Rosaline narrowed her eyes at Jude, but they flicked towards the unseen Amen on one of the ledges.

"Throw me your wand but only touch it with the tips of your index fingers."

"Sure, thing wacko."

"Not a wise thing to call someone with a wand aimed at you."

"I'm not known for being wise," Jude said as she grabbed her wand out of her pocket per Rosaline's instructions. A demand that showed Jude that this woman had experience in similar situations but gauging her erratic eye movements like a fly was in front of her face; she had no experience in combat and was impulsive which wasn't a good thing. Jude stared at her with the wand pressed between her index fingers like a dark cord connecting them before lifting her eyes to Rosaline; who looked at her like Jude were mad. A logical thought; how could someone be that calm with fire falling around her and with a dangerous woman pointing her wand at her?

"Throw it," Rosaline ordered.

Jude hesitated a moment before throwing it over the lounge which bounced and rolled to Rosaline's feet. Rosaline's gaze was now split between the ledge, Jude and the wand. One quick second is all it would take for her to pick it up. She pointed her wand up at the ridge as well as her gaze before she bent over to grab the wand. In that split second, Jude snatched a page from the air and charged forward; jumping up and off the lounge. Rosaline's eyes widened as she started to snap her wand towards Jude; who scrunched the page, coldness erupted from her hand, turning it into a snowball, which she splattered against Rosaline's face; distracting her. The two collided to the ground, the cold white snow clouded Rosaline's vision allowing Jude to grab both of their wands.

"Incarcerous," Jude yelled. Thin strips of air around Rosaline became visible; hovering around her for a moment before solidifying into a rope that snapped against Rosaline's body binding her arms and legs to her body. If this woman was only concerned with Amen when she entered the room, it seemed she'd be leaving with a grudge for the both, as she thrashed against the rope trying to escape. To Jude, she looked like a mermaid out of the water and not like the cartoon ones but the ones that lived outside of Hogwarts. Ugly with bared teeth and bulged eyes.

"Merde," she yelled.

Jude raised her wand at Rosaline. "I understand your frustration, but there's no need to swear. Silenco."

Rosaline's angry noise was cut short like a blade through a ribbon. She stopped thrashing and appeared to be miming words, but not a sound came out. Jude walked over her to the floor door, eager not to guess the profanities she was probably saying, and kicked it shut; relighting the torches. The sudden light appeared to wake Amen as a scratch of metal, and the flapping of feathers drew Jude's eye up to the ledge where Amen jolted up from squawking in his bird form. His head danced at the scene before him before he dived down into his normal form.

"How did you -"

Jude twitched her wand at Amen; a blue sharp spark pulse from her wand causing Amen's wand to fly up into her hand. He looked at her stupefied as tucked his wand into her jacket pocket. "Go sit down," she ordered as she levitated Rosaline on to the lounge closest to the door.

"She attacked me," Amen said.

"You know her by name, and you've already admitted to being a criminal. You'll get it back when there are more people around. Now sit your arse down before I turn your scarf into a snake."

Amen touched his kafiya tentatively; his eyes betrayed a momentary fear before he walked over ever so slowly back to the lounge he was sitting on before. Jude walked over and brushed burnt and broken pages off her seat before sitting down. Rosaline continued to wiggle on the lounge opposite Amen as the raining of pages began to die down, though the smell of burnt paper lived on.

"Thanks," Amen said.

Jude looked at him briefly before nodding her head in acknowledgement. The door snapped open cutting the room into darkness illuminated for a moment by the still embers of the pages before the door was shut again with a satisfied laugh. The owner of the laugh, revealed in the light, was clad in coal black leather that paled in comparison to the midnight oil of his hair. Leather outlined his taut shape from his is boots with endless straps to the hood lying slump on his broad shoulders. He was an older man but had a youthful zeal due to his olive complexion stumble sketched half smile, which itself seemed to falter for a moment at the sight of the room and the three of them.

"Well I hope I haven't missed all the fun," he said showing a Greek accent. He spun the golden crown around his fingers as he sized up the room.

Amen appeared to perk up at the appearance of a more friendly company. "Don't fret perhaps an old lover or a man I wrong at a gamblers den will pop up next, though I'm sure the Jolly Jude will come to my aid again," Amen said then he stood up offering his hand to the man. "I'm Amen Sahib."

"Mateo Petropoulos."

"Petropoulos?" Amen paused, his gaze on Mateo never faltering. Jude had no doubt he was listening with his inner ear again. The man wasn't too subtle with his already wide eyes but in an instant went bug-eyed. "Obelius Petropoulos?"

"Yes?"

"I've heard of you. I've travelled the gambling circuit in Europe, and yours came up quite a lot in the south. Like to gamble?"

"I enjoy risk."

"Explains the outfit," Jude quipped.

Instead of an annoyed or insulted glance, Mateo pursed his lips in amusement before turning completely towards Jude. He tucked his hands and the crown behind his back which caused the leather to rumple with sound. "Jude, I assume?"

Jude leaned back in her chair, resting her elbows on the arms of the chair as she crossed her legs. Her face was expressionless, but there was an air of humour to it. "Assassin's Creed I assume or least a homage."

"Pardon?"

"You don't dabble in the muggle world, do you?"

"Sorry to say I haven't."

Jude shrugged her shoulders before turning her attention inward. She had grown up with a magical mother and a not to be seen muggle father, so her experience with the muggle world had been at a minimum until a year ago. Living a muggle life was much cheaper than a magical one since Jude couldn't get a job due to her circumstances. She could also get in less trouble with the French Ministry for fooling muggles with transfigured money; a button could become a coin and a tissue a paper note. Mateo and Amen continued their conversation on the couch sensing Jude's lack of interest which was fine with her. The two of them seemed to be cut from the same cloth and if it kept Amen away from her, all the better. Rosaline had stopped struggling, but she did make the occasional muffled yell and burn a hole into Jude's face was her gaze, though Jude never looked at her. She just watched the flames even when the door snapped open, and the torches went out, it was only when the door shut again that she looked up. At first, Jude thought she was looking at a Vampire she was so pale and lean. Jude couldn't tell how old she was until she got closer but whoever she was in her late thirties. The only thing about her that wasn't monotone was the jar of burning coal in her hands, which she clutched to her chest. The rest of her except her skin was black including the woollen cardigan wrapped around her.

She looked around at everyone with a deadpan expression, though, her eye had a soften awareness to them though she did freeze when Rosaline started to make noise at the sight of her. No doubt desperate for help. She looked at Rosaline with confusion and surprise, a normal reaction to have since Rosaline looked like a wrapped up like a roll of parchment.

"Why is she -"

"Rosaline is in time out." Jude explained, but she did not elaborate. Amen jumped up seizing the opportunity and held out his hand to Roisin with a flirtatious grin.

"From the mess, you can already guess things got combustive. I'm Amen and what may I call you?"

She looked over at Rosaline who stared at her with desperation, but Roisin looked back at Amen, words caught in her throat with uncertainty. She just shook his hand. "I'm Roisin."

"Oh, and Irish as well. I've not met an Irish witch before," Amen said appearing to be absolutely tickled by the idea. Jude, though, could see there was a flirtatious air to his sentence.

Mateo stood up and offered his hand as well. His height caused him to bow his head down which caused his charcoal eyes to deliver an underlook that Jude had no doubt had caused many knees to quiver. But in the case of Roisin, she looked quite flustered, especially when he bent down and kissed her hand. "I'm Mateo."

From the side glance Amen gave him, it appeared their friendship would spur into a rivalry. If only Mateo were the mind reader, then he'd know not to be as friendly with Amen. Mateo bent up not taking his hand away from Roisin's until she pulled it away. "I see you picked the Sacred Flame of Olympia. I was tempted myself, but we witnessed the mother flame at school at the time."

Jude perked up at the news. She had considered any of the items to be known relics, perhaps Jude's gamble would pay off.

"Oh, I didn't know that where this came from. I wonder how Yves got some."

"Yes, I asked the man myself when I realised what it was, but he would not budge. I would have picked it, but then I saw this," he said as he held up the crown which had a sacred glow to it from the firelight in the room. "The Crown of Demarcates, the Spanish Pope of the Vampires. Ruler of the golden age of Vampires before their subjugation."

"I didn't even know Vampires had such power."

"Nor did I until I came upon the fact in a history book in school. I must admit I find history fascinating."

Jude had no doubts that he did. The more he spoke, the more she could see he was either a treasure hunter or a thief. What did these two women do?

"What brings you here, Roisin?" Jude asked. "I don't mean your price for being here. I mean what skills. I only ask as you don't strike me as being ..."

"Criminal? Intimidating?" Roisin suggested with a humourless smile, understanding quite clearly what Jude was asking. "I just make potions. I work at a family apothecary."

Jude leaned back into her chair with a sigh while resting her fingers against her temples. That meant that two out of possibly five weren't actively on the other side of the law. There are, however, plenty of potioneer not on the up and up. What made Roisin, Yves top choice for the role?

"What do you do?"

"I'm a street performer."

Mateo and Amen began to laugh assuming it was a joke, but their humorous expression died down like candle wax. "You're not joking?"

"Nope. My act consists of card tricks."

"That's all. Nothing else you've done?"

"No," Jude lied.

A/N: Hey everyone.

Be sure to leave a review as your opinions.

I'd like to thank Wulfekin and arans for their contributions to Mateo and Roisin. If you don't already favourite and follow be sure to in order to keep track of the story.

See you next week.