Private message to Charlie Weasley
Dec. 13th, 2013 06:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_billMum was practically in tears this morning at breakfast, and when she told me why, I felt like a total prat. Forgive me, but the auspicious occasion of your natal day as Per completely slipped my mind. Slipped both our minds, actually. George mentioned it in passing during a Floo call this morning. Mum's been so busy getting ready for the Grand Opening, and I've...well. I've been distracted, too. But I do feel rather badly, not the least since you've been such a support to me this year.
Anyway, owl's on its way to you and should reach you tomorrow morning. Despite the fecklessness of your family, I hope you had a good time celebrating it with Dree and Em.
Anyway, owl's on its way to you and should reach you tomorrow morning. Despite the fecklessness of your family, I hope you had a good time celebrating it with Dree and Em.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-14 01:09 am (UTC)It was a good enough day, though! Cake at dinner, like I said, and things have been thankfully quiet here for a few days, so we're hoping to be able to get some time just the three of us for a nice supper sometime this weekend.
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Date: 2013-12-14 01:15 am (UTC)Anyway, it really has been quiet this week. I don't want to hex us, but remember the last few years when the dragons have been right monsters, leading up to the Solstices? Nothing at all like that this year. This time last year, we were trying to wrangle half a dozen temper fits and explosions a day, but it's been business as usual this year. So quiet it has me nervous.
How are things on your end? Has there been any more fallout with Mulciber over Maidstone? (And how are you feeling?)
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Date: 2013-12-14 01:25 am (UTC)Speaking of which, have you seen the visitors this time?
My dragon has been oddly quiescent, too, which is also making me nervous. I heard from Rachel that when word filtered back to the office that Maule's minions managed to get the drop on me, he was so angry at the news that he blew a door off its hinges. I figured I was getting cruciated when I returned to the office on Monday, but he acted as if I'd been off on a pleasant holiday and he was just pleased to see me back to work at my desk. Weird.
I had definite aches for a day or two at the site of the bone breaks. Which was my entire upper body, really, since she managed to crunch every rib I have. That's all worn off now, though, and I'd say I'm back to normal now.
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Date: 2013-12-14 01:33 am (UTC)Nobody visiting that I've seen, but Higgs is tucked away in his office most of the time and Merlin knows who's coming in and out through there. He keeps to himself, that one. I've been watching, but it's hard to keep track. Em spends more time indoors, I'll see if I can pick his brain about things without sounding too suspicious.
I'm glad you're on the mend, and that Mulciber didn't take it out on you further when you went back in -- I was worried about that. Oh, and speaking of worried, that reminds me, when I wrote Ginny and Ron about what happened to you, Ginny seemed awfully concerned. I was sure to lead with "he's all right, everything will be fine", but she didn't seem to want to believe me, almost. I think hearing you were in St M's brought back some bad memories and associations for her. You might want to take a few minutes and write to her sometime in the next few days, let her see that you really are fine.
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Date: 2013-12-14 01:43 am (UTC)I'm not surprised to hear that Ginny had a hard time with the news, because Mum was the same way: she specifically mentioned how hard it was to come to the Trauma unit in December. It shook her rather badly, really, which is why I haven't been too fussed about her scolding and coddling me all week. I figure she needs to get it out of her system.
Anyway, I'll write to Ginny, set her mind at ease.
Speaking of which...well, if we're setting people's minds at ease I think I should tell you that I know about last Friday night, Charlie, at the fishing hole. Alice has already told me, so you don't have to fret about keeping it a secret from me.
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Date: 2013-12-14 01:57 am (UTC)Well.
I wasn't exactly upset at the thought of keeping it secret, since it was something Alice asked me to do, and what we do involves confidence sometimes and you know I've never had problems keeping confidences when confidences need to be kept. Still, since you do know, I want to go on the record as saying that I told Alice I'd do it not because I wanted to spy on you, but because I wanted to be able to witness what happened so that if somebody else came along and said "well, how do we know he's not under Imperius", I'd be able to speak up and say, no, he's not. That kind of thing.
I do hope you're not too hacked off at being spied on, but I'm not going to apologise for doing it, because it meant I could tell Alice you were trying to do things as well as you could.
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Date: 2013-12-14 02:15 am (UTC)That combined with a blinding relief that she picked you for the task. I asked you to watch my back when I started down this road, and I guess this just was part of it. We both know I would do the same for you, yeah?
I had no clue, by the way, so well done. Well, I was distracted, but I really had no idea you were there. Which doesn't reflect well on me and my sense of security, I'm afraid: I should have considered the possibility, I suppose, but I didn't. Maybe I can blame the pain potions for that.
What did you think of her?
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Date: 2013-12-14 02:34 am (UTC)She's ... interesting. I can see why you like her, and I think I'd probably like her, if I got to know her a bit more. She's very determined. I just wish she wasn't so convinced she's going to get killed any day now. I mean, on the whole, she's probably right, but there's a difference between accepting that you're in a high-risk situation and not letting it get to you, and genuinely believing that you're not going to live out the next few years. Being convinced you've got a timer ticking down to your inevitable demise isn't exactly healthy, and there were a few bits where she sounded less like she's trying to find a way to overthrow the Protectorate and more like she's trying to find something she can use her death for, you know what I mean?
But then again, Dogstar. They're pretty much an organisation full of glorious martyrdoms looking for a place to happen, from everything I've seen, so I'm not sure if that's her natural inclination or if it's just the way she's used to thinking about things.
I told Alice she should offer to give Rachel some of her memories of Rachel's father, since they worked together. I can't imagine having lost Dad that young, but even worse than losing your father that young must be losing your father that young and having to pretend you hate everything he stood for.
Do you think you might get back together with her, now that you both know you're (sort of) on the same side? Or has Alice told you not to, still?
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Date: 2013-12-14 03:02 am (UTC)It's been almost dizzying, actually, seeing her this week through a whole new perspective. Surreal, almost, like--like psychological whiplash. I mean, I was interested in her, and we sort of fell into things. I realised what I was doing and how stupid it was to do this with an apparently loyal auor, and 'fessed to Alice, who read me the riot act, and I tried to put her out of my mind, I honestly did.
And now this. It's almost maddening: now that I know, a good number of the reasons that I told myself why it was impossible suddenly evaporated. I find I'm attracted to her even more now. I can't lie to myself, dismissing it as just lust. Well, that's there still, believe me, maybe even more than ever, but it's mixed with admiration and pity and fascination and sympathetic fellow feeling and the sheer enjoyment of spending time in her company.
What makes it worse is that she's given me some clear signals this week that she's still interested, too.
Well, except not all the obstacles have evaporated.
There's still Lucius Malfoy. Much may also depend on how the negotiations with Dogstar go, too. If it all ends up in a big fireball, that would definitely put a crimp on things.
I don't know. I need to think about it some more, but maybe..maybe I'd like to see if we can make something work. I do feel I would need to be upfront with Alice, though.
Ugh, won't that be an embarrassing conversation. The first one was bad enough.
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Date: 2013-12-14 03:14 am (UTC)Giving it some time is probably the best option. I can imagine Alice is probably a bit fed up with trying to wrangle all of us, especially with Frank's magic still being out of commission. It's probably better to give her a few weeks without bringing it up again, and also give you and Rachel a few weeks to figure out how you're going to interact with each other now that you both know what you know. Jumping into things is never a good idea if you have the time to consider them more carefully, and all.
Especially since it would be a bad thing to risk the negotiations with Dogstar. I mean, that'll probably all end badly anyway, because I can't imagine Ridley being any more reasonable this time than she was the last, but you don't want too many brewers spoiling the potion and all. And, yeah, Malfoy. Ugh. Malfoy.
(Which reminds me -- I'm this close to dropping in on Percy and suggesting to him that if he says one word to Mum about the anniversary of Dad's death, or if he so much as shows the tip of his nose near her grand opening, or if he even thinks about coming round for Christmas, I'll introduce his face to my knuckles at high velocity. Talk me out of it?)
Anyway. Time. Time is good, and taking things slowly, and maybe letting somebody else take point on the negotiations for a bit -- I think bringing Sirius in was probably a good plan. That way you can separate negotiations on behalf of Dogstar and the Order a bit from how much you two want to get into each others' knickers.
We should try to figure out some way for you to introduce her to me, maybe. (Officially, I mean.) I'd like a chance to get to know her a bit.
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Date: 2013-12-14 03:46 am (UTC)I honestly don't know what to think about the Malfoy issue. Maybe all this has made me figure out I'm naturally monogamous...or at least there's an atavistic caveman deep down inside me somewhere who doesn't want to share. Especially with Malfoy. Not to mention the danger it poses for her.
Except there's also a part of me (the more wicked part) that likes the idea of him unwittingly giving away intelligence to someone who's working to bring down the Protectorate. She made her move to save those girls because of information he gave her. So how could I ask her to give up that conduit?
I'd like to introduce you to her, yeah, although I'm not quite sure when or how. Maybe I can convince her to come to the grand opening. You're going to get some time off that day, aren't you? I'm not planning on going to the Ministry party this year, and if Mulciber doesn't like it, he can go stuff himself. That's just too close to the bone.
I've been worried about Percy and the opening, too. If he did show up and make a scene, that would be a nightmare. I'm sure Fred and George would be perfectly happy to chuck some fireworks at him and blow him up, but that might very well frighten away all the customers. Probably best to avoid that!
Maybe we could warn him off using the journals? Less danger of fisticuffs or explosions if neither of us is in the same room with him. Not a threat, exactly, but, mm, call it a dignified, firm request. We can maybe use his loathing of making a scene to convince him. I will say that he hasn't made any attempt to come home or visit the Gringotts vault--and yes, I checked.
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Date: 2013-12-14 04:00 am (UTC)I was thinking about that, too. Giving Percy a warning via journal, I mean. I'm not sure if it would be satisfying enough for me, though. Maybe it's my caveman, but I am just so blindingly, blazingly furious with him that I want him to realise how much he's burned his bridges. I know you all think I'm the easygoing one, and, I mean, I damn well try to be, but he crossed the line a long way back and I want him to realise he used up the last of his rope with me a long time back.
I'm glad he hasn't tried anything with the vaults, and I don't know if he'd even think of showing up for Christmas or saying anything to Mum about it, and I'm sure that if he did Mum would come out with something about how Christmas is a time for family. And if he tries to reach out around the anniversary of Dad's death, I'm sure she wouldn't want a scene or anything. But I want him to know just how seriously I mean this: his actions show he's decided he doesn't want to be a Weasley anymore, and I'm damn well going to enforce that, because you don't get to take that decision back. Not without a hell of a lot of groveling.
I guess I will write to him. I'll write it out on separate paper first and sit on it for a bit, just to make sure I'm not saying something I shouldn't.
I'll be at the opening, yeah. Wouldn't miss it for the world.
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Date: 2013-12-14 04:09 am (UTC)If you want to take on the task of writing to him, fine. I trust you, but of course you can feel free to run it by me first if you want another opinion.
Great, I'll see you on the 21st then. It'll be best for us all to be together on that day...and if Percy's alone out in the cold, it's his own bloody fault.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-14 01:48 am (UTC)