Watching and Waiting {Open}

[elena lee]

As always, the streets of Hogsmeade were bustling with the current Hogwart’s visit. Students flocked to meet friends and lovers. Some idiots even dared to step into Madam Puddifoot’s. The poor unfortunate souls. Elena herself had never seen the appeal of the establishment. It was hot and smelled way too heavily of perfume for Elena’s taste. No, Elena would rather risk the crowd in The Three Broomsticks than ever face entering Madam Puddifoots.

So said, Elena altered her path to the Three Broomsticks so she could sit and watch for any trouble that might pop up. Few of the students knew it but they were being watched after by a select few ministry aurors. At present, Elena only knew that there was one, other than herself, who was here in the Hogsmeade/Hogwarts area. She didn’t know who it was and Elena could only assume that this person didn’t know her identity either.

Ordering her drink and paying was simple enough and despite the long lines, Madam Rosmerta was fast. Finding a secluded table, however, was harder that she had originally anticipated but luck was on her side as a table to her immediate left opened up. Leaping into the booth before anyone else could, Elena now had the perfect place to watch over the students. Settling in for the long haul, Elena fluffed her currently blonde hair and leaned back into the cushioned seat.

[myseri rhayne]

Never had Myseri ever realized that large groups of people gave her migraines. Then again, she never surrounded herself with the amount of people in Hogsmeade that day. With every word muttered, another thump came into her head. She noticed the Three Broomsticks agead and practically ran in the door. It wasn't nearly as cramped as the outside world. Within moments, she had paid for her butterbeer and scanned for a place to sit. Not a single open seat. She sighed quickly and took another look around the place. By the looks of it, there was a lot of room around a woman. Unfortunately, she held herself a little higher than most. Myseri could tell she had some importance. Maybe she was from the ministry. Another sigh escaped her lips and she walked over there.

Luckily, as she was walking a group of girls left the table across from the booth. "Whew," Myseri sighed again. This one was more along the lines of relief. She wasn't about to get herself killed by a member of the Ministry after surviving this long. Being a vampire was one thing, being a vampire employed by Death Eaters was another. Plus, she would have no where to run. Orphaned and alone, she raised herself. If she could do that, she could do anything.

She took a small sip of her drink and smiled. "Sweet, sweet relief.." she murmured as it slowly calmed the storm of her head. She took another drink and eyed the room. She couldn't pick up on any other Slytherins. They were probably out causing issues somewhere, not relaxing like they should. Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs filled the room. The Gryffindors were probably out playing superheroes against the Slytherins. Another sip of her butterbeer and she laid her head down against the table. It had been a long day and she really didn't want anymore issues.

[elena lee]

Elena had just been enjoying her butterbeer and watching the students interact when something caught her eye, or rather, someone. The girl who had just walked in definitely seemed a bit out of place, but perhaps the only reason she stood out to Elena was because of the numerous tattoos on this girl. ‘Like I can talk.’ Elena thought to herself, her left hand absentmindedly going to feel her own tattoo on the back of her neck. It wasn’t much, just a small heart with butterfly wings but to Elena it was a treasured memorial to her dear departed mother.

Elena’s icy eyes watched as the girl got a drink then looked for a place to sit. For a moment it looked like the girl had entertained ideas of coming to Elena’s table, but Elena was wrong. The raven haired girl sat at the table in front of the booth. There was something about her that told Elena to be weary.

Now normally, Elena doesn’t linger on one observation too long. Most times, all it takes is a glance and Elena can tell whether or not the person has the potential to cause trouble. This girl was different. Elena’s gut was telling her to watch this girl and if there was one thing Elena trusted, it was her instincts. Only when the girl lay her head down on the table and closed her eyes did Elena make a move. “Um, excuse me? Are you alright?” She asked, trying to get the girl to open her eyes. Didn’t she know that there were dangerous people out there and, dark side or not, they would not hesitate to harm a young school girl such as herself? Again Elena wanted to slap her forehead but refrained. ‘Merlin I’m starting to sound like Mad-Eye.’ The very thought made her giggle.

[myseri rhayne]

Myseri's headache was just disappearing when she heard a voice close to her. Raising her head slowly, she opened her eyes and looked at it's origin. It was the Ministry chick. The concern in her voice told Myseri that she wasnt reading too much into her as a person of interest. Shaking her head, she smiled and nodded. "I'll be alright, just a headache," she noted, "and I can take care of myself. This place is no Knockturn." She wasn't trying to show off where she'd been. That would add more suspicion to her. She was just attempting to reassure the woman in hopes of being left alone.

She sipped her butter beer and smiled. "Aren't you a little, "she searched for a word, "superior for this place?" she asked. She wasn't calling her old. The woman was anything but old. She was just poking at what she was in the Ministry. That way, Myseri wouldn't have to worry about saying all too much. Rubbing her forehead softly, she ran her fingers over the stars. She hadn't had a new one in quite sometime. Thank Merlin for that. "I hope I didn't worry you too much," she finally added with a tinge of sincerity.

[elena lee]

Elena watched as the girl finally looked up to see who had spoken. Looking at this girl, Elena knew that she had some spunk but she wouldn’t be causing trouble, not today at least. The corner of Elena’s lips quirked into a small smile. Knockturn? Knockturn Alley? Well if she wanted to throw around dangerous locations, Elena could play that game as well. “Yeah, it’s no Azkaban either.” As she finished her sentence Elena couldn’t help but chuckle. For some odd reason Azkaban always made her chuckle. Of course it wasn’t so funny when she was transporting prisoners and the Dementors were going full force with the happiness sucking. No, Azkaban was only funny when off of the island.

“Me? Superior? Nah! I’m just enjoying a non-alcoholic beverage that I wish was otherwise in one of my favorite establishments.” Elena smiled leaving out the part where she was only there for the safety of the students. One murder had already taken place, there needn’t be another and Elena was there in case the mysterious murderer should strike again.

“Don’t worry about worrying me. It’s my job to look after people and keep them safe. You looked about to fall asleep and, while I am sure you can take care of yourself, it’s dangerous. Even here some guy could come in while you were resting and take you off to do Merlin knows what to you.” Trying to explain her actions were more difficult than Elena had thought. She hadn’t lied, this girl did look like she could take care of herself, but even the strong have a weakness and Elena would have hated to find out something had happened to her when she could have prevented it.

“So…You have a lot of tattoos for someone so young. Do they have stories behind them?” Her hand idly tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. ‘Ugh! I hate being blonde.’ The distaste was evident in the echoes of her mind. Oh well, just a few more hours till she would be back to her usual midnight locks.

[myseri rhayne]

Azkaban huh? Myseri thought to herself. This chick definitely hadn't been to Azkaban herself, not for a crime anyway. "Oh I feel you on the non-alcoholic part. At times, I wish I was of age to get rid of all this stress, she murmured as she took another sip of the butter beer. The stress seemed to consume her at times. Dealing with all these hyperactive, little twits with their parents' money and carefree lives made her want to puke. It wasn't fair to her. Then again, who ever said life was. Motioning to the stool beside her, she offered the woman a seat.

She laughed a bit when the woman became saying how anything could happen. "Well, where I come from, you learn to sleep with a metaphorical eye open," she said and quickly added, "especially when you are the last of your kind." Her smile faded as the last words escaped her lips. Rubbing her head to remove the pain once more, she heard the chick ask about her tattoos. A smile quickly reappeared as she nodded. "This is my mother, Antoinette, " she said as her gloved hand pointed to her left forearm. "My father, Kindred, is here beside my brother, Rayge, " she said as gestured to her right shoulder. Rubbing over her heart she noted, "and here is where my twin sister, Mystique, lies. Unfortunately, they're all dead. Every last one." Taking a moment , she held in her breath. It kept the tears at bay. "The rest remind me of where I've been and who I am." She sipped her butter beer again. Oh thank Merlin for that. It was slowly putting her migraine away.

Half way through her sip, she realized she hadn't introduced herself. "I'm Myseri Rhayne," she added after she finished swallowing. It didn't matter how much she told the woman about her family. They weren't in the system. The most the Ministry had was that they had been murdered. No one knew they were vampires. Even if the woman had stolen Myseri's gloves, she couldn't decipher her brands. Not unless she was a vampire herself. And that, Myseri highly, highly doubted.

[elena lee]

Things must be stressful if this girl was wishing she had liquor. Elena shook her head slightly, the things kids these days had to go through was insane. This dark lord was ruining the world for many adolescents and that upset Elena greatly. No one should have their childhood stolen because some selfish blood purist ass wanted the world for himself.

Taking the offered seat, Elena made sure to grab her drink before she sat down beside her. Elena’s eyes narrowed for a second. The last of her kind? Shrugging it off as a pureblood wishing there were more with untainted blood, Elena gave the girl a half smile. “I think, now a days, everyone is learning to sleep with an eye open.” Not able to hold it back, a small laugh escaped Elena as her eyes closed reliving a memory. She could clearly remember in Auror Academy the instructor who had always been adamant that the cadets practiced ‘CONSTANT VIGILANCE!’ Boy would he be proud of her now.

“I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t say I know what you are feeling, but I too lost my mother.” Turning her back to the girl, Elena lifted her hair to reveal the tattoo on the back of her neck. It wasn’t a picture, just a simple heart with tribal butterfly wings. “I got that to remember her by. I can’t see her but she’ll always be there.” Returning to her original position, Elena grabbed her butterbeer and raised it slightly, “May they rest in peace.” She murmured before taking a sip.

“I’m Elena Lee.” She felt safe giving out her name because it was unlikely that this girl, who appeared to be a student, would know who she was. Even so, the identities of most field Aurors were kept well hidden with very few actually knowing their names. Elena was lucky. Even if someone had her name and picture, she could change her appearance at will and get an alias.

[myseri rhayne]

Myseri listened intently with her ears partially closed. She nodded in agreement. Losing a family member was rough, losing them all was miserable. She had always damned the Dark Lord for pulling them into such a mess. Vampires weren't a cleanup crew no matter how much he wanted them to be. Raising a glass in memory, "here here," she chimed with a smile. "At least you've only lost one" she added, "thing could have been a lot worse." She was a prime example of things being a lot worse.

The stinging in her mind had faded greatly. "Well Elena," she started off, "what brings you to the wondrous Hogsmeade?" Myseri already knew the woman was from the Ministry. How much she was willing to divulge was another story. For all she knew, the young Elena wasn't Elena and she would lie her way into anything Myseri wanted to hear. However, she doubted that. The girls had common ground. No matter how much hatred someone had for another, a loss always brought them closer. Oddly enough, Myseri could see Elena being a close friend. She would just have to tread lightly for now.

Bells in her head rang brightly as they told her to stop where she was and just keep gaining information.. For now, that's all she could do. She slid her fingers up her glove and scratched the palm of her left hand. Oh how she wished they had healed over in this many years. It was an annoyance to itch this way. She knew exactly how a dog with fleas felt.

[elena lee]

Elena could only nod. Things could get much worse. With only her father and her brother left, Elena was very protective of the two. Especially her father who was one of the head Aurors at the ministry. Merlin knows how many different prices he has on his head for his work against the dark side.

Barely catching the last of Myseri’s sentence, Elena’s stomach began to churn. She hadn’t thought of a cover story for why she was here. In fact, that had been just what she was about to do before she entered into this conversation. “Well, my work has me going between here and a few other locations. You’ll probably be seeing me around the village a bit and there is a good chance I will be around the castle. I swear, the work of us paper-pushers is never done. Approve this, inquire about that, acquire some of those.” She huffed to make her excuse seem more realistic. Truthfully, Elena’s job was anything but paper-pushing. With her talent, she was often one of the first chosen for field missions. Of course, everyone else at the office thought it was a father playing favorites with his daughter. Few knew of Elena’s special talent and few ever would.

Inside, Elena felt bad about telling a half truth to Myseri. The girl was a little odd, but Elena could see where a friendship of sorts could grow. Still, it was prudent that Elena keep it under wraps that she was one of the few working the Hogwarts case so a small half lie was necessary to keep not only herself but everyone else safe.

[myseri rhayne]

From what Myseri deduced, if Elena was going to be floating around, she was an Auror. That's the only thing that made sense to her. The paper-pushing was probably just stupid field reports that she assumed she had to do. She grinned to herself, but she couldn't act on it. The woman was too nice. She clicked with her, something her father told her not to do with humans. Damn it, she thought to herself as she stole another sip of her butter beer.

"Wow, that has to suck. I had doing much of any work, let alone paper work," she said as she laughed a little. It was unusually easy to talk to Elena and Myseri feared it would cause her problems in the long run. Sliding her finger around the edge of her butter beer, she tried to think of how to keep conversation. She could allow herself to talk about issues, just not the reason behind them. That could be risky if Elena caught on, which Myseri didn't doubt that she would. You got to have a good head on your shoulders for the Ministry.

A sigh escaped her as she had gotten her mind on the subject of her problems. Might as well voice them now. She shifted her head to a table of gossiping Slytherin girls. They were not doubt younger than her, but they obviously didn't care. They were whispering and pointing fingers at her. Oh, Myseri couldn't wait until they wandered into the forest. She was boiled up with excitement and hatred. "That," she frustratedly said as she pointed to them, "is probably what most of your paper work will be about if your around the castle."

[elena lee]

Elena calmly sipped her butterbeer and watched as the dark haired girl before her got lost in her thoughts. If looks were anything to go by, Myseri was thinking about something deep.

"Oh I know! The paperwork is killer! Not to mention, it's the same routine day after day after day! I swear the next time some bumbling idiot screws up on a form and I have to make a another, I'll crack. Unforgivables may be used." Elena had to fight off her eye's urge to twitch. She really hated it when people screwed up the reports she had spent hours working on. The last assisstant who had messed up was lucky that her father had just happened to come along to pick her up for lunch, otherwise he would still be in St. Mungos.

Looking to where Myseri pointed, Elena saw a group of girls pointing and whispering. They too were Slytherins and Elena couldn't figure why they were laughing at one of their own. Usually Slytherins had at least a shaky truce with each other. "What's there problem?" Turning her icy eyes on the group, Elena sent them a glare that could rival a basilisk's. "You know, I have some connections. I could get a group in here to scare them good." Elena whispered never taking her eyes off of the group.

[myseri rhayne]

Myseri really hated when she lost herself in her mind. It would be the death of her, she swore it. Then again, no one had a better touch with themselves as she did. It was probably just being alone all the time that made her this way.

"I would too!" she exclaimed, "Paper work is bad enough, but if I had some moron not knowing the difference between forms and proper stuff, I'd lose it." That was very true. She hated stupidity. It was one of the many things she couldn't tolerate. It was one thing to be stupid, but it was another to flaunt it. When it came down to it, stupidity was as bad as dishonesty and backstabbing. People like that weren't worth the skin they inhabited.

The girls stopped their giggling once they caught Elena's glare. "It's because I'm an orphan and," Myseri stopped herself before she revealed herself and ruined the whole life she had built. Azkaban wasn't a place for her. A life without feeding would be a short one. "Mainly because I'm orphaned and I don't chase around the boys like they do. I have respect so they take as insecurity," the words were bitter even though she hadn't meant for them to be. "I could get them if I wanted to," she mumbled, "I just don't want to risk myself doing it."

[elena lee]

Apparently, Elena and Myseri had another thing in common, their hatred of stupidity. "Between you and me, stupid people should be locked up on some deserted island with lots of poisonous snakes." She looked happy for a moment before her eyes darkened. "But knowing my luck they would adapt and take over the world, find out it was me who put them there, and extract revenge in the horrible ways only the stupid can accomplish." No, better keep the stupid inland and use the nice tropical islands to capture and hold the hotties of the world prisoner.

"They pick on you because you're an orphan? That's horrible!" There was something else Myseri was leaving out, Elena could feel it but she decided not to press what little luck she had. Everyone was entitled to their dirty little secrets and Merlin knew Elena had more than a fair share of her own. If the regular people knew the missions she had been on, the things she had seen, no one would look at her the same anymore. The same would happen if they found out about her abilities. Metamorphmagi were rare and Elena had no doubt she would be exploited if anyone other than those she trusted ever found out.

Tucking the stupid strand of hair behind her ear again, Elena took in Myseri's demeanor. "Well, the offer will always stand. I don't like people picking on others and if you want those girls to get a good scare I have a few friends who could arrange it."

[myseri rhayne]

Myseri shook her head, "they wouldn't adapt. Evolution would set in and they would become mutant humans who use brute force because their minds are capable of intelligent thought." A small laughed escaped her at the thought of such a thing happening. Then again, it would be her luck. Apparently, Elena and Myseri shared terrible luck as well. Besides, if Elena hadn't known, the majority of uncharted islands were owned by vampires who kept them as feeding grounds.

With a shrug and a sigh, Myseri didn't let it bother her. Yeah, being an orphan sucked a lot. She would do anything to bring her family back. She'd even tried once or twice to do so, but no luck once again. She hand't expected it work anyway. Resurrection didn't happen anymore. Moving on and growing up was her only other option and that's exactly what she did. That was the reason she was so cold anymore anyway. If she had Mystique or Rayge, she would never have gotten this way.

Popping back into the real world, she offered Elena a smile. This one was genuine. "Thank you. I appreciate it," Myseri noted while still smiling. Never would she have expected someone, let alone a Ministry worker, to be so kind. You learn something new everyday.

[elena lee]

Elena nodded with Myseri’s assessment. “You make a good point. Perhaps we could find a really bad island to abandon them on. Or do you think they would learn to swim?” Unaware of it, Elena’s hand went to her chin in the classic thinking position. “I one heard a rumor that stupid people float. Do you think it’s true?” The desire to perform an experiment on the matter was tempting, but alas! Elena had a job to do and duties to uphold.

“Anytime. Seriously. I get so bored! A good fight would be worth any punishment I would get if word got back to my boss.” And Merlin knows her boss would be brutal. Just because her father was her boss didn’t mean that Elena got special treatment. Quite the opposite really. Elena had been pushed farther and harder than every other cadet she had entered the Auror academy with. Just because her dad wanted her to be worthy of the title. A small wince flashed across her face as Elena remembered all the times she had been put under the two Unforgivables that didn’t cause death. Those had been some rough weeks.

“So how are things at school? Everything still the same?” She wasn’t really interested in the school, even though a part of her wanted to reminisce. No, she needed to know if anything suspicious was going on and as the Slytherins were almost always in the thick of things, Elena felt she had a good source to go by.