Order Only: Private Message to Alice and Remus

[alt_sirius]

Well, that was ... interesting.

Alice, I do think we should perhaps simply meet Ridley for a summit. Too much back and forth is bound to lead to problems. More than a few.

Anyway, she's not half glad to confirm that Bill's a sympathiser, she clearly fancies him more than just as an office mate, and so does he, though I think neither of them are willing to admit it.

Which means I'd be happier if neither of them were directly involved in negotiating. Particularly given how free she is with her affections. And all those middle-of-the-night private messages, if they mean what I think they meant.

She mentioned that it's 'convenient' for the two of them to converse during the day but in their eagerness to please each other we might find ourselves agreeing to something we can't afford.

We'll have to see what Dora thinks. I think she might be willing to jump from DogStar if given the right motivation. But it might be to our advantage to leave her with one foot in each group, too.

Comments

[alt_lupin]

Meet her in person? Kingsley will be thrilled.

[alt_sirius]

He can work perimeter security if he likes, so he doesn't have to talk to her.

[alt_lupin]

He might want to wear a hat, too. In case the magpie comes, invitation or no.

[alt_alice]

Indeed.

Private message to Padfoot

[alt_lupin]

Everything okay? You've got the look of a dog who thinks he's about to get swatted for the mess the toddler made.

Re: Private message to Padfoot

[alt_sirius]

What?

No, I'm fine. Everything's fine.

It's just - I never know how people are going to react. To meeting me. She was entirely unlike our John Turner but no less uncomfortable.

Re: Private message to Padfoot

[alt_lupin]

Well, I imagine she didn't fling herself out of a boat shouting 'take me with you.' We'd surely have heard about a broken arm.

Re: Private message to Padfoot

[alt_sirius]

Er, right.

[alt_alice]

Thank you, Sirius.

I think that while it might be convenient for them to communicate as a point of contact, further negotiations do require a bit more direct communication with Ridley at least as we're getting started.

I'm rather ambivalent when it comes to Ms Lamont's loyalty -- I think were she to maintain her contact with Dogstar, I'd be cautious about trusting her with certain things, and would anticipate that Ridley would hold her primary allegiance. However, I see the value in having regular communication between us, and having that be potentially a real step forward.

And we're in agreement that having them working closely together might have its own set of problems and ought to be carefully thought through -- I've had enough challenges with sorting out whether Bill's head has been in the right place recently.

[alt_lupin]

I wondered about that. (Bill, I mean, and that Auror.) They seem to chat quite a bit, rather late at night, and she's pretty and charming.

[alt_sirius]

Oh, it's fairly safe to say that it was not Bill's head doing all the thinking. Most of it, perhaps. But not all.

I certainly got the feeling they were on quite familiar terms.

(Mind, it probably did Bill a world of good to have a harmless shag. Assuming he indulged.)

Private message to Padfoot

[alt_lupin]

My galleon's on, 'he indulged.'

And you're probably right that it did him good. There are several Order members who could desperately use a good shag. Severus, for example.

Re: Private message to Padfoot

[alt_sirius]

First off, don't give me that image.

But second, yes, I think even Snivelly should probably experience a shag at least once in his life. Not that I can think of anyone who'd volunteer!

Re: Private message to Padfoot

[alt_lupin]

Mmm. I think Alice is telling us he slept with her while he thought she was a loyal MLE Auror. (Bill, I mean; not Severus.)

Of course, SHE slept with HIM while not knowing he was anything other than Corax's loyal assistant. Suppose Ridley knows?

[alt_alice]

Let's just say that were he to have had a shag with an Auror before knowing said Auror was a member of Dogstar, it would be far from harmless.

[alt_sirius]

Oh, come along, Allie. We're not all you and Frank. A shag doesn't have to mean anything and it doesn't necessarily mean he put himself in a compromising position.

In fact, even if she weren't a member of DogStar, it could have been a useful ploy.

Really, it's just an extension of recruiting the Death Eaters' children to spy for us. Gaining secrets through pillow talk is a time-honoured tradition of espionage. And betraying a lover is loads easier than betraying family.

Anyway. Not that that was his plan. Sometimes a shag is a shag. And sometimes you can't control who you're attracted to.

[alt_sirius]

What's more, you might make the case that there was something about her that he saw despite her cover, and it's that which convinced him she was worth the risk.

[alt_alice]

Point taken.

However, given his challenges with Dark Arts, it was difficult to sort out why he found Ms Lamont tempting -- and how capable he'd be at compartmentalizing as one would be expected.

Things are on a decidedly firmer footing these days, however, and I'm less inclined to read much harm into it.

Private Message to Alice

[alt_sirius]

And she's really quite fetching.

And a good kisser

Re: Private Message to Alice

[alt_alice]

Yes, so I've heard.

[alt_sirius]

I'm fairly certain her loyalty isn't all that strong to DogStar. She hasn't been with them for very long and she's such a pragmatic creature that if she were given an option which better fits her values, I think she could easily be convinced it's in her interest to jump ships.

(Not literally, Moony.)

Just as we were parting, I called her Ms Brodie. She gave a start but then, the way she smiled .... Let's just say her opinions about the Protectorate weren't shaped by DogStar, she merely found them before she found us.

[alt_alice]

Her actions with the Muggle girls were promising, I must admit. And decidedly not in the vein of what Dogstar would value.

[alt_sirius]

I asked her about it. She said she knew it was something Ridley would never have undertaken.

The first thing she said to me was to thank me for remembering her dad. For telling that story, about Clarkson and Dolohov.

She's all right, Alice.

[alt_alice]

Good to know.

Very good to know.

We'll see how things go with Ridley. I think it'd be hard for her to let an Auror go from her network.

[alt_lupin]

It's rather a shame she didn't find us first.

But I can't imagine we'd have trusted her.