Chapter X - The Ministry Agents
There was a knock on the door. Remus didn't say anything. The door opened anyway.
"Remus. are you ok?" Ellie asked walking in.
"Where's Snape?" he asked without turning. He was seated on the bed.
"He left." Ellie noticed that music was playing. It was coming from a little radio on his hands. "What is this?"
"Mozart."
"Oh." she sounded surprised "I didn't know you liked muggle music."
"Mozart? He was a wizard." he said turning to her "Didn't you know?" Ellie shook her head. "Well, he was. Quite a good one, actually. He always used his wizard's wand in concerts, instead of his conductor's baton. This is 'The Magic Flute'. The name really turns him in." he said smiling "And there's a character here, Papagueno, who is based on a friend of his who was an Animagus."
"Really?" and she smiled too. "You never cease to surprise me. That must be why I love you so much."
These words seemed to cheer Remus up. She kissed him and he actually smiled at her.
"Are you sure you can trust Severus?" he said after a while.
"I would trust him with my life."
"Don't say that" Remus replied gravely. "Last time I heard that..." and he couldn't bring himself to say it. He wanted to warn her of what had happened to James, who trusted Sirius with his life too, but it was too painful.
But Ellie understood. She also wanted to ask him what had really happened but seeing his face she decided it would be best to change the subject.
"How about some dinner? I'm starving!"
***
Remus seemed to have forgotten all about Snape and the Fidelius Charm. Their dinner was as romantic as it could possibly be. Remus had set the table on the living room while she was cooking and when she saw it, there were two little candles on a bowl of water on the centre of the table, casting a very beautiful light in the walls.
They seemed a young recently married couple on honeymoon who couldn't get enough about each other, and she had just made something with the dinner's sauce that made Remus flush (and which I'm not going to tell you, in case there are some young people about) when there was a knock on the door.
With all the playing and kissing it was almost midnight. She stood up, looking at him, very apprehensively. The door knocked again.
She opened the door and two wizards stood there and took a look inside. Then one of them looked at her and gave a very horrible smile.
"Miss Wood... How nice it is to see you." he said. He was a tall and thin man, with very short brown hair and wearing sunglasses, even though it was night. His twisted smile showed them he was having fun with the whole business. He entered and made a gesture to the other wizard, who was not as thin and with a very rigid face (he was also wearing sunglasses).
"Miss Wood," the man said again "my name is Smith... warlock Smith." and his smile widened as if his name alone was something to dread "and as you are probably aware we come from the Ministry of Magic." he spoke very slowly, clearly enjoying every word. "Our business is to check for any illegal activity and it is unfortunate that we have come to your place tonight." He looked very pleased, actually.
The other wizard just stood there, like a bodyguard.
"This" and he took a roll of parchment from inside his robes "is an official call from the Ministry... which I will read to you, since you look so busy" and he smiled very wickedly at Remus' robes. " 'By the order of the Ministry of Magic, the person of Ellie Wood is to be taken for hearing to the said Ministry about illegal activities detected at place of residence. The two agents who deliver this letter' " and he smiled again "that's us, 'will be in charge of the security of the suspect until the arrival at the hearing.' Signed by everyone you could think of and the Minister himself" and he looked at her again "and you can check it if you want to, although I think it would be best if you just took your things and follow us."
Ellie was looking terrified. She thought they would come to check on the house and, since they wouldn't be able to find anything, they would just leave. She never thought they would take her!
Remus took the letter from the warlock Smith's hands and read it, trying to find something illegal that would prevent them from taking her. But that didn't happen. In fact, they were the ones who had "illegal activities" to respond for.
Ellie was looking at Remus for some hope, but all he could do was say that he would not leave her. A second later, he had his wand with him and was set go with them as well.
"I'm sorry" said warlock Smith again, looking like if his birthday had come earlier "but the orders are to take Miss Wood alone."
"I'll meet you there, Ellie, don't worry." said Remus, kissing her. "Everything will be alright" he whispered between kisses "I'll be with you. I'll meet you there, you hear me?"
And so he did, for he desapparated right after they did.
There was a knock on the door. Remus didn't say anything. The door opened anyway.
"Remus. are you ok?" Ellie asked walking in.
"Where's Snape?" he asked without turning. He was seated on the bed.
"He left." Ellie noticed that music was playing. It was coming from a little radio on his hands. "What is this?"
"Mozart."
"Oh." she sounded surprised "I didn't know you liked muggle music."
"Mozart? He was a wizard." he said turning to her "Didn't you know?" Ellie shook her head. "Well, he was. Quite a good one, actually. He always used his wizard's wand in concerts, instead of his conductor's baton. This is 'The Magic Flute'. The name really turns him in." he said smiling "And there's a character here, Papagueno, who is based on a friend of his who was an Animagus."
"Really?" and she smiled too. "You never cease to surprise me. That must be why I love you so much."
These words seemed to cheer Remus up. She kissed him and he actually smiled at her.
"Are you sure you can trust Severus?" he said after a while.
"I would trust him with my life."
"Don't say that" Remus replied gravely. "Last time I heard that..." and he couldn't bring himself to say it. He wanted to warn her of what had happened to James, who trusted Sirius with his life too, but it was too painful.
But Ellie understood. She also wanted to ask him what had really happened but seeing his face she decided it would be best to change the subject.
"How about some dinner? I'm starving!"
***
Remus seemed to have forgotten all about Snape and the Fidelius Charm. Their dinner was as romantic as it could possibly be. Remus had set the table on the living room while she was cooking and when she saw it, there were two little candles on a bowl of water on the centre of the table, casting a very beautiful light in the walls.
They seemed a young recently married couple on honeymoon who couldn't get enough about each other, and she had just made something with the dinner's sauce that made Remus flush (and which I'm not going to tell you, in case there are some young people about) when there was a knock on the door.
With all the playing and kissing it was almost midnight. She stood up, looking at him, very apprehensively. The door knocked again.
She opened the door and two wizards stood there and took a look inside. Then one of them looked at her and gave a very horrible smile.
"Miss Wood... How nice it is to see you." he said. He was a tall and thin man, with very short brown hair and wearing sunglasses, even though it was night. His twisted smile showed them he was having fun with the whole business. He entered and made a gesture to the other wizard, who was not as thin and with a very rigid face (he was also wearing sunglasses).
"Miss Wood," the man said again "my name is Smith... warlock Smith." and his smile widened as if his name alone was something to dread "and as you are probably aware we come from the Ministry of Magic." he spoke very slowly, clearly enjoying every word. "Our business is to check for any illegal activity and it is unfortunate that we have come to your place tonight." He looked very pleased, actually.
The other wizard just stood there, like a bodyguard.
"This" and he took a roll of parchment from inside his robes "is an official call from the Ministry... which I will read to you, since you look so busy" and he smiled very wickedly at Remus' robes. " 'By the order of the Ministry of Magic, the person of Ellie Wood is to be taken for hearing to the said Ministry about illegal activities detected at place of residence. The two agents who deliver this letter' " and he smiled again "that's us, 'will be in charge of the security of the suspect until the arrival at the hearing.' Signed by everyone you could think of and the Minister himself" and he looked at her again "and you can check it if you want to, although I think it would be best if you just took your things and follow us."
Ellie was looking terrified. She thought they would come to check on the house and, since they wouldn't be able to find anything, they would just leave. She never thought they would take her!
Remus took the letter from the warlock Smith's hands and read it, trying to find something illegal that would prevent them from taking her. But that didn't happen. In fact, they were the ones who had "illegal activities" to respond for.
Ellie was looking at Remus for some hope, but all he could do was say that he would not leave her. A second later, he had his wand with him and was set go with them as well.
"I'm sorry" said warlock Smith again, looking like if his birthday had come earlier "but the orders are to take Miss Wood alone."
"I'll meet you there, Ellie, don't worry." said Remus, kissing her. "Everything will be alright" he whispered between kisses "I'll be with you. I'll meet you there, you hear me?"
And so he did, for he desapparated right after they did.