“Dolores!”
Dolores Umbridge looked at the visibly blustered man standing before her. “Yes, Cornelius?” she asked calmly.
Cornelius Fudge glanced around the office to where Dolores was sitting before gesturing to Dillion Riane”who had followed him into the room”to close the door.
“We have a problem. Edward Lennings has been arrested.”
“Indeed,” Dolores agreed. A couple of months ago, Cornelius, in his position as Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes, was called to investigate a magical fire that had burned down several buildings in London. No one had died, but several Muggles had been sent to the hospital with severe burns. Cornelius’ report had stated that the fire had been started by Lennings’ wand backfiring, and that he had left Lennings off with a small fine.
Dillion, clearly confused, asked, “Why is Lennings a problem?”
“Crouch arrested him for aiding and abetting Death Eaters,” Cornelius replied.
“So you were mistaken.” Dillion shrugged. “We’re in the middle of a war; the Aurors can’t even tell who is on whose side anymore.”
Cornelius shook his head. “It’s more complicated than that.”
“For the sake of Merlin, Cornelius, tell me what the problem is! If this is nothing more than your old jealousy against Crouch then I don’t want anything to do with it.”
Dolores saw Cornelius send her a pleading look so she stepped in. “Dillion, Cornelius couldn’t arrest Lennings because he is a close relative of the Malfoy family.”
“What has that got to do with the price of Butterbeer in America?”
Dolores sighed and said sweetly, “The Malfoys are one of the most influential families in the Wizarding Society, and one of the most highly connected within the Ministry. By helping Lennings out, Cornelius gains invaluable contacts.”
“You mean Cornelius took a bribe.”
“Yes.”
After Dillion had exhausted a long list of four letter words, he collapsed into a chair. There he sat silently, his eyes staring at his best friend as if he was a total stranger.
“Dolores,” Cornelius said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Crouch is personally conducting the trial in three days.”
Nodding, Dolores answered, “Don’t worry. That won’t be a problem.”
“Won’t be a problem! Have you forgotten that Crouch makes deals with prisoners for names?”
“I have not forgotten, but I assure you that Lennings will not testify against you at the trial.”
“How are you going to do that?” Dillion demanded.
Looking directly at Dillion, Dolores stated, “Some things are better left unsaid.”
“Good,” said Cornelius smiling, “Dolores, I’ll leave you to settle the details. I must be off; I’m meeting Elizabeth’s family for dinner.”
Dolores kept the contempt off of her face when she heard Elizabeth’s name. Elizabeth Bagnold was the niece of Minister of Magic Millicent Bagnold, and Cornelius had been courting her for over a year.
Instead she politely asked, “Will her Aunt also be present?”
“Yes, so you understand that I must hurry.” Cornelius was blushing as he replied.
“Then why are you so nervous?” inquired Dolores. “You’ve met the Minister many times.”
“Please, Dolores, I must leave. I’ll tell you tomorrow.” With that statement, Cornelius swept from the room.
Dillion, mumbling a quick goodbye, followed Cornelius, but not without shooting a suspicious look back at Dolores.
Once the door closed, Dolores moved quickly. She grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder from above the fireplace and threw it into the fire. Thrusting her head into the flames she called, “Department of Mysteries, Record Room.”
After a few moments of disorientation, Dolores could see a small stone room. All of the walls were covered in bookshelves filled with parchment. In the middle of the room, she found a small man hunched over a large desk chewing absentmindedly on a quill.
“Edwin,” she called.
The man jumped up, then seeing Dolores he smiled. “It’s been awhile, Dolores,” he said flirtingly.
Dolores snorted. “I have a job for you.”
Edwin replied, “Of course. How can I be of service?”
“I need you to follow Dillion Riane; report back to me of his movements. If he sends any Owls, I need them.”
“That can be done… for the right price.”
Dolores tossed a bag of gold out of the fire. “You will receive the rest after I have your report.”
Edwin picked up the bag of gold, and after feeling its weight he slipped it in his pocket. “Agreed.”
Later that evening, Dolores was waiting in her office to see the results of her plans. She had spent the afternoon working through discrete channels to take care of Lennings, and was confident that her plan would work. The problem was Dillion, and whether or not he would snap.
The answer to the first problem came when a paper airplane flow into her office with the words: “It is done.”
Smiling, Dolores set the parchment on fire with her wand. As the flames licked the parchment, causing it turn into ash, she heard a quiet knock on her door.
Dolores opened the door and a hooded figure entered the room. Once the door was closed, the figure lowered his hood. Edwin’s face stared back at her.
“You have news,” Dolores stated.
“Yes,” Edwin said, handing over a letter.
Glancing at the letter, Dolores saw that it was addressed to Albus Dumbledore and she knew paying for Edwin had been worth it. Tossing Edwin another bag of gold she said, “Here’s your fee.”
Edwin accepted the gold and quickly left the room as quietly as he entered.
After reading the letter, Dolores brought out a quill, ink, and parchment and began to compose a reply.
That evening, Dolores found herself walking up an abandoned lane on the outskirts of London. Her eyes were focused on the man standing before her.
“Dillion Riane.”
“Dolores,” Dillion said smiling. “What are you doing here?”
“Confronting a betrayer.”
“Betrayer? Me?”
Showing the letter addressed to Dumbledore to Dillion, Dolores answered, “I have remained loyal; you have not.”
“Loyal! Loyal to what! Have you remained loyal to the ministry, justice, the Wizarding World or you only loyal to Cornelius’ agenda? Have you forgotten that we are at war?
“I’ve been doing some research. You have been breaking laws ever since you’ve joined the Ministry. Do you really think that Cornelius will approve when he finds out what you have been doing?”
Drawing her wand, Dolores stated, “What Cornelius doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
His eyes were darting from Dolores’ wand to her face as he asked desperately, “What are you going to do?”
“Only what I have to.”
The next morning, Dolores was walking down the hallways of the Ministry. The Aurors had asked her to deliver the news of Dillion’s death to Cornelius. Standing outside Cornelius’ office, she knocked.
Entering at Cornelius’ call, she saw that he was positively glowing with joy.
“Dolores!” he cried. “I have wonderful news.”
“I can see that.”
Cornelius paused for effect, then continued, “Yesterday, Elizabeth agreed to become my wife.”
Those words hit Dolores like a blow to her gut. She forced herself to retain a calm expression, but she couldn’t stop the tears from coming as she said, “Congratulations.”
“Dolores, what’s wrong?”
Dolores’ mind was reeling as she tried to find an excuse for her tears, then she remembered why she had originally come. “Dillion…Dillion’s dead.”
Cornelius’ face turned white and he leaned against his desk to keep himself upright.
“How?” he asked.
“The Aurors said it was the Death Eaters; they found a Dark Mark above his body.”
Cornelius nodded to show that he understood, and Dolores quietly left the room; in part to allow Cornelius room to grieve, but mostly because she felt she would burst if she spent another moment in his presence.
Once back in her office, she let all the emotion she had been holding in loose. She kicked the chair over, then starting picking up various objects, throwing them across the room.
How dare he! How dare he!
Didn’t he know how much she loved him?
There, she had finally admitted it to herself. She was in love was Cornelius Fudge.
Could she tell Cornelius about her love?
No, Elizabeth’s connections were too important.
She would remain silent. She would remain loyal.
Her love would remain hidden.
A knock at her door brought Dolores back to the present.
She turned to see Cornelius letting himself into her office. They both stood silently looking at each other; the blood from Dolores’ hand still dripping onto the floor, Cornelius fidgeting with the bowler hat in his hands.
Finally, Cornelius broke the silence. “Dolores, please understand…I had to.”
Dolores exploded. “You had to! You had to! I gave my life to you! I fought for you, lied for you, and did your dirty work. Without a second thought, I broke laws and operated on the fringes of legality so you could never be implicated. Not once in all my years of service did I complain, and look at what I have received in return.”
“Dolores…”
“I killed for you, Cornelius! I killed for you!
Dolores paused as the shock of her statement played across Cornelius face. “You never knew,” she continued sweetly. “You never even wondered what happened to your old friend Dillion, did you? You just saw the dead body and the Dark Mark, and you assumed as the rest of our world did that his death was just another causality of the war.”
“Why?”
“Why, you ask? Because he was going to betray us. He knew that you were hungry for power, and that you were prepared to do anything to gain that power. He was going to betray us to Dumbledore. Your best friend was going to destroy you, just as you have destroyed me!
“Don’t look so surprised. After all you should know better than most of how to betray those who have loved you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I loved you. I have always loved you. I still love you.”
“I never knew,” Cornelius whispered.
“I know. I never told you, because I knew the right thing was to remain silent and allow you to marry Elizabeth. We both needed the connections that came with that marriage.”
Cornelius slowly walked up to her. Dolores felt her heart stop when Cornelius’ hand reached up and touch her cheek. “You’re crying.”
Then the moment that Dolores had spent her life waiting for happened. Cornelius brought his face close to hers, his lips brushed against hers, and they kissed.
In that moment nothing else mattered: not Cornelius’ betrayal, not the murder of Dillion, not Dolores impeding trial.
Then their lips parted, and the moment passed.
Now, Cornelius was crying as he said, “I’m sorry.”
Overcome with emotion, Dolores turned her back on Cornelius as she steeled herself for what she knew she had to do.
“Don’t worry, Cornelius. It is not entirely your fault. You were corrupted by the institution we once swore to save; by enemies who were determined to defeat us. The day you resigned was the day they killed you. But do not worry, for I am still loyal to the man you once were, and the dream we both believed in.”
Dolores turned back to a confused Cornelius with her wand drawn. “Goodbye, Cornelius.”
“No! No! Dolores!”
“Avada Kedavra!”
Essence of Loyalty by Gonz
Chapter Notes: Thanks to all my readers, and to the lovely Ron x Hermione.