a spiderweb and it's tangled up with me

[Harry Armitage]

((ooc: Hope this opening is good for you to bring in Mama B, Telle, if not lemme know to change it!))

Checking on little Benjamin for the seventh time that night (his paranoia hadn't entirely died down by this point even though it was months after the initial threat), Harry let out a wide, silent yawn and stretched out his arms high above his head before he padded from the nursery down the stairs with bare feet. He did it very slowly and carefully so as not to wake Becca, Katie (who was home from school for the holidays), Dan or Rachel (who were staying in their old rooms' over Christmas and New Year). He made it downstairs by just the light he conjured from his wand, slipping into the kitchen and only then did he flick the room's light on, extinguishing his wand and leaving it on the wooden kitchen table.

He ran a hand through his hair absentmindedly whilst letting out another yawn. There would be no sleeping now, another night lost to bad dreams and anxiety. The ever persistent Deatheater nightmares/flashbacks had only gotten worse with the threat from some who did not trust him, rightfully did not believe he was still on their side. He needed coffee, now. Filling the kettle to boil he flicked its switch on and then looked up and out of the window above it, staring out over the darkened garden. Harry stepped backwards in shock as he saw a cloaked figure appear, just standing there and clearly they had noticed him due to the kitchen light blazing on suddenly, otherwise surrounded by darkness from the rest of the house's rooms. He immediately expected the worst, abandoning his task and diving for the wand he'd left on the kitchen table, raising it before him in a defensive position. "Shit," he cursed to himself anxiously, eyes widened and brow lined deeply.

[Professor Bennett]

As soon as her house'guests' had left, Elizabeth had grabbed her cloak & wrapped it tightly around her before kissing her sleeping husband and child goodbye. She twisted on the spot, focusing hard on her destination where she suddenly appeared with a loud pop that seemed to echo through the night.

Getting her bearings, Elizabeth stood panting slightly as she looked around her in a panic, noticing the light on she hurried to the door and tapped on it swiftly but quietly, just loud enough for whoever was in the kitchen to hear, hoping it was Harry.

"Harry! Harry, it's Beth. Harry, please!" she whispered, looking around her in a panic as she awaited him coming to let her in. Normally she would send him a patronus to let him know it was really her, but in her state of panic, her happiest thoughts were just out of reach.

(ooc. Hopefully this is ok! Sorry, I took forever!)

[Harry Armitage]

At the knock, Harry opened the back door halfway and peered out, suspicious as Elizabeth Bennett stood in front of him, looking panicked and in a dreadful hurry. Utterly paranoid, he didn't lower his wand at all but instead asked in a sharp, hushed tone, "What shape does your Patronus take and what shape does a Bogart form when in front of you?" as a confirmation of her identity and didn't relax until she answered as she ought to.

Then, he lowered his wand slowly and quickly ushered her into the kitchen, pausing to step out into the back yard and scan the darkness for any other figures. No, it really was just Beth. Satisfied, he retreated into the kitchen and carefully shut the back door again, being as quiet as possible, before he turned to her gravely. "Beth, what's wrong?" Harry asked in the next second as he saw just how panicked she seemed when he looked at her properly for the first time. He ushered her into a chair and with a flick of his wand cast a muffiliato spell on the room so, if the children or Becca should stir, they wouldn't be able to hear Harry or Beth down in the kitchen. "Tea? Coffee? Something a little stronger? I'm sensing stronger," he offered.

[Professor Bennett]

Breathing heavily as she awaited Harry opening the door, she jumped slightly when the door did open and felt relief wash over her at the mere sight of his face, she knew he would help her, he knew exactly what she was going through.

"It's me, Beth...really." she managed a half smile as he asked her questions, "Patronus is a lynx and the Boggart is...Raymond dead" she blushed slightly, knowing that Angelo would go mental if he ever knew her real fear was losing Raymond. Avoiding eye contact with Harry, Beth walked into the room and took her hood down, running her fingers idly through her hair, sitting down and looking up at him as he offered her refreshments.

"Strongest you have, please" she nodded, "Its them, the Deatheaters. Richards has taken over, he's recruiting again & he's doing anything he can to get the best or those related to the best." she paused, taking the glass from him and siipping from it, "Richards sent Nolan & Grieves to my father, of course he's far too old to get involved but they...oh god...they hurt him & they cursed my mother until he told them where to find me. They're going after Raymond & my babies if I dont go back. I dont....I dont know what to do! I didnt know where to come" she choked back on a sob, her eyes meeting his as she searched them for an answer.

(ooc. So I took forever! My bad!!)

[Harry Armitage]

Her Bogart answer was truly the reason he knew it was Beth – anyone trying to impersonate her would automatically say something about her children, about Angelo Bravin perhaps, but as he met her eyes then, Harry knew it was the Elizabeth Reynolds he remembered from all those years ago. He absentmindedly watched her sit down and take off her hood, automatically walking over to the alcohol cupboard and producing a bottle of Firewhiskey. He poured them both a generous measure out (he sensed he would need it after what she’d came to tell him) and handed her her glass silently as he tried to take in what she’d said about the Deatheaters. Sighing softly he nodded, “I know,” he confirmed somberly, taking a sip of his drink as he sat down at the table too, “They’ve been after me too. It’s lasted the best part of a year now, a year of paranoia, utter terror, the nightmares,” he listed off in an oddly detached manner, as though discussing the weather, before he stopped to shake his head, “I’m truly sorry that they got to your parents, that they did that to them. One saving grace of mine being too proud is that even the Deatheaters can’t get into Azkaban to hurt them.”

Fixing her with a serious look, Harry reasoned, “Look, there’s no point to panicking, believe me, it gets you nowhere. You’ve got to look through your options, Beth. Run, run as far as you possibly can, take your family and start afresh somewhere, don’t leave any clues behind and change your appearances and identities. Or… join them, or should I say pretend to join them… and maybe you’ll do a better job of convincing them you’re loyal than I apparently did. I had Rach being poisoned to uh remind me that you shouldn’t bullshit them. And I didn’t learn. On the whole, they think I’m loyal, they think I’m playing the Ministry by working within the Auror department. It’s the other way round and I’m really trying to bring them down, to help the Ministry to catch them. But the way I see it, I’m not going to get out of this unscathed, in fact I’ll be lucky to ever truly get away from it. And I hate to say it Beth but… you might find yourself in the same position. They use your kids in the most disgusting ways and… you need to make sure they’re safe, put as many protective measures on them as you can, warn them to be vigilant.”

Momentarily looking down at the amber liquid of his drink, his expression darkened, “I’ll help you, I promise you they won’t do the same to you, we won’t let them,” Harry promised sternly, lifting his gaze to meet hers again. “I know how you’re feeling right now,” he murmured quietly, somberly, as he reached across and gently squeezed her hand in a comforting gesture.

[Professor Bennett]

Looking towards Harry as he said he knew, for a split second she panicked that he was on board with them but quickly shook that thought from her head, she 100% trusted Harry & probably always would.
"My poor mother cant sleep in their house anymore, she's staying with her sister and my old Dad's there alone....the bastards. Why them? Why now?" she whined, takung a long drink, emptying the glass as she listened to Harry, her mouth opening to talk but instead nothing came out, just a short exhaling of breath as she realised she'd have to 'join' them, her children wouldnt want to hide away and they shouldnt have to.

Looking at his hand on hers, Beth couldnt help but let out a strangled sob, "I dont know if I can...I know I need to, I'd die if Raymond...dont tell anyone that. I still love him, oh god....and my babies! They cant hurt them...god I have to do this! I have to...I'd die if anyone hurt my babies! Oh...Harry!" she sobbed softly, clutching on to Harrys hand as if he could solve everything.

(ooc. Sorry for taking forever, blame work )

[Harry Armitage]

((ooc: It's really no problem, Telle, I'm just glad to see you around again! And poor Beth, aww!))

“It’s disgusting what they’re doing and how low they’d sink. Why them? Because they can. Because they know it’ll prompt a reaction. Why now? Because they’re… they’re getting s-stronger,” Harry admitted in a grave manner, running a hand tiredly over his face and into his hair as he clutched at it anxiously. “I’m trying to help the Auror department with combating that but there’s only so much one person can do, especially when certain of our ex-colleagues are already suspicious of me to say the least. It’s like walking across a tightrope except… if you fall… it’s your family that suffers, not you. But it’s safer than trying to run, in my case,” he concluded rather somberly.

He bit his lip at Beth’s strangled cries, feeling his heart convulse in pity for what she was going through. It made him want to beat the Deatheaters at their own treacherous game even more than he already did and he could feel the first pangs of anger and desire for retribution bubbling away under the surface. “You feel as if your world is crashing down around you, don’t you? I’ve lived that,” he murmured, staring down into his glass as the memories of some particularly potent recent nightmares of his flashed through his mind. He made a point of shaking them off, literally shaking his head firmly, and then he downed his drink in one, wincing sharply as it hit the back of his throat. He needed it though. Then, Harry moved his hand to gently squeeze Beth’s, raising his gaze to look over at her properly again, “Listen to me… Beth, you can do it. You can do it because you know you need to do it, because you have no other choice.” He never broke the gaze, imploring her seriously to believe every word he said, “You can trust me, I’m not going to blab about your feelings for Raymond, I wouldn’t do that. I’m on your side, I promise you that, Beth. And of course I’ll help you through this in any way I possibly can because I am not going to let them worm their way into causing another family harm, especially not yours, you don’t deserve this,” the man said.