Trista eyed the stranger warily. There was something about him that
set all the warning bells in her head off. It was nothing to do with his
physical appearance..thin, pale, balding, but well dressed. It was more
something to do with his actions and bearing. His shifty eyes darted from
side to side nervously, his nose twitching, reminding her of a cornered
rodent. She started to call for Christie to come from the back room to
help this customer, and then remembered she had left earlier for lunch.
Trista took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and forced a smile onto
her face.
"Good afternoon, sir," she said in her most pleasant voice. "Welcome to McNeal Jewelers. How may I be of service to you today?" She fought the urge to turn and run when he fixed his eyes on her.
"Good afternoon, my dear," he replied, his voice high-pitched, squeaking slightly. He stepped closer to the counter, an unsettling glint in his eyes, reaching to remove something from his pocket. "Yes, you can very much help me.."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Remus Lupin stood across the busy city street from the small jewelry shop. He had been having a hard time tracking down her location, but had finally convinced one of the other tenants in Trista's apartment building to tell him where she worked when he found her not at home. He mulled over the task Dumbledore had set for him, wondering just how he was going to convince her that she needed to come with him for her own safety. The girl was most likely going to think he was some sort of lunatic. He gave a weary sigh, and crossed the street, dodging the traffic. Approaching the shop, he froze in horror at the tableau he saw through the window. He watched as a face from his past pulled a wand from his pocket and pointed it at the girl behind the counter. Without thinking, he apparated into the shop to appear next to her, grabbing her arm and yelling for her to get down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Trista watched nervously as the man reached into his pocket, thinking he was going for a gun. She gave him a shocked look of surprise as he pulled what looked like a carved stick from his pocket and pointed it at her. He was grinning like a madman, licking his lips. The look on his face turned to a mingled one of rage and fear as she heard a small popping noise slightly behind her. She turned her head and gave a small scream, seeing another man standing behind her. He grabbed her arm and pushed her to the floor, yelling for her to get down. He followed her down, shielding her with his body, seconds before the counter exploded in a shower of glass, wood, and metal.
"You'll regret this, Lupin!" she heard the first man scream, followed by another popping noise. The man pulled back from covering her, dusting debris from the now destroyed counter from his hair and shoulders. He got to his feet, looking around, and then holding his hand out to help her to stand. She got to her feet shakily, looking at the wreckage, her legs weak and barely supporting her. She gave the man a look of mixed confusion and terror.
"Who..what...was that all about?" she asked him in a trembling voice. "Who the hell are you? What the hell just happened here?" The stranger gave her a weary smile, holding his hand out to steady her on her feet.
"I know you are not going to believe this," he stated. "But I was sent by your grandfather." He caught the girl as she fainted, a look of shock on her face.
"Good afternoon, sir," she said in her most pleasant voice. "Welcome to McNeal Jewelers. How may I be of service to you today?" She fought the urge to turn and run when he fixed his eyes on her.
"Good afternoon, my dear," he replied, his voice high-pitched, squeaking slightly. He stepped closer to the counter, an unsettling glint in his eyes, reaching to remove something from his pocket. "Yes, you can very much help me.."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Remus Lupin stood across the busy city street from the small jewelry shop. He had been having a hard time tracking down her location, but had finally convinced one of the other tenants in Trista's apartment building to tell him where she worked when he found her not at home. He mulled over the task Dumbledore had set for him, wondering just how he was going to convince her that she needed to come with him for her own safety. The girl was most likely going to think he was some sort of lunatic. He gave a weary sigh, and crossed the street, dodging the traffic. Approaching the shop, he froze in horror at the tableau he saw through the window. He watched as a face from his past pulled a wand from his pocket and pointed it at the girl behind the counter. Without thinking, he apparated into the shop to appear next to her, grabbing her arm and yelling for her to get down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Trista watched nervously as the man reached into his pocket, thinking he was going for a gun. She gave him a shocked look of surprise as he pulled what looked like a carved stick from his pocket and pointed it at her. He was grinning like a madman, licking his lips. The look on his face turned to a mingled one of rage and fear as she heard a small popping noise slightly behind her. She turned her head and gave a small scream, seeing another man standing behind her. He grabbed her arm and pushed her to the floor, yelling for her to get down. He followed her down, shielding her with his body, seconds before the counter exploded in a shower of glass, wood, and metal.
"You'll regret this, Lupin!" she heard the first man scream, followed by another popping noise. The man pulled back from covering her, dusting debris from the now destroyed counter from his hair and shoulders. He got to his feet, looking around, and then holding his hand out to help her to stand. She got to her feet shakily, looking at the wreckage, her legs weak and barely supporting her. She gave the man a look of mixed confusion and terror.
"Who..what...was that all about?" she asked him in a trembling voice. "Who the hell are you? What the hell just happened here?" The stranger gave her a weary smile, holding his hand out to steady her on her feet.
"I know you are not going to believe this," he stated. "But I was sent by your grandfather." He caught the girl as she fainted, a look of shock on her face.