I Will Find You (Uriah/Grey)

[Deleted]

Railynn had been missing now for over 24 hours, and Finn was starting to panic. His best friend had never just disappeared before, at least not without telling him or anyone for that matter where she was going. He’d already searched everywhere within the Hogwarts parameters; the castle, the grounds including the Forbidden Forest (he’d used a broom for that search), and every inch of Hogsmeade. There was no sign of Rai anywhere, and now Finn had to take action. He didn’t care about getting into trouble anymore; Claire Slater had offered to cover his night rounds that night when she’d seen how worried Finn was about his missing friend and fellow Auror, and needed to follow this lead. He was glad for her; she seemed to get how important it was for him to find her safely.

He knew she had gone to see her brother, Uriah. Or at least that’s what Rai had told him; she’d never had any reason to lie before, so he would start with questioning Uriah. If he needed to bring back another Auror, he would, but for now it’d just be him and her brother. He felt his anger ripple through him; if Uriah had allowed any harm to come to Rai...he’d deal with that if it was what happened. He couldn’t think the worst right now because that wouldn’t help Finn find Rai any quicker. As he fastened his cloak and made to leave the Great Hall, he stopped short. He hadn’t counted on this particular obstacle before he’d left. “Grey,” he said simply. “Go back to the Gryffindor Common Room, it’s close to curfew,” he instructed curtly. He couldn’t risk Grey getting into trouble too.


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@uriah can hop in after two go arounds >

TAKES PLACE ON NOVEMBER 14th EVENING

[grey xavier slater]

@finn & @uriah

That morning had been like any other. Grey woke up, ate breakfast, went to classes, ate lunch, skipped a class to take a nap, and then went to dinner. It was at that point that he realized today, unlike what he had initially thought, was not a normal day at all. If anything, it was far from what normal should have been like. During dinner he heard some things that didn’t particularly sit well with him. There was something wrong with the aurors. Apparently Finn had been running around the grounds and castle all day, in a semi-hectic way. After the previous year’s problems with students being killed, this type of behavior drew attention. While it was a hushed up rumor, most of the time being whispered quietly to a neighbor at dinner, it was still disturbing to hear about. Finn was there and so was Claire. The other usual aurors that stood by during meals were also scattered around. It wasn’t until then that Grey noticed that it was more than just something wrong, there was someone missing, or at least not currently present in the Great Hall for dinner. Where was Rai? He wasn’t initially concerned about it, seeing as there was a possibility that she was stationed somewhere else tonight, maybe even looking for whatever it was that Finn had been earlier in the day. It wasn’t like she was always stationed in the Great Hall for dinner, but it was definitely strange that she wasn’t there.

As dinner finished up and some students hung around at the tables a little longer to study at, Grey tried to blend in as much as possible. He wanted to ask Finn what was going on, purely out of interest, and also because he was somewhat concerned that they could have another dead student come the following morning. He didn’t like thinking that way, but his journalistic mindset was already telling him to hang around until Finn tried to leave the Great Hall or forced him to leave for curfew. The time to head back to the common room drew closer and closer, and eventually Finn started to leave the Great Hall, Grey hot on his heels. He wasn’t intending to grill his friend for information; he simply wanted to make sure everything was alright. It must have been obvious though, since Finn stopped and started to address him before he could ask anything. That was unlike Finn, telling him to obey the rules, especially in that manner. “Sure,” he started, coming to a stop as well. “But what’s going on? I heard you were running around the castle all day. Like you were looking for something.” That wasn’t even close to being subtle.

[Deleted]

Finn cursed himself inwardly; he knew sounding as strict as he did would only peak Grey's interest in what's going on. Yet, he hesitated.  Should he tell Grey what was going on?  What if he did and Grey insisted on coming along with him to find Rai and Uriah?  He knew Hogwarts would never let him take a seventh year out of school.  But, Grey was an adult in the eyes of the wizarding world, and Finn realized he should be treated as such.  "Rai is missing.  Has been for over 24 hours," he told Grey, his shoulders beginning to slump forward.  "I've looked everywhere for her man, every inch of the castle and the grounds, plus all of Hogsmeade.  She's not anywhere," he relented.  "She told me yesterday she was going to go see her brother Uriah; he works at Club Indigo in London.  I was planning on going there now to question him," he finished, fastening the clasp on his travelers cloak.  He looked at Grey, wondering what the guy was going to say back to him.


grey xavier slater


@uriah

[grey xavier slater]

@finn & @uriah

The somewhat chipper mood that he had been in since dinner instantly left him as Finn told him that Rai was missing. It was like getting punched in the stomach. Even felt like it, to an extent. And it didn’t stop there either. Finn had been looking everywhere for her, like Grey had observed earlier in the day. The second Finn said she had gone to visit her brother…that was the tipping point for him. Grey knew things were way worse than Finn could understand; or maybe he did and that’s why he was going there right now. The pit that had formed in Grey’s throat made it hard for him to acknowledge that he wanted to go along. Rai had told him the month before that things weren’t exactly pretty between her and Uriah. He had thought that she was going to stay away from him. Apparently that didn’t happen. “Finn…” Grey reached out to grab his friend’s arm so that he couldn’t get away yet. “Bring me with you.” He swallowed. There had to be a really compelling reason to be able to convince Finn to let him go. “If Uriah did something to her and she couldn’t fight back, who’s to say he won’t do the same to you?” One auror was tough on their own, but they weren’t invincible. Catch them off guard and they were just like any other ordinary witch or wizard. Even Rai. “I’ll take the blame for it too. If something has happened to her, they’ll understand.” He continued to stare at Finn, hoping that he’d let him tag along. It’d be hard holding back against Uriah though. The way Rai had told him about her brother…it didn’t sound like that was a pretty relationship. Both he and Finn would need to check each other while there, because it was possible that either one of them would beat the living hell out of him given the chance.

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Finn watched as his friends’ demeanor changed. He knew he should not have told Grey about what was happening, or what he was planning; of course Grey wanted to come with him. Then Grey brought up the point where it was possible Rai was outnumbered and that was how she came to be missing. He made a fair point; though his instinct was to still say no, he knew Grey probably wouldn’t listen to him anyway. “Go and grab your cloak, if you’re not back in ten minutes then I’m leaving without you,” he instructed. He watched Grey race up the stairs and began to pace. What if Grey was right and this disappearance had everything to do with him and his ties to Club Indigo. Where would they have taken her, and what would they have done with her? A mirage of thoughts and scenarios burst through Finn’s mind, each one worse than the last. His pacing grew faster; the sooner they could leave the sooner he would possibly be closer to more answers.


Grey at least was true to his word and was back before the ten minutes had passed. Without a word, Finn swept them out of the castle and led them down to the castle gates. As soon as they were out Finn grabbed Grey by the arm and Apparated the two to the Leaky Cauldron. He marched out of the pub and down the street; having prowled the entirety of London this summer he felt familiar with the streets. Finally, they arrived in front of Club Indigo. Glancing once at Grey, he pushed open the doors and strode in. “I’m looking for Uriah Stark,” he said loudly, glancing around the club. It didn’t seem that crowded but he didn’t see the tall, pale form that was Rai’s half brother yet.

@uriah its your turn >

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[Deleted]

It was a pretty slow night. Uriah was already beginning to close up the bar when he heard the doors to the club open. He didn't look up right away, as he was knelt down on his knees putting glasses away under the cabinets under the bar counter. It wasn't until he heard his name that he stood up, somewhat slowly, to face the person who had spoken his name. And his last name, at that. Uriah stood up straight and tall as he looked over at the two newcomers.

They were two young men. One of the looked very familiar, while the younger one didn't look at all familiar to him. He had a feeling near the bottom of his stomach, though, that whatever they wanted... it wasn't good. "That's me," he spoke up, with a dish rag in hand. "How can I help you?"

grey xavier slater
@finn
who next

[grey xavier slater]

@finn & @uriah

Finn had given him the chance of a lifetime; leaving school grounds under a non-school related pretense. Unfortunately it was because Rai was missing, but still, there weren’t too many students that were able to slip out of school other than when medical or family emergencies came up. In a way, this was kind of like a family emergency though. How he had managed to make it to and from the entrance of the castle all the way to the Gryffindor dorms and back was beyond him. But he made it, and off they went, disapparating to London. From the Leaky Cauldron, they made their way to Club Indigo, which is apparently where Rai’s brother worked. Grey would have never found himself at this establishment unless he was extremely inebriated, but here they both were now, and looking for a girl at that. Entering, it seemed like simply stating they were after a girl would be difficult. So it was that kind of cliental here. Even with the few people that were in there it was enough to tell him that this wasn’t somewhere he or any of his friends would find themselves on a night out. Except maybe Lily. She was crazy enough to dive in here.

Finn called out that they were looking for Uriah as they stepped inside. Grey had a grip on his wand in his jacket pocket. He had no idea what could happen, but if something had happened to Rai here, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t boil down to a fight the second they questioned where she was. One of the bartenders seemed to react to the question though, and spoke up, stating that he was Stark. Perfect. Grey took a few steps closer to the bar, smiling at Uriah as he did so, both hands jammed into his pockets to avoid any suspicion that he had his wand there. “How about a shot of whiskey, the muggle kind, for my friend and I. And then you’re going to tell us where your sister is.” Grey feigned another smile at Uriah, hoping he wasn’t overstepping his boundaries.

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Finn looked over with a raised eyebrow at Grey. Finn was more of a cider drinker himself, but Grey actually sounded very smooth and professional. He had to admit, he was a bit impressed. “Uriah Stark, we need to ask you a few questions regarding the disappearance of your sister Railynn Stughtattle,” he told Uriah, his tone turning sharp and serious. “It was confirmed that Ms. Stughtattle had told her colleague that she was coming here to visit with you, her brother, and has not been seen or heard from since. Due to this information, it is logical to conclude that you were one of the last people to see her.” Finn knew that Uriah was aware that Rai was his best friend, and also knew it was entirely possible that the man would throw that in his face.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way Mr. Stark; either you tell me everything you know, or I can take you to the Auror Headquarters in the Ministry in a very loud arrest. In a place like this, you don’t want to be hauled publicly from your bar to the Ministry, would you?” he explained casually. He was certain Uriah did not want a scene in the middle of Club Indigo; Finn also could immediately call backup from the Aurors at the Ministry, specifically Abigail Shacklebolt if needed, but for Uriah’s sake, he didn’t want it to come to that.

@uriah
grey xavier slater

[Deleted]

Uriah sized the two gentlemen up as they approached him at the bar. As they neared, it dawned on Uriah why one of them looked so familiar. Uriah could not remember his name but he instantly recognized him as a friend of Railynn's. Which could mean only one thing, and Uriah found his jaw tense just the slightest as he finished drying off a glass. And then, they opened their mouths and if Uriah were any lesser of a man, he would have flinched openly. But Uriah was calm, cool, and collected when the two men asked about his half-sister. First, Uriah raised an eyebrow at the younger looking one. He didn't look much younger, but there was something about him that just seemed off. "Are you of age, sir?" He asked professionally and a bit smugly when the boy asked for whiskey.

Uriah made no moves to grab glasses for a drink. Instead, he stayed rooted to where he stood; hands resting on the bar counter top. Uriah looked at the two of them. It took him less than a minute to think of an answer to their questions as to where Railynn was. "She was here," he finally replied, shrugging one shoulder. "She came in here... two, maybe three days ago." He looked at the guy he recognized as Railynn's friend. "As you probably know, she made a quick habit of coming up here and harassing me once she graduated. Did the same that night," he continued, though as he remembered, he was actually going to talk to Rai before Desi set the vampire on her. "And as always, I told her not to come here. She never listens. She... left, and I don't know what happened to her after that." He shook his head once and then firmly met the gentlemens' eyes. Uriah was sticking to this story.

grey xavier slater
@finn

[grey xavier slater]

@finn & @uriah

“I am of age.” Grey growled back, looking Uriah up and down for a few seconds. “Sir.” He wanted to be a little more snarky to Uriah, but didn’t get the chance as Finn interjected and continued the line of questioning. Plus it didn’t look like Uriah was going to make a move to get the drinks. So this was what they were taught as aurors. Finn was completely professional about the whole thing, even though Grey could tell that they were equally as worried about Rai. He tried not to let a grin form on his face as Finn threatened to drag Uriah off to the Ministry to question him. If anything, Grey would have preferred that. Getting into a tussle off school grounds with someone who quite possibly had to do with the disappearance with his best friend? That was exactly why he had jumped onboard the second Finn told him about it. And he knew that Finn knew he’d be disappointed to be left out of it.

The entire time Uriah talked, or whined, as Grey saw it, he could feel his blood pumping faster and faster. He hadn’t intended on believing him in the first place, so even if he was telling the truth, Grey wasn’t going to listen. All he needed was a scapegoat, a reason, to get ticked off at the bartender, and Uriah already mentioned Rai had been there. Even though Grey liked to slack off and ignore listening to adults during class, he wasn’t stupid. There was enough of a pause at the end of Uriah’s little speech to not fully convince the Gryffindor. Grey turned to look up at Finn as he leaned over the edge of the bar slightly, making sure his wand was still good to go at any second. “I don’t know about you,” he directed at Finn, “but that didn’t sound too convincing. Sure you want to stick to that story, buddy?” Grey had watched enough muggle films to know the whole good cop bad cop routine. He hoped Finn had too, and that Uriah was enough of the stuck up prick Rai had made him out to be to not understand the tactic he was using.

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Finn jerked his head towards Grey. “I believe this gentleman here asked for a drink Mr. Stark,. Don't want to be rude to a paying customer, do you?” he said smoothly, arms still crossed in front of him. He listened with about as much patience as one could muster with the situation at hand. As Uriah finished off his story, one of Finn’s eyebrows raised and he looked at Grey as the younger boy spoke. Grey had spunk, he had to admit. When he’d first met Rai’s elder half brother, he had reminded Finn of a large bat and had been slightly intimidated by him. Now that he was training to be an Auror, that childhood fear had left him. It was very clear to him that Uriah knew more than he was letting on. But if he was going to play coy, then so would Finn.


“So...she just left, you say?” Finn spoke finally, his eyes finding Uriah’s dark ones. “Was she alone when she left? Did she have anyone with her? Did any of your patrons follow her out, perhaps on a certain someones orders to ensure she stopped poking around?” The questions came out one by one, his voice never raising though he felt angrier and angrier at Uriah. “I’d be sure not to leave out any details Stark. When we find Rai we don’t really want to come raid this bar if we find you left anything out.” Finn looked around and gave Uriah a mirthless smile. “Then again, perhaps Club Indigo could use some excitement,” he added casually. One quick movement of his wand and he could contact any Auror at the London office; it was not yet too late out and there were bound to be several there.

@uriah
grey xavier slater

[Deleted]

When the younger guy called Uriah "sir," Uriah couldn't help but narrow his eyes at the young man briefly. What on Earth was this boy to Railynn? Why did he at all matter? Uriah held back the urge to roll his eyes, thinking of his sister's kindness and habit of befriending people Uriah normally wouldn't. When the guy Uriah recognized as Railynn's friend spoke, Uriah didn't hold back the eye roll this time. "Fine. What can I get you?" He offered them, but his tone was dripping with sarcasm.

Uriah didn't know who the younger guy was, but he didn't like him. What was it with young guys thinking they could stand up to older, more distinguished men than they were? This generation seemed to be getting more and more mouthy. "She just left," Uriah repeated it back to the older guy. "She was alone when she left. She had no one with her, and no one followed her out." He looked back at the younger, mouthier one. "And yes, that is the story I am sticking with as it is the only story." Now, Uriah's eyes looked between the two of them as he felt it was his own turn to ask questions. "I wouldn't be doing that if I were you. Because, if you contact your Auror friends, I'll tell them you showed up here for questioning without a warrant. And my boss won't be very happy about that," he said as a small half smirk appeared on his face. It was quickly replaced with a look of confusion. "So, just who are you two?"

grey xavier slater
@finn

[grey xavier slater]

@finn & @uriah

It was hilarious how he and Finn were getting under Uriah’s skin. How on earth was this guy a bartender if he couldn’t take a couple jabs? Obviously they were going to give it back to him after the way he acted. Plus, knowing him from what Rai had said, Uriah wasn’t exactly the nicest person in the world. Rai might have seen a glimmer of hope to save him at some point in time, but Grey wasn’t getting any alarm bells that he was worth the effort. The added sarcasm as he asked what he could get Grey to drink was the icing on the cake too. “It was two shots of whiskey.” Grey placed his hand on the counter as he slid up onto one of the bar stools. He waited a few solid seconds before continuing. “But you know what? I’m not really thirsty anymore.” He put on a big smile, returning his free hand back to his pocket. Finn was hitting Uriah with the real questions now, and Grey had no idea how the bartender was going to react.

Uriah was sticking to his guns though with the story. That somewhat ticked Grey off. “I guess someone could have been waiting outside for her.” Grey turned to face Finn and shrugged before turning his gaze back to Uriah. “But you wouldn’t know about any of that would you? You have a job to do, getting people to drink and drink, and drink some more.” He stopped though, instead taking in the conversation about aurors showing up and a need for a warrant. Uriah had never refused to talk to them in the first place and it wasn’t like they had forced him to. As far as Grey was concerned, Finn was doing everything by the book and was definitely smart enough to not do any more than that. “You’re right. I’m sure your boss wouldn’t be happy about one of his employees aiding in the kidnapping of his own sister.” Grey shrugged again. His goal now was to be as smarmy as possible to the bartender. He had nothing to lose after all. It was even better when Uriah asked who the two of them were. “Us? We’re Rai’s knights in shining armor. And you’re really looking like one of those ugly-ass evil stepmothers right about now.” Grinning once again, he continued. “But you don’t know anything about her disappearance, so no worries right?”


[OOC: Colin's been watching a lot of Law & Order lately....]

[Deleted]

Finn turned his head to the side, a smile creeping onto his lips. “But Mr. Stark, if I have reason to believe a search is necessary I can have a warrant drafted immediately. Besides, we’re just checking in as a friend of Railynn’s; I’m just reminding you that as an Auror I can authorize a search of the property if necessary.” It would be easy enough of course, but he also knew the owner of the bar didn’t have the best reputation. “She’s your sister Stark; the last known place she was seen was your bar, talking to you. Then she vanished. Surely you can understand our cause for concern.”

Finn watched Grey carefully as he spoke. He could almost feel the flames of anger coming off the Gryffindor boy; it seemed as though Finn had been correct in Grey’s feelings for her. Even if Grey did not, and would not, admit it just yet. He chuckled a little at his ‘knights in shining armor’ quip. “My impassioned friend makes a point; we will find Rai, and we will not stop looking for her. We will do it with or without your help.” He stepped closer to Uriah. “If you suddenly remember anything you care to share with a friend and not an Auror, an owl will find me.” He leaned back and looked over at Grey. “Clearly nothing useful is here, we should be going.” He shifted off the bar and made to leave.

@uriah
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