Clarke knocked on the door to headmistress Sydney's office. Opening the door she nodded to Sydney before moving towards the fireplace.
"Wait a moment would you Griffin." Sydney called out from behind her desk.
Turning she replied, "Is there something you needed ma'am?"
"Do give my greetings to the Minister." Her smile was poisonous.
"Of course, should I pass them onto my mother as well?"
Sydney seemed slightly surprised by the subtle dig, it wasn't a secret the two women couldn't stand each other. "Naturally, I'm sure she's looking forward to you taking the family Wizengamot seat so she can go back to her post at 's."
Clarke straightened the dress she was wearing for an evening event bringing together leaders from the Purist and Traditionalist parties and hosted by Minister Jaha. "I'm sure you're aware that the Griffin seat will wait while I pursue other avenues first. My mother assures me it's no great hardship to bear the burden while I gain the wisdom to do so myself."
"She must be thrilled." The slight grimace gave away the falseness of her words.
Clarke smiled at the women's discomfort, "Was there anything else?"
"No, be sure to return early enough to see to your duties." Sydney easily dismissed her moving toward one of her many bookshelves.
Clarke reached for the floo powder and was soon was swirling through the system before coming out of the grand fireplace at the Jaha estate.
-MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA-
Clarke sipped her flute of champagne while watching the room around her. The Minister of Magic, Thelonious Jaha's dinner parties were always a who's who of the political world. Even though it was a small party there were twenty guests from both lead parties. The French ambassador, Dante Wallace, and his son Cage were also in attendance. She made a mental note to go and speak with Dante at some point during the evening. He may be a horrible human being but conversation with him was always stimulating. Also, out of all the politicians, business owners, and various upper crust people she'd spent her life surrounded by he was the only one who'd ever recognized her as a threat. He was charming and loved to talk about the art in his home in the Lozere, but underneath the charm and impeccable manners was a considering gaze and he made frequent attempts to pull answers to political questions from her. Oh, he was a shark, and he knew she knew more than other people realized. She smiled against her glass before moving towards him as she saw his conversation with Minister Jaha coming to an end. She saw his eyes light up as she approached, maybe the evening wouldn't be a complete loss after all.
"Miss Griffin, it's a pleasure to see you. And I must say you look lovely in this evening."
"The pleasure is mine Ambassador, it's really been too long." She ran a finger along the rich velvet of her deep crimson dress. She wore the dress at her mother's insistence. It was an obvious reminder of her heritage as a descendant of Godric Gryffindor.
"I'm surprised you were able to make it, Sydney never seemed the type to allow a student out to enjoy a good party." He smiled conspiratorially at her.
"The Headmistress was understanding about the invitation from the minister. And how about you, Lord Wallace, how is France this time of year?"
"Oh, lovely as always, I miss the air and fields of flowers. How you English put up with the endless rain I will never know." He chuckled before sipping his drink. "But things have been quite hectic recently, as I'm sure you know."
"Yes, I did read about the loss of your calendula crops last week. Have the negotiations with the Germans to supplement your crops been going well?" She raised an eyebrow while watching Dante's face carefully.
"Now how would you know we're importing from Germany? We have trade relations with Mali that would be far easier to increase."
"Of course, but Mali doesn't have the correct temperatures for the high grade calendula you're potion makers pride themselves on. While it may be more expedient, you wouldn't risk losing your reputation as the finest potion makers by selling a product that could easily be matched. Or am I wrong?"
Dante's face lit up, "You're correct as always, well reasoned. You really should consider politics my dear, going into healing with a mind like yours is a crime."
"There are many ways to use a mind. And you know I'd support expanding England's trade relations with nations other than your own if I did partake in politics. You should be careful what you wish for."
"Oh my dear an opponent who knows what they are doing is always better than a friend who is a fool. And you would be such a pretty opponent, you have no idea how uninteresting negotiations are when the nicest face is the face of your minister. Minister Jaha has many lovely attributes, a charming smile sadly is not one of them."
Clarke laughed softly, "No, I suppose it isn't." She considered her next question carefully, "I heard a lovely rumor about your son and a certain veela the other day, any truth to that?"
Dante's face twitched slightly but it was the only clue he gave that she'd hit on something he'd rather she hadn't. "Cage is still a young man, with a young man's tastes. Just between you and I what he needs is a good wife to steady him. He truly has so much promise, I couldn't be prouder of him. I'm sure you're aware of his award for service to the nation this summer?"
Clarke attempted to keep her expression sweet despite the topic of conversation being Dante's vile son. "Indeed, I never did get the details on what exactly he did to deserve such a prestigious award. Although by the timing and what I know of his duties I would imagine it had to do with the raids on subpar potion makers? Specifically the one's using illegal ingredients." To herself she added 'like veela hair.'
"You know I can't comment on ongoing investigations." Dante smiled at her as he spoke with a pleased tone. It was as good as a confirmation. Clarke made a mental note to indicate that her suspicions of Cage's involvement with the underground market were confirmed and add it to her black books. Before she could probe lightly for some additional information Minister Jaha spoke up inviting everyone to join him in the dining room.
She found herself seated at the head of the table next to her mother. No doubt Abby wanted to present a united front, their complimentary gowns only adding to the effect. After all her mother's position at the table was only guaranteed because of her marriage to Jake Griffin. Without that she'd still be a pureblood of little prestige working at 's. Clarke relaxed her posture as she brought a bite of the first course to her mouth. It was delicious as expected. Dante was happily informing his neighbor about how it was such a treat to have properly prepared Malpegue Oysters.
She made eye contact with Marcus Kane, the head of the Purist party, who was seated across from her. "Marcus it's been awhile how has your mother been fairing?"
His face seemed to fall slightly, "Not well I'm afraid. I don't think I'll be able to take her back home next time she ends up at 's."
Clarke fought the impulse to mention that his mother was healthy as an ox and was just politically uncomfortable for the man. After all her conspiracy theories didn't exactly help his political aspirations. Abby's hand fell on Clarke's thigh squeezing in warning. Hiding a grimace Clarke responded. "I'm terribly sorry to hear that."
The conversation flowed around carefully staying on relatively neutral topics, politics being a dangerous topic at a dinner table with two opposing parties represented, even if they agreed on most things. Clarke hadn't spoken much both as a way to appease her mother, but also because she preferred to listen. By the third course, a dish of poached salmon, she had started to drift. The conversation had turned towards quidditch a while ago and if there was one area of gossip she didn't bother listing in her black note books it was quidditch. She was pulled out of her thoughts on whether the sauce for the salmon was really necessary when Minister Jaha said something that brought her full attention back to the conversation at hand.
"With all the problems with the muggleborns it is almost a mercy that Jake isn't here to see his ideals being proved wrong." His voice was filled with sorrow, his hand reaching out and clasping Abby's comfortingly before pulling it back.
Clarke felt heat rushing through her ears, the words 'fake, fake, fake' repeating themselves as she ground her teeth together desperate not to say something she would regret.
"Truly, he always believed the best in people, even when they weren't interested or capable of achieving it." Abby replied in an equally sorrowful voice.
Minister Jaha leaned back in his chair. "He was the best of us, he would be heartbroken by the state of things now. He tried so hard to champion the half blood and muggleborn cause but the current state of things can't be maintained. They have proven themselves to be a threat that doesn't understand or appreciate our culture." He shook his head dolefully.
Clarke felt the fork in her hand bending slightly from the pressure she was exuding on it. She'd counted twenty seven ways she could kill Jaha with her fork, although fork in the neck was appealing to her. She was pulled from her murderous plots by Kane standing up.
He raised his glass of wine. "May we all be as good of people as the late Lord Griffin."
There were murmurs as the attendees of the dinner all raised their glasses. Clarke drank her elvish wine that should have been light on her tongue complementing the fish, but instead it tasted of ash. The hypocrisy of these pureblood bigots paying condescending homage to her father's beliefs in equal rights for half-bloods and muggle borns sent white hot rage running through her. Swallowing thickly she placed her glass down. Turning to her mother who had politically betrayed the very values for which her husband was assassinated, she lost a bit of her self-control and baited her mother. "You have used our seat in the Wizengamot according to father's wishes haven't you mother?"
Abby smiled indulgently at her daughter completely missing the sarcasm and dig against how Abby was truly using the seat. "Of course," she said. She turned to Minister Jaha "I have also been ever so grateful for your assistance through these difficult times."
"It was my pleasure, Jake was the dearest of friends. Too often, just as with my son Wells, the best of us are taken too soon."
Clarke wished she could comment on the hypocrisy of Jaha acting like he truly had mourned for her father and not used his death to launch his political ambitions or that he had not used his son's murder to steamroll through laws against half-bloods and muggleborns. She wasn't the only one who was offended by the reference to Wells' death though. A gross sobbing sound came from the side of the room next to one of the great vases. A knobby kneed elf with big eyes filled with tears stepped forward.
"You never really cared about master Wells' at all. How could you give his seat at the table away. It's like he was never here at all." The elf seemed to pull in on herself trying to hold herself together. "Wells always sat in this chair," she gestured helplessly to the seat Cage Wallace was sitting in part way down the table. "It's not right, it's not."
Jaha's face filled with fury, coloring darkly as the sound of sobs continued to come from the elf. The guests were clearly uncomfortable at this gross break in formality.
Cage sneered, "Do you always let your elves act this way minister?"
Jaha stood up, "No I most certainly do not." He roughly grabbed his cravat from around his neck ripping it off. Throwing the piece of clothing at the sobbing elf, he spat at the trembling creature "Get out of my house."
The elf just wailed louder and collapsed rocking back and forth. Jaha's hand twitched towards his wand and Clarke realized she would need to intervene. Standing gracefully she touched Jaha's arm gently. "Let me take care of it. You should stay and entertain the guests." She looked up at him through her eyelashes, batting them carefully. "It's a school night and I should be returning there soon anyway, it's no bother."
Jaha seemed to think for a moment before pulling back. "That is very kind of you Clarke, it's been a delight to have you in the house again. We'll have to meet for lunch during the holidays."
She smiled at him, "Of course, I'd be happy to." Turning towards the table she nodded her head gently. "It's been a pleasure as always. I'm so terribly sorry to leave you all so early." Swooping gently she grabbed the hysterical elf and made her way out of the room.
Once out she walked to the fireplace in the study. The elf had recognized her and was clinging to her dress with her bony fingers sobbing into her neck. Using one arm to support her back she made quick work of flooing back to Hogwarts. She was fortunate that the common room was empty. Walking cautiously she left the dorm and made her way towards her and her friends' abandoned classroom. It was easy to avoid any patrols even though her dress rustled as she walked, after all she had assigned them. The elf's sobs had subsided into soft hiccups. Finally reaching her destination she pulled out her wand and cast multiple silencing and privacy charms. With a sigh she detached the elf and set her down on a chair before kneeling next to her.
"Oh Tris." she whispered.
"It's not right mistress, it's not…. and I don't care if that makes me a bad elf." Tris wiped at her large eyes angrily.
"You could never be a bad elf Tris, you're the best elf I've ever met." Clarke spoke softly. "You loved Wells and Thelonious has tried to erase him. It's horrible and you have every right to be upset."
"What am I going to do now missus?" Tris gripped the cravat tightly. Big fat tears still rolling down her wet cheeks.
Clarke reached up and pulled a piece of chocolate out of the elf's ear. "Well we can start with this." She smiled.
"Oh, missus knows not to do muggle magic tricks like that." The elf looked rather affronted.
Laughing Clarke held the chocolate closer to her. "Well you can still eat it."
Frowning the elf reached out and took the chocolate carefully chewing it.
"See, now we can plan what we're going to do." Clarke tilted her head thinking. "Would you want to be my elf Tris? Just mine, not my families, but mine."
Tris' eyes widened, "Yes, oh yes. But why would you want Tris? You already have elves."
Clarke sat down on the floor ignoring how awful it must be for her gown. "Tris you knew Wells and I were planning things right?"
"Of course, the black books you always wrote all the nasty gossip in." Tris nodded her head.
"Did Wells ever tell you what we were planning?"
Tris shook her head sadly. "No, but I know it's important. He always made me promise not to tell anyone anything."
Clarke held Tris's eyes. "We were going to overthrow Thelonious and his party." Clarke hadn't known an elf's eyes could get so big, her ears tilting downwards in shock.
"Thelonious is a bad man Tris, you know that. We wanted to make it so he couldn't hurt anyone else."
"What do you want me to do?" Tris' face filled with determination. "You can't let master Wells' dreams not happen."
"I'm not, but things are going to have to change. If you worked for me I would need you to help organize things. Keep secrets for me. Could you do that? It would mean betraying Thelonious."
"Yes, yes I will help you make master Wells' plans work. And stop mean master."
Clarke gave a relieved smiled, "Alright then." Things were moving again, and Clarke finally had someone on her side that she could trust completely and who understood the stakes. God, she missed Wells having her back, but he hadn't left her completely adrift.
