New Slytherin Girl

by AnnyBee

Not all Slytherins are evil; then again, they're not always so nice. But isn't that how all humans are? We grow, we learn, we adapt. At times we're hated and others we're loved. Seven eventful years, all seen through a Slytherin's eyes. Sometimes it's good to look at life from a different perspective.

121. Trial and Error

Early mornings were the worst.

Lucky for me, the St. Mungo's Internship had ended, meaning I no longer needed to wake up at an unreasonable hour. Or that's what I had thought. I still didn't see why he needed me here.

Papa was slowly wandering his office, readying himself for the day and fixing his morning schedule. I didn't know why he had bothered to bring me along when anything I could do could be easily handled by his secretary, or one of the many underlings in his department. But even so he had asked me to come. Well, not really asked, but that's what he liked to call it.

The worst part of being there was how hungry I was. I hadn't gotten any breakfast that morning. Being dragged out at an ungodly hour makes a person lose their appetite. The downside to that was that, now successfully out of bed, I was feeling it. Papa had warned me I would regret skipping a meal. But I wasn't trying to make my distaste obvious, instead deciding to mope silently to myself. But that didn't last very long. My father looked up from his paperwork for a moment at the sound of my groan. He gave me a quiet smile. He knew. I frowned at him, which only made his smile grow.

"It's seven; the cafe may be open now" Papa commented, turning back down to his memo.

I didn't answer for a moment. He was rubbing it in. My father had warned me I would regret not getting any breakfast, and he was right. But I wasn't going to let him know that. I had been prepared for a long day of sleeping in but no, that wasn't part of his plan. To my father, the internship ending only meant he now had someone to fetch things for him. Again, that's what underlings and secretaries were for, but sure, use your daughter as unpaid labor.

My stomach let out an audible growl and I let out a sigh.

"I'll be back in a moment" I called, standing up from my seat. My father made no attempt to acknowledge me but I knew he had heard. "Would you like me to bring you anything?"

"No, thank you, dear. I had quite the filling breakfast this morning" Papa spoke down to his papers, with a smirk on his face. I lowered my eyes at him.

"Fine, then don't go asking me to get you lunch later" I mumbled walking out of his office. Again, he made no attempt to acknowledge my words, but he definitely heard.

Making my way down the corridor, I made a beeline for the elevator. It didn't take long for the the jangling of the chains to come. The lift rose slowly into view, in it the usual set of so-called early-birds. I stepped inside as some others stepped out and, without missing a step, the lift went back on its way. Most of the passengers looked half asleep which, considering the time of day, wasn't that surprising. Most Ministry staff were just getting in. Sometimes I hoped for a day my father would set his sights as low as theirs.

Slowly, the lift made its way up to level six… level seven… and finally…

"Level Eight, The Atrium," the usual voice lulled on, and the doors opened.

I took a step into the broad hall that was the main department floor. Walking past the statues, and dozing bodies that looked like statues, I wandered towards the slightly less hectic section of the level. The cafe, while less frantic, still held a quiet sort of impatience. The waiting queue stretched quite a few people back, those waiting for their morning fill before the day to come. Some were chatting their good mornings, some stared intently ahead picturing what to get, and others stared down at paperwork, probably trying to get some work done early in the morning. Still, obviously not the best gathering of time management skills around here, not that I was one to judge at the moment.

I took a step to the side and walked around the queue, towards the side of the cafe stand, and to where the drinks and eateries were dispensed. Hovering near the front of the line a few pastries twirled in the air, tempting patrons with something to add to their meal. There were small snacks, pastries, and simple lunch foods like sandwiches as well. Still looking at the treats, I waited for one of the staff to notice me. After a moment, one of them did. She grabbed a finished drink from her coworker, mentioning something to him before walking over to the cafe edge. A sleepy-eyed wizard stepped up to claim the drink as she called his name, mumbling a 'thanks' before stepping away.

"You know, most people normally wait in line for their drinks" she commented as the wizard who had just taken what I assumed to be coffee nearly knocked against someone still waiting in line. I smiled a bit at that before turning back to Susan.

"Does that mean you won't take my order?" I asked in return. When she didn't answer I gave her a sweet smile and, after a moment, she smiled in return.

"So the usual for today?" Susan asked, getting a writing pad out as she spoke. She began to scribble my normal order. I looked over at the front one more time before turning back to her.

"Mostly, yes. Except, today I want a puff pastry, the strawberry crossover, instead" I mentioned, motioning over to where one looked to be displayed. Hearing the substitute she turned down to her pad and began to scribble on it again. I continued to watch the pastry as it looked to be the last one. Susan noted that too and pulled her wand out from her pocket.

"Have a sweet tooth this morning?" she commented, waving her wand to pull the pastry aside.

"I'll admit, you do good work with the food" I smiled and she gave me a smirk back. "Oh, and add a regular coffee to the order as well. Black, two sugars. I'll need that this morning."

"So, the usual, substitute a crossover, and add a coffee?" she reiterated. I gave her a simple nod. Susan made one more scribble then looked up with a particular smile. "I will be charging you the usual 'express fee' as well."

"Just add it to my father's tab" I gave her a shrug. That was our deal after all. Being able to skip the line also meant leaving a more than generous tip for the staff. It was his idea for me to come up here anyway, he could pay for it.

"We'll just be a second."

She wandered back into where they prepared the drinks after that. I waited by the sidelines for my breakfast, it usually didn't take long. Seeing as I was standing there anyway, I took a moment to watch the line. Only one of them had gotten their drinks so far, not including the earlier wizard that had almost spilled his. Luckily, I wouldn't have to wait nearly that long.

The deal had originally been arranged by my father. Papa was a busy, albeit slightly impatient, man. When he was too busy to have a proper meal at home, he wasn't going to then have time to wait in line now, was he. Now the benefits he had sorted for himself had bequeathed me as well. And, before the third client had their order placed, my order was ready, pastry boxed and drinks still hot. Susan was even kind enough to hand me a bag to carry the treat.

Grabbing a cup with each hand, taking a moment to slump the bag onto my arm, I turned to walk towards the far end of the atrium. There was an increase in bussle as more Ministry members entered the hall. I had to stop myself from glaring several times as some began to walk closer to me than I would like. Unfortunately, this was not the kind of place where I could get away with doing that.

But, drinks still in hand and the pastry fully intact, I managed to find my way to the security desk. The stubble filled and droopy-eyed security wizard peered intently down at his copy of the Daily Prophet. It was pretty clear he had not been expecting to be working at this hour. Not like it was his fault, he usually did get the evening shifts. Taking in a deep breath, I let it out just as quickly and plastered a friendly smile on my face, taking a step forward.

"Hello, Mr. Munch" I greeted warmly. The man looked up from his paper and slowly let out his own, more genuine, smile. "I heard you were given morning duty again. I thought a bit of fresh morning coffee would help cheer you up. Black, two sugars; just how you like it."

"Ah, sweet girl" Munch greeted in return, folding down his copy of the Prophet and setting it down on the desk beside him. I set the box with my crossover down along side it before handing him his drink. He took a sip of it gingerly; that seemed to bring some life back to him. "Thank you."

"How are things going so far?" I asked, taking a drink of my own. Using one hand to open the box, I tore off a piece of the turnover to try.

"It's not so bad. You're with your father this morning I see" Munch added, pulling up a seat. He set it down beside me, which I gladly took.

"Yes, I try to help when I can. I'm not one for staying home all day, don't have the patience for it" I lied with a smile. Setting my drink down, I reached for my breakfast treat, wanting another taste.

"Not many your age would be up this early" Munch gave me a firm nod. Seeming to agree, I gave him a nod and cut into my pastry. "Not even some of the Ministry staff starts showing up until it hits eight or so."

"Yes, well, Papa has always liked to get a head start on things" I smiled, wiping down crumbs off my dress. That was why he always insisted on such an unreasonable hour. But I suppose all negatives had a silver lining. And Munch would be there to help me out with his one. But first I had to ease him into it. "Anything interesting happening today?"

"Not by far, but I suppose that is a good thing" he clambered on. I gave him a similar chuckle in return.

"Best bored than overly excited, I suppose. But, actually…" I purposely let my sentence hang. Normally that made others think they should pay more attention. He already seemed more attentive. "Could I ask a small favor of you?"

"Of course" he called with certainty. That's why I liked Eric. He was convenient to have around and willing to do things for me without too much concern on his end. Some might call that noble. For me, it was helpful at least.

"Well, you see, I heard someone from my school has recently been taken in for underaged magic. I was curious to know why so I wanted to talk to him, but…" I trailed off again, making it an attempt to sound earnest. "My father has me doing a few errands for him and that doesn't really give me much time to just stand around the entrance. Could you possibly send me a message when he shows? He should be passing through your station some time today."

"Of course, dear. What is his name?"

"Harry Potter."

"Harr— as in Harry Potter?"

"Yes" I gave him a nod. "We aren't entirely close, but we have spoken quite a bit and I am awfully curious to know what happened. So, would you be able to help?"

"I will send you a memo" he agreed with a simple nod. At that, I gave him a more genuine smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Munch. I really do appreciate it."

"Any time" he called, raising his drink at me. "It's the least I could do for your generous coffee runs."

I smiled at him again before looking down. At the bottom of the box I could see, well, the bottom of the box. My breakfast had gone, in its place only crumbs. Either the pastry had been smaller than I had initially thought, or I was just that hungry. Whatever the case, I took that as my cue to leave. I crushed the box slightly and placed it back in its bag. Letting out a deep sigh, I turned back up to face Eric.

"Well, I should get going" I took a tight hold of my drink and stood. "My father has already asked a few things of me, I simply got a moment for some breakfast. And now that it is over and done with, I should get back to work."

"I understand; your father is a hardworking man. It is good he is passing those traits onto you" Munch called cheerfully. I could only smiled back. He wouldn't appreciate the trait so much if it was him trying to deal with it. "I will be sure to send you that memo."

I waved a goodbye to him, and scurried my way over to the elevator. Ignoring the few wizards that were present at the time I entered the lift. Only waiting for the first chime of a lower level, I exited the elevator. As the lift began to lower itself once more, I began to walk a bit slower, taking a sip from the portable cup, as those around me continued the usual bustle of office life. I took my time taking a walk around the floor. It was definitely not a top priority of mine to return to my father's office. He would just give me more things to do, more errands to run, and more reasons for me to be bored to death.

I turned a corner only to find silence. The halls were quiet as most of the present staff remained in their offices. That was nice, giving me some peace and quiet to walk through. Most here knew who I was so they never stopped to question why I was walking the halls unsupervised. Not until my father decided it was time to send his assistant to come fetch me. I knew I would have to turn back eventually; if I made my return too late then Papa would never agree to let me wander off again. I needed that buffer for the upcoming trial. But I had some time, that wouldn't be for a few more hours.

It was George who had told me about Potter's trial. But that was about as much as he had told me. Of course it wasn't hard to piece together the underaged magic charge but the details were the most annoying part. The charges alone didn't justify an entire hearing. I would have just had my father look into the details for me but that would require mentioning who was involved and he would not be happy with that bit of information.

With a sigh, I turned into another corner. Noting a figure in the distance, my steps slowed. A tall frame with red hair and a serious expression was walking my way. I didn't look to be the point of interest to him, as he ran his fingers across an arm's worth of letters and parcels. Noting who it was, I took a pause. He kept moving forward, mumbling to himself. I waited, with a smile on my face. For a second he looked up and, noticing me, he froze.

"Oh, hey" I called, taking a drink once more. He blinked his eyes before a moment of realization. At that, he walked over.

"Katerina" Percy called, taking a second to look around. "What are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you too."

"Good morning" he greeted, sounding fairly reluctant. I smiled and answered him.

"Good morning" I called again, to emphasize my point. He frowned a little as I kept my cheerful expression on him. "Well, if you are curious, I'm here paying my father a visit."

"On the seventh level?" he asked, skeptically.

"He has business outside of his own department" I reminded him.

"And he sent you for that?" Percy asked. Prying and skeptical. Not necessarily bad traits but the boy asked too many questions for his own good.

"He believes in preparing me for future endeavours. So how's it going with you?" I asked with a smile. It was only half answering his questions but I needed to get him off the topic. "Still, helping the Minister of Magic, are you?"

"Yes, as I'm sure you've heard plenty about from my brother."

"He may have mentioned it once or twice" I allowed, to which he made a face. It was harder than I had expected but I made an attempt to keep the conversation civil. "If it helps any, he believes you're being rather ambitions."

"Not in those exact words, I'm sure" he mumbled. Percy let out a sigh, lowering his eyes to his paperwork. "Well, someone in our family has to be."

I made an attempt to not change my expression as he said that. One thing was for him to be ambitious, but at the moment he looked more oblivious. His mother and father may have settled into where they were but that didn't mean he was the only one in his family to be aspiring for more. Fred and George weren't even out of school and already they were beginning to expand their own business.

"What was it that you were doing here again?" Percy asked, probably having noticed my look falter. He gave me a frown as I tried to recover my previous expression.

"Like I said before, just taking care of some things" I gave him a shrug. At that movement, he took notice of what was in my hands.

"You have a drink" he noted, looking at the disposable cup from the cafe. I nodded and brought it up, closer to my face.

"Yes, it's from the cafe in the Atrium. It's quite good. Have you ever been?" I asked, taking a sip. "If you haven't, I would highly recommend it. They opened up the shop a little while ago but I'm sure the line has dispersed by now. They're usually pretty quick to serve."

"Maybe I will later. But, while I have you…" Percy mumbled, looking down at the stack of papers he was carrying. He shuffled through them and pulled out a single letter, genuinely surprising me when the rest of the stack didn't fall on the floor. Looking it over, reading something that was scribbled on the back, he handed it over to me. "Please deliver this to your father. It would save me the trip to yet another floor. And I am assuming I can trust you with sensitive information."

"I am his daughter, after all" I reminded him, taking the letter from him. Percy looked at me for a moment.

"Right" he finally said after a pause. I smiled and gave him a single nod.

"Well, I should get going now. I'm sure my father has more work waiting for me. And I wouldn't want anything to happen to this sensitive information" I cooed, using the letter to wave goodbye. Before I could turn away, Percy cleared his throat, bringing my attention back to him.

"Katerina" he called slowly, getting a bit more of my attention.

"Yes?" I asked, using the same tone.

"Listen," he began, using that tone that made people think they sounded serious, "you come from a good place you have a bright future; you would do well to stay from those who only seek to cause trouble."

I paused for a moment to look at him. There was something about the way he had phrased it. Something from either his condescending tone or perhaps just his misinformed comment bothered me. With a sigh, knowing full well I may regret this later, I turned back to face him completely.

"Percy, can I tell you something? Just between us" I mentioned. Even with that vague statement, he seemed to know what I was referring to.

"I haven't spoken to my family in some time, if that's what you're concerned about" he answered. I gave him a nod.

"Right. Well, you see…" I paused, trying to think of how I should phrase this. "Although I wouldn't admit this to your brother, in a way, I respect what you did."

"You do?"

"Well, I wouldn't say 'respect' is the right word for it… but it's the closest one I have" I admitted with a shrug. "Everyone feels like their lives have been planned out for them, at one point or another, because in a way they have. Our parents' decisions influence our own and, eventually, place us in the path we are expected to take. What's most comfortable would be to just keep walking, never wondering what was on the path less traveled. Most people don't have the courage to stray away from that path; you did."

"Thank you" he gave me a smile, finding what I said some sort of compliment. "Not everyone can see that—"

"However," I interrupted, before he thought my words meant something they didn't, "I don't believe your family is as useless as you think they are. They're all passionate about different things. Your brother William is working as a Curse-Breaker for Gringotts, one of the most dangerous professions in the field. Charles is currently studying Dragons abroad and, as someone who has family in that line of business, I know first hand it is not an easy feat. And Fred and George, they're smart enough to succeed in whatever they put their mind to. Albeit, they may not put their minds to much, but when they do try they can amount pretty much anything."

"What are you implying?" Percy crossed his arms at me.

"There is a lot more to this world than you might be aware of. More than just talking to the right people or even doing the right things" I gave him a shrug again. "Leave your family or stay; you're an adult, that part is up to you. But your family has enough pride in themselves to adhere to who they are. While you, on the other hand, dropped everything you ever knew to become an assistant."

"Assistant to the Minister of Magic" Percy frowned down at me. I gave a smile to his frown, which didn't help. "Well, at least now I can see why my brother took a liking to you."

"It was lovely to see you again. Please, do give the Minister my warmest regards" I smiled one more time before waving good bye, walking off in the opposite direction of him. I heard a sigh and some shuffling before I assumed he left, turning the way from whence he came.

Taking a sip of my morning drink, I stepped into the elevator. It was possible that I had just made Percy a little mad. Well, that was probably not such a bad thing. I was sure George would be happy with that and, in my defence, I was giving him a warning. This world was different from the one he was accustomed to. The world he was trying to join wasn't as kind and honest as his family's was. That was most likely the reason his parents had chosen to live the life they knew.

There, it was a much warmer place. You knew who your friends were and didn't always have to assume the worst in people. In this world, if you didn't assume the worst then others took advantage. That's just how things were. Smiles meant nothing, and someone could just as easily help you as they could ruin you. But he would probably learn that eventually. Maybe if he learned quickly enough his family might even forgive him for his mistake. There was a reason people stayed on the most comfortable path, the path with the least danger. I was pretty sure someone had written a poem about it. With a shrug and another sip of my drink, I walked the remainder of the way to my father's office.

Standing by the door I watched as the dutiful assistant took a couple of signatures from my father. The two mumbled at each other a second before he excused himself and my father turned back down to his desk. Papa's assistant smiled at me as he passed. I gave him a sweet smile in return. As he walked past me I let out an annoyed expression. Really I didn't like him. He was just so needy, too eager to please. Ignoring him, I continued forward to my father.

"Here, it's from the Minister's office" I stood in front of his desk, extending the letter to him. My father looked up at me with a curious look. "I ran into his assistant on the way here."

"You did bring me something after all" Papa called, leaning back against his chair. I gave him a look and dropped the letter on his desk.

"What kind of daughter would I be if I didn't think of my father from time to time?" I asked, walking from his desk to the chair in the back. Papa had it placed just for when I came to "work" with him, which was nice. I'm sure it was mostly so that I would stay out of his way but hey, it was a nice chair. Papa gave me a smile.

"Have a nice breakfast?" he asked, reaching for the letter. I gave him a smile but otherwise left the subject alone.

Before taking a seat I turned to look at the small collection my father had in place. I already knew most of the names, having read all of them at one point or another. Papa always said work was for work so he didn't spend much of his time in leisure reading. That was all fine and dandy for him but whenever I had to spend any long period of time in his office, it made me regret not bringing some other form of entertainment. Already bored, I grabbed one of the epics. A long winded story with enough excitement to hopefully help pass the time. Slumping down on my seat I began to read.

It took a few of chapters, just as an old king began to ramble of his previous conquests to Helen of Troy, before I felt my eyes start rolling to the back of my head. I turned to the side for a moment, with nothing to watch but the window. Silently I stared as the beams of sunlight began to stream into the room. It was a calm scene, a nice view, it would have almost helped had those not just been enchanted windows. At least the Magical Maintenance staff was having a pleasant day.

Turning to the other side of the room I looked to my father's empty desk. He had been called outside moments before by his assistant. Part of me was curious as to whether there was something more interesting to read there, or at least something I hadn't already read several times before. But the real question was, if I was caught would the information be worth it? …Most likely not. Papa wasn't careless with information and if I asked nicely I'm sure he'd just tell me, so why risk there being consequences. I turned my attention up to the ceiling and let out a bored sort of groan. But, as if the gods had heard my prayers, an Interdepartmental Memo flew into the room.

With a smile I set the book down on the arm of my chair and reached for the letter. It was from Eric. Potter had arrived, with Arthur Weasley apparently on tow. They were here earlier than expected. Well that was a pleasant surprise; now I finally had something to do. I gave a stretch and sat up on my chair. I needed to talk to him before the trial but that wasn't for another hour still. That should give me enough time to think of a reason to give my father as to why I had to head down to the "Muggle Department".

Standing up, I spotted a second Interdepartmental Memo. I opened it up expecting it to be another comment from Munch. It wasn't. As I began to read the name, my smile faded. I had asked someone else for a memo, but I hadn't expected her to actually need to send me one. That was only supposed to happen if the trial changed, and it had, to eighth in the morning. I frowned from the letter to the clock. It was eight now. The location had changed too; it was now on the bottom floor. Standing up from my seat, I turned to the fireplace. Throwing both memos into the fire, just to be safe. I crossed my arms and faced the windows once more. Well... this made things a little more complicated.

My father stepped into the room, glancing over even more paperwork than he had before. Well, whatever caused the change, this wasn't the time to idle. I needed to find an argument, fast.

"Papa?" I sighed over to him.

"Yes, Katerina?" he replied, not looking up as he walked to his desk.

"I'm bored."

"Yes, I am aware" he let out a sigh, looking down at me as I pouted. "You've been telling me the same thing for the past hour."

"And I told you I would be bored. So why did you insist I come?" I asked him, as he sat down at his chair. I waited but he didn't look back up at me. "Papa."

"Can't you just read a book?" he commented, waving his hand towards his bookshelf, not so subtly ignoring my question. I gave him a loud and obnoxious sigh.

"I've read all of your books, some of them twice."

"Why didn't you bring your own then?"

"Because I don't even want to be here" I groaned, falling against the seat across from his. I thought that would have some effect on his reaction, it didn't. Fine, I would just have to try a little harder. "Why couldn't I just have stayed home? Like one day of leisure is going to make such a difference in my work ethic? It's just one day."

Papa gave me a reproaching look. I let out a smile; the whiny tone had helped. He was looking at me now at least. My father let out a sigh. He gently set the quill he had down and stood from his seat. Without a word he moved around his desk to the other side of it. Keeping his expression fixed on me, he leaned against it, placing himself directly in front of me. Crossing his arms against his chest, my father let out a simple sigh.

"What do you want?" he asked knowingly. Before I could come up with an excuse he raised a hand, interrupting me. "This morning you didn't seem to have a problem coming to the Ministry yet, suddenly, all you want to do is leave. And, you do not complain this long without reason, meaning you want something. What do you want?"

"Since I'm stuck here, can I take a look around the ministry?"

"I'm sure you already did that when you went and got your breakfast" he argued, and he was right. But that didn't mean I couldn't make an argument in return.

"If you call glancing at the lazy department heads who were barely coming to work 'looking around', sure, I already did that" I shrugged, knowing he always liked it when I noticed faults in other people's work ethic. "But I was wanting to take a walk and relax. Maybe grab some water, or a light snack on the way."

"And?" he asked after a moment.

"'And' what?" I asked in return, trying my best to sound innocent. Papa gave me a smirk, knowing better.

"You are my daughter" he stated, as though that in itself answered the question. "Do you really believe that I will accept that you simply want to 'look around'?"

My father looked down at me with a particular glance. He was right, he knew better. It wouldn't be worth the effort to try to convince him that I was doing something as innocent as taking a walk. Lying wasn't going to work but, if he knew the truth, that wouldn't be of much help either. Thinking it over, I took a second before answering.

"Would you like the honest truth or the 'less incriminating but still true' truth?"

"The latter" he requested, giving me the answer I was hoping for. I smiled a little at that.

"I heard a rumor that something interesting is taking place in the Ministry and I wanted to go take a look. Which, if you'll notice, meant I wasn't technically lying when I said I wanted to take a look around" I defended, to which my father replied with a tired look. I decided to move on. "But, I digress. Anyway, since I'm stuck here, I wanted to at least see something entertaining today."

"How likely is this rumor of yours to be true?" Papa asked, ignoring the second half of my argument.

"It's highly likely. I initially heard it from a number of sources" I gave him a nod. That was also true, George had told me first but Hermione had sent me a letter as well. It also wasn't hard to overhear a conversation about the 'famed' Harry Potter being caught and charged with an Underaged Magic charge. "That and, upon further investigation, found more details proving it true."

Papa took another look at me before pushing himself away from the desk. Without a word he rounded back to the other side where his seat was. He shuffled through some of the documents on his desk before settling on one, pulling it aside, and placing it into an envelope. Scribbling something on face of it, he sealed it up and slid the letter closer to me.

"If you're so bored, I'll just give you an assignment then" Papa suggested and, with that, he sat back down on his chair. He turned his attention back to his desk, only motioning up to point sealed envelope between us. "I need that delivered to the Minister's office."

"The Minister's office?" I repeated, scooting forward on my seat to reach the letter.

"It is a reply to the message you brought me earlier. There is no urgency to this, but it's too important to send via interdepartmental memo, so I need you to deliver it for me. I was going to give it to Anthony to deliver, but maybe with something to do you'll stop complaining and let me get some work done. Just don't take too long" he added, with a meaningful look. I gave him a big smile and nodded.

"Thank you, Papa" I called, and stood up from the seat. Opening up my cloak, I placed the letter on the inside pocket. My father looked up for a moment to smile before shaking his head.

"Whatever it is you're doing, don't make it obvious. And do not damage your clothing; I do not want to have that conversation with your mother again" he grumbled, turning back to his work. "Bringing you here is supposed to keep you out of trouble."

"What could happen? I'm only to deliver a letter" I gave him a smile. And with that excuse in hand, I exited the office.

I hurried down the corridor, past a few offices, and into the elevator. With a loud clanking, the lift made its way down, to the ninth floor. The letter could wait. As the lift continued to descend I took a second to think about where it was that I needed to go. Ignoring the other people as they entered and exited the lift, I stared at the wall, planning what the best route would be. It never hurt to have a plan, and it wasn't often or ever really, that I needed to reach the tenth level.

"Level Nine, Department of Mysteries"

I took a step outside, listening for the clanking of the chains to signal the elevator's ascension. With no one in sight, and the elevator gone, I let my face show my disbelief. If this was a joke, it wasn't funny. If my source had lied to me, I would make her regret it. She wasn't the type to lie, and that would kill any chance she had of getting me to pass her suggestion towards my father. But it was ridiculous to think what she said was actually going into effect. What could they be thinking? Gathering the Wizengamot, having an entire trial in chambers that haven't been used in years, all for a fifteen year old… Really, there was no other word for this than ridiculous.

With a groan, I took a step forward, to the last floor in the building. Was this another of Fudge's attempts to give himself some validation? The whole act was self-deluded. A trial was something that could be somewhat justified but the gathering of the Wizengamot was taking things too far. He might be trying to make this another attack on Dumbledore, considering the favoritism that lay between him and the boy in question. The Headmaster was more than likely to show. But, still… I continued forward until I reached the trial rooms. Looking around I kept an eye out for the chamber I needed. Courtroom Ten was what I was looking for.

As I continued to look for the proper room some loud steps, getting caught against the marble floor entrance, caught my attention. Someone was on the ninth floor, most likely headed to the tenth. Not wanting to risk it, I entered the nearest courtroom available, leaving the door slightly ajar for a place to look out of. As I took in a breath, trying to avoid any reason to get caught, a couple of wizards rushed through the hall. They were late. But these weren't the plum-colored robes I was expecting to see, they were black. Still, from their rush, that meant the trial was close to starting, if not already. And that meant I wouldn't have a chance to talk to Potter… but it might give me an opportunity to eavesdrop.

Stepping out of the random courtroom I let out a sigh. I probably shouldn't but, whatever he had done, there must be a reason they're having an entire hearing for it. Turning back to the room I had hidden in, I gave the idea a bit more thought. If I were to eavesdrop, would I be able to hear through the doors? They were thick but I'm sure sound would carry through, if no Charms were placed on them that is. Next to them, the number of the courtroom was placed, though fading. If maintenance of these floors was that bad then, perhaps, there wouldn't be any Charms...

I could admit, the situation was already getting a bit risky, but what was the worst they could do? I could claim to have gotten lost. Or perhaps I dropped something that rolled it's way down to the tenth level. But then that would mean having to explain why I was on the ninth level… I could have possibly been too distracted to notice I missed a level and was actually headed to the Atrium for a snack. That was believable, right? That's what I had told my father, I'm sure his assistant could have heard as well, so I had some form of alibi. I would have to lay the innocent act a bit thick but, if caught, I could possibly get away with it.

"Katerina?" a voice called, surprising me in a way that made my heart almost skip a beat. I turned around to find Lucius Malfoy, of all people. I must have mistaken his steps as part of the Wizengamot's. That wasn't good. Of course I was to be caught by one of the few who would not so easily fall to my innocent act. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you" I commented, figuring it wasn't worth the effort to pretend I was wholly blameless here.

"Business" he answered curtly. Of course, I knew just what type of business he meant. And he knew I knew, which might help in avoiding avoid too many questions, in return for keeping quiet myself. Unfortunately, his face showed something quite the opposite. He didn't ask a question but did bring up a topic I had been trying to avoid. "It's a surprise to find you here, as I haven't seen you since your return from Bulgaria."

I didn't say anything in reply to that. Internally, I groaned to myself. I didn't want to talk about that just yet, and especially not with his father. But it's not like I could just walk away from the conversation, that would just make it seem like I had more to hide. Not that I did, but that's how it would seem.

"I've been rather busy, I'm sure you understand" I gave him a smile, in an attempt to steer the conversation. "I only recently completed my internship at St. Mungo's. Since then I have been joining my father here at the Ministry, and soon school will start up again. Besides, I figured Draco would want to spend some time with his family, as I have been. And he does have a girlfriend to keep him company, after all."

"I see" he gave a nod, but didn't seem like he believed me. "Like to keep busy, just like your father."

"That's why I'm here" I nodded in return.

"Well, surely, that's not why you're here" Lucius emphasized the latter of his words. I wanted to frown but, in his defence, I had stepped right into that one. Alright, if that's how he wanted it, that's how we were going to play.

"I wonder if we might be here for the same reason, then."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Well, it would just sound silly if I did; I'm not even sure what you're doing here" I smiled at him, not taking the bait. Lucius looked like he wanted to complain about something but, before he got the chance, another set of steps caught our attention.

Not risking my luck at being caught a second time, I rushed into the nearest available room. Apparently having had the same idea, Malfoy rushed in with me. He remained by the door, looking out of the small gap he allowed by the door. Recognizing something, or someone, Lucius glowered. Now a little more curious, I leaned in to look through the crack of the door. I missed his initial target of disapproval but managed to catch a glance at some deep blue robes, as well as a woman tailing behind him. She looked old and almost lost, even though she was following after someone. It made me wonder what role she played in this whole thing.

As they passed us by I heard a distasteful grunt. Looking back at Lucius he seemed upset. Rather, more annoyed than anything else. He hadn't been so annoyed before. It made me think either that old woman was important, or the person dragging her had been. I leaned a bit out of the door trying to get a better look but it was too late, they were too far gone. Malfoy opened the door more fully as I pouted into the corridor. There was so much I didn't know, it was really beginning to frustrate me. Looking back at Lucius, it seemed I wasn't the only one.

"Know them?" I asked, recognizing his annoyed expression. He lowered a look at me. That meant yes, and that he didn't want to talk about it. Quickly, he changed the subject.

"No sense in idling around here now" he grumbled, looking into the courtroom. But he was right. We couldn't both eavesdrop nearby without raising suspicion, and we certainly couldn't hear anything from here. "I do have business with the Minister, but I'll accompany you to the ninth floor."

Seeing it as the best course of action, I agreed and followed as he led the way to the stairs. This wasn't that bad; he wasn't the worst person I could have been caught by. Although, considering his choice of conversation, it still wasn't the best scenario. Maybe he would have some decency and end it there. But it only took passing a few courtrooms before he began to talk again, deciding to ruin a good thing.

"So, how did you and Draco enjoy your trip?"

"I assume he spoke to you about it already, so I'll just say I quite enjoyed it" I answered simply. "Viktor was kind to let us stay, and having Draco along helped keep me from being too homesick."

"It's nice you two get along so well."

I didn't answer, instead deciding to settle into the silence again. Making small talk to randoms was bad enough, but I hated Lucius. Well, not necessarily hated, rather strongly disliked. But I knew the feeling was mutual. He didn't like me much either, just tolerated me, since Draco and I were so close. Plus, having regular dealings with my father, we had to be in constant presence to each other.

I let out a sigh. This one was audible, but I didn't really care. It wouldn't benefit him to bring it up and Merlin knows, he didn't do anything unless it was of some benefit to him. Of course, that was probably why he was down here in the first place. Personally, I didn't think Harry himself was the reason for this interest, but whatever he had involved himself in. That reason must also be the reason for severity of the trial itself. Now the real question was… what reason was that?

"Katerina" Lucius called, once again insisting on this useless small talk.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"

"You're a smart girl, something I dearly wish Draco would inherit from you" he mentioned, sounding almost disappointed it hadn't as of yet. I smiled a little at that. Lucius turned down to me, not finding the situation nearly as funny. "You do, however, have your faults."

"I don't understand what you mean" I called back, wanting to know what exactly he found as my faults.

"I think you understand exactly what I mean."

I didn't answer right away. Now I had a pretty good idea as to what he meant. But just as I didn't need to hear this from my parents, I didn't need to hear it from Draco, and I certainly didn't need to hear it from his father as well. I decided not to continue the conversation, but that didn't stop him.

"Draco cares a lot about you" he stated, using that same tone. "He values your opinion. As such, I believe you can be good for him, lead him towards a successful path. But that can only happen if you are of good mind yourself."

"I try my best to be" I gave him a nod. He ignored my comment and continued his lecture as we walked.

"I understand the need for children your age to want to … test their boundaries" Lucius commented, making me have to restrain myself at that 'children' comment. "However, you need to think about how your actions, and your behaviour, will impact your future. You may think you're just having fun now, or perhaps you are trying to prove some point. But the sooner you adjust, the better things will be."

"It is certainly something I try to keep in mind" I smiled in return. Not being a complete idiot, he didn't buy it, but he didn't continue his lecture right away.

We continued our way up the stairs until reaching the ninth floor. This was not as commonly visited as the rest of the Ministry but it was a far less suspicious place to be than the even less used trial rooms. I stood for a moment, watching to see if he would head to the lift. Unfortunately, he seemed to be doing the same thing with me. For a second we looked at each other expectantly but it soon became clear neither was planning to take another step. At that, I gave out a sigh.

"If it is of any consolation, Draco feels as negatively about my life choices as you seem to" I mumbled, turning to stare down the corridor.

"That's because he cares about you" he stated, not sounding too happy with the idea. My expression shifted a bit at that, and Lucius interpreted that reaction to mean something else. With that, he went on. "You're a smart girl. I know your father doesn't talk down to you, so neither will I. You are making a mistake with your life."

"If that's what you believe—"

"This is about more than just a bit of rebellion" he interrupted sternly, probably guessing I wasn't actually listening. "You have a family to think about. Do you wish for your father and mother to lose another child?"

He didn't need to say more than that. From both his actions and words it was obvious. The Dark Lord was already taking action. My brother had been classified as a blood traitor, so was George, and if I wasn't already so would I be soon. And of course he thought my brother dead as a byproduct of his decisions. I understood the repercussions of that more than anyone, but I was nothing if not stubborn.

"My brother's death was a tragedy that, I agree, could have been avoided" I began, wanting to cement that idea into his head. It would do no one well to know that wasn't true, especially now. "But, with all due respect, I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about him with such obvious distaste. Flaws though he may have had, he was still my brother."

"That may be but, if you continue on like this you may end up facing the same fate as him" he insisted. I narrowed my eyes at him, done with the facade. He looked down sternly at me. "I have known you for a very long time, Katerina. Believe me when I say I know we don't always see eye to eye. But I believed you are wasting potential. I never thought I would have to have this conversation with you. I imagined you'd have the common sense to think of your family, and not just yourself."

"You mean like how you thought of how it would affect your family when you decided to join Him?" I snapped. We gave a pause, both of us. A dark look fell over his eye, and stubbornness onto mine. Lucius let out a low breath before stepping forward, looking down at me.

"There is more involved here than you could imagine" he called back slowly, trying to justify his actions to himself. "You may be smart but you are still a child. It would do you well to listen to your elders, instead of trying to make life altering decisions of your own volition."

"Age doesn't always offer wisdom" I argued, not letting him intimidate me. "I will agree that I am being selfish in my actions, but I'll argue you're not so innocent of that yourself. If I am wrong I will learn so soon enough. So, for the time being, I would appreciate you keeping any opinions you have of my life choices to yourself."

"Not all lessons are learned from. Some lessons have consequences; lethal consequences" he answered in a much darker tone. "I hope you see to reason soon."

"You say that as if there is any reason to be seen in this situation."

"We can't stop what's happening, not anymore. And you need to understand that what is happening isn't going to end well for those you involve yourself with, so I would suggest you—"

A sound echoed through the hall, making us pause and him stop whatever lecture he had planned. Along with it came the sound of footsteps, and then chatter, signaling the trial had ended. The Wizengamot were back and they were headed our way. A gathering of witches and wizards, all with their plum robes, started filling the hall, giving us a much needed interruption. Lucius of all people, was the least deserving to be giving me lectures about life altering decisions. But now that the Wizengamot were out that meant only one thing; a verdict had been reached. I looked up for a second at Lucius; we both had the same idea.

Looking further into the gathering of wizards I kept an eye out for a particular individual. Chattering to themselves, the Wizengamot began to board the elevator in small groups. Those who noticed gave a small greeting or nod in our direction. Lucius gave them a formal reply as I gave them as pleasant a smile as I could. As they filtered themselves out, we continued to look at the crowd.

But as Lucius kept his gaze for who I could guess, I began to realize something. Every single one of them had attended the trial; they all knew exactly what had taken place. I could find Potter, use the same person Lucius wanted, or… I could find someone else. Maybe, I could even find an impartial party. And I had a feeling I had just seen that exact person walk into the lift. Hopefully, possibly, that person could be a better help than—

"Ah, Minister" Lucius called out pleasantly. Of course that's who he had been looking for. For a moment I had considered him too. Of course the Minister had his uses, but I think I might have just found a better source of information.

"Lucius, hello" the Minister greeted in return, extending his hand.

"Must have been some trial" Mr. Malfoy commented looking at the Wizengamot still present. I had to stop myself from over exaggeratingly rolling my eyes.

"Yes, it was a very close verdict to— Miss Volkov?"

My movement must have called his attention. I had been hoping Lucius would be more than enough of a distraction to allow me an escape. Letting out a breath first, I turned around to face the Minister of Magic. With the usual stupidly sweet smile I always gave him, I reached out to shake his hand.

"Hello, Minister" I greeted with that stupid smile on. He nodded in return.

"Not that it's not a pleasure to see you, but what are you doing down here?" the Minister asked, already suspicious.

"I was actually wondering that myself" Malfoy commented with a particular smile. This was exactly the kind of thing that made me strongly dislike him, among other various reasons. The Minister looked at him curiously for a moment, before Lucius went on. "I stumbled upon Miss Volkov, here, on my way to see you."

"Actually, my father sent me" I intervened, before his imagination led him to the actual reason. Fudge gave me a curious nod as I reached into the pocket of my robes. "Papa asked that I deliver to you this letter. I believe it is in reply to your earlier message."

"Ah, I see" he mumbled, taking the letter from me. Lucius gave the envelope a look, not having expected me this prepared most likely. I couldn't help but smile a bit. The Minister took a look at my father's signature before turning back up to me. "That's very kind of you. However, why didn't you wait for me in my office?"

My smile froze. I hadn't thought of an answer to that yet.

"That's quite a good point. Why didn't you, Katerina?" Malfoy commented, turning to me. I looked back, trying not to glare at him. He knew exactly why, we had both come for the same reason after all. Did he think I wouldn't turn this back on him, or was he merely trying to see what I could come up with? "I'm sure you have some explanation as to why a student would find herself on the ninth floor."

"Yes, well" I stalled for a moment, in an attempt to get my mind to settle. He was testing me. Well, fine. This wasn't the first time I had to make up a story on this spot, and it probably wouldn't be the last. "The thing is, Minister, I wanted to deliver this letter you. I'm sorry to do this here of all places but Papa is a little busy with other department matters, so he asked me to deliver this myself."

"You could have left it to his office as well" Lucius interceded. He wasn't going to let this be easy, was he.

"Yes, I suppose I could have" I replied, trying not to let him get to me. "But I have experience that dictates that's not always the best route to take."

"What sort of experience?" Malfoy insisted. I turned to him for a moment before looking back at the Minister.

"As you know, Minister, I held an internship at St. Mungo's Hospital this summer" I began, as Fudge gave me a welcoming nod.

"Yes, I heard" Fudge called, already distracted. "How did that go for you."

"Wonderfully, actually. I learned a lot from the Head Healer, and managed to get an idea of what they're looking for in staff. Hopefully, by the time I graduate, I'll be able to—"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Minister" Lucius called, though that didn't seem like the correct person to be apologizing to. "I am curious as to what this internship has to do with what we were discussing."

"Yes, well" I called getting the attention back to me before he said something even more obnoxious. The distraction was nice but it wasn't like I couldn't do without it. "You see, from time to time different departments within the Hospital would need to communicate with one another. Whether that be because a department needs assistance, or a patient falls under various jurisdictions, the situation varies. And seeing as not all department heads had direct assistance, memos were often just handed around until they found their owner."

"Is that the reason—"

"Because of this," I interrupted Lucius before he thought of something else to annoy me with, "every so often a memo would get lost or delayed. That could cause several issues, including direct damage to the patient at hand. I learned it's best not to rely on just anyone to get a message across, especially with something as important as a request from my father."

"I see, so instead you decided to deliver it to the Minister himself?" Malfoy nodded, summarizing the subject for me.

"Actually, no" I shook my head. As if I was dumb enough to agree with him so flippantly. "I came here looking for the Minister's assistant."

"My assistant?" Fudge asked, a little surprised. And from the look on Malfoy's face, he wasn't the only one.

"Well I understand that you're a busy man, so I didn't wish to bother you directly. I've spoken to your assistant before and he seemed reliable enough. And considering you chose him I figured he'd be the right person to deliver that letter to" I nodded, figuring that all to be a good enough story to spin. For a moment I looked around the emptying hall, trying to prove my next point. Looking back I shrugged at them. "I had asked around for him and heard he had headed down for some business here. I didn't see him so I thought I'd wait but, it looks like in all the commotion I missed him. Luckily I managed to run into you directly."

"That was a rather convenient turn of events" Lucius commented, and I had to agree, it was.

"Well thank you, Miss Volkov. I'll make sure to look this over" Fudge agreed and placed the letter into his robes pocket. "Your father is lucky to have you as an aide."

"I like to think so" I smiled and turned to the elevator as it chimed, having appeared once more. "Well, now that my job is done, I should get going. I'm sure my father has more work waiting for me. Once again I apologize for the intrusion."

Excusing myself from the two I moved quickly to the elevator. Not looking back at them, I climbed into the lift just as it began to close. With the sound of chains clanking, the doors closed and the lift slowly rose. Once safely out of view, I let out a deep breath.

That hadn't gone how I had wanted it to. Considering all plans had to change last minute, things could have been far worse. But, though I may have avoided making a mess of the situation, I still didn't know what exactly had happened in that courtroom. Lucius was involved now, meaning talking to Harry was no longer an option. I had to go to Plan B for that information.

"Level Eight, The Atrium."

The good news was I even had a Plan B. I did have the option of talking to someone who I knew would be able to give me detailed information on what transpired. The bad news was, I didn't believe Plan B would be so willing to share that information. Considering the last meeting we had, he wouldn't be so sparing about doing me a favor.

"Level Five, Department of International Magical Cooperation."

If I had any hope of getting that information out of him we needed to speak in person. I was more persuasive in person. I wanted— no, I needed to know what was going on. Underaged Magic was probably the most trivial of charges to face. Yet there had been a reason to hold a hearing, a full fledged court hearing, involving the Wizengamot, the high court of law, and taking place in chambers that haven't been used in years… Not only that but Lucius was personally involved, meaning there were others of a similar position who could benefit from the trial's resulting verdict. I needed to know why.

"Level One, Minister of Magic and Support Staff."

Hearing the name of the department, I stepped outside of the elevator. With a smile I greeted those I walked past, but didn't bother with further pleasantries. Instead I kept forward, until finally reaching the office I was looking for. Inside, he stood over the desk, bent over looking at scribbled on parchment. Mumbling to himself he glanced up for a moment. He began to look back down before realizing what he had seen. Then quickly he snapped his head back up again, realizing I was there. Knocking lightly as a form of belated courtesy, I took a step inside, closing the door behind me.

"What are you doing here, Katerina?"

"Hello to you too, Percy. Just the person I wanted to see" I greeted, giving him a cheerful wave.

"Was there something you forgot to say?" he called back, a tired look on his face. "More complaints about how I run my life?"

"I never complained, just made a few observations" I argued with a smile.

"If that's what you want to call it."

"I'm sorry, did I injure your pride?" I asked sarcastically, which earned me a look in response. From the looks of it, I had. Which it probably didn't help that I was leading with that. I gave Percy a sigh. "Fine, look, I need a favor."

"A favor? From a secretary?" he added with tone. Point made.

"Secretaries have their uses" I interjected with a point of my own, taking a seat in front of Fudge's desk. Percy looked down and shook his head at me.

"Whatever it is, no."

"And why is that?" I asked, pouting at his incredibly hasty decision.

"I'll tell you why" he began, and I prepared myself for what I assumed would be a long lecture. Not like I'd had enough of those for today. "You're just like my brothers. You think you're clever when in reality you're lucky. If you applied yourself you could do so much, yet you waste your time with such careless pursuits. It's a wonder your father hasn't taught you better."

"See, this is exactly what I meant before. You'll never learn" I shook my head in disappointment. Percy gave me a frown in return.

"Learn what, exactly?"

"Obviously, favors aren't free. You do me this one little favor… and I'll owe you one in return."

"What favor could I possibly need from you?"

"Who knows?" I pursed my lips at him. I would expect he'd be smart enough to figure this bit out. And I didn't like the idea of owing favors to anyone, but it was just Percy. What could he ask for? "Maybe you'll need me to convince someone of something for you? I can be rather persuasive, you know."

Percy scoffed at my reply. Fair enough. I thought of something else that I might catch his interest.

"Well, I know a lot of people. Those kind of connection might be helpful to some" I made a point to emphasize the last sentence.

"I have direct contact with the Minister of Magic" he reminded me, and I had to roll my eyes.

"And I have direct contact with several heads of departments. I've known some of them for years. Some of them owe me favors themselves. And others… well, it's hard to say no to a little girl" I called, giving him a pleasant smile. Again, he frowned. "Just think about it."

"What exactly is it that you want, anyway?" Percy asked and I smiled more openly. Looks like he had thought about it.

"Well, I'm assuming it's what you have in your hands right there" I pointed to the scribbled on parchment he had in his hands. Percy looked down for a moment, at the notes he had taken from the trial. Realizing what I wanted, he looked back up with a frown, but a curious look in his eyes.

"You want the trial notes?"

"If you would be so kind" I have him a smile, yet his frown stayed.

"Why do you want these notes? Couldn't you simply ask around?" he challenged. This time I frowned. "If you're as well connected as you claim to be, why do you need me?"

"I thought you'd be smart enough to figure that part out yourself" I commented, legitimately disappointed I had to explain this much. "I could simply ask someone what happened but anyone I ask will give me their opinion of what happened. Detailed notes of the trial will give me the most impartial answer I could hope for."

"Why do you want to know so badly?"

"I'm curious" I gave him a shrug. That apparently wasn't good enough. He looked down at his notes a second before settling in what he thought was the reason.

"Are you close to Harry?"

"Not in the slightest" I answered with a sigh, waving the comment away. "I think the fact I didn't just talk to him should prove that. But the entire Wizengamot gathered in a stage that hasn't been used in years... Are you going to tell me there isn't a good reason for that?"

"Perhaps all his recklessness is finally catching up to him" Percy offered, and I gave him a look as a result.

"Perhaps" I shrugged. "Or perhaps not. The only way I'll know for certain is with your, what I assume are detailed, notes."

He took a moment to pause. Looking blankly at the parchment in his hands he seemed to be thinking it over. I would've rathered it didn't take this long, but as long as the end result was the same it didn't matter so much how we got there. Adjusting his glasses against his face, Percy looked back at me.

"What guarantee do I have that, once I give you this, I'll get any favors in return. Or, rather, how will I know it'll actually get done?" Percy asked, and I fought back a smile. I had gotten him to consider it, that was progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

"You don't trust me. See, already you're learning" I gave him a smile. He gave me a look. Ignoring that for now, I tried my best to answer his question. "Do you know how I spent my time this summer?"

"Wasted your time lounging around, like all children your age?" he called back apathetically. That was the third time today I had been called a child. If this wasn't something I really wanted, I would have just walked out then and there.

"I fulfilled an internship," I corrected, "at St. Mungo's hospital, in direct correspondence to the Head Healer."

"I wasn't aware St. Mungo's did internships" he mumbled, a little confused. I gave him a smile.

"They don't. Yet, somehow, I fulfilled one, and have early admission for another next summer, if I so wish" I stated. Percy looked to think about that, but didn't seem to be at the conclusion I wanted him yet. Deciding to lead a little more, I gave him a sigh. "I don't like taking no for an answer and, though it might take a minute or two, I have my ways of getting things done. I have connections and can be persuasive when I can benefit from it. And, if I owe you a favor, that could benefit you too."

Percy stayed quiet as he thought about it. He looked down once more and I impatiently waited. I wanted those noted, which meant I would get those notes. I was being nice enough to go to him directly for them, but there were other ways to get what I wanted. Other ways which didn't benefit him nearly as much as this deal would. With a sigh, Percy looked back to me, on his face a frown.

"I don't think so, Katerina."

"You don't think what?" I frowned back.

"I don't think I should be giving you these notes. They are for the direct use of the Minister of Magic. Besides, I still don't see what I have to gain from this" he gave me a shrug. Now he was just toying with me. Or at least attempting to. Well, fine, we'd play it his way.

"Well, I do have something you don't have" I called, standing up from my seat. "Whether you want to admit it to yourself or not, I have more influence in this world than you."

"Don't you think you're overextending your reach a bit?" he crossed his arms as he asked. Stepping away from the seat, I smiled back.

"You say that but then, explain this to me. How is it that I managed to know not only that Harry was having a trial, but where, when, and with whom it was being held? Even with the sudden change in schedule, I still managed to find it. After all it was originally set for eleven, was it not?" I asked. Percy paused, as if not having thought of that. Having planted that thought in his mind, my grin turned to more pleasant smile. "Well, you go ahead and think about what you need to. I'll be in my father's office awaiting your decision."

"I've already told you no."

"And of course, let me know when you decide on that favor" I called back, ignoring what he said as I exited the office. Turning towards the elevator, I kept the smile on my face. It wasn't until I was on the lift, descending that my smile disappear.

I had forgotten how annoying talking to people like that could be. They were few and far between, but once in awhile, an idiot would argue with me, and not in the fun way. He better not call my bluff; he's arrogant enough he just might. Of course, I didn't need to go through him to know about the trial, but getting detailed notes could help form an unbiased opinion. Besides, it was not even nine, and already I was dying of boredom. That, at least, would give me something to read.

Not wanting to head back into that pit of boredom my father called his office, I decided on grabbing a bite from the Atrium's Cafe. Of course, I made a few detours, took the long way past a few departments, but eventually I made it. After waiting in line, deciding it wouldn't be so bad this time around, I settled on a snack, along with an iced tea to settle my thirst. On the way back I took a few minutes of leisure, taking a look around some departments I didn't frequent just for fun. And eventually, I found my way back to my father's department.

I walked calmly back to my father's office. It was busier now, more people were at the Ministry than there had been an hour prior. Papa's assistant was standing in front of the room, his arms holding stacks of paperwork. He spotted me a few feet away and walked over. Pausing a second to keep the papers from spilling over I was able to step past him, wanting to avoid any conversations. He quickly recovered, however, and followed after me.

"You were gone quite a bit" the assistant mentioned, as I gave an internal groan, turning to look at him.

"Yes, well, that's what happens when the person you're looking for likes to travel all over the Ministry" I gave him an annoyed smile. Immediately he gave me a worried look.

"That letter your Father entrusted you with contained some very sensitive information, to be delivered directly to the Minister of Magic, or the Minister of Magic's personal aid."

"Really? He didn't tell me that, so I asked someone else to deliver it for me. I went to get a snack instead" I mentioned and gave him a shrug before gesturing the bag towards him. "Care for a bite?"

"That's… not… please tell me you are joking" the assistant made a face of concern. I let out a smile. Seems I had pushed him far enough. If I kept on with this, things would turn out like they had with my father's last assistant, Vicky. Annoying as he was, Vicky was much worse.

"Of course I am, silly" I made my smile a bit sweeter. Relieved, he gave me a smile back. "Oh, you didn't really think I would do such a thing, did you? I made sure to hand the letter directly to the Minister himself. I would never think of doing something so careless with my father's work."

"No, of course not" he nodded, though looking substantially relieved. "Right. Well, your father is waiting inside for you. Please, wait there. If you need any food or drink from now on, I would be more than happy to fetch it for you."

I nodded and turned away from him. Once out of his sight I rolled my eyes. Of course he should fetch food for me, that was part of his job. I had simply gone myself because I wanted to get away from this place while I still had a chance. But now I would actually have to use him. I had left twice, both for substantial amounts of time, and I doubted Father would let me wander off again so quickly. And his assistant would watch for me, of course he would. He was so needy, I doubted he would miss such an opportunity to please my father. He sought his approval more than I did, and I'm his daughter.

"Your assistant is an idiot."

"And here I thought you two were getting along" Papa called back, amused, watching as I walked into his office. "You seemed to be liking him much better than you did Veronica"

"That's because Vicky was a moron" I called back, settling myself down on one of his chairs. "Compared to that, an idiot is welcomed."

"How was she supposed to know you didn't like dark chocolate?" my father called, still looking amused.

"Because no one likes dark chocolate," I made a face back, "especially not when someone doesn't clarify that it's dark chocolate and serves it as regular chocolate. It is bitter, and unsavory, and no one in their right mind enjoys it."

"I like dark chocolate" Papa looked down to me.

"I stand by my statement" I grumbled over at him. I felt my father's gaze on me from the moment I said that. With a sigh I looked up at him. "Fine, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not" my father called back.

"You're right," I shrugged back, "I'm not. But if your assistant sees me being anything but a lamb he'll start pestering me. It's bad enough here as is."

"I honestly don't know how you manage to stick to that act" Papa gave me a look, straightening out his papers.

"It takes great effort, I can promise you that" I gave him a sigh. Shifting slightly, I turned to the side to look over at my father's bookshelf. Even if I had already read it, reading something was better than doing nothing.

"You act much differently when you're out; makes me wonder if you can't that way at home."

"Honestly, you should see it as a compliment. Think of it as loving you enough to show my true self" I gave him a smile.

"Truly, I feel blessed" Papa gave me a sarcastic smile. I let out a giggle in return.

"Sir?" a voice rang alongside a knock. With a nod from my father, his assistant stepped into the office. "Pardon the intrusion, sir, but I have a letter from the office of the Minister of Magic."

"Another one already?" my father commented, reaching his hand out for the letter. His assistant pulled back slightly, hesitating. Papa's eyes glowered down to him, a silent question being asked. Even with just that look, the assistant let out a nervous sound.

"Actually, sir, this is for Miss Katerina."

"Oh, already?" I called, ignoring my father's frown. "I wasn't expecting this for another hour or so. Thanks, you can go now."

I added once having taken the envelope, noting he wasn't leaving. His assistant pursed his lips but nodded at me. He turned to look at my father who waved a hand towards him, dismissing him as well. Not bothering to say goodbye I turned back to my seat. Papa's gaze stayed fixed on me, even after his assistant made his way out of the room. I turned the envelope around, looking it over. Nothing was written on it

"The Minister sends you correspondence now?" Papa called over quizzically. Looking up, I saw my father was still looking at me.

"His assistant does, yes" I nodded and opened the letter from him.

"His assistant" Papa repeated slowly. He leaned back at the thought. "That would be… Percy Ignatius Weasley, if I recall correctly. And that would be—"

"Yes, they are brothers, but no, this has nothing to do with George. They're actually having a bit of a fight. The two aren't on speaking terms. I would have mentioned it sooner but you've made it clear you don't care for me sharing that kind of information."

"I appreciate the concern, but no" he answered, still eyeing the parchment In my hands. I raised the notes towards him.

"You can look it over, if it would make you feel better" I smiled up at him.

"And involve myself further in whatever you found to satiate your boredom?" Papa called back with a look. I shrugged and smiled back at him, returning to my paperwork. "I won't ask, just stay in the room for the rest of the day. As I already mentioned, I bring you along to keep you out of trouble."

"Whatever do you mean?" I held the letter against my chest, held in fake offense. "I am your daughter, I only follow your loving example. So, of course, I do stay out of trouble."

"Just don't make more of a mess than you already have" he grunted, shuffling about his paperwork. With that, he stood up from his desk. "I should mention, Lucius sends his regards."

"Does he?" I called back nonchalantly. "I hope you sent mine in return."

"He expressed his concern about having met you in an odd part of the Ministry," Papa went on, making me roll my eyes. Of course he had to bring our little meeting to my father's attention. Papa looked over with a certain look, a look I knew too well. "He also mentioned you haven't spoken to Draco in some time."

"Well, what can I do? I'm busy; busy as ever. I just finished the internship with the Head Healer at St. Mungo's, I'm helping Mother with that gala she's having, and now—"

"I would be willing to let you spend some time at Malfoy Manor as opposed to helping me here, if that is what you really wanted" Father continued. And there was that tone, the one that always accompanied the look. A tone that suggested he knew there was something I wasn't telling. I gave him a sigh.

"I will keep that in mind."

"Unless, of course, you would rather not visit" he said slowly.

I didn't answer him. Papa made his way around his desk and walked over towards me. I looked down at the letter silently. My father stood over me, arms crossed waiting for me to talk. When I didn't, he let out a sigh.

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?" I called, still avoiding the conversation I knew he wanted to have.

"In Bulgaria" he persisted. "You've been pretty adamant about keeping busy since you've been back. It's not something that has gone unnoticed. So, when Lucius mentioned a visit, there was nothing else to say but that you currently had other plans."

"You long ago taught me only the weak minded and unambitious wasted time. Being neither of those things, of course I already have plans" I argued, though still keeping away from his glance. Papa let out a sigh.

"If you insist, I won't pry. But, if Draco did something he shouldn't, I will find out; whether or not it be from you" Papa glared down, uncrossing his arms. He took another second to look down at the letter before turning to the door. He paused for a second at the entry and frowned noting something, or rather the absence of someone. "Anthony!"

Papa left, calling after his assistant. I let out a sigh, now that he was gone. Even he was starting to ask questions. It's not like I was avoiding Draco. Why people think that just because we don't spend every minute of every day together, something is wrong. Nothing is wrong. I shook my head at the thought. That wasn't important now.

I turned down at the envelope in my hands and the parchment it had contained. On the face of the paper were scribbles. The ink looked fairly fresh, but no smudges were present. Percy most likely used an enchanted quill, repeating the words from one parchment to another; I highly doubted these were the original notes. It looked as formal as any other Ministry letter, dictating the words they had spoken in that courtroom. Except, on top of it all, a note was scribbled, different from the rest.

"Im taking your word on it.

You owe me one."