Bad Romance,
Chapter 130, Hard Day's Night
"You all look like rubbish warmed over," Blaise Zabini complained.
He gazed steadily across the table at the three Lestranges and Arthur who sat in a row, slumped over their respective cups of coffee.
"Perhaps that's because we only got around four hours of sleep last night," Bellatrix suggested.
"Three," Rabastan corrected around a yawn.
"I think it was three."
"Well in that case, it was two, considering we took one to shag," Rod told Bella with a grin.
In spite of the lack of sleep headache beginning behind her eyes, Bellatrix couldn't help but smile back at the memory of Rod's delicious body against hers in bed...apparently three hours ago. It had been more than necessary to feel him driving hard inside of her after the day they'd had...and all the killing. Killing and shagging always went together for them, after all. That and the death of Delphini had to be celebrated.
"Around here, we call that T.M.I," Gellert drawled and Rodolphus choked.
"No. After having to hear about your dicks when you were at our place a few weeks ago, we so don't care," he said, glaring icily from Grindelwald to an implacable Zabini.
"That was at your home, though, and not at work. This is an upstanding place of business, I'll have you know," Gellert said, and from across the room, Romeo Valdez snickered.
"Sure it is," he muttered under his breath, causing several other Aurors to chuckle quietly in appreciation.
"I had to put wards on the bathrooms so those two wouldn't shag on break," Romeo said, pointing accusingly toward Blaise and Gellert.
"Am I awake right now," Arthur wondered.
"Unfortunately you are," Goriandor said, coming to take a seat on Bella's other side from where Rod sat.
The goblin reached for the pot of coffee that sat in the middle of the table and poured himself a cup.
"Did you get more than two hours of sleep," Bellatrix asked him brightly.
Gori frowned, taking a moment to count on his fingers.
"Yes."
Bellatrix chuckled.
"Well that makes one of us."
"It was practically four, unless you count my sister coming in, and waking me up to demand what happened in Washington."
"You live with your sister," she asked, somehow surprised by that.
Gori shook his head.
"No. She just breaks into my home to ask stupid questions whenever I'm sleeping if I don't update her frequently enough."
Was he joking? Being sarcastic, perhaps? With goblins it was sometimes hard to tell. Bellatrix frowned as she tried to decide, and Gori arched his brows at her skeptical look.
"What? I'm serious! My sister is annoying as hell."
Bellatrix laughed.
"Fortunately for her, mine knows better."
She couldn't imagine Cissy breaking into Raven's Nest to demand a news update while they were sleeping.
"Lucky you," Gori said sincerely.
"Well now that everyone seems to be here, we can get down to business," Kereston said.
The little Minister sat beside Gellert, huge dark circles under her eyes.
When this much was going on, no one who had any part in it was getting sleep, it seemed.
"The earthquake angle appears to have worked well," Kereston began, smiling appreciatively at Arthur.
"I've given the Muggle Minister as well as the Muggle U.S president your name so they can contact you if they need to get information to us on the Muggle front...In case any of hers are still around seeking to cause trouble."
Arthur's jaw dropped momentarily, shock flooding his features.
"You did what? Are you saying the President of the United States and the Prime Minister have my information? Also the president actually survived the White House being wrecked?"
"Yes I am saying all that. He survived because he was out to lunch," Kereston said.
Arthur rolled his eyes, frowning.
"They're always out to lunch," he muttered darkly.
"I wonder if I'll actually talk to the president!"
"More like a special agent that deals with such matters and is in close contact with the president if we're being technical but he was also out to lunch...with the president so I figure it's the same thing nearly," Kereston said.
Arthur gave her a skeptical look.
"Not really. Special agents are likely far smarter and more competent."
Kereston smiled brightly.
"Well good then. He's the one who has your information. Special agent Hammersmith to be exact."
"Sounds like a dwarf," Arthur said with a grin.
Kereston arched her brows.
"Do those really exist? Either way he's rather tall."
"How the hell should I know if dwarves really exist? You lot are the ones with all the magic."
"If we're speaking of the Snow White fairytale, I think it was actually goblins," Gellert said.
Arthur nodded.
"Okay, that makes sense."
"Does it," Gori wondered.
"Because right now I'm wondering how..."
But the goblin was interrupted when Loughness apparated in holding a bulging leather bag in both hands.
"You are all welcome in advance," he announced with a cheeky grin.
"I come bearing energy potions from Severus."
Every Auror in the room made happy sounds, and Bellatrix practically lunged for the leather bag rather like it was the holy grail itself.
"Whatever an energy potion is, I think I want one very much," Arthur said.
"You most certainly bloody do," Rabastan agreed as Loughness took a seat beside Kereston.
The little Minister gave him a fond smile, reaching to place a hand on his arm.
"Thank you. You've been such a help," she murmured.
To Loughness's credit, he simply gave a modest, no nonsense nod.
Bellatrix handed one of the small glass bottles in the bag to Grindelwald first, then the Minister then Blaise who was silently glaring. She took one for herself next, and one for Gori, then grabbed three in one hand, passing them to Rod for himself, Rabastan and Arthur. She then passed the bag to an eagerly reaching Romeo Valdez so he could distribute the rest among the Aurors.
"What, did no one get sleep," she laughed.
"Too much to be done in the aftermath," Romeo said around a yawn as he cracked open the wax cap on an energy potion and practically tossed the liquid into his mouth.
"I'm finally feeling human again," his wife, T. Valdez proclaimed, waving her slender arms happily in the air.
"It's way better than coffee or even an energy drink,"Arthur marveled. It works far faster for one, and it feels so good and clean. Like the natural energy I had as a kid, when I just wasn't tired."
"It isn't something to fall back on every day, though," Grindelwald warned.
"The brain still needs sleep to perform properly, and there is no substitute for that."
Arthur nodded.
"It's almost a relief to know there is something magic can't do."
"Speaking of magic," Bellatrix said, excited to share her theory with Gellert.
She'd nearly forgotten it for a time, so tired was she. The energy potion was kicking in, though, and her brain was starting to move actively once more.
As everyone listened, she shared her theory of how humans ended up with magic. She watched the faces of the elf and goblin Aurors as she spoke, eager for their reaction to her origin concept.
"So if Bellatrix is on to something, the idea of keeping wizarding blood pure that so many mudbloods bash would be the way to go wouldn't it," T. Valdez speculated.
"Excuse me if there are any mudbloods in the room," she added hastily, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"Also excuse me for using the term mudbloods, it's just that...well you know..."
Kereston snickered, and covered the sound with a hasty cough.
"She's right," Bellatrix said.
"There is always a reason for any tradition that foolish revolutionaries attempt to tear down. In this case, if I am correct, the more wizards that breed with Muggles, the thinner our blood becomes, and eventually the weaker our magic will grow. Of course the eventual mudblood shall continue to pop up as the magic skips several generations, but still."
"Of course too much inbreeding can cause issues as well, so there is the fine line to maintain," Kereston said.
"Or at least more cross breeding like Loughness," Bellatrix added, honestly preferring that to diluting their bloody blood with weak Muggle filth. It wasn't her who would ever have to shag a goblin or elf, after all. Apparently there were some in the world with such...varied tastes, and a few was all it would take to keep things on track.
"So you heard her," Gellert said.
"Mrs. Lestrange is hereby encouraging everyone single to shag an elf or goblin today! Likewise for every single elf and goblin not to limit your urges to your own race and just..."
"I'm serious," Bellatrix snapped, annoyed by Grindelwald's nearly flippant approach to her theory.
"Oh so am I," Gellert assured.
"I think your theory is sound, and very impressive actually. You know how it is, though. The words just popped into my head and so I had to."
"If word spreads, hopefully the magical community outside of this Ministry shall begin affording more respect to goblins and elves," Bellatrix said, her gaze returning to those goblin and elf Aurors in the room.
"One can hope, but many wizards who enjoy hating more than they relish truth will never believe it," Gori said.
"I really think you should write the theory down in essay form, though, and pass it on to Dumbledore. He has good working relationships with several magical journals, and he'll make sure it's published and that you receive your proper credit for it," Kereston said.
"It'll get the word out and hopefully people shall wise up sooner rather than later."
Bellatrix nodded. That sounded good.
"I'll do that," she said.
"Today even."
"Great," Kereston smiled.
"Right now, though, I want to get an information gathering system set up to keep very close tabs on the wizards as well as the Muggles. We need to know what they're all up to, in what direction the wizarding heads are leaning over this entire Delphini thing as well as the other races being given their proper rights."
Romeo nodded.
"I'll get some of the Auror Animagi on it, as they make the best spies in general open areas where people commonly talk and news is spread. No one pays attention to an innocent looking animal, after all. Of course if there are any panther Animagi or something I'd not be using them," he added hastily.
"Why not," Arthur wondered with a grin at the head Auror.
"I spill my top secrets right away if I encounter a panther outside my favorite coffee shop or at the gas station. It's just the thing to do."
Romeo chuckled.
"My sister can spy on many of the wizarding families. It's an easy way of gathering pertinent information," Bellatrix chimed in, volunteering Cissy without hesitation.
What else did she have going at present, after all? She wanted Lucy's magic restored, so she'd be willing and eager to cooperate and make herself useful if that got things to happen for him any faster.
Kereston nodded, giving Bellatrix a pleased smile.
"Brilliant! Arthur, I have a friend I'd like you to work with on the Muggle aspect of our needed Intel. She's a witch who enjoys using Muggle technology to commit white collar crime," she added with a roll of her eyes.
"Her name is Millicent Bulstrode-Adler, and she should be here any time now. In fact, she's late."
"No I'm not. I was just sitting here in the back with my parents being quiet and well behaved for once. I came in while Bellatrix was explaining how we all got our magic from goblins and elves which is...really logical come to think of it."
Millicent grinned as she strolled up to the table at which the Minister sat with the Lestranges, Grindelwald and co.
"I always did like Kreacher more than most of the people I know."
Stopping in front of Arthur, she gave a slight bow.
"Hi, your Majesty."
"I'm not really...that is...I mean...Hi," Arthur managed.
Though his face was flushed with embarrassment, he did not look displeased.