Second chapter of the day guys, I hope you're proud. I'm actually adding so I have a chance to say a few things without bothering with a pesky (and unsatisfying) author note. Firstly, this chapter is wholeheartedly devoted to xxTeardropKisses, because as ever she was my first and faithful reviewer. You give the most amazing reviews, and I'm so pleased you like my story, and I'm really sorry I forgot to dedicate the last chapter to you, because you totally deserve it. xx
Secondly, the whole thing about the woman in the desert…I don't actually know that they do that, but it makes sense. It definitely isn't how we live in the west, but very little about the African wilderness is. I might be inaccurate, and I admit I didn't research it (though I doubt they'd publish something like that anyway), so I'm sorry if it offends anyone. I put it in as an example of how different Constantine was to people like Tom and Ngugi, despite her best efforts.
So, here's the second chapter of the day, and it's quite a long one especially for xxTeardropKisses because you're amazing and I adore you .
Enjoy, everyone. Istalindar.
&
This was uncomfortable. Not physically, but kind of emotionally. Constantine kept her eyes shut as she pressed her face into Daniel's back, her arms wrapped around him to slide into his pockets underneath his hands, concealed by the invisibility cloak. It was the best way they could manage it without putting him under the cloak too, but it meant that she pressed flush against his back and it was a little awkward.
They apparated into the Ministry no problem, and she followed him silently through security, the guards greeting him jovially, quite obviously familiar with him. He led the way to Harry's office, knocking once before letting them in. Harry looked up from his desk.
"Hey there." Daniel said with a grin, "You busy?" Harry shook his head and gestured to a seat.
"Hey Dan. How's it going?" Constantine grinned. Daniel would in all likelihood hate being called Dan, just like she hated being called Connie.
"Just great. Actually, I was wondering if you wanted coffee. I mean, you look tired, mate." Constantine agreed. Not that she felt sorry for him, but Harry had bags under his eyes and looked thinner than usual.
"Thanks." Harry said drily. "I'm sorry, Dan, but I have a lot to do." Daniel raised his eyebrows.
"Will half an hour kill you?" He asked. "Drink some decent coffee instead of the shit you have here, take a long deep breath and relax a second before you go back to all your work. It makes sense." Harry sighed.
"Daniel."
"Harry." Daniel crossed his arms, waiting, and Harry gave in.
"Fine. Half an hour, tops." He said warningly, pushing back his chair and grabbing his coat. "Let's go." Constantine stepped hurriedly out the way as Harry swept towards the door, Daniel on his heels. She waited until the door shut, and was about to cast warding spells when she heard Harry do it for her from the outside.
She only hoped there weren't motion sensors.
She moved cautiously around for the first minute or so, and when security didn't come running, she quickly got down to business, taking off the cloak and setting it the side so it was within easy reach yet not in her way. She started going through his files, checking his brief case, looking for anything that would be helpful. She was about to give up in helpless frustration when she noticed a file flat on the bottom on the cabinet drawer, beneath the hanging files. She pushed them back, wincing at the loud screetch they made, and pulled the file out.
Jackpot.
It was everything about Hermione. Not so useful on the kids education front, but a start. She replicated it and tossed it into her bag, replacing the original before she started looking again. It was only the desk drawers she hadn't checked now and she was worried they'd be warded, but she tried anyway, gingerly tugging at the drawer handles. All but one were unlocked and slid noiselessly open, and had nothing useful in them. She pulled her wand and muttered 'alohamora', and it popped right open. And there were the school files. She replicated the contents of the drawer, shoved them in her bag and swept the cloak over her, shutting the drawer with her knee just as she heard Harry unward the office. She locked the drawer with her wand and then stepped quickly out of the way as Harry returned to his office, followed by Daniel.
"See how much better you feel?" Daniel asked with a grin. Harry nodded.
"Gloat all you want." He muttered. "Dan, look, I'm sorry but I really do have a lot of work to do."
"No problem, I've taken up plenty of your lunch hour already. If you even take one." Daniel grinned. "I'll see you later, okay? We'll get drinks." He opened the door and leaned on it, letting Constantine slip through.
"Sure." Harry smiled. "Thanks for stopping by, Dan."
"Anytime, mate." Daniel said, and headed out the door, shutting it behind him. Constantine fell in line, walking silently beside him to the apparating area, where she assumed her original position, pressed against his back with her hands in his pockets, and they apparated away, appearing again at Malfoy Manor.
Constantine stepped away from him quickly, the invisibility cloak sliding from her shoulders.
"Thanks Dan-Draco." She smiled as he changed in front of her. "I got the stuff."
"Seriously? I kept him there as long as I could." Constantine smiled.
"Yeah, it was great." She held up her bag. "Lot's of incriminating files."
"About you?"
"About Hermione." Constantine corrected. "And about the kids. I haven't had a chance to read them yet, so we'll see if they're actually any good or if we just wasted our time."
"Did you check his locked drawer?"
"Yeah, that's where I found the file on the kids. Hermione's was at the bottom of his filing cabinet."
"Do you think he's forgotten about it?" Draco asked, folding his arms and following her into the study. She shrugged, glancing at him over her shoulder as she dropped onto the couch, plopping the bag next to her and pulling out the two files.
"In favour of helping kids play truant?" She questioned. She shrugged. "Maybe. But I think the moment Hermione turns up again, Harry will be down on her like a ton of bricks."
"He can't assassinate her because some prophecy said she might threaten his power." Draco pointed out.
"That's what I'm going to tell Madame Bones." Constantine agreed. "I'll get the recording of the prophecy off Ginny, so Madame Bones can hear that too, it might help."
"And how will you explain all this information?" Draco said. "Bones is going to want to know."
"A friend." Constantine said. "And strictly speaking, it's all hypothetical anyway."
"Except it isn't."
"It is until I decide I can trust her not to go running to people she might not be able to trust. Too much depends on me to throw it away."
"So let me go." Constantine stared and Draco raised his eyebrows. "Come on Constantine, it's not that surprising an offer." He said, leaning back in the armchair and stretching out his legs. "I know as well as you what depends on you staying out of jail. If Daniel goes and gets fucked over, its no great loss."
"Not true." Constantine said gently. The sudden hopefullness in Draco's eyes made her sigh. "Draco…" She didn't know what to say. She'd been hoping this wouldn't come up, though she supposed that was just wishful thinking.
"I'm sorry." Draco stood to go, and Constantine grabbed his wrist as he passed her, heading for the door.
"Draco. What there is between us is…messed up, I know. And I know something has to be done about it. But not yet. I want this to be finished. I want to go back to being me. And I can't sort out whatever is between us until I can sort out myself. And that can't be done until Harry is gone."
"So you agree there is something between us." Draco said. She closed her eyes briefly, then rose, forcing him to step back.
"There will always be something between us, Draco." She said, meeting and holding his gaze. "But until this-" She snatched the necklace off her throat, breaking the chain and dropping it on the table to their side, "Is nothing more to me than a beautiful gift from you, I can't do it." Constantine had vanished, leaving Hermione in her place. She smiled, one hand reaching up to touch his face. He caught her hand and pressed it to his cheek. "It might be a long time, Draco." She warned him.
"As long as it happens." He replied. She smiled.
"Well, lets pull this off first." She said with a small laugh. He nodded with a smile, and then ducked his head, his lips pressing to hers. She froze, and he pulled back. "Draco…"
"To keep me going." He said with a smile, releasing her and picking up the broken chain and pendant, and fixing it with a wave of his wand, and reclasping it around her neck. "You know we're gonna do this, right?"
"It must be your dream come true." Hermione said wryly, sitting back down on the couch and picking up the folders again. Draco sat across from her, picking up the other folder.
"What, bringing Potter down off his high horse, with Granger's help, no less? It's been a fantasy since I was thirteen."
"That doesn't surprise me."
"The sex part only came in when I was fifteen." Draco said with a sly grin, waiting for her reaction.
"I didn't know you swung that way." She replied mildly, not looking up. Draco was struck dumb. Not quite the reaction he'd been aiming for. She looked up finally, all light and innocence. "Do you want to go through that folder and I'll go through this one and we can swap?"
"Not sex with Potter, you disgusting woman!" Draco exclaimed, horrified by her implied notions of his sexuality.
"Of course not, Draco. Shall we get on?" she asked patronisingly.
"Constantine!"
"I heard you, Draco. You've been having sex dreams since you were fifteen."
"Not about Harry." Draco pressed.
"Of course." She smiled at him, then looked back at her folder, hiding a grin.
"Ugh." Draco gave up the argument with a disgusted snort, starting to read through his own file, well aware that Constantine was privately gloating.
&
Constantine took a deep breath then let it out, smoothing her jacket, and regripping the bag at her side before knocking on the door.
"Come in." Constantine stepped through the door and closed it behind her.
"Madame Bones, thank you very much for seeing me." The witch in front of her was old, but had the same ageless eyes that Dumbledore had had.
"Let's see you then, child. I like to look at the people I'm speaking to." Constantine obligingly stepped closer, and stood in silence for a long moment while Madame Bones inspected her. "So. Miss DeVere. I understand you have something you wish to share with me."
"I have…a query." Constantine said cautiously, still standing. Madame Bones gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
"Then sit. Tell me, Miss DeVere. Why me? I'm assuming the query is of a rather sensitive nature, which is why you came to a council member. But there are several to choose from, which is why I ask."
"I remember being told, many years ago when Fudge was in power, that no matter how many officials were in his pocket, you weren't one of them. I came to you on the assumption that that still holds true."
"Assumptions, Miss DeVere, are dangerous." Madame Bones said. Constantine nodded.
"I know that." There was a long pause.
"So, your query." Madame Bones said, steepling her fingers in front of her face. "Ask."
"This is all hypothetical, of course." Constantine began.
"If it was hypothetical you wouldn't have bothered coming to me." The older witch interrupted sharply. Constantine met her gaze but didn't answer.
"What would the position of the council be should the highest point in government be found corrupt?" Constantine asked. Madame Bones raised her eyebrows.
"By which of course you are referring to the Minister." She clarified. "That would depend, Miss DeVere, on many things." Constantine waited. "The accuracy of your information, the seriousness of his crime, and, of course, the number of council members 'in his pocket', as you put it." Constantine nodded, and continued to sit in silence. Madame Bones finally smiled. "Well, then, Miss DeVere. You have piqued my interest. What is it that Minister Potter has involved himself in?"
"Hypothetically." Constantine put in, pulling the file of the children's education from her bag, and laying it on the desk in front of Madame Bones. "This folder relates to the number of children attending Hogwarts this year. Over a hundred were eligible: eleven years old and magically gifted. Twenty eight of those students attended academies in Europe, eight more attended the two academies in the US, with eighteen more at other academies in Japan and China. That leaves sixty four students to attend Hogwarts this September." Constantine paused.
"I do believe the number was somewhat less than that." Madame Bones said quietly. She looked thoughtful. Constantine nodded.
"Twenty attended this September. Forty six magical eleven years aren't attending school. And it isn't a choice parents can make for their children…magical children can only be tutored up to age eleven before law states that they must attend an institution of the parents choice."
"There are other magical schools besides those in Europe and the States." Madame Bones pointed out. Constantine nodded.
"True. But these children did not attend those schools."
"You've checked, I presume." Madame Bones nodded, flipping through the file. Then she closed it and looked up at Constantine. "This is all very interesting and definitely warrants further investigation, however, I want to know the real reason you're persuing this."
"Madame Bones, this is quite worrying enough." Constantine argued. Madame Bones nodded.
"Quite, quite. And it is your cause for uproar, I understand. But it is not your reason, Miss DeVere. It is not what drives you. And that is what I would like to know." Constantine studied Madame Bones' face for a moment, mentally crossed her fingers, then pulled the file on Hermione Granger from her bag and put it on top of the file on the children.
"Ah." Madame Bones said with a smile, looking down at the file. "The case of the mysterious Miss Granger." Constantine didn't blink. "May I ask what interest a pureblooded woman of the nobility such as yourself has in a muggleborn witch?"
"I find her case interesting."
"The woman has been missing for several years. The minister went to some lengths to find her, as I recall, but was unsuccessful. It's almost a contradictory case to the one regarding education."
"I don't think so." Constantine replied. "Papers in that folder contain orders for Miss Granger's assassination, given out to a few select aurors several hours before she vanished entirely."
"So someone told her and she hid." Constantine nodded.
"Yes. But that isn't what I find interesting. Her friendship with Minister Potter and Captain Weasley was common knowledge, as was the fact she was widely seen as a pariah of high morals and hard work. Her auror record is both impressive and impeccable. So why did Minister Potter give the order to kill her? Furthermore, why did he then, after failing, tell everyone he was searching for her out of friendship while the orders still stood?"
"Interesting questions, Miss DeVere." Madame Bones said. "But what is it you wish me to do?"
"I have one more thing to show you, Madame Bones." Constantine said, dipping once more into her bag and then pulling out a tape recorder. "Is the room warded?"
"Of course."
"Silencing spells?"
"Yes, Miss DeVere." Madame Bones said a little impatiently. Constantine nodded.
"This is a recording of a prophecy found in the Department of Mysteries, regarding Miss Granger and Minister Potter." She pressed play, and the pair sat in silence for the next six minutes while Trelawney's disembodies voice spoke. It finished, and Constantine pressed 'stop' and looked at Madame Bones. The old witch was pale, but her eyes were sharp.
"That is a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries." Madame Bones said. Constantine nodded. "Where did you get that?"
"A friend." Madame Bones nodded.
"I need more time to look at these folders."
"I can't leave them with you." Constantine replied apologetically. Madame Bones nodded.
"Then I hope you are patient. Because I will not make any action without all the information you possess and then that which I can gain myself." Constantine nodded.
"I am patient."
&
When Constantine appeared back in Malfoy Manor, she was immediately inundated with demands of her success. When everyone shut up, Constantine nodded.
"She's considering it."
"That's all?" Ginny demanded. "You were gone so long we thought you'd gone for a celebratory drink!"
"Without you? It's not worth my life." Constantine said drily. "No, Bones wanted to read everything I had, and I obviously couldn't leave it with her, so I sat there and waited."
"You have the patience of a saint." Ginny proclaimed. Constantine grinned.
"Actually, she reads fairly speedily. She was, however, more interested in the Granger case."
"Granger, missing children…" Amadeo pretended to weight them up. "Isn't that a tad odd?" Constantine shrugged, uncertain.
"Maybe. McGonagall knew who I was the moment she laid eyes on me. Who's to say that Bones is any different."
"Older generations are of a different mix." Amadeo agreed. Everyone looked at him, and he explained. "The older generations tend to be…not necessarily more powerful, but more able. More of them have sixth senses, more have second sight, that kind of thing. The older, more innate magics are dying out in our generations. Fewer psychics are born each year. Chances are that witches of McGonagall and Bones' generation may be able to see through the glamour. Or at least get a glimpse. Alternatively, Bones may only be able to see that it is a glamour and put two and two together, while McGonagall knows you personally so she can see through it. I don't know. Alternatively, it's nothing and Bones just has interests we don't know about."
"Whatever." Draco brushed away Amadeo's explanation. "What did she say to it?"
"She said she found it extremely interesting and that she would contact me." Constantine said. "Not the best arrangement, but it's hard to decide quickly whether to betray your government."
"They betrayed you." Draco said pointedly. Constantine shrugged.
"True. But it seems easier for them." She paused. "My point is, Bones is still an unknown, but I'm thinking optimistically."
"On the other hand, she could have gone to sell you out." Draco counterbalanced.
"Because I have you to think negatively." Constantine finished sweetly. "Now, Gin. We have the Parkinson Ball to shop for." Ginny nodded and hurried to the study to get her bag.
"The Parkinson ball?" Draco raised an eyebrow.
"Think of it this way, if I don't attend, it'll be seen as a slight, especially now that I'm back in the country. Plus…Pansy has never liked Harry."
"She never liked Hermione either." Gin pointed out, rejoining them, purse in hand. "You're thinking of recruiting her to the cause?"
"Thinking about it." Constantine shrugged. "You ready?"
"As ever." Constantine smiled, waved, and disappeared, Ginny with her.
&
"Constantine, you look amazing." Pansy smiled and they air-kissed. "Where on earth did you get that dress?"
"Oh, please, Pansy." Constantine laughed. "The dress is nothing, especially compared to yours. That blue is absolutely stunning." Pansy preened.
"And Virginia." Pansy turned her attention to the youngest Weasley. "You certainly have grown out of Harry's shadow." Ginny smiled but didn't reply.
"It's a beautiful party." Constantine said, saving the conversation. "Your usual decorator?"
"Yes, Amir is very talented." Pansy said. "He has a flair for the exotic."
"Tasteful, too." Virignia commented. Pansy smiled but didn't reply. Constantine was a known factor: discreet, intelligent, slightly wicked. Ginny, on the other hand…was she with Potter or had they actually broken up? Was she all vanilla in every way or did she have a dark side, politically or otherwise?
The old families had survived Voldemort's fall, the Parkinsons, the Zabinis. But it didn't mean they didn't still have the same darkness that made them join Voldemort in the first place. There were a lot of secrets and skeletons in their closets, and while Constantine could be trusted to observe with a smirk, she could also be trusted to keep her mouth shut.
No one knew if that was true of Virginia Weasley.
"So…Constantine, how are the projects going?" Pansy smiled, one hand playing with her necklace.
"Well, thank you. Tom is a talented administrator, he keeps everyone in line." Constantine smiled.
"He's good looking, too." Pansy purred. Constantine arched an eyebrow.
"You know him?"
"I thought I'd investigate, Constantine. It isn't often that someone like us takes it upon themselves to contribute, n'est pas?" Pansy shrugged elegantly. Constantine smiled again, this time with a slight edge to it.
"You found it to your satisfaction, I trust?" There were double meanings in her words, and Ginny watched avidly. She was aware of the mistrust families like the Parkinsons had for her, and it had some truth to it. As Potter's fiancee, she hadn't really been exposed to this side of socialising, the side with double-edged words and cutting bitchiness. This was the side that stayed behind the glittering curtain of designer shoes and couture dresses.
"Relax, Constantine." Pansy laughed softly. "I haven't touched him. He's quite…professional."
"More than his job is worth to get involved with you, Pansy." Amadeo said smoothly, approaching and brushing his fingers over Pansy's bare shoulder. "May we talk?" Pansy gave a sly smile.
"Of course." She nodded at them. "Constantine, Virginia." They nodded back and she drifted off on Amadeo's arm. Constantine snagged two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter's tray and handed one to Ginny.
"That was…" Ginny paused, looking for the right word. "Vicious." Constantine smiled, sipping her drink and looking around at the asorted guests, making notes of who was and wasn't there, a habit she had gotten into a month into her foray as an undercover socialite.
"Pansy keeps you on your toes." Constantine agreed. "She's more intelligent than she ever made out at school, because she's known from the beginning that this was her future."
"Didn't stop Draco from working." Ginny commented. Constantine smiled.
"Draco had other goals, Ginny, than being a socialite." She shrugged elegantly. "I imagine you didn't see much of this with Potter. This is the women's side of things, which is a much harsher world than the mens. On Potter's arm I imagine you saw all the posturing at the Minsitry dinners rather than the bitching at private parties."
"Harry's invited to private parties." Ginny argued.
"Yes, but how many does he actually attend? Attending parties is accepting friendship, Ginny. I am friends with everyone, so I attend a lot of parties. Pansy, on the other hand, only attends Ministry events for the highly placed, and parties with those with whom it actually means something, or an old family. She doesn't attend just anything. It's a way of saying she won't lower herself to that level."
"Speaking of which, what did Amadeo want to talk about?" Ginny asked. Constantine shrugged again, sipping her champagne.
"No idea. His business stays, for the most part, his business. It keeps things simpler that way."
&
"That was interesting." Daniel commented, once they were all back at the Manor. Ginny and Constantine weren't planning on staying the night, but had accepted offers of coffee with the opportunity to catch up on what had happened.
"So?" Constantine asked, settling herself in the armchair and looking quite imperious. Amadeo grinned.
"So the Parkinsons are open to suggestion." He said. "Potter hasn't made many friends among the older families. In fact, from what I hear, he hasn't made many friends at all."
"Convenient." Constantine murmured. Ginny shot her a confused look, and then it suddenly dawned on her what Pansy and Amadeo had been talking about, followed by a revelation about why Constantine had lied…Constantine couldn't be implicated in any sort of Ministerial coup until it was too far on to be stopped.
"Quite." Ginny agreed, sitting on the couch and kicking off her shoes. "So the Parkinsons will help."
"They'll support." Daniel corrected. "They made it quite clear they won't risk their standing, the way Pansy's parents did with Voldemort. She managed to keep the money and estate by the skin of her teeth…I'm sure she gave several favours to those who would help." The tone of his voice lent no illusions to what those favours might be. "She won't risk all that again. Which means that we're on our own, but she won't rat us out."
"Speaking of on our own…" Ginny began, "What is it exactly that we're planning on doing?"
"Engineering Potter's downfall, of course." Daniel said with a shrug.
"Yes, but how? We've got pieces, but no real plan. Something to do with Hermione, something to do with the kids. Maybe even something to do with his apalling inability to follow road traffic laws. But we don't have links for them. Are we going to go to the press? Quietly turn votes against him so he's voted out? Are we going to speak against him and risk being excommunicated from society? We need a solid plan, and a timetable, or we'll all be ninety before this is finished and the whole thing would be a giant waste of our lives." Amadeo nodded and looked at Constantine.
"She's has a point."
"Of course she does. She always has a point." Constantine frowned. "What do you think? I can't openly oppose him, because the Projects will be the first thing that takes the fall for it and I can't risk that." She bit her lip thoughtfully. "On the other hand, I'm trusted. And for the most part, liked. I can talk to people who wouldn't necessarily talk to a Malfoy. Whereas you can talk to the older families, who might not listen to me."
"I think you underestimate yourself." Amadeo said seriously. "You've made quite a name for yourself. People know you won't risk yourself, so if you do something it's probably safe for them to do the same."
"So we won't do this openly." Ginny said. "That's good, because I was going to say that would be a terrible idea."
"So quietly turn votes?" Daniel said. "Potter may rule autonomously when he can, but he does so with backing. If he loses that backing, or say, another politician gets that backing, he'd have to leave."
"Who were you suggesting?" Constantine asked, green eyes sharp as she thought over his idea. It had a very important point: there was no point in deposing Harry if someone worse was going to replace him. And as bad as Harry could be, there was always someone worse.
"You." Constantine's eyebrows arched.
"That's ridiculous. I have no desire to be Minister." She replied. "And while I don't doubt that I'd be good at it, it's just a little too in line with the prophecy."
"What's wrong with that?" Amadeo asked.
"We wouldn't want to give that bat Trelawney the satisfaction." Ginny said flatly. Constantine smiled.
"And I'm not a politician anyway. I'm a socialite. I go to parties and play dress up with expensive clothes." She shrugged. "No, we need someone outside of our circuit. If nothing else, we'll get no support if people think we're making our own attempts at power. So. We need a youngish politician, who's open to encouragement."
"Same kind of encouragement as Pansy used to keep her house?" Daniel asked snidely. Constantine rolled her eyes.
"No. I'll leave that to Pansy, chances are she'll be there anyway. Encouragement of the financial sort, with ideas, invitations and a social foundation solid enough to survive Voldemort. That's the thing, my dear, rich friends, if you have a good enough social base you can do what you like."
"You are living proof." Amadeo conceded. "So. Who's young, idealistic, doesn't like Harry and lacks a proper social base to get him started?"
"Lucas Weatherley." Ginny said instantly. "He came to mind the moment you mentioned another politician. He's practically an unknown, but he has been a working politician for several years."
"Department?" Constantine asked.
"Magical security." Ginny replied. "He's head of the department, with links with Magic-Muggle relations."
"That sounds rather convenient." Constantine said cautiously. "What the catch?"
"If you think Ron is a social idiot…he resembled Lucius Malfoy compared to Lucas."
"What, evil, backstabbing, conceited…" Amadeo rattled off.
"Carry on, I haven't found one to argue with yet." Constantine said, her eyes falling on Daniel.
"So Lucas is a social retard." Daniel said. "Could be a problem."
"Possibly." Constantine tilted her head. "Or not. Ginny, is he attractive?"
"He could be." Ginny answered. "With some decent clothes and a haircut."
"Manners?"
"Basic at best."
"Ideals? Why is he a politician? What's his thing?"
"Who says he has a thing?" Daniel asked, a little disturbed by how the two women were talking about the man.
"Every politician has a thing." Ginny said dismissively. "He's liberal. Believes in Magic-Muggle equality, things like that."
"Oh dear God." Amadeo said with a deep, long suffering sigh. "Not another one."
"What's Potter's thing?" Daniel asked, crossing his arms.
"Righteousness." Constantine and Ginny said together. "Liberal is helpful." Constantine continued thoughfully. "Though Amadeo may have just illustrated a problem."
"Pureblood supremecy." Ginny nodded. "He might not sit well with the older families."
"Well, we'll be training him to be a decent politician, we can give him a hand with that as well." Constantine shrugged.
"What was Fudge's thing?" Daniel continued.
"Little dick." Ginny shrugged. "Big ego, little manhood. He spent his entire career trying to prove he was worth the position. And failing, for the most part." Daniel winced at her bluntness.
"Background? Ginny, focus." Constantine chided. Ginny winked at Daniel then turned to Constantine.
"Pretty normal. He's pureblood, which is helpful, but not from a particularly wealthy or influential family. He attended Hogwarts a few years after us."
"He's younger than us? That makes me feel old." Constantine grumbled.
"Worried about cradle-snatching?" Daniel asked snidely. She met his gaze and held it until he looked away before looking back at Ginny.
"Ok. So young, Hogwarts education…that could be useful, too. He might be interested in pupil numbers."
"Not all of us care about the education of the future." Daniel drawled. Constantine sighed.
"Are we going to have a problem, Daniel?" She asked. "Because if we are, I'd like to know about it now." Amadeo and Ginny made started to shift and she waved them back. "Stay, you two. Because this isn't about Hermione and Draco so it shouldn't be too private." Daniel glared, a sure sign that it was about Draco and Hermione. "Daniel, we're not dating anymore. Even if I was thinking about sleeping with the politician, which I'm not, incidentally, it's got absolutely nothing to do with you. You can either support me or you can not, but it's up to you. So either keep your snide comments to yourself and help, or go away."
"It's my house." Daniel snapped.
"I'm only in one room of it." She replied evenly, her calmness irritating him. "It's not like I'm asking you to leave the entire building. Though I'm sure there is an outhouse suitable for your attitude."
"Enough." Amadeo interruped. "Both of you are acting like children, though in all fairness, you did start it." He directed his comment to Daniel. "Constantine's right, we won't pull this off if you two are bitching at each other. Either sort out this thing between you or let it lie but don't keep dragging it up. Because one day you're going to drag it up at exactly the wrong moment and it's going to ruin the pair of you. So stop it." Constantine nodded.
"Sorry." She said. She glanced at Daniel. "And to you. Though a little trust would be nice."
"A reason for it would be equally so." Daniel smiled venomously back.
"Fine. Daniel, this is my house too. Please leave." Amadeo said. Daniel stared at him in shock. "I meant it Daniel. She asked for your trust and you came out with yet another snide comment. We don't need that right now and I don't want to listen to it. Leave." Daniel stared round at the three, and found Constantine watching him impassively, Ginny staring at something fascinating in the carpet, and Amadeo waiting patiently. He glared and threw himself out of his chair and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. There was a pause.
"You shouldn't incite him like that, Constantine. You know exactly how to press his buttons." Amadeo said gently.
"I asked for his trust! Is that really too much to ask? It's not like I've been sleeping around with anyone."
"You slept with him." Ginny said quietly. Constantine looked at her.
"What?"
"You were in love with Draco but slept with Daniel, before knowing that they were the same person." She said. Constantine's lips pinched together in a look reminiscent of McGonagall.
"If he's going to get huffy about that then fine." She said. "I don't have time for it. He needs to grow up, and we need to focus on Lucas. What else can you tell me?"
Her swift change of subject wasn't lost on either Amadeo or Ginny, but they didn't comment on it, and continued to think on how they would pull off the coup long into the morning.
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