Roses Under Cypresses

Chapter 12

Harry reached over for his phone, answering it without looking at who it was. "Hello?" he said, as he shifted the paperwork he was looking at. Spreading it further around him, busy at work, all the while keeping an eye out on Will. Kreacher had the dogs out running themselves ragged for which Harry was grateful. As much as he liked the wee buggers, doing paperwork with them disturbing him wasn't exactly easy. They weren't boisterous walking over his paperwork or anything like that. No, they were too well trained for that, but they loved attention, most of them. Others were content to curl up in the corner and just sleep, like Winston. Winston rarely left Will's side, except for when it came to walks, and even then, he looked back expecting Will to be following them.

"You do not have a Floo network set up," Tristian declared, sounding annoyed and petulant.

Harry laughed, "No, I don't, it's not my place," he told the president wryly, it was Will's place, "I doubt I'll have one opened either. I can Apparate and people can get in touch with me through phone calls." He didn't need to have a Floo Network to keep in touch with his contacts. Stuart hadn't been happy about the long trek to get to the house, let's put it that way. Blaise had been smart and used Kreacher.

"I do detest these contraptions," Tristian groused, it felt so foreign holding something to his ear in order to be able to hear. He knew how to use them; they'd become very popular indeed with the Mundane population and some wizards and witches. He got one years ago and had used it only three times, only when he had to.

"Marauder Incorporated is coming out with something you'll enjoy better," Harry pointed out, putting that piece of parchment to the left bundle, "It's a mirror phone, programmed with a set of runes unique to each mirror. It's a simple one, I'm still trying to tweak it so that voice and text messages can be sent without actually calling until they answer."

"Now, that is something I can get behind." Tristan confessed happily. "I must confess myself curious, where could I buy one now?"

"They aren't going to be out for another month, yet," Harry said, "Of course, if one is willing to pay top prices for them, why not?"

"And how much would that be?" Tristan asked, a little bit of excitement suffusing him. It was rare that new means of travel or communication were invented.

"Two hundred and fifty galleons." Which was about the equivalent of over a thousand pounds, he already had a far better design in mind, but he had other business to attend. He was letting the business run on its own, he had over a dozen working in a 'think tank' coming up with the most amazing ideas for MI (Marauders Incorporated) the mirrors had been his first idea, or rather amendment of the first idea, it was being dedicated to Sirius with the full knowledge that it had been Remus, Sirius and James that came up with the original concept. Which wouldn't have been possible but due to the fact he was a Potter and Black…it was easily proven to be his by inheritance.

"I am going to assume it's another invention of MI?" Tristan queried.

"You know about it?" Harry asked in surprise, "I had no idea it was even mentioned in the States," he added, shrugging his shoulders, the sound of quiet barking in the distance alerted him to the fact Kreacher was likely on his way back. He hadn't really tried to drum up business in the USA, more concerned about getting it right in the UK. Although, if he was going to be staying here, he might just do that, he would ask the rest of the team what they thought. They were the ones working every day to create and invent, he gave them a few ideas they did most of the work. He had been too busy hunting down Death Eaters, some of the inventions had been a Merlin-sent blessing, helped him catch them quicker.

"I know everything there is to know about you," Tristan stated, both a warning and a statement. "Including your silent partnership in Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes."

"I highly doubt you know everything," Harry said wryly, "And I doubt there's anyone in the Wizardkind in the UK that doesn't know about the Weasley twins and I."

"You'd be surprised," Tristan replied mysteriously. "Give me the information on these mirror phones, I'd like to get one."

"You can if you like, but there's not much point if you're the only one…" Harry pointed out, his phone buzzing silently, "You'll have nobody to ring, except for my team, and me, who will naturally all be gifted one first and foremost." And he doubted they'd give out their number to someone they didn't know. Even if it was the President of MACUSA.

"Not for long, I hope? If it's as good as I think then I'd love for every Department to have one," Tristan explained, a thoughtful sound to his voice. if it bet having to leave MACUSA building to call people with Mundane devices or a comfortable means of communication that wasn't sitting with your head stuck in the Floo. Which contrary to popular belief, was not comfortable longer than a few seconds. Uncomfortable, annoying, painful, and the soot got everywhere, and he meant everywhere! Even parts that it shouldn't be possible. It wouldn't be the first time he'd found ash down his neither region.

"Will I get Blaise to get in touch? He deals with every contract facilitated," Blaise enjoyed the challenge, and he probably shouldn't work him quite so much, but considering he had all of five clients. Admittedly they were all filthy rich, one of them was a Sheikh for Merlin's sake. Not that he knew their names, Blaise was very proper and held his clients' confidences. "He knows the business in and out, if you're serious about bulk buying one of my products."

"Please do so," Tristan agreed, "The quicker I don't need this contraption to talk to you the better," the wizard said vehemently.

"It's a phone," Harry said laughing a little, shaking his head, some days wizards were just too amusing. "But okay, he'll be in touch soon. So, who's next on the list?" knowing without a doubt that was why Tristan was contacting him.

"Ah, yes, well," Tristan cleared his throat, nerves getting the better of him and Harry's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Cassie Crane."

Harry choked on his sip of water, "Cassie Crane? The Cassie Crane?" not even bothering to breathe as he waited for an answer.

"Yes," Tristan tried to sound impassive but he failed by a mile off. "You don't have to take the cases I give, you didn't agree to that."

"I don't do things I don't want to," Harry said sharply, "I stopped that a long time ago." he would not allow himself to be manipulated by anyone, ever again.

Tristan remained silent, he knew he was asking too much, but if he had a chance of taking her off the street? He'd do it in a heartbeat. There wasn't a big chance of her being found though, she was deep underground, nobody had seen hide nor hair of her in years. The last sighting had been in Poland, but whether that's accurate or not they honestly didn't know.

"Are you still there?" Harry asked, glancing at his phone wondering what the hell was going on.

"Yes, will you, do it?" Tristan asked, this time he was holding his breath.

Cassie Crane was wanted for mass murder, she had been born of Lord Arthur Tran's mistress, a bastard child. Whom he had never acknowledged, the mother and child had been abandoned. She'd had a difficult childhood, very difficult. Abandoned by her father then ultimately her mother, who then died three years later. She'd been put in an orphanage close to where she'd been born. Still, her father refused her, his wealth practically taunting her every day, upon admittance to Ilvermorny, she'd struggled to fit in, but ultimately, she was expelled in her fourth year for the murder of three of her classmates – dorm mates actually – and before she could be arrested, she disappeared. Now and again, she popped up, left bodies in her wake but was thus far impossible to find. Her total kill count was said to be somewhere between thirty-eight to sixty-one.

"Yeah, sure," Harry said, "But I can't start right away," glancing at his brother's peaceful face. He was glad the sweats had stopped, the twitching and spasming. The nightmares had been the worst as a matter of fact. "But it will be done within the next month."

"I'll send everything over with a House-elf, is it safe to do so?" some people actually warded their homes to stop House-elves specifically. Anyone smart enough at any rate, he had his home done, he had too many enemies, and a lot of information was taken home with him. He often continued his work at home.

"For now, I've only put a few wards up," Harry said, he didn't know if he would be here for the foreseeable future or if Will would prefer to be on his own. It was his house – sure he'd paid for it – but at the end of the day, if Will didn't want his brother living with him after being on his own since he was a teen…Harry wouldn't resent him.

"I'll send a dossier of everything we've picked up," Tristan told him, "Take your time, she's eluded us for two decades now, a few more weeks won't change anything. The file is a little thin, you won't have much to go on, I've had feelers out for the past few days, no chatter to indicate which country she's in."

"Was I even on the plane when you began asking about her?" Harry asked, voice as dry as bone dust.

"Yes," he said cautiously.

"How long after I called?" he asked wryly.

"At least an hour…" the Horned Serpent admitted, he wasn't above exaggerating to get what he wanted…but lying? It was something Tristan detested, which made it even more ridiculous he'd made it as a politician and to become MACUSA's president. He'd accomplished that without lying, his own personal pride prevented him from doing that, he'd been lied to too much as a child to wish to do it as an adult.

Harry barked out an amused sounding laugh, "Thought so, well, I did agree, send the file as soon as you can."

"I will," Tristan agreed, relief obvious to those who knew him.

"Good, now I have to go, I'll keep you updated." With that Harry hung up the phone, at least he wasn't screaming as if they were a Quidditch Pitch apart. He grinned to himself, Merlin, it still stung, Ron and Hermione's abandonment. It really caught him off guard sometimes. He just wanted people he trusted in his life, those that would have his back, always. Someone who would kill for him – not die, he'd had enough of people dying for him plus he'd bring them back, so technically they won't be dying – a pillar of strength. Someone to keep him going when he was tired.

Someone to keep him going, that was long gone, he didn't know how to trust, didn't know how to relax. He was always on his guard, well, mostly, surprisingly here he felt at home. He relaxed far greater than anywhere else here, maybe that's a sign? Just once…he'd like to be wrapped in someone's arms, safe, maybe he shouldn't have to need that as Master of Death…but he wanted it, even if he didn't need it.

Expectations suck ass.

Sighing softly, speaking of Master of Death powers…as soon as the paperwork got here, he'd find out exactly where she was. If she had killed as many people as MACUSA thought? Well, she'd have quite a few vindicative spirits on her tale and too bad for her, he could summon them and speak to them.

It wouldn't take longer than a few days to find her.

Sighing softly, he set the phone aside, and within a few minutes he had all the articles and information all in the correct order. He had both Blaise and Stuarts information, it was piled up high on the table, it was ridiculous. His hypothesis had been proven right, Rita and Freddie were twins, identical twins at that. Although, could they be considered identical in every way when one had magic and the other did not?

Freddie Skeeter was adopted at seven-years of age, with a death announcement in the paper. She'd apparently died of a rare magical disease, a strain no potion could cure. Leaving behind a devastated mother and twin sister. That very same day, the Skeeter family had ordered a Portkey to and from Baltimore, if he needed to check he knew the coordinates he'd find it at the Lounds estate.

Apparently, it was a closed adoption, the Skeeter family didn't want to hear from their squib daughter again. On the twin's 17th birthday, another portkey had been arranged. This time Rita had signed for it, and it continued once each year until the war started back up. Harry couldn't help but grin viciously, wondering if the girl – Freddie – had any idea what her sister had been up against. Rita Skeeter had picked the wrong person to write about, it had ended up with her in Azkaban for a few years, she was out now.

Merlin, even separated they both ended up in similar careers, even if one was Magical and the other Mundane. Then again, they had done studies in the past, watched them like science experiments, history was fucked up. Wizardkind had done their own studies on twins, triplets etc.

Humanity had at heart always been depraved, feral, it just put on a veneer of civility.

Freddie had an adoptive sister, who was married to Liam, they'd taken on the Lounds name. They had a son, Liam Lounds Junior. They lived on the Lounds estate, and Freddie lived at the other side of town in an apartment complex that looked like it had seen better days.

Reaching for his phone, about to shoot of a text message to Blaise to inform him to make up a contract and talk to the President of MACUSA.

Just then Will woke up, gasping blindly as if he'd just came up from being submerged in water desperate for air.

Harry stood up, anticipation kicking in.

Then green eyes met blue.

A/n – I know shortest chapter yet, I've not had as much free time to write as I normally would have and I keep going back and forth on what to do, entirely new personality, Will still basically Will but needing fleshed out or completely new and learning likes and dislikes again…I imagine that would be peaceful but it wouldn't be Will if he didn't fix engines, love dogs etc…so I'm going to have to find a happy medium! Time to roll the dice on that for the next chapter 😉 R&R please