Al Gumboil is a bad big brother.

s'lunch time, where's dorcas and my snot-free waffles

orange juice

waffles too.

cuddle?

Can I see you tonight?

[[Charmed to ping and buzz and be annoying after about 10 minutes of being unanswered.]]

Please?

You speak 'woman' better than anyone else I know. Tell me what it means when they insinuate they're not coming back.

Oh Merlin fuck. You have got to be fucking kidding me.

I'm stepping out for about half an hour. I'll be back as soon as I can.

I don't know how much you know, but Dorcas is safe. She isn't fine, but she's safe. She's staying with me for a bit, I think.

One of her brother's is dead.

Dorcas needs a place to stay for a while. I've given her the extra bedroom for as long as she needs it.

Great. Just. Fucking perfect. Merlin fuck.

On late tonight. Don't wait up, I've got no fucking clue when I'll be home.

Terribly sorry to disturb you sir, but I'm investigating Greyback and his new friends and I'd like to speak with you briefly sometime tomorrow if you're well enough.

Dorcas, we have a problem.

Sirius Black, Mundungus Fletcher, Marlene McKinnon, Lily Potter, Caradoc Dearborn.

That's the list of people that I got at work today. They're supposed to go under immediate investigation.

They're looking into your club.

Fucking fuckery this is just... too close to home. Literally. Fucking hell, ten fucking miles away and I was lounging about with Rita. Mum and dad are close too. There's no reason they'd be targeted, but the Weasleys? Fucking hell, they've never done anything to anyone.

This is going to be a long week.

I'm going to be really scarce this week, love. I'm spearheading the Greyback case and I don't really see this breaking open any time soon.

I love you. When you're coming over, apparate right in. Don't go outside.

I need you both at 7:30 tomorrow morning at The Burrow in Ottery St Catchpole. You'll be there without me for an hour or two, I'm going to Mungo's to interview the Weasley's first thing. Mary, show Tilly how to sweep a scene properly, document evidence. I want notes on everything. Ward it off, I don't want anyone going back there, not even family. The whole damn place is evidence so far as I'm concerned.

Hi, sorry, know it's late. I'm Alastor Gumboil, I'm a hitwizard and I've been put in charge of the investigation concerning Sunday night. I want you to know that I'm going to do everything I can to get your son back. Are you still at St Mungo's? Would it be all right if I come in and ask you a few questions in the morning?

So do you know anything about the Greyback attack? Didn't you say one of the Prewett twins is wearing a cape these days?

So this would be the time to reassure me that James Potter isn't dead.

All right?

Feeling all right about your big scary interview?

Shit.

James Potter. I need an answer right the fuck now. Is he in your capes/tight club?

The order is for everyone and that means you. We're leaving in about forty seconds, so get your arse over here.

So. Dorcas Meadowes? Is there something you want to tell me?

Shit, I'm sorry about Sunday night. Who the fuck knew Death Eaters would be tearing down Hogsmeade while we were trying to have dinner.

Rain check?

Cor blimey, well this is just a right fucking mess. I hate all of you right now. All of you. Every last one. Sunday was my only day off, you tits.

I should probably say something, shouldn't I? I mean it wasn't the most polite thing to do, just apparating off. Merlin, I'm an idiot. This is a bad idea.

She needs help. I know it's a completely fucking stupid and pompous thing to say, but she does. And haven't I already started? Didn't it start back at the bar?

And it's so fucking hard not to think of all the 'what-ifs'. What if I'd made a bigger deal when she told me to just fuck off? It was just... bad circumstances. I might have, even. I think I was even half-planning on it, only then I blew up a dungeon and then nothing went according to plan.

She's so different now. But I don't think she wants to be. She just needs a nudge.

I'm overstepping my bounds, I know. This is a bad idea.

But I think I've probably had worse ideas.

Hi I'm sorr I was an ars Look, I didn You weren't supposed to kiss

I'm sorry. I shouldn't hav I think I was a bit of a tosser and I didn't mean to be.

All right. Dorcas Meadowes, age... what, like, twenty-two or something. Bottom line, thinks the Minister of Magic is a Death Eater. Unconfirmed incidence of threat, attempted homicide and arson - (side note: 24th of April, check muggle newspapers for confirmation of a destroyed building, end note). Time between threat and suspected crime: two days. I suspect it took some time to figure out where she lived - (side note: is that public information? Investigate, who has access to that? end note). Victim says Mr Lestrange told her he'd, quote, "Put you in your place", end quote. Also, present: Sirius Black, supposedly seriously...hahaha... oh fuck. Um, right. Severely injured, then. {Side note: Was he admitted to Mungo's? Probably not, because then he'd have to explain his injuries and anything that looked like it was in an actual duel would warrant Department involvement. So who do they know that could treat life-threatening injures? Investigate. End note.) Unforgiveables used, namely the Killing Curse. Later, victim received a severed arm, disposed of later that night by a friend. Nothing since. Now resides with Sirius Black (side note: where? end note).

So. She obviously exhibits a great deal of.. of distrust in the Ministry, presumably just since Lestrange took the big chair. First protest on lack of experience, later caused that disruption with loads of people owling in declarations of candidacy. I dunno she could be lying but I can't think of why. More probably, she's over-exaggerating some of it. I mean I'm looking at it on paper right now and the whole thing just seems way the fuck over the top and I'm still sitting here dictating what I know and trying to find a way to help her. Merlin fuck. And fucked if I know how you can go over the top with receiving body parts in the mail. Was she the only one? What about Black, did he get anything? He exhibits some distrust in the Ministry too, but if he was almost killed, then... well anyway.

And this is all, of course, fucking assuming that she isn't just plain out fucking wrong, which is still a possibility. The man's record is clean, we all already know that. He's young, only a couple years older than me. Lestrange is an old pureblood name, but there are people that deviate from their family's take on things all the time. Doesn't really come down to anything, least not based just on the name. Dorcas was a Gryffindor, stubborn as fuck. It could just be she got the idea in her head. But there's still... there's just no reason. None that she told me or that I can come up with right now. No motive, no reason for her to lie, especially to me. Being dramatic is one thing, but this... attempted homicide is some really heavy, serious shit. You can't just throw that sort of accusation around.

Fuck I don't know. For now, I'll do what I said. Check the muggle papers and at least confirm that story, because if I can't find that, then I've got nothing but her word to go on and as much as I like her and we're friends and all, that isn't nearly enough for me to go on and possibly lose my job over if I get caught. So one step at a time. Fucking fuck shit damn arse bugger twat.

I'm going to bed. Maybe have a fucking night cap. Work tomorrow, work Saturday. Lunch with mum and dad and brothers and.. family shit on Sunday, sleep loads.


Maybe talk to Rita. Dunno. I guess it's over. I mean, it was over anyway but



Merlin fuck. Bed.

Well. That was unexpected.

Merlin, I can't even think about this right now. I'm bloody knackered.

Things will look different in the morning.

And she probably won't remember anyway.

Merlin fuck, today was busy. I'm convinced that weekends make people go absolutely mad and you just take it out on Mondays. Listen, I hate Monday just as much as the next bloke, but honestly, this is getting out of hand. Bonkers, all of you. I barely sat down at all today. Ate lunch between a morning patrol and a theft. Brilliant, really. Fucking aces. Way to kick off my week, England. Cor blimey.

Anyway, I suppose we're coming up on summer. Maybe we'll get a few days were it isn't fucking pissing down. Bit much to hope for, I know. I have confidence that mother nature will listen to me.

My nephew is almost a year old. What do you get a one-year old for his birthday?