Order Only: An owl

[alt_sirius]

Well, Dora, I suppose I may have to admit that I may be misjudging your cousin Hydra. Or else she's far more insidious than we thought.

I've had an owl from my old student, Justin Finch-Fletchley. He says he's been carefully asking people's opinions about whether I'm really alive or if my post after the Quidditch World Cup was written by an impostor. When he found out that even Hydra Lestrange thinks, possibly, it was real and not a fake, he figured he could chance sending me an owl.

Merlin, he's been saving up a lot to say.

First, I was right: The French government have taken an interest in his mother. Laura's under watch. They still believe our story, that she's a Squib, so no one is expecting her to perform magic. But they made it clear to Justin that his conduct will directly determine whether she's allowed to continue living in their home or whether they're going to seize her property. So he's more than a little worried about that and trying his best to keep up the charade that he was simply born into a family that thought he wouldn't have any magic, rather than one that didn't know magic existed.

Second, he's having some trouble, because of his status, with some of the older boys. Well, we knew that might happen. I warned him he could be in for some hazing. There are two in particular who seem to delight in bullying him. He makes it all sound like it's nothing but he did ask for a few more defensive tips. I'll have to consider how to get those back to him without alerting anyone.

Third. Circe. This is the heart of it all.

He'd just gone on rather a date of sorts with none other than Hydra Lestrange. Dora, he's quite taken with her, I'll have you know. Kissed her. I think it's a first kiss for them both, from what he has to say (though how he'd know about her I couldn't tell you). He makes it all sound very innocent and honestly I can't imagine him behaving anything other than a gentleman, so I believe him about that. What I'm not sure of is that she's all that sweet as he makes her sound. Something about an animal-lover and her pet rabbit and not wanting to take Arithmancy. Well. That part was a little harder to follow. He says she was withdrawn at first but as they got to talking she told him all sorts of things about her mother, how she knows she's a disappointment and how she sometimes does things just because she knows it irritates Bella. Things like not eating meat. She asked him things about living in a country where the muggles are in charge and he told her about films and transportation and clothing and answered some of her questions about lies her mother's told her. She'd taught her that hugging a muggleborn would make her hair fall out!

Well. Anyway, the point is that he clearly fancies her rather a lot. But he's also well aware that he's lying to her about who he is and how much worse it would be for her to actually be dating a muggleborn. (Actually, he's quite pleased about 'defiling' her in Bella's eyes, in those terms, even if it has to be kept a secret. Sort of a vicarious revenge for making him think Bella had actually killed me.) But he does feel a little guilty that he has to deceive Hydra on any level.

Now, the other problem I have and I'm not sure how to tell him, is that he could be the one being deceived. What if Hydra's just drawing him out? I've been worried for him, you know, that he'll give himself away. And we all know what sort of idiots boys are when they're interested in a girl. He might well tell her things he can't cover up or keep consistent later. She could be trying to lull him into a sense of security so that she can report back to Mummy. I want to warn him about that.

But then there's something that worries me even more than his getting close to Hydra. He doesn't say it right out, but I think he's hoping he can learn something about Bella that will help us. I don't want him messing about with that at all. Not only does it put him in terrible danger but it'd put his mother in jeopardy. I don't think he'd do anything deliberately foolish but - he knows Bella's a Legilimens, too. Another reason to go careful.

I shouldn't answer, I know. It's for his own good if I don't send him anything potentially incriminating. But I don't want him running away with the notion that since he's in England, he can act as some sort of spy.

Especially if it's Hydra who's really the spy, and not Justin.

Comments

[alt_nymphadora]

My cousin Hydra, is it?

Let me see if I've got this straight. You think she's seduced your wee lad and is reeling him into her mother's nets? Because she knows what sort of idiots boys are when they're interested in girls?

Well, I can't argue with you on that last. Though I'd point out that they might be even bigger idiots when they're interested in other boys.

Just sayin', there.

Seriously, though. That is rather a lot he's got to juggle. About his mum and his own situation. And if he's really got it in his head he could use Hydra to find out some sort of big information about Bellatrix, well. Someone ought to set him straight before he goes completely off the rails. Especially now he thinks he knows something about your being alive because it really wouldn't do to have him dragged into interrogation by MLE. Or-

Actually.

If we're going to be paranoid about all of it, do you think there's any chance you're the one being played? I mean, they might've got to him already and told him to see if he could draw you out of hiding.