Order Only: Private Message to Dora

[alt_sirius]

Sorry we couldn't do more for you, luv. At least Ellie seemed to enjoy the party. Think she's forgiven me yet for spying on her all this time?

What I want to know is when we'll hear from Arthur about when you can start putting all those costumes and such to use. Ellie had huge fun picking them all out; it'd be a shame if you never got round to working through them all.

Comments

[alt_nymphadora]

Well, we could start fancy dress nights in the garden if nothing comes of the business in the camps.

I thought about asking Arthur about it, but I know he's busy and he's thinking about all the babies first.

Anywiz, it was a brilliant present. And not just all the outfits, either. Poor Bea will never get away with any mischief now her mum's got her own sneakoscope and fib-finder, and a patented pair of eyes for the back of her head! I wished I'd taken those eyes to work with me this morning. I was cleaning cobwebs out of the lift shaft and one of those Unspeakable blokes came up behind me. Almost made me fall in, I was so startled.

[alt_sirius]

Well, you might be able to take care of two errands at a time, if you could find the camp contacts while you're on an infant rescue.

Has work been getting much worse then? Usually you're so knackered after breakfast you're right off to bed. And I'm generally Padfoot all afternoon so ... it's been a while since we've had a proper talk about it.

[alt_nymphadora]

Well, I could do if I'm asked on any of the baby rescues, but it sounded as if Arthur wanted to manage those with Kingsley and the others. Anywiz, he's not asked me yet for any of them.

It's the usual thing at the job. Everyone's on edge all the time, wondering if someone else is going to nark on them and get them sacked or arrested or cursed or something. And not just us at the bottom rung. I think everyone worries about it. But, of course, there's other reasons it's rough to be us. Like Unspeakables who think it's clever to sneak up on the scutters and scare them to death when they're reaching out over an empty lift shaft.

But it's a job. It's not like I expect it to be wonderful. And I only have to be there half shifts, and I'm home by breakfast. So I shouldn't complain.

Only, I did think it would be more... I thought it'd be more useful, you know? That I'd actually have found something brilliant we could use. But I haven't, have I?

[alt_sirius]

I'm not sure what we thought you'd find in four hours a morning. Besides, all the incentives they've been throwing at you lot to grass on each other and everyone else in the building, it's not surprising the place is locked up tighter than ever.

What's maddening is that if there were any justice to the world, you'd have been able to go into any department you liked. Circe, the Aurors used to actively recruit witches and wizards with special abilities like metamorphmagery.

Just like the way our Hermione and Terry ought to be taking lessons right alongside the others.

It's not right and it's not changing near quickly enough.

[alt_nymphadora]

I'd have liked to be an Auror.


I've never said that right out, I don't think. To my mum, yeah. In my head, when I tell her what I've got up to and what I haven't. But not to anyone else.

I took all the exams for it, too--since I knew all about which ones I'd have needed, living with Abstemious Grump. Always going on about Grump, Jr and his twelve outstanding bloody OWLs.

Sorry.

But I'd have loved a chance to be an Auror. If I could have earned my spot. Think I'd have been decent at it.

[alt_nymphadora]

I've been thinking about all this.

I'd be a lot more useful to the Order if I had trained as an Auror. I mean, I know it's useless wishing. Only, I still could, yeah? I could quit at the Ministry, and Bea and I could go to Moddey Dhoo for a bit and train with Frank and Alice. Help them, too.

Only, I'm not sure Frank would be too keen on that. He doesn't seem to think I'm much to depend on.

And, then, I wouldn't want to run off here. If I really quit the Ministry, there's more we could be doing on our end, especially with Beth growing her business with us.

And I'm not really saying I mean to quit. We'd miss my pay.

So, right.

Nevermind.


Going to sleep now, I think.

[alt_sirius]

Now, don't get too far ahead of yourself, Dora. I don't see why you'd have to move to Moddey just to train with Frank and Alice.

And I wouldn't take Frank too much to heart. He can be gruff but I can't think he'd hold any sort of grudge. Didn't he just take you up on the offer to go to the camps?

You should ask them if you could work out a timetable. Maybe early afternoons once you're awake.

Or hang up the Ministry. We've got Arthur and Bill there and perhaps this new mate of the twins'. I know you're disappointed about the lack of effectiveness there. But if you could do us better by training and becoming our head camp infiltrator to supplement Kingsley and his lot, I say that's more important than a few Galleons.

Most important of all - we'd miss you round here. And Bea as well. Visits aren't the same as every day.

[alt_nymphadora]

Yeah. I don't know what I was thinking. It was daft.

Only-

No. It's best to just get on with what's planned. When we get clearance for the first trip into the camps. That's all.

I don't know about Frank. I mean, he's doing it because Arthur wanted him to. I've a feeling he's not especially looking forward to partnering me is all. And too right. I mean, what am I but a clumsy witch with experience as a cleaner and a mum? Well, and as a shopclerk and a waitwitch in a beer garden. He'd probably feel better hiring me to rock babies in the nursery or to be the dinner lady at Moddey than having me watch his back on a camp infiltration.

[alt_sirius]

Have you talked to Remus about any of this? I mean to say, you sound a bit like him when he's in one of his brown studies. You've only had work experience as a cleaner and whatever but trust me, Dora, you're brilliant at loads of things. You're perceptive and you don't take any nonsense from people. And you've got eyes in the back of your head - not the ones we just gave you, either! - and good reaction times. Okay, you overturn things when you're excited or not thinking. But you fix it quickly enough. You've never once dropped Bea, after all. To say nothing of the fact you're fierce when it comes to shifting the unruly ones out of the garden come closing.

And quite honestly, I think if you'd gone in for it you'd have been a cracking Auror. You know James and I had thought about it, too, but decided we'd rather stay 'unofficial'? Sometimes I wonder if Kingsley and Frank wouldn't take to operations better if I had been one - but then, sometimes I wonder if their methods don't need an outside perspective now and then.

Well, we talked about that last meeting.

But Frank's - got his own troubles. You know, I think having someone to teach might actually help him as much as it would help you, and all the rest of us.

Would it ... would it help if I had a word with him? Or we invited him and Alice for supper to talk it over? If he's not keen to take on a student, he'll tell you easily enough. But I think he'd be chuffed. And Alice is also the best instructor you could hope to have and I know she'd take you on even if he grumbled about it. Mind you, I think it'd be better to get attention from them both but if you had to take one, Allie would be happy to do it, I'm sure.

And I mean it when I say I think we could get by without your pay from the Ministry and you could figure out how to spend time at Moddey or they could come to Grimmauld to train. We can work all that out. All you need to do is decide if it's what you want.