A/N: Hey guys! This one is short, but I should have another one out soon. Just to let you know, many thanks go out to everyone who has reviewed my one shots! (And to everyone who will in the future.) I love you all, really.
Helena crept through the shadows, intent on her quarry. He'd be expecting her to come, she knew. The moon light shone off of his balding head and his beady eyes were apparent even at this distance.
He looked around nervously, trying to pin point where she would be coming from, and tightened his grip on the borrowed wand in his hand. She knew it wouldn't do him much good, after all he wasn't the best at spells and she'd made a conscious decision to wear her gun since she sent that talisman to Sirius, so she had a weapon he wouldn't expect.
There was a lump at his feet, which shifted and moaned suddenly, bringing her gaze to it where it halted. Her breathing hitched as she realized that she would have to think of a new plan. Most likely, there were other deatheaters around to make sure that he didn't bungle everything. Not to mention, the reason she was here was slumped in the mud in front of him.
The bushes to her left rustled and she froze. Nothing happened, so she continued through the shadow littered forest path unseen.
She was close enough to touch them, now. The yellow of Pettigrew's teeth and the rancid odor coming from his mouth was enough to make her gag. She stifled the reaction and focused on Sirius.
He'd been beaten, that much was obvious. The angry welts purpling his neck gave her pause, but she knew they would be there since that's what she had felt happening first. The bruises reached down into his shirt, ending at some unknown point and she cringed. She'd felt them, but they hadn't done any lasting damage to her since they were filtered through the token around her neck. She was exceedingly grateful for that, since she did have a job to attend to.
Another person came into view, face hidden; Nott from the stature and tenor of his voice. "Do you have the vermin?"
A laugh, followed by a cough sounded from Peter's feet. "He is the vermin, you dolt. He turns into a rat, remember? Or have you been around Goyle so long that your brain no longer functions properly?"
Peter kicked him soundly and Helena doubled over, not noticing Sirius coughing up a bit of blood. That bastard was going to pay, one way or another.
Nott's voice cut through the eerie silence. "You might want to be careful, Black. Your comments won't be appreciated at the Malfoy Manor. I very much doubt that you will survive anyway, but I think you might last longer if you keep your mouth shut."
Helena shifted toward the side and readied herself to strike. The exchange carried on and Sirius met her gaze for a moment, his eyes widened imperceptibly before he went back to mocking Peter. "You filthy incompetent fool. Do you really think your 'Dark Lord' will save you from karma?"
Peter sneered down at him. "I don't believe in such a stupid belief, Sirius. I wouldn't expect you to be enough of a fool to pay attention to such nonsense, either. Of course, you were enough of a blundering idiot to believe me weak, so I guess the past does account for much, doesn't it?"
Sirius glared up at him, stone faced but it was clear that the words had stung. "I'm not the weak one of us two. I stay true to my beliefs and my friends."
Helena raised her wand and pointed at Nott. "Stupefy." The tall man was suddenly fell to the ground and Peter jumped, jolting Sirius and unknowingly causing a burning sensation to go through both Order members. "Who's there? Nott, are you alright? Nott?"
Helena gasped and silenced him, causing him to panic even more. She stood up and performed a full body bind on him before advancing and stepping over Sirius's prone form. "You know, Pettigrew, Sirius is right. Karma is a bitch."
Sirius groaned behind her and she glanced back at him. "Alright, mate?"
He shook his head and slumped back into the ground, making the necklace shift up his neck. "No I'm not. I'm going to take this off, though, so you can work without feeling my pain." His hand groped for the leather string and he managed to pull it off before falling back to the ground and panting hard.
Helena had kept her gaze on her captive the entire time and smiled sadistically. "You've hurt three people who are very important in my life, you know. I don't have to turn you in right away, I could torture you for days out here and bring you in and no one would say a word. The only snag in this perfect plan of mine is that Sirius needs medical attention badly. Luckily for you, he's in no shape to apparate anywhere on his own. I guess that means that I'll just have to leave you tied up here and come back for you, assuming of course that you're still alive when I get back. These woods are known to muggles for their predators, a particularly blood thirsty lot." She bent over Sirius, captured his hands in hers and disappeared.
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Harry woke with a strange feeling prickling his skin and sat up, trying to think of what had caused this. The room looked normal enough, but his penseive was out again. Thinking that Neville must have taken a late night peek, Harry quickly put it away before the other boys got up and started asking questions that he wouldn't want to answer.
After the spell was placed back on it and it was stowed safely in his trunk, he got dressed and sauntered down to breakfast. Gazing around, still in a sleepy haze, he was confused when he didn't see Helena sitting at the head table. He looked about in confusion for a moment before slumping down at the empty Gryffindor table and filling his plate.
A little while later, Hermione's voice sounded behind him. "Harry, you really should start eating like a human, you know. The rest of us manage to do so without too much problem and it certainly looks more pleasing."
Harry mumbled his apology and Ron sat down next to him. "Give the poor man a rest, Hermione, he didn't sleep much last night." Harry shushed him and Hermione's eyebrows went up but she said nothing.
He suddenly remembered why he didn't sleep and why Helena wasn't eating breakfast with them and worry started eating at his appetite. He pushed the food away and stared at the table for a while before going upstairs to get his books.
Lupin hadn't taken it well last night and Dumbledore's reaction had done little to make Harry feel any better about what he had seen. The wizard's face had fallen and he covered it with a hand as he explained to Harry what was going on. Helena had acted so strangely was because she and Sirius had worn identical talismans that would warn each other if they were in pain by giving the wearer a weakened version of the injury. This explained her reactions before disappearing, but did little to quell the questions about how she got out of the castle without disapparating.
He still cringed at the look on Lupin's face when he'd heard about Helena leaving suddenly. Try as he might, he couldn't lie and tell Harry that he believed that they were safe. Harry had gone back to his room and laid awake all night, wondering what was happening to Sirius and Helena.
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Helena sat back, watching Sirius sadly. He was steadily getting worse and the place they were staying in was sparse as far as supplies went. They had already gone through all of the food she had cached and it was going to be quite a while before she could go and get more.
He stirred in his sleep again, the medication she had given him must be wearing off. He had been hesitant to take any of it at first, especially when she told him that it would take about half an hour to work, but eventually the pain out distanced the uncertainty and he gulped a few down. His fever had spiked during the night, giving him hot and cold flashes as well as vomiting. Helena hadn't slept at all in the past three days for all the attention he needed.
She leaned her head back against the cool, rough stone and sighed. 'What I wouldn't give to have Remus here about now', she thought. 'He, at least, could go and get some food. Poor guy, probably about to snap by now.' A faint rustle could be heard outside, as well as a faint whisper. She was instantly alert and ready to fight. Pulling her gun out of it's holster she spun around when she heard Sirius turn over.
"Guns are illegal here. How'd you get that?" he mumbled.
Helena motioned him to be silent and inched toward the door. The crack in the bottom half afforded her just the right amount of space to look out of, something she utilized every night that they had been here. A shadow passed by a few inches from the stoop…. Helena cocked her gun. A shuffle of footsteps over to the left… she listened intently. The hem of a white robe flickered out of the shadows… she grit her teeth and waited for them to attack.
The moonlight shown off of the shiny black shoes walking up the path and she pressed back against the wall. She could hear the assured crunching on the gravel path get nearer and nearer. Looking over at Sirius, she saw him trying to rise and shook her head violently. "Stay down!", she urgently whispered. "I will have an easier time if I know exactly where you are!"
He nodded and she tossed him her gun. "Use this if you need to, but don't shoot anywhere near me. I'll use my wand." He handled it nervously and the footsteps rang out in the silence as the black shoes ascended the wooden steps.
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Remus lay in bed, hoping they were alright. Not getting any kind of explanation or news since Helena left was maddening. Sleep had come sparingly to him for quite a while now, worry kept it even more elusive. It wasn't like her to not contact him. "Maybe she's in trouble. Maybe they have been captured?", he thought, not for the first time this night.
The fact that she had outright refused to give anyone the location of Sirius's safe house had irked Remus at first, now that she was nowhere to be found it was infuriating. She had explained to him that this way, there would be no mistaken traitors, if the secret was given away, then it could only be her doing and no one else's. He sighed and rolled onto his side, willing the heartache to quit. "Just one note from her, and I'd know she's safe. One little sign of life, but all I get is silence." , he mourned.
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Helena threw open the door, unprepared for what met her eyes. She took a step back and Sirius jolted upright, shock evident on his face.
"Shit.", she hissed, watching the figure walk into the shack.
A/N: K, I know it's short, but I wanted to at least get something out for you guys. I really appreciate everyone who has been reading this, you people put me in my happy place. Hehehe
Feigning innocence: Hehehe, I'll bet ya still think I'm horrible, don't you? Thank you for the compliments on Helena, I try to write her well.
Ilryia Light: Your four legged glow in the dark Turkey? The guy I bought mine from told me he was one of a kind! Damn turkey salesmen!
Ssdiablo: You hope I liked my hamper? I really feel like I've either missed something entirely or I just forgot what you're talking about. Thanks for calling my story a good one, I try. I also try to get my chapters out in a reasonable amount of time, but that doesn't always seem to work very well. Hmm.
I love all of you! Happy Holidays!