Surrounding Area

(Glad to be of service, :p)

(Timed after thread 'Dark Contemplations')

Nadya stepped out from a thicket of trees, her leather vest with fur trimming shredded along her backside from a not so graceful slide down a mountain side. She seemed unwavering though, too lost in her thoughts to be effected. But then, suddenly, chills flew up her spine, the muscles in her arm tingling, and her breath stopped. She stood there, frozen, with her wide-eyed gaze glued to the ground, her arms spread wide apart as though she were trying to steady herself on a rocky boat.

'Headmistress...' She dare not utter a word, not after what just happened. She had called her name... Aries Lestrange had not forgotten about her. She turned back towards the forest to flee, knowing the whisperer of her name waited not far from here, but she hesitated, as her fingertips brushed against the rough tree bark. Her once clear mind was once again lost in panic, as her feelings got the better of her. She stood there, stiff as a board, unable to determine her next move. If she ran right back to Vladimir, Lestrange just might- no, Nadya couldn't bear the thought. Instead, she turned back towards the village, scanning the horizon, before drawing her wand and vanishing with a crackle, disapparrating to the farthest place she could think of.

Lorena tromped up the dirt path towards the trees, blowing some bangs out of her hair as she straightened her coat. How dare the ministry curse her with such fickle tasks- outright questioning incompetant Hogsemeade folk off the simple air of rumors and talk of nonsense. Were the Aurors simply errand boys now? Or was it just poor little Lorena? She was tired of being given busy work, meaningless tasks stacked up high on her shoulders. She had gotten used to all the paperwork, sure, but questioning people in a bar about whether they'd seen any suspicious activity or not? That was ridiculous. Lorena sighed, turning back to look at the town as she curled her hair behind her ear.

*In the depths of the forest, a bloom of black smoke. Out walk the maiden of the dark, with her depths of abyss black hair, a simple elegant dress that hug her curves perfectly. She was the heir of beauty, breath taking but all the more deadly.

Her cold pale eyes darted back and forth into the tree line in search for something, or someone. Her ruby red lips parted in a smile. A smile of what? No one knows but her, as she walked deeper into the forest. Her heels mulching the leaves below her feet.*

Lorena glanced back to the trees, and a thoughtful expression crossed her face. There had been a word about Hogwarts. Something about the forest being more accessible than it should be. Plenty of places for rats to hide, Lorena thought. Why waste her time with rumors when she could waste her time looking around? It was better than paperwork. Lorena turned, glanced over her shoulder one last time, and then walked into the forest, wand hidden in her sleeve.

*Streams of Aries midnight hair caught the moonlight, giving it the warm glow. She did not slow her past at all. Not for a Centaur playing his fiddler flute, or a now dead large spider who thought Aries was easy dinner. She could have spoken to them in their language but she had no time to waste as she walked through the thickest of trees.*

Lorena adjusted her glasses as she found herself reaching farther and farther into the forest. She paused a moment, as her ears caught a distant melody, but as she began following it, she caught sight of an acromantula curled over on it's back, and she froze, pale shades dissolving her face of composure. Chills ran down her spine as she quietly moved passed it, looking around for more of them. But then her thoughts focused in on what possiblity could have killed it, and her pace quickened.

*Aries, her voice like music against the flapping of the wind, spoke softly in an Ancient dead language. Long since forgotten to most, but some still heard her call as she stood in a clearing. A gap among the densely laid trees. It was more than oddity in this deep dark forest, but it served her purpose. The words tumble out of her mouth like flowing river, feeding the magic in her sleek dark wand.*

Lorena slowly pushed herself up against a tree as she neared an unfamiliar voice, speaking words she did not understand in the slightest- and yet, it was alluring, pulling on the strings of Lorena's curiosity. After looking around once again, checking for any signs of beastial movement, she then peered out from her place behind the tree for a moment. In the clearing set before her stood an elegant woman, clothed in a dark dress. Lorena couldn't see the woman's face from where she was standing, so instead, she focused on the wand the woman weilded- after all, a wand said a lot about a person. But in this dark forest, Lorena could only see what the moonlight allowed her to, so she shrunk back behind the tree, pondering as to why such a woman would find herself in the forest at so late of an hour, alone.

*Aries wasted no time. The tip of her wand exploded with pure white light. Bathing her and her surroundings in fragrantful colors, of dark forest green, deep rusty brown bark, bleak black even. The light hit the ground, and as it hit, sparks flew sending bouncing rays of red off into every direction for a few feet, before once again vanishing into darkness.*

Lorena could see the glow from where she stood, but by the time she stirred up the courage to take another peek, the forest had already been plunged back into darkness. She adjusted her glasses once again, this time keeping her eyes on the woman, waiting for her to do something that Lorena could actually qualify as wrong. She tended not to go off her suspicions if she didn't have ot. She was alone, and since she couldn't identify this woman, she wasn't too keen on taking unneccessary risks.

*Aries stood in the darkness. The shadows clang to her like tendrils of a Devil Snare, Embracing her in a death grip but she could handle the unknown of the dark depths of the abyss. What she could not handle was...Aries eyes drifted to a tree behind her, the same tree some was watching her.*

"Come out love."

*She said seductively, as if calling a lover to her side. With no reply she continued.*

"You won't like me coming in after you. Trust me."

*A cold dead chill emanating from Aries voice. No one would dare ignore her woman, and live to regret about it.*

Lorena tensed for a moment, then took a deep breath and slowly stepped out, studiying the woman as she stepped out in plain sight, her wand still tucked in her sleeve. Just as Lorena could have easily guessed, this woman wasn't just some other witch, especially if she could seek out Lorena so easily- Lorena did not find it note-worthy to mention she was horrible at sneaking about - but what Lorena was so worried about, was the way she had been addressed, and how comfortable the woman seemed to feel when facing a complete stranger. Lorena almost wanted to call the mysterious woman a predator. Again, chills crawled up her spine as she stood tall, facing the woman with her chin up.

*In the Darkness of the Knight, Aries could only see an outline of the woman. Aries could tell that she was a woman by the way the silloet moved like sway, as if the woman was grass caught in a gust of wind.

Wanting to see more of this woman, she gracefully conjure up a flame of fire in the palm of her hand. It was warm to the touch, but the liquid fire, as it dance in her hand, did not burn her skin. In fact it was quiet pleasant.

Liftling up the flames, casting dark shadows on herself, disguising her from the intruder, Aries looked at the woman. Blonde pigtail hair, with thick inquisitive glasses. It was every male fantasy, School girl slut. But her eye did not linger at that thought for long. Aries notice just for a second a ring on the woman's left hand. She only saw it a second, but she instantly registered the crest, but she did not voice it. Instead...*

"May I help you? Are you lost little girl?"

*Aries spoke as if she was nothing more than a Hogwarts first year student, timid and shy.*

Regaining her composure, Lorena raised an eyebrow, shifting her weight to one side as she was unabashed by the fact that she had become the observed, rather than the obsever. Instead of acknowledging the woman's demeaning words, she simply said, "I am on business, scouting out suspicious activity for the Ministry. Are you someone I should be concerned about, ma'am?" If anything, Lorena was simply aiming to raise herself up a few notches, perhaps give this woman a hint that she should leave. She gave no obvious gestures though, as she still hadn't revealed her wand. She couldn't see the woman's face, hidden from the shadows lashing at the flames in the palm of her hand, and she couldn't help but feel that was the woman's intention.

"Hon, if I was up to something suspicious at this moment, you would be dead."

*It was no idle threat either. The way she said it, was clear to the most dim witted of people, that she was in control. She was always in control.*

(I love acting badass)

(Dx)

Lorena's face reddened with anger, and she clenched her jaw before speaking again, "Then what are you doing here?" She slowly flexed her fingers, counting in her head to calm herself again, and she relaxed once again. The woman was serious, no doubt about her icy tone, but just as Lorena knew nothing about the woman, the woman didn't know what she was capable of- or what she claimed to be capable of. But she was an Auror for a reason wasn't she? Lorena wished she could have clung to that thought, but from her upbringing, the position of an Auror was a step down from what was expected of her.

"The Ministry has no say or sway over these Forbidden Forest. They might banish creatures of magnificent to these dark depths forever to be chain by and around these boarders of trees, but they have no sway of it, or me. So I kindly suggest you refrain from asking my business."

*It was as fast as flicking on a light switch how her voice, her authority changed from a powerful witch not to be cross, to the Headmistress of Durmstrang. Both were a position of power, both were not to be crossed at any time.*

Lorena's gaze hardened sourly, as she was indeed correct. This woman knew exactly how to handle the situation, unlike Lorena, unfortunately. She stood there, brooding, unable to take a new direction without lowering herself even further. Her ring finger twitched as her gaze drew out passed the woman, and into the depths of the trees. If Lorena could only get a good look at the woman's face, this trip wouldn't have been a compete waste.

(I think I figured something out for the ring. Not entirely sure yet.)

(Did you laugh at School girl slut)

(pm your idea to me)

"If you excuse me."

*In an instant, as she clutch her had the flame disperse. In that instant, Aries cold Mercury grey eyes flash in all her glory, before vanishing behind bleak darkness. Without any hesitation she bent down pluck the plant she was looking for, before being swallowed up by shadows.*

"Bye luv. Hope we meet again."

Lorena watched as the woman disappeared, those eyes remaining clear in Lorena's mind as she stepped forward, glancing around in frustration before disapparrating with an irritated huff.

(No. I rolled my eyes xD lol and m'kay)

After spending nearly a year running from the Ministry's numerous spies and assassins - or investigators as the MOM preferred to call them - Alexandra was finally able to return home. She was by no means proud of what she had to do even if Ouriel had managed to convince her to become the hunter unless she wanted to spend the rest of her life hiding and running. So she had eliminated them as they had planned to do to her, to tie up the loose strings of her escape. If they hadn't been able to find her at Hogwarts after she warned Sorrow of his sibling's fate, Alexandra knew that she may have been able to help aid the Order's escape somehow.
But now that she returned, she would have to face the anger of the colleagues she had abandoned to be tortured, friends she had left to rot and a brother she had left to die. Or so it would probably seem in their eyes.

Only a few hours ago had she flown back to England with Ouriel and she was in need of spending some time alone before she could face anyone: friend or foe.

Near the outskirts of town, Madison sat at a bench, a brand new bottle of Tuleberry wine cupped under her arm, and a wooden cane leaning up against the bench beside her. Her visits to the Three Broomsticks had steadily started to increase, but she only ever went to pick up her orders of wine. Her tastes in alcohol were always difficult to acquire, but even more so now, with all the chaos brewing in the world. But it was the Three Broomsticks that she had worked out a deal with. No, not the owner, but an employee who knew where to get his hands on the wine. So, whenever Madison was starting to run out, she'd simply purchase a new one, even if it was pricey. She'd give anything to take the edge off, even if only for a little while.

But in her weak, eroded state, she had to take things slow. So, for now, she was waiting to pull herself back together before heading back to Hogwarts. The exhaustion was clear in her expression; the dull gaze, the pale skin tone, the slight unruliness of her once beautiful raven hair. Recovery was not going well for Miss Madison Reid.

(Sorry, was eating breakfast)

The sound of footsteps on the grass behind her immediately snapped her out of her stupor, with the trackers she'd constantly had after her had nearly managed to kill her in October and as a result, her sub-concious had been permenantly on alert since then. Her dark hair whipped through the air as she drew her wand on the person behind her.
Alexandra's own features had not under-gone much of a change except for her control over her normal appearance being almost complete. The only time she let her power do what it may was when she and Ouriel were alone. Most of the places she had hid in were suspicious of an inconsistancy in appearance or behavior - the first impression became YOUR impression.

"Maddy?" she blurted before blinking in shock. Alexandra had not expected to have to see a friend so soon, but whether Madison still thought of it that way was another story...

Madison flinched at the sound of another voice, and she was about to literally jump to her feet when she spotted Alexandra. Her mind completely froze over for a moment or two, as she sized up her fellow Order member considerably, "Alexandra." It was more of a statement than a greeting, and her tone was flat, as though she was unsure of how to act. She turned her attention back down to her feet. The last time she had seen Miss Leoine had been back at the battle at the Ministry... Madison tensed involuntarily, fingertips gracing the cork of her wine bottle. She might not be able to wait until she got back to the school to uncork it.

(Very damaged, that she is. ^_^)