Owl to Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

*Fabian's handwriting, never neat at the best of times, looks particularly agitated.*

Alice, Sirius -

This is bollocks, come over tonight, we need to go over this. Nine-ish. Or whenever. I don't care.

Fabian

Comments

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

Okay, but again - contained. The Dementors stuck to the museum and the pool, they didn't go gallivanting across the country. What if it's controlled chaos that's meant to look random? Spread panic?

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

But then why attack only magical places? It's a larger headache if it's mixed company.

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

We're going round in circles. We can argue til we're blue in the face about who's behind it and why they're doing it, but until we find more evidence, we can't prove anything and we don't have anything to act on.

I still say we throw Malfoy at the wall and see if he sticks. Or get Lily to pump Snape for information on it.

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

*Alice takes a sip of her Firewhisky.*

There is one question we haven't asked yet: Why us? I wouldn't put it past her to be spying on us.

Is it possible she knows we're in the Order?

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

Maybe. Or maybe she's just a bitch who likes to watch good people suffer. Result is the same.

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

Oh! Oh, and guess what I get to do. Anybody remember Greyback?

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

*Alice winces and nods.*

Who can forget?

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

Definitely not me, while I'm in Scotland poking about feral werewolves. So, you know. If I get mauled to death, do me a favor and tell Molly so long for me.

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

By yourself?

That's--

You've got to be joking, there are about eight rules I can think of off the top of my head why she shouldn't be able to make you do that by yourself.

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

*Alice's breathing stops.*

That's a suicide mission.

[treefeller.livejournal.com]

*They have talked about this. At length. Without any of its good humor, Gideon's face is almost unrecognizable.*

Oh, but you haven't heard the best part. He'll have help if he wants it.

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

*Sarcasm drips from Sirius' voice.*

Let me guess. Well-trained aurors and a crack team of magical beast handlers. Right?

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

*They have talked about it, and it was one of the most serious conversations they've had in a long time. And while Fabian's trying to hang onto humor again, there's something a lot more like fear in his face when he glances at Gideon.*

So close, Black! I can have backup. From RCMC. So, you know, if I want someone to stand there and whimper while asking the cannibals politely whether they have Dementors hiding under their sleeping bags -

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

*Alice smiles at the black humour but shakes her head.*

It might be best if we all worked on that angle together.

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

*So Umbridge is playing within the guidelines of Auror assignments. Paying lip service to the rules is something Sirius does constantly, but when it endangers someone--*

There's got to be someone you can appeal this assignment to. It's ludicrously dangerous.

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

Ah. I can also do that. Apparently to Crouch.

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

*Alice puts her forehead in her palm, trying to grasp how much worse this situation actually is than how she'd imagined it.*

Moody's out - he won't be able to reach higher than her, and she'll see it coming. She's slippery and very tactical, she knows exactly what she's doing. We could go to Scrimgeour, but it's not his Department and you've just said Crouch will side with her...

*Alice takes her glass and fidgets, trying to sort out the options.*

If she sends you up there, I'm going with you.

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

Crouch appointed Umbridge. I can't imagine his sympathy runs deep.

--So it's camping in Scotland for us, then?

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

Just how I wanted to go out. You know, peacefully.

*He raises his glass to the pair of them though, gratefully - going alone is suicide, they're absolutely right, and he trusts both of them with his life. It's more than he'd have asked of them.*

[treefeller.livejournal.com]

Much as I'd love to join you, I'm still neck-deep in the Spinnet kidnapping.

And some lovely individual has been so kind as to reassign all your cases to me. So my dance card, dear Fabian, is full. Enjoy your vacation.

*He can joke about this, now. The idea of Fabian having competent backup--hell, more than competent, it's Sirius and Alice, for heaven's sake--is a tremendous relief, and he throws them both a look of clear gratitude as he raises his glass as well.*

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

*Sirius raises his glass in a rueful toast.*

To a violent death for the lot of us, then.

[rathercareless.livejournal.com]

And if you need backup on either of yours, I'm your man. I don't give a fuck if she didn't mean for us to collaborate.

[gummymummy.livejournal.com]

*Alice grimaces at Sirius's words. They're too true for the moment.

She looks over to Gideon, giving him a small smile - trying to communicate how safe they'll all keep each other. It's the only promise she can give him.

Her smile broadens at Fabian's words.*

To not giving a fuck!

She raises her glass, thinking of her home in Scotland.*

And to the land of haggis!

[treefeller.livejournal.com]

*Gideon actually laughs--a good sign--and glances at Fabian.*

And to keeping this a secret from Molly, whatever we do.

She'll march right into that petrified birthday cake of an office and slam that toad's head into her desk until the white meat shows.

Let's tell Molly.

[fleasaremurder.livejournal.com]

She's certainly look a far sight better after a treatment like that.

*Secretly, Sirius wonders what Remus will say. Probably a lot of things. Probably none of them good.*