DANCING WITH THE DEVIL | ELAINE

[Deleted]

Another day at the Prophet, another day filled with news and coffee. Another stressful day and she just needed to relax a bit. She could head home and meet up with Will, and the two of them could order take-out, or she could head to the leaky cauldron and get something to drink. She wasn’t sure, but she needed to figure something out. Thus, she headed out of the building and pulled out her phone to text Will; she just hoped that he would be quick to pick up his phone. Quickly she flipped through her contacts, found his name and put her phone to her ear. After a few rings, there was no answer; she frowned a little sad that he wasn’t answering. Maybe he was still working, that might be it. Quickly she began to slip her phone in her purse, moving away from the Prophet building and through Diagon Alley, though during her attempt to zip the purse back up, she wasn’t paying attention, and ran smack-dab into someone. Her eyes widened as she stumbled back a bit, “I am so sorry! Are you okay?” she exclaimed with worry towards the woman before her.

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Elaine Lyra Dupree
it sucks, but hope it works!

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine had decided after a few days of lounging about at her summer hideout she needed some human interaction that wasn’t with one of her puppets, or her followers. Fin had been frequenting her home less and less since his involvement with the mudblood Jessavette had begun, and he was not taking the hint that he should be ending that sooner rather than later if he didn’t want to face her wrath. She was feeling restless, itching to do something, talk to someone who didn’t realize who she was, making the conversation far more enjoyable to her. So she took on Anise’s appearance and Apparated over to Diagon Alley, wondering who she’d run into. She hadn’t met Jess with this particular disguise, and she always relished the chance of torture her.

Instead as she stepped out into the afternoon sunlight and was promptly run into by a dark haired girl coming out of the Daily Prophet office. She apologized and Elaine finally got a good look at her. While her initial thought was that it was Jess, it actually turned out to be one of the Finch twins. Hopefully it was Tamara; she had been involved with Ethan Johnson for a time before Elaine had murdered him, so she knew how much the girl hated her. “Oh!” Elaine exclaimed in Anise’s breathy voice, and smiled as she put a hand to her chest. “It’s no trouble at all, are you alright?” she asked, trying to sound nervous and caring.

@tamara

[Deleted]

As the other woman quickly said that it was no trouble at all, quickly turning the question of her being alright, she simply smiled back. “I’m fine, no harm was done on my end,” she said with a small laugh, Thanks for asking. She took notice that the other girl’s voice sounded nervous but filled with a caring underline, which was something one rarely heard when running into people. Usually, it was either awkward laughter or anger for being so stupid in not watching where one was going, blaming it on being spoiled youth. She internally shook the thoughts away, “Uh—I’m Tamara,” she said as a small introduction, with a smile and outstretched hand. It seemed only proper since she could have potentially knocked the other woman down with her awkward demeanor while fighting with her stupid purse zipper.

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine studied the girls hand briefly before daintily placing her own hand in it. “Anise, charmed,” she said with a girlish giggle. She wondered how Tamara would feel if she knew she had just shaken hands with her ex boyfriends killer; probably anger, fear, a mix of both even. She toyed with the idea of giving the other girl a sign it was her, but deemed it unimportant for now at least.

“I’m just trying to get to the Leaky Cauldron for a date, but I’m two hours early,” Elaine made up on the spot, giggling Anise’s girlish giggle once more. “Can you tell I’m nervous?” she asked with a smile. The fact of the matter was of course that Elaine had no interest in a romantic relationship whatsoever; it would only get in the way of her personal goals of purging the world of its’ impurities and cancers. Physically she could be satisfied by whatever means necessary, so she felt she was doing just fine in that department. “You wouldn’t want to keep me company would you? I know we just met but perhaps if I was distracted I’d get less nervous,” she asked Tamara, looking at her with big, hopeful eyes.

@tamara

[Deleted]

“Anise, that’s a pretty name,” she commented with a smile on her face. “French origins, if I’m not mistaken,” she said hinting at the origins of the name. When she lived there, in France, she had heard that name quite often being called around, seemed it made its way to other places as well.

It was then that the girl revealed that she was two hours early for a date at the Leaky Cauldron, and she was slightly shocked. “Showing up two hours early? I would never have guessed that you were nervous,” she said with a small smile, “Is it a first date?” she questioned, though she feared getting into the stranger’s business. Tamara had never had that problem, though she has been nervous on dates, she had never shown up more than a few minutes early for one. Maybe she did it so that she could calm her nerves before it even started?

The girl quickly turned hopefully, her words reaching Tamara like a dagger to the heart. She couldn’t just leave someone so nervous to their own devices for TWO whole hours. She swallowed, of course, she had no plans besides going home and taking a shower before hitting the hay, but maybe it could be interesting. “I’d love too—it wouldn’t be too awkward for you though? Hanging with a stranger?” she questioned with a small chuckle.

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Tamara had agreed to come keep her company at the bar, just like Elaine had expected her to. The girl really was too nice for her own good after all, though she had broken up with Ethan for one of his best friends. Elaine had to admit, regardless of the claims that Tamara hadn't meant to hurt Ethan, it was a pretty gutsy move of the girl.  Too bad she'd never agree to join the Purifiers though.  She had once thought that William Flint could perhaps have taken the mantle when his parents basically killed each other, but he had been surprisingly non-receptive to the idea.  Didn't he realize it was his legacy to join her?  She wasn't one to beg however, and after the spectacle Marcus and Pansy had made, she wasn't rushing to recruit any of the Flint children.  "Ohh thank you thank you!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement.  All too easy.

"It is not weird, for my date is a blind date actually," Elaine conceded as they made their way towards the Leaky Cauldron.  "A friend of mine was insisting that I needed to get out and date more, so here I am, waiting for someone who might not even show up!" she giggled nervously.  "So what do you do Tamara?" she asked, though of course Elaine knew she was an intern at the Daily Prophet.  Best to keep Tamara in the dark about that though.

@tamara

[Deleted]

Did Tamara feel a little weird about accompanying a woman to her date to hang out with her while she waited the two hours for the other person to show up? Not really, but at the same time, she felt as if something was amiss around her. Was it here feeling a bit weird? Maybe. However, she didn’t act on it and instead agreed to do so, something that resulted in an excited young woman jumping up and down while thanking her. Tamara simple smiled, letting a small giggle leave her lips, and nodded her head. “Of course, us women have to stick together. And if I can help you with your nerves for the next few hours while you wait, I am happy to do so,” she said truthfully. In her head she was helping out a desperate and nervous woman, simply ignoring the fact that she felt something off about the entire situation.

“Oh, a blind date? I’ve never actually been on one of those. Though I’ve only ever dated two people in my short lifetime, one of which I am still with,” she said with a smile but quickly shook her head, “Sorry—I’m rambling.” She quickly smiled, brushing a strand of brunette locks behind her ear before speaking once more, “Did your friend set you two up or was it just a random thing? From the way you say that they might not show up, it seems that it might be the latter,” she said. It was then, after a nervous giggle, that Anise question about what she did for, most likely for work, and she smiled, “I’m an intern with the Daily Prophet… what about yourself Anise?”

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine nodded enthusiastically; in truth she did believe that women should stick together. But she was quite positive that Tamara and she had very different beliefs on what sticking together would entail. Elaine did tend to favor her female followers than her males sometimes, but that was more because of what she needed to get done. Aerick was useful for his enforcing influences, and her other men had their uses, but it had been the women who had impressed her most. “I thank you immensely,” Elaine told her, holding the door open for Tamara to step through to the Leaky Cauldron.

Elaine giggled as Tamara mentioned she had only dated two people in her lifetime. “Oh? What are they like?” she asked, even though she already knew. William Flint, the eldest son of her former followers Pansy and Marcus Flint, was the current apple of Tamara’s eye. She had tried to recruit him to her cause, but he had rebuffed her; she had seen why just weeks later when he stepped out with Tamara. Then there was...Ethan. Oh Ethan, trapped at Hogwarts in a pearly ghost form, avoiding the spot where Elaine had taken his life just over a year ago. She wondered if it had hurt Tamara as much as it had Dominique Weasley; she hoped it had.

“I’m just a simple barmaid over at the Hogs Head in Hogsmeade; I know it’s not as popular as the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks, but the owner is kind to me and there are the regulars who I’ve sort of made friends with over the past year. One of them set me up on this date,” Elaine explained, jabbering away as Anise easily. She hopped up on a barstool and ordered a butterbeer. “How do you like working for the Prophet?” she asked, hoping she could get some intel on exactly what Tamara did for the newspaper. Having two….unknowing connections to the paper would be quite useful in her plans after all.

@tamara

[Deleted]

Anise thanked her, which resulted in a smile appearing on the brunette’s pink lips, slipping through the door with a small 'thanks’ as the other woman held it open for her. The cool air from instead eloped her, differing from the warmth of the outside world. She glanced around, looking for an empty table for them to sit out, though she’d let the other girl lead the way. Who knew where she was meeting her date within this establishment

The question of what the two guys she’s dated was tossed around in the air, and Tamara found herself blushing while thinking about Liam. “Well—the guy I’m with now, his name is Liam, and he’s a ministry worker. Or he’s an intern there at least. But he’s quite handsome, though he’s a bit quiet sometimes. And then—my ex, he’s sort of—well he’s no longer with us. We dated in Hogwarts before he passed,” she breathed out, her heartbreaking just thinking of Ethan. She still felt guilt over the entire situation, especially after having seen him at Hogwarts. After they had broken up after his trip to the hospital the first time, she began to date Liam in secret. Though she had her suspicions that he was doing the same with someone, he truly loved, but he died before they could reveal the truth. After his death, and a bit after graduation, Liam and Tamara went public. They waited for the right moment to reveal it to friends and such, since it would have been a bit awkward under the circumstances to enter a relationship so quickly, especially with his best friend.

She was brought from her thoughts as Anise revealed that she was a barmaid in Hogsmeade and she smiled, she had dwelled within that place a few times during her time at Hogwarts. Hadn’t been back since she graduated, at least, not to Hogs Head that was. “I used to go to Hogs Head with friends when students were allowed, it’s a nice little place,” she said with a smile on her face. The questions once more turned back on her, just as they made it to the bar and the two of them sat, the other girl ordered a butterbeer and Tamara was quick to order one for herself. She’d simply have one while she waited, it’s the least she could do to make the girl feel more comfortable. “Uh—it’s a change. There are some things that I don’t like, but I love what I do. I’ve—” she laughed before continuing “I’ve always loved writing, so doing what I love, it’s a nice little touch,” she said with a smile just as the two butterbeers were placed in front of them.

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

It hadn’t taken that long for Tamara to spill about her little relationship hopping with Liam and Ethan. She had known of course; she had known everything. It still gave her a thrill to hear the young woman say it out loud though. No longer with us was a kinder way to say murdered, she thought. Keeping in character with Anise, Elaine gasped and put her hands over her mouth. “Oh my,” she said breathily, lowering her hands slowly and placing them in her lap. “What a horrible thing to have experienced, I am so sorry,” she said woefully, tentatively reaching out and patting Tamara’s hand. “I hope for his sake he didn’t suffer,” she added, shaking her head, knowing full well what Ethans’ death had been like seeing as she was the one who dealt the killing blow.

Elaine chuckled nervously as Tamara mentioned she’d been to Hogs Head; she doubted very much the Hogwarts alum would have felt comfortable in a dive like that. “Really? That’s a bit surprising to me; usually the clientele I see are much...older than students. And more rowdy.” She shuddered, remembering the time she first had brought Anise to Hogs Head. Fortunately, due to the bounty she threatened to put on the owners head, Anise was perfectly safe working at the grubby little pub, until her services were no longer required. Elaine had a lot of fun going out in her different disguises, but really she missed being able to stroll in public just as herself. Ah well, one day she expected that would come to pass. It wasn’t as if she’d let her faces live afterwards though. “Doing what you love is very important,” Elaine agreed, taking a tiny sip of the butterbeer placed in front of her. “Does Liam also work at the paper?” she asked, trying to sound like a new friend curious about the love in her life. She knew Liam worked at the Ministry, and knew he wasn’t about to join the Purifiers like his parents had. At least River was still loyal to her; he was the one who had been left the family fortune after all.

@tamara

[Deleted]

When she revealed that her first boyfriend had passed, she watched as the girl before her seemed to be sympathetic. She delicately reached out and patted her hand as she spoke about hoping that he didn’t suffer. And that was something Tamara hoped as well, but hadn’t he suffered? First, he was attacked by Elaine, left in the hospital with a curse upon his lips, so he refused to tell the name of his attacker, and then Tamara broke his heart through breaking up with him. Maybe he hadn’t suffered when he died, but he was suffering before his last breath. Watching it happened, she had suffered for him…Dom had suffered for him greatly. “Me too,” she spoke softly, her lips pursed and her eyes filled with sadness and sorrow.

When the girl questioned her, saying that she very rarely saw young people among the patrons of Hog’s Head, she nodded her head. “It isn’t the best place for students, especially when those heads shoo you away. But once or twice they let us in, not the best place for a female,” she said with a shudder. Nothing had happened to her, thank god, but it wasn’t the most comfortable of settings.

Tamara nodded her head, agreeing with Elaine, “Yes—yes it is,” she said with a smile on her face. Then a question that caused Tamara to laugh left the other girl’s lips, and she shook her head, “While it would be funny to see Liam working at the Prophet, and rather nice to be around him, he doesn’t. He’s not much of a writer—he works for the Ministry,” she said with a smile on her face.

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine arranged her face to look sympathetic; she knew Ethan had suffered of course, it was by her hand after all. Still, Tamara had no idea who she was really talking to, and Elaine didn’t have any plans to reveal that any time soon. She felt something warm against her leg, and immediately she stood up. “Please excuse me I need to use the restroom,” she said politely, walking towards the lavatory and immediately entering one of the stalls. She pulled out a silver engraved flash and took a swig, holding back a gag as the Polyjuice Potion tipped into her mouth. Swallowing, she shuddered as the hair that had begun to shorten and grow dark grew back into Anise’s curly golden red and sighed. She had been close, too close for her liking. She was fortunate for her little timer device in her pocket, but normally she didn’t need it. Perhaps Elaine’s focus was too much on the ex lovers of Ethan Johnson; she was usually far more careful with her disguises. Still, seeing Ethan in the ghostly flesh floating through the halls of Hogwarts had unnerved her. She had threatened the life of Dominique Weasley, which she hoped was enough to keep him quiet, but she could never be too sure. Her best bet was Ethan finished whatever unfinished business he had and disappeared into the great beyond before details of his final months were revealed.

Elaine smoothed down her dress and flounced back out to the restaurant where Tamara was waiting. “My apologies Tamara, nature calls you know,” she said with a giggle. She sat back down and took a long sip of butterbeer, savoring the taste as it washed away the remnants of the disgusting Polyjuice Potion. “Liam, huh? Short for William or just Liam?” she asked. “My cousin named her baby Liam, just Liam but everyone keeps asking her if his name is William,” she added as an explanation to her inquiry. She was almost certain Tamara meant William Flint, but she had to be sure before she’d try and pry any more. Liam was a rather common name nowadays after all, seeing as the cousin she just made up named her child that.

@tamara

[Deleted]

She was rather enjoying the company of Anise, though they only had just met. Nodding her head, she watched as the girl disappeared through the crowd and went into the lavatory, leaving Tamara to her own devices. The girl clicked her nails against the surface of the table in which they sat at, her eyes wandering around aimlessly as she waited for the girl to return. Maybe Tamara was being too nice for her own good, but then again, who knows. She seemed to make friends with anyone and everyone that acted nicely towards her, a fatal flaw some would say. But why be rude to others and hold them at a distance, it just causes disaster.

It wasn’t long before a giggling Anise reappeared, apologize to Tamara for leaving her for the restroom and she shook her head, “Don’t worry about it, I understand,” she stated with a smile. She knew that everyone was human and that nature always called once in a while, she didn’t blame the girl for having to use the women’s room.

“Yeah—sorry, should have made that clearer,” she said with a bit of an embarrassed laugh, “It is short for William, though Liam isn’t a bad name as just a singular name instead of a shortened version of something.”

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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[Elaine Lyra Dupree]

Elaine nodded, pretending to look pleased with herself that she knew who William Flint was, or at least what his first name really was. She knew far more than that of course, as his parents had been rather devoted followers of hers until they let their petty differences come to blows. Now they were both dead, and as Elaine understood, the youngest one had inherited everything. Normally she’d try to name drop at this point, however because Tamara did not mention his first name, she decided not to push it. “A Ministry man? Sounds exciting, has he ever given you any insider scoops you can bring to your bosses? Give you a bit of a leg up inside?” she asked, leaning forward as if interested. Elaine had had her eye on Jess Dupont, a fellow intern at the Prophet, but now that Isolde was “on assignment” she really had no reason for the time being to interact with the young woman.

“I wish I was interesting enough to give an inside scoop,” she said wistfully, propping her chin up with her hand and giving a small sigh. Truth be told, Elaine did not know the real Anise’s backstory, only that she had found her out on a street of London begging for spare change. It had not mattered really; Elaine saw the pretty face behind the grime and had really given her a better life for it. All Anise had to do was continue to be a good little stooge, and she would not meet the same fate as Isolde. However, just because she didn’t know Anise’s backstory didn’t mean she couldn’t make one up. “I was wealthy once, it feels like a lifetime ago,” she admitted, laughing softly as if she was remembering what it was like to be rich. “My parents...well, my mother had a bit of a...drinking problem, and she could get violent. One day, I guess it just got too far and…” Elaine paused for dramatic effect. If Liam was a good boyfriend, he would have told Tamara the circumstances of his parents death, and something would be ringing very true right now. “Anyways, I ended up on the street until someone took mercy on me and offered me a job and a place to sleep at the Hogs Head. It’s not much, but it's better than being on the streets.” Elaine added a little shudder for effect. “Be hopeful you never find yourself in that circumstance,” she said with a small, sad smile.

@tamara

[Deleted]

She laughed lightly, shaking her head, “It is exciting, but no not really. I haven’t asked him for any scoops or such; I don’t pry in his work affairs unless he complains about something that happened or I ask him how his day was,” she said with a smile. Both her and Liam were pretty to themselves when it came to work because when they were together it was just about them and not the world they live in separately. “Though he probably has some interesting stories to tell,” she added with another soft laugh.

A soft frown appeared on her face as a somewhat familiar story rang out of the young girl’s lips. Tamara was never one to pry in family affairs, especially when it came to her boyfriend who wasn’t one to talk about it much, she did know a bit about his backstory. She frowned deeply, “I am so sorry you had to live through that, I could never imagine a life like that…” she breathed out before shaking her head and smiling lightly, “But I’m glad you are better off now,” she added. When the girl mentioned being hopeful it would never happen to her, she didn’t know what to say. Her parents would never abandon her nor would her sister no matter how much they rarely talked, and she had Liam. While Tamara never grew up in wealth, living day by day was the way that she lived.

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Elaine Lyra Dupree

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