Chapter 45 – A question of loyalty
"I just don't trust her, Jamie," said Alexandra McKenzie, digging in her bag for the keys to their flat. "First she hates us, now you two are hanging out all the time. She's up to something."
James sighed and leant against the wall as his sister finally located the keys and opened the door; he was getting tired of this argument. He stared out at the heavy downpour of rain from the shelter of the porch and frowned in irritation; so much for snow at Christmas time.
"I told you, Allie, she fell out with her friends. I got talking to her and we got along, that's all there is to it." Alex scoffed and stepped inside, peeling off her sodden cloak. James followed, heading into the bathroom to find a towel to dry his hair. From the hall, Alex called:
"She's using you."
James shook his head, peering at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Alex was just being paranoid, all that time she was spending with Bellatrix was rubbing off on her.
"I'm not paranoid," said Alex sharply, sticking her head around the door and gazing at him with large brown eyes. "She's trouble. I bet she hasn't even told you why she fell out with them, has she?"
"I never asked," said James defensively, ruffling his now only slightly damp hair.
"She wouldn't tell you even you did," said Alex, calmly drying her own thick red hair with her wand. "She's using you but you can't see through the big blue eyes and the pretty face. I bet she hasn't even really argued at all. She's just trying to work her way back to the top."
James snorted with laughter. "Through us? Oh come on, Allie, we're not even in the outer inner circle."
"Bella is."
James fixed his sister with a weary look. "Allie, Katherine Riddle would sooner stick pins in her eyes than talk to Bella. She's not after her help."
"She mi-"
"Leave it," snapped James, scowling now. "There is no ulterior motive, ok? She's just angry with her friends and needs someone else to talk to."
"And that just happens to be you," said Alex, one eyebrow arched incredulously. James shrugged, stepping past her and grabbing a dry shirt from his bedroom.
"I was the only one who noticed."
x – X – x
Cassandra Avery looked worriedly at the dark haired woman sitting in the chair before her.
"I'm really sorry," she said again, wishing she could help. "None of us know where she is."
"No idea at all?" asked Ophelia, dark eyes pleading. "What about Severus? He must know."
Cassandra hesitated, but after all, she'd already admitted to meeting with Katherine since her escape, and Ophelia was Severus' cousin – she wouldn't be working for the Ministry, would she.
"I think it's mainly Severus she's trying to avoid," she sighed. "I'm sorry."
"So she's vanished again? Just like that?" asked Ophelia, mood turning to anger now. "Over a silly little argument."
Cassandra sighed and shrugged helplessly. "It was important to her."
"But hasn't anyone tried apologising?" asked Ophelia desperately. "If they did-"
"It wouldn't make any difference," said Cassandra gently. "Robert managed to speak to her but she didn't want to hear it. The problem is that she does understand why we did it, she's just angry."
Ophelia looked despondently into the cup of coffee before her and saw her own rippled reflection staring back at her. It wasn't fair – just when she needed Katherine the most, she'd disappeared and now-
"Mummy?" A small blonde girl was standing nervously in the kitchen doorway.
"Yes, sweetheart?" asked Cassandra, smiling at her daughter.
"I can't find Hector."
Cassandra caught Ophelia's confused expression and smiled a little. "It's her teddy," she explained, then to her daughter, she added: "Have you looked under the bed?"
Katy nodded, green eyes threatening tears. "Boreas can't find him either."
Cassandra frowned now; Boreas was their House Elf and if he couldn't find Hector, then he really was lost. She held out her arms and Katy scrambled up onto her lap, snuggling into the embrace.
"Don't worry, we'll find him. I'm sure he's around somewhere."
The sound of the front door slamming announced the arrival of Robert and a few seconds later he appeared, tugging off his tie and cloak, and grimacing.
"Are you all right?" asked Cassandra, frowning at her husband who made a non committal sound, tossing his discarded clothing onto a chair and rubbing his left arm in a suspiciously familiar way. He hesitated at the sight of Ophelia, and Cassandra hurriedly filled him in. "She's trying to find Katherine."
"Why?" asked Robert, looking oddly at her.
"I need to talk to her."
"And you asked here because...?" Ophelia gazed coolly at him with dark green eyes reminiscent of her cousin.
"Because she came to your Halloween party. I know you're friends."
"Not anymore," said Robert shortly, wincing absently and clutching at his arm. "What do you want to tell her?"
"To find me," said Ophelia quietly, eyes drifting to the hand wrapped around his left arm. "Because I don't think I can do this without her."
For a moment, something like sour amusement flashed across Robert's face. "Yes, she tends to have that effect on people." He looked over at Cassandra and caught sight of his tearful daughter for the first time. "What-?"
"She's lost Hector," said Cassandra quietly as Katy gazed solemnly up at him.
"The teddy?" asked Robert, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm. "Have you looked-" He broke off, closing his eyes.
"Go, Robert. We'll be all right," said Cassandra firmly. Robert opened one eye to look at her, then nodded abruptly and strode out of the room. "It gets worse the longer you leave it," said Cassandra in a mild voice, though Ophelia could tell she was upset. Cassandra turned to face her as Katy shifted on her lap. "He missed one once, on our honeymoon. Nearly ended up in hospital but he wouldn't leave."
"Must be nice," said Ophelia softly. "To have someone who loves you that much."
Cassandra smiled, though her eyes seemed a little overly bright. "It would be, if it was just us."
Ophelia was silent for a moment, then stood up. "I should go. I hope you find Hector."
Katy smiled at her, as her mother hugged her tightly, and as Ophelia left the house, she wasn't sure which was worse: to have a husband you hated, or to have one you loved and have to watch him being torn apart.
x – X – x
James McKenzie pushed open the door of the Horned Bull and headed for the booth at the back.
"You missed another meeting."
Absent blue eyes strayed up to his face and a pair of shoulders shrugged vaguely.
"Did I?"
"How many have you had?" asked James with a frown, sliding into the seat opposite her.
"Two."
James looked at her incredulously. "Two drinks? Do you seriously expect me to believe-"
"Two bottles." The trace of a grin flickered across her face. "What did I miss? In the meeting, I mean."
James looked at her for a moment, then shook his head despairingly. "Stay there, I'll be back in a minute, all right?"
She shrugged and watched him leave with apathetic interest, then stretched and said in a tired voice:
"I thought I told you to leave me alone." She turned and stared accusingly at the empty space next to her as Robert Avery materialised, shrugging off the disillusionment charm.
"Ophelia wants to see you."
Katherine studied him for a moment, then looked back at the empty glass in her hand, frowning.
"Didn't he notice you following him?" she asked, a meditative expression on her face. Robert cast an unimpressed glance over at the bar, where James was deep in conversation with the barman, and shook his head.
"I don't see why you're hanging around with him."
"He doesn't lie to me," said Katherine sharply, shooting him an angry look.
"Neither did I," protested Robert. "Technically," he added, seeing Katherine's expression.
"Lying by omission is still lying, Avery."
"Right, and we're the only ones who you're ever mad at," Robert scowled, noting the use of his surname. Katherine glanced at him for a moment, then smiled sourly.
"What? You think I'm not mad at Remus?"
"You are?" questioned Robert, looking dubious.
"'Course I bloody am," said Katherine, sighing heavily. "But he didn't lie."
"You just said lying by omi-" began Robert, but she shook her head.
"He thought I knew," she said quietly, scowling darkly.
"Then why-" Robert started, but stopped as he realised what she meant. "Oh."
"Yeah," murmured Katherine, tapping her fingers absently on the side of her glass. "Still not entirely sure who I should be more hacked off at. People who lie, or people who think I'd be fine with the fact that the man who supposedly likes me got my oldest friend sacked and his condition plastered across the national newspapers."
"The second one," said Robert firmly, eyeing James who was making his way back over to them. "You do the first all the time."
"No I don't."
Robert grinned. "Point made."
Katherine frowned as he disapparated and a moment later James appeared and placed a large goblet in front of her.
"Drink this. It'll sober you up."
"Maybe I don't want to be sober," contested Katherine. James frowned and pushed ruby red hair out of his eyes.
"You need to sort yourself out, Katherine. What did they do to make you like this?"
Katherine gazed at him suspiciously, cerulean eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"I don't want to make the same mistake," James shrugged, and she laughed darkly.
"I wouldn't worry on that account, Jamie. You couldn't."
"Why not?"
"Because what they did involves a breach of trust and I don't trust you," answered Katherine, smiling lazily at him.
"You don't? Why not?"
"'Cause I've known you for about a month," said Katherine simply. "Give it another year or two and I might think about it."
James frowned at her, leaning back in his seat and looking disgruntled.
"Have I done anything to make you distrust me? I haven't been anything but nice to you."
"Right," said Katherine quietly, clear blue eyes watching him closely. "And that is precisely what makes me think you're up to something. No one's nice for nothing, and you were a Slytherin, Jamie. More than that, you hang around with Bellatrix and your sister keeps trying to get me into trouble."
"I'm not like Allie," said James softly.
"No? You thought I was lying about having killed Faye."
"I didn't know you then; things are different now."
Katherine looked at him for a moment, then picked up the goblet and downed it.
"Better?" he asked, smiling slightly; she pulled a face.
"That's foul."
"Sobers you up, though."
"Hmm, I think I'll take the hangover next time," muttered Katherine, frowning as Robert's message finally struck home. "I should go home."
"I'll come with you."
"No, it's all right. Really, Jamie, I can manage." She smiled tiredly. "But thanks for the offer."
James sighed as he watched her leave and sunk down in his seat. Maybe Allie was right – it was only a matter of time before she forgave her friends, and when she did, where would that leave him?
x – X – x
It was a House Elf that opened the door. Katherine stared at it for a moment, trying to remember how you were supposed to address them, then recalling that people didn't usually trouble over the treatment of Elves.
"Is Ophelia in?"
"Mistress?" asked the Elf, seeming a little confused; evidently Ophelia didn't get many visitors.
"Yeah," said Katherine. "She wanted to see me."
"She is not taking visitors," squeaked the Elf uncertainly.
"But she wanted to see me," said Katherine quietly.
"She is unwell," replied the Elf. "Cubby is very sorry and hopes you would come back tomorrow."
Katherine stared at the Elf for a moment, then smiled brightly and nodded, before stepping past him and calling Ophelia's name loudly. Cubby the Elf squealed with indignation but a moment later Ophelia appeared at the top of the stairs, dark eyes gazing at her in astonishment.
"You came," she said softly as the Elf scuttled round Katherine's feet, protesting at her behaviour.
"It sounded important."
Ophelia studied her for a moment, then came down the stairs and shut the door which still stood ajar.
"Cubby go away," she snapped, and the Elf stared up at her for a moment, visibly struggling with inner conflict then hurried off, muttering disconsolately. Ophelia exhaled, then looked at Katherine.
"Daniel's away on a business trip," she said quietly, a pensive expression on her face. "You know, people have told me to leave him before, but that's all they do – tell me. It isn't much help." She paused, noting the impassive expression on the older woman's face, then added softly: "I'm really hoping you're different."
Blue eyes studied her for a moment, then Katherine grinned wickedly and pulled a bunch of keys out of her pocket. "I'm different."
x – X – x
Hector the teddy bear was not having a good day.
First he'd been snatched from his favourite spot on the bed by that dopey looking elf, then he'd been shoved into a dirty sack and squashed under a host of other items. He'd spent the best part of three hours being impaled by a hairbrush and now that he'd finally been rescued from the darkness of the sack, he was in the hands of an unfamiliar thin looking woman with grey eyes and mousy brown hair.
This was almost certainly not good.
"You're sure this is hers?" the woman asked, looking over him at the figure who'd been carrying the sack.
"Positive. Everything's from her room and we don't make mistakes."
The woman smiled grimly.
Hector didn't like the smile.
It frightened him, even more than the monster under the bed and the creatures that hid in the shadows. Katy's Mummy and Daddy made those things go away, but they weren't here now and this monster was real and bad and it scared him.
The woman produced a small bag that clinked metallically and gave it to the dark figure.
"Thank you for your assistance."
The figure bowed and departed, and the woman put Hector on a shelf and sorted through the remaining contents of the sack, the dark smile never leaving her face, while Hector stared glassily at the photographs covering the wall opposite his perch.
The photos showed a man, sometimes young, sometimes old, expression always different, but unquestionably the same man and Hector wondered, as the woman sat at the table and worked, why she was so interested in Katy's Daddy.