To Cure a Curse. [Ari/Echo]

[Curse Kameren]

Max Kameren stepped out of his room in the flat he shared with his father in the potions dungeons, very confused by what he was seeing. He had been babysat by a student the other night, going to bed before his father came home. And now what was happening?

The kitchen was a mess with potion ingredients, several books tossed around the counter circling his father's open ingredients chest. Several muggle sauce pans boiled on the stove; Curse preferred sauce pans to cauldrons when he experimented with new potions. But where was Curse? Max looked around, confused when his father was nowhere to be seen. He shrugged, crossing through the kitchen and pushing Curse's bedroom door open.

"Umm..." Max looked around again, now even more confused. Who was that woman in his father's bed? He had never seen her before. He was in the right flat, right? No one could just wander into their Hogwarts flat and fall asleep in his father's bed. Right? He frowned, now even more confused. "Dad? Dad there's a lady in your bed..."

The connecting door between Curse's office and the family's flat suddenly opened and Curse stepped through, carrying an armful of potions books. He still wore his clothes from last night; he slept on the couch after he brought Echo home with him, giving up his bed for her to rest in. The professor smiled at Max when he saw him, greeting him good morning as he crossed and piled the books with others on the table. "Good morning Max, sorry for all the confusion this morning," He said simply, half-hugging the boy with one arm as he placed the books down. "What do you want to do for breakfast? I still haven't done the groceries, so its either cereal and toast, or you can go down to the Great Hall and eat with the students."

"What happened to the bacon we had?" Max replied; this was only one of many questions he was about to bombard his father with. "What are you making? Where were you last night? Is that your girlfriend in the bed in your room?"

"Wha- No!" Curse looked down at Max, arching a brow at the boy. What kind of parent did he think he was? Well, he thought he was Amelia, apparently. "She's a friend, and she's sick. I'm trying to make something to help her. Aunt Ari is coming by later to help, but it's important that you let us do our work. Okay?" Max nodded, a grin lighting up his face when Curse mentioned Arianna. "Okay. What do you want for breakfast, then?"




ooc: sort of a strange start to a probably more serious rp, but I had some fun. ^^

[Arianna Blackthorn]

It was early. Darkness encased Arianna as she slept. It wasn't exactly a peaceful sleep. No sleep could be peaceful with dreams overrun by Curse Kameren. She really tried not to think about him, and especially not to dream but her brain was not in control when her eyes were shut. The subconscious took over showing her what her life could have been, over and over again. If a thousand things hadn't happened.

She was trapped in a particularly nice dream where she had actually married the guy. They were in a park chatting about random things.

"Arianna." She heard his voice and it sounded so real. As if he were speaking in front of her and not in her dreams.

"Arianna. I need your help." The voice did not match her dream. Dream Curse was praising her not imploring her. A bright light sneaked it's ways under her eyelids. Slowly she came awake to find a strange patronous in front of her. The shadow creature looked oddly familiar. It was as if she were staring at her own spell. But there were subtle difference then it spoke. It was Curse's. When did his patrnous stop being a snake? Why was it an owl? Wait, why was it so similar to hers? Dear merlin, did she cause his magic to change?

She shoved that thought aside as she listened to the message. Curse needed her help with a rune bracelet attached to a woman's arm. She was needed at Hogwarts. Arianna quikly rose out of bed and sent her own message back. She needed time to gather sources and make her excuses. She had a feeling she was not going to work that day.

An hour later she was striding through the halls of Hogwarts. It had been years since she had traveled those halls. She did not miss it. Not very much. After stopping to ask a very small blonde first year where Curse Kameren's office was, she found it. Right where it had always been. Well, when it belonged to the old potions master. It was odd thinking that Curse was molding young minds. She quickly walked to the door that lead to the apartment, knocked briefly and quickly let herself inside.

She hadn't expected to see Max up and about. It tempered her reply for the moment. Really, what was Curse thinking bringing a strange woman into his home when he had a child? Or in a school, for that matter.

"Morning Max, Curse." She said only smiling at Max. At Cruse she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips together.

"Well, I'm here. I'm not a healer and you should have brought her to St. Mungo's. Now how can I help?"

[Curse Kameren]

Curse was pulling toast out of the magic-running toaster for Max when a knock sounded on the door. He didn't look up, knowing Arianna would just let herself in. "Jam, butter..."

"Peanut butter," Max replied, sitting on a stool at the counter amongst Curse's potion ingredients. "Dad, what's on your hand?"

"Hmm? Just some bandages," He glanced at his right hand as he set the plate of toast in front of his son. There was a nasty burn on his palm leftover from the curse; it always burn off his skin when it was activated. That was another reason why he couldn't bring Echo to Mungo's, he couldn't have some healer trying to mend his cursed hand.

"Morning Max, Curse."

Max grinned at Arianna, Curse glanced up at her, no emotion crossing his face as he ducked into the fridge. He pulled out a carton of milk. "Do you want cereal or not?" Max shook his head. He sighed, getting a cup out of the cupboard. "You get a glass of milk then. And you will drink it." He shot Max a stubborn look as he set it down in front of him. Max glared, but didn't reply. He hated milk. Curse paid the youngster no mind, instead leaning on the counter as he turned to his ex. "Good morning, Miss Blackthorn."

"Well, I'm here. I'm not a healer and you should have brought her to St. Mungo's. Now how can I help?"

Curse bit his scabbed lip, unsure where to start. He glanced over at Max, pushing himself off from the counter to get closer to Arianna. "I couldn't," He muttered, keeping his voice low. He knew Max would be eavesdropping, but this was something he could never know. He showed her is bandaged hand, assuming she would know what it meant. "Something's strange with this woman, Ari. It set off my curse. She had no control over it, though. I couldn't bring her, there would be too many questions." He looked worried; even talking about his curse made him uncomfortable, as if discussing it even with the only other living person who knew about it could get his secret given away. He sighed. "I didn't know who else to go to. She keeps her curse under some kind of rune bracelet, I was hoping you could take a look at it. Please."

[Echo Ashaelyr]

Running through a dark wood, misty fingers pulling at her, tugging her hair and clothes. Running until she was lost entirely. Echo looked down at herself and gasped. Black clawed hands, black skin, darkness swirling around her form...she was a demon...

Echo's eyes shot open. The dream-terror faded as she realized she was now awake. But...where?

The woman blinked, feeling quite grungy lying on a soft bed in her road-worn clothes. But the momentary disorientation of coming out of the dream into waking world was replaced by well-trained awareness of her surroundings. Echo attempted to sit up and leaned against the pillows. Obviously the events of last night had taken their toll on her. She felt quite weak. It was the usual aftereffects of a flareup. Aching pain all over, weakness, and always the nightmare.

Voices threaded their way into the room past the half-open door. Echo checked to see that her right hand was gloved and bound with silver. Her sword and coat were no where to be seen. She tried to rise to her feet, but couldn't yet summon the strength. Cursing her weakness, she stifled a groan as the movement sent off a chain reaction of aches through her body.

Seeing that no one was around, Echo sighed and lifted her right hand to examine it. Carefully, she removed the bracelet, and then the glove.

Black claws bled dark lines into her hand, where it was twisted and black-skinned, reaching up with tendrils through her forearm. Feeling the infection start to awaken, she quickly pulled the glove back on and then the bracelet.

Echo.... a voice hissed in her mind. Echo...the nightmare is real. The dark voice cackled, breaking into her thoughts.

"Go away..." She muttered, pressing her hands to her forehead, suppressing the voice.

Once she felt in control again, the woman looked around at the room, but there was no clue as to where she was. In a mystery room, at the mercy of whoever had brought her here. Merlin, she was in deep.

[Arianna Blackthorn]

Escape. That was what Curse Kameren seemed to be doing when he ducked into the fridge. This was such a disaster. Why did he keep getting into trouble? Especially with his curse? She had to come the second he mentioned that it had been activated. How could she not? She knew more about that damn curse than his own brother did.

The domestic scene in front of her did little to soften her mood. She was conflicted and really didn't want to be there but she had an obligation. Max didn't like milk. Odd, she didn't either.

"If you plug your nose the milk tastes less icky and goes down easier." She offered the advice, just before Curse finally came around to greeting her. She nearly flinched when he called her Miss Blackthorn. It was like she was one of his wayward students invading his inner sanctum. When had they reverted to last names? She knew his family, was indirectly related to his son. Well, if he wanted to be formal then so be it. Her stance shifted and aloofness settled over her with just a shift in posture.

Then suddenly he was next to her, whispering in her ear. She fought with her traitorous body. She would not shiver and the feel of his breath on her. This was a business call, only. She was a rune expert and he needed advice on some rune bracelet that held curse's back.

She worried for him. Something was going on here, something beyond them.

"I didn't know who else to go to. She keeps her curse under some kind of rune bracelet, I was hoping you could take a look at it. Please."

"I will. I called in to work, asking that i research from home." Well, it was more like demanded but she'd been given leave to work out of the office.

"Is she in the back?" She asked softly before heading in the direction she assumed the bedrooms were.

Arianna knocked on the door that was larger, letting herself in side. A woman was sitting up in bed and all Arianna could think was that she wasn't a healer.

"Morning. I'm Arianna, a researcher and runes expert at the ministry. Mr. Kameren, our mutual friend said you're having trouble with a rune bracelet?" She wasn't sure if trouble was the right word but she still wasn't entirely sure what was going on.

[Curse Kameren]

Curse could tell Arianna was unhappy with him, but he didn't exactly know what for. There could be any number of things, he supposed. He followed behind her when she went towards the bedrooms, keeping his mouth shut. They weren't going to discuss their problems now, especially in front of Echo. They were here to treat Echo and that was it. This was business.

"Oh, you're up," Curse smiled lightly at Echo as they entered his bedroom, leaning against the wall as Arianna got closer. "I brought someone to help."

"Morning. I'm Arianna, a researcher and runes expert at the ministry. Mr. Kameren, our mutual friend said you're having trouble with a rune bracelet?" As Arianna spoke, Curse kept quiet. Let her be mad at him, do the last-name basis thing. She probably hadn't realized his sarcasm when he referred to her by her last name, but oh well.

clnk. "Dad..."

Curse rolled his eyes as he heard Max in the other room. He had knocked something over. Hopefully not something important. He glanced between the two women; he wasn't needed here right now anyway, Arianna was dealing with the runes. "Excuse me a moment," He ducked out of the bedroom and back into the kitchen.

"What did you knock over?" Curse ducked into the kitchen, crossing over to turn off the stove. He glanced at the counter; milk was splashed across the counter, dripping into a puddle on the floor. Max stood next to it, looking up guiltily at his father. "Ah, the milk." He turned and pulled a towel out of one of the drawers, starting to mop up Max's breakfast.

"I was trying to drink it with my nose plugged," Max replied, pulling out a towel from the same drawer to help. "Aunt Ari said it worked."

"Aunt Ari doesn't have to mop it up after you drop it." He smiled as he finished mopping up the milk, taking Max's towel from him when he finished. "You should go up to the Great Hall before they finish breakfast. We have to help my friend up here. Okay?" Max nodded before turning into his own room to get dressed before going up to the Hall.

ooc: Giving Echo & Arianna some time to interact without me. ^^

[Echo Ashaelyr]

Echo heard footsteps coming down the hall and inwardly cursed that she didn't have her sword. Accio sword... She mentally cast the spell, but felt the magic waver. Too soon, the demon was still distorting her magic.

A toothbrush hit the back of her head. Echo glared at it. "That's so not helpful," she muttered, flicking it off the bed with a finger.

The door opened, and Echo sat up, long practice making her hide her right hand under the covers as she faced the opening door.


"Oh, you're up," Curse smiled lightly at Echo as they entered his bedroom, leaning against the wall as Arianna got closer. "I brought someone to help."

"Morning. I'm Arianna, a researcher and runes expert at the ministry. Mr. Kameren, our mutual friend said you're having trouble with a rune bracelet?"

Echo's eyes narrowed as she looked at the other woman, turning options over in her head. Why had Curse gone through this trouble to help her? Being naturally suspicious had saved Echo's life on more than one occasion, but Curse had seemed genuine last night.

"Where am I?" Was her first question as she struggled to move into a position sitting cross-legged, leaving her feeling dizzy. She closed her eyes until the feeling passed.

"What exactly did Curse tell you?" Deciding she'd better find out more about this woman, Echo focused her gaze on Arianna. Was she disturbed at all by the burn scar around her golden eye? "I do have trouble with rune bracelets," she said drily, "but it's more of a problem of them corroding too fast. Look, if you're fancy with the runes, draw me a rune-binding circle around this bed. Then I can show you the problem."

But her gaze darkened and turned ice-cold as her voice grew quieter. "But I'll ask you not to tell anyone about this...I'm going out on a limb here, but I need to find someone who can make me stronger bracelets." Echo's voice softened, almost a plea. This was making her very nervous, but she had to trust someone to get the help she needed, otherwise people could get hurt.

"If the ministry finds out..." she shook her head.

"Just make the circle...please."

As Echo waited for Arianna to finish it, she continued to explain. "If you're truly going to try and help me, you'll need an expert on curses as well. Don't suppose you have one of those up your sleeves," she arched a scarred eyebrow.

[Arianna Blackthorn]

Resistance rolled off the woman like love from a teenage girl. She did not look happy to see Arianna, then again Ari wouldn't be all too friendly if she woke up in a strange place with a strange woman barging in. Arianna couldn't help but glance from Curse to the woman on the bed. A thousand questions built up in her chest, but she would not voice them. Who was this woman and how did Curse know her? His message had very little detail in it. Then Curse had to go and leave her behind, but she understood that, his son was calling.

Arianna refused to turn and watch Curse walk away. Instead, she watched the woman on the bed. For a second she thought the brownish gold around her eyes was a tattoo, but the more she took in the more it looked like a scar of some sort. It reminded her of Curse's curse.

"Where am I?

"Hogwarts, Curse's apartment. his room to be exact." She said in a mellow tone trying hard to keep her jealousy out of her voice. She had no right to be angry that he brought a strange woman home. She left all those rights behind two years ago when she ended their engagement.

What exactly did Curse tell you?"

The question was to be expected. And Arianna had a ready answer. He told her very little.


"Only that he met someone who awakened his curse and had a rune bracelet that would interest me." She supplied before the woman demanded that she display her talents.

The vulnerability in the woman called out to Arianna and she felt for the woman. Something dark had happened to her.

"I won't tell anyone." She was already a keeper of Curse's secret curse, what's another to the list?

Ari nodded briefly, pulled out her wand. Carefully, with the tip of her wand she began to etch the runes for a binding circle around the woman. She walked around the bed laying down the runes, wishing she had brought sand with her to make it more binding. The circle she was drawing would be strong but sand would have made it last longer. It took her a little over five minutes to lay down all the enchantments. She stepped back outside the circle when she was finished, closing it up.

"Strong enough?"

[Echo Ashaelyr]

Echo watched as the woman expertly laid down a binding circle, identifying the various runes and the spell structure. It was elegant, and Echo's estimation of the woman rose. But while Arianna had been answering her questions, had there been a hint of jealousy in there? Surely she didn't think that Echo and Curse were... It almost made her chuckle at the irony of it.

"Yes, that will do. It's a good circle," she complimented the woman, holding her right arm up to show the bracelet over the black leather glove.

"Last night, my bracelet corroded at a bad time. I wasn't prepared, and something in Curse reacted. We met at the Leaky Cauldron, the barkeep asked him to help me with a scratch I'd gotten from a demon." While she was speaking, Echo carefully began to remove the bracelet, and then the glove, also being wary of the presence in her mind.

"Anyways, when the bracelet went, something in Curse reacted, and we both had a bit of a...fight. I guess I passed out, then woke up here." Echo tugged the glove off, revealing her right hand.

The skin was stretched taut across elongated fingers, oily black in color. Long claws, also black, tipped her fingers. Tendrils of black spiraled up her hand, and beneath it the tainted skin reached up her forearm. A dark purple circle on her palm pulsed with the taint's magical poison.

Echo flexed the hand, feeling, as always, the strangeness of a necrotic limb, as if it belonged to someone else, pins and needles of being half-asleep.

"This...is my 'problem'," Echo said dully, struck, as always, by the corruption on her own body, the constant sleeping presence in her mind, and the looming shadow of death always stalking her. A marked woman, both by the demon, and by her own kind. A half-human.

"It's safe inside the circle," she indicated that Arianna could come closer. "I'm sorry, I'm still kind of sick from the flare up. You see..." she held up the bracelet. "Pure silver, with a binding rune-chain engraved on it, soaked in moonlight. That's the best combination I've found that keeps the corruption bound. But it's always growing, and so as the corruption eats at the bracelet, I have to replace them more and more often."

Echo sighed and rubbed her eyes tiredly, feeling drained by confessing to Arianna, a stranger, but now her confidant. "It's a demon bite, well it started that way. I fought a greater demon, it bit me and laid a curse on it when it died. The taint goes all the way to the bone, and has mental side effects too."

"I guess, I'm telling you this because I'm looking for a runecaster who can maybe devise a better binding on this. It's spreading, and as it does, it gets stronger."

She wondered if Arianna thought her crazy. Here was the time for her to change her mind.

[Curse Kameren]

The professor crossed back into his bedroom once Max was sorted, stopping to find a runic circle around the bed. “Umm,” he hesitated, looking from the circle to Arianna back to the circle again. Could he step in it? Would he upset his curse again if he tried?

Instead of testing it, he just took a seat in the corner of the room, on a chair he had draped with old clothes and things. He was never a very tidy person, and it was obvious in his home. He watched quietly as the two women interacted, his eyes on Echo as she pulled at her glove. His eyes widened when it came loose and her hand was exposed, but he didn’t say anything. Her curse was worse than he would be able to handle with potions, and he was far from an expert on curses. The only expert he knew was under one himself, sitting in St. Mungo’s mental ward. For now, their hopes were on Arianna, hopefully to contain it.

He glanced down at the black spot on his palm, looking worried. As much as he would like Echo’s curse to be cured for her sake, he couldn’t have her upsetting his own curse if he were to run into her again. He kept quiet during their exchange; he didn’t have anything to contribute yet, unless some kind of potion could help them.

[Arianna Blackthorn]

There was so much to take in, that all Arianna could do was stare and listen. The pure silver bracelt had captured her attention when the woman had first showed it to her. Sharp eyes latched onto the runes. Interesting. The whole story captivated Arianna, luring her in. It was a puzzle she found herself wanting to solve. How to contain a demon bite and prevent it from spreading? Was there a way to heal it?

Ari said very little as the woman explained how she had met curse and what was happening to the bracelets she used. Anyone who hadn't studied runes would probably think the woman was insane, even for a witch. She felt a bit sorry for the girl who had done the world a service and had been damaged in return. Despite being angry at Curse for getting into trouble and bringing the stranger to a school, she wanted to help.

"I want to do some more research on the nature of the curse but I think I can contain it for now. What kind of demon was it?" She asked her eyes examining the ruined flesh. There was something vaguely familiar about the curse.

"Is there a voice in your head? You mentioned it had some mental side affects? Can you describe them? I'm not judging but I need to know so I can devise something to block that aspect. Also, I think I've read about this curse before. Or something similar..." her voice trailed off as her attention turned inward, racking her brain for the memory. She was only slightly aware that Curse had reentered the room. Her hand absentmindedly flapped at him in greeting.

"There is a reference in an ancient magical culture in Italy that tells about an entire village turning into demons. Half of the story was destroyed in a stupid war. There's a debate in the rune scholar community. Some believe it is the first mention of werewolves but other, my self included, think it's something entirely different. These humans slowly transformed after being bitten but they did not hold their human form after the transformation was complete, unlike werewolves who return to human form." During the middle of her story she became a bit more excited. Echo could be proof that there were in fact demon transformations that were similar to that of the werewolf, which could prove that the runes were not the first mention of werewolves but something else entirely. It was a wonderful find.

"Sorry, I get carried away. Binding. I think we should attempt a chain of three spells. A healing, containment and blocking runes. Also, instead of etching in the runes, what if the silver was molded into the runes. It would take more silver but would be infinitely stronger."

[Echo Ashaelyr]

Echo waved her regular hand at Curse. "It's all right, the rune circle keeps this thing dormant. You don't need to be afraid of it getting loose. Come in, if you're any expert wizard, maybe I could use your help. Or maybe you know of a potions master nearby that's trustworthy? I just need something to get me on my feet. I shouldn't stay here long." They were getting too embroiled in her situation as it was. Echo was fighting the strong urge to pack up and leave the country, go somewhere else and abandon the effort to try and settle here for a while.

But just then Arianna began to speak, having finished her preliminary evaluation.

Echo listened with growing horror but also a strange sense of relief. Perhaps this woman knew something about her curse after all! And if there was evidence of this before, maybe there was a way to at least slow the progression.

Once she could get a word in edgewise after Arianna's battery of questions and history lessons, Echo shook her head. "I didn't know there were other examples of this. Normally..." she stared past Arianna and Curse, her eyes focusing on some distant memory. "Normally if someone is infected with demon blood, the Ministry 'takes care' of them. Usually incarceration. Usually." She said dully, without any emotion. "After all, it's worse than werewolves, isn't it. I won't just change into a wolf at full moon."

She looked down at her hand, flexed the twisted, alien fingers. "I'll be consumed..."

Her eyes hardened as she pulled away from the dark thoughts with some effort. "It was a greater darkling. Its name was... Edzzjerrath." Something uncoiled in her mind, and her hand twitched, clenched into a fist. The golden-black burn on her face glowed for a brief second. Pain lanced through her head and Echo was bent double from the shock of it. "No!" She croaked, waving them away. "I'm...okay. It happens..." With a shaking hand she put the bracelet and glove back on swiftly.

Angrily she stood up shakily, one hand pressed to her aching head as she focused her thoughts on a distant location, the outskirts of London. "I'm sorry, this was a bad idea. It's not your mess to clean up," she tried to spin on her heel, to disapparate, but her curse distorted the spell and she blinked out....

...and appeared two rooms over, in the middle of the kitchen, just as her treasonous legs buckled under her.

At least the bracelet was back on and would shield Curse from harm.

[Curse Kameren]

Curse was enchanted by Arianna as she spoke; her knowledge of runes and history and her passion on the subject was always something he loved about her, and seeing her so passionate excited him a little. He stayed quiet, sitting on the chair in the corner of the room. He didn't want to interrupt Arianna's train of thought, and he wouldn't be useful at this point anyway. His role was getting Echo to an expert, and Arianna was the best runes specialist he knew. She had mentioned she needed a potions master as well; he realized he hadn't told her what his title was. She had no idea she was in Hogwarts. He examined her during her conversation with Arianna, mentally forming a potion for her in his mind.

"I didn't know there were other examples of this. Normally..." she stared past Arianna and Curse, her eyes focusing on some distant memory. "Normally if someone is infected with demon blood, the Ministry 'takes care' of them. Usually incarceration. Usually."

He frowned slightly, meeting Echo's eyes for a moment before looking back down. He knew very well that that was true. It was something he had been afraid of as a teenager, when he had first gotten his curse. He had actually caught some of the infected people who were incarcerated. There were some parts about his time as an auror at the Ministry he wished he could forget about.

"I'll be consumed..."

"We're not letting you get consumed, and I'll be damned if I let the Ministry get their hands on you," He said bluntly, kneeling at the side of her bed to examine her further. A simple rejuvenating potion could get her out of bed, he supposed, but he would like to experiment with something stronger to keep her mental demons at bay. He pulled a notepad out of the nightstand next to the bed, summoning a pen. He started scratching on the pad, glancing over at Arianna as he did. "I have silver for you, Ari. Bottom compartment of my ingredients chest."

He glanced up, but instantly jumped backward as her hand clenched into a fist, the burn on her eye glowing. He clenched his own cursed hand into a fist, instinctively trying to protect his bandaged palm from being re-opened. He wanted to go to Echo, help her somehow, but he was afraid getting closer to her would only cause more problems. It was dangerous for him to be around this woman, he realized.

"I'm sorry, this was a bad idea. It's not your mess to clean up," Curse followed after her, trying to stop her before she disapparated--

--CLANG. Curse winced as something in the kitchen was knocked over. It would be something harder to clean up than milk this time. "She must have apparated into the kitchen," he muttered, rushing out of the room back into the kitchen. "You alright?" Curse appeared just in time to catch Echo when she fell, getting her to one of the kitchen chairs. He met her eyes, his face now serious. "Echo, let us help you. Please. Honestly, its just as much for my benefit as yours. I can't have someone out there who's able to trigger my own condition." He arched a brow, keeping a steady eye on her. He needed her to trust him. He wanted to help her.

He turned around, facing the muggle stove. He fished in he cupboards for a goblet. "You mentioned needing a potions master..." He took a gold-colored potion from the back burner, pouring it into the goblet. He blew ice over it, before handing it over to the demon-hunter. He turned to the potions ingredients, trying to tidy his disastrous kitchen. "At least let us patch you up so you can apparate properly. Can't have you splinching everywhere."

[Echo Ashaelyr]

Echo managed a small smile. She was way out of her comfort zone. Normally as she traveled from place to place on the trail of demons, she didn't stay for long and didn't make very many acquaintances. She was used to being alone, and the solitude hadn't bothered her for a while. It was a way of life. But lately, the solitude was a double-edged sword, because she found herself yearning for companionship, for friends to spend time with and fill her empty life.

Now she was being tended to by two strangers, but they seemed genuinely interested in helping her out. The feeling was strange to her. But...she was in no shape to continue on alone, and wanted to protect Curse as well. And maybe...just maybe there were answers for her here.

Echo sighed, catching his eye and nodding. "You're right. I don't want your curse to bother you. It's just..." she shrugged awkwardly. " I guess I'm not used to this sort of help. I usually travel alone, and don't stay in one place for long."

She took a deep breath. "But if you're offering to help, I'll help too. I have extensive knowledge on demons, part of my trade you see, and maybe we can put our collective minds together and come up with some answers."

Echo looked around the kitchen and frowned. "Where are we, exactly?" The tall woman watched him expertly adding ingredients and watched with interest. "You're a potions master?"

[Arianna Blackthorn]

A coldness ran through Arianna at the woman's words. The ministry incarcerated these people all because of a rotten bit of luck. It was horrible but then again necessary. How did this woman manage to escape? How was she not taken care of? The incident Arianna had refereed to was extremely old. The ministry had been different back then, a fledgling testing it's wings. An infected population could go unnoticed for some time.

Despite her lips burning with the urge to spill what she knew about the old writings talking about a similar incident and why the ministry hadn't dealt with them for nearly an entire generation, she kept silent. Echo was telling her story. Fascinated and yet horrified, Arianna listened, her mind taking note of the details, the name of the demon etc. It was all important for her research. She'd be careful and not write anything down where someone could uncover it. But she needed to find out all she could about this demon and see if there were any other ancient references to such attacks. There was so much one could learn by reading the works of the long dead.

"We're not letting you get consumed, and I'll be damned if I let the Ministry get their hands on you," "I have silver for you, Ari. Bottom compartment of my ingredients chest."

Arianna nodded when Curse told her where the silver was. She turned to go get it when something behind her made her pause. Arianna turned slightly as Echo paled. She had a look on her face that belied trouble. While it was true that she would eventually be consumed. Arianna doubt that they could contain the magic forever, decades maybe but not forever.

The glowing eye captured Arianna's attention and all she could was watch.

"I'm sorry, this was a bad idea. It's not your mess to clean up," Curse followed after her, trying to stop her before she disapparated--

Arianna bit her lip when the girl disappeared and Curse lunged after her...to late. Then a crash from the kitchen caught her attention and at first she thought it was Max. Breaking the rune circle, Arianna ran after Cruse clutching Echo to his chest. A bubble of jealously threatened to pop out of her mouth, which she kept promptly closed. It was downright childish of her to be jealous. Curse was only trying to help this woman, and yet she couldn't help but wonder if Curse saw something in this kindred spirit. They both had a lot in common with their curses, perhaps that was a strong allure?

"Where are we, exactly?""You're a potions master?"

Arianna cracked a quirky smile, that was more of a tilt of her lips than a true smile. "You're currently in the greatest magical school this side of Europe. And he teaches bright young minds how to brew potions. You have amazing luck running into him. He's one of the brightest minds of his generation...or so the say."