The fall leaves crunched softly beneath the booted feet of four shadowy figures, the magically created fog shielded them from sight, and the light-noise discipline ordered by Ripley was paying off. She wouldn't lie to herself and say she wasn't nervous because her body was vibrating with nerves; every muscle she bore was pulled taut. Beside her Danny Wickwire moved stealthy through the mist, he sent her a quick smile of reassurance. The men with her were Americans trained in the U.S. and brought over for reinforcements, the fact that she had played hockey with each and everyone of them, never knowing they were wizards was a completely different story.
Ripley crouched down behind a tree, motioning for the team to do the same. She could see the dark outline of the building they were to go into. Owen Bennett, and Steve Fleanick, crouched down. She faced them, wand in hand, pointed two fingers toward Bennett and Flea, and motioned for them to take the lead. She turned to Wick, and nodded. They began to toward the building. Flea, one of the group's animagi transformed into his hawk form and flew up toward the windows on the second floor. Ripley couldn't use her form, as a wolf would be a little out of place, and Wick the last one was a mouse, they would use him inside.
She brought back Albus' words in her mind as best she could over the brief meeting. There'll be ten Death Eaters in there, all leaders of other units. Capture two; kill the rest, no escapees. You'll have limited time, and limited men. We're relying on you to get the job done. Ripley couldn't believe that Albus Dumbledore had said kill the rest. It showed her just how bad the war would get. Wick tapped her shoulder, and pointed his whole hand toward the door. She saw the Death Eater smoking a cigarette, the red spot glowed. A jet of green struck him from the right where Owen had been hiding.
The moment they were in there would be panic, confusion, and much more. Spells cast carelessly could get one of their own killed, hesitating could get them all killed. She preferred normal killing to magic, it was easier not to fuck up. Flea swooped down from the roof, the signal to enter. Ripley took the lead as any commander would do, and kicked the door in. "Clear!" She shouted behind her. One by one the others entered taking up their positions. Flea appeared. "Where are they Flea?" She whispered.
"Top floor, sleeping."
"Rip," Wick turned to look at her. "They're sleeping."
"They're Death Eaters Danny, would you rather us wake them up?" She asked sarcastically. "Make it a fair fight where they, the more experienced fighters, could beat us?"
"She makes a valid point," Bennett said over his shoulder. "Personally I like the element of surprise."
"We getting dinner after this?" Flea asked from her left. "I'm hungry."
"Flea," Ripley's words came out slightly hesitant. "Could you, y'know, save the bullshit for when we get outta this, I don't know, alive."
"Once more she makes a valid point," Owen tossed in.
"Can we get a move on?" Wick asked. "Please. I don't wanna be found."
"Sounds like you're worried—" Flea's words were cut off as the shelf beside them exploded in a red light.
"Down, down, get down!" Ripley roared, casting a spell toward the running Death Eater. Another shelf exploded sending crystal shards around them, some sliced into the skin of the Aurors fighting. "Y'know what would be nice?" Ripley shouted as she took shelter behind a wall.
"What's that?" Wick yelled back from the other side of the hall.
"If we weren't here!" The American replied, and dived into the middle of the hall casting a spell. A jet of green hit the Death Eater square in the chest.
"Rip, we have two!" Owen roared standing beside two bodies. "Stupefied."
"Any others?" She asked in the now quiet.
"Two got away," Flea walked toward her, blood trickled from a head contusion.
"What way?"
"They headed east."
"Shit," Ripley turned, and began to sprint. "Tell Albus I'll be back."
"Rip!" Wick ran after her, the last thing he caught of her was the swish of a bushy gray tail, and a wolf bounded into the forest. "Shit, shit, shit!" He ran his fingers through his brown hair. "Flea?"
"On it," The Auror transformed into a hawk, and flew out the nearest broken window.
Owen nudged his foot into one of the Death Eaters legs. "Amazing," he said. "Dudes wearing friggin' Italian shoes."
Danny looked at him, brows crunched together. "And?"
"Nothin'," Bennett shrugged. "Just sayin'," he grinned at Wick's annoyed expression. "The guy has taste." Wick's expression remained unchanging. "Let's just get them, and us the hell outta here, okay?"
"What about Rip and Stevie?"
"They can take care of themselves."
"We don't leave our men behind Owen."
"And we don't let the enemy wake up Danny," Bennett turned. "Now what's your choice?"
Wick stared at Owen for a long moment, his hazel eyes glanced toward the area Ripley had sprinted into and sighed. "Job comes first."
----
Oliver paced the study on the first floor of Grimmauld Place it was nearly dawn, and there were only two Aurors back. He made another turn as Molly fussed over Owen and Wick. "She ran off?"
"Flea's with her," Wick answered, wincing as Molly pulled a chunk of crystal from his arm. "Two got away, so Rip chased."
"I told her to," said Albus woefully. "Leave none alive, those were my exact instructions." He didn't want to think of the consequences that could occur; they could lose not only a good Auror, but a loved one.
"We captured two," Owen offered as a consolation. His large fingers plucked a small fragment of a teacup from the side of his neck. "They had a hell of a lot glass in there. And really bad aim."
"What makes you think they wanted to hit us? Why stupify us when they can have annoying glass shards embedded in your fuck—friggin' skin," Danny changed his words at Molly's glare. "So much more painful than being stunned."
Wood took a swig of the warm bee he held, and released a heavy sigh. He glanced out at the half moon. "How long?"
Wick glanced down at his watch. "Bout two hours."
"Normal?" Oliver asked sitting down on an armchair beside the fireplace. Owen and Danny shared a look. "Guys?"
"Rip's usual quick with this kinda thing," Danny answered after a beat of silence. "Could be she went back for reconnaissance."
"That's probably it," added Owen.
Albus rose from his armchair, head cocked to one side. "Someone's awake," He whispered. The headmaster went to the door, and opened it. The twins fell forward in a heap. "Fred, George, anything to say on the subject?"
"We're, uh, we're not here we're sleepwalking."
"Yes, that's it," George added, and stood arms out. "Argh, argh!" They stopped miming sleep walkers as the front door slammed shut. "Molly!" Remus shouted. The redhead moved into the hall, gasping as she saw Remus come forward supporting a limping Flea. A blood covered Ripley followed slowly.
"We need tea," Molly said. "And bandages."
"No bandages," Ripley stopped Molly. "They're not needed. But a beer…"
"I'll get it love, don't worry," the mother interrupted. Oliver stared at Ripley his heart racing as she approached him. Flea, and Remus hobbled by him into the study. The others followed. He stood his ground.
"Ripley," his voice came out hoarse.
"Not my blood," her lips moved, but her mind didn't get what she had said. "S'not mine." Tears welled in her eyes. Oliver said nothing as he pulled her into his arms. She seemed to melt, to collapse within his strong embrace. His lips brushed the side of her head. "Not mine," she repeated burrowing her face into the coarse wool of his sweater.
----
"What happened?" Albus asked Ripley as she sat on the hearth of the fireplace, a condensating bottle of Shipyard Ale pressed to her forehead. No answer. "Ripley?"
"There were twelve," she whispered. "Source was wrong, there were two guards outside. Killed them. Flea went in to scope it out, used his form," as she spoke Remus jotted down notes. "Got inside, poked around, y'know. There was glass everywhere, they were ready for us, they were fuckin' ready, they had it all planned. We started to fight, the glass was the shrapnel they didn't wanna kill us, only injure us, and track our blood." Her voice sounded lifeless, as if she were just speaking of a story not her own. "We met up again, Bennett or Wick said two had gotten away, I went after them. Flea followed. We stuck to our forms so that we wouldn't be recognized." There was a long pause as the American took a drink of her beverage.
"Go on," Albus leaned forward in his chair. She glanced up, brown eyes burning with anger in the firelight.
"We tracked them into the forest, they knew it was us. There's a leak in the department. They ambushed us from the trees. Flea was able to change and kill one, I couldn't in time. I, uh," she swallowed hard, eyes squeezed shut. "I ripped his throat out." Oliver winced, that had explained the blood all over her. Ripley stood up, setting her beer down. "I'm, uh, gonna go clean up." She walked out, long legs covering the ground quickly.
"She left things out," said Stevie quietly. "The Death Eater she killed had Wood on his hit list; along with Rae, Sephie, Jess, Alice, and Jackie."
"Hit list?" Albus asked. "You mean people—"
"To kill," Owen finished. "The people closest to Rip." As he spoke Oliver snuck out.