Bella sat opposite Amelia, their eyes locking as she placed the blood stone on the desk. Hermione let out a small gasp seeing it there. Tonks swore under her breath.
"It's not illegal to have one." Bella remarked leaning back in the chair. IIE had nothing on her and if Ginger Nuts kept his bloody mouth shout, they'd have nothing of real substance on him either. A few maps, some scrolls, really what did they have.
Amelia let out a long breath and closed her hand over the stone. "No, but it isn't a great thing to have in your possession in light of the recent events."
"Recent events?" Bella quizzed reminding herself to keep her thoughts clear and her breathing even.
"There have been a string of incidents, as you all know and Auror Weasley is in ownership of some damming evidence that ties into these."
Bella scoffed, "Please, I already told Tonksie that he was investigating it on his own time with his own resources. It's not a crime Amelia. What is this really about?" Her voice held a note of irritation but Amelia, knowing Bella as she did, heard something in that sentence, the register of a panic possibly?
"You two, out. Go make sure the press stay away from this office." She stayed looking at Bella, her mind trying to probe Bella's thoughts.
"Ahh don't do that." She replied as Hermione and Tonks went out the door. "It's rude to try to read my mind." Amelia recoiled slightly from Bella's mental push against her. It was stupid to try and probe but she thought perhaps but Bella was one of the strongest occlumency witches of her age.
"My apologies Bella." Amelia said not really sounding sorry at all.
"How much shit is he in, really?" Bella asked pulling out a fag and lighting it with her wand tip.
Amelia was not looking at the blood stone, her fingers traced near the edges of it without touching.
"IIE wants to charge him with murder, grievous bodily harm and a few other things."
Bella coughed on her inhale, "Ginger Nuts, murder? He's not smart enough or talented enough."
"No but you are." Amelia's hand closed over the stone and immediately let it go, the ice-cold chill of it burned her hand slightly. "I thought so."
Bella frowned at the stone and snatched it quickly from Amelia's desktop. "Doesn't mean anything."
"Leave it there Bella."
The blacked haired Auror stared at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
"I said leave it." Amelia's voice was stern.
Bella dropped it back onto the desktop and drew again from her fag.
"When did you get this one?" Amelia drew her wand and levitated the stone peering at it from every angle.
Bella shrugged in response, "I don't recall."
"Don't fucking play with me Bella, this isn't a game." The stone froze in place at eye-level.
"Are you IIE now Amelia? Or do you think your ties to my family run so deep that I would actually answer one of your questions?"
Amelia gave her a cold smile, "I'll ask again Bella, when did you get this one?"
"I. Don't. Recall." Bella replied coldly. "Around the same time, you turned into a colossal cunt."
True to her training Amelia did not rise to the bait, "I'm trying to figure this out Bella and it can either be with your help or with you in the way and I would rather it not be with you in the way. It won't look good."
"Oh is IIE in the game of giving favours, I didn't know." She was not going to play into Amelia's hands. While she was her sister-in-law she was ambitious and that could make Amelia very dangerous.
The door opened behind Bella and two IIE officers came into the room.
"Auror Black these gentlemen need to ask you a few questions in regards to your recently acquired blood stone and the information found in Auror Weasley's apartment. If you refuse to answer their questions it will be noted on your record and will reflect poorly on your performance. If you should be found compliant in any of the charges brought against Auror Weasley you will be taken immediately from your place of questioning to Azkaban to await the outcome of the full investigation."
It was the standard speech, she and Severus had heard it numerous times, she didn't care much for staying in Azkaban but it did have perks. The sea air, the endless raining on the roof, as long as you didn't mind the howling wind and the screams of prisoners it wasn't too bad. She just hoped there would be warmer blankets this time around.
She handed over her wand without a word and watched them seal the blood stone into a silk sack used for evidence. The other aurors stood in silence as she was walked through the corridors to an interview room. She gave Hermione a soft smile trying to reassure the scared young woman that it would be alright.