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Morgandy Yaxley ([info]markedheart) wrote in [info]all_roads,
@ 2008-08-03 03:17:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:*thread-inprogress, dominic abbott, gideon prewett, hestia jones, morgandy yaxley

Meeting and revelations; the Abbott's [MY, GP, DA, HJ]
WHO: Mory, Gideon, Dominic, Hestia
WHERE: the Abbott's
WHEN: Sunday, 27 February, 2000; evening
SUMMARY: The four meet to discuss informant plans and a revelation occurs along the way. IN-PROGRESS THREAD.
RATING: PG-13


No matter how many years Morgandy spent working in the Ministry, thing like security checks would never make her happy and they would always worry her. One time would be all it took for her cover to be blown, her secrets laid bare for the public and her whole life crumbling in the wake. It was one of the reasons she was involved in this informant plan now, so that someday it would not matter that she wore a concealed Mark, but for now care still needed to be exercised. The addition of Gideon to this left her ill at ease.

"I wish you would have stayed home this time," she muttered to Gideon in low tones as they moved away from the Auror checkpoint set in the room in Dominic's house that held the Floo fireplace. "There are so many chances for someone to recognize you."

It was overcaution speaking more than anything sensible on Mory's part, as she knew his disguise was flawless, years of work honing the skills and knowledge behind it. There would be no one who could know him just to look at him.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-03 02:44 am UTC (link)
"No one will recognize me," Gideon assured his wife in a low voice. He looked back over his shoulder at the aurors still guarding the room. They were entirely too young, Gideon thought. Most of the men watching over the Minister and his family were just children, some of them about Risa's age. There were a few old faces of course, but no one that he remembered with the warm sort of comraderie that he always felt when he remembered the old days of being an auror and fighting the good fight. That would come, he was certain, when he saw Hestia Jones.

He could still remember the fiesty young woman she had been when she was just the little auror trainee, and though he heard a great deal about her career and such things over the years, this would be his first time of seeing his old friend again since his 'death.' Telling her who he really was was out of the question, but he wanted to see her none the less, hear her tell how her life was. Even now, years later, he still wanted to watch over her the way that he used to. Gideon Prewett had never stopped looking after the people that he cared about, even when his capacity to do so was severely limited as it was when he was Wyatt Alexander.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience of the checkpoints, I'm sure you understand." Gideon nearly jumped at the sound of the Minister's voice. The man was either very good at sneaking up on people, or Gideon was too lost in his thoughts. Deciding it was likely the later, Gideon forced himself not to think about the past and all of the friends he had lost when he stopped being himself. He followed the Minister as he lead the way to a room further inside of the house, and away from the prying eyes and ears of the aurors.

Where in the bleeding hell are you, Jones?

He needed something else to think about that wasn't his old auror buddies or the Minister's brief time with Morgandy in Hestia's spot.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-03 02:57 am UTC (link)
Hestia was late in arriving to the room after Mory and Gideon followed Dominic to his study. It wasn't a long wait, however, and she entered the room with her hair ever so slightly rumpled, as though she hadn't gotten all the roughed-up spots from a recent sleep.

"I hope I didn't keep anyone waiting, my alarm didn't wake me up," she said with a smile, though the look she gave Dominic was somewhat pointed. She knew he hadn't woken her even though she had asked him to do so, because of the reason she'd needed him to do it – she slept more frequently now and often slept through her once-natural internal alarm.

The reason for her oversleep would be relatively clear, as at nearly twenty weeks pregnant, Hestia's belly was now becoming visible, a definite bump on her formerly trim stomach. As they were home for the evening, even though she'd known they would be meeting with Morgandy and her confidante, she was dressed for comfort in casual clothing, pants and a top rather than robes.

"Hestia Jones, it's good to meet you," she said as she approached the man that, to her, was named Wyatt Alexander, holding her hand out to the man.

At Gideon's side, Mory's attention was on him even though she was careful to make it unobtrusive.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-03 04:33 am UTC (link)
Gideon was remarkably proud of the way he kept his handshake cordial instead of pulling her in for a back thumping hug or something else far too warm. Though he had prepared himself for seeing her again, told himself that he would find a woman much changed by adulthood, impending motherhood, and being an auror trainer as opposed to trainee, nothing prepared him to actually see her. There was a confidence there that made him proud, and it made him long to turn the clock back, to convince Fabian to stay home that fateful night. He wanted to see her graduate to auror status, to see her change and grow and get her own trainees. He wanted to tease her and commiserate over the woes of being a trainer, but it was too late for that. Wyatt Alexander would know nothing of that sort of life.

"Being late isn't a problem. Pleased to meet you, Jones." he said, her last name coming out instead of her first out of habit more than anything. He assured himself that it was alright, that saying her last name was not too telling, because he wanted to indulge himself during this meeting, to think of the old times even if the trip down memory lane was to be one sided. Allowing himself to smile at her and take in one more look of her with that small bump at her middle, he cleared his throat and reminded himself of his name, a task he had not felt the need to do in years. "I'm Wyatt Alexander, and this, as I'm sure you know, is Morgandy Yaxley."

Dominic held his hand out to the the other man the moment he let go of Hestia's hand. "Dominic Abbott, it's good to meet you." Dominic ended the handshake, letting his hand return to the small of Hestia's back. Perhaps it was foolish but he still felt protective of Hestia even twenty weeks into her pregnancy, worried for her. He didn't mind her being late, or even skipping events entirely if it meant that she got the rest that both she and their child needed.

The gesture wasn't lost on Gideon. It was so simple and yet it spoke volumes, making him struggle not to frown. He wanted to be able to do that, to make his claim to his wife clear for the world to see with one simple touch. And he couldn't. Pushing the feelings of regret down again, he tried to find something to start a conversation with--he needed distraction. "So, Jones, I hear that you're an auror. That's an interesting line of work.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-03 01:08 pm UTC (link)
At the first 'Jones', long ago memory pricked at Hestia – nearly half a lifetime ago of old memory, but there were many more of those memories to aid her recollection. Head tipped slightly, not looking at Wyatt Alexander so much as over to the side of him, she heard, in that distant way of remembering something not heard in that long, another voice pitched just the same.

'Jones, the next time you do that, if it doesn't kill you I just might.'

When the second 'Jones' was voiced, Hestia's head snapped up and met Wyatt's gaze, holding it for a moment silently before shaking her head, as though shaking off the memory. Even if this man's voice sounded the same, no doubt it was the deterioration of memories. This man looked nothing like Gideon Prewett, and Gideon Prewett was dead.

"Sorry, I'm a touch scattered these days," she said, blinking back sudden tears as she waved her hand in front of her. "Pregnancy hormones. What did you ask me?"

Mory cleared her throat, slipping a hand through Gideon's arm in order to clutch in tightly in warning. "That's all right – it's been years, but I still remember what that was like. Wyatt asked you about your line of work." She squeezed Gideon's arm again, nothing in her petite frame speaking to any tenseness, but the hand on his arm was as tight as an iron cuff.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-03 01:37 pm UTC (link)
Gideon was skilled at keeping a neutral face even when in pain--being an Auror would teach you things like that--but he couldn't for the life of him imagine why his own wife was trying to tear his arm off. After all, he had not started swapping Auror stories with Jones, merely asked about her profession. He wanted to hear her tell it, the full story of her training, how she became an Auror, and her duties now. Vainly, he hoped that she would mention him, at least, the man she used to be. He wanted to know that his time as an Auror had led to something better, more important, than just getting him killed. He noticed her too bright eyes, and didn't believe her excuse of pregnancy hormones for a moment. Still, he didn't dare say anything else for the moment.

Dominic too noticed Hestia's too bright eyes, but wasn't certain of what the meant. He drew closer to her, his fingers making gentle, stroking movements over her back. "Hestia is an Auror," he said, answering for her to give her a moment to get back from whatever sadness she had fallen into. "She even has a couple of insane trainees who like to find trouble."

Though Gideon knew he should change the subject, he couldn't help himself. Idiot trainees grabbed his attention far too quickly. After all, he himself had been an idiot trainee once upon a time, and Hestia had been his own mad little trainee. She was skilled at her work, he could tell that from the start, but that didn't stop him from trying to watch out from her, or from driving her to get better. The thought of her getting injured was enough to make him have her practice moves over and over.

"Trainees can be trouble, or so I've heard." The words didn't come out of his mouth smoothly, as too much emphasis was placed on the first part and not nearly enough on the second. It was an after thought, a comment intended to make the first words less significant, and to keep Morgandy from digging her kitten claws any deeper into him.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-06 02:10 am UTC (link)
The reason Mory was currently digging her neatly manicured, though sharp, fingernails into Gideon's arm was a simple one – this topic was far too close for comfort when she knew Hestia Jones had once been his trainee. There was room for error, slips and suspicion that they did not need at all right now. This was a necessary alliance, but what she had done those many years ago and who 'Wyatt Alexander' truly was were not a part of this alliance. Though she said nothing, her grip spoke for her, tighter and tighter as they continued.

Hestia slanted a look at Dominic, partially grateful for him taking up where she had stumbled in the conversation and partially amused at his description of Ernie and Miles. She was certain he would see the two just like that for years after they were no longer trainees. Of course, she had no idea just what the two were up to at this very moment, otherwise her opinion would have been much different.

Meeting Wyatt's eyes, she smiled. "You've heard right. Trainees are a bit like overeager puppies, minus the cute fluffy tails, but with an urge to drive me absolutely mad instead." Her smile widened, but the turn of it was lacking joy – more a clearly saddened fondness. "My own trainer used to say that same thing. Over the years, he's been right again and again. Not that anyone who knew him would have allowed him to hear me say that."

At Gideon's side, Mory's fingernails were in danger of soon drilling into bone. Hestia Jones was right about one thing – letting Gideon hear this was a recipe for disaster, but not in the way the woman thought.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-06 02:45 am UTC (link)
It wasn't that Gideon didn't feel Mory's nails digging into him, because he did, or that he was stupidly pursuing a reckless course of action out of ignorance, because he knew what could happen. It was willful disregard of the possible consequences that motivated him. He knew that he couldn't tell Hestia who he really was, and yet he couldn't stop himself from lingering on a course of conversation that would likely lead to such a thing. Hearing her remember the man he had been all these years later, hearing her say that he had been right when he had been wrong enough to get himself killed...it meant the world to him.

“Your trainer is a very wise man,” he said, the tone cocky and somewhat self assured, his voice sounding more and more like the cocky Auror's and less like the mild mannered scarred man that he was now by the minute. He grinned, though his smile was somewhat odd from the way his teeth were clenched in the back. Morgandy Yaxley was, he though, more of a cat than he was with those nails.

Dominic fought the urge to groan at the present tense of 'is'. He knew that Hestia had lost a lot of her Auror friends over the years, they both had lost a great deal, and he didn't want them dwelling on it now when Hestia was already in an emotionally prone state. “He was.” Dominic said simply. Though he didn't know Gideon Prewett, he was hoping the man would get the hint and drop the subject. “Now, who wants tea?”

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-06 03:13 am UTC (link)
Unfortunately the combination of this man's voice, and Dominic's correction, made the attempt to change the subject one that didn't succeed because Hestia burst into tears. It wasn't an abrupt and loud burst, but it was very definite. She backed away from the group a few steps and then turned her back, face shielded in her hand. This was ridiculous, behaving like this, and even the hormones couldn't be entirely blamed for that. There was a reason she didn't often think back on certain parts of her life and this – the pain – was why.

"Perhaps we should come back another time," Mory murmured as she let go of her husband's arm, flashing Gideon a heated glare very briefly when everyone's attention permitted her to do so.

"No, stay and talk, I'll just excuse myself," Hestia said without turning around and then headed for the door.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-06 03:28 am UTC (link)
Hestia's reaction was of little surprise to Dominic. She was Teaghan's best friend when Prewett was killed, and he could still remember the long nights he had spent alone while his wife walked Hestia through the dark period of losing her trainer. Even now he could tell that she avoided talk about the past for the same reasons he often did—it was too painful.

“I'll take care of it, I apologize,” Gideon said quickly, brushing past Dominic before the Minister could even begin to go after Hestia. “I behaved foolishly, let me go apologize to the lady.” His arm was still burning from Morgandy's nails, but his focus was on Hestia. It was surreal, to see someone cry over his loss. Mory had seemed so strong through the years, even when he knew that she had to miss her “Gid” and Risa was not often forthright with her feelings of longing for her father—at least to him anyhow. This was new, and strange, and terribly painful, and he wanted to make it easier for Hestia. He wasn't going to tell her the truth, he assured himself, just to comfort her.

“I'm sorry,” He said, catching up with her as she fled the room. He rested a hand on her shoulder, unaware of the danger of the simple act alone. It was a gesture of friendship, one he had often used while congratulating her on a job well one or to comfort her after they suffered a loss, and the old gesture and his voice was far too telling. When you took into consideration that he was behind her, and she no longer had the confusing visual distraction, it was a grave error that would likely have Mory pulling his arm off to beat him with later. “I didn't mean to upset you.”

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-06 03:41 am UTC (link)
Watching Gideon walk off, Mory was furious. She could hardly lunge after him without revealing she had a problem with him leaving and she had to curb the fury she did feel to keep from alerting Dominic Abbott to a problem. The minute she had Gideon alone again, however, she would let him have it with all the force in her small body.

And there it was, another echo from Hestia's past as Wyatt touched her and spoke, this one late in the years of her training, when a mistake on the battlefield and landed several wounded and she had taken his furious lecture so personally because her training partner had been among those injured.

'Now Jones, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry.'

It was burnt into her brain because it was one of the few times any kind of apology hadn't been couched in a joke or said on the fly, it had been serious and heartfelt. He sought her out specifically to apologize because her feelings had been hurt by the harsh pronouncement that hadn't been specifically directed at her.

"What did you say?" she whispered, not turning around, not dislodging his hand. It was like being trapped in the moment – she was so certain she was having some sort of breakdown, but she also felt compelled to keep from destroying the delicacy of it by moving.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-06 03:49 am UTC (link)
Dominic wished that he had been the one to go after Hestia. Though he had little choice but to trust Mory for all she had done for his family, that was not to say that he wanted to sit by and idly chat with her while the woman who he was engaged to was hurting and being comforted by some stranger. Calling for a house elf, he asked for tea for them all, hoping that Hestia and Mr. Alexander would be back in shortly.

“I said 'I didn't mean to upset you, Jones. I'm sorry.'” He said, then blushed as he realized he had once again slipped into the familiar 'Jones' instead of 'Auror Jones' or more simply Hestia. He squeezed her shoulder once gently and let go, the way he would do when he thought that the worst of the crisis was over and he wanted to let her stand on her own two feet again without merely ending the contact abruptly. “I've always said too much without meaning to and stuck my foot in my mouth. I hope you understand."

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-06 04:03 am UTC (link)
The hair on the back of Hestia's neck rose as gooseflesh spread across her arms, for this had all taken on a surrealness that she could do nothing but react to right now. She had been trained to absorb even the smallest details in a situation, those skills honed over years and years to the point Hestia rarely missed anything when on alert. And she was on alert now with every additional word that he spoke.

"I don't think I do understand," she said, her next move very abrupt. Later she would only be able to explain the motivation as part of her certainty that she was having some sort of mental breakdown, but in truth it was instinct, an instinct that had served her far too well over the years.

She drew her wand.

It was a very definite motion, a precise flick to the action that had been taught to her long ago, a way to minimize the telling movement of drawing a wand, a way to gain the upper hand in close quarters when approached from behind. There was no orchestrated dueling to it, but what some would consider a low, 'dirty' move, a necessity in the war she'd once fought in. What remained to be seen was the man's reaction as she spun halfway on her heel, wand pointed at him from beneath her arm but shielded from being disarmed by her body.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-06 01:17 pm UTC (link)
Hestia's move was very skillful, and very sneaky as well. It would have been quite effective against Wyatt, had he not been the one to teach her said skill. The moment he saw her movement and recognized it for what it was, his own wand was drawn and pressed into her side. It wasn't the wisest move for dueling, but it was the surest way to counter her attack, because he had freedom to move his body any way that he wished and he had, in essence, pinned her. The time that it would take for her to move would be precious seconds lost.

"That's hardly sporting, Jones..." He said, his voice chiding. "If you're going to pull a wand on a stranger in your home, you should at least do it face to face, offer him the chance to duel you and all of that. That move is low. Now, are you going to try to attack me again or can I drop my wand?"

This technique is hardly sporting, Jones, but if a Death Eater surprises you at home, he won't care about sporting. It's low, but it works well, unless you use the counter move I'll teach you as well

Gideon didn't even realize he was merely rephrasing the words he had used to introduce the attack to her years ago when she was his trainee.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-06 01:58 pm UTC (link)
Gideon received no answer to his question – no spoken one, that is. Hestia's wand dropping out of her hand and to the floor was answer enough to the question of attack. For several long minutes, she remained half turned, staring at the wall her gaze had froze on when the wand pressed into and he spoke. This was impossible. Moody had been the one to tell her that there had been nothing but pieces to retrieve of the Prewett brothers, because she'd insisted on knowing.

He was dead and this was madness, but it was a madness she found herself committed to again by instinct, instinct that was overriding all common sense. She finally turned fully and looked at him, not the face of the man but in his eyes, dead on and without distraction. What she found shocked her to the core, as they gaze that looked back was familiar but long gone.

"Jesus Christ." As always, the oaths of her father's family's religion were what Hestia fell back on when pushed to emotional extremes. This was madness, she was officially losing her mind, yet she couldn't toss aside the insanity of this. She had to know, somehow. One way wouldn't tell her what she needed to know entirely, but it would be further proof that all was not what it seemed.

The spell was no more than a murmur, her wand still on the floor, but she didn't need her spell for this because it had been required early on in joining the Order. As she spoke it, she laid her hand on his arm, feasibly for the spell to work but it soon became a way to steady herself as her knees threatened to give out at the sight above his head.

It was the misty shape of a phoenix, one that glowed briefly before fading.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-06 02:13 pm UTC (link)
Gideon dropped his wand the moment she did, having no desire to harm her so much as protect himself. "Jesus Christ has nothing to do with you using a dirty move on a..." Gideon trailed off when he heard the spell, knowing full well what it was for and what it would show. There was no way to explain his way out of this one, as Wyatt Alexander had never joined the Order. Clearly she would be able to tell that some deception was going on, but how could he explain it away so that she didn't know that he was Gideon Prewett? Damn it, Mory was good at things like this, he had always been the loveable Gryffindor who was more or less an open book except for when it came to his relationship with Mory and his Auror job. At least, he had been until his death. He knew he needed to speak, to say something, to explain, but he had no excuse.

Because he could think of nothing to say he focused on how unsteady she looked, and put his other hand on her shoulder to be ready if she went crashing to the ground. He couldn't hide the concern in his eyes, far more concern than one would think possible for a stranger to have for a woman he just met. "It's not what you think," he said quietly, not sure of what she thought but the words sounded comforting enough.

One thing he was certain of was that if Mory knew that he had just all but dueled Hestia, that he had let her perform that spell on him, he would be well and truly dead.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-06 02:30 pm UTC (link)
The look in his eyes was too much for Hestia, as common sense that warned this man wasn't what he seemed and shouldn't be allowed to remain in the house with Dominic and Hannah, but memory and emotion held her there staring back at him.

"It's not what I think? I'll tell you what I think," she said shakily. "You're talking with a dead man's words and voice, using a dead man's techniques and you're marked in a way you shouldn't be because I've never met 'Wyatt Alexander' before in my life. What I think is that you're not who you say you are at all."

She couldn't yet bring herself to expressly state the feeling she had that concluded all of that, that he was the dead man, but she couldn't deny she felt it and thus couldn't deny it. She'd learned to trust her instincts, though this was the first time those instincts pressed for belief in something so impossible.

"So tell me again it isn't what I think," she whispered.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-07 12:10 am UTC (link)
"It's..." Gideon wanted so badly to tell her that she was wrong. He knew that Mory would expect him to put such things to rest before they got out of hand, but he had no way to explain how the mark had appeared over his head, and in addition he was at a distinct disadvantage. When he first became "Wyatt" he focused on the differences, changing everything he could about himself when in public to make the change that much more apparent. Now so many years later he had grown a bit lax, and he could no longer remember the things that had been "Gideon's." He was himself now once more, with a name change, yes, but he no longer worried that someone would notice that he shared a favorite Quidditch team with a dead auror or other things like that.

Maybe he should have worried, because now Hestia definately knew too much.

"Jo--Hestia..." he said, deciding on her first name at the last moment as a hopeful means of distracting her. "I think you're too focused on the past. Gideon Prewett is dead." He was so busy congratulating himself on finding a means to put her fears to rest without outright lying that he had said too much. She had never told him the name of her trainer, or the name of the dead man.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-07 01:58 pm UTC (link)
Hestia stiffened, eyes widening as he spoke Gideon's name. For someone who didn't know anything about her, he knew too damned much. Too damned much. But even now, she didn't get the sense he wanted to hurt her. Perhaps that was stupid, perhaps she shouldn't listen to her gut when she was as hormonal as she had been lately,

"I never told you his name.

There'd been talk, never corroborated, that he'd been involved with Morgandy Yaxley during the war, something she'd seen him deflect and never questioned him on because it wasn't her place. But she had always wondered over the years, though Yaxley's daughter grew up to look almost exactly like her so there was never a sign. Hestia had never had a reason to go dig deep into Ministry files to find out, but now, if she did, she realized she might find another piece to this puzzle.

It was against everything she had ever thought about the past, but this man. He was...

"Jesus Christ. He isn't dead," she whispered and then her eyes rolled back as she fainted.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-07 02:05 pm UTC (link)
Damn. Gideon knew the moment she spoke that he had gotten himself in huge, huge trouble. He could try to explain away everything else, but when you added it all together with the fact that he knew the name of her Auror trainer, called her Jones, the mark....Morgandy was going to kill him. That was all there was to it.

Before he had a chance to give himself too much grief, Hestia spoke again, making it clear that she had come to the conclusion he and Morgandy had been trying to keep from everyone for years, and then fainted. He caught her easily, easing her to the floor.

He wasn't sure what to do with her. Was he supposed to bring her back to the Minister in such a state and then flee the house before she came to? Maybe she would think that it was all some sort of dream, a pregnancy related hormonal delusion...Despite the fact that he knew such an action would be wisest, it wasn't the one he wanted. He couldn't help thinking that Hestia deserved to know, that she could keep the secret. Besides, Mory was going to kill him anyhow, he might as well give her reason to do it.

Very gently he shook Hestia's shoulder. "Jones...Jones, I need you to wake up, before I have to call the Minister in here and get us all in trouble."

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-09 03:17 pm UTC (link)
Despite the faint, Hestia came back to consciousness rather soon, though it was very slowly. The addition of sound-only to her re-awakening added a level of confusion and surrealness that hadn't been there before, as in that space between unconscious and fully conscious, she could believe what her brain was saying to her. Maybe it was a dream.

"You ought to be called on the carpet for being a git, Prewett," she muttered, disoriented for the moment, the words obviously slurred but still understandable. In that brief space, it made sense that he should indeed end up yelled at by the Minister of Magic.

Who was her fiance.

Opening her eyes suddenly as recent history sorted itself sharply, she confronted the visual image that told her what she thought was lunacy, but there was a truth in his eyes that said she wasn't as crazy by far as she believed.

"This isn't possible, you're dead. I saw what they brought-" She couldn't finish what she was trying to say, because the lump in her throat suddenly suffocated her. A moment later, the wracking sobs started and she struggled upright to latch on to him. It was only then she realized what she was seeing was an illusion, as the man she held on to felt different than he looked. She hadn't exactly spent most of her time hugging Gideon Prewett, but she trusted her senses and they were telling her what she saw wasn't what he was.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-09 03:40 pm UTC (link)
Gideon couldn't talk for a moment. As joyous as he was that Mory had managed to save his life, what Hestia had seen that day was no illusion. Fabian was not hiding somewhere, not under any disguise. He was dead and there was no bringing him back, and even now he didn't like to think about what had happened to his brother, what he had not been able to prevent. Instead of speaking he just gathered Hestia closer to him, not noticing how much more closely she was clinging to him. Were he paying attention, he likely would have realized that now she could feel him instead of the illusion.

He had wanted the small loophole as much as Mory had. The alias of 'Wyatt' felt odd at first, and he needed a few concessions in order to make it easier. It helped to know that when Mory touched him, she felt him rather than the too broad shoulders and chest. It made him feel that part of his old self was still there.

Recovering his voice as he forced himself to stop thinking about what condition his brother had been in when Hestia saw him, Gideon forced out a small, awkward laugh. "I'm not a git, Jones, and if anyone is going to be called on the carpet, it will be you. What nonsense have you been teaching your trainees? How to get captured by the enemy? And the way I hear it your trainees rescued you?" It as an abrupt change of subject, but it was his futile attempt to deflect the attention back to teasing Hestia and away from him. If he didn't, if he admitted to what she suspected, then he knew for certain Mory would have his head.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-09 04:11 pm UTC (link)
At this point, Hestia didn't need him to admit it. Everything she heard and felt, even if it contrasted sharply between what she had seen, told her this man was Gideon Prewett, that he wasn't dead. It was impossible, it was, as the only thing that had been found of the Prewett brothers was pieces, but here he was.

At any other moment, the joking scolding would have been traded with retorts and jokes of her own, but what he was saying stabbed right into the open wound of what she was feeling now, the grief of his death countered by the proof of him alive. She couldn't help but feel absolutely furious as she looked up at him. She didn't even pause before she acted.

She slapped him.

"Better they get the chance to rescue me instead of thinking I'm dead for nearly twenty years!" she sobbed.

The two had been gone too long for Mory's comfort by far, especially given the history between them, even if Hestia was unaware of it. Excusing herself with Dominic, rather abruptly, she left the room and turned in the direction the two had disappeared. What she saw as she walked that way, Hestia sitting on the floor, half-holding on to Gideon as she slapped him, confused her (and admittedly made her wonder just what the hell they had been doing), but what she heard next made her stop dead in her tracks with a strangled gasp.

Hestia Jones knew.

It was all over.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-09 04:42 pm UTC (link)
Gideon wasn't prepared for the slap. He was prepared to be hugged, shouted at, he had even half hoped that she would assume that she had made the wrong conclusion from the way he avoided talking about it, but he wasn't prepared to be slapped. He was even less prepared for the strangled gasp he heard from a short distance away. Mory clearly knew that somehow he had let the secret out. He hadn't meant to. He didn't think the world would end by him calling her 'Jones' or teasing her about trainees, and yet it had.

Suddenly the implications of such a discovery came crashing down on him. It had been so simple when he and Hestia were alone, to think about one single person from his past knowing. He had not said anything, yes, but he had not said much to squash her interest in who he really was either. He even let her perform the spell. What he did, what he let her discover, was a danger to himself, to Morgandy, to Risa...and he was in a house just crawling with aurors. His selfish wish to have one of his old friends back, the camaraderie of his favorite trainee had damned them all.

She's right, Prewett, you are a git

'Sorry,' he mouthed to Mory, knowing the moment he did how ineffective it was. He was sorry--for what, for getting slapped? For letting her know the selfless act his wife did to save his life? For exposing them both to this? Sorry didn't even begin to cover it, to heal what he had done.

Hestia was still clinging to him with one hand, so he sighed. He had to fix this. Had to try, and pray it wasn't too late. "You must be mistaken." He said, though the words sounded awkward even to his own ears.

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-09 05:02 pm UTC (link)
What Hestia did next, following Gideon's denial, was fast, too fast for Mory to stop it even when she raised her wand a second after Hestia captured her own again from the floor. The first was a ward to the main part of the house so no one from that area, such as the Aurors, would hear anything.

The next was aimed at Gideon, a powerful spell used by the Ministry to discover hidden Dark Marks by whatever magical means they could be concealed. And she didn't stop at one, but repeatedly battered at the illusion wrapped around the man before her. It had to be an illusion, as she couldn't wrap her mind around the idea he was inhabiting another body.

While Mory hadn't been able to stop the ward or the first two rapid-fire casts of Hestia's, she did cut off the third by disarming the woman with a vicious swish of her own wand, the sting Hestia would likely feel one that was unintentional. Mory was simply terrified of what would happen if the proof was given.

But it was too late. With the emotional force of Hestia's battering of the skilled web of illusions, the interrupted third cast still carried enough power to deliver the last shattering blow to the branching cracks in the disguise, leaving Gideon Prewett where 'Wyatt Alexander' had been a second ago.

Mory couldn't act further, however, as a wand pressed firmly to her back, a silent warning she did heed, heart dropping to her toes as it happened. She was fearless – insanely so – but this, this was all her terrors come to life.

Hestia, though – Hestia could act further and did when the man before her was none other than Gideon Prewett – aged and scarred but unmistakable. "Mistaken!" she all but screeched and then swung, her fist connecting with Gideon's face a moment later. "You wretched, sodding bastard!"

But even that wasn't enough for the hormone-aided well of emotion building to breaking point, and so, with a wild cry of anger mixed with pain, she began to pummel him.

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-09 05:19 pm UTC (link)
Dominic gave the three a good deal of time to come back--at least, that was the way it felt to him. He didn't want to seem like some guard dog of a fiance, after all, the house was swarming with aurors and authorities, Hestia should by all means be safe, but he didn't like taking any chances. After a few minutes had passed and no one returned, he set out to find them, his footsteps soft. He wasn't going to go barging into the middle of a situation full speed ahead if Hestia's saftey might depend on him sneaking in and having the advantage of surprise.

His fears were confirmed when he saw Hestia casting a spell over and over on Wyatt Alexander. A split second later Yaxley cast a disarming spell that all but ripped the wand out of Hestia's hands and Dominic knew that he had to act. Disarming his fiance was next to attacking her in his book. He jabbed his wand into her back. "Don't make another move on her Yaxley, or so help me..." his words were a low growl, waiting to see what Hestia was up to.

As his gaze returned to Hestia, he gasped. The man she was attacking didn't look like Alexander at all anymore, he looked like Gideon Prewett once had. There were scars, yes, and he had aged, but the face was the same. He didn't move to stop Hestia from attacking him, as he knew there had to be some motive behind her actions, he just stood there, watching and preventing Yaxley from getting in the way.

Gideon also didn't stop the attack. He likely could have quite easily, as Hestia no longer had her wand and he still did in the pocket of his robes, he could even have ended it physically quite easily when you considered his larger size, but he didn't. He knew that this wasn't some tantrum, this was a release of the emotions that had built over the last two decades, and it needed to get out. What's more, part of him couldn't help but think that he deserved it for putting his wife and child in such danger. Instead of preventing the blows he deflected what he could of them with his hands. "I couldn't tell you!" He exclaimed, trying to get out of the way of one of her fists. "No one could know!"

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-09 05:58 pm UTC (link)
Hestia's only response was a continued barrage of punches and slaps as she let fly a string of expletives that would have literally coloured the air blue if such a thing were possible. Ultimately it wouldn't make her feel better, but right now, it did at least feel better to lash out because she was so furious and hurt. She'd mourned him, for more years than even she would admit to, and even when Moody had become her trainer and mentor, it hadn't changed that Gideon had been that first, her first and favorite. He was the reason she never admitted to favorites, because of those years he'd refused to ever admit a favorite even if she'd been certain she was his.

Eventually it slowed and solid hits became intermittent thwaps before turning to infrequent half-hearted pushes as, once more, she cried – not angry tears now as much as sadness mixed with relief, having tired quickly from the burst of emotions.

It was only when Hestia seemed to calm, or at least was no longer abusing Gideon, that Mory spoke again. She'd watched it all play out, knowing what waited for them the moment someone questioned how this was possible. And question they would, as there was no doubt in her mind about that fact after seeing Hestia Jones' reaction. She had to save Gideon and Risa from this, and herself too if possible.

"We're not going to Azkaban, Dominic," she said over her shoulder, "so you have three seconds to remove that wand from my back or I'll be forced to fight you to get out of here."

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-09 06:15 pm UTC (link)
"If you attempt to touch my future wife again, you will never make it to Azkaban." Dominic's voice was a low growl, but he did lower the wand. It was still trained on her, ready to spring up at a moment's notice to either of the 'guests' in his home, but he had no wish to cause even more violence today, Hestia seemed to be doing a good enough job on her own.

Gideon, however, caught wind of Morgandy's words, and they chilled him to the bone. Azkaban. He couldn't let her go there because of his own stupidity. What she did to save him was illegal, yes, dark, but also very selfless. She could have died in the process, and he wouldn't punish her for it now. "I did it on my own." He lied, though it was impulsive and not nearly convincing enough. "After Dolohov did his worst I took time to recover, and then I created "Wyatt Alexander" becuase I was supposed to be dead." He looked at Mory his eyes pleading with her to stay silent, to help him keep this one last lie. "So you see, there's no reason for anyone to go to Azkaban, because I am fine and no rules were broken."

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[info]eagleofdelphi
2008-08-10 02:20 am UTC (link)
Mory bit back a retort at Dominic's order, but recognized a serious intent when she heard it. Even if she thought she could still take him, now wasn't the time to argue the point. However, she certainly wasn't about to let Gideon shoulder the blame for this, not when he hadn't had any choice in the matter originally. He certainly hadn't given his consent to be brought back from the last breath of life before death. It was her decision and her act.

Before she could begin, however, Hestia spoke up.

"No one is going to Azkaban, no matter what is going on," she said, shifting to get to her feet then glaring at Gideon when that proved more awkward than she would have liked. "Dammit, Prewett, makes yourself useful and help me up."

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[info]withalastbreath
2008-08-10 02:30 am UTC (link)
Gideon knew Mory well enough to be able to read her subtle changes, and he could tell that she was about to speak. Damn it, why couldn't she just let him take the blame for this, he had been the one, after all, to let the secret slip. However, before he could act to silence her Hestia was speaking and the majority of his fears slipped away. He should have known that he could trust Hestia. He had trusted her with his very life when they were out on attacks and raids and she, his favorite trainee, was by his side more often than not. She was clever, he saw it even then, and capable and certainly no shrinking violet.

"Someone might if I don't hear what the hell is going on."

Gideon jumped when he heard the Minister's voice. When had he come in? Quickly he rose, offering a hand to help Hestia to her feet. He looked at the man for a long moment, moving to stand between Hestia and Mory in case action was needed to protect either of them. He was nearly certain that the Minister wouldn't hurt Jones, but he couldn't say that Mory wouldn't hurt her, not if it meant protecting their family. If worse came to worse he would find a way to get his wife out of the house, get his family out of the country if need be.

"I went out on a night I should have stayed home and ended up nearly dead. I...I had little alternative but to let the world think I died. I think that's pretty much the short story, Minister." He shot a quick look at Hestia, trying to ask her with his eyes alone if the Minister could be trusted. It was an ineffective means of communication at best, particularly after twenty years, but it was all that he had if he wanted to avoid outright asking.

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