The Streets of London

Victiore stumbled into the alleyway, the rough brick stone of a building wall rasping against her hand. Her hair lay dank and damp across her face, unprotected from the falling rain. Quick footsteps resounded from the stone walk, and Victiore shrank into the shadows, terrified of being found.....by someone. She couldn't remember exactly, but Victoire felt that she should be hiding from someone. Who that someone was, she was not sure. She couldn't even remember her own name.

The sound of footsteps growing distant, Victiore slid slowly to the ground, her back against the wall. She threw one arm over her legs, hugging her knees to her chest. Her other hand still gripped her wand tightly, though she did not know why. She had puzzled over this small piece of equipment since she had found it in her hands upon awakening. She had nearly dropped it, but something had stirred inside her, whispering to her not to abandon this bit of stick. Perhaps it provided some clue to her identity....who she was.....where her family may be. It would have shocked her to know that nearly all of her family had been wiped out, and those who weren't, thought her dead.

((Desi note! Please please let it be a Death Eater to find her! That would give Teddy something to get all fired up about! ))

How could Marcie forget Victoire? The precious veela girl with the golden face and the fierce and beloved mind. Every girl had hated Victoire a little, because she was so damn perfect. But she was too sweet to really hate.

Ugly girls, this was for you.

Marcie turned to her brother, who was across from her in the London diner they had stopped at for a bite to eat. "Hey, Ollie, I have-"

"I see her."

"Thanks."

She moved from the booth and left, falling into step a few tens of feet behind the Weasley girl, following at an easy distance. She had lifted her hood to protect herself from the rain. Her mind whirled with preparation.

The girl found solace and sat. Marcie dawdled a moment, tilting her head as though trying to recognize Victoire. With a gasp, she rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside her.

"Victoire!? Oh my Merlin, how are you?!"

Victoire's head collided painfuly with the stone wall behind her having reflexively jerked back from the sudden onrush of this stranger. After rubbing the top of her head with one hand, her eyes watering in pain, Victoire gazed up at the woman adressing her, the face slowly swimming into focus.

"V-Victoire?" she repeted hoping that some sort of recognition would stir within her, but none did, "Is that my name?"

Victoire's blue eyes searched this stranger's face, hoping desperatly that something...anything....would come to her. None did.

"I'm sorry," she murmered, turning her eyes away, "I don't think I know you."

Marcie blinked. Now, she may seem like anybody - there were Tinkers in the history books after all, and she had never shagged a Quidditch player - but those who had gone to Hogwarts with her had known her. And she had been about as popular as they came, so even the Queen Weasley should have recognized her. Marcie blinked again.

Something was wrong with the girl.

And now that she thought about it, no one had accounted for her whereabouts after their Dark Lord's last victory.

Marcie sighed, "You're confused, aren't you dear? I understand. I saw you knock your head awhile ago. You can't remember anything can you? I can get you some help if you'd like. I'm Marcie, we went to school together."

"School?" Victoire echoed, turning her face to once again regard Marcie, "Do we still go?"

Victoire gasped, squeezing her head between the palms of her hands, "I'm going to be so far behind! I don't even remember ever attending school!"

As she said this, the looming form of a majestic castle flashed suddenly through her mind. Where in the world did that come from? She....she never had lived there had she?

"W....we're not," Victoire murmured in a soft voice, "Royalty are we? Is that who I am hiding from? Someone trying to assassinate me because I'm heir to the throne of....of....of wherever that castle I remembered is from?"

Victoire was blanker than fresh parchment, and Marcie suddenly realized all of the potential in her. Potential for use - what could the Death Eaters do with a Weasley who remembered nothing at all!? But there was much potential for damage too. If they were to use her, Marcie had to be careful about the world she now constructed for the woman. If she were to say one thing to trigger her memory to return, all could be lost.

She had to be as convincing as possible, and as vague as possible.

"We've both graduated. It's alright."

She stuttered onward and, initially, Marcie was confused. The girl had practically been royalty in Hogwarts, but she had no intentions of deepening the girl's vanity. Marcie realized Victoire had remembered Hogwarts - damn. Memories returning - not a good thing for her.

"I know someone who can explain. He's a relative of yours, too. Distant, but related." She did not want to have to figure out exactly what Harry Potter was to Bill Weasley's daughter, but she knew they were related.

Victoire smiled, her shoulders relaxing, "You know my relatives. Yes, perhaps maybe they can help."

Victoire stood, glancing around uncertainly. It wasn't that she didn't trust this woman. She obviously knew her, and she reasoned that should mean she can be trusted. No, it was still a foreboding feeling over head. A feeling that there was someone out there she needed to avoided.....and someone she needed to find.

She looked expectantly to Marcy, waiting to follow her lead.

Marcie was a little surprised that fortune would allow her to luck out enough to find Victoire willing to accept the help of a stranger - then again, if everyone were a stranger to you, then what sort of help could you really ask for? The poor princess was really our of options but, if Marcie was anything, she was very willing to help her out. Anything for a school 'mate.' Marcie was a saint really. Ah... sarcasm.

Victoire stumbled to her feet as Ollie approached - it was a twin, thing, they could sense when the other was needed. Marcie glanced at him, silently bidding him to assume and say nothing. She turned back to Victoire. "This is my twin brother, Oliver. You remember Victoire, right Ollie? She's having a bit of trouble sorting out her memories. I thought her family may be able to help her out."

She turned back to the blonde girl. "We can apparate you to them. Apparating will get us there immediately."

Victoire regarded Marcy's twin, sizing him up. Something about the lad unsettled her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Chalking it up to her condition, Victoire switched her attention to Marcy and the strange words she was uttering.

"Apparate?" Victoire asked a bit confused, "is that like driving a car? I've never heard that term before....but I suppose if it gets me there quickly and safely, it should be fine."

((Desi note: Just to clarify, I asked Cody how in the world she would remember what a car is, but not apparating...seeing as she was born a wizard. He gave me a blank look for a second, then went on to explain that she thinks she is a muggle. My personal opinion: He hadn't thought of that. XD ))

Oliver was honestly incredibly uninterested in Victoire, though he could see why Marcie was so invested in collecting her. He was piecing the scene together and, from the look his sister had given her, had gathered enough to make an educated guess. So, they would be giving their dark lord a little Weasley present. He was sure they would be appreciated for it.

Ollie just didn't care for the recognition really.

He attempted to give a charming smile. His handsome features allowed him to have a nice smile, but if one were really observant, they could see the lack of luster in his eyes. While his twin could fake the love, he really had no care too.

"It's a mode of transportation, yes," Marcie was saying. She looped her arm with Ollie's and held her arm out to Victoire. "Just grab on."

Victoire stared at Oliver's eyes for a long moment and slowly furrowed her brow. The emptiness she found there stirred something in her mind, and a memory slowly surfaced.

"I remember looking down a very deep hole." said Victoire in a quiet, distant voice, almost as if she were sleeping, "It was round, and it was made of these." she reached out with one of her scratched up hands and touched the brick wall behind her, but never took her eyes off of Oliver's, "It was so empty, but at the bottom, there was water. Cold, black water so far down in the emptiness."

Finally, she tore her gaze away from Oliver and glanced down at Marcie's outstretched arm, then reached out her own hand, but hesitated and drew it back. She examined the way Marcie's other arm was looped through Oliver's. The world was such complicated business. Things seemed like they had to be done right around here.

Victoire had woken up under a dead body, surrounded by dead bodies. She was lost. Her head hurt. Her back hurt. Her hands hurt. She couldn't remember anything, except castles and deep holes and cars and green flashes. Clearly she, or someone, had not done something right. With all the rest of the trouble she seemed to be in, she didn't need this apparating, whatever it was, to go wrong, on top of it all. Best that she did it right, and since Marcie and her twin brother seemed familiar with it, she concluded that their way must be the right way.

Victoire moved over beside her new ...friends? ...acquaintances? ...twin brothers? ...these new people and looped her arm through Marcie's just like Marcie had looped hers through Oliver's.

"Marcie...?" she asked hesitantly.

((Desi note: I gave Victiore over to Tye cause Cody just wasn't really interested, and I got sick of him asking me "Erm....what should I have her say now? Kind of defeated the purpose of having her not be my character. XD ))

((Fine by me!))

Victoire began to speak, softly, distantly, about some remembrance that had somehow struck her blank slate of a mind and memory. Marcie blinked, her eyes flicking towards her brother, who immediately understood that she was displeased that he had somehow triggered a part of her memory. Marcie was intent on keeping Victoire as much in the dark as was possible - she had been worried that she may be too familiar to Victoire to be interacting, and yet it had been her brother, the one who had hidden for most of his Hogwarts career, that had somehow been familiar enough to trigger her memory.

Marcie briefly wondered whether Victoire had though Ollie attractive during school or something. She supposed she would have noticed any such behavior, though. The could not be probable.

Victoire, however, had not remembered anything that would prevent her from trusting in the twin Tinkers. She stepped up, slipping her arm in Marcie's. The one word that slipped from Victoire's mouth was able to incite a small slip in Marcie. No one called her Marcie but her brother, and on very private terms. A brief look of distaste clouded her face as she corrected the Weasley girl. "Marceline." But she recovered with a smile and turned on her heel, intending to head for Malfoy Manor.

Victoire looked as if she were somewhere between confusion and panic, knitting her brow at Marceline and biting her lip. "Mar-suh-lin? What's Marsuhlin? Is it something about apperating? Is it something I need to do? Am I not Marsuhlin enough, Marcie?"

Oliver could sense his sister bristling as Victoire persisted in speaking. Marcie may have been the manipulative one, but he was the patient one, and she was not going to last very much longer until they had her safe at Malfoy Manor.

"Quiet not," he rumbled, no real threat in his voice, but no comfort there either. He took over for Marcie and apparated the trio to Malfoy Manor.

Appearing on the street leading up to the gates of the grand manor, Marcie once again took control. Oliver released the girls, but Marcie kept her arm linked with Victoire, saying, "It's right up here. Your uncle is staying here."

Victoire swayed, blinking in amazement. She was unsure whether she ought to be terrified or thrilled, and discovered that she was a little bit--or perhaps a lot--of both.

"That..." she said, staring at Marceline open-mouthed.

"That!" she grabbed Marceline's upper arm with her free hand.

"THAT WAS AMAZING, MARCIE!"

Marceline flicked her eyes upwards in irritation and then pasted on a very, bright smile. She smiled at Oliver and said, "Why don't you go ahead and see that our friends know to expect company." He nodded and released the girls, hurrying forward.

Marceline led Victoire through the gates, flicking her wand to force them closed behind them. "Isn't the manor grand? You'll surely be comfortable here."

((Draco would surely be at the school, so I'm just using his account to NPC Narcissa.))

Narcissa followed Oliver out to the pathway, looking curiously at the two girls who had arrived. The blonde one had the look of Veela-blood about her. It couldn't be the famous Victoire that Bella had spoken about? Surely she would have died with all the others at the party. If not...she would surely be valuable information for the Dark Lord! She would know whether or not reconstruction of the Order was underway!

"Why hello, Marcie," Narcissa greeted the girl, "Oliver here tells me we have a guest, though he didn't say much else. Not a man of many words, your brother...Do tell me, who is this lovely young lady?"

Marcus smiled graciously at Astoria Malfoy, proud to already have proven herself so speedily. Surely the Malfoy woman felt ashamed to be shown up by a fresh graduate. "This is Victoire Weasley. One of my school friends from the good old days. She's had a bit of trouble and her memory is a bit muddled. I thought her uncle may be of assistance."


Rose Weasley had recognized the street as the street along which Malfoy Manor resided. Having never passed her apparation test, she was left with the only option of sneaking her way down the street. She heard voices and hurried past, on the opposite side of the street.

However, a name caught her attention. She ducked behind a trash can and peeked over. "Victoire!" she breathed. What could her cousin be doing there? Suddenly, she felt eyes on her. She straightened up and hurried on.


Penny had overheard her mother speaking with the Tinker boy and now loitered in the doorway of the manor, uncomfortable with the scene she was watching. Her eyes happened to wander and found a familiar face, who suddenly hastened away. Penny swallowed, but said nothing. She hurried to her mother's side. "May I be of assistance?"

((Astoria? I was NPCing Narcissa...XD So are we moving Rose's thread to here then?))

"Oh, Victoire Weasley!" Narcissa echoed, looking excited, "We shall bring her in to the Dar...her uncle right away!"

In response to her grand-daughter, Narcissa added, "Why of course, dear! You could be ever so kind and make up miss Weasley a bed in one of the spare bedrooms. I feel the poor dear may be staying for awhile...."

--------------------------------

Skuli's eyes narrowed suspiciously as the girl paused near the Manor. He suddenly knew that today would be the day to attack. She would be captured or she would die. Skuli whipped out a scrap of paper and jabbed it with his wand. With a crack, the paper disappeared. It would re-appear in the presence of Septimius Prince, requiring the man's assistance immediately.

Skuli began to quicken his pace towards the girl, though not wanting to startle her right away. The sudden pop of someone apparating made Skuli curse. Damn that Septimius! He should have known to apparate far enough away, so that she was not alerted to a wizardly presence! This was no muggle who would explain the sound away as being a car backfiring! Skuli could only hope that she would assume it was someone from Malfoy Manor, and not realize that she was yet again being tailed.

((Think I figured it out. In the other thread, Skuli will confront her eventually, but be thwarted by Sully...since I want to get him into the story. This can take place after they locate her again. Planning on having Teddy intervene during this confrontation if that's alright. Then he can learn about Victoire being alive and captured. That'll give Rose the job of forcing him away from 'storming the castle'.))

((Ahhhhhhhhhhhh hell. XD Ignore me. ALSO. I have an idea on how Teddy could know about it.))

Penny dipped her head and turned primly on her heel, quickly walking inside. As she did, she withdrew a mobile phone from the folds of her dress. As she walked, she tapped a few lines of code and then dropped the disposable phone in the trash.

Far off, a phone Jack had set up and left in the vented of Moor Manor chimed. An alert flashed : JP - ROSE W SPOTTED. It chimed again and an address appeared.


Rose had barely made it a yard away when the unmistakable noise of someone apparating pierced her ears. Her heart was seized with panic and she dove into an alleyway.

((Not much for Victoire to do or say right now, so just assume that she's letting anyone/everyone lead her around while she stares at everything like it's the most awesome, new thing ever!))

Teddy was relaxing after a very hard night of guard duty, and preparing to now go to work at the Ministry....as Norman Reedus of course. A sudden chiming sound caught Teddy's attention, jerking him from a shallow doze. Grunting, Ted heaved himself out of the recliner to trace the source of the noise.

"Rose?" Ted breathed, excitement brimming within him at the thought that another family member had escaped the massacre.

Ted's breath caught in his throat, however, when he saw the address given. That's the Malfoy's place...

"Tinny!" Ted cried as a house elf appeared suddenly at his summons, "Inform the next Order member you see that I've gone to Malfoy Manor to retrieve Rose Weasley."

"Shouldn't you be waiting for help, sir?" Tinny replied in her squeaky voice, wringing her hands a bit anxiously.

"No time," Ted said as he threw his cloak around his shoulders, "She could be in danger, and I won't see another of our blood die!"

Without another word, Ted marched hurriedly out of the Manor and apparated a block away from the address on top of a roof. He looked around frantically and saw the figure of a young girl backed into the dead end of an alleyway. A man stood before her with his wand raised. Ted would need to act fast.

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((Yes, I made her meet a dead end. XD Sorry.))

Skuli had darted into the alleyway after the girl, a snarling grin twisting onto his face. He knew that alleyway formed into a dead end, and as luck would have it.....he was sure that the disapparation jinx formed around the manor extended out thus far.

"End of the line, girl," Skuli said from behind Rose, announcing his presence, "Only way out now is through me."

Skuli had his wand drawn on her, pointed straight at her heart. He would play on the moment for awhile, however, he so loved to watch them sweat.

Rose heard movement towards her direction and she scrambled off, ready to dart down the alleyway, but she only barely managed to dig her heels into the ground to keep from smacking right into a wall. She was stuck. She spun one way and then another, frightened now.

She turned to face her opponent, who was slowly drawing up her wand. She decided to use speed rather than caution. "Expelliarmus!"


Marcie thought it was best to get he blonde Weasley girl into the house as soon as possible, but Olliver had drawn her attention to the ruckus behind. Inexperience left the two entranced by the small confrontation unfolding, leaving Victoire forgotten.

((Think I will bring Sully into this if Marcie and Ollie get involved. He's a neutral in this, but he'd likely stop what he'd view as an unfair fight say....if Marcie and her brother tried to attack from behind or something.))

Skuli threw his wand arm out, blocking the spell. He held the pose, pointing his wand at Rose from the crook of his arm.

"Nice try," he sneered at her, "CRUCIO!"

Skuli's spell rocketed towards Rose, when a body suddenly flung itself in front of the spell, successfully blocking most of the spell.

Ted let out a hoarse scream as the feeling of red-hot knives pierced his side for a split second. He had reacted instinctively, and hadn't been able to deflect the entirety of the illegal spell. He was successful in shielding Rose, however.

Ted rose shakily to his feet, thankful that his sudden appearance had stunned Skuli enough that he did not take advantage of Ted's prone position.

"Fancy meeting you here, Rose," Ted said over his shoulder to the girl, "funny how small this world can be sometimes...."

Ted continued to watch Skuli as he spoke, his body tense and ready for any spell the man may cast.