"Weasley, get in here!"
Ginny looked up from her cubicle to see her boss, Gawain Robards, leaning out of his office and staring straight at her. She tried to ascertain his mood based off his facial expression, but that was rather hard to do when he only ever had one expression: unapproachable.
Ginny heaved herself out of her chair with a sigh as Robards retreated into his office and followed him inside.
Once inside, and with the door closed, she was surprised to note that one of the chairs was taken up by none other than Susan Bones. Susan Bones was also an Auror albeit Ginny had never gotten to work with her even though they were friends. Ginny was basically a glorified paper pusher for the Auror department. When she had decided to become an Auror, she had hoped it would be easy yet exciting. All it was to her was boring and mundane. She took the only remaining chair beside Susan, smiling at her as she sat down, before turning to Robards and waiting with bated breath.
Robards laced his fingers together and placed them under his chin as he stared at both of them, causing Ginny to fidget.
"I'm putting you two on a case," Robards said finally.
Ginny and Susan looked at each other in surprise. Susan was the first to speak up. "Are we to be partners?"
Robards nodded. "Weasley has never been out in the field on a real mission. You have, Bones," Robards said. "This will be good for getting her acclimated for field work." Robards turned to Ginny and addressed her directly. "I want you to shadow Bones, Weasley. Listen to what she says and learn all you can. Is that understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Ginny said. She could hardly contain the excitement in her voice. Finally, she was going to be able to go on an actual mission and not just fill out paperwork. The only reason Ginny had even become an Auror in the first place was in honor of Harry. If Harry hadn't of died, she'd probably be playing with the Holyhead Harpies. The thought of Harry sobered her up slightly and she was able to dial back her excitement as Susan spoke up.
"What is the case about?"
Robards picked up a folder and tossed it to her. "There's been a murder," he said almost nonchalantly. "Nothing too serious. An old Death Eater that got off was murdered at his home. I'm putting you two on this because everyone else is already working on different cases."
The thought made Ginny angry. The only reason she was getting the case was because there was no one else to pick it up. Did they think her completely useless?
As Ginny silently fumed, Susan finished talking with Robards. Ginny didn't even notice they had been dismissed until Susan tapped her shoulder.
Startled, Ginny looked up at Susan who was holding the tan folder. She smiled at Ginny knowingly. "C'mon. Let's go look over these documents."
Ginny nodded as she vacated the seat and followed Susan back to her cubicle. Ginny pulled her chair over and they both got to work looking over the case details.
Robards had been right. As Ginny skimmed through the case file, and glossed over most of it, it didn't seem like a special case or anything too major. An old Death Eater had been murdered in his home last night. The method of execution was rather odd, a modified cutting curse rather than a Killing Curse, but nothing else about what she read really stood out.
"You shouldn't get so worked up," Susan said.
"Meaning?" Ginny questioned.
"Meaning everyone goes through this stage. It's part of being an Auror," she said. "You have to prove yourself worthy to get the good cases. You just must be patient."
Ginny ran her finger down one of the files in the folder, not really taking it in as she thought about what Susan had just said. "Did you have to go through this?"
Susan laughed. "Of course, I did," she said. "For the first three months I was here all I did was fetch things for people. Trust me, once you get past this part, it's smooth sailing."
"I always wondered why Harry wanted to become an Auror," Ginny said. "I figured he'd had enough of fighting dark wizards. Guess he just couldn't help himself."
Ginny shrugged as Susan nodded sympathetically. Harry had been gone a little over a year now. She always wondered why Harry had decided to run off and go after Draco Malfoy after having testified on his and his mother's behalf. Maybe the stress of everything he had been through had finally become too much. Ginny had lamented over the idea of not being as important as his revenge.
Regardless, Draco had killed Harry in self-defense, and after seeing Draco's memories, even she couldn't fault Draco for the actions he had taken that night.
"Are you okay, Ginny?" Susan asked.
Ginny looked up at Susan's worried expression. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"Er, you're crying," Susan said simply.
Ginny raised her hand to her face and felt the wetness there. She hastily wiped the tears from her eyes and coughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Thinking about Harry does that sometimes, y'know."
Susan nodded. "I understand. What do you think we should do about this case?"
Ginny applauded Susan's intuition at changing the conversation just for her sake. While Ginny had gotten used to the fact that Harry was gone, parts of her still ached to have him hold her, even if it was just one last time.
"I think we should visit the crime scene tomorrow," Ginny said thoughtfully. "It's already too late in the day, and then afterward, we can go look at the body and see what we can come up with after that."
"Sounds like a plan," Susan said with a smile. "Do you have any plans after work?"
"I promised Mum I'd swing by the Burrow," Ginny said with a snort. "I might be an adult, but she still doesn't like me living on my own. What about you?"
"I got a date," Susan said slyly.
"How long is this one gonna last?" Ginny asked with a laugh. Her friend went on dates all the time, but none ever stuck around too long.
"Hey!" Susan exclaimed in an affronted tone. "I'll have you know just because you wanted to settle down right out of Hogwarts doesn't mean we all do. I'm just playing the field."
"Are you at least getting shagged?" Ginny asked.
"A lady never kisses and tells," Susan said with a wide smile which gave her away instantly.
"You slag!" Ginny said with a laugh.
"Hey, a woman has needs," Susan said with a shrug. "Speaking of which, I still think you should go out with me sometime. You could do with a proper shag yourself."
"I think I'll pass on that," Ginny said with a laugh. "I'll leave the shagging to you."
Susan looked slightly dejected. For the past few months, she had been inviting Ginny out to concerts and clubs in the hopes of Ginny meeting a bloke that she might hit it off with. Ginny didn't want to tell her that the only man she wanted to be with was dead.
"Still," Susan wheedled, "you could go with me. You don't have to shack up with anyone to have fun."
"I'll think about it," Ginny said.
Susan squealed and hugged Ginny before standing up. "I better get going. The price of beauty takes time. Wish me luck!"
"You obviously don't need it!" Ginny called out to a retreating Susan.
Once Susan was out of sight, Ginny sighed. She loved her friend, she really did, but she wished Susan would stop trying to set her up with random guys. She knew Susan was only doing it out of a sense of obligation. She thought Ginny to be a lonely young woman, and maybe that was true, but Ginny didn't want to date. She didn't see the point in it anymore; at least, not since Harry died.
Even her mum was dropping light hints about wanting her to bring a wizard home although she wasn't as vocal about it as Susan.
Ginny went back to her own cubicle, making sure to grab the case folder from Susan's desk, and sat down. She opened the folder and leafed through the contents not really taking in anything. She knew she was procrastinating. She dreaded going over to the Burrow now. What once used to be a safe place during her childhood had now turned into something she tried to avoid like the plague. Everyone acted like they were walking on eggshells while around her and it was infuriating. Ever since Harry's death they treated her like some priceless China doll that would break at any second. They thought her weak. Ginny was many things, but weak wasn't one of them.
She looked at the photo on the corner of her desk and smiled. It was of Harry and her at a Holyhead Harpies Quidditch match. The photo was taken only a couple of months before he died. He had an arm around her waist and a beaming smile on his face. His piercing emerald, green eyes shined with a happiness that made Ginny's stomach flop. How was she to know what had been lurking under the surface of those eyes. Could she have prevented him from going after Malfoy, maybe?
Ginny sighed and stood up. She had procrastinated as much as she could. She made her way out of the Auror department and to an Apparition point, before Apparating to the Burrow.
Upon arriving, she looked over at her father's shed. The light was on meaning he was hard at work tinkering with his Muggle toys.
Her mother was most likely in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on dinner. Ginny made her way to the door and let herself in. The familiar scent of her childhood came rushing back to her. Even after all this time, the Burrow remained unchanged. The thought comforted her somewhat.
Her mum poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled. "Oh good, you're here," her mum said. "Dinner's almost ready. Could you go let your father know?"
Ginny nodded and made her way back outside to her father's shed. She had never gone inside his shed often as a child. The rows upon rows of what looked like junk still sat on shelves around the room. There was a set of stairs that led to a loft bedroom on the second floor. Fred and George had used it long ago for their experiments.
She saw her dad sitting at a workbench and made her way over to him.
"You know," her dad said as she approached. "Many people don't get why I tinker around with old Muggle tech. They say it's pointless. Even your mother has told me I'm wasting my time although she indulges me all the same."
Her dad laughed, and when Ginny didn't say anything, continued speaking. "Your mother is such a wonderful woman. I know she can be a little overbearing at times, but it's because she loves all of you kids so much."
Her dad set down what looked like an old Muggle radio he had been messing with and looked at her. "I know you've been avoiding the Burrow, and I know your mother is the main reason why," he said. Ginny tried to protest but her dad silenced her. "I know you're not ready to put yourself out there and date. You're strong and independent. You always have been, and deep down your mother knows that, but we all know she handles things differently than we do. She pushes when she should pull."
"I know," Ginny replied.
"I know it's hard dealing with her sometimes," Her dad said as he stood up. "All I ask is don't be a stranger around here. George barely came around after Fred died and it affected your mother more than she'll ever admit."
"I'm sorry," Ginny said. She wanted to say she hadn't been avoiding the Burrow, but she knew her dad would see right through that lie. He was quite intuitive.
"You don't have to apologize," her dad said. "I get why you've been avoiding us, just, think about everyone else and not just yourself, yeah?"
The words cut deeply. Had she only been thinking of herself? Almost certainly. Her family was definitely infuriating at times, but she still loved them all regardless.
Ginny nodded. "Mum wanted me to let you know that dinner is almost done."
"Ah, excellent!" her dad said as he threw an arm over her shoulder. "Let us go partake in a feast fit for Merlin himself."
Ginny giggled at her dad as she led him out of his shop and to the house. He always had a way of making you feel better after tearing you down a peg and making you see sense.
Upon arriving in the kitchen, Ginny was surprised to see her brother, Ron, and his wife, Hermione, sitting down at the table.'
She led her father to his seat at the table before sitting down across from Ron.
"So, what are you two doing here?" Ginny asked.
"Just felt like visiting, is all," Ron said with a shrug. Hermione nudged him. "Oh, alright, fine. I missed you and Mum said you'd be visiting today so Hermione and I decided to come visit Mum, Dad, and you."
"See, was that so hard, Dear?" Hermione asked before she leaned over to whisper to Ginny. "I've been trying to teach him manners. It's a slow process, but I still have hope."
"I'm right here, you know," her brother said grumpily, causing Hermione and Ginny to giggle.
"How is the shop?" Ginny asked. Her mum finally sat down as they began eating. True to her word, Hermione had been teaching him manners. He at least swallowed his food before replying. "Business is booming. We had to hire another person to man the store so George and I could focus on just inventing stuff."
Ron worked at the Weasley joke shop in Diagon Alley. He had been set to become an Auror with Harry but had finally decided against it. Unlike Harry, Ron had apparently had enough of fighting and catching dark wizards.
"What about you, dear?" her mum asked. "How is work at the Aurors?"
Ginny looked at her mum. Her mum had not been happy when she announced that she was going to become an Auror, but then again, she hadn't been happy about Ginny being a professional Quidditch player either. She couldn't win with the woman.
"Work is good," Ginny replied. "I got my first case today."
"That's excellent!" Her dad exclaimed. "What is it about?"
"Susan and I have to investigate the death of an old Death Eater who was murdered in his home last night," Ginny said.
Her mum's face took on a sour expression but didn't say anything. Instead, Ron spoke up. "Well, at least it isn't boring."
"I don't think it will amount to much," Ginny said shrugging. "Robards didn't seem too bothered by it. Still, it's better than paperwork and running errands for people."
"That's the spirit!" her dad said merrily.
"Anything else going on in your life?" her mum asked. "Perhaps a wizard we don't know about?"
Ginny's irritation flared up, but she remembered the conversation she had just had with her dad. She managed to reign in her anger before she replied. "No, Mum, there's no wizard. Just work."
Her mum seemed disappointed but didn't comment further, and the rest of the meal was eaten without incident.
After dinner was over, Ginny said goodbye to her parents as well as Ron and Hermione, and Apparated back to her flat. She kicked off her shoes upon entering, and shed her clothes once she made it to the loo. It had been a long, tiresome day and she really needed a good soak in the tub to relax.
She wondered if Susan was having a good time.
Ginny sank into the bathtub once it was full, and breathed a sigh of relief, all the while, wondering what kind of day tomorrow would be.
The next day found Ginny at her cubicle going over the contents of the case file. The victim was Walden Macnair. He had been an executioner for the Ministry in the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures Department. Ginny remembered him slightly from the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. He was caught afterwards and sentenced to Azkaban, but soon after was broken out. How he managed to avoid Azkaban this time around was a mystery, but that wasn't Ginny's problem to solve. She just had to find who his killer was.
Susan popped her head around the wall dividing their cubicles. "Aren't you gonna ask me how it went?"
Ginny sighed but humored her friend. "How did it go last night? Did you get a good shag?"
"Thoroughly and properly," Susan said with a laugh.
"You're hopeless!" Ginny said grinning at her friend's expression.
"You and me both," Susan replied. "Anyway, you ready to head out?"
Ginny grabbed the folder, handed it to Susan, and nodded. "Let's go."
They Apparated to Walden Macnair's home and Ginny was surprised at how neat it was. Other than a select few affluent Pureblood families, Ginny was under the assumption that most Death Eaters cared little for social status. In front of her stood a lovely two-story home. On the outside, in front of the house, stood a tall English Oak tree. The yard was perfectly maintained, and nothing seemed out of place. The house itself was gorgeous, made out of white stone with floor-to-ceiling windows.
Ginny followed Susan into the house, which was just as nice on the inside as it was on the outside. They made their way down a corridor and to a door that Susan knocked on before entering.
There were two men talking near a desk when they entered. One looked to be in his mid-fifties with light brown hair and the other looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties with sandy blonde hair. Both looked up when Susan and Ginny entered.
"You the two from the Auror Department?" The older man asked gruffly.
"Yes," Susan replied. Susan had told Ginny before arriving to let her handle most of the talking and just study how she worked. "Robards sent us. He put us on the case."
"You took your time getting here," the man said."
"We apologize if we inconvenienced you," Susan stated. "By the time we found out about the case, it was already well into the day. I'm Susan Bones and this is Ginny Weasley."
"Rockford," the man said before motioning to his partner. "This quiet guy is Adams. We're both Hit Wizards."
Ginny chanced a glance at the younger bloke, Adams, and was surprised to see him staring directly at her. She shivered slightly at his penetrating blue gaze and turned back to Rockford.
"Why did they involve Hit Wizards?" Susan asked. "Normally, you don't get a call unless there is someone that needs to be captured."
Rockford and Adams shared a look before Rockford said. "It's due to the nature of this case. The way the victim was murdered felt too personal to be a random run-of-the-mill murder. His throat was slashed by a type of Cutting Curse I've never seen before."
"It was more than likely a spell personally created by someone to ensure no one would know the counter curse for it," Adams said, speaking for the first time.
Ginny couldn't help but notice his surprisingly baritone voice for one so young. It made Ginny shiver again.
"Why do you think the suspect used a Cutting Curse instead of just using the Killing Curse?" Susan asked as she walked around the room. "Wouldn't it be more practical to just use the Killing Curse if the goal was purely to eliminate his target?"
"Like I said," Rockford mumbled. "We think this is personal. There were no signs of a forced entry."
Ginny looked at the chair in front of the desk and saw a slight impression on the cushion, as if someone had sat there for a while.
"The killer waited for quite some time," Ginny spoke up. "He sat in that chair, probably Disillusioned, and waited for Macnair to come in. You're right, this was personal. He wanted to see Macnair die. If it weren't, he would've just killed him quickly and been done with it."
Rockford nodded. "There is something else too, but I feel like you should see it for yourselves. We didn't know what to make of it."
Ginny's interest spiked as Susan said, "What's that?"
Rockford shook his head. "Just go see for yourselves. It... It's pretty gruesome. All I can say is, it happened while the victim was alive."
The way Rockford said it filled Ginny with a sense of dread.
As they said their goodbyes and turned to leave, the hairs on the nape of Ginny's neck stood up. She didn't notice Adams' eyes follow her as they walked out of the room.
"Well, they were quite the pair, weren't they?" Susan said as they exited the house.
"I'm sure they thought the same of us," Ginny replied. She was still trying to shake the feeling Adams gave her.
"I wonder if Adams is single," Susan said off-handedly.
"You gonna try and shag him?" Ginny asked with a laugh.
"Oh, no!" Susan exclaimed. "I mean, he's pretty fit, but no. It seemed like he had eyes for someone else entirely."
Susan winked at her causing Ginny to groan. "When are you going to give up on my love life?"
"Never!" Susan said with a laugh as she stuck out her elbow. "Shall we?"
As she grabbed Susan's elbow, she thought back to the way Adams had stared at her. It was as if he had met her before and was trying to remember where from. His gaze didn't feel like it held any animosity towards her despite giving her the chills. Was Susan right? Did he find her attractive, and Ginny just wasn't used to the attention of a wizard? She could admit Susan was right. He was incredibly attractive, but that was all. She didn't want to shag him or date him much to her partner's disappointment.
They Apparated into what looked like a waiting room. There were a few chairs lined up against the wall and a reception desk which a woman was currently sitting behind.
She looked up and said, "Can I help you?"
"We're from the Auror Department," Susan said as she showed the women their credentials. "We're here to see the body of Walden Macnair."
"One moment," the woman said as she walked out of sight.
A few seconds later, the door next to the reception desk opened and a man walked out. He looked middle-aged with black hair and had a small scar running across his cheekbone.
"Sheila tells me you're here to see the body of Walden Mcnair, right?" the man asked. When they nodded, he continued. "I just finished up with him. You can come on back. Oh, and I'm Blake by the way."
They followed Blake into a room that smelled of antiseptic. There was a sink against the far wall and a trail of sharp tools and instruments on a roller cart next to a steel slab. There was a body covered in a white sheet upon the slab.
"Nasty business," Blake said as he walked over to the slab. Blake rolled down the sheet to Walden's chest and Ginny had to fight the urge to retch. Even with the stitches, Walden's neck was so deeply cut that it had probably barely been holding on. She was reminded of Nearly-Headless Nick from Hogwarts and shivered. There were smaller cuts across his torso as well showing the man hadn't died peacefully.
"I don't remember the file saying he had been tortured," Susan said with a grimace.
"Me neither," Ginny agreed.
"As you can see, he has many cuts and abrasions across his chest and arms," Blake said. "His neck was cut so severely he was nearly decapitated. He would've bled out within seconds of that."
"Is that what Rockford meant when he said he was still alive when it happened?" Ginny asked Susan.
Susan shrugged as Blake continued. "There is one more injury on the forearm I think you should take a look at."
He rolled the sheet down more, uncovering Macnair's arms, and this time, Ginny couldn't fight the urge to retch. Blake, perhaps having prepared for this, handed her a small trash bin that Ginny emptied her breakfast into.
"This was definitely personal," Susan said as Ginny finished. Ginny couldn't help but agree as she stared in horror at the man's left forearm.
Where there used to be a Dark Mark, it was now just muscle and tendon. No skin existed. It was as if the suspect had crudely cut the Dark Mark off of Macnair.
Susan tore her eyes away from the revolting sight and looked at Ginny. "I don't think this is going to be as easy as Robards thinks it will be."