Too Much To Ask For || open ||

[ASPHODEL EMARIE PLONKETT]

A quiet night out seemed to be too much to ask for. Asphodel knew when she became an Auror that she'd make a few enemies and then some. When you put psychotic criminals away in Azkaban they had a tendency to remember your name and face and they weren't ones for letting go, what was worse was when their families wouldn't let it go either and tonight Asphodel was on the run, her training had taught her not to get in over her head without the knowledge of back-up on the way, something she should have considered five minutes ago when she hadn't been hit with a spell in the waist.

Turning a corner quickly she came to Diagon Alley, no sooner had she turned the corner did three cloaked individuals swoop down from the sky, landing a little wobbly on the cobblestoned street but Asphodel didn't notice, she was more concerned about dodging the curses being thrown in her direction. Quickly she jumped to the side of a shop, knocking into its door, thankfully the glass held out and she just slumped to the floor rather than going through the damn thing.

Grasping at the right hand side of her waist with her left hand she gripped onto her wand with her right. She had hold of it nice and tight. Asphodel took a deep breath which hurt like hell and leant herself forward to aim her arm around the corner. Firing blindly she shot spell after spell, hitting one of the hooded people. The person fell to the ground in a huddle and then there was more wand fire but it wasn't coming from the guys chasing her, it was going towards them and it certainly wasn't her doing it.

Awkwardly Asphodel stood herself up, she had hold of her waist and her wand, keeping it at the ready incase this saviour of hers wasn't a friend but more along the lines of foe. She hoped a little in the door frame, realising that as she'd fallen she'd twisted her ankle and not noticed but couldn't blame herself, she'd rolled the damn things so many times it was unusual for it not to hurt and what with keeping ahold of her waist and feeling the warmth of her blood seeping through her fingers, well it all kind of kept a girl preoccupied.

The spells had stopped and Asphodel hopped to the other side of the door. The people that had been chasing her had run off and even taken their fallen comrade with them, the only question left to answer now was who the hell had come to her rescue and did she have any hope of fighting this person off if they weren't as friendly as she'd hoped? Keeping her wand at the ready and quick fire, non-verbal spell in her head she was ready to put up a shield and then attack, the question was, was she going to need to?

[MADAME CALLYSTA BRIAR]

On any normal day Callysta would have been nowhere near Diagon Alley at this time of night, and certainly not willing to jump in and help some stranger being attacked by hooded hooligans but it seemed fate had other plans for her today. For instead of being alone like she should have been she had taken her beautiful little girl shopping for the day before heading to St Mungos to see her husband. It was a trip often taken during the week and the shopping had been a little something extra. They had just come around a corner when a wayward spell hit the brickwork by her childs head.

Now had the spells landed anywhere but where they happened to be she would have been quite happy to allow the figures to continue with their little game for who was she to get in their way? However the terrified scream of 'Maman!' had her reacting before such thoughts were even thought of and with a scowl of anger had brought her wand out, gently but firmly sweeping her little girl behind her many skirts to keep her safely out of the way and was shooting off spells before she had time to really think about what she was getting into.

No one endangered her child! She didn't care if they were on her side or not, she fired spell after spell until they collected their fallen and disappearing from whence they came with loud pops. Turning slowly in a circle, her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the damage caused to the street and at the very few people who had come out to see what was happening below their homes. What cowards these English were! When one of their own was in danger they simply stepped back and allowed it to happen. "Eugh," A disgusted noise escaped her lips as she turned to look for her daughter and not seeing her immediately panicked, thinking the worst.

"Blanchefleur!" Turning once again she ran wide eyes over the small crowd until they fell upon the familiar blonde head of her girl and with a cry was upon the child, chiding her for disappearing only to have a reply in pretty French that she had been looking at the poorly lady.

"What lady?" Callysta turned her head to the doorway where there was indeed a lady slumped and bleeding somewhat heavily. Her daughter had simply wondered over here to see what had been hiding and had then stared at the lady with concerned brown eyes. "Ach, the English, never helping their own" She grumbled as she shuffled forward towards the other woman. Now that her daughter had seen this she had no choice but to help whereas otherwise she might have just left the woman to die here alone. However what her daughter wanted she usually got and the little five year old was worried about the pretty lady.

Still crouched, dark eyes sought out the worst of the wounds before landing on the blood that seeped through clenched fingers and at this she pulled the shawl from around her neck and scooted a little closer to push it against the wound, packing it a little more although how much good it would do was to be seen for Callysta was no healer. "Here," Turning to her daughter she spoke quickly, now in Romanian instead of the French from before and the little girl vanished between the crowd that was now dispersing. Turning back to the woman she frowned. "Someone will come soon. Can you walk?"

[ASPHODEL EMARIE PLONKETT]

Asphodel was most unbalanced as she awaited her saving grace but she managed not to fall, she was just in a lot of pain and she was sure that she'd get through it all okay as long as she could just get home and rest, she only lived a stones through from Diagon Alley and knew she could make it there just as long as she didn't have to do any sort of hand to hand combat she'd be fine. Yes, just keep thinking positively she told herself.

At first Asphodel saw a glimpse of a child and heard a woman's voice, she was confused, why was there a mother and child in the middle of a battle? Did they have another with them? Were they even mother an child, could have been an older sister or aunt, Asphodel should have known better than to presume she knew that it was mother and child but whatever she did she did not trust that this person was good nor did she trust that the woman would keep her wand to herself, there were all manners of people out and about at night, even those travelling with children could not be trusted.

The woman came into view and Asphodel backed away a little and leant against the door frame of the shop. The woman didn't make any sort of sudden movements and Asphodel just let her get on with checking her over. Asphodel wondered if the woman was Healer but couldn't recall having ever seen her there but there were a lot of people that worked at the Wizarding hospital and it was highly unlikely Asphodel would have seen them all, even with her multiple visits.

Asphodel was grateful for the shawl but it seemed as though the woman had used what was her own, Asphodel made a mental note to buy her a new one and to get this one cleaned up, just in case it was a family heirloom or a gift from a relative or loved one. The young girl ran off and Asphodel looked down at her hand now holding the shawl, her wand was lowered but it was still at the ready. "Yes, I think so." She said in her own soothing tones as she hobbled forward a little, sitting down would probably be a wise choice. "Thank you, though I'm sure it's just a flesh wound." She commented, knowing that if it was much worse than that then she would have either been unconscious or dead by now but it was more that just a little knick to be bleeding through her top and it felt like it was burning, as soon as she got sat down, she thought as she hobbled a little more, now into the street, she would clean it up a bit and replace the shawl until it stopped bleeding, though hopefully the young girl had gone for some sort of medical supplies or home where she would be safe.

[MADAME CALLYSTA BRIAR]

Knowing it would not take long for her daughter to return with help Callysta was now left to decide on her plan of action. On the one hand she could help this woman out of the Alley and to the magical hospital which was perhaps the better option since the other required taking a stranger to the lodgings she held just on the Knockturn Alley side. She had never felt comfortable keeping rooms too far into the darker side of this place for fear of her daughter's safety however it was just enough in to give her away as not being quite all 'good'. It made no matter now. She would have to just take this woman and hope for the best.

Moving back slightly she allowed the other woman to hobble forward, her eyes settling onto the still bleeding wound although the shawl did help to staunch the flow of blood slightly. Good. At least now she could perhaps get some answers about what was going on. It was not often things blew up in this place and Callsyta was surprised that a second attack had been done so soon after the last one. Did these people know nothing about the art of surprise? Soon it would be impossible to walk through this place! The English ministry would be placing their aurors had ever exit and then what would she do? Living in Knockturn Alley automatically placed her in the evil section -and whilst this was entirely true- it would mean she would be restricted in her travels and that simply would not do! Callsyta could not abide being stuck in any one place.

Leaving her angry thoughts about this entire mess to the back of her mind for the time being she now turned her eyes to the woman herself. An attractive woman there was something about the way she held herself that Callysta found most intriguing although she would never have dared to say so. Most of those she met tended to be very straight and she had learnt from experience that outing herself as lesbian made others very uncomfortable in her presence which was never useful when she wanted to find out anything. Her gaze was broken by the call of 'maman!' and turning her head she was glad to see Blanchefleur come running up to her followed closely by a large wizard dressed in heavy black robes. "Tomas," she greeted the man before indicating the woman. "Help her to the shop...We shall patch her up there."

"A flesh wound or not it will do better to get it cleaned and properly bandaged yes? You would not want an infection." The male moved to the unknown woman's side although he did not touch her just yet despite being quite prepared to carry her should she stumble even slightly. "Tomas will help you." Bending down Callysta herself picked up the girl clutching at her skirts before looking about her, eyes narrowed once again as if expecting another attack to occur. "Come." Turning on her heel she led the way to the small passageway that would lead to Knockturn Alley and to her current residence.

[ASPHODEL EMARIE PLONKETT]

Asphodel wasn't exactly sure where the little girl had run off to and she wasn't overly sure she was trusting of this woman. It was of course undoubtedly lovely of the woman to help her out, Asphodel hadn't expected many people out at this time of night, Asphodel herself should have been hanging out with her friends but before she could meet up with them at the club she was jumped by the people that had chased her to where she was now, essentially.

Asphodel was on her way to the bench to sit down, just hobbling on her way to rest for a little bit. She reached the bench and sat herself down just in time for the young girl to come back with a rather large man. Asphodel wasn't overly certain this was going the way she would have liked. She wasn't exactly trusting of people that wanted to lead her off down a path. She wasn't some child the could be commanded to go where she was told. A lot of people had walked over her in her life time but she'd eventually stood up for herself and had done so every day since.

"Oh, well thank you so much, ma'am, sir, but I think I'll rest a bit and head to the hospital." She said softly, she had a naturally quiet voice that she had to put a bit of strength into get noticed and she wasn't going to follow the lovely enough stranger because there was no way she was following a stranger to her shop at this time of night no matter how lovely she might be, Asphodel couldn't have any idea who this woman, child and man were, so to follow them anywhere really would have been a big mistake and against her training.

"If you give me your address I will return your shawl cleaned. Or a new one." She mumbled, looking down at the blooded shawl. She wasn't able to see it properly but she had a feeling she would have gotten a large blood stain on it and she wasn't the best with household spells and getting stains out of clothing. She usually asked her mum to do those types of things for her, she was kind of good at them, definitely a lot better than Asphodel who was sat, bleeding on a bench, getting ready to haul herself up and go to the hospital.

[MADAME CALLYSTA BRIAR]

Callysta did not appreciate her offer of help being refused. She was so used to being able to give orders and having them followed to the letter that sometimes she forgot that she did not have her caravan with her right now. They were still abroad, awaiting news of her husband so that she might return to them quickly....Although from what she understood it would be some time before she would be returning to Romania or even France. Even so, to refuse an offer of help was quite bad mannered and she took offense at it.

Not that she would ever allow this girl to know such a thing.

Pausing she looked at the girl on the bench, taking note of the defiant look firmly fixed on the pretty face. Ah. She was going to be one of those then. A shame. Callysta had been quite willing to help the woman, to show her daughter that there was still good in her but alas it looked as if she was going to be stuck in the middle of the street. Resting her chin atop her girl's head she glanced at Tomas and nodded slightly to the bench just as the girl spoke once again. Hospital? She did not fancy stepping foot in that place again today...once was enough! It was a depressing place, all boxed in and lacking in fresh air....She hated it so! But what was she to do? Her best friend, the other half to her life was in there and she had no choice but to enter the place, no matter the hatred she held for being stuck indoors.

At the offer of returning the shawl she shook her head. "No, it does not matter. There are plenty at home. I have many." Tomas moved a little closer to the other and bent down to look her in the eye. "Tomas is good healer although his things are at the shop, if you allow him he will check your wound. Then we will help you to hospital yes?" She might as well complete this illusion that she was a good woman trying to do a good deed. What did this stranger need to know other than that? She didn't need to know that Callysta knew the people who had attacked or that the only reason she was stuck helping her was because her daughter had been in the middle of a fight.