All Nightmare Long
20 October 2025
0600Galahad woke uneasily in the early morning hours. He always had trouble adjusting to new surroundings and, even though he had spent time here with Orion in the past, it was his first night alone in the big limestone house. He drew the blinds back in the master bedroom and surveyed the forest that surrounded the venerable old house. There was a predawn light poking through the trees that gave it an unearthly glow. He knew he could get used to it here. It was very peaceful and there was space for him to farm and raise some domesticated animals. He hoped the manual labor would help him work through a lifetime of trauma.
He turned away from the window and started to prepare himself for what he was going to do today. Of course, before doing that, he would have to actually decide what he was doing today. He'd know it was going to be a big adjustment; going from the heavily structured schedule of Hogwarts to no schedule at all, but he was ready for it. He decided he would work out on the grounds today, maybe plot a grid to start using the garden again. He knew it was late fall so there wasn't much time to grow, but he wanted to turn the ground to rotate some nutrients to the top so he could do it again in the Spring when it was time to start growing.
He opened the wardrobe next to his side of the bed and surveyed his options. These options were a bit limited as he hadn't even fully unpacked yet. He figured there was plenty of time for that and the last day at Hogwarts had taken a lot out of him emotionally. He settled on a plaid red work shirt, the same blue jeans as yesterday, and a newer set of work boots that he could wear in the house as they weren't as dirty as the outside ones. He closed the wardrobe and picked up his wand and goblet from the bedside table and headed downstairs into the kitchen.
Once he was in the kitchen, he surveyed the cupboard to see what was there. Well, he definitely would have to go shopping today because there was absolutely nothing to eat. He thought for a moment and decided to do that which he did not want to do. He called out for one of the house elves to assist him, a younger one with a crumpled right ear and croaky voice appeared immediately. Galahad asked him if there was anything to eat, at which the elf popped away before returning a few moments later with half a dozen eggs. Galahad thanked him and fried them up before sitting down to eat at the table with a full goblet of water.
A few moments later he sighed contentedly and picked up his now empty plate, taking it over to the sink and rinsing the crumbs off before leaving it there to wash later. The next thing he wanted to do was to explore the house proper. He'd been here a few times with Orion but his attention had always been on Orion and he didn't notice much. He needed to familiarize himself with the layout so he could plan their summer renovations. He knew it was a long ways off but wanted to plan as much out as early as possible so he could source supplies. Plus, he was retired now, and could always get a head start on the work.
Before setting off to explore the venerable old house, Galahad filled Catrion's food and water bowls. Catrion heard the tinkle of food in the bowl and came rushing in, jumping up on the counter to start eating. Some people thought it was odd that Galahad fed his cat on the counter, and he'd explained that when he was younger they would frequently get rodents in the house (especially drawn in by the heat when it was cold) and he fed his cat high up so there was minimal food on the ground for them to get at. He scratched the jet black cat on the ear as he ate before setting off to explore the house.
After a quarter hour, Galahad made his way into the library and was exploring the various tomes when he, quite by accident, located a secret switch in the wall. The switch opened what had to have been Orion's private study. There were many empty liquor bottles lying around, which he immediately recognized as the companions of sleepless nights trying to quiet the demons of their shared past. He couldn't help him, this was probably where his partner had the biggest part of himself and Galahad resolved to poke around a little an apologize later.
He was almost ready to leave the room when he stepped on a loose floorboard that nearly came up and hit him when he stepped on the end. He got down on his hands and knees to examine it to see what he needed to do to fix it. It seemed he'd happened on his first project of the day. It should be an easy fix, he thought to himself as he grabbed the floorboard, lifting it up out of the floor.
There are moments in everyone's life that define what follows it. Galahad instinctively knew he was now having one of those moments, and it wasn't a good one. A knot immediately began to form in his stomach as he examined the contents of the hidden compartment in the hidden study. There was a twisted looking dagger, some skulls, several broken wands, and a stack of old looking letters. He was literally trembling as he took the contents and placed them on Orion's desk.
He picked up the first letter and began to read, it was addressed to Orion:
The letter was unsigned and Galahad did not recognize the writing and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He dated the parchment the letter was written on to roughly the time they worked at the Ministry together, and it wasn't the writing of any colleague he could recognize.I do not believe in hesitation. It breeds infection that claims function but ends in death. If the boy hesitated once, he will again. Handle it before his courage grows teeth.
And Orion, do not mistake mercy for strategy. Mercy is only effective when others believe you capable of denying it.
He put the first letter down and grabbed the next, which was also addressed to Orion and unsigned in the same handwriting:
The feeling in the pit of his stomach became even heavier. Galahad was not naive, he'd been around the block before. He may have never been a hit wizard but he knew the way they spoke and even if he didn't, "sleeps isn't much of a code," it couldn't be much of a code if you could break it just by watching the Godfather.You confuse professional courtesy with presumption. Nevertheless, your instincts remain valuable. See that he remains loyal. The last man to speak of tidying my affairs now sleeps beneath the west garden, it would be ideal that the next rests off-grounds.
He picked up the third and finally letter, which fit the same specifications as the first and began to read:
He suddenly felt as though the eggs he'd just eaten were going to come back up. He looked from the last letter to the pile of broken wands he'd dropped on his desk. He'd known that Orion had done some dark shit when he worked at the Ministry. Hell, Galahad had been forced to perform similar duties. It was why he drank too much firewhiskey and was running away to France to lose himself in home improvement projects. This, though, was beyond the pale. This was clearly not Ministry business. A Ministry Auror would never be tasked with crossing off a kid.I have no use for monsters that fear themselves. Control is based on power over oneself and authority is merely a reflection of that same control over those around you. Keep your wand steady and your conscience dull. The work we do is not for history, it is for continuity.
The boy, by the way, was seen near Knockturn Alley. If seen, you know what to do.
He looked at the letters once more. There was something about the dates that seemed familiar but in his current state he was struggling to remember why. After a few moments it hit him: all these letters had come after Galahad had retreated into himself in his paranoia, to protect those he loved, but he'd come to terms that the person he was really trying to protect at the time was himself. Had someone taken advantage of Orion's grief? He shook his head. It did not matter. People who go through a bad breakup drink too much. Eat too much. Buy the most expensive broom on the market to make themselves feel like a man again. Clipping somebody was a different matter entirely.
His fight or flight response kicked in and flight won in a first round knockout. Galahad placed the letters on top of each other before picking up the dagger and loudly stabbing it through them. There would be no way of misconstruing it as anything. It was a mixture of anger and fear lashed out. He felt betrayed. He thought he knew Orion, he had been ready to spend his life with him, now he felt like he didn't know him at all.
Galahad quickly left the study and ran up to the bedroom. He summoned a house elf and talked without even looking at him, saying, in an animate voice that was well into panic, "I have to go, I don't know when if I'll be back. Please keep the cat fed and watered." He paused for a moment as if he was making a fateful decision, "If Orion asks, tell him I don't want to be found."
He took his go bag out of the closet - a lifetime as an Auror made having one prepared second nature and he was glad he didn't have to pack. It was Monday and Orion should be teaching but he wanted to be gone before he could show up. He checked to make sure the essentials were in there - they were: A pouch full of one hundred galleons, a banded stack of five hundred pounds, nonperishable food and water to last a week, and a spray bottle of peppermint water to keep owls off of him. He loaded them into his satchel which he then slung over his shoulder. He wanted no magical trace of his leaving, so he set out into the French countryside.
He tried to swallow but his mouth was dry. He felt as though his world, his future, had turned to ash in his hands as he read the letters. He didn't know where he was going, but he was off.Interaction: @Orion Lécuyer
Mention: @N/A
All Nightmare Long
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The wards shimmering around the estate seemed to hum as Orion passed through them to walk to the threshold, the whisper of magic always reminded him of his younger years, when the halls of the place used to be filled with laughter. Now ivy hugged the grey limestone like a parasite.
Orion paused outside of the large wooden door. The mid-Autumn chill nipped at his skin but it wasn't the reason why the hairs on his neck stood up.
The door was unlocked. Why was it unlocked? Galahad wouldn't have left it unlocked.
His hand went to his wand as dread pooled in his stomach. Worst case scenarios flickering through his mind like a horror movie catering to his fears. Had he displeased Thaddeus somehow? Did the man send someone to take care of Galahad? Had a loved one of one of his victims somehow found him? Surely not with the amount of care he had put into warding and protecting the place.
“Galahad?” His voice seemed to echo off of the stone walls.
There was no response.
He hurried through the halls, making his way to the kitchen first. The sink was spotless, but that was likely due to the house elves' care. There was a small mewing sound as Catrion jumped up onto the kitchen table, his tail curled around his paws, sapphire eyes following Orion's movements. Bijou joined him on the table, purring as she nuzzled against him.
[Where is your papa?] The Frenchman asked the cat, but he only received another soft meow in response.
Finally one of his house elves found him. "Master Orion," the elf, named Pip, squeaked in French, "Mister Galahad left a few days ago, he told Pip to tell Master he doesn't want to be found."
He felt his world tilt on its axis, [What? Doesn't want to be found?] He repeated, his voice trembling as he tried to process what was happening.
Because it couldn't be happening, not again. Not after last time, when his departure had fractured his heart. They weren't just 20 year olds fumbling around in the dark anymore, they were engaged, meant to be wed over winter break.
[I don't understand. What happened before he said this?] He asked the elf, his saucer eyes blinking up at Orion in concern. Pip had been with Orion for many years, and likely knew far too much about his past. But it was also what made him so valuable.
Pip wrung his fingers together nervously, those large eyes blinking back tears, "Mister seemed most upset. Pip remembers bringing Mister some eggs, then Mister went to explore the estate—"
[What part?] Orion demanded, interrupting the house elf. He felt bile rise in his throat. Surely Galahad hadn't managed to find... Even then, he had hidden everything.
"T-The library, Master! Pip is sorry, Pip knows Master does not like people poking around in the library!" The small elf begin to sob as he hung his head, his large ears dangling.
Orion cursed under his breath, turning on his heel to run towards the library. He couldn't hear Pip following him, begging for his forgiveness, over the sound of his heart hammering in his ears.
The secret door leading to his study was still creaked open when he arrived, the scent of fire whiskey lingered in the air after stagnating within the study for so many years. He slammed the door open and stopped in his tracks when he saw the dagger jammed into the top of his desk. The room blurred at the edges of his vision as he made his way over to the desk and all but fell into the chair.
For the first time in years he felt the weight of every single life he had taken, as if their hands had clawed through the dirt of their graves to finally pull him down with them.
There, plunged beneath the knife, were letters bearing Thaddeus’ writing. He knew the letters well as this one particular case had haunted him for many years. He wasn't sure what it was about Gabriel Moore, but he could still hear the echoes of his screams late at night.
He sat in his study for hours, unmoving as the weight of his choices took his breath away until it came in short gasps. Galahad... He was an honorable man, had spent most of his life destroying men like Orion... He would never forgive him. He was surprised the ministry hadn't hauled him off to Azkaban yet. Not that they would have the chance to get to him before Thaddeus did.
Thaddeus... Fuck. Beneath all of the guilt and self-loathing, something else arose; fear. Galahad could be in more danger than ever.
Orion shot to his feet, grabbing the knife and tossing the letters into the library's fireplace. [Pip!] He shouted, pausing when the house elf appeared in front of him with a loud pop. [Grab my old gear and cloak. Then write a letter to Solomon Lear informing him I'll be needing a substitute... I'm finally taking some sick days.]
│ │ | │ │ | STA: 10 • EVA: 15 • STR: 5 WIS: 20 • ARC: 10 • ACC: 20 | │ │ | • Calming Presence • Perfectionist • Evasive Maneuvers I & II • • Nonverbal Magic • Wandless Magic • Occlumency • Legilimency • | │ │ | │ │ |