Fic: Serpensortia [Chapter 1] [Due South, PG]
Title: Serpensortia
Co-Author: sl_walker
Fandom: Due South; Wizard!Verse
Rating: PG
Characters: Renfield Turnbull, Ray Vecchio, Unnamed Female Vampire
Summary: "I have been sent by Reinette Favager, sire of Guy Laurent, on his behalf," I say, falling back upon the formality of my kind. Even if I don't really think wizards quite worth the effort, I respect my sire. "He and Chase are currently underground in Canada, preparing to help refugees to cross the border."
"Welcome to Canada." The Mountie that greets me at the door of the Consulat du Canada would be cute, if I were into that sort of thing. He's wary of me, though; I like that. Smart wizard. But we have enough of those. "How may I be of assistance?" he asks, his expression schooled.
The answer to that question is about to become a whole lot more complicated than he no doubt assumes. I'm more amused that he hasn't moved to invite me in; protected by his little red serge and heavy wooden door. As if he could defend himself if I decided to barge through. It's at odds with his welcome. I glance past the door, questioning him. Manners, auror.
His expression does not waver. Not very friendly. I don't blame him for that.
I glance back and forth, ever-uncomfortable with the idea of wizard ears around.
"I have a message."
His eyebrows go up. His wand-hand twitches. I fold my hands behind my back. He couldn't hurt me if he tried, but it's something.
"Guy Laurent has donned his nurse's garb."
There's a tiny reddening of the auror's cheeks at that, and I've only just had the chance to wonder if that means what it sounds like it means, before the color leaves the boy almost entirely. That's the proper level of fear. Well done, wizard.
Another one appears as the blood is slowly draining out of the pup; this one has come along a bit more. Fine set of green eyes he's got, and they're squinted at me.
"...nurse's what?"
The incredulity covers up something more canny, I can practically smell it, but it makes me smile anyway.
Best keep the fangs retracted.
They finally invite me in. I can smell the magic in the air outside, but it has nothing upon what it smells like inside. Green-Eyes moves around comfortably, more casually than the Mountie. I am lead into an office, one in which they spend a great deal of time, apparently, if their scents are any indicator. There is a human female, as well, who leaves traces upon the air, but does not appear to be here.
Silence stretches past the point of awkwardness, then the Mountie clears his throat. "I'm Constable Turnbull," he says, uncomfortably.
"Yes, I know," I answer, and smile at him with just a hint of fang.
Green-Eyes raises his eyebrows, something of a mild threat behind what appears to be a casual look. "What can we do for you?"
"I have been sent by Reinette Favager, sire of Guy Laurent, on his behalf," I say, falling back upon the formality of my kind. Even if I don't really think wizards quite worth the effort, I respect my sire. "He and Chase are currently underground in Canada, preparing to help refugees to cross the border."
Turnbull's face does not lose its white pallor, but he stares at me and I don't think he means the myriad emotions in his eyes to be quite so visible. I feel it around him as well; a tension, a longing, a worry, a hopeful little thread. "They..."
I pull the map which I've painstakingly marked under my sire's instructions from my pocket and offer it across the desk. "On this, there are seven marked safe houses. From these, Guy is intending to apparate muggle-borns across the border to here, in the United States, in rotating intervals. My sire has tested the border defenses and has made certain that a vampire's apparation won't trigger the alarms. Guy and Chase believe that if they're able to convince muggle-born wizards and witches to go with them, they'll be able to safely bring them to the United States. They need a contact on this side of the border to arrange the transfer, and that contact is you."
Green-Eyes says nothing, but he is clearly intrigued by the possibility. Turnbull takes the map, carefully, then unfolds it. The safe houses are all within one hundred kilometers of the border, and they are spread along it; four in the west, three in the east. No easy feat to arrange, and not all of them are as safe as we wish given their proximity to wizarding settlements, but in the short term they will have to do.
"They need names," I continue, without waiting for them to ask. "They need to know who to look for, and where to find them. From there, they can plan how to rotate through their safe houses and how to arrange for the transfers with you. In terms of communication in this immediate moment, I can send a message through my sire, who can pass it on to Guy. After I leave, you'll have to find alternate methods to communicate with him."
"They are safe?" Turnbull asks, and I admit, I'm taken aback by it. I would expect something else, after all I've just said.
The smile I offer back is small and fleeting, but gentle this time. "For now. They have been declared wanted by the Ministry. Chase is known to them by name and face; Guy is only known, currently, by his existence. But for now, they're safe, yes."
Turnbull closes his eyes for a long moment, and Green-Eyes looks at him with an expression that could only be called concerned love, before looking back at me with something harder, more serious on his face. "So, we gotta find a way to get the names to 'em?"
"Yes." There's no other answer I could give.
"Okay," he says, and it's clear he's thinking it over. "You gonna be in the area awhile?"
"No." I have a life. And this is not my war. Should it become so, then I will be a soldier the likes of which few have seen, but it's not yet. Hopefully it never will be. It would not matter to me, if the wizards killed themselves off; nonmagical mortals and vampires alike would not feel the loss. There are few mortals more obnoxious, than those who seek to try to legislate that which is eternal, and few more obnoxious than those who wander with wands and believe it gives them dominion over all others.
However, my sire is kind and my kindred is apparently quite altruistic, so I am here now. It's more than I would give on my own.
Green-Eyes clearly doesn't like my answer, but aside narrowing his eyes at me, he doesn't say it. Turnbull remains white-faced, then he nods, swallowing once. "Can you tell them... can you pass on the message that we'll do what we can, and will be in contact?"
I nod.
"And... and please, to be safe," he adds, a faint tremble in his voice on the last two words.
I nod again. It is as good as done; the speed of thought, through the sire's bond to my sire, and from her to her youngest offspring.
I apparate out with a bow of my head, leaving the map and returning to my life, while they no doubt contemplate the next moves in theirs.
Co-Author: sl_walker
Fandom: Due South; Wizard!Verse
Rating: PG
Characters: Renfield Turnbull, Ray Vecchio, Unnamed Female Vampire
Summary: "I have been sent by Reinette Favager, sire of Guy Laurent, on his behalf," I say, falling back upon the formality of my kind. Even if I don't really think wizards quite worth the effort, I respect my sire. "He and Chase are currently underground in Canada, preparing to help refugees to cross the border."
"Welcome to Canada." The Mountie that greets me at the door of the Consulat du Canada would be cute, if I were into that sort of thing. He's wary of me, though; I like that. Smart wizard. But we have enough of those. "How may I be of assistance?" he asks, his expression schooled.
The answer to that question is about to become a whole lot more complicated than he no doubt assumes. I'm more amused that he hasn't moved to invite me in; protected by his little red serge and heavy wooden door. As if he could defend himself if I decided to barge through. It's at odds with his welcome. I glance past the door, questioning him. Manners, auror.
His expression does not waver. Not very friendly. I don't blame him for that.
I glance back and forth, ever-uncomfortable with the idea of wizard ears around.
"I have a message."
His eyebrows go up. His wand-hand twitches. I fold my hands behind my back. He couldn't hurt me if he tried, but it's something.
"Guy Laurent has donned his nurse's garb."
There's a tiny reddening of the auror's cheeks at that, and I've only just had the chance to wonder if that means what it sounds like it means, before the color leaves the boy almost entirely. That's the proper level of fear. Well done, wizard.
Another one appears as the blood is slowly draining out of the pup; this one has come along a bit more. Fine set of green eyes he's got, and they're squinted at me.
"...nurse's what?"
The incredulity covers up something more canny, I can practically smell it, but it makes me smile anyway.
Best keep the fangs retracted.
They finally invite me in. I can smell the magic in the air outside, but it has nothing upon what it smells like inside. Green-Eyes moves around comfortably, more casually than the Mountie. I am lead into an office, one in which they spend a great deal of time, apparently, if their scents are any indicator. There is a human female, as well, who leaves traces upon the air, but does not appear to be here.
Silence stretches past the point of awkwardness, then the Mountie clears his throat. "I'm Constable Turnbull," he says, uncomfortably.
"Yes, I know," I answer, and smile at him with just a hint of fang.
Green-Eyes raises his eyebrows, something of a mild threat behind what appears to be a casual look. "What can we do for you?"
"I have been sent by Reinette Favager, sire of Guy Laurent, on his behalf," I say, falling back upon the formality of my kind. Even if I don't really think wizards quite worth the effort, I respect my sire. "He and Chase are currently underground in Canada, preparing to help refugees to cross the border."
Turnbull's face does not lose its white pallor, but he stares at me and I don't think he means the myriad emotions in his eyes to be quite so visible. I feel it around him as well; a tension, a longing, a worry, a hopeful little thread. "They..."
I pull the map which I've painstakingly marked under my sire's instructions from my pocket and offer it across the desk. "On this, there are seven marked safe houses. From these, Guy is intending to apparate muggle-borns across the border to here, in the United States, in rotating intervals. My sire has tested the border defenses and has made certain that a vampire's apparation won't trigger the alarms. Guy and Chase believe that if they're able to convince muggle-born wizards and witches to go with them, they'll be able to safely bring them to the United States. They need a contact on this side of the border to arrange the transfer, and that contact is you."
Green-Eyes says nothing, but he is clearly intrigued by the possibility. Turnbull takes the map, carefully, then unfolds it. The safe houses are all within one hundred kilometers of the border, and they are spread along it; four in the west, three in the east. No easy feat to arrange, and not all of them are as safe as we wish given their proximity to wizarding settlements, but in the short term they will have to do.
"They need names," I continue, without waiting for them to ask. "They need to know who to look for, and where to find them. From there, they can plan how to rotate through their safe houses and how to arrange for the transfers with you. In terms of communication in this immediate moment, I can send a message through my sire, who can pass it on to Guy. After I leave, you'll have to find alternate methods to communicate with him."
"They are safe?" Turnbull asks, and I admit, I'm taken aback by it. I would expect something else, after all I've just said.
The smile I offer back is small and fleeting, but gentle this time. "For now. They have been declared wanted by the Ministry. Chase is known to them by name and face; Guy is only known, currently, by his existence. But for now, they're safe, yes."
Turnbull closes his eyes for a long moment, and Green-Eyes looks at him with an expression that could only be called concerned love, before looking back at me with something harder, more serious on his face. "So, we gotta find a way to get the names to 'em?"
"Yes." There's no other answer I could give.
"Okay," he says, and it's clear he's thinking it over. "You gonna be in the area awhile?"
"No." I have a life. And this is not my war. Should it become so, then I will be a soldier the likes of which few have seen, but it's not yet. Hopefully it never will be. It would not matter to me, if the wizards killed themselves off; nonmagical mortals and vampires alike would not feel the loss. There are few mortals more obnoxious, than those who seek to try to legislate that which is eternal, and few more obnoxious than those who wander with wands and believe it gives them dominion over all others.
However, my sire is kind and my kindred is apparently quite altruistic, so I am here now. It's more than I would give on my own.
Green-Eyes clearly doesn't like my answer, but aside narrowing his eyes at me, he doesn't say it. Turnbull remains white-faced, then he nods, swallowing once. "Can you tell them... can you pass on the message that we'll do what we can, and will be in contact?"
I nod.
"And... and please, to be safe," he adds, a faint tremble in his voice on the last two words.
I nod again. It is as good as done; the speed of thought, through the sire's bond to my sire, and from her to her youngest offspring.
I apparate out with a bow of my head, leaving the map and returning to my life, while they no doubt contemplate the next moves in theirs.