Tie The Rope | Bane

Thursday, August 10, 1922
Noon

He’d told his mum he could handle his own school shopping this year.

Despite the disappointment on her face and how it twisted his insides, it was the only excuse Benji could surmise for leaving on his own. Julia was a gentle but strict mum, and she didn’t allow her children to just leave Arundel - or the Barlowe house - at the flightiest whim. They were different, she insisted, whenever Benji wanted to venture out on his own; their name enough to draw attention in even the vaguest of places.

The Laurences weren’t a house only subject to be known within wizarding circles. They were one of the oldest noble families in England, and Julia, for some reason, was always convinced someone was out to take advantage of that.

She would have to get over it. He was nearly seventeen.

Besides, Eira needed his help and Benji wasn’t the type to turn her down.

After their meeting at the Greymere ball, they’d exchanged a single message, to meet in a small dark corner of Knockturn, where it was less likely they’d be caught and even lesser likely to be recognized. Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley knew them both well. Perhaps it wasn’t the safest of places for two teenagers, but they were capable should someone decide to try something.

Benji slipped quickly through the door to The Serpent’s Rest - an apt name for a place to meet a former Slytherin - and quickly pulled his hood over his head. Keeping his head down, he made his way to the back of the…establishment, pointedly avoiding making eye contact with anyone but her.

He slid into the seat opposite her, lifting hazel orbs to meet her icy blue. A smirk played at the corner of his lips.

“Another secret rendezvous,” he quipped, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. “We keep this up, Eira, and we’re gonna run out of excuses to tell the bald guy.”

Sneaking out had been a matter of careful calculation, luck, and strategically placed lies. Both Oleg and Lev would be at the office all day, that was the easy part. Nadežda and Ruslana though, those had been the tricky ones to avoid.

For days Liliya had pondered over how on earth she was supposed to weasel her way out of her aunt’s watchful eye, how to escape the airtight schedule that never eased and never changed. Fake illness? Take a potion and actually get sick, just enough to justify an absence from the day’s appointments? It had been the only viable idea but in the end the unexpected saved her the trouble.

Something had come up, something Nadežda wouldn’t specify and that Liliya wasn’t allowed to come along to. That was the lucky part. Avoiding Ruslana’s company had required more. A half-truth about having to study, unfortunately not having any time to gossip and drink tea, so sorry, realizing the family library didn’t have the information she needed, making up an excuse to go to Diagon Alley alone — you’d be so bored! — planning on scouring the bookshops in the hopes of finding new material and immediately coming back home.

Ruslana not being the brightest candle in the chandelier allowed for all this to actually work.

Still, Liliya made sure to spend a good half hour in one of the bookshops before slipping away into Knockturn Alley instead, steps quick, lifting the shawl from around her shoulders to cover her pinned up hair. Not much to obscure her identity with but better than nothing.

Meeting Benji’s gaze when he claimed his spot, Liliya grinned faintly. “Don’t worry about the bald guy,” she said, keeping her voice low. “He won’t need an excuse because he won’t know.” Or so she prayed. The aftermath of the Greymere ball still sat like a crown of thorns around her brain.

This time, she had thought of everything though, she was pretty certain. She ignored the queasiness that insisted otherwise.

Leaning a little closer, she dropped her voice further. “So what have you found out? Did you talk to her?”

"Well that's reassuring," Benji quipped, his smirk never faltering, but there was a strange apprehension he felt at her words. The boy understood well the way many of their types of families worked, and he knew he had no way of protecting his friend from any consequences that might find her.

Would it be as easy for him? If the Zdravkovas uncovered what Eira was doing, certainly they'd reach out to his uncle, and there would be punishments on his end too. Eira's family seemed - colder in some ways. Harsher, if that was the right word. It wasn't that the Laurences couldn't be, and they had proved over and over again that they would rain down cruel punishments if they thought it necessary. It just hadn't really happened to him yet.

Benji wasn't afraid. He had to have faith that Eira wasn't either.

“So what have you found out? Did you talk to her?”

He nodded slightly as he crossed his arms, leaning forward on the table to let them rest lazily. "I did," he answered, quieter now to match Eira's tone. "Maddox and Julia got married a few months back. After the trials. She visits them in their house every other week. Comes to Arundel now and then, but she's still living with Cassian and his parents at their house."

It was no secret that Eira and Cassian didn't like one another. While he didn't know everything, he was fairly certain the dislike stemmed back to something that happened in fourth year when they were all young and stupid, but it was really none of his business.

"She was hospitalized a couple months back with an eating disorder," he said, his eyes dropping to the table momentarily. When he'd talked to Rosalie about it, the pain in her voice had torn his heart apart. Rosie had never been a big eater, but after her father's attack and losing the baby she and Cassian were expecting, she had deteriorated quickly.

"She's recovering and doing better now. But I guess it got bad for awhile there."

His eyes rose again to meet Eira's. "She misses you. She's ready whenever you are."

Liliya’s eyes bored into his, glued to every word he said, fingers curling into the edge of the table.

Finally hearing something concrete felt like breaking through a brick wall she’d been bludgeoning down for years. After leaving Britain she hadn’t been allowed to stay in contact with anyone, a clean cut to better integrate her into the family, Durmstrang, Russia. She had tried, of course. To write letters, send them off in secret and somehow maintain a connection, but it hadn’t taken long for Nadežda to find out. Naturally.

And she had paid for it.

Since then, Liliya hadn’t heard a single thing, a forced silence, but she’d never stopped wondering, pining, aching. Rosie was her everything. Hearing the news Benji had broken to her at the ball last week had been the almost worst case scenario to all the possibilities playing out in her head. To know she was safe with Cassian and his parents, having Julia has an anchor as well — and Maddox apparently?! — was a relief.

As much as she disliked her… husband — Liliya was glad Rosie had him to lean onto.

"She was hospitalized a couple months back with an eating disorder.”

Her face crumbled into a pained frown, feeling the sorrow for her friend return. She hated this. She hated that she hadn’t been here for any of it. Benji assured that Rosie was better now, but the feeling remained.

"She misses you. She's ready whenever you are.”

And then every thought stopped. Again her eyes snapped to Benji’s but this time with a flash of adrenaline, muscles poised to jump. Ready. Just like this. Two years of endless mental spirals and three months of strategic planning and this was it.

Her heart stumbled into a frantic rhythm.

“We can go right now,” she said, tone urgent, almost desperate. “You can take me there right now, that countryside, to Julia. Let’s go right now.” She was halfway out of her seat, ears rushing. “Can you apparate us — oh no, you’re still sixteen, right, that’s okay. Just tell me where and I’ll do it, I can find it.”

Eira was as saddened as the news as he had been. Even knowing that his cousin was better and recovering hadn't taken away the sting of knowing there had been suffering. He imagined there had been on Cassian's end too, but Rosalie had always been tight-lipped and incredibly protective of him, never sharing details about Cass that she felt were private. The two were glued at the hip, and at times he thought it almost unreal how seemingly devoted they were to one another. It was enough to make anyone with even a slight reflex gag.

But, it had been nice in some ways. To know that maybe in some instances, love really did overcome all.

“We can go right now."

Huh? Benji stared for a moment, certain that the girl was only being impulsive. Her emotions had run over and her need to see her best friend had taken temporary hold. There was no way they could go right now. They needed to plan this so that neither of them got in more trouble than was necessary -

“You can take me there right now, that countryside, to Julia. Let’s go right now.”

"Uhh, Eira," Benji said, taking her firmly by the wrist and tugging her back towards the table when she rose. "Have you lost your mind?" Surely she had. The bald guy would probably wonder where she was, and his mum would be thoroughly beside herself to realize this had all been some great ploy to reunite the girls when a simple visit could have been arranged at Arundel.

Shit. This had all suddenly seemed like a stupid idea.

“Can you apparate us — oh no, you’re still sixteen, right, that’s okay. Just tell me where and I’ll do it, I can find it.”

"What? No!" The boy's brows furrowed, and he shook his head emphatically. "We have to plan this. I don't want you getting blown up in the head or whatever the fuck your people do, and I'd like to leave my mother's house again before I'm twenty." She was crazy, though he thought he understood. As thrilled as Rosie would be, Benji wasn't going down for this shit.

He had his own life to enjoy.

Benji’s tugged on her wrist, stopping her in her tracks and she plopped back down into her seat, levelling him with a confused look. Lost her mind? Why would she have lost her mind? This was the most logical next step.

“What, ‘what no’?!”, Liliya almost spat, growing irritated. “Why not?”

"We have to plan this. I don't want you getting blown up in the head or whatever the fuck your people do, and I'd like to leave my mother's house again before I'm twenty.”

Her aunt’s face flashed behind her eyes and for a moment she stilled. Benji was right. If Nadežda found out about any of this she’d be a woman with goo for brains. But how would she? Her story was pretty watertight, kind of sort of... she believed. And anyway, she had already left Harewood House on an excuse, what would a little detour change? If she got caught punishment was inevitable one way or another. Might as well make it count at this point.

They could keep it brief; an hour. An hour couldn't hurt, right? All she wanted was one goddamn hour!

Mind made up, Liliya snatched her wrist out of Benji’s grasp. “Who cares, it’ll be fine,” she said, agitated. “No one will know if no one talks. Julia doesn’t have to know, Lev doesn’t have to know.” She waved both hands in an impatient gesture, as though that would make him see the logic.

Losing her patience, Liliya took a breath to steady her temper. "Look," she said, willing him to agree. “Just take me there. Drop us off out of sight, get Rosie, and no one will know. Take her on a walk. Bring her to me and done.”

It was the easiest thing in the world, she was so fucking close!

“Please. Benji.” Liliya was leaning onto the table. ready to jump straight over, eyes boring into his. “I'll fucking slap you. I'll do it." And for good measure her hand shot out, catching him across the cheek.

Why not? WHY NOT?!

Eira hadn’t mentioned that when she’d been transferred to Durmstrang that she’d had a lobotomy.

“It won’t be fine if you’re caught, Eira. We both know it. If it would have been fine we wouldn’t have had to meet like this. Don’t be a moron!” He hadn’t called her stupid or any other name since the last time they’d played Quidditch against each other, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He knew how much Eira and Rosie loved each other. Benji cared about his mates, on a level he would never admit. But girls were different in that way. They openly expressed their love for each other, and their ache when they were separated. Three years was a long time to go without someone you cared about.

But Benji wasn’t about to risk his own freedom over it!

“Just take me there. Drop us off out of sight, get Rosie, and no one will know. Take her on a walk. Bring her to me and done.”

Benji wrinkled his nose. “You can’t tell me what to do,” he nearly barked, “I’m not some shithead second year anymore and it’s a stupid plan! Listen, we’ll figure it out okay. I can even bring Rosie to you and -“

“I'll fucking slap you. I'll do it."

Benji’s eyebrows raised, an incredulous grin spreading across his lips. “You could try -“

WHAM!

For a moment, Benji Henry had the Cuddrun slapped right back into him. Eira’s slap seared across his cheek, making his skin grow red as he winced at the unexpected sting. “What the hell’s your problem?” he nearly shouted, leaning back across the table to slap at her hands. “You can’t just slap people to get your way - “

Another slap, as he swung back at her hands. “Stop it! Stop it Eira!” he growled through gritted teeth, his hands slapping wildly at hers to keep her away while the patrons around them turned to watch the commotion. It was callback to their Hogwarts days and the dissolution of any conversation they’d ever tried to have.

“This isn’t solving anything!”

Don’t be a moron?! Who was the moron here! All she wanted to do was see her friend that she hadn’t seen in years, who had been through a whole list of shit and who needed her! The sooner the better and her plan was fine!

How could he not see it? The way he was dangling Rosie in front of her, telling her she was ready, living somewhere in Britain with Cassian but clearly not doing okay, only to say they still had to wait! It was insanity.

“I can tell you what to do whenever the fuck I want to,” Liliya barked right back, eyes flashing.

The first slap felt like satisfaction, stinging her palm, fuelling her even further as he exclaimed his indignation. “You are my problem! Just take me to her, what’s the fucking issue?!” By now none of her caution remained, wiped from her brain like it never mattered, the weight of two years of longing and loneliness crashing over her head like an avalanche. Every rational thought died, every suppressed emotion took over.

She didn't even notice the tavern's attention shifting their way, all the eyes now resting on both of them. All she could see was Benji and his stubbornness, consumed by the need to get him to comply.

As he slapped against her hands, Liliya’s only slapped harder.

“Stop it! Stop it Eira!”

“No!" Verging on a scream. "Take me there!” Another slap landed, flat and dull against the side of his head but not enough, Benji blocked nearly all her attempts to get to him. Goddamn boys and their growth and strength spurts!

“This isn’t solving anything!”

Oh — yes — it — was.

Pure determination and desperation taking over, Liliya curled a fist, drew back with one swift movement —

And smacked it straight into Benji’s nose, knuckles flaring in pain, halfway sprawled over the table. White hot anger boiled her blood. "Take! Me! To! ROSIE!"

“NO!”

Benji had always liked the crazy girls. He loved the fire and tenacity that raged beneath their skin. He loved the wild look in their eyes when the world turned on its head. Whether friend or girlfriend, Benji preferred their wild spirits, their proclivities for taking what they wanted and being unapologetic about it.

Not so much when it came with a fist.

Eira’s fist slammed into Benji’s nose, blood spurting forth across the table with a sickening crack. The boy groaned in pain, clutching his face as he keeled forward, hot pain spreading through his skull. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped onto the table while he shouted through his hands, muffling his anger. “WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR?!”

Across the small establishment rose chuckles and growls of approval from the shifty patrons, some having moved closer to get a better view. They were causing a scene - or rather Eira was - and if they didn’t remove themselves quickly, there would likely be trouble. There always was in Knockturn Alley, especially for two rich kids who behaved more like the street urchins they really were.

Shooting up from the table and ignoring her scream for his cousin, he snatched Eira by the wrist and yanked her towards the door. His hood fell from his head, revealing his already purple nose. “You haven’t changed a bit, have you?” he nearly snarled as he got her out into the street and promptly pulled her into a darkened alley.

“Listen!” The boy wiped the blood from his face onto his sleeve, ignoring the pounding in his broken nose that now shot straight into his brain. “I can’t take you to her. She’s at Cassian’s! You can’t go there!” They both knew better than to try Eira’s luck showing up at the McCormick house without warning, and if her family found out she’d been at a middle-class halfblood home…well Benji thought the whole thing was fucking stupid, but her family didn’t!

“It’d take too long to get a message to her to go to Arundel and by the time she would show up, your bald guy would have sent out a search party! I’m not trying to die for this!” He sighed heavily, grimacing at the pain, as he rubbed his temple for comfort. Having to explain to Julia that he hadn’t gotten in a fight on his first trip alone to school shop would be a hard sell.

“Look, I promise. It won’t be long. Just…let’s actually plan it so both of us can live another day, alright?”

It wasn’t like Rosalie was running off or anything.

Again.

If she hadn’t been so damn angry, Liliya might have laughed. If her whole heart hadn’t been on fire, she might have triumphed.

Instead, all she felt was raging demand. Watching Benji double over forward with pain, blood spurting, only made it flare the hotter. His outrage rolled right off her. “That was for not taking me to fucking Rosie!”, she screamed without a heed for what was happening around them. “You said you’d help me! So why aren’t you helping me!” She was teetering on the edge of despair, shoving against the panic beginning to claw its way up her throat, but every passing second only seemed to push her closer.

When he snatched her by the wrist to drag her out the tavern, Liliya didn’t stand a chance. Stumbling, she followed, ignoring the chuckles and calls of the crowd that followed them outside. The fresh air hit her like a woman depraved of oxygen, head clearing by a fraction.

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?”

Liliya frowned. The comment threw a wrench into her fury, striking deeper than she liked. It scratched along the thing she had been fighting since the reunion with her family. Herself. All out of nowhere, the realization of what she’d just done punched her into the face like its own fist.

Shit.

Fuck.

“Listen!” Liliya’s gaze snapped to Benji, the blood sticking to his face and the bruise beginning to spread. “I can’t take you to her. She’s at Cassian’s! You can’t go there!” 

The roiling in her chest still persisted, like a restless snake that coiled and twisted in on itself, ever-searching for a place to settle. She wanted to protest, point out that it didn’t matter, that they could find some way but she knew Benji was right. She knew this wouldn’t work.

Her anger deflated all once, disappointment squeezing her heart, dragging her whole body into the ground. She pressed her lips thin and dropped her eyes away, fingers rubbing over her sore knuckles. For a minute there she’d really thought today could be it. She'd really though she could see her today. It had been dumb though and the all familiar embarrassment seeped in like poison, hot sadness curling into her lungs. She swallowed, nodding once.

“Look, I promise. It won’t be long. Just…let’s actually plan it so both of us can live another day, alright?”

Liliya was quiet for a moment, chewing the inside of her cheek to try and settle the sadness wanting to break through. At last she glanced up. “Yeah,” she said, voice small and she cleared her throat. “Okay. Erm…sorry. About that.” Her hand vaguely gestured towards his face. “Lost my head there for a second.”