Early June 1981, London

Fabian Prewett was having an amazing day. He and his twin brother, Gideon, finally managed to put to bed the frustrating case of wizards distributing dark artifacts down in London. They finished the paperwork in record time and Alastair Moody even grunted 'Not a bad job, Prewetts' which was high praise coming from brusque, paranoid Head Auror.

He and Gideon ended work early and decided to celebrate down at their favourite pub in the heart of Muggle London. They strolled along the streets in very high spirits, pausing occasionally to admire the shops.

"You'd think Fred and George would like that?" Gideon peered at the window display of a Muggle magic shop, tilting his head towards a red box with the words 'The Beginner's Set to Magic! Everything you need to wow your family and friends' printed in bold, black letters at the front of the box.

Fabian had to chuckle as he thought fondly of his mischievous twin nephews. "Well, they would get a kick out of it, that's for sure. But, I think the one next to it is more suited for our doppelgangers."

Gideon looked to where Fabian was indicating and an impish grin immediately took over his face. 'The Prankster's Ultimate Kit: From Itching Powder to Farting Cushions! We got it all to fulfil your trickster heart!' stood loud and proud in gold letters across the blue box.

"Hmm, Molly would definitely kill us if she sees us giving that to them," Gideon said gravely, the picture of their imposing little sister coming to mind.

Fabian nodded solemnly. "Oh absolutely. We might not even be invited to Burrow for dinner ever again."

Gideon straightened up, smirking as he caught Fabian's eye. "That would be such a travesty...so we hide it under their pillows just before they sleep?"

Fabian clasped his hand on his twins, his smiling blue eyes betraying his solemn expression. "Brilliant plan, brother dear. See, this is why I keep you around."

Gideon snorted, shrugging off the hand on his shoulders. Fabian just grinned and tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He glanced around the streets absentmindedly as Gideon continued to peruse the store's window front for other possible gifts for the rest of their nephews.

He noticed two girls - sisters, he assumed - walking side by side a few ways ahead of them across the street. The girl with the black hair was shivering badly, tightening her brown coat around her body as the two of them turned into the dim alleyway in front of them. Fabian snickered, familiar with the area enough to know that the girls turned into a dead end. Fabian's eyes shifted to his brother and just as he was about to nudge Gideon to hurry up, a flurry of black robes caught his attention.

The feeling of dread washed over him as he looked up sharply to spot a group of Death Eaters - five of them - slowly approaching the alleyway the two girls had just entered. He elbowed Gideon as his other hand retrieved his wand out of its holster. Gideon opened his mouth, no doubt to complain, but he stopped short when he saw Fabian's tight expression. Gideon spun around to look at his twin's line of sight and he immediately tensed up, his hand flying to his own wand.

"Two Muggles just entered that alleyway there. Dead end. Five Death Eaters blocking the only exit." Fabian gave a quick rundown of the situation as the Prewett twins moved into the shadows, their eyes trained on the dark wizards.

Gideon swore under his breath. Fabian nodded grimly, knowing what was running through his mind. The odds weren't good. The alleyway was too narrow and with the only means of escape blocked, getting out with the Muggles safely proved to be a problem. They could Apparate their way out with the Muggles but with five wands in the hands of the dark wizards trained on them, it would be a rather impossible feat. They could alert the Order but judging by how the Death Eaters are gripping their wands, the backup would arrive too late.

"I'll distract them. You get those Muggles out of there safely," Gideon instructed, not a hint of fear or hesitance in his tone.

Fabian gave a quick nod before the both of them Apparated closer to the entrance of the alleyway. Gideon caught his eyes, a moment of understanding passing through them. Being twins and partners on the job, they always knew what the other was thinking. To get the Muggles out of the alleyway safely meant they would have to draw the fire of very trigger-happy Death Eaters who used dark curses as easy as breathing. They knew they could be walking into their deaths but they'll be damned if they let Voldermort's followers harm another innocent Muggle on their watch.

At Fabian's signal, they ran into the alleyway with their wands drawn. Just as Fabian shouted for the girls to take cover, Gideon raised his wand and shot a red jet of light to the wall nearest to the Death Eaters. The brick wall exploded, huge chunks collapsing on the unsuspecting dark wizards. Gideon casted a quick Shield Charm in front of the Muggles before releasing a volley of spells to the Death Eaters who were still recovering from the wall collapsing.

Fabian ran up to the girls hunched up on the floor and pulled the one closest to him - the black-haired girl - up on her feet. She stared up at him, her hazel eyes filled with shock and confusion. Not that Fabian could blame her. He could feel her tremors subsiding almost immediately as he held the crook of her elbow.

"Take your sister and get out of here! We'll hold them off! Go!" Fabian urged them, slightly pushing them towards the exit.

Fabian darted towards his brother to join in on the fight and cover the Muggles' escape. Out of the corner of his eyes, the girls were racing out of the alleyway.

Good they're safe.

The same could not be said for the twins however. Fabian and Gideon fought like a well-oiled machine, covering each other's backs but the dynamic duo was severely outnumbered.

"Today just keeps getting better and better. Moody's favorite pets decided to come out and play," one of the Death Eaters exclaimed gleefully before shooting a curse that Fabian barely managed to avoid.

Fabian swore under breath, recognising the voice. Antonin Dolohov, one of the high ranking Death Eaters, was leading this pack of barbarians. He was a skilled duelist and just as ruthless. The mask had fallen from his face during the blast and he wore a truly chilling smile as he fired dark curses to the twins.

Fabian and Gideon's defences were starting to lapse, unable to block and avoid the tirade of curses coming their way in all directions. Gideon left himself open for a split second and a slicing hex striked his left side. He cried out in pain and collapsed into a heap, blood pooling on underneath him.

"GIDEON!"

Fabian shifted in front of Gideon, throwing up a Shield charm and hurled curses with renewed vengeance . But with Gideon out of the way, all their attacks were now solely focused on him and Fabian's Shield was weakening at an alarming rate.

This might actually be it.

If this was to be his last stand, he was going to make these damned blood purists work for it. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the Death Eaters collapsed to the floor. Fabian's eyes widened in shock when he saw that the girl with the ebony hair returned, now equipped with a wooden plank in her hands.

Despite being in the heat of battle, Fabian was in awe. The Muggle was taking no prisoners as swiftly took out the Death Eaters one by one from behind using her makeshift weapon. When the plank was blasted out of her hands, she remained undeterred. She resorted to using her fists and feet to knock them out.

Fabian was so distracted by her sudden appearance that he didn't realise his Shield charm had been completely obliterated or the curse that Dolohov hurtled his way. The purple curse hit him right in the chest and he was knocked off his feet from the impact alone. He could immediately feel the curse take effect as he felt his lungs constrict painfully. It was getting impossible to breathe as he curled up painfully on the wet ground. A feminine shriek cut through the haze of his pain.

The girl…

Fabian managed to lift his head and his blurred vision could just make out Dolohov's back as he advanced towards the Muggle.

No. That bastard was not going to hurt her.

He gritted his as grappled with the ground, pushing himself to his knees. Fabian raised his trembled arm and aimed it at Dolohov's unknowing back.

"Stupefy," Fabian whispered hoarsely.

The red spell struck at Dolohov''s back, cutting his incantation for the Cruciatus Curse short. His body stilled and fell face first to the floor, revealing the Muggle girl standing in front of the Stupefied Death Eater, her eyes wide in surprise.

With every bit of strength Fabian had probably extinguished by now, his battered body finally gave way and he fell to his hands. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as painful, dry coughs were forced out of his throat. He felt a hand gently placed on his back and he gazed up to see the Muggle girl now kneeling next to him, a worried expression on her face.

"Told-cough-you...to-cough-run," he rasped, glaring at her. As much as he was impressed with her bravery, it still was too dangerous for a Muggle to go up against a wizard, let alone Death Eaters.

The girl shook her head stubbornly.

"I did. Then I came back to help. There was no way I was going to leave you and your brother alone to fight them." The unyielding look in her eyes bellied her firm words.

Fabian was about to retort back but was interrupted by another set of dry heaving. He was getting light-headed and barely noticed the other Muggle girl running into the alleyway, her worried voice echoing against the cobblestone walls.

"-heal their wounds." Fabian caught the end of their conversation in the midst of his coughing fit. He leaned against the black-haired girl next to him, grabbing her attention once more.

"I..have...potions...remedies...in...my..pockets." His voice was weak, tired from all the coughing. He and Gideon always carried around a set of potions in their pockets, casted with a Undetectable Extension charm, in the event of emergencies.

A determined expression had set on the girl's face after his feeble declaration. The next thing Fabian knew, he found himself braced against the two girls shoulders as they half-carried him to a car waiting in front of the alleyway. They placed him, as gently as possible, into the back seat. He leaned back against the headrest, a cough occasionally escaping his lips.

He could feel movement to his left and he craned his neck to his side to see the girls arranging an unconscious Gideon into the backseat. Fabian took comfort in the fact that his twin's chest was rising and falling with every breath he took, no matter how shallow it seemed. It reassured Fabian that his other half was very much still alive.

The black-haired settled next to his right while her sister took the front seat. As the car rumbled to life, Fabian reached out to grasp the woman's hand resting on her lap. What possessed him to do it, Fabian couldn't tell. Maybe it was the overwhelming gratitude he felt towards this petite woman who, recklessly he might add, came back to help him and his brother even though they gave her the chance to escape. Maybe it was the feeling of pure relief to know that both of them were still alive despite running into a battle out of their favor.

Whatever the reason was, Fabian squeezed her hand, letting her warmth anchor him to the present.

"Thank you," he muttered, peering into her eyes.

The girl gave him a smile, an undercurrent of worry still present at the edges, but a smile nonetheless. A smile that comforted him as she gripped his hand with both of hers.

"You can thank me by surviving."

Fabian had to chuckle at that and the corner of his lips pulled into a soft smile. This girl was just astounding.

"For you, I think I can do just that."

Fabian couldn't help but stare as the girl's smile grew wider, lighting up her face at his words. His heart stuttered and he felt breathless which was not at all due to his current state. Not for the first time today, he thought she looked absolutely beautiful. When she was fighting the Death Eaters with her valor and bare hands alone. When she smiled at him with such happiness and relief at the fact he was alive. The word to describe her finally coming to mind as the car sped through the streets.

An angel, Fabian realized, That's what she is, an angel.

༻⸻⸻⸻⸻༺

Mia was a menace on the road. It was one of the reasons why Bryn hated to let her drive. How Mia passed her driving lesson still remained a complete mystery to Bryn and her entire family. She would drive just below the legal speeding limit, swerving in and out of lanes and between cars as if she was part of a chase scene in an action movie. The first time Bryn rode with Mia was after she got her driver's license and she swore never again after hitting the roof of the car for the third time in the row. She practically scrambled out of the car once they pulled into their destination while Mia grumbled behind her.

But right now, Bryn has never been more thankful for Mia's driving as she raced down the streets of London, not caring about the furious honking directed their way. The hand in her grasp was beginning to slacken and she could tell he was straining to open his eyes. She tightened her hold on his hand, hoping it would keep him from losing consciousness.

"'m awake. 'm alright. Just tired," the man mumbled, his words starting to slur.

Bryn's worries increased tenfold. That was never a good sign.

"Mia," she glanced at her sister through the rear view mirror, "how much longer?"

"Five minutes, tops." The car swerved suddenly to the right and Bryn barely managed to brace herself to avoid sprawling over the injured twins.

The unconscious twin, however, was not so lucky. His head knocked into the glass hard, the sound resonating loudly in the car which made Bryn winced. She's gonna have to look at that later. He let out a groan of pain, shifting slightly before collapsing in his seat once more, his head now resting on the window. Well, at least he was responsive and Bryn was more than willing to take it as a sign of life.

"We're here," Mia stated shortly as she slid the car into their driveway in a rather impressive move, not that Bryn would ever let her know.

"Get Chris and Mum," Bryn ordered as she immediately jumped out of the car.

Mia raced into the house, shouting for their elder brother and mother. Bryn leaned towards the half-conscious twin, his eyes fluttering open.

"Where 're we?"

"You're at my house. We're going to treat you here," Bryn took his arm and draped his arm around her shoulders. With his help, she managed to manoeuvre him out of the car. She stumbled slightly, trying to brace his weight as much as possible. The adrenaline had left their system and now, the man could barely hold himself upright.

"What is going on here?"

Bryn looked at the front door to see her brother Christopher walking towards her, his expression questioning and understandably shocked as he stared at the horrible states of the man leaning against her and the one in the car. Her mother trailed behind him, looking equally stunned. Bryn shot Chris and her mother a pleading look as she struggled to hold the red-headed man in her arms steady.

"I'll fill you in later, I promise. They're hurt and they need medical attention. Help me bring them inside."

Chris frowned at that. "Why didn't you just -"

"Chris, please!"

Chris gave Bryn a scrutinizing look before letting out a resigned sigh. He took the other arm of the man she was holding, alleviating most of his weight on her almost immediately. Mum and Mia lifted the unconscious twin from the backseat and all of them made their way inside the house and up the stairs.

"Where are we going to put them?" Mia grunted as she dragged the man up the stairs.

"Our room. I think it would be best to put them together rather than separating them," Bryn replied, looking back at Mia briefly before making their way to their bedroom.

Mia and Bryn had shared a room since they were younger. Even though they had enough rooms in the house for them to stay separately, the both of them never felt comfortable sleeping apart from each other.

The twins were dragged into her bedroom and she deposited the twin she was carrying into her own bed while the other twin was placed in Mia's bed. Mum, like the experienced head nurse that she was, immediately assessed the man that was on Mia's bed. She lifted his shirt to check on his wound. Bryn quickly unbuttoned the shirt of the twin on her bed to check on his injuries only to gasp in shock. Purple tendrils spanned on his skin, forming almost like a cobweb over his chest. She heard Chris cursing under his breath while he mother and Mia were baffled when all of them caught sight of the strange injury.

"Bryn, what is going on? I have never seen an injury like that in all my years." Diana Harper was understandably distressed. Her two daughters left the house in the evening all dolled up for a party only to come back much too early with two identical red-headed men in tow with unexplainable injuries.

"I promise Mum, I will explain everything but right now they need our help," she pleaded, hoping Chris and Mum would save their questions once she was statistified the two red heads were taken care off.

Mum pursed her lips, obviously not pleased but she nodded her head anyway. Bryn was glad. Her Mum would be able to handle the other twin while she took care of the one on her bed.

Bryn kneeled next to her bed and gently shook the man's shoulder. He groggily opened his blue eyes, turning his head slightly to stare directly at her.

"I know you're tired and in pain but you need to help me," she spoke softly, her hand gripping his," You need to tell me how I can treat you and your brother's injuries."

He held her eyes briefly before giving her the smallest of nods. Bryn came closer so he would not have to use too much strength to speak.

"Right pocket…find Wiggenweld potion…labelled…to drink…," the man rasped out, his breath tickling the shell of her ear.

Bryn relayed his instructions to Mia before sticking her hand into the man's right coat pocket. Chris was dumbstruck to see Bryn's entire arm entering the pocket but she paid him no mind as she rummaged around, feeling for bottles of some sort. Her hand touched the cool surface of glass and she pulled it out. The label on the bottle read 'Blood-replenishing potion'. Not the one she needed but she put it aside on her side table for now. It would prove useful for his brother.

She stuck her hand back and she managed to pull out the desired potion on her second try. A bright green liquid swirled around in the round glass bottle with the words 'Wiggenweld potion' scrawled across yellowed paper. Bryn glanced at Mia who nodded and held up the same coloured liquid.

Chris angled the man's head back carefully as Bryn pulled out the stopper. She tilted the bottle over the man's mouth. Once emptied, she massaged his neck so that it would be easier for him to swallow. His Adam's apple bobbed up as liquid passed through his throat. The effects were almost instantaneous. She watched in astonishment as the purple tendrils receded and slowly faded from his skin. His breathing became less laboured. The dazed look was gone from his eyes too when he opened his eyes.

"Is there anything to help with the open wound on your brother's side?" She whispered, leaning close to him.

"Dittany…few drops…on wound…"

Bryn dug through his pockets again and pulled out a small bottle labelled 'Essence of Dittany'. She grabbed the Blood-replenishing potion as well before running to the other bed. She passed the red liquid to her mum before she pulled off the cardigan used to stem the bleeding. As instructed, she tipped a few drops of the brown liquid directly onto the gash and instantly, green smoke billowed upwards. Bryn jumped, surprised by the sudden appearance of the green fumes. Once the smoke cleared, she gaped in amazement at how the gash was no longer bleeding but now appeared as if it was several days old, with new skin covering the once open wound.

"Err, I'll give him this now, alright?" Mum, still bewildered by the rapid rate of healing that took place in front of her, shaked the bottle still in her hands.

Bryn broke out of her reverie and nodded hastily at her mother. Mum tipped the liquid down his throat, making sure he swallowed every drop. Bryn returned back to the man on her bed and clutched his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Your brother's alright. We've treated his wounds. You can go and sleep now. You need to rest."

He nodded tiredly, giving her hand a squeeze, before his blue eyes fluttered close. His breathing slowed as he fell into a deep sleep.

Silence fell over the room as she and her family stared at the sleeping twins on the beds, their minds mulling over many different things. Bryn suddenly felt exhausted all of a sudden, her initial panic now gone. As much as she wanted to collapse into any bed, she still owed Chris and Mum an explanation.

"Chris?" She gazed up at her brother, who was still standing next to her bed with a bemused expression on his face.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could help to change them into some new clothes?" Bryn gestured to the twins' tattered clothing, covered with blood and grime.

Chris nodded. "Alright. While I'm doing that, you and Mia go shower and get changed. Then, the both of you can start explaining what the bloody hell is going on here."

Bryn caught Mia's eyes before giving her brother a weary smile.

"Trust me, I'm still figuring it out too."