AN: Follows on three months after 'The Truths We Confess'
A Sister's Lament
...
Three months had passed since Olivia took her position as Station Head in Hong Kong. As she stood in front of her office window, staring into the bright lights of the Hong Kong skyline illuminated against the black sky, she recalled her first arrival to the island city. She had been greeted by a colleague she had worked with at the Ministry; Michael Copson. It was then she realised that someone had planned this from the start and that someone was, Dumbledore. The old fool didn't even have the decency to inform her in advance of why she was being sent here.
She couldn't understand why he didn't tell her, it wasn't as if she would have turned down his proposal, but a little warning in advance would have sufficed. She felt like a bloody fool not knowing about the situation. After Copson had filled her on everything; from the attacks to the sightings of Voldemort and his followers, some of who were infiltrated inside the very government building she was going to be working in. She vowed then and there that when she returned to Scotland after this was all over, she was going to have a few chosen words with Dumbledore on keeping secrets, especially when those secrets could jeopardise and cost the lives of others.
Olivia had prayed that night as she lay in her new apartment, that Minerva should never find out about what Albus had done, she would never forgive him. Especially since she could tell that Minerva didn't really want her to leave. She may have given her blessing, but Olivia knew If she had been presented with another offer closer to home, Minerva would have encouraged her to take it. It wasn't until two days later, that she had received the letter from Minerva informing her that she knew all about what Albus had done and she didn't know whether to be relieved that Albus had told her personally or to kill him, for making Minerva worry about her.
It wasn't until she got to the bottom of the letter and she noticed the tear stains on the parchment as Minerva told her to 'come back alive' that she intended to keep that promise.
She came out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on her office door and told them to enter. Putting on her emotionless mask, she turned to see one of her operatives; walk into her office and felt herself become tense as the man approached her. There was something unnerving about the way that he would look at her, that caused alarm bells to go off.
"What can I do for you, Officer Chang?"
He closed the door behind him and approached with a domineering smile. His brown eyes stared at her coldly as held up a manila folder.
"I want to know why you have suspended me, ma'am! We managed to arrest three members of Red Army, and one step closer to bringing an end to their cyber-terrorism and you reward me with a suspension!"
He threw the file onto her desk in anger.
Olivia moved away from the window and over to her desk where she stood behind it, trying to create as much distance as she could between them.
"I read the full report from; Lang! You deliberately ignored your superiors orders out in the field as well as my own! You almost caused the death of three of your colleagues, one of which was gravely injured!"
Chang scoffed, "That had nothing to do with me! It's not my fault they are too incompetent to take care of themselves out in the field!"
Olivia's eyes narrowed; "You do not have the authority to override not only my orders but your superiors as well! You're a liability out in the field! I need operatives who can follow orders, and yesterday you demonstrated to me that you aren't fit for field work!" She replied her voice full of anger. "You're lucky it's only a month's suspension without pay! However, the next time you pull a stunt like this, you will be out of the service before you even know what's happening! Do I make myself clear?"
Chang curled his hands into fists, his nails digging into the palms of his hands feeling both angry and humiliated.
"Now, this meeting is over, please escort yourself from my office! You will leave your gun and ID with Copson. If I find out you have returned before your suspension is over, I will dismiss you without honours!"
"So, that's it?" he hissed refusing to leave.
Olivia saw the menacing look in his eyes, as he started to lose his composure. He was a time bomb waiting to happen. She needed to speak with Copson and organise a surveillance of Chang's movements.
"Yes! You should have thought about the consequences you disobeyed direct orders! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other urgent matters to deal with."
"Very well, ma'am, but I should warn you that your time is limited. I would watch your back because you never know what lies a few months down the line. It would be a shame if anything happened to you."
"Are you threatening me?"
Chang gave her a sinister smile, "No, I'm merely going to give you some advice. If you continue to piss off your intelligence officers, it won't be just cyber-terrorists that you will need to worry about seeking revenge. You would do well to remember that."
"Get out!" Olivia snapped, her hand involuntary reaching for her wand.
"Gladly. I'll see you in a month's time, ma'am." He told her coldly before turning on his heel and left.
When her office door slammed closed, she sank into her chair and decided to call Copson. If Chang was working for Voldemort, then they needed to know about it. She couldn't take any risks where he was concerned, his confrontation tonight told her as much.
She didn't have to wait long before Copson answered.
"We may have a situation; I need you to meet me at my apartment in ten minutes."
"Why? What's happened?"
"I'm not too sure, but I think I may just have found one of Voldemort's followers that's in the government."
"All right, I'll meet you there. And for Merlin's sake, Olivia be careful."
Olivia smiled softly at hearing the worry in his voice over her well-being.
"I'll be fine. See you soon."
Once the call had ended, she grabbed her bag and coat then left her office, informing her secretary that she wasn't feeling too well and decided to go home early. As she left the building, she turned and walked towards the car park. Finding her usual secluded area in the shadows; she turned on the spot then was gone with a faint pop only to arrive in her apartment a few seconds later.
Hanging up her bag and coat, she took a seat on her ivory couch, noticing the paper that had arrived by owl this morning was still sitting on her coffee table. She never spared it a second glance before she had to leave for work. But now as she picked it up, her face paled when she read the headline on the front.
'MUGGLE ATTACK IN CAITHNESS'
It couldn't be a coincidence that the death eaters attacked Minerva's home village. Quickly reading through the article, she felt her heart break when she read that two muggle children; aged four and seven, along with their mother and father were among the casualties. She was just about to read more when she saw the green glow reflect on the paper. Looking over at the fireplace, she smiled when she saw Michael Copson walk out of the emerald flames.
There was no denying the man was attractive with his olive skin, dark eyes and an unruly mop of medium length black hair. The short moustache and well-trimmed beard only added to his rugged good looks. It was no wonder women always seemed to flock him.
The first time she saw it happening, she had completely misjudged him, thinking he would be cocky and arrogant; enjoying the attention while feeding off the women's affections, but he merely smiled, spoke to them in kind and let them down gently. It gave her hope that there were actually still some decent men in the world, even if Copson was six years younger than herself.
"I see you've finally read about the attack. I did wonder why you didn't contact me this morning and why you never mentioned it on the phone." He told her softly and took a seat next to her on the couch.
"I didn't have the time," Olivia replied. "But there is no doubt that these attacks are becoming more frequent. Are we sure that Voldemort is still in Hong Kong? There haven't been any more attacks since my arrival."
"Other than the one you mentioned occurred in your office not too long ago. I believe these random muggle attacks in Scotland are merely a diversion."
Olivia gave a scoff, "Random? The latest one was in Minerva's home village!"
Copson, took the paper from her hands, and searched for the victim's names. "Did either of you know, Dougal McGregor?"
Olivia grabbed the paper back from him and read the name with her own eyes.
When Olivia didn't reply, he knew something was clearly wrong.
"Olivia?"
She tore her eyes away from the paper and stared back at him in sadness.
"I just knew him in passing, but Minerva-" Olivia hesitated trying to find the words to continue. "Minerva spoke to me daily about him in our letters after we graduated. He was the son of a local farmer and he and Minerva had become close during the summer before she undertook her position at the Ministry. I could tell straight away from the content of her letters that she had fallen head-over-heels for him. She would often comment on how handsome, charming and funny he was, there was no denying that she loved him." Olivia spoke softly staring down at her lap.
"It was a few days before I received her next letter, that she told me he had proposed, but she turned him down knowing if he found out about her magic, she would lose her job at the Ministry. He would still send her letters trying to win her back, but she declined, choosing her job over her own happiness. When she found out he had married the daughter of another farmer, she tried to convince me that she was over him, but I knew it was just her usual defense mechanism. She never did like to appear weak in front of others."
"I don't know what to say," Copson whispered, finally understanding why Olivia was worried. Perhaps the attacks weren't as random as they originally thought.
"I need to see her. I can only imagine what she must be feeling after finding out about his death."
"I understand you're worried and upset for Minerva's sake, but before you go anywhere I need you to tell me about, Chang. If he poses a threat, we need to warn the Order and inform Dumbledore."
Olivia inwardly sighed wanting nothing more than to check on Minerva, but she also knew Copson was right, she still had a job to do. She told him everything from how Chang confronted her in her office about his suspension, his erratic behaviour as well as the threat against her life.
With each word that Olivia had told him, the more his uneasiness grew. He could understand Olivia's concerns and suspicions about the man, he clearly had an ulterior motive, but without much else to go on they were at a dead end.
"I need you to monitor Chang's movements. We need to find out what he is up to. If he's working for Voldemort, then he may be the link that we need to gather more information."
"I think you may be right," Copson agreed. "We have nothing else to go on. I'll have a team of Auror's watch and track his every movement. If we find any evidence discrediting him, then we'll arrest and question him. In the meantime, I need you to watch your back. If Chang's threat poses true, he isn't the only officer with a vendetta against you. You need to be careful, Olivia. If you think you're in danger, do not take any chances, you contact either me or Dumbledore. Do you understand?"
"I am more than capable of protecting myself!" Olivia snapped frustrated that he thought she was some china doll that needed to be saved.
Copson held up his hands, trying to show her he meant no harm.
"I know you can protect yourself, but if anything happened to you, Minerva would never forgive me. Dumbledore made me promise to watch over you, so that's what I'm going to do whether you want my protection or not."
"I'm not going to win this argument am, I?"
"No, not this time," he said with a smile lowering his hands once he was sure she wasn't going to hex him. "Now you had best go and visit Minerva and make sure she's all right. I'll take care of arranging a surveillance team for Chang, and keep you updated on anything they may find." He reassured her before standing up and walking back over to the fireplace.
Scooping a handful of brown powder from the pot on the mantel, he threw it onto the stone floor causing the emerald flames to reignite.
"Give Minerva my deepest sympathies for her loss." He said softly turning to look back at Olivia. "And you had best stay out of trouble. Don't go playing the hero; I mean it."
Olivia rolled her eyes. "I'll leave the role of hero in yours and Dumbledore's capable hands."
"I'm glad, because you know I can never resist rescuing a beautiful damsel," Copson said giving her one last charming smile before stepping into the flames and disappearing.
She stared into the now darkened fireplace and smiled; her heart feeling considerably lighter for having spoken with her charming colleague. No matter the situation; he always seemed to make her feel at ease and for that she was thankful.
Placing the newspaper back on the table, she followed Copson's earlier footsteps and stood in front of the fireplace. She didn't know what would be waiting for her when she arrived in Minerva's quarters, but she hoped her prescience would offer her comfort and help ease her suffering.
/*\*/*\
When Olivia arrived in Minerva's quarters; she was greeted by silence. The once brightly lit red and orange room that had always felt safe and warm was now surrounded by darkness. She tried to contain her worry as she hurried to check each of her rooms only to find them empty.
As she walked back into the main study, she was about to call for Corda, when she saw the door swing open, to reveal a heartbroken Minerva walk through the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Min." she whispered, startling the other woman who turned to look at her.
The pain and sorrow reflected in Minerva's eyes, caused Olivia's own heart to break as she quickly gathered her sister and friend into her arms, feeling her body shake as she grieved over the loss of the man she loved. She could feel her blouse getting wet from her tears, but she couldn't bring herself to care.
Olivia hated seeing her so vulnerable. Minerva had always tried to remain strong, even in the most difficult of times, but it seemed that the death of Dougal McGregor had broken her. Her heart-rendering cries caused Olivia to hold her tighter, wanting nothing more than to protect her from the rest of the world.
She had no idea how long had passed when Minerva's tears finally subsided, and her breathing started to return to normal.
"It's all my fault, Liv," Minerva muttered into Olivia's chest. "If I had just accepted his proposal none of this would have happened. If I had married him, I could have saved him." She voiced bitterly, pulling away from Olivia's embrace.
"You're not to blame for this, Min. If you had married Dougal McGregor, chances are you would have been killed along with him."
Minerva gave a hollow laugh, "and would that have necessary been a bad thing?"
"You don't mean that."
"Don't I? If I had died with him, I wouldn't have to live with the pain and guilt wondering if there was something I could have done differently."
Olivia shook her head in sadness; "what happened was a cruel act of fate, Min. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it."
Minerva wanted so badly to believe what Olivia was saying and her head knew it was true. She wasn't to blame, but her shattered heart told her differently. The jagged broken pieces had embedded themselves throughout her body causing pain and numbness. It felt like a part of her was dead and her soul was being devoured by the darkness that was slowly drowning her. She didn't know how she would get through this, and move on. Dougal had been a huge part of her life, but now all she felt was an empty space.
"I'm not going to tell you that the pain will ever go away because it won't, but I can promise you that it will get easier over time. You won't have to go through this alone. I'll be there to support you in any way I can, Min. I promise."
Olivia's heartfelt words caused more tears to gather in her eyes. It was times like these that she was thankful for having Olivia in her life, to help support her through difficult times. She never wanted to think about the possibility of losing her, her prescience alone caused a faint spark of light to form in the darkness; bringing her some comfort. If she lost Olivia, there would be no going back. She would willingly let the darkness consume her.
"I'll ask Corda to fetch us some tea? Have you eaten?"
"A little, but I don't think I can stomach food at the moment," Minerva whispered turning to her back to Olivia and waved her wand; causing the fireplace to leap to life in a crackle of yellow and orange flames.
She could vaguely hear Olivia speaking with Corda while she continued to focus on the warmth of the fire expecting it to hold the answers and heal her pain. It was only when she felt the gentle touch of a hand on her arm, that she managed to tear her eyes away from the sea of flames, and turned to look at Olivia.
"Why don't you go and freshen up, Min, and I'll sort out the tea."
Minerva gave a nod reply, then walked in the direction of her bedroom, disappearing from view.
Olivia sat on the couch, unsure of what to do. It was the first time in years that she felt at such a loss. With her job, she wouldn't have much time to travel back and forth to check in on Minerva. She would have to put her trust in Dumbledore to keep an eye on her in the meantime until her current assignment was over.
The sound of a loud pop caused Olivia to smile, as Corda set the metal tray with two cups of steaming tea, and two plates of food on the table.
"Thank you, Corda."
"Anything for Mistress Minerva and her sister. Corda is happy you are here. Mistress Minerva hasn't been the same since you left."
"In what way, Corda?"
"Mistress hasn't been eating or sleeping." She replied her voice filled with sadness.
Olivia inwardly sighed, at hearing that piece of information, she had suspected as much, but to have her suspicions confirmed; she didn't know how to feel.
"I'll look after her." she reassured.
"Corda is very happy to hear that, Ms Olivia." she exclaimed in happiness giving a small bow, before disappearing with a pop.
It was a few seconds later that Minerva re-entered the room and took a seat next to Olivia on the couch.
"I take it Corda told you?" Minerva muttered picking up one of the cups from the tray.
"She did, and I can't say I'm surprised. Your last letter told me as much. I just wish I took the time to come and see you then and there rather than waiting until this evening. This job-"
"Is more important." Minerva cut in having already accepted the fact that Olivia's work would always be a top priority.
"No, it isn't. If I knew about Dumbledore's scheme; I would never have taken the job offer in the first place, and I would have been by your side sooner when you found out the news about Dougal. But, what's done is done, Min. Never think for a moment that this job is more important. If it came down to either choosing this job or you, there would be no competition." Olivia asserted never taking her eyes off the woman next to her.
"So, if I asked you to leave your job in this moment and time, would you?"
"If the circumstances were different; then yes, I would. But since there is still a mass-murdering dark wizard on the loose, I still have a job to do."
"A job that was set up by a meddling old fool, who knows there is a high risk that you could get killed; yet, he still sent you unprepared!" Minerva replied bitterly, before looking down at her cooling tea, trying to get her emotions under control.
"I know you're angry, Min, but you also know that I just can't get up and leave."
"A part of me does," she began slowly before looking up at Olivia, "but there is also a part of me that hates the idea of you blindingly putting your life on the line, and for what? A few placed rumours that Voldemort is in Hong Kong!"
"Perhaps, but we can't ignore the possibility. If the rumours are true, then there is a high chance we can end this war before there is more bloodshed" Olivia replied softly.
She had thought about telling Minerva about the confrontation with Chang and her meeting with Copson, but she decided there was no point in worrying her until they knew more information.
"It's too high a risk, Olivia. I can lose you, especially not after today. I already lost Dougal to this war, I couldn't bear the thought to losing you as well." She declared her voice breaking as she tried to hold back more tears.
Olivia wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her close causing Minerva's head to rest on her shoulder.
"You won't lose me. I can't promise to make it out this war unscathed, but I'll do everything in my power to ensure that I make it home."
Minerva knew it was as close to a promise that she could give her in regards to her safety. She didn't like it, but she had to learn to accept it; no matter how difficult that would be.
"Can you stay? "Even if it's only for an hour, I don't want to be left alone right now." Minerva whispered feeling vulnerable.
"I'll stay for as long as I'm able, Min." she reassured, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.
The simple gesture caused Minerva to relax into Olivia embrace. As long as she had her friend and sister by her side; she would find the strength to carry on and overcome the darkness and heartache. That thought alone would make the coming days and months more bearable.