But What If

by Yavanna and SunStar

It's the summer of 2002 when Non Llewellyn, an anxiety riddled PTSD suffering auror, is just struggling to get through the days. Hot on the case of dark wizards who evaded capture after the war, she doesn't have time for any additional stress but when a new Ministry of Magic law gets put into place her world will never be the same again. *AU as FW lives*

26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe, that all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Non Llewellyn however is mine.

Chapter 26

I walked down the dreary, damp and bitterly cold street, head bowed against the wind as I tried to quell the panic I could feel rising inside of me.

It was nearly the identical feeling of panic when you knew an exam was approaching and you hadn't in anyway prepared properly. Like you'd only half scanned your notes, you only half knew the information that you knew with more time you could have nailed down every detail but now…time had run out.

I could feel my left leg tremble slightly as we came to a stop, and I took a noisy breath through my nose, desperate to steady myself before it all began.

"Calm it."

The rough, raspy voice of my companion grated slightly against my ears and I risked a quick glance. He was old, or well quite a bit older than me, perhaps in his late fifties or early sixties. He was tall, or would have been if he didn't have such a hunch in his shoulders. His too long stubble was a dull grey, matching the short scrap of hair on his head. Half an ear was missing and he had a twisted silvery scar just under his jaw. I knew his name to be Dave Heccles. Such an unassuming name for a distinctly unsavoury and quite frankly stinky character. The stale scent of magical tobacco clung to him and I had to fight against wrinkling my nose. It wasn't something I'd do, because I was meant to be used to his smell.

I had to hand it to Ron, there was no way anyone could possibly know it was him.

I quickly turned my eyes downwards as I fidgeted slightly with my shabby robe with my curling fingers but apart from that slight movement I was still. I had long dull, dark brown hair tied up in an attempt of a stylish 'up do' that looked nothing but scraggily and unkempt. I had no freckles. My eyes were brown. I looked utterly nothing like myself and as with Ron, I knew the only thing that could give my away was my mannerisms. And my voice.

It took everything I had not to bite my lip through nerves. That was one bad habit I would definitely have to shake for the foreseeable future. Because, for an as yet unidentified period, I was Simone Flannery, and I was to be a barmaid at The Spreadeagled Witch.

My disguise such as it was made it difficult to age me, given the gloomy lighting in the pub I knew I could pass from anything from twenty to forty years of age. Simone's miserable disposition and downturned mouth was easy enough for me to achieve given the last couple of weeks. Her slowness and dull wits would be much harder for me to match. And then there was her accent. Simone was from Newcastle. Simone sounded like a Geordie.

Now Anna had had that accent, so I knew exactly how it sounded. To mimic it was something else though but luckily Simone wasn't the talkative sort. Ron and I had discovered it had been best I stay 'in character' accent wise so all through the past three days I'd been talking with a Geordie accent and after the first day where I kept breaking into giggles you know I really think I'd cracked it.

As Ron grumbled angrily and yanked open the heavy wooden door to stomp into the pub I meekly kept my head down. I knew what to expect from the interior as I had of course, passed through this pub before as it was one of the floo system connection points that the auror department used. The establishment had quite the unsavoury reputation yet miraculously never got busted by the department, which bothered me though I suspected I'd find out why soon enough.

Ron and I were to work the evening to late night/early morning shift, which unfortunately for us was meant to get quite rowdy. I was to be the only barmaid and 'Dave' the security for the pub. I hesitated slightly before I took off my robe, because of course I had to wear the pub uniform and I'd been horrified by that the first time I'd even seen it.

My boobs were bunched up painfully in an over tight corset and the sheer black shirt that I was wearing over it was really well and truly pointless. At least I knew this pub wasn't a place where they expected the bar maid to perform any "favours." I swallowed queasily at the thought before I hung my robe up and walked slowly behind the bar trying to look as though I knew exactly what I was doing. It wasn't the clothing alone that was making me feel practically naked, I was absurdly uncomfortable not to have my bag with me.

I had poured for hours over the notes trying to memorise what drinks were stored where, how the glasses were kept, the cleaning they did (disgustingly little) and all the other menial tasks a member of bar staff would have to do. The bar maid who was currently finishing her shift sent me a hostile stare before she walked past me without a word.

Now I knew normally how I would react, I'd be worrying about what I had done to cause such a reaction but as Simone? I simply carried on with what I was doing, as though I'd hardly noticed the other bar maid at all. As I cleared up some empties from the bar I made sure to move in such a way I could glance around the pub. Only half the tables were full luckily and there were two figures slumped at the bar, a suspiciously haze of faint blue smoke in the air above them.

"Oi you, Simone, SIMONE! Blast it you'd swear she's fucking deaf as well as dumb."

I made my slow way to the table where 'Dave' had set up his stall for the night. See for Dave, acting as pub security meant drinking non-stop with the regulars. I didn't envy Ron his job at all, his disguise was far harder to implement than mine.

"What can I get you pet?"

"You know exactly what you'll be getting later you stupid cow. I've been sat here near five fucking minutes without my drink. And look this fine gentleman says he's not been served by that bint before for near an hour."

I cast a quick look to the man on his right. A gentlemen he was not.

"Sll'av a f'whis."

"Aye and I will un all. You fucking heard him. GET A MOVE ON!"

I didn't even have to pretend to really jump at Ron's raised voice as my nerves were so on edge but it was keeping in character and as the rest of the pub customers laughed I made my way behind the bar to serve up two firewhisky's. I knew that was the drink as the notes Broom had so painstakingly made meant I knew the "gentlemen" was in fact Jeb Jeffries, someone who had been arrested on suspicion of murder not two years before but who we infuriatingly couldn't get enough evidence against. He was a known drunk and petty criminal to boot.

It was a struggle to keep my heart rate calm for the near entirety of the shift. Every time a voice sounded, a chair scraped or the rare occasion the door opened it would go into over drive as my stomach churned. My nerves were completely on edge, not just because I was desperate to keep them hidden as Simone wouldn't show any, but because I was terrified Ron or I would make a mistake and be discovered. It seemed with having such little time to prepare it would be inevitable. Whilst this pub in the day time might act as a stepping stone for some aurors and night time it was completely off the table. For an auror to be found here at night would spell nothing but trouble for them and if they were found to be undercover…

I had to supress a shiver.

By the time our shift finally came to an end at just gone two in the morning I had to resist doing too good a job on the cleaning. That would only cause questions when the pub opened again at eleven o'clock, and I finally let the grimace of disgust show on my face when it was just me and Ron left.

He was swaying slightly in his seat, a sure sign that despite only pretending for a lot of the night he had in fact consumed quite a lot of firewhisky. Thank Helga we'd managed to source a large amount of hangover cures, who knew how long we'd be doing this and Ron was definitely going to need them.

I had also discovered when doing a quick tidy what exactly was the source of the blue haze that has surrounded the slumped over customers at the bar and the spark of anger it had caused in me had been good to focus on. I kept my silence all the way back to the tiny B&B we had arranged to stay at. We were knew faces at the pub after all and we had definitely been watched leaving the pub. I rather guessed that would happen for some days to come.

"I cannit," I heaved out a grunt as I tried to place Ron tidily into the small armchair in our poky room. He was so difficulty and bloody belligerent when drunk, why couldn't he just be a nice giggling drunk like George?

My shoulders stiffened at the thought, before I shivered. It was like an awareness had trickled down my spine and I tried to shrug it off before speaking again. "I cannit believe they sell Bob's potion there!"

I was seething now the more I thought of it. Bob's potion was of course the slang name given it's true name was nigh on unpronounceable, but it was a highly addictive concoction that let you enter an idyllic or in other words a "high" state. I supposed it was a magical equivalent of the muggle substances cocaine or heroin. It was without doubt one of the most dangerous and therefore illegal substances and for that disgusting pub to be selling over the counter, and pretty openly given the haze that had surrounded the bar, was appalling.

"Just you wait when we get back from this I'm going straight back as myself to put a stop to it, I mean it."

"You bloody can't."

I narrowed my eyes at Ron's bleary expression before a sympathy grimace pulled at my mouth as he downed the hangover cure in one, and I took a few rushed steps back from him as he lurched forward with a groan. I'd be damned if he was going to throw up on me. After a few seconds he righted himself, looking decidedly grey.

"You know we can't. Anything we discover on the job doesn't give us grounds to make any arrests or use it to our advantage. Besides the department likes the pub, got to have informants don't we?"

His voice was lower than normal but I understood the need for it even as I pulled a face at his words. We'd put safe guards and wards on the room as soon as we entered it but we couldn't risk even the slightest chance of being over heard. And it wasn't like we could pack the place out magically to protect ourselves. It was a muggle house, and the man who lived downstairs as well as the neighbours would start to notice something if their electrics started to play up because of us.

"You alright Llewellyn?"

I managed to catch my surprise that he'd asked the question before I nodded silently.

"I think so. That wasn't as bad as I thought but…"

But so much could go wrong.

"Yeah. I know. Look let's try to sleep now, and we'll go over pointers in the morning. Pointless trying now."

"Yeah. Alright."

Merlin, sleep. I'd had to tell Ron yesterday that I was highly likely to have nightmares as much as it shamed me to admit it. All he'd done was clap me on the shoulder and say that he probably would too, before the bugger bloody finished off my cupcakes.

We both made quick work of using the tiny ensuite bathroom to get changed and ready for bed. It had such a stench of damp with mildew growing on the walls it wasn't somewhere I wanted to spend much time in. I undid a number of the charms I'd placed on myself and felt some of the tension I'd been carrying across my shoulders loosen. They weren't difficult charms to alter my appearance, even I could manage them, but to keep them in place for so long was hard. I could feel sleep trying to snatch at my eyes and I hurried to get under the covers of the small single bed. The mattress was so soft I swear I sunk deep enough into it to feel the bed frame underneath. Or it was an errant spring. I would have to try and charm it the next day, I didn't have the energy for it now.

With one last check to make sure my wand and bag were right on the bedside table to the left of my head I nodded at Ron, whose long body was squashed up uncomfortably on his own single bed, with his wand at the ready.

"Alright, g'night. Nox."

I realised my error the moment Ron had said the spell. I'd had to sleep with a light on ever since I'd returned form Azkaban and I felt the blackness crush in on my like a heavy weight as the blood rushed in my ears. I knew I should just reach out and grab by wand but…

What if there was one on the room already? What if it grabs my arm before I can reach my wand?

Trying to tell myself that the thought was irrational didn't help. My heart pounded as a quiet creak reached my ear. What had made that noise? Was it a dementor? I strained my ears for the sound of rattled breathing, or the swish of a cloak. I needed my wand but I was too scared to move.

Oh god, I didn't-I didn't know what to do. I could feel a cold sweat cover me even as I tried desperately for my eyes to get used to the dark so I could pick out any darker shapes in it.

"Lumos."

I had to stifle a near sob of relief as the room came back into view and I could see there was nothing else here but me and Ron. I turned my head away from him as to my embarrassment I could feel that my eyes had filled with tears.

"Sorry. I forgot, you'd need a light. Mum said…"

He trailed off and I wondered if he'd seen my shoulder stiffen, even as I felt my face burn with shame. Merlin only knew what Mrs Weasley thought of me. At the wedding I'd sobbed for nearly ten minutes in her arms. She'd been lovely about it but it had been a huge moment of weakness for me, and to now know she'd discussed me with Ron, that she knew I couldn't sleep without a light…it was mortifying. I felt pathetic.

I bet she doesn't think I'm fit enough for the job or to protect Ron.

The thought ate away at me even as I heard Ron rummage in his bag, but I couldn't bring myself to look. A soft yellow glow started to shine so even when Ron doused the main a light a tiny glow for my side of the room remained. I ignored Ron's second call for goodnight.

Despite my fatigue it took me a long while to drift off. My body was having it's now uncomfortable normal adrenaline crash trembling and I knew I'd have to wait for that to pass before I could sleep. But more than that, my thoughts were racing. I was determined to make sure I kept Ron safe and I kept going over and over our back up plans and escape routes but as much as I tried other thoughts were starting to poke their way through.

I had amazed myself with my own powers of concentration and control that I'd managed not to practically think of anything else but work for the last three days but now, in the early morning hours when everything else was so still and calm, I couldn't hide from them.

It was Fred's words that were haunting me the most, that I hadn't been considerate to George. The more I thought on it now, the greater sense of injustice I was feeling, despite the guilt I'd felt at the time. I bloody well had been considerate to George. I'd done so many things the last few months I'd been downright uncomfortable doing and that was all to keep George happy. What was that if not being considerate? I felt a burning anger at Fred for saying something which I now thought was unfair, and at myself for allowing myself to be guilt tripped. It took me a long while to drift off.

Our first week undercover seemed to drag by with agonising slowness. It was a horrible concoction of a permanent state of anxiety matched up with boredom. I hated being trapped behind the bar, I hated having to play someone so slow witted, and I hated the small leaps of terror I felt when either myself of Ron made a small mistake. It was inevitable that we would and yet somehow we were managing to get away with it. After five shifts, we'd also finally stopped being watched on the way home to the B&B. I wasn't completely sure that was a good thing.

I supposed one of the few benefits was that as I myself was feeling so miserable I finally didn't have to pretend to cover it up and be happy. As Simone I could quite literally walk around with a downturned and sullen face and I embraced it fully. One of the other benefits was weirdly that I was getting back into a fairly decent sleeping pattern, even if the sleep itself was disrupted. This was the first time in…Merlin it had to be months that I'd had five days in a row of going to bed at the same time, even if that was at roughly three in the morning.

It took us until shift eight for things to start to happen.

It had been a dull enough shift, we were about two hours in and it had been a bit quieter than normal when the door slammed open to reveal the figure of a witch, and she stood there for a long moment as she waited for the patrons to stop and stare. I had never so badly wanted to roll my eyes. Talk about unsubtle.

The witch was clearly rich and had done nothing to hide the fact. Her robes were of exquisite quality and she'd clearly paid for a concealment mask. They weren't too dissimilar to the shield hats the twins had invented, but this instead blurred and changed your facial appearance. Despite them being apparently fashionable (fantastic if you were wanting to have an affair according to a Witch Weekly article a scandalised Mrs Weasley had read to us once), they to me only depicted people with far too many galleons to their name who were even worse at charm work than me. And what was worse it was so bloody obviously a mask. Yes you couldn't recognise the person underneath but you so clearly knew it was someone with something to hide. I think it was the stupidity of it all that upset me the most.

She had two bodyguards with her. They couldn't be her associates the way she was speaking to them and I kept Simone's glum and moody expression in place as I had a drinks order snapped at me as she made her way towards the back table of the pub. She'd asked for some obscure cocktail that I would bet quite a lot of galleons on that we didn't have all the ingredients for in this crappy horrible pub. I had to suppress a smile against the horrible drink I was having to make. I don't know what it was, but my immediate vibe was that I didn't like this witch and my gut instinct wasn't often wrong.

After about half hour another figure walked into the pub. He was completely unremarkable. He was plain in such a way that he was forgettable and I did my best to try and analyse his face without being noticed. A forgettable person could go to many places and not be noticed. I knew that, I'd used my own forgettability to my advantage many times. The witch lowered her voice for the first time since she'd entered and I cursed silently as I turned back to face a customer and carry on with my barmaid duties.

Ron was sat too far away to hear too which was annoying. The visitor didn't stay long but by how happily the witch called for another round of drinks she'd clearly received good news. She stayed an hour longer, getting louder by the minute and it finally clicked with me that I might know who this witch was.

Wealthy families were much reduced since the war so that had already narrowed down the possibilities. She had been discussing a business empire too and that narrowed it down even further but when the dull bitch started slurring about beauty products I knew exactly who it was.

It seemed an excruciating wait for the pub to close and Ron and I to walk our slow way back to our rooms. He was quieter than his persona normally was but I could feel some coiled up tension in his shoulders. Ron was feeling a strong emotion, and I wondered just what it was.

As we stumbled through the door and hastily shut it behind us clicking the old light on it was to find that we were both grinning.

"It's Parkinson!"

"What, how do you know?"

I stifled a laugh at our simultaneous announcement and questions before Ron with a chuckle squeezed himself into the tiny chair and inclined his head for me to speak.

"It was the beauty products. Her fiancé Rupert told me weeks ago when I had to go and interview her father that she had set up her own business in beauty products. Which reminds me actually I need to chase up the twins on an invoice they said they had..." I trailed off, distracted and annoyed that I'd forgotten about that before I shook myself. "How did you know?"

"I knew as soon as she bloody walked through the door, that damn stupid pose. She used to do it all the time when she had some bloody gossip to announce to the class. Just everything about her, her mannerisms, the lot. It couldn't be anyone else."

A thought flickered across my mind and I frowned.

"You don't think this is a setup do you? Or a false lead? I mean, she was really fucking unsubtle."

"For anyone else I'd say yes, for her? Pretty standard. Seems like you'd served her a belter of a drink whatever it was, she couldn't walk straight when she left."

I surprised myself by sniggering lightly. It had to have been days since I'd last laughed.

"Did you get to hear what her visitor said?"

An annoyed frown settled on Ron's face as he shook his head.

"Nah Jeffords was in my ear about something and I couldn't think of a way to get him to shut up, I missed it all. Guess you were too far away? Not sure I'd recognise the git either."

"Yeah I couldn't hear it. I think I'd recognise him again."

Or I hoped I would.

"Well look here, let's celebrate. It's been eight days of nothing but at least this is a small breakthrough. Though a breakthrough for what I don't know but it'll stop me getting angry chasers from Beckett anyway."

I hadn't realised Ron had been getting pressured for some information and I begrudgingly took the glass of firewhisky he handed to me.

"You do know I'm probably going to spew if I drink this right?"

I did not appreciate the cheerful grin I got in return, though I conceded with a roll of my eyes to the toast Ron wanted.

"To progress!"

I murmured the words back to him before I took a hesitant sip and grimaced.

It was the first time really that we had sat and just chatted after a shift, and Ron having already drunk a lot was clearly in the mood to talk. I was happy mainly just to listen, he wasn't half bad at telling a story when he stopped being self- conscious and when he was in a good mood he was actually really good company.

"Say you mentioned earlier you needed an invoice from the twins? What's that about?"

I tapped a finger nervously against the side of the glass as I decided what to say.

"It was something Beckett wanted me to look into, about some new businesses. The twins dealt with one once, I just need a copy of the invoice. I'll go over it all with you tomorrow if you want?"

I hadn't like the glum expression that was starting to appear on Ron's face, but even my suggestion of new information wasn't enough to chase it away.

"They're shagging you know."

"Oh..er..wh-who?"

Merlin I knew exactly who but I really hoped Ron didn't and I braced myself for his reply.

"Fred and Hermione."

He was staring at me fiercely now and I stuttered. What on earth did I say to that?

"They are aren't they? I know it. I can tell. I know her better than anyone you know and now she's all different. I've really lost her."

His last four words were so quiet I nearly missed them, but I was stuck by the misery I could see on his face.

"I know it must be so shit Ron but I thought, I mean, aren't you and Luna getting on?"

So many emotions passed over his face I couldn't keep up with them.

"I suppose. But I mean she's so weird, why is it so hard for her to be normal?"

"Define normal."

It took me a few seconds to realise I'd mimicked George's own words to be and I choked on my drink. Ron was luckily too busy frowning to notice.

"I dunno. She's just always so different to everyone else. It's embarrassing."

It was my turn to frown.

"She's completely comfortable being who she is Ron. That's admirable not embarrassing. Everyone else is only pretending you know."

Or at least that's how it felt to me.

"I never thought of it like that."

I let out a sigh as a thought crossed my mind, and I hesitated before speaking.

"Look I may not be even remembering it right it was so long ago but do you remember at school, your first Quidditch match?"

I cringed slightly at the misery that swept over his face. Of course he would bloody remember it, it had been awful for him, and I hurried to get the rest of my words out.

"That morning of the game, who supported you the most; Luna or Hermione?"

I felt weird asking that question. I hadn't known either of them then but Luna's giant roaring lion hat had been so noticeable I'd imagine the whole school remembered it. But I was torn, was I being loyal to Luna and disloyal to Hermione by asking Ron this?

"It was…it was Luna. Luna's always supported me."

Ron seemed confused by his own words but I desperately hoped the penny was starting to drop.

From what I knew of my friends it was Luna's nature to back somebody or something completely when she believed in them. It was Hermione's nature to question. That didn't mean Hermione didn't believe in a person but that she always had reservations. Ron was someone with so much self-doubt of his own it seemed obvious to me who would be a better match for him.

"Llewellyn are you trying to say that you think this magic law knows what it's doing?"

I shrugged. There was no way I was answering that.

"Wait does that mean you think that George is the right match for you?"

My stomach swooped at the mention of his name and I grimaced at the wave of nausea that seemed to pass over me.

"I don't know about that."

"Don't be daft Non he's besotted with you. It's nice you know, you've made George be George."

I was dumbfounded. Besotted with me? And what did he mean about making George be George? Of course he was George. I glanced at Ron a bit suspiciously, perhaps he was far drunker than I thought, but all he did was chuckle at my face.

"You know for someone so annoyingly observant you aren't half bloody stupid sometimes."

I could feel the swell of outrage as I opened my mouth to snap a reply before I clapped a hand over my mouth as my stomach heaved, and I leapt from the bed. I only just made it to the toilet and I had to vomit to the sound of laughter from Ron. Merlin he could be such a twat.

I very immaturely decided to ignore Ron as we readied for sleep but it was the first time since our undercover work started that I actually settled down under the covers and fell asleep rather quickly.

I giggled lightly as George repositioned himself and I was distracted by the bunching of his bicep. My eyes traced the movement on his bare him and up to his shoulder and across his chest. I wondered at the number of freckles he had, he'd clearly spent a lot of summers topless when he was younger, and I mapped them with my eyes. I loved his shoulders and I reached out to trace my fingers along his left one.

A grind of his hips had me fighting back a moan and I darted a look to his face. The early morning light was only softly lighting the room but it was enough to clearly see him and I sighed happily at the sight of a smiling George Weasley with tousled hair. That was another wonderful part of him. As was the part pressing against me. I hummed happily as I stretched, making sure to arch my back just enough so that my breasts could brush against his chest and I was rewarded with a deep moan before he kissed me again.

George had a number of different kisses but this had to be one of my favourites, when he tangled his fingers in my hair and angled my head just so and kissed me so deeply I swear I forgot how to think. A moan really did leave me then when I felt his fingers touch me. He'd hitched one of my legs over his hip before working his fingers in and finally touching me right where I wanted. I broke our kiss with a gasp when he started to slide two fingers in and out and whatever momentary annoyance I felt as he kissed down my chest but ignored my breasts left me when I realised what he was intending, and my breath hitched.

Sweet fucking Helga, yes please.

He was taking far too long over my inner thighs even as the fingers of his right hand kept teasing me and I started to tremble. I managed to prop myself up on my elbow even as I tangled the fingers of my free hand into his hair, desperate to direct his head to where I wanted him.

"George."

I didn't recognise my own voice. It was a part breathy moan, part demand and it was enough to get him to look up. I almost wished he hadn't as my heart stuttered and a surge of need shot through me. Whatever I was feeling must have been showing on my face as a very slow and very wicked grin spread across his face and I felt my whole body flush.

"Non."

My whole body quivered at the sound of his voice but all he did was chuckle. That same deep chuckle he bloody knew drove me crazy. As his head dipped again I briefly wondered if it was possible to die from pleasure because the way I was already feeling, I thought this might be the way I was going to go. I quivered again as I felt his nose brush against me and finally, finally he was about to-

I bolted upright, gasping for breath.

What the fuck? Where the fuck was I? What the actual-was George-what? Just what?

The screeching sound of the water pipe sounded and it jolted me back to reality. I was in that stupid B&B. Ron's bed was empty and he quite clearly had to be having a shower for the water pipe to make that noise. It must have been the noise that had woken me too. That didn't however stop me lifting up the duvet to make double sure George wasn't there and I had to fight off a tremor of need.

Fuck.

Properly fuck. I'd had a full on sex dream about George. Not just a hazy half dream that I'd had after we'd kissed this had been so real it was like he had to have been there. I carefully angled myself over the side of the bed to look underneath where of course, there was nothing but dust. I huffed out a frustrated sigh and had to fight the urge to place a pillow between my legs. Fucking hell.

Merlin I really, really needed…

Sex

…a cold shower. I hoped Ron wasn't going to be too long although Helga knew how I'd look him in the face. I'd just had a sex dream about his brother for crying out loud. A though crossed my mind with horror.

Oh my god what if I'd moaned George's name out loud? What if Ron knew I'd been having a sex dream? Was that why he'd gone in the shower so early? I could see from the clock on the wall it was half hour earlier than normal. I chewed nervously on my thumb while I waited for Ron to vacate the bathroom, and I darted past him without so much as a hello.

It was only when I shut the bathroom door that I realised that would seem suspicious but I shrugged. Let him just think I really needed the loo. It took a little bit of time to compose myself. First for the feeling of need to pass me by and then to try and make sense of it all. When it came to George nothing seemed to make sense. Since our fight I had mainly been uncomfortable thinking about him. My mind seemed to bounce away from anything to do with him, but then the mere mention of him last night had triggered the most vivid dream I'd ever had. My nightmares were vivid because they were memories but this with George had most definitely never happened before, so how could I picture it all so clearly?

And I couldn't really understand why I felt like I wanted it. Yes the kiss had made me react, and strongly, but I hadn't felt the desire or urge for sex in so long it felt weird now, not normal. I knew I'd had a brief dream about him the night of our argument but then with Gruff and Azkaban those feelings had disappeared. So why come back now? If George had reminded me of what I'd been missing did that mean that I just wanted sex or that I only wanted sex with him? It was an important distinction for me and one I wasn't sure I could answer.

Also, I thought angrily, I couldn't let thoughts like this cross my mind now. I'd been tempted the night before to share the findings of my case with Ron but this now decided it. It would the perfect way for me to refocus and it would allow a second mind to go over what I'd discovered. The realisation that Parkinson was even more heavily involved in something than I'd suspected. The difficulty would be me being able to talk to Ron without blushing. Merlin, I really hoped he didn't know or suspect what I'd been dreaming about.

Over the next four days I stubbornly kept George from my mind as I went over the case details with Ron. He'd initially thought I was paranoid when I summarised my findings but as we went through it all his face became grim as he realised how big this all might be.

"So what you think we have Non are people funding bribery at the Ministry in order to place the people they want in powerful positions that are going to hold sway over our society for decades? And that these are all pro pure bloods?"

I nodded helplessly.

"I don't have proof of that part yet but yes, otherwise I can't see what they're doing is making sense. And they definitely have ties with the CMG."

"And his experiments have happened on Azkaban?"

"That's right, but only once. We've never come across that sort of magic before, it can't just be a coincidence."

"But for that spell to have happened there it has to have been done by an auror, or an auror smuggled him there."

"Yes. And that means…"

"…we have a turncoat in our ranks."

I felt my shoulders slump at his word. I'd suspected it but to have a colleague voice it was something else. But otherwise it really didn't make sense. We had to have a dirty auror somewhere in the department for certain things to have happened but who? I hated that I would have to suspect one of my colleagues. Or at least, I hoped it was only one.

With our minds newly occupied we had hoped that we'd get another break at the pub but as the nights dragged on it was finely time to admit something to myself; I was bored. My anxiety was still there but as with everything else with my anxiety the more I did it, the less anxious I felt. Now that my body and mind could learn there was no imminent threat it meant my anxiety dropped. It obviously didn't disappear entirely, I had started to think it never would, but I was also starting to view it as a good thing. Being prepared was always good in my book, and I knew I couldn't let my guard down completely on this job that was when mistakes would happen.

With boredom however came grumpiness. Nearly three weeks living in such close quarters was really starting to tell and whilst Ron was just openly irritable and angry I often settled for the more subtle but increasingly petty approach. Typically it was things like using all the hot water, with the limit on what magic we could use I knew he wouldn't be able to heat it up, and the glowers he sent my way bore the promise or retribution for when we returned back to our normal lives. Honestly though it was worth it.

It was only when shift twenty rolled around that things changed. It had started as a normal shift. I'd even had calls of acknowledgement from two of the regulars who had started to get used to me but in true moody Simone mode I ignored them. Ron settled down as Dave and for the first hour or two all was normal. And then CMG arrived.

There were three wizards behind him, all with their hoods up so their faces were shadowed in the gloomy interior of the pub. The regular patrons all seemed to freeze. It couldn't have lasted for more than three seconds but it was painfully noticeable, before they all turned back to their conversations. A tension had settled over the place though which I knew could mean only one thing. The patrons recognised him, CMG had been here before, and they didn't like him.

"What can I get you pet?"

I said my same boring line in my same bored voice. After all, why would Simone know any differently? Inwardly I was squirming. Merlin what I wouldn't give to be able to arrest him right here and now. Haul him in for questioning and the murder of that poor muggle. I mean, he was right there stood opposite me the other side of the bar. I couldn't though, could I? We were on an information gathering exercise only.

And we were out numbered.

His three companions had nabbed a table near Ron and I mulled over the possibilities. We could handle four between us. Unless the regulars that sat with Ron normally chose sides, and given their reputations I rather thought they'd choose CMG's. And that would make it six against two and our odds didn't look so good that way. No, we would have to avoid any sort of conflict. I couldn't see how it would turn out well for us otherwise.

"Four butterbeers please."

I allowed a brief frown to cross my face as I drew my eyes slowly from 'Dave' to travel up to CMG's face, or well – his mask.

It was a very strange request in this pub and Simone would rightly be confused. It gave me a chance to analyse his voice. He was English. And not young. Couldn't be under thirty I didn't think but then voices could be deceptive. And he didn't have an accent. That was the weirdest thing. Normally you could get a faint hint but his voice was completely blank. Just like the mask.

It was only three words though, perhaps I'd get a chance to hear more but something told me it would be bad news if I did.

"Alright pet go take your seat. I'll send them over."

CMG turned without a further word to settle himself in his seat and I had to fight against my spine stiffening as I could feel his eyes watching me at the bar.

An incredibly stressful two hours passed. His companions invited themselves onto Ron's table but CMG didn't move, and he didn't stop staring, or at least that's how it felt. With his mask and the dull lighting, it was very hard to actually tell. My nerves were so on end I nearly jumped when he silently appeared by the bar.

"A room please."

My heart stuttered with fear. We did have a room at this pub and yes it was regularly used. But any wizard requesting it already had a companion with him. CMG was on his own. We didn't allow overnight guests.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

I didn't want to lead him upstairs. That would leave me alone with him, and Ron down here and outnumbered. As Simone though, I could hardly refuse.

"You expecting company?"

It was a legitimate question. CMG seemed to pause before he angled his head, but there was no answer from him.

I turned to scoop the room key off the hook, my mind racing. We had an alarm disguised as a lantern on the landing. If anything happened I knew I'd have to smash that to alert Ron. I slowly made my way around the bar and then waited at the entrance to the stairs for CMG to walk up as I held the key out to him.

"Straight at the top and on your left. You can only have it for an hour."

It was my last attempt to keep myself downstairs.

"Oh no, after you. A wizard must mind his manners."

You know I know I'd named him creepy because of his mask but this wizard really, really was a fucking creep.

I shrugged lightly as I made my slow way up the stairs. Each step was a horror. Every single one of my auror senses was telling me I was about to be attacked. I couldn't however let my body tense and show that I was getting prepared for it. I couldn't get my wand ready to defend myself. I could only walk up as unsuspecting stupid Simone, who kept her wand tied in the laces of her corset which would no doubt get tangled should I try and grab it quickly.

Shit, shit, shit.

I was quietly proud of myself I managed to unlock the door with the key without my hands shaking. I pushed it open with a loud creak and tried to hover by the door as I half turned to gesture for him to enter. I knew what was coming.

When his hand clamped around me fore arm and he yanked me into the room to slam me against the wall, I was pleased to see that it had me facing right where I wanted, and I could still look directly onto the landing to where the lantern alarm was. What I had to do now was get my wand free before he shut the door.

What I hadn't anticipated was the vice like grip he'd have over my throat. I didn't bother to try and quell my panic, Simone would of course react that way and I fumbled madly for my wand. It distracted him enough at least that he loosened his grip to watch me struggle.

"Pity you're so quiet, I'd rather hoped you were a screamer. I do so love to put on a show."

He raised his wand just as I managed to get mine free and I shot a hex at the lantern and he released me with a snarl of annoyance. He had clearly been anticipating that I would try and hex him. The alarm screamed out through the pub and I heard a crashing of tables downstairs and I prayed with everything I had that Ron was okay. While I was momentarily free I made a dash for the door but as I expected all that happened was that a spell sent me crashing across the room and then, he was on me.

I fought feebly but all the while managed to keep hold of my wand. We were too close for me to use it but I was taking the time to learn what I could about his physique. Whilst I couldn't use my auror fighting skills just yet that didn't mean I couldn't use my observational ones.

He was strong, I'd already known that but he was physically fit, almost wiry with his muscles. Now that we were this close I could see his hands. He was definitely over thirty, probably over forty. His breath stank slightly, indicating he was a smoker. He had a bag or a wallet in one of his pockets and some small bottles in one of the others, I could hear them clinking as I managed to get us to roll across the floor.

Whilst I knew Simone was dull and slow, I also knew that everyone would fight to save themselves should the situation call for it. I clawed at CMG desperately as I tried to position us in a way where I could flip him. The noises from downstairs were getting closer which meant that Ron was on his way up. If I timed this right I should be able to break free to get to Ron and make our escape. I wasn't sure if our cover was blown but I somehow didn't think this attack was a coincidence. Either way with our safety on the line we couldn't stay here.

I could see shadows flickering now and I made my move. I managed to get one of my legs between his and I heaved even as I shoved the heel of me hand at his mask and heard a satisfying crunch underneath. As CMG cried out in pain I managed to complete the flip but I felt an involuntary scream leave me as I felt a searing pain lance across my chest as I staggered to my feet. I cast a quick couple of stunning and defensive spells at his figure slumped on the floor as I staggered to the doorway. Ron had just made it to the top, blood streaming down one side of his face and what looked like a horrible black burn mark on what I could see of his arm through his ripped sleeve. I lunged, not for him but for the tankard in his hand and as soon as my fingertip touched it I felt the yank in my navel that could only be caused by a portkey.

We didn't have a pretty landing. I slammed into the ground first and Ron landed so heavily on top of me I was sure he'd fucked up my shoulder. It was agony but that was nothing, nothing compared to the pain on my chest. What had that fucker done to me? It felt like there was acid trying to eat its way through me.

I whimpered even as I tried to get my wand hand steady and I heard Ron bellowing for help. At that moment I couldn't even remember where we had travelled to, I just needed to get the burning to stop.

"LLEWELLYN, NO!"

I screamed with pain again this time as Ron flung himself on top of me to pin my wand hand to the ground.

"ARE YOU MAD? Don't you fucking try and heal it, fucks sake Non you don't even know what curse it is."

My mind however was slowly trying to catch up and I could see quite clearly an image of CMG on the floor. But he hadn't had his wand in his hand as I'd clambered up it had been…

"It was a fucking knife Ron, a knife."

I managed to gasp the words out before I scrunched my eyes up tightly against the pain. If it was a cursed knife then I had fucking no clue what spells to use. I knew basic healing and counter curses but this would be beyond me. My useless arm was still pinned beneath me and Ron still had my hand with my wand pinned to the ground like he didn't trust me not to try and heal myself. He was probably right too, I was truly starting to feel desperate to stop the pain.

I nearly moaned with relief as I felt some sort of salve hit my injury. I thought I heard footsteps retreating then but when I managed to crack open one of my eyes I could see Bill standing over us.

Of course, we're at Shell Cottage.

"Oh my God Ron don't let him look at me, I'm dressed like a – a hooker."

It was the salve that had made me recall I was wearing a corset as I could feel the cool air now and my breasts were horribly on show.

"She alright?"

I could hear Ron snort as he uncurled my fingers to take my wand and moved himself off me.

"If she's starting to worry about stupid stuff already then yes she's fine. This needs containing though and quickly. C'mon Non, up with you."

I was too annoyed at Ron's words to get my warning out in time and as he grabbed me by my bad arm to yank me up I had the briefest thought that I wanted to call him a fucking idiot, when I blacked out from the pain.

A/N: So sorry for the delay, but finally an update for you all. And I can't believe there's now over 200 followers for this. You're all brilliant, thank you

If you aren't sure what a Geordie accent is then you can look up the TV presenting duo Ant and Dec, for readers outside of the UK they've won the tv presenters of the year award for something stupid like 19 years in a row. Anyway they both have Geordie accents.

I found parts of this really difficult to write so I hope it all came across okay and wasn't too awkward. Let me know what you think anyway I know this was a bit different with time moving so quickly in this one.

Thanks so much again for reading.

Diolch,

Yav