A/N: This chapter may be a little rough, or choppy, I have never really written a battle scene before. I hope I wrote it well enough to keep you coming back for more! I really love writing this story, and I hope you love it as well! Please review this chapter and let me know how I did, because there are more battles in the last book and movie, and I want to do them justice! Enjoy!
"Remember what we said," Brynjar began as he looked around at all the people standing there watching Asta and him nervously, "don't come up until we give the signal."
Asta and Brynjar looked around at the group for a collective nod, then they looked to each other.
"Let's go." Asta said flatly, as she surveyed the sky above her, wishing she had the ability to see through dense clouds to predict how many Death Eaters were waiting for them.
Brynjar nodded in agreement, and they kicked off from the ground and soared into the dangerous skies above.
As soon as they broke through the clouds they were bombarded by curses, until someone let out a bellow of rage, causing everything to stop. Asta and Brynjar kept their guard up hovering back to back, so they could keep a collective eye on every dark figure in the sky. As she surveyed the skies she locked eyes with Snakeman, and tapped Brynjar's leg with her toe so he would follow her and watch her back.
"Long time no see!" Asta called to Snakeman, who glared at her threw squinted eyes. "I told you we would be honoring you with another visit soon, it looks as though you thought that was a bluff."
Voldemort was watching her with a skilled eye, studying her every word and movement, trying to discern a tell of some kind but was coming up empty. She is a skilled legilimens, confident in battle; therefore calm as can be, and her face showed amusement at his expense. No fear.
"Why are you here?" Voldemort asked coldly, continuing to look for weakness somewhere in her.
"I told you, Tom," Asta began with a malicious smirk, as she watched Voldemort's eyes widen in anger, "we're paying you a visit. Brachiabindo!" Asta shouted as ropes shot toward Voldemort in an attempt to bind him, but Voldemort disapparated just in time.
After she sent that first curse, the battle began, and the Death Eaters sent a barrage of curses at the two young Vikings. Asta and Brynjar shot away from each other and began their task of taking out the Death Eater threat.
Brynjar launched forward and grabbed a man by his throat, hoisted him off his broom, before snapping his neck and dropping him toward the ground far below them. He sent killing curses towards Death Eaters that were trying to take out Asta while her back was turned whenever he would catch them. He had his dagger out and was slashing at any man or woman that dared to get close to him. While he was doing battle with five Death Eaters, he saw Sankeman twice, and each time he sent curses his way in hopes to catch him, and distract his followers, but to no avail.
Asta sailed into a sea of black cloaked figures, brandishing her dagger and taking them out at close proximity. She wanted her face to be the last they saw, as punishment for all the injustices they have done. She would disarm some of the Death Eaters and then blast them off their brooms, letting them free fall to their death. She suspended a male Death Eater and used the cruciatus curse on him, after looking into his mind and seeing all the muggleborn women and girls he violated and tormented, before disarming him as well and letting him fall to the ground with no way to save himself.
Five minutes had gone by and they took out at least twenty-five Death Eaters, leaving twenty-five of them battered and angry. Once she figured they had met their five minute limit, Asta called out to Brynjar through a busted lip.
"Brynjar, NOW!" She called as she flew towards him.
Brynjar slit the Death Eaters throat he was holding and let go of him, before flying towards Asta. When they were close enough, they each thrust their arm forward with a closed fist, sending a red bolt of lightning across the open sky.
Death Eaters dodged this way and that, to avoid being hit by the bolt, most of them managed, however a few were not quick enough and instantly reduced to ash. Not a minute late, members of the Order and the seven Harry Potter's were up in the sky, and in view of the Death Eaters that remained. As soon as any of them saw what they thought was Harry, they sped off in pursuit of "The Boy Who Lived".
Barely two minutes after the others joined Asta and Brynjar in the sky, they were being summoned. Asta took the first call, and went towards where a long red haired Weasley and a Harry look-a-like were being bombarded by four Death Eaters. Asta flew toward the long haired Weasley and Harry look-a-like, and sent killing curses on either side of pair under attack, and successfully hit two targets before the other two caught on. The other two started sending killing curses towards Asta, who deflected them as easily as she would swat away a fly, and advanced on the woman on the pair's left.
The female Death Eater tried to fly away from Asta, only to be hit by a rogue killing curse, leaving her to fall to the earth below. The other Death Eater was braver, and less intelligent, than his female cohort, he stayed strong and attempted to battle with Asta. He carelessly sent a curse towards Asta, between the long haired Weasley and the Potter look-a-like, hitting the Potter look-a-like in the cheek, leaving behind a large gash.
Enraged by his laziness and carelessness, Asta shot over the thestral that was carrying the pair, wrapped her hands around his throat, and let the "The Gift of Thor" do its job. The Potter look-a-like watched, as the small Viking girl cooked the useless man before letting him fall to the earth below like the others, in both gratitude and disgust at how vicious she really is.
Just as Asta was electrifying the careless Death Eater, her pendant began to vibrate and heat up as someone else called for help. She was about to answer the call when the vibrating stopped, meaning Brynjar was already on it.
Brynjar disapparated to where Mr Lupin was supporting a fake Potter, trying to keep them in the air, and duel all at the same time. Brynjar swooped down to where Mr Lupin was, and snatched the injured fake Potter off the broom and draped the fake Potter over his shoulder. He made sure to drape the fake Potter so he could apply pressure to their wound, to attempt to stop the bleeding.
"Who is this?" Brynjar asked as stealthily and clearly as he could in the midst of a battle, without letting the surrounding Death Eaters hear him.
"George!" Mr Lupin replied as he jinxed an oncoming Death Eater.
"Ok! I'm going to bring him to the safe house!" Brynjar said to Mr Lupin, as he killed a rather large Death Eater that was trying to get them from underneath. "Take care of yourself! I'll be back!"
With that, Mr Lupin nodded and took off sending jinxes and curses alike at the cloaked figures in the sky. Brynjar deflected curses with his free hand as he searched the sky for Asta, finally finding her as she was jamming her dagger into a Death Eaters stomach, making an "L" shape as she did to make sure she damaged all the major organs, before letting him fall to the earth under them. She quickly spun around, about to take off after a Death Eater that was hot on Mr Kingsley's tail, when she saw Brynjar supporting a limp body, and immediately flew towards him.
"What-" Asta began but was cut off by Brynjar.
"No time. I'm bringing him to the safe house, I'll be back, but I need-" Brynjar began before he was cut off by Asta.
"-need me to summon you back so you can find us, got it."Asta said with a soft smirk, making her blood trickle from her busted lip. "Now go! I'll give you four minutes!"
Brynjar smiled gratefully and disapparated, turning up a moment later outside the Burrow.
Malfoy rushed out of the tent upon hearing the pop outside, just in time to see the Big Guy carrying what looked like an unconscious Potter over his shoulder. Barely a moment later, Mrs Weasley and Ginny came running out of the house, and began fussing over Brynjar and the injured Potter.
"What happened? Is this the real Harry? Are you- OH! Your chest! Come in!" Mrs Weasley fussed as she became emotional and frantic upon the sight of what looked like Harry and Brynjar's wounds. "Ginny! Please, go and get Draco. We will need more hands for this."
Brynjar gently laid George Weasley on the couch before answering Mrs Weasley's questions.
"It's not Harry, its George, Mrs Weasley." Brynjar said with a guilty look on his face. "I'm sorry I didn't protect him well enou-" Brynjar began to apologize but was silenced by Mrs Weasley, who grabbed his face with her hands briefly.
"You stop that nonsense, you protected him perfectly. He is here and safe, where I can fix him up." She said sincerely as she patted his cheek, before turning her attention to George. "Thank you dear, for my son." Mrs Weasley added as she turned to look at Brynjar who was feeling guiltier by the second. "Ginny! Did you get Draco?"
"He said he can't leave the protective enchantments without dying, what a load of dung!" Ginny said as she sped past Brynjar to aid her mother.
"Shit! He really can't." Brynjar cursed loudly, before turning on his heel to get Malfoy. "Hang on, I'll get him!"
Brynjar tore out of the sittingroom, through the kitchen and out the front door, making a beeline for his and Asta's tent. He lifted the imprisonment charm Asta put around the tent to keep Malfoy in one spot, and called for Malfoy to come out.
"Malfoy! I lifted the charm! Get out here!" Brynjar called into the tent, knowing every second spent here is another second the Death Eaters could become more of a threat.
Malfoy came barreling out of the tent flap, and halted before where the protective enchantments ended, and looked at Brynjar.
"Are you sure?" Malfoy asked nervously, envisioning himself turning to a pile of dust as he tried walking through it.
"Yes I'm sure! Hurry up!" Brynjar growled as he gestured for Malfoy to move.
Malfoy carefully stepped through the enchantments, relieved to still be alive, and jogged towards the front door of the Burrow. Brynjar led the way into the house and led him to where Mrs Weasley and Ginny were tending to George.
"Here he is Mrs Weasley." Brynjar said quickly, as she shoved Malfoy forward slightly. "You behave, and do as your asked, or so help me-" Brynjar began to threaten Malfoy before Mrs Weasley cut him off.
"What? You can't leave! You need tending to as well!" Mrs Weasley proclaimed in a mother-like tone that threw Brynjar off slightly.
"I will be fine, Mrs Weasley, really." Brynjar countered as he slowly began making his way towards the door. "I have been through worse, obviously." Brynjar added as he showed her his arms. "I really have to get back to the others." Brynjar said as he felt the pendant on his belt loop vibrating furiously, he touched the pendant and disapparated.
It was as though all hell broke loose while he was gone, and he could see why his pendant was going off so violently. One of the Death Eaters thought it would be a good idea to send fiend fire at one of the fake Potter's. Luckily they missed and hit one of their own, according to Asta, but the fire was still running rogue, clearly the person who cast it doesn't know how to control it.
Brynjar flew toward the fiery serpent and disappeared from view. The fake Potter's and their protectors cried out in anguish upon seeing Brynjar disappear into the flames. The Death Eaters cheered as Brynjar disappeared amongst the flames, clearly thinking one of their comrades confounded him into killing himself. So when Brynjar shot back up out of the flaming coil of the serpent, all but Asta watched in awe.
While the others were thrown and distracted by the fact that Brynjar survived diving head first into fiend fire, Asta made a stop to each of the fake Potter's and their protectors, to warn them of what was about to happen. The protectors and fake Potter's had just enough time to get away before Brynjar sent the flames in all directions, blowing Death Eaters off their brooms and scorching them if they were close enough, before the flames died all together.
Brynjar and Asta did everything they could to keep the remaining Death Eaters focus on them, so the protectors and fake Potter's could get away, but it didn't work as well as they hoped. After one Death Eater went down, the others realized they were letting the Order and Potter get away, and took off towards the last known direction they saw them headed.
"What the bloody hell took you so long?!" Asta asked, breathing heavily as they flew after the Death Eaters, sending killing cursed periodically as they went.
"Mrs Weasley was trying to force me to stay and get fixed up." Brynjar replied as he sent another curse at a portly Death Eater, taking him down instantly. "And I had to lift the imprisonment charm because Mrs Weasley needed extra hands to tend to her son."
"You let him out!" Asta shouted as she came up on a Death Eater who was floating in mid-air, watching as muggle power lines snapped and fell dangerously to the ground.
Asta and Brynjar stopped a ways behind the Death Eater, and watched as Snakeman howled with rage, destroying everything around him. Asta slowly flew closer to the Death Eater in front of them, and slit his throat.
Brynjar smirked at his girlfriends viciousness and watched her fondly as a wave of affection washed over him, before he came to his senses and remembered where they were.
"I don't see any sign of the others, let's go." Brynjar said as he grabbed Asta's hand and disapparated.
Upon their arrival back at the Burrow, Mrs Weasley came barreling towards Brynjar, scolding him for leaving before getting healed. He allowed himself to be dragged inside the house by the angry witch for fear of being slapped for being disobedient. Asta followed in their wake, chuckling at Brynjar being bullied by a short middle aged witch. Her amusement quickly turned to anger when she heard the long haired Weasley make an announcement no one was expecting to hear.
"Mad-eyes dead." He called out over the chatter in the room, making the room fall silent.
A moment later a vase that was sitting on the kitchen table, shattered, making glass fly all over the kitchen. Asta stalked toward the long haired Weasley, making Brynjar rush towards her to keep her under control.
"What do you mean Mad-eyes dead?" Asta growled through gritted teeth, eyes as black as a dementors cloak, and practically foaming at the mouth.
"Mundungus took one look at Voldemort and disapparated, giving away the fact that there were duplicate Harry's." The long haired Weasley explained, maintaining a solid tone even though his face gave away his fear.
Asta's mind was racing with possibilities of how the long haired Weasley's statement could be wrong, praying to Odin that it was wrong. She couldn't fathom the thought of the strong man she knew, for however short a time, being killed by a lowlife Death Eater. There was just no way.
"Did you see him….. die?" Asta asked through still gritted teeth, trying to not sound angry with the man who was just trying to convey what he knew.
"Yes, I did." The long haired Weasley answered evenly, giving Asta his most sincere look.
"Can you show Brynjar? So he can show me?" Asta asked a smidge softer, though still looking as though she wanted to go on a murderous rampage. At the rooms confused, and scared, looks she elaborated, "I don't trust myself to be gentle."
The room nodded and Brynjar stepped forward, nodding towards the long haired Weasley for permission.
"Go ahead." The long haired Weasley said to Brynjar as he closed his eyes, to bring the painful memory back to the surface of his mind.
Brynjar raised his hand and aimed it at the long haired Weasley's head, and delved into his mind. Seeing the horrible painful truth for himself. Alastor is dead, truly and sadly dead. As he backed out of the long haired Weasley's mind, he couldn't help but think to himself, 'Ohhhhhh, Asta's not going to be happy.'
"Thank you, Bill? Is it?" Brynjar asked as he lowered his hand, and nodded towards the man.
"You're welcome, and yes, Bill Weasley." Bill replied as he nodded back curtly.
Brynjar turned and looked at Asta who was looking at him impatiently. Brynjar frowned as he thought of the anger that was to come, once she saw it for herself. He reached out to her and placed two fingers on her temple and let her see what Bill just showed him, while wrapping his free arm around her tightly, in effort to keep her rage contained for the time being.
He felt her begin to shake and tingle as her gift began to feed off her emotions, and he knew this was going to be bad, very bad. He swiftly lifted her up and carried her out of the house and out into the night air, to let her unleash her anger.
As soon as he got her in the middle of the lot, he set her down and backed away before she let out an ear splitting scream of pure hatred and rage. Both, luckily and unfortunately, Bill let slip an image of Mundungus's real face, with exceptional detail which meant; the man hunt is on.
"Asta!" Brynjar called as he saw her disapparate from her spot, a look of pure rage on her face. "Shit!" Brynjar shouted as he tore back towards the door to the Burrow. "Does anyone have an attachment to this Mundugus guy?" He asked looking nervous, and as though he needed to go.
The room collectively shook their heads "No" before Mr Lupin asked, "Why?"
"Because she's gone to our village to start a country wide man hunt for this coward." Brynjar began, looking more anxious by the minute. "Our men have never failed to find a wanted man or woman before, so I suspect he'll be captured within the week. I have to go make sure she keeps her anger in check. We will be back later."
Asta appeared in the middle of her village, startling the mass of people who were gathered around a rather large bonfire. Her appearance made a few of the older women gasp as she stalked towards her group of friends. Battered, bruised, cuts along her legs and face, eyes as dead as a sharks; she looked absolutely terrifying.
"Woa-holy shit!" Balder exclaimed, clutching his chest, before noticing the deadly look on her face. "What's wrong? Where's-"
"Asta!" Brynjar called as he appeared on the other side of the lot. He apparated to where she was with their friends, nervous she may go mental on them for no good reason.
"Lower your head." Asta demanded, raising her arm in preparation to show him the man she wanted found.
"Why?" Balder asked cautiously, eyeing her with nervousness and suspicion.
"Just do it!" Asta growled, growing even more impatient, if that were even possible.
"What are you-" Balder began to ask before Asta cut him off.
"Fine! Brynjar, you show them!" She huffed as she turned on her heel and began walking towards her house. "I have to find my father anyway."
"What is she on about!" Balder exclaimed as he watched her stalk away towards her house.
"Alastor is dead because," Brynjar paused as he raised his hand to Balders' temple, to share the image of Mundungus, "this man is a coward and abandoned him when he saw the Snakeman."
Balder, Cuyler, Colborn, Gunnar, Arvid, and Eindride's faces all went white at the mention of Alastor Moody. He was not spoken about in this village anymore, for fear of the King's wrath. But the fact that one of their own was killed because a man was to cowardly to look death in the eye, enraged them all to their very core.
"Man hunt?" Balder asked in a deadly tone as he shared the image with Colborn, who passed it down the line.
"Man hunt." Brynjar confirmed as the doors to the Akeldama residence were thrown wide open, and the King and Asta came stalking towards Brynjar and the others.
Everyone in the lot fell to one knee and placed a closed fist over their heart, but were quickly reprimanded by the King.
"Stop that nonsense, and get up!"Abraxus shouted as he drew closer to Brynjar and his friends, all but Brynjar cowering slightly as the impressive and intimidating man grew closer to them.
"Sir." Brynjar said with a curt nod when Abraxus came to a halt in front of him and his friends.
"Son." Abraxus replied, causing whispers amongst the eaves droppers. "You've shared the image of the man with your friends, yes?" He asked stiffly as he eyed the young men before him.
"Yes sir." Brynjar said flatly, nodding his head.
"You boys have not failed me yet in finding wanted men and women," Abraxus began as he surveyed the young men behind Brynjar, "you will be down by two, but that shouldn't be a problem for you."
Balder, Colborn, Cuyler, Gunnar, Arvid and Eindride, all straightened to their full height at the King's praise.
"I want him found, and brought back here alive until I can get my hands on him." Asta said with a malicious finality in her voice. "Rough him up a bit, by all means, but I want him alive."
"What is our time frame to find him, Sir or Asta?" Gunnar asked, looking eager to start the hunt.
"No deadline." Asta spoke up, shocking her friends and her father. "We don't have much information to give you on him, it will be like walking through warzone blind. We will get more information on him from the people in the Order and relay it to you as we gather it."
"What information do you have on him at the moment?" Cuyler asked, looking as though he is losing hope in this man hunt before it even begins.
"His name is Mundungus. I got the feeling he is not well liked by the Order." Asta began, trying to wrack her brain about the emotions she felt Bill had about Mundungus.
"I caught the word 'thief' in Bill Weasley's thoughts, so I think he may steal shit and sell it to make a living." Brynjar added, trying to lift the guys hope in the mission they have been given.
"Check Diagon Alley, and Knockturn Alley in London for him." Abraxus added gruffly, eyeing each of the young men in front of him carefully. "If he will be selling his stolen goods anywhere, it would be in one of those two places." Abraxus said firmly as he turned on his heel and started back towards his house.
The mass watched as Abraxus slammed the door to his house shut, unsure of what about the news upset him most; his cousin being dead, or that the coward responsible was still alive. Either way, the elders in the village were not about to sit back and wait to find out what had their King so angry. The women ran up to their sons and began dragging them back to their houses, going on about how they need to pack for their assignment, catching all six boys off guard.
Their mothers never take this much care in helping prepare them for a man hunt. The boys figured that since this assignment involved a member of the King's family, their mothers feared the consequences for disappointing the King, or Asta.
Asta lunged towards Balder as his mother was dragging him away, so she could talk to him before her and Brynjar went back to the Burrow. Balder's mother was about to scold her son for pulling against her, when she saw Asta's hand on her sons' arm. Balder's mother nodded towards Asta, then murmured something to her son before turning to Asta.
"Before you go back, please stop in to see me so I can heal your wounds dear." Balder's mother said sincerely, as she reached out to wipe a droplet of blood off of her cheek. "They will get infected if you don't heal them."
"I'm sure Astrid will drag me into the house as soon as she gets wind that I'm here and cut up." Asta said as she attempted to give Balder's mother an appreciative smile. "But thank you, and I'll only keep Balder for a minute, I promise." Asta added sincerely when she saw Balder's mother smile softly at her while shaking her head.
"Very well dear." Balder's mother replied as she turned on her heel. "As long as you DO get them tended to, you to Brynjar!" She added as she continued on her path towards her house to start packing her sons bag for his travels.
"What do you need love?" Balder asked with concern, before realizing what he just called Asta, and that Brynjar was standing right there. Balder shot Brynjar a nervous, apologetic look, and cringed before adding, "Sorry mate, old habit."
"You don't have to apologize, you have always called her that." Brynjar replied, waving his friend off.
"Oh good." Balder said with relief, as he let out a breath he had been holding incase Brynjar swung at him. "So what did you need?" Balder asked as he turned his attention back to Asta.
"Don't kill yourselves trying to find that cowardly bastard." Asta said with a stern look on her face, like a mother scolding a child. "I want him found, but I don't want you all to run until the brink of exhaustion hunting for him. You guys can come back at night and sleep in your beds and search during the day, I'm more than alright with that."
"Why don't you want us treating it like a normal man hunt?" Balder asked, confused as to why she wants them to take it easy on this one.
"Because I don't know how long Brynjar and I will be gone with Harry Potter and his friends, and I don't want my father to torture and kill him before I get a chance to!" Asta said with a sincere pout on her face, making Brynjar and Balder laugh. "It's not funny! I know he would too!"
"Asta, they really can't take it easy on this one," Brynjar began as he pulled Asta into him, "they were given orders from your father, the King. He'll have their heads if he thinks they aren't trying hard enough or taking it seriously."
Asta huffed and buried her face in Brynjar's chest in defeat, once again making Brynjar and Balder laugh.
Balder couldn't help but stare at his life-long best friends with a smile. He was happy that they were finally together, after all the years of her "secretly" liking him and vice-versa, he was happy to see them as a couple. Was he jealous of Brynjar? Yes, what guy wouldn't be! But does he think they were perfect for eachother? Yes, he does. They read eachothers facial expressions and body language so well, they know how to respond to eachother. They were truly made for eachother.
Asta pulled herself away from Brynjar's chest, and looked between Balder and Brynjar, before turning her attention to her house.
"I'm going to tell my father not to kill the coward until I get a chance to torture him." Asta said quickly as she started to make her way back to her house before turning around to face Brynjar and Balder. "Brynjar, we leave in five!"
"Ok." Brynjar said with a smirk as he watched Asta run towards her house. "The least normal girl I know." Brynjar laughed as he looked at his friend who was watching him with a smirk. "What?"
"It's good to see you two as a couple FINALLY!" Balder said shoving Brynjar's shoulder, as they walked towards Balder's house. "It only took, what? Three years?"
"Fuck off mate!" Brynjar laughed, shoving Balder back. "Besides, I found out Asta Akeldama actually has more patience than we all thought."
"Bullshit!" Balder exclaimed. "What's your proof?"
"She's had feelings for me since we were TEN!" Brynjar explained, laughing as he watched Balder's mouth fall open.
"What! Ten? Holy Fuck!" Balder exclaimed in disbelief as he opened his front door. "She kept that bottled up for seven years?!"
"Yep." Brynjar said with a laugh as he followed Balder through his house to his bedroom. "And here we all thought she had no patience whatsoever." Brynjar laughed as he leaned up against the door frame.
"Wow, seven years." Balder said still astonished. "And here I thought you were patient!"
"I know." Brynjar replied flatly. "I thought I was patient too, but she's got me beat."
"Got you beat at what?" Asta asked playfully as she jumped on Brynjar's back, startling both boys.
"Ho-shit!" Brynjar exclaimed as he grabbed her hands that were wrapped around his neck, with his. "You scared the hell out of me."
"Ha! Ha!" Asta teased, before kissing his cheek and dropping to the floor. "We should be getting back to the Burrow, before Mrs Weasley worries herself to death."
"Alright, but we should stoip and give Cuyler an update on Hermione," Brynjar began, as he reached a hand behind his back and made a grab at her breasts, "I'm sure he would like to know she is alive and well." Brynjar finished as Asta slapped his hands away from her.
"Ass." Asta said flatly as she shoved him into Balder's room. "I agree, let's go." Asta added as she made her way into Balder's room, opening her arms to hug Balder. "Thank you for going out to find the coward," Asta began as Balder gave her a quick but meaningful squeeze, "and please don't let my dad kill him before I get my hands on him."
Balder laughed as he released his hold on Asta, and looked down upon her freshly healed face.
"I'll do my best to convince the King to leave him alove until you get a hold of him, but I make no promises." Balder said with a meaningful smile, before shifting his gaze to Brynjar who was laughing at the two of them.
"I reckon your father will have the man dead before we get done helping Harry Potter. The same way I reckon that if the positions were reversed you would kill him after a week or two of torture." Brynjar laughed as he pushed Asta out of Balder's room, pausing briefly to shake Balder's hand one last time before they left the village for Odin only knows how long. "Be careful, right?"
"Aren't we always?" Balder said cheekily as he clasped hands with Brynjar.
"No." brynjar laughed as he walked out of the room, leaving Balder alone in his room to prepare for his upcoming trip.
Asta and Brynjar began to make their way towards Cuyler's house, only to find that Cuyler was searching for them with his bag already packed and slung over his shoulder.
"Hey! We were just coming to talk to you!" Brynjar said with a laugh as Cuyler came running up to him and Asta.
"How's Hermione?" Cuyler asked, completely skipping any and all pleasantries.
"We are fine, a little scraped up but fine, thanks for asking." Asta said cheekily as she hugged Cuyler, who squeezed her tightly and laughed lightly.
"Sorry, how are you guys?" Cuyler said just as cheekily, before letting her go.
"Hermione is fine, a few cuts and scrapes, but otherwise unharmed." Brynjar answered, as he clasped hands with Cuyler, who looked relieved.
"Oh thank Odin." Cuyler sighed as he clasped hands with Brynjar. "I mean, I know she can take care of herself, but I couldn't help but worry about her with all Snakemans followers around her, you know what I mean?" Cuyler asked Brynjar, knowing full well that Brynjar knew what Cuyler was talking about.
"Yeah I know what you mean." Brynjar replied as he nudged Asta in the butt with his knee.
Asta swatted Brynjar's leg away playfully making a face at him and Cuyler for insinuating that she needed to be protected. "I don't need protecting." Asta declared, staring intently into Cuyler's eyes as she transformed into Hermione. "I can take care of myself."
Cuyler watched with wide, longing eyes as Hermione appeared in front of him. Even though he knew it was Asta messing with him, he struggled to resist the urge to pull her into him and kiss her. Brynjar must have brought the seductress in her out, because there is no way the old Asta would sway her hips that dramatically. The way she was moving and the look on her face made his whole body tighten, and just when he was about to make a grab for her, Brynjar interjected.
"Alright, alright, turn it off before I have to hit him." Brynjar said somewhat seriously as he pulled Asta back to him by her shoulder. Brynjar couldn't help but laugh at the way Asta was beaming up at him. "What's that all about?"
"I must be getting better with my gift if you had to stop me." Asta said with a grin she couldn't control, looking between the two boys.
"I'll say." Cuyler said nervously as he looked at Brynjar guiltily, running his hands through his hair. "Good thing you cut in when you did, otherwise I would be dead."
"I know." Brynjar said with a small, barely there laugh, as he eyed Cuyler with a mixture of playfullness and warning. "I recognized the tensing of your body, it's what I would do when Asta would do something she didn't know was sexy."
"What?" Asta asked confused as to what SHE could possibly have done that was sexy.
"I'll explain later, we got to go back to the Burrow." Brynjar said as he reached forward and clasped Cuyler's hand. "Don't forget next Saturday is the wedding, you know what the Burrow looks like, so you have no excuse to not show up."
"Trust me, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to see Hermione in all done up for anything." Cuyler laughed as he let go of Brynjar's hand and pulled Asta into another hug. "Tell Hermione I will be there no matter what, will you?"
"Of course." Asta said with a smile before she pulled away and turned back towards Brynjar. "Come on, let's go."
"See you Saturday guys!" Cuyler exclaimed right before they disapparated.
Asta and Brynjar apparated right outside the boundaries of the protective enchantments, startling the Aurors talking in the garden. The Aurors instantly spun around and trained their wands on Asta and Brynjar, who raised their hands over their heads submissively.
"What is your connection to the Order?" Mr Kingsley's booming voice called out over the space between the Order members and Asta and Brynjar.
"Alastor Moody." Asta and Brynjar answered in unison, causing everyone, including Asta and Brynjar, to cringe at the mention of their fallen comrade and innevitably lower their wands.
"What took you so long?" Mr Kingsley asked, looking between Asta and Brynjar with concern. "You said she was going to call for a man hunt, that shouldn't have taken that long."
"We had to share that Dung-guys face with five of our friends we normally go off searching for wanted people with." Brynjar began to explain before Asta chimed in.
"I had to tell my father, and he set out the orders after he nearly smashed everything in the house." Asta pressed on, more than a little annoyed that she felt like she was being interrogated. "I gave them my own orders, they scrambled to get ready to leave to search for the coward, and I had to speak with two of our friends who normally take lead when Brynjar and I aren't there. Why?"
Kingsley, Lupin, Tonks, and Mr Weasley all exchanged looks with each other, before turning back to look at Asta and Brynjar.
"We were worried that you may have been intercepted by Death Eaters, and seeing as you two have as much problem killing people as they do, we knew it would be hard to discern." Mr Lupin explained, still weary of the returned Vikings.
"You want to knock us out and look into our minds?" Brynjar offered sincerely, with Asta nodding next to him. "We don't mind, security is priority number one, and if you don't feel comfortable with us just say so."
"Yeah, we offered Hermione the same means of interrogating us, we really don't mind." Asta added with a serious look in her eyes.
"You offered to allow yourselves to be knocked out and your minds invaded?" Lupin asked, completely astonished.
"Well yeah." Asta and Brynjar replied in unison, looking at each other briefly in confusion. "We didn't want her to be uncomfortable around us." Brynjar added.
"Oh." Kingsley said finally. "Well that won't be necessary, the offer was enough for me."
"Are you-" Asta began to ask but was cut off by Mrs Weasley, who was running hurriedly toward them, arms outstretched.
"There you two are!" She screeched as she pulled Asta into a bone crushing hug. "I was starting to get worried!" She added as she switched from Asta to Brynjar. "Where the devil have you two been! It's been nearly twenty minutes!"
"Sorry Mrs Weasley." Brynjar choked out as Mrs Weasley released her vice-like hold on him. "It took a little longer than we thought to get all the guys ready to go out looking for Mundungus."
Mrs Weasley looked between them with her hands on her hips as though they were her own children. Even though she just met these two just a few days ago, she already counts them as part of her family.
"Oh alright." Mrs Weasley said as she gestured for Asta and Brynjar to follow follow her into the house. "I need to patch you two up as soon as possible, that way you both will avoid having to wear bandages at the wedding Saturday." Mrs Weasley continued as she pulled out two chairs for each of them, before summoning her medical kit. "You do both have clothes for the wedding, right?" Mrs Weasley asked as she tried to start working on Asta, who gestured for her to work on Brynjar first, making Mrs Weasley smile.
"Yes, but do I really have to wear a dress?" Asta asked nervously as she watched Mrs Weasley work on the gouges in Brynjar's back.
"Well of course you do!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed as she threw a bloody piece of gauze out and grabbed a fresh one. "What else would you wear!"
"Well, something like what I'm wearing now, but if I have to wear the dress I got I will wear it." Asta asked feeling defeated.
"What about you dear?" Mrs Weasley asked Brynjar sweetly as she put the finishing touches on his back. "Do you have dress robes? Or do you need to go buy some?"
"I have dress robes packed and ready to be worn." Brynjar said kindly, as he pulled his shirt back on, smirking at Asta's look of defeat.
"Perfect!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed as she cleaned up the bloody material from Brynjar's back and summoned fresh materials to begin working on Asta's wounds.
"Mrs Weasley, Asta and I would like to work as extra security for your sons wedding, if that is alright with you and your son." Brynjar said cautiously as he watched her work on Asta.
Mrs Weasley stopped and looked at Brynjar with a look of shock and confusion on her face, before giving Asta the same look.
"What do you mean, work as extra security?" Mrs Weasley asked with a small laugh as she went back to work on Asta's face. "You're guests, last minute notice or not, you're guests!"
"Well….. can we be guests and extra security?" Asta asked as Mrs Weasley gestured for Asta to raise her shirt so she could get to the wound on her stomach. "We will be guests, but will help with security? We really don't want to impose, and we don't mind working as security while being guests, honestly."
Mrs Weasley becamse really quiet and pursed her lips as she continued to patch up the last of Asta's wounds, seeming as though she was contemplating their offer.
"Alright." Mrs Weasley said finally, as she finished patching up Asta's wounds. "You two can be extra security as well."
"Yes!" Asta exclaimed with joy, thinking she has gotten out of wearing the dress she got. But Mrs Weasley quickly dashed those hopes, as though she was reading Asta's mind.
"But you still have to wear your dress and dress robes." Mrs Weasley added, as she lightly patted Asta's cheek before waving her wand towards the stove, bringing it to life.
"Damn!" Asta growled as she slumped down in the chair, completely and utterly defeated.
"I can't wait to see you in your dress." Brynjar said with a wicked grin on his face, as he grabbed Asta's hand with his. "I bet you will look positively GIRLY-OW!" Brynjar exlaimed as Asta shocked his inner thigh with her index finger.
"S'what you get you." Asta said with an evil grin, as she rose from the chair and made her way towards the front door of the Burrow. "Come on Tiny, I want to spar." Asta called to Brynjar over her shoulder as she walked out the door, making Brynjar growl as he rose to his feet to follow her out.
"I'm not tiny!" Brynjar called after her. "You are!"