Not Dead Yet

1990 December

The forest was cloaked in smoke for a good distance and all that could be heard was the sniffing of an aggravated wolf. A few curses had been fired but the wolf seemed content to fall and rise again to lash out at the nothingness surrounding him. Alana wondered if werewolves had been the inspiration for Inferi because the wolf would not stay down. She summoned Aquarius with a grimace and aimed the slime at the wolf's feet, watching as it wrapped around the creatures leg and attempted to secrete silver.

The wolf howled in agony as its left leg gave out. Her ears were left ringing by the sheer volume of the cry and she clutched her head as a wave of dizziness hit her. She was unprepared for the blockade of magic the tore from the beast like a tsunami. It tore up the ground, tearing Aquarius to pieces and throwing her backwards. She whimpered at the burning in her c.h.e.s.t resulting from the destruction of her summon. She could feel the impact on her mind like a window screen being fractured; not yet broken but in dire need of repair lest the damage become permanent.

She brought her wand up in the motion for another spell but it was interrupted before she could finish. She felt more than saw the creature move and found long claws pinning her arm to a tree in the span of a few breaths. She could only bite her lip as the talons tightened around her bicep and sunk into her skin. She raised her wand as the wolf got ready to infect her with its saliva or perhaps, it would just rip her to shreds.

"Quemar Alma." The Spanish syllables rolled off her tongue with unconcealed ill-intent. The wolf whimpered and backed off with its head clutched in his hands. Alana gritted her teeth against the pain. Her arm was likely broken as well as bleeding but she couldn't afford to lose focus much less with the dark spell she was holding. She could almost feel her magic leaving her wand to keep the spell going. It was hot and thick like blood and it entered the werewolf's veins eagerly. It burned from the inside out as its name suggested. To burn the soul. It was the darkest spell she had ever cast and it felt heavy on her tongue.

It was like mulled wine, hot and sweet as it quenched a thirst she didn't know existed. Every type of magic had their own unique taste but this was a shock to her system after her reliance on the more analytical mind arts and her associated summons. It was an addictive luxury that tempted you to forsake all else. She could see why families with traditionally dark magic cores kept such spells to themselves. They were both divine and repulsive in their attempt to rob you of your self. Alana could feel the throbbing heartbeat of the male and she curled her magic around it tenderly. The spell was seductive and gentle, there was patience in the way it killed. These were the rules she had to follow to use it. Her will had to align with the spell itself.

The dark arts had a mind of its own or rather, each spell brought specific emotions from the caster to the surface and forced them to submit to them. They had the potential to both destroy and empower their caster. She had rarely delved into the subject for that reason. It was dangerous. This spell, in particular, would kill the caster if used to end a life, though it would surely tempt them to do so. She cradled that heart and felt a purr of content from her magic. The wolf was trying to shove her magic from its body with its own but he was too unfocused and without a wand after his transformation... She squeezed. The werewolf howled and clawed at its c.h.e.s.t. The moon had long-since overcome the human rationality it once possessed. Alana moved forward slowly as she twisted her wand. Another howl of pain and she had reached the man-turned-beast. Her bleeding left hand inched towards his neck with a silver blade and she pushed with whatever strength she had left.

Had she been more aware of her surroundings, she would not have been so foolish. Not two inches from the neck, her hand slipped as a searing pain travelled up her left calf. It was there that a young, bony werewolf pup had locked its jaws. The spell snapped and the backlash had her falling to her knees beside a quickly recovering a.d.u.l.t wolf. She wasted no time in kicking the pup off her and casting a blood drawing curse in the hopes of preventing infection where the pup had bit her. Her head throbbed with the use of magic and she was painfully aware that she was reaching a limit in her endurance. She dispelled Pisces as the summon was too taxing on her. A limb collided with her body and she stifled a cry as she was tossed across the clearing like a ragdoll. Had she thought it possible, she had no doubt she would be running but the wolves were only increasing in ability and she wouldn't be able to hold out. Alana silently promised herself she would find a way to apparate with her underdeveloped core if she got out of this alive.

The smaller wolf pounced on her prone form and she rolled with its movements while sliding a knife out. If the pup was foolish enough to try then no one could blame her for being ruthless. Her silver blade slid into place like a puzzle piece and the wolf's head snapped with an audible click. It stilled almost immediately as the silver contaminated its bloodstream inducing a paralysis that would lead to eventual death if not removed soon. She shoved the body sideways and liberated herself from the weight. A nearby howl tore the night but Alana didn't spare the sound a glance. Instead, she bore her wand down on the wolf who had c.o.c.ked its head towards the call.

"Papula Caput." The bubblehead charm was easy enough and far less taxing as a neutral spell.

"Aer Evanesce." A variant of the vanishing spell she had never thought she would use what with vampires not needing to breathe. The wolf's eyes bulged as the vacuum environment began to draw oxygen from its body. She held both spells with a shaking wand arm. Fifteen seconds. Fourteen. Thirteen. Her control faltered. The wolf turned its head towards her. Eleven. 'Merlin help me.' The wolf moved slowly as though it wasn't sure where its limbs were. Her breaths came out in short gasps. Ten. He was too close. Nine.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! What the f.u.c.k are you doing on the floor?! No sleeping on the job!" Raymond yelled as he nailed the wolf's dead body with a few more bullets. Alana coughed some blood into her sleeve. If she wasn't so grateful for his presence she'd have beat the stupidity out of the mercenary aeons ago. She slumped backwards. Now that she considered it…

"How have you not gone all wolfy? The moon's out."

Raymond gave her his trademark grin and his usual grey eyes appeared to be ringed with burning amber from where she stared upwards from her back.

"Trick of the trade, Sparrow. Come on! Let's get you home!" He hooked an arm under her own undamaged one and hauled her up. They say actions speak louder than words and the saying suited Raymond like a glove. Despite his earlier words, he worked around her injuries carefully even those that weren't visible. In the end, she ended up on his back with her left arm wrapped tenderly and her chin resting in the nook between his shoulder and neck. She was surprisingly comfortable there or she was too tired to care. She was tempted to thank the man but it seemed… wrong. Actions spoke louder than words she supposed. She slid her eyes shut. She'd never been so confident as to sleep in the presence of any of the criminals she worked with but she would let it slide this once.

1991 January

"So, how was your holiday?" Charlotte asked the first morning back.

"Pretty normal," Alana replied when it became apparent from Leoen's stiff posture that he wasn't about to answer before her.

"Fine," He mumbled half-heartedly. Charlotte left it at that. They still had a free day to get settled in before classes began again and Charlotte proposed a study session in the library. It was a sad thing to realise that not even Lola had a better suggestion. What sad lives they lived. They left to grab a study corner once breakfast was finished. Unsurprisingly, they were the only ones there. The librarian, Mrs Pince was giving Alana a warning glance that she chose to ignore. She was a pure bean who had done nothing too untoward to the woman.

They claimed a few couches by a large table and Charlotte and Alana both flopped down elegantly followed by Lola and Leoen who wanted to preserve their dignity. Each of them had their own interests so they settled into a comfortable silence as books were steadily added to their table. Leoen was about halfway through a book on the sixth Goblin War when a group of Slytherins poked their heads past the shelves. He frowned at the interruption but chose to stare at them blankly rather than glare as they approached. He had seen his brother do the same and the tactic proved far more effective on Slytherins.

"G-Good morning, Alana. I trust you had a pleasant Yule?" Lucian brushed of his initial stutter with the grace of a linguist. Alana hummed as she looked up from her book.

"Pleasant enough I suppose. I got a few jobs finished which was nice. And you, Lucian? How is your family?" She was hardly interested in his family but it was customary to ask out of politeness and Lucian did love to talk about them. She always found it amusing that no Slytherin had dared to ask what 'jobs' she did as of yet. They really did hate admitting to ignorance. She had seen an equal number of Ravenclaws with the same issue.

"You have a job?" Leoen blinked at the news. Alana facepalmed internally. 'Of all the time to ask. At least let Lucian answer me first.'

"I have jobs. With an 's' as in plural as in contracts," She explained rather unhelpfully.

"What do people contract you for? You're fourteen," Charlotte deadpanned.

Alana blinked. How to answer this question… She considered the large number of contracts she had signed.

"Information gathering, private investigation, pest control, hmn…. I can't think of anything else at the moment…" Anything legal that is. There were a large number of surprised, plotting and generally impure faces looking at her already so she thought it best to stop. Lola was openly gaping but seemed to come back to reality quicker than the rest.

"What's pest control?" She asked with wide eyes filled with innocence one couldn't help but want to corrupt.

"I got to off some Erklings a few times, deal with a fire pixie infestation and trap some gremlins. Some people have really strange tastes in pets." She considered the fellow who had tried to tame a manticore. Best not to mention that one and give the rich kids any ideas.

"Have you ever come across any snakes?" The question came from a friend of Lucian's who deemed it safe to join in the Q&A.

"An acquaintance of mine had a Swiss Viper she used engorgio on once but couldn't undo the spell after. It was rather funny actually. She had a snake the size of a small bed for an entire week before we figured out the poor thing had gotten into her potion supply and whatever it ate had affected the spell."

A few more stories got passed around and two groups mingled quite well with Alana as a metaphorical buffer. It was strangely reminiscent of when she had Raymond, Greyson and Lilith Bathery in the same room. The latter was the owner of the Viper she had told the Slytherins about.

Leoen scowled silently as the Slytherins invaded his territory yet again. Ha! What Volkov name?! These purebloods see a bone and ignore the dog guarding it. His scowl turned into a pout. Alana was clearly becoming too interesting to these pests. Had he not been born with a strong sense of self-preservation, he would have asked his brother to deal with his housemates. Alas, his brother was both terrifying and socially inept. He caught Alana shooting him a reassuring smile. He wondered if she knew the source of his discomfort or just that he was upset. It didn't matter to him really. He felt a smile tug at his lips. Alana obviously liked him best so it was fine if she played host as well. He was a generous friend like that.

Edited 25.10.2019