Order Only: Private Message to Remus

[alt_sirius]

Are you still at Malfoy Manor?

How is everything going? You don't want to kill her already, I hope. Well, Draco's probably keeping her calm, I expect.

Comments

[alt_lupin]

Yes, plus it's a very large house. It's easy to get away from her. (Severus and I have been giving Draco a bit of privacy with her. We kept an eye on her when she was writing to Baddock and the rest, though.)

[alt_lupin]

You could stop in! Visit your cousin! I'm sure she'd be nearly as delighted to see you as she was to see me!

[alt_sirius]

You berk, I was drinking when I read that!

[alt_sirius]

Let me see if I can guess: She sniffed in that way she has like you've not showered in a month and with one sweep of the eyes she made it perfectly clear she thinks you dress like a reject from a soup kitchen. Then she filed it all away behind either a false smile or a flat countenance and behaved as if she were the queen of the ball. Probably offered you a seat, or maybe she spared a glance at the upholstery and wondered if she'd have to clean it later.

Commenced an awkward conversation where she pretty much refused to acknowledge that we're in charge now, which probably made you grit your teeth several times over as she flatly refused to hear that she's not being given options. When Draco arrived, I bet she dissolved into paroxysms of equal parts joy, grief and anger. How many handkerchiefs did she go through?

[alt_lupin]

She tried to be a good hostess in that classic Malfoyish way, yes. Also, she clearly understands that we're in charge, and she's out of options; I think she's trying not to ask for anything because she doesn't want to hear us say 'no.'

She hasn't asked to see Lucius, for instance. Even though I'm quite sure she'd like to. I was thinking of offering to take her, if Alice can't think of a reason not to. I suppose there's the risk she'll see some implied threat here, like 'we could take away YOUR magic, too!' or 'Lucius is at our mercy, ha ha ha ha!'

[alt_sirius]

Desperation must be making her more reasonable than I remember.

I suppose there could be value in making a gesture of mercy like taking her to see him. Though I think you're right, she's not likely to see it that way at all.

Now I'm curious about how she took it when Hydra told her about the Order. She did say Narcissa seemed to be suspecting it. I wonder what tipped her off? We're in trouble if all our diligence can be dismissed over the use of a lock of hair.

Say, what do you think the chances are we could convince Severus to stay on to keep an eye on her?

[alt_lupin]

Over the course of a few years, they went from Lucius being the second-most-powerful wizard in Britain, to him being 'out of favour with Our Lord,' to him being thrown into Azkaban after the revelation that their only child had been teaching magic to a muggleborn witch. Lucius went to Azkaban a little under a year ago, so she's had a good, long, isolated while to adjust to a world where her unquestioning loyalty won't protect her or anyone she cares about.

So...yes. For her to come to her enemies for help -- as she did months ago, when she went to Rachel -- desperation made her reasonable. She'd made that bargain, I guess. Accepted that all that really mattered to her, in the end, was the safety of the people she loved.

As for what tipped her off about Hydra... well. Draco and Harry were always thick as thieves, it required a certain willing denial to believe that Draco could have been carrying on with Hermione and Harry never had a clue. And for Hydra, Draco's cousin, to have no clue? when she's a legilimens? Again, it's just not that bloody likely. The hair was certainly part of it. But possibly losing her own loyalty made her rather clear-eyed about who else might be doing the dance steps laid out for them while plotting treason.

[alt_lupin]

Oh, and about Severus.

I don't know, I was thinking the two of us ought to move in over here. No portrait. Plenty of space. Narcissa would hardly get in our way at all, you know? We could be like flying carpets gliding past each other without a lighting charm, or however that saying goes.

(Seriously, I'm wondering if Draco will want to move back here. Or if he prefers our occasionally irritating company to that of his doting mother.)

[alt_sirius]

Hm, I can hardly imagine a scene less conducive to domestic bliss than if we were to move in and leave the others in Grimmauld. Come to think of it, we could all move to the Manor, the place has something like 30 bedrooms - more if you count the private apartments and guest suites. I remember getting thoroughly lost once when we came for her engagement party. We could move the entire Order there.

But somehow I doubt she'd take well to us importing all our Muggle compatriots into the Manor. And I doubt Draco would want to come back without Hermione. We could simply not give her the choice, of course, but if we're going to invade, then we should consider locking her in her apartments so we don't have to see her.

[alt_lupin]

Well, if Draco and Hermione are continuing to live with us, I think I'd just as soon keep Severus. He's rather better at dealing with Draco when he's in a mood than either of us are.

[alt_lupin]

Also, I'm not in the room so I can't give you a handkerchief count, but there was one that got used up before Severus and I could get to the door to give her some privacy with Draco.

Draco hasn't firecalled to ask us to send Poppy with a calming potion, though, so there's that.