Chapter Two: Adrian- Visitor
A/n- For the purposes of this story Connor has never existed. Not that I'm a Connor hater or anything but that would just add too much complication into the story. Ok, My Wife and Kids has just gone off so I've had a good hours laugh. I think I'm ready to write, *takes a swig of non-drowsy Nyquil*. On we go…
The knocking on the door was annoying me. The phones were annoying me. My sister was annoying me. I couldn't find any Advil and there were a pair of goblins back in Angel's office waiting for me to tell them who the one hundred galleons really belonged to.
"Piper I really have to go." I said into the phone as the goblins stared at me through narrowed eyes.
"Fine," She huffed. "But you will be helping me kill this Adhara woman. I can't believe she just decided to extend my time as a demon. I was-"
"Bye Lee!" I slammed the phone back onto the cradle, turning back to the goblins. "Where were we?"
"The money is mine Peacemaker!" Holdlock slammed his fist on the table. "Gripdirt cheated me!"
This was the one of the many times I hated being a Twin of Peace, or just a Peacemaker as the goblins had decided my name was. Creatures I'd never heard of had started to come to me this summer to solve one problem or another. These goblins were the least of it. I'd had zombies, trolls, wraiths, the list goes on. Strangest of all I could communicate with all of them. I wished some of them would go to Piper, but I had a feeling her living on a hellmouth was keeping them away. So I was the lucky one who got to meet banshees and lizard men on a regular basis.
"First of all," I said, pushing down a growl. "Call me Adrian, not Peacemaker, and second can't you just split the money?"
Gripdirt shook his head. "No! One gets the money, and one alone!"
Before I had the chance to spit out a long string of very unmerciful words, the door to Angel's office opened and Fred poked her head in. "Gunn's going out to do a little reconnaissance on that nest you guys found last night. You going? Oh, also I found that Advil."
"I'm going. I'm absolutely going!" I was out of the room in seconds, Fred at my heels. She handed me the pills, which I swallowed with out water, then went to get my stuff.
"Not going well?" Fred inquired.
"Not going anywhere. Goblins are accountants by nature; they don't want to give up money. It's just stupid trying to get them to compromise at all." Ah, the medicine was kicking in.
Fred looked out to the crowed lobby of the hotel. "Well I hate to say it, but half the people out there are for you."
"It's three now, we shouldn't be back for awhile, then I go out with Angel tonight." I sighed. "I can't see anyone else today, nor do I want to. I want to be able to have a conversation with my sister, and maybe my girlfriend."
Fred slapped her forehead. "I forgot, Hermione called this morning. She said to get back to her whenever you had time. Morning or night."
"This is ridiculous. I need to get rid of all those demons and, ugh, whatevers waiting out there. This was not part of the prophecy. We're just supposed to bring peace between demons and humans not giants arguing over land borders or merpeople mad about sunken ships." I said angrily, dropping supplies into my pockets.
"But you're bringing peace," She said lightly. "It's a step in the right direction."
I stooped to tie my boots quickly. "You're right I guess. Thanks, I'll see you later."
I knew that behind me Fred's face was screwed up into a look of worry. It was unneeded. Despite the headaches and frustrations of what I was doing, I was having the time of my life at Angel Investigations. It was a summer job now, but I'd already sworn to myself that after I finished Hogwarts I would be back.
Angel and Cordelia where my official guardians for the summer and (even through Spike's non stop grumbling about Angel) I was staying with them and the rest of the Fang Gang for the summer. My sister Piper was a few exits down on the highway with Buffy, Spike, and our twin cousins. Dumbledore had placed me in LA for a few reasons. I was close to my sister but not too close, Cordelia could report back to him, Angel is my great times something sire (he sired Dru, who sired Spike, who sired my Grandmother, who gave birth to my mother, who gave birth to us. Get it?) So we're related in a rather odd and twisted way, and LA is a big city with a lot of places to hide and very limited Death Eater activity.
I made a brief stop back into Angel's office where the goblins were still arguing as Lorne tried to usher them out. I grabbed my wand from the desk and ran out before either one of them had time to see me and start the debate over the money again.
Gunn was already turning to leave when I was halfway to the door. I'd started to jog, but a familiar female voice stopped me dead in my tracks. "Adrian! Adrian, wait!" I'm not one for delusional false hope so I didn't turn immediately. I kept heading for Gunn. But she called again and this time I heard footsteps running up. Gunn turned and looked at me from the door. Grinning, he shook his head and hurried out of the hotel.
"Hermione?" I turned slowly, hoping that it was her. This question was answered as she flung her arms around me as soon as I was facing her, and kissed me senseless.
"Adrian!" She said breaking the kiss. "I'm so glad I caught you! I have so much to tell you and I know Dumbledore said we couldn't, but I can't keep it from you two! We're going to be in so much trouble, but you're not getting the Daily Prophet and…"
"'Mione!" I cut her off, placing my hands on her shoulders. "What's going on?"
Hermione's face was flushed and she looked like a house elf about to break a rule and slam his hands in a waffle oven. "The ministry, it's out of control."
"C'mon." I took her hand and gently led her through the crowded lobby. Fred had left so we were the only other humans in the room and we looked very out of place, especially with Hermione looking about ready to go hysterical. Angel had been in the hotel's kitchen last time I'd checked so that's where I decided to take her. Whatever had her worked up was probably important enough for him to hear it.
Angel was in the kitchen with Cordelia. Cordy was waving her wand around fixing something to eat while laughing with Angel. They both looked up when I brought Hermione in.
"Hello Professor Chase, Angel." Hermione said shyly, sitting in a chair I pulled out for her. I perched myself on the counter next to her, still touching her protectively.
"You can call me Cordy during the summer," she said. "Uh, Hermione it's very nice to see you, but how'd you get here. Did you Floo?"
"And why are you here?" asked Angel.
Hermione heaved a sigh. "M-My parents are on a second honey-moon. They don't know I'm here."
"Ooooh boy." Cordy groaned. "You risked ultimate groundation just to see AJ?"
"No! Well, a little, but-" she blushed profusely. "The English Ministry's in shreds, and Adrian it's important. It's turning into the old times, sixteen years ago. When Death Eaters reigned. Dumbledore said you and Piper shouldn't know. He wanted you to have a good summer-normal- but they're doing horrible things."
I rolled my eyes. "Trust me, our summers have been anything but normal. Are you going to Piper after this?"
"Harry, Ron and…Draco. They're there now."
"Draco?!?!" Cordy and I said together. "They're working together?" I asked.
"No, they didn't even know they'd end up there together. Draco was going to pay a surprise visit to Piper. We all met up at the Floo stop in Florida." Hermione was digging into her bottom lip now. "Everything's so terrible."
Angel set a glass of water into her shaking hands and directed her to drink. "Ok, exactly what is happening? And why is it so important that you came nine thousand miles to tell Adrian and Piper?" I looked at her as she gulped the water. Hermione was wearing a jumper, and striped knee high socks. She looked very much like Willow on a typical day, but I'd never seen her shaking so much, not even when Drusilla had attacked her.
"The Death Eaters are more active than ever. There've been so many muggle killings and tortures. Even here in the states they've gained more support. From what I've read that's mostly on the East Coast in the major cities, but Portland and Las Vegas's magical populations have become practically consumed by Voldemort's supporters. The things they're doing to Muggles are horrible but that's not the worst of it." She took a breath. "The ministry's killing innocent Muggles."
"The Ministry of Magic? Cornelius Fudge? He might be stupid but he wouldn't order this," said Cordy shaking her head. "It'd get him kicked out of office like that!" she snapped her fingers to punctuate the sentence.
"Not if the ministry is filled with Voldemort's supporters. You guys, Lucius Malfoy was made the Deputy Head Minister." My heart skipped at least three beats at that. Cordy's mouth dropped, and Angel's eyes dawned with sudden understanding. The Ministry of Magic was now officially corrupt.
"Here's where the Muggles come in." Hermione continued. "Voldemort has this spell that enables him to call all dark creatures to him. He doesn't necessarily want them but it helped Lucius get to be Deputy. He let the information leak into ministry and now they're rounding up all dark creatures who haven't been drawn to Voldemort. If the dark creatures are magical they keep them in Nazi like confinement. All muggle dark creatures they kill on site."
"There are no muggle dark creatures." Angel said. I silently agreed.
Cordy drew her hand to her mouth as tears formed in the brims of her eyes. "Yes there are. Werewolves are considered dark creatures, and believe me, there can be muggle werewolves. I knew one in high school, and right now he's in England."
"Oz." Angel said. "Hermione what else is going on over there and is any of it directly affecting the US, or going to in the near future?"
"Ron's dad was dismissed." Hermione answered sadly.
"Oh God." I muttered. That wouldn't bode well for the Weasley's. Fred and George's joke business had to do well now.
"As far as I know the Auror's branch of the ministry hasn't been infiltrated and all I can say about that is thank god for small blessings. There're rumors going around that Fudge will dismiss the dementors from Azkaban soon, that won't be too good. I'm not sure about you're last question Angel, right now America is a veritable sanctuary for us European wizards and witches, just as it was sixteen years ago. I'd expect an overflow of magical folk within the next few months, maybe years."
I looked at the two adults. "From the sound of it you'll want to get your friend out of there. This is awful, how did Malfoy get the Deputy position in the first place?"
She paled. "The former deputy, well, she was found in the Thames…in six pieces."
"Is Hogwarts still safe?" asked Angel.
Hermione cracked a brief smile and said, "Dumbledore hasn't cracked under any pressure. The school will still be opened for the fall semester."
"Does the general magical public know about the muggle killings?" I wondered.
"Even if they did," Hermione said. "No one dares state their loyalties in public now. Dumbledore has a substantial number of people on his side though, and we have to have confidence in him. He's Dumbledore after all. We'll all have to be careful. Voldemort will be…after us. Especially you, Piper, and Harry."
"Any sign of Pettigrew?"
"As always he's seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth."
"What about dad and Remus? Are they ok?"
"Remus is resisting the spell, but I'm worried the ministry will come for him soon. A toucan delivered the last letter Sirius sent Harry. They live in South America, so I'm assuming that's where he is."
"Sirius is in Asia somewhere near Mongolia." Angel informed us. "Hermione I'm glad you came, you can stay for as long as you'd like. I'm sure Adrian would be glad to show you a room."
Cordelia stood. "I'm going to write to Oz. I want him out of Europe, and I know Buffy, Willow, and the rest of them will feel the same way. You two can call Sunnydale."
As well all left the kitchen I noticed the headache was back. It was going to take more than Advil to get this settled.
*~*
I'd taken Hermione into my room after we tried calling Sunnydale (the line was busy). We'd turned on the television but we weren't really watching it, it served more as a distraction from life. We were talking; Hermione was telling me more about what was going on in England, and we were catching up with each other.
"Current crisis non pending, how've you been?" Hermione asked nervously, her feet dangling from the bed. I couldn't help but think how cute she looked like that. "Adrian?"
"Things've been interesting," I answered honestly. "I want to work here after Hogwarts. It's great."
She cast her eyes downward. "If things keep up the way they're going it'll probably safest to work here anyway. I certainly wouldn't recommend going into the ministry. You've talked to Angel about it?"
"Yeah," I started to say more but the phone rang, interrupting me.
Hermione reached over my legs and pressed the speakerphone. There was another beep meaning Angel, Cordy and everyone else were probably on from the office.
"Angel Investigations, we help the helpless," Fred said from the other line.
"This isn't a business call," answered Buffy. "Did Hermione get there ok?"
And so started the largest and longest conference call I'd ever been part of. It was loud and unorganized at first, with everyone speaking over each other, insults being traded *cough* Xander, Spike, and Angel *cough*, reunions taking place, and arguing *cough* Ron, Harry, and Draco *cough*. Finally Dawn out-yelled us all and told us to shut up and speak one at time. Hermione and I got comfortable (we knew we'd be there awhile), and business began to take place.
Before Lucius Malfoy became Deputy Minister there had already been plenty of Voldemort supporters working within the building. People like McNair the executioner, or Goyle who worked in the Werewolf registry department. They didn't have a lot of power. McNair couldn't just go executing who ever the hell he wanted or anything like that, and the Ministry wasn't exactly throwing people at him for dementors kisses. He got to kill animals, big whoop for a Death Eater who liked to kill Muggles for sport. The only person the ministry had authorized the dementors kiss to be given to in the past six years was dad, and McNair didn't even get to see that happen. Lucius Malfoy had been Deputy for less than two months and the dementors kiss had been given to three criminals in Azkaban already. Most of the public didn't know this but Draco and Ron's dads had both told them.
It was amazing how all this could happen between June and August. Voldemort's supporters were organized, and they let no one gain proof that they actually were in league with him. The only ones who truly knew were the aurors who's fought during the last war, and of course Harry. He'd seen them all when Voldemort had regained his body. Cornelius Fudge was stupid though, and he wouldn't listen to Dumbledore when he told Fudge what was going on right under his nose.
While we knew that alone we could do nothing that would directly affect the state of the ministry, there were some things we could do. Willow was insistent that she would get Oz out of England if she had to drag him out herself. I didn't ask but I assumed there was some sort of past relationship there. Cordy and Willow were commissioned to magically expand Spike's underground apartment outside of the Forbidden Forest. Spike and Buffy didn't trust us kids to go back to Hogwarts alone and not get into any trouble. They'd go to England along with Dawn and the babies to watch out for us. Dawn was shocked by this but then squealed and yelled something about Harrods. She wouldn't go to Hogwarts (though she probably could've considering she's a key to the universe and used to be a giant ball of light and everything), they'd find a private school once they got there. The Watchers Council was not going to like the slayer leaving the hellmouth, but when Hermione pointed that out Spike said 'screw the Watchers'. Xander and Anya were staying in Sunnydale, and could hold down the fort for a while, but how long?
*~*
Dear AJ,
Before you hung up on me and we had the major crisis phone convo I was trying to tell you something important! Adhara came back this morning. My week 'bonding' with my demon was supposed to be up, but is it? Of course not. Damned sadistic bitch decided that since I seemed to be finally accepting this part of myself she couldn't take it away from me in good conscience. I get to be Piper-demon until the day we go back to England. She claims that to fulfill my part in the world I have to be fully comfortable with my whole self. I am slightly PO'd here.
I don't get Xander at all! Before this whole thing with Adhara happened we were fine with each other. Sure there were a few cracks about Spike being my uncle but I was able to go right back at him reminding him that he is after all in love with an ex-demon (who by the way is so like Candra it's scary). But now he's gone cold, he doesn't talk to me at all. I know it's the vampire thing, he's even gotten worse to Spike, and you heard him, Spike, and Angel today on the phone. Put them together with the way Draco, Harry, and Ron were acting and you got your self a mini version of World War Three. I've tried talking to him but he insists there's nothing wrong. He's such a bad liar.
Luv,
Piper
Dear Oz,
I'd call but you didn't leave number, we only know you're in England and I know Elmo (the owl) will be able to find you. This is urgent, you have to leave Europe NOW!! There are people hunting down and killing human werewolves. You can send a letter back with Elmo. Pease leave and come back to Sunnydale. We're all worried.
Love,
Willow
Dear Professors Chase and Rosenberg,
I ask you not to inform Piper and Adrian of this information. I have sent letters to Sirius and Remus as well so you needn't worry about alerting them. It has been discovered that Peter Pettigrew has succeeded in framing another innocent for murder. We received the news a week ago but had to examine the evidence to confirm it to be true.
Sent to us by an anonymous source it had been confirmed that Leandra Murdock is indeed innocent of the murder of Livia Black in 1980. Peter Pettigrew was able to forge the note found by Sirius that night. We still do not know if Leandra is dead or alive, but no one has seen her for the past seventeen years. She would be thirty-six. I would also ask you not to tell her son Hayden Murdock about this as well. Albus will tell them all when he feels that it is time.
If you receive the Daily Prophet then you know some of the recent turn of events within the ministry. I urge you all to be careful in these coming times.
Respectfully yours,
Minerva McGonagall
Dear Piper,
Can't write much, just wanted to say craziness is ensuing in England. Also, can you remind Adrian to bring his guitar to school? Lord knows I'm going to need some music this year.
My karma ran over your dogma,
Candra J.
Snuffles,
The search for you has stepped up, but despite this I must ask you to return to England. The League Against Voldemort will start once again and for your chair to be one of the many that will be empty would be grave indeed.
Yours,
Albus
A/n- I really hope you like this, 'cause it's NOT as good as I think it could be. The little hellion that lives with us (also known as Kristian my eight year old brother) has recently decided he wants to do whatever I do. This includes running around the house belting (off key) the words to the song that Spike sang during the musical episode (note I do not scream this song at the top of my lungs I just happen to like it and sing it privately in my room in front of my Spike Shrine). I was forced to listen this for the whole time I was writing, and then when I was editing with my friend. If you live without a little brother I envy you.
Coming attractions include…Draco and Ron fighting, Social Services people, We find out if a portkey stop is like a truck stop on the highway (maybe), A premature trip to England, and Oz (maybe…I think *ponders* I have this whole mini story line planned out for Oz *grins*.As Candra might say…'he's soooo lickable').
Alas I must go now 'cause it's time for my two-hour block of television, Boy Meets World, Family Matters, Smart Guy, Boy Meets World. That is truly heaven.
-MJ Parker
