Chapter two.
Delton Dawlish had lost track of time. He had no clue on how long he was in for but, the tiny prisoner was done crying and had finished his bottle some time ago. Now, it was lying silently in his arms. His own brown eyes locked with the bright green eyes of the baby and Delton smiled softly. The little thing was cute. Delton briefly wondered where the angry red scar on its forehead came from as he thumbed a dot of black hair over it and tapped the nose of the baby gently. "Hey.. "
The tiny boy eagerly grasped the finger with both his hands and giggled, pulling the finger to his mouth. "Oh no, " He dislodged his finger out the tight hold. "That's gross."
"Ba.. Ba.. " the baby answered and proceeded to gnaw at his own fists.
"Yeah.." Delton agreed. He scanned the room but there was nothing there that would give him a clue as to who the baby was. "I don't think.. You can tell me who you are.. Now can you?"
The baby giggled again. Delton wasn't quite sure why but then the baby waved his fists at him again, trying to grasp his robe. "Hmm.. " he hoisted the baby up, wincing a little when he realized he may have done it a little too rough but the giggling squashed that idea. "What's your name?" He wondered out loud again and promptly, a fist was pushed into his mouth.
"Thanks kid.. " He said when he managed to move the hand away. "Lovely.. " Delton decided he quite liked the little. Thing's happy noise when it babbled at him.
"Yes.. Yes.. " He answered and on a whim, he tried to leave the room with the baby but wards blocked them. Delton caught himself from swearing out loud. He had hoped that it would've worked. It didn't feel right to leave it behind. Since he couldn't take the baby out, he reluctantly moved towards the playpen. "We can't leave."
"It seems that you're stuck here, kid," belatedly he realized that even if he couldn't figure out the baby's name, he could give it his own. "I'm Delton Dawlish, by the way."
"Dee!" The baby called out and Delton smiled, lowering him down into the playpen. "You may call me Dee."
"Dee!"
"Dee has to go now." He bend down and pecked the baby's unruly dot of black hair. "I'll be back soon."
No giggling, no nothing, just big bright green eyes staring up at him. Delton sighed and gently pushed him to lie down, pulling the white blanket in the corner over him. "I'll be back soon.. Promise." He quickly walked out the room. Upon closing the door, the beginning of wail sounded but he, with difficulty, ignored it and walked away.
The guards had switched in the time he was in and checking a clock on the wall, it was nearing nine O'clock.
"Shit." He ran through the ministry, harshly knocking on the door to the minister office. A secretary opened up the door and told him the minister had gone home hours ago. Delton anger was slowly flaring up but at the moment, he could do nothing about it but wait until the next morning for the minister to return. Like hell he was going to let this happen.
Delton returned home, refused dinner and vented at his wife. The situation was just too bizarre. He read his seven year old son his bed time story and afterwards he drank a cup of weak tea. He refused dinner for a second time. He paced around the small living room and when his wife asked him to come to bed, he shook his head. "No, I can't.. I have to go."
Delton returned to the ministry a little past midnight. He stayed the night at the cell, only to leave in the early hours after the tiny man had fallen asleep. Although the anger had faded, he still didn't and wouldn't ever, accept that they stowed away a baby in a holding cell.
Delton almost choked the guards who were there the day before but they weren't aware of who or exactly how old prisoner five eight O. nine was. He let them go and stalked out. At the potion lab, two floors below the ministers office, he requested a pepper-up potion. It took a fair bit of convincing but eventually the potion was handed over and he drowned it down, needing the energy. It wouldn't do to fall asleep half way through the day.
"Minister!" Delton called out when he walked in on the top floor, seeing the small man about to disappear into his office.
"Mr. Dawlish?"
"A word, if I may." Delton didn't wait for an answer and all but pushed the minister into the office.
Twenty minutes later, Delton found himself back in the hallway. Staring at the ministers door in disbelief. Apparently he was the sole care taker of prisoner five eight O. nine and he was to follow orders, no questions asked. The minister refused to give him any form of information, in fact, he even refused to give him the baby's name. A fair threat was given too, if he stepped out of line, snooped around, or interacted with the child beyond necessary, he was to wave bye-bye at his job and be dismissed dishonorable with no chance to reapply for a job within the ministry. Losing his job meant losing care of the baby and no hair on Delton's head thought to leave the baby at the mercy of others. He was well aware his successor, who then highly likely would get the job, was a cold and heartless man. Someone who, unlike him, wouldn't give two bat shits about following the orders given; hurting and neglecting the baby in the process.
Finally moving from the spot, Delton set off to the Auror department. He needed a plan; three visits a day were hardly enough to for a child and the interaction bit.. He disagreed. Delton was, even with the risk involved, going to disobey. He just needed a little help. Maybe a few people in his corner. He needed another way in without being tracked. Delton pondered over it and smiled when it came to him. He realized that the baby was in the old interrogation room. They had actually made things quite a bit easier for him especially if, as the ministry building team was known for, did a half assed job.
During lunch, Delton visited the baby again. He had rolled onto his tummy, hands gripping on the bars of the playpen and crying loudly. It broke him. It was so unfair. One night with the baby had refreshed his mind and with practiced ease he swept the little thing up and took care of its needs. With the baby securely locked in a one armed cuddle, Delton moved around the room. He hit the walls, floor and ceiling with a number of spells and triumphantly twirled his wand between his fingers when he found one thing he was looking for. It was the spy mirror. It was used to watch from the outside and with luck, on further inspection it seemed disabled and out of use.
The other thing he sought for took a bit more trouble; Each and every interrogation room had a charmed opening that was designed as an escape route for the unexpected moments of needing a way in or out when the door for whatever reason wasn't available. It was just hidden better then the mirror. It wouldn't do for a prisoner to have easy access. Right before he had to give up and return from a lunch he hadn't had, he managed to find it. Although the charms here too were disabled, Delton knew how to enable them again. Being the head Auror did have its perks. With a smile, he tucked the baby back into the playpen, promising that he, after enabling the spells on his next visit, would be around a lot more.
Delton still felt dismayed with the case, still under the firm impression the baby couldn't be half as evil as he was told and vowed to get information on the little thing and eventually, hopefully get its name cleared and out of the ministry's clutches. He already mused over the possibilities. Would his wife mind another child?
"Mary?" He tapped a junior Aurors desk when he walked in on the department and spotted her doing nothing of substance. She was fiddling with nail polish instead of working and she yelped, smearing a swipe over his finger instead of her nail. "Err.." She rightened in her seat, a light blush of being caught marring her cheeks as she screwed the polish closed. "Yes, Sir?"
"Since you are so.. Busy.." Delton dragged the last word out and gave a stern glare when he pocketed the nail polish. "I want you to go on a small errand for me."
