Chapter 7

Warrington apparated himself and Alicia into his townhouse she immediately collapsed into his arms convulsing. He lifted her up into his arms and carried her to his room. He laid her gently down on his plush king size bed she continued to convulse groaning from the pain.

"I need my potion" Alicia whimpered as Warrington undid the top buttons of her cloak pulling it off her.

"Of course" He said, he pulled out his wand and seconds later the purse flew into the room. He caught the purse and opened it pulling out the vial. He pulled Alicia upright, she leaned onto him for support as he pulled the stopper out of the vial with his teeth and made a face as he smelt the potion. "This smells foul" he commented.

"Beggars can't be choosers" Alicia said, Warrington chuckled. Just as he was about to tilt the vial so she could swallow the potion the door to his room opened.

"Stop!" Montague said, Warrington pulled the vial away and Alicia moaned in pain as another round of convulsions hit her. Warrington placed the vial on the bedside table before he wrapped his arms around Alicia. He would have laid her down but he hands had a strangled grip on his shirt as her face buried itself in his chest.

"Montague?"

"Her last dose was less than 4 hours ago, Overdosing is not advised and anyway it wouldn't work. I'll be back" he said and with that his disappeared. Warrington looked down at Alicia who was shaking in his arms. She seemed to be trapped in her own world as her eyes were closed and face still twisted with pain. Montague returned with a leather healer's bag. He knelt down on the floor and opened the bag and rummaged for a moment before producing a vial of a milky white potion.

"Here give her this" Montague said.

"What is it?"

"Amino acids and other natural goodness" Montague said as he looked through his bag. He looked up and smiled "Perfectly safe. In theory." Montague paused "Trust me" he said before rummaging through his bag again.

Warrington helped Alicia down the contents she pulled a faced "Oh that tastes like sour milk" Alicia said she swallowed trying not the gag. She felt the convulsions slowly subside but her nausea and fever were still intact. She tried to push herself off Warrington but found her strength was nonexistent as she slumped in his arms.

"That seemed to temper the seizures" Montague commented.

"This isn't my place" Alicia said looking around the bedroom, the room was twice as big as her room with white wash walls and mahogany floor boards. There were two open doors to her left which looked to lead to a walk in wardrobe and a bathroom. Warrington slowly lowered her upper body onto a pile of pillows before he stood up.

"You said 'home' I brought you home" Warrington said. Montague pulled out three more vials of different colours and placed them on the bedside table. He then moved and sat on the bed in front of Alicia to her right side. She jerked back from him when he lifted his wand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alicia asked him.

"Relax Spinnet, I'm need to take a look at you" Montague said as he held his hands up in surrender. Alicia sighed and nodded allowing him to do what he needed.

He pointed his wand at her and started mumbling incantations, Alicia watched as her body was shrouded in long wisps of blue smoke. She became uncomfortable as Montague's eyes rolled up into his head as he continued to chant. She felt her eyes grow heavy watching him perform whatever he was doing and few seconds later she slipped into a light slumber.

Warrington watched as Alicia closed her eyes and promptly fall asleep after 5 seconds of Montague doing whatever he was up to. Warrington trusted Montague knew what he was doing but he couldn't squash the feeling of helplessness and concern for Alicia or the need to hold her. She looked so frail and small lying on his bed.

Montague came out of his trance and flicked his wand over Alicia. The wisps of smoke disappeared from around her person.

"What's wrong?" Warrington asked as he saw the frown on his friend's face.

"Help me turn her onto her back" Montague said he moved to Alicia's lower body while Warrington went to her top half they carefully rolled her onto her stomach. She remained blissfully asleep and undisturbed by the movement even though she was burning a fever.

Montague pushed her hair off her neck and out of the way. He then dragged his wand from the back of Alicia's neck down the column of her spine to the top of the gown.

"What are you doing?" Warrington asked.

"She's wearing a glamour and concealment charms on her back. Slight overkill for hiding a few blemishes or a scar or two" Montague said shrugging casually.

"How do you know she's wearing a glamour?"

"Trained healer remember?" Montague asked in a joking fashion. The air around her neck shimmered for a moment before her skin slowly morphed.

"Merlin" Warrington breathed as he watched the scars appear dark, angry scars on the column of her spine. Montague unzipped the back of her dress the scars continued down her back. It was a long line of carvings about 3cm wide starting from the base of her skull down her neck all the way to her lower back down her spine. They looked like ancient Cyrillic, carved over and over into her skin.

"Did you know about this?" Montague asked Warrington shook his head.

"What is it?" Warrington asked.

"I'm not sure, but that looks like ancient Cyrillic but that is the coat of arms for Dolohov Family" Montague said he pointed to the mark at the base of Alicia's neck of a circle with thorns in the centre was a snake twisted around what looked like the skeleton of an eagle with its wings spread wide. He then traced the scars on Alicia's back they glowed red and Alicia groaned in pain before returning to a peaceful slumber.

"Damn" Montague cursed as he pulled his hand away. He shook his hand before inspecting his fingers.

"What?"

"It burned me" Montague commented looking intrigued. Warrington became impatient as he wanted to know what was going on.

"Are you going live?" he asked dryly.

"Oh yeah, just interesting is all" Montague commented.

"Pray don't leave me hanging in the dark" Warrington said sarcastically as Montague seemed wrapped up in his fingers than Alicia's state.

"Don't you have your knickers in a twist over her. I thought this was all an 'arrangement' just 'business'. I'm getting a very possessive boyfriend vibe from you" Montague said, Warrington glared at him. "Don't tell me you've fallen for the chit, she a beauty but she is damaged goods" Montague added.

"Montague" Warrington said his tone warning Montague not to keep baiting him.

"I need your grandmother" Montague said being obtuse.

"What?" Warrington asked.

"This is more her area of expertise than mine. Your 'girlfriend' isn't spell damaged from the cruciatus curse. I don't know what it is I've never seen it before"

"What did you see?"

"Magic is tied around our life energy it flows through our body. We are able to focus that energy and use it to perform spells and what not. So it was theorized which makes sense why when people get sick their magical capabilities lower because your energy and focus are compromised. Her life energy is practically stagnate and her magic is decaying I've never seen anything like it. But if I'm right the decaying magic must turn toxic which is not good for the body. But your Grandmother would know more than me"

"Why her?"

"Umm because she's Russian, 110, went to Durmstrang, became the first female healer in wizarding history, wrote more books about dark curses and healing magic than any other witch or wizard in her field do I go on?" Montague asked listing them off his fingers.

"No it's fine, you forget that I do not know her that way" Warrington said, it wasn't true, it had just slipped his mind.

"Yeah she's just your vibrant, beautiful-"

"Don't finish that sentence I know exactly what you think of her and you should have some decency" Warrington said frowning as he did not like the way Montague followed his grandmother like a lovesick puppy.

"Well I suggest you call her while I go and get Alicia's medical files" Montague said picking up his wand from the bed.

"Any instructions in regards to Alicia?" Warrington asked.

"Yeah, if she wakes up give her the sleeping potion. I think it's best to keep her asleep. Though I did leave a pepper up potion if your grandmother wants her awake and the last one is a replenishing potion. It will clean out the McCallums potions in her system and anything else she has taken. I'll be back soon" Montague said as he pocketed his wand.

An hour later,

"What is so important it couldn't wait until morning or next week?" Aleksandra Warrington asked her Grandson as she brushed the soot off the shoulders of her evening gown. Travelling by Floo powder was not her favoured choice of travel but then she could not apparate without splinching when she drank fire whisky with her group of colleagues. She had been enjoying a 80 yr old bottle when her grandson called for her saying some kind of emergency.

"I need your help"

"With what?"

"My partner has been very ill for the last hour" Warrington said, Aleksandra eyed at how concerned and nervous her grandson was acting. He had never displayed signs of nervousness in his life ever since he was a little boy he was confident and when he got into trouble was always smug a trait he learnt from his father.

"Then perhaps you should take your partner to St Mungos if she is so ill assuming it is a 'she' " Aleksandra teased, Warrington gave her a rueful smile.

"They can't help her and we prefer to keep her condition private. Please Grandmother" Warrington said as he gestured for her to go upstairs. Aleksandra picked up her skirts and climbed the stairs of his townhouse. "Second door on the right" he informed her.

Aleksandra pushed open the door and looked at her grandson's 'partner'. She was deathly pale, covered in sheen of sweat and her body was twitching as she looked to be in pain. Aleksandra noted the beige evening gown and looked to Warrington who was in dress robes.

"What happened?" she asked as she moved to sit down beside the young woman on the bed.

"We were at a charity event, she became ill and then proceeded to have a seizure." Warrington started but he was interrupted by Montague who appeared out of nowhere.

"She was diagnosed with Spell damage 4 years ago by Healer Beecham, who is an idiot for the record. The diagnosis was second by the Head Healer at the time. Her file is really thin for a spell damaged witch" Montague said waving the file that couldn't be more than 20 pages. He flicked through the pages before closing it and looking at Aleksandra. His eyes lit up and he put on his best smile.

"Lady Warrington" he said with a deep drawl laying his Montague charm on.

"Graham" Aleksandra said dryly.

"Allow me to save you sometime, she has scarring on her spine and I think it's the source of her problem" Montague said smugly. Warrington helped turn Alicia onto her side he had sipped her dress back up in case she woke up and he wasn't there.

"My I haven't seen this style of cursing in over 100 years" Aleksandra said, she was about to touch the marking at the top of Alicia's neck but Warrington stopped her.

"It burned me" Montague supplied when Aleksandra looked at her grandson questioningly.

"Of course it did. The Montague family have a century year old enemies with the Dolohov's. You think they'd let you touch their goods? Your great grandfather was accused of seducing and ruining the reputation of a Dolohov girl. Quite the scandal when he refused to marry the chit. They did the same thing to her"

"Same thing?" Montague asked.

"Binding curse used by the Dolohov family, binds the magic and the person to a family. They feel pain when they are touched by those who are not their masters. They can't use magic, and since the magic isn't being used it decays in the body and becomes toxic and ultimately the cursed die from toxic poisoning within a year of the binding. Best make her comfortable it's all you can do" Aleksandra said nonchalantly, she stood up and smoothed her skirts.

"She has been cursed for 4 years" Warrington told her.

"Impossible" Aleksandra said.

"It's in her medical files" Montague said handing it to her. Aleksandra took the file and read it for herself after a few flicks through the pages she closed it handed it back to Montague. She sat down beside Alicia who had been rolled back onto her back.

"Enervate" Aleksandra commanded, Alicia groaned as she opened her eyes. She tried to push up but she was still heavily fatigued. She looked up at Aleksandra and eyed her warily before looking at Warrington.

"Alicia, I'd like you to meet my Grandmother Aleksandra Warrington. Grandmother this Alicia Spinnet" Warrington said making the introduction.

"Pleasure child"

"I wish we were meeting under better circumstances" Alicia said with a weak smile, she swallowed nervously. Could my night get any worse… She thought she felt Warrington squeeze her hand and looked at him and got caught up in his gaze. She saw no signs of pity only concern and care were written on his features.

"Think nothing of it. I'm more concerned about you" Aleksandra said

"Me?" Alicia said it took a moment for it to sink in that they were talking about her health as she was still thinking of Warrington and why he would be worried about her. "Don't be, please I'm just having a rough patch" Alicia said.

"If you were spell damaged from over exposure to Cruciatus curse. You would have no rough patches my dear. I'm talking about the meticulously carved scars in your back" Aleksandra said not even bothering with tact. Alicia reached a hand to the back of her neck feeling the mark on the back of her neck puffed and ugly. She dropped her hand and licked her lips trying to cool her anger at having her glamours and concealment charm removed without her knowledge.

"How-" she started.

"Healers are trained to spot glamour and concealment charms" Montague said cutting Alicia off.

"You-"

"Yep" Montague answered cutting Alicia off again. Alicia looked away from them, Aleksandra could see Alicia was trying to control her emotions but it didn't stop the tears falling down Alicia's face.

"Perhaps you gentlemen could leave the room. I'd like a private word with Alicia" Aleksandra said, Warrington nodded and looked to Alicia for a moment he couldn't see her face but somehow he knew she was hurt. He stood up and left the room with Montague.

Once the door was closed, Aleksandra used her wand to move an arm chair next to the bed. She sighed as she settled into the chair before summoning a house elf.

"Hetty is here to serve" The elf said before bowing its head in servitude.

"Hetty, We will need pot of green tea and some scones with jam and clotted cream as soon as elfishly possible please" Aleksandra said with smile to the Elf. The elf smiled and disappeared.

Alicia wiped the tears that had fallen down her face before looking at the elderly lady. She gave Alicia a look of understanding.

"It's stupid being vain" Alicia said with a weak smile.

"I highly doubt vanity plays into this child" Aleksandra said. She had worked and met many people in her life, she had survived wars and family feuds she recognized a survivor when she saw one. What she could not grasp yet was how her Grandson would ally himself with such a woman when there were many young beautiful and untouched pureblood witches in the world. She felt for the girl, the agony and degradation the girl had experienced at the hands of the Dolohov's was enough to make Aleksandra shudder. She could see her grandson was quite attached to the girl. she had a natural beauty and spunk but the harsh reality of the situation was the girl was on borrowed time.

"I didn't want Cassius to find out. I didn't want him to look at me like I'm a victim or damaged goods. I have enough people who look at me like that" Alicia said.

"We all have scars-"

"They are not a badge of honour and I really don't want an uplifting speech either" Alicia told her firmly.

"Indeed, answer me these questions. The man who made those scars did he do it with a dagger that had a family crest on the hilt?" Aleksandra asked.

"You already know the answer to your questions" Alicia said darkly.

"I need you to confirm them" Aleksandra said calmly.

"I have never spoken about it and I never will" Alicia told her with strong conviction. A table with tea and scones appeared to Aleksandra's left.

"Even if it could potentially save your life" Aleksandra asked. Alicia remained silent Aleksandra was impressed by Alicia's strength even if it was foolhardy. "How about I tell you what I know" Aleksandra said as she poured out two cups of tea.

"Well I am a captive audience" Alicia said snidely. Aleksandra smiled as she took a delicate sip of her tea. Alicia felt like a specimen being observed for a scientific experiment.

"I know you were a prisoner of a Dolohov. I can tell by your attitude and strength alone it was an endurance test of wills. The binds are supposed to break your spirit and will to make you a more pliable slave to your master. I'm sure he relished every moment as nearly all Dolohov males are sadists" Aleksandra said as she delicately cut a scone in half. She continued ignoring Alicia's sickly pallor dropping a few shades of colour. "I can tell by the carvings it was weeks and even then you didn't break because were saved from his clutches before any permanent damage was inflicted. What I cannot understand is how you have survived this long"

"I'm lucky" Alicia said dryly as she swallowed her nausea. She didn't bother to reach for tea or food on offer. She knew her hands would tremble something fierce and didn't want to give the woman any fodder for her curiosity.

"No, you should have died years ago. McCallums potion doesn't cleanse the body it only blocks misfiring neurons and calms overactive nerves." Aleksandra said waving a dismissive hand.

"What does it matter?" Alicia asked sinking further into the bed. She covered her face with her hands because she just wanted a moment to process without Aleksandra's critical eye assessing her.

"It's simple, if you found the dagger in question all you would have to do is slice through the carvings it would sever the bindings and the curse. Though it is quite likely you'll die"

"How likely?" Alicia asked.

"Since you have been living on what 3 years of borrowed time I can't say for sure. Scone?" Aleksandra asked.

~TBC