A/N: This is likely one of the longer chapters. Actually, the next several hold their own in length if nothing else. The 'interest' part I leave to you.
If you really want to enjoy this chapter, understand it was written very tongue-in-cheek. Poor Orion and Katlin. I wasn't giving them much of a break. So to give them (and my readers) a breather, I wrote this chapter.
And as always.....,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: My bank account statement is current available for review, after which you may make your own decisions.
Chapter Sixteen: Party
"Please, Orion!" Katlin pleaded again. "Pllllease!"
But Orion stood fast. "Katlin, once and for all, no!"
Katlin attached herself to his arms which Orion had folded over his chest as he stood staring at her.
Giving him her most pouting look, she stared up into his eyes.
"But I never get to go to anything like this. Not just for fun. Pleeease!"
"Katlin...."
"Please, Orion! The man is a legend!"
"Among Aurors, Katlin. Why would a Deatheater want to meet him?"
"Just because he was an Auror doesn't make him any less interesting! Please!"
Orion sighed to himself as he stared down at the beautiful woman hanging on his arm, pouting for all she was worth. It was very hard to say 'no' when she got like this. And she knew very well how to work it.
The pleading had started when Orion had inadvertently mentioned that he had to cancel an evening he had planned with Katlin later in the week due to another engagement he was invited to at the last minute.
The engagement in question was to a dinner party at the home of Lawrence Olivers, one of the most noted and highest ranking Aurors before the war. During the dark years of Voldemort's rise to power he had arranged many of the most strategically successful attacks on the Deatheaters, as well as had a personal hand in the assigning of the new order of the Unspeakables. Generally Orion did his best to avoid such engagements. But after the events of the last few days, he felt it might serve as a good distraction. Something to take his mind off of things and perhaps help him look at the situation a bit differently in the morning if he could just get away from it for one night.
But for the life of him, Orion couldn't understand Katlin's interest in meeting someone like Lawrence Olivers.
"You're planning on killing him, aren't you?" he asked seriously.
"Nooooo!" Katlin swore. "Orion, please! When else would I get a chance to meet the man? It isn't like he sits down to tea with Deatheaters. The only way I will ever get a chance like this is if I go with you! PLEASE!"
Orion stared down at her. It was just so hard to say 'no' sometimes.
"You'll be good?" He made her promise.
Katlin was practically jumping up and down at the prospect being handed to her. "I'll be good!" She replied, then cuddled up closer to him. "And afterwards," she whispered, playing one long, thin finger over his chest, "I'll be very good."
"No tricks." Orion stated.
"Not unless you want......"
"At the party." Orion specified this time.
Katlin shook her head.
"Promise!"
Katlin pouted. "You don't trust me!"
"Promise!" Orion repeated firmly.
Katlin huffed at him. "Fine! I promise."
"To?"
Katlin sighed loudly this time. "No tricks, no dark magic, and I won't try once all night to kill the man. Satisfied?"
Orion paused for a bit for effect. But finally he gave her a small smile. "All right. You can go."
Katlin threw herself into his arms with a squeal of delight, showering him with kisses as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Oh, thank you!" She cried happily. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!!"
"All right." Orion stated as he pulled her back. "But you have to do something about your appearance. He'll know you on sight."
Katlin stepped back. "For you," She said in a soft voice, "whatever you like."
"Something simple. Nothing flashy. Brown hair, I think. And brown eyes."
"Darker skin?"
"Could be a nice change."
Katlin closed her eyes as she concentrated. Her appearance wavered for a moment, then cleared. In her place now stood a tall, thin, statuesque black woman. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun at the back of her head, emphasizing her deep brown, almond shaped eyes. A full set of ruby red lips curved slowly into a smile at Orion's stare.
"All right?" She purred.
Orion gave her a pleased smile as he shook his head. "I doubt Lawrence will be able to keep his eyes off of you if you look like that, Katlin. Could you tone it down a bit?"
Katlin pouted a bit, but obligingly the hair swept up, then came cascading down over her shoulders. She added a few pounds around the waist, and filled out the facial features a little as well.
"Happy?" She stated in a less then pleased tone.
"Not really. But that's not the point. You're practically wallpaper now. No one will give you a second look.
"Yippie." Katlin replied dully.
"You still get to go to the party." Orion reminded her, bringing a smile back to her face as he wrapped his arms about her. "And the one afterwards as well." He added with a playful leer.
"Should make you stick with this one." She stated resentfully, looking over her current appearance.
Orion considered the option. "Well, that could be interesting." He replied. "something to break up the monotony."
Katlin frowned at him.
"And," She answered, "that comment could get you a lot of lonely nights."
But Orion quickly buried his face in her neck. "I only want one woman in my bed." He told her as he kissed her neck. "And that is you."
Katlin's form shifted and returned to its normal shape as she wrapped her arms about him.
"Saved by squirming." She replied.
The party itself was nothing unusual for Orion. He had been to Lawrence Oliver's house several times for just such occasions. For him it was all really more of a 'command performance' than an 'evening out'. Being among Olivers' top choices for the Department of Mysteries, Orion was expected from time to time to attend the parties and play the part of the dutiful agent. Charly was always invited as well, but on this particular evening had managed an excuse good enough to not have to attend.
Not that anyone was complaining about Orion's replacement for his partner. Five minutes in the door, Katlin had practically charmed every one of Oliver's guests. But as per Orion's instructions, she quickly pulled back when she felt too much attention was focusing on her and reverted to the pretty ornament on her escort's arm.
For the most part, the evening went much as Orion had hoped it would. Katlin managed a few cordial words with Olivers, but for the rest simply blended into the general conversation.
By the time they were seated for dinner, Orion had managed to relax a slight bit. So far not so much as a single eyebrow had been lifted at woman accompanying him, and no one had died. For him, the evening was so far a success. Although he did privately miss the fact that had Charly come along, there would like have been at least one good wizards duel by now.
Near the end of the meal, Katlin leaned over and whispered something in Orion's ear, then briefly excused herself to the rest of the table as she got up.
Orion was quickly dragged back into conversation by the woman on his left as Katlin left the room.
Once outside the room, Katlin quickly headed down the hallway she thought she had remembered someone once mentioning led to a guest bathroom. The dress she had on and the size she was currently simply didn't match as well as she had hoped and she felt the need for a slight readjustment. Sighing to herself, she opened a side door in the hallway and stepped into the dark room. For a few seconds she fished about for a light-switch, but not finding it, sighed as she pulled out her wand.
"Lumos." She said.
The tip of her wand lit just enough to cast a dim light about the room.
Katlin's eyes widened in surprise.
What she had thought would be the guest bathroom instead appeared to be instead a small study. Katlin stood in front of the door for a few moments as her eyes quickly scanned the room. She had promised Orion she would be good, she firmly told herself over and over as she took in every detail in the room. But almost of their own will, her feet slowly moved forward as she stepped further into the room.
'Promised, promised, promised.' She kept repeating diligently to herself as she approached the small desk against one of the walls. Her eyes quickly looked over everything on the desk, taking in any item or writing that might be of interest. But suddenly her gaze fell on a large, paper-sized envelope that was stuffed into one of the hutch's shelves. In and of itself, it wasn't that remarkable. But the envelope, from what she could see of the front of it that hung out of the hutch, had no writing on it, although it obviously had papers in it.
'Well, looking isn't doing anything wrong.' She quickly reasoned out in her mind as she reached for the envelope.
Opening it, Katlin rapidly pulled out the papers inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the contents of the envelope. Without a seconds thought, Katlin quickly shoved the papers back into the envelope and folded it over several times. Not only would Orion not be angry with her for this, she told herself firmly, he would thank her. Katlin was just turning to leave when the door to the room suddenly opened. On instinct, she dropped the envelope back on the desk behind her and dimmed her wand's light.
"Lumos!" A voice stated firmly.
The room immediately illuminated, leaving Katlin blinking blindly against the light.
Lawrence Olivers stood in the doorway of the study, staring back at her past narrowed eyes.
"Well?" He asked.
"I....was looking for the powder room." Katlin lied as convincingly as she could.
"And you had to get all the way over to the other side of the room before you realized this wasn't it?"
"It was dark!" Katlin defended.
"Young woman, a blind person could have figured out the error faster than you!"
"Well, I'm sorry for the mistake." Katlin replied, heading for the door which Lawrence still stood in front of. "I'll just be......."
But the door snapped closed in front of her.
"What were you looking for?" Lawrence demanded.
Katlin turned to him in a startled manner.
"I told you." She replied innocently. "The washroom."
"Can we not play games, Miss Griss." Olivers replied. "I have my guests to get back to. Now, again, what were you looking for?"
Katlin paused as she considered the man through narrowed eyes. Olivers was a top ranked Auror. To Katlin there was no surprise that he recognized her even through her disguise. Somewhere during the evening she had done something that had tipped the man off.
"Come on, girl." Olivers stated impatiently. "I haven't got all night."
Katlin gave him a small smile.
"Souvenirs." She replied in a low purr, pulling her Deatheater persona around her like a black cloak as she casually walked back over to the desk.
"Well, you won't be finding any in here."
"What a shame." Katlin replied. "And I did so hope to be able to take something home to show my friends. To prove I was really here."
"How about a nice curse?"
Katlin frowned at him.
"Now let me see, I can't imagine Orion Black escorting a Deatheater. And there is the disguise itself. So I'm betting he's not aware of this little masquerade you have going on?"
Katlin said nothing as the man walked over to her, looking her up and down.
"Can't say as I would have thought Black to go for this though." He commented, looking her over again. "I had thought he preferred his women a bit more......refined."
"I put a lot of time into my research." Katlin replied evenly. "And for your information, Mr. Black has a variety of 'tastes'."
"Really?"
"Caviar can become boring when one has it to often, Mr. Olivers. Sometimes one likes to reminisce on simpler tastes."
"So what exactly are you doing here, Miss Griss?"
"Would you believe I simply came to meet the great Lawrence Olivers?"
"Not for a minute."
Katlin shrugged with an exaggerated sigh. "Then I guess you have me figured out. I'm here to undermined the Unspeakables. And I figured just the place to do it was in the study of an ancient old Auror like yourself." She answered, putting a considerable amount of sarcasm into the last part.
"Then I'm afraid you've been disappointed." Olivers answered.
"Considerably." Katlin snapped the word at him.
"Well, the question now is what to do with you?"
"I believe my date is likely wondering where I've gone."
"I could just tell him you weren't feeling well and apparated home."
"I believe I'm staying at his place tonight." Katlin replied with a smug little smile.
"Rarely knew a woman who wasn't."
"Well, let's hope he at least changed the sheets."
"I suppose I could do a simple memory charm."
"To forget what!?" Katlin replied indignantly. "Your study?" She took another quick look around her. "Believe me, it wouldn't take any charms."
"So tell me again, Miss Griss, what are you doing in my study?"
Katlin met the man's stare with her own. "I was looking for something." She replied truthfully.
Olivers narrowed his eyes slightly. "And did you find what you were looking for?"
Katlin could practically feel the man trying to read her.
"No." She replied flatly. She tried to soften her expression. To make it as neutral as she struggled to make her emotions. Fooling this man wouldn't be an easy task.
"Is that the truth?"
"Yes." Katlin replied evenly.
The man continued to stare at her. But finally he dropped his stare.
"I believe it's time for you to rejoin your date, Miss Griss." He said.
But a hand snapped out and blocked her path as Katlin started towards the door. She sighed as she backed up and, turning about, casually walked back over to the desk, finally turning back to the man as she leaned against it. Inadvertently her hands laid over the envelope on the desk.
Trying to mask her surprise, Katlin sighed loudly.
"Yes?" She asked in a bored manner.
"I think it would be best just the same if you were to develop an unfortunate headache, my dear, and excuse yourself home alone."
"Orion would be most disappointed." Katlin replied, laying her hands as flat against the envelope as she could.
"I'm sure he'll get over it. Or do you really want to be here when I explain to him who he was escorting tonight?"
Katlin turned an abrupt stare to him.
"You wouldn't!" She hissed at him.
"I would so hate to see this little scene played out again. Perhaps the next time he's picking out his trollops, he'll be a bit more careful."
Katlin gave the man a heated stare.
"Well, I'm sure I'll get over him as well." She replied coldly.
"My, but isn't love fickle?"
"He served his purpose. And since you'll be making sure I can't repeat the effort, why waste any more?"
"How very pragmatic of you."
"I try to be practical. It saves time."
"Then save yourself some more and take some advice." Olivers told her, following her over to the desk.
"And that would be?"
"This house is surrounded by certain detection spells. They won't allow for anyone to bring anything into this house I don't know about," he added, leaning closer to her, "or to take anything out."
Katlin muttered a quick concealment spell under her breath as she stepped away from the desk. Bringing her hands up, she wrapped her shawl about her as she slid the envelope out of view underneath it.
"Problems, Miss Griss?" Olivers asked.
Katlin turned to him over her shoulder.
"I just said how very cold it seemed in here suddenly." She replied in a steely voice as he opened the door for her.
Back in the main dining room, Orion quickly rose as Katlin seated herself next to him again. He immediately launched into a whispered conversation with her as they both took their seats again. But a few seconds into it, Katlin got to her feet and stepped away from the table, Orion following close behind her.
Olivers looked up from his own seat at the head of the table.
"Is there something wrong, Mr. Black?" He asked.
"It would seem Miss Carton isn't feeling well. I was going to see her home."
"That is a shame." Olivers replied, fixing his stare on Katlin. "And I did so hope you and your charming date would be staying longer."
Katlin grabbed Orion's lapel and pulled him down to her, whispering something in his ear. He replied in the same hushed tone, to which she nodded quickly.
"Well," Orion replied with a small smile, "it would appear you're in luck. Miss Carton says she can see herself home and insists I stay. But I will see her safely off from the anti-apparation barriers if you don't mind."
Olivers nodded from his seat. "Of course. Always the gentleman, Mr. Black."
Orion gave him a small smile and followed Katlin out of the room.
Outside, Orion followed closely behind Katlin as they made their way down the stone walk.
"Will you get home alright?" He asked as she stopped just outside the anti-apparation fields.
Katlin turned back to him. Her face was a cool, impassive, neutral. But her eyes were positively alight with a flame burning behind them.
"I'll be fine." She replied matter-of-factly.
As far as Orion was concerned, she could have answered with the crudest, but equally the most erotic suggestion imaginable and he likely wouldn't have so much as skipped a beat in the conversation. The conversation was secondary at the moment. Something to fill time. It was her body language he was reading at the moment. Something was definitely wrong. Something had upset her, and she wasn't leaving of her own free-will.
"Will I see you later?"
"Don't drink too much, Love." She answered. "I wouldn't want you passing out before the evening was over and having to stay here overnight. And be careful driving home, you know how terrible you drive at night."
She had blatantly ignored the question. That was the wrong direction. She tried to point him in the right one using her words. Orion turned his full attention back to the conversation between them. It wasn't her he had to worry about. It was himself. Something was going to happen tonight that involved him.
She had warned him about drinking too much. He had to stay sharp. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to be a surprise for him. There was no way to anticipate it.
She warned him about staying at the house. He was to leave as soon as it wouldn't draw suspicion to him.
And finally she had warned him about driving home at night. Katlin knew well enough he drove very well, even in the dark. But tonight he was suppose to be watching out for something.
But that wasn't enough. He needed more information to plan an effective strategy.
"Love," he said carefully, studying her face for the slightest change of expression, "if you don't feel well, perhaps I should see you home."
Katlin gave him a small smile. "Really, Orion. I can make it home." She stated a bit firmer. "And I wouldn't want to embarrass myself by trying to stay when I don't feel well. I mean, try as I might, there are some things you just can't mask from some people. Now, even Lawrence noticed something was amiss and was kind enough to offer me a place to lie down. But as I told him, I really do think it's better if I go home. All right?"
Orion froze at her words as he put it all together.
Olivers knew!
Somehow he had found out who she was. He was the attacker. And he was planning to expose her.
Suddenly Orion couldn't get Katlin away from the house fast enough.
"All right, Love." He answered, ushering her quickly past the anti-apparation fields. "Good night."
Orion stood and watched her until he saw her apparate safely away.
She hadn't answered him. So she expected to see him later.
Orion sighed and turned back to the house. If anyone had been listening, the conversation would have appeared boring, if not slightly confusing. But to him it was as well choreographed as a couple's dance routine. And it had given him enough information to plan a suitable defense.
Orion didn't have to wait long for his host to make his move. Shortly after the dinner part of the evening ended, Olivers separated Orion off to a side room a respectable distance from his other guests, stating he had something he wanted to show him that Orion might find interesting.
Once in the room, Lawrence offered Orion a drink as he sat himself on the sofa. One that Orion politely accepted, leaving the drink resting in his hold, balanced on his knee. Whatever was coming, Katlin had warned him he had to be alert for it. And although he had a good idea what all of Lawrence's subterfuge was heading towards, there were no guarantees the old Auror wouldn't throw in a curve somewhere.
Yes, best to be alert, Orion told himself.
"How long have you been an Auror, Black?" Olivers asked as he poured himself a straight scotch.
Orion felt the question was redundant. Lawrence knew as well as he did how long he had been with the Department. Orion had been one of the first selected for service with the Unspeakables and Olivers had started the branch. But Katlin had warned him not to aggravate the man.
"Fourteen years."
"Fourteen years? You were one of the first then?"
Again, the point seemed ridiculously redundant. But Orion let it go.
"Yes."
"And Miss Carton?"
Orion handed the man a standard cover for Katlin. "She just started with the ministry."
Olivers turned about to face him fully now. "So, tell me." He asked. "What was in that conversation?"
Ah! This was better. Now they were getting somewhere. "In what conversation?" Orion asked, trying to sound a bit dense.
"The one you had with your pretty little date outside my house this evening just before she left."
Orion gave the man a puzzled look. "I'm afraid I don't understand." He replied.
"I'm old, Black." Olivers stated irritatedly. "I'm not senile. What did she tell you?"
Orion sighed quietly to himself. Well, no point in pushing the man. "She told me you were going to tell me something tonight that I wouldn't like. That I was to be careful of you and not to trust what you said." Orion improvised.
"That's all?"
"That's all. Although I fail to see what you could possibly tell me about Ms. Carton that would be so stunning that you felt you first had to get her out of the house, and then tell me only in private."
Olivers looked something close to stunned himself. "You have no idea?"
"I know it involves Ms. Carton."
"And that's all?"
"That's all."
Olivers sighed quite loudly. "Black," he stated past the sigh, "how you got to be an Unspeakable sometimes amazes me."
Orion's eyebrows raised slightly. "Pardon?"
"To have no idea whatsoever who that woman was. You have skills, boy. Do you honestly just choose not to use them? Do you just look at the face and not even try to make out what's behind it?"
Orion gave the man a genuinely annoyed look. "Are you planning on telling me what this is about, or were you just going to stand there and continue to berate my skills?"
"As far as I could see tonight, Black, you have no skills to berate."
"I see. So it's just going to be insulting me, is it?" Orion sat his untouched drink down on the table before him as he got to his feet. "It's been a lovely party, Lawrence. We really must do this again some time."
But Olivers was blocking his path before Orion even saw the man move. He may have been old, but Olivers was still every bit the Auror of his youth.
"Sit down, Black." He told him. "You are going to want to hear this."
"Standing does not effect my hearing." Orion replied curtly.
Olivers took a step back, setting a hard gaze on the man before him. "The woman you brought here tonight, Black, was a Deatheater."
Orion managed a genuine enough sounding brief laugh. "A Deatheater? Seriously, Lawrence, what will you thi...."
"Not just a Deatheater, Orion." Olivers cut him off sharply. "An Elite. Voldemort's top Elite."
Orion did a very good impression of a man looking very stunned. "An Elite?"
Olivers looked too pleased for words. "Katlin Griss."
Orion appeared to recover himself after only a few seconds. "How do I know any of this is true?" He asked in an affronted tone.
Olivers looked around the room. "She's not here?"
"Meaning?"
"Your little date suddenly developed a headache and had to leave."
"So?"
"That was immediately after I caught her in my study going through my papers."
Orion managed to recover himself very well from his look of shock at Olivers disclosure.
"Her choice to leave wasn't entirely her own, I assure you." Olivers continued. "But I was gentleman enough to give her the chance to leave quietly before I exposed her."
Orion suddenly looked very interested. "Why? I mean, you had Katlin Griss in your house, at a severe disadvantage. Why not call in the ministry? They have, after all, been after her for years."
"For the very reason you stated, Black. I had her at a severe disadvantage." Olivers shook his head. "I respect my opponents more than that. Something that seems lost in the agency these days." He added with a touch of disgust.
"Well, you will have to excuse us, Lawrence." Orion defended sarcastically. "But the Deatheaters have gotten a lot less sportsmen-like over the past few years."
"That's no excuse to sink to their level."
"So far, we haven't."
"Your Department has come awfully close in my opinion."
Orion met the man's stare evenly. "You'll have to excuse me, Lawrence." He stated in a level tone. "But I seem to have developed something of a headache myself. Do make my excuses to your other guests."
Without giving the older man much of a chance to reply, Orion left the room. Within minutes he was pulling the small roadster out onto the road and headed for home.
Several miles from the house Orion pulled the small roadster off to the side of the road. As he pulled to a stop, Katlin slowly got up off the stump she was sitting on and walked over to the passenger side, where she stood for a moment waiting. In those few moments, Orion sat staring ahead of him, but then finally leaned over and opened the door for her. But Katlin noted that his expression remained as hard set as it had been when he stopped the car.
"So," she started casually after they had driven a few miles in silence, "was the rest of the party interesting?"
"Very." Came the short, sharp reply.
Katlin sighed quietly into the night. The whole incident must have been everything she imagined it would be. Olivers probably stripped her cover right down to the floor, enjoying watching how uncomfortable he could make one of the Department's top agents in the process.
"Did Olivers tell you?" She asked when the silence finally began to wear on her nerves again.
"Tell me what?" Orion asked as he kept his stare fixed on the road. "That I was dating an Elite Deatheater or that he caught her rummaging in his private study?"
"Well, that answers that question." She replied softly.
Abruptly Katlin suddenly found herself bumped against the door of the car as Orion swerved off the road again, bringing the roadster to a sudden halt.
"Katlin, you promised me!" Orion snapped at her as he turned for the first time to face her.
Katlin cringed slightly under his anger. But she quickly came back to her own defense. "Yes, I did." She replied, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "No tricks, no dark magic, and no killing anyone. You never asked me to promise not to look around."
"Don't play semantics with me, Katlin!" Orion snapped at her again. "I'm not in the mood. You put me in a very dangerous and embarrassing position tonight. Those people know me. They know me well. And tonight you made a fool out of me in front of them."
"I did?"
"I doubt five seconds after I left that Olivers didn't have this whole affair as the main topic of conversation among the rest of his guests. I had a wonderful time trying to pass this whole thing off as my simply 'being careless'. And I have no doubt that Bale is simply going to be salivating the rest of the weekend waiting for me to come into the office so he can have his go at me."
"That is all Olivers doing. Not mine. He is the one who embarrassed you, Orion. Not me."
Orion glared at her in the darkness.
"All right." Katlin stated, turning back to face the front. "If it helps at all, I'm sorry."
"It doesn't." The short replied snapped back at her.
Katlin paused for a moment as she carefully played her fingers over the envelope still concealed in her wrap. "I'm willing to share." She finally said softly.
Orion's curiosity was immediately seized as he turned halfway to her. "Share what?" He asked slowly.
Katlin carefully pulled the folded envelope out of her wrap.
"You stole something!" Orion nearly yelled as his gaze fell on the envelope.
"Orion, look at it before you start yelling." Katlin stated firmly, pressing the envelope at him.
Orion frowned deeply as he slowly reached out and took the envelope from her. He carefully unfolded it and lit his wand so he had better light to see by than just the dashboard lights.
Katlin sat silently next to him, watching as he read over the first page of the contents.
"If I'm not mistaken," she said, "this packet is meant to represent the information your informant was bringing to you."
Orion turned to her. "Meant to represent?"
"The information should be the same information my informant gave me in Austria. He told me that your informant had basically the same information."
"So these are the papers taken from my informant in Austria?" Orion asked, holding the pack of papers up.
Katlin shook her head. "No. That was what I expected to find while I was sitting there waiting for you. But when I started to read them I found that the information in those papers totally contradicts what I was given."
"So my informant found different information."
"Orion, I was told what your informant had. Our information was suppose to be identical. Not total opposites."
"Your informant lied."
Katlin shook her head again. "And I've told you before, I've known this man for years. He's never lied to me. He knows better. And besides, what would be the point?"
"What's the point in switching the papers?"
"Someone doesn't want us to have this information, Orion. The papers my informant gave to me turned up missing from the lair a few weeks ago. And I'm willing to bet that a few more moments in Olivers study and I would have found those as well."
"You don't know that."
"I said I was willing to bet on it."
"Why should he have those?"
"Why does he have these?"
Orion sighed as he dropped the papers in his lap and leaned against the door on his side. "This makes no sense. Why would Lawrence Olivers have these?"
"I think a better question is 'how did he get them'."
Orion turned to her. "That's not a question I'm looking forward to the answer to."
Katlin sat in the dim light of the dashboard for some time watching the man next to her think over the new information.
"I am sorry for what happened tonight." She finally said softly. "I swear I didn't mean for any of it to happen."
Orion raised his head with a loud sigh and rested his chin in his hand as he stared out his side of the car, not answering her.
Katlin watched him for a few moments before testing the waters again.
"Well?" She asked. "Am I forgiven?"
Orion sighed again, turning back to the papers in his hand as he shook his head. "For what?" He asked. "For seeing an opportunity and taking it?" Orion turned to face her. "Katlin, I can't honestly say that were the roles reversed I would have done any different. We are what we are."
"Not when it hurts you." Katlin replied. "Orion, I honestly didn't go into that room to take anything. I only went in there to look. But when I saw the envelope.....I'll admit, my curiosity got the better of me. Had it been the year's schedule to Auror activities, I would have left it. But not this. This was something I thought you should see. Something I thought you had to see."
Orion sighed as he looked at the papers again. "And in a way I wish you would have left it behind."
"And that's the very reason I took it. Orion, I know you trust me. But how could I have ever asked you to believe this without some sort of proof?"
Orion shook his head as he handed the papers back to her. "Let's just go home." He said, shifting the car back into gear.
"Orion?" Katlin asked over the sound of the car's engine.
"Hmm?"
Katlin paused for a moment, sure Orion wasn't going to want to hear what she had to say. "You remember...the other night, what I said about a third party? Someone playing the two groups off each other?"
Orion turned to her, but said nothing.
Katlin took a slow deep breath. "Orion, what if the third party is Olivers?"
Orion continued to stare at her for a few seconds, then sifted the car into gear as he pulled out onto the road, never answering her.
Katlin settled back into her seat, the papers resting in her lap. She knew how Orion felt. It was the same feelings she would be wrestling with if the papers in her lap had been found in the possession of Voldemort. If one of the people she daily trusted her life to, she suddenly felt she no longer could. Olivers was the head of Orion's department. He was the very man who had founded it. He would have known about the mission he had been sent on. He would have known what had happened. And yet in this same man's study she had found papers that were at the root of the whole situation. And he had said nothing to anyone.
Katlin sighed quietly to herself. She knew that the only thing they could do now was wait and see what happened next.
Q&A
Sailor Sol: Hmmmm. Hasn't been above 70 you say? How does one respond to that?
Oh! I know!
Pfffffffffffffffffffffffttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll tell you what. Just as soon as I figure out how to bottle our 90+ for the past three months weather here in Florida, I'll ship it your way.
Trust me, Dear, the scene you are waiting for does exist. You just have a while to go before you get to it. And when it comes, all heck does indeed break lose.
Actually, without proof, Orion has no intention of going to Bale. Things are also getting convoluted tot he point Orion isn't sure who to trust. He knows someone in his department is a spy, he just doesn't know who.
Werepup: I did say the story was a bit complicated and score cards would be required. Have you met the spy? Oh, yes. And if you get that score card out, this isn't really too hard to figure out. You just need to do a bit of back tracking over the past few chapters. Or, skip all of that and just read forward.
Silverfox: Actually, Voldemort already thinks Orion has turned informant on his own people. But that was the story Katlin gave him to keep her relationship with Orion a secret. As far as Voldemort is concerned, one informant is good, two is better.
With Orion the situation is a bit different, but he will one day have to feed the same story to his superiors to be able to keep seeing Katlin.
How the third party is getting their information I thought was blatantly obvious. But apparently not. I guess this is one of those 'I wrote it, so I see things a bit clearer than my readers' deals. So, you have two choices. You can go back and re-read things from chapter thirteen on, or just keep reading forward and things will clear up eventually. I think.
nessie: Yes, writing keeps me entertained and sane.
Keep in mind that Charly may be being lied to, but he is also not exactly forthcoming with his 'relationship' either.
I don't know if fanfiction emails accept pictures, but I know mine hasn't really worked well from day one. My biggest problem is accessing it. for all I know, I have tons of emails. I just have no idea how to get to the thing. Probably something blatantly simple though.
Yeah, you have a point about the house elf thing.
sweets: Actually, several items went fairly high. the Lupin banner went for about $150 or so. The quilt in the art room went for quite a bit as well. $200-300 I think. But the highest bid overall was mine. Go me! And for the four figure sum I dumped on those people at their convention, you would think I could get a little better service from their website. But I am on week three or four now of trying to get the next two chapters of my story up.
Keep in mind Katlin has a very powerful weapon against Voldemort. Voldemort thinks of Katlin as his daughter. One he loves very much. And that is something she can use to her advantage when things get tense.
However, the situation works both ways. Katlin is very devoted to Voldemort. There is little he would ask of her that she would not do for him. A largerly, that is where the plot of this story lies. Where do you draw the line between one family and the next?
I'll bet those uniforms are hot.
Reviews are as of 09072003. If I missed you, well......, life isn't fair, folks.
And just remember,
I'm not antisocial. I'm just not real friendly.
(Sweet's can attest to that one.)