"Miss Granger. Could I speak to you for a moment. In my office." She stilled at the voice she didn't much like and didn't let any of her surprise show. Usually if he was dealing with her it was because he wanted public credit for her. She knew there was only one person in this whole hallway with them at the moment.
Avery Sr. met her eyes and she could see nothing to give a clue as to his motives, also none of the usual hostility she seemed to inspire in him. Just her existence, not her politics necessarily. He had agreed with her many times but made it clear that she personally was less than desired company.
A single nod and she walked beside him around a corner and to his Wizengamot office door. She had been down here for a meeting with a few other members about the elementary school.
Seated across from him she didn't speak. It seemed safer than opening this unexpected conversation. His medium brown eyes were on hers. It was unusual and she couldn't think what might have changed between their dance at the blasted Gala and now.
"Apologies from my House. Unless you give me leave, my son will not approach you to offer his personal ones." Hermione nodded again so he wasn't waiting on some signal of her understanding but she was surprised.
"Your apologies are not necessary, I appreciate your consideration. Please pass my greetings on to your wife." That was the correct way to handle this situation, Narcissa had covered it in one of their tea discussions. Lucius had been keen to explain the intricacies of such dealings. Sure she would need them and here she was. This time it was the wizard who nodded and though he didn't show any surprise it was clear he appreciated her taking part in the expected dance of manners.
With a smile she stood to leave and to her surprise he stood and opened the door for her. Exiting the office she automatically turned toward the lifts and was grateful when she felt Harry's magic come into range. Without letting him exit the conveyance she rushed in and didn't turn around. Facing the back of the lift, her mind raced.
"Still up for some paperwork before my dinner in payment?" Harry asked her, clearly a bit concerned and she nodded. An hour was spent in his office, much progress was made.
As they crossed the kitchen of Grimmauld she decided to needle him a bit.
"That was more paper than you usually let pile up." She commented. Pouring the white wine that had been recommended when they picked up their take out. Both enjoyed eating fancy food from paper and they even decided to use solo cups for the wine. Harry lit the candelabra and their odd meal was consumed at one end of the old Black Family dining room. It was ornate and gothic. Both of them hated it and used it only for holidays that were fun or eating muggle takeout. One of their earlier rebellions in pursuit of actually living in the home. Not just using the bedrooms and kitchen.
"Just let it go a bit." Harry replied. Wrapping the lobster linguini onto a fork.
"A case?" She knew it wasn't.
"No, nothing too bad." He was using garlic toast as a plate to try and get the overloaded fork to his mouth.
"Using the office for other things?" She asked, swallowing her bite of duck confit.
"As if." He scoffed. His mind clearly going to sex. His look told her not to be ridiculous.
"I hadn't thought that. I was thinking more of you mooning about her, maybe thinking about what you would like to use your office for." The mooning comment was a throw back to them making fun of Ron mooning over Rosmerta. It was good to be able to laugh when references to him came up. For a month or so it had led to silence. Both had soldiered on, not willing for it to become a taboo.
"I think I surprised her two nights ago. We were all having lunch on Monday and she mentioned to Susan that she was going to pick up something she had ordered from Steffords so wouldn't have time for dinner before their planning meeting. It's the beginning of the details for our World Cup travel plans I think. Susan has been roping her into doing things other than her job. Seems to like it though. Been working a bit to hard. How Kings finds you girls who will go flat out and look good doing it, I don't know. Seamus and I look knackered after a few long days. Anyway, I was there with one of her favourite sandwiches. We sat under an umbrella I had thought to bring and she ate dinner before going to her meeting." His face was a bit pink but he looked proud. So he should. Astoria had floo called her and bemoaned how hard it was to keep on the schedule she had set. Maybe she would cave a few weeks early. Her smile told him she agreed.
"What happened downstairs today? Couldn't have been Sheffield that made you face the wall." It was a pain to converse with people who knew all your tells. Worse when you didn't think to change your behaviour around them.
"He gave me an official apology from his house. It was his son, not him." The last was in response to the immediate rage that the man had done something he thought warranted such a step.
"What did the snake do?" Snake was spat out with vitriol and she chuckled at him.
"I'm fine Harry. He was rude and Dolohov was there when I gave Rowle the edited version of the message I had been tasked with delivering. A few people have treated me differently this week. I think perhaps they were a bit surprised by the disrespect shown me. Perhaps he made his displeasure known in some way." Harry quirked his brow at her. Both, as he hadn't mastered the single brow raise. It was a bit funny to have someone use it in lieu of what they wanted to do.
"I wrote a list. In categories of people who wanted things from them. Business, personal, and sexual. It was all made very clear to me at the gala." The look on his face was a bit confused.
"Things were said to me that no one would have said, in public or otherwise, to me while I worked at the Ministry. Women who seem to think I'm sleeping with both of them. Some were the usual going through an apprentice to speak with their master. That I expected, and some could turn out to be good projects if he lets me help." She wanted to change the topic now. Soon she would speak to Yaxley about Harry. It was ridiculous that her best friend couldn't know about someone that was becoming a larger part of her life everyday. She would have to consider the best way of accomplishing that.
Thorfinn was walking, in and out of the wards with his friend. It was probably bothering him to feel each time that he crossed them but it kept his mind on track.
"Ready yet?" This was the third time that 'Bas had asked him. It had been well over an hour since he grabbed his coat and headed outside. He wasn't any more ready to share his thoughts than two days ago but he needed to let something out.
"They sat me down. The other night. Warned me off of her." This was the instigator but not the current problem.
"Really? What was your infraction?" He laughed a bit at his friends use of the same word he had been raised with.
"Making it harder for her, mostly." 'Bas nodded and then after a moment shook his head.
"You'll need to explain that." Thorfinn could see why. Bas hadn't really seen any of the little witch's training. Nor had he been there during her hours of work. A few times he had gone for dinner but she wasn't there then. To his knowledge anyway.
"I wasn't treating her as her position demands. That was another part of it." He admitted. This was a sore point for him.
"I can't see you being uncouth. Mostly. Or derogatory in any way." Rabastan was defensive on his behalf.
"I haven't been. They are right though about what they said after." Again 'Bas shot him a look.
"Please clarify as I was not there." His dry demand helped him calm down a little bit.
"The last thing Yax said was a comment about where I would end up if I didn't shape up. Basically that I would lose my chance if I disappointed her. That our previous history wouldn't save me. She would let go and we would be acquaintances. The little witch has apparently done so with Malfoy, though she has met with his parents and Nott." This was not exactly what he was thinking about but it was what he could say, out loud.
"I see." It was obvious that he was reframing what he knew with this information.
"Is that why you went to Avery's?" It was impressive, what Rabastan could put together.
"He was rude in the extreme. I mean, I have never in my life spoken to any witch like that." Thorfinn was still embarrassed by his peers display with the little witch. Knowing that it cast a shadow on him too.
The huge door opened and Thorfinn walked into the massive entry foyer of Avery Hall. It was a relatively familiar place, their fathers had been friends.
"I would like to speak with both of your masters Tolly." This was said into the air but he knew the elf would hear him. Sure enough within a few minutes he was in the office of the elder Avery and the man followed him in shortly. Declining the offered drink he spoke.
"I will just get to the point. Dolohov has made it plain that the witch is his apprentice, under his protection. Chris and I will have our own discussion about what he said to her but I thought you should know. He also indicated that if I didn't speak with Chris, he would." This was said with direct eye contact. Perhaps it had been a single comment but it was a serious one and a threat. A flinch, it was small but there none the less. Message delivered.
"I appreciate your message and your visit. He is in his suite. Good evening." With a nod Throfinn exited the ornate double doors and began his trip up the sweeping double staircase. It was a good one for sliding. Two hallways and a smaller staircase brought him to another set of double doors. These had an intricate letter C on them and he gave a single knock before entering. Without much thought he walked through the formal sitting room and down a much smaller hallway. This door was open and he entered the other wizards personal rooms.
Stretched out on a settee was a guy that had once been a casual friend. His darker blonde hair was longer than it had been the last time he had seen him. Otherwise he looked fine. His father had only bankrolled the Dark Lord and so no jail time for the lucky son of a bitch. He was twisted enough to have made a fine Death Eater.
"So the bitch delivered my message then." His grin seemed genuine and he was a bit surprised. As far as he knew Chris hadn't made any more effort to see him than he had to see the other wizard, none.
"What did you say to her?" The grin he gave in return wasn't sincere but they weren't that close.
"A litany of ideas you had about her, one time or another. Then I let a bit of your history out, just so she wouldn't get any ideas." The grin was smirk now and it reminded him of Malfoy. Interesting. So basically what she had said then. Or some of what the wizard had said to her.
"Why not just send an owl?" The question was calm and he leaned against the wall casually.
"Just the thought of her facing you and giving you the message was worth it. She has only become more of an uppity bitch. I asked her out twice before giving up the pretense she was anything more than she is." Thorfinn nodded. That tallied with what be knew of the guy. Not many redeeming qualities.
"Understandable. Did you think about her situation though?" Thorfinn let the curiosity he actually felt show on his face.
"That the Russian is fucking her under the guise of an apprenticeship? What the fuck would he care? Trash and disposable. Those were his opinions." Thorfinn raised a brow at the bravado in the response. He didn't know anything about Dolohov, couldn't have done more than meet him a time or two.
"Even so. The witch is under scroll." Thorfinn tried to nudge him along to the dire situation he was in.
"As if that matters. Telling her that you wanted to leave marks in places she hadn't ever had stretched was hardly an insult to the man. Maybe even a compliment." Chris grinned and this time Thorfinn couldn't return it. He let the wizard see a bit of his mounting rage.
"It seems that you haven't grown up at all Avery. No better at judging situations than in school." The fire crackled around his fists in little sparks. The abrupt fading of the other wizards levity was satisfying but not enough.
"I won't come again, if you piss him off he will come himself. The witch is his apprentice under scroll with all that means." He didn't really want the guy dead so tried to get his point across. If he did end up that way then he would have a clear conscience. One last glance and he turned back toward the door.
"Approach her again about me and you won't be so happy to see me." There wasn't any bravado in that. It was a statement and he meant it. The little witch listening to this guy whisper things in her ear with his hands on her made him livid. Hiding it from her when she had passed on the message was hard enough. Now he let the sparks rain down on the floors as he walked. The elves would put out any errant fires.
"Made any decisions?" His friends voice pulled him out of his remembered rage and disgust. He shook his head.
"Think about it. I agree, if they told you that you couldn't do better. I'll even go further and say that she likes you. Her interest is different than with the rest of us. I've seen you meet eyes a time or two." He didn't blush. It he felt like maybe he should be. That comment was revealing, it didn't happen often but it was something else when it did. When he really looked at her she responded with the same. He couldn't explain it, 'Bas could see it though. Probably her blonde friend too. That girl was even more out there than his friend.
"That's basically the only decision I've made. Actually think about it instead of trying not to." The admittance drew a soft chuckle from his friend and through the wards he reached over and gave his shoulder a slight squeeze. It was nice. Having people, the witch was right about that.