A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! :)
remifoster1313: I think it's confirmation of a Wizengamot career...? ;) I didn't want to go into too much depth with Vivian in this story since things can change as I write her own story in the future, so my answer is a tentative yes for now. And I know, it's strange to think that this story is nearly finished! I've had a lot of fun writing it! As for other OC stories, I have so many ideas. I want to write a Thranduil story at some point and I'm currently working on a separate story for a fandom I've never worked with before, which I'll probably start posting within the next few months. Honestly I'm always writing something, so I'm sure I'll have many more stories in the future :) But yes, Charlie is next in the VCU and I'll talk more about that in the epilogue for Cajamarca!
TVDobsession106: I thought Josie and Sirius would get along nicely. There will be more scenes between them in the future! Thank you though, it means a lot that you like my writing :) I'm happy to share my stories with everyone, the world always needs more fanfiction lol
Purplestan: Vivian and Sirius's future relationship at this point in time is still up in the air, but I'm thinking it won't be entirely smooth and will take some time for them to return to where they were in the past, hence the slight tension in the last chapter. At this point it's all speculation for me too though, I couldn't tell you what they were arguing about ;) It's been an interesting exercise to write their future like this, without having written Season 2 yet
Iyssabun: I thought it would be fun to go into some detail regarding what Vivian will (maybe) end up doing in the Order at that point in time. Of course things might change but I have a vague idea!
altwrnativa: Mine too :D
utahikarasu: Thank you! I'm really glad you like my style. I feel like my writing has already changed a lot since The Sterling Nightingale but I still hold that story close to my heart :) Also if you're missing Ricardo, you don't have to miss him for very much longer!
CuoreSpezzato: You'll have to wait a while longer before Vivian's current life is explained I'm afraid! Things should fall into place by the end of Season 2 regarding all of that. Also Ricardo going to Bill and Josie's wedding is a beautiful thought. I shall have to consider this ;) I am fully behind any reason to bring Ricardo back into a story, even if there is no purpose to him being there. Sexy Peruvians don't need plots you know
hella-sirius: Their office romance is really fun to write. Actually their romance in general in fun to write now that we're finally here! It took them long enough! Glad you liked Vivian and Sirius in the last chapter, I was really excited to hear everyone's reactions to them!
Guest: My thoughts of the Moondrops are this: As the Moondrops were added to her tea, they were heavily diluted, hence they had the effect of a simple painkiller (whilst also having relaxing effects), but the amount that she consumed in the tea itself wouldn't have been enough to make her an addict. If she kept taking the Moondrops in the manner she was taking them at the start of the story, this might be different. Keep in mind that, before, she was taking them on a daily basis. However she didn't drink the tea every single day and so her consumption was more spaced out. Interesting question though and it definitely made me think, so I appreciate your thoughts on the matter :)
joanne: Thanks! Sirius isn't going to lose his lovesick puppy qualities in S3. I have too much sappy fluff planned for them to allow this to happen haha
ThePersonWithTheReallyLongName: Thank you, glad you're enjoying the stories! I'm really excited to develop Vivian's character in the way I've been envisioning all this time. As for Fleur, I am on the fence with her character. She never really stuck out to me when I first read the books, but then again neither did Bill, so this story came out of the blue for me!
Kimmh12: Lukas Blair and his fate will be further extrapolated upon in the future, but no, neither Bill nor Josie have ever met him.
PoppyRosaLawston: It was really fun writing the Vivian scene in the last chapter so I'm glad you liked reading it! And yes, it was a bit strange to write her, but helpful too. It gives me a better understanding of the consequences in her character development throughout S2, so I have a clearer goal to reach. But it was definitely a bit odd for me as well so I definitely understand what you're saying :) Charlie will be the next side story, more on that in the epilogue of Cajamarca! As for Fred, I don't actually have a plot figured out for him as of now, just a general idea of what I'd like to do. But Fred is one of my favorite characters so I'd love to give him a side story at some point
The moment you've all been waiting for, the return of my favorite OC in the history of OCs...drum roll please...I only wish I could make Ricardo move to England permanently so that he can make it his life's purpose to annoy Bill, but alas, he does have a life in Peru you know. And if anyone is wondering, yes I did plan this out from the very beginning of this story, because I figured Ricardo needed another sexy Peruvian in his life to even out the balance ;)
Chapter Twenty | Never Forget the Sexy Peruvian
The next few weeks passes with a swiftness that Josie is unprepared for. It seems that June slips right through her fingers, and July is no different. A great many events occur to mark this passage of time, the main one being her newfound relationship with Bill. To say that she has grown accustomed to his presence wouldn't be a lie, because they have had years to get to know each other in ways that even two intimate souls would have trouble doing.
Their friendship has already uncovered the many quirks and anecdotes of their personalities, but now it uncovers other slivers of character that Josie would have otherwise remained blind to. Such as the fact that Bill erupts into shivers whenever she kisses his neck, and the fact that Josie has a bit of a preoccupation with mussing his hair up wherever and whenever possible, and the notion that living together as friends is very different compared to living together as more than friends. In some ways, at least.
The other event that marks time's passage is this: Catalina has disappeared, and it seems to be quite impossible to locate her. The day after their discussion with Vivian and the legal advice she had supplied to them, Josie had sent a letter to Ricardo, asking him to send back all the correspondences she had owled him about the curse. Vivian had mentioned that it would be useful evidence, if only to prove that Josie had been unaware of the true nature of the curse. She said it may help to incriminate Catalina if they had written proof of Josie's own uncertainty; that it would give insight into the fact that Catalina had taken advantage of her for her own purposes. Upon owling Ricardo to ask for the letters (hoping, of course, that he even still had them to begin with), Bill had been able to take the matter up with the Auror office, of which he has connections through the Order. Kingsley had ordered that Catalina's shop be searched and the woman herself be brought in for questioning. It hadn't been as difficult as Josie had imagined it would be; many shops along Knockturn Alley have been raided in recent weeks, in hopes of purging the area of Death Eater sympathizers. Even the smallest hint of supposed supporters of You-Know-Who have been brought in. Scrimgeour isn't taking anything lightly, and is approaching the situation from a far more serious angle than his predecessor.
The problem is that, when the Aurors had raided Tesoros del Viejo Mundo, Catalina was nowhere to be found. Despite it being mere days after her attack on Josie, the witch seems to have vanished completely, and had taken most of her things with her. The shop had been emptied of all valuables, and only dusty shelves remained. The Aurors hadn't been able to do much after that. With only Josie's word that Catalina had attacked her and no further evidence to incriminate the witch, the search had been called off in favor of more important things. Josie had been quite upset to hear this, but she hadn't been able to do much about it either. With war on the horizon, the Ministry has its hands full, and doesn't have the resources to track down one witch, no matter the fact that she had stolen the Incan coins.
With nothing left to do but wait for Ricardo to owl her back and attempt to track Catalina down herself (which, so far, has been dismally unsuccessful), Josie has tried to turn her attentions elsewhere. Her 'probation' had come to an end and Moody has been putting her on joint missions with Bill and a few others. Some nights, Josie is so exhausted that she doesn't even think about Catalina, and on the nights that she does, Bill is rather good at distracting her from her worries.
"Kingsley is trying to track her down in his spare time," he tells her, though doesn't mention how very little spare time Kingsley Shacklebolt has, these days. He's been stationed by the muggle Prime Minister for protection, and doesn't have very much time at all.
Josie appreciates his attempts nonetheless, though. She feels quite safe with Bill regardless of her worries that Catalina will come back. Her newfound relationship with him is a breath of fresh air as the world darkens around her, changing to accommodate the return of You-Know-Who. Bill's presence in her life makes everything better, despite the fact that they've been so busy with the Order and their Gringotts work that they haven't had much time to be an actual couple. The world is changing and it is isn't an ideal time to start a relationship. In a lot of ways, it hardly even feels like they're in a relationship at all.
"Ready to go?" Bill wonders as he appears in the door of her office. It's just after five o'clock and Gringotts is emptying itself of its employees.
Josie glances up at him and smiles. "Just let me grab a few files…" she murmurs, perusing through several cases that she's in the midst of working on.
Before she can collect them, though, Bill steps over to desk and says, "Oh no, you are not spending the weekend doing work, Josephine Devonport." He grasps her hand and drags it away from the pile of cases she's trying to sort through.
She frowns at him. "But Bill, I wanted to get a head start on – "
"We're going to spend the next two days enjoying our free time, not being workaholics," he tells her firmly, and then proceeds to drag the rest of her away from her desk and the teetering case files piled up atop its surface. When he sees the sulking way she regards him, he laughs, "If I didn't know any better, I'd be a bit insulted that you'd rather research temples than spend time with me."
Judging from the way his eyes are glimmering with amusement, though, it's clear that he isn't really insulted. That's the good thing about their many years of friendship. Bill gets her in a way no one else does. She still makes a point of rolling her eyes at him, though.
"You know that's not true," she mumbles, casting a mournful glance at her stack of paperwork before it disappears from view.
Bill pushes her out of her office and shuts the door behind them with a fond shake of his head. "I thought we could go out this weekend. We haven't exactly been on a proper date yet, you know?"
The reason for this, of course, is twofold. Trying to hunt down Catalina and their Order work often takes up any free time they would otherwise have, and then there's the issue of not having anywhere to go to begin with. Most of the shops up and down Diagon Alley have either closed down entirely or are struggling to stay open and have changed up their hours as a result. The pubs are still open, of course, but many restaurants have shut down. This is in part due to the fact that no one is going out unless absolutely necessary, and also because the owners are afraid that staying open might only draw attention to them. Ollivander's has been closed for weeks now, the man in question mysteriously vanished. Florean Fortesque has also disappeared. No one wants the same thing to happen to them.
"A date?" Josie repeats, and can't quite help herself from smiling giddily as they walk to the lift. "Not many places to go, is there?"
Bill shrugs and pushes the button for the ground floor. "I was thinking the Three Broomsticks. It's not exactly the nicest place for a date, but at least Hogsmeade is relatively safe."
Josie laughs, "And Rosmerta would supply us with a couple free butterbeers."
The reminder makes Bill chuckle and joke, "Which is the main reason, naturally."
They share amused smiles as the lift descends with a rickety jolt. As the doors reopen on the ground floor, Bill suddenly says, "Oh, hold up a moment, Jos. Mum asked me to get some money out of Harry's vault for him."
Josie hums in understanding. The lines at Gringotts have been outrageous lately. Last she looked, it was taking hours for the general public to get their gold. This is partially because the goblins have been increasing their security, but also because there are so many people wanting to make withdrawals. Considering the general atmosphere of the country, people want to make sure they've got enough money to survive for long stretches of time without having to move out into the open. If Harry were to come here himself, it'd probably take him the whole day.
"I'll wait in the lobby," Josie says as they step off the lift. It won't take Bill nearly as long to make a withdrawal; one of the benefits of being employed at Gringotts means that the workers have priority over the public. Bill nods at her and makes his way towards the counter, where a goblin named Vragrok is sitting. Josie steps off to the side while Bill makes his request. As the pair of them disappear through one of the doors that leads to the lower vaults, Josie wonders what sort of date Bill and her would have gone on if they had more options, and mourns the fact that they'd gotten together at such an inopportune time. Still, despite this, she's not about to complain. Their relationship is a bit unconventional what with the fact that they're already living together, but perhaps it would've been unconventional anyway. They have been best friends for years, after all.
About ten minutes go by with no sign of Bill. He's surely arrived at the vault by now and is most likely on his way back. The vaults beneath Gringotts span for miles underground and the return trip always takes longer than the descent. The goblins have set this up purposefully in order to catch potential thieves. The complicated network of tunnels exists to trap anyone who is unauthorized to travel them, and those lucky enough to reach ones of the vaults and actually break into it will discover that it is near impossible to find their way back to the surface again.
Josie waits by the doors of the bank, leaning against one of the large marble pillars. Behind her, the goblins continue their work, completely ignoring her presence. They will remain here for several hours still, for they do not follow the same schedule as their human counterparts and still have their own work to do before their day is finished. The sound of clinking coins and quills scratching against parchment fills the lobby. Low, murmured voices scatter the space every now and again, but the goblins mostly work in silence.
Had Josie not been waiting near the large doors, she would not have seen what she sees in that moment, as she leans against the pillar and waits for Bill's return. The doors of Gringotts are made of a thick, enchanted wood. There are no windows that look into the lobby save for the two that are stationed on either side of the door. The goblins take their security quite seriously; the windows have been charmed with a one-way spell. This ensures that no one from outside of the bank can look into the lobby, but those who are inside the bank may look out into Diagon Alley. The pillar Josie is leaning against aligns with one of the windows, and she would have entirely missed the sight of the hooded figure lingering outside of Gringotts had she not been facing it. As it is, though, she does see it, and promptly straightens up when the figure ascends the white stone stairs beyond the doors of the bank.
The goblins don't appear to notice. Even if they weren't so focused on their work, they would have been hard pressed to see the figure against the darkness outside, but Josie is close enough to the window. She sees the figure step up to the other side of it and lean forward as if to peer into the lobby of the bank. And even though she knows that the figure couldn't possibly be able to see the goings-on within, she still feels the back of her neck prickle with apprehension and forgets, for a split second, that the windows are charmed.
What is Catalina doing here? Has she come to check to see whether Josie is still cursed? Or whether Josie had told anyone about Catalina's attack on her?
She watches the figure turn its hooded head as if trying to see through the glass; to find an angle in which the one-way charm has worn off. The entire situation lasts only moments before the figure pulls away and disappears beyond the edge of the window, but it feels like a lifetime. Josie's heart is ricocheting through her chest. She hears the beat of it rush into her ears, and the electric shock of adrenaline courses through her veins, filling her with two opposing desires: to move away from the window and further into the bank while she waits for Bill, and to throw herself into Diagon Alley and deal with this once and for all.
Josie glances over her shoulder at the door that Bill and Vragrok had disappeared through. There is still no sign of his return. If she waits for him, then Catalina could well and truly disappear, slithering back into the shadows and vanishing again without a trace. This is her chance to put an end to this. If she catches Catalina now, then she'll no longer be looking over her shoulder, worrying about whether the witch might come back and silence her…
Gryffindor courage is a beautifully reckless thing. Within seconds, Josie is drawing her wand and throwing open the door of the bank.
Diagon Alley is empty. Many of the shops, which would normally have remained open for several hours yet, have closed their doors for the day. The only lights to be seen are the flickering lampposts that shine through the darkness on the side of the cobblestone street. It's eerie in a way Josie hasn't yet experienced, because her and Bill have taken to flooing back to his flat almost exclusively these days. It's been some time since they had apparated or walked home from work; the dangers of being outside after dark outweigh these more pleasant modes of travel.
Josie walks to the edge of the stairs and looks down into the alley, hoping to catch sight of the figure. Catalina seems to have disappeared though; there is no sign of anyone lingering in the street, even as she scans it. After several long moments, she wonders if she ought to return to the lobby after all – until she turns her head and sees the flutter of a robe disappearing around the corner of a nearby alleyway.
Later on she will admit that the way she immediately runs down the steps of Gringotts in pursuit of Catalina is definitely reckless. But her mind is bent upon catching Catalina before she vanishes, because once she disappears, there's no telling if she'll return to Diagon Alley again.
Josie turns the corner into the alley cautiously, holding her wand out. The darkness is too thick and she can't see more than a few feet, so she summons a lumos charm to light her way. The beam illuminates the entire narrow alley, just in time to see the fluttering robes disappear around the next corner. Josie hurries to catch up, gritting her teeth when she turns down another narrow alley that leads around the back of one of the shops. Having never bothered to explore the streets beyond the main road, she's at a bit of a loss for where Catalina is going, and does wonder if she's being led somewhere specific. But, still overcome with the desire to put an end to this once and for all, Josie ignores the warnings that blare through her mind and continues on.
Let it not be said that Josie Devonport is not a true and proper Gryffindor. Anyone else might not possess within their character such brash determination. Twice more she turns onto alleyways which become narrower and less traveled than the ones which precede it, until it almost feels as though she has stepped into a maze of stone corridors, which vault up the side of buildings and disappear into the night sky above. The pitch darkness here is absolute; without her wand, she would be utterly blind.
In a way, she still is. When she rounds the next corner, she nearly trips over a dustbin full of broken wands and lopsided scales (presumably, she is behind the junk shop near the entrance to Knockturn Alley). In the act of running into it, the top of the dustbin is knocked to the ground and clatters noisily over the cobblestones. The sound makes her freeze for several moments before she shakes it off and keeps going, practically sprinting down the rest of the narrow alleyway in her attempt to catch Catalina before she well and truly disappears.
"Catalina!" she exclaims into the darkness. "I know you're there - !"
But then, before she can even finish her sentence, the hooded figure suddenly reappears around the corner from where it had just vanished. This time, it is moving quickly towards Josie instead of away from her, and the suddenness of this change makes Josie move hastily back and nearly trip over the dustbin all over again.
She points her wand at the figure, but before she can utter a spell to protect herself, a familiar wand is pointed at her, too, and the figure says in a masculine voice, "Expulso!"
Josie throws herself to the side just as the spell hits the stone wall next to her and cracks into it. Shock seeps through her as she turns back to face the figure, but it isn't because of the spell itself; rather, she recognizes that voice.
She works with that voice.
Josie barely manages to summon a ward when a jinx is thrown her way, mere seconds after the first spell. The red light of it bounces off of the shield and scatters into the alley, ricocheting along the narrow walls until it flickers out. She keeps her ward steady, suddenly not sure if she ought to fight back. After all, she knows this person. He is a mentor to her.
Her decision is made for her, though, when the man facing her several paces away shouts, "Relashio!" And then, quite suddenly, just as the spell bounces off of her hastily summoned ward, another voice from behind her exclaims in a thick accent, "Incarcerous!" and the hooded figure is immediately bound by ropes, which he promptly trips over.
Josie turns on the spot to point her wand at the newcomer, only to stare in open-mouthed shock when she sees the familiar dark eyes peering back at her. The man runs a hand through his perfectly tousled hair, shoots her a sexy smirk, and drawls, "Ah, do not misunderstand, querida – rescuing damsels is always good for the alibi, but perhaps save it for daylight, yes?"
And Josie, utterly shocked, can only splutter, "Ricardo?"
Ricardo smirks widely at her, but before any further words can be exchanged…
"What the bloody hell am I doing here?" Artie gruffly demands, and throws off his low hood, looking quite confused.
What indeed is Artemis Fincher doing in a dark alleyway behind Diagon Alley? Josie isn't entirely sure herself, so instead of answering the question, she turns to Ricardo.
"What are you doing here?" she asks, in much the same manner as Artie just had.
Ricardo lifts an eyebrow at her. His wand is still pointing at Artie. He looks a bit confused, himself.
"I have come to deliver the letters you asked for," he briefly explains. Then he nods to Artie with a conflicted, "Should I stun him, Josie?"
Artie doesn't seem to hear the question, or at least is unable to process it. He's struggling against the ropes, which tighten with every movement, and appears almost childish as he jerks about on the ground and mumbles beneath his breath. Josie casts a glance at him before responding, "No, release him, Ricardo."
Ricardo's eyebrow lifts higher. "The man just attacked you, querida," he reminds her, and shoots her a quizzical look.
He's never met Artie before. He doesn't know that Josie works with him at Gringotts, or anything about the circumstances of said attack. Rubbing her forehead tiredly, Josie sighs, "I'll explain everything in – oh bloody hell! Bill must be worried sick!"
She's not sure how long it's been since she had begun following the hooded figure, but Bill is surely looking for her now, no doubt worried out of his mind.
"The English curse-breaker?" Ricardo murmurs as he flicks his wand at Artie. The ropes instantly loosen and fall away. He keeps one eye on Artie when he asks, "Has he come to his senses, then?"
Josie promptly turns to help Artie stand. He seems to need the help, because his movements are ungainly and bewildered. The moment he gets to his feet, he nearly falls over again, as if he has forgotten how to distribute his weight. This, coupled with the bleary way he blinks at Josie, as if he's trying to remember who she is, is a clear indication that his mind has been heavily tampered with. Josie's suspicions fall into place as she studies him. Catalina's words make all the more sense, as well.
Do you really think I couldn't make someone do my bidding with the right spell?
Worrying her lower lip, she ignores Ricardo's question in favor of calmly saying, "Come on, Artie, let's get out of this alley, okay?"
Ricardo watches him cautiously as the pair walks past him. He catches Josie's eye and sends her another confused look, but she only murmurs that she'll explain everything in a short while, and so he just follows them several paces behind, keeping his wand at his side in case Artie attacks them again. But Artie doesn't do anything at all as Josie leads them through the maze of alleyways. It takes a fair bit longer than it had before, but Artie allows her to pull him along without struggle until they finally step out into the main street.
Gringotts looms up ahead, pale against the darkness. Josie pulls Artie towards it, sweeping her eyes over the marble steps as she searches for Bill. Is he still inside the bank, or has he left? The answer comes only moments later, when the familiar tones of his voice call her name, and she turns just in time to see him hurrying down the street.
"Josie, what the hell are you playing at?" he demands, sounding quite angry. His brows are pulled down and he's holding his wand as if expecting to be attacked any moment now. This is altogether a reasonable reaction, she supposes, considering the fact that she had told him she'd wait for him inside Gringotts, where it is safe and does not pose the threat of being attacked by Death Eaters.
"Bill – " she begins, only for him to cut her off with a sharp, "I've been looking all over for you. You said you'd wait inside – er, hi, Artie – "
Josie opens her mouth to explain, but he says, "You can't just go running off – wait, Artie? What're you doing here?"
Artie blinks at him in confusion, looking as if he'd very much like to know the answer to that, too. Before any such answers can be given, however, Bill's attention is drawn away when someone snorts behind Josie.
"He has not come to his senses at all, querida. In fact, I am beginning to wonder if he ever had any to begin with," Ricardo bloody Vasquez drawls, and Bill, well…
"Ricardo?" he splutters, evidently too surprised to remember that he usually refers to the man as 'that bloody Peruvian'.
Ricardo only lifts an eyebrow at him and smirks.
Bill suggests that they all head back to his flat, so after a few minutes spent apparating and dragging Artie up the three flights of stairs to where the flat is located on the third floor, the four of them sit down in the living room. Josie briefly explains how she had seen the hooded figure lingering outside of Gringotts and had gone after it, thinking it was Catalina. Ricardo pipes in to add that he had been on his way down Diagon Alley towards Gringotts, hoping to catch Josie before she had left for the day, and had seen her following the figure into the alleyway. Josie goes on to explain what had happened, how the figure had turned to attack her, and how Ricardo had arrived on the scene to assist. Bill listens closely when she explains how the hooded figure had been Artie all along, and how shocked she had been when she had made this realization.
"It's obvious that his mind has been tampered with," Bill notes, staring at Artie with a cautious expression. "Artie? Do you remember any of this?"
The question seems to go right over Artie's head, though. The man blinks over at Bill, mumbles, "Where am I?", and begins muttering beneath his breath as he looks around the room.
Bill purses his mouth and murmurs, "If his mind really has been messed with, then that would explain how Catalina's been sending you notes and spiking your tea. She probably used Artie to do it…"
Josie had reached this very same conclusion already, and exchanges a glance with Bill before reaching over to take Artie's hand, hoping that the action might draw his attention back to her. "Artie, why did you attack me tonight?" she slowly asks, trying to keep her voice calm so as to not spook him into silence.
Artie stares at her and whispers, "She told me to bring you to her."
This single sentence makes the rest of them fall silent, staring back at Artie carefully.
"Where did she want you to meet her?" Bill demands quietly. There is no question as to who 'she' is. Catalina is clearly behind this.
Artie jerks back and fearfully moans, "I can't say – "
"Artemis," Josie cuts in, "you're safe now. You can tell us."
Artie jerks again and mumbles, "She's one of them. You-Know-Who's supporter."
Upon hearing this, Bill straightens up and catches Josie's eye. They're both obviously thinking the same thing: that if Catalina can be located and tried, this information will be very helpful in putting her away for good. That Artie has been under the influence of an Imperius curse cast upon him by Catalina herself is very serious.
"What did she do to you?" Ricardo asks, speaking for the first time since his own brief explanation.
Artie cringes again and madly says, "She made me do it. The tea. She made me put Moondrops in it. I didn't want to!"
Bill and Josie have already figured as much, but Ricardo is quite surprised. He turns to Josie and incredulously repeats, "Moondrops? I thought you said you'd stop taking them – "
"I did stop taking them," Josie cuts in, "or at least I thought I did."
Bill, however, is a bit more focused on the other part of Artie's words. "She made you do it? How?" he asks, his voice low and solemn as he studies Artie's face.
Josie quickly turns to look at Artie, too, just in time for the man to breathe, "I think…I think she used the Imperius curse on me…" Then, falling back into silence, Artie furrows his brow in confusion and stares at a patch of rug, looking dazed. He does sound a bit more like himself, though, which is a very good sign. With a bit of treatment, hopefully he'll recover from this experience. Having one's mind tampered with is never good.
"…Use of the Imperius curse is really serious," Bill mutters, and falls into silence as he contemplates their disconcerting evening.
Meanwhile, Josie is thinking about the strange behavior she has recently witnessed from Artie. He always been a bit on the eccentric side anyway, so she hadn't thought much of it until now. "He has been acting very odd lately," she tells Bill with a frown.
Bill frowns back, then turns to Artie and says, "This is very important, Artie. You have to tell us where Catalina is. We need to alert the Auror office."
Artie moans again, looking fearful once more. "She told me not to tell – "
"You're no longer under her control," Josie says.
"But if you don't tell us where she is, she may come back," Bill adds, wanting to drill the seriousness of this into Artie's befuddled head.
Artie turns to stare at Bill, as if he's silently asking him if he thinks that Catalina will come back. Whatever he sees in Bill's eyes apparently answers this question, for he mumbles, "She's on the coast, waiting for an illegal portkey to take her to South America."
Another brief silence falls, before…
"Why did she want you to bring me to her if she's leaving the country?" Josie asks.
Artie rubs his eyes and mumbles, "I don't know. She wanted to take you with her. I don't know why. I don't know – "
As Artie starts in with his crazed mumbling again, Bill stands up and takes Josie's arm. He tugs her towards Ricardo, wanting to have a bit of privacy. Behind them, Artie's voice fills the room, repeating, 'I don't know', over and over again.
"Look, I think I ought to take him to St. Mungo's," Bill murmurs to them. "He needs proper treatment."
Despite being unfamiliar with St. Mungo's, Ricardo correctly guesses that this is a hospital, and quietly asks, "Do we have enough information to contact your Aurors?"
Bill nods, "I think so. I'll send a Patronus to Kingsley." He glances at Josie, then at Ricardo, and murmurs, "Stay here. Don't go outside. I'll be back within the hour."
Josie frowns though, and steps towards him to take his arm. "Bill, I don't like this. I don't think you should go – "
"I'll be fine," he softly cuts in. "We can't keep him here. He's a danger to himself right now, and there's no telling what lingering effects the Imperius curse could have on him…"
They all glance back at Artie, who is still mumbling nonsensically to himself as he runs his fingers through his hair again and again.
"…Be careful," Josie sighs, and steps forward to kiss Bill chastely on the mouth, very much aware that Ricardo is watching the action with a raised eyebrow. The Peruvian says nothing, though, as Bill leads Artie from the flat. Only when the door closes behind them does he turn to Josie and smirk widely.
"Well well well," he purrs. "Perhaps the English curse-breaker does have some sense after all…"
And Josie, still a bit taken aback by the fact that Ricardo is even here at all, laughs.
"Just wait until he gets back," Josie chuckles, opening her arms to hug him properly. As she's engulfed with Ricardo's warm, spicy scent, she adds, "I'm sure he'll lose it when he starts demanding why you decided to come all this way just to deliver those letters to me."
Ricardo chuckles too, and pats her head.
"I actually have business with your Ministry as well, but I think I'll just tell him that I wanted to make sure I didn't need to break his wand in half," Ricardo happily tells her, and snickers.
The next week flies by. With Kingsley's assistance, Aurors had been sent out to locate Catalina about an hour after Bill had brought Artie to St. Mungo's. A bit of questioning from Artie had ensured that they had a better idea as to where to find her, and after that, bringing her in had been fairly easy. Josie hears that Catalina had put up a fight, but she hadn't stood a chance against the group of highly-trained Aurors that had been sent after her. She has a feeling that Catalina's capture wouldn't have been a priority if it wasn't for Artie's involvement. The Ministry does not take the Imperius curse lightly.
Concerning Artie, news of his admittance into St. Mungo's for treatment of the Imperius curse spreads quickly through Gringotts. Everyone is concerned and wants to know exactly what had happened to him. Josie finds herself repeating the story so many times throughout the week that by the end of it, she's got it memorized. According to the Healer in charge of his treatment, he is already doing much better after only a few days. The memory spells he had suffered at the hands of Catalina had been short-term and will apparently have no lasting damage. With luck, he'll be right as rain in time for the trial.
True to Ricardo's word, he does indeed have business with the Ministry. He's been sent by the Peruvian Council to convene with them on updated policies with the new Minister of Magic, Scrimgeour. However, he also has several of the letters that Josie had sent him, which he thankfully hadn't yet thrown away. At this point, Artie's testimony in itself should be enough to incarcerate Catalina, but Josie supposes that every bit of evidence helps.
Ricardo stays in England for several days, which is a point of annoyance for Bill, who is constantly asking when he's going to be leaving. Josie finds it rather amusing. It's clear that the two men still don't see eye to eye. Still, Ricardo does indeed have business with the Ministry and has obtained lodgings elsewhere, so they don't actually see that much of him. Catalina's court date is set about two weeks away, and though Josie would have liked Ricardo to stay long enough to attend it, he must return to Peru within the week. Life goes back to normal, in some ways – though while Ricardo is still in England, normal isn't entirely possible.
Bill is most certainly not expecting to see Ricardo bloody Vasquez striding purposefully through the lobby of Gringotts when he arrives to work several days after Catalina's capture, but his reaction happens to be rather amusing to Ricardo himself, who purrs out a smirk when he follows Bill into the lift. At first, Bill seems to think he's imagining Ricardo's presence, because he just stares in confused surprise as several of his coworkers clamor onto the lift behind him. After all, Ricardo is supposed to have business with the Ministry, so why he has decided to enforce his presence here at England's wizarding bank is beyond him. It's quite unexpected, too. The sight of Ricardo pushing back his perfectly tousled hair and flirting his way across the lobby is frankly jarring.
"…Who is this?" Janice from floor two asks, eyeing Ricardo with great interest.
Ricardo, who by the by is very accustomed to being ogled by all kinds of humans, shifts his purring smile to her and innocently asks, "Me? I am – "
"He's a bloody Peruvian," Bill interrupts, now narrowing his eyes at him. "And why are you here?"
Janice, who looks rather confused that Bill appears to know said bloody Peruvian, raises her eyebrows in even greater interest. As for Ricardo, he merely puts a hand on his chest and dramatically sighs, "I should think it obvious, English curse-breaker. I am here to see my querida."
Trying to remain patient, Bill eyes Ricardo with eyes rife with suspicion. "Didn't you just see Josie? You went out to breakfast this morning, didn't you?"
That happens to be another annoyance for Bill, who had been barred from joining them by Ricardo himself. Something about wanting to catch up with Josie without the 'English curse-breaker's idiocy getting in the way'. As a result, Bill had eaten by himself for the first time since Josie had moved back into the flat, and for the record, he hadn't enjoyed it. As such, there is a hint of bitterness in Bill's voice when he asks this, which Ricardo naturally catches onto. He sends Bill a wide smirk just as the door of the lift opens onto the second floor where Janice works. Janice hesitates, clearly unwilling to leave. She is far too busy sniffing out potential gossip to actually head into work, and so it isn't until both Bill and Ricardo turn to look at her in confusion that she remembers she's holding them up.
"Oh – er, sorry," she hedges, inching towards the door. She catches Ricardo's eye and blurts out, "You can't be Ricardo Vasquez? You're a legend in the curse-breaking field. Are you here to see Josie? Are you two – " and then the doors swing shut before she can finish her question, not that it matters all that much.
Ricardo crosses his arms smugly and shoots Bill a pompous grin. As for Bill, he grits his teeth at him and mutters, "A legend? Really?" He's clearly not impressed with Janice's gushing.
Ricardo snickers, "Ah, fame. I suppose you'll get it one day, English curse-breaker, if you ever become as amazing as me, that is."
Bill snorts disparagingly.
As the lift shuttles them to the next floor, Ricardo glances at him and says, "So you have finally realized that you are desperately enchanted with Josie. I am glad that you've stopped being a blind idiot. Loyalty is underrated, in my opinion."
If anything, Bill finds this comment even more disparaging. He raises a sarcastic eyebrow at Ricardo and crosses his arms, too. "That is absolutely rich, coming from you."
Ricardo, sounding a touch offended, responds, "I am very loyal."
Bill pushes down the inclination to childishly roll his eyes at him. "Please. If you ever got married, you'd be back to your old ways faster than…what is that?"
Now, the reason for Bill's sudden question is because Ricardo has chosen this moment to lift his left hand into the air and flutter his fingers at him, showing off a simple golden band on the fourth finger of his hand, which can only be one thing.
"You were saying, English curse-breaker?" Ricardo simpers, lifting a brow.
Bill is currently too surprised to say much of anything at the moment, which is why the lift ends up arriving at the third floor before he can do anything but stare in shock at the band on Ricardo's finger.
"You – you're – not – you – "
Ricardo snickers and steps off the lift. Bill, despite this not being his floor, steps off after him.
"You're married?" Bill chokes.
Ricardo bursts out into laughter and dramatically wipes nonexistent tears from his eyes. "Dios mío, did you really not know? I would have thought Josie told you," he purrs, eyeing Bill shrewdly even though his laughter. When Bill scowls at him, Ricardo snorts, "I have been married almost a year, now. Alas, Josie had her chance and lost it. She will have to resign herself to being with you, I suppose."
Bill, reeling with shock, splutters, "Wait a moment, you weren't wearing a wedding ring on the expedition – "
Ricardo sighs at him as if he thinks Bill is an idiot (he does) and drawls, "You should never bring gold to an ancient Incan temple." Then, waving his hand, he shrugs, "I thought Josie told you I was taken. It is flattering that you are so interested, of course, but I have a loyal heart – "
Bill is so surprised that he doesn't even care that Ricardo just brought his sexuality up for question, and merely stares at him.
"Anyway," Ricardo says, waving his hand, "I have come to say goodbye to Josie. I am catching a portkey back to Peru in a few hours."
Bill raises an eyebrow at him and points out, "You literally just had breakfast with her. You could've said goodbye then."
Ricardo, though, just sighs at him and impatiently replies, "Yes, but I also wanted to see you before I left, to remind you that my threat is still in effect should you ever hurt Josie."
For a moment, Bill just blinks at him in confusion, until…
"Really?" Bill dryly asks, now recalling Ricardo's words about breaking his 'wand' in half. He eyes the Peruvian with an unimpressed expression, to which Ricardo smirks at.
"Well like I said, there won't be much to break, but – "
"Oh just go back to Peru already," Bill mutters, and turns back to the lift to continue on his way to his office.
Ricardo laughs. As Bill presses the button for the doors to open, though, he ends up being surprised once again when Ricardo says, "I do not think it will be necessary anyway. I am glad that Josie is happy, even if it is with a blind idiot like you."
And then Ricardo holds out his hand to shake his. Bill pauses for half a moment before sighing and accepting the gesture, shaking Ricardo Vasquez's hand.
Catalina's trial ends up going rather well. Artie is questioned profusely by the Wizengamot to ensure that he really was under the influence of the Imperio curse. His testimony, as well as the paperwork supplied by the nurses from St. Mungo's, makes it clear enough that he was. If that isn't enough evidence in itself, the Incan coins that Catalina had stolen from Josie had been found on her person upon being brought into the Ministry, which only serves to build a stronger case against her.
A raid of her shop also brings to light other charges, which Josie could never have anticipated. Besides Catalina's possession of the Moondrops, which are themselves an illegal drug bought and sold on the black market, it turns out that the majority of items for sale in Tesoros del Viejo Mundo are in fact stolen goods. It's clear enough that, had Josie not stumbled upon Artie and discovered Catalina's location, the witch would have added the Incan coins to her vast repertoire. This is, apparently, what she does: travel the world, constantly moving from country to country to ensure that she doesn't get caught, and selling those items that she had managed to swindle from the poor souls who had made deals with her. She had indeed been on her way to South America to repeat the process before the Aurors had caught up with her, carrying the entirety of her stolen possessions in an extendable suitcase and waiting for her illegal portkey to wisp her away to safety.
Even if Artie's testimony had fallen short, Catalina would have still been sentenced. With Artie's testimony, however, her sentence is far more severe than it otherwise would have been. The use of an Unforgivable Curse, especially in these dark times, means a lifetime sentence.
Both Bill and Arthur accompany Josie to the trial, where Josie is also asked to give testimony against Catalina. Before the judges, she describes her situation, how Catalina had lied to her about her curse, how she had given her Moondrops without informing her of what they were in hopes of hooking Josie onto them, and how she had attacked her in her room at the Leaky Cauldron in hopes of securing the ancient Incan coins in Josie's possession. It is a tiring thing to recount. By the time she returns to the bench beside Bill, she's exhausted.
The verdict rolls around in her favor, though, after about another hour, and by the time Catalina receives her sentence, it's nearing the end of the day. Not even Catalina's fierce glare can upset Josie, who at this point is too tired to care. The knowledge that Catalina will be locked up for good does wonders.
"I'm glad that went well," Arthur says as they file out of the court room. Bill follows behind his father, his hand grasping Josie's. They linger in the hallway for a moment as the judges begin to sweep from the room, their robes fluttering behind them as they head back to their offices several floors above.
"One thing I don't understand is how the Aurors thought to look into Catalina's stolen goods," Josie says as they step off to the side. "I mean, how did they know to even check to see that they were stolen to begin with?"
Arthur opens his mouth to respond, but it is another voice who ultimately gives Josie the answer to her question.
"We already knew that the witch was involved in the drug market. It wasn't that much of a stretch," Vivian Blair drawls as she comes to a halt beside the group. She adjusts her sweeping robes and sends Josie a calm, hooded look.
Josie glances at Vivian and sends her a small smile. She's still a bit unsure of the witch, to be honest, but Vivian has been quite helpful during the days leading up to the trial, assisting Josie with coming up with a proper case against Catalina.
"I suppose that's true," Josie concedes. "…Thanks for all your help, by the way. I, er, assume you'll send me a bill for your services – ?"
"That won't be necessary," Vivian cuts in with a wave of her hand. "I was happy to assist. Besides," she adds with a slight smirk, "Sirius rather likes you, you know. If I hadn't offered to help, I'm sure he would have been quite disappointed."
At this, Josie raises her eyebrows in confusion.
Vivian's smirk grows a touch wider when she explains, "It's your style. I think he appreciates your knowledge of those muggle rock bands. Regardless though, I'm sure you both want to head home." She politely says, "I'll see you all at the next meeting."
And then she strides off, rejoining the witches and wizards as they return to the upper floors. They stare after her for some moments before Arthur sighs, "Well, I should be getting back to the Burrow. Molly will be worried. Speaking of, I'm sure she'll want to celebrate the success of the trial, Josie." Then, smiling a bit wider, he adds, "And also to celebrate the fact that you and Bill are together. She's very pleased."
He sends his son a look, and Bill sighs. Under his breath, he mutters, "I can imagine…"
After Arthur takes his leave, Bill and Josie start walking to the Ministry lobby to floo back to his flat. They're just about to reach for the floo powder when Artie bustles after them, calling Josie's name. She turns to see him hurrying towards her, waving his hand and glancing over his shoulder, where two nurses from St. Mungo's are following, looking a bit disgruntled.
"Josie," he says when he reaches them, "listen, I'm due to return to St. Mungo's for the remainder of the week – more of those blasted healing charms and whatnot – but I just wanted to tell you – if you ever get cursed on the job again, you'd better bloody tell me instead of stubbornly keeping it to yourself for so long."
Josie, feeling a bit chagrined, rubs the back of her neck. "Yeah…I reckon I probably should've told you ages ago…"
Artie huffs at her. The nurses finally catch up and begin pulling him away, but he manages to shout, "And maybe next time you can let me know if you've got a crazy witch stalking you, so I can prepare myself!"
Bill snorts out a laugh. Josie elbows him.
"It's not funny," she mutters, but he only loops an arm around her shoulders and leans over to kiss her temple.
"It's a little funny," he says.
She nudges him off of her and strides to the fireplace with a huff.
"It's not."
"I mean, it sort of is – "
"Let's just get home already," she interrupts, and Bill, well, he can't argue with that.