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Thoughts of The Past and Some Disturbing News
Author: Charlie Weasley
Date: 01-22-11 21:22
About the same time that Julian Valentine is thinking about Helena Tufton and that it's not fair she's gone but Adriana Fairchild has returned, Charlie Weasley is also thinking about Adriana and Helena but not in quite the same way as Julian. As he sits doing paperwork at the McFusty Hebridean Black Dragon Preserve, Charlie's mind keeps wandering back to the days when Bill and Adriana were dating. That leads to him thinking about dating Belladonna Sinistra and first meeting Helena. By then things with Belladonna were rocky. For reasons Charlie never really understand, what little he knew of them, Bella had walked out on him, leaving a pendant he'd given her with Adriana. This was while Charlie had been with Bill in conversation with Bill in a room they were sharing at the Hogsmeade Inn. The brothers had returned to the dining room to find Adriana there alone, holding the pendant.
Charlie had taken the pendant and started following Bella to Hogwarts where she was then the Astronomy professor but he'd only gone part of the way. Upon his return to the inn he'd learned he was needed at the dragon preserve in Romania where he worked because of particularly nasty strain of dragon pox outbreak. When he arrived Charlie was introduced to Helena and her father Marcus, the duo who'd come up with a vaccine. Helena and Charlie had not taken well to each other. Definitely not love at first sight. But then, with time, and a forced quarantine together, Charlie and Helena grew closer. During all this, Belladonna wrote to him, wanting to get back together but Charlie found he just wasn't interested.
The more Charlie got to know Helena, the deeper his feelings grew. Helena seemed to feel the same way. That's not to say they clashed any longer but the making up was much nicer. Then in August of 1996 they'd gone to a dragon convention in the United States, in Las Vegas, Nevada. After an evening in a Muggle casino gambling and drinking, Helena and Charlie went to one of those little Vegas wedding chapels and gotten married. On the last day of December, New Year's Eve 1996, they were to have been married in a traditional wedding at the Burrow.
Everything fell apart that night. Charlie learned Helena had once been engaged to Julian Valentine. At that time, there was dragon sized animosity between the two men so Charlie hadn't taken the news of that engagement well especially when it was something Helena had deliberately kept from him. He'd known tney knew each other from before Helena and Charlie had met but she never would give him a straight answer when asked how she knew Julian. Instead of a beautiful wedding ceremony they'd had a huge, ugly row ending with Helena running out, literally. Adriana had followed.
Neither woman returned.
Weeks later Helena showed up again in Hogsmeade and promptly moved in with Julian. Charlie knows some of the details but not all. Sometimes he wishes he did but sometimes he's fine not knowing. With Helena dead, he's not sure it even matters now what those details are. Helena was murdered there in Hogsmeade, the culprit never caught nor the reasons for her death ever learned. Hell, it could have been a totally random killing by some psychotic person. It could have been a robbery gone wrong. Neither of those are the general consensus but they are, nonetheless, among the theories for the murder.
As angry as Charlie was that New Year's Eve, just over nine years ago now, a part of him never got over loving Helena. A part of him has never gotten over how she was killed and just left there as if nothing but garbage. If not for his feelings for Helena, the scheme that brought Hendrika into his life would never have been perpetrated. A scheme that is yet another thing Charlie only has some details of. A scheme that backfired for Afton Carew but ended well for Charlie. Hendrika had come into his life as a near Helena look alike, magic being used to alter some of her features to more closely resemble Helena's. Now that he knows Hendrika so well as herself, Charlie can't believe that even with magic, he thought she looked just like Helena.
The series of events that put Hendrika and Charlie together are odd and full of heartbreak but without them, it's highly doubtful there would be a Schuyler and Artie. If he and Belladonna had ended back together and married, would they have had children? Would she still have had a mental breakdown and been put away? Would she have shown just how mental she was and driven Charlie away? If Charlie hadn't confronted Helena that night, if he'd been more understanding, would they have been together for years? Would whatever grand plan put her with him have been fully carried out, ending with Helena leaving him or would she have carried on the pretense and they remained married? Would there have been children?
Charlie wonders these things but without any longing for the what might have beens. His wonderings are purely out of curiosity and because there is still so much he doesn't know about what Helena was involved in. The only things Charlie would go back and fix if he could was the manner in which they parted ways and Helena's being murdered. He would not change being married to Hendrika or their two boys for the world.
From the next room someone calls out, "Charlie, someone to see you!"
He looks up from the paperwork he's hardly touched and thinks that as distracted as he is right now, it's a damn good thing he wasn't in the field this morning. Being this distracted out there is a sure fire recipe for a disastrous dragon encounter. He pushes away from the desk to go see who's looking for him when she walks in. For a few seconds he stares in stunned silence at someone he had just been thinking about but then quickly recovers himself, recognizing her for who she truly is.
He comes around the desk asking Belladonna Sinistra's twin sister, "Isabella, what brings you here?"
Her face set in a combination of worry and solemnity, her tone grave, she says, "We debated whether to notify you or not and whether to just send an owl. I thought you should be told in person. I hope I'm not disturbing you but I thought it best not to catch you at home."
Charlie's brow creases as he matches the seriousness of her tone. "Tell me what, Izzy."
"Bella's being released tomorrow."
"WHAT?"
"She's been deemed fit."
"But her sentence isn't up."
"It was reduced based on her having acted while mentally unsound."
"Why am I just now hearing about this."
"That's just how these things go sometime."
"What of Gisela?" he asks of Belladonna's partner in crime.
"I have no idea."
Inwardly seething that Belladonna is about to be unleashed on the world again but keeping himself in check so as not to take out that anger on the messenger, Charlie gives Isabella a curt nod. "Thank you for coming in person. I know none of this has been easy on your either."
She nods back then turns to leave. She pauses long enough to tell him, "She's not to have contact with you or your wife. If you do see her, ignore her. If my sister is so stupid as to approach you or write you, report it or let me know. Please don't confront her."
Isabella doesn't wait for Charlie to say anything. She turns and leaves him standing there. He's still standing there in that same spot five minutes later when someone entering the office to grab something asks, "Everything okay, Charlie?"
It's not but he says, "Yeah, fine, just leaving for lunch."
With that, Charlie walks out of the office. He considers apparating but in his state of mind that's probably not a good idea so instead he walks to the one Floo conduit in the building and leaves for home.
Adriana's Story, Part One
Author: Bill Weasley
Date: 01-23-11 07:48
Bill finished up with a client and then returned to his office and to his private thoughts. He relived his reunion with Adriana over and over again in his mind and likely would until he finally came to terms with her truly being back in his life.
Fleur didn't look at all happy to see Adriana, who she still couldn't believe was standing in front of her. The woman was supposed to be dead, so how was it possible that she was standing in front of her house?
"'ow do you know eet's not zomebody using polyjuice potion?"
"Because she knows things," Bill said, though perhaps he ought to quiz her more to be sure. Their first meeting in Hogsmeade had been in front of a lot of witnesses, so it wasn't as if there weren't others who would know that story.
"Bill took me to Gringotts for the very first time," Adriana told Fleur, as if reading Bill's mind. "My father had left a vault for me. We found my wand hidden in a trunk with a false bottom."
Bill had very recently thought of that memory and nodded his head vigorously. "For someone who'd never waved a wand before, she was an amazing spellcaster."
Fleur didn't look impressed. "Where 'ave you been all zis time eef you weren't dead?"
Bill sobered and turned back to Adriana. This was something he really wanted to know, but he really didn't want to stand outside in the cold anymore. He suggested they all go into the house, even though he could tell that Fleur didn't want Adriana in her home.
They settled in the living room. Adriana looked around and said, "You have a very nice home." She saw a photograph on the fireplace mantel. It was of Bill, Fleur and baby Victoire, who was currently sleeping in her crib. "Is that your daughter?"
"Yes, Victoire."
"And you have another one on the way," Adriana commented, having noticed Fleur's bulging stomach.
"That's right." But Bill didn't want to talk pleasantries. He wanted to know more about where Adriana had been all this time.
"Well?" Fleur asked, pressing for an answer. She held onto Bill's hand possessively. "Why did you disappear?"
Adriana's face seemed to lose some of its color and she grew very somber. "The last time I saw you, Bill, was the night of Charlie and Helena's wedding. When it all fell apart, when she ran off, I went after her to make sure she was all right. Everyone was concerned about Charlie, you know, and no one was really looking after Helena. So I followed her. I talked to her, and she told me she just wanted to go away, and then she asked me if I would go with her. I felt like I had to. She was very fragile and had just seen her dream wedding fall to pieces. So, I just left."
Adriana took a breath. "Helena was pretty shaken up about everything, but then she gradually got better. Meanwhile, I didn't."
She raised her eyes to meet Bill's. "Remember my secret?"
He nodded. How could he forget? When she was missing, before he thought her dead, he worried that she had joined up with Voldemort. Was she going to tell him now that she really had?
"I kept hearing his voice, Bill. He kept calling me to him, and I felt so afraid that if I went home, he would find me and make me join him. I wanted to hide, to go somewhere he'd never be able to find me. And then I had an idea. What if I were dead? It wasn't something I planned, really, but when I heard a body had been discovered and thought to be mine, I went with it. I thought it better to be presumed dead than to still be around for Voldemort to find."
"Wait, wait," Bill said, holding up his hand. "How did you even know about the body?"
Adriana looked sad when she said, "Bill, I never stopped thinking about you while I was away, and try as I might, I couldn't stay away from you. I checked in from time to time, one way or another."
Bill swallowed hard. If only he'd known the truth about her.
He felt Fleur firmly squeeze his hand.
"The longer you wondered about where I was, the more I thought that maybe being dead would be better for you too. You could move on, as I see you have."
She smiled softly at Fleur, who only stared stonily back.
"Anyway, there's more I want to tell you but I don't think tonight's the night." Adriana got up abruptly.
Bill got up too, and Fleur reluctantly released his hand. "Where are you staying?"
"Here, there. No where permanent, yet. But I'm looking," Adriana said. "I'll keep in touch. I promise this time."
She walked to the door. "It was nice meeting you Fleur."
She smiled at Bill. "You too, Bill."
She opened the door and walked out into the night, leaving Bill with so many more unanswered questions.
A hard knock at his office door startled Bill from his daydreams.
"Are you in there, Weasley?" called out a familiar voice.
Bill sighed and buried his head in his hands. "Come in."
Julian Valentine entered and asked, "So is it true? Is Adriana Fairchild really back?"
Bill raised his head and then gestured at the empty seat opposite his desk. "You better sit down. There's a lot to tell you."
Conversation with Fred
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 01-23-11 13:46
Hermione stepped inside Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and spotted one of the twins straight off. Fred was restocking the Wonder Witch Line of products, which included items like Cupid Crystals, Flirting Fancies, and the ever popular Love Potion.
"That's a load of rubbish, you know," Hermione said, as she approached the display.
"How do you know, Hermione?" Fred asked with a sly grin. "Maybe Ron used a love potion to reel you in. Can't imagine why you would want to be with him otherwise." Then he said, "Kidding, kidding. So... what brings you to the shop today?"
"I was in the neighborhood and thought I would say hello to whoever is here today," Hermione replied, as she picked up a package of Heartbreak Teardrops and studied the label.
"George is in the back, and Ginny was here a little while ago. Not sure if she left or not. She was going to photograph some of our new products for the catalog."
"I don't know whether to be impressed or horrified that joke items are such hot commodities." Hermione put the package back on the display and glanced around the crowded store.
"Everyone needs a good laugh every now and again," Fred replied with a smile and a shrug of his shoulders. "Say, did you hear the news?"
"About Professor Fairchild?" Hermione asked, turning back to Fred. She'd known Adriana Fairchild best as the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts during her fifth year and the beginning of her sixth year.
"Yeah. It's wild, isn't it?"
"I'm sure Bill has conflicting emotions about it."
Fred nodded. "No doubt. He was really broken up when she disappeared, and then she died. Well, I guess she didn't really, but we all thought so. I hope her return doesn't ruin what he has with Fleur."
"Me either," Hermione said. "That would be terrible, especially when they have one small child and another on the way."
Fred shook his head. "I wonder what prompted her to come back now."
"I'm guessing we'll find out sooner or later," Hermione answered. She sighed and said, "All we can do is speculate now."
"Well, enough dreary talk!" Fred exclaimed, abruptly changing the subject. "The big day is coming. Are you ready?"
"I've planned everything to the letter, so it should all go off without a hitch."
"Other than you and Ron, of course––getting hitched, I mean."
"Yes." Their springtime wedding was coming up fast. It would be held at the Burrow, which hopefully wasn't bad luck now that Adriana had returned after vanishing from a different Weasley wedding at the Burrow many years earlier.
(Anthony) Frustrated
Author: Beck
Date: 01-23-11 14:12
Anthony's investigation of Sylvester Gudgeon yielded nothing in terms of determining whether or not he still belonged to the mysterious group allegedly responsible for what could very well be yearly mass murders of young women. He had even gone so far as to track down some of the others on the list Enid Eastwick had provided him, but Anthony had also come up short.
The lack of information made him want to think that the group no longer existed, but perhaps they only met once a year to commit the murders. He really didn't want to have to wait until summertime, though, to find out whether or not that theory was the right one. His goal was to stop any further murders from ever happening, and if he had to wait until the very last minute to do so, then the chances of saving every life might be slim.
Besides, he wanted to know what he was getting into well ahead of time so that he could not only save lives but better protect himself from harm.
He sat in his cubicle and read the court proceedings from Enid Eastwick's trial for the millionth time. Maybe there was something he'd missed. Or maybe he just needed to talk to her again. Maybe she had forgotten to tell him something. There were a whole lot of maybes and not a lot of definitelys. Anthony hated that. He sighed in frustration and pushed the parchment stack away.
"What's wrong with you?" Desi asked, a little gruffly. She had sunglasses on her face, even though it wasn't the least bit sunny outside and anyway, she was indoors.
"I don't think I'll ever solve this case. What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Desi replied. She moved on to her own cubicle. Anthony followed her with his eyes until she disappeared from sight.
He sighed again and considered taking off early. He would much rather be at home right now with his new fiancée than up to his elbows in court proceedings and other material that didn't help his case very much.
Just when he started to get up and let a superior know what he had planned, Jaiden Peters peered over the wall of his cubicle and said, "Have a minute?"
"Sure."
He got up and followed her a short way across the room, where an unfamiliar wizard stood.
"This is Hudson Hayes. He completed his auror training just before Christmas and has just started working for us. I wondered if you might show him around a bit."
"Sure," Anthony said, extending his hand to the new recruit. "I'm Anthony Beck. I started working here a year and a half ago."
"Nice to meet you, Anthony," Hudson said, shaking Anthony's hand. He had an amiable personality, and Anthony found himself forgetting his frustration and smiling for the first time all day.
"Let me show you around," Anthony said.
"Thanks, Anthony," Jaiden said to him, and then to Hudson she said, "Welcome and enjoy!"
With that, she went off to do whatever she had planned next, leaving Anthony to show Hudson the ropes.
Stalled Case
Author: Griffin Price
Date: 01-24-11 19:40
Settling back in the chair at the desk in his cubicle, Griff reaches for the file he'd been going over all morning. He'd only taken a break from it because Dulcie Kennicot had stopped by, asking if he wanted to get an early lunch with her. Although not dating, since the day that Griff had explained the reasons and apologized for using her to gain information on the whereabouts of Carys and Mairwen after they'd been taken by the Relocation Assistance Committee, better known as Snatchers, Dulcie and Griff have been building a genuine friendship.
Even though he's read through the file countless times in the months since first being assigned the case, Griff once again opens it to the first page and starts reading from the beginning. Neither he nor Gawain Robards have made much progress and both are extremely frustrated. Agnes Halford has information that might prove useful but so far she's determined not to say more until a deal is signed that will either greatly reduce her current prison sentence or release her from Azkaban altogether. She knows that's not going to happen until she's more forthcoming with the information.
Griff's got a number of other cases going, most of them relatively minor but there is one that's huge. It's the case Harry Potter and he are building against a thug called Rufus Henshaw. The man is slick, covering his tracks well. He's also rich enough that he's able to easily intimidate or simply just get rid of anyone who might give information against him. The investigation has been ongoing for months but Harry and Griff are agreed it's the best way to build a solid case against Henshaw that will finally land the man in Azkaban for life.
Griff is reading over one bit of information from this other big case, brow drawing together as something niggles at the bakc of his mind. The harder he concentrates on what exactly it is making him read over and over the same few details, the more elusive the line of thought he's trying to grasp becomes. Griff forces himself to take several deep, calming breaths, closing his eyes as he does. He rolls the details over and over in his head, trying to puzzle it out. Griff's almost got it. He knows it's just right there.
Then his concentration is shattered by a knock on the opening to the cubicle. Suppressing a groan of frustration and harnessing the enormous urge to loudly snap, "WHAT?" at the person, Griff opens his eyes and with a clenched jaw asks in a civil tone, "Yes?"
One of the departmental secretaries stands there with a slip of parchment, which she holds out to Griff. "Message through the Floo from Azkaban for you."
"Thanks."
Griff looks at the message. It's short and too the point.
Halford ready to talk. 9 am Friday.
Well, that's something. Hopefully she'll spill pertinent details that will help move this case along, maybe even resolve it completely. He'd go right now to Azkaban if the message didn't state 9 am tomorrow. Also, he's got a witness on another case to see in an hour. Until then, maybe he can work out what it is about this one case's details that's bothering him so much.
Griff reads over the details again then closes his eyes as he starts mulling them over once more, trying to pin down what he'd nearly had when the secretary interrupted him.