Changing your ways is never easy -- Summer 1999

Grandpa, after having been captured and tortured by Lord Voldemort, never returned to selling wands in Diagon Alley, but I did.  This was going to be the grand reopening of many shoppes in the town, actually.  People were trying to do new things and to start over.  I just finished unboarding the windows of Ollivander's and felt proud.  The place looked great.  There were brand new wands within the store with different cores that anyone in the family ever used before in their wands.  I smiled at the store front.  My slightly pointed loafers were a little dusty from the hardly used cobblestone walkway and my tighter jeans were no longer clean from having had to fix up the store.  My button-up shirt had the top couple buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up.  My slightly dressy vest was still buttoned.  I wanted to look professional for the future customers and the young witches and wizards.  I had big shoes to fill, though.  

I sighed and went to the alley behind the shoppe to throw old boxes into the bin back there for some maintenance wizards to clear any trash from Diagon Alley.  I had just turned to return to the shoppe when I heard a can get knocked over behind the neighboring store.  The war still fresh on my mind, I slipped my wand out of my pocket and headed in that direction.  I saw a witch struggling to stand against the fence.  She looked... familiar.  It was Alecto Carrow.  We went to school together.  That did not make me feel any better because I knew what she did to some during the war.

I walked up to her and realized she looked petrified; that softened my gaze, but only slightly.  When she started to fall, I grabbed onto her.  She had a horrible cut on her forehead and she flinched when I grabbed her arm.  I realized that she was favoring it.  "Alecto," I said to her gently, letting her know that I was at least somewhat of a friend.  I was not sure what my opinion was, but I was not goign to let her stay out here while she was hurt.  I knew the Ministry was after all Death Eaters and followers of You-Know-Who, but I knew her.  The least I could do was give her the benefit of hte doubt; she dated Bill after all.  She could not be all that bad.

"Come with me; I can help you," I explained, going to the other side and putting an arm around her waist.  I supported her while she practically let me carry her back to the shoppe.  so much for having a pristine appearance for one of the first days of the shoppe opening.

Amycus was furious with me; I had never taken the Mark and he was so upset with me.  He had beaten me and I got aaway from Amycus.  I knew what he was capable of.  I should have known I could not hide from the Ministry with my own brother... I had to get out of there so I ended up Apparated to the firs tplace I thought of:  Diagon Alley.  It was not the wisest of ideas, but it at least got me away from Amycus.

I stumbled and knocked over a trash can and I heard someone coming.  Shite.  What was I supposed to do?  I could barely keep myself standing; Amycus had my wand.  I had no defense.  Then I saw that it was Gabriel.  My worry eased a tad, but I was still wary.  He helped me stumble into the wand shoppe and onto a chair in the back.

"Thank you," I said quietly, trying to get myself under control mentally so I knew what my next move would be.

I looked at her and was not entirely sure what to do from there.  I stood up and went up to my flat above the shoppe and returned with some water for her.  I knelt in front of her again.  I waved my wand and the blood from her face disappeared.  "Drink this," I said to her.  "And then you can tell me what happened."

I took a sip of the water, wincing slightly as I had a cut lip.  I hardly ever showed weakness and I was wincing at a cut lip?  I took a deep breath and looked at Gabriel.  "I am not one to air dirty laundry," I said to him.  "The less you know the better it will be, Gabe.  As it is... you could get into trouble even for the small amount of aid you have given me."  He was a nice guy, I did not want to pull him into the mess.

I rolled my eyes at her and absentmindedly started to attempt to patch up some of her cuts and injuries in general.  Her left wrist and arm looked cut up pretty bad, so I started to roll up her sleeve and she jerked her arm away from me.  "Ally," I said to her gently.  "I don't care what you've done in your past.  I am going to help you nonetheless, but you will need to tell me a few things so I can try to help you the best I can.  Are these normal wounds or made by Dark magic?"  If they were normal, I could easily tend to them.  If they were from Dark magic, there would be little anyone could do.

Gabriel thought I jerked my arm back because it hurt, not because he would have revealed my Dark Mark.  I bit my lip.  "It's a little bit of both," I said to him honestly.  I wanted to argue with him and keep him from helping me, but he was stubborn and I was really rather weak.  "Gabe... it's really alright.  I am okay now."

I sighed, letting go of her wrist so she could hide whatever it was that she wanted to hide.  "Okay," I said to her quietly.  "You are not alright... so I won't let you get away with that."  I could almost see a slight smirk behind the pain on her face.  "You're going to stay here where it's safe for now, okay?

I stared at Gabriel, stunned.  He was really going to try to house me?  I shook my head.  "it could be dangerous," I said to him quietly.  "It's already a risk you just helping me right now."  I did not want to put him in harm's way; he did not deserve that.

<< Woot, 100!! >>

I stood up and looked at her. "You're staying; end of discussion," I informed her matter-of-factly. I turned to grab some things to at least make up the couch for myself to sleep on for the time being. I returned to where she was. "If you aren't going to let me fix you up, please... let me get you some food or something to get that strength back? I may have some of Liv's old stuff here, too, to try to get you something clean to wear."