Darkness Falls

[Edward Stanton]

Night had barely fallen when Edward finally made it to his home. Windows darkened and door warded, the Auror juggled the sack of bottles in his arms while he waved a hand to unward his door. Moments later he sat in front of the fire in his living room, socked feet propped on his coffee table, an iced cold beer in his hand. The days of pushing paperwork were long gone; with King in position as head of their department, dark wizards would soon become a thing of the past. He worked his Aurors as hard as he worked himself, something Edward admired. Though at the end of the work week, on a night like tonight, he was grateful to kick back, have a drink with a buddy and spend time not talking shop.

He waited for Amauri to show. The night should be pretty uneventful, which he knew they both looked forward to. The most excitement would be from hanging out, pounding a few and not having to worry about consorting with darkness of any kind that night.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri had a hard time trying to navigate through New Zealand, and trying to find Edward's house. Night peaked, and Amauri was getting slightly worried. He glanced down at his directions, and he sighed, "What?" Amauri ended up walking down an alley, and somehow ended up in a dead end. "I think I made a wrong turn..." Amauri rolled his vivid blue eyes and he turned to walk away. Though Amauri had no issues with dark wizards, as he was a trained and successful Auror, and now things started to look even creepier. The gust brush through his brown hair, and Amauri braced himself. Then, Amauri turned around, and just like that, Amauri was out, the world spinning and his body collided on the ground.

---

Amauri fixed his jacket and he smirked slightly. His hand held the directions, and Amauri glanced down at the paper. "Huh, I need to go this way it seems, to Edward's house." Amauri started to walk toward the night breeze. Following the directions, Amauri came across none other than Edward's house. He did not knock, since they were 'friends' right? The house seemed rather quiet. The vivid blue eyes glanced around to see the house. The plans were in Amauri's mind, and he needed to come here to get what he wanted. Amauri raised his usually quiet voice, "Edward, where are you?" Amauri entered the living room, and took a seat on the sofa. Amauri was wanting to kick back tonight, and enjoy this night. He was really going to enjoy tonight. If only the special guest would arrive soon.

 

[Edward Stanton]

Edward glanced up then chuckled as Amauri plopped down beside him on the couch. Smirking, he handed him a cold beer bottle from the small ice chest on the floor beside him. "Amauri, my friend, let's get pissed." Edward chuckled, his brown eyes noticed how tense his friend seemed. Yeah, tonight was a good idea. He was slightly bummed nobody else could make it, although just kicking back without a huge crowd seemed more appealing at the moment. Edward wasn't in the mood for a giant ruckus, Amauri didn't seem like he wanted that either.

"Relax mate," he grinned slightly. "Week's over, we can slag off for the night. No dark wizards to pull their dodgy tricks. Drink up."

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri took the cold beer from Edward, but there was an issue with drinking. Amauri did not do that. Not tonight at least. Amauri opened the beer and he said, "Cheers, to the future, my friend." With a thought, Amauri muttered, I have to drink this damn stuff? Amauri shrugged and he tipped the bottle back, but as soon it appeared to be Amauri drinking it, when it was really not moving into his mouth, but down to the side. He made it vanish and Amauri set the beer to the side. "I don't need any drama right now. Alphonse Snow caused enough. I can't even tell if he is a Death Eater or not, but hell with it. Tonight will be a carefree night." Amauri shrugged lazily, and waited for Edward to get wasted. Amauri sure wasn't. He could not for his plans to work. Nothing could go wrong tonight.

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

Hollace quietly let herself into her brother's house, thankful for Edward's open invitation to use his home at any time. The windows were dark from outside, she had no clue if he were home. She hoped he was, she didn't want to be alone, not tonight of all nights. Slowly she made her way inside and unerringly went toward where the warmth pulled at her. The fireplace crackled cheerily in the large living room, the only light on in the whole place. Which meant he was topping off tonight, she grinned sadly. Sadness exuded from her every pore, darkened her chocolate brown eyes and gave her fine boned face an ethereal beauty. She stood there for a moment after spotting her brother's familiar head above the couch that faced the fire, not knowing he'd have company or even be home.

Uncertainly she made her way around the couch and approached the side of the sofa, keeping her distance, her slim hands cupped her elbows. She wore no makeup but Hollace did not need any, not really. She had clear, pale skin with a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks, pink full lips and eyes that dominated her face. "Room for one more?"

 

[Edward Stanton]

"Those Snows are a bunch of snotarsed wankers," Edward snickered, well on his way into his third bottle. At this rate he'd be well into his cups and forgetting anything pretty damned soon. Which was how he intended it. He turned to say something about ordering some food, the smile dying on his face when he spotted his little sister. She looked like their mother and had always been a beautiful little girl. Not so little now, he thought sadly, his gut tightened at the vibes she was giving off. He wanted to get up, go to her and just pick her up and hold her. Like he used to do when she was just a kid, off riding her bike and scraping her knees.

But the woman in front of him would repel such attentions. Edward knew that only too well, so he stayed where he was and gestured with his bottle. "Sure. Grab a seat." He handed her a bottle after twisting off the top. He didn't have to ask if she'd take it, he knew she wouldn't talk to him about what was bothering her. At least not that night. Right now he knew she needed company and not just her own. He knew it had to do with that stupid git she'd married.

"Amauri, my sister Hollace. Sister Hollace, my friend Amauri," he smirked, snuffling into his beer at his own lame little joke.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri flourished his wand and he changed the drink from beer to tea. He picked it back up, and he took a small sip of it. Ah, nothing bad. But the look on Edward's sister's face brought a flicker of a smirk to Amauri's vivid blue eyes, but it vanished as quick as a flicker of light. "Pleasure to meet such a beautiful, young lady," Amauri purred as he took a drink into his tea. It would not be long until Edward was wasted however. There was something off about Hollace, something Amauri could not place. Amauri leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "You look distressed, Hollace. Is there something bothering you? There...We are all friends here. Besides, I don't think we will remember anything in the morning." Amauri could not remove his eyes from Edward's little sister. He was far too intrigued. A gentle smile spread across the man's lips.

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

Hollace glanced between the two men, dark eyes flicked about the room then she released a small sigh. The only seat left was between the two men on the large sofa. Her brother didn't slide over for her or make any intentions of moving, so she was forced to sit by his friend. He seemed nice enough, she thought, returning his smile with a small one of her own. "I'm not sure I want to talk about it," she said softly, pain flickered through her eyes before her head turned to her brother. And noticed that his eyes were starting to droop, he was starting to sing softly to himself and he was giggling.

He said something he obviously thought was hilariously funny because he started to laugh, pitched forward and lay on the floor. "Uh!" Hollace muttered, nudging him none too gently with her foot. "He's out cold! The sodding jerk," she muttered darkly. Anger flared brightly through her, caused her to tip the bottle back. Within moments it was drained and she reached down and yanked the nearly full bottle from her brother's hand. She drank half of that down before curling her legs up to the side of her, her torso facing Amauri more now.

She glanced at him, then down at her fingers cradling her bottle. Hollace picked at the label, peeking at him from beneath thick dark lashes. Her cheeks were flushed from the hops in the beer, tension had drained from her body and her body was warm. Maybe too warm, she thought, looking into his blue eyes. "There is something bothering me," she hesitantly said, her tongue starting to loosen with the alcohol.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri's blue eyes widened when Edward hit the floor. "Well, I'll be damned. He is a light-weight." Amauri rolled his blue eyes and he took a drink of his beer-turned-tea. Amauri shook his head and he turned to face Hollace. There was a sudden feeling of desire rushing through Amauri's body. He wanted Hollace, and yet she had done nothing to make him want her. He was drawn to her. "How may I be of assistance?" Amauri inquired rather nicely. He was wanting to get inside Hollace. See how she was feeling. See how weak she was. Slowly, his hand brushed her hair behind her ear and he murmured, "I'm a friend. You can trust in me, Hollace. Do I seem like a threat to you?" Amauri had a dark drive behind his blue eyes. Behind the blue eyes of an Auror.

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

Hollace's breath caught as his fingers brushed her ear. The color on her cheeks suddenly had nothing to do with the beer. To mask her discomfort at finding another man attractive so soon after the end of her disastrous marriage, she drank more. A friend. He was being so nice to her, so comforting, something she hadn't had in so long. She'd been lost, wondering around the entire day, anything to try to tire her out enough so she could just sleep through a full night. Like everything else, it hadn't worked. She'd been too busy constantly looking over her shoulder to truly relax. Somewhere, Hades was out there. Wanting her blood, while she was sick with heartache for him. It was pathetic, she felt pathetic because of it.

"No, you don't," she said quietly. Not in the way he meant. Something about him disturbed her physically. She pushed it away, eyes meeting his. Her guard was down, lowered, until she began telling him about her divorce. How she had gone to her father in law and begged him to release her from the marriage. It had been almost insulting how quickly and quietly her request had been granted. As she spoke, the liquor spread it's way through her body and Hollace sought solace from this man, this stranger.

She turned and curled up against the back of the cushions, looking into his deep blue eyes. "I gave him my heart," she said so quietly it was nearly a whisper. "And he threw it away." A tear tracked down her cheek.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri listened to a rather familiar story. He knew all this before. Amauri knew all this. His hand found hers and he squeezed it gently. A friendly type of gesture. It was all he had right now to offer. Amauri murmured, "Perhaps he was not ready for your heart. Perhaps your love for him scared him, yet he wanted to return it but felt like he wasn't able to give you your heart unless you were on the same page as him." Amauri reached forward and he wiped the tear that fell down her cheek. Somehow, some feelings were showing through, something Amauri was not used to. Was it this....body? Perhaps it was.

Blue eyes gazed down toward Edward, and Amauri whispered, "Is there a place we can go so we don't disturb Edward?" Amauri showed nothing less than a friendly mask, as all his face was - it was all a mask. All of this, it was a clever act to get what he wanted.

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

Amauri's kindness crashed through her defenses. Hollace found comfort from the contact of his hand on hers and kept hers in his longer than was required. It was warm and slightly calloused. Yet it wasn't the hand she wanted to be holding on that night. His tender, friendly acts lured her to ponder his question and not think he had any ulterior motive. Edward's apartment was small, consisting of the room they were in, a small kitchen with a table, a restroom and his bedroom. She glanced at her brother, then stood carefully, her hand still in his. "Yes." She led the way toward the room, only wanting comfort, to forget about Hades, about the heartache he'd caused her, the fear she'd lived in, the tragedy of their marriage.

Hollace set her bottle on the nightstand and sat on the foot of the bed, looking up at Amauri. "Maybe he wasn't ready. I don't think anyone has ever shown him any love or comfort in his entire life." The thought saddened her and she turned her face from him, the tears welling in her eyes. She fought not to let them spill. "I would hug him," she said on a ragged breath, her voice went husky, "and he couldn't accept something so simple, so basic, because it was affection." She turned her face back to him, her eyes connecting to his. "If I give in to him, to be on the same page...it will destroy me." In that moment of vulnerability, she looked so beautifully fragile.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri sat down next to Hollace, and he murmured, "He must not have. Growing up, without love, is tragic and hard. I had to go through it, and look at where I am today. Perhaps one day, showing affection would be different than the common way. You would have to reach out to him, rather than have him reach out to you." Amauri slowly embraced Hollace into his arms, into his body. He breathed in her scent, yet the embrace felt so natural whilst in this meat suit. But inside, the soul was tense and begging for a release from this. But it was necessary. "Sometimes you have to lose yourself to your love. It just happens, and from what I have heard, without him, without Hades, you will never be complete. But let's not worry about that now. Tonight is special, a celebration."

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

All of her muscles slowly relaxed until she sighed softly and snuggled into Amauri's hug. It felt natural and his words swirled around her, comforting her. His warmth, the alcohol and the release of the tears that now tracked down her face combined to tire her completely. As she slipped into a light sleep in his arms, the last of his words rang through her mind. Celebration. Moments passed and it must have been something within her that fluttered her eyes open once more. Groggily she tightened her arms around him, rubbed her cheek against his chest. "Hades," she sighed, lost to the dreamworld still. Slowly her head fell back, her sleep flushed face and half lidded eyes meeting his. "Oh." Hollace fought against the sleep, her vision blurred from trying to keep her eyes open. "I'm sorry...Amauri. Tonight should be a celebration." Yet not the celebration that she meant, the one she had thought to spend with her husband. That would never come, today she spent it with a kind stranger and her passed out brother.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri murmured, "It will be, once you wake up." He gently took the fragile girl into his arms, and tucked her into bed. However, he did what Amauri should not have ever done, and something Amauri would never do. And that was crawl into bed with Amauri's best friend's sister. He wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her close to him. It felt natural. Yet, what was there drawing her to him, was none other than the darkness. A few moments pass, maybe minutes, maybe even an hour. He did not keep track of time. He whispered into Hollace's ear, only it was no longer Amauri's voice, it was a nightmare, "Happy Anniversary, Hollace Lutrov."

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

Warmth. Hollace craved it and moved closer to the source. She'd long since lost the battle with her exhaustion. This was what she had needed, wanted, blessed sleep to forget, to not feel. The time passed, she had no clue nor cared how long, as sleep claimed her. Thankfully she did not dream, did not experience anything other than a restful, perfect sleep. She may very well have continued had she not stirred once more as the source of the heat cooled. Frowning, she pressed against the source of the warmth yet it no longer warmed her. Her eyes slid open, closed once more, then flew open in shock. A shudder seized her body, a shiver raced down her spine and warmth pooled in her belly.

Hollace raised her head, now imprisoned within the arms that had once comforted her as she stared into the face that haunted her. That would always haunt her. His mocking words stabbed at her and she flinched, then began to try to break free.

 

[Hades Styx]

That polyjuice potion did not last long enough, and Hades had lost track of time. The potion had worn off while he was comforting Hollace. This was his own plans, to get Hollace alone. He wanted to take what was his, and this chase was just getting started. "Oh, did you like the new look, Hollace? Shame I lost track of time, but that doesn't matter now." Hades felt her try to break free from his grip, from which he climbed onto her body so she couldn't go anywhere. Hades tore the unfamiliar jacket from that Amauri off of him and threw it to the floor. Now, he was just bare chest, and he smirked down at his ex-wife. "Oh, we are going to have so much fun tonight, Hollace."

His hands trapped her wrists against the bed, and he hissed, "I promised to stay away from your brother, Edward, because the idiot is a drunken Auror. I didn't know that man, Amauri or whatever, was his friend. Things just turned out in my favor. I needed a look, one of which had a baby-faced appearance, so I could get close. Who would have known that this fit so perfectly?" Hades was crazier than ever, going as far as changing his appearance to get close to Hollace. This revealed just how psychotic he was becoming. And he was also pissed about being divorced too. "Let's go home for a quick visit." Hades smirked, but he did not apparate off with her yet.

 

[Hollace Lutrov]

Hollace struggled against him then lay panting and glaring up at her ex-husband. He was bloody crazy and now she was well and truly caught. What had he done with the real Amauri? Dark eyes flicked down and traced his bare torso before she jerked her head up and defiantly met his onyx eyes. Hollace felt perverse, desire tinging her cheeks, darkening her eyes, her chest jerkily rising and falling. It battled with the fear and anger that coursed through her. "You are sick Hades!" she hissed at him, beginning to struggled against him again, only to be trapped beneath him, hands trapped above her. Yet she felt she was the sick one, to desire him, to love him still.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she snarled and began to buck against him. Hollace tried, she really tried. But the alcohol she had consumed and the endless sleepless nights failed her. She had no strength to fight against him. It didn't stop her from putting up as much of a fight as she could. Hollace felt the bite of fear because she knew, inevitably Hades would win. And either way, she would lose that night.

 

[Hades Styx]

“Yet, you still love me. You gave your heart to me, and I tossed it away, no darling, that is not what I have done. I know that deep inside, a part of you that disgusts you loves the fact that I am…a sick man,” Hades smirked, and he could feel Hollace struggling. It was a damn good thing she drunk alcohol or else he could be having trouble just restraining her. She was a feisty one. Then again, it wasn’t just alcohol keeping her from fighting him. From how long he had kept his eyes on her, she barely slept as well. “You know what I am, and you know how my mind works. You should have been expecting a stunt like this. That…Amauri…I don’t think he would have taken an interest to you if he were here for real. He might still be knocked out in the alley for all I know.”

Hades had nothing planned for that man, which came to find out, the man was an Auror. That would be a bit of a nasty duel if Hades had not found a pressure point by the time he turned around. Besides, all Hades needed was a few of his hairs. Hades had to reason to harm Amauri either. The man was just a pawn in Hades’ plans. He did not know a thing about him, just that he was connected to Hollace in some form. Hades laughed, an eerie sound at that. “Oh, that is where you are wrong. Divorce would not stop me, as I told you in that journal. Nothing ever will.” And Hades clinched Hollace’s wrists even tighter, as he focused and with a loud pop, they were out of Edward’s house.

If that isn't all right, shoot me lol.

 

[Amauri Zhefarovich]

Amauri opened his blue eyes, and he could feel the ground on his bare arms. He sat up and rubbed his head. What in the world happened? He sighed and he stood up, and instead of just walking to find Edward, he went into an Inn, and flooed to Edward's house. What he soon found was rather interesting. Edward, passed out in the floor. Amauri approached the poor Auror and he shook him, "Hey man, wake up. Edward, you passed out, now get up. Something weird happened." His voice was a little worried, and it was soft too. Then again it was always soft.