The Distance to Here: Chapter 5
A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter is really short, but kind of light, and there's some romance-y hints.ooh intrigue. We are currently listening to really depressing music, which is SO good. Overcome, by Live, Turn My Head, by, uh, Live, and Nobody Knows, by, you guessed it, Live. So listen and read, folks, listen and read. Thanks to Aelora for tuning us into Live, and remember to review! Nobody leaves us any CC anyway, so we don't care anymore.
Ron was sitting at his desk, watching the Muggles scurrying around in the pouring rain, rapidly unfolding multi-coloured umbrellas or ducking into shops to protect themselves against what was rapidly becoming a torrential downpour. He had never hated Muggles, or even disliked them, but today he couldn't help but be amused at their ignorance. They went about their busy, insignificant little lives, unaware of the problems that plagued the Wizarding world, of the Dark Lord well on his way to total power.
Ludlow. Voldemort's key to the Ministry. Suddenly, everything made sense. His insistence that background checks were unnecessary. His independence, all of the lucrative and important business that only he knew about, and only he could undertake. His non-existent background, the fact that he had sprung out of the ground into absolute power over Britain's Magical world. It all added up to a shady character, and Ron was furious that he hadn't seen it before.
As if in answer to his thoughts, Ludlow opened the oak door to Ron's office. Speak of the Devil, Ron thought, and gave a grimace when he realized just how true that was. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, my boy?" Ludlow didn't wait for an answer. "I just wanted to ask you something that one of my secretaries informed me of this morning. Apparently, someone has been doing unauthorized background checks on Ministry employees. Now," he said conversationally, "I know that everyone has their own secret informants-" here he gave a roguish, conspiratorial wink- "but I specifically told you that background checks were forbidden, and unnecessary. Unless you disagree with me for some reason?" Ludlow's eyebrows shot up. "There isn't a reason, is there Weasle-y?" Ludlow had put a slight on 'weasel'. Most people would not catch the subtle change in tone, but Ron had been around Mortimer enough to notice his hints.
Ron forced his eyes wide and innocent. "No Mortimer. I just wanted to make sure for myself. If I had listened to you, I would have saved my informants a lot of time and money. All reports came back clean."
Mortimer guffawed, and wiped a tear from his eye. "One day, m'boy, you'll realize that your Uncle Mortimer always knows best." He tapped his nose knowingly, winked, and walked out of the office, whistling the tune to "Pop Goes the 'Weasel'". Ron went slightly white at this, catching once again the emphasis on the word 'weasel'.
~*~
Ginny walked into the safe house in Fulham and cautiously looked around for Harry. It wouldn't do for the security guards to see a known Death Eater skulking about the place. She found him hunched over a desk in a dark, dank room at the back of the safe house. Her eyes were wide and staring. She had always wondered at this place. It reminded her of her own life, with it's neat prim outside, but coarse and unfinished on the inside.
"Gin?" Harry's eyes lit up, but he didn't know it. He did notice the light in her eyes, though, that permanent glow she seemed to exude. It shone through the copper of her hair, through her translucent skin, and through the tiny little freckles that she always called angels' kisses. He could believe that dozens of tiny little angels had kissed her delicate face. She looked melancholy though. She always did, now. Being a Death Eater was taking its toll.
"Harry!" For a moment, that melancholy aura she exuded disappeared, leaving warm glow in its place. But only for a moment. "I just came to see yo- the Death Eater. Who is it?" Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Her breath caught in her throat, but he didn't notice it.
"I think you'd better see for yourself. This way." He put his broad hand on the small of her back to guide her down the hallway. She stiffened under his touch, but imperceptibly, the way a Death Eater would under the threat of death. So all this preparation was finally good for something, she thought dryly.
"So, you know Malfoy from your training, right? Have you seen him lately?" Harry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I was his mentor before he took the tests. It was a tad bizarre, him being older and had a far bigger history of Dark Arts than I did. I mean, my father was in Muggle Studies for God's sake. We developed an amiable relationship of sorts. Of course, he likes Ginny the Death Eater, not the Real Ginny. Why do you ask?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Harry felt vulnerable under her piercing gaze.
"Um, no reason, I just wanted to know more about him, that's all. I had wondered what he might be getting up to, you know, because another Malfoy on the loose, is you know, bad, and since he went missing and all, that's.also bad."
"Right." They continued walking in silence until they reached the end of the corridor and the large metal door with the tiny glass window in the centre.
"Well. Here we are. Now, all we have to do is open the door, and you'll be able to see him. Or, er, her," Harry said, shifting his eyes back and forth, and rubbing the back of his neck again.
"Bloody hell Harry, why are you acting like a lamb going to slaughter?"
"Well, uh, you'll uh," Harry stammered, and performed a spell on the door, which proceeded to creakily swing open.
A/N: Hey everyone! This chapter is really short, but kind of light, and there's some romance-y hints.ooh intrigue. We are currently listening to really depressing music, which is SO good. Overcome, by Live, Turn My Head, by, uh, Live, and Nobody Knows, by, you guessed it, Live. So listen and read, folks, listen and read. Thanks to Aelora for tuning us into Live, and remember to review! Nobody leaves us any CC anyway, so we don't care anymore.
Ron was sitting at his desk, watching the Muggles scurrying around in the pouring rain, rapidly unfolding multi-coloured umbrellas or ducking into shops to protect themselves against what was rapidly becoming a torrential downpour. He had never hated Muggles, or even disliked them, but today he couldn't help but be amused at their ignorance. They went about their busy, insignificant little lives, unaware of the problems that plagued the Wizarding world, of the Dark Lord well on his way to total power.
Ludlow. Voldemort's key to the Ministry. Suddenly, everything made sense. His insistence that background checks were unnecessary. His independence, all of the lucrative and important business that only he knew about, and only he could undertake. His non-existent background, the fact that he had sprung out of the ground into absolute power over Britain's Magical world. It all added up to a shady character, and Ron was furious that he hadn't seen it before.
As if in answer to his thoughts, Ludlow opened the oak door to Ron's office. Speak of the Devil, Ron thought, and gave a grimace when he realized just how true that was. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, my boy?" Ludlow didn't wait for an answer. "I just wanted to ask you something that one of my secretaries informed me of this morning. Apparently, someone has been doing unauthorized background checks on Ministry employees. Now," he said conversationally, "I know that everyone has their own secret informants-" here he gave a roguish, conspiratorial wink- "but I specifically told you that background checks were forbidden, and unnecessary. Unless you disagree with me for some reason?" Ludlow's eyebrows shot up. "There isn't a reason, is there Weasle-y?" Ludlow had put a slight on 'weasel'. Most people would not catch the subtle change in tone, but Ron had been around Mortimer enough to notice his hints.
Ron forced his eyes wide and innocent. "No Mortimer. I just wanted to make sure for myself. If I had listened to you, I would have saved my informants a lot of time and money. All reports came back clean."
Mortimer guffawed, and wiped a tear from his eye. "One day, m'boy, you'll realize that your Uncle Mortimer always knows best." He tapped his nose knowingly, winked, and walked out of the office, whistling the tune to "Pop Goes the 'Weasel'". Ron went slightly white at this, catching once again the emphasis on the word 'weasel'.
~*~
Ginny walked into the safe house in Fulham and cautiously looked around for Harry. It wouldn't do for the security guards to see a known Death Eater skulking about the place. She found him hunched over a desk in a dark, dank room at the back of the safe house. Her eyes were wide and staring. She had always wondered at this place. It reminded her of her own life, with it's neat prim outside, but coarse and unfinished on the inside.
"Gin?" Harry's eyes lit up, but he didn't know it. He did notice the light in her eyes, though, that permanent glow she seemed to exude. It shone through the copper of her hair, through her translucent skin, and through the tiny little freckles that she always called angels' kisses. He could believe that dozens of tiny little angels had kissed her delicate face. She looked melancholy though. She always did, now. Being a Death Eater was taking its toll.
"Harry!" For a moment, that melancholy aura she exuded disappeared, leaving warm glow in its place. But only for a moment. "I just came to see yo- the Death Eater. Who is it?" Harry sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Her breath caught in her throat, but he didn't notice it.
"I think you'd better see for yourself. This way." He put his broad hand on the small of her back to guide her down the hallway. She stiffened under his touch, but imperceptibly, the way a Death Eater would under the threat of death. So all this preparation was finally good for something, she thought dryly.
"So, you know Malfoy from your training, right? Have you seen him lately?" Harry scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
"I was his mentor before he took the tests. It was a tad bizarre, him being older and had a far bigger history of Dark Arts than I did. I mean, my father was in Muggle Studies for God's sake. We developed an amiable relationship of sorts. Of course, he likes Ginny the Death Eater, not the Real Ginny. Why do you ask?" Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. Harry felt vulnerable under her piercing gaze.
"Um, no reason, I just wanted to know more about him, that's all. I had wondered what he might be getting up to, you know, because another Malfoy on the loose, is you know, bad, and since he went missing and all, that's.also bad."
"Right." They continued walking in silence until they reached the end of the corridor and the large metal door with the tiny glass window in the centre.
"Well. Here we are. Now, all we have to do is open the door, and you'll be able to see him. Or, er, her," Harry said, shifting his eyes back and forth, and rubbing the back of his neck again.
"Bloody hell Harry, why are you acting like a lamb going to slaughter?"
"Well, uh, you'll uh," Harry stammered, and performed a spell on the door, which proceeded to creakily swing open.