Peacekeepers

Chapter 28: From the Shadows

"You know I'm gonna beat you this time." Sebastian growled with a grin, looking over at Ominis across the table from him.

"You wish, I'm not as weak as I was in school, Seb." Ominis grinned back, their hands locked as they prepared for another match.

Diane was working on cuttings from her hybrid a few feet away in the greenhouse, chuckling at how competitive they were as they started another arm wrestling match. Ominis and Sebastian had insisted on joining her out here, Ominis because of a strange feeling he had, and Sebastian because he was still overprotective.

"You two are so silly, does it even matter who wins?" Diane laughed, feeding a chunk of meat to the small bloom she was working on, the head of the petals only the size of her fist in its baby stages. She cooed softly at the plant as it ate the steak, but heard something whizz forward, a long barb impaling into the head of the plant when she reached over to grab the watering can.

She looked down with eyes as the flower immediately slumped over.

"SEBASTIAN!" She yelled in alarm, and he reacted immediately. A large shield suddenly came up over all three of them, just in time for two more barbs to knock off of its walls.

"What the fuck?!" Sebastian growled, looking for the source of the attack angrily, Ominis running to Diane as she stood shaking looking at the plant where she had been standing a moment before. If she hadn't moved...

"We have to warn the others." Ominis said grimly, hearing the sound of apparating from nearby.

Sebastian bristled at the attack, gritting his teeth that they had dared try to do a sneak attack at the greenhouse. The house was filled with too many protective charms for them to attempt it there, and they must have known that. "Yeah. Owls will be too slow. We'll head to Hogsmeade to warn Natty."

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Garreth was working on the newest batch of wiggenwelds when he grabbed some dittany, leaning over to dig into the bottom of the large bag of dried leaves he had next to the cauldron tables. He would have to get more soon-

He looked up as a bottle of dragons skin brew broke nearby, confused for a moment before he saw the barb sticking out of the shelf behind it and paled in realization.

Anne.

He bolted into the back of the shop to get to the house, the only thing on his mind keeping her from getting stuck by whatever these barbs were. "ANNE?!" He yelled in worry to see where she was.

"In the parlor! What's wrong?" She shouted back, and he made a b-line for the parlor, running up to her and wrapping his arms around her.

"Protego!" He shouted, waving his wand as he looked around wildly.

"W-what's going on? Garreth?" Anne shouted in alarm, dropping the knitting she'd been working on.

"I don't know, I was working on potions and something whizzed by - just stay by me for a while." He said in panic, his heart beating wildly in his chest as he held her protectively against him.

"Okay." She said in a small voice, her eyes wide at the thought of another attack.

"It'll be alright, Anne." Garreth said softly, still looking warily at the windows around them. "We're safe in the shield."

Anne let out a small breath and nodded, her hands protectively held over her stomach while they huddled together.

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Natty opened the door to find Sebastian and Ominis looking wild eyed with panic, crowding into her house to get out of the street with Diane quickly behind them with an arm from Sebastian around her waist.