Elizabeth's house was a short train ride away. Magnus had bought a large umbrella with a vibrant pattern of blue swirls and stars. Of course, he didn't need it but he liked how it stood out and it stopped the mundanes from wondering why the rain avoided him so abnormally.

As he made his way down the street, there were only a couple of people hurrying to and from their cars or through the downpour. Perhaps on their way to work.

He was early. It was mid morning, rather than the afternoon when he'd planned to visit Elizabeth's House. However something had been nagging him and since he didn't know her well this seemed like the only thing to do. If there was anything to be done about in the first place.

At the front of the house, Magnus paused by the small gate between the hedges. There were the faint orange glows of a ward, but rather than a sheet of energy it appeared to have deteriorated and become full of huge tears and holes. As if she hadn't maintained them in quite a while. Maybe months.

Frowning, he pushed open the gate and slipped through easily towards the front door. Magnus knocked a few times and waited. No answer.

He weighed his options, wondering if it would be better to return in the afternoon when he was meant to be there. Or, the more appealing option: break in, make sure she hadn't been killed by demons, apologise, mend her wards, and leave, probably to never be invited again.

Perhaps something less destructive first.

Magnus leant the umbrella on his shoulder and summoned a slip of paper. With a finger he scrawled a note and it began to smoulder as he then sent it flying off, sparks falling through the air behind it.

Several minutes later there was no response. He thought it was safe to say he had done everything least destructive first, and now the time warranted for his original idea.

The door wasn't warded either. There were some faint traces of magic, a blue line or two around the frame, but nothing that could stop him - or anyone - from entering. He simply waved his hand and the pins in the lock clicked into place. The chain slid off the hook, and he pushed the door open.

The hall inside was stuffy and dusty. Having not been there before, Magnus had some doubts as to whether he was in the right place, but there wouldn't have been any trace of magic if this wasn't Elizabeth's house.

The living room had not a single empty surface. Books and papers were scattered, and there were several plants. All of them were trimmed down to the stems. He spied his jar of valerian root, now completely empty.

The house was very quiet. Magnus left his umbrella by the door and made his way upstairs. If she was just sleeping then it would be fine. Maybe she would even understand that he had been concerned about her lack of wards.

On the landing he could see her bed through an open door and to his relief Elizabeth seemed to just be sleeping. Except her carpet was covered in old fire messages. The most recent one lay on the sheets.

He hovered for a moment, and could just imagine Ragnor asking him what the bloody hell he was doing, when he realised her skin was grey. She was very still, curled up on her side. Was she dead?

Almost. At her bed side now, Magnus held a hand near her face to see she was barely breathing. Just slow, shallow breaths.

On her bedside table a piece of paper with his name on caught his eye. It simply read 'Magnus, I'm sorry.' Next to it sat an empty bottle.

"What have you done, my dear?" he murmured, touching the back of her hand that rested on top of the covers. He slapped her cheek a few times, just to be sure. But she lay as still as ever.

There was only one thing to do now. "I'm sorry, this is going to be very cold and unpleasant." Raising his hands, an icy blue glow wrapped around Elizabeth, diving deep into her veins. He had to freeze the potion clear of her system.

Elizabeth gasped, breathing heavily as if she had been underwater for too long. Her eyes were shut tight and shivering violently, she pulled the covers close to herself. She sat up, pushing herself backwards towards the headboard and trying to escape from the freezing cold. She opened her eyes when Magnus spoke.

"It's alright," he told her, "I'm sorry about the cold. You'll warm up soon."

Still breathing heavily and shivering, Elisabeth looked at him. "Wh-why did you w-wake me up?" she breathed.

He smiled sadly. "Because it was the only thing to do."

Her eyes filled with tears and she covered them with one hand, shaking under the sheets except not just because of the cold.

With one hand on her shoulder, Magnus sat on the edge of the bed and let her cry for a while. How long had she been suffering? He listened to her heartbreaking sobs, until she started to compose herself.

"Elizabeth," Magnus said, gently but also with some urgency, "I need to know what was in that potion. It's very important."

She sniffed, wiping her red eyes. "The list. It's on my desk. Downstairs."

"When did you drink it?"

"Today. I think."

He shook his head. "Which day exactly?"

"When I came to see you." she murmured. "I had it after."

Four days ago. It was not ideal. Elizabeth's eyes slid closed.

"I don't think so," Magnus shook her with his hand still on her shoulder. She started shivering again as the icy tendrils pierced her once more and she reopened her eyes.

"I need you to show me the list. The potion. Everything," said Magnus. "Let me help you."

She swallowed and whispered, "Ok." Elizabeth slowly collected herself and slid out from under the covers. She was sluggish and weak, but still managed to pick up her dressing gown from a chair with shaking hands and wrap it around herself.

Magnus followed behind her down the stairs, patiently waiting as she stopped on every other step because she was so drained. He probably could have found the list and her work himself, but there was no way he was going to leave her alone and it was easier for her to tell him than to go through her things.

"Here," Elizabeth picked up some papers from her desk and handed them to him. She sat down.

He studied over the papers, one of them being a list of ingredients and where to get them. She had already tried obtaining the valerian root from a few other warlocks that were crossed out. From what he read, he could see that she'd certainly made an extremely potent sleeping potion, but not one that would have been lethal enough.

"I don't think this wouldn't have killed you," he said finally, shifting his eyes from the recipe. "More likely you would have awoken eventually, in agony from the damage it would have caused."

Elizabeth looked away from him, "Typical of me. Can't even kill myself properly." She brushed another tear away.

Magnus pulled up a chair near her. "I know how it feels, Elizabeth, believe me. Can you tell me why?"

She had crossed her arms around herself and was hunched forwards slightly in the chair, trying to keep warm, and her eyes looked distant as she focused them on her lap. "I'm very tired, Magnus. And I feel... bad... all the time, except for when I'm asleep. So I was hoping that I could just," she drew her eyes back up, "Sleep forever."

Magnus paused, "Why haven't you told anyone?"

"There's no one left for me to tell."

His stomach ached with familiarity. "When you came to visit, I would have listened."

Elizabeth shrugged. "You said yourself, I'm not your problem anymore. Even so, I don't know you well. We are strangers. I don't want to burden you with my sad story, and I don't want to burden you now. Maybe it's best if-,"

"Elizabeth you're not a burden," Magnus interrupted her. "You're simply ill. We have met before and therefore are not strangers. And just because I'm no longer the High Warlock of Brooklyn, doesn't mean that I can't have clients. You, my dear, are one of my clients and have already paid me a significant amount."

She shook her head. "My signature is hardly worth-,"

He held up a hand, "hush. You really underestimate your worth. Assuming you'd passed on, a century from now, a signed copy of that book would have been more than a little expensive."

Elizabeth didn't know what to say. She was relieved, grateful and concerned all at once and her eyes began to water again. "Now what, then?" she mumbled.

Magnus thought for a moment and then gave her an encouraging smile. "If you could eat anywhere right now, where would you go?"

She blinked away the tears. "I suppose," she trailed off, thinking. "I'd have pancakes. There's this place in London. I don't know if it's still there."

"Let's find out, shall we?" said Magnus, standing up. "Clean up and get dressed. How does that sound?"

Elizabeth got to her feet and nodded, leaning on the back of the chair for support. "Yes, I think that would be nice."

"Take your time," he reassured her, "I'll be waiting."

She began to slowly walk towards the stairs when she eyed the front door and turned back to him. "Magnus?" she asked, "Did you break into my house?"


I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story so far. Please let me know if you want me to continue :)