Characters: Amarissa Cross and any resident(s) of #12 Location: Grimmald Place Date: Saturday, August 23, 2001 Time: Following the gala Rating: PG
Amarissa had observed Kastra Yaxley all throughout the rest of the gala. After their meeting, it was as though she were having a difficult time thinking of anything else. It was difficult not to openly stare, and time and time again, Amarissa could only stop to wonder how long this meant that she would be in England. She had come to find if anyone had returned from the dead within this country and that certainly seemed to be true. Of course it would take a bit more research and work to be able to offer up any solid proof, but the appearance of a bracelet that had been missing for years dancing upon the arm of a stranger was more than enough for Amarissa. She was wholly convinced that this woman, this Kastra Yaxley, wasn't who she said she was.
She had decided shortly after their conversation that she was going to follow Kastra as far as she possibly could. Perhaps not the wisest decision, but it was the only one Amarissa could stomach. It would probably be smarter just to go and pull up files in the office and contact someone with the Spanish Ministry, perhaps request for someone else to come up and help her (or maybe even change out of this sodding dress and into something proper for this type of event), but this needed to be taken care of as soon as possible. She was in a little too deep, she knew, the situation was far too personal, but that didn't even begin to hinder Amarissa in the slightest. When Kastra Yaxley and her companion, whom Amarissa had managed to learn was Yaxley's husband, Elias, left the gala, Amarissa was completely consumed with their movements. She was cautious though, aware of everything that she had learned in tracking and stealth. If the woman was one of the Death Eaters that had been involved in the attack on her siblings, she was no one to trifle with and Amarissa certainly did not want to be caught following the duo.
The spells she had cast were slight ones; she was worried of anything that might attract either of the pair's suspicion, but they were apparently enough to lead her to edges of Langdale Manor. When she arrived, Amarissa was set fairly far back from the property and as soon as she edged any closer from the spot she had arrived at, she could feel the press of the magical wards that had been constructed around the grounds for protection. That wasn't particularly a large surprise; many wizards constructed some sort of spell to try and ensure that their privacy was respected and to prevent any unwanted visitors from making their way into the home. The strength of these wards, though, was far beyond the typical fabrication. Amarissa had learned to easily penetrate through many wards, but at the slight press of even the outer layer, Amarissa met a hard resistance. It wasn't unpleasant, not really, just as though she were pushing continuously against a brick wall, as though a barrier were in front of her that increased in substance and pressure with each step forward. It threw her off, and it took staring down at the ground at where her heels were planted into the grass to confirm that she was moving forward at all. This she could handle, though. It was probably meant to be more of a warning to anyone who happened to be straying too close to the property.
The barrier peeled back when Amarissa had crossed far enough across the grass, but she could still practically feel the magic in the air around her, heady and palpable. It almost made the hair on the back of her arms stand on end. Her fingers, which had been closed around her wand, finally drew it out into the open, a wary sense of danger starting to grow inside of her. She didn't stop walking, though, didn't dare to pause. It was then that she felt a shock of pain lance up the arm that was holding her wand. It sent the right side of her body jerking backwards, almost falling backwards entirely as the needle like sensation seared through the palm of her hand and raced up into her shoulder. It was as though someone had brushed a live wire over her skin and it took a tangible moment for Amarissa to continue pressing forward, despite the fact the skin continued to tingle with the hurt. The skin around her forearm started to turn a shade of red that she fought to ignore. Her hand was shaking a bit, making it difficult to hold her wand, but she kept her fingers clenched as tightly around it as she could. Another shock hit her left leg another instant later, almost causing it to buckle underneath her as the muscles seized in protest. It occurred to her for a moment that she should turn back; she was still far from the house and already the spells were becoming painful. But she could endure this, she could push further, she was certain of it.
Amarissa continued to move and it seemed as though the magic was starting to life, that the wards were becoming a bit easier to move through. She began to walk faster, with more confidence and purpose. She'd be fine, she could get through this. The faster she walked, the more she became aware of the fact that her skin was starting to hurt in more than just the arm and leg that had been struck. It was beginning to burn in a mildly uncomfortable way that made her swallow unevenly, pleading with herself to make it all the way. Eventually though, the irritation grew so that, for the first time, Amarissa stopped moving, letting herself stand still on the ground. In the dim light of the night, she raised her left hand to in front of her face and could make out the shade of red that her skin was starting to turn, blistering in some places with the intensity of the magic that was attacking her. Fighting to take another step forward, Amarissa could feel her chest start to seize a bit and she tried to suppress the need to cough. It was no good though; the wards were overcoming her. A shaky breath turned into a cough as her vision grew a bit hazy, the feeling of being dizzy almost over taking her completely.
Finally, she stopped moving for a second time, the manor in front of her swimming in her line of vision. She wasn't going to make it. No matter how far she made it no, she was too weakened by whatever was working against her. A moment of scarce panic worked its way into the back of her mind as her knees gave out beneath her. She landed on the grass, but kept a solid hold on her wand - she could recall one of her instructors for when she was becoming an Auror practically yelling in her face about the importance of always keeping the wand. She raised it just slightly and closed her eyes, concentrating on apparating back to Grimmauld Place.
Her spell was off though, and while she intended to make it into the living room of number thirteen, that wasn't where she appeared. Where she had arrived, she wasn't quite sure. Amarissa could feel stone pressing up against her cheek as she slipped out of conscious.