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tonkinese-lion · 2 years ago

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Oh, Little Lion Cub, Of My Blood

"The Rook and the Lion" - Part 1

Warnings: Kidnapping, minor violence, Victor Rookwood (a warning in itself)

Attempting to write again after many years, and wanted to do so for my baby Gryffindor OC Victoria Everleigh Adler, as well as Rookwood who was criminally underused in the game. Let's see what happens when he crosses paths with an anxious, little lion cub and comes to a realization. I’m not a native English speaker but I hope you still enjoy it. ✨🦁

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Victoria was running, that's all she could think about. Both her legs and throat were burning, and her red house-fanatic robes and lion stamped scarf were both tossing about behind her. Her heart shaped locket was swinging violently from side to side, while her long hair blowing in the wind was completely dishevelled and almost coming undone in the back. But she couldn't care less. Not with the dark wizards and Ashwinders right on her heels.

And him. Rookwood. The bloody bastard. Of course, he had to be there too.

As soon as she had caught sight of him in Hogsmeade, loitering by the entrance at the bridge, she turned tail and ran back in the opposite direction. In her hurry she forgot to put her hood on, and an Ashwinder had unfortunately recognized her face and by her robes and quickly alerted his comrades and Rookwood himself. Suddenly Victoria found herself running faster than she ever had to in her life.

"Why does it always have to be me?" she muttered to herself.

If only she had been accompanied by Professor Fig... or by a certain Slytherin like she had been last week. She'd take on a troll again any day over this.

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1 week earlier

They had deliberately sent that troll after her. Ranrok AND Rookwood. A distraction. All so that Rookwood could get to her.

Victoria got lost in thought, butterbeer in hand, the sweet taste of still lingering in her mouth, as she sat with Sebastian in The Three Broomsticks.

"Glad to see you two escaped injury." Sirona said warmly, the relief evident in her voice.

"Thanks to this one. Single-handedly took down a troll!" Sebastian exclaimed, a smile on his face as he observed her.

She smiled shyly and fiddled with the heart locket hanging around her neck in embarrassment. Her cheeks were probably similar in colour to that of a tomato at this point. She wasn't used to praise. She certainly never received any at the orphanage.

But she found she quite liked the feeling.

"Is that so? Well done." Sirona said as she threw Victoria a friendly smile.

She blushed while looking down, not knowing what to do with herself. She thanked Sirona for the beverage and took a big gulp, while only half listening to the conversation. God, this stuff was heavenly, she thought distractedly. Reminded her of sweets she had growing up.

"Something's not right. The only brutes we usually have to deal with are-"

Suddenly behind her, Victoria heard the door slam open. She nearly choked on her beer, the sound startling her.

"Was that Lodgok I saw leaving just now."

Victoria froze at the sound of that voice, breath getting stuck in her lungs. He had found them. She looked up at Sebastian, her panic probably evident in her eyes. Sebastian returned a reassuring but uncertain half-smile her way, clearly not unaffected either.

"Sirona will have our backs." he muttered quietly, trying his best to reassure her.

"Wouldn't do that if I were you, Theophilus."

"Come now. No need for theatrics." the voice drawled.

She could feel her hands starting to shake as they held onto her beverage for dear life.

"I'm only here for this one anyway." he continued, the rumbling voice taunting her.

Victoria knew the snake was speaking directly to her. Challenging her. She wiped the dread of her face as best she could and slowly turned, getting of her seat. As her eyes locked onto his, she felt herself shudder with how intensely the man was focusing on her, practically as if the two of them were the only ones present in the room. Not even the troll had managed to make her this uncomfortable.

"My friend is enjoying a well-earned butterbeer." Sirona said with an impassivity that didn't match the situation.

How in the world was Sirona able to keep completely calm?!

"I only want a quick word." Rookwood’s steely gaze was dead set on Victoria, nonchalantly waving her away, while waltzing his way over.

Victoria seized up at the motion. Her hand instantly went to her newly acquired wand and pointed it towards him. Everyone else did the same. She could still feel the anxiety and adrenaline from fighting the troll earlier, as her heartbeat became rapid again.

Sebastian pushed her behind himself in a protective manner, his wand too now firmly pointing towards the two brutes.

Right, Sebastian was here with her, she reminded herself. Everyone in The Three Broomsticks, in fact, had their wands pointing towards the unwelcome guests. AND she was also able to get through the whole bank heist and Ranrok with Professor Fig in one piece.

Everything was going to be fine.

"I said, my friend is busy." Sirona stood her ground. Firmly.

He scoffed, loudly, looking about the room. "One would think you'd all had enough bloodshed for one day."

His cold calculating grey-blue eyes once again settled themselves onto Victoria. This time, however, she stood her ground and mirrored his own glare. His eyes narrowed, suddenly, as they found something of interest.

"Where did you get that?" Rookwood suddenly snapped at her, voice dangerously low, while, rather rudely, pointing at her.

Her face scrunched up in confusion. What?

She looked down and realized what he was referring to - The golden heart shaped locket she always wore. She protectively wrapped her hand around the piece of jewellery.

"I do not believe that to be any of your business" she coldly replied with her head held high.

The motion did not go unnoticed by him, as he eyed the way her hand entwined around it. Rookwood weighted his options, but was aware of how severely outnumbered he was. Not today. Harlow beside him was getting impatient.

He sparred her another glance, eyes narrowing while contemplating her, as if seizing her up.

I didn't make sense. Why would her heart locket possibly be of any interest to Rookwood of all people? The locket that was the last reminder she had of... her.

No one dared to move. She, too, didn't dare moving a muscle, except, she couldn't stop the palpable sneer appearing on her face, while waiting for him to make his move. He returned a Cheshire grin her way as he and his right-hand man were exiting. His look told her everything she needed to know.

This isn't over.

Arms wide in an exaggerating, animated manner, he added smugly:

"Can't drink butterbeer forever."

The remaining taste of butterbeer turned sour on Victoria's tongue.

-------

She needed to find a Floo Flame and quickly. She wasn't familiar enough with Hogsmeade yet to remember where to find them all.

She quickly slipped into a small alley, and hid behind a building, almost stumbling over her legs in the process, while pressing her back against the wall.

She hoped no one saw her. As she desperately tried calming her out of control breathing, Victoria heard shouting and the indicatory sounds of someone running by.

Good, they didn't see her. She had to admit though, wearing a Hogwarts robe with a giant Gryffindor lion on the back, it was certainly not one of her best ideas. No more wearing school robes in Hogsmeade.

As she scanned the building behind her, she realized she was at the back entry to Gladrags Wizardwear. That meant Hogsmeade Square and a Floo Flame was just around the corner. If she could make it to the Floo Flame right across from Honeydukes in the Square, then she would be within the safety of Hogwarts again. She was supposed to meet with Professor Fig later today too.

Victoria put her face into her hands and took a deep unsteady breath. How had her life turned upside down so quickly?

She had been so excited when she received her letter to attend Hogwarts, so very excited when Professor Fig came to personally pick her up, the two of them so close already despite only having practiced her magic with him for a couple of months.

The prospect of finally leaving that cursed place of a nightmare called an orphanage behind, of going on at adventure and using magic. Magic. For the first time in a long time, she had felt hopeful.

Oh, how quickly that illusion shattered. On her first day it was the dragon attack, last week the troll attack and now she was the prime target of a bunch of no-do-good witches and wizards.

Lovely, just what she needed.

She almost missed the orphanage. Almost.

It seems as if Rookwood had been waiting for an opportunity to catch her on her own. And she waltzed right into his hands.

She checked to see if the coast was clear. No Ashwinders. No Rookwood insight.

Now was her chance.

She ran as fast as her legs would allow her, first around the corner and then straight forward along the square. She almost tumbled into a passer-by and apologized profusely about 10 times, then passed the statue of Hengist of Woodcroft and rounded the corner with the tree until...

She let out an audible gasp. No no no-

Standing right beside the Floo Flame, patiently waiting with hands behind his back, was the one person she had hoped not to see. She immediately raised her wand.

"Now, now my dear, calm down. No need for that." Victor Rookwood drawled deeply; hand held up as if trying calm a scared animal. He must have anticipated she was going to use the Floo Flames. Blast it.

He was grinning, madly, like cat finally having caught the mouse in the trap, walking ever so slowly towards her. For every step he took towards Victoria, she took a step back. He was enjoying it, the panic on her face.

"I'm afraid you're all on your own out here. Just a little lion cub all alone, away from her pack. Hmm, some might argue it makes the cub very easy prey, wouldn't you agree?" he spoke, his trademark Cheshire grin back on his face, with preying eyes surveying her so intently, like was she his next meal.

Victoria felt her breathing pick-up, while both of her hands were clutching her wand to the point of her knuckles turning white. He could attack any second.

Basic spells were certainly not going to help her. Where was that strange, ancient magic she used on the troll? Victoria felt her breathing was now, borderline, on the verge of becoming a full-blown panic attack, the running she did earlier not having done her any favours.

Almost, as if on cue, he reached out for her with his wand with intent to cast.

In her panic she felt something strange happening inside her. Like a flash, quickly speeding past him, she dashed in a ball of light. She stumbled for a second after. What in the world was that?! How did she...

The Floo Flame!

While steadying herself she didn't waste any time thinking further about what just happened and made a run for the emerald flame. Finally, back to Hogwarts.

She suddenly heard a loud whoosh behind her. Wait no-

"AHHH" she suddenly let out a scream as her scarf and hood were forcefully pulled back swiftly, her along with it. The bastard had dissaperated right behind her. What a cheater.

"Oh no you don't little lion" she heard the giveaway chuckle of Rookwood. With her back against his front, a pair of arms surrounded her from both sides, one around her middle and arms, the other holding a wand to her neck, keeping most of her completely immobile.

"You most certainly are full of surprises, aren't you, my dear?" he chuckled right behind her. She did not need to see his face to know he was probably smiling like a madman.

Immobile or not, wand to her neck or not, it didn't stop her from going absolutely berserk in her panic. The adrenaline providing her with a new-found energy, she kicked her legs in every direction, trying to free herself from her assailant.

"LET GO OF ME, YOU CONNIVING COCKROACH, YOU BAS-"

Distracted in her own struggle, she suddenly almost fell to her feet as the arms surrounding her had abruptly let go, only to spin her around, now face to face, and swiftly seizing both her thin wrists in his, in a crushing and almost painful hold.

Before she could even think about using the wand still in her hand, he beat her to it, putting so much pressure onto her wrist to the point of her having to let go of it. Victoria couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her.

She heard the clatter of her wand falling to the ground beside her.

"Tsk, tsk, language, my dear. Now, let's try this again, shall we? Where did you acquire that locket of yours from, hmm?" he demanded, the smug bastard observing, with great amusement, her fruitless attempts at freeing herself.

She finally looked up at him, starring right into his eyes, her panic completely forgotten. She felt something else inside her growing. Now she was getting furious.

"I already told you. None of your bloody business" she fumed through gritted teeth.

She attempted again to pull herself away from his steel grasp, but to not avail.

"Oh, believe me little lion..." he said through gritted teeth, and then brought them both face to face, "...it IS my business." His tone had shifted, the finality in voice clear. He wanted an answer.

Both of them were then alerted to footsteps.

"Rookwood, let Miss Adler go this very instant." a feminine voice rang out, the anger clear in the owners shouting. Officer Singer stood not too far from him on his left, wand pointed directly at his side. other onlookers had joined from a distance too, probably curious about the commotion going on.

Rookwood immediately stilled, the glare he had momentarily given Officer Singer at her interruption turning from annoyance into disbelief. His gaze resuming its place onto Victoria instantly.

"Adler?" he faltered quietly, blue eyes searching her face for something she couldn't quite comprehend.

"I said to let her go! She's just a student." Officer Singer kept persisting. Why wasn't she stopping him?! Rookwood could dissaperate along with her at any second!

It seemed for a moment his hold had, unknowingly to him, faltered just a bit, but it was reason enough for Victoria to resume her thrashing and take matters into her own hands.

In one big motion she tugged with all she her might, freeing one of her arms, and tried concentrating. Due to her struggling Rookwood was also brought out of his reverie.

Victoria thought back hard to the time where she and Sebastian clashed with the troll. The ancient magic; it had happened so naturally back then. She had sensed something strange happening inside her due to Sebastian being in danger, and cast her spell like was it the most normal thing. Only now, she was in danger.

She felt it growing inside her again. Victoria cheered internally, and with one efficient move of her hand, a flash of light happened and Rookwood was sent flying backwards, rolling a small distance away from her, groaning as he did so.

However, in the process of that she too ended up tumbling down backwards in the process. And wouldn't it just be her luck that the rest of Rookwood’s goons showed up at that moment.

Victoria hastily retrieved her wand, but it was, once again, too late. Before she had any chance to make her move, they had her, as well as Officer Singer, surrounded from all sides with wands directed towards them both.

Now what was she supposed to do?

Rookwood, having just pulled himself of the ground, carefully brushing the dust of himself, did not seem particularly angry at the display of magic she used on him. Compared to before he almost seemed... hesitant to engage her now.

"Well then, I believe this concludes our quarrel for now, wouldn't you agree?" he shrugged. The hidden warning in his words didn't go unnoticed by her. He wanted her to give up. Or else...

Well, if he wasn't going to kill her for this now, then she had no doubt he would later. This was Rookwood after all. She found it did not matter then, and she might as well go down fighting. She was dead either way.

She raised her wand again, but before she ever got to open her mouth, she was struck by something from behind.

She never felt her body meet the ground before everything went black.

Oh, bugger.

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Oh, the juicy drama is about to begin. Rookwood seems to have realized something. What could it possibly be? *wink wink*👀

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you want more. I'd love to write a continuation of this ✌🦁

For a bit of context, my OC Victoria Everleigh Adler has anxiety (if that wasn't obvious yet), grew up at an orphanage most her life after losing her mother and sister, and has trouble believing in herself as well as her abilities. I just thought to myself ‘what if the protagonist had anxiety’, and thus Victoria was born lol.

Anyway, I thought it'd be interesting to have someone a bit shyer, introverted and reserved compared to the protagonist of the game. Victoria will come out of her shell eventually. ✨

#hogwarts legacy #oc: victoria adler #oc: victoria everleigh adler #rookwood #victor rookwood #hogwarts legacy rookwood #sebastian sallow #little lion cub of my blood

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