Having several extra people in the house did nothing for Talia's mood or Talbott's for that matter. Having to sip on coffee each morning while Jasper was there, acting as if he had not been the bane of his existence during the Auror camp just rubbed him in all the wrong ways. That coupled with Mirunna's apparent Stockholm syndrome, in lack of better terms or refusal of wanting to find a better terms for her behavior, was more than enough to keep him on edge.
The woman who had lost her husband was trying her best to keep her son from falling apart when she herself was crying ever so often. It was not the fire that got to him, but a Death Eater spell, however in her anger and grief she pinned the blame on Talia.
Felix on the other hand got the short stick, mentioning that her husband was the one that made their location known since the Death Eaters recognized him and from there on there was no going back.
Talia now shared a room with Talbott in order to provide places to sleep for the others and on most nights, she refused to even go to bed. She pondered, thought and considered her next moves carefully. Too carefully.
Deciding to go downstairs, she walked inside the kitchen witnessing Jasper, Talbott and Felix all sitting as far away from each other as possible, not a word being uttered. She made a beeline to the coffee pot, Talbott already reaching out for a cup "Did you manage to get any sleep?"
"A couple of hours. Thank you." She stated both for the coffee and also for him leaving the room at the crack of dawn so she could have the bed to herself. She knew he was doing it for her as to not create anymore tension, but she was no stranger to his pained expression and how tired he also looked lately. Placing a gentle hand on his arm, he offered her a small smile in response. Turning to look at the other two men, Talia smirked "What's up with you two, had a lover's spat?"
Jasper shook his head, eyes widening as if she startled him out of his own thoughts, Felix groaning at the very idea.
Leaning closer to her ear, Talbott whispered to her "I think they don't like me very much, not like it isn't mutual."
"Behave." She chuckled, gently slapping his chest with the back of her hand "I was thinking." she announced to the room.
"Oh no." Jasper uttered, several glares being directed his way.
"We need more safe houses, just in case. We need to have places to run to if history is to repeat itself. Places in England that is."
"What do you mean?" Felix asked walking closer to her, not even looking at Talbott who was already ready to jump at even the slightest sign of affection shown towards Talia.
"If it were up to me, I would send people abroad. I have connections, I have places that are untouched. The majority of the war is concentrated here for now and if we can help it hopefully that won't change." Taking a sip from her coffee, she smiled at him "Don't you miss it? Romania?"
Felix sucked in a small breath, nodding slightly, almost at an unconscious level "I can't go back, not now when everything is happening."
Placing her cup down on the counter, she approached him, a serious look in her eyes "Yes you can. You have been pulled into this because of me."
"You?" he spat out, anger coloring his face, eyes wide "They came to recruit me because of my name, if anything you helped me evade them for as long as you could. Leaving now would be the cowards' way out."
"So I'm a coward then for wanting to leave this country?"
The room fell silent, Talbott closing his eyes as he leaned against the counter. Jasper was the first one to speak, breaking through the heavy atmosphere "Let me get this straight, you want out? Are you serious right now?"
"No one asked for your opinion Munday." She immediately fought back.
"Well I am going to give it regardless of what you want. You cannot leave now, you are needed here." Coming closer, Talbott got in between them "Sod off Winger." Looking past him, he glared at Talia "You are a weapon, use that power of yours, use your brain Talia."
Those words made her skin crawl, whenever anyone referred to her as a weapon it made her blood suddenly run cold inside her veins. To say she hated that term was an understatement.
"How about you go shove those disgusting ideals of yours up your fucking ass?"
The door to the kitchen swung open, Mirunna stepping aside to reveal Moody "You'd better put a pause on whatever this is, I have news." All eyes focused on him, the words leaving his mouth "Dumbledore is dead."
Talia blinked a couple of times as she tried to swallow only to find her throat dry. Talbott placed his hands on her shoulders, her back hitting his chest. She hated him, she was certain she absolutely hated him. She had every reason to, she was just a cog in his grand masterplan. She had been from the start, just used to fuel his curiosity, his morbid sense of existence. Tearing herself away from Talbott, she exited the kitchen, ignoring everyone. She did not hear their words, she did not want to nor cared for them.
She had no idea when she got dressed and Apparated, going for the closest fireplace she knew was connected to the Floo network.
She did not care if she would be seen or caught as she travelled to Hogwarts.
Nothing made sense anymore, nothing registered properly. How could he be dead?
Once she arrived, she did not look at the Weasley's who were there alongside Fleur. She was stunned to see that minutes after her arrival the majority of the members of the Order of Phoenix also came to pay their respects. Talbott flew in his Animagus form, keeping his distance, letting her process everything. Of course, they all looked up to him, he was actually loved by many. Students and school staff were crying, the atmosphere heavy with the looming sadness.
And as she approached, she found herself trembling, goosebumps forming on the surface of her skin. McGonagall greeted her, the woman looking a mess as she cried, placing a shaky hand on Talia's cheek and as their eyes met, Talia biting on her lip as tears threatened to spill "Who did this?"
It was Harry himself who uttered the name "It was Snape." the news shaking Talia to the very core.
She cast her gaze upon the boy, her shaking her head as she uttered under her breath "The plan was already in motion. This was bound to happen." Shaking herself out of her thoughts she offered her condolences instead before walking away to sit next to Talbott.
Her mind barely registered the events of that day. She tried to make sense of Snape's words to her, but she could not. Nothing made sense anymore.
As the beautiful ceremony ended and people started leaving the grounds, Talbott took hold of her hand "I'm sorry."
"He knew, Severus knew this would come, what other thing would he have been referring to if not this?"
"Talia stop." His voice was gentle yet still held a firm tone to it "Don't do this now."
But if not in that moment then when? If she stopped to think about anything else, about how Dumbledore was no more, about all the death that surrounded everyone she felt that she would crumble, as if her very feet could not carry her anymore.
"I shouldn't be feeling like this, I should be hating him." Hushing her softly, he pulled her closer to him, embracing her "The last words I offered him were a threat. I threatened to kill him and he didn't even flinch."
"Don't do this to yourself. My words towards him weren't kind either. Look at me." Reluctantly she lifted her face, eyes locking with his. He has been crying as well, for all she knew maybe he still wanted to cry, felt the need to and instead he was fussing over her and what she was feeling "You need to focus on what was good, because I know it wasn't all bad when he was concerned. You cared for him and he did for you as well, despite what was done."
Lifting her hand, shaky finger tips were placed over his lips "I'm sorry, so sorry." Her arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him in "You cared about him, I know you did." And even if his interactions with the former headmaster were not that many, Talbott had a close relationship with McGonagall and seeing her so distraught was taking a toll on him.
He hugged her back, burying his head in the crock of her neck, holding onto her for the longest time.
Despite the danger, they chose to disregard it that day, a few returning back with Talia and Talbott. They all sat outside, rising their glasses in the memory of the former headmaster. They all set aside their differences as they worked in the kitchen, preparing snacks and food, keeping themselves occupied.
They talked and shared fond memories, the group staying up well past midnight.
Once they finally decided to go to bed after cleaning up, everyone felt positively drained. However despite that, Talia remained outside on the small terrace, lighting up a cigarette, raising it to the night sky. The door opening made her jump, Talbott apologizing "Didn't mean to scare you. You can go rest, I just finished putting the dishes away."
"Thank you, but I don't feel like sleeping just yet." However a yawn betrayed her initial statement. Cocking a brow at her, Talia sighed "I am tired yes, but I feel like if I go to bed, everything will come rushing in and I can't let that happen."
"It will rush in no matter what you do Talia. There's only so much you can do to try and suppress it." Taking a seat next to her, he stretched his legs under the table, eyes watching the swirls of smoke rising in the air "And you've been lying to yourself for so long, forcing yourself to be this and that."
"What do you mean?"
Tilting his head to look at her, he appeared so tired and defeated "Stop trying if you don't want to. If you want to go, go. This constant fighting is bringing you down in ways you can't even see. You're reckless when you used to be so careful. You make rash decisions, on the spot and while sometimes that's a good thing, now it isn't."
"Rash?" Scoffing, she took a drag before putting out her cigarette "So what now I'm a liability?"
"Yes. If not to others, then to yourself, but you are. And you're lying so much. Even this morning, yes, you do care about Felix, it's obvious, but you weren't trying to send him away, you were sending yourself away." Sighing, Talbott slowly got up "If it helps go with him, I won't hold it against you."
"I don't need your blessing to be with someone you know."
He stared at her, only nodding his head as he tried to push back the bitterness he felt "I know."
Also getting up, Talia went up in his face "I also don't want to be with someone, at least not now with everything going on. I've seen what caring does and if I'm a liability now, then I would be at my worse if someone had the power to break me again."
"Then why are you still here?" The words refused to be let out, if anything she was stubbornly holding onto them, refusing to admit anything. He searched her face, eventually looking away from her "I said to you all I had to say. There's nothing more I can do since you made your choice Talia, there's nothing more I am able to."
Instead, she extended her hand, brushing her fingers along his "Go rest, we're both too tired and we might say things we will regret."
Looking down, he sighed as he took her hand into his. She was right, maybe, perhaps, he did not even know. He did not even believe he was right anymore. Everything was upside down or heading into a direction he did not wish to follow.