a/n:Alright, so after a bit of delay, here is the fourth chapter. I've had it written for a while but was astill unsatisfied with it but my anxiousness to get it out overcame me. This will be the last "reflective" chapter and from here on out will be lots of action. I'm hoping to get out the next few chapters much sooner than I did this one but since I've startedmedical school, it's proven to be challenging. So let me know what you all think and I hope you enjoy!
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An Unlikely Alliance
Chapter 4: A Bit of Respite
There is a door, deep within the Ministry of Magic, at the end of a rather bare corridor, buried under eight floors, that is carefully guarded and used only by a handful of people. Though the Ministry of Magic is inundated with visitors and employees every day, many will never have passed through it.
Most days, the Unspeakables, who work in the twelve rooms beyond the door, work quietly, preferring to learn the secrets of the universe unhindered by any other Ministry department. Lately, however, it was becoming increasingly harder to learn the secrets of the universe when at present there were so many puzzles to be solved in the world around them. No longer could they focus on the powers that created; instead, they had to focus on the powers that destroyed.
The puzzles came in slowly and lay with the people delivered to St. Mungos'. Over time, there had been a gradual influx of witches and wizards who were delivered to St. Mungo's whose conditions greatly perplexed the learned Healers. The Ministry, unable to overlook the steadily increasing number of people in the Unknowable ward, was finally compelled to do something about it. Although a great deal of coaxing was required, the Minister of Magic, a one Cornelius Fudge, was able to enlist the help of the Unspeakables.
They were, as a group, an odd lot. Rarely were they seen before dusk or after dawn; an introverted bunch. They did not frequent the Ministry gatherings, nor did they interact much with their fellow Ministry workers, their work being so secretive that it greatly hindered their ability to converse with any freedom. Highly agitated, they had reluctantly agreed to work on this new Ministry problem, somewhat mollified by the fact that no one else had been able to figure it out, and that now the Ministry sought to put its most talented minds to work. One perturbing thought was that they were to be forced to work with the Auror Division. The Aurors and Unspeakables had an uneasy relationship; where the latter felt that the former resorted to brawn unnecessarily when a more reasonable solution would do. Having finally agreed to work with the field workers, the Unspeakables had one stipulation: that they would be allowed to test the Aurors and determine who was worthy of the task ahead of them. It was a small group, the Unspeakables having thrown out many candidates, muttering that the pool of applicants was rather small, but they avowed to do their best. After many days of testing, a suitable group was chosen and the business of solving these inexplicable deaths was begun. Ginny Weasley had been one of the initial applicants, one had had little trouble with the aforementioned examinations. Any reservations the Unspeakables had about her commitment to her job were gone after having seen the amount of time she chose to spend at work; they applauded.
What they chose to see as dedication was in fact an inability to let go of her work; and something else. She knew that she avoided spending time with her family under the guise of "pressing Ministry business". She did miss seeing them and cared very much about them, but Molly Weasley had recently begun a campaign to find "a nice suitable boy" for Ginny. By suitable, what Molly had really meant was a nice suitable boy who also happened to be the boy who lived. Her hints had largely been ignored by Ginny and Harry. Ginny couldn't count the number of times that Molly had tried to seat her next to Harry or leave the two alone together in the room under the guise of letting them get caught up with each other. In truth, she welcomed the excuse of work that gave her reason to leave early when Molly's blatant attempts to set up her daughter became too much to handle. Recently, another reason came up for her staying at the Ministry so many hours a day. She had seen much death in her career as an Auror but had always been able to locate the source of it. It had been easy to say, before, that this person had died because of a killing curse or loss of blood due to a slicing curse. Lately, however, the deaths had been getting to her. For the first time, there didn't seem to be any explanation. No marks on the bodies and no witnesses. She pondered all this as she walked to the briefing room in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While much of her research was done in the Department of Mysteries, the casework and the preparation for her trip to Germany took place in the Second Floor offices. There was simply no way the Unspeakables would allow the Aurors to bring in their paperwork and notes to clutter their work space.
Entering the large briefing room, Ginny nodded hello to two of the other Aurors who worked with her and closed the door behind her. Awaiting the arrival of the rest of the group as well as her boss, Augustus Winter, she took a seat at the large circular table in the middle of the room. Ginny pulled out some parchment, quills and ink from her bag. As she pulled out the last item, the door suddenly burst open, revealing an extremely tall, extremely hairy man in his forties. Startled, Ginny spilled her ink on the table, and shot her boss an irritated look as she pulled out her wand and cleaned up the mess.
"Ah Weasley! Caught you unawares, did I?" he shot out as he wagged his finger at her. "An Auror must always be prepared! Always at the ready!" he spoke using that same finger, punctuating his point by tapping it on the table with each sentence. Having heard this one too many times, she rolled her eyes. Eager to get down to business, Augustus clapped his hands together and rubbed them vigorously. "Lets get started, shall we? Hullo! What's this?" he exclaimed, noting a young man who was trying to slip into the room quietly. "What's the meaning of this? You know I can't abide lateness, Wotkins."
"Sorry, sir. I had a bit of, erm, trouble this morning. You see the thing is-", the young man named Wotkins tried to explain as he struggled with a large bundle of papers in his arms.
"None of that now," said Augustus, waving at Wotkins to sit down. "We've wasted enough time as it is. Have a seat, would you? As I was saying, our Germany investigation will take place in two days time. You will be traveling via Portkey and your lodgings and incidentals are being handled by your liaison from the German Ministry. Gladys should be here shortly with your contact's name as well some basic information." Just then, a rather heavy set woman with a hatchet face knocked on the open door. "I have the reports you asked for, sir." She held out several bound documents with a red cover.
Taking the top most packet, he said, "Yes, thank you. Be an obliging girl, would you, and pass those around." She moved around the room, slightly hunched over, handing out the reports with her chubby fingers; her steps were heavy and Ginny could hear her exhaling loudly as Gladys handed her a copy. 'Girl' would hardly be the word to describe this woman, but while her looks were unimpressive, she was an efficient secretary, and the only one who seemed able to put up with Augustus's energetic temperament. After passing them all out, she walked heavily to the door and pulled it shut behind her as she waddled out. Ginny had opened up her copy of the report when Augustus spoke again. "Run through the details on your own. I want to focus on where you will spend the meat of your time. Last month we had found the most recent murder victims. The only clue that we were able to glean from them was found in the journal that was on the body of one of the victims. The German was translated by our Linguistics Department and it seems that one small village is frequently mentioned. It can be found on the outskirts of Berlin, and it is there that you will start."
"You will begin in the town of Charlottenberg which is flanked by the Grunewald forest. Early reconnaissance information has indicated some activity in the forest but there is no evidence of any people living within it. Therefore, you will begin your work in Charlottenberg. Speak with the local residents. Find out the history of the area. Ask if they've heard anything from the woods around the time that we found the bodies. The German Ministry is giving us a free hand with this so I expect you to cooperate with them. They want to avoid any negative publicity and we have promised to keep all our work strictly confidential." "I will be bringing in our cultural specialist later in the day to go over some basic German customs and the like so that you won't make fools of yourselves when you head over there." He paused for a moment to see if this was sinking into his team. Satisfied, he continued, "I'll expect a detailed report when you return so take careful notes. Above all, I want you to stay alert. We have very little idea of who or what we're dealing with and I'm not willing to lose some of my best Aurors simply because you were sleeping on the job." He put his hands on the table, palms facing down and leaned into them. "Alright, run off to your desks. By tomorrow morning I want you completely briefed and prepared with any last questions. The Portkey will be delivered here Friday morning, right before your leave. Any questions?" Seeing none, he straightened up, and collected his papers. "No questions then? If anything turns up later, I'll be in my office. You're dismissed."
After Augustus left the room, the Aurors made some finals notes. Ginny started putting her things in her bag. "What was that late entrance about, Owen?" she asked.
Owen Wotkins rubbed his face with his hands. "I had a bit of a late night," he said.
Ginny smiled. "Ah yes, who was it this time then? A young Ministry secretary or was it perhaps one of those ever obliging waitresses at the Leaky Cauldron?"
"It's none of your business," he replied archly," but if you must know, it was a lovely young thing who works at Gladrags. Met her the other day when I was taking my dear mum out for a day of shopping." He grinned, leaned back in his chair, and crossed his arms behind his head. "For a shop girl, she proved to be quite….athletic, shall we say," he finished with a wink.
"You're disgusting," said one of the other Aurors in the room. Standing up, she placed her hands on her hips and pursed her lips, her brown hair swayed gently as she shook her head disapprovingly. Martine Pennysmythe had been an Auror for the last three years. An exceptionally brainy woman, she often reminded Ginny of Hermione. She had a habit of correcting the other men in her unit and tended to look a bit owlish when she hooted on about what was considered proper behavior; an image which was only enhanced by the large brown glasses she favored. "Don't you think that there are better things to do with your time than shagging random women the night before an important briefing?" Leaning back further, unfazed by the stern look on her face, Owen's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing, love. Think of it as a bit of an unwinding exercise if it helps. Would you rather I came on assignment randy, and unable to do my job properly?" he asked innocently.
Muttering something that sounded like, "impossible little wanker" Martine scooped up her belongings and walked quickly out of the room.
"You do enjoy winding her up, Owen. Perhaps in the future you'll try to keep your little 'exercises' from interfering with work, hm?" asked a slightly older man who was the other Auror in Ginny's unit. His name was Martin Weber and he was the only married person in their group; a fact which led him to be something of a mediator when things got out of hand. He would often comment that he wasn't sure if the children he left at home weren't more mature than the children he worked with at the office.
"I'll be sure to do my best," Owen replied cheekily.
Ginny, who had finished gathering her things while this little exchange had taken place, bade good-bye to her colleagues and went to look over the case report at her desk. She picked up some of the messages that the department secretary had left for her and glanced through them briefly. There were some reminders for department meetings as well as one from her mum asking when Ginny would be coming home for dinner next. Looking over the last message, she saw that it was from her friend, Henry, writing to remind her that he would be at her place at seven later that night. She placed it aside for now, there was plenty of work left to be done before their meeting. Sitting down, she organized her papers, brought out some parchment and started making some notes. For the next several hours, all that could be heard from her desk was the sound of papers rustling, occasionally interrupted by a scratching quill. Hearing the clock chime noon, Ginny looked up, surprised by the amount of time that had gone by. She stretched in her chair, wincing as she attempted to move her neck, which had gone stiff from staying in the same position for hours. She rubbed it absently, forgetting that her fingers were stained with ink and had left little black smudges along the collar of her shirt. Realizing what she had done to one of her favorite shirts, she licked her handkerchief and attempted to remove the stain, but only ended up making it look worse. Sighing, she gave up and threw the cloth on the table.
"Fancy going for some lunch, Gin?" Ginny looked up and smiled as she saw her friend Lily Michaels walk up. Lily was a secretary in another area of the department and being one of the few females in it, she and Ginny had fast become friends.
"No, but thanks Lily. I've got to get some more work done if I'm to leave early today. I'll just eat something at my desk I think," Ginny said.
"Oh, tonight's opera with Henry isn't it. I had forgotten. You're looking forward to it then, I'm sure. Picked out some dress robes and everything?"
"Yes, I got that sorted out a few days ago," replied Ginny. "What are your plans? Seeing your fellow tonight?"
Lily sighed dramatically. "Lord knows I want to," she said, "but Will's promised his mum that he'd pop over to help his father with something or the other." "Well perhaps he'll skiv off early and you'll see him later in the evening," suggested Ginny agreeably "Doubtful. Well, enjoy your night then." As Lily walked off, Ginny picked up her quill once more.
Later that evening, exhausted from her day at work, Ginny ran a bath for herself, hoping that the hot water would soothe her body. After adding some jasmine scented bath oil, she eased herself in and let out a gentle sigh. She leaned back against the edge of the tub, her head propped up against the porcelain, eyes closed. She could feel all the information that she had heard today in her meetings flitting around in her head. While the sessions had been productive, she found that she'd rather gather that information on her own. The Ministry always had very well trained people who gathered information about other countries. It just wasn't the same as getting that information first hand, however. Ginny much preferred to read about it herself, and after having spent time in various countries, she felt that she had a much better grasp of foreign culture than anyone else in her unit. After the water had eased her muscles for some time, she popped open her eyes.
What time what it?
Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was already six thirty. Muttering a curse, she hurriedly dried herself off and started getting ready. She had chosen a set of deep emerald robes for the occasion and as she put them on, she thanked her lucky stars that she had such talented friends. She twisted half her hair up, leaving the rest to curl gently down her back. Something was still missing she decided, as she gazed at herself in the mirror. Ah, my pendent. Reaching into her bureau, she pulled out a small velvet box and took out her moonstone necklace. She placed it around her neck and noted the slightly ethereal glow it seemed to give her face. Ginny heard the doorbell ring and she hopped to the door, pulling on her shoes as she walked.
"Hello," she said breathlessly as she pulled open the door.
"Hello love." Henry Givens stooped slightly as he planted a small kiss on Ginny's cheek. Henry was a genial fellow from a prominent pureblood family and he and Ginny had remained good friends from their days at school. Neither had attempted to push the relationship into more romantic territory. Looking her over quickly, he said, "You look lovely. Ready to go, then?"
"I'll be just one minute," she said as she headed to her bedroom. She reentered, holding her bag in one hand and wrap in the other. "Will we be Apparating or taking Muggle transportation?" she asked.
Henry held Ginny's bag as she put on her wrap. "I actually have a car waiting outside. Felipe has been asking about you."
Ginny laughed. "How is Felipe? It's been ages since I've talked to him. I think the last time was when he drove us to your grandmother's Spring Ball," she commented as Henry ushered her out the door.
"Marvelous of course," Henry replied. "He's sweet on a young thing from the house staff. It's all he talks about," he lamented with a sigh as they walked out, arm in arm.
Draco Malfoy's day had started as one of the most wretched days of his life. The only thought that kept him from losing his temper was the respite that would come at the end of the day. He had visited his parents for lunch and the event had consisted of Lucius talking incessantly about the activities of the Ministry as well as what Draco should do to control the uprising of pro-Muggle sentiment, but Draco didn't feel like going to Azkaban simply to rid the streets of muggle filth.
Draco had always loved his father and had wanted to be just like Lucius when he was younger. He saw that Lucius was a man who was feared and always got what he desired. As he grew older, he gained the knowledge that comes when you ceased seeing your parents as parents and they became real people. Having realized this for sometime now, he had stopped, long ago, giving credence to all of their words.
He could still remember the time after his fifth year, after his father had been sent to Azkaban, thinking how his father had gotten himself into this mess. Character traits which had simply seemed to be a fact of life, he later would question. He stopped taking his father's word for it after a time, and soon found that whatever brains Lucius possessed were often overshadowed by his pettiness and his thirst for power. He knew that his father loved him back. But another trait passed down the Malfoy line; along with blond hair and arrogance, was an ability to overlook the real gifts that were around you. He demanded a lot from his son and most of it Draco gave. He had found that Lucius was rarely satisfied with what he had around him. His father called it ambition, but Draco believed it was really just greed. His father had become a Death Eater to obtain power. He had seen this new Dark Lord as one capable of taking over the wizarding world. In time, the thirst for power was overwhelming and Lucius was still as he was in school, a bitter man overshadowed by those more powerful than him. His jealousy and hunger for power often lead him to act rashly and had, more recently, caused him to create a rift between him and his son. He knew Draco was a more powerful wizard than he, but rather than finally being happy that his son was meeting his expectations, Lucius chose to see it as a form of defiance: an act of Draco showing him that, he too, was better than Lucius. Behind the bluster, Lucius was an excessively insecure man, always seeking protection and prominence from those stronger than he.
His backing of Voldemort was one example and his behavior towards his son was another. He, being the coward that he was, could not handle the responsibility of being one of Voldemort's supporters alone. Preying upon his son from an early age, he had drilled it into Draco's head that the correct path would include taking on the Dark Mark. Draco, believing in his father's words and wanting to please him, had taken the Mark at eighteen. Even at that young age, however, Draco Malfoy was not one to follow orders simply to please anyone, even his father. He had seen an opportunity and he had taken it. Though the removal of all Muggles and Muggle-born was not his goal, he cared little what the effect of his actions on them would be.
Very soon after school, Draco had moved out of the Malfoy family home and into a town house in wizard London. He didn't appreciate his activities being monitored and found that he didn't have the forbearance to live at home any longer. He paid his respects every now and again but found that he could only tolerate his father when they would speak of anything but the current war. His mother welcomed his visits and fussed over him as mothers are wont to do over their only child. His mother had been an indulgent woman, sending him sweets at school and anything else he happened to demand. She was the way all society mothers were, attentive to their children when there weren't more important things at hand. He had been left alone a fair amount but his nurse had left him with Narcissa for an hour every day before going to bed, where they would tell each other about their day. She would tuck him in and kiss him goodnight and his father would stop by to say goodnight and impart some more of the Malfoy wisdom. Draco would lay back and listen, basking in the sound of his father's gravelly voice as he would tell the trials of the illustrious Malfoys who had come before him. It was in these moments that Lucius and Narcissa could lay claim to the idea that they were decent parents.
When Draco had been younger, his father had taken the time to teach him how to fly. He could remember what it felt like, riding a broomstick with his father as he taught Draco how to place his then pudgy hands on the broom properly. He had found such a pleasure in flying, unlike any he had ever known, and for that he would always think of his childhood fondly. It was that memory alone that kept him coming back to Malfoy Manor to see his parents; to listen to the ruminations of a deteriorating mind. Draco Apparated with a pop into Snape Manor. He needed someone to vent his frustration on after the afternoon he had just had, and his godfather could always be counted on to provide a voice of reason. He hung up his cloak and walked into Severus Snape's laboratory, loosening his tie as he went. He unbuttoned his top button and rubbed the back of his neck as he greeted Severus Snape, who was busy stirring a cauldron.
Surprised but by no means displeasured, Snape continued stirring with one hand and shook his godson's hand with the other.
"What are you doing here?" he asked "I just visited my parents," Draco replied.
"Ah," said Snape as he bit back a small smile. He knew how Draco felt about his parents and had been there for Draco many times when the young man needed someone to talk to.
"When are you going back to Hogwarts?" asked Draco as he leaned his lower back against the table.
"With all the new wounds we're seeing, Professor Dumbledore asked me to take a leave of absence so I might spend all my time working on finding new potions," Snape said as he reached for the mortar and pestle near Draco. Draco handed it to him and looked at Snape carefully.
"Have you had any luck?" he asked.
Snape had started grinding away, but paused and looked up. "No. I don't suppose you know what spell caused the burns or swelling they've been seeing."
Draco stiffened. "No, you know that even I'm not privy to that. Nedelcu has been the only one preparing those potions. You're making a Deflating Draught?" he asked noting the rattlesnake tails in the mortar.
Snape returned to his work. "A similar concoction. The tails help reduce swelling and I'm hoping they will help ease some of the pain that those lacerations and boils are creating." Snape looked at Draco once more. Draco was no longer leaning casually but was now standing straight up, gazing at nothing, his eyes holding a faraway look. Snape poured in the crushed rattlesnake tails and charmed the cauldron to magically stir itself.
"This needs to stir for several hours. Let's have some tea in my study." Draco nodded, still not replying, and followed Snape out.
The two men reclined in their chairs and Snape looked over at his godson, considering, as Draco spooned in several extra sugars into his teacup. His hands were cupping his tea, seemingly trying to draw the warmth out of the cup and into his hands. He had known the boy since he was a baby and it never ceased to amaze him how quickly he had grown. When he had been young, Draco had been spoiled beyond reason by Lucius, who had insisted that his son deserved only the best. Once he had entered Hogwarts, Snape had been worried that all that early childhood coddling would make him a petulant, selfish, and whiney child like the children of other prominent families. While Draco had not been the most mature child of his age, he had been able to get along with his fellow students. Well, not all students, Snape thought as he remembered the fights he had witnessed between Draco and Harry. He had always chosen Draco's side in those altercations, but had taken pains to admonish Draco in private. He shouldn't let another student bother him, and Snape had tried to instill in Draco a sense of self-control. He had no desire to see Draco become just like Lucius, bullying other students simply because he couldn't control his emotions.
He was proud of the man Draco had grown into and wished, not for the first time, that things were different. It seemed unfair to him that the mistakes of the father should torment the son, but life was unfair. Draco was strong enough to handle himself, Snape knew, but he couldn't help but think of what he could have become if this war had not divided the wizarding world as it did. Had the threat of a Dark Lord not been imminent, this boy he had grown to love as his own could have had a chance. He would have been unblemished by his father's reputation and given a free reign. Snape had no doubt that Draco would have been a force in the wizarding world if the sins of the father had not visited his son.
Finishing his tea, Draco placed the cup in its saucer. "I should go. I need to take care of some business before I pick up Clarissa for the opera tonight," he said as he wiped his mouth.
Snape nodded and continued drinking his tea as Draco left. His thoughts strayed to Ginny for a moment as he thought of her plans for tonight. She had stopped in the day before for tea. She was another person he wished could be spared of all the present trouble. He sighed as he got up, wincing at the pain in his joints that seemed to come more often recently. They were all children really, he thought, as he walked back to his laboratory. He hoped that they enjoyed the music that night; there was going to be far too little of it in the coming months.