised that it was true. I asked her how long you'd been gone and she just burst into tears. Seeing as I could not get any information out of her I decided to look into it myself. Even with the use of magic I couldn't find you, not that I'd be allowed to use it outside of school anyway. It was like you didn't want to be found. I tried to ask the police but mum had already done it months ago and they had given up looking for you, but I hadn't.
I got in touch with a man by the name of Sherlock Holmes, turns out he is very good at finding missing people and found where you were in less than a day. When he told me that you were working for Jim Moriarty (yes even in the wizarding world we know who that is.) I was distraught. I realise you're upset but there's a line and working for him is crossing it, and no don't worry, I haven't told mum but please do me one thing, I know I have a nerve asking you to do anything after what I've done but please, stop working for Moriarty. He is more dangerous than you'll ever know. Bad things happen to people who work with him Rachel. Just leave, please for me. If you leave, then I will leave Hogwarts, if that is what you want. Please, just do this for me, for mum.
Love Em
X'
I re-read the letter twice before slipping it back into the envelope. I could feel Sebastian's eyes on me; I looked up at him,
"Well?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Not what you wanted to hear then?" he asked as he took a slip of coffee.
"Not exactly" I mumbled.
Suddenly the door to the cafe was slammed open; I turned behind to see who had entered.
"Amy?" I shouted as I saw her scanning the small cafe.
She turned her attention to me and rushed over.
"Are you ok?" she asked me worriedly.
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?" I asked curiously looking from her to Sebastian.
Amy flashed Sebastian a worried look before pulling up a chair.
"Sebastian told me about the letter" she explained.
I glared at Sebastian,
"I thought this was 'top secret'" I mocked.
"It is, but I was wondering if I should give it you and I wanted Amy's advice, and she said give it you. So I did"
"I won't tell anyone" Amy said sternly.
"I trust you" I half smiled.
I had worked with Amy alongside Sebastian many times. She was a sniper like Sebastian, and the only girl sniper Moriarty had. He hardly ever hired girls. In fact Amy and I were the only girls.
"So..." Amy said averting her eyes down to the letter on my lap.
"Not good" I sighed "I think I'm going to have to leave"
"Leave?" Sebastian said suddenly drawing his attention away from playing with his mug yet again.
I nodded.
"Leave where?" Amy asked.
I knew Amy knew what I meant by 'leave' but she wanted me to say it anyway.
"I'm going to have to quit my job"
"Leave Moriarty? No way. You're having a laugh" Sebastian snorted, his brow creased.
"I'm not kidding" I answered sharply "This is family and family comes before anyone and anything"
"You don't understand. You can't just leave this job. When you sign up for it you stick at him until you die." Sebastian snapped.
This time it was his voice that was rising.
"He's right Rach, you can't walk out" Amy said.
"Someone must have walked out before?" I questioned.
Sebastian gave me one of his stares,
"Yes, people have walked out before, but none of them are alive"
I wouldn't have believed that if it had been anyone Moriarty.
(Ok so that's my first chapter. I know I added 3 characters of my own Amy, Emily and Rachel. But I need them for the story to work. Yes Rachel is my name and I used it because, well I wanted to ha. There will be more Harry Potter soon and Avengers. Please let me know what you think and if I should carry on please?)
