I have to go back, Lilith thought, with a deep sigh, there's no way around it. Her chest ached from the shock and embarrassment she'd suffered the day before. Worse still, the witches head ached from the lot of firewhiskey tea she'd drunk that night and the chaser she'd taken before coming to work hadn't helped soothe it. It wasn't her day for rounds on the fifth floor but if she didn't return right away she was in grave risk of losing her nerve completely. Lilith wasn't a quitter and though none would ever admit it the men needed her. In their own strange and unique ways some of them did seem to be responding to her kindness.

Deciding that she would waltz in as nonchalantly as possible, that thought making her snort aloud, under the pretense of not having been able to check on them all. With a quick visit, in and out, she would prove that her confidence hadn't been shattered and maybe earn a tiny bit of respect in the process. Lilith had no idea how they viewed her, the guards or the prisoners, but she needed to make sure that it wasn't as weak.

With a resigned sigh she opened the door and almost screamed as the form of a little elf poofed into existence before her. Hazel smiled up at her through the mop of yellow hair that hung in her face. How such adorable little creatures could stand working in such a god forsaken place and still be cheerful she'd never understand. They took verbal abuse left and right from staff and prisoners but it seemed to roll right off them.

"Good morning Hazel." Lilith forced cheerfulness into her voice.

"Miss Lilith." She greeted, pleased to have been acknowledged by name. "Miss asked me to tell her if there were any issues." the elf quickly turned serious.

Lilith nodded for her to continue, squatting down so that they could be eye to eye.

"When Minnie and Hazel tried to serve dinner to Miss Lilith's eaters of death they were denied." her squeaky voice trailed off into a whisper.

Lilith immediately felt her blood begin to boil.

"By whom?"

"By Mr. Erons." she whispered, fidgeting and looking around warily as if the guard may show up at any time.

"Thank you for coming to me Hazel, I'm going to go upstairs and make sure that never happens again." she smiled as best she could to assure the elf of the fact that she was very much appreciated.

Hazel smiled brightly in return and with a flick of her wrist disappeared. Lilith ducked back into the office and plucked her wand from its resting place and immediately disapparated to the stairwell on floor five. She shoved it into her front pocket, it didn't fit and stuck out blatantly up her hipbone but that's exactly what she wanted, it was just there for show.

Lilith threw open the door, cheeks red with ire and stalked down the aisle of cells with a purpose. It was early and the men were still sleeping as she stormed past and into the guards office. Both men were sitting at the table with a fistful of cards, Longbottom with his feet propped up on the chair across from him. He jumped up in surprise, his cards fluttering to the floor but Erons remained seated, still eyeing his spread as if he hadn't even seen her.

"You denied the men food last night." Lilith accused, arms crossed over her chest.

"I did." he replied without inflection.

Erons glanced at the hostile witch to his right and rolled his eyes. He'd been certain the witch wouldn't return after yesterday's fiasco and was pretty fucking annoyed that she had. Why did she give such a shit about the scum of the earth?

"That's cruel and uncalled for and you fucking know it."

"Do you have any idea how many people they killed in the wars?" he demanded, losing his cool.

Erons gave the table a violent shove, forcing Longbottom to backpedal, and leapt to his feet. Before Lilith knew what was happening he was towering over her, arms gripping her biceps firmly.

"No." she admitted making him laugh humorlessly. "But I was brought here to care for them like the human beings they are. Judge them all you want, and likely you have quite fairly, but it's not your job or mine to punish them."

"Ignorance is blissful, no?" Erons mocked.

His comment stung her with a vengeance, had she been wrong to take this assignment so blindly? Her father's' voice rang in her ears, 'sweet pie, kindness can't change those that don't want to be changed'.

"You're a fool." he growled, eyes aflame, and gave her a violent shake.

"Stop it Erons." Longbottom said much more meekly than he'd intended and took a few steps around the table.

But the guard wasn't done. Lilith ripped her arms away and gave him a hard shove to the chest, pushing him several steps backwards. Up close he was much larger and looming than she'd previously realized and her heart thumped madly. On the way back though Erons snatched her wand and in a split second snapped it over his knee with a malicious sneer.

"That was my grandma's!" she yelled, heart breaking a little at losing the greatest remembrance she had of the deceased woman.

Erons smiled sadistically in response, and quirked a brow just daring her to contest his actions.

"You've gone too far, I'm going to the aurors."

Lilith spun on her heel and began fast walking intent on going straight to auror Granger, the one who seemed most concerned about the men's wellbeing despite having survived the war herself. Erons however, intent on not losing the cushy job he'd become accustomed to, was right on her heels. The DeathEaters had been roused by the yelling and were all standing at the fronts of their cells, groggily murmuring their confusion. The guard caught Lilith near the first cell and grabbed her elbow in a grip of steel, spinning her back around to face him. The witch growled and brought her hand up simply to defend herself but suddenly an enormous gust of air came whipping out of her open palm. Erons went flying backwards, his grip on her arm pulling her forward a few steps before he lost it completely. He flew back about five paces and skidded to a halt half on his arse, half on his back.

Everyone became deathly silent in amazement and shock but none more so than Lilith herself. She'd never done anything like that before and stared at her freezing cold hand in utter disbelief. She hadn't even attempted wandless spells before and in her twenties wasn't she too old for accidental magic? Longbottom peeked around the corner almost shyly before scrambling to help his wheezing partner to his feet. His eyes kept darting between the two combatants in blatant concern and confusion. While he didn't share the extremist views of Erons' hatred, he also didn't feel any concern for the men's well being. For a long minute no one spoke and all stared expectantly at Erons who was bent over with his palms to his knees. Finally it was Lilith who spoke, holding the wrist of her shaking right hand in the left.

"You will resign today or I'll go to auror Granger and tell her everything that's happened. I can guarantee she'll charge you for your cruelty against the defenseless and the assault on myself. At the very least your career will be ruined." her words were nearly a whisper but there was no denying the authority in them.

Erons stood to his full height, back straight, fists clenched to his sides and strode towards her looking ready to pummel Lilith within an inch of her life. Instead he stopped right in front of her and leaned down to hiss into her ear.

"This isn't over bitch, you'll rue this day." with that he pushed past her roughly and slowly exited the floor.

It took every ounce of the guards' self control to not run back and wrap his thick paws around her skinny little neck. He was gravely serious, it wasn't over and the witch would regret the day she'd crossed him.