All Eyes {Open}

[elena lee]

All Eyes on me
like I'm center ring

It was an ordinary day in Knockturn Alley. Shady characters were all around as well as a few nervous looking teens who were more than likely there without their parent’s permission. Every sound made them jump, it was clear they didn’t belong here. Along the street people were selling items of suspicious nature that, while looking powerful, were no more than cheap trinkets with a glamour. Occasionally, a real dark artifact would pass through but those were few and far between.

Though many people passed, very few noticed the blonde leaning against the wall of the bookstore. Her ice blue eyes wandered from one end of the alley to the other watching for anything suspicious. By her feet were a few bags filled with things she had purchased from some of the more respectable stores in the ill refuted alley. Technically, she wasn’t supposed to be shopping, but the bags made her presence in the alley more believable.

The longer she just stood there, the more odd looks she got from store owners. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Elena pushed off from the wall and, after shrinking her bags, began to browse the alley once more. No one noticed the way her eyes never looked back to the same spot twice. Her gaze was all over the alley, no one was left unviewed. Mentally she cataloged everything she saw. Her mission wasn’t an easy one but she would watch the alley for anyone looking guilty or suspicious and especially for any known death eaters.

In training, Auror Moody had always emphasized CONSTANT VIGILANCE! And Elena liked to think that she was fairly good at being constantly aware of her surroundings. That’s why it surprised her when someone came up from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder.

[/size]

[leon cortez]

It was just another day in the shady alley ways of Knockturn Alley. Around ever corner, one could find a criminal in one way shape or form, no matter the crime. The black market can be defined as; the underground economy is a market where all commerce is conducted without regard to taxation, law or regulations of trade. In Knockturn Alley, there was no such thing as an underground or hidden market. The illegal trades and purchases all went down within eye view. Some places even seemed more like Bazaars then walkways. Leon wasn’t here to bust everyone though. The criminals he dealt with were much more dangerous then a bunch of people looking for worthless artifacts or weapons. Leon knew well enough that the garbage traded or sold were all fakes or replicas. He knew exactly were to find what he was looking for. Surprisingly, he wasn’t looking for a criminal. Quite the opposite really.

The woman he was looking for was extremely elusive. It was her job to be so anyways. But Leon knew her tactics well enough. Finding her would only be a matter of time. Why he received the job to find her though was out of his hands. Following orders was something he did well, not something he had to understand. Leon turned a corner and paused before taking in his surroundings. He had just walked into a fairly open area. This area appeared to be a little less shade then the places he had been walking in before. Some students were roaming around, paranoid. He always wondered why people went places they were uncomfortable with. Other trades were going on in this area, but even less important than those in the alley. Only one thing really caught his eye though.

Leon smiled and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it up and watched quietly from a safe distance. The blond girl had icy blue eyes that shifted non-stop from person to person. She had several bags with her. The paranoid behavior didn’t exactly make her stand out though; it was that she was just standing there, with her bags. No one was sane enough to just stand around, even with a back to the wall. It was just asking for trouble. As if she read his mind, she picked up her bags and began moving. Leon had little time to react. He began moving after her, moving through people without making a sound. He crept closer to her with each step he took. She must have been to busy with something because catching up to her was easier then he thought. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Leon made sure he was smiling for when Elena turned around to see him. No doubt she would be both relieved and angered that he was standing there before her. The first question she would probably ask was, “Did dad send you again?” The truth was, he wasn’t sure who sent him, but the mission was to find her, and keep an eye on her. He wasn’t exactly supposed to reveal himself, but Leon knew it was a bull shit mission. Mr. Lee was one of the Auror’s Department Heads, and occasionally Leon received a mission to keep an eye on certain people. Whenever it involved Ms. Lee, Leon was sure it was purely to keep her safe, no matter who it came from. ”Hey! Glad to see me?”

[elena lee]

The feel of the large hand on her shoulder instantly told Elena that her assailant was of the male gender. Her body tensed ready to attack should the person be an unfriendly. Slowly she began to turn and to her relief her eyes fell upon a guy she was familiar with. It was Leon Cortez, a fellow Auror and on more than one occasion, a mission team member. Heaving a sigh and resisting the urge to slap him on the arm, Elena narrowed her eyes in annoyance. “You are lucky! The next time you sneak up on me like that, you will be seen leaving a gay bar by everyone in the department.” The threat was only half serious as Elena would never use her power to humiliate another unless the situation called for it. But then again, Leon was a special case.

“So…Why did dad send you this time? I‘m a big girl! I don‘t need a babysitter for a st-…shopping trip.” She caught herself before she could say stakeout. It had to have been her father who had ordered the fellow Auror to find her. It was no wonder She was always looked down upon in the office since her father more often than not sent a protective detail. Just as she walked to the next stand, Elena noticed some suspicious glances being sent her way. Really it was no surprise. Who wouldn’t be suspicious of a young well dressed girl and an equally young well dressed guy? “I can’t believe daddy would do this! I do not need a body guard to trail me everywhere I go! You won‘t take me back, will you?” She exclaimed somewhat loudly. Hopefully people would think she was just a rich spoiled brat who had been caught after sneaking out of the manor. Little did they know, most of what she had just exclaimed was truth. To make things more authentic, Elena made her eyes water a bit and clutched onto Leon’s arm with what she hoped looked like desperation on her face.

Now that she was closer, Elena could smell the cigarette he was holding, the scent tantalizing her nose. “You know those are bad for you, right? Do I really need to burn you with it?” The threat was very real, even though she was being a bit hypocritical. Up until a few years ago, Elena had been a regular smoker. It had been exciting to smoke around Hogwarts and try not to get caught. But after her mother had died and Elena had sworn her vengeance, smoking became more of a hindrance than a relief. As far as Elena was concerned, Aurors needed to be fit and healthy, not frequent smokers. Quickly glancing around, Elena leaned in close and whispered, “You know, when we’re chasing someone, I’ll be hot on their tail and you’ll be five miles back coughing up a lung.” Going back to perusing the stands, Elena couldn’t help but smile. “Sometimes I think you’re trying to tempt me back into the habit, Mr. Cortez.” This was a real test of her will power and, even though she longed to pull the cigarette from him and take a drag, Elena held strong.

Dragging her eyes away from the glowing cherry, Elena looked around. The people she was supposed to be watching still weren’t here. Maybe they had been informed that there was a spy, but surely they would have to come back at some point. Elena had been staking this section of Knockturn Alley out for far to long to let a little leak ruin it.

[leon cortez]

Leon smiled. So it was a game she wanted to play? Taking a quick around, he noticed several people were taking notice of them. Sooner or later, they would get a crowd. That would be both a good and a bad thing. Chances were, they would draw out whoever the hell it was little Ms. Lee was looking for. ”Take you back? Now how do you think I should answer that? Ill be taking you back, that’s for sure. Not just yet though.” He pretended to give in to her tears.

Leon had just taken a long puff of his cigarette when Ms. Lee complained about his smoking habit. ”Course I know, and I can do that myself.” He turned the cigarette off by rubbing the burning end on his open palm. The stinging, burning sensation lasted momentarily. He flicked the left over cigarette to the curb. ”Sooner and later I’m going to have to quit. Between you and a young girl I know, Ill never be able to smoke again.” He rubbed his forehead. ”And you don’t have to worry about me, ill be able to do much more then just keep up.”

Leon took notice right away when her eyes shifted from him, towards the people around. It was evident to him that she still hadn’t found whatever it was she was looking for. She was definitely hanging around the same spot for much too long. It was time to change strategies. Leon leaned in to whisper into her ear. ”Its time to find another stake out spot. Maybe some shady motel we can rent by the hour.” The last part was a joke, but it really wouldn’t hurt to find a place to sit and watch the streets. He was almost expecting a punch in the face from her for the joke. Or maybe she really would walk out of a gay bar…

Before she could react, he went and picked up her bags. Even if she disagreed, all she had to do was change her appearance somewhere no one was looking and come right back out into the street. Leon would probably have to watch from a distance. Unfortunately, he never learned any appearance changing magic other then pollyjuice, and let’s face it. Leon wasn’t about to drink a nasty potion like that.

[elena lee]

It was hard not to smile when Leon pretended to give in to her tearful pleas. “Thank you so much! Daddy will never find out, I promise!” she clapped her hands in delight, every little bounce she gave seemed to diminish her IQ ten points. Deciding to have a little fun, Elena made the choice to see if she could get Leon to blush. Standing on her tip toes she quickly kissed his cheek then bounced back to the stand where she had been browsing.

When Leon touched the lit cigarette to his arm, Elena had to fight back a gag. She could already smell the nauseating scent of burnt flesh. Her eyes had trouble leaving the spot he had burned. Who could do such a thing to themselves? Well obviously Leon! Then again, Elena had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse, voluntarily, multiple times during Auror training. Surely a good Crucio hurt more than that, but as much as she tried to convince herself of it Elena just couldn’t bring herself to think so. “This girl of yours has good sense. Don’t worry. If I can go clean so can you. But I won’t push you. If you want to smoke, by all means, your secret is safe with me.” He didn’t need to know that if he did smoke around her she would more than likely lose her will power and take his cigarette for herself.

“I wasn’t aware that the elderly had good stamina.” Elena nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, deciding to let him take that little comment however he wanted. Even though he was only a few years older than her, she liked to tease him about his age. Honestly, she had heard of him before she knew him. Leon wasn’t one of the top Aurors in the department for nothing. And even though he smoked, he almost always caught his target. If anything, he was a role model for the younger incoming Aurors. Leon had earned his talent, unlike her who had been born with a talent then fit it to the job. She would always be a bit jealous of him for that.

She noticed him looking around. Indeed they were becoming a bit too obvious to the crowd. He leaned in a whispered in her ear and, even though she knew he was more or less joking, Elena couldn’t fight the blush that crept onto her cheeks. Her mouth dropped open in shock and for a moment, she was speechless. She hadn’t been this shocked since sixth year potions when a boy sharing her table had pointed to his pocket and said, ‘My wand is vibrating, can you get it?’ Of course, later on she learned that his wand actually had been in his pocket and he had wound up getting burned because it malfunctioned, but still.

“Where ever you think would be best.” She stammered out as he grabbed her bags. Quickly catching up to him, she gave him a wry smile. “And Cortez. Next time you say something like that to me without meaning it you will be seen kissing every male Auror in the office. While naked.” Evil thy name is Elena. She could joke too, he'd just never know it.