seeking / JUSTICE

“Come on! Now you’re just teasing me. There’s no way that’s true!” Emmeline rebuffs with a laugh, shaking her head. She’s almost positive he’s not, but it’s all in good fun. It makes a change from the normal dark and dreary conversations they seem to have shared in recent days, and Emmeline—for all her usual seriousness and solemnity—finds she doesn’t want to let the mood fade just yet. Soon, if things go to plan, their working hours might be filled with more levity and light, though for now these fleeting moments will have to suffice. “Well, lending him a hand would make a refreshing break from following up empty leads and cold sightings of our most wanted.” She sighs. “You’re not wrong though. I’m not sure I fancy my chances of him approving a reassignment.” Not that Emmeline isn’t satisfied with her current work. She’s proud of what she does every day, but sometimes the tasks she’s given weigh heavy on her. Too heavy. 

“You’re a saint, Kingsley,” she replies. “I’ve said for years mum is wasted working for the magical trading standards division. She’d rival even the best of us at times with how intimidating she can be. Maybe I should sic her on Moody?” There had been no room for misbehaving in the Vance household, but despite the sternness of her parents, it had been a home filled with love and Emmeline loves them dearly. “I think a few of them might faint from shock if you even suggested they take a break to celebrate.” It was a shame, really. The way that some families seemed to treat their own house elves was enough to turn the stomach. “So maybe we could persuade a couple to part with their secrets instead?” 

“I promise, it’s all true! That’s not even the weirdest part of it all,” he replied, a wide smile finally breaking through his otherwise pleasantly amused expression. “This super man of theirs comes from space. Imagine that, a man from space! It’s the most preposterous thing I’ve ever heard in my life, but they love it!” Kingsley had long since given up on understanding the themes that muggle moving pictures had to them, just as he had given up on figuring out how they had managed to create them without magic of their own. Even the muggleborns he had met had seemed at a loss of how to explain the technology. “That’s a good point,” he agreed, taking a thoughtful sip of his drink; “there’s not a lot of, well... chasing, involved. Of course, you’d have to be alright with some paperwork. I swear, muggles love it more than Moody does.” His work as a secretary was all about paperwork, and arbitrary names and dates—without magic on his side to make up the difference, it might have been more unbearable. But Kingsley was nothing if not hardworking, if not patient, and he made do for the sake of both worlds.

“He gets scary once he gets going about responsibilities and serving the greater good,” Frank admitted with a low chuckle. “Especially the times that involve stressing paperwork having a positive impact on people. I’m not so sure I can believe that one but it does make for a reasonable excuse to keep nodding my head and act like I’m listening to everything that gets said.” As clever as he could be, Frank and paperwork simply didn’t agree. It was easily his least favorite part of the task. “Surely you’ve realized our office shifts rarely line up,” He shook his head. “Equally distracted and the unfortunate luck of finding each other distracting.” It was the most he would give away about his feelings for Alice but he couldn’t blame whoever decided they were a recipe for disaster when off the field. “Nothing besides letting her know I’ll be waiting. Moody already knows I don’t like his lectures so that won’t be new news for him.”

“I made up for it by reading, Mum used to get a kids’ travel magazine sent to the house when I was little,” Remus admitted with a shake of his head. “I used to spend a lot of time wishing mum or father had a mysterious brother or sister that would invite me to go traveling.” A bit more information than he typically would have given but the thought was laughable now that he had outgrown it. Could he truly be blamed for getting his hopes up though? His parents had done everything in their power to make sure it was just him and them with no friendships to keep before Hogwarts. “Getting a job was the top priority,” He rolled his eyes. “Mark of shame has done a pretty decent job at making the task harder than necessary.”

“You must have a hard time keeping a straight face when you’re on assignment.” She knows Kingsley to be nothing short of professional, but even the best of them can have their slip ups, especially when it comes to muggles. Once, the divide between their worlds had been smaller, thinner—even here, that had been fact. Years ago, both muggles and magical folk had mingled side by side in the Leaky Cauldron. It’s a wonder how things would be now if that hadn’t changed, and if wizarding society hadn’t chosen to remain shuttered away. “I’ve always been a little jealous, to be honest,” she confesses softly. “You probably get to see a whole new side to their world that most of us never do. Maybe one day I’ll ask Moody if I can tag along with you.” 

Emmeline chuckles, finishing off her mug of tea and setting it back on the table. “Anything is possible when it comes to children. They can be… exceptionally determined when they want to be.” Not that she has much experience dealing with children, but her own years at Hogwarts had been ripe with troublemakers. Things can’t have changed too much, not if the way they tear through Diagon every year hunting for school supplies is anything to go by. “Maybe when this is all over we’ll finally be able to sit down for a good, home-cooked feast. Do you think Dumbledore would lend us some of the school house elves for the occasion? Their cooking was always incredible.” A pause. “And please, never tell my mother I said that.”  

“Sometimes,” Kingsley admitted, biting back a chuckle. “Half the time, I don’t even know how I do it. One moment they’re talking about something sensible, and the next... they’re talking about whatever a super man is. Have you ever heard of that? He’s not a wizard, but he can fly and shoot lasers from his eyes. Lasers! I don’t even know what that is!” This time, he couldn’t hold back his laughter. It was a rare opportunity that he got a chance to talk about the stranger things that his work with muggles had brought him. Most of his conversations around the subject were focused on work... and nothing light-hearted could ever come to mind in that case. “Oh, I know the Prime Minister would love the extra help, even if he swears I’m the best he’s had in a decade. The real struggle would be Moody. He’s very invested in secrecy.”

The joke startles a laugh out of Emmeline, leaving warmth its wake. The fog of her failure and frustration seems to be lifting, and she hasn’t felt this light in days. She always forgets just what a boost it is to be around someone who understands, who has to deal with the same heavy weight on their shoulders. “Peas in a pod? The muggles really say that? It’s… brilliant.” Despite living just inside the muggle part of London, Emmeline has never really had much interaction with non-magical folk. Growing up a pureblood, and then going straight into the Ministry, didn’t leave her many opportunities for it, and it’s something she’s always felt awkward about. As if her lack of knowledge about muggles and their day to day is a point of ignorance, another failing. If she had the time—and hasn’t she said that before?—she might have enjoyed slipping away to explore a little more of the muggle world—and all its oddities. 

“Only the Hogwarts kids, and I’m pretty sure they chicken out of actually tasting any.” What else would kids do when faced with a dish with such a lofty urban legend around it other than dare each other to eat it? "I think that says more about our lifestyle than I’d like it to,” she replies, amused. “I can’t even say I’d offer you an actual meal sometime, because I’m barely at home to cook myself.” She’s spent half of her meals in places like this lately, and the other half throwing together the simplest dishes she can, purely to get something made to eat quickly in the limited time she has to herself. “At least my recommendations can help though.” 

“They really say that,” he confirmed, biting back a laugh of his own. Kingsley was more well-versed in muggle ways than most, but even he could find himself surprised now and again. It was quick-thinking and compartmentalization that got him through moments like that without drawing too much attention to himself. That, and the excuse that he had come from a sheltered upbringing. If he counted wizarding Britain as a sheltered society, it wasn’t even a lie. “And a million other things that wouldn’t make sense to us.” The difference between the two worlds could be staggering... and, to an extent, almost sad. Why did they continue to hide themselves away when both societies stood to gain so much? But the unknown of it all scared people on both sides, he knew, and it would take more than one man to change that.

“Unauthorized field work? Why would I know about -“ There was a pause when he realized what Kingsley may have been hinting at. His ears went red from the thought and he shook his head, allowing a nervous chuckle to escape before he spoke. "Merlin, no. We’ve been on our best behavior since the last time that excuse landed us both on desk duty for a few weeks.” Testing Alastor’s patience and being on the receiving end of his wrath wasn’t on his to-do list for the week. The only other thing that could have happened was someone getting wind of his and Alice’s sneaking off during the gala and letting that slip. If that was the case he was certain he would have known since it would have been old news. “Oh, she probably would but I’m not certain the risk on my end is worth taking. I’ve only had to handle my own paperwork for the past couple of days.”

“Kingsley, you’re talking to the official head of the overworked office here,” Emmeline jokes with a small laugh. “Ask Alice. I think I’ve logged more hours this week than some people did last month. I don’t even think I remember what a home cooked meal is anymore.” She’s always been a hard-worker, pushing past her limits to try to meet her high and exacting standards, but it’s been a little ridiculous even for her lately. It’s almost impossible to not feel like she needs to throw herself into the fray at all hours though, especially when she’s juggling her role at the ministry with her secret responsibilities for the order. It’s a hard balance to strike, though one she suspects Kingsley can understand in a way few others would. 

“I don’t think anyone is brave enough to try the pea soup,” Emmeline confesses, smiling wryly. It’s a pleasant shift to a lighter topic, a brief bit of respite from the gloom of their usual conversation topics. “Not that it stops Tom from trying to get people to order it every single time.” Whether there’s anything actually wrong with the dish, or whether it’s just a tall tale blown out of proportion is something she’s sure no one honestly knows. Whatever the truth, she’s not about to be the first to test it. “The steak and kidney pie is meant to be nice. I usually have the leaky, leaky soup which, ironically, I don’t think contains any actual leaks but still doesn’t taste too terrible.”

“Looks like we’re just two peas in a pod,” he joked, smile widening. While everyone in their department worked hard, few logged as many hours as they did. Even so, he would readily give Emmeline the crown for queen of overtime—even his penchant for staying late couldn’t compare with her drive. “Have you heard of that saying, before? Muggles love it.” He’s heard it in the Prime Minister’s office many, many times before... alongside a few dozen other phrases that make much less sense to him. Over the years he’s become more than passable among their kind, but there’s always something new to learn. Life was funny that way.

“Please tell me she didn’t end up taking an early lunch,” Frank groaned. He had no reason to complain since his own break times were inconsistent when in the office.

“Paperwork. Oi, that’s rough,” He admitted with a shake of his head. If there was one thing he and Alice hated equally, it was desk duty. “I’m glad it isn’t me stuck doing that. What did she do to make Alastor leave her to deal with it?” Frank paused and glanced down at the flowers. “I would ask you to give her these but that may be just as distracting as me showing up in the office.” He was at least polite enough to not show his face around the office when he wasn’t assigned to it unless it involved having to grab extra files to fill out at a later time.

Molly smiled, both from the relief of him agreeing and seeing the twins with someone she trusted. With everything that had happened recently, she had forgotten that they were still surrounded by many trusted friends and loved ones. She bounced Percy, patting his back as she spoke, “Look at you, a natural with children; I see you’re a man with many talents.” Molly leaned over a bit, gently caressing both of the twins, “He is Fred and, he is George. As of right now, it’s easy to tell them apart, but I anticipate they’re going to have fun yanking both Arthur and I’s legs.” She chuckled softly, staring down lovingly at her boys. They were the motivation she needed to do this.

“I appreciate taking my request seriously; Arthur means well when he’s not trying to undress me all the time.” Molly laughed nervously, shaking her head, “But I must thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to help me; I know work must be… chaotic, with how occupied everyone seems.” She felt a bit of guilt imposing on him with everything he already had on his plate, but she didn’t know of too many people who were capable of teaching her what she needed to know. “Oh, heavens, I do intend to use it.” Molly quickly retorted in response, “Anyone thinks they’re approaching my husband, children, or friends with ill intent, will be met with the same fate they intend to procure. No one is going to harm those I care about and get away with it, not if Molly Weasley can help it, right boys?” She smiled down at her children, making a face when he mentioned Moody again, “I know Moody is gifted and somewhat… brash, but must he be so volatile? He makes it hard for me to recognize his talent when he has the mouth he has on him.”

Kingsley laughed lightly, her praise bringing back memories. “You’re not the first person to tell me that,” he replied, eyes twinkling. Of course, she had mentioned it before, as had many of his family members whenever they got together. His patience and intuition had served him in many tasks, both work-based and domestic. But kids of his own weren’t in the picture, and wouldn’t be for the foreseeable future—he couldn’t bear the thought of bringing life into a world filled with so much hate, so much death. Maybe once they had rooted out this evil in the making, he would feel differently... but for now, he was effectively married to his work. “They’re easy to tell apart?” he asked, cocking a brow. They were all but identical to him, but it wasn’t any surprise that Molly could see the differences that eluded him—a mother’s eyes could not be easily fooled.

“I would be a terrible friend if I didn’t hear you out, at least.” Molly had no doubt grappled with the idea of a need to protect her family, and for all of Arthur’s promises—and charm, he couldn’t help but think—it was obvious that her worries hadn’t been settled. If giving her the means to protect herself could ease her mind ( and his own, although he tried not to think too much on the things that could happen to them ) he would have been glad to help. “You’re a spirited witch, Molly. If anyone can handle a fight, it would be you,” he agreed, nodding. She was much like a mother bear in that aspect—as fiercely protective as she was loving. “Moody has seen a lot in his time at the Ministry,” he replied, a slight sigh escaping him. “I know he can be a bit of... an acquired taste, but he’s a good man. A complex man, but a good one all the same.” He paused, biting at the inside of his lip. “But he might not be the best to help you in this case... as brilliant as he is, you need someone who isn’t going to give your tongue lashings a run for their money.”

“It would have been a better one if it worked,” she murmurs. It’s a comment said mostly to herself, a side effect of her tendency to take herself to task. Soon enough, she’ll pull herself from the gloom of this failure and move on. She must. In this line of work, none of them can afford to be discouraged for long. If they simply gave up at every set back, the battle for peace in their world would be over in a heartbeat. It’s a mindset that’s easier preached than followed for most, and one that Emmeline struggles with at times. It’s especially difficult in the face of such blatant showiness from those they suspect; the ministry gala will haunt her thoughts for a long time to come.  

“With any luck, it won’t come to that.” Their enemies can’t maintain their lead forever, no matter how practiced and skilled they seem to have been at keeping ahead so far. The balance between light and dark has always been a precarious one, and even the smallest mistake from their enemies could turn the tide in their favour. With a soft sigh, Emmeline leans forward to collect her mug of tea. The warmth of her drink is soothing, a comfort in the face of a bleak topic as she leans back in her seat. “… I never thought to ask, what brings you here? I know you said it’s your day off too, but I hope I haven’t kept you from anything by dragging you into work talk.” 

Kingsley couldn’t help but sympathize with her moment of defeat. They all had them, even the older and more experienced aurors; it was just another part of their work. Evil had a nasty habit of managing to slither their way two steps ahead of every plan, and it was rare that they had a rewarding victory without it being sparked by their own arrogance. Unfortunately, so far their enemy had been careful to cover their tracks, even as they flaunted themselves right in front of them. The recent gala came to mind, and while it had been supposed to be fun... seeing so many of their suspects walking around without even the slightest fear of retribution had been a heavy blow to morale. One they would shrug off as they always did, but a blow nonetheless.

Molly hesitated, rocking both the twins in her arms and looking at him with a perplexed look. How come when he asked, it sounded more like a bad idea? Percy started to fuss behind her, breaking her train of thought, so she quickly passed the twins over into his arms instead so she can calm him. “Yes, but now that you mention it out loud, I realize how silly I sound.” She said, laughing dryly, “I did try talking to him and, let’s say that there’s a reason the twins are so close in age to Percy.” She sat down across from him, continuing to bounce him on her lap. When he mentioned the competition, Molly shook her head quickly in response, “No, no, I have no business with that.” She sighed, taking a brief pause before continuing, “I have a husband that struggles to change diapers and five children, Kingsley; I can not afford to be helpless in this time.”

She loved her family, and the last thing she wanted to be was a liability to them, especially if her children were in danger. “I know Arthur insists that he will protect me, but he’s not always there” Molly shook her head, not wanting to think about it. “I refuse to raise my boys in a world that I can not protect them.” At the mere mention of Moody, she made a face. She respected the man, but he did seem off his rocker at times. Either way, she made a mental note of his advice and nodded in response, “You’re right; I’ll keep Moody in mind and reach out to him once I’m not so hormonal. Some of his comments I could brush past before, but I’m still a bit sensitive; I might give him a tongue lashing he says something off.”

Before he could open his mouth to reply, the two boys were quickly passed into his arms. Thankfully, they hadn’t decided to fuss. While Kingsley prided himself on being a patient man, he had never quite known what to do when it came to children—he had none of his own, and truthfully never saw it in the cards for him. Work kept him too busy even for casual relationships, let alone settling down and creating a life with someone. “I don’t think you sound silly,” he answered at last, watching with a soft smile as Molly attended to Percy. The fact that she found time for anything at all with five children ( and if her comment about Arthur was true, likely more on the way sooner than later ) was astounding. There was no doubt in his mind that the work she did put his own busy schedule to shame.

“I think you’re right, Molly,” he continued after a careful pause; “I know Arthur wants to believe he can protect you all on his own...” He was a strong wizard in his own right, but he couldn’t always be home to guard his family. These days, that was more dangerous than he realized. “But there’s no harm in learning to defend yourself, even if you never have to use it.” Kingsley hoped to Merlin’s ghost that she never would, but he wasn’t that optimistic. She didn’t need to hear of his fears, though—she was here for reassurance. “I could probably teach you some basic defensive spells, if that’s what you’re interested in.” His agreement was punctuated with amusement. “And I know for a fact that I can handle a lashing, too. I’ve been on the sharp end of Moody’s tongue more often than I care to admit. I’m sure yours won’t be any worse.”

“Oooof. Sounds good to me” Alice had actually tried learning some welsh town and city names but she had soon given up when it was hard. Of course she believed one shouldn’t give up when something was hard, but she also knew her time was spent better somewhere else. “Oh. Nothing apart from be behind my reports” She mused with a laugh. Other than Frank, Moody knew her better than anyone else, and so knew only desk duty would make her do her paperwork. “Well you know me. I’m up for any and all tasks.”

“Glad to hear it.” For all the struggle it could be to get Alice to do the less exciting duties an auror had, she was a fine example of the career. If there was anyone at all he could trust to watch his back, it was her and Frank. And Moody, of course. “I see. Moody does know how to get you to work, doesn’t he?” While his methods could bother those newer to the department, it was impossible to say he didn’t get results. “Well, as soon as you’re done with those reports, let me know. Maybe you could get Frank to come along as well?”

Remus didn’t want to be rude and was sorely tempted to ask if his scrawny build made him seem like the type that enjoyed navigating trails. As it was, he didn’t feel up to trying to cut the conversation short. He offered a shake of his head before he said anything. “Nah, my parents weren’t really into encouraging me to explore,” He admitted. “Mum’s biggest thing is saying we never know what’s lurking in the woods.” Fenrir had made it overly clear that the woods weren’t the thing to worry about. Looking back on it, it seemed rather silly that his mother over stressed avoiding going off on his own or taking time in the woods around the house. “Never let me out of her sight growing up.” His expression faltered at the idea of traveling, knowing he wouldn’t have the means to be able to afford surviving if he left the safety net London provided. “No family outside of England and Wales so no need to go traveling.”

“You want me to give you duelling lessons?” he asked, brow cocked. Molly’s visit had been a surprise, but a welcome one. It had been too long since he had gone over to the Weasley’s, and while he did try and make time to keep up with Arthur and his family... work at taken a lot of his time, lately. When did it not? “I don’t know... did you talk to Arthur about it?” If she had, clearly he hadn’t talked her out of it—no surprise there, Molly was a spirited witch. “What would you even need duelling lessons for, anyway? Surely you’re not thinking of competing?” Whatever her reasons, Kingsley had to admit that there was some merit to the idea. There were dangerous times... and defending against dark magic was a necessary skill.

“Which is why I thought I might find something here,” Emmeline murmurs, a sigh leaving her unbidden. For too long now it’s felt like they’ve been grasping at straws, scrambling to find anything that will help them catch up to the evils that they’ve been pursuing. She has the utmost faith in her colleagues—and those within the Order too—that they’ll come out of this victorious, but it’s a challenge not to feel disheartened at times like this when their enemies seem to constantly be one step ahead. 

“It’s not your fault. They’re smart, they’ve had years to work at covering their tracks,” she reluctantly concedes. Eventually, they’ll be able to catch up to them, but there’s no escaping the fact that many of the witches and wizards they’ve been chasing have had a ridiculous head start on them. How many have had time to embed themselves into positions of power, of safety, before people like Emmeline or her colleagues have even thought to be suspicious of them? The summer gala at the ministry had been a stark reminder of that. Many questionable faces had so brazenly stalked the gardens that day, flaunting themselves in plain sight because they know there’s nothing tangible to press them on. “But sooner or later, they’re going to slip up. Their arrogance will be their undoing, and I have every confidence we’ll turn up something when that happens.” 

“It’s not a bad idea,” Kingsley replied, nodding sagely. Unfortunately, good ideas can still find a way to fail those that need them. It had been happening to them the entirety of this shadow war, and he was positive that it wouldn’t stop anytime soon. They had rules and protocols to follow—the evil they dogged had no such limitations, and it meant that they were often ahead of the game. Even so, Shacklebolt had faith. He had faith that the good in the world would prevail of the evil, that people could work together to change the world for the better. These were fringe ideas in their society, after all—extremists. Things had been steadily moving in a brighter direction for a long time, and they had to keep fighting for that to continue.

Alice was on yet another enforced day of office work. She was sure this was Alastor’s way of punishing her for being out in the field solo. So, when Kingsley came over to her, well Alice was happy to take any opportunity to get away from the paper work she was doing. “Sadly I do not speak Welsh….” She murmured with a laugh. They didn’t often get many cases in welsh, which was why she hadn’t bothered to learn the language. “Depends if you’re coming or not….” She mused with a little laugh. “Do you need to go today? Moody’s got me on enforced desk duty”

——