Sara Hawthorne -- Harry Potter (strikes_twice) wrote in musingslogs, @ 2011-02-20 13:18:00 |
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Entry tags: | face, harry potter |
Who: Tim and Sara
What: Asking for help
When: Saturday, 2/19, 8:45am
Where: Sara’s Apartment, Hamartia 606
Warnings: Blunt urgency
Tim hadn’t yet gotten to sleep, which probably attributed to how ragged and worn he looked. He hardly cared though, because he had A Plan. One that would ensure that Daryl made it home safely, and that Voldemort would never bother him, or his loved ones, again. No matter how he worked it though, he couldn’t do this without Sara. He needed her to make the trade, which meant he needed to convince her to do it. Which would probably take some time and be nearly impossible. There was no other way.
So, at a reasonable hour, Tim made his way to Sara’s apartment which, ironically, was in the same building as Voldemort’s. He wondered, briefly, what had stopped them from finding each other, but he brushed off the thought. It didn’t matter right now. What mattered was talking to Sara and getting her to agree to be the bait. And trust Tim to make the switch. He walked up the stairs to the sixth floor and knocked on her door.
--
Sara was not quite sleeping, her body too used to waking up for six-thirty shifts, but she had absolutely no desire to get out of bed. Feeling particularly warm and cozy Sara planned to spend a good part of her morning doing her not sleeping on her day off. Of course as it often was with the best laid plans the universe has a tendency to throw things at them, and then laugh at the planner. Today the universe choose to manifest in the form of a knock on her door.
For a few moments Sara contemplated ignoring the knocking and pretending she wasn’t home, but she let the thought pass. With a mournful sigh she left the comfort of her blankets and trudged toward the door. Taking a quick peek through the peep hole Sara did not know who the man on the other side of the door was. Now on alert Sara tried to hold on to her happiest memory, ready to call on Prongs. Sara didn’t undo the chain lock as she opened the door, and peeking through the crack she asked a tad cautious, “Can I help you?”
--
Tim waited with slight impatience, his toe tapping before he could stop it. When he heard movement in the apartment, he immediately stopped fidgeting. He was pleased that she didn’t just open the door for a stranger, even though she had technically met him already. “Sara Hawthorne, my name is Tim Pecker. I need to talk to you about a man.” Everything about him exuded urgency. The fact that he knew her name would probably scare her, but he just didnt have time to sugar coat any of it. “I need your help to save my friend.”
---
Sara froze when he said her name. Before she could panic too much about that though she was broken out of her shock when he said why he was here. “What?” she asked in incomprehension. This seemed like the start of some bad sci-fi or fantasy movie where she’d find out she was some kind of chosen one, destined to save the world and destroy a great evil. But that was just a silly thought because she was just plain old Sara, even if her life already too closely resembled a Lifetime movie with some world hoping thrown in for kicks.
Maybe he was crazy. Of course a crazy guy would end up on her doorstop at nine in the morning on her day off, because that was just how her life was. And damn it she was going to have strong words with the universe whenever she ended it what ever it was that came after death. Sara had a half a mind to just slam the door in the guy’s face really, but something held her back. Just the possibility that someone might be in danger and that there might be something she could do . . . Sara physically could not, not help someone in need, and that shown through just slightly in her eyes.
--
He waited for what seemed like hours as she worked through what he was saying. He knew it was crazy, and he was sorry for what he needed to do. This wasn’t just about him now, or his family. It was about Daryl and Adam now too, and that meant he couldn’t play things as close to the vest as he normally did. And maybe part of that was his attempts at honest communication with Harry. Whatever it was, he waited until he saw that look in her eyes that said she couldn’t not help when someone was in danger.
“Please, Sara, I know this is a lot. There’s a man who’s been following you. He took an interest in me, because of my ability,” he explained, his voice lowering as his eyes darted down the deserted hallway to make sure they weren’t overheard. “He threatened me, and my family. My friend, she was just trying to help. She’s going to die if you don’t help me.” His voice was urgent and pleading at the same time, and although he wasn’t sure exactly what would happen if he didn’t deliver Sara, he wasn’t willing to take a chance.
----
Sara felt her stomach drop when Tim mentioned him. So she wasn’t the only one whose life he was destroying was he? Without thinking Sara closed the door in his face. Resting her forehead against the wood of the door Sara tried to hold it together as thoughts and memories of Matt, the way she’d been completely drenched in his blood, and how his weight had born down on her. In some ways that weight had never been removed. ’She’s going to die if you don’t help.’ Sara felt sick inside.
Pulling open the door fully a moment later Sara stared at Tim, her eyes haunted. “What do you need me to do?” Sara asked a strange tone to her voice. She was gripping the door handle, and if he looked he be able to she that Sara was shaking slightly. Beneath the fear, though was a strength of will that only came out when Sara was acting for someone elses sake. No one else would die by that man’s hand. Not if she could help it.
--
Tim’s heart sank as she closed the door in his face. He stood there for a moment, before turning his back to the door, trying to figure out how to make this work without her. He could use his ability, but he wasn’t sure if it would work. Sometimes, with certain people, or in certain circumstances, he just couldn’t use his ability. Could he risk Daryl’s life on it? Absolutely not. He didn’t even need to think about it. But how to do it without Sara?
He was saved from having to think too much about it when she opened the door all the way. She was scared, he knew, but he admired her for trying. “Thank you,” he said, relief evident in his voice. “Can I come inside?” He didn’t want to discuss this out in the hallway where they could be overheard.
-------
Sara hesitated for a moment before moving aside to let him in. It was getting difficult to hold onto a happy memory at the moment but she did her best to. It was the best shot she had of protecting herself after all. Closing the door behind the man Sara crossed her arms over her chest in an unintentionally defensive stance. She might have let him in but she certainly didn’t trust him. It was probably an idiot move to let him in at all, but Sara never did have any common sense for herself when it came to worrying about others.
“Explain.” Sara said shortly. She wanted answers and she wanted them now, especially if a woman’s life was at risk.
---
Tim quickly stepped inside, but didn’t move into the apartment more than a few steps. Instead, he turned his back to the apartment and face Sara. She wanted an explanation and she would get it. “There is a man who got in contact with me recently. He threatened to have my daughter arrested, my boyfriend locked away in a mental institution, and then destroy my own life brick by brick. He said he would reconsider his stance if I did something for him. The task he set for me pointed me to you, and I realized that you were in more danger than I was from this man. My friend, Daryl, she’s a detective. I told her to stay out of it, but she found the blackmail materials anyway and managed to find this man. She broke into his apartment and got caught.”
He paused then, but just for a breath. “He called me last night, and said I had 24 hours to bring you to him. I won’t let him hurt you, but I need you for this plan to have a chance of working. I’m good at what I do Sara. I’ve never gotten into a situation I couldn’t get out of, and this is one of them.” Tim let the silence hang between them for a few moments before adding, “He’s going to die this afternoon.”
------
Sara was silent as she tried to take in everything he was telling her. She wasn’t surprised at the lengths that monster would go to get what he wanted, and her heart went out to Tim. When he mentioned the trade though Sara froze. He wanted her. Of course he did she thought with a bitter sort of amusement. He’d only been stalking her since she was eleven after all. Nothing was ever going to make that man stop wanting her. Despite Tim’s attempts at reassurance, and promises of safety Sara didn’t, couldn’t believe him. Hadn’t the teachers promised it was just a stupid, dangerous prank? Hadn’t the police promised her they’d catch him? Hadn’t Matt promised her they’d both be okay? Sara wanted to be able to believe in promises but she’d lost her faith in other people’s ability to protect her a long time ago, maybe she’d even started to before everything with that man.
“I’ll help.” Sara might not believe Tim in the slightest when he promised her he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, but she would do it anyway. She supposed some part of her had always known this would be the only way it could ever really end. One of them would have to die, and at this point whether it was him or her Sara could say she cared. She couldn’t run anymore, the fear and the paranoia were destroying her. “I won’t let anyone else die because of me.” she added quietly more to speaking to herself than to Tim. And if the paranoia didn’t, the guilt would.