Foreboding

[Dorian Humbert]

The killer had escaped and with him he took the knowledge that Christine was locked away at the Avalon. Against the advice of the MLE officer who'd insisted Dorian see a doctor about the unyielding gash in his abdomen, Dorian left Hogsmeade Park for Christine's hotel. She mustn't stay there. The killer would come for her, if he hadn't already.

There was no time to avoid the alarm system he had placed in the hallway. Dorian apparated just outside the suite and banged on the door furiously, his free hand still clutching his stomach. When Christine or Lex finally opened the door they would be met with a sight. Dorian was disheveled, his clothes covered in blood and scorch marks from the fire the killer had started in order to escape. But Dorian did not care about his appearance, he only cared that Christine was safe.

[Christine Montgomery]

It had been three weeks since Christine had gone running in Hogsmeade Park. She missed her morning runs, but found plenty to do at the Hotel. She used the Hotel Gym to exercise her demons, and secretly practiced and studied for the N.E.W.T.s when Dorian went to work. Dorian kept her busy when she was home. It wasn’t all bedroom fun – though that did occupy much of their time together – she found she loved the sound of his voice and often asked for him to read in the evenings, they’d talk about their travels, and about whatever wasn’t strictly forbidden to talk about concerning Dorian’s cases. Sometimes they’d just spend time together in companionable silence; he’d read the paper, and she’d write a letter to someone. She even showed him her collection of photographs, both moving and still photos. She never showed those to anyone, not even her family. She had the idea of being a traveling photographer when she was younger and took it very seriously, now it was more or less a hobby. She took pictures of him, of them, as if she were documenting their bliss. But each night ended the same, clothes strewn about the room, as they attacked one another in every way possible, sometimes gently, sometimes furiously, but each meeting the other in a passion that defied boundaries. Coming together felt natural, as if they really were one person occupying different bodies.

She had also gotten quite used to Lex. They had quickly become friends, and while Christine was sure Lex knew that she was hiding something, Lex didn't push.

At the moment they were having quite a pleasant conversation. Lex was telling Christine about being an Auror. She agreed that Christine should learn some more defensive techniques should she need them, and was in the process of showing her a few spells when Christine went cold.

"Dorian." she whispered only seconds before the alarm went off and someone began banging on the door.

She rushed for the handle, but Lex held her back. "No it's Dorian! He's hurt!" she cried still fighting Lex.

[Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen]

Lex didn't know what was going on. One second she was about to teach Christine a spell and the next all hell broke loose. The alarms started going off was one thing, but then her ward had decided to rush for the door.

Meanwhile the banging still mixed with the noise. It was taking everything in Lex to keep Christine from running to the door, but when she said it was Dorian and that he was hurt. Lex understood. She had suspected something had been going on beforehand, but it wasn't until the wild fear in Christine's eyes did she realize the depth of feelings the girl had for Dorian. The question was did he have them too?

A question that could be answered later, if it really was Dorian at the door and he was hurt Lex would need to let him in.

"Stop it! He'd kill us both if I opened that door without checking first alright? Go to the room and be prepared to apparate while I get the door or so help me I will stun you and drag you there myself."

As Christine calmed down and did as Lex directed, Lex turned to the door and used a spell to see on the other side, it was Dorian. He was hurt. How had Christine known that?

She unlocked the door using magic and kept her wand ready.

[Dorian Humbert]

He heard the door click unlocked. He wrenched the knob and pushed the door open. Lex had her wand on him. Dorian had barely stumbled into the room when he barked at her, "where is she? Is she safe?" His eyes scanned the room furiously, but his vision was blurred by the relentless pain in his abdomen. "Where's Christine?" he demanded.

[Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen]

"She's fine. She's safe." Lex said taking in his appearance, she looked behind him tensing for an attack.

"What happened?" she asked looking him over, worry edging into her voice. He looked like hell warmed over. Lex was about to tell him that Christine was in the bedroom when the doors burst open and the girl came running toward Dorian.

"I told you to stay-"

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine went to the room when Lex told her to, but that was only so she could gather medical supplies. She didn't know how Dorian was hurt, but she knew he was, she could feel it.

Lex had let Dorian in the main room and Christine had finished gathering supplies when she heard his voice, dropped the supplies and came running out of the bedroom straight into his arms, ignoring Lex completely.

"What happened?!" she cried then began looking him over with her hands. It only took her a second to find the wound in his abdomen. "My god...you need to go to St. Mungos now!"

[Dorian Humbert]

He could no longer trust that the woman he saw now was truly Christine. He needed to be sure this was his Christine, and not the imposter. He held her face in his blood soaked hands and looked deep into her eyes. He found love and terror there.

Ignoring her orders he questioned her, though he found it increasingly difficult to speak. "What was the name of the restaurant? The one you were to meet me at in Egypt?" He had no other way of knowing if this was really her. The killer was after her, potentially stalking her. Anything from their recent history could be tainted. He needed to trust that only she could answer this question.

[Christine Montgomery]

"What?" she couldn't comprehend his words, there was blood all over. She was terrified. His hands on her cheeks wet with his blood sent a coldness into the pit of her stomach and her heart physically ached, "Dorian, you're bleeding, please..." she could hardly speak.

He was so intent on something but she couldn't remember the restaurant, she couldn't remember anything not even her name at that moment, but she would never forget the sight of him like this.

[Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen]

"Oh for heaven's sake this is bloody ridiculous!" Lex threw her hands up. Her partner was bleeding everywhere and the alarms were still going off. Christine was practically useless and Dorian was stubborn, Lex had officially thrown in the towel.

She silenced the alarms and closed the door. She retrieved Christine's medical supplies and started for Dorian. If he didn't get the wound sealed he could die and that wasn't happening on Lex's watch.

[Dorian Humbert]

The color in Dorian's face was fading, but he had to be sure. He pressed again. "Think, Christine. The restaurant." 

Lex threw a fit and was making her way toward him with bandages and other supplies. Dorian pulled his wand on her. His hand shook as he glared at Lex, then turned back to Christine with a softer yet still urgent look. He would not be dissuade. "The restaurant," he insisted.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine thought hard. She was scared now, truly terrified at Dorian's bloodloss. But she was also angry. It didn't matter, nothing was more important than Dorian getting help at that moment. Unfortunately that help depended on her remembering the restaurant that she was supposed to meet him at over a year ago. She wanted to cry, but suddenly the memory came to her with crystal clarity, "The Sheraton." she answered," It was the restaurant at the hotel."

The hotel where they had made love the night before.

[Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen]

Lex was furious, but intent. It was quite clear that Dorian wasn't going to be tended to until Christine answered his question. Later the dots would connect more fully for Lex, but right now she was wholly concerned with the rapid bloodloss her partner was suffering.

After Christine answered the question Lex was done waiting.

"There, she answered your bloody stupid question, now you can hex me dead if you like, but you'll do it after we tend to that wound or there won't be anything left of you."

[Dorian Humbert]

He sighed painfully, full of the knowledge that Christine was safe. At least for the moment. He closed his eyes and smiled weakly at her.

He allowed Lex to care for his wound, and as she moved close enough Dorian whispered in her ear. His voice was barely audible, he didn't want Christine to overhear. He had terrified her enough already. "The killer. Knows. He's. Coming." The words were harder to form now. Every breath was jagged. The room was out of focus. He only managed to say, "Polyjuice," before he collapsed in a pool of his own blood.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine smiled weakly back at him, then stepped out of the way as Lex moved in to help. When Dorian collapsed however Christine was no longer smiling.

"What happened? Is he alright?" she could hear the panic in her own voice and fought to gain control of her fear. She wasn't helping Lex by panicking.

"What can I do?"

[Aleksandra "Lex" Eiriksen]

Lex quickly removed Dorian's shirt and began studying his wound, she could tell from the fact that none of the blood had coagulated that he had been injured by a magical weapon which required magical assistance. He really should have gone to St. Mungos, thankfully in a family of wolves Lex was better than the average auror when it came to medical assistance.

She could tell that Christine was scared, and it had sunk in that the relationship between her brother and her ward was far more complex than it appeared on the surface, but that was a subject to yell at him about later.

She was grateful when Christine got control of herself and was useful in tending to his wound. They patched him up as best as they could and made him comfortable on the bed.

Lex called it in to the ministry and they agreed to send a doctor to the hotel. In the back of Lex's mind however she worried about the Killer knowing their location. She set up several more charms and protection spells.

The ministry would send back up as well as veritiserum to combat the polyjuice.

[Dorian Humbert]

Everything was dark but he could hear muffled voices talking around him. They were moving, the voices, as if they were pacing around him. Things were becoming lighter, the room was a hazy glow without definition. He heard the door shut and then the voices were gone. It was quiet for a moment but he felt something touch his forehead. The haze came into focus; Christine was looking down at him.

He blinked, then looked around. They were still in the hotel. He was lying in the bed, shirtless. For a moment he imagined they had just woken up from a night of passion, but then he heard the voices in the other room. One of the voices belonged to Lex. The second voice was a man's. He didn't recognize it. As his eyes fell back on Christine's face he realized it must have been the doctor's voice. Dorian had been injured. They must have called a doctor. His mouth twitched with a weak smile.

[Christine Montgomery]

"Don't smile at me like that." she said angrily, though it did nothing to hide the flicker of relief as Dorian woke up.

"You could have died Dorian, and so help me Godric if you ever do something like that again I will kill you myself." she was speaking angrily true, but her words were filled with love as her eyes were red and still filled with tears.

[Dorian Humbert]

"You're cute when you're angry," he said weakly, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheek. She had been crying for some time now, judging by the redness of her face. He tried to sit up but a sharp pain held him down.

[Christine Montgomery]

"I am not-" she flustered. Cute while angry indeed. When he tried to sit up she felt his pain, "Don't! Just lay down, damn it!" she spat at him more tears in her eyes.

She took his hand and held it to her cheek while sitting next to him on the bed. "Don't..." she said softly closing her eyes, "I couldn't breathe Dorian. I thought you were dying and I just..." she didn't finish her thought, she just wept. The relief was pouring out of her, but so was the pain from her emotions. She realized now she couldn't live without him.

[Dorian Humbert]

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Don't cry, darling. I'm perfectly fine." The bandages wrapped around his midsection said otherwise, but he soldiered on. He pulled her toward him and kissed her gently. She tasted of salt. How long had she been crying?