Disclaimer: Not mine.
Wanting More
Chapter 12
Rosmerta woke while it was still dark out, thinking she had only been asleep for a couple of hours, she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and went down to the kitchen to help get breakfast only to find Fabian sitting with his feet up on the table sipping tea.
"Well, decided to join the living?" he smirked at her.
"Where is everyone? Molly isn't in bed and the boys are gone. I figured she was putting breakfast on."
"They left hours ago. We thought we should let you sleep."
"What time is it?"
"Around eight, you slept the whole day," he grinned, taking his feet off the table and sitting properly. "I want to thank you for your help. We found Moody's friend who said he had been there earlier and mentioned he was headed to Knockdown Alley to meet with an old friend of yours."
"So he is okay?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes and no. He is up at St. Mungo's. Seems your friend was expecting him. The important thing is that we found him."
"Yaxley? He should have taken me with him, I could have…"
"Don't, it's not your fault and it wasn't Yaxley."
"Who was it?"
"McNair," he answered, watching her closely.
"And Moody…how bad is he?"
"Right bad. Healers are doing what they can. They say he will live, but he may not…listen, he has been through worse than this. He'll do just fine."
"He may not what?" Rosmerta sat down heavily.
"Crushed his right hand, if he doesn't get the use of it back he may have to quit the Ministry."
"Have you ever seen him write?" Rosmerta asked raising her eyebrow and smirking. "He should have been left handed. He writes with his hand curled over, and his letters all go the wrong way. He was forced to use is right. I bet he could learn to use his left if it doesn't heal proper."
"I've heard you notice everything," Fabian chuckled. "Makes me want to hide all my personal belongings, that and put away anything you may take wrong."
"Did the Headmaster send me any clothes?" she asked, ignoring the barb.
"In the sitting room, and I collected your wand, it's on the mantle." Fabian stood and started out to the front room.
"Do you mind if I grab a cup of tea?"
"Help yourself. You are going to be here for a while, may as well get comfortable."
"No, I don't think so," she stammered, following him out to the sitting room. "I should go back to Moody's. He can use the help when he gets home and I…"
"He will be stuck there for at least a week." He picked up her wand and handed it to her frowning. "You are safe here."
"It's not that," she said, pulling the blanket closer. "There isn't anything they can say about me that I haven't heard before but it may put you in a bad way if certain people found out you were putting me up."
"I think you will find that we Prewetts don't care much about what people say," he laughed. "Trust me, no one with think badly of you this house is often used to hide people. You just have to understand that either you give Albus an oath or we will use a memory charm before you leave. I shouldn't have sent you here without checking with him, but…there didn't seem time enough I just wanted to out."
"So are you going to tell me what's going on here? Since you plan on my taking an oath or using that charm you may as well make it worth while and let me know."
"Get dressed first," he said with a smirk. "It's sort of late for a big meal. How about sandwiches?"
Rosmerta took the clothes Albus had sent and hurried upstairs to dress, glad to have something to put on instead of parading around in a transfigured nightgown. She had worried that at any moment that the charm would slip and she would be in a too short open front robe. Once she was ready, she went back to the kitchen for find Fabian had already made a light meal with not only sandwiches but also a hearty vegetable soup.
"Thanks," she said shyly. "I could have done this."
"Sit and eat. You don't have to take care of me. Unlike Moody I do know how to cook."
"Fabian?" She sat down, uncomfortable to have him wait on her. "Moody…he didn't get hurt because of me, did he?"
"No, and don't think that." He handed her a cup of tea frowning at her. "He is an Auror, a damned good one, one that works a little too independently sometimes. He had been waiting to get something on McNair. When he heard there was a warrant out for him, he wanted to be in on the arrest."
"Did he? Arrest McNair?" Rosmerta set her spoon down, having lost her appetite. "Did they find out any thing about my Mum?"
"They must have had enough to get the warrant. Problem was Moody and three others walked into a trap. Someone leaked the information that the Aurors were on their way."
"Oh, how are the rest?" she asked.
"None of your concern," he said sharply. "Now eat."
"Fabian? Can we go see him?" She felt her eyes begin to well with tears, knowing by his response that not all had made it out alive.
"No, I am under orders to keep you out of sight. If McNair decides …"
"Moody has a girlfriend. Is she safe?"
"She is well taken care of, now we…"
"Tell me about these people, the people with the Headmaster," she demanded, laying down her spoon and crossing her arms. "Don't look at me like that. You said you were going to use a memory charm anyway."
Fabian put the teapot on the table after pouring himself a second glass. Sighing deeply, he studied her face, wondering how much to tell. In the end, he decided to be truthful and tell her of the entire Order, knowing if she were to take an oath, she would have to know. She listened closely, without interrupting, as he explained who had taken the oath that Albus would now demand of her and how they tried to protect those that could not protect themselves. He then tried to answer her questions truthfully.
"So, you guys are like the resistance. Not a true army."
"Something like that, yeah. Our world has never needed a real army before this the Aurors were always enough. Now, with Riddle infiltrating even the Ministry it is hard to know who is on which side."
"That's why Moody asked all those questions," she nodded, deep in thought. "Fabian, I…I don't know if I can do this. Augustus…even with all he has done…I don't know if I could fight against him."
"It's hard," Fabian said with a deep sigh. "We are seeing family members going against each other. It is turning into a civil war."
Rosmerta started to clear the table, levitating the dishes to the sink over Fabian' protests she quickly washed and dried the dishes. "It's kind of late, but do you want another pot of tea put on or some hot chocolate?"
"Neither, I am on the grave yard shift. I have to be running off shortly," he said, then raised his eyebrow when the floo activated. "Stay here, it's a little late for a friendly visit."
He pulled his wand and headed out to the sitting room with Rosmerta right behind him, loosely holding hers.
"Kingsley," Fabian lowered his arm and scowled, "you could have been a piece of kindling sneaking around like that."
"Shacks!" Rosmerta squealed and ran to him then wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the floor and spun her around.
"I heard you were here," Kingsley chuckled, in his deep-throated voice. "I had to come and see for myself. I have missed not picking you up from the floor or hiding you."
"Kingsley will be staying here tonight," Fabian said, grinning. "Albus said you two knew each other."
"He didn't tell me you were in on all this," Rosmerta said, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Ah, Rosie…none of that," Kingsley said softly.
"They killed my Mum." She looked up at him with her face crumbling, feeling a sudden rush of emotion that she had been holding back until now.
"I know," he whispered, holding her to his chest and looking at Fabian over her head. "You are not alone. You need to understand that I am here, and every one in the Order will be here for you."
"I couldn't go to her funeral and I…," she hiccupped, "and I miss Augustus. Oh, Shacks, he has changed so much. I want him back the way he used to be."
Kingsley led her to the sofa where he sat beside her, pulling her into his side and letting her cry, realizing she had not done so before. Fabian quietly got ready for work and without disturbing them, stepped into the floo and left for the Ministry. Kingsley felt her relax and turned her so she could lay her head on his lap and pull her feet up from the floor. With a simple Accio, he summoned a blanket to cover her and waited until she fell asleep before feeling he could move.
Once he had managed to detangle himself and stand, he looked down at her frowning. He worried about how she could take care of herself in these uncertain times, and knew her lack of education would not help. Finding a book on Fabian's shelf, he sat down and began to read.
.
.
.
Rosmerta woke to the smell of eggs and toast. She scrubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands and looked around groggy, then stood and made her way into the kitchen.
"Shacks, you do don't have to do this," she said, flopping down at the table. "Every one keeps waiting on me."
"Fabian flooed, he is working Moody's shift today."
"He is going to be tired. He was up all yesterday."
"So, what do you need to do today?" he asked as he slid two plates on the table and levitated the pot of tea.
"Shower, bush my teeth…I don't have much in the way of a social life."
"Do you need anything from Diagon? Fabian will not have … witches things."
"I want to see Augustus," she said flatly. "I have all my things at his place and I have been thinking that I should get them back."
"That is not advisable. You should not have any further contact with him."
"No? I should let him go? I should just ignore what he is doing? I don't think so," she said incredulously. "Shack, you know him as well as I do, and you know that this is not something like he would do."
"He has changed in the two years he has been gone," Kingsley said evenly.
"He hasn't joined them yet, not formally anyway. Grigori said he would not take his robes until next week. I want to talk to him before he does."
"Once he does he will not be allowed to leave," Kingsley said darkly.
"I need to see him. I need to try to convince him. Who else does he have? His father? That fucker will want him in thick with Riddle, and that mother of his will just be worried about what dress to wear to the induction. I want to try!"
"He knows now that you have been with Moody, it will not be safe," Kingsley raised his voice as he became angry.
"Bugger safe, bugger this whole thing," she yelled, jumping to her feet. "Then you best lock me up because I have to try! I have to do something more than sit around and talk about what's happening but doing nothing to stop it."
Kingsley folded his arms over his chest as she stormed upstairs. He knew better then to try to reason with her when she was in one of her snits, and knew not to doubt that she would find a way to contact Rookwood and met with him. He sat on the bottom step knowing that she would have to pass this way to reach either door or the floo.
