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michael corner is reluctantly growing up ([info]mlcorner) wrote in [info]pandorarpg,
@ 2012-01-03 23:31:00

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Entry tags:!status: complete, ^date: november 10 2003, character: ernie macmillan, character: lavender brown, character: michael corner

Characters: Lavender Brown, Michael Corner & Ernie Macmillan
Setting: Lavender's flat, 10 November 2003, 12:38pm
Rating: PG for language and freak outs
Summary: Breaking Lavender 'Nutter' Brown out of her own 'safe room'.

Michael Corner probably looked the complete loon, standing outside Lavender's door scribbling in his journal furiously. He felt the complete fool, talking to someone who was not but a few metres away from him but yet out of his reach thanks to magic and a few walls and whatever weird set-up Lavender had constructed for herself. Why was she so sodding paranoid? He was getting tired of waiting and he was about to toss the book and start working on these wards, sod Lavender and her safe room.

But then he saw Ernie's handwriting appear. He said he was bringing Hit Wizards, thank Merlin! Michael was a brilliant wizard, don't get him wrong, but one wizard would take quite a long time to break into that flat and he would be glad of the help as it would speed up the process completely. So he stood there waiting impatiently for Ernie and his team of Hit Wizards to arrive though he didn't quite expect their arrival to be so...eventful, to say the least.


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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-04 06:04 am UTC (link)
It was a matter of a few minutes before Ern got clearance from above to have a team immediately leave for Lavender's flat. Wand at the ready they apparated to the nearest points, surveillance breaking off first to do their work, the rest of the team charging up the stairs, treating it as an emergency hostage situation with a highly dangerous criminal.

Ern wasn't in the least bit aware of Michael's attempts to get her out of there, or his note to him. He had, after all, already left, assembled the team, and was out of the Ministry by that time. Had he known that much, he may have let the team know of the fact that there will likely be a male wizard in his twenties, looking like he was trying to break into the victim's flat. Since it looked rather bad.

Michael probably didn't hear or was very aware of the team's presence as silencing charms were cast upon their arrival...well not until he was "neutralized" (i.e. set in a full body bind) until Ernie had followed up at the tail of the team. He was about to instruct the team to split to find (or prepare to create) alternative entrances when he stopped in his tracks. The team had automatically taken to unlocking the door to her flat, when Ern's gaze fell on a familiar face who was severely out of context. "Michael?" he said, in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-04 06:31 am UTC (link)
Michael fell to the floor on his back when the body bind was placed upon him, stiff as a board. He had no idea why the Hit Wizards where attacking him but he was sodding furious now. When Ernie approached him his face was red with anger as he gazed up at the former Hufflepuff. "Yeah, I'd like to know the same sodding thing, Ernie! What am I doing on the bleeding floor? Why the fuck are your Hit Wizards casting spells on me? I told you I was already here!"

He attempted to move against the spell, but to no avail. "Would you take this fucking body bind off me now? Merlin's beard! We don't have time for this shite!"

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-04 06:40 am UTC (link)
"No--I didn't hear from you at all," Ern said with the well-practiced calm that typically fell upon him when he was at work. He looked down at Michael. Or at the very least someone who looked like him, who was very good at emulating a very angry Michael.

"I know that you think this is ridiculous but it's standard procedure. What exactly were you doing around here, anyways?" Normally a bystander would just be told to stand aside, but he must've been doing something to arouse his colleague's suspicion.

He looked up and gestured for a couple of Hitwizards to infiltrate the apartment using other means. A few were already doing so outside of the flat, on their broomsticks, discreetly working on the windows.

Looking back down at Michael he sighed. "It's actually standard procedure that you wait here until we have a better handle on the mission. I'd hate to be the one who sets you loose and have you hex one of my colleages when their back is turned."

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-04 06:59 am UTC (link)
"What was I doing? I was trying to help Lavender, you bleeding git! That's why you are here! I've been trying to talk her into letting me into her bloody flat so I can get her out of her fucking flat! I've been writing to her with my journal! I was about to start taking down her wards because she wouldn't sodding listen to me!"

Michael would have given him quite a few choice gestures just then if he had the ability. "Hex? Have you lost your fucking mind, Macmillan? Unbind me and I will punch some sodding sense into you like I did Smith! I was the one who got here first and was trying to help her! You and your fucking cronies aren't just going to push me aside! That is my fucking-" he wasn't sure if he could say it. It wasn't really what she was supposed to be, but if there was a situation in which it might get some idiot to start listening to him, he'd chance the word, no matter the meaning behind it. His pause was only minimal before he continued, "-girlfriend in there, dammit, now let me up before I do hex you!"

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-04 07:09 am UTC (link)
Ern raised an eyebrow at Michael's behaviour. While he did portray Michael's anger rather well, he was still uncertain with regards to the actual facts of the matter. He needed to be sure before he could even fathom setting the guy loose. He wasn't one to take any chances, especially if they were suspecting a highly dangerous killer in the vicinity.

"She's your girlfriend, Corner? I didn't know that," he said, affirming his answer and searching his mind for a few questions to ascertain his identity. "Where were you on the evening of November 7th? And November 8th?"

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-04 07:18 am UTC (link)
If Michael could be moving he'd be flailing around uselessly just then, that's how frustrated he was with Ernie right now. "No one bloody knows, for fucks sake! It's not any of your damn business is it, Ernie? Would you like to join us in the bleeding bedroom too? Shite!"

"Are you fucking - of course you are, you're Ernie Macmillan, why am I even bothering to ask? I was at Justin's damn birthday party on the 7th, where I punched Smith in the face. I already told you that. On the 8th we had the DA meeting where Justin got royally cross with me for saying that Bianca might possibly be involved in the murders. There, is that enough bleeding information for you, Hit Wizard Git Face?" It had been a while since Michael had reverted to such a pathetic name calling situation, but he was really sick of this situation and he wanted to make sure that Lavender was okay, not be stuck on the ground.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-04 07:27 am UTC (link)
Well, his identity did seem to be ascertained, at least. Although Ern didn't quite appreciate the name-calling. He was used to it though. There were few who really did ever bother him. "And you're not going to interfere with my team's operation, which could endanger your life, hers and ours? There's potentially a highly dangerous witch in there."

His second in command reported to him that preparations were just about complete for an entry. Three minutes and forty nine seconds since they had gotten there...that wasn't too bad. It wasn't great, but it could be worse.

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-04 07:39 am UTC (link)
Michael didn't want to do that at all. In fact, he didn't like that idea. He would rather they just leave now and he would take care of it himself like he had been doing before they arrived. But they could probably get in faster and get her out faster, which was more important than his pride at the moment.

So finally, he spoke in a voice that was no longer yelling, but still had an edge to it. "Not so long as you promise to let her leave with me. She's coming to mine where I can protect her and know that she's safe. She can't stay here anymore if Pandora can get in her floo."

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-04 07:55 am UTC (link)
Ern hesitated for a moment, but quickly noted the more rational Michael coming through once more. "We'll have to write up a few reports back at the Ministry, but assuming that her health is alright after that it's up to her as to where she goes."

He smiled for a moment. "You're not particularly skilled at name-calling, but I'm glad that you can cool off quickly enough. I didn't want to have to leave you here in this state since it has its own risks." He removed the spell. "Now stand back, and promise me that you'll leave if I tell you--or if this becomes messy."

Ern was inspecting the work that had been done so far, to secure the perimeter. The tension was palpable. It was normal since they could be facing anything in there... He pulled out a tiny communication device from his uniform.

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-04 06:39 pm UTC (link)
Michael didn't want to have to deal with Ministry official bullshite and reports and all that. Damn the Ministry and their reports. "Alright fine," he replied, still annoyed.

When he felt the spell lift he jumped to his feet almost instantly, cursing under his breath. "Merlin, finally!" Michael rolled his shoulders and moved his arms around like he'd been lying in a particularly uncomfortable position for too long. "You try being held against your will by one of your supposed mates while someone you care about is trapped inside her own flat whilst some nutter might be after her and tell me the brilliant names you come up with, Ernie!" Michael looked a bit frazzled, but he wasn't screaming like before, just frustrated still. He didn't like being told to stand back and do nothing when he was the one who had been supporting and helping Lavender the most since seventh year—when she let him at least. Although sometimes he didn't even care if she wanted him to or not, he'd do it anyway.

He grumbled and picked up his journal that had fallen to the floor when the Hit Wizard put him in the body bind. "Fine, but you have someone tell me what's going on or you get your arse back out here and tell me yourself, yeah? If you expect me to stand aside and not get involved, you best tell me what's happening inside. I wasn't the first one here so that you could come along and just shoo me away, thanks. And you might have training, but you haven't any in Lavender Brown, I can tell you that much. So if you expect to get anywhere with her once you reach her 'safe room' you might want to bring me in on that part, mate. She's not going to come out for you." Michael chuckled a little to himself, because it would even be difficult for him to get her out of there. Fat lot of luck they would have trying to get her to come out, especially crashing and banging their way into her flat.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-04 10:55 pm UTC (link)
For someone who was being told to leave immediately and wanted their loved one saved, Michael had a lot to say, Ern thought as he briskly checked everyone's position once more. Those positioned outside were ready as well as those in the hallway. They awaited their word.

"So she's in a safe room," Ernie affirmed the information that he needed. "We'll deal with it as it happens. Just let me do my job," he said quite plainly, letting Michael talk himself out without paying that much attention. Right now we'll just need to focus on capturing Zurlo and ensuring that Lavender's life isn't in immediate danger--not to pander anyone's bruised ego. "In on three," he said into the communication device before counting it out.

Sounds of the door finally being kicked open, as were spells directed to make entrances where they saw fit (of course, surveying for bookshelves, other walls or other things blocking the way had been completed)--occured on cue. They were rather quick and good at their work, which was something Ernie was rather proud of.

Of course that didn't quite go without a bit of destruction, but the Ministry will send its restoration crew once the operation was complete. The team broke off into smaller teams, wands at the ready, and immediately had taken to search out the fireplace, bed room and apartment.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-04 11:42 pm UTC (link)
Lavender jumped at her watch buzzed, warning her that someone was through her wards. She readjusted the grip on her wand in her right hand, unable and perhaps unwilling to unclench the McQueen heel she had in her left as a sort of back up weapon. Her pulse was racing again, trying to blink away the tears she didn't want to be crying.

She was going to die and if not - God, didn't Michael say he was coming over? What if Pandora had killed him? Or the hitwizards Ernie sent over. All of them dead because of her and here she was stuck in her safe room - nothing in, nothing out.

There was still time before the automatic deadlock seal on her safe room expired. At that point, she was still pretty safe because it would take a considerable length of time for someone not her or her mother to get through the wards. However, at that point she could also choose to leave, but to find what? Whatever was happening in her flat didn't sound good. Would she find bodies, blood everywhere? Would some crazed woman be waiting for her, only to smile, say something creepily witty and disappear with a promise to see her soon, because prolonged fear probably make the killing better.

Everything was just spinning now, her breath coming in short gasps. Lavender felt undone and probably looked the part, but she didn't know what to do. Right now she was just a girl, admittedly safe in a closet for the moment with a wand. Really all she could do was wait until her time was up, listening for some clue as to what was happening out there.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 12:31 am UTC (link)
"Nothing here," one of the female Hit Wizards yelled over to Ernie from the sitting room, as one of the guys seconded that from the kitchen. "No one in the fireplace," another confirmed. Everything seemed normal, but the tension was still high. One of the Hit Wizards took out a tiny Sneakoscope from a box in his robes just for additional assessment of the situation. And they had very superficial confirmation that things were alright. Now they can see whether they could find Lavender--who was hopefully in her 'safe room', alive.

"Lavender? Where are you?" Ernie called out as he walked through the flat, cautiously, wand still at the ready. A few of the others had taken to assessing the area around the fireplace to see whether Pandora had transfigured herself into something.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 01:22 am UTC (link)
Lavender squinted at the door, hearing her name. That was Ernie. Or, you know, sounded like Ernie. Or was Ernie with a wand fixed to him to trick her to coming out. So, no she was not going to just tell him where she was because it might not be him and really she didn't need anymore of a reason beyond that.

Finally letting go of her shoes, she reached for her journal again. She flipped it back open to Michael's last comment. He had been at her flat before, but Ernie was the one looking for her. That was just weird. He might not even see it, but if he did and he wasn't dead, he would respond to her. To at least let someone know that she was still alive.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 01:47 am UTC (link)
Ernie approached Lavender's bedroom, and was starting to feel concerned. Pandora must've gotten to her--and it didn't mean that Pandora would've left the flat either. His second-in-command, reported back to him, having found nothing in the fireplace. Ernie returned orders to stay on high alert, in case Pandora was still in the area. A couple of Hit Wizards started searching room for signs of a door to a room as Ernie spoke once more.

"They haven't found anything," Ernie called out. "Lavender--We need to get out of here quickly though. She still may be here." He turned to his second-in-command. "And let Corner know that we haven't spotted anything unusual right now, but we're still on high alert."

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 02:13 am UTC (link)
Lavender looked up from her journal and her awkward left handed writing, but her wand was not leaving her right hand anytime soon. It was the best weapon she had at that moment. Swallowing, she noticed that the voice was louder and that Ernie, if that was Ernie of his own violation, was probably in her bedroom now.

Glancing down at her watch, she still had a few more minutes. If it was Ernie with his team of hitwizards, they would probably start trying on her wards to this room and unlike the ones on her flat, right now, this fought back. And if it wasn't Ernie, well, then speaking up could provoke the person into doing something stupid while she was still a bit more safe. Lavender pushed herself to standing, leaving her journal open with the ink on her last message to Michael still drying.

She took a few steps closer to the door, her heart was still beating like a hammer in her chest, but she could do this. Shaky as the world felt right now, she was still a Gryffindor and while it wasn't exactly a plan, doing something was probably the best course of action right now. (It would be a shame to die a coward.) With a flick of her wand she made it so that she could cast her voice out into the flat. "Or you could be her, so yeah, let's try that one again."

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 02:59 am UTC (link)
If he wasn't so tense, Ern would've sighed with frustration. It may have been the events of the past week that just had led to his impatience. "Or not," Ern called back, knowing that it wouldn't have made a difference. Well as it stood, he could wait a bit longer and endanger the team or move on to the next plan. Moving onto the next plan was technically the most sensible thing to do at this point as it may take a bit of time to figure out the wards. "It's good to know that you're alive, you know."

"But Lavender, as it stands we're going to have to remove the wards if you're not coming out as I have to make decisions in the best interest of the team. We can't stay here any longer than we need. We're in real danger, and besides that if Pandora just doesn't happen to be here, she may be somewhere else causing someone grief." He paused for a moment before attempting to confirm his identity. "I'm Ernie Macmillan, I've been a Hit Wizard for the past five years since we've left Hogwarts--we were in the same year. I was in Hufflepuff House, I had been prefect since fifth year--I don't know how I did it since I spent no less than seven hours of studying for my OWLs. We had a meeting just the other day--on the 8th, which you didn't attend. Merlin this is just great...just get out before we have to start dismantling everything."

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-05 03:31 am UTC (link)
Michael kept staring at his journal, waiting for Lavender to respond, but nothing was appearing in it. He didn't know what she was doing in that room, but he kept hearing Ernie call out to her and not any response back. But then suddenly her voice filled the entire flat and the spilled out into the hall towards him and he barked out a laugh—he couldn't help it really, it was just too much. Ernie had told him to sit and stay like he was a sodding puppy dog and there was nothing he could to do help nor could he actually see Lavender so his nerves were absolutely fried as it was. And to hear her outright refuse him like Michael had told Ernie she would, well, it was basically perfect.

Michael listened to Ernie calling back to her and shook his head. This was just ridiculous. Michael cupped his hands around his mouth and leaned toward the doorway so that his voice would carry into the flat. "Ern, I told you that she wouldn't come out for you, do you not bloody listen when people speak to you?" Michael hoped that Lavender would at least hear him as well.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 03:50 am UTC (link)
Of course she was alive. It was perhaps one of the few benefits of being sure that once a month you were going to turn into a monster and kill everyone you ever cared about. It meant that Lavender went through considerably amount of work to make sure that she could be as safe as possible. Maybe it was a crazy sort of thing to do, to willingly sit in her closet for an hour every month just in case. Today, the fact she had a closet to retreat in might have saved her life, although from what it sounded like her flat wasn't going to be so lucky.

It was also good to actually hear Michael, teasing Ernie a little. And that more than anything told her that what the people were saying was the truth. Still, even if her flat was safe, at the moment her hands were figuratively tied. "Yeah, well, unless you and you team want to get hurt, you're going have to wait at least another..." she paused to look down at her watch again, "three minutes."

That might not have been the most ideal situation, but it was what it was. "It would take longer than that to get through anyway. So, three minutes, or you know less than three minutes now, but there is literally nothing I can do."

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 04:15 am UTC (link)
Ernie was going to yell something back to Michael about protocol (which he was sure the man wouldn't really get since he was probably just off his rocker--did he fall too hard when his colleague performed the spell?), but heard Lavender's voice. He felt a measure of relief at not having to undergo the challenging, time consuming and potentially dangerous task of dismantling wards.

"Only if you're going to come out in three minutes," Ernie said in response. "We do what we have to do to keep everyone safe."

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 04:33 am UTC (link)
It wasn't like the vault magically opened when the clock ran out. She would have a few things to do, so it might be more than three minutes, but she wasn't going to say. Not that what she did say was much better. "Will Michael be there when I do?" She knew he was there, somewhere and she wanted to see him because this whole thing really sucked. And he was probably the only one who wouldn't want to have her sent in for some miserable psych evaluation or whatever.

Lavender let out a sigh, her body feeling heavy. The adrenaline had to be wearing off now, the fear wasn't gone, but she was just getting tired - although weary was probably the better word. Not that she wanted to sleep, sleeping and the possibility of more nightmares was not something that she needed to add to the disaster that today already was.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 04:46 am UTC (link)
"He's outside of your flat," Ernie said back. He was quite aware that if he actually did follow protocol to a 'T', he would've had to have Michael taken to the Ministry just to ensure that there was no interference on his behalf.

"We can't have him in here for obvious risk management and protocol issues," he added, perhaps a bit louder so a certain someone can hear it from the hallway. "It's my arse on the line if something goes wrong because of his presence, which may well happen to someone who doesn't know or hasn't trained extensively gets involved."

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 05:00 am UTC (link)
Even if he couldn't see her, she put one hand on her hip, the other still holding her wand, although with a looser grip than earlier. "Did you say my flat was secure?" She was sure that was the cause, although with a few clauses in there because that what they had to do.

"Because I'm not coming out unless it is secure and if it's secure there's no real reason why he couldn't be there. Here." It wasn't that she didn't trust Ernie his team exactly, more that she needed more than a promise of physical safety. And Ernie wasn't really offering anymore than that, not that he was supposed to. He was a hit wizard, and probably not even someone who personally liked her that much being friends with Justin and given his opinion of her currently. Even if he was doing his job and could do a great job of it, it wasn't enough.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 05:14 am UTC (link)
"It's as secure as it could be considering the circumstances," Ernie said in reassurance. "There is a full and experienced team of Hit Wizards who specialize in dangerous criminals and hostage rescue."

"It doesn't get that much more secure than that, but again, we're dealing with a dangerous offender. But we've done everything that we should, and we're prepared to do what needs to be done to ensure that everyone is safe."

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 05:32 am UTC (link)
That was not what she needed to hear right now. As far as she was concerned, right now she had physical safety. This room was safe, even if the deadlock seal was about to expire. In a weird way this cage had always been a safe place. So, maybe he wasn't worried about her safety as much as...

"So, what do you like think I'm a threat or something?" Because she was clearly the victim in this one. And it wasn't like she was hiding Pandora in her closet. The thought alone just gave her chills. Except maybe he didn't know that or didn't believe that and he was all just facts. It did feel like everyone was turning away from her. "And now you're waiting to apprehend me?"

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 05:52 am UTC (link)
"Where the heck did you get that one?" Ernie exclaimed in alarm.

"Only if you're Pandora, which you're not. The dangerous criminal and hostage rescue team was brought because the protocol is to assume that there is a high possibility of hostage taking when one's home is invaded by a dangerous criminal." He stopped for a second to consider why the heck she'd be that suspicious of him.

"Merlin, Lavender--do you think I'd jeopardize your life, my life, Michael's life, my teammates' lives, and not to mention my livelihood and career over some petty disagreement you've had with my best mate? Heck, I have better things to do than that, which includes surviving this operation and ensuring the safety of everyone here." He could feel himself get rather roused at what seemed to him to be a questioning of his professional ethics. But he immediately calmed when one of his colleagues tapped him on the shoulder, to kind of ground him once more.

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-05 06:14 am UTC (link)
Michael was so bloody bored with all of this. Okay, he wasn't bored so much as antsy, sitting in the hallway doing absolutely nothing while Ernie supposedly assessed the situation and fixed everything. Except so far he wasn't doing all that great of a job. And even the snide remarks that Michael was jotting in the margins of Lavender's journal entry weren't enough to keep him occupied when Ernie made the mistake of bringing up Justin and the drama that had ensued from the DA meeting the other night. While Michael had just been kidding for the most part with his remarks, right now it sounded like Ernie was losing his cool with her and that wasn't really the right approach - at least not for anyone but Michael because he had a special way of doing this with her that resulted in objects being thrown at him and then usually a bit of snogging.

So Michael abandoned his note scribbling and ran to the entrance of the flat, bracing his hands on the door frame, making sure he didn't actually go in so that the psychotic hit wizards didn't attack him again. "Ernie, what the fuck? That is not the issue here at all!" Michael called out into the flat, not really at all sure where Ernie even was. "I already told you - she already told you - she just wants me to be there when she comes out. Merlin's beard, you are bringing up shite that is so not helping, mate! And I told her that you were actually being objective about the whole situation which now you sound kind of like a prat!"

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 06:51 am UTC (link)
With Michael's movements, Ern's second-in-command darted towards the door and intercepted the interferer with a binding spell and a silencing spell in quick succession and with a couple more flicks of his wand down the the hallway, where one of the more junior members of the team followed up to supervise.

"Can't you see? Your carlessness--anyone's carelessness can kill us all. If she actually cared about you--or even herself--she wouldn't want you in this room since you may very well get in the way and cause some or all of us to die." He didn't know whether he had to spell it out further, but he said what needed to be said. "I actually have no fucking clue as to why I haven't sent you back to the Ministry yet since you're drawing attention to yourself in a situation where lives are at stake. This is not a fucking game or time to worry about your fucking ego and being some fucking hero. Just let me do my job."

He knew that letting Michael stay in the first place was a severe error in his own judgement, and he wasn't going to hear the end of it--ever. This was the sort of error that could result in really bad stuff happening, and he was starting to feel the stress of the situation.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 07:10 am UTC (link)
This was bad. She was pretty sure it might even be getting worse. Then there was Michael yelling, actually saying the truth because Ernie wasn't helping. This whole thing was just plain messy. Lavender turned around, looking back into the depths of her closet and caught sight of the journal and the two little messages Michael sent her since.

Worst rescue in the history of rescues seemed about right because she didn't feel like she was being rescued. The flat was maybe secure, and there probably wasn't going to be bodies on the other side, but that didn't mean that she would like what she saw.

Quietly and with a focrus she was trying to muster up, Lavender began unlocking the layers of wards that kept her safe in this room. The process wasn't quick and she was someone who knew what she was doing. This whole thing was just exhausting. She could have died and there were boys being boys, even if they were doing what they thought was right and it just wasn't helping.

For those in the bedroom, her closet door would have seemed to shimmer back into existence. As the door slid open, a decent shield charm went up in the now open space as a sort of just in case. Ernie might have said that he was being professional, but it didn't sound that way. Sighing heavily she addressed her flat as it were once more. "Just stop," she said, "please. I'm whole. I'm safe. I'm out and I just don't want to be here anymore." She didn't really want to be anywhere right now but that wasn't exactly an option.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 07:54 am UTC (link)
Ernie would have no idea of what the heck Lavender meant by rescue if she did tell him what she was feeling about this rescue. By his standards, things were going alright. No one was injured or dead yet. Rescue wasn't about romance, pleasantries, niceness or liking any of it. It's about getting out of a dangerous situation in the least riskiest manner possible and then worrying about whatever else may crop up. And hopefully capturing a dangerous fiend once all civilians were out of the way.

"Well, good," Ernie said, rather abruptly, trying his hardest to tone down his level of arousal at this whole stressful and emotionally taxing matter, and return to more professional tones. He hadn't had to deal with situations involving people he directly knew, beyond rescuing people he knew from work (i.e. people who already knew what his business face looked like).

"Since it will be too risky for you to remain here. Moira and Samuel will escort you out to Michael. The rest of us will be on alert, and we'll be out momentarily."

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-05 06:22 pm UTC (link)
Michael was fairly certain he was going to have head trauma by the end of all this, thanks to all the times these damn hit wizards had sent him sprawling to the ground with their stupid fucking binding spells. Michael needed to stop being so careless when it came to not having his wand at the ready - he had just got used to doing a job that technically didn't require much use of one. At this rate though he was really considering a career change just so that he could get back at these bastards for all this.

And seriously, he couldn't give Ernie his piece of mind either, being silenced and all. That was the worst part about it. This had absolutely nothing to do with Michael's ego nor him wanting to be any type of hero - Ernie seriously just did not get it. He did not understand how Lavender worked at all which was all Michael had been trying to say, but no, Ernie hadn't understood that at all. He'd taken it as some sort of hope to be the rescuer or some shite. What a load of bullshite. Michael didn't care about that sort of thing nor did he even think in that sort of way - Michael didn't even think at all, he just acted which yeah, was careless in many regards, but still he knew this woman much better than Ernie ever could and he was cross that he was now stuck on the floor again without any sort of ability to do anything about it.

So now he was stuck here waiting for whatever was going on inside, which he wasn't really sure of since the yelling had stopped.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-05 08:23 pm UTC (link)
"Is he okay?" Still standing in her closet with the door open, Lavender was staring down the hit wizards in her line of sight. She wasn't thinking like a professional, she might not even be the most logical because right now she was at her core a scared girl who didn't think she needed to be saved. She just needed to reassured and calmed down. "And what about my stuff?"

She knew that wasn't the question any of them wanted to hear. That was classic girl, but even a jumble of everything she had a few things in this flat that made her feel more safe as well as some thing that she shouldn't just leave behind, especially if they were going to make her leave.

"Okay, fine, when do I get go back into my flat?" Even before she had that answer, she was reaching for a small box on the shelf and making a mental map to how she might be able to grab her messenger bag on the way out.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-05 10:56 pm UTC (link)
"He's fine," Ernie said. "He just had to be relocated down the hallway for security purposes. You can meet with him and we can discuss this further if you will quickly make your way out of here."

"And if you do need anything, make a list, and it will be retrieved for you in short order." Ernie was concerned that it was going to take hours to find anything anywhere since some things may be a bit out of order due to the entrance and security check.

"The restoration crew should be in within the week--they'll clean up and they can add some additional wards for your protection." Ernie watched Lavender as she took a box from her shelf. "Your possessions should be safe as there will be wards in place to ensure that no one outside of authorized personnel enter your flat."

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-06 12:21 am UTC (link)
"Within the week?" She repeated, also knowing it wasn't the point. Also not something she wanted to have out with him. Not with his outbursts from before. She held up her hand not wanting him to continue, she just wanted to see that Michael was okay and be somewhere else.

"I'll just need to grab my bag and my jacket." She had her box and she didn't even want to know what state her fish was in. Lavender let the shield charm on the closet door down, her wand still in her hand. She might not have a chance against against these hit wizards, but she wasn't going to be unarmed. Both those things were by her front door. She could be grabbed on her escort out of the flat as long and as long as she went uninterrupted she could be clear of the flat in only a few seconds.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-06 12:42 am UTC (link)
It depends on how many others they have this week. I don't think there's that much going on right at the moment, so you don't need to worry too much," Ernie said.

"Quickly," he said in reply to Lavender's request, still feeling a bit of the knot of tension that typically rested in his shoulders lessen. It was so absurd that she just didn't beeline to the door. But maybe being in that closet for the period she had been hiding made her a bit go a bit funny. Ernie was still on high alert, but at least he didn't have to worry about people risking all of their lives wrecklessly.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-06 01:18 am UTC (link)
Lavender nodded, crossing out of bedroom quickly. She kept her gaze focused on her things near the door, her box tucked under arm. He wasn't asking her to explain and she didn't think she would have had much of an explanation. She just pulled on her jacket and picked up her bag before stepping outside of her flat. And that was almost the worst moment.

Her flat wasn't safe and apparently the world was so upside down that that one person who actually wanted to help her was bound and silenced in her hallway. She wasn't even going to think about what her non-wizarding neighbors thought about all of this. She sighed, feeling wearier still, she just wanted him to be holding her right now and that couldn't happen. "Will you let him go now?"

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-06 02:06 am UTC (link)
"Alright," Ern said as he followed her out of the flat. A couple of Hit Wizards stood at her side, also with their wands at the ready in case something should happen at this point. Others were positioned elsewhere in the flat, waiting tensely for their victim to be set loose.

When Lavender did finally make it out of her flat, the junior-most Hit Wizard undid the binding and silencing spells applied to Michael. Ern didn't say much more but turned into the flat to apply a series of wards to maintain the security of the flat as the others started to leave.

"Everyone accounted for, Findlay?" He asked his second-in-command before locking up.

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-06 02:22 am UTC (link)
Michael let out a long sigh when he was finally released from the binding and silencing spells. Despite being in them, he had been talking to himself just to pass the time, which probably made him look the loon to the hit wizard who was with him at the time. He picked himself up off the floor as quickly as he could and looked at the hit wizard who had been watching over him - the one that had removed the spells. "Thanks mate," he said, even though they had put the spells on him in the first place. He knew they were there to help them and he knew that everyone was on high alert and that he had probably caused some trouble so he was trying not to focus on them anymore and just focus on the reason he was there in the first place, which was the blonde woman in front of him.

Michael approached Lavender slowly but pointedly, now ignoring the rest of the witches and wizards around them. "Hey," he said, touching the side of her face with his hand. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb absent mindedly, holding her face so he could look into her eyes, "Are you okay, love?" He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and then pulled her into a hug. He was surprised just how overwhelmed he was to see her and have her in his arms again. He definitely wasn't going to let her go back to that flat until they knew it was completely safe.

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[info]lavishly
2012-01-06 03:04 am UTC (link)
Lavender didn't answer his question anymore than a nod out of the need to do something. She didn't know if she was all right or if that was a possibility. Then his arms were around her and that was good. She buried her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. It was awkward with the things in her hands, now sort of pushing into them both at odd angles, but that didn't seem to matter.

Something in her chest came undone. And the tears came wracking her whole body. She had managed to keep it together up until this moment, not letting the tears be more than a quiet presence. Only that was over now, she didn't have to be strong, or keep herself together she could just completely unravel.

That was when the box slipped from her grasp to the ground. She jumped at the sound, pulling closer to him. "Can we just get out of here?" Her words muffled, but hopefully he could figure it out.

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[info]mlcorner
2012-01-06 03:21 am UTC (link)
He hadn't really expected her to start crying right there. He felt bad that there were people there watching while she broke down in sobs and wanted to get her out of there soon.

Michael jumped a bit at the sound of the box hitting the ground too. He was going to bend down and pick it up but Lavender started to curl into him more and he decided that she didn't find it quite that important at the moment so he let it be and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. He heard her say something, not quite sure what it was but he could take a guess.

Michael looked at the nearest hit wizard who was standing nearby, "Alright, can we leave now?" Normally he wouldn't bother to ask but he knew Ernie was cross with him enough already so he was trying not to cause any more trouble.

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[info]ernsthename
2012-01-06 04:10 am UTC (link)
Now that the actual duties of his job were somewhat done, Ernie had retreated into some of the more menial tasks that he'd typically request some of the more junior members of the team complete while he would file various reports.

Having more than a little bit of proof of poor mood, Ern's second-in-command, Nathaniel Findlay stood close to where the couple embraced. He was a shorter wizard with short auburn hair and a lean built and a rather sharp voice. He had initially waited next to the couple, awkwardly as a few others were working to restore the wall and the wards that they had removed to enter the flat. "Yes. We'll have to head over to the Ministry first, to file a sighting report, a quick check-up to ensure that all is well, and to draft a list of any additional items Miss. Brown may require from her flat--which can and will be forwarded to her when available." He looked over his shoulder to see that Ern was still intent on fixing up the wards.

"You don't need to worry about us, Macmillan--I'll start the paperwork on this one. Now if you will follow me out, sir and mademoiselle--I'll apparate us to the Ministry once we're outside."

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