A/N: There's something about spending money you don't have. It just...I don't know...makes me nervous. That was how I felt a short time ago walking out of Wally World with my three new prize orchids.
But they are very pretty.
Oh, and Chapters A & B again, folks. Q&A at the end of Chapter B.
With that said,
As always,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Go back and read the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before this one.
CHAPTER FORTY A: KATLIN
Katlin stood and looked the scene around her over carefully. Aside from her robes being a bit dusty, she looked about as unflustered as a person could under the circumstances. But then, anyone who truly knew the woman would be fairly certain that Katlin Griss could be kidnapped, tied up, tossed in the trunk of a car, driven around for hours on end, and her only comment when finally released would likely be that the drive had been a bit boring.
And not one person in the cell didn't know Katlin Griss in some form or another.
"Well, now." She said in a deceivingly soft and concerned voice as she looked over three of the caged occupants. "This is a fine mess we've gotten ourselves into, isn't it?"
But her attention quickly focused solely on Voldemort.
"What do you need of me, my lord?" She asked in a confident voice.
"I want the key to this cell, Katlin."
Katlin looked about her again.
"Where are we?"
"In a castle set somewhere within a pathway this wizard has constructed. The castle, from what we have seen, is large and very well protected."
"I'll need a disguise." Katlin stated bluntly.
"And Mr. Black has kindly provided you with one." Voldemort answered, indicating the unconscious woman outside the cage.
Katlin walked over and crouched by the woman, turning her over as she examined her features.
"I'm don't usually do actual people." She stated, looking up at Voldemort, who now stood in front of her inside the cage. "It will be close, but not exact."
"Just as long as you can move about unquestioned and find the key to this door."
"Do we know where this key is? Or what it looks like?"
Voldemort shook his head. "If it's not somewhere conspicuous, then you'll have to asked for it."
"And that wouldn't be conspicuous?"
"I'm sure you can deal with any problems, my dear."
"But my lord, still..."
"If you can't deal with the situation, Katlin, I am sure I can summon another who can!" Voldemort snapped back at his Elite.
Katlin's expression barely shifted at the tone, and only the minutest look of abashment showed in her eyes before it quickly vanished.
"It is not necessary to summon anyone else, my lord." Katlin replied evenly. "I can handle this myself."
"Then do so!" Voldemort replied, his tone as hard as ever. "And don't waste time, girl! We have no idea what their plans are concerning us."
Katlin crouched down next to the unconscious woman again. For several long minutes she seemed to simply hover above her, studying the woman's features as though she were committing every small detail to memory. But then very slowly, her own body began to blur slightly, as though it had lost any trace of a definable characteristic. When it came back into a clear focus, a near perfect duplicate of the woman stood up to face Voldemort.
"That is the best I can do." She replied. "And having never heard the woman speak, I have no idea what her voice sounded like."
"Then I suggest you talk as little as possible."
"I'll have to talk to asked questions."
Voldemort sighed to himself, then turned to Orion.
"Mr. Black spoke with the woman. I'm sure he can help you in that regard."
Orion practically shoved Voldemort out of the way as he took his place before Katlin at the bars.
From the moment Katlin had arrived, Harry had watched the scene between Katlin and Voldemort unfold with a keen interest. Knowing what he did about her now, he couldn't help but be curious about her relationship to Voldemort. Especially now that he was in the body of the person who was, essentially, her brother-in-law. But the entire time she appeared to remain as professional as ever. Not bearing so much as a hint of a smile at the man. But now he watched as the smallest trace of a smile came over Katlin's features as Orion took his place at the bars.
Harry quickly thought back to when Orion had come back to the house after Katlin had rescued him from the alleyway. And that Orion had insisted he knew what had happened, and Harry's own conclusion that only one person could have told him. Harry's unasked question still lingering even now in the back of his mind. But even had he not known about their relationship, the smile on Katlin's face would have answered the question for him as clearly as any words ever could.
"And?" Katlin asked, standing now against the bars, her hand wrapped loosely about one of them as she faced Orion.
Orion casually slipped his own hand over her's in a gesture few people would have thought twice about.
"Your voice is lower than her's. You need to bring it up a bit." He answered as casually as the gesture.
Katlin obligingly altered her voice. "Better?"
"Higher."
"Better?"
"Higher."
"Better?"
Orion frowned slightly. "It will pass. Just try not to say anything unless it's necessary."
"I won't."
"And remember what your own voice sounded like." Orion added with a whisper and a small smile. "I liked it better."
Katlin paused for a brief moment to return his smile before she stepped back over to the door of the cell. She performed a quickly spell on it, touching her wand's tip to the lock. When she was finished, she held her hand up and laid the wand in her palm. Speaking another spell, Harry watched with interest as the wand suddenly began to waver slightly, as though it was becoming unbalanced on her palm. But slowly it started to turn until it came to rest pointing at the door that led from the room.
"Don't waste any time." Voldemort told her as Katlin started for the door. "We have no idea how long before they return or what might happen when they do."
Katlin stared for a moment at Voldemort, then gave him a quick, silent nod. As Harry watched her, he saw the stare shift very naturally past Orion, where it paused ever so briefly as Katlin gave him the smallest smile before hurrying off down the passage way.
Katlin hurried along the passage way, mapping out the return trip in her mind if, for any reason, she had to return on her own without the help of her wand. She knew what was expected of her. And Voldemort would accept nothing less than her returning with the requested item as soon as possible.
She also knew she was fighting an invisible time line. She had no idea how long they had been in the cell, or what their captors plans were for them. They could be gone by the time she got back, moved to some new location, or if this wasn't the other wizard's lair, they could be moved there, where she was likely not to be able to help them any longer.
No. There was no time to think out the safest course of action. She had to take the most convenient. Find the key, or find the person who had it.
Katlin had done a quick search of the walls just outside the dungeons to see if just maybe the key had been left hanging there. But her luck wasn't that good today. There wasn't even a peg to hang a key on.
And so she pressed on, constantly consulting her wand as she looked for signs of any other people in the castle.
The first person she encountered gave her a great deal of encouragement about her appearance. The man passed her by without so much as a word or a second look. So did the second, third, and a group of about fifteen that she had to squeeze past in one corridor.
Confident in her disguise now, Katlin continued to consult her wand as it led her through several more passageways. She was beginning to question the spell's integrity now. The wand had been leading her in one direction. But suddenly it had seemed to change it's mind and turned her about, leading her back the way she had come, then changed again and pointed off in a new direction altogether. It was as though the objects she was looking for were constantly moving.
Katlin was starting to wonder just how much new wands cost these days when a man's voice called out from behind her.
Startled, Katlin nearly dropped her wand as it abruptly spun about and pointed directly at her.
Grabbing the polished stick in her hand and pressing it into her palm, Katlin turned about quickly to face the person yelling behind her.
"Connie!" The man called again, heading straight for her, catching her eye. "Where were you headed so fast? Didn't you hear me calling you?"
Katlin quickly hid her flustered expression beneath a pleasant smile.
"I'm sorry." She replied. "I was lost in thought, I guess."
"What were you doing with your wand?" The man asked, giving her a searching look.
Katlin silently cursed her luck. The man had seen her using her wand.
"It was nothing." She lied convincingly. "I was just checking it. It seems to be having some trouble lately."
"Let me see it."
Katlin paused. She had no idea if the other woman's wand was distinctive in any way, or if the man would know it on sight. But she was trapped and had no choice but to let the man see it.
Prepared to curse him if she needed to, Katlin held the wand up for him to see it. At the very least, it gave her the perfect opportunity to see what the wand had to say about the direction she needed to be heading in when she was done with the idiot delaying her. But to her surprise, the wand pointed directly at the man, wavering slightly in her hand as it did so.
Katlin very slowly raised her eyes to the man from beneath her long lashes. Her plans altered quickly in her mind as a small smile slowly crept over her lips.
"You see?" She asked in a soft, child-like voice. "What could possibly be making it do that?"
The man picked the wand up from her palm and looked it over. "It looks as though it's working a spell." He replied. "Did you cast one recently?"
Katlin gave the man a confused look, then shook her head. "I don't think so."
The man gave her a playful smile. "Well, have Charly take a look at it tomorrow. He's good with wands when they start acting up. Besides," He added, suddenly wrapping her in his arms and pulling her to him, "I have better ideas of what we could be doing than standing here wondering what's wrong with your wand."
Katlin's smile deepened. It looked as though her luck were changing.
"Really?" She asked in a low purr. "Do tell."