Aberforth Dumbledore - he knows everything (theoldgoat) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2008-08-16 11:23:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! [1979-08] august, aberforth dumbledore, clara bauer, dorian brooks |
Who: Aberforth Dumbledore, Clara Bauer, Dorian Brooks
Where: Near the vampire camp on the Welsh border
When: 15 August 1979, sunset and beyond
What: Aberforth sticks his abnormally long nose into something he shouldn't have.
Rating: Probably R
Status: In progress
Aberforth walked down the country lane, glancing down occasionally at the scrap of parchment in his hand. It held a hand-drawn map he'd gotten from a man in a pub in a nearby town. The man had been adamant that there were a group of strange people camping somewhere in this area. He'd called them 'punks' and 'goths' though those words hadn't made much sense to Aberforth. Still the man had been a Muggle so he'd obviously just been using terms that made sense to him. But his description had made it clear to Aberforth that what he'd seen were vampires. He hadn't described anyone that looked like Rhisiart but this was the first clear sign of vampires he'd had since following the thin lead out to this area.
He finally reach the landmark he was looking for - a large and very ancient oak tree. Just next to the oak tree was a thin, barely visible path leading into the woods. Aberforth glanced around then headed down the path. He remained as alert as possible as he walked through the trees. It was still about ten minutes from sunset and the light was strange and uncertain. The path led through the woods and into a clearing where he'd been told it would be easy enough to find what he was looking for. He hoped the man was right.
The sun had well and truly set by the time Aberforth came to the edge of the woods. He had his wand in his hand but he had refrained from casting the Lumos spell. The spell was painful to vampires and he didn't want to alienate the vampires before he had a chance to talk to them. He hesitated just at the edge of the trees and looked into the deepening gloom that covered the fields. He couldn't see anything, not a single point of light to indicate the presence of anyone, let alone vampires. He tightened his grip on his wand and frowned. Had he been led astray? Should he go on or turn back and try and investigate during the daylight before making another attempt?
The forest wasn't usual tonight. Clara hadn't been there very long, really, just slunk in, but she could already tell the difference. The air hung all wrong, and the animals were too quiet, and she couldn't feel her friends in the trees. It was always the animals and spirits that knew when someone was there that didn't belong. Following the signs, she padded almost silently towards the source of the disturbance, pausing far enough away that she wouldn't be seen when she spotted the old man. What was he doing here? There was nothing for him here. Her lips curled into a silent snarl and suddenly she turned, moving swiftly away. She'd find Dorian. Dorian would know what they should do, and he wasn't very far away.
Dorian had been outside when Clara approached, and he turned to face her, almost surprised to find her. He hadn't seen her in a while, mostly because he'd been off doing his own thing. He generally didn't spend much time with the other vampires, though Nicholas and Clara were the exception. Even still, it wasn't as though he and Clara were particularly close- nevertheless, he did have a certain fondness for the girl, and as she explained what was going on, he frowned slightly. A man? Dorian couldn't help but wonder what was happening. "Come on. I think we might be able to play tonight, love."
She liked the word 'play'. It was one of her favourites - admittedly, she had quite a few favourites, but then she knew quite a lot of words in more than one language, and 'play' was one of the ones she liked best. Even though she'd fed well the previous night, it didn't preclude teaching that stupid old man to stay out of places where he didn't belong. And besides, vampires were capable of gorging, if the situation warranted it. She was practically dancing as she led Dorian back towards the forest, sometimes skipping ahead of him before returning to make sure he was coming the right way. There was no doubt in her mind that the man would still be there when they reached the clearing. It hadn't even occurred to her that he might leave, to be completely honest, and he had looked like he was waiting for something. Around here, there wasn't much to wait for... except trouble.
As they drew closer she slowed, keeping steady pace with Dorian now as she drew her excitement tighter to her body like a cloak, reining it in and noting with interest the way it darkened as she did so. Silent, like a predator - that must be why they were so quiet when they stalked, because everything was so close to their skin. "He's still here," she told Dorian, even her voice close enough that it wouldn't carry so very far. "He thinks he's standing still, but all the animals have run away."
Dorian couldn't help but smile a bit as he walked with her through the trees; she always had seemed so much more at ease out here. A part of him wondered how she maintained such childlike innocence after so many years, but he supposed it was just part of her...charm, so to speak. It was almost easy, sometimes, to forget that she was a vampire as well-- but at the same time, he knew she could be just as ruthless as many of their peers. "Do you know how long he's been here?" he asked, his voice low. His hands moved to the buttons at his wrists, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows as he tilted his head, watching the man. "I wonder what he is waiting for..."
"I don't know." Efficiently, Clara answered both the question and the statement with her three words, moving forward a little to brace herself against a tree as she peered at the old man. It looked like he had a wand. Not even a lost Muggle, but a stupid wizard who should have doubly known better! Close to the full moon, too - the werewolves were jumpy at this time of month, far more agitated than the open moon made her. She felt ever so much more alive like this, silvery everywhere and like the night's light was shining straight into her chest. "Let's go see!" It had to be something new and interesting to make him come out here.
"Of course, love," he replied, hands resting lightly on the trunk of a tree as he watched the other man- no, wizard- for a moment more before moving closer. He was quiet, moving as lightly as he could, not wanting to attract the old man's attention until he was good and ready to be noticed. He glanced back to Clara with a smile, and then moved to stand behind another tree. He cocked his head, listening- the only noise at the moment was the sound of a faint breeze rustling through the leaves.
This was her favourite part. It was easy for her to fall into character, easy to appear pathetic and small and alone, to stumble as she came out of the woods and to make far more noise than normal, blundering like an idiot human child. It was a trick, such a fun trick - she could make herself look that way and that was what everyone saw, like she was telling them what she was but it was all lies and jokes. It was such a wonderful game. She lifted her head and froze as though she'd only just seen the man, eyes going wide like she was scared though part of her wanted to dance in glee and delight. Muscles tensed as though she was prepared to flee, because this might be a Bad Man - who else would be wandering the forest at night? - and it was those tiny little details that made her so good at this game.
Aberforth had ventured only a few steps out into the clearing and he had to admit the thought of just turning around and apparating back to the town was growing stronger. There was something very wrong here but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. As much as he wanted to find Rhisiart, that would work a lot better if he was alive and well so he could yell at the idiot for not getting word to him in some way. Maybe when he did find the prissy twat, he'd get him one of those damn journals. Rhisiart seemed the type to pour out his heart on paper... maybe.
He caught some movement out of the corner of his eye and whirled around to find a young girl standing just on the edge of the trees. She was tensed and simply staring at him, looking more like a wild animal than a human. Aberforth raised his wand and levelled it at her. If he was any closer to the town, he might have thought she was from there. But he wasn't and he had reasonably good information that there were vampires in the area. That made her more likely to be a vampire than a girl from the town.
He eyed her warily but not with any particular fear. "I'm looking for Rhisiart Masterson," he said calmly. "Do you know him?"
That was not how he was supposed to react. Usually people thought she was lost, and scared, and running from something, and they'd get all soft and mushy and easy to nom. She'd got lots of people like that, lots and lots, years full of them, and it made her upset that this stupid old wizard wasn't playing right. Didn't he know what he was meant to do? Wizards were all so stupid! She dropped from her "scared" freeze into a half-crouch, hair falling over her face as though even it were annoyed. "I don't know anyone," she replied sulkily. "And you're not meant to be here." If he wasn't going to follow the rules they'd just have to jump on him properly, she decided. Even if he decided to leave to look for his stupid friend somewhere else, they could chase him, and she knew the forest better than he did, and then they could bite him and scratch him and hurt him.
Dorian kept an eye on Clara as she stepped forward, fully prepared to make himself known once the man offered to help her. Assuming he would, which was why it was surprise to him when the wizard turned his wand on the other vampire. Dorian frowned, tensing as he listened, ready to help her the moment the old man said or did the wrong thing. Rhisiart Masterson. The name floated to him on the breeze and Dorian tilted his head. It sounded vaguely familiar, like he'd maybe heard it whispered amongst other vampires back at the camp, but he couldn't be certain. Besides, he rarely paid them too much attention, since Dorian didn't always agree with their methods and beliefs. He moved one tree closer-- now he was just back from the edge of the clearing. He could see the two much better, and he knew that he and Clara could easily take him-- if they could get his wand away from him.
Aberforth tensed when the young girl's attitude changed and she became sullen and sulky. He'd seen similar reactions from vampires before, usually when they'd been thwarted by Rhisiart from going after him. He tightened his grip on his wand and gave a moment of mental thanks that Lumos was one spell he didn't actually need it for. "Is that so?" he said mildly. "Ah well, I'm often where I'm not supposed to be. I was just worried about Rhisiart. He's a good friend of mine and a very senior vampire." That last was a mild warning if she would listen to it. You could never tell with the younger ones. Some of them were so caught up with being a vampire that they forgot about the hierarchy. He drew in a deep breath and took a single wary step back towards the narrow path he'd used to get here. "Well, if Rhisiart isn't here then I'll have to keep searching. He'd do the same for me after all. Thank you for your help, my dear." He began to take slow steps back towards the trees, keeping his eyes on the vampire.
Maybe on another night Clara would have been tempted to just let him go. Tonight, though, with Dorian with her and every part of her body electrified with the pure energy coming from the near-full moon, she was loathe to give up on a toy just like that, no matter what he said about senior vampires. It was probably a lie anyway. Rising to her feet again, she padded closer to him, head tilted curiously. "Why are you looking for him? I'm good at finding things." If she could make him stay, Dorian could circle around behind him, maybe. And then they could jump on him!
Senior vampire. Dorian frowned slightly, raking his brain for any recollection about the vampire behind the name. Nothing at the moment, but maybe he could ask Nicholas about it later. Quickly, quietly, still not wanting to attract any attention, he moved through the trees around the edge of the clearing so that he was behind the old man. He stood in the shadows, barely visible underneath the low branches of the tree, then took one step out- not quite in the clearing, but just far enough that Clara could see him. He waited, curious to hear the wizard's response before he made any additional movement.
Aberforth came to a halt again, his shoulders tight and tense. His instincts were screaming at him to get out of here but there was a chance that the young girl might know something. Anything would be appreciated given how little trace of Rhisiart he'd been able to find. And the girl seemed oddly changeable, which he'd seen a couple of times in vampires over the years. It made them unpredictable but they often knew more than they let on and a touch of patience could sometimes yield results. "He's missing. Which is unusual for him. He usually either comes to see me or arranges for a message to be sent. He's done neither and I'm concerned. He's a friend."
"Maybe werewolves ate him," Clara suggested interestedly, wandering closer, trying to decrease the distance between them. She saw Dorian behind the wizard but didn't look at him, not wanting to alert their prey to the fact that she wasn't alone. She was small and delicate looking, and even if he knew she was a vampire, she didn't look like she was as much of a threat as some of them, especially by herself. "They don't like vampires very much." That comment came with a genuine pout. It had been several years since she'd found a pack that actually tolerated her much. "Why don't you do a spell with your wand-stick to find him?" She pointed at the wand to make her meaning clear, tone light and innocent despite how blatantly unfair it was for them to have all that power and leave her with nothing.
Dorian quietly stepped forward again, just into the clearing. He wasn't sure if the wizard heard him, but he certainly didn't mind if he turned around and found him. Two of them could certainly take the one, couldn't they? Even if he were a powerful wizard-- and Dorian had never run into one of those before, since he tended to avoid most who carried wands. But he knew that they had more power than vampires, what with their magic and everything. His gaze moved to the wizard's wand, and he wondered how difficult it would be for them to take it.
Aberforth eyed the young girl warily as she closed the gap between them a little. The thought that Rhisiart had fallen foul of werewolves had occurred to him but he'd largely dismissed it. Rhisiart knew better than to get too close to werewolves. Nothing Aberforth could say would make him be stupid about that sort of thing. He was somewhat hyper-aware of his surrounding at the moment so Aberforth noticed (sensed even?) the movement behind him. He turned slightly, trying to keep an eye on the young girl even as he did so. There was another vampire behind him. He immediately tossed aside any further thoughts of getting answers and raised his wand, momentarily undecided between simply apparating away and neutralising the vampires first before doing that.
Clara had seen wizards enough to know what it meant when they lifted their wands like that - he was going to do a spell, and it could be anything. Almost without thinking she leapt towards him, not wanting at all to find out what it might be. It would probably hurt, and as a rule she did not like things that hurt. Her movement was smooth and efficient, as accurate as a mountain goat or cat on the prowl as she reached to snatch the piece of wood from his hand - it all came down to whether he could react fast enough to stop her. He wasn't as stupid as the man from last night, but he was old, and Dorian was behind him, and he had to pay attention to them both.
Dorian moved as soon as he saw the wand come up, advancing just as Clara did. He came at the wizard from behind, one arm around the old man's middle as the other reached for his wand arm, hoping to deflect and distract from whatever spell he was trying to perform. He said nothing, just made a slight noise as he hit the other man. Clara was his first priority for the moment; he didn't want anything to happen to her. He was less worried about himself, fairly certain that he could get away as soon as he needed to. This wizard, though? Well. Something needed to be done about him, as well.
Aberforth swore as both vampires moved towards him far quicker than he remembered vampires moving. He forgotten that the lazy, almost languid way that Rhisiart and his friends moved was not the norm for vampires. He'd let himself get complacent, dammit, and now he was in trouble. His immediate thought was to apparate away but they both grabbed him and started reaching for his wand hand. He wouln't risk bringing a pair of vampires back to whatever safe haven he aimed for. He tightened his grip on his wand, determined not to lose it and shoved his other hand into the face of the young girl. He let himself relax for a moment, knowing he was opening himself to some damage but needing the moment to concentrate enough to summon the magic to cast his spell wandlessly. "Lumos," he said firmly as bright light burst from his hand.
That wasn't faiiiiiiiiiir! Clara shrieked in anger at the light, eyes squeezing shut against it - it was the brightest thing she'd seen in almost longer than she could reliably remember, and though it didn't technically hurt, all her instincts screamed at her to run from it, to shield herself in case it burned. One hand went up to claw at the wizard's arm, nails scrabbling for any bare skin she could scratch at and she twisted her head, fighting the flight instinct to lunge forward blindly in an attempt to bite his hand. How dare he bring his magics here! This was her forest, not his, and this was time for the moon and the stars and the darkness under the trees, not his artificial make-believe sun.
Dorian cried out, falling back slightly as the light burst from the wizard's hand. God, he always had hated every wizard he'd come across. None of them ever meant any good at all. Shielding his eyes, he lunged forward again, hoping to knock him to the ground, to pull him back from Clara and to stop him from performing that same spell once more. A part of him almost felt bad for attacking an older man, but at the same time-- well, the fool should have known what he was doing coming out here all alone!
Aberforth tried to wrench himself away from the vampires as they both reacted to the Lumos but the girl flew at him scratching and clawing. His robes protected him from the worst of it but he could still feel that she'd got through in a couple of place. But then she lunged forward and her teeth closed on his hand. He gave a yell and lost control of the Lumos, the light fading to nothing in an instant. A moment later and the man was on him as well, dragging him away from the girl and towards the ground. For the moment he concentrated on keeping hold of his wand, if he lost that he would be in dire trouble. He lashed out with his free hand and kicked at them both as well. He just needed a moment free of them both to apparate away.