Cynthia leant her back heavily against the front door she'd just shut, as if her added weight could stop anything or anyone from getting through. Her vision swayed a little, threatening to bring her last meal forward. A pulsing sensation filled her head with dull repetitive pain.
It wasn't as bad as it was before. The distance had done wonders, but she could feel the lingering pressure behind her eyes. Her heart hammered in her chest, relentlessly forcing her blood through her body. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the door, willing her body to calm itself.
Forcing herself to focus, she took note of her current state. Her knees felt stiff, and almost hollow from running. The raw tingling burn in her legs was not something she had felt for years. When even was the last time she'd run so hard? The girl didn't think she was so unfit to be winded by the night's escapades. Apparently she was wrong.
Cynthia's clothes now clung uncomfortably to her slightly sweaty skin. She scowled in disgust wanting nothing more than to rip them off and let her body breathe, but she couldn't do that.
Not yet at least.
The woman's heart slowed its pace, but only slightly. At least her head wasn't swimming anymore. Her knees and legs would no doubt be crying from soreness for the next few days at least. Perhaps she needed to better work her body in the future.
Shaking the thought of future exercise, the woman tentatively opened her eyes. Her small flat welcomed her back as it always did. The little room itself was tidy enough. As always, near the window sat her dark blue couch littered with a few pillows and a fluffy throw blanket. On her coffee table were a few books and stray papers from her current project. The lovely scent of last night's vanilla candle still hung in the air, reminding her that she'd need to buy another soon.
The only unusual thing she could find was that there was a man in her flat. Well, actually two of them. Two men that she had just dragged home herself. Cynthia prayed silently that none of her neighbors had seen them. She would never live it down if they had. Those old ladies lived for gossip!
The first man lay sprawled on the floor, part of him on the creamy rug that separated the front room from the rest of the space. His eyes were closed, a deep wince still pulled at his face as he clenched his right arm. His dark messy curls hung in an untamable manner, reminding the girl of a brown lion's mane. The guy could only be 19, maybe 20. His face had a youthful sheen to it making Cynthia feel this man laughed a lot.
He wasn't laughing now though. His breath was just as labored, if not more so than Cynthia's herself. He'd been running just as hard, pushing himself to keep moving forward. He'd even pulled her from harm's way during the 'attack'.
Cynthia wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve, unable to think of a better word than that at the moment. Calling whatever that was an 'attack' didn't make much sense. Who fights by yelling gibberish at each other and lighting off fireworks?
Cynthia was pulled from her thoughts as the second man groaned loudly, holding his head in one hand and a funny stick in the other. He sat on the floor beside his friend, one leg bent giving himself support. His more tidy black hair hung limply covering his face. This young man's hair was a little longer than his friends, ending a little below his striking jaw line. He reminded Cynthia of what a handsome Italian man might look like on the cover of a romance novel. His broad shoulders moved in a refined way even as he struggled to breathe.
Cynthia couldn't shake the feeling these men might be more than she'd bargained for.
"That... Was... Too... Close..." The 'italian' man refused to catch his breath, forcing each of his words out with a puff of air.
"Yeah," The brunette laying on the floor agreed. The single word hung in the air, much deeper than one might think his voice would sound. "So," he paused, still breathing rough, "we don't tell Lily?"
A snort was his answer, followed closely by the two men lightly laughing. The question itself was a joke to them.
"Agreed." They sounded off together, pleasant smiles gracing their faces as they did so.
"Who's Lily?"
The spell was broken in an instant. This question startled the two boys bringing them back to the moment. They looked up at their hostess as if she'd only just appeared out of thin air and not brought them in herself moments ago.
Cynthia now held her arms crossed across her body, still leaning against the door, waiting for a reply. These boys were recovering fast, much faster than she was. Perhaps they were used to running like that. Cynthia had watched the two 'friends' interaction while slowly recovering herself. The familiarity they had with each other was sweet, reminding the girl of two brothers.
The woman cataloged the quick change in their demeanor upon her intrusion, seeing two very different reactions from her guests.
The black-haired boy shifted his body so it was almost in front of his friend. His stance became protective, reminding her of a guard dog. Cynthia couldn't help momentarily holding her breath as his eyes narrowed on her slightly. His suspicion of her was obvious. The laughter had dashed from his handsome face, leaving a slight frown. If Cynthia hadn't seen them joking around a moment ago she might have never known it had happened. Even so, he was a sight to behold.
In contrast, the other man slowly leant back on his elbow, stretching to get a better view. He winced slightly as he did so, but continued. His messy curls fell on his face, framing it slightly. He wasn't striking in the same way his friend was, but still a very handsome lad. The brunette squinted his eyes just slightly, trying to keep it subtle.
'Oh yeah, he had glasses earlier...' Cynthia recalled, forcing her breath to slow down to a more natural pace. Her heart, however, was still eager to pump heavily as it pleased.
The currently 'blindish' man cocked his head to the side, appraisingly. One side of his face tugged slightly upwards as he did so.
"My Wife." He responded simply, but couldn't stop the smile from blooming on his face as he said those two words.
Cynthia's mouth fell open slightly, her eyebrows finding new height with his response. Wasn't he a little young?
"No, she isn't." His friend stopped glaring at Cynthia, turning to look at his friend as if he had just turned purple. "You haven't even got the ring yet, you prat!" The man's voice somehow came out sounding both accusatory and tormentative.
"Oh details, details." The other young man shook his head, his unruly curls coming alive with the motion. He ran a hand through his hair and gave a carefree shrug to his companion. "It's only a matter of time Sirius."
It was now Cynthia's turn to snort, What kind of name is that?
The two looked up at her with, again, completely opposite reactions to each other.
"Ha!" The light filled Sirius' face as he wore the biggest smile the girl had seen since they came here. "See James!" He continued gesturing towards their hostess with a chuckle. "Even she knows you're up in the night 'bout this."
James, as he was called, began to pout. His lower lip stuck out like that of a 4-year-old child not receiving ice cream for breakfast. Not exactly the response Cynthia would have expected, but somehow a fitting one. She wouldn't be correcting the two young men's assumption of what had amused her.
The Italian looking man continued teasing his friend, "Honestly it's just a ring! She'll say 'yes' regardless." As he spoke, Sirius pushed himself up off the ground with a huff.
Sirius reached out his hand and helped his friend up. The ill sighted man winced, his face contorting accordingly. Once standing he continued holding his injured arm not breaking eye contact with his companion. He had to look up slightly to properly talk to his comrade
"But, she deserves the best!" Slightly shorter man reasoned as if such a thing should be common knowledge.
His friend scoffed.
"YOU are the best!"
"She thought Snevelous was the best before!"
"Oh, don't be ridiculous! That was years ago!"
Words continued to spill out freely from the boys easily reminding Cynthia of two young teenagers. They had no reservation holding them back, even in front of a stranger. Cynthia lost focus, not bothering to listen to their conversation. What even was the point of this conversation? Why couldn't they have it later? They just go back and forth, to and fro, 'round and 'round.
'These boys... They are up to something,' she thought to herself as they continued arguing about nothing.
Cynthia sighed unimpressed, bringing the easily distracted boys back to reality.
"Are either of you going to explain what happened out there or are you goin' to keep trying to distract me?" Cynthia's voice was firm, but kind. Vaguely reminding herself of her aunt's 'Mom' voice. She hadn't nailed it yet, but it worked well enough.
The two boys suddenly stopped 'arguing'. They looked at each other, and back to Cynthia. A silent conversation obviously conveyed in the mere moments of eye contact they shared.
Shock was the first thing to cross Jame's face, followed shortly by what might have been guilt. Cynthia couldn't be sure as the boy turned his head away. He'd suddenly reached for one of the books on the table beside him, studying the title as if it were the most interesting thing in the world.
Sirius didn't feign ignorance as his friend had. Instead he turned his full attention on the girl before him. His expression became cold and distant, still his eyes didn't stray. The young woman was unsure how to react to the quick change in mood, so she waited
Sirius tightened his grip on a stick in his hand as if doing so would give him courage. He swallowed thickly before speaking.
"You don't want to know Love." His words came out in a solemn tone making him sound much older and worn. His eyes dimmed slightly, shadowed by something. Yet he held his gaze on the woman before him unwaveringly, almost urging her to enjoy her obliviousness while she could.
Cynthia's shoulders sagged. That wasn't the answer she wanted. Her head spun with questions, all hanging on the tip of her tongue. But the power behind that gaze made her swallow them. He'd only said a few words, but his body language conveyed what his words didn't. Things were much worse than Cynthia had considered.
Cynthia noticed the slightly dark circles hidden under this man's eyes. His frame reminded her of a warrior. His quick change in mood made it seem like he was just living life in the moment. He took everything that had happened this evening in stride, and now he had just drawn a line of where they stood.
A frown set itself on Cynthia's face mirroring the black-haired man before her. Sirius still held her in his sight, not saying anything more. The girl tightened the hold she had on herself. She again looked to James, trying to break free from the intense gaze his friend was pouring over her.
The injured man was still 'studying' the random book he'd picked up, but she could now make out the distinct frown pulling at his lips. He finally resigned himself to look at her, having must've felt the woman's eyes boring into his side profile. Carefully he put the book down.
Turning back to face her with a small apologetic smile. He didn't say anything, just gave a slight nod of his head, agreeing with the response Sirius had given her. Only then could she make out the dark circles he also wore. Though they were less pronounced on his skin it was easy to see the worry in his eyes.
Cynthia felt defeated. The air around her felt thick and stifling. The ache in her body made her feel even more disconnected. She needed some kind of answer from them. Anything!
"Then... " She spoke, slight desperation in her voice. "Don't explain..." She paused, thinking back to what had caused all this. "Just tell me I'm not mad..."
The two men didn't move... The somber feeling about them just seemed to grow thicker. She pressed again, trying to even her voice out as she spoke.
"Please, just tell me..." Cynthia felt her throat constrict "Those men, they... They're bad news... aren't they..." The woman held her breath waiting for any reaction in the mysterious men before her. She watched them carefully.
The silence felt loud and overbearing as it weighed down on Cynthia. The sound of her own breathing reminded her of cars rushing past her on the roadway.
"Yes."
The single word shattered the silence. It was James that answered her question. He walked forward to stand in front of the girl. He kept a slight distance, as if one more step would spook her. The sad look in his eyes felt just as out of place as the harsh gaze his companion wore.
Cynthia waited, but he said nothing more. They were watching her, waiting for something.
Oddly enough, Cynthia didn't feel scared of the men before her, it was those men outside that were her concern. She knew these guys meant her no harm, she could just feel it like she had earlier.
Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes. Reaching up she rubbed them with her hands and rolled her shoulders. Letting out a shuttered breath she forced herself to relax. They wouldn't or perhaps couldn't say more about what had happened tonight. Pushing would only make things worse, it didn't take much to guess that. Pulling her hands away from her face she looked back to these two strangers.
James still lingered in front of her, Sirius hanging back just watching. They did that alot. Watching her that is. Like she was some kind of creature they'd never dealt with. Maybe they didn't have much experience talking with women.
The anxious feeling pouring off them caused her a twinge of regret. They hadn't asked for this. They had been minding their own business when this all happened. The young men had been out on a walk in the park, just like her. Taking mercy on the two boys in front of her, Cynthia let out another sigh. The girl couldn't help feeling that she'd probably do that alot tonight.
"Okay." She paused, shaking her head once to acknowledge them. "Thank you for telling me." She tried to give them an understanding smile, pushing her own anxiety to the back of her mind. There was nothing more she could do for now.
The injured young man seemed to relax slightly at her reply, his friend as well, though they held it differently...
James Potter just watched the woman before him work through her feelings of uncertainty. He couldn't make out her facial expressions without his glasses, but her body language was easy enough to read.
He hadn't said much. Really shouldn't have said anything at all, but it was too late now. His own thoughts began swirling. What could he honestly tell her anyway? It wouldn't make her feel any better even if I did. It might put her in more danger.
James had often considered himself incredible at adapting to any situation. His Auror missions being just one example. Just take it one step at a time. Remember your Partner. Remember your basic spells. Remember your wand... . His thoughts halted abruptly.
He internally groaned. James couldn't help silently berate himself for forgetting it today. He'd put himself and Sirius in danger. If he'd had his stupid wand then they wouldn't have run, but could have fought. It would have been nice to take down a few more Death Eaters, considering how fast their numbers were multiplying.
Even if they hadn't stuck around they could have at least apparated away and not put this muggle in danger by following after her. Moody would have his badge if he heard about this, if only temporarily. Godric knows they needed all the help they could get in his department right now. Regardless, that man was serious about punishments... With a small silent chuckle at the unsaid joke he'd made to himself, James refocused on the muggle before him.
Her ability to read the situation and react so fast was unusual. It took almost six months of grueling training under Alastor Moody to get him where he was now. Not to mention all the practice his nightly adventures back in school had done to prepare him and his friends.
This young woman was probably just as old as Lily, maybe a little older. She didn't have magic, or training like he had. She didn't even know what was really happening out there. And he couldn't tell her. He couldn't warn her that everything she knew was in danger at this very moment. She wasn't part of this war. There was nothing she could do.
'But she did.'
The small voice in the back of his mind rang true. She did do something. Tonight this little muggle somehow knew something was wrong before either he or Sirius had. This... this Muggle Girl had saved them tonight.
He and Sirius easily could have died, leaving their friends behind to fight alone. He had a date with Lily tomorrow, he might have never made it. His heart constricted in his chest, the small ache tugged at him. You really never know when your last moment could be. The thought of what might have happened tonight just made him more determined to marry the love of his life as soon as possible. Oh, how he just wanted to run to Lily this very moment and sweep her up into his arms.
With a small shake of his head the young man looked towards his friend. Sirius, the smart one who actually brought his wand. Okay, smart might have been a stretch. Clever was a better word to describe his friend. Regardless, James wanted nothing more than to talk openly with him and hear his opinions, but it would have to wait.
Sirius' own thoughts churned in his mind. First, he knew women. Well... Kinda... Not exactly like what everyone believed back at Hogwarts. He had fun of course, and stayed faithful to his actual official girlfriends. Most girls had just been single dates with a bit of kissing. Nothing more, but most claimed otherwise. He didn't mind. His friends knew the truth and that was enough for him. The rumors had ticked his mum off so who cares, right?
Anyway... This girl in front of him was smart. Like not quite Remus level smart but pretty close. Obviously the best way to scale intelligence was to compare her to one of his best friends who knew what was actually going on. Though not knowing the details didn't seem to hinder her much.
She instantly saw through his and James' little 'argument'. That took most people a while longer to catch onto them, if ever. Not to mention how she knew something was wrong back in the park. This girl knew before anyone else. This pretty little thing had been on the move before his heighted animagus senses could even locate their attackers. How could a muggle girl do that? How could someone who knew nothing be on the move before two fully trained Auror's?
Sirius couldn't help the way his eyes narrowed again, he felt worry settle in the pit of his stomach weighing him down as he stood there watching her.
This was too much. It was far too suspicious and brought a few new questions to mind. Such as, why did she grab us? How did she know what was happening? Is she working with them? Is she a trap? Are Death Eaters going to apparate in right now and take us down or are they planning something? Sirius held in a growl as his thoughts took a turn for the worse.
'I won't let anyone hurt my family, especially not a pretty face.' He let the statement sink into his body. He felt the conviction in his magic as he made that statement a part of himself. Sirius pushed everything aside, focusing on the possible trouble that had brought them here. He took a breath, rolled his shoulders and came up to his full height.
He was Sirius Black and he had his own questions for this woman.
Well... There ya go! Chapter 1, done and dusted!
I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to leave a review and I'd love your comments or suggestions. This is my First Harry Potter Fanfiction and I'm hoping ya'll take it easy on me when I inevitably forget things and mess up. (I am american so it is bound to happen)
I appreciate ya, and see you in the next chapter!
((All rights to Harry Potter Belong to J.K. Rowling))
