Coffee and Cigarettes.

Arun woke up before anybody else. It was still dark as she navigated her way to Avery's kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. It took longer than she liked, she couldn't find cups, coffee or milk, and eventually she Accio'd everything she needed from the middle of the room and heated it with magic. After a few sips of the strong black liquid she started to feel a little more with it. She didn't remember going to sleep. She'd woken up in a chair by the fire in the Green Room and she was most likely still drunk. Where was Snape? Where was everybody for that matter? Avery's house was large but there wasn't enough bedrooms for all the guests. Another sip of coffee and she clicked her neck and left the kitchen. Where were her shoes?

Somebody coughed, a door clicked open and Arun paused in her ascent to see who it was. Avery was topless, his thin frame was taught with muscle and covered with grotesque tattoos depicting torture. He had an unlit cigarette hanging from his mouth and he nodded at her with glazed eyes. "Couldn't sleep?" he asked.

"I woke up in a chair."

"We tried to get you up to bed but you wouldn't go. You blasted us out of the room and locked the door. Said you were comfortable."

"Where's Sev?"

"My parent's room."

Arun nodded and turned to continue up the stairs, Ave held out a pack of cigarettes and shook them. "Give us a sec and I'll meet you out front. I need some fresh air."

Arun continued up to the ground floor then pushed open the front door and looked out through cold early morning light to watch a light flurry of snow. She cast a heating charm on herself and sat down on the steps. After a little wait Avery joined her, he'd put on an overly large dress robe with fur lining, he looked like a cross between a monk and a muggle boxer. "I'm glad you came," Avery told her. "It was sensible."

"How's that?" Arun asked.

"Lucius told me about the Americans, they've been contacting us about you. They are trying to get us to turn you over to them. The Carrow's were tempted, I talked them out of it."

"You think my coming here was political?"

"You've never been before," he said as he held out a lighter to her. "You've never seemed that interested in bloodsport either."

"Did my demonstration bore you?"

"Merlin's beard no, I'm getting that hide turned into a jacket!" Ave chuckled. "I'm just saying, youse don't do that kind of thing without a reason and last night you shut the Carrows up. Getting quite powerful without a wand I see." He waggled his fingers at her and his thin lips slit into a hungry grin.

Arun sipped her coffee and decided not to humour him, "Are you going to stay hidden here forever Ave?"

"Here?" He motioned to his house and his grounds. "Where else would I be, a warmer climate? No, I'm happy enough here."

"I saw your mum in India, she misses you."

Avery pulled a face and took a drag on his cigarette. "She does not. She couldn't wait to leave." he tapped ash on the floor. "I enjoy having this place to myself. I've set up quite the thing here, you know?"

Arun retorted, "'Thing' like reading a good book and watching a muggle movie?" She flashed him a smile, and he turned to look at her with dead eyes and scratched his chin with his thumb. Then he pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her.

Arun took it and studied it. "Vampire girls?" she read out loud. Avery blushed slightly, he took another drag on his cigarette whilst looking pretty smug. It was a strange thing to watch, Avery was a twitchy guy, usually so tense he appeared disfigured, always unable to make eye contact until he did with disquieting intensity. She handed the card back, "A muggle dating agency?"

He took the card and smoothed it like it was something special before putting it back into his pocket. Before he said anything more he sipped at his coffee again. She watched the corners of his eyes crease as he indulged his own introspections. A breeze ruffled his hair and he flicked it from his eyes with his cigarette hand, as he did his sleeve came down and revealed new tattoos. He saw her looking and pulled his sleeve up again. "Last time I saw you i'd just got it started, it feels like years ago."

"It was years ago. The Dark Lord's been gone at least eighteen months, I'd not seen you for a good year before that."

"It's strange how well we knew each other before Hogwarts, and how little we spoke once we were there."

"Yeah," Arun agreed, but she'd never thought of Avery as anything more than her mother's friends son. "The muggle last night, was she from one of those dating agencies?"

"There's girls you can pay to come to your house," he told her, his eyes got that hungry glint again. He chewed on the end of his cigarette as he spoke. "Sometimes they come with a pimp who tries ever so hard to protect them, they think they are the apex predator so I enjoy proving them wrong."

Avery's compulsion was far more than a throwback to the traditions of the Dark Lord's days. Arun took a long drag on her cigarette to avoid passing comment but she couldn't help but ask, "Do you always kill them after?" He only looked more hungry and more excited as he turned to speak to her. "Sometimes I keep them for a while. Sometimes I make them play games." His teeth were yellow from years of smoking when he smiled he transformed into a shark. Arun realised how hard she was fighting to stay impassive.

"You're having a great time, aren't you, Josh?" Using his first name seemed jarring. Avery didn't seem to notice. "Have you ever convinced Sev to join in?"

"Sev? I wish."

Arun laughed, more from relief than humour.

"I'm serious, he says I'm playing with my food. I could tell you things about Severus that would make you blush but he's restrained around muggles. Maybe it's his father, he just doesn't get the same pleasure as I do. He ha a deep hatred of them, no doubt, but…." he trailed off and shrugged away his attempt to excuse his friend from torture as a sport.

"It's very hard to make me blush Avery."

Avery's smile fixed to his face, he pulled another cigarette from it's pack and lit it without breaking eye contact with her. "You know Karadora Hartborn?" he waited for Arun to show some kind of recognition. When Arun nodded he leaned in and licked his tongue across his top lip, "She told me he likes to be punished, he got her to torture him, he likes it when-"

"Ave!" she hit him on the shoulder, "you made that up to spite me!"

Avery bit the end of his cigarette filter and sucked in with satisfaction. "Try it and see if it's true," he urged.

"Maybe I will," she told him.

"Maybe you will what?" Severus asked behind them. Both Arun and Avery jumped, he'd been so quiet. Arun looked up at him with a smile, "Ave's been telling me how you like to be sexually submissive."

"He would know-" Severus delivered dry humour perfectly. "Is that snow?"

"It's not settling," Avery tapped his cigarette out and stood up. "I'm going to get the house elf to cook breakfast."

"That's right, run away with your tail between your legs Joshua Avery," Arun called after him.

As he left Severus sat down in his spot and studied Arundel with concern, "I understand why you did it," he told her. "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry that I'm snooping into your past lovers?"

Severus breathed in and looked away from her. She knew what he was talking about and it wasn't Karadora Hartborn.

"Finding the first few artefacts were relatively easy but now everything's changed. The Americans are content to try and turn my friends against me but when that fails they will try other ways to attack. If killing a muggle is what I need to do to..."

"Trust Albus Dumbledore to keep the sixth artefact safe and put your energy into destroying the fifth and the seventh."

"Trust Dumbledore?" she asked, she didn't quite believe that he'd said that.

"As hard as that might be."

"I don't trust him at all Sev, he's got agendas wrapped in agendas. Nothing he does is simple."

"So trust me if it's easier, and let me worry about Albus."

Arun frowned, she'd always wondered why Dumbledore had such a hold over Snape, but she knew if she asked she wouldn't like the answer so she didn't ask at all. "I need to break into the Ministry."

"I know."

"Will you help me do it?"

"No."

Arun snorted a laugh, it came out as passive aggressive. Snape didn't look impressed.

"I need to maintain a certain level of professionalism Arun, you know it. If I am found breaking into the ministry I will not be able to continue as a professor and should the Dark Lord come back I will not be in a position to help him. Do you think he would be pleased to find I landed myself in Azkaban?"

Arun stood up and looked down at him with disappointment, "then, there's no point delaying is there? I've only got a weeks holiday left." As soon as they left Avery's she disapperated to London feeling very put out indeed.

In London, she took the muggle underground to Camden Town where a friend lived on the main road that connected Kentish Town to Camden. A number of mudblood's lived around this area of London, the ones who still had friends and family who were non-magical, who liked to be able to tell people what they were and be accepted as just another crazy goth 'pretending' to be part of the occult. A number of squibs lived here too, making a good living selling black market magical charms to muggle collectors. If the ministry found out there would be hell to pay but Arun's contact was one of a small gang, they called themselves the Gutter Rats and they were very proud of what they had created in this little borough.

Arun went to the Black Swan, where she was pleased to see her friend with a pint of Guinness, drinking her lunch. She saw Arun and raised a glass. "Look who it is!"

"Billy," Arun greeted her but made a beeline for the bar in the hope of ridding herself of her impending hangover. As she waited to be served and studied the posters peeling from the ceiling, she noticed how Billy had shaved the sides of her head and her hair was now spiked, vivid green. The bolt through her nose had gotten bigger. Her hands were tattooed, and her ears had small silver rat earrings. She blended in perfectly with the others in the bar, all of whom were a sea of D.I.Y clothes, or black-clad. It was too early in the day for anybody to make much of an effort though, this was casual hour in Camden.

"Watcha," Billy said when Arun sat opposite her and stretched out in front of the fire. "You look nice, been somewhere fancy?"

Arun looked down at her dress robes and gave a short laugh.

"From the smell of you, I'd say so. You stink my friend."

"I've been in Ireland, funny that your drinking Guinness."

Billy studied her pint, "My doctor told me I have an iron deficiency, Guinness has iron in it, makes sense to me."

"I'm glad I found you in here," Arun told her. "Thought I might have to go to the market and find Mirron to ask after you."

"Mirron? He's been missing for a bit. Got into a spot of trouble and did a little disappearing act. You've been gone a while."

"It's been an interesting year."

"Back for good?"

"No, got a job to do."

"Same as always then," Billy rolled her eyes and picked her pint up, "Be nice for once to hear you say, 'this is just a social call Billy, I'm here to enjoy your company, listen to some good music and relax with some mates.'"

"Maybe we can do that too?"

"Knowing you, if it's a job what you got to do then you better do it before it does you." Billy always said perceptive things that made her feel ashamed, today was no different.

"Well, I would like to one day," she told her, hoping not to piss her off. "So what happened to Mirron?"

"That's the thing," Billy scratched the back of her head and leaned forward in her chair. "Damn squib bastard thought he'd try and sell back stolen sacred eight jewellery and he got cursed. He just up and wandered off somewhere three days ago and we've not been able to find him."

"Royse family?" Arun asked.

"Yeah, what've you eard?"

"Nothing other than they were robbed, but I can do some digging in exchange for some help, might even be able to get him back."

"Alright! Don't get ahead of yourself. I know what helping you means and I'm not about to say yes lightly."

Arun bit her lip, "Can I at least stay in Rat Palace?"

"We got cleared out mate, we're in the Sewer now."

"Is that a beautiful big old house in Kentish Town too?"

"Nah, it's the sewer. You seen Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? It's exactly like that."

"The muggle thing with the rat who's a samurai?"

"Yeah, what's e' called?"

"No idea, Mr Mauagi?"

"Something similar, yeah, well, we've gone underground. If you don't mind the smell you're welcome."

"The Gutter Rats have returned to the gutter?"

Billy didn't seem too happy about it. "Dangerous times at the moment, got to be careful."

"Ministry or the families?"

"Bit of both. Had some trouble with werewolves a few weeks back too, just passing but they think they can shake us down for cash and to be honest, they can, so we made ourselves scarce."

"What did they want?"

"No idea, but they are heading north, lot of em too. Wanted protection charms, wolfsbane, few other snake oil's," Billy said the last bit in an American accent, which made Arun laugh, but nothing about what Billy was saying was humorous "What did you say you needed help with?"

"I didn't, and I won't here."

"Yeah? Well, must be good then," Billy laughed.

Arun followed Billy to her stall in Camden Market where she sold stolen goods to muggles and wizards alike, the muggles thought they were buying an expensive gimmick, the wizards knew they were getting cut-price goods in untraceable coinage, and Billy continuously thought she was selling to ministry agents which made her jumpy and miserable. By teatime, Arun was lightheaded, her hangover had kicked in, London was wet and cold, and Billy's cockney hug-you-stab-you act was starting to grate on her. "How much longer are you going to stand out here?"

Billy sniffed in the cold air and looked at the other sellers, "I ain't packing up until these geezers do."

"Then I'm going to get something warm to drink because this is boring."

"This is a job you silly twat," Billy told her, but she was smiling and didn't seem to disagree. "I'll have a coffee," she handed Arun muggle money and Arun went in search of hot drinks. The market was busy, nobody really looked at her, despite her wizarding community clothing, she loved the anonymity more than she could describe. She paid for two muggle coffee's and stood by the lock sipping hers. Perhaps she had been too cruel on Severus, maybe it was the hangover that had made her so quick to temper, or maybe it was the feeling she was being lied to. Perhaps she just didn't understand his relationship with Dumbledore, a man she didn't trust or particularly like. And why didn't she like him? Because she always felt he played her game better than she did, that's why. Those Deathly Hallows old timers were a tricky bunch, before her time, but she remembered her uncle talking about how much trouble they had been for him. The dark wizard Grindawald had been friends with Dumbledore, and both of them had wanted the same as Voldemort, power and supremacy over all lesser species, magical and non-magical alike. They wanted muggles to know of them, and revere them, without ever realising what a stupid notion that was, only, Dumbledore had realised eventually. At least, he realised dominance over muggles wasn't the thing most important to him. Arun doubted he'd ever stopped trying to gain power.

It started to rain. Arun curled her lip and splashed back to the market, where the tents would stop the worst of the weather. She handed her friend her coffee and they stood together without speaking, watching the dregs of the shoppers slink from stall to stall.

A hunched figure in a great big coat detached himself from the shadows, looked left and right and then slid up to the table,

"Whatcha Mun, up to much?"

Mundungus Fletcher had a large hat on, under which a straggly mess of ginger hair poked forth, he scratched under the knitting and winced at his name. "Not much Bil, bit o'this, bit o'that."

"Anything good?"

"Nah," he turned his eyes to Arun, "Ain't seen you around for a while."

"I've got some things you might like to see Mun," Arun told him, thinking back to Borgin and Burkes.

"I've got some things for you too n'all," he said as he drew a bag from his pocket and gave it to Bill, "Not this lot though, this is just interesting tat."

"Anything silver?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, got this locket look, s'got a bat on it and the photo inside's been frozen for the muggles but every so often it'll change just to fuck with'em."

"Nice, got some buckles too I see, and what's this what's this! You cheeky bugger, who d'ya lift this from?"

"Somebody who ain't got a use for it any more. Don't touch it."

Arun had a look at a silver cup with the Black family logo on it, "Cursed?"

"Only if you drink from it my friend."

"Mun, I can't sell cursed."

"Maybe Arun can remove the curse?"

"Maybe i'm not for hire," Arun pitched in.

Mundungus pulled the corners of his mouth down and put the cup back into the bag, "We'll see," he muttered. "You staying' with us?"

"Yeah, for a bit."

"That's nice love, be good to catch up, be good to chat, you know what I mean? It's been a right mare since you were last around, you hear about Mirron?"

"I've heard."

"Yeah, right mare, right barney." Mundungus put his head to one side and studied Arundel, "You cold? you're shivering."

"Freezing."

"I'll take her back to the Sewer, Bill, 'ere," he reached into his pocket and gave her some muggle money, "Get us something for tea on your way back, yeah?"

"A' cummon' Dung, I've been working all day!"

Mundungus laughed and turned to walk away before Billy could register any more displeasure.

"See you in a bit," Arun said to Billy before she followed Mundungus away from the shop stall. They went out the market, down the road and then took steps down onto the canal, then they continued along this way until they stopped by a heavily graffitied door. When magically unlocked, lead down a very steep set of steps into the dark damp. "This smells awful," Arun complained as Mun led her down under London.

"Does it?" he cackled, "I 'adent noticed. Look 'ere, welcome to our new 'umble abode." He kicked the second door open with his foot and Arundel saw a number of gas lights floating in a cavernous chamber where four water outlets combined to one and disappeared down a funnel in the middle, a number of walkways and platforms extended around the outside and Arun saw a bunch of bedraggled tents.

"Nice," she muttered, and partly she meant it, despite the smell and the cold damp it did have a certain charm. She saw a few heads poke out of the tents but she didn't recognise anybody.

"Yeah, well it's been tough recently. 'Ad a bit of a barney with some werewolves…" Mun trailed off. "Billy said, right?"

"She mentioned it."

"Proper barney. Here's my tent love." He pushed a canvas sheet aside and went in, Arundel followed into a wide canvas room full of locked boxes. "You rest your pins, I'll get a cuppa on."

"Thank's mun."

"So, what you here for? Usually when you turn up trouble follows."

Arun sat down on a camp chair, she didn't feel very well at all. She was trying her hardest to ignore everything that had happened the night before, but her hangover was making her irritable and she just felt sick. Now she knew she wouldn't even get a good night's sleep she was not happy at all.

"I've got a tricky job to pull off and I need a team."

"Need the Rat's do you lovely?"

"Maybe I do."

"Maybe we in't for hire," he used her words against her.

"Give us that cup and I'll break the curse for you," she sighed.

"Rescue Mirron and we'll talk."

"You know where he is?"

"Might do."

"Do you or don't you?"

"I got an Idea where e's gone. Dunno for sure."

Arun pursed her lips, she really didn't have time to play detective. "Tell me where to go and I'll get him back."

"That's the thing, e's...well, e's a cat."

"He's a cat?"

Mundungus scratched his hair under his hat and nodded. "He got cursed, and e' wandered off and we tracked him to this old muggle woman's house and she said he's a cat. Comes and goes for his food every few days."

Arun blinked, "Right."

"Silly squib bastard."

She stood up and clicked her neck, "Where's this muggle's house?"

Getting Mirron back wasn't easy. Cat Mirron didn't want to be trapped, and she spent the afternoon sipping tea and eating stale cake with an old woman who was suffering the effects of dementia and kept thinking that Arun was her daughter whilst waiting for Cat-Mirron to turn up for his din-din's. When he finally did she stupefied him and shoved him in a bag, then carried him back to the Sewer where she got Mundungus to hold on to him until she broke the curse on the Royse family necklace. It wasn't a strong curse, she broke it by reverse engineering it like unpicking a piece of knitting. Mundungus was very pleased because the necklace wasn't damaged and they watched together as Mirron transformed back.

"Silly sod," Mundungus told the boy as he looked around surprised.

"Aw, Mun! I was a cat," Mirron complained. "Why you gotta bring me back for?"

"There's gratitude for ya," Mun shook his head and looked at Arun as if to say 'can you believe this guy.'

When Mirron had been sent away Mun turned to Arun and gave her a nod. "Thanks for that love, I'd had a proper nightmare getting him back."

"Billy said 'nobody' knew where he'd gone?"

"Yeah, 'cos Billy don't know. 'Cos Billy's got interest's 'n' she's not that bright."

Arun pulled a face, "So?" she asked. "It's past teatime Mun, you going to let me use the Rat's?"

Mundungus sat back and puffed out his cheeks, "I'll see what I can do. You're going to a've to give me something to work on."

"I need a layout of the Ministry of Magic, specifically the way to the Department of Mysteries."

Mundungus scratched his stubble and sniffed, then a rye smile crossed his mouth. "Give me till tomorrow yeah?"

"Thank you."

"Tell you what, this place is a dump, go stay at the Caldron and i'll come find you there tomorrow."