Avery's Secret
In the days following Remus' confession, Claudia noticed a marked change in Sirius' mood. He seemed relieved and happy, clearly relishing that he could finally be honest with his girlfriend. Claudia felt relief too, as all the little things that annoyed her over the last few months had been explained. She was feeling more bolshy about her mission at the Ministry too. It was time to approach the subject with Berenice, and Thursday night presented the perfect opportunity. One of the Assistant Private Secretaries was turning thirty and the entire office went to celebrate.
Claudia spotted Berenice in the corner of the pub, momentarily sitting alone. This was her chance.
"Hey." She whispered and joined her.
"How are you finding it?" Berenice asked.
"It's been great. Working on these American talks has been tough but interesting." Claudia replied. "It would be good to know what happened last year, though. Everyone seems so nervous about the whole thing." She added as innocently as she could.
"I really shouldn't." Berenice whispered.
"Come on." Claudia chuckled and poked Berenice with her elbow. "Who am I going to tell?"
"I don't know exactly what happened." Berenice whispered and looked around. "All I know is that there was a lot of panic and few days after the talks, the aurors stormed our office and arrested Linda."
"Who's Linda?" Claudia asked, although she did not really have to. It must have been the previous Principal Private Secretary that Dumbledore referred to. Linda must have the reason Claudia was here.
"The old PPS." Berenice replied in the Ministry lingo. "She was sent to Azkaban, without a trial."
"Really?" Claudia whispered. "Do you know why?"
"I said too much already." Berenice bit her lip. "You're so nice, sometimes I forget who you are." She added and looked away.
"An Avery." Claudia sighed. "Trust me, my father is not my biggest fan."
"He was in charge of the talks. Your father was." Berenice muttered so quietly that Claudia could barely hear her.
"When did all of this happen?" Claudia continued to keep Berenice talking.
"December last year." Berenice said. That timing made sense, Claudia thought. December was when her parents disappeared abroad and would tell no one where they went. But Berenice continued. "I saw him and Linda once." She added.
"Is that weird?" Claudia laughed. "He talks to Ignatius all the time."
"He does not snog Ignatius in empty meeting rooms though." Berenice added and took a slow sip of her gin and tonic.
Claudia could not match that sort of composure and choked on her beer. Her father had an affair. Just the thought of him kissing, let alone sleeping with, anyone made her sick. And an affair with the woman now in Azkaban over these American talks? That was seriously suspicious.
Before Claudia recovered her composure enough to ask more questions, the others have joined them. She would need to find another opportunity to keep digging.
The pub was getting noisier, and the team were arguing over which club to go to for some dancing. Claudia took that as her cue to go home. She needed to think and this was not a good environment for that.
When Claudia walked out into the street, she was a bit too drunk to apparate and decided instead to walk to Charing Cross Station and take the train home. Claudia turned into one of the narrow side streets to take a shortcut. Her head was still spinning with what Berenice told her earlier. Claudia was convinced that her father's affair could not have been a matter of the heart. He was not capable of loving anyone. He must have had a different agenda. It must have had something to do with the talks.
Claudia stopped in her tracks when she noticed that the gate at the end of the alleyway was shut. She sighed, annoyed that she would have to walk the long way and turned back.
The moment she did, she spotted the familiar hooded figure standing at the entrance to the alley. She had nowhere to run. She was cornered. The only option was to fight.
"Stupefy." She gripped her wand and yelled before her adversary had a chance to do the same.
The hooded figure keeled over.
"Incarcerous." Claudia yelled again just to make sure, and thin cords shot out of the end of her wand to bind her stunned opponent. She approached them slowly and kicked them to make sure they were really out. Then, she pointed the wand at their face and slowly lowered the hood to uncover their face.
But it was not Severus. Or Marcus.
The face that Claudia was looking at was Ignatius'. That was the last person she expected to follow her.
"Rennervate." She whispered, while pointing her wand at Ignatius' chest. She needed to know what was going on.
"Why are you following me?" Claudia barked, even before he fully regained consciousness.
"I'm just." Ignatius stuttered and struggled against his binds. "Just trying to figure out if you're your father's spy."
"I'm not, trust me." Claudia smirked. "My father does not care if I live or die. He did not even know that I got this job and absolutely hates me doing it."
"I noticed." Ignatius smiled. "I think I'm starting to believe you."
Claudia thought about taking the rope off him, but decided against it.
"Was it you who was lurking in front of my house few weeks back?" She asked instead.
"Yes." Ignatius whispered. "Sorry if I scared you."
Claudia watched his face. She was sure he was not lying. If he was just trying to find out if she was her father's spy, it was very unlikely Ignatius was the one who attacked her last year. He did not even know her then and was long out of Hogwarts.
"Are you going to let me go?" Ignatius asked meekly, as Claudia continued to stand over him.
"Not yet." She hissed. "Your interest in my father. Does it happen to be related to the American talks last year?"
"Maybe." Ignatius mumbled.
"What were these talks about?" She asked.
"I don't really know." He replied. "Top secret. The Department of Mysteries were involved. That's never good."
"What happened?" Claudia was getting impatient. Both Berenice and Ignatius were not exactly forthcoming with information. It was like trying to get blood out of a stone.
"One of the American delegates got kidnapped, killed probably, by You-Know-Who." Ignatius began. "They looked for a spy. Everyone was under suspicion. I really thought they might arrest your father. But instead, one evening, they came for Linda and shipped her off to Azkaban without a trial."
"But you don't think it was her?" Claudia asked and flicked her wand to untangle him.
"It could not have been. I think it was a setup." Ignatius whispered and shook off his binds. "She was the most dedicated, determined, honest person I've ever met."
Claudia swallowed. A setup, she thought. That would explain her father's affair.
"Who was this delegate that got kidnapped?" Claudia asked. "What did You-Know-Who want with them?" Ignatius shook his head. "Come on. If you know something, tell me." She added.
"I have to go. See you at work." Ignatius mumbled.
"Ignatius, please." Claudia implored him. "I need to know." She did not get a response. Ignatius disappeared round the corner without another word.
Both of them spent the next week pretending like nothing had happened. Every time it was just the two of them, Ignatius disappeared. Claudia kept reminding herself that she needed to be patient. She hated that but waiting for another opportunity to ask more questions was her only option. Even if she only had two weeks left at the Ministry.
It was a beautiful Saturday in mid-August. Claudia wanted nothing more than to spend the day with Sirius, going swimming in Hampstead Heath, eating ice cream, or just chilling in his flat. Instead, she had to put on an uncomfortable dress and attend her parents' annual summer party. As she walked down to the garden from her room, she could not help but curse Dumbledore with every step. It was his fault that she was stuck here.
Claudia surveyed the garden. Regulus and Marcus were whispering to each other in the corner, and Claudia's parents were talking to Walburga and Orion Black. What a choice of company, Claudia thought, and made her way towards the buffet table to pick up some food before she hid in the gazebo. But before Claudia could do any of that, Cassandra spotted her and waved her over. Dragging her heels, Claudia made her way over to them.
"I hear that you're doing a placement at the Ministry this summer. Very impressive." Orion said and shook her hand.
"We are all so very proud of her." Cassandra said sweetly and squeezed her daughter's shoulder. That made Claudia feel almost physically sick, but she gritted her teeth and remembered Dumbledore's words. Only she could do this. She needed to keep her head.
"It's been a wonderful experience." Claudia replied, recovering her composure. From the corner of her eye, she saw Regulus join the group.
"Your boyfriend not coming?" He asked casually.
"Don't know what you're talking about." Claudia replied as calmly as she could. Inside, she was desperately trying to figure out whether this was just one of Regulus' stupid jibes. "I don't have a boyfriend."
"To my great despair." Claudia could hear Cassandra laugh. She did not, however, look at her mother. Her eyes continued to bore into Regulus, who was having too much fun for her liking.
"Really?" He smirked. "So, it wasn't you that my brother was snogging in front of our common room on the night of the ball?"
No one said anything, but Claudia could feel everyone looking at her, waiting for her reply.
"No, it was not." She lied, trying to stop her voice from trembling. She hoped that momentary recklessness would not come back and haunt her. It did.
"Hmmm. And it was that same mysterious girl that I saw him with on the train back from school?" Regulus had her exactly where he wanted her. "She looked remarkably like you, Avery. Same hair, same clothes, same face…"
"Is this true?" Frederic hissed.
"It's none of your business." Claudia muttered.
"I'm ordering you to break up with that delinquent right now." Frederic barked.
"Frederick!" Cassandra cried out. "Apologies, Wal. He did not mean to use such language."
"He isn't wrong, though." Regulus smirked. "There is a cell in Azkaban with his name on it."
"That's enough Regulus." Barked Orion.
"We're leaving." Walburga said, gestured at her husband and younger son to follow her, and began to move towards the exit. She looked as indifferent as ever.
"I'll show you out." Cassandra insisted and went with them like an obedient dog. Regulus shot Claudia one more wicked look and disappeared after his parents, leaving her alone with her father. She could not believe it was Regulus' meddling that was playing havoc with her relationship.
"I meant what I said." Frederick hissed. "I've had enough of you. The freedom you enjoyed until now ends."
"You can't order me to do anything." Claudia replied. "I'm seventeen now."
"As long as you live under this roof, I can." Frederick barked.
"Have it your way." Claudia snapped back and began walking in the direction of the house. She could not stay there any longer, regardless of what she promised Dumbledore.
"Go apologise to your mother!" She heard Frederick's voice carry after her.
"Unlikely." Claudia muttered under her breath and run up the stairs to her room.
When Claudia got to her room, she shut the door and threw a spell at it she learned in the book she 'borrowed' from Tomes and Scrolls. No one was going to get past that easily.
With one movement of the wand, Claudia's things flew into her trunk. She bewitched it and tied it to the bottom of the broom. If she could only make it out of the window and down to the ground unseen, she would be out of range of the anti-apparition jinx.
She was nearly packed when she heard someone banging on the door.
"How dare you embarrass me like that?" She heard her mother's angry voice. "Open the door!"
"I thought you would be pleased." Claudia yelled back. "You always wanted me to have a pureblood boyfriend. Sirius is as pureblood as they get!"
Claudia could hear her mother cast several spells, but the door remained intact. That was not a surprise. Wizards more talented than Cassandra would struggle with countering that spell.
"You will regret this." Cassandra screamed hysterically. "Open the door!" There was so much noise, Claudia assumed that her mother was throwing herself at the door. She jumped onto her broom and glided to the ground. Within seconds of touching it, she found herself in the entrance hall of the mews house that housed Sirius' flat.
Claudia dragged her truck on top of the stairs and knocked. Sirius was out again, so she used her key to get inside and slumped on the sofa. She could not help but smile. She was finally free of that place, free of her parents.
Not long after, Sirius walked through the door.
"What happened?" He asked, looking at the trunk.
"Your brother happened." Claudia shrugged. "He saw us kissing after the ball and told everyone at my parent's party. My father flipped out, ordered me to break up with you. So, here I am."
"You've run away!" Sirius exclaimed and a huge grin appeared on his face.
"Technically, I've moved out." Claudia smirked. "I'm seventeen, don't you know?"
"Still a runaway to me." Sirius laughed and kissed her.
He spent the rest of the afternoon bouncing around the flat, emptying drawers, looking for fresh towels. Anything to make her feel at home. Claudia could not help but smile as she watched him.
They could not find any food to make dinner, so went to the pub instead. Claudia was desperate to change out of her dress but realised only too late that most of her clothes were in her family's laundry room. She managed to find some shorts in her trunk, borrowed Sirius' old t-shirt and a shirt, and they were good to go.
They found a cosy pub which served half-decent food. They were about half-way through their plates of fish and chips when they got a little bit distracted. And who could blame them? After all, they were just two teenagers finally free from the clutches of their controlling parents. At last, they could be together and have the summer they both dreamed of.
"Oi. Not in my pub. Get out of here." Yelled the landlord. Claudia and Sirius slowly stopped kissing and looked up at him. "Yes. I do mean you two. Out!" The landlord must have realised that neither of them was eighteen, Claudia thought.
"Let's go." She whispered and tugged on Sirius' hand. "It's not worth an argument."
"I disagree." Sirius muttered, downed the rest of his pint and stood up. She was not sure whether he was going to walk out with her or hex the landlord. "But I also kind of want to go home and do unspeakable things to you." He added in a whisper and slid his hand into Claudia's back pocket.
"Then, let's get out of here." She whispered, reached out for his hand and dragged him towards the exit.
"Oh. You're a girl…" The landlord muttered as they walked past him on their way out. "Why do you dress like that?"
"None of your business." Claudia hissed. This was not about them not being eighteen. This was about the landlord thinking both of them were boys.
"Keep the change." Sirius barked and smacked a muggle note against the bar counter. He was fuming.
They bought some ice cream from a van and sat down on the bench in Russell Square Gardens, a small park not five minutes from Gower Mews.
"You're a girl… Why do you dress like that?" Claudia mimicked the landlord. "Sounds just like my mother."
"They may have a point." Sirius smirked.
"It was nice knowing you." Claudia scoffed theatrically and got up. Agreeing with her mother was quite possible the worst thing Sirius could have done. Ever.
"That you look like a boy sometimes." Sirius quickly clarified when he saw Claudia's face and dragged her back down to the bench.
"To be honest." She said and drew her knees towards her chest. "I've always been told to act more like a girl, dress more like a girl, look more like a girl. But I never really understood the difference."
"I think you're beautiful." Sirius whispered and placed a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Smooth talker." Claudia chuckled.
"I mean it." He said and shuffled closer to her.
"You really don't mind that people think I look like a boy?" She asked.
"Do you mind?" Sirius asked instead of replying.
"No." Claudia shook her head. "I kind of feel like neither and both at the same time." It felt good finally to say how she really felt. "And besides, it does annoy mother." She added, giggling.
"Then, why should I mind?" Sirius shrugged and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He looked like he was thinking about something. "I like both anyway."
"Oh, great." Claudia uttered. "Just what I need. Doubling the number of people, you can ditch me for." She added, tongue-in-cheek.
"It's not quite double." Sirius laughed and kissed her. "Not all men are into me." The implication that all women were interested in him was no mistake. The wide grin on his face told her as much.
"You're hilarious." Claudia smirked, with unmistakable sarcasm in her voice.
"I know." Sirius laughed. "But you're not getting rid of me quite so easily. You're stuck with me."
"Damn." Claudia replied and lowered her head on his shoulder. Despite what she said, there was no other place she would rather be. No one she would rather be with.
Instinctively, Claudia looked up at the moon and could not help but wonder whether Remus knew. And whether Sirius knew about Remus' feelings for him. She had no idea what to think or feel. There was no reason to be jealous. Remus had been kind to her, he trusted her with his deepest, darkest secret. She could destroy him if she wanted to. But yet, she could not help it. A nasty jealous feeling was building up in the pit of her stomach.
"I'm so happy." Sirius exhaled and grinned. "Finally, you know everything about me. Everyone knows about us. No more secrets."
"No more secrets." Claudia repeated, recovering her composure somewhat. The thought of everyone knowing about them still horrified her. But it was also little liberating. She placed her hands gently on Sirius' shoulders and kissed him.
"Didn't you want to go home and do unspeakable things to me?" She whispered. Sirius did not even answer, he lifted Claudia up to standing and they both made their way home.
They barely made it out of bed before Monday morning, when it was finally time to put some proper clothes and get back to work. It was Claudia's last week at the Ministry and she needed to work on Ignatius. Moreover, she knew that sooner rather than later, she would need to face her father again.
Strangely, couple of days went by and Frederick did not come to any of the meetings with the Minister. It was now Wednesday evening and Claudia was packing her things to go home. She heard footsteps and when she looked up, she could see him standing in the doorway. Frederick glanced around the office before he spoke to make sure they were alone.
"How dare you run away like that?" He barked. "Your mother has not stopped crying. She's devastated."
"That woman doesn't care I'm gone." Claudia hissed back. "She only cares about how it looks to people."
"You're coming home with me." He ordered her.
"I'm not." Claudia scoffed. "And there is nothing you can do about it."
Frederick took a few quick steps towards his daughter and grabbed her by the arm. Claudia tried to free herself enough to reach for the wand that was in her pocket, but could not. Frederick's grip was too strong.
"I will not let you blackmail me anymore. Consider your bluff called." He hissed into her face. Claudia knew immediately what Frederick was talking about – he was no longer scared she might reveal the truth about the artefact. You-Know-Who must have gotten stronger, and it had gone into Frederick's head.
"Well, you might not care about keeping the artefact secret anymore." She smirked. "But I bet you feel differently about Linda."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Frederick said, but the grip on his daughter's arm had momentarily weakened. But it was enough for Claudia to reach for her wand.
"I'm talking about your affair." She replied. "What else would I be talking about?"
"You have no proof." Frederic recovered his composure. It was clearly a relief to him that Claudia was talking about the affair. That only confirmed Claudia's suspicion that Linda was not the one who ought to be in Azkaban over these American talks. "No one in their right mind would believe you."
"Do you really think mother will need proof?" Claudia laughed.
Frederick said nothing. He pinned Claudia to the wall and growled in her face. But before he got to say anything coherent, the door flung open, and the Minister walked into the office, closely followed by Ignatius.
"What is going on here?" The Minister barked.
"This is family business, Harold." Frederick replied, barely looking at his boss. "Nothing to concern yourself with."
"You're assaulting a member of my staff, Avery. In my office!" The Minister was clearly not reassured. "Let her go and get out of here."
"Not a word to your mother." Frederick hissed in Claudia's ear and let go of her. "Or you'll regret it." Frederick's cloak swirled in front of Claudia's eyes and he was gone.
"You alright?" The Minister asked.
"Yes, Sir." Claudia replied. They stared awkwardly at each other for some time. "I don't live with my parents anymore. I'll be alright."
"Good." The minister replied and disappeared into his office.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Ignatius asked when they found themselves alone.
"I'm surprised it took him this long to assault me. He hates me being here." Claudia smirked. When she saw Ignatius smile, she continued. "Do you now believe I'm not his spy?"
"I believe you." Ignatius uttered and looked at his shoes.
"But you still won't tell me everything you know." She whispered and looked up at him, hopeful that he changed his mind.
"I've got to go." Ignatius mumbled and followed his boss into the Minister's office.
That was the last time Claudia got a chance to speak to him alone. Ignatius avoided her for the rest of the week and acknowledged her existence only when others were in earshot.
The Minister kept looking at her with a mixture of pity and concern. And Sirius threatened to march over to Hampstead and punch Claudia's father in the face, any time Claudia mentioned him. But she did not care. Not anymore. She was done with her family. The lot of them.
And just like that, her time at the Ministry was over. Berenice gave her some special tea, Ignatius gave her a framed photograph of her, shaking the Minister's hand. But the best leaving present of all came from the Minister himself – a handwritten letter of recommendation. That might even make up for that 'A' she got from DADA on her auror application.
With just two weeks left of the summer holiday and her job at the Ministry now officially over, Claudia could finally focus on the other things she had to do. Her homework and the alkahest. She was not entirely convinced that she got all the information about Linda that Dumbledore was after, and she just could not face turning up to Hogwarts none wiser about what Snape was up to on top of that.
Claudia was lying in bed, contemplating it all, when an owl landed on the windowsill of Sirius' bedroom window. It was carrying two letters with the Hogwarts seal.
"Supply letters. Somehow, the school must have figured out I was here." Claudia exclaimed and opened the window in a hurry. Sirius, who was still asleep, growled and turned over. Claudia ignored his protesting and ripped open her envelope. She searched the envelope three times. "It's not here." She whispered in disbelief.
"What are you looking for?" Sirius asked sleepily and grabbed his own letter.
"What do you think?" Claudia replied grumpily.
"Ah… Who do you think…?" Sirius began to ask, but he did not get to finish that sentence.
"I bet you anything it's her. Perfect Lily Evans." Claudia grimaced and got up from bed. "Never puts a foot wrong." She threw a t-shirt over her head. "Fucking teachers' pet." She added angrily as she pulled on her underwear.
"Why would you even want to be Head Girl?" Sirius laughed. "You hate being a prefect."
"I don't hate being a prefect." Claudia frowned. "I enjoy giving you detention."
"You hate everything else." Sirius smirked. "I've heard you complain every time you have to help the first years. You made one of them cry because they couldn't find their books! Do you know how much more of that shit would you need to do if you were a Head Girl?"
"That's not the point." Claudia folded her arms across her chest.
"What is the point?" Sirius asked, trying and failing to sound patient.
"The point is that I wanted to be Head Girl." She frowned.
"Why?" Sirius got out of bed too.
"Why?" Claudia scoffed but could not quite articulate it. "Well, because."
"I keep forgetting you're Slytherin." Sirius mumbled under his breath. "Power over everything."
"Oh, shut up." Claudia growled and stomped off to the kitchen to make some coffee.
"You would be so bored being a Head Girl." Sirius whispered as he hugged her from behind. "You would have to behave. No more criminal moves on the Quidditch pitch." He softly kissed her neck. "No more sneaking around with your inappropriate boyfriend. No more undercover work to stop Snape." He added and slid his hands down from her waist.
"Stop it." Claudia giggled. But maybe Sirius was right. Maybe Dumbledore wanted someone with an unblemished record. "I still deserve it more than she does." She added, but felt just a little better about the setback.
In the afternoon, they made their way to James' house to finish the alkahest and, hopefully, to see what Snape's potion was made of.
"Sirius, Claudia!" Mrs Potter shouted the moment they stepped through the door. "You wouldn't believe what happened. I keep pinching myself, to make sure it isn't a dream."
"Mum. Stop it!" James emerged from behind her, bright red in the face. He looked uncomfortable and kept giving Sirius a shifty look.
"What did you do?" Sirius laughed.
"Dumbledore made him Head Boy!" Mrs Potter shrieked and hugged her son. "My James, a Head Boy!"
It was as if someone poured a bucket of cold water over Claudia. If James Potter (James Potter!) could be made Head Boy with his record and reputation, then so should have she. Especially after what Dumbledore made her do this summer. He was the reason that she had to go back to the house of horrors. And after all that, to be snubbed like this? It hurt.
"Excuse me. I need to get to work." Claudia said and walked off towards the alchemy lab.
"Don't worry, Avery." James chuckled when he and Sirius joined her. "I'm planning to make the Slytherin prefects do the worst jobs, but I'll spare you." Claudia ignored him and went to start the fire in the oven.
"Can you go get the alchemy textbook?" Sirius muttered in James' direction.
"There are plenty of books here…" James began to protest.
"Just go and get the textbook." Sirius growled and soon after, Claudia heard the door shut. She looked at Sirius, her eyes now full of tears.
"You're brilliant." Sirius said and hugged her. "And you don't need some stupid title to prove that to anyone."
"Since when are you so sensible?" Claudia smirked and wiped her eyes.
"Come on." Sirius replied. "Let's get this thing finished."
"Are you trying to distract me?" She asked.
"Is it working?" He wiped the rest of her tears with his thumb and kissed her.
"A little." Claudia whispered and managed the tiniest of smiles.
Neither Sirius nor James approached the subject of James' newly acquired position for the rest of the day. They finished the rudimentary alkahest mostly in silence and mixed it with a small amount of the potion they stole from Snape. When they did that, a thin layer of foliage appeared on the surface.
"Great." Claudia growled. "Fucking herbology lesson. That's exactly what I need right now." She did not have it in her to feel happy over what they just managed to do. Even though, objectively, it was quite extraordinary for a few students to produce an alkahest even this basic.
"I can smell echinacea." Sirius said as he picked up the foliage and rubbed it between his fingers.
"Like in a healing potion?" Claudia frowned. That was not what she was expecting.
"And this is lovage." Sirius added, as he began to study the material under a magnifying glass.
"What's that used in?" James asked.
"Confusing and Befuddlement Draughts." Claudia scoffed. "Keep up, Head Boy." That snide remark made James go bright red again.
"No clue what this is." Sirius said and picked up a small fragment of a spiky shell. Claudia walked over to him to take a closer look.
"I've never seen anything like this in the potions storeroom either." She whispered.
"Whatever this is." Sirius sighed. "It doesn't look like any poison I know."
"Great." Claudia frowned and kicked the table in frustration. She knew Sirius was right. "Back to square one."