Flame Cottage

"Sure, no problem," she chirped. She pointed into the room she'd just left. "Living room's in there, I'll be back in a moment." Without waiting any longer, Hazel darted upstairs with a call of "Mum!"

"Funny how far a smile goes..." I mutter to myself as I pull out my wand and sit down on the coach never frowning. My eyes seemed transfixed on the wall in front of me as I wait.

Karen looked up as her daughter poked her head into the study. "What is it, love?"

"Someone here to talk to you. Dunno who he is." Hazel shrugged. "He's waiting in the living room."

"Alright, thanks, sweetheart." Leaving the paperwork for now, Karen accompanied Hazel back downstairs.

My eyes seem to meander over to them, "Good day!" I tell them as I raise to my feet and smile maliciously at them.

Her years in the Order of the Phoenix allowed Karen to keep her cool. "Hazel, love, why don't you go and do your homework? You've been putting it off for too long."

"But Mum-!"

"Now, Hazel."

Grumbling under her breath, Hazel tramped out and back up the stairs. Karen, raised her eyebrows. "Why are you here?"

"Well you see, I was just in the area and was wondering to myself, 'Is there anyone here I haven't traumatized yet?' Your youngest came to mind, thought I might fix that." I grin and start chuckling insanely.

A mother's need to protect her young was a force to be reckoned with whatever the species. Karen removed her wand from her pocket, still seeming deceptively calm. "How very... brave of you. Bravery is by far the kindest word for stupidity, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh that's not very nice... I thought your first family valued honor or something like that. Sheesh, no wonder I'm after your kid, she has more manners than you."

Karen's eyes flashed; it was the first sign of irritation she'd shown. "Like my two eldest, I don't claim to be under the Strayer name, not anymore. We are Flames. We hold family above honour."

"Oh I hope so! You know the Flame and Strayer family is pretty big these days. Wouldn't it be amazing to drive all of you off the deep end at once?!" I start laughing insanely as I start running toward the stairs.

Karen dashed after him, allowing her attention to waver for a brief moment to cast a patronus with a message. The shape of it was a silver blur as it darted away.

"Hazel! Run!" Karen shouted to warn her, then she returned to the matter at hand. Not even bothering with her wand for the moment, she reached out to seize Crouch's leg in the hope that she could tackle him and thus stall him on the stairs.

"Take your hand OFF OF ME! I don't know where you've been!" I start kicking her face to try and get her off

Her grip only tightened. Raising her wand hand, Karen directed at him in warning. "Please," she snorted, "as if that's a legitimate excuse for me to let go of you."

"You've been the worst host ever... CRUCIO!!"

Karen cried out before firmly biting down on her lip to try and stifle the sounds. She wanted to warn Hazel, but not frighten her.

The girl had dug out her wand, but it was hardly going to be much use to her. Her parents had withdrawn her from Hogwarts in an effort to keep her from this, and while she'd been learning spells, she wasn't proving to show much talent yet, unlike her sisters. Instead, she stood anxiously by the window of her room, trying to work out a safe route down.

At last shaking her off of me, I keep running up the stairs, muttering to myself, "Hide and seek, hide and seek..."

((Literally me right now:
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mcw24pcYlo1rumlu7.gif ))

Determined, Karen dragged herself up after him, ignoring the lingering bolts of pain in her limbs.

Hazel bit down on a squeak and slid open her window. Jumping wasn't an option: he'd just follow. She'd have to climb.

I search through the rooms, "Oh Hazelll... come out, I just want to play..." I say in a sing song voice.

"Ignore him!" Karen yelled.

Hazel was a smart girl, just like her sisters. Carefully, very carefully, she placed her wand between her teeth and swung herself out of the window. Holding onto the gutter and the ivy growing up the side of the cottage, she began carefully feeling for footholds.

Hmm... a window open in this weather? Rather uncharacteristic.

I walk over to it and look down, "Oh hello Hazel.."

Karen renewed her struggles, actually scrambling to reach her now. There was the sound of a door downstairs and the thud of footsteps announcing Anthony's arrival.

Hazel squeaked around her wand. Despite her fear, she didn't lose her nerves or her grip; she studiously followed her mother's orders and ignored Crouch, focusing on moving further down the wall.

"Oh well if you only want to get down, here let me help..." I wave my wand at the wall and turn into ice.

Her feet slipped, and wheeled on thin air. She made a terrified squeak again and gripped doubly hard to the gutter.

"Hazel!" Anthony leaped over his wife, who was now clambering to her hands and knees, and darted for the room.

I chuckle at the struggles of the child, leaving myself oblivious to her protective father.

If she'd been able to spare a hand, Hazel would have likely cast a spell to at least wipe the smile off his face, but she had to concentrate on staying where she was.

Once Karen was finally able to stand, albeit unsteadily, she went back down the stairs so she could catch Hazel if she fell.

Anthony, on the other hand, cast a quick, simple petrificus totalus at Crouch.