"What are the Raven files then?" Hermione asked as Birch-Lock nodded slightly to acknowledge the question.
"The files themselves contain the information around the collateral damage. The Raven Organisation is where we have operatives who go into the field to do clean-ups. A select group of individuals with a- well quite frankly with a talent for stealth and killing."
"How many operatives are there?" Tonks asked glancing at the silent members around the table.
"Currently we have ten operatives in various levels of activation. We started this program about fifteen years ago. Ms. Fairchild told you, we're a separate entity from the Ministry. We're free agents working in tandem with other agencies and governments around the world."
"What happens when an individual is no longer working in the field?"
"They train the new recruits, work here in the office or simply retire. Fairchild left the field what, three years ago?"
She nodded curtly.
Hermione looked over at the older woman in surprise, she would have thought Fairchild for a Professor or a librarian, not a trained killer.
"Our operatives can blend into any situation Black." Birch-Lock said as if reading her mind, "And of course we have a few metamorphs who can blend into anything."
Hermione licked her lips and sipped some water with a frown. "So no more field work for either of us?"
"Well, no, you're an assessor and Tonks, well, with your abilities we're going to talk to you about training as an operative. If it isn't to your liking or not something you feel you want to commit to, then you'll return and join Hermione as an assessor."
Tonks and Hermione looked at each other smiling.
"So if you two ladies accept then Tonks you'll go with Fairchild here and Black, you are with me. See you only had to miss me for ten minutes." He winked at her.
Tonks looked at Hermione again, "I'm going to go, alright?"
Hermione nodded and gave her a hug, "Good luck."
Fairchild stood along with all the other members at the table, she looked at Hermione, "It was a pleasure to meet you Lady Black." and with that she ushered Tonks out the door that Birch-Lock had entered through. Hermione felt a sudden loneliness without Tonks beside her.
"Why did you select us?" Hermione asked thoughtfully, "Not that we're not grateful but why us? We break the rules, we essentially stole the files with your signature and went behind your back to secure a re investigation into Ron's case."
He nodded happily as she spoke, "It isn't just the files being stolen with my signature Black or the re investigation. I've had you earmarked for this for about a year now it was just the opportunity came up to bring you on board so I took it."
"Why does Ron have ties to this organisation?" Hermione asked and waited, she ached for the answer and prayed for closure. "Was he a clean-up job?" Her voice tight.
Birch-Lock studied her for a moment, "I knew this would come up." He tapped his quill on the table for a moment. "No he wasn't a clean-up job."
"But he was- what an operative gone rouge or something?"
Birch-Lock laughed, "Our operatives don't go rouge, they can't, they are free agents and go with whomever they want."
Hermione nodded and waited, Birch-Lock stared at her and then sighed, "He was murdered." Her voice slightly breathless.
"He was." Birch-Lock said with regret. "Though his murderer has been eliminated, with haste in fact."
"But-" Hermione said shaking her head in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell his family. You let them think he died on accident or killed himself."
"This is where you assess Black. Think about this for a moment if the story came out he was murdered. To think that someone was easy to reach in Azkaban would undermine the power of the prison and the Ministry itself after these years of trying to build up a peace Black. The assessment was that we would sell the story he killed himself while finding the real target and eliminating him." Birch-Lock pushed a file towards Hermione, it was marked with a different name.
She opened it up and swallowed unprepared for the photographs that showed a young man dead in the snow, his throat cut in a pool of bloody slush. A follower of Voldemort who harboured a creepy obsession with Ron. The photographs of his flat illustrated the level of his obsession. Pictures of Ron covered the walls, maps of his movements, time lines and pictures of the family. The flat looked strangely like Ron's cell except the pictures had been of Bellatrix and Hermione.
"At first we were not sure but our operatives checked out with their contacts and it became clear very quickly this went deeper than a routine hit job. It's what we do Hermione. It's justice on a new level."
"Who was the operative?" asked Hermione looking at the final page.
"One of our best, I felt I owed you that much and his family." Birch-Lock said holding his hand out for the file. Hermione gave it back reluctantly.
"But who are they, these people who don't mind killing?" Hermione swallowed feeling slightly sick. She imagined this man's killer to live in a stark little flat eating take out and drinking beers to drown their sorrows and murder their emotions. Grisly trophies of each kill lining the walls of their windowless room.
Birch-Lock cleared his throat. "They blend Black into society, they are everywhere. Fairchild was a secretary in her day job, married with two children actually."
Hermione's eyes were wide, "How?"
Birch-Lock squirmed slightly and tread carefully, "Because they understand that what they are doing is necessary so the people they love can sleep safely at night."
Hermione thought back to Bellatrix killing the man in the forest without so much as a thought because he threatened Hermione. She killed him less than a second and never spoke about it again. Bellatrix would do this kind of thing to keep the people she loved safe, she had told Hermione over and over again she would do anything to keep her and Maia safe. It made sense.
"When do I get to meet the operatives?" Hermione said curious now about these unassuming assassins.
"You don't." Birch-Lock said snapping his fingers that called forth three elves. "Lunch?"
Hermione woke, her body felt as if it were on fire, her clothes damp from sweat as her heart pounded in her ears. She looked around the room, her wand flying to her fingers silently. She swallowed and looked around, neither Bella nor Andromeda were in the bed, she listened hard and heard nothing. She crept slowly out of the bed staying low as she exited the room. When she entered the hallway she heard them downstairs, heard the movement. She stayed against the wall praying the stairs wouldn't creak and give away her position. This was not the first night game they had played.
A shot of light went over her head but she vanished before it found the mark. She reemerged in the garden behind the wall with a nearly silent pop. She spied Andromeda crouched and smiled. Focusing her thoughts she sent a stinging hex and managed to get Andy in the back. A scream let her know she had been successful. She vanished quickly to not disclose her location. She reppeared behind the house near the kitchen. Bella was still in the living room, her head turned towards the sound of Andromeda's scream. "Nice one Pet." Hermione heard her say. She ducked down and inched towards the door staying in the shadows. Two more hits was all she needed .
The spell collided with her side sending her skidding through the grass and dirt. Andy hissed in pain, her back swollen with stings. "Bad form." She said before sending another spell that Hermione rolled away from. The ground next to her now sporting a small crater. She threw up her shield as Andromeda cast another spell. It hit hard causing Hermione's shield to nearly shatter.
"Get away Pet." Bella called as Andy struck again, her smile widening. Hermione couldn't move away, she couldn't vanish and Andy laughed. She had her, the next spell shattered Hermione's shield as she screamed when the spell hit her. It felt like a hundred shards of glass sliced through her arm, she reeled in pain.
"Stop, stop." She called but Andy had no intention of stopping, she had her, one more strike. Hermione took a breath and cast her spell at the same time as Andy, the light bounced off one another and Hermione threw another in quick succession. A red line appeared down Andy's leg, blood appearing. Hermione vanished.
"Don't let her get the better of you." Bella growled as Andy healed the cut quickly and Bella healed the stinging jinx.
In the end Andy got the final hit in before Hermione could best her. Bella remained untouched by all of Hermione's attempts leaving her furious.
"You don't play fair." Hermione complained as Bella healed the cut on her forehead.
"Of course I don't, why would I Pet?" Bella said as Andy left the room to shower. "There, how does that feel?" Bella asked pressing gently where the cut had been and pausing before placing a kiss to it. "I just want you safe Pet."
Hermione wrapped her fingers in Bella's hair and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. Bella was surprised but returned her kiss with a smile. It was rare that Hermione took control, her head was swimming from hitting Andromeda twice as she pulled Bella towards the bed, her fingers working against the ties on Bella's sleep pants.