Lost Not Broken

cleonaodempsey‌:

Cleona looks up from cleaning the rope burn on one of her wrists. Titus? Just the name makes Benjy go all furious and focused and scares her just a tad. What the hell happened with this Titus?

She knows better than to ask and swaps the towel for the dittany but still can’t help but glance over at Benjy who is now frowning hard at Mary.

“All right, I’m just gonna put this–right.” She bites down on her bottom lip in concentration as she very carefully pours out a few drops out on her wrist. “Just hold it steady there for a bit, all right? I’m gonna do your other one now.”

Weirdly, relief floods him as he decides to believe. Not the same as last time. It sounds like Mary got into a nasty spat-probably with someone similar er, tastes-and the other woman had taken it too far.

“People talk, Mare.”

It doesn’t sound comforting to his ears either, he winces slightly at how…detached he sounds almost. He believes her-that she got in a bar fight, that she hurt herself, but the Muliciber aspect? At best, Benjy guessed the recipient of Mary’s rage was talking a big talk….and at worst? Benjy doesn’t know a lot about the headspace that whatever Mary was using put her in, and he intends to keep it that way. Paranoia, delusions and unwarranted rage were all tell tale side effects of something Benjy couldn’t be paid to touch. He hates himself for thinking it, but his auror instincts wonder if somewhere there’s a very dazed bar patron in the office at the minsitry, giving Alice on the night shift a detailed account of the attack on them by a clearly troubled witch. Benjy pushes the thought from his mind. Whether or not Mary had made it up didn’t matter, all that did was getting her to calm down, take her mind off of it.

“Just try to forget about that right now, Mary.” His voice is gentler now-back to a concerned friend trying his best. He glances at Cleona now-no doubt she can feel his suspicions, but for her credit, she keeps her face neutral as she carefully removes the glass from Mary’s knee. 

The image of his girlfriend, tweezers in hand, look of grim determination on her face sends Benjy shooting back to broken windows and the screaming match that’d followed. The shield charm…he shakes his head to himself, clearing his thoughts as he turns back to Mary, smiling at her softly before going back to cleaning up her face.

“How about you tell Cleona about our first date, hmm? While we fix you up? I love how you tell that story, even if I come off as a bit of a twat.”

“People-” She began to repeat what Benjy had said to her because of how howl it sounded but she stopped herself. 

People talked he said. That hurt and in a way Mary hadn’t expected. Benjy understood, he was there, he was her friend. A part of her collapsed inward, Mary didn’t cry but if she’d been more coherent she might have. Benjy didn’t owe her anything, not his friendship, not his understanding. Those words served as painful reminders of that fact. Who was she now? Nothing more than a problem. Showing up on his doorstep, bleeding and begging. It’d have been easier if she’d just gone home. 

“I’ll try, I’m sorry.” 

Then he smiled at her softly and tried to take solace in that at least. She tried to smile with him but there was something missing behind her eyes. Bitting her cheek she tried not to move as the paired cleaned her up.

cleonaodempsey‌:

He doesn’t need to ask again before Cleona is practically sprinting for the bathroom.

Now bloody girl combined with Benjy looking like that, feeling that panic and fear that a person only experiences when in pain or seeing someone else in pain like that. 

She throws open the medicine cabinet and, her fingers trembling slightly, searches for the vial of dittany. On a whim, she grabs the flask of Pepper-Up Potion from the far corner of the top shelf as well as the roll of bandages, cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, and some towels.

The other two are speaking in low voices when she re-enters the living room, this Mary speaking in a halting tone, her words slightly slurred. She keeps quiet as she sets the items out on the coffee table and pulls out her wand to warm the towels.

“Benjy,” she says quietly. “We should probably clean some of the blood before applying the dittany.”

She eyes the girl on the couch, who immediately seems to go uneasy at her presence, and tries to smile.

He glances up and gratefulness floods him for his girlfriend, but he snaps back into Auror mode as Mary starts to cough again. 

“Good idea. Mary-Cleona’s gonna clean you up a little bit okay? She’s my girlfriend, I told you about her, remember?”

When Mary doesn’t outwardly object, Benjy nods at Cleona and keeps going, summoning an enchanted quill over to write down what Mary says.

“Someone attacked you. She knew about what happened at Hogwarts-do you know who she is, Mare? I can-no one’s gonna get away with doing this to you.”

Benjy forces the anger that flares up inside of him back down, there’s time for that later. Right now he has to patch up the person he already failed to protect once.

He takes a towel from Cleona and starts dabbing at some of the dirt and the blood around Mary’s face and neck.

"I remember," Her voice was interrupted by a few more coughs. Looking over at Cleona, Mary forced a smile. "Sorry we had to meet this way-" A wince broke through her sentence as they began cleaning the deep cuts on her knees.

"No, no- I threw my drink at her," Mary knew that her aggressive action would mean there wasn’t much to be done. "It's was a bar fight, not an attack." She looked from Benjy to Celona knowing how hard that was to believe. Mary would hardly call what happened a fair fight but she had started it.

cleonaodempsey‌:

“Uhhhhhhhhh…”

The girl at the door slips further down the doorframe and Cleona quickly goes to grab her arm.

Bloody girl at Benjy’s doorstep in the middle of the night…yeah, this all checks out as completely fine.

“Benjy! Can you come here please?!”

“Baby, come on, I’m flattered but that last round really took it out of me-shit!”

Mary. 

He hasn’t seen her for a few months, but that was typical with her. And honestly, with himself. He was so busy he barely had time to see his oldest friend, something Benjy is clearing seeing was a mistake. He summons a dressing gown from his bedroom and he pulls it on as he rushes over to the pair of them, quickly taking Mary away from Cleona and lifting her fireman style, moving towards the couch.

“Mare-what the fuck did you do to yourself?” The exasperation in his voice is matched only by concern. 

“Cleona-” He meets her eyes, and he knows she knows how afraid he is right now.

“She’s a friend. Do you-the dittany. I need your help, baby. I’m shit at this stuff.”

He turns his attention back to Mary, who looks groggy. 

“Start talking, MacDonald. Stay awake. Did you fall?” He notices the off color of her hands and the angry marks on her wrist and his stomach sinks. This was no accident. He starts to massage the back of her hands, trying to get their color back.

Mary’s vision faded for a second but she knew it wasn’t Benjy’s hand holding her up and there was a woman’s voiced. A few seconds past and she heard Benjy she relaxed as he lifted her up glad to feel the weight lifting off her legs. Clearly, she’d intruded on some kind of date night.

“I-I didn’t,” She stumble through the first few words her head spinning as she adjusted to being lowered down on the couch.

“Bitch at the bar,” She was groggy but coherent for the most part, she realized how petty that sounded. Benjy moved his hand over her they shook softly. Mary’s voice was tired as she spoke. “She brought up Mulciber and I-I lost it.”

“Charming.”

Maya feels anger flare in her, her palms heating up. It’d be so easy, too easy, to watch the girl at her feet erupt in flames. Maya wipes the spit off of her face and glowers down at Mary, the punch to her eye starting to smart.

“You’re comfortable on your knees, aren’t you, you little whore? You have to know how pathetic you are, love.”

Her temper flares again and before she can gain control back, Maya kicks Mary once in the stomach, smiling awfully as she cries out in pain. As much fun as she’s having, Maya has to stop herself. If she keeps carrying on like this, whether or not she knows Amycus won’t save her from persecution. She’s toeing that line enough as it is, they were moving beyond a believable claim of self defense.

“I’ve got to get going, soon. But do you have anything else you’d like share with the class, sweetheart?”

Mary laughed a bit when she saw the anger in Maya’s eyes and the blood from the glass she’d thrown. People like Maya fought dirty and Mary wasn’t exactly fit to duel right now but still, she had made Maya squirm for a second. The pride didn’t last long the kick to her torso had her doubled over in pain. 

Mary lay there on the ground for a second the trying to pull herself back up. Mary wasn’t afraid they were surrounded and people were beginning to stare. Maya would have to back off soon and like clockwork, she spoke of needing to leave. 

“So soon? It’s alright, I’ve got plans to get on my knees for Cass anyway,” She said slumped over on the ground. “Thanks for the dance though.” There was a pained tone to everything she said but a small smile still played across her lips.

Walking wasn’t easy and Mary’s writs ached from the rope that had bound her. The cuts on her knees had long since bleed through her jeans and now. Benjy’s house had been the only place she could think of nearby. He’d help her in whatever way he could. She’d probably get a lecture and she deserved that. Waiting at the door her knees had taken all the abuse they could bare for the one day and buckle under her weight. Falling into the door frame Mary leaned there staying as upright as she could. 

The door opened and Mary looked up. “H-hey, Benjy. Can I stay here tonight?”

Maya laughs, even as she feels glass cut a gash on her forehead. 

“Or what, bitch?”

Maya gets out of Mary’s grasp easily and pulls her wand out of her sleeve in one easy movement.  Mary moves to lunge at her again, Maya rolls her eyes as she says the spell.

“Incarcerous!”

As tempted as she is to watch the miserable life leave the body in front of her, Maya decides public murder just isn’t in the cards today. She aims her wand at the woman’s wrists, binding them tightly together and causing them to fall in front of her. She still yelling and it’s annoying so Maya lowers her voice, dangerous.

“Shut up, you’re making a scene.”

When silence comes she speaks carefully, low enough for only Mary to hear.

“Mary, right? Maybe you’re not as dumb as you look, so-if you know whats good for you,stay away from me. And Cassiel. If I see you with him…?”

She raises her wand and slowly traces it along Mary’s throat. 

“I can be just as fun as sweet Titus. Maybe more. And I’d love to have the same kind of go at you.”

“You were there you evil cunt.” There were tears burning in her eyes as she continued to try and get hold of Maya. The rage was so potent that no amount of pain from the broken glass would stop her. Closing her fist she landed one good punch before Maya had her wand out. 

“Fuck,” Mary muttered, of course, she should have used her wand. The roped bound so tightly around her wrist Mary could them losing blood. It didn’t stop her cursing at Maya. There no fear in Mary’s eye just pure anger. Kneeling on the broken glass there was a small pool of blood forming under Mary’s knees.

Maya’s eyes narrow, not liking the attitude. It’s not fun if the other person doesn’t play too. 

She studies the other woman carefully now, taking in every aspect of her face, waiting for the pieces of her memory to fall into place.  It hits her suddenly. A little younger, a little more put together. She’d seen it happen herself, and it was all people in the Slytherin common room spook about for the rest of the year.

“You’re Mulciber’s girl, aren’t you?”

Maya smiles deviously. 

“He misses you, you know. You should pay him a visit sometime, say hello.”

Maya stirs the ice in her empty drink, looking away from Mary as she flags down the bartender.

“Catch up and all of that.”

Mary wasn’t quite sober enough to pick up all the cues so she just stared confused for a moment. 

Then she heard his name roll out off her tongue and Mary saw red. The room faded and she lost any semblance of control she had. Throwing her glass towards Maya’s head she lunged at the other witch. Ignoring the feeling of broken glass digging into her skin as she leaned in trying to grab hold of Maya’s neck. 

“I think he might’ve crawled up his own arsehole and died. Maybe you should follow suit.”

Maya raises her chin just slightly, taking the other woman in

“Now, before you respond with something I’m sure your sad little mind will think is incredibly clever, I’d just like to caution you to be careful with how you speak to me. You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

This was almost as fun as Cassiel showing up and their planned evening happening. Almost.

“Clever.” Mary bit back the frustration growing by the second.

The things around Mary were foggier than usual. Part of her wished she was sober for this but another knew that it was easier this way. Putting her drink down Mary knew where this was headed already. 

“Look, I don’t know what the hell you’re on about, but if you’re looking for Cassiel, he’s not here.”

She tries to keep the bitterness out of her voice. The shithead had canceled on her. Again. Even after she’d offered to pay. Maya was back at the Vial in hopes of finding someone easier to push around. Perhaps she’d found it.

“And even if he was he wouldn’t touch you with a ten foot broomstick, you could try something by the way of subtly, love. Maybe try not to look like such a fucking mess.”

“He’s not here,” Mary repeated. She had been banking on finding hoping he had something new in stock. Though most would agree that she’d had enough for today. Clearly, this young woman had some attachment to Cass.

“Now I don’t know what you’re on about.” She had never been interested in Cassiel in anyway other than a drug dealer. The insult ruffled Mary enough for her face to twist in confusion. Trying to ignore it she sighed. 

“Because, believe it or not, I am human.  I do enjoy people watching.”  That was the extent of his response to her question.  He didn’t have a much better answer and had honestly been asking himself the same thing not too long prior.  The boy stared at her for a few moments before making a shoo-ing motion with his hand. 

“Hurry along, I’m sure you can find someone else to bother.”

This was not going how she wanted and Mary found herself more and more frustrated by it. Taking another step back she exhaled deeply, giving Regulus one last mean look. 

“Fine,” She huffed and started to push her way out of his sight.