Chapter 43: News

All creative people want to do the unexpected - Hedy Lamarr

Coughing and sneezing was the music of the next day. Joelle caught a very serious cold over night. She was pale and almost not alive by the look of it, but she did not whimper or whine the least. She merely retreated into a nest of pillows and blankets, curling up with tea. Tom was sitting next to her on a chair, not leaving her side at all.

"The potion will be ready in a moment," he said, adding an ingredient that Joelle couldn't decipher. She didn't care as long as it would make her feel better. She tried to say something, however, it only ended in a silent cough. Tom looked at her. Joelle saw that he was very worried but she knew he wouldn't ever let her know. Still yet, he was unable to hide it properly. Joelle did not exactly know why and what was going on, but whenever she made the tiniest of winces, Tom was alarmed and checked her as if he thought someone ran a knife through her body. It was as if he expected someone to actually do it. But who could harm her? Who would even want to?

"How long?" Joelle asked with a thin voice. Tom chuckled. "Just wait some more. Sit up."

"No more soup..."

"Sit up, Joelle."

Joelle sighed. Tom had managed to make some food; she didn't know how and couldn't supervise while she was asleep, but when she woke up about an hour ago a fairly good chicken soup was waiting on her. It was only good until Tom forced Joelle to finish the bowl, resulting in having to jump up and run to the bathroom shortly after. She was lucky that this time he meant well. Tom merely handed another cup of tea to her. Joelle sighed in relief and drank the tea quietly, resting back once she was done. It was quiet for a while, Tom was stirring the simmering potion in the cauldron. Somehow, Joelle felt warm and fuzzy while the wood was burning in the back of the room, the mere color gave her chills.

"Thanks for taking care of me," she then said. Tom looked over to her, but he did not comment. Instead, he waved his wand at the liquid he has been brooding for the longest while. It made a strange quick noise.

"Will it taste disgusting?" Joelle asked.

Tom raised an eyebrow. "It's medicine in the end. It's not going to taste like champaign," he said colorlessly. Joelle snickered, then coughed. "I actually hate alcohol, you know that."

"I thought I knew. You weren't much of a good girl that evening at the museum. All floating glasses were empty."

"Well, you dragged-" coughing interrupted her, "me into a museum full of rich and sparkly people, I felt uncomfortable."

Tom looked at her.

"Sorry, I don't mean to sound unthankful. But...In the end, I am that ordinary, simple girl. Had it been just me and you. And art, that's what it should've been about."

Tom looked away again. He huffed a slight bit, but it wasn't in a degrading manner. Joelle wondered if he agreed or disagreed; how ordinary was she to him?

"Marvolo, why have Avery and Lestrange been here yesterday?" Joelle asked. "Be honest."

Tom looked at her. "I wanted to talk to them," he said simply and got up, turning away from Joelle. He didn't lie and he finished the conversation that way. Tom was a professional at making things work for him.

"You look so tense," Joelle commented. Tom's eyebrows twitched together but he didn't respond verbally, instead he handed her another cup. "Drink it all. No exception."

Joelle gulped but nodded, looking at the light, red-golden colored liquid. She inhaled deeply, then quickly poured it into her throat without paying too much attention to the flavor; she had to stop herself from blowing up her cheeks in disgust, however. She put the cup back, rolling up her shoulders when her ears suddenly let out steam as though she was a train, making Tom chuckle lowly.

About three hours later Joelle was relieved of the symptoms, having had fallen asleep in between. When she woke up again she felt incredibly good and alive. She was life itself. Tom was resting on the chair next to her, his arms crossed and eyes closed, he appeared to be asleep, looking peaceful. Joelle smiled lightly at the sight ahead, she knew he only somewhat meant well in the end. Or at least she liked the thought of it. She got up from the bed. Tom's eyes shot open; he instantly looked for her, finding her standing in front of him.

"I feel so much better," she said cheerfully.

Tom nodded. "You look much better, too."

Something strange happened next. Joelle leaned down and did something she has only done voluntarily years ago. She pecked Tom's cheek, then walked past him and over to the bathroom. Tom, still being somewhat surprised without admitting it, heard how Joelle started the water of the shower. His eyes glanced out of the window, it was around noon, then towards the closed door of the bathroom, biting the inside of his bottom lip. He held himself back.

"What's going to happen today?" Joelle called out.

"You're going to stay in bed," said Tom.

"But why? I feel so much better."

"The potion merely defrays the symptoms of a cold. Nobody said you're healthy again. And I don't want it to turn into something nastier. Which, by the way, taking a shower might just do."

Joelle chuckled. "A very worried man, you are," Joelle called out.

"A very careless woman, you are," Tom called back.

Joelle chuckled again. "Always having the last word, huh?"

"I learned from you, my dearest. Now, I mean it. Enough showering. Get out."

Joelle did not stop the shower and did not respond, much to Tom's annoyance. Was he under the impression that Joelle somewhat got more compliant? Yes. Was he under the impression that she would listen to everything he said? No. Joelle was still Joelle. And Joelle was a very stubborn Joelle. She must have been most surprised when for some strange reason no water came out of the shower head anymore. Tom imagined that she looked up confused, but then it clicked and she knew what happened. She must have rolled her eyes before she got out of the shower fully dressed again.

"You're a nuisance, Marvolo," she said. Tom merely rested against the bed with his arms behind his head, a smug grin on his face. He waved his wand at Joelle when the latter ruffled through her hair with a towel, drying it. Joelle slowly and comically looked up with a raised eyebrow, then inspected a strand of hair before giving Tom an unimpressed glance. Tom still grinned, her hair was perfectly dry.

Days passed. It was mid October. Tom and Joelle spent some time in comfortable harmony for a while, something both of them thought impossible to achieve. They trained together and had light conversations on various topics without getting into a fight even once - and none of them expected the next to happen.

Joelle was already asleep when it did.

"My lord," came a hushed voice at night. Tom sat up in the bed, glancing to Joelle asleep next to him, then over to Avery and Lestrange. "My lord, this is urgent," said Avery again. Tom got up, waved his wand and a silvery haze, bubble-like, swept around the bed. Joelle would hear nothing.

"I expect this to be important," Tom said. He and the other men sat down.

Something was handed over to Tom. Newspapers. It took some time. Tom scowled. He said not a word.

"This is bad, my Lord," said Lestrange, bending forward a little more. "It's not all...not only has she been spotted...and the forces reactivated to keep looking for her upon the new trace..."

"We have safe hints that Dumbledore is picking up on it, too," Avery took over. Tom glanced between the two men, quiet and concentrated. He scoffed in the back of bis throat, a scoff of possibly giving Dumbledore some credit.

"Where would everyone expect us to be?" Tom asked calmly while folding the newspaper together, the way he asked showed the two men that it was a rhetorical question, testing their intelligence.

"Possibly...erm," Lestrange looked at Avery. "Possibly at a place that is secure, with someone who can assist operations."

"Someone like police officer Bryan Lessing," said Tom, leaning back with a small smirk on his lips, turning his head away to dwell in a thought that seemed inaccessible for both Lestrange and Avery.

"My lord...you don't want to go there, do you?" Lestrange asked with a frown. Tom shook his head. "Of course not, you fool. For now it appears to be the best solution to split up."

"My Lord?"

Tom looked at Lestrange. "He will expect her to be with me. Which is why Joelle will go with one of you. I shall pick her up soon."

Avery cleared his throat. Lestrange smiled. "I would gladly take care of her, we would get along-"

"Of which I am aware. That's the reason Joelle will go with Avery."

Avery's face turned a little stony upon the news. He glanced over to sleeping Joelle, then forced a smile at Tom. "Anything you wish, my Lord. But. Perhaps I might need a little advice here and there, I mean," he cleared bis throat while Tom grinned, "I mean she...wasn't fond of listening to me in the past and I just want to make sure that-"

"You're a grown up man, Avery. I am most confident that you can handle the situation now. You know what to do. Especially in that case," said Tom in a way that gave Avery no choice but to agree. "Of course, my Lord. When will we be leaving?"

"Tonight."

Avery nodded. His eyes followed Tom when the latter had gotten up, sitting down on the edge of the bed. He tucked some strands of hair behind Joelle's ear to whisper. "Joelle."

Joelle's eyes opened. She stretched and looked at him drowsily. "Hm? What's going on?"

"A little adventure," said Tom, "get ready."

Joelle rubbed her eyes and yawned, but ended up coughing when her eyes found Avery and Lestrange whom stared at her intensively. "What-"

"Get ready, I said."

Joelle got up groggily, grabbing some of her clothes and vanished behind the bathroom door.

"Where are you going to go, my Lord?" Lestrange asked.

"Not important. However, I need Joelle to be out of my feet for a while."

"Is she that distracting?" Lestrange chuckled but only earned himself an awkward reaction from both Tom and and Avery, having their eyebrows raised at their fellow. They all turned their heads over to the door when it opened and Joelle walked out.

"Good morning," said Lestrange with a slight smile. Joelle yawned again and nodded.

"You will be staying with Avery for a while, Joelle," said Tom. Joelle looked like she just had to eat a particular disgusting bug. She scowled. "Why?"

"I have to take care of something."

"I knew it!" She hissed. "I knew you would-"

"No discussion. Pack some of your things," said Tom. Joelle crossed her arms and didn't budge, causing Avery to inhale deeply. He would have no nerves for Joelle and her stubbornness and he feared that his patience would get tested too much. It could cost him his life, he knew that Tom wouldn't allow any harm done to his precious girl.

Five minutes later, Joelle and Tom had a huge fight.

"You and your stupid secrets! I don't care if your puppets can hear me, you might be able to fool them but not-"

Tom silenced her with a swift wave of his wand. He didn't bother too much. Thick droplets of tears rolled down Joelle's rosy cheeks, it was beyond frustrating to not be able to word ones anger. Tom glanced at the two men and they understood, they walked out of the cottage, leaving the two some privacy.

Tom walked closer to Joelle, holding her face. "I know you do this because you will miss me, let's not pretend," he whispered. Joelle looked outraged but couldn't answer. Tom kissed her. Joelle calmed down.

"I will be back for you," he said. "Now go out to Avery. Be a good girl. Go."

Tom watched how Joelle walked out. He stood back in the cottage, inhaled deeply. And then he was gone.

"Don't expect too many kind words from me, doll," said Avery as soon as Joelle met his eyes. Lestrange was already gone by the point she was out.

"Don't worry," said Joelle collectedly, only now realizing she had her voice back. "Puppets normally can't speak, my expectations were low."

Avery narrowed his eyes. "Why, you were quite muted yourself just now."

"Not by choice and that's the difference between me and you."

Avery grumbled lowly. Joelle smirked. "Can't hurt me, can you? This is going to be so much fun. Do you know why he chose you to stay with me and not Lestrange or somebody else? He wants to see how much he can truly trust you. You don't know how he works, do you?"

"Oh, I know much more than you would think," Avery said bitterly, then grabbed her hand and apparated somewhere. They stood in front of a house surrounded by nothing but a field. A small house, nothing special. It was larger than the cottage but less inviting, built of concrete bricks and not wood. Joelle followed Avery inside. It was as cold as she expected it to be - starting from the temperature to the interior. Steely, grey colors everywhere, mixed with bits and pieces of exclusive items of which Joelle was sure would make Avery feel richer than he truly was. She just glanced at everything in a pitiful way.

"Come on, say something rude to me," said Joelle. She was waiting on an attack, wanting to have a reason to vent her anger and frustration.

"I would. If you were worth the effort," said Avery. Joelle smiled. "So jealous. You could have him all to yourself, I wouldn't mind."

Avery glared at Joelle. "I forbid you to speak to me in such a way in my house."

"Or else what? Will you kick me out?" She laughed. The both of them knew that this was out of order.

"Sit down," Avery then said, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Are we going to have a real conversation now?"

"Sit. Down."

Joelle chuckled but decided to be compliant, sitting down. "Okay. Confession number one. My attention is unshared."

"I am not going to confess anything to you," Avery hissed. "Just stay like so and look pretty."

"Sit down, you're making me nervous standing there," Joelle said. Avery frowned, then sighed and gave in, sitting down as well. None of them said a word for the next half an hour, the atmosphere was beyond tense and awkward. Joelle sighed, resting her head back. She glanced at Avery, who started reading a book and didn't pay her any attention, not even for a glimpse her way.

"Where...is he? Do you know?" Joelle asked. Her mocking tone was completely gone and Avery noticed immediately, judging by the faint gleeful grin that he could not stop from growing on his cold expression.

"Of course I know," he said simply, tilting his chin up a little. His arrogance set Joelle off immediately but she tried to calm down. She didn't want to give Avery the satisfaction of seeing that he could stir her in any way. On a second thought, there was something she really did not understand.

"Why do you even hate me so much? I never did you any harm."

No reaction came from Avery. He continued reading in silence.

"I'm talking to you...I just wanted to know why we can't get along. Black and Lestrange are very kind to me. And I haven't met the others much."

"Not every man is crazy about you, Joelle," said Avery simply, not looking up from his book. Joelle sighed. Avery simply flipped the page over, making it painfully obvious that he was above a conversation with Joelle. The latter scowled and made a mental note to not ever again let Avery know that it bothered her. She glanced from the left to the right, sighing. She wanted to leave this place and she wanted to know what was going on, but as always, Tom left her behind with more questions than answers.

AN: The award for the most charming man doesn't go to Avery, what do you think about him? Does he frustrate you as much as he frustrates Joelle?