Chapter Two
A month later, life in the Auror office was not that interesting for Alice.
Or rather, her partner in the Auror office was not that interesting. The job itself was usually appealing, yes. Even sporadically exciting, like when they had chased down a feisty old witch selling illegal potions on the street in Knockturn Alley. Yet most of the time, being an Auror with Frank Longbottom was just as dull and boring as he was.
Alice shook her head as she studied him over her desk. No, that wasn't entirely true either. Frank was not really dull. He simply came across that way at times, though she wasn't sure if he cultivated it on purpose or was oblivious to the impression he gave people. He was certainly more complex than she remembered him at Hogwarts and had heard in talk around the office. Really, he was a bit of an enigma: calm, quiet, and reserved, he could also be quick, clever, and commanding. He always snapped back when she provoked him, and though she hated to admit it, he was good at what he did.
No, it was just that being an Auror simply involved more deskwork and less fieldwork than she had anticipated. Or maybe it was simply because she was new, and they weren't sent out as much because of her inexperience. Some people might find desk work highly appealing, but she did not relish writing reports or filing reports or reading other people's reports: she wanted to put her skills to the test. She wanted to be out in the real world, tracking down criminals, protecting people from Dark magic, making a difference in the war raging around them. Frank seemed to enjoy reading, however, and worked quietly at his desk, which left her working equally silently at hers. She sighed without even meaning to.
Frank glanced up. "Find something interesting?" he asked, though she could tell from the dry tone to his voice that he was not expecting her to answer positively. She shook her head and sat back with another sigh.
"My eyes are tired," she said. "Why can't we get an assignment somewhere away from our desks?"
He raised his eyebrows and tilted his head; he did not smile exactly, but his blue eyes were sparkling with humour. "We did. Gringotts. It was fun."
"That was last week," Alice pointed out, trying very hard not to grumble about it. "And I'd hardly call spending the morning trying to convince the Gringotts goblins that not all of wizardkind is trying to break in and steal their gold all that fun."
He shrugged and returned to the stack of parchments in front of him. "I always learn a lot when I go there. Fascinating stuff, goblins and banking."
Now she made a face, but he wasn't looking at her to see it. "You're joking, right?" she asked, letting the skepticism come through.
He glanced up at her again, his face calm and composed. "I don't joke much," he said, though his overly flat tone of voice betrayed him: he was definitely playing with her. A more playful man might have winked to show it; he did not.
"I've noticed," she replied dryly. "I have to wonder if you even know how to smile sometimes." He gave her an extra cheerful smile, and she rolled her eyes, forgetting that it was usually the other way around; he went back to his reports, hiding a bigger grin for gaining the rare victory.
"Seriously, Longbottom--can't we get something a bit more exciting than this? Anything?" She stopped herself from whining about it any more, but she was bored. Totally and completely bored, and the afternoon had just started.
Frank put down his quill and watched her for a moment--he did that often, as if studying his companion and planning his strategy for conversation--before he finally nodded, throwing her off balance. "Actually, we did. We have a briefing in an hour." He glanced down at his watch. "Can you wait an hour?"
She sat up, suddenly energized. "Are you serious? We're really going back in the field?"
"You now know as much as I do," he said, with a quiet laugh through his nose. He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. "Although I did hear that it has something to do with protecting someone."
"Any idea who?" Alice asked immediately. He shook his head. "Or why?" Again, he shook his head, holding his hands out as if to show they were as empty of information as he was. He leaned forward.
"What do you know about protection detail?" he asked suddenly and sharply. "Talk me through it as if I were you."
She narrowed her eyes and accepted the challenge. For the next hour she told him everything she had learned in training about protecting a threatened target, whether it was a person, place, or thing. He in turn fired question after question at her until her brain was so full it was a wonder it didn't explode. When the hour was up, he sat back and nodded.
"Not bad, Hamilton," he said, then stood and grabbed his official robes. "Let's go see who we're protecting."
She grabbed her own robes and hurried after him. "You like doing that, don't you?" she asked, working to keep up with his long strides. He glanced down at her with a questioning look.
"Do what?"
"Try to trip me up. Make me look bad." She tucked a stray curl behind her ear and gave him a lofty look. "It won't work, you know. I told you: I'm good. I'm ready. I can handle it."
"Everyone thinks they can handle it until they get out there," Frank pointed out. "Then it gets hot, and they freeze."
"Did you?" she asked without thinking.
"'Course I did," he replied with a shrug. "Almost quit, too, it rattled me so much."
"Sounds like a good story," she murmured.
"I’m surprised you haven't heard it. I thought for sure Gawain would have spread it around by now." He shook his head as he knocked on the door to a private office.
"You're still an Auror," she pointed out. "So it must not have been that bad."
"It wasn't," Frank replied. "Maybe I'll even tell you about it myself sometime."
There was a voice on the other side of the door in reply to their knock, and Frank stepped in, stopping before a large, imposing desk with his hands behind his back. Alice followed and assumed the same position. She had only been in the Head of the Auror's office once before and had to resist the impulse to glance around curiously.
"You wanted to see us, sir?" asked Frank, all proper tone of voice and appropriate respect. Sometimes Alice wondered how he did it, how he played the game expected of everyone in the office. False flattery did not come easily to her, and she struggled with being deferential at times; she hated playing games to appease or impress people.
Head Auror Robertson motioned them inside. He was a very nondescript man--plain brown hair, plain brown eyes, plain face lined with the stress of his work--but he still radiated a strong sense of authority. He left no doubt who was in charge, and as soon as he spoke, it was obvious why.
"You're being assigned to a protection detail," he said without any preamble, his voice a deep baritone. No "How are you?" or "What are you working on?" or anything like that. Even after three years of training and a month on active duty, Alice wasn't sure what to think of him; she simply stood at attention and listened closely.
"John Richard Lupin has received a number of threats from the increasingly active werewolf population."
"You mean Fenrir Greyback," said Frank. Alice wasn't sure how he had leapt to that conclusion, but Robertson nodded, and Alice thought maybe the Head Auror was the smallest bit impressed.
"Yes. You know the history?" he asked.
"Some," Frank replied. "I heard a bit of it when we assisted the Werewolf Capture Unit with a prisoner last year."
"Yes, the Williams boy," Robertson nodded.
"I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with Mr. Lupin," Alice spoke up, although the name sounded familiar. "Why is he being threatened?"
"It's a long story, much of it classified," said Robertson. "So the short version is that about ten years ago he was in Magical Law Enforcement and ran down a werewolf who turned out to Fenrir Greyback's partner-in-crime. Greyback went after him in retaliation and attacked Lupin's family. Lupin transferred to the WCU and spent five years hunting Greyback before he was injured and forced to retire. He's with Werewolf Support Services now. He's been reaching out to the werewolf community, trying to keep them from joining You-Know-Who. Only now Fenrir Greyback has reappeared."
"And with Greyback resurfacing, he's threatening to come after Lupin again. For both personal and professional reasons now, I assume?" suggested Frank, and Robertson nodded brusquely.
"Exactly. John Lupin's death would mean losing a strong advocate for werewolf rights. We're taking this seriously because Lupin has done good work for the Ministry, and it's important that he keep working. Just as importantly, this gives us a chance to bring in Greyback."
"Why the Auror office, sir, and not the WCU then?" asked Alice. Frank glanced sideways at her, but it was a perfectly legitimate question, she thought.
"WCU are trained to capture werewolves, not protect wizards on twelve-hour shifts. You are. You are also trained to capture criminals, which is what you should consider Greyback on any night other than the full moon: another criminal to be apprehended. But you will work closely with WCU on this. They are aware of the situation and are on call as your backup."
"Yes, sir," Alice murmured. Put that way, it made sense.
"What's the plan, sir?" Frank asked, but he sounded distant; Alice had the distinct impression he was already thinking ahead to something else.
"You're splitting twelve hour shifts with Shacklebolt and Smith. Two weeks on, two weeks off. You're starting this afternoon, and they will relieve you halfway through the night, that way none of you has to stay up all night. One of you is to remain with Mr. Lupin at all times, the other should be patrolling whatever area he is in with an eye for any threat--the Ministry included. Any other questions?"
Alice had several, but she knew better than to ask the Head Auror directly; she would work them out of Frank later. It was not the most exciting assignment, but she sensed its importance, as well as the opportunity to bring in a major threat in the war. Fenrir Greyback had a fearsome reputation, but she had not become an Auror only to be frightened of what people said. She could handle it, exhausting as it might be.
"No sir," said Frank, and Alice echoed him.
"Then you will meet Mr. Lupin immediately in his office on level four. In twelve hours you will be relieved to return home to sleep. In two weeks, if necessary, we will rotate assignments so you can get back on a more normal schedule. But for now, your job is to keep him safe at all costs. Dismissed."
They left the office in silence. Frank looked thoughtful, even troubled, but Alice did not ask him about it until they had reached their desks and started gathering their things.
"What's wrong?" she asked quietly so no one else could hear them.
"I don't know," he said, leaning close as they left the Auror office and headed to the lifts to meet John Lupin at Werewolf Support Services. "Something seems strange, though."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not sure," he repeated, sounding frustrated. "But it just seems odd that last week we were working with disgruntled goblins and this week it's werewolves."
Alice shook her head. "I'm not following."
Frank was quiet as they entered the lift. He didn't speak until it started moving, and he sounded slightly frustrated. "Usually Gawain picks these things up quicker than me. It takes me longer to connect the dots. But for once my gut is telling me this is no coincidence."
"It's goblins and werewolves. They have no connection whatsoever," Alice pointed out. "It has to be a coincidence. What else could it be?"
"You-Know-Who," Frank said, and Alice thought she felt a chill go down her spine. "He could use them both on his side, couldn't he? Maybe he's making his move."
Alice didn't even know what to say: she just stared at him. Frank finally gave her an understanding smile. "Look, I could be wrong. We just need to do our job and keep Mr. Lupin safe. I'll talk to Moody about the other stuff."
"Alastor Moody?" asked Alice curiously. "Why him? Why not Robertson?"
"Moody is a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Have you heard of it?" When she shook her head, he continued. "Professor Dumbledore started a small group to help in the fight against You-Know-Who. For when the Ministry can't handle it."
"Which is often," Alice murmured. It was true: at times the Ministry had no idea what was going on, even with a crack Auror team trying their best to protect the wizarding community from Voldemort's increasing threats.
"Exactly," said Frank. "Merlin knows the Ministry is trying, but they just can't keep up. Dumbledore's group is simply another way to fight back. Moody's been in it since the start." He shrugged as they left the lift, still keeping his voice low. "It's a bit of a secret, I think. Not everyone in the office would support it--hell, half of them can't stand Moody and would probably love to see him burn for it."
Alice shook her head in disbelief. "You don't mean they'd support You-Know-Who?" she asked.
Frank shrugged again. "Perhaps. Most governments don't take kindly to vigilante groups, even ones on their side."
Alice glanced at him, reluctantly impressed. He really was a strong, intelligent man and a good Auror. She admired that, as much as she hated to admit it. It didn't mean she wasn't going to keep giving him a hard time for being so serious, but she was determined to work hard to prove herself just as good.
"Are you a member?"
He glanced at her in surprise. "Me? No." He gave a sarcastic little laugh, the one she'd heard once or twice now and recognized as a sign that he was belittling himself. "I'm too much of a book-boy, remember? Isn't that what you said last week at the bank?"
She ignored the rebuke, feeling only slightly guilty for it since it was still true. Instead she gave him the challenging look she'd been throwing him for weeks. "That doesn't mean you won't do what's right, even if it is off the record."
He nodded slowly, eyeing her in that funny way again. "Right. Well, I let Moody know things I think might help them. Which is why I think this is worth mentioning."
"Won't he know about it already?" she asked. "He's a senior Auror, after all."
"He'll know, but I want to point out the connection, see if there's anything else going on. Dumbledore is the one who will really figure it out what to do with it."
"You've obviously learned a lot from Robards. You should give yourself more credit," she said as they entered Werewolf Support Services. "And maybe think about joining them."
He stared at her. "Are you serious?"
"About both," she said, and she gave him a smile that was not teasing or challenging. He smiled back at her, genuine happiness lighting his normally plain face and making him look rather handsome if she thought about it. Which she didn't. "Now, where can we find Mr. Lupin?"
A wizard in blue robes stepped out of a nearby office. He was a tall man, well-built with dark hair and glasses and a beard that was just starting to turn grey. "I'm John Lupin," he said, his tone pleasant if slightly weary. Walking with a limp that Alice assumed was the injury that had forced him out of the WCU, he held out his right hand. "And you must be my new handlers."
Alice exchanged a quick glance with Frank before they shook hands with John Lupin and began their new assignment, their focus now on protecting the Ministry's best link between the werewolves and wizards.
* * *
Love and Order by Gmariam
Chapter Endnotes: Thank you once again to the lovely Kara/KaraleyDargen for looking this over! Most of my chapters will bounce back and forth between points of view, with a few covering both. So I hope you enjoyed Alice in this one, Frank is next. :)