A/N Sorry for the delay, had a crazy two weeks like you wouldn't imagine. lol I should be back on track this week. Long chapter today, mostly about Alex. Hope you like it!
Thirty-Six
Questions and Mysteries
Somehow, as always seemed to happen any time Severus had a guest, Quintin ended up on Albus Dumbledore's lap while the two of them made themselves comfortable in the Headmaster's Study.
"You've truly made this room yours over the last few years, haven't you? Although I wouldn't have imagined the crib," Albus added mischievously.
"Neither would have I, thank you. I had no idea when I gave into Jennifer's idea of keeping him here just how much of my own time was to be spent babysitting," Severus said with annoyance. Albus laughed softly. "Although I admit it wouldn't be so troublesome if it wasn't for magic devices and even my own magic randomly giving out whenever Quintin is in the room."
"Oh? How long has that being going on?" Albus said curiously.
"Since he was born, actually. It isn't something he's consciously doing, but something that simply happens when he is around," Severus said.
"I wonder if perhaps it is your trip to the Otherworld that is to blame, Severus," Albus said, Severus looking up from the tea service with interest. "After all, you and Jennifer experienced a dramatic shift in time flow as did Quintin as well, and he was in development stages, growing quite rapidly during that strange flux of time. He was also exposed to different types of magic within that period, and considering the amount of wish magic Jennifer was using over there, that two might have caused the effect. Which one, I'm not quite sure. I rather suspect the time matter is the true culprit, however, and if so… theoretically… he'll grow out of it as he ages and develops his own sense of time, where he is, and who he is. He may even come to be more aware of time's passing than most people are if his body finds that it has to overcompensate for the discrepancies."
"Oh, is that what she meant about all being a matter of time," Severus squinted. Albus looked up at him questioningly. "Aunt Viviane hinted about something like that, about time being the key."
"Then it's more than just a theory after all," Albus decided. "And if so, you have nothing to worry about over the long run. In fact, his sense of time will probably make him very strong with Ancient Magic."
"I am not worried about the future so much. But this problem could be quite dangerous now, Albus, if magic decides to stop working around him at the wrong time," Severus pointed out.
"That is quite true, but since you are aware of it, it will be easy for you to stay alert and take precautions when it does happen," Albus said.
"Yes, there is one slight hitch to that, in that Jennifer fervently and quite stubbornly refuses to acknowledge it's happening at all," Severus said in annoyance. Albus pursed his lips. "She's so obsessed with her idea of having a 'normal' family that she utterly refuses to acknowledge anything that would disrupt her intentions… namely, anything odd that happens around Quintin or because of Quintin. She has become quite impossible on the subject, actually."
"Give her time, I'm sure she'll come around," Albus said with a smile. "She is simply trying to do what's best for Quintin, and since this temporary condition doesn't really pose a threat for him, she sees no reason to give up on her dream of raising him without the pitfalls that your other children had. And really, all things considering, you have gone out of your way this time to make sure he has had every advantage."
"Yes, and then some," Severus agreed. "He'll be spoiled rotten."
"I sincerely doubt that," Albus said with a soft chuckle. "So where is Jennifer?"
"At the Ministry again if I'm not mistaken," Severus said, glancing at his watch in confirmation. "She got called away last night because her brother went missing, although it wasn't long before she sent me a flame saying he was safe but that she needed to stay and take care of some family business."
"Really? And you're actually letting her?" Albus said in surprise, looking at him over the rim of his glasses.
"This time it is not Jennifer that I am concerned about," Severus admitted in a low voice.
It had all started that fateful year; the year that she was forced to leave her family so that her sons would not be hampered by her talent as an Omnivox. She had immediately agreed to take over the investigations on the Mallus Ring, not only to help her mother but also to find a way to fill the void of time that had been created when she no longer had an active part in the upbringing over her sons. But nosing around was something that Alexandria Snape had always had a knack for; and her work for the Ministry over the years had opened doors to her that normally would have been closed. She had used it to her advantage when she went digging for information, unaware at the time how carefully she was being watched.
It was not long after she had finished helping Harry with some clever explanations to the papers that she was finally called into Draco's office and found herself staring at a rather hefty file; her own, with everything she had nosed into for family or her own curiosity since she first started working at the Ministry. She had thumbed through it sheepishly, before finally closing the folder in resignation.
"It seems that you are suffering from a lack of having something productive to do. I am here to offer you that," Draco said. "Do you know Sal Ricks?"
"Um… yes, he works part time for the Department of Investigations for my grandfather," Alex said.
"That was only part of his job, but yes, up until December thirty-first. He decided to retire at the end of the year. He was in charge of the Ministry of Mysteries."
"Mysteries? I thought you decided to shut that down ages ago," Alex said with surprise.
"So we did to some extent. Sal went in there to fire the entire department, streamline what the Ministry has been doing, and then hire agents that were loyal to me and the Ministry, and not to Bagman and his cronies," Draco explained.
"Really? Did you actually find anyone?" Alex asked.
"That's not very funny," Draco said icily. "Especially considering how many years it's taken him to get that place weeded out. The problem is that Sal spent so much time securing the department, he didn't really get anything solved."
"Solved?"
"The Mysteries department has two main functions; the primary being, of course, solving the unsolvable… cold cases, ancient mysteries and the like, gathering information and sometimes artifacts and relics to do so. The other part of that is solving cases or gathering information in areas where all the other Ministries fear to tread… things that are too risky to be caught in public eye for some reason, or internal matters, or unpopular ones… things that no one else will dare touch."
"So it's like X-Files meets Mission Impossible! Men in Black and 007! Supernatural Investigator and Superspy!" Alex said excitedly. Draco stared at her.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about, but if you do take this job I hope you won't be forever babbling like that."
"Job? What job?" Alex said.
"Minister of Mysteries, what else?" Draco said. Alex stared at him. "I'll admit I had some reservations about Potter's recommendation since from what I've seen you've always been a bit of a blabbermouth, but he, Rel, and your grandfather have all told me that you are very good at keeping secrets if you think it's important. I am going to make you swear to an Agreement of confidentiality, of course, to insure that you do. The deciding factor for me is knowing that there is no way in hell Bagman would ever be able to exert his influence on this department if you were holding it. I can't see you as the type willing to sell out your loyalties to that. I also know that you have a great deal of time on your hands these days."
"That's true," Alex said carefully, nodding as she thought about it. "So, what's in this for me?"
"You'll be paid, of course… you'll have extensive Ministry powers and will report to me directly, and you'll have access to information that you've had to go out of your way to try and get before. I don't mind you continuing to work on your pet projects for the Auror department or for your family as long as it doesn't conflict with anything that you're supposed to be doing in your own department. If anything, I have a feeling you may find it easier to solve some of your cases if you keep those ties open. Of course, you can't tell them what you're doing."
"And how am I supposed to keep that a secret from my parents? Especially my mother," Alex pointed out.
"Your brother has already agreed to help with that issue, should I appoint you," Draco said. "But I am not going to appoint you unless I feel that I can not only count on you to report to me but also show me some progress in that Ministry. Can you put things back on track?" he asked seriously.
"Yes, I rather think I can," Alex said confidently.
"Good," Draco said and sat down, opening her file again.
And so it was that Alex's life in a few short weeks had gone from hopelessness to finding a new meaning; and a job that fit her like a glove. All the questions she had, everything she wondered about or wanted to know… now she had resources to have them answered like never before.
It was rough the first few weeks getting used to all the regulations; Thomas Craw was the one who had stepped in to handle the chore of breaking her in, and he was not a gentle taskmaster. But soon she was delving into mysteries even he wasn't allowed to see, and that empowered her to settle into her job and take over full force. With a single note to one of over several dozen under her command, she could send out an inquiry to find out anything…anything at all… and often in less time than she imagined. Anything they couldn't find out ended up on her desk to look at and think about, and that suited her just fine…sometimes sending back a note with an idea they hadn't thought about, while other times getting to go out into to world to find out for herself. It was in all respects the perfect job for her; and yet one that very few would remotely suspect who was doing it.
And, she often admitted to herself, that it was easy to see how being Minister of Mysteries would go to one's head. Bagman, who had always been a mystery to her, she now understood quite clearly. Even in her own life, it wasn't long before her time at work seemed to be her only reality. The weekends at home with Ben and the children grew more and more painful as time went on… watching how attached they were getting to him and feeling like a complete stranger every time she went back and saw how much they had learned in the time that she was gone. They didn't know her now; not like they used to… it wasn't as if they even needed her anymore, except perhaps the financial support. If Ben had noticed it, he hadn't said. He was always so supportive; so comforting, and so curious to what she had been doing during the week they were apart. There wasn't much she could tell him, and often she couldn't think of much to say at all and seldom asked about how they were for fear he would further pry into her life. The comfort and support that he gave her began to feel wrong for some reason. Saturday visits began to grow shorter and strained. They didn't need her; not really. They were fine without her, and they never seemed to really miss her past the initial hug. Was it even worth trying? She did her best; after all, it was her family, and she did care about them even if she didn't feel a part of them anymore.
She did her best, that is, until that fateful day when she met Xavier again. He had come to see her brother at the hospital, and from the moment she saw him again, memories flooded back to her of their time together as teenagers. He was older now; wiser, more distinguished…and yet he gazed at her with an expression he had often given her when they were dating.
Quickly she forgot how cold he was to her at the end. He was instantly forgiven; for after all, none of that was his fault. Soon they were talking about old times and catching up on times in between. Before she knew it he was calling on her on weekdays for dinner or drinks; always disappearing on the weekends to give her space with her family. Somehow, her time with Xavier made her family seem even more distant before… and it wasn't long after that her double life grew to include Xavier as well.
After all, who would know? Rel, perhaps, but he wouldn't tell, even if he was sure to give her disapproving looks now and again. But with everything she did now being a secret and a full complement of agents to cover for her whereabouts, it was all quite easy…too easy, perhaps. But now that she was no longer lonely, she didn't miss her connection with her family anymore. She was her own person again instead of a mother or a wife, and she had great aspirations in her newfound career without the hassle of maintaining anything past a casual relationship. Ben, after all, could very well take care of himself, and as long as she could stop in long enough to see that her children were happy and well care for, she had decided that her family obligations had been fulfilled.
She was called back to the Ministry at a rather curious hour and wondered if there hadn't been some sort of vampire attack. But when Harry got her to the war office, Draco, Aurelius, and Thomas were already waiting for her to tell her the news.
"What do you mean the Horsemen know I'm the Minister of Mysteries?" Alex said with alarm, a pit immediately developing in her stomach. "Did they get one of my agents?"
"No, they took Maurice out of a bookstore and was able to deduce from his reluctance to answer that it was a family member," Thomas growled.
"Maurice? How did he know…never mind that, he knows everything. How in the world did they know he knew?" Alex demanded.
"Damn good question," Draco said.
"I think that his friends all know that he knew who it was," Aurelius said. "Perhaps one of them mentioned it to the wrong person."
"Wait… Garvan is one of Maurice's friends, isn't he?" Alex said.
"That boy is nothing but a victim of being born into the wrong family. I doubt he would intentionally say anything," Thomas said.
"But what about unintentionally? Could he have seen his grandfather recently?" Alex asked.
"Christmas, more than likely," Harry said.
"Gamban isn't allowed to visit without extra supervision, so if anything odd happened during that conversation, Boltin would know about it," Thomas said. "Let me get a message to him."
"There's also little chance of him acting without a little help, and he's only allowed certain visitors," Harry reasoned. "Even if he were simply relaying messages, it would have gone through his son or his lawyer."
"That sounds like something I can check," Aurelius volunteered.
"It also might be nothing at all, and we're jumping to conclusions," Harry said.
"Well, we know that Equinox is helping the horsemen, so we need to investigate it… to rule out the possibility if nothing else," Alex said. "Assuming, of course, that he is still running the society."
"Is there anyone in this room who doubts it?" Thomas challenged her. "In fact, I'm willing to have the bastard stripped to make sure he isn't the leader of the Horsemen himself, considering the other three are in that so-called 'society.'"
"He's likely to make another legal stink if you do," Alex pointed out.
"Then I'll order him stripped myself," Draco said. "And if he complains revoke his visitation rights for a year. And while we're at it, why don't we put some sort of notice about the penalties to any organization for helping known criminals, and then list the treason charges against the Horsemen in the paper."
"Right, I can handle that," Harry agreed.
"Then we all have work to do," Draco said. "You're dismissed, I need to speak with Alex alone." Harry gave her an encouraging smile and Thomas a quick pat on the back as they and Aurelius left the room, Alex closing the door behind them.
"Am I going to get sacked?" Alex asked worriedly.
"So far, they seem to be keeping the knowledge of your identity to themselves, although there is no guarantee they'll continue to do so," Draco said. "That they see you as a threat is obvious. Perhaps they realize that Mysteries would be responsible for tracking down they spies in the Ministry and know you are a threat to uncovering them all."
"I don't mind them coming after me as long as I'm not being sacked," Alex said.
"I'm not stupid enough to sack anyone who follows my orders and does the job, there are too few of you and a despise trying to find someone else who can. But I suggest for your own sake that you start dragging down the sympathizers in the society before they decide to assassinate you. Then I'd still end up having to look for a new Minister!" Draco said with annoyance.
"I think I know a way to weed them out," Alex said.
"Good," Draco said.
"It would involve… well, questioning a Minister that I can't prove had anything to do with any of this…" Alex said slowly.
"I don't care what it involves, and don't tell me about it, just do it," Draco ordered.
"Right, I'll get on that as soon as Rel gets back," Alex promised, getting up.
"Fine. And Alex?" he added just before she opened the door. "Don't say anything stupid that lets Plumeria know we're onto her. Magicless or not, she's a smart old bat."
"Yes, I know," Alex agreed, then stepped out. She exhaled deeply as she left the building, looking as if she was simply admiring the Polynesian Garden. At least he didn't plan to sack her, she thought. Curiously enough, he didn't seem very interested in sacking his cousin either, despite knowing her part in it. Of course, what proof did they really have? Then again, normally that wouldn't stop Draco from sacking someone whom he thought was not being loyal to him. Perhaps it was the family tie, she thought with annoyance, glancing at her watch before stepping into the maze. Halfway through, she took a sharp detour to what look liked a dead end.
But what no one else had figured out yet was that the maze was actually spread out over several continents; very little of it was in the Ministry at all. It was in actuality a series of Portkey Stations that folks entering the maze were walking through to get closer and closer to the island that the War Office was on twelve-and-a-half hours away from London on the opposite side of the world. But Alex had placed all the other stations quite strategically; each continent, in fact, had a dead end where one who knew the maze well enough could safely Disapparate out of and go anywhere on the planet they wished without the dangers of being splinched from going over oceans or too long of a distance. This particular one she had used quite a lot, for it the one that was located in Polaris Town.
Jeffers waited outside the stone door, cringing anytime Ludo's protests were loud enough to be heard past it. Finally Boltin opened the door, looking more than a little sheepish as the prison doctor calmly left, followed by a couple of extra guards.
"That was the most humiliating experience I have ever been put through!" Ludo spat. "I demand an explanation!"
"You know perfectly well that the prison is allowed to conduct random searches and examinations of the prisoners," Hinge said, raising his voice to be heard over Bagman.
"It does not normally include a rectal exam!" Bagman shouted angrily.
"It isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. Some prisoners will go to any lengths to high contraband," Hinge said. Jeffers slipped inside quietly, blinking when he saw Bagman standing there in a towel, in better shape than most thirty-year olds he knew.
"Now that you're convinced that I am not hiding anything, I demand to go to my room."
"It's still being searched at the moment. You can go behind that screen to get dressed," Boltin said, holding up a folded uniform. Bagman grabbed it angrily and stomped behind the screen.
"Prisoner or not, I do have some rights! Jeffers, tell him!" Bagman said, causing Hinge to glance around.
"They do have a right to random searches, but this does sound rather extreme and I notice that you don't seem to be conducting any other searches today. Did someone request this exam?" Jeffers asked.
"The LE Minister, Counselor Jeffers," Boltin said solemnly.
"On what evidence?" he asked.
"The Minister doesn't need evidence to order such an inspection, especially now that we're under a condition of war," Boltin explained.
"I don't see what the war has to do with my client, it seems to be only an excuse by the Minister to do what he likes," Jeffers said. "We have the right to launch a formal complaint."
"If you think it will do any good, be my guest, but I'm not sure Minister Malfoy will be too sympathetic," Boltin said, then glanced up at the guard that had come up to the door.
"His room appears to be clean, sir. No devices of any kind found, not even embedded in the furniture," the guard said.
"Change out the furniture anyway," Hinge snapped.
"Yes, I quite agree. Let's not take any chances," Boltin said.
"Chances against what? Exactly what is it that you're afraid of?" Bagman asked, coming out from behind the screen and eyeing them both. "I'm a full time prisoner of Azkaban with no hope of parole. Don't you have better things to do than to harass an old man doomed to die in my cell? I expect Hinge will probably even throw a party on that day."
"I expect I will," Hinge decided, leading him back to his cell.
"I suppose this means that the LE Minister's hunch was wrong this time," said the guard standing beside Boltin. "A bit out of character, isn't it?"
"Perhaps," Boltin said thoughtfully and then returned to his other duties.
Alex got up and immediately put herself together, walking out of the bedroom to find Xavier sitting in the dining room, looking over some paperwork.
"You're up early, I see," he said, glancing up briefly.
"Yes, I have to go meet Rel at the Ministry in an hour," Alex explained.
"I have a long day as well, we're testing the new flavors today," Xavier said. "I'll bring you home some caviar beans… oh, wait, it's Friday. Are you going to be here or are you staying in London tonight?"
"Friday already?" Alex groaned. "Why do Saturdays always get in my way when I'm in the middle of something?"
"Why don't you simply visit your kids tonight after work and get it over with?" Xavier suggested.
"Because if I go there on a Friday night, he's going to expect me to stay," Alex said.
"Can you blame him? He is your husband, after all," Xavier said with a soft chuckle.
"You could at least pretend to be jealous," Alex scowled.
"What, jealous of Ben? Not even remotely," Xavier said. "A Muggle taking care of two magic children, holding down an entry level job while his wife has a career that takes up most of her time, and then only visits once a week if that. I rather think he deserves a bit of pity sex now and again."
"It isn't like that," Alex snapped. "Most of the time he… just wants to spend time with me and know how I'm doing."
"And when he asks about work or how your spend your nights?" Xavier challenged her. Alex turned and grabbed her coat. "That's what I thought," Xavier chuckled. "It's all right, Alex. I like the way things are; all the benefits without all the pressure for me, and you have a place to escape to."
"Actually, I've been debating to myself whether or not I wanted a divorce," Alex admitted.
"What? Why on earth would you? It isn't as if you need to, and I don't think you really want to, do you? Rather obvious to me you still have feelings for him," Xavier said, shaking his head at her.
"That's exactly why I've been thinking about it. I mean, you admitted it yourself just now… none of this is really fair for Benjamin, is it?" Alex said.
"And what about the kids? I was crushed when my parents went through their trial separation…"
"You were a teenager. They're not old enough to understand fully what's going on," Alex pointed out.
"If you ask me, that would only make it worse. And what about your Mum? I was under the impression that she doesn't believe in divorce," Xavier reminded her.
"My father isn't too keen on it either, considering he's already expressed his opinion on it," Alex grumbled. Xavier looked up from his work.
"How did he find out?" he asked flatly.
"He figured it out on his own," Alex said with a sigh. Xavier thought about it and then nodded, turning back to his work.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, he's always been a step ahead of everyone else," Xavier said. "But he also has no room to talk after that supposed sabbatical a few years ago."
"As far as he's concerned that gives him more reason," Alex said as she finished buttoning up her coat. "He wants me to tell him."
"If you do, he'll probably leave," Xavier said.
"I wouldn't blame him," Alex said evenly.
"Just as long as you don't blame yourself," Xavier said. Alex thought about it a moment.
"Just for some things," Alex said at last. "Have a good day."
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Xavier said, turning back to his paperwork. Alex grabbed the key in her pocket and watched the room swirl and fade away, wishing for a moment that she could do the same.
As the world began to reorder itself and she reemerged in the reception area of the Ministry of Magic, she saw Aurelius standing by the desk with eyes that seemed to be burrowing into her. But then, that was probably because they were, she realized, grimacing noticeably before walking up to him.
"Sorry if I'm late," Alex said.
"No, I just got here. I had breakfast with Adler this morning to make sure he didn't know anything about it, being that he's in the Society as well," Aurelius said.
"It'd be too risky to tell Adler anything. Even if he wasn't loyal to grandfather, our grandfather would be immediately suspicious of any activity out of the ordinary," Alex reasoned, Aurelius nodding in agreement. "Have you heard anything back from Azkaban yet?"
"They didn't find anything… not on him or his room, or any hidden messages in his post," Aurelius said.
"He knows about this, Rel, and I don't mean just from the papers," Alex said. "I can't believe that Equinox would be involved in something this big without him knowing about it."
"Nelson could have been the one doing it," Aurelius said.
"Maybe, but… I don't know what he'd have to gain by it, and with Nelson everything is about gain," Alex said. "Come on, I suppose we'd better get started."
"Are you sure she'll let me in the room? You know how she gets," Aurelius said.
"Just let her think that she is in command and all will be well," Alex said as the two of them went down the stairs towards the Archives.
"And how do you propose we get her on the subject of the vampire raid, then?" Aurelius asked in a low voice.
"Oh, we won't need to even bother," Alex said, taking a handful of papers out of her pocket. "The woman is quite paranoid. It won't matter what I say while I'm in there. All she has to know is that you're in the room and she'll be thinking about it on her own. Just stay at the door, don't rile her."
"Normally riling them up is what works," Aurelius said. Alex gave him a sharp warning look, but despite his protest, he knew better than to try it. Minister Plum had never cared for him to the point that he often saved up his favors to convince Harry to do whatever Archives work the department needed done. And that wasn't an easy task at times, Aurelius reminded himself, pulling back the heavy door to the Archives. Immediately Plumeria was alerted, glaring fiercely at the Auror at the door.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded coldly.
"Oh, don't worry, he's just escorting me, Minister Plum," Alex said, walking in casually. "I promised I'd check a few records for Percy before lunch with my brother, but they are rather tricky ones. I'm sure you know where I can look. Do I need extra permissions for these?"
"Let me take a look of those, Mrs. Clemmons," Plumeria said in resignation. "Stay out there, Auror Snape, this will only take a minute."
"No problem, I'll just hold the door," Aurelius said, waiting patiently as the sour old women looked up the names for Alex. Alex glanced at him questioningly and he nodded, allowing her to concentrate on what Plumeria was doing.
"You will have to get an extra signature from this one. Mr. Weasley does not have the authority to look over this without a Minister's approval," she said critically.
"Thank you, Minister Plum, I'll let him know," Alex said with a smile, shuffling the papers in an attempt to get him organized.
"And next time, no escorts by Ministry personnel who have no business with Archives and no prior authorization for doing so," Minister Plum said primly.
"Er… yes, Minister Plum," Alex said sheepishly, unsurprised to see Aurelius scowling at the old woman as she left the room.
"Ministry personnel?" Aurelius repeated indignantly as they walked away from the door. "Since when have Aurors been considered Ministry personnel?"
"I think that was her way of trying to be polite," Alex said distractedly.
"That was polite?" Aurelius said flatly.
"Never mind that, Rel. What did you pick up?" Alex coaxed.
"Office?" Aurelius suggested. Alex sighed and glanced around before putting a special key into one of the Doorlifts. It opened into what appeared to a deep black fog, but when the two of them stepped through it, the fog instantly cleared and turned into a posh office suite only slightly smaller than the Minister of Magic's office. Alex went over to the small sitting area and sank into one of the couches, reaching for the pitcher of iced tea on the table.
"So? Did you find out anything?" Alex pressed as he got his drink as well.
"Some, but I think you'll find that her actions were completely in her character and rather unenlightening," Aurelius said. "First off, she was the one who broke into the Artifacts vault that night… or at least, she was the one who left it open. Some of the things she used to block the door came out of there, actually, and had records made up saying she took them out earlier in the afternoon. It was her own idea to leave the door open, knowing we'd have to inventory it and that it'd cause another panic about Artifact safety… after all, she is a member of the society and would like to see that stuff out of vaults in into 'better' hands."
"Was she the one who took the Proxy device then?" Alex asked.
"No, I don't think so," Aurelius decided. "From what I saw, she really didn't get involved in this whole thing until after it was set up. It was those reports in the paper about the Ministry tipping off locations of vampires that got her curious. That's when she started digging, trying to figure out who was head of your department for her own selfish reasons. I think she hoped that if she knew who the Minister was, she could get a better idea of how much they were using her department for information."
"Not as much as she thinks," Alex said defensively. "We keep our own records short of birth and death announcements."
"Well, either way, that was her reasoning behind it," Aurelius said.
"Yes, but who talked her into doing it?" Alex asked.
"You won't find it very enlightening," Aurelius warned. "It was Sibyl Trelawney."
"What! That doesn't make sense, she wasn't even a vampire yet. She was kidnapped that night," Alex said.
"Exactly. She knew it was coming," Aurelius said with a nod. "Apparently, Plumeria and Sibyl went to Hogwarts together, so at sometime after she was transferred to St. Mungos, Plumeria decided to visit her," he explained. Alexandria groaned. "Sibyl warned her that there was a war coming between the vampires and the Ministry, and although it couldn't be avoided, it might be cut short if the vampires are allowed to seek out the Minister and destroy them when they attacked on Halloween. So, as Plumeria was repeatedly reminding herself in her mind… none of this was her fault and she was only trying to help."
"Some defense… sorry, I thought I was doing the Ministry a favor letting the vampires in," Alex said in annoyance. "I was really hoping that whoever told her about this would give us a lead as to who the fourth might be."
"Well, let's put together all we know so far," Aurelius said, helping himself to more lemon. "We know whoever is behind this is more than likely a member of the Collector's Society since it's the only thing they all have in common and we know that other members are helping them…wait. Was Trelawney a member of the society?"
"Oh yeah… a founder even," Alex said.
"Founder?" Aurelius prompted.
"Those who came from Equinox when it disbanded are all considered founders of the society," Alex explained, putting her feet up on the couch. "There were only a few dozen of them at first… not everyone was interested in starting over, especially considering the reputation at the end. Others weren't invited at all; namely anyone associated with Death Eaters or Voldemort. They wanted to keep the idea behind Equinox alive, but without the dark influence that had been corrupting the old order over the years. Norman Balmweed was the driving force behind the movement originally, and from what I could tell he seemed to do a fair job of it until the end. Apparently, he claimed to be 'overextended' in his duties and stepped aside allowing Abraxus to take over… but just before he did, he invited Peter Gamban into the fold having been convinced by the name change and his apparent dedication to his son that he was going to stay true to his organization and not his father.
"I rather think it was a bad idea on both sides; Balmweed for offering and Peter for accepting. It didn't take very long after he joined that Ludo started asking Peter all sorts of questions about the society. At first they seemed innocent, but after a while, Ludo began to suggest 'improvements.' The guards stepped in at that point, thinking it was getting much too political, but they stepped in a bit too late. Ludo had managed to convince Peter to 'keep an eye' on things," Alex said. "More and more of Peter's investments became tied to society leaders… to the point of being a partner or partial owner in many of their companies."
"Odd, Bagman doesn't seem to be the type to be interested in that sort of power," Aurelius said.
"He's not," Alex said. "You see, Peter is in charge of his estate, and he's allowed to discuss anything having to do with finance or property with his father."
"So he can get messages through that way if he's clever," Aurelius mused.
"Yes, and on top of which, it's been suspected that he might have friends working in the prison, not to mention the fact he is allowed fifteen minutes of time alone with his counselor every two weeks. He still might know something we don't," Alex concluded. "I don't suppose you could go in there and talk to him so that we know for sure?"
"Not without solid evidence, no. Trust me, I would have done it a long time ago if I had known I could get away with it, but there's a law on the books stating that convicted prisoners cannot be interrogated about their actions unless there is indisputable evidence that they have committed a crime. In other words, it'd end up turning into a hearing just to get in there," Aurelius explained.
"What? What sort of stupid law is that?" Alex said with frustration.
"I think grandfather suggested that law back when he was Warden of Azkaban to protect himself from Mum getting too nosy," Aurelius said dryly.
"Then I guess we'll have to go see what we can find out from Arnold Jeffers," Alex decided, getting up.
"Alex, you know I'm not allowed to do that either…"
"What? Accidentally bump into someone in the hall? I rather think they'd have trouble making that stick in an ethics committee, wouldn't they?" Alex said unconcernedly, glancing at the clock on the mantle.
"And just how are you going to arrange us 'bumping' into him? There is no guarantee he'll even be in the building today," Aurelius said with exasperation.
"Of course he will be; he'll be here to file a formal protest to his client's treatment yesterday," Alex said, grabbing her coat. "Draco swore that if Jeffers protested that he'd sign an order stripping Bagman of all visitation rights, and we both know that Grandfather will probably inform him on the spot. Well, Grandfather almost always schedules his less desirable appointments right before lunch so that he'll have an excuse to leave abruptly. So if he's following his normal pattern and Jeffers is following his, he'll be due at the LE office in half an hour. And considering how long it takes to pass through the checkpoints… Arnold is probably going to be early. So maybe we ought to get moving?" she suggested with a smile.
"You scare me, you know that, don't you?" Aurelius said flatly. Alex smiled enigmatically. "I'm still trying to piece together just how you found out so much about how the society started and Bagman's part in all of it."
"Bagman was the entire reason behind it. When I first took over, I had several members of the department dedicated in trying to find out everything they could about Equinox and those records Bagman dumped and what happened after it broke up. It took awhile, and I know I'm still missing members on the list we've accumulated," Alex admitted with a sigh.
"You're doing fine, Alex. Seriously, you've been brilliant at this job, if you want my honest opinion. Although I have to say it is rather a shame that you haven't been so steady in your personal decisions lately," Aurelius said. Alex stopped just short of the mist so that she could glare at him.
"My personal life has nothing to do with my work," Alex snapped.
"Well, maybe not directly," Aurelius admitted softly, following her through the mist. "But indirectly it did make things easier for you to hide things and keep secrets; after all, that's part of your job. And I know I played a part in that because you have the right to make your own decisions whether me or anyone else agrees with them or not. I'm just wondering what it is you are planning to do after this morning."
"I don't know," Alex admitted quietly.
"You don't really think he wants you to stay married for your kids, do you?" he asked.
"Rel, please," Alex said, pausing beside the Doorlift lever. "Look, I know you are just asking me questions because you care, but we're not kids anymore. It's my life, I'll ask my own hard questions thanks."
When the two of them stepped into a back hallway, Alex turned to see that Aurelius no longer wore the stern look he had when they had first stepped in the fog. His stormy grey eyes seemed a great deal calmer.
"Well, as long as you're prepared to ask yourself those hard questions, then I don't really need to worry anymore," Aurelius reasoned. "Once you start asking questions, you never rest until every single one of them is answered."
"That is why I got this job," Alex said dryly.
"Yeah," Aurelius said, slowing before they got to the main corridor. "You know… regardless of happens with you personally, you were right to take this job, it was meant for you."
"Thanks," Alex said, glancing up just in time to see Jeffers arguing with the guards at the checkpoint.
"I rest my case," Aurelius said before the two of them hurried up to the small booth.
"Of course I have legitimate business, I have an appointment with the LE Minister," Jeffers said irritably. "If you don't mind, can we please hurry this silly inspection up? He will be quite put out if I'm late, assuming he is willing to see me at all."
"You should have gotten here earlier then," the guard said unconcernedly, checking his wand and running a magic scan.
"I have better reception at Azkaban than I get from customs here," Jeffers complained.
"Hullo, Arnold!" Alex said cheerfully, getting a dirty look in return. "Having a bad day?"
"Not necessarily, I just hate delays," Jeffers answered warily.
"No problem, we'll escort you through. We were going that way anyhow," Alex offered warmly.
"Thanks," Jeffers said, the three of them passing through the checkpoint and walking down the hall.
"Which way are you going?" Alex asked.
"LE office," Jeffers admitted.
"You're going to see my grandfather? Then you really do need an escort," Alex teased. "Does it have anything to do with my uncle's case?"
"Now, Alex, you know I'm not allowed to talk about things like that," Jeffers said.
"Sorry, I was just curious," Alex said, pausing as they got to the next checkpoint. But this time it was a couple of LE officers and they were let straight through. "I guess it was a silly question, considering you mainly handle civil cases. So are you just having an early lunch with him, then?"
"Alexandria," Jeffers sighed. "Not meaning to be rude or anything because I know you're just trying to make conversation, but I don't feel comfortable you asking a lot of nosy questions with your brother around."
"It doesn't matter if I'm around or not. She'd still ask nosy questions," Aurelius said expressionlessly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it, I was just talking," Alex protested. "After all, we did go to school around the same time, and I was just wondering how you've been, that's all."
"Tell you what, the next time you talk Malfoy into letting you host a barbeque near the office, let me know. I'll come and chat with you as long as you like as long as it's not about work… and we don't have an audience," Jeffers said.
"I'm beginning to think you don't like me," Aurelius said.
"It's nothing personal, Rel," Jeffers chuckled. "Our jobs and your talent are automatic conflicts of interest."
"I understand," Aurelius said with a respectful nod, walking into the LE reception area.
"You're lucky to have gotten here," Adler said, glancing up when they came in. "Minister Craw told us to turn you away if you were even a minute late."
"Sounds like he's in a mood," Alex said.
"Thanks again," Jeffers said, sounding much more grateful then before as Adler escorted him to the door.
"Let's get out of here before the fireworks start," Aurelius suggested, and Alex quickly agreed, knowing it mainly an excuse to beat a hasty retreat. "How about we go rescue Ginger from the lab and head to the island with some sandwiches for lunch?"
"Sounds lovely," Alex agreed, waiting until they were well away from the office. "So, did he know anything?" Aurelius sighed.
"Well, he does do favors for Bagman helping out other society members… and Bagman was even the one who suggested to Jeffers to talk to Sirius about suing for the Stone," Aurelius said.
"What?" Alex said in surprise, then remembered the Yule party and grimaced. "Actually, I can see that now. What about the Horsemen?"
"Nothing," Aurelius shrugged, Alex turning to frown at him. "Of course, you never mentioned it directly, but he was thinking of Bagman. If he knew any connection, it would have crossed his mind."
"Blast it, another dead end!" Alex said with frustration, putting a hand to her head. "I don't get it, I've never been so far off… maybe the whole business of the society being sympathetic let my imagine run away from me. The shadow of Bagman hangs over my department even now, Rel. Maybe it's gotten to me… I can't believe I've been wasting our time with this."
"It isn't a waste of time. There's nothing wrong with checking every possibility, especially when it's someone who has been able to get in our way in the past," Aurelius said. "Besides, it's your job to check every possibility, no matter how remote… and I don't think this one was remote." Alex sighed. "Look, what we need is a clear lead, and we can't get that if we don't have clear heads," Aurelius said quietly. "And you have a lot going on right now keeping you from doing that. Maybe you should take the weekend off to sort things out?"
"I already have weekends off," Alex pointed out.
"And when was the last weekend you actually managed to stay out of the Ministry both days?" Aurelius challenged her.
"Well… I don't remember, actually," Alex admitted ruefully, when she saw how carefully he was watching. "It wasn't like it took much nudging. Work is the only time I feel in control anymore." Aurelius glanced at her thoughtfully.
"You don't necessarily have to go home if you're not comfortable there, just away from the Ministry so you can think straight," Aurelius said.
"No, I think… I think I want to go home," Alex decided. "Comfortable or not, you're right, I have some questions I need answered. But I don't think I want to leave things like this at work either."
"Understood," Aurelius said with a nod. "So what's our next plan of action?"
"I think our best bet is to attend the next society meeting so that we can clear this up once and for all and move on to something else," Alex decided.
"What makes you think they won't just kick us out?" Aurelius asked.
"Because I don't think Sirius will let them. They're hosting it at the mansion on Sunday."
"So much for the weekend off," Aurelius said stay unenthusiastically as the two of them walked into the lab.