Here’s the thing, it wasn’t like her parents would even really notice. Well, maybe they would but it always seemed like they were too busy having more kids to worry about the current ones. For her, it was Mav. Mav and Ever that is. She would never EVER tell Everest or Mav that she had been to the Starry Prophesier or she’d do something utterly dreadful like lock her in a broom close without any mirror or even a banana to eat. ”if we get murdered we should soooooo haunt hogwarts – scare the begeezus out of little first years” she sighed happily like it was a dream of hers to scare little kids.

Maybe it was.

Maybe no one had ever asked her what her dreams really were. ”oh yeah – knock over a display a book it...” she had to admit she liked how Juliette thought even if she didn’t really know how she thought. She hadn’t actually learned anything like that – not yet. Mav was being a stickler about safety and not going off with people that reffered to you as an object. ”OH! Did I tell you I met this guy?...I don’t even know how old he is actually,” she admitted as she shrugged her shoulder and looked over at her friend ”but he knows like Legilimency and occlumency and I had a deal for him to teach me but my sister kind of stole my mirror because...” she rolled her eyes and sighed.

”because she said I got myself wrapped up in some fifty...shades stuff? Like I don’t get what she meant really I don’t get what it has to do with sunglasses or anything of that sort like I’d just offered to pay him to teach me Occlumency and to do other things” she shrugged her shoulder, ”I was thinking of teaching him how to train Nifflers?...’cause that’d be fun? Anyhow yeah we were supposed to go on a business date and now I don’t know if we are because Mav is upset I’ll get hurt?” she unwrapped a lollipop and popped it into her mouth before holding one out toward Juliette. ”he called me beautiful...well, sort of...we’d barely met and he didn’t even know my name and he kind of grabbed my chin and tilted it and said he liked touching beautiful things but like pfft, that’s the same thing right?”

They would live to tell the tale. They had survived far worse – clearly, they had survived the school trying to erase them from history. ”Oh goodness, what professor would you want to haunt?” Liza asked as she handed the lollipop over before twisting hers in her mouth and a little. ”oh I’m not sure, I figured she’d likely complain about anyone clogging up her u-bend.” she just shrugged her shoulder and sighed.

Biting her lip she looked at Juliette and sighed, ”I mean I do plan on sneaking out and seeing what the guy has planned...and if he’s a creep I’m just going to run for it.” she was already set in her ways on that – if he creeped her out and made her think Mav was right she was going to head for the hills to die another day. ”I might niffler things from him but what if he reads my mind and realizes what I’m doing?” she pouted a little as she looked around at the things in the little cart.

Exactly, that was the only part that had thrown her. She was not a thing. She was Eliza Sawyer a living breathing holy merlin the shop keeper was staring at them like she wanted to eat them human. ”yep carelessly” she glanced over toward Juliette and back at Madam Hildegard. ”h-hellooo, just um you have beautiful things” she told the gypsy woman with a slightly nervous smile plastered on her face really a part of her was wondering if she could use the large crystal ball as a weapon or if it would be too heavy. ”can I see your unicorn crystal ball stand please? I think my cousin Figgy would adore it and we don’t know if Hogwarts will poof again this year so getting Christmas gifts early is kind of smart right?” she half asked as she looked at the other things and then back at Madam Hildegard.

Looking at her for a moment she decided to go for it, ”do you have anything that would help shield against legilimency? I have a – friend – someone I know that keeps trying to read my mind and I kind of want to keep it private?” she asked as she made a point to flick her eyes from Juliette to Madam H once more. If she needed to she’d give Madam Hildegard the location of a preschool – y’know...out of sight out of mind staying out of someones belly – it all fit.

Eliza eyed Madam Hildegard when she asked if she could afford the unicorn crystal ball stand. She almost glared for a moment before glancing at the at Madam Hildegard. ”yes, I can afford it,” she explained as she looked from Juliette to Madam Hildegard once more. The comment about occlumency just made her grumble a little, ”I understand that I’m trying to find a reputable teacher for it – or any teacher.” she explained with a sigh.

She watched Madame Hildegard as she reached out to touch Juliette’s hair and – was she shivering? Did she have a cold or was it...anticipation? ”may I get one of the unicorn of strength crystal ball stands please, and a set of your complete tarot cards?” what – she was doing divinations this term and it was better to be ready right?

She made a point to reach into her bag and remove the small satchel that held all of the money she had found collected and stolen over the last year. ”and she’s right, your hair is...lovely,” what better to be nice and complimentary.

Eliza was about to send a look in Juliette’s direction when she suggested she teach them. W H Y did that sound like a good idea? She was about to comment when it was clear that this trip was a mistake – such a mistake. “I’m not leaving without my friend,” Eliza stubbornly harumphed. It was only when she saw how Madam Hildegard was pulling her friend by the hair that she leaped.

leaped into action.

“let go of her hair,” she cried out before just going for it and attempting to sink her teeth into Madam Hildegard’s green skinned hand. The very same hand that was holding onto Juliette’s delectably scented hair.

Eliza would have commented on what Vi Salander had said when she had arrived but this situation was precarious at best. If she could have frowned, she would have, as her teeth weren’t doing any of their intended damage. Still, she didn’t remove them and tried her best to tighten her little jaw a little bit to see if she could break through Madam Hildegard’s rough old skin. Really, it was like trying to bite through leather and that was n e v e r an easy task for anyone – even those with the sharpest of teeth.

A small grumble pulled from her throat as she debated giving up to yell for help when she felt it. The sharp ache of teeth finding their purchase on the back of her head. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes from the pain of it all, and the gnawing feeling of doom.

Her eyes were filled with pain, such pain and terror as she glanced at the caravan as she began pulling her toward her certain doom. Letting her jaw go slack she released her hand and spoke up ”Mav...call Madison Sawyer” she was practically whimpered as she carefully reached into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out her mirror and lightly tossed it toward Juliette and the pregnant lady. She winced as the hag clamped her jaw harder. "Jules, will you tell Peter that that Haiku is still my favorite compliments ever."

Liza’s eyes were wide with panic as she looked from Juliette to the pregnant woman. “H-help” she squeaked out as the tears finally broke through her eyes mixing with the blood that already stained her cheeks. “I DON’T WANT TO DIE” she quietly yelled out. The crack echoed in her head with a resounding almost deafening finality. “I don’t want to die” she repeated as she tried to wriggle a little out of the hags grip – who cared if she came away with a chunk of hair and scalp. She needed to move.

Needed to get out.

She needed to see her friends again and not, not be dead. The small brunette thrust her arm back and tried to prod at Madam Hildegard’s eyes as she kept dragging her toward the caravan. “I’m not going, I’m not” she snapped again as she tried scraping and clawing at her face. “stop dragging me with you ... if you let me go I’ll tell people you’re great with children” sure, sure she could have been lying but right now she would do anything to save her well, brains...life – everything. Her mind wasn’t as fast as it normally would be what with the pain dulling the speed, ”I’ll even write up a job listing for you as a baby sitter” she offered her eyes flicking to Juliette. Pleading her to come up with ideas as well.

Anything.

“I’ll make sure no one knows you’re a hag – even write testimonials so people leave their kids with you – you could say a potion accident made your skin green. People would believe it. They believe me.” she was sure of course that this was probably not going to work but she had to come up with ideas – even if they didn’t work. Her nails still working to find purchase in her eyes.

That voice she knew that voice – Mavs. Her eyes were full of tears as she blinked at her sister and just felt her hands shaking as she continued scratching at the face until she realized the spell. Thank merlin – thank merlin. She scratched and kicked, and tried to press her hand onto her head to apply the little bit of pressure that she could.

“merlin, merlin...just go ham on her Mavs,” she cried out almost exhausted but somewhat cheering in her own little way as she tried pulling out of her grip once more. Elbowing as best she could. “I’m sorry Mav, I love you” she also cried out her voice much weaker than she had intended.

Eliza was still crying. All of the emotions making her heart ache – or was that the fear? She didn’t know, she didn’t care. She stopped caring at some point if she could use magic out of school and pulled put her wand closed her eyes and stuck it right into the hag’s face. ”bomb” she tried, her voice catching in her throat ”bombard” well, if that worked she’d have hag bits all over her...right? Who cared.

She’d have to go to mungos as it was.