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Chapter 132- Have At Her!
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"Whew, well, thanks for that. It was great. I truly hope that—oh, and you're actually unconscious. Well, okay." I say to Rosmerta, who is lying on the bed—now fully unconscious, thoroughly worn out by yours truly. I did have some frustration to work off, given how out of control things were, so I was quite rough—but she enjoyed it. "Well, see ya later," I say my farewells and close the door on my paramour.
While it was a lovely evening indeed and one I wouldn't mind revisiting on a cold winter's night in the comfort of my bed, I don't particularly want to think back on it right now, given all the things going on. I shoot out of the Three Broomsticks and head back to my building in Diagon Alley. Obviously, I use the floo since it is straight there, and I end up in my office downstairs, instead of my living space, because I am not going to expose my private space like that. My office is also my private space, but people come in there all the time, and it is less private.
Still, I am pissed to find my office occupied, and people hard at work making plans that are detrimental to my well-being. "What the hell are you doing in my office?" I say: my frustration at the tipping point, and my mental well-being fraying by the second. Andromed and Sirius look up from where they are working at my desk, going through newspapers and files and writing letters.
"We are working. So if you are not going to help, you can get out." Andromeda says, not even looking up, while Sirius is silently laughing and making faces at me, really pissing me off.
"Well, why are you doing it in my office? Can't you do this somewhere else?" I don't even want to be in this room right now. I want to go to bed and forget my problems. But I can't do that if my problems are in my office. I don't want to be in here, and I don't want them to be in here.
"No, we can't. People hardly come here because no actual work ever gets done here, making it a perfect place for us to work in secret. Now either sit down and help, or get out." I don't know what to say to that, and I don't have time to, as I hear some muffled chuckles and find Sirius looking at me mockingly, making eyes at me. I glare at him, and he chances a quick glance at Andromeda to make sure that she isn't looking before putting his middle finger up at me and sticking his tongue out.
"You fucki-" I start, but I don't finish.
"Gilderoy, we are trying to work. Help or leave." I- I am about to crash out, and it will be entirely valid, especially with the dirty fucker sat there making faces and laughing at me.
"Okay, I'll help." I decide on, and walk around the desk, going behind Andromeda and pulling close to serious. As I walk, I make my stride a little longer and really wind up my arms behind me, and then, just as I pass Sirius, I make my move.
SLAP!
My hand impacts the back of his head, nearly sending him face-first into the desk. But the feel of the sharp sting on my palm is the balm on my soul, letting my heart relax and forget all its frustration and making me feel infinitely better.
"You bas-" Sirius starts, but he doesn't finish.
"Shut the fuck up, you stupid moron, and sit there quietly and try not to shit yourself while I try to find a way out of this mire of shit you've put yourself in." Andromeda snaps at Sirius, brutally cutting him down and making him shut up and sit straight. Damn, she was significant;y more harsh to him than she was to me... I guess it's because they are related, and berating people you have family ties with is easier than berating someone you are not intrinsically tied to.
"Shush, Sirius, you fool. Sit there and don't do anything while we try to clean up your shit. Knowing you, you'd probably end up drawing all the dementors here by burping or something." I sit down at my desk, looking forward at both Andromeda and Sirius, who are sitting on the other side, and making sure to put the appropriate amount of mockery in my words. I then chance a quick look at Andromeda, who is enthralled with her work, and then I stick my middle finger up at him and mouth the word bitch at him.
And like the little bitch he is, he can only sit there and take it while looking angry. Ha, that's what you get, you fucking twat. I lean back in my chair in victory, but freeze when I notice Andromeda watching me with a raised eyebrow. Thankfully, she just breathes out a sigh and then goes back to her papers, but she clearly knows what I just did, and she doesn't bother mentioning it. Probably for the best, because I would have just doubled down. Still, being caught doesn't feel good, and I feel kind of immature, so I venture to be more mature.
"Okay, so what are we doing? How is looking through these papers going to help Sirius in any manner whatsoever?" I ask, looking over everything laid out on the table, and finding a lot of newspapers going back up to a decade, as well as a lot of official-looking documents.
"While you were having your... fun." Andromeda begins, finding it hard to get that last word out for some reason. "I brought Sirius here, and then I went and got a lot of the newspapers going back a decade from the Daily Prophet's archive, and I also went to the Ministry archive and got the official transcripts of all the Death Eaters' cases and procedural information." She explains, which mostly goes over my head. So I focus on what I just remembered.
"There is a Daily Prophet archive, and you can just take the newspapers from there? Do they let you do that? Aren't they keeping them for their records or something?" The British Ministry records and bookkeeping are all allowed to be seen by the public, as is the case with most governments that have a democratic leadership. The whole point of democracy is letting the people think they have a choice, and letting them access does that, but the information is presented in the most dull and hard-to-understand way possible, making sure that if any of the public did go looking, they'd want to kill themselves after reading through a single page.
"Usually, access isn't granted without special circumstances. But our company is one of the biggest, and people want a good relationship with us for our products. I was allowed entrance without any questions, and I copied all of the newspapers from the times we needed with the gemino charm." She explains, looking incredibly sexy and authoritative in those glasses, which I know are the Gale Force Reading Glasses, allowing her to read one thousand times faster.
"Okay, and how is any of this going to help?" I notice that she is going through all the material incredibly fast, and I think it would be better for her to do that instead of me, since she doesn't have a problem with ingesting mind-numbing information.
"I am looking for any and all information that could help Sirius. That includes witness testimonies from Death Eaters who gave up information on the other Death Eaters, which shouldn't include Sirius. If I go through it all, there will be no mention on Sirius anywhere as a part of Death Eater operations" Andromeda lays it out for me, and I think I get the point.
"So, a lack of evidence is evidence in itself." I venture forth, and she nods to show that I am correct. "And therefore you are also looking through the newspapers for the same thing, as well as things that prove Sirius character as well. Well, his character before he did a stint in the hell house." I look at Sirius, who doesn't like like a good person in the least.
"I'm guessing you would go and try to get witness statements from people that knew him as well, except well..." I drift off, but Andromeda finishes it for me. "They knew him." I click my fingers at her. "Exactly."
"What the hell does that mean?" Sirius barks, having forgotten being reprimanded a moment ago like the disobedient mutt that he is. Andromeda answers him back in a fully truthful yet no less hurtful manner. "It means that everybody who knew you knew that you were a philandering philistine who lazed around, messed around, never took anything seriously, took pleasure in battle and hurting others, whether that be by pranks or more violent methods, and they knew you always did whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. It's no wonder no one questioned your traitor status, because you had made yourself the perfect mould for it." Damn, that has gotta hurt.
"...I was just having fun. I- I never thought about any of that." Sirius admits, putting his head in his hands as he bends over, feeling no doubt very bad. Well, this is what happens when you are an arse, and you also get yourself involved with serious shit. Thankfully, I'm only an ass, and I try not to get involved with serious shit. But serious shit gets involved with me for some reason.
"So you are going to gather this evidence and present it to the ministry and get them to give him a trial?" I query, looking at her with a lot of doubt. "That is the plan. When presented with irrefutable evidence and a lack of trial being stated, they'll have no choice but declare him a free man or, at the very least, give him a trial, at which point Veritaserum can be used, and his innocence will be proven without doubt." She says, and it's at this point that I find that she is incredibly naive, which is weird because she is usually the most rational one in the room.
"Don't be naive, Andromeda. Your connection to Sirius is making you take this too emotionally, and you are not thinking clearly or rationally." I start, trying to make the woman see sense. "The ministry is not going to want to admit to thinking a mistake at all; they will try their best to stop it from coming to light, as it is gross negligence and will make the public lose faith in them. Fudge, especially, is an asshat, and he will try to bury it as hard as possible to protect himself, not to mention his death eater sponsors that would like to see Sirius get the kiss and have the black inheritance." I know the Malfoys would definitely want Sirius dead.
"If you try to take this to trial now, you are just going to get Sirius killed." I sigh, and Andromeda looks frustrated. "Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Just let Sirius be hunted for the rest of his life till he gets tired of running and dies?" I feel for the woman, so I can try to offer an alternative, one that will also benefit me.
"However, if we can get Pettigrew in front of us, alive, then that can not be so easily dismissed. With him standing before the court, everything will be called into question. Why did he hide for over a decade after faking his death and putting the blame on Sirius? He won't be able to answer, and they won't be able to refuse the use of Veritaserum. If we use enough PR and get the support of the public, using myself as a focal point, then we can get this done." What is not being said is that this would lead things back to the cannon, as Sirius will go to Hogwarts to capture Pettigrew, and then Peter will escape and resurrect Voldemort and put things back on track.
"So, back to plan A? Capture the rat and then prove my innocence." Sirius asks, and I nod in agreement. "Exactly. However, you will have to infiltrate Hogwarts and do this on your own. If Andromeda or I get involved, people will be keeping an eye on us, since we are a pretty big deal nowadays. And if anyone catches wind of this, like the Death Eaters that escaped prison, you can bet they will try to have you or Pettigrew murdered to protect themselves. So it will have to be all on you." Nice, I think I just wrapped this up neatly in a bow, and they will love it.
"But what about Dumbledore? Surely we can inform him? We can use the evidence I am gathering here and get Dumbledore onside to help us capture Pettigrew." Shut up, Andromeda, you clever bitch, you are fucking up my ploy! Wait, calm down, Gilderoy, she is your clever bitch. a bit too clever, so let's see if we can get out of this one. "No. You think people don't have eyes on Dumbledore or are spying on him? There is a chance that if we go to him, the secret will be leaked, and then Sirius or the rat might get murdered. We need to keep things secretive." Nice, I did it again.
"Then what the hell can I do?" Andromedra erupts, having reached her boiling point. Well, I reached my boiling point quite a while ago, but I also can't erupt at any time because then everything will mess up. "You can get back to doing your actual job and wait while Sirius tries to make up for all his past mistakes and get some redemption by trying to bring the real betrayer to justice. When things get to the court and the legal system becomes the biggest problem, then you can use that big, beautiful brain of yours and help. But till then, sit tight on that gorgeous ass of yours and go about business as usual." It's the most plausible thing that will also keep her from interfering with the plot, and it also makes sense.
"Hey, I appreciate the help, Gil ol' boy, but stop hitting on my cousin. She's married with a kid, so keep that lil pecker in its can, you got that?" Sirius interrupts, suddenly getting all protective of his female cousin for some reason. Looking at him and knowing as much about him as I do from my interactions with him, I know he doesn't actually give a fuck about that. He is just trying to fuck with me because he is a fucker. Well, two can play at that game.
"I actually keep my pecker in a silo, which is what I call your mom... the whore." Oops, I added that last bit on impulse because it felt right, but given the silence, I guess it was a bit too much. I guess people are a lot more prude in the 90's than in the 2020's, as this kind of banter and mockery is normal then, but now. Well, I guess it's a bit out of place.
"If you knew my mother, you would know she is the furthest thing from a whore, to the point of being abhorrent. I'm actually sure my birth was an immaculate conception, because I doubt that woman was ever even naked. She came out of the womb with a girdle on." Sirius remarks, looking wistful as he thinks of his mother. "Anyway, don't try and get in my cousin's pants because that is reserved for good old Ted, who, in actual fact, tells me that there is a whole lot of oomph in the-" Sirius is about to reveal a bit too much information when Mount Andromeda erupts once more.
"Shut the hell up, Sirius, I'm not even with Ted anymore." She yells, making sure her words stick as she slaps Sirus upside the back of his head and this time slams him face-first into the desk, and I take some delight in the thunk of my hard mahogany desk against the man's equally dense forehead. But then I actually register Andromed's words, and I snap my head towards her.
"You're not?" I question, enthusiastically. "You're not?" Sirius asks, with much less enthusiasm and a lot more upset. Andromeda is looking at me, and I am looking at her in the eyes, and neither of us is saying anything, and then she disregards me and turns to regard Sirius, ignoring my existence entirely.
"Yes, I am no longer with Ted. And that is for reasons I don't want to ever discuss, as it is in the past, where it will stay. Now, let's move on." Andromeda says firmly and without question, being very adamant on not discussing things further. Of course, I want to ask and gather more information, but she just made it clear that that wasn't an option. Had she ever mentioned it before, I don't think so; I would have remembered it.
"Wow, can't believe you guys split up while I was in the clink. Little Nymmy must have been quite upset when it happened." Sirius remarks, and Andromeda looks a bit awkward. "She was fine. We only split up recently, and Nymphadora is a... full-grown woman now." Andromeda finds it hard to say the last bit, but I wholly agree with it, as she is definitely not little Nymmy anymore. They grow up so fast.
"Huh. I guess you can have at her then, Gilderoy. Go nuts." Sirius laughs, and Andromeda starts to berate him once more, but all I can say is- "Thanks, I'll do that." There is silence for a moment.
Then Sirius barks a laugh whilst Andromeda glares at me.
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Damn, even I am pissed off at how long it is taking these two to get together. To be fair, though, he did do her daughter, so that is a definite barrier.
Upcoming Chapters:
Free: Chapter 133- Remarkable.
Hero: Chapter 134- Can't Catch A Break.
Super: Chapter 136- Unhappy.
Legendary: Chapter 138- A Blink of an Eye.
Galactic: Chapter 142 - Throwing Stones.
Mythic: Chapter 151 - The Quibbling Begins.
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