Her heart leaped, her blood sang, her eyes narrowed in the dim light. When Duncan's feet shifted, she flicked her wand.

Lorelei flung up a Protego in front of her, stepping to the side to face the grave.

His spell bounced off her shield and hit the ground nearby in a shower of dirt.

She tsked as the white flower fell off Iona's gravestone.

Anything he threw at her, she could do the same and worse to those he loved.

Crouching in a defensive stance, she let him try again, her mouth splitting into a feral grin.

Duncan narrowed his eyes in response as his opponent deftly cast a shield. She wasn’t retaliating right away. The witch was either brave or very foolish and he would bet on the latter.

He shifted his weight slightly one way before moving suddenly and flicked his wand, mutturing with conviction, “Effodio!”[1]. A purple lightning bolt leapt from the tip of his wand and raced towards Lorelei.

1.	Deep bloody gashes and diminished strength around the point of impact. The weakening element acts like poison, crippling the victim until he is administered dittany and given rest. Appearance: A brilliant purple lightning bolt. - Illegal

Effodio! Bad McBoid! The familiar purple bolt lanced towards her and Lorelei leaped to the side, but not fast enough. The very tip of the spell grazed her shoulder, cutting through her cloak.

She hissed as it bit into her skin, knowing what it meant. A slow, numbing poison. She'd used it often enough.

A cold rage rose up in her. Her pentral laughed in her head.

Continuing to move, she shot a Confringo in his direction, aiming above his head at the tree branches.

Time to make a scene.

Duncan’s spell landed, but in the case of duels there was no time to celebrate. He didn’t wait to see where her return spell was aimed, but he heard it hit the branches above him as he launched himself away to the side.

He flicked his wand while he moved he casted a Quaerite Vulnere[1] at her, aiming for her shoulder. This particular spell naturally sought out the injuries of anyone it managed to hit, but he could help it along.

1.	Quaerite Vulnere = seek wound - makes injuries more severe

The tree branches went up in flames. Lorelei continued to move, stalking in a wide circle around Duncan. Cold air cut through the bleeding wound on her shoulder, reminding her not to stand still.

A hex zinged past her ear, hitting the ground with a sizzle. A swish and a miss! She smiled as her eyes flashed hate. She shrugged her shoulder in a nonchalant gesture even as a tingling, numbing sensation was spreading down her arm.

"Ossa ruptor!" Lorelei hissed at Duncan, her wand trained on him generally, not about to make the same mistake he had. A stream of white light shot out at him.[1]

Somewhere above them, a burning branch fell from the tree. She kept moving.

1.	bone-breaking hex

Lorelei moved and Duncan moved. In some ways it was like a dance. A deadly dance. One wrong move would spell the end for either of them.

One step was a second too slow, and the Scotsman didn’t completely avoid the witch’s hex. The spell hit a portion of his left hand and two of his fingers broke with audible snaps. Duncan bit down on a vocal exclamation keeping his eyes fixed on his opponent. His hand would have to wait.

The two wix traded spells back and forth, both duelists focused on offense more than defense as the seconds ticked by. While he was able nick her a couple times more Lorelei proved capable in her own attacks as well, even with madness glinting in her eyes.

After a few long minutes Duncan stood, still moving, still with his attention on Lorelei as he glared at her. He hurt. Blood trailed down his arm, soaking into his clothes. He did not want to lose this dance.

Her shoulder bled, but no longer hurt, the numbness seeping into her back and chest. Every breath she took hurt. She limped around Duncan McBoid as the burning branches continued to fall.

The hate reflected in his eyes made her float above it all. What was pain? He'd bloodied her skin, scarred her disguise, but he hadn't reached her.

They came from different worlds. In his world, fathers and mothers protected their children and when they couldn't, at least they didn't hurt them and when they did, at least someone else loved them, and no matter what, they all died the same, loved or unloved, buried beneath stone and tree.

The corner of Lorelei's mouth twitched. He'd never reach her. He'd never find Iona in the ground either. Not in the woods, not by the cottage. She'd made Iona the same as her.

She aimed, shaping her will into one word.

Deprimo!

A light shot out of her wand, green against the flames above.

The light lanced towards the ground at Duncan's feet.

An empty grave, the truth!

Light from Lorelei’s wand raced towards him and Duncan leaped back as it hit the ground, somehow managing to avoid the hole opening in the earth. A crack sounded causing his gaze to shoot up again. The witch was gone, apparating away. Escaping.

Duncan’s eyes burned with frustration, another flaming branch falling behind him. Pointing his wand up at the tree he thought, rather forcefully, Augamenti. Water erupted from his wand, dousing the flames.

Though his injuries throbbed the Scotsman took some time putting the area back in order. The hole in the ground was filled. The fallen branches cleared away. He did everything he could to hide evidence of a duel. The tree would forever be a testament but maybe the family would believe it had been caused by lightning.

After a final glance around, Duncan looked to the gravestone, wine bottle miraculously undisturbed. “Iona… I’m sorry.” He was sorry for not avoiding the fight as his cousin had insisted at the Ministry. He was especially sorry for not killing Lorelei.

Gritting his teeth Duncan apparated away to the only safe place he could think of, leaving the graveyard silent once again.


Finished