[HP AU]

[mnt_raph]

"An' you're sure this is the right address?" Raph asks again, for what Mike thinks might be the millionth time.

"Yes, I'm sure Raph. For like the millionth times. I told you," the smaller boy says sighing. "I read the map. I followed Donnie's instructions to the letter. Just...be still, look tough, and try not talk so much. Your accent kind of a dead give away that we're tourists, okay?"

"Bite me, Mikey."

"You'd probably like that too much," he says with a waggle of his eyebrows as he presses the doorbell of the Montoya's East London home.

Comments

[mnt_raph]

"Not by portkey," he says with more than a little dread. Raph hates portkeys only slightly more than he hates floo.

[interrogoiterum]

Renee shrugs, quietly and one-shouldered. She's got nothing to add to that."

[mnt_raph]

Raph moves to better lean up against the closest wall while they wait for his brothers to leave the building. His is an impatient sigh, but it doesn't come with further commentary.

Eventually the door to the shop opens and Mike scampers out.

"We good?" he asks holding both hands in the thumbs up position.

[interrogoiterum]

Renee gives him a dry smirk and raises one of her thumbs.

"Ready to go?"

[mnt_leo]

"Groovy," Mike says returning her smile. "They're on their way. Don's just cleaning up. We got crash space?" he asks Raph.

Raph merely responds with a Bitch, please expression.

A few seconds later the door opens and Leo exits the building, followed closely by Don.

Leo has changed out of his school uniform, though for some reason even his casual clothing still looks freshly ironed.

"So, Renee. As the local, where do you think the safest place to portkey out of here will be?"

[interrogoiterum]

Renee takes a few seconds to think, looking around.

"I got an idea," she says, and takes off down the street at a slow jog. "Com'on."

[mnt_leo]

Raph follows, while Don and Mike look to Leo before doing so. After a moment of hesitation Leo falls in line, and the other two follow him in turn.

[interrogoiterum]

Renee leads them round a couple of turns, to a busier street to a smaller street, until she turns down a dead alley. Picking up the pace, with not even a glance behind, she vaults a low wall.

[mnt_leo]

Without even thinking it, the boys have fallen into their usual defensive positioning. Mike takes point, with Don not far behind. Leo follows next, with Raph bringing up the rear and keeping a close watch on their six.

[interrogoiterum]

Over the wall it's dead space. A few buildings back onto an area of old cement, cracked with weeds poking through, thick with rubbish and a generous layer of cigarette butts. There's even a pile of well-thumbed "lads mags" in the corner.

"I've done magic here without being caught," she says. "Should be safe."

[mnt_leo]

Raph walks the perimeter, kicking at the magazines as he passes.

"Classy."

Don breaks out the spectrospecs and gives the area a once over, looking for the spot in the area that would best suit their needs...and then warding the ever living daylights out of it.

"Mikey? Can I get a hand with this?" Mike, who's just distracted by the new location, nods and shuffles off to help Don with his spellwork.

It's Leo that approaches Renee.

"I've been told you're coming with us."

[interrogoiterum]

"Is that a problem?"

She's watching Don and Mike with interest, but then turns and gives Leo a quick questioning look.

[mnt_leo]

"I don't know that I'm really the one who should be answering that question."

[interrogoiterum]

"I could rephrase?" Renee offers. "Is it a problem for you?"

[mnt_leo]

"No. Though I have to admit that I'd prefer you not get mixed up in this. With us."

You know them, Renee. You should know that they're bad news. That they'll only get you into trouble.

[interrogoiterum]

She shrugs.

"Yeah, could have done with that warning two years ago. But I'm here now, and it's not really about you that I'm coming. Or your brothers."

[mnt_leo]

"No? What is it about then?"

Raph's perimeter sweep seems clear. Donnie and Mike are just about through with their charms work. The air around the area shimmers with with magic.

[interrogoiterum]

She raises an eyebrow at him.

"Dinah."

For starters.

[mnt_leo]

She makes a good case.

"We'll get'er back," says Raph from behind Renee. Though he might be speaking more to the growing look of concern and shame that Leo's currently sporting. "Yo, Egghead. We ready yet? Burnin' daylight here."

"Names won't make this go faster, Raph." Don doesn't even look up from his work.

"We're almost done. Now'd be the time for you to eat something, Raph. There are some Saltines in my Go Bag," Mike says with a grin that's aimed squarely for Renee. "His delicate tum-tum doesn't handle portkeys well."

"Fuck you, Mike."

[interrogoiterum]

The punch aimed at Raph's shoulder is designed to make him feel better.

"Got enough for me?"

[mnt_leo]

Raph sizes her up. If she's making fun of him she gets no crackers. None what so ever.

"We've got plenty of crackers," Mike says before Raph can threaten.

"I'm going to need you guys to take three steps forward," Don says.

[interrogoiterum]

Renee would never make fun of you Raph.

Much.

She grabs a handful of crackers and smirks at him, obediently stepping forward.

[mnt_raph]

It's a testament to Leo's level of self control that he doesn't laugh. He does, however, follow Don's instructions and takes the requisite number of steps forward.

As does Raph, though he grumbles at the order, sending a few crumbs of cracker flying from his mouth in the process.

There's a slight hum, and then a crack of magic as the shield springs to life.

"Thaaaaaat should do it," Mike proclaims with a wide grin. Don seems to agree, giving the area a once over with his spectrospecs on high.

"Detection Dampening is live and stable," he says flipping the goggle-like glasses upon on his head. "We're ready."

"Good," says Leo as he prods at the field. The touch sends a shimmer of silver light along the dome.

"If my..." Don starts, but Mike clears his throat to correct him. "If our calculations are correct, we should be able to piggy back you on the transport so long as we're all touching you and the portkey."

[interrogoiterum]

Renee considers this, and finds it makes logical sense. She pops the last biscuit in her mouth and licks the salt off her fingers, before extending one had out to Leo.

[mnt_raph]

Leo looks from from her mouth to the hand she just licked and then back again. He just raises an eyebrow at Renee.

Raph, seeing Leo's discomfort, smirks.

"She doesn't have cooties, Leo. I know...I checked." OH Mike, you're so not helping. Of course, judging by his snicker, he's not really trying to.