The Days in the Order
Episode 3: Pocket Full of Posies
Part I/III
Kingsley Shacklebolt kissed his wife goodbye the earlier Autumn morning, off to start his day job at the ministry. He liked to walk to work, which was considered slightly odd for a wizard. But he couldn't deny the beauty of London in the fall, and it was the only moments he quiety cherished these small peices of peace.
Arriving at the appropriate portal, he cast the proper spell in a phonebooth. With a swirl of the reality, he arrived in the great hall of the Ministry halls.
"Good Day, Mr. Shacklebolt." Came the voice of one passerby. Another nodded in his direction.
Kingsley did his best to keep up this happy go lucky appearance, and to not draw attention to himself as he reached the defense sector of the ministry.
He spied Tonks sitting idly at her desk, her hair a bright blue today.
"Not feeling well, Tonks?" He asked, noting that the young woman was usually a walking mood ring.
"No. Moody has me on call tonight." She said, her altoed voice held a small trace of a cold.
"If you're ill, you should go home- you need to be at your best." He adviced, he liked to think of Tonks as a younger sister. She was new, and an uncut diamond among them all. He could see why Alastor selected her for his apprenticeship. He'd invited the young woman to have dinner with his family, and his younger daughter of 6 LOVED having Tonks around. Despite her unorthodox image, the woman had a way with the youth.
"Wish I could, but I've got a 'HOT' date tonight." she said. This was code for an assignment, but it wasn't too far from the truth. Tonk's youth and changing appearance made her the most obvious choice in probing social scenes.
"Well, you're young, you should enjoy it." He said, a confirmation phrase to the code.
Tonks gave a half hearted smile, then continued to muffle down her cough.
"Oh that won't do! You should head home." came another voice behind them, Tonks and Shacklebolt turned their heads to see a very handsome man approaching them.
"Hullo! I'm Reginald Shott, I'm the newest supervisor for the Defense wing. Moody sent me." He said, beaming at both of them.
"You must be Kinglsey Shacklebolt, I've heard so much about you!" Reginald said as he shook the Aurors hand. "And you are?" he looked toward Tonks expectantly.
"Just Tonks." She said, holding out her hand to shake it, but the man grabbed it and turned it over, bowing down to give it a peck.
"Well, I'm enchanted 'Just Tonks'." He said, winking at her.
She seemed rather taken aback.
"What brings you to our wing?" Kingsley asked, eyeing the young man suspiciously.
"Ah, no need to be cautious! I'm requested Moody's help in finding a dangerous Wizard, nothing related to public Terror, but he is a serial murderer." Schott explained, conjuring up a file.
"He's called the "Collector", every one of his victims hold a rare power or have a rare characteristic." Schott explained, "The last victim was a Veela in Italy, the previous was a Giantress in Bulgaria. His targets are rare wizards and species."
"I've not heard anything about this on the register." Kingsley said he arched an eyebrow.
"That's why Moody sent me, If this "Collector" is a Death Eater or a Dark wizard, we should work together."
"Rather than just a random pscyho serial killer?" Tonks put in sarcastically.
"Exactly, why not work together? Two head are better than one, figuratively." Schott said. "He told me to meet you for coffee."
Tonks and Kingsley looked at each other, that was the code term to meet at headquarters.
"Very well, we'll meet up sometime." replied Kingsley. Tonks turned back to her work, Schott gave them both a farewell nod, and no more was spoken.
Later that night, Kingsley Shacklebolt walked down a very nicely spruced London street until he reached 11 Grimmauld Place, taking out his want and flicking it once, the 12th apartment building came into view.
Instantly opening the door, the animation from the house erupted all around him.
"WE DON'T EVEN KNoW WHAT HE'S CAPABLE OF!" cried the shrill voice of Molly Weasely.
"Moody refered him, himself."Tonks said with an even tone.
"WHAT IF HE'S A SPY!" Yelled Sirius Black.
"The old crone may be looney, but he's not daft." replied the blue haired witch.
'What seems to be the issue?" Kingsley asked as he walked into the kitchen.
"Moody's new contact is coming, he let the lot know." Tonks said.
Kingsley looked at his watch, he'd be here in twenty minutes at the latest.
"Has Alastor arrived yet?" Arthur asked, cutting in.
"Said he'd be late." Tonks interjected.
'What's Moody THINKING? Nows not the time to be recruiting unknowns." Sirius continued.
At that the front door opened, and in brought the handsome face of Reginald Schott.
All the males in the kitchen immediately didn't like him.
"Hullo! Kingsley, 'Just Tonks'." He said as he shook Kingsley's hand again, and gave Tonks a wink.
Tonks gave a bashful smile as he hair turned a slight shade of purple. The newcomer was instantly fascinated.
"You're very at ease with transformation spells." He complimented.
"She's a metamorphmagus." said Lupin with a clipped voice.
"Oh! WOW! A REAL Metamorph?" Schott asked in wonder.
Tonks would later be ashamed of the bashfulness she was showing this stranger, and her lack of outcry over the situation was now known to all the men in the room as all but one rolled their eyes, the last one seemed to just narrow them.
Tonks lurched forward as the Fireplace alit with green flames, and the stumpy but gruff figure of Alastor Moody walked through.
"GOOD! You're here Schott!' he called, shaking the young man's hand.
"I trust you've been met with.." Moody looked around, his fake eye wizzing, "with warm welcome."
"I just got here, and I'm eager to go over the plan." Schott said.
"Yes, well I'll recap it for everyone." Moody said, unelegantly tossing a paper onto the table.
'We're looking for a wizard called the 'Collector', Schott here wants him on serial killing charges, we're looking for him for any Death Eater association and if he's got any information we need." Moody explained.
"He's a blood thirsty monster." Schott reiterated, now serious. "He collects rare and hard to find speices and people."
"And then what?" Sirius asked, not liking the man one bit.
"He dissects them" Schott said matter-of-factly.
"So far 23 Wizards and Magical Crossbreeds were found in the last 3 years." Schott explained, 'If that's not evil, I don't know what is."
"And how are we suppose to find such a person?" Molly Weasely asked.
"I wont disrupt any of your current missions, I just want to introduce to you all a new target that could benefit us both." said Reginald, sweeping his eyes over the lot.
"Are his attacks consistent?" asked Lupin, taking a long sip of coffee.
Schott nodded, "Yes, they happen on the same day every month. That's how we know to be vigiliant."
"Well, I'll help any way I can." Tonks said confidently.
"Thank you, we in my agency greatly appreciate it." Schott said, giving her a flirtatious wink.
"Perhaps let us review these files, then we'll talk." said Lupin, standing up from his chair and appeared to be quite taller than the younger man.
"Thank you, now I won't keep any of you, I know you've got other business to discuss." Schott said as he bowed graciously.
"If you'll excuse me-" he said.
"I'll walk you out." replied Tonks. And the two of the proceeded up the kitchen stairs toward the long coridor.
"I don't like this, Alastor." Said Lupin. "You should have run this by Dumbledore first."
"Is that the only reason?" Sirius asked with smirk.
"The safety of this headquarters and it's PEOPLE are important." was all Lupin said in his defense.
"Whether he's trustworthy or not doesn't matter, he's a ticket into the heart of the investigative wing of the ministry." explained Moody.
"I hope you know what you're doing Moody," Kingsley said, " I don't get much sleep as it is, don't give me any more to be stressed over."
"Don't worry, Tonks is all over it." Moody explained.
"She's all over something, but I don't think it's the assignment." Arthur said.
Moody just looked at everyone without saying a word, his eye wizzing in place.