Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter.
Chapter 39 – The Mission Begins
When Kate entered the kitchen with Sirius, she found Dumbledore, Kingsley and Remus seated at the table. They greeted the couple warmly as they took their seats and Remus quickly began the discussion.
"Albus, the reason we wanted to speak with you was to share a theory that Kate has about the death of an Unspeakable and how it may relate to the break out at Azkaban prison," he said.
Albus inclined his head toward Kate. "I believe that Remus would be referring to the late Broderick Bode, would he not, my dear?"
Kate nodded, glancing at Kingsley before continuing. "There have been consistent and repetitious reports of Lucius Malfoy's presence within the Ministry building. In the majority, his presence has been noted at times that are inconsistent with any valid reason for him to be there. As Arthur Weasley will attest, he and Harry saw Lucius standing in the corridor of the Department of Mysteries, speaking with Fudge, on the day of Harry's hearing."
Albus nodded. "I, myself, saw Lucius in the Atrium as I was leaving. Go on, Kate, please."
"We know that Malfoy has been giving generously to the Ministry and its causes for some time. Originally, those contributions may easily have been his attempt to convince the government that he had not willingly followed the Dark Lord in the prior conflict. But now, I think he's looking to solidify himself within the structure of our world. He's no longer on the Board of Governors for Hogwarts, so that link to respectability is gone. I think his contributions are also intended to minimize inquiries made into his presence within the Ministry itself. When Bode was found, he was unable to speak. Ironic, given his Ministry function, but I don't believe it stops at simple irony. He was found in the corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries. We know that Voldemort very much wants to retrieve the Prophesy that is secured in that department. Voldemort, himself, is unlikely to venture to the Ministry to retrieve a Prophesy, no matter how much he would like to have it. The alternative would be to have one of his trusted minions retrieve it on his behalf. Malfoy certainly fits that bill," Kate continued.
"And he would have known how to use his position to potentially influence someone on the inside," Kingsley interjected.
Kate turned back to Dumbledore. "I think that Malfoy's intent in stepping up his Ministry visits was to uncover someone who might be sympathetic to the Dark uprising – or, at minimum, someone who was either disillusioned with the Ministry or ambitious enough – or both, to become involved. We've certainly seen that ploy work in the past," Kate looked over at Remus and Sirius, each of whom thought back to Peter and remembered that his constant desire for acceptance and power had led to his affiliation with Voldemort. "Of course," she continued, "someone within the Department of Mysteries would have been ideal for his purposes. I think that he intercepted Bode on more than one occasion, failed in his attempt to secure his willing participation and either attempted to 'convince' him via use of the Imperious curse or became frustrated with Bode's lack of cooperation and cursed him, removing his voice and altering his memories so he could not implicate Malfoy – or Voldemort - to anyone at the Ministry." Kate looked around the table. "It is, of course, only a theory."
Sirius reached forward and took her hand, squeezing it gently. "It certainly sounds like something Malfoy might do," he said, gratified to see nods from the others around the table.
Albus was silent for sometime before he addressed Kate again. "It is an extremely viable theory, my dear – extremely viable. I am concerned, however, that the modification of Bode's memory – and his subsequent belief that he was, in fact, a teapot – does not seem typical of Malfoy's methods. Why not simply kill him?"
Kate nodded. "That was troubling to me, as well – at first. It is possible that Malfoy only wanted to render Bode temporarily unable to recall the events in hopes that he could use the incident to more successfully persuade him at a later date. Another theory is that Malfoy was interrupted and needed to move more swiftly than he originally intended. He may have been able to only complete a portion of his intended modification and threw the behavior quirk in as a last resort. He could have intended to reverse the spell work in a follow-up visit – perhaps while Bode was in hospital."
"But he wasn't able to do so with Bode in such a heavily guarded ward," Remus commented. "Couldn't have made Voldemort very happy."
Kate nodded, smiling at him. "And so, either Malfoy convinced a fellow Death Eater to disguise himself and deliver the Devil's Snare to Bode at St. Mungo's…"
"…or Voldemort decided to take matters into his own hands, since Lucius had failed so miserably, and he assigned someone else to the task of silencing Bode once and for all," Dumbledore finished, nodding. "And the relevance to the Azkaban escapees?"
"With his current roster of Death Eaters unable to access the Prophesy, Voldemort may easily have decided that fresh recruits – or, rather, his old followers – needed to be reactivated as quickly as possible. The Ministry will, of course, be distracted in attempting to locate and recapture the escapees; the Death Eaters may be counting on that to successfully penetrate the Department and secure the Prophesy. I'm almost certain that Lucius would be involved in this effort – if only to re-establish his own high level position within Voldemort's ranks," Kate explained. "Hence, the two teams of Aurors," she added, watching Dumbledore carefully.
Dumbledore spared Sirius a minimal glance before turning again to Kate. "You and Kingsley plan to track Lucius Malfoy's movements, if I'm not mistaken?"
Kingsley took over at this point. "Yes. Using a combination of Invisibility charms, potions and old-fashioned stealth, Kate and I both feel that there's a good chance Lucius will lead us to at least some of the other Death Eaters."
"It will involve constant surveillance," Dumbledore observed. "The two of you cannot possibly do this on your own."
"No, Albus," Kate admitted. "We realize that we'll need help. Given the ease with which Bode was attacked, neither of us is comfortable using other Aurors. That would also compromise their jobs within the Ministry and potentially tip our own hand regarding the Order. We were both hoping that the Order could contribute to the effort by focusing some of our own membership on the task."
Albus considered the matter for a few moments then looked at the other end of the table. "Remus?"
The werewolf lifted his head and returned the older wizard's frank gaze. "In truth, it's dangerous. We're proposing surveillance on one of the most powerful Dark wizards alive today – and one given to unbridled exhibitions of cruelty. If we are successful, we will potentially face up to ten of the most vicious Death Eaters we've ever encountered. I won't lie to you, this is not a good situation. That said, if our planning is tight and we are able to commit our strongest members to the task, we have a chance of being at least moderately successful. And in this battle, moderate success is worth the risk. If we can take any of them out of commission, I think it's worth it. You've got my vote," he finished.
Dumbledore looked out over the group. "You're going to be using an Invisibility potion incorporating powdered hellebore, I understand. Unusual, but effective." At Kate's nod, he continued. "Have you approached Severus about brewing it for you?"
"I haven't had the opportunity, Albus. I am reluctant to travel to Hogwarts to meet with him, however, given the current climate there." Kate smiled apologetically. "Have you another suggestion?"
Albus nodded. "As a matter of fact, why don't you allow me to speak with him on your behalf? I'm certain there will be no trouble. Now, I think that we have a great deal to accomplish before our next meeting. Kate, I trust that you and this group can come up with the surveillance and tracking plans?" Kate nodded and he continued. "Excellent! I will make time on our agenda for you and Kingsley to speak with the Order and secure others as members of your team. Severus will also be in attendance and will have a firm idea of the volume of potion that will be needed. I thank you all. I feel this has been a most productive meeting and I am grateful to you both," he nodded to Kate and Kingsley, "for your initiative and diligence. And now, I should get back to the school…given the 'current climate'." Albus' eyes twinkled as he looked at Kate and rose from his chair.
"Thank you, Albus," she said quietly, rising to stand with him.
Sirius followed Albus and Kingsley up the stairs to re-secure the locking charms.
When they had left, Kate turned to Remus. "Any leftovers from dinner?"
Remus smiled. "Ah, I thought you might be a bit peckish since you slept through dinner. How do you feel about warmed-up chicken and roasted potatoes?"
Kate smiled. "Couldn't ask for better," she said. "We'd probably better warm up enough for Sirius, as well."
"Consider it done," and Remus went to work, setting the food to warm on the stove.
By the time Sirius made it back to the kitchen, the food was hot and ready for plating. Kate dished it up and set two full plates on the kitchen table while Sirius poured tea for the three of them.
They ate silently for awhile then Sirius spoke up. "If the Order becomes involved in the surveillance plan, I'm guessing that you won't have to work on surveillance assignments by yourself."
Kate shook her head. "You know that neither Aurors nor the Order work singly, Sirius. We always have partners."
Sirius nodded. "This hellebore invisibility potion is potent, yes?"
Kate glanced quickly at Remus before answering. "Yes. It has many benefits, but the potency is one of the most compelling. One dose lasts approximately 3 hours and it can be retaken as needed without any harmful side effects. It's herbal, essentially, and the other ingredients compliment those qualities very well."
Sirius took a deep breath. "It seems to me, then, that perhaps I could use it to take part in this surveillance mission."
"No," Kate said and rose from her seat, picking up her plate from the table and carrying it to the sink.
"That's it?" Sirius asked, incredulously. "'no'? Nothing further, just 'no'?"
Kate turned from the sink, her eyebrows raised. "What do you want me to say to you, Sirius? You know that you can't leave, why do you put us in the position of having to create conflict and tension by bringing it up?"
Sirius pushed his plate away from him roughly. "If it's so foolproof, then there shouldn't be an issue who uses it, should there? If it's safe enough to keep you hidden, it should be safe enough for anyone to use."
"Padfoot," Remus warned, his voice low, his gaze fixed on Kate, who was clearly not open to debate on this point.
"Sirius, I'm not going to argue with you. The decision isn't even entirely mine – it's Dumbledore's ultimate call. I'll tell you what – you send him an owl and ask him if he'll release you for this mission. If he agrees, and by that I mean that he communicates directly with me and tells me he's decided you can be part of this, then I'll consider it."
"That's not fair, Kate," Sirius protested.
"No, Sirius, what's not fair is that you don't think that I can take care of myself, so you want to throw caution to the winds and be my partner in this mission. Well, that's not going to happen. Remember when we both were with the MLE? The Ministry wouldn't allow couples to be partners then, either. It's a distraction – and one that we can't afford on any mission, but particularly on this one," Kate stopped and lowered her voice. "Listen, Sirius, I understand how frustrating this is for you and how tempting it is when this is a mission that appears to have the ideal strategy to avoid detection. But, please, you know what's at stake here. If something were to happen to you and you were detected or worse, apprehended, think what that would mean – for you, for Harry … for me." Kate walked over and stood behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder lightly. "I couldn't take it if something happened to you. Not again."
Sirius reached up and covered her hand with his. "I know, Katie-girl, I know. But I feel the same way about you. It wouldn't be any different for me if something happened to you. I guess I just thought that if I could be there, working with you, we could do something together and watch each other's backs."
Kate leaned down and kissed the top of his head.
"Kate, can we request the person we'd like as a partner?" Remus asked quietly.
Kate considered it for a moment. "I don't see why we couldn't. We'd want to partner people who made sense, but in general, I would have to say yes."
Remus smiled. "Do we make sense, Kate?"
Kate smiled. "I'd have to say we do."
"Padfoot, if I were partnered with Kate, would you feel better about the whole thing?"
Sirius smiled at his friend. "If it can't be me, Mooney, then yes, I would feel much better if you were out there with Kate."
"Then I'll speak with Kingsley in the morning and we'll make sure it's noted at the Order meeting before the assignments are made." Kate paused for a yawn. "For now, though, I'm going to bed."
"I'll be along, Katie," Sirius said, watching her to the door. When she had gone, he turned back to Remus. "Thanks, Mooney."
"Of course, Padfoot, but it's no hardship for me, believe me. I enjoy working with Kate," Remus told him honestly, rising. "I'm going to do some reading before I turn in. Are you staying down here?"
Sirius shook his head. "I'll walk up with you."
XXXXXXXX
When Sirius walked into Kate's room, he found that she was already in bed and asleep. She'd left the thick candle burning on the bed stand next to Sirius side of the bed and he smiled at the sight.
Walking into the bathroom, Sirius made short work of washing and cleaning his teeth. Changing into sleeping pants, he crossed the room and extinguished the candle. Sliding into bed and settling the covers over himself, Sirius moved closer to Kate, snuggling against her back and placing his arm around her waist.
Kate shifted back against him and placed her hand on top of his. Snuggled together, Sirius soon fell asleep.
XXXXXXXX
Kate awakened to a semi-darkened room and an unsettled feeling in her stomach. Rising quickly, she crossed into the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind her. Taking deep breaths, she tried to quell the roiling nausea, but soon lost the battle. Dropping to her knees, she vomited repeatedly until she was certain there was nothing left in her stomach. Resting her head against the cool porcelain for a moment, Kate tried to think of anyone in her department who had been ill with any type of stomach ailment, but she could come up with no one. She flushed the toilet and stood cautiously, making her way over to the sink. There, she splashed cool water on her face and cleaned her teeth to rid her mouth of the bitter taste. When she was finished, Kate looked up and caught her reflection in the mirror. She could not remember a time when she had looked that pale. Shrugging her shoulders, she crossed over to the shower and turned on the taps. When the water ran hot enough, Kate stepped under the stream. As she went through her routine of shampooing and conditioning her hair, Kate tried to remember what she had eaten that might have prompted this type of reaction but, as before, she could think of nothing. When she finished her routine, she dried herself quickly, charmed her hair dry and, wrapped in a towel, she headed back into the bedroom to get dressed.
"You're up early," Sirius said, sleepily.
"I'm sorry, darling," Kate said. "I didn't mean to disturb you. Go back to sleep."
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Fine. Go back to sleep, love," Kate said, dressing hurriedly. "I'm going to grab some coffee and head into the office. That way, perhaps I can get back a little bit early this evening."
"Eat something, too," Sirius said, his order followed by a yawn.
Kate shuddered at the thought of putting anything on her stomach, but forced a smile and said, "Yes, dear," and headed for the door.
"Hey, no kiss?" Sirius' voice reached her just as she put her hand on the doorknob. Kate walked back over to the bed and leaned down until her lips rested against his.
"I love you," she whispered.
"I love you back," he said softly. "Now, go and eat something before I have to come down there and force feed you!"
Kate ruffled his hair. "Go back to sleep and I'll see you tonight." With one final kiss, she straightened and retraced her steps to the door. This time, there was no sound from the wizard in the middle of the bed save his soft, even breathing. Kate smiled and closed the door behind her.
Arriving in the kitchen some moments later, Kate was unsurprised to find Remus sitting at the table, the morning Prophet spread out before him.
"If it wasn't for that newspaper, I would swear you hadn't moved since I left you here last night," Kate said, smiling.
"Oh, I went to sleep about an hour after you retired. You know that I don't sleep much just before the full moon," Remus responded.
Kate took a closer look at her friend and saw the dark circles around his eyes. "I can't think of anyone who deserves to go through this every month less than you, my friend."
Remus smiled. "I agree, but there's nothing we can do about it, so we'll just soldier on, shall we? I'm used to it by now, after all – and with that big mutt of yours, it's not quite as bad as it could be."
Kate nodded, sitting opposite him.
"Tea?" Remus offered, but Kate shook her head.
"Not for me, thanks. My stomach is still a little off," Kate patted her midriff ruefully. "We had a bit of a disagreement when I woke up this morning and I lost. I don't care to repeat that experience again, thanks."
Remus looked at her thoughtfully. "What do you think is causing it?"
Kate shrugged. "Could be a combination of things, really. The stress of the holidays, returning to work, Death Eater escape from Azkaban, dangerous covert mission that, if discovered by the Ministry, could cost me my job and, if discovered by the target, could cost more than that, and, last but not least, an antsy, ex-convict lover with a short fuse. Take your pick of reasons!"
Remus held up his hands in defeat. "Ok, ok, I get it! You're right – it's not like you don't have a reason." He paused and grew serious. "Promise me, though, that if it doesn't clear up in a day or so, you'll have Poppy or a healer at St. Mungo's take a quick look. Yes?"
Kate shook her head at him for a moment, and then said, "Alright, Remus. I promise." She checked her watch. "I'm going to head into the office. Maybe Kingsley will show up early and we can do a little strategizing before the day begins."
"Stay safe, Kate," Remus said as she headed for the door.
Kate smiled and headed up the stairs.