Chapter 4: Green Eyes
The four Aurors entered Knockturn Alley through Diagon Alley, which they got to through The Leaky Cauldron. The bar was empty when they entered, the only person apart from themselves being Tom, the landlord and barman, who looked up nervously when they entered. He nodded quickly in recognition, before go back to cleaning the glasses. Diagon Alley was a similar reflection of the present situation; shops had been abandoned, doors were locked or boarded up and the streets were covered with rubbish and debris, remnants of fights that had taken place. Amelia put her hands into her pockets and shivered. She remembered how it had been before all of the hysteria started. How the sun always seemed to be shining, the vendors walking about selling their wares, interesting smells and sounds drifting out from shop doors, people crowding around store front windows to catch a glimpse of the latest and greatest. Amelia sighed. It was the people she missed the most. At one point in her life, she couldn't take two steps down this street without someone calling her name and greeting her with a smile. But now no one walked the street and those that did were not about to smile at Amelia. She was a dangerous person to be around, they all were; Fabian, Gideon and Frank. Staying with the Auror Office at the outbreak of the war had cost them a lot, including putting added strain on relationships with family members; being loved ones made them instant targets for Death Eater attacks.
The group came to the turn off that led to Knockturn Alley and Amelia turned to address them.
"Let's not get into any unnecessary confrontations. Just do what we came here to do. Keep your head down and your eyes open," she warned, "We don't want Finch, not yet. Just see if you can locate one of his girls. Frank and Gideon, you take the way past Borgin and Burkes. Fabian, you're with me."
"Where are we going?" Fabian asked, as they paired off and went their separate ways.
"Past the pub," Amelia replied.
"No social calls!" she added, catching the gleam in Fabian's eye.
This particular area of town seemed to be thriving. All the dirty windows were lit up with the dusky light of candles, people, wearing predominantly black, went about freely and the sound of laughter and chatter could occasionally be heard. But there was still a tension that hung in the air, as if at any minute the hold would break and everything would come crashing down. Though people walked about, they were quick to get in doors. Amelia felt her wand in her pocket, ready at any moment to whip it out. Soon they came to a stretch of shops where there was no one around. It was darker here and extremely eerie.
"So," Fabian said casually, trying to lighten the mood, "with Crouch's promotion to Head of Law Enforcement, I hear they're still on the look out for someone to take over the Auror Office."
"Oh?" Amelia said nonchalantly.
"I also hear," Fabian said, a little more pointedly, "that one of us is perhaps in the running for said position. Who could that be, Amelia Bones? I know it's not me."
"Who have you been talking to?" Amelia inquired, a small smile on her lips.
"Yaxley," Fabian replied promptly, as if he didn't mind admitting to the gossiping, "And he didn't sound too happy about it."
"He wouldn't," Amelia grinned, "He's up for the job as well."
Fabian turned to look at her, a triumphant grin on his face.
"Oh, so it's true then? I am possibly looking at the new head of the Auror Office?"
Amelia shrugged.
"It's been mentioned in passing. I'm not the only one who's being considered. Like I said, there's Yaxley. Also Rufus Scrimgeour is a top contender."
"Bah!" Fabian scoffed, waving a hand to dismiss the suggestion, "You've got no competition! The only question is will you take it if they offer it to you?"
"Seriously?" Amelia said teasingly, looking up at him, "With all the fun we have here?"
"I am a pretty big drawcard," Fabian agreed.
They turned a corner and walked into a more populated area. 'The Hangman's Noose' was alive with customers, the smell of mead drifting onto the street, the sound of loud, raucous singing coming from inside. A few people milled around outside and everyone seemed to be in relatively high spirits.
"Ah, alcohol," Fabian said, "there's nothing like it to bring people together."
But Amelia wasn't listening. She had caught sight of a young woman. The woman was shorter than Amelia was, with light brown hair and a heavy fringe. Her face was painted with a foundation that was much too pale for her and her lips were coloured a deep, dark red. On her wrist was the black outline of a butterfly.
"Fabian," Amelia whispered, turning her face away from the woman, "her wrist."
Fabian flicked his eyes upwards, only looking at the girl for a second. Then he looked back at Amelia. She gave a nod and both of them turned towards the woman. She must of sensed something, because her head jerked around, like that of an animal caught in headlights. And then she ran for it. Amelia and Fabian started after her, skidding around the corner to follow her. The woman pushed over a barrel of mead that was waiting to be taken in to the pub. Amelia jumped it, her foot just dragging across the wood. Fabian wasn't quite quick enough, the barrel breaking and splashing his legs with its contents. As he stumbled a little, Amelia kept running. The young woman was fast, faster than she looked and Amelia found herself falling behind. She would have lost her completely, except at that moment, Gideon Prewett walked around the corner, stopping the woman in her tracks. Frank followed quickly behind. Seeing that Amelia had been chasing her, Gideon grabbed her wrist to stop her getting any further. At that, the girl started to scream.
"Oh quiet down," Amelia said cooly, as Fabian ran up panting, "someone will think you're being murdered."
The girl looked at Amelia, her dark green eyes filled with mistrust. She pulled away from Gideon and straightened her shawl indignantly.
"Well for all I know I could be," she said.
"Why did you run?" Fabian asked.
"Well, these are dangerous times, aren't they?" the woman replied, "What am I supposed to do, with a pair of lunatics chasing me? Why'd you do that anyway?"
"We want to speak with you," Amelia cut in, "My name is Amelia Bones. I'm with the Auror Office."
The woman froze, her eyes darting around.
"I don't want to speak with you," the woman said quickly, "I don't know anything."
"You don't know what I'm asking yet," Amelia said quietly.
"I don't know anything about anything," the woman snapped, "I've got nothing to say."
She was terrified, Amelia could see it easily; the way she kept looking around as if someone would jump out of the shadows. Her hands were shaking as they played absentmindedly with the tassels on her shawl.
"I have to go now," she whispered, her voice pained.
She slipped off through a gap in the wall, her green eyes giving Amelia one last look. Fabian went to go after her, but Amelia held a hand out, stopping him from following.
"Let her go," she said, "We'll just have to head back to The Leaky Cauldron."