Alex and Victoria

Three months before the capture of the Trio.

They had been in a tavern when they caught sight of a former coworker, one who showed up on their list. Fortunately, it was only Alex and Scabior who saw him. The dim bulbs were too busy harassing the waitresses to look around. He looked over at them and jerked his chin towards the loo. Scabior told Alex to keep their crews away and headed over. He was hoping it was a good tip. It'd been a while since their last capture and the Dark Lord was getting antsy because they hadn't managed to corral the Trio yet.

"Is Duncan Magee worth giving me a head start?" Horton asked as soon as Scabior joined him.

"Duncan Magee? The Duncan Magee? The one who slips through our fingers time and again? Like he has an inside track on when we're getting too close? That Duncan Magee?! Damn right, he's worth a head start!" Scabior yelped excitedly.

Horton smiled and reached into his pocket. "Thought so! Here, a little something to help you celebrate." He handed Scabior a map and a shrunken box. "Don't open the box until you've caught him, though."

Scabior nodded. He stuck his head out the door and made sure nobody was paying attention. He motioned Horton out the back after handshakes and well wishes were exchanged. He moseyed back to Alex and passed him the map. He fought back a smile as Alex realized who they were about to go after and nearly spat out his firewhiskey.

The next day found them in the woods, stationed close by the trail allegedly used by Magee. They settled down to wait, no telling how long they'd be there. After the dim bulbs had a fire started, Alex and Scabior sat close by and played chess. They wondered where Greyback was, not that they were too concerned, but he always seemed to know when they had a new hunt and always seemed to join them just in time.

Duncan Magee was leading the teenagers through the woods. He was already mentally celebrating. 'Damn, this had been his lucky day!' He was going to make a neat little profit off this group. He already had several buyers lined up and ready to collect their merchandise. These little idiots had been so desperate to escape Hogwarts and go back to the Muggle world, they had completely neglected to ask him for credentials, certification or anything. They just blindly took his word that he could safely guide them back to the Muggle world and handed him every last knut they were carrying! Too bad for them because now they'd pay for their ignorance. 'Ah, yes, it was a most excellent day to be him.'

They had a good mix and match this time. There was a sweet little blonde he was reluctant to part with. He contemplated whether he wanted to sell her or just chain the girl to his bed until he grew bored and killed her.

His partner came up to him. "Mighty good haul this time, aye, Duncan?" Dodson asked. He looked behind him. The little blonde was starting a fire. "Aye." Duncan agreed. At that moment, the blonde looked up. As she met his gaze, she jumped up and quickly rejoined the girls gathering on the far side of the camp.

"I reckon old Voldy would even split his britches at the thought of her, wouldn't he, Duncan?" Dodson darted anther glance at his partner, only to pale at the sight of his furious face. He understood the fury as numerous whooshes announced the sudden presence of Death Eaters and Snatchers. He cursed his own loose tongue.

The gathered teenagers started screaming as they took off in multiple directions. Scabior whooshed into sight. Upon seeing that Duncan and Dodson were poised to vanish yet again, he quickly sent both Stunners and an Incarcerous spell in their direction. They were both immobile in the time it took him to finish gaining his bearings.

A huge shadow suddenly fell over him. "Where's Alex, pup?" Greyback had made his appearance. "He's here, not sure where, at the moment, but he's here." Scabior replied absently. He was eyeing all the young witches as he fiddled with the scarf he had found and inexplicably claimed.

Victoria Samms cursed, yet again, the impulse that had caused her to join this group in the first place. Why had she panicked? She had a nice cushy job at the Ministry, why the devil hadn't she just sat tight, kept her head down and hoped nobody checked her background?! 'Oh, that was right, that stupid Umbridge HAD checked her background and realized she was muggleborn.' Now, because of that huzzy, here she was in the woods, desperately trying to escape capture. She knew what would happen to her. Her wand would be snapped and she'd be given the choice of Azkaban or the Muggle world. 'Like that was any kind of choice.' Suddenly she heard pounding footsteps behind her.

Alex didn't know who he was after but hot damn! She smelled delicious! Now he realized what Greyback meant when he talked about tracking by scent and sometimes being overwhelmed, to the point of losing control. This girl better hope he could control himself before he caught her or she might end up under him or pressed against one of these trees! She was definitely a fast one. A long legged blonde, from the glimpse he'd gotten just before she jumped out of sight. He remembered his own long legged blonde, waiting for him, after Hogwarts, sweet Vicky. Getting bitten had put paid to that idea as well as put a stop to his brief career as an Auror. No doubt, after deliberately losing touch with her, she had surely moved on now. He hated to think she might be caught up in all the hatred of the current Wizarding world.

Realizing he was gaining on the sweet smelling darling in front of him, he prepared to confront her. Jumping forward with a huge leap, he landed on her and swiftly brought her down. She screamed in fear as he rolled her under him. Pinning her hands above her head and her legs under his, Alex took in his captive. He found himself looking into the very familiar but startled face of Victoria Samms!

"Vicky! What? What the bloody hell are you doing in the woods?! Damn it, girl, why aren't you hidden somewhere?!" he snarled angrily. Vicky blinked at him before recognizing who held her. "Alex? I could ask you the same thing! What are you doing here in the woods?"

"My job, Vicky! I'm doing my job! Rounding up muggleborns, truants and blood traitors! I thought you had a job and somewhere safe to stay! What are you doing here in the woods?!" he repeated.

"Y-your job? B-but the Snatchers, they work for-! No! Alex, no! Please don't tell me you work for HIM!" Vicky was devastated. Her Alex was a Snatcher?! It couldn't be! He HATED Voldemort and everything he represented! She suddenly remembered those articles in the papers a while back. Those had actually happened?! The werewolf attacks?! The Markings at Malfoy Manor?! "Alex?" she looked at him with teary eyes. Surely he'd tell her it was all a misunderstanding! Not she knew what Hermione had been raving about that year on the train!

"Vicky." He laid his forehead against hers. "Damn it, girl! Of all the people we had to catch, why did it have to be you, sweetie? Why couldn't you stay out of sight, for Merlin's sake?!" he took a deep breath, which really didn't help matters as he breathed in her delicious scent yet again. Vicky squeaked as he impulsively kissed her.

Suddenly, "Oi, McKeon! Where are you, boy? Come on! Hey, look, you lot! McKeon found him a little playmate! You gonna share with the rest of us?" Alex snarled angrily as Bilby ran upon them. He stood and pulled her up with him. Seeing the look of sudden fear on her face, he pulled her close. "Don't worry, sweetheart, I won't let them have you, I'll hide you away somehow." He whispered into her ear. He led her back to camp and put her with the other girls. Then he went to find Mikey. He found him standing over Duncan Magee and his partner, Dodson. "Never thought I'd see the day, Mikey. It's good to see these two finally caught." Mikey nodded, radiating satisfaction at this arrest. "Did Greyback find you?" he asked his cousin. "No, he's here?" Alex looked round for him. Wherever Greyback was at the moment, he wasn't in sight.

Alex watched as his cousin turned towards the girls. He was holding one end of THAT scarf against his nose. If he was a betting man, he would have bet his next three galleons that Mikey was hoping one of these girls was HIS girl. The boy walked over to the line of girls, taking a whiff of each girl's hair as he went down the line. He paused when he came to Vicky. He looked her dead in the eye, glancing at Alex over his shoulder, then went on to the last girl. He came back to Alex afterwards. "What the bloody hell is she doing here?" he asked in a low voice. Alex shook his head and shrugged. Vicky had never given him an answer as to WHY she was out here.

They put all the girls into one tent, the boys in another. Once they were ready to move them, the prisoners would be sorted out. The truants would be hauled back to Hogwarts. The blood traitors and muggleborns would be taken to the Ministry to be sorted into either Azkaban or the Muggle world. Greyback walked into Mikey's tent as he and Alex were throwing back a shot of firewhiskey.

"We got a situation, Fen! Ally's girl is out there! She's in the girl's tent. We can't take her in! Ally has to turn her in, it'll kill him!" Mikey paced, running his fingers through his hair. Fen ran his hand over his face as he tried to think of a solution that wouldn't get them all killed.

"You know the Dark Lord is allowing Muggleborns to be claimed as servants, same as house elves." At the horrified look on both boys' faces, Fen shrugged. "I know it sounds horrifying, Mikey, but it would work. He would still have to take her in for registration but he'd be allowed to keep her here in the Magical world. Otherwise, her wand will be snapped and she'll be sent straight to the muggle world. Unless,,,,."

"Unless what?" Alex asked warily. Fen sighed. "Unless we pretend to let her 'escape' and Alex takes off after her. He accidentally 'kills' her and nothing more is said about it. The body will be left there. After camp is broke and we start moving the prisoners, Alex can come back and slip the girl off to his apartment."

Alex took a deep breath. He laced his hands together. 'Damn, what to do? Either way, the girl hated him, anyway.' He could hide her after pretending to 'kill' her or he could make her his servant. "Fuck it! I'm killing her!"

Miley and Fen nodded, it's what they would have done as well. Now to hope the escape went off as planned. They wouldn't be able to let the girl know it was all a ploy. For all intents and purposes, when she took off, she'd have to think Alex was chasing her down to turn her in to the Ministry.

After taking down all the names, blood status and ages of their prisoners, they quickly realized most of them were students. How Vicky had managed to fall in with this group was still a mystery. Alex was determined to find out the answer, as soon as he had her safely tucked away, that is. He knew exactly where he'd put her, too. He'd found a little apartment in the Alley shortly after he and Mikey completed their training and received their Aurors license.

They were going to live there while courting their witches. 'Well, so much fort THAT plan, at least it'll still come in handy, now!' Alex thought. He would need to ward it like crazy and make it perfectly plan to her that she couldn't leave unless he was with her or until he sent for her. He'd bring in his house elf, Daisy, to take care of her while he was Snatching. It was going to be pure hell living with her, not able to touch her, but if that's what it took to keep her safe, so be it. God forbid, if the Dark Lord actually won the war, he'd not force her to stay. He'd take her to the Muggle world himself, set up a safe house and ward it to keep her safe there as well.

Victoria was pacing the girl's tent. She knew she'd be going straight to the Ministry. She'd received a letter the day before she made her escape. Stupid Umbridge had dropped it off personally and wished her well on her 'trial' with that silly, sickening titter of hers! Clearly, the woman had remembered her from Hogwarts. She had tried that year to make herself as insignificant as possible but obviously she'd failed.

Her eyes filled up with tears. Alex, her Alex! He'd finally resurfaced! But why had he done it? Why had he gone over to Voldemort's side? He hated him! He and Mikey both! What had changed their minds? Had they been alone when he found her, she'd have tried to talk him into running with her. But he was a Snatcher and they were right in the middle of the conflict. There would be no appealing to his better nature, if he even had one left.

No. She'd just have to bide her time and try to escape. She knew the routine from the first couple of months before she ran. The Snatchers would send notice to Yaxley about their captives. He would tell them which ones came to the Ministry. They would take the students back to Hogwarts and then travel to the Ministry. She had until they left Hogwarts to make her escape. A few tears slipped down her face at the thought of leaving him behind but she had to try and get away. Maybe if Harry actually won the war and Alex didn't have too many awful crimes on his record, maybe they could try again. Right now, though, it just wasn't meant to be yet.

Shortly after that, they heard the camp stirring around them. The girls were led out, put into order according to their age and put into a wagon. The same went for the boys. Vicky was dismayed to realize she was the only one NOT a student out of the girls. She and two older men would be the only ones going to the Ministry. She HAD to get away! As the wagon began rolling out of camp, she suddenly jumped over the side and raced away. She heard shouts behind her. "Alex, get her!" she heard Mikey yell. Great! Of course, with her luck, it would have to be Alex running her down!

They raced through the woods silently, both concentrating on footsteps. She wondered if she actually was running that fast or if he was just giving her a fighting chance at getting away. Just then she came to a small downward embankment. She jumped down but stumbled over a half hidden rock. She cursed her clumsy feet as she almost went down. It gave Alex a chance to almost catch up to her.

"Give it up, doll, there's no getting away! Where you gonna go, Vicky?" he yelled at her.

"Anywhere but here. Just stay away from me!" she yelled back, completely missing the look of hurt that crossed his face. It was just as he thought. The girl hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Too bad for her, then, her arse was getting protected whether she wanted him to or not! Hating like hell what he was about to do to her, he threw a cushioning spell ahead of her, then threw a petrificus totalus at her. As soon as she went down, he stopped and knelt beside her. Turning her over, he hugged her and looked into her eyes, wide open and terrified. "Shush, don't be scared, Vicky, I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. I'll be back shortly and I'm taking you somewhere safe, ok? But you have to trust me." He kissed her, then laid her back down. He cast a protective ward over her as well as a notice me not spell. It would hold until he got back to retrieve her.

He came back empty handed. He shrugged at them. "The girl wouldn't stop fighting me! She had her wand hid and kept firing hexes at me. Wouldn't stop running so I killed her. Damn shame, too, she'd have made a hell of a little playmate! She was just my type, too!" Mikey and Fen smiled. It was impossible for anyone else to tell but Alex was a lot more relaxed now than he'd been earlier. Knowing she was almost safe and out of harm's way had lightened the burden of worry on his mind.

They took the students back to Hogwarts and went on to the Ministry. Upon hearing about the 'death' of a female muggleborn, Yaxley just shrugged. She was one muggleborn less to worry about, to his way of thinking. It was as they'd hoped. The Ministry could care less about her death, they'd have only been worried about her if she was still alive. As soon as their prisoners were processed and sent on to Azkaban, Alex left the Ministry and Apparated back to where he'd left Vicky. Taking the spell and ward off her, he gathered her into his arms and Disillusioned them both. Then he apparated to Diagon Alley. He strode swiftly down the street to the small apartment he rented. As soon as he was inside, he laid her on the couch as he began setting wards and putting up a silencing spell. Once he was done, he turned to her. "Finite Incantato." He waited for the eruption.

"What the bloody hell was that about, Alex?" she jumped and screamed at him. They stood a few feet apart, staring warily at each other.

"I couldn't turn you in and Mikey knew that. We arranged to let you escape so I could pretend to kill you. It was the only way I could get you out of there. This is my apartment. We're in Diagon Alley. I'm sorry, Vicky, but I can't let you leave here. I've got wards and a silencing spell up. I'll try not to bother you anymore than I have to. Daisy will be here to take care of you. If the boy wonder loses, I'll take you back to the Muggle world myself."

"Alex. Why? Why are you doing this? Why did you join HIS side? I thought you always hated him, you and Mikey both! What changed your minds?" Vicky pleaded for answers. Alex looked at her sadly. He shook his head. Then he walked out. Vicky sank onto the couch, crying. There was a little pop close to her.

"Please, don't cry, missy. He's won't like it if you cry. He's happier if you isn't crying. He loves you." Vicky gasped, scrambling to her feet. There, in front of her, was a darling little house elf dressed in a small yellow dress.

"Who, who are you?" she managed to ask.

"I is Daisy, I is belonging to young master Alex. I is taking care of him since he was a baby. Now I is taking care of you for master Alex." Daisy patiently explained to the young witch. She waited quietly for her to understand the situation.

"Will he be back? I need to talk to him! I need to understand! What's going on with him?" Vicky began pacing. Daisy went to the kitchen and began setting up a tea service and food for the young miss. With a snap of her fingers, the tray floated back to the small coffee table. She laid out a plate and teacup, letting the young woman calm down before she called her to eat.

After Vicky had a chance to calm down, she began going back over the whole thing. She knew there was something off about it. Then she realized, if Alex and Mikey were really Snatchers, they WOULDN'T have 'let' her escape that easily. He SAID he couldn't turn her in, but if he was in really a Death Eater, he'd have had no problem turning her in, regardless of how he felt about her.

She realized, if she was going to get answers from the boy, she'd have to get him to open up to her. For that to happen, she'd have to let him know how she felt about him. She'd also have to show him she trusted him. That meant accepting the fact that he'd as good as imprisoned her in this apartment with only a house elf for company. She sat down and looked at Daisy. "I hope that blasted little idiot knows how much I still love him." Daisy smiled happily. She'd not been sure that the girl would know what was best. Now she knew they would be okay, the young missy and her young master. They might have to have a blow up or two but they would weather the storm. When this war was over, they might even have babies that Daisy could help them take care of.