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Clarice Starling and her husband, Hannibal Lecter, were on the run.

After fleeing Buenos Aries (having been spotted by Barney), they had found themselves in the United Kingdom. And they now stood waiting for the shuttle.

"Calm down, Clarice. Remember, I'm rather good at this sort of thing." He paused. "We are not amateurs, if that comforts you."

"Of course," said Starling. Her hair was black today, and was growing warm in the sunlight. "I'm just a little nervous. What will we do now?"

"I suppose that we should stay here tonight, and then go somewhere. Germany, perhaps?"

"Florence?"

"Perhaps. But we should discuss this elsewhere."

The shuttle 'bus' (which was really a minivan) rumbled towards them, and they cautiously stepped inside.

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"The boy is an abomination to wizard-kind, Minerva. Absolutely disgusting."

"Which explains his five 'outstanding' O.W.L.s."

"Shut up, Minerva."

"I will if you will," said Minerva McGonagall, sighing as she and her partner for this Order assignment, Severus Snape, exited the airport.

"Minerva, why must we use muggle transport?"

"Because Albus said so."

"Of course. 'Albus said so.' So what now?"

"We need a cab or a shuttle, I think." So they waited.

When it arrived, there were two people inside; a rather pretty woman of about thirty-five or forty, and a man who had to be Minerva's age, or maybe a little younger. Without hesitating, Minerva sat next to the driver, while Severus climbed in, sandwiching the other woman between himself and the other man.

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Cooper Rivers and Annie Crandall, newly initiated (Wiccan) witches and eleventh-grade graduates, collected their luggage from baggage claim and walked into the warmth of the summer sun.

"Man," Cooper said, brushing her green hair from her eyes, "I'm so glad your aunt let you come."

"Yeah. It's a pity about Kate, though. Wish she were here."

"I totally agree. Um, do we get a cab or something?"

Annie shielded the sun from her eyes. "A hotel shuttle, I think. Look." She pointed. "There's one now."
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Dr. Hannibal Lecter raised his eyebrows as two girls of about sixteen, one with green hair and both speaking in loud American accents, slipped into the van. This was going to be a loud ride. The shuttle driver seemed to want to initiate a group conversation. 'This could be interesting,' Dr. Lecter thought, amused.

"So, where're y'all from?" asked the driver. The accent was, also, decidedly American- Alabamian, to be exact. Dr. Lecter caught Starling's eye and she clasped his hand. "Me, I'm from the states, but I wanted to live with a bit more culture, yahknow?" He pronounced culture "cauh-TUYRE" and the older lady sitting next to him winced.

McGonagall realized that she'd rather talk than hear that horrible voice in her ear, so she responded to his question first. "I am from Scottland."

"Scotland?" Asked the teenaged girl without green hair. "Whereabouts?"

"Oh, here and there," said McGonagall vaguely. Dr. Lecter noticed the evasive tone but did not comment on it.

"Scotland? Well, now, aint that sumphin. You, sir?" He asked Severus. Starling could hear his teeth grinding and smirked.

"He's with me," the woman responded.

"And you, pretty lady? You takin' your daddy on vacation?"

"He's my husband," Starling said with a frown. "We're from"-

Dr. Lecter cut her off. "Baltimore. Maryland. In the United States."

"Well, aint that nice. And you kids back there?"

"Washington," said Annie from the seat behind Lecter, Starling, and Snape. "USA."

Dr. Lecter looked out the window. "Ma'am, I cannot see from here- the traffic's stopped. Is it an accident?" He addressed McGonagall, sensing a kindred spirit of sorts.

"Er. Yes. It's a five-car pile-up, about three miles ahead."

"Wow!" Cooper said. "You can actually see that far?"

Minerva cursed her acute senses that had carried over from her animagius form. "I've got good vision."

"Well," said Snape, leering unpleasantly at his company. "Looks like we'll be here for while." And then, he thought to himself: 'Curse you, Dumbledore, curse you."

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