"Grisha I don't think this is a good idea," I rolled my eyes as I fastened the clasp on the collar of my jacket, "What's new Payton," I sighed. Payton had joined the auror department the month as I had after moving to the UK from America after graduating from Ilvermorny. He was kind and caring and we had become quick friends having completed our training together but sometimes he was just a little too caring... and now was no acception.
"I just think you should take Mr. Franklyn's advice any take a team with you." Payton was following me around the office so closely he was almost stepping on the back of my heels.
"Franklyn only advised, he has entrusted me with the task it is up to me how I execute and it." I stopped dead in front of the office door causing Payton to almost fall into me.
"Sorry," he muttered as he backed away from me as I turned raising my eyebrow at him.
"I understand that but-"
"If you understand then you will respect my professional decision." I interrupted feeling slightly irritated by the delay.
"I care about you Grisha I don't want something to happen to you because of pride." he breathed.
"Payton." I sighed. "I'm not going alone out of pride. I'm going alone because it's the best approach." There was something about Payton that reminded me of Lazarus and it tugged at my heart. He nodded at me and shrugged it shoulders.
"Then I wish you luck. I'll see you tomorrow..." he nodded to me before turning and walking back towards his desk. I took a deep breath as I opened the door and left the office behind.
I pushed open the creaking door stepping through the threshold and closing the door slowly behind me. I coughed as I pulled my black scarf up over my face to block some of the heavy cigar smoke that clung in the air making it difficult to breath and to see clearly. I moved through the hazy room using the crowd as my mask I slipped across the room and towards the darkened back corner were I leaned against the wall and waited, observing.
I felt as if I had been waiting for hours before I finally caught sight of my target, Dominic Grayson. He stepped through the old wooden door and made their way confidently towards the bar. I pushed myself away from the wall and began to walk slowly closer being careful to stay hidden in the shadows. Taking a seat at the closest table I made sure to sit with my back facing to the bar, I listened.
"I've told you, the plan is in place. There is no way that the ministry will be able to stop us this time."
I smirked as I toyed with my wand which was sitting perfectly concealed up my coat sleeve. I knew that timing would be everything in this case.
"I'm not so sure," the second man replied in hushed tones, I furrowed my brow trying to listen more closely over the sound of the rest of the nosey drunken punters.
"I've heard that the ministry had planned to send an ambush..." he continued, his voice becoming more hungry as he spoke. Suddenly my heart started to beat faster in my chest, how did they know!? Had Franklyn suspected that they would know... I was still determined to believe that acting alone was the best idea. There was no way for them to suspect me, it was much easier to hide only one official in such a small pub.
"Well if they do we are ready for them." Grayson grinned. "We have an ambush of our very own."
I quickly scanned my eyes around the bar, noticing now that a few burley looking men were smirking at each other. My jaw clenched as I realised that I was surrounded, as much as my pride screamed against it I knew that I would do best to abort the mission.
"But you see," Grayson called out loudly now addressing the whole of the room. "I think the ministry had scrimped on their resources..." he tutted. "a regrettable decision."
I swallowed hard grasping my wand in my hand, there was no way that I was getting out of this pub without a fight, I would have to try to take all of them alone.
I felt his presence close behind me, taking a deep breath I stood slowly from my chair.
"Get him." he growled.
"It's her." I snarled back at him spinning around revealing my face, his poaky scared face contorted into shock to see a woman standing before him. No more words were necessary as shots began to be fired towards me, I threw up my shield as I climbed onto the table I jumped from table to table dodging various shots as I began to return my own managing to knock a couple my opposers to their backs.
I screamed as I was roughly knocked back off of one of the tables and onto the floor, I groaned as I looked up to see Grayson towering above me his wand pointed down at my chest. I looked to my side to see that my own wand had fallen from my hand as I had fallen and was just out of reach. I hissed as I attempted to kick him and throw myself up to my feet I gasped in pain as punched my leg back down to the ground with a chuckle.
"Feisty little bitch," he licked his lips but before he could do anything else a black arm grabbed him around the throat causing his watery green eyes to bulge out of his head. I frowned, who was on my side. The unknown hero dragged the man backwards and away from me, grasping the opportunity I jumped to my feet making sure to snatch up my wand as I did so. The man who was now dueling with Grayson was wearing a long back coat and hood, his face half covered by a black scarf. Although it was not covering his eyes the dim lighting made it near impossible to distinguish them. Whoever he was I was grateful but we were still hugely outnumbered, I jumped back into the fight but was almost instantly grasped tightly around the arm before I felt the familiar sensation of apparition before my feet slammed against cobble stone and the cold of the night air stung my heated cheeks, the only sound our laboured breathing. I turned to face the stranger they looked at me those piercing blue eyes unmistakable, my mouth hung open. He raised his black leather gloved hand pulling down the scarf which was hiding the rest of his face.
"What were you thinking?" he breathed, his voice low a certain undertone of anger clearly present as he walked towards me pulling off his gloves and storing them away into his pockets.
"I did not ask you to intervene." I replied definitely, even though I knew very well that it was a good job that he had. Tom also seemed to think this as I saw his jaw clench.
"You are going to get yourself killed." he ground out through gritted teeth. "And I shall not mourn you when you do." his words seemed to burn into my chest.
"Then why did you bother." I spat through the pain that was forcing its way into my heart. He did not answer but instead stared at me with those sharp glasslike eyes.
"Such arrogance, such pride, such... recklessness." he scoffed. "You need to be cunning, resourceful... you need to be one step ahead." he withdrew his hand revealing a folded up piece of parchment, my stomach lurched as I recognised it.
Slowly he began to unfold it before holding it out in front of him.
"I was going to give it to you." I said breaking the silence that had fell between us.
"Lier," he breathed his bright eyes snapping up to stare into mine, I shamefully closed my mind and tore my eyes away from him.
"You don't trust me." he breathed folding the paper effortlessly with just one hand and slipping it into his pocket. I bit the inside of my cheek, he was right I did not trust him and yet at the same time I...
"Yet I continue to save you. Save you from your own recklessness and stupidity."
"You do not fool anyone Riddle. You only have done so because you see a use for me, that's all you ever have seen people as. Something that you can use and dispose of when they are no longer of use to you." A heavy silence fell between us in which my chest felt as if it were about to explode.
"Deny it." I begged but he did not instead he took a step towards me a blank expression upon his face.
"That is what everybody does." he replied finely breaking the deafening silence. "It's just that most people do not want to admit to themselves that they are doing it."
"That's not true!" I gasped in exasperation. "I do not see you as something that I can use. I see you as..." I stopped my brain catching up with my heart, I dropped my head embarrassed by my sudden outburst.
"It is getting late Grisha." he whispered. "Take better care of yourself." he added before disappearing around the dark corner of the alleyway.
My eye stung as fresh new tears began to fall down my reddened cheeks, it would seem that crying was a common reaction to seeing Riddle these days. There was still some part of me that refused to believe that he had not saved me out of... that there was no good in his actions. My head, my heart... my soul were always locked in a constant battle. I had grown so strong, so resilient, Riddle was right I had been reckless and it was him that made me so.