Tuesday, October 14
12:15 noontime
a quiet London neighborhood

Niobe Thursby Apparated at the safe point at the corner and hustled up the sidewalk towards her apartment building.  But instead, she trotted across the street and into another building where Margaret Groust and Colette lived with Kia Ferris.  Niobe was giddy and her fluffy dreadlocks bounced as she bumped up the stairs.

"I've got him, I've got him, I've got him!" she giggled in a sing-songy voice.  Jingling her keys, the Daily Prophet reporter let herself into the apartment.  She shucked her limegreen trenchcoat on the floor by the coat rack and shouted.

"Ladies! I've got lunch!" 

She plopped down in one of Maggie's sitting room chairs and started unpacking the food on the coffee table.  She kept on talking, assuming that there was a witch in another room listening and would soon join her.

"That psychopath's going to really get it now.  I can't imagine a bloody explosion's going to sit nicely with his parole, will it? Not as if it just happened in his backyard and he's got nothing to do with it.  Got him, got him, got him!" she giggled. 

When no one immediately trotted out to laugh and giggle with her, she stopped with the lunch and craned her neck. 

"Maggie?  Charlotte? Kia?"

Maggie looked a fright. It was no wonder, considering what she’d been through. Her hair was singed at the ends, just past her shoulders. A few minor cuts and scrapes grazed her face. Someone had been kind enough to patch up her clothes before she’d put them back on, though they still reeked of smoke and Runespoor venom. Thick white bandages wrapped around the burned parts of her arms and the less affected areas underneath her clothing.

After a grueling morning, she was back from St. Mungo’s, ready to wash up and crawl into bed.

Colette had escorted her back to their flat. Instead of heading in, she was making a quick stop to grab the meds and potions Maggie would need to get through the week. Maggie had nodded without a complaint or word of thanks, conflicted if she wanted to be alone or not. Alone meant she could break down and it wouldn’t matter. But alone also meant she’d jump at every noise until Colette returned.

Maggie rubbed at her bleary eyes, put her key in the door and turned it, freezing when no reassuring click sounded. It was already unlocked. Normally, she and her roomies remembered to lock the door when they were home. It was just safer that way.

A dull panic went through her… fear started to build, but denial got in the way. She wanted to be home, she wanted to be safe. She didn’t want to worry about who or what was behind the door.

“Kia?” she croaked out, poking her head in and putting a foot in the apartment. She tensed, ready to run at the slightest sign of trouble and scream for Colette, who was bound to be half a block away by now if she hadn’t apparated.

Despite the Smoldering Alley perfume Maggie had wafting about her, she caught the smell of food. Surely one of Cin’s lackeys wouldn’t cook a meal for her before finishing her off. Maggie took another step inside and slowly shut the door behind her, though she kept a hand on the doorknob, reluctant to go any further.

She shut her eyes in relief when she recognized Niobe’s trenchcoat on the floor and heard the sound of her friend’s voice.

When no one answered her, Niobe took two chopsticks full of noodles into her mouth before getting up.  She trotted down the hall to the bedrooms and poked her head in each one.  Just about to be very disappointed that she'd no one to gloat or share the immense amoung of spicey ramen with, the front door opened and shut. 

She bounced back to the front of the flat, her arms up. 

"Maggie! You wont beleive!" she gushed.  "I've got that son of a bitch! I've-"

She stopped short.  Her surly friend looked pale.  Her hair was singed.  She looked like she hadn't slept all night.  And bandages.  Niobe stood their for a moment, mouth agape looking over her friend.  The exhuberance over Cinaed's likely cummuppance disappeared while Niobe tried to sort out what she was seeing.

She took the remaining steps to Maggie and locked the door for her - they'd reminded Niobe a million times to keep it locked always, but Niobe never ever remembered.  She wasn't the best house guest.  (Which is why she didn't keep roommates for long.)

"Maggie, what's happened? Wha-" And then the little peices started clipping into place in a mental process cultivated by all the best reporters.  The facts acquired meshed together and her eyes grew wide.

"You were there!" She exalted, nearly jumping in delight and frustration.  She pressed her fists against her head as she strode past Maggie back into the sitting room, and then back towards Maggie, all the while repeating, "You were there! You were bloody there! Of all the lucky-! You were there!"

Again, for the third time in so many minutes, Niobe cut herself short and held her palms out in a full stop. 

"Maggie," she whispered, "I need to know everything."

Maggie would have found the expression on Niobe’s face comical if she wasn’t feeling so low. The gaping mouth, the frozen stance, the wide eyes- reactions she would have smirked at on any other day. As it was, it took all she had not to burst into tears, or yell and rage. She didn’t feel in control of herself, of her own emotions, and that scared her. Maggie looked back at her silently, letting her slowly deduce what had happened. So the news had already spread. That was to be expected. She waited, part of her wanting her friend to hug her and tell her it would be fine, and the other part only wanting to head upstairs, hide in her room, and shut the world out.

Niobe locked the door, but Maggie peeked out the window anyway, convinced someone that was very unhappy with her (there were multiple people) would apparate over the apartment steps any minute.

Though Maggie was expecting it sooner or later, she flinched at Niobe’s exclamation that she’d been there! Except her voice surprised her. Niobe sounded horrified, sure, but excitement overshadowed it. Maggie bristled at the word ‘lucky’ and pushed past her friend into the sitting room, where the sudden smell of food hit her. She hadn’t eaten in over twelve hours, but her stomach clenched uncomfortably. It was probably a side effect of the healing potions.

Confused, upset, and getting angry at Niobe’s reaction, she perched carefully on the couch and winced. Every movement seemed to hurt right now. Maggie glanced up as Niobe whispered at her, saying she needed to know everything, and again, Maggie felt upset. Niobe seemed more curious than concerned. Yes, she was a reporter, this was what she lived for, but she was a friend first. Maggie needed her to be a friend.

She put her head in her hands and groaned, shaking her head. Maggie didn’t want to talk. She did want to talk. She did but she didn’t. She didn’t know!

“Why don’t you leave me alone, alright?” Maggie snapped, standing up again and pacing. “I don’t want to talk about it. And put the damn food away,” she gestured at the cartons angrily.

Maggie crossed her arms, swore fiercely when she touched her bandages, and let her arms drop, staring at Niobe as a gamut of emotions flitted across her face, making her eyes too bright and her mouth tremble.

“I just want to sleep, okay? That okay with you?” Her nostrils flared and she clenched her jaw, turning her face away from Niobe and trying to get under control.

It was a rare thing to see a ruffled Groust. But it quickly became clear that Niobe had overstepped some very important bounds.  She and Maggie were close - but not close enough for Niobe to shrug off what a terrible night Maggie must have had. 

Niobe knew next to nothing about what had happened.  The Prophet had picked up the alert in the early morning: Profound Magical Occurance.  And someone had called in the explosion.  Niobe had flown into headquarters and snapped up the assignment by 7am, being an insomniac and workaholic.  She'd been awake and at work anyway.  But as of yet, she had almost no information.  There had been an explosion and the location had been The Black Chimaera.  To Niobe, everything pionted to Cinaed Tawse.  And that sense of revenge, and the thirst for the story, had clouded her mind to what Maggie really needed.  And it wasn't an interview.

Niobe, watching Maggie move about the living room, flinching at her own touch, now realized that she'd been very badly injured.  And from the window-checking and the jumpiness - Niobe now felt sure that Cinaed had been involved.

A thousand questions were running through her mind: What had Mags been doing in Knockturn? What had she seen? She looked like she'd been in the explosion.  Had anyone else been there? What did Cinaed do? What caused the blast? Where had she been all night? Mungo's? Had she been able to speak with any Aurors yet?

But she forced her own mouth shut.  Niobe felt awkward, but she went to stand at Maggie's side and put a hand on the small of her back as gently as possible in case she'd been injured there as well.  She felt stupid for accosting her friend like that.

"Look, I'm sorry, Mags.  I'm a bloody idiot, you know that.  I'll let you be.  You should eat something though.  I've got spicy and plain?"

Niobe really really wanted to ask Maggie more questions.  Are you okay? What's under the bandages? What are the cuts on your face and hands from? Did Cinaed do all that? What did your Healers say?

Maggie glanced at Niobe, still irritated with her, but not as angry as she had been. The comforting touch on her back made her want to cry. The slightest bit of sympathy had that effect on her and she almost wished Niobe would argue with her or something. She didn’t really know what she wanted. She just felt miserable.

She nodded curtly and moved towards the food, opening cartons until she found the plain white rice. Scooping out a bit onto a plastic plate, she then took a seat on the couch with a fork in her hand and stared at the rice for a moment. Her conflicted stomach seemed to echo her thoughts. She was hungry but she wasn’t. It was very, very annoying.

Maggie took a bite, chewed mechanically, swallowed, and then pushed the plate away. Ugh. She suddenly felt her stomach lurch and leaned back in her seat, remembering not to cross her arms at the last second. She couldn’t even use her favorite defensive gesture right now!

Scowling, she glanced at Niobe and shook her head. “Fecking Runespoor venom burns like a bitch,” she grumbled, half-inviting Niobe to ask her more about what had happened.

“And my hair…” Maggie lifted up a strand to show her how short it had become. It used to reach the middle of her back, and now it was just past her shoulders. Not a Big Deal in the scheme of things. To Maggie, though, this little detail brought up all the other little details that together, just felt overwhelming.

Tears filled her eyes and her expression turned petulant as she stared at Niobe, wanting her to wave her magic wand and fix it all.
 

When Maggie looked like she was going to lose it, Niobe hopped to sit at her side, giving her a few inches extra clearance - Maggie had been favoring the bandaged areas so tenderly, Niobe didn't dare touch. 

"No no no, love," she said and touched the back of Maggie's head.  Her hair was soft right up until the singed, darkened tips.  Whatever had happened to Maggie had been traumatic and affected her body and mind.  And it seemed like the safest thing to talk about was her hair.  Niobe's face showed great concern and twinges of anger around her nostrils, the corners of her mouth.  She knew the damage Cinaed could do, that he was callous, cold and took pleasure in controlling people he considered weaker than he was.  Niobe was furious that he'd gotten at Maggie.  She couldn't help think it had something to do with herself.

The word 'Runespoor' had not escaped Niobe's notice.  It set everything into a new current events sort of light.  It made her even hungrier to find out what Cinaed had done and then nail him to the wall for it.  It didn't occur to Niobe even once that Cinaed barely had anything to do with this at all.

"What happened, Mags? What did he do? Have you spoken to Aurors? Is that where you've been?  Tawse's not going to walk for this, I swear it. Were you in Knockturn, Maggie? What did the Aurors tell you?"

The questions all bubbled out at once.  But that's how Niobe solved problems: she got to the bottom of things. 

"We can fix your hair," she added quickly, "You'll look killer in a long bob."

“Yeah, maybe,” Maggie sniffled in response, rubbing at her eyes and heaving a sigh. Her hair was the least of her worries, of course. She looked at the couch she was sitting on, which was perfect for curling up in, and sat stiffly, mindful of every movement. Niobe’s numerous questions didn’t bother her this time. Maybe it was the concern she saw in her friend’s eyes, or maybe she was too tired, but Maggie couldn’t muster up the energy to feel offended at the moment.

“Alright, here’s what happened,” she said wearily, turning towards Niobe. “Don’t lecture me, and don’t freak out, okay?” That was the deal. She just needed to get this out.

“I went out- what day is it today?” she stopped suddenly, rubbing at her forehead. Lunch. Niobe had mentioned lunch. “Last night. I went out last night to bug the Black Chimeara. I know,” she held up a hand, hoping to ward off any outbursts. “I know. It was stupid. Everything was going fine. I was done, ready to go home. Then guess who I bump into,” she raised her eyebrows.

“Not Tawse.” A hint of a smirk touched her lips. “Briggs. Nate, you know? My old buddy from Hogwarts,” she said, mouth compressing into a bitter line. After what had happened- Nate running off on her, Maggie giving up his name- she figured what little friendship they’d had was gone. It might upset her more later, if she let herself think about it.

“He’s carting around this big crate, acting all edgy and sneaky. Says he needs to bury it, tries to get me to leave. Guess what was inside?” Maggie’s eyes widened almost playfully.

It was strange, but with Niobe sitting with her in the safety of her own apartment, Maggie almost felt like this was a normal day. They were just chatting, telling stories like usual. Except this was a big story. One she’d barely survived. However, Maggie held onto the illusion that this was just another afternoon, and that the Runespoor venom explosion and the kidnapping following it had happened to another unlucky reporter, someone who wasn’t nearly as smart and brave as she was. She could barely believe she’d gotten herself into this mess. If she wasn't wearing the bandages, couldn’t smell the smoke on her clothes, and didn’t have the memory of ripe fear and hopelessness fresh in her mind, she would have scoffed and said it couldn’t have been her. They were just pulling one over her. It was some kind of awful joke.

Maggie went on to tell Niobe all about Nate, Dimas, the dog and everything up to the explosion. It was up until then that she could be calm, keep pretending.

“And then there was the explosion,” her body went rigid and she stared off into space, hearing the deafening blast and seeing the smoke in her eyes again. “We were all stunned for a second. Dimas must have scampered off though,” she muttered. He’d been smart.

“Tawse comes out of his pub, super pissed. Sees the dog. Loses it. Tries to corner Nate. This is when the venom seeps through my jacket and burns my skin. So I take off my jacket. Drop my wand.” Her eyes flick to Niobe’s, horror lurking behind them. She took another breath.

“Tawse, of course, grabs my wand while I’m freaking out. Threatens Nate again. Nate, the bastard, apparates. And Tawse turns on me.”

“The Aurors arrive before he can do much but threaten. But he flips out about it and grabs me, holds me at knife point. All he seems to care about is the dog. The fecking dog,” Maggie gave an involuntary shiver and then rolled her eyes to try to cover it up.

“They try, they really do,” she said quietly, referring to the Aurors. “Bargaining with him, trying to get him to let go of me. But one of Cin’s buddies shows up- must have been- she makes a distraction, and Tawse apparates away with me in tow.”

Maggie paused. “I don’t remember much after that. Flashes of things. Apparating at that point really… really hurt.” That was an understatement, but she didn’t want to get into it. “He dumped me in a field somewhere. Someone must have found me, or something, because next thing I know I wake up in St. Mungo’s.”

Maggie sighed. All the strength seemed to go out of her. She rested her head on Niobe’s shoulder and shut her eyes for a moment.

Niobe listened intently, filled with hate and spitfire. And in order to honor Maggie's terms of surrender, Niobe opted to stay tight-lipped silent.  If she let out a peep, she'd probably let out a shout and Maggie'd never confide in her again.  Niobe didn't want that.  She wanted to be a good friend and be there for Maggie.

And then, of course, as soon as Maggie was all set she'd race off and ruin some reputations until justice was served on ice.

Niobe took in every word and all the ones expressed inbetween on Maggie's face.  The hurts and memories seemed to precede and then punctuate all the depressing details.  Maggie had been doing what Niobe always expected her to do - go get the story without having been told to do so.  Successfully bugging the Chimaera would have resulted in scads of new leads, Niobe was sure.  She couldn't blame her for that.

And then there was Maggie's old schoolmate leaving her like that.  Running off like some coward idiot! Niobe had no idea who the fellow was - she was out of school before Maggie had even begun.  Leaving her like that with a psychopath like Tawse.  And from the details Maggie had given, it frankly sounded like Tawse was just in the wrong place at the wrong time - an evaluation Niobe couldn't take at face value.  If Cinaed was guiltless, Niobe'd make damn sure before giving him a moment's rest.

By the end of the account, Niobe was nearly seething.  She couldn't believe what a chickenshit Cinaed was, Maggie's school friend was.  She sighed and stayed silent for a moment. 

"What are we going to do, Mags?" she asked the air balefully.

"Can't say out of trouble, neither of us. Perhaps we should have been librarians." Niobe only cracked the faintest of smiles at her lame joke.

She patted Maggie's hair and sighed again.  "Have you spoken with Aurors yet? I've been down to Level Two this morning and am due back later just before evening edition.  Do they even know you were there?"

But Maggie must have known as well as Niobe did, the procedures for witnesses, their information and the politics with Level Two.  Niobe couldn't print a lick of what Maggie said even if she wanted to.  Crime like this, Maggie's answers were property of Level Two, if Niobe wanted to keep her coveted space on the front page.

“Oh, they know I was there,” Maggie let out a rueful snort. It was a perfectly reasonable question, but it both irritated and amused her. “One of them talked to me briefly.” The conversation was a blur. The only part she could remember with certainty was, “And one of them is supposed to pop in tonight or tomorrow for a follow-up thing. Oh joy,” she grumbled, already dreading it.

She glanced at her friend, secretly grateful that Niobe had been able to let her talk without interrupting. Maggie wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do that if it were the other way around. But Niobe had.

“I have no idea how much or how little of our conversation you’ll be able to print,” she said bluntly. “Level two will make it really clear, I’m sure. But at least you know,” she spread out her hands, “everything. Lucky you- you and Colette get to listen to me complain about it, now. I don’t think I can tell the full story to my parents,” Maggie added in a grim tone. It would only scare them.

“Oh, and Colette’s supposed to be back soon. She’s off getting me potions. I’m going to be doped up for the next week or so. Don’t take any embarrassing photos,” Maggie wagged her finger at her. “I know where you live.”

Across the street, duh. But it had to be said.

Niobe was at least glad the proper channels had been followed.  If there was one thing she knew from her time as a reporter it was that you couldn't be squeamish about reporting to Level Two.  Well, unless it was someone like Cinaed - which made Niobe very squeamish.  But Maggie wasn't in that situation, apparently, so getting right to the Aurors had been the way to do it.  Although it sounded like they'd been on the ball and saved Mags the trouble by finding her.

Niobe figured that Maggie would sense her disappointment, however, that she knew every gorey detail but couldn't print a word of it until she checked with Level Two.  It was a criminal investigation and as an honorable reporter concerned with truth and the well-being of her society she'd have to wait.  (Naturally, this honor was only in place so far as the Aurors were doing their job.  The moment the penny dropped and Niobe and the Prophet perceived any foul play, they'd turn the paper on and do their duty to truth. But the Aurors, as far as Niobe knew now, were doing just fine without their meddling.)  She sighed and tried not to look put out.  Doing the right thing so vexed Niobe sometimes. But friends first.  If not, who else have we got?

Niobe pushed Maggie playfully away and stood up to look out the window for Colette.

"Don't worry your head about complaining about this," she teased with a deadpan expression.  "I'm sure we won't notice a change from your normal routine."

"I can take the afternoon off," she offered, "so you don't have to be home alone all day.  Might help you sleep better if I'm clinking away in the kitchen."

Again, Niobe was torn between doing right by her friend and wanting to ravenously tear into this breaking story at the Daily Prophet. 

Maggie knew that look, recognized the zealous gleam in her eye. If not the look, the sigh told her Niobe wanted nothing more than to run off and investigate the explosion. Maggie was too drained to feel offended. She even cracked a smile when her friend teased her about complaining.

This was just who Niobe was. So when she offered to putter around in the kitchen today just to make her feel better, Maggie lowered her eyes for a moment, suddenly emotional. She blinked a few times and then glanced up with a shrug.

“Only if you won’t go stir crazy,” she shrugged, rising slowly from her seat. Maggie thought longingly of a shower, then bed.

“Colette should be back in a few. I don’t think she plans on leaving me out of her sight today. If you could stick around until she gets here…” Maggie trailed off. She hated asking for favors. But she knew she didn’t want to be alone, and that Niobe was free to go once Colette returned.

"I'll be a big girl," Niobe assured Maggie, who looked reticent to accept the company.  Niobe smiled and patted Maggie on the head.  "I'll do me good to take a break.  Cuffe will pop his bubble but you know as well as I he's a harmless puppy."

It wouldn't be too crippling for Niobe just to wait for Colette to return. She wouldn't be long and it would be good for Niobe to cool her heels.

She smiled at Maggie again, and turned away to poke about in the neglected Chinese take-out.  She hunkered down in the couch and put her feet up on the table, seeming to imply that she was ready to sit for the long haul. Yes, she'd absolutely be twitching to run off to Fleet Street, but this was important and Godric Gryffindor would be proud.

What a day.  And tonight was a full moon. And if that omen didn't foretell of more trouble, she'd eat her hat.