#esmee amaranthine

[kathrynalicemc]

Some rambles about Esmee Amaranthine and ideas for her

I think I said she’s born 1920s but I am thinking about her being born 1910 or earlier now

That will make her 8 years old sometime during WW1 which is how old she is when she runs away from her father Eme

I’m tossing around the idea of her being taken in by a French family who maybe works in the Ministry. She’s French to start with and later in life she works at the Ministry herself

I’m also working on giving her children. She will also have grandchildren and maybe great grandchildren? I mentioned her having a family in a Phoenix Resistance fic

I’ve got one idea so far for a daughter for her. I’m thinking Ella Purnell as Emma Bloom in the movie Miss peregrines home for peculiar children

[phoenixresistance]

The Phoenix Archives

Entry 1 - Silent Night

Semele belongs to @endlessly-cursed 💕

London, England - December 17th, 1997

She watched as the snow fell gently outside the living room window in the darkness of the evening. It was completely silent, the only sounds that could be heard was the resonant ticking of a grandfather clock on the opposite side of the room and her own quiet breaths.

She had white hair and her face was wrinkled from the passage of time, over eighty years in fact. The woman currently rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. Her eyes wandered around the room taking in the familiar sights of her house. The Christmas tree was the only source of light in the darkened room, its warm lights throwing a dim halo of light onto the nearby cold and empty fireplace. Dozens of picture frames were strewn across the mantle above it, the smiling faces of the woman’s children and grandchildren looking down at her. Her eyes then darted towards the front door, a gleaming golden wreath peeking back at her through the frosted glass.

The woman was alone in the house tonight as her family were away on holiday. She would normally be in bed at this time. However, tonight was different. Tonight she sat and waited.

The time passed slowly and silently. The rhythmic ticking of the clock and the dancing flurry of the snow lulled her. The clock read ten minutes past nine when the woman’s breaths slowed and her eyes drooped. The darkness took hold for what felt like forever and also no time at all. Before long, the grandfather clock chimed the new hour. The deep echoes stirred her from her sleep, her eyes flicking open and closed repeatedly as she roused.

It was a few seconds before she noticed the change within the dark room. A shadowed figure now stood in front of the fireplace, his back to the woman as he inspected the pictures.

Not even the darkest shadows could conceal the identity of this man from the woman. His long white hair shone through the darkness, mirroring her own.

“Hello, my daughter,” his deep voice finally broke the peaceful silence of the evening seconds before he turned around to face her.

A chill ran down her spine as her fathers cold eyes met hers. His face was sharp and handsome and had none of the wrinkles hers had. The last time she saw him was nearly fifty years ago and yet he was identical. It was like looking at a memory of the past.

“I knew you were coming,” Esmee Amaranthine’s voice was hoarse as she spoke to her father.

Eme answered with a deep chuckle, his hand raising up in the air as his eyes scanned the photo he currently held.

“Cute family. A shame you didn’t invite me to the wedding.”

“I would have, but you were too busy that day being locked up in Azkaban. And every day since.”

A chuckle escaped Eme’s lips, or was it a hiss? His mouth curled into a smirk but there was a hint of annoyance and anger behind his usually indifferent eyes.

“When I finally arrested you and threw you in there, I always knew it wouldn’t hold you forever.”

“It was a worthy attempt. You even went so far as to recruit your children and grandchildren to your cause. I recognized them instantly when they would come for inspections.”

“I guess fighting you runs in the family. Aunt Eleanor would agree,” Esmee replied flatly.

A silence stretched out again, the ticking of the clock taking over the room. Esmee took in her fathers face, her mind predicting what he would say next.

“They are far away from here. Don’t even think you could find them, I hid them well.”

“I guess we’ll see about that,” he shrugged coolly and placed the frame back on the mantle.

“You don’t scare me, you know. You never did. I knew you were coming for me. I’ve had fifty years to make peace with it,” Esmee stated, her eyes trailing one last time around her house. The Christmas decorations twinkled brightly, giving her comfort. Her eyes lingered for just a few seconds on the pictures behind Eme. “If you are going to do it, then do it.”

“Oh, you don’t get to rush this,” Eme grinned as he walked forward, his hand reaching into his coat.

The North Sea - Twelve Hours Earlier, December 17th

Eleanor watched Azkaban disappear into the horizon from her position on the deck of the Jörmungandr as they raced away. She didn’t know where they were going, but she almost wished she was still in there.

“What’s wrong? I thought you would be glad to be away from that hellhole,” Kaari called out from his spot at the bow of the ship.

“You have no idea what you have done,” she muttered, her hoarse voice almost lost over the crashing of the waves.

“What do you mean?”

“My brother. They will release him and he will come after me.”

“He will have to find us first.”

Eleanor could tell there was fear in his eyes that he tried to hide with a smile. She was good at reading people.

The ride was quiet after that, Kaari taking occasional worried glances at his passenger. It wasn’t until a few hours had passed that Eleanor’s tormented and confused mind started to remember the events before her capture.

“Wait! Do you know anyone named Esmee by any chance?”

“Esmee? I don’t believe I know her. Unless you are talking about that gorgeous redhead I met in a pub once,” Kaari grinned before seeing the scowl on Eleanor’s face. “But I doubt you are.”

“No, she would be around eighty or so. I don’t even know if she is still alive, but if she is you need to find her immediately. She needs protection.”

“What, why? Who is she?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure she’s safe. Eme would want to kill her when he gets out.”

“Alright. Once we get to Skalafell I’ll contact the Resistance and get someone to find her.”

However, Eleanor didn’t look convinced. She hardly knew this man and put no trust in this Resistance. She owed them nothing for breaking her out so who’s to say he would keep his word?

Skalafell, Norway - December 17th, 1997, 6:38 PM

The wooden floorboards creaked under his boots as Kaari Arcano quickly dashed towards the fireplace in the kitchen of the Arcano house. With a flourish of his hand and a wave of his wand in the other, floo powder hit the stones and ignited. The flames roared from green into a scarlet red as the magic from Kaari’s wand activated a spell. Only a few seconds passed before the flames shifted and formed a face he knew all too well.

The beautiful face of Semele Thorne stared back at him through the blaze. He had to admit, she was twice as attractive when her lips and eyes were made of crimson fire.

“Calling me back so soon, Arcano? Once wasn’t enough for you? I thought you only did flings. I must have really made an impact on you,” she teased with a playful smile.

“This is strictly business, Ms Thorne. I have a job for you.”

Semele’s eyebrows shot up at the formal address, “Is that right? Why come to me?”

“Let’s just say I trust in your skill set. You are one of the most skilled people in combat and information gathering I’ve ever met. Well, besides me of course,” he added with a smirk at the end, dropping the formality and giving in to her charm so he could flirt for just a second.

“You flatter me, Arcano,” she replied with a sarcastic swoon.

“I should warn you, there is a chance you might run into a very dangerous individual. Do not engage with him under any circumstances. This is strictly a locate and retrieve mission.”

“Got it.”

“In fact, you don’t have to take the mission if you don’t feel comfortable with it. This man should not be underestimated. You will die if you fight him,” Kaari’s face suddenly became serious.

“I’m in,” Semele didn’t hesitate. “So who’s the priority?”

Esmee’s House, London, England - December 17th, 1997, 10:15 PM

The house was dark as Semele Thorne waited in the shadows across the street. Her sharp eyes narrowed and scanned her regular scouting pattern. There were no lights or signs of movement inside, nor anything similar on the nearby houses. The front door was closed and so were the windows. There was no obvious damage to any part of the house. No people walked along the street. Now was her chance.

She slipped out from her hiding place and briskly crossed the street, her head down and hands in her pockets as she tried to remain discreet. She would jump the fence and loop around to the back of the house and enter from there.

A few seconds later, after deftly unlocking the window with a wave of her wand, she found herself standing in a darkened kitchen. Semele waited and listened for any sounds of movement within the house but all she heard was silence. So she decided to enter the next room.

“Fuck,” she breathed, barely a whisper to break the silence.

A figure sat slumped in the rocking chair on the far side of the living room. Even from this distance and in low light, Semele’s deft eyes could still see the trails of blood down the woman’s face.

Immediately, her wand came out and she scanned the room top to bottom and left to right. Once she was certain she was truly alone, she quietly crept closer to the woman.

This was indeed Esmee Amaranthine. She was too late to save her. Blood dripped from her eyes, nose, and ears but there was no other obvious sign of injury. Semele knew this was indicative of the cruciatus curse. She was tortured with extreme pain until the stress on her system killed her. The blood itself was still bright red and fresh, so she must have just missed it.

Semele sighed deeply, shaking her head and hanging it remorsefully. What a terrible way to go. Kaari was right, the man who did this was dangerous.

She stood up and looked around the room again, this time taking in the small details of the woman’s personal life. The elegant grandfather clock ticked away as Semele looked upon the faces in the photos. Esmee had a wonderful and full life by the looks of it.

A thought struck her and Semele grabbed a picture frame, the same Eme once held only minutes ago. She flipped it over in her hand and undid the back, pulling the photo from its frame. She smiled as she found the names of the people within the photograph inscribed upon the back in loopy cursive handwriting.

Semele put the frame back down and tucked the picture safely into her coat pocket. She would report Esmee’s fate to the Resistance and then try to locate her family. They deserved to know.

Then, as quickly and quietly as she arrived, Semele Thorne left the house and disappeared into the cold winter night.

[kathrynalicemc]

Esmee Amarathine was born in the 1920s and raised for the first few years of her life by her father Eme and her mother (tbd). Eme never had any interest in family besides one night stands that never lasted until the next morning. One day, however, he had an idea. If he were to have kids, it was possible that they could inherit his immortality. He would have an impressionable child to train that would obey his every command. He could create an army.

So he found a suitable partner and Esmee was born. She was thrown into studies and training as soon as she could walk and talk. It was inevitable when Esmee had her first fall and injured herself. It was a small cut but it’s significance was great. Her mother noticed and when it didn’t heal rapidly, she knew Esmee’s fate. Fearing for her life, she took steps to protect her from future injuries and to hide existing ones.

Of course, that would never last forever. At age 8, while sparring with her father, Eme went a little too far as he was fooled that she could heal. Her arm broke which was not something her mother could easily hide. Esmee was told to run as her mother faced the wrath of Eme and was killed. Esmee managed to get away and others helped her hide from him.

When she reached adulthood she joined the French Ministry of Magic as an Auror. Her life goal was to track her father down and force him to face justice for not only her mothers death but for all the events in history he was responsible for. During her research into history and her father, she discovered the existence of another immortal, her own aunt named Eleanor.

Esmee would eventually seek Eleanor out and team up with her. Together, they managed to capture Eme and send him to Azkaban. However, Esmee had a hatred for immortals and knew they were dangerous no matter their morals. She betrayed her aunt and imprisoned her within Azkaban too.

The rest of her life was spent guarding them and their secrets, even recruiting her own children and grandchildren to the cause. She would never let them escape, although she knew deep down that it was only a matter of time. They had forever to wait for their chance at freedom.

[kathrynalicemc]

Esmee Amaranthine • HPFB • Auror • French • Part Veela • Daughter of Eme

[kathrynalicemc]

For those who’ve read The Phoenix Resistance: Enjoy your first one shot addition to the story! This takes place before the Yuletide chapter of Book 1 but I recommend only reading it if you’ve finished book 2 also. Reading it along with the original story and not after may give premature spoilers for people before they are introduced. Think of TPA stories as DLC for video games but with fic 😂

Additionally I repeat that if you would like to write a one shot or a small miniseries of your OC in the PR or helping them set during the series, LMK!!! Anyone can join TPA. Especially if you missed the original TPR run.

The Phoenix Archives

Entry 1 - Silent Night

Semele belongs to @endlessly-cursed 💕

London, England - December 17th, 1997

She watched as the snow fell gently outside the living room window in the darkness of the evening. It was completely silent, the only sounds that could be heard was the resonant ticking of a grandfather clock on the opposite side of the room and her own quiet breaths.

She had white hair and her face was wrinkled from the passage of time, over eighty years in fact. The woman currently rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. Her eyes wandered around the room taking in the familiar sights of her house. The Christmas tree was the only source of light in the darkened room, its warm lights throwing a dim halo of light onto the nearby cold and empty fireplace. Dozens of picture frames were strewn across the mantle above it, the smiling faces of the woman’s children and grandchildren looking down at her. Her eyes then darted towards the front door, a gleaming golden wreath peeking back at her through the frosted glass.

The woman was alone in the house tonight as her family were away on holiday. She would normally be in bed at this time. However, tonight was different. Tonight she sat and waited.

The time passed slowly and silently. The rhythmic ticking of the clock and the dancing flurry of the snow lulled her. The clock read ten minutes past nine when the woman’s breaths slowed and her eyes drooped. The darkness took hold for what felt like forever and also no time at all. Before long, the grandfather clock chimed the new hour. The deep echoes stirred her from her sleep, her eyes flicking open and closed repeatedly as she roused.

It was a few seconds before she noticed the change within the dark room. A shadowed figure now stood in front of the fireplace, his back to the woman as he inspected the pictures.

Not even the darkest shadows could conceal the identity of this man from the woman. His long white hair shone through the darkness, mirroring her own.

“Hello, my daughter,” his deep voice finally broke the peaceful silence of the evening seconds before he turned around to face her.

A chill ran down her spine as her fathers cold eyes met hers. His face was sharp and handsome and had none of the wrinkles hers had. The last time she saw him was nearly fifty years ago and yet he was identical. It was like looking at a memory of the past.

“I knew you were coming,” Esmee Amaranthine’s voice was hoarse as she spoke to her father.

Eme answered with a deep chuckle, his hand raising up in the air as his eyes scanned the photo he currently held.

“Cute family. A shame you didn’t invite me to the wedding.”

“I would have, but you were too busy that day being locked up in Azkaban. And every day since.”

A chuckle escaped Eme’s lips, or was it a hiss? His mouth curled into a smirk but there was a hint of annoyance and anger behind his usually indifferent eyes.

“When I finally arrested you and threw you in there, I always knew it wouldn’t hold you forever.”

“It was a worthy attempt. You even went so far as to recruit your children and grandchildren to your cause. I recognized them instantly when they would come for inspections.”

“I guess fighting you runs in the family. Aunt Eleanor would agree,” Esmee replied flatly.

A silence stretched out again, the ticking of the clock taking over the room. Esmee took in her fathers face, her mind predicting what he would say next.

“They are far away from here. Don’t even think you could find them, I hid them well.”

“I guess we’ll see about that,” he shrugged coolly and placed the frame back on the mantle.

“You don’t scare me, you know. You never did. I knew you were coming for me. I’ve had fifty years to make peace with it,” Esmee stated, her eyes trailing one last time around her house. The Christmas decorations twinkled brightly, giving her comfort. Her eyes lingered for just a few seconds on the pictures behind Eme. “If you are going to do it, then do it.”

“Oh, you don’t get to rush this,” Eme grinned as he walked forward, his hand reaching into his coat.

The North Sea - Twelve Hours Earlier, December 17th

Eleanor watched Azkaban disappear into the horizon from her position on the deck of the Jörmungandr as they raced away. She didn’t know where they were going, but she almost wished she was still in there.

“What’s wrong? I thought you would be glad to be away from that hellhole,” Kaari called out from his spot at the bow of the ship.

“You have no idea what you have done,” she muttered, her hoarse voice almost lost over the crashing of the waves.

“What do you mean?”

“My brother. They will release him and he will come after me.”

“He will have to find us first.”

Eleanor could tell there was fear in his eyes that he tried to hide with a smile. She was good at reading people.

The ride was quiet after that, Kaari taking occasional worried glances at his passenger. It wasn’t until a few hours had passed that Eleanor’s tormented and confused mind started to remember the events before her capture.

“Wait! Do you know anyone named Esmee by any chance?”

“Esmee? I don’t believe I know her. Unless you are talking about that gorgeous redhead I met in a pub once,” Kaari grinned before seeing the scowl on Eleanor’s face. “But I doubt you are.”

“No, she would be around eighty or so. I don’t even know if she is still alive, but if she is you need to find her immediately. She needs protection.”

“What, why? Who is she?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure she’s safe. Eme would want to kill her when he gets out.”

“Alright. Once we get to Skalafell I’ll contact the Resistance and get someone to find her.”

However, Eleanor didn’t look convinced. She hardly knew this man and put no trust in this Resistance. She owed them nothing for breaking her out so who’s to say he would keep his word?

Skalafell, Norway - December 17th, 1997, 6:38 PM

The wooden floorboards creaked under his boots as Kaari Arcano quickly dashed towards the fireplace in the kitchen of the Arcano house. With a flourish of his hand and a wave of his wand in the other, floo powder hit the stones and ignited. The flames roared from green into a scarlet red as the magic from Kaari’s wand activated a spell. Only a few seconds passed before the flames shifted and formed a face he knew all too well.

The beautiful face of Semele Thorne stared back at him through the blaze. He had to admit, she was twice as attractive when her lips and eyes were made of crimson fire.

“Calling me back so soon, Arcano? Once wasn’t enough for you? I thought you only did flings. I must have really made an impact on you,” she teased with a playful smile.

“This is strictly business, Ms Thorne. I have a job for you.”

Semele’s eyebrows shot up at the formal address, “Is that right? Why come to me?”

“Let’s just say I trust in your skill set. You are one of the most skilled people in combat and information gathering I’ve ever met. Well, besides me of course,” he added with a smirk at the end, dropping the formality and giving in to her charm so he could flirt for just a second.

“You flatter me, Arcano,” she replied with a sarcastic swoon.

“I should warn you, there is a chance you might run into a very dangerous individual. Do not engage with him under any circumstances. This is strictly a locate and retrieve mission.”

“Got it.”

“In fact, you don’t have to take the mission if you don’t feel comfortable with it. This man should not be underestimated. You will die if you fight him,” Kaari’s face suddenly became serious.

“I’m in,” Semele didn’t hesitate. “So who’s the priority?”

Esmee’s House, London, England - December 17th, 1997, 10:15 PM

The house was dark as Semele Thorne waited in the shadows across the street. Her sharp eyes narrowed and scanned her regular scouting pattern. There were no lights or signs of movement inside, nor anything similar on the nearby houses. The front door was closed and so were the windows. There was no obvious damage to any part of the house. No people walked along the street. Now was her chance.

She slipped out from her hiding place and briskly crossed the street, her head down and hands in her pockets as she tried to remain discreet. She would jump the fence and loop around to the back of the house and enter from there.

A few seconds later, after deftly unlocking the window with a wave of her wand, she found herself standing in a darkened kitchen. Semele waited and listened for any sounds of movement within the house but all she heard was silence. So she decided to enter the next room.

“Fuck,” she breathed, barely a whisper to break the silence.

A figure sat slumped in the rocking chair on the far side of the living room. Even from this distance and in low light, Semele’s deft eyes could still see the trails of blood down the woman’s face.

Immediately, her wand came out and she scanned the room top to bottom and left to right. Once she was certain she was truly alone, she quietly crept closer to the woman.

This was indeed Esmee Amaranthine. She was too late to save her. Blood dripped from her eyes, nose, and ears but there was no other obvious sign of injury. Semele knew this was indicative of the cruciatus curse. She was tortured with extreme pain until the stress on her system killed her. The blood itself was still bright red and fresh, so she must have just missed it.

Semele sighed deeply, shaking her head and hanging it remorsefully. What a terrible way to go. Kaari was right, the man who did this was dangerous.

She stood up and looked around the room again, this time taking in the small details of the woman’s personal life. The elegant grandfather clock ticked away as Semele looked upon the faces in the photos. Esmee had a wonderful and full life by the looks of it.

A thought struck her and Semele grabbed a picture frame, the same Eme once held only minutes ago. She flipped it over in her hand and undid the back, pulling the photo from its frame. She smiled as she found the names of the people within the photograph inscribed upon the back in loopy cursive handwriting.

Semele put the frame back down and tucked the picture safely into her coat pocket. She would report Esmee’s fate to the Resistance and then try to locate her family. They deserved to know.

Then, as quickly and quietly as she arrived, Semele Thorne left the house and disappeared into the cold winter night.

[endlessly-cursed]

This is amazingggg. Poor Esmee 😥💔

The Phoenix Archives

Entry 1 - Silent Night

Semele belongs to @endlessly-cursed 💕

London, England - December 17th, 1997

She watched as the snow fell gently outside the living room window in the darkness of the evening. It was completely silent, the only sounds that could be heard was the resonant ticking of a grandfather clock on the opposite side of the room and her own quiet breaths.

She had white hair and her face was wrinkled from the passage of time, over eighty years in fact. The woman currently rocked back and forth in her rocking chair. Her eyes wandered around the room taking in the familiar sights of her house. The Christmas tree was the only source of light in the darkened room, its warm lights throwing a dim halo of light onto the nearby cold and empty fireplace. Dozens of picture frames were strewn across the mantle above it, the smiling faces of the woman’s children and grandchildren looking down at her. Her eyes then darted towards the front door, a gleaming golden wreath peeking back at her through the frosted glass.

The woman was alone in the house tonight as her family were away on holiday. She would normally be in bed at this time. However, tonight was different. Tonight she sat and waited.

The time passed slowly and silently. The rhythmic ticking of the clock and the dancing flurry of the snow lulled her. The clock read ten minutes past nine when the woman’s breaths slowed and her eyes drooped. The darkness took hold for what felt like forever and also no time at all. Before long, the grandfather clock chimed the new hour. The deep echoes stirred her from her sleep, her eyes flicking open and closed repeatedly as she roused.

It was a few seconds before she noticed the change within the dark room. A shadowed figure now stood in front of the fireplace, his back to the woman as he inspected the pictures.

Not even the darkest shadows could conceal the identity of this man from the woman. His long white hair shone through the darkness, mirroring her own.

“Hello, my daughter,” his deep voice finally broke the peaceful silence of the evening seconds before he turned around to face her.

A chill ran down her spine as her fathers cold eyes met hers. His face was sharp and handsome and had none of the wrinkles hers had. The last time she saw him was nearly fifty years ago and yet he was identical. It was like looking at a memory of the past.

“I knew you were coming,” Esmee Amaranthine’s voice was hoarse as she spoke to her father.

Eme answered with a deep chuckle, his hand raising up in the air as his eyes scanned the photo he currently held.

“Cute family. A shame you didn’t invite me to the wedding.”

“I would have, but you were too busy that day being locked up in Azkaban. And every day since.”

A chuckle escaped Eme’s lips, or was it a hiss? His mouth curled into a smirk but there was a hint of annoyance and anger behind his usually indifferent eyes.

“When I finally arrested you and threw you in there, I always knew it wouldn’t hold you forever.”

“It was a worthy attempt. You even went so far as to recruit your children and grandchildren to your cause. I recognized them instantly when they would come for inspections.”

“I guess fighting you runs in the family. Aunt Eleanor would agree,” Esmee replied flatly.

A silence stretched out again, the ticking of the clock taking over the room. Esmee took in her fathers face, her mind predicting what he would say next.

“They are far away from here. Don’t even think you could find them, I hid them well.”

“I guess we’ll see about that,” he shrugged coolly and placed the frame back on the mantle.

“You don’t scare me, you know. You never did. I knew you were coming for me. I’ve had fifty years to make peace with it,” Esmee stated, her eyes trailing one last time around her house. The Christmas decorations twinkled brightly, giving her comfort. Her eyes lingered for just a few seconds on the pictures behind Eme. “If you are going to do it, then do it.”

“Oh, you don’t get to rush this,” Eme grinned as he walked forward, his hand reaching into his coat.

The North Sea - Twelve Hours Earlier, December 17th

Eleanor watched Azkaban disappear into the horizon from her position on the deck of the Jörmungandr as they raced away. She didn’t know where they were going, but she almost wished she was still in there.

“What’s wrong? I thought you would be glad to be away from that hellhole,” Kaari called out from his spot at the bow of the ship.

“You have no idea what you have done,” she muttered, her hoarse voice almost lost over the crashing of the waves.

“What do you mean?”

“My brother. They will release him and he will come after me.”

“He will have to find us first.”

Eleanor could tell there was fear in his eyes that he tried to hide with a smile. She was good at reading people.

The ride was quiet after that, Kaari taking occasional worried glances at his passenger. It wasn’t until a few hours had passed that Eleanor’s tormented and confused mind started to remember the events before her capture.

“Wait! Do you know anyone named Esmee by any chance?”

“Esmee? I don’t believe I know her. Unless you are talking about that gorgeous redhead I met in a pub once,” Kaari grinned before seeing the scowl on Eleanor’s face. “But I doubt you are.”

“No, she would be around eighty or so. I don’t even know if she is still alive, but if she is you need to find her immediately. She needs protection.”

“What, why? Who is she?”

“It doesn’t matter. Just make sure she’s safe. Eme would want to kill her when he gets out.”

“Alright. Once we get to Skalafell I’ll contact the Resistance and get someone to find her.”

However, Eleanor didn’t look convinced. She hardly knew this man and put no trust in this Resistance. She owed them nothing for breaking her out so who’s to say he would keep his word?

Skalafell, Norway - December 17th, 1997, 6:38 PM

The wooden floorboards creaked under his boots as Kaari Arcano quickly dashed towards the fireplace in the kitchen of the Arcano house. With a flourish of his hand and a wave of his wand in the other, floo powder hit the stones and ignited. The flames roared from green into a scarlet red as the magic from Kaari’s wand activated a spell. Only a few seconds passed before the flames shifted and formed a face he knew all too well.

The beautiful face of Semele Thorne stared back at him through the blaze. He had to admit, she was twice as attractive when her lips and eyes were made of crimson fire.

“Calling me back so soon, Arcano? Once wasn’t enough for you? I thought you only did flings. I must have really made an impact on you,” she teased with a playful smile.

“This is strictly business, Ms Thorne. I have a job for you.”

Semele’s eyebrows shot up at the formal address, “Is that right? Why come to me?”

“Let’s just say I trust in your skill set. You are one of the most skilled people in combat and information gathering I’ve ever met. Well, besides me of course,” he added with a smirk at the end, dropping the formality and giving in to her charm so he could flirt for just a second.

“You flatter me, Arcano,” she replied with a sarcastic swoon.

“I should warn you, there is a chance you might run into a very dangerous individual. Do not engage with him under any circumstances. This is strictly a locate and retrieve mission.”

“Got it.”

“In fact, you don’t have to take the mission if you don’t feel comfortable with it. This man should not be underestimated. You will die if you fight him,” Kaari’s face suddenly became serious.

“I’m in,” Semele didn’t hesitate. “So who’s the priority?”

Esmee’s House, London, England - December 17th, 1997, 10:15 PM

The house was dark as Semele Thorne waited in the shadows across the street. Her sharp eyes narrowed and scanned her regular scouting pattern. There were no lights or signs of movement inside, nor anything similar on the nearby houses. The front door was closed and so were the windows. There was no obvious damage to any part of the house. No people walked along the street. Now was her chance.

She slipped out from her hiding place and briskly crossed the street, her head down and hands in her pockets as she tried to remain discreet. She would jump the fence and loop around to the back of the house and enter from there.

A few seconds later, after deftly unlocking the window with a wave of her wand, she found herself standing in a darkened kitchen. Semele waited and listened for any sounds of movement within the house but all she heard was silence. So she decided to enter the next room.

“Fuck,” she breathed, barely a whisper to break the silence.

A figure sat slumped in the rocking chair on the far side of the living room. Even from this distance and in low light, Semele’s deft eyes could still see the trails of blood down the woman’s face.

Immediately, her wand came out and she scanned the room top to bottom and left to right. Once she was certain she was truly alone, she quietly crept closer to the woman.

This was indeed Esmee Amaranthine. She was too late to save her. Blood dripped from her eyes, nose, and ears but there was no other obvious sign of injury. Semele knew this was indicative of the cruciatus curse. She was tortured with extreme pain until the stress on her system killed her. The blood itself was still bright red and fresh, so she must have just missed it.

Semele sighed deeply, shaking her head and hanging it remorsefully. What a terrible way to go. Kaari was right, the man who did this was dangerous.

She stood up and looked around the room again, this time taking in the small details of the woman’s personal life. The elegant grandfather clock ticked away as Semele looked upon the faces in the photos. Esmee had a wonderful and full life by the looks of it.

A thought struck her and Semele grabbed a picture frame, the same Eme once held only minutes ago. She flipped it over in her hand and undid the back, pulling the photo from its frame. She smiled as she found the names of the people within the photograph inscribed upon the back in loopy cursive handwriting.

Semele put the frame back down and tucked the picture safely into her coat pocket. She would report Esmee’s fate to the Resistance and then try to locate her family. They deserved to know.

Then, as quickly and quietly as she arrived, Semele Thorne left the house and disappeared into the cold winter night.