Once completely alone and out of danger, Talia retreated in the back of her favourite bar, where at least there she could count on people not attacking her or letting others know she was back. She was well aware it was just a matter of time until people started finding out, however she wished to postpone it as much as possible. And her best bet was mingling between the two worlds, using them all. When one would get too close, she would switch it up, immersing herself deep within the other, always and forever under the grid, hiding as that was one thing she could do without batting an eye.
They would hinder her, they already did. If she was alone during the rescue mission, she would have had no problems watching her own back and doing her own thing. But as she found familiar faces before her, it became increasingly harder to stick to her original plan.
She had expected anger to sweep over her when seeing Talbott, it would have been the correct feeling, not the complex turmoil she felt. She was calm and collected when needing to kill someone, yet upon seeing him, her heart fluttered in her chest like never before. She noticed changes in the way he moved, in how he carried himself, all calculated and stern.
She expected to not help Tonks and Remus, but there she was, guiding them, having their back. It came as second nature to jump in and help and it should not have happened, it most definitely should not have went down that way.
And Felix, it broke her heart, seeing him in those dishevelled dark robes, so pale and thin, sunken cheeks attesting to how much horror he had to endure to even be alive at that point. There was no anger directed at him. While it took time to understand why he did what he did, Talia eventually calmed down, working events through the rational part of her. Felix had sacrificed himself so she could flee. But one thing was certain, he did not expect to see her there, confronting everything and everyone. That was not his plan at all.
She had spent a few days after that just scouting, deciding to feed information to the Order of the Phoenix and just sit back and form her strategies better. However she did warn them to stay out of her way, threatened more actually.
But one thing reassured Talia somewhat, Tonks and Remus did not divulge her identity, not from what she could pick up while keeping tabs on them.
However the struggle was there, on the streets, her intervening from time to time. Despite that she could not do anything about the attack on Arthur Weasley. She could not even get near enough to make certain he was alright. It was a dreadful feeling, having someone you love hurt or worse, especially with the upcoming holidays.
And it was around those times that Talia felt more alone than ever. There was no one by her side to celebrate with, she was nothing but a shadow roaming London at ungodly hours. Through the frigid cold that she hatted with a burning passion, snow pilling on her clothes as she kept watch, she endured it, she had to. Fingers barely functioned as she tried to not let the low temperatures to get to her, however her cheeks and lips burned raw with pain. Blinking a few tears caused by the sharp winds, she exhaled softly, bowing her head, trying to save up as much body warmth as she could.
She had been out in the unkind weather for three hours, yet nothing stirred, as if even evil decided to take a break and enjoy the festivities happening with the new year approaching. In her head it would be the ideal time to attack, however she could not do it on her own.
After all she was only one and they had a small army.
Making her way to the Order of the Phoenix street, she walked around for a while, a thought materialising itself inside her head. They were surely inside, all she had to do was enter and they would greet her as one of their own surely. But the hesitation belonged to her, gripping itself around her heart.
Running her fingers over the edges of the latest message, she decided to not even deliver it. In the end it only spoke of the fact that it was quiet, no new news to be delivered so it was redundant at best. All she wanted was to go back to her safe house and warm up, she could not even feel the sharp edge of the blade in her sleeve, the small paper barely even registered against her frozen fingertips.
"You there." Talia stopped, not bothering to turn around, however her shoulders tensed recognising the voice. Talbott approached her with deliberate slow steps, her thankful for the dark hood covering most of her face. Even if she turned, the mask running all the way up her nose would ensure she would not be recognised so fast "Turn around, now."
Keeping her head lowered, she could only see his feet from that position, Talia extending the note to him. Might as well play the messenger card in hopes of being left alone. She did not dare look at him for she knew he would recognise her eyes in a heartbeat.
Approaching she noticed the wand he held at his side, him plucking the note from between her trembling fingers "So you're the one that has been giving us information." A single nod was all she provided him, Talbott stepping closer, Talia one step back "Look at me."
All she could do really was think he actually managed to figure out who she was. Despite her attire, despite hiding and now shaking due to the cold, shoulders drawn. But she would not give him that satisfaction. Taking another step back, Talbott also drew forward, wand now gripped tighter.
"You were there during rescue mission at the old factory weren't you?"
Another nod, another step taken back, Talia letting the dagger slip in her sleeve, blade in her hand. He was pushing too much for her liking and having her vision impaired by that damn hood was grinding her nerves. She wanted to take her wand out but he might recognise it. Wandless magic was also something he might pick up and that was also problematic for her, a fight was not something she wanted. The only thing she could count on was the blade pressing against her skin and even that was not a guarantee as she could barely feel her fingers.
"You're hurt." Talbott's words took her by surprise, Talia lowering her eyes to her hand. She was so cold that she did not even feel the blade cutting her, crimson blood painting the pavement underneath her feet.
Using that distraction, he got closer, fingers almost wrapping around her wrist. The blade fell forward, Talia's catching its hilt as she slashed, Talbott taking a step back hissing in pain, a clean cut on the palm of his hand. A punch was the second thing that caught him by surprise, Talia feeling as if her wrist was breaking apart on impact, that was the level of pain she felt when hit him.
Kicking him to create distance, she ran a few steps, a voice calling out to Talbott, one she recognised as being Moody's "Get back here Winger, that's not your fight." Sunset coloured eyes watching the unknown figure escape into the night.
"Are you mad, who is that? They aren't in the Order."
"No, but they are helping as that's all you need to know." Moody dropping the conversation in one swift go, however that was not nearly enough to put Talbott's mind at ease.
Reaching the safe house, Talia impatiently discarded the cloak, heading to the bathroom, running warm water in an attempt to get her hands to properly work. Shivering, she placed her forehead against the mirror, crying, not due to grief but the pain riddling her body from the cruel outside elements. Never had she felt so cold in her life and something told her it would not be the last time.
She hated it, so, so much.
And as expected she hated it even more, when the cold would not die down, when forces were against her. When the mass breakout from Azkaban happened. The Daily Prophet did not get all the details right. It was far from true.
Guards did turn against the system and joined Voldemort, but more than the mentioned prisoners that escaped, she soon found out her parents and Jasper were also free and true to what Jasper had predicted, his steps soon led him to the Death Eaters, him joining their ranks.
The Order of the Phoenix did little during the late winter, choosing to stay hidden. However there were still those that still patrolled, that still had to be there in the heat of everything, Aurors being targeted. And Talbott was one of them.
More than a few times had Talia intervened in order to save either him or Tonks or Finnemore. However her luck had to run out at one point.
Come February she barely managed to create an opportunity for Tonks to flee, when pain flared in her arm, a spell cutting deep into her. Dogging a second one, she had the wind knocked out of her lungs as she took a direct hit to the chest, launching her through a store window. Pain flared, all sensors in her body on high alert, her barely having time to understand that a piece of glass was lodged deep in her abdomen.
Managing to scramble to her feet, she dodged another spell swirling her way, renouncing the heavy cloak as to move faster. Fire emanated from her palms as she pushed back managing to create a window of opportunity for herself. They were good, they were fast.
With the glass shard still lodged deep within her abdomen, she did not dare pull it out knowing it would cause more harm than good. Freezing to the bone, she finally relented, pride and everything damned to hell as she knocked on the door with number 12 of Grimmauld Place.
She almost collapsed when Sirius opened the door, her gritting her teeth as she walked inside, holding onto the walls. Her head spun as she looked at the long corridor, Sirius picking her up in his arms, calling out for Molly to come to the living room "You're safe, you're alright. Molly now!"
Placing her gently on the couch, he adjusted her head, taking out his wand, Talia grabbing his hand "Who else is here?"
"That doesn't matter." Hurried footsteps arrived near her, Talia trying to get up, a pair of gentle hands pushing her shoulders back down, Molly offering her a warm smile. Looking around she saw Tonks running, kneeling next to her, worried eyes taking her in.
"Bloody Hell, who managed to do this to you?"
Molly ushered her away, quickly taking note of the damage, eyes travelling to Sirius "She needs a hospital."
"No." Talia shook her head "I'm as good as dead in a hospital. I don't need it, if I die…"
Hushing her softly, Molly pushed back the hair from her face, caressing her long locks "You won't die child."
"Listen to me." She winched in pain, pulling the glass out herself in a swift move, body trembling from the exertion "Even if I do, I will come back. Do what you can, don't bother with the pain, I can take it."
Molly shared a look of concern with Sirius who pressed his hands against Talia's wound, blood painting his skin in a dark crimson colour "Remus, I need you here!" looking back at her, he hushed her softly when once more she tried to get up, Tonks holding her shoulders down. Remus ran inside to see the commotion, Talia's name falling from his lips "You know her?"
"Long story my friend, what do you need?"
"Sleeping draught so we can work."
A pale hand caught Sirius by the collar, pulling him closer to her face "No, no sleeping potions, nothing to knock me out, I don't trust you." Pushing him away, Tonks was surprised she did not actually hurt him.
"Talia" Her purple hair came in view as she leaned to look at her "no one will hurt you here, Tal isn't around, hasn't been for a while, you're safe. You can rest and let us help you."
As Tonks spoke to her, Molly chanted away healing spell after healing spell trying to repair most of the damage, shaking her head at the state of her. Apart from the latest damage, her body was beaten and bruised, Talia not allowing time to heal her, being out and about daily in order to ensure she had knowledge on everyone and everything happening "You can't keep doing this child, be alone. They'll kill you."
A low chuckle reverberated from her "I'd like to see them try." Feeling Tonks's nails digging in her shoulders, Talia looked back at her, surprised to see tears forming in her eyes.
"You don't have to do this." Pressing her forehead against hers, she whispered "I know what you are, but you don't have to be alone in all of this. So please, rely on us from time to time."
"Fuck." She whispered, Molly giving her a stern look, moving up to heal her arm while Sirius finished up on her abdomen. Lifting her hand to place it on Tonks's head, she sighed, closing her eyes "I'll try, I'll think about it."