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( chapter seven. )

❝ special auror black ❞

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As a child, I idealized my mother. I could follow her everywhere if I could. I loved sitting in the salon, which was unspokenly my mother's empire, and reading the books that Belvina smuggled out for me from my father's library. My mother taught me everything she knew about the stars. I went to my mother when someone hurt me or I was angry.

He was never as ruthless as Papa were.

And I never understood how my mother put up with him for so many years.

That all changed when my father slapped me for the first time. I stood in front of him and my mother in his office at home, and he couldn't get me to apologize for stealing books from my brother Sirius's room, which I later damaged. So... He slapped me.

I was ten years old.

I was so surprised that I just stood there for a minute before turning to my mother. I thought she was going to scold my father for hurting me. But no, she didn't. All I got was a cold look and then she... ordered me to go to my room.

And after that, my mother became as withdrawn from me as she was from my brothers. And she condemned me to deal with Papa alone.

In an instant... I hated my mother as much as I hated my father.

My brother Phineas found me that night. Even then, the mark of my father's hand was still red on my pale skin. Phineas had a bigger problem then than having to babysit his little sister. He waited with stress for the results of the OWLs to be finally sent. My brother Sirius got five OWLs two years before that. Phineas had to live up to him. And my father was far more critical of him than any of us.

Phineas was my everything.

And my father knew exactly that when he disowned Phineas, he was also punishing me. Maybe that was his goal. He made an example of my brother.

So that none of us ever forgets... What is the price of having... radical thoughts.

Like... In my example... We don't even dare fall in love.

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The whole department was called to the large assembly hall. A mandatory informational meeting was announced. The whole situation was terribly strange. My presence was never required even at a pre-mission meeting.

I carefully looked into the still half-empty room, running through who was already present. From the back of my mind came a piece of information that people from the Department of Mysteries might also be present. The very thought of Nash gave me chills.

Most Aurors knew we were together. But it was rarely likely to see us in the same place at the same time. We only had lunch together when the Malfoy parents came to visit and demanded my presence. Nash had his own clique, and I was perfectly content with the company of Eviana or my sister. I had neither planned nor intended to spend any more time with Nash Malfoy than necessary.

But... Fortunately, he wasn't among the gathered lads, so I entered the room, picking at the pins that held my curled bun together. Theseus was talking with Travers and a couple of American Aurors over a Pensieve. I swallowed. Then one more.

I can't stand there, that's clear.

I never found my place among my colleagues. I had no friends, I didn't talk to anyone.

So... What was there to do, I approached Leta Lestrange with slow steps.

We were never best friends. She is closer in age to my younger brother, Archie, so we mostly bypassed each other at school. For a long time, I only knew her from Newt's stories, in which she was always portrayed as a wonderful, beautiful witch.

Honestly, the stories never lived up to reality. Because Leta is truly wonderful and beautiful. In another life, we might have been friends.

And the minute I stepped foot into the Auror assembly hall and every eye in attendance were on the Black girl, Leta was my only friend.

The only pureblood present there, other than me and Travers. And that pushed us to the same side.

I didn't pay attention to the fact that the glances were like they'd seen through my skin, and I just raised my head and without stumbling placed myself next to Leta, clutching a couple of folders to my chest.

"What is happening here?" I asked Leta softly, leaning a little closer to her. She jumped in surprise. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even notice that I was suddenly next to her. Leta just hummed and I continued. "I mean... I'm never invited to these meetings. I'm just a drafter."

"It must be because of the Americans," Leta pointed to the men who were talking to Travers next to Theseus. One of them was also present at Newt's trial in the morning. Which made the whole thing much, much more uncomfortable. "They want us to know what's coming."

"In the manhunt," I finished the thought, my voice trembling. Put it that way, it seemed pretty straightforward. The American Aurors came to England because Grindelwald had escaped from MACUSA while in transit, which they should have routinely handled. But they didn't, and the dark wizard once again posed a threat to the whole world. And not just for wizards. And despite all the animosity... We had to work together.

"But... They're not going to include us, are they?" I asked, pointing my finger at us. Leta stared at me in shock, waiting for me to explain. "Because you and I... We are the burden here. Because they think we are prone to... Betrayal. Because..."

"We're purebloods," Leta coughed as she nodded. She had already thought about it, I could see it. "When do you think Travers will bring it up?"

As if we were waiting for a signal, we got our heads on the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement almost at the same time. Despite all of the leads on the floor, the Auror Office, the Department of Intoxicating Substances, the Improper Use of Magic Office, the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects, Wizengamot Administration Services and there was even someone present from the Animagus Registry Office... Torquil Travers stood out from all of them.

Everyone I ever talked to about my boss called him a hard, mean, cold person. Having risen to a high position of power in the Ministry of Magic, Travers enjoyed the authority he held and disliked being contradicted on any subject or having his knowledge or orders questioned. He believed that he would pursue whatever course of action he saw fit for the safety of the British wizarding community.

Come what may.

Even involving Grimmson.

"He's the only pureblood here beside us. Yet we are the ones whose loyalties are questionable and whose actions are suspect or ambiguous," I hissed. But I actually knew the reason, as did Leta. Because we are women.

Even if you're pureblood, if you were born a woman, your opinion and knowledge don't matter one speck.

"The Rosiers are reported to have moved sides," Leta lowered her voice and leaned close enough to speak directly into my ear. She shivered at the name.

"The French Rosiers?" I don't even know why I asked when I knew exactly who she was talking about. My father, for most of his life, had a close business and personal relationship with the French-based patriarch Rosier. At one point he even threatened to marry me to the eldest Rosier boy, who went above me at Hogwarts. "How do you know?"

As far as I know, they didn't share anything worthwhile with Leta about the investigation against Grindelwald any more than they did with me.

"I looked in a file last night after Theseus fell asleep." Leta's mouth, despite trying to hide it with all her effort, turned into a calculating and sly half-smile. I laughed in myself and forced myself so that the situation (Leta and Theseus' shared apartment, shared night and shared bed) would not play out in my head.

"The Slytherin genes come out sometimes, huh?" I smiled at her, gently nudging her with my elbow. Then I inhaled sharply. "So it's official then. Grindelwald is in France."

"I can't wait to work with the arrogant French."

The French Ministry of Magic has always treated us condescendingly and considered themselves superior.

"Does he look like he needs rescuing for you too?" I nodded my head towards Theseus. His eyes met mine from across the room and the corner of his mouth twitched. He wanted to smile to almost acknowledge that I was looking at him. But the Aurors had just informed him of the developments and he had to listen intently.

When I felt that the moments were getting too long, I lowered my eyes and looked instead at the almost empty folders in my hand. To ignore him still staring. I folded the edges of my papers, but... I couldn't resist the urge to look back at him.

So I looked up.

Theseus was still staring. His fiancee was standing next to me, but he was staring at me. His eyes shone with such a gentle and delicate light as they did before when he longed every minute to walk towards me and hear my voice, which he adored so much. To reach out and touch me.

But those days are long gone. Nonetheless, Theseus liked to keep his private life between the two of us, so we never hugged in public. Not only because then my father would have attacked us at any minute. But because he had such thoughts that we would be entangled at every moment of the day... It was best if all this happened just between the two of us and not in front of an audience.

I swallowed and bit my bottom lip.

"I'll go, I'll save him," I nodded to Theseus. And Leta... She nodded. It's that simple. She was his partner, yet I approached Theseus.

"So what do you think, Mr Scamander, what should we do next?" Theseus' attention almost completely escaped the question that one of the Americans asked him. After a pause of a tenth of a second, he glanced at his colleagues when I was almost beside them.

"We'll send a few people forward. Thorne, Bennett, and maybe Caine, to scout the town and report what they find. How many are there, who stand by him, whatever."

"Yes," two Aurors just nodded, acknowledging the order, then left.

Theseus put his hands in his pockets, one leg slowly leaning away to make it obvious it was time to go. But Travers reached after him, clasping Theseus's elbow with his hand.

I stopped for a second. I knew well how much Theseus hated Travers, but he always treated him with respect, since he was still his boss. He thought that Travers' presence was no longer needed at the Headquarters and every time Travers entered a place, everything fell into deathly silence. No one knew if Travers was aware of how much he was hated. Either he was that stupid or he didn't care at all.

I would guess the second one.

I began drumming on my folders, the click of my heels muffled as I slowed to within two steps from Theseus and Travers. I chuckled as I saw Theseus' posture tense and nervousness flood his eyes. Whatever Travers told him, Theseus disagreed. But he didn't interrupt.

Theseus was always a better soldier than a General, even though his thoughts and plans were clever, logical, and amazing. But the boss tied him in knots like some tight shackle.

Travers explained so much it seemed like hours.

Time to act, Black. Bring out how cunning you are.

I cleared my throat and walked the remaining distance that separated me from them.

"I'm sorry for bothering you!" I cleared my throat and spoke in my most charming, kindest, most respectful voice, while gently holding Theseus' upper arm. "I brought the file you asked for. Regarding the Grindelwald case. Which you said you need to review very urgently."

Travers stared at me as usual. He was irritated by my presence. And the fact that I smiled at him like an innocent little lamb made him even more vexed. He would have taken every opportunity to undermine my presence in the Ministry, but he couldn't do much with the fact that I was a respectful little copyist who was just doing her job.

Both Travers and Theseus looked at the folder that I pushed into Theseus's hand, and even though he took it, I also locked my fingers on his, protecting the contents of the folder. Which had nothing to do with Grindelwald. The day before, I had to copy the material of an irregularly operated elf bar, because the Auror on duty deliberately wrote as if he were in first class and even splashed Firewhiskey on the pages. At least that's what my brother found out when I was working in the living room at home and he sniffed the folder.

"Oh yes! The folder! Thank you, Lu... Miss Black!" then I let go of the folder, and Theseus easily slapped it under his arm. My smile at Travers still failed. And the American, who was still in the company, watched mesmerized as if he suspected foul play. Theseus followed my gaze towards the foreign auror. "Oh, sorry. How impolite of me. Mr Wakefield, may I introduce the Auror Command's most spirited scribe, Lyra Black."

Theseus carefully guided his hand to my waist and squeezed playfully at the scribe part, knowing exactly how much I hated my title.

"Lyra Black, Charles Wakefield is one of MACUSA's most talented young Aurors," Theseus finished his introduction, smiling, but... I detected in his voice... Something else. The way he unobtrusively put his arms around me, the way he looked at me, but I was only watching the American... Theseus was jealous. He was jealous of me staring at Mr Wakefield.

"Just Charlie," the American held out his hand with a cute, sincere smile.

"Lyra," I shook his hand.

"Well..." Theseus coughed as I let go of Charlie's hand and turned my head towards him as Theseus wanted, while he waved the actually empty folder at me. "How about... We discuss this before the meeting?"

"Okay," I nodded, grinning. You are very transparent, Thes. "I'm excited to meet you, Charlie!"

"You too, Lyra!" but then Theseus was already pulling me back towards Leta.

"A Thanks, Lyra would be nice," I hissed to my ex-boyfriend as we headed towards his fiancée, shaking his hand off my waist before Leta jumped to the wrong conclusions.

A small sigh of relief escaped Theseus as he bent down to look at me. He forced a grin and then spoke in a whisper.

"Thank you."

"Anytime..." I winked at him and patted his arm. "Mr Commander."

And grinning, I stood back next to Leta.

"You still recognize my desperate face," Theseus muttered after me as we stopped on either side of Leta. By the way, the Lestrange girl looked like she had a lot of fun in the previous scene.

"Something is hard to forget. Especially when it's so obvious!" I continued to grin with satisfaction. Theseus is usually the perfect calendar photo of calmness and a poker face. It is difficult to catch him at a moment when he needs help or to catch his nervousness.

Maybe I'm the only one who knows enough to see these.

"Is your boyfriend not coming?" Theseus asked suddenly, causing my throat to tighten.

"I really hope not," I blurted out before I could think about it. I quickly tried to correct it, because Theseus and Leta were surprised and even bumped their heads at me. "Nash would probably take charge of the action, whatever it was, so he could brag about it."

If I had uttered those words in front of anyone else, I would have been in big trouble later.

"So it really is true that Nash Malfoy is your partner," Leta nodded, but there was no hint of recognition or compliment in her accent.

"Is that so surprising?" I asked back. But I knew that yes, it really was, to tell the truth. Totally surprising. Nine out of ten people I knew when I was at school didn't imagine me with someone like Nash Malfoy.

But imagination and desires were not at all close to reality.

"I just didn't think that the girl who got together with Richard Flint would ever settle for a Malfoy!" I had no idea why Leta brought up Richard. It was common knowledge that... I was with a lot of people at Hogwarts. Richard is just... The loudest... Of my conquests.

Mainly because my mother was also a Flint. But Richard and I were only distant relatives. It's not as if relations between cousins ​​were not accepted among purebloods.

And also because... Richard made me the subject of rumours at Hogwarts.

Richard connected to my story with many, many more threads than we just messed around at Hogwarts for a while and it was picked up by the students.

I met Theseus after Richard.

So he knew the story exactly as well as I did. That's why... He also froze when Leta said Richard's name.

"Well... Lyra likes a good Slytherin story. Isn't that right, Lulu?"

"Shut up."

– Fogd be.

hello hello, my fellow witches and wizards!

after a little of bit hiatus, here I am with a newly translated chapter!

the title was way more ambitious than it did in the end, because poor Lyra didn't get as much action as I intended for her.

what did you guys think about this chapter? What do you think happened with Lyra and Richard Flint? Because prepare for the next couple of chapters, you'll find out and it will be quite heavy!

ps. if you guys like formula one, check out my brand new story, titled race to fame!