Part Two
Alice returned to her desk, irritated and annoyed. It had taken far too long to go over the creature smuggling case with the wizards from the Obliviating department, and she had been gone most of the afternoon. As she sat down she realized that Frank was not around; in fact, his desk was clear and his robes were gone. Frowning, she wondered why he hadn't left a note if he had gone out. They were partners after all, and at the very least she deserved the courtesy of knowing where he had gone to.
She waited for several minutes before doing a quick turn around the department to make sure he wasn't somewhere else in the office, chatting with Gawain Robards or having a cup of tea in the breakroom. Yet he was quite clearly out, and she returned to her desk and began her final case report for the weekend with a combination of both impatience and worry. A cup of tea did not help her relax.
It wasn't until she spilled her mug and swore that she noticed anything amiss. But as she watched, a box slowly appeared on her desk, obviously charmed to appear at the sound of her voice. It was simple black box with a white ribbon wrapped around it. Glancing around to see if anyone else had noticed it, Alice gingerly picked up the box, her heart racing. It had to be from Frank, after all, and a box like that didn't hold much else beside jewelry--nice jewelry.
Smiling to herself, Alice slowly opened the box and gasped when she saw what was inside. Her heart almost jumped out of her chest, and she slammed it shut, once again looking around to be sure no one had seen anything. Jumping up, she grabbed her robes and hurried over to Head Auror MacDougal's office. Normally Alice hated bothering him, but this was an exception. She needed to find Frank, and the Head Auror must know where he had gone.
"Come in," said a voice, and Alice took a deep breath before stepping inside. Head Auror MacDougal was sitting behind his desk and speaking with Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was leaning forward and speaking urgently. Alice stumbled to a stop.
"I'm sorry," she said, feeling her face flush. "I didn't mean to interrupt…"
"It's quite all right," said MacDougal, glancing up. "What can I do for you, Hamilton?"
"Sorry, sir, but I was just wondering if you knew where Longbottom had gone to. I know he had a meeting with you earlier, and I was wondering if perhaps he'd been given an assignment I wasn't aware of."
MacDougal nodded. "Yes, he's off with Moody. Requested for special assignment for the weekend. I'm surprised he didn't tell you." He said this last with a very pointed look that caused Alice to blush all over again; she wasn't entirely sure MacDougal approved of her and Frank's relationship, but as they had never let it interfere with their work, he had little to complain about.
"I've been in the Obliviator Office all afternoon," she said. "Obviously we missed each other."
"I'm afraid I don't know much else, Hamilton," said MacDougal, almost sounding sympathetic, but not quite.
"Right," said Alice, starting backward toward the door. "Thank you, sir. I'm sure I'll talk to him eventually. I should get going, I have one more report to file." She turned and was halfway through the door when MacDougal called after her.
"Finish your report and call it a day, Hamilton. You look a bit peaky."
"Yes, sir," murmured Alice. "Thank you." She pulled the door shut behind her and blew out a long breath. Her hands were shaking. Frank had left with Moody, which almost certainly meant they were out on Order business. Why had they left her behind? Or why hadn't he at least left a note?
Because he had left a ring instead.
Fingering the box in the pocket of her robes, Alice hurried back to her desk. She quickly finished her report, sent it off to be filed, then left the office without another look back. She needed to get to Order headquarters as quickly as she could.
From the Atrium, Alice Apparated to Diagon Alley, then quickly made her way to the flat that housed the Order of the Phoenix. Someone was always there, so perhaps they could tell her what was going on, because something was going on--something she should know if it involved Frank leaving behind a ring but no word.
She arrived quickly and spoke the password to the doorknocker charmed to protect the flat. Fabian Prewett was inside, brewing something in the kitchen. Tossing her robes on a chair but keeping the box, Alice hurried into the kitchen and stopped short when she encountered a noxious green cloud.
"What is that?" she asked, coughing and waving away the smoke. Fabian laughed, which was his good-natured reaction to most things, in spite of being in the middle of a war.
"I'm brewing some Stink Sap for homemade dungbombs. Combine it with a Nox Charm and it's a great little distraction for a quick getaway. Nice, huh?"
"Not really," she said, backing away. "Can you hear me if I stand out here and shout at you?"
"I'll join you," he said. "It needs to steep for a while anyway. What's going on?"
Alice led him back into the main room and held out the black box. She was comfortable showing him, because not only had they been friends for a time at Hogwarts, but Fabian and Frank were quite close now. If anyone knew anything, Fabian would…and he would tell her.
"This," she said, opening the box and showing him the ring. He gave a low whistle.
"It's fabulous. What did you say?"
Alice stared at him. "So it is a proposal, then?"
"That's usually what those types of rings are for," he laughed. "Was Frank too tongue-tied to get the question out properly?"
Closing the box, Alice threw herself onto the couch. "He didn't ask me. He left it on my desk and disappeared with Moody."
"Oh," said Fabian, drawing it out with a nod. He sat down on the couch next to her, looking concerned. "And you're here because…"
"Because I don't know what the hell is going on!" she exclaimed. "I haven't seen him since he left this morning. When I got back to my desk this was there, but there was no note, nothing. I know he's gone off on Order business as MacDougal didn't know where they were, so I'm asking you--do you know what they're working on?"
Fabian shook his head. "I don't, it's top secret this time. All I know is Gideon was supposed to be here this afternoon, but Moody dragged him along too and left me to sit the flat this time. Guess he didn't want my company after the last time."
Alice sighed and rubbed her face. She and Frank had gone on separate missions for the Order several times, but they'd always told one another. He'd never gone off without saying anything; leaving an unsaid but obvious marriage proposal behind scared her for some reason. Did he think he wasn't coming back? Was that why he had left it, so she would have the ring no matter what?
"Hey," said Fabian, wrapping an arm around her and squeezing. "They'll be all right. They'll be back before you know it, and I'm sure Frank will get down on his knees and do it right as soon as you see him. We just have to be patient."
Alice tried to smile at him as she opened the box once more and gazed at the flawless ring. It even had her birthstone, which for some reason suddenly made her tear up. She hoped Fabian was right, because she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with a ring that didn't end up with a proposal to go with it.
* * * *
By Sunday morning, Alice was almost desperate to send Frank a Patronus message, but knowing they were on a secret mission, she also knew that sending one could jeopardize their lives. But by Sunday afternoon she had screwed herself up to send her silver owl to Professor Dumbledore, who contacted her personally by Floo and assured her Frank would be fine and most likely be back in time for the Order's meeting that night.
Most likely. Alice paced her flat and fumed and paced some more, her thoughts spiraling in circles. How could he do this to her? How could he just leave the Ministry for an Order mission without telling her anything--where he was going, what he was doing, when he would be back? It was completely irresponsible. They were partners, after all, and if he was actually proposing with that ring he'd left on her desk, he'd have to think hard about ever leaving her in a strop again.
She went to headquarters early and was surprised to find she was not the only one waiting on that evening's meeting. Fabian seemed to practically live there and was playing Wizard's Wheel with Sirius Black and Benjy Fenwick. Lily Evans was in the kitchen with Dorcas Meadowes, while Marlene and Jack McKinnon were sitting with James Potter, obviously discussing something urgent and important. Alice wondered if it had to do with Frank.
For a moment she just stood at the door, too disappointed and upset to know what to do or where to go. She had half expected Frank to be there already, but then, if he had returned without contacting her, she'd be furious with him all over again. He wasn't there, though, and she swallowed hard as she seriously contemplated turning around and leaving, only she wasn't sure where to go.
Fortunately, Lily saw her and pulled her into the kitchen, placed a mug in her hands, and smiled understandingly. Somehow she always knew when someone was upset and needed a cup of tea--or something stronger. Lily was still training to be a Healer, but her instincts for sensing when someone was troubled were already spot-on. Alice took the mug gratefully.
"How are you holding up?" Lily asked. Alice raised an eyebrow.
"I fluctuate between furious and terrified," she answered, earning a soft laugh from Dorcas as Lily nodded in sympathy. "Mostly I'm anxious and impatient. I just wish I'd been able to talk to him before he left. I wish I knew where he was, when he'll be back, if he--"
She stopped when she realized she was babbling. "Right. Mostly furious."
"It's hard," said Lily. "But next time you'll be the one out there, and Frank will be pacing the floor, until it's his turn to go out again. It never ends." She sighed, and Alice had the very distinct impression that Lily knew exactly how she felt.
As they chatted a bit more in the kitchen, Alice felt the fear and tension slowly recede until she was left with just the irritation. She would certainly give Frank an earful when he showed up for putting her through this; it was the least he deserved. But then Dumbledore arrived, and Moody was not with him, which meant Frank and Gideon were not back either, and the worry returned tenfold. After speaking with various Order members, Dumbledore began to call the room to order. Alice went to sit with Lily and Dorcas in the main room, where chairs were conjured to accommodate their small group.
Before Dumbledore had a chance to start, however, the door flew open and the three missing members stumbled through with a fourth person Alice did not recognize. There was a collective gasp around the room, because they looked terrible: all of them were dirty and disheveled, with cuts and bruises almost everywhere. Gideon had his arm in a sling, and Frank had a bandage on his head. Moody was supporting the stranger, someone Alice thought she should recognize, but didn't; though he was only a few years older than Alice, she struggled to place the stranger's face. She was certain the man was not a member of the Order, however.
"Ah, just in time, Alastor," said Dumbledore, as if he had planned to begin just as the old Auror entered. He did not appear at all startled by their battered appearance either. "Would you like me to begin then?"
"I'd like a stiff drink," Moody growled.
"I'm afraid we don't have anything that stiff around here," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.
"Under the sink," coughed Sirius Black into his hand. While Dumbledore raised his eyebrow, a few people laughed. "For emergencies."
Moody helped the mysterious man to a chair and stomped off toward the kitchen with Gideon. When Lily stood to offer her assistance to the man, Frank walked over and took her place in the chair next to Alice. Alice wasn't sure whether to hug him or slap him. She settled for just sort of staring at him, still shocked by his sudden and dramatic appearance.
"I'm sorry," he said almost before he had sat down, rubbing his face and smudging dirt across his cheek. He looked so upset Alice felt a tug of sympathy for him in spite of her earlier irritation. "I wanted to contact you, I did, but I couldn't, I was--"
Dumbledore interrupted his apology by calling for everyone's attention. He began by introducing the man in the chair. "This is Anthony Travers. For the last several months he has been in contact with me about joining our cause. He has provided us with some very useful information."
Anthony Travers did not gaze up, but stared down into the cup of tea Lily had given him. He was pale, with dark hair and eyes, but Alice could see a strength in him that was second only to a deep-seated bitterness that smoldered beneath the surface. He had clearly been tortured and seemed on the verge of collapse.
Moody and Gideon returned, each with a mug of something that was very clearly not tea; Gideon went to sit next to Anthony while Moody joined Dumbledore.
"However," the headmaster continued, "his activity was discovered, and he was taken prisoner. It quickly became clear that not only was his life in danger, but the safety of the Order as well. On Friday night, Alastor took Frank and Gideon with him to begin the process of extricating Mr. Travers."
"And we did," said Moody shortly, stepping forward. "We did some reconnaissance, made our plans, and went in. Longbottom here did a damn fine job of imitating a Death Eater, I must say."
Frank looked away, obviously not pleased with the compliment. "Get on with it," he mumbled. Moody laughed.
"We managed to get in easily enough, but we had to fight our way out. A few bastards came after us, including your friends the Averys," he said, nodding at James and Sirius, who had a long history with the Avery brothers. "We finally gave them the slip about an hour ago."
"Actually, we left them hog-tied in a basement in Newcastle," said Gideon.
Sirius whooped, but James frowned. "Why didn't you bring them in?" he asked, glancing not at Moody but at Frank.
Frank sighed. "Moody and I were just about to Apparate with them to the Ministry when six more Death Eaters showed up. We cut our losses and got out of there." He ran another hand across his face and through his hair, obviously exhausted. Alice couldn't help but reach out and take his free hand as Dumbledore continued.
"Are you all right?" she asked him softly. He glanced at her with that wry smile she loved so much.
"I've been up for almost forty-eight hours straight. I've been Polyjuiced. I've been hit, kicked, punched, and jinxed." He shrugged. "I'll be okay. Are you all right?"
Alice was aware of the meeting continuing in the background, but suddenly all she could focus on was Frank. "Of course I am," she replied, slightly confused. "I wasn't the one out there risking my life for the last two days. Why?"
"I know you're upset--" he started, and she couldn't help but snort, quickly covering her mouth so as not to draw attention to their conversation.
"Upset?" she whispered. "Frank, I've been confused, terrified, worried, and pissed off as hell. Why didn't you at least tell me you were leaving?"
He grimaced and cocked his head toward Moody. "He wouldn't let me. Said we needed to start immediately and keep it quiet."
"I'm your partner," she replied. "You could have told me something, anything."
He took a deep breath and turned toward her, still ignoring the meeting swirling around them. "I know. I wanted to, I really did, but I couldn't. It happened that fast. I left you something though. Did you get it?"
"What, the ring?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.
Her chilly reaction must have thrown him off, because his eyes widened and he swallowed. "Alice, I'm so sorry, I wanted to give it to you in person--"
"Then why didn't you?" she asked bluntly. The meeting buzzed around them, though she was fairly certain a few people were glancing their way; Frank seemed to sense it too. He took her hand and leaned in close.
"I tried to," he whispered vehemently. "Ever since we went to Orsino's, I've been trying to give you that damn ring, but every single time I reached for it, something interrupted us!'
"Well, you'll have to try again," she hissed back. "Leaving a pretty box on someone's desk is not any sort of way to--"
"Longbottom!" barked Moody from across the room. "Hamilton! Are we interrupting something?"
Frank glanced into her eyes with that steely look she'd only seen a few times before, and her heart almost leapt into her throat. He was going to do it, right then and there. She tried to stop him as he stood and turned toward Moody, his eyes on fire.
"I'm just trying to propose to my girlfriend." He paused, standing his ground and raising his eyebrows in challenge. "If you don't mind."
Moody snorted. "Get on with it, then," he said, waving his arm at them. The entire room turned to watch, and Alice felt her face flush at the attention.
Frank, however, just ignored the other people in the room as he turned back and got down on his knees in front of her. Someone--it sounded like Dorcas--let out a soft sigh in the back, and the room tittered. Frank paid no attention as he took her hand, his gaze now focused completely on her.
"Alice, a year ago we were assigned to be partners at the Ministry. I wasn't sure what to think at the time, but now I know it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I can't imagine working with anyone else, I can't imagine falling in love with anyone else, and I can't imagine not spending the rest of my life with my partner, my best friend, and the woman I love." He swallowed and took a deep breath. "Will you marry me?"
Alice felt a slow smile creep over her face, but before she answered, she took the black box she had kept in her pocket for two days and held it out to him. "Try again," she mouthed. He actually rolled his eyes as he took out the ring and slipped it onto her finger.
"How about now?" he asked dryly, and there were a few handfuls of stifled laughter around the room.
Alice hadn't tried on the ring, despite being tempted by it the entire weekend. Now that he had finally asked the question that went with it and placed it on her finger, she could admire just how beautiful it truly was. And she gave him her answer by taking his face in her hands and pulling him toward her for a deep kiss.
"Yes," she whispered. "I will marry you."
The room exploded into applause, led by a loud whoop from Fabian. Frank kissed her again, then settled back on the couch next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
"Finally," Moody drawled. "Can we continue now? There is a war on, after all."
Frank nodded, not embarrassed in the least, and Alice glanced proudly at him. Yes, there was a war going on--a very dangerous war that would see them fighting both side by side and separately. Yet now they would always be together, as husband and wife, not just partners in the office but partners outside of work as well. It was official.
"I love you," she whispered into his ear. He turned toward her with a tired and relieved smile and kissed her temple.
"I love you, too," he replied.
"Just don't run off like that again," Alice continued. He nodded very seriously.
"I'll try."
"I'll talk to Moody about it, you know."
He held back a laugh. "I'm sure you will. Speaking of which, we should probably pay attention now. He's giving us the evil eye."
Alice glanced up and saw that Moody was indeed glaring at them. She smiled sweetly and tried to focus, but inside she was too giddy to really think about what was going on in the world outside. She was thinking about the future, and how she would be spending the rest of her life with the man she loved, no matter what the war might bring. They would be together, finally and forever.
* * *