thedeptmuggleinterests-blog

[thedeptmuggleinterests-blog]

FlashBack: Hermione and Ron. The Proposal.

Ron: Ron trudged down the stairs; he had bags under his eyes. He had got hardly any sleep, his thoughts had kept him up. It was a miracle that he was able to put clothes on correctly in his current state. Mumbling to himself he sat down at the kitchen table, raking his hand through his messy ginger hair.

Hermione: Hermione smiled at him from her spot at the stove, having been checking on the food. "Oh love...you look terrible," she chuckled affectionately, walking over to him and putting her hand on his shoulder, leaning in to kiss his lips.

Ron: He gave her a weak smile and kissed her back, "I'm fine. Just didn't get much sleep." His smile softened though he was wringing his hands under the table, "er...how are you?”

Hermione: "Fine...I thought you might not've...I felt you tossing and turning all night...you sure you don't want to get some more rest?”

Ron: "No," he said quickly, looking at her for a moment. "No, I'm okay. I'm sorry If I kept you up.”

Hermione: She chuckled, "It's okay," she stroked his cheek. "I didn't mind too much.”

Ron: He blushed a little when she touched his cheek, "you're amazing, you know that?”

Hermione: She grinned, "Took you long enough to realise," she teased him, though her cheeks pinkened. "You want something to drink, love?"

Ron: He laughed awkwardly then shook his head, "No I'm okay. Erm...why don't you just sit down…"

Hermione: She arched her eyebrow, "Um..." she moved to sit down across from him, "Sure....is everything okay?" she asked, starting to feel a bit nervous.

Ron: He coughed a little, "everything is fine, you know just thought you might like to sit...?" His cheeks were almost totally red has he wiped his hands on his trousers. "I er...I love you Hermione.”

Hermione: Hermione laughed lightly, grinning at him adoringly, "I'm fine....I know you love me...I love you too. C'mon...you're starting to freak me out a little.”

Ron: He looked a little worried, "no! please don't be freaked out. Oh bloody hell. erm...right, they will be getting up soon. But er... maybe-no, wait yes..." His eyes kept darting around the room, barely ever meeting her gaze.

Hermione: Hermione's eyebrows raised as she sat up, leaning across the table and taking Ron's face in her hands. She leaned in and kissed his lips, "Ronald Weasley..." she whispered. "Come on now..." she smiled.

Ron: he looked a little startled when she took his face, "right, sorry." Taking a few deep breaths he moved away and stood up, his flushed cheeks turning translucent. "Hermione, you're the greatest woman I've ever known," he began, his voice shaky as he moved to stand by where she was sat.

Hermione: Hermione had slowly resumed her seat when he got up, watching him. She smiled, blushing, "No, I think that'd be your mum, love..." she teased gently, taking his hand.

Ron: "No, it's you." He squeezed her hand, clearing his throat, "Even after 8 years, you still amaze me. You're brilliant and I really love you." He had gone red again, his heart pounding against his chest, "Hermione, I have thought long and hard about this and I er.... I want to be with you my whole life. I'll understand if you don't feel the same, I'm nothing, just a ginger guy with no money and nothing really to offer. But you are everything to me." He took another deep breath, slowly bending onto one knee and looking straight into her eyes.

Hermione: Hermione gasped as she finally realised what he was doing. Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him, her lips slightly parted. “R-Ron..."

Ron: "Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me?" He said it a little rushed, stumbling over a few words, his hand was shaking as he put it in his pocket and took out a ring, modest and beautiful just like her in his eyes. He held it out to her, he brow furrowed with worry that she would say no.

Hermione: Hermione closed her trembling lips and smiled, gulping. She couldn't even trust herself to speak as she nodded, sliding off her chair and wrapping her arms around him, kissing all over his face.

Ron: He grinned, embracing her tightly ,"is that a yes?" he asked, still looking a little on edge.

Hermione: "Yes," she finally managed, her voice quivering with bubbling emotions. "Oh Merlin...yes!" she breathed, her lips finally descending on his eagerly, her fingers slipping into his soft hair.

Ron: He laughed a little with nerves and kissed her back, "thank you. Thank you so much, Hermione." After a moment of just holding her he pulled back slightly and took her hand, "are you sure?" he asked once again, holding the ring to the tip of her finger.

Hermione: "Don't thank me, you fool," she laughed lightly, grinning so widely that she felt like her face was going to stay that way for all time. She bit her lip and nodded, holding out her hand for him better. "I'm so sure, Ron..." she whispered.

Ron: He nodded and slowly slid the ring on her finger, grinning as it fit perfectly.

Hermione: "It's beautiful," she whispered, admiring it. She put her left hand on his cheek, stroking across the freckled skin with her thumb as she stared into his eyes. "I love you so much," she said.

Ron: He blushed, looking down, "I love you. You have no idea how long I have been holding onto that ring, I was so scared you would say no.”

Hermione: "Why would I ever say no?" she responded in disbelief. "Ron, this is exactly what I want," she smiled.

Ron: He smiled timidly and shrugged, "I dunno..." His eyes lifted to meet hers and he grinned before pressing his lips to hers lovingly.

Hermione: She kissed him back sweetly, her fingers stroking circles in his cheeks.

Ron: He swept her into another tight embrace, wanting her as close as possible.

Hermione: She let out a soft little laugh against his lips as she pressed her body against his, pulling his lips into a deeper kiss.

Ron: He smiled against her lips, running his hand through her hair.

Hermione: Slowly pulling away, she grinned, "Is that why you couldn't sleep?”

Ron: He made a sad noise when she pulled away and nodded.

Hermione: "You silly man," she laughed, leaning in to kiss him again.

Ron: he laughed embarrassed, glad she kissed him to cover it up.

Hermione: She hummed against his lips contently, rubbing his sides affectionately.

Ron: He pulled back a little just to whisper, "you're the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Hermione: Hermione blushed, "See, I knew that. I was just waiting for you to figure it out. Took forever!" she teased him lightly.

Ron: "Yeah, sorry.”

Hermione: "She shook her head, "I suppose I can forgive you," she wiggled her eyebrows, still in a playful spirit.

Ron: "Thanks," he laughed.

Hermione: She beamed, "Does Harry know?”

Ron: "He knows I had a ring and he has seen it but he didn't know when I was going to ask, I didn't even know.”

Hermione: "So you've been carrying it around in your pocket for ages?”

Ron: "Well I have moved it to different pockets. I haven't been wearing the same trousers for weeks.”

Hermione: She laughed, "I know that.”

Ron: He grinned, “good."

Hermione: "You're ridiculous," she whispered, putting her forehead against his with a grin.

Ron: Ron blushed, brushing her hair behind her ear gently.

Hermione: "You're also wonderful, and loving....I'm so lucky to have you.”

Ron: His entire face went red and he grinned, "thanks."

Hermione: She laughed, "I love when you blush...d'you think we should get off the floor?”

Ron: He laughed and pulled her in tight, "not just yet," he whispered, kissing her sweetly.

Hermione: She kissed him back, grinning against his lips, her tongue flicking between her lips to gently probe across his.

Ron: He smirked, massaging his tongue against hers with a soft hum.

Hermione: She tickled her fingers under his shirt, humming happily as she felt the new weight of the ring on her finger.

Ron: He shivered a little and smiled, holding her tighter still against him.

Hermione: She pulled back after a moment, "Mm, I feel like we're going to get caught…"

Ron: He quickly nodded, "okay we can stop then.”

Hermione: "Just think if your Mum came down..." she laughed.

Ron: He slowly took his arms off her, "yeah you're right.”

Hermione: She got to her feet and held out her hand for him, "That's not saying you're not getting something celebratory later," she grinned.

Ron: He grinned, blushing again. "I love you.”

Hermione: "I love you too," she beamed.

Ron: He squeezed her hand and just took her in for a moment, letting the yes sink in properly before embracing her again.

Hermione: Hermione smiled at him sweetly as she watched him as he gazed at her. He made her heart feel all fluttery. He made her feel so beautiful. She slid her arms back around him, nuzzling her face in his nape as she leaned into him, just relishing in the feeling of him around her.

Ron: Ron smiled warmly, feeling utterly blissful to have her and to hear her say yes. He had never expected that bushy haired know-it-all would ever mean so much to him but he was so incredibly glad she did.

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[thedeptmuggleinterests-blog]

She’s The Priority. August 5th 2017 (Astoria Tells Blaise the Truth)

Blaise:-Blaise had spent the better part of his day spoiling his daughter, taking her to a shop or two ... or six, to be more precise, and letting her have perhaps one too many sweets. By the time they got home, she seemed ready for a nap. She was all healed up, but she wasn't back to full energy yet. He tucked her in for her nap before he started in on supper. He had a maid that came in a couple times a week to do the cleaning up, but it was the only staff member he obtained, except for an occasional babysitter. He didn't want Aldora to grow up knowing staff better than her own father. He had lived that life and it would stop with him. He poured himself a glass of firewhiskey and sat at the table while it cooked, smoking a cigarette. It was a habit he hadn't quite kicked yet. He may never, really.

Astoria: Astoria paced up and down her room. She'd been waiting for this day for years. She's lost count of the amount of times she had played the conversation she was about to have over and over in her head. But now the day had come, she was nervous and a little scared. The last week had been like a blur, living off coffee and only a few hours sleep. She took a final look in her mirror before apparating to just outside Blaise's home. Her hands started to shake as she walked up the long path to the door. A lump rising in her throat she knocked on the heavy door and took a small step back. Half hoping he wouldn't open it.

Blaise: Blaise heard the knock and let out a sigh, perching the cigarette on the edge of the ashtray before he pushed himself to his feet and walked through the large house to the door. He wasn't sure who it could be; he certainly wasn't expecting anyone. Usually he got some warning by owl or the Twitter. He unlocked the door and opened it, pausing when he saw Astoria. She always managed to knock him off his feet, figuratively speaking, even if he was still rather cross with and disappointed in her. She had been a piss poor mother as of late, and they both knew it. He could forgive her wronging him far easier than he could her wronging their daughter. He stepped back for her to come in. "Hello. She's having a nap, now, but she'll have to be up before long to eat."

Astoria: She gave him a small smile, trying to avoid his eyes. She was very clearly nervous as she cleared her throat and took a step in. "Okay." she said softly. "How is she feeling?" Astoria hadn't seen Aldora since the day before; Potter had kept her busy.  As she walked past Blaise she got a whiff of smoke and sighed a little, a habit she never really appreciated he had, but she knew she was in no place to judge. "But I'm here to see you," she looked in his almond shaped eyes, "we need to talk."

Blaise: ”She’s better," he told her, closing the door behind her and locking it back up. "She's mostly herself again, but she's gotten tired today a little easier than normal. We did a lot today though, so that might have contributed to it," he answered. He knew that Astoria loved their daughter; he had never doubted that. He looked surprised then, when she told him she was there to see him. He let out a chuckle, then, shaking his head a touch as he made his way back through to check on the food. "Ah, what anyone wants to hear. We need to talk. I thought that line was for those that weren't yet broken up."

Astoria: Astoria smiled sadly as he spoke of Aldora. She knew she would never be able to shake the guilt of what she had done to her. As Blaise began to walk away, she watched him, her eyes falling toward his perfectly round bum, a habit that she'd never be able to kick. Remembering herself, she shook her head gently and followed him through to the kitchen. "Maybe so, Blaise, but this is important." She walked up to a counter, resting her hands on it, watching him carefully.

Blaise:-Blaise gave a nod as he reached for the cigarette, taking a drag from it. He blew the smoke away from her, knowing she didn't care for the habit. There were a lot of things she had done lately he didn't care for either, so he didn't stop for her benefit. He was still, however, polite and thoughtful while indulging. "Do you want anything to drink?" He offered, looking back over at her, standing with his free hand on the table.

Astoria: ”Firewhiskey, please," she answered without a thought. "Actually, no. Just water." Her fingers tapped lightly on the bench-top as she tried to gather the courage to begin. "What are you cooking?" she spoke quickly, clearly just killing time.

Blaise: He nodded and pursed his cigarette between his lips, getting her some water from the pitcher that resided in the fridge. He handed the glass out to her, pausing at her question. "Quit stalling, Ria. I know you didn't come to talk about food."

Astoria: She took the glass from him, touching his hand gently then moving away quickly and setting it down on the counter. "Right," she paused for a moment. "It's about Nott, Potter...and well everything I guess."

Blaise: When she touched his hand, he had to stifle the urge to pull her into him. She was so nervous, so worked up, and he didn't have any idea as to why. His brow pulled in, moving to sit at his spot at the kitchen table. "What do they have to do with anything?"

Astoria: She ran her hand through her hair, and bit her lip. "So you remember six years ago right? when I ..." she trailed off. "stupid, of course you do." She wanted to scream at this point, she didn't know how to get it out, how to start. Picking up the glass she took a drink to relieve her dry mouth.

Blaise: Blaise looked at her for a long moment before he sighed, snuffing out his cigarette and getting to his feet. "Ria, it's me," he told her gently. "It's just me. You don't ..." he rubbed his face. "You don't have to tiptoe around whatever it is you have to say."

Astoria: She watched him and sighed. "Right. Sorry."  She ran her hands down her robes and began, "Before the trial, I was taken aside by Potter and Shacklebolt. They gave me a choice, Azkaban or become an informant." Astoria watched him intently, in all the time she had played this talk in her head she couldn't predict how he would react.  "Basically, I've spent the last six years working with Potter."

Blaise: Blaise hesitated, not sure what to say, not sure how he felt. He had wondered then, how they had gotten so lucky, how she had managed not to have to go away for her crime. He had thought better than to ask too many questions, instead accepting it and moving on. What else would he do? It was the best case scenario so he knew better than to ask why. He slowly nodded, reaching to take a drink of his firewhiskey. "And why didn't you tell me? In all these years..."

Astoria: ”I didn't have a choice. No one could know, and even now, it can't be public knowledge." She fidgeted slightly on the spot, "I've wanted more than anything to tell you but I really couldn't. If it got out not only would my life be in danger but so would yours and most importantly, Aldora's"

Blaise: He frowned. "But it's me. You know that I wouldn't have said anything to anyone. You can't tell me that Potter wouldn't have told his wife if he was in your position. Did you even really cheat on me, then? What is even true anymore?"

Astoria: She moved toward him, "Blaise, please. I'm sorry. What if you had got drunk one time and said something to someone? I didn't enjoy lying to you or missing all of this. But it was better, easier if you all thought i was that person, a drunk, a waste." She looked at him sadly, ignoring his mention of her cheating.

Blaise: He stepped back, his frown deepening. "You should have known better," he told her. "Should have trusted me. Did you cheat?" He pushed her. He needed to know. He wasn't sure what truth would be better. "And why would you think it would be better if we all thought you were that way?"

Astoria: Her heart sank as he stepped away and she looked down, "yes, I cheated. And it was better that way. If everyone thought I was that way, it made it so much easier to be that person. The shit I was made to do Blaise. Fuck." she began to raise her voice, it really was not going how she had wanted it.

Blaise: He flexed his jaw. "Did Potter make you cheat, too?" He asked, managing to keep his voice level. "And what was this shit, Ria? I bet you can't tell me that, either, can you?" He didn't know who he was angrier with.

Astoria: ”No, Potter did not make me cheat. That was all on me," She knew how easy it would have been to blame Harry for breaking his heart but she couldn't bring herself to. "All I want is to be here, with you, with Aldora. I know I fucked up and I'm not asking you to be okay with it, I just want you to know." She moved toward him again, "more importantly, I need to tell you about Nott."

Blaise: He let out a long breath, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers and closing his eyes. He wasn't going to yell at her, wasn't going to fight. He didn't want Aldora to wake up, to hear them, to see them, like that. He didn't move away from her this time, slowly opening his eyes again to look at her, to take her in again. "Alright," he said finally.

Astoria: ”Nott was the one bringing in the Inferius," she took a deep breath. "He was the one that made our baby sick."

Blaise: His expression shifted. It was a dangerous shift. His nostrils flared as his hands instinctively checked for his wand, making sure it was in his pocket. "H-He what?" He asked her, his voice low, quiet. He was the quietest when he was past anger, when he had a harder time seeing, listening to sense.

Astoria: Watching his anger rise made Astoria relax in a way she couldn't explain. "I made Potter promise that he would be my last case, job thing. I spent three months pretending to be his friend to get any sort of information for the Ministry. I know that I fucked up and let Aldora down but as I said, I didn't really have a choice."  She looked down, ashamed, "but I wasn't good enough. If I had done a better job this never would have happened, she would never had gone through that.”

Blaise: ”You can't blame yourself for someone else being a piece of shit," he muttered; his hand shaking as he rubbed the top of his head. "Where is he now? He sure as hell better be in Azkaban or I'll kill him myself," he said fiercely.

Astoria: ”I can blame myself for being there. Right there as he sold drugs to teenagers. Teenagers who fucking died, Blaise!" There was anger in her voice, "and I laughed and joked as he did it." Astoria's eyes fell to his glass, "last time I saw him he was at the ministry, in custody. Covered in his own blood" She smirked a little at the memory, only wishing Harry had given her more time alone with him.

Blaise: ”If the Ministry made you wait it out, that's hardly your fault! It's their fault for putting you in that position. The blood is on their hands. Not yours," he reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "It's on them," he muttered. He sighed out. "It's a shame, really. I would have liked to have seen him first."

Astoria: Her body softened as soon as he touched her, looking up at him she spoke softly. "Thank you. I can guarantee you that Nott won't ever be seeing the light of day again. Or speaking to anyone for that matter." She got lost in her thought for a moment, "but he didn't get even a touch of what he deserves."

Blaise: He slowly nodded. "I'm sure you're right," he sighed as he slowly stepped away from her to take another drink from his glass. "So, you're officially done with all of that, then?" He asked, after a long moment. His mind was on overload. He was still undeniably angry with Nott, but satisfied that he was locked away. Disappointed that he didn't get the chance with him, but relieved that he also hadn't had the chance to kill him. He wasn't so sure that he would have been able to help himself.

Astoria: ”I'm done. I made him promise." She watched him drink enviously. "Blaise, all I want is my life back. I'm not asking you to take me back. I-I just, needed you to know that it wasn't my choice to be that person. To let you down, to let Aldora down."

Blaise: Blaise set his glass down, slowly nodding his head. "I'm glad," he said finally. "That it wasn't you, that you're still the woman that I fell in love with, that I've known all my life," he sighed. "But I... you were still unfaithful to me. And when I tried to take you back a few days ago, you refused me."

Astoria: ”I'm not here to get you back. I really don't expect you to." Astoria moved her hand across the counter to him, "Blaise, I will never not be in love with you. A few days ago I couldn't, I had a job to do."

Blaise: He slowly reached forward to put his hand over hers. "I... the only way that I could properly give it a go would be if you could swear that you would never do it again," he told her.

Astoria: Calm rushed over her when his warm hand rested on hers. She smiled at him  sadly, "I think I need time. I think you need time. I can't put you or Aldora though whatever shit is going to happen over the next little while. I have a lot of wrongs to right and as much as I wish I could do it by your side. I want to come back to you a better woman."

Blaise: He sighed and moved his hand away from hers. "Then I suppose all I can ask is if you can promise that you will come back to me," he told her. "Come back to Aldora. Be her mum. Our parents didn't do us any favours, and lord knows we deserved better. And so does she."

Astoria: She made a fruitless effort to grab his hand before it moved away, instead she sighed and rested hers by her side.  "I know that I have been an awful mother. It petrifies me to think my own daughter knows Daphne more than me but I will make it right. If you'll let me," Her eyes took in all his face. It hurt her so much to see something other than just love in his eyes when he looked at her. "If you'll let me, I'd like to come round everyday.  I missed it all and it kills me. Please don't let me miss anything else."

Blaise: He slowly nodded. "No more coming around drunk though, please," he told her. "I know you said a lot of that had to do with Nott, so I'm just asking you not to let that habit continue. She misses you, Ria. And I want to help you make it right."

Astoria: ”I don't intend to drink anymore,"she said abruptly. "I've had enough. All I want to be is her mum."

Blaise: He looked at her carefully as he walked to her. He nodded and reached up to tenderly stroke her cheek. "I believe you," he told her.

Astoria: She lifted her hand to touch his, tilting her head into his palm a little. "I've given you no reason to let me back into her life and I've done some awful things. Some really awful things but I promise I will not let her down again."

Blaise: ”I know that you won't," he told her. "I've never doubted that you love her, Ria, only that you struggled to show it," he said, sighing softly. "But I believe you."

Astoria: She rested her free hand gently on his chest, "Blaise, I want you to know. To really know that I was never lying or pretending when it was just us. "

Blaise: Blaise swallowed and picked up her hand to kiss her palm. "I know," he mumbled. "It's why I wanted to marry you." He had never admitted it to her before.

Astoria: Her brow creased as she spoke softly, "Blaise."  Her eyes fell shut and her head hung a little, racing with how things could have been if she had not screwed up all those years ago. She took his hand from her face to hold it, maybe a little too tightly. "I would have said yes in and instant. But at least now you know better." She half smiled, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

Blaise: Blaise sighed. "I don't know that I know better," he told her as he watched her carefully, wondering desperately what was going through her mind. "It isn't like I wouldn't still, someday."

Astoria: Astoria smirked a little, "you're love is so unconditional, it's extraordinary." Wishing she could hold him but unsure of what was really appropriate anymore or under the circumstances. They're break up was odd to say the least; there aren't many exes who occasionally sleep together.

Blaise: ”I wouldn't say that it's unconditional," he smiled at her. "But lets just say that I'll always remember the sweet little girl in the common room." He reached up to brush some hair out of her eyes.

Astoria: She blushed, watching him intently as he touched her, "not exactly my coolest moment. But I'm glad I had both you and Draco."

Blaise: He chuckled. "I never loved you for being cool," he told her. "I couldn't have given a fuck about that," he said. He hesitated and then tilted his head down to kiss her gently.

Astoria: She smiled, closing her eyes as she kissed him back a little harder.

Blaise: He sighed against her lips as his hands shifted, his arms moving instead to encircle her and bring her closer to him.

Astoria: A small murmur left her lips, her body melting into him as she lost herself in him.

Blaise: He slowly pulled back, his breath a bit hard, hot as it coiled against her lips. "Stay the night," he whispered, "have dinner with us."

Astoria: ”I'd love to have dinner with you both," She smiled, lifting her hand to touch his cheek, "but I won't stay the night."

Blaise: ”Just one last time for awhile, Ria. Please? I'm not even saying after sex or anything like that."

Astoria: Astoria’s hand gently stroked the nape of his neck. "Of course I'll stay. Anything you want."

Blaise: ”I just think it might be nice," he told her with a lopsided smile.

Astoria: ”It would be nice, I just don't want to confuse Aldora."

Blaise: ”No, I know that," he assured her.

Astoria: She took a small step back from him, moving her hand down his arm as she did. "She's the priority here. We've both already left her confused with whatever weird games we've been playing. I don't want her to think we are back together if I stay. So I'll leave before she wakes."

Blaise: ”That's fine," he agreed. "That's what I would have suggested anyway," he told her. "The last thing I want is to confuse her. I'm just glad that things are going to get better for her. For us, as a family," he said, turning to finish his firewhiskey.

Astoria: She watched him drink, letting out a soft sigh. "Blaise, things aren't going to be that easy. You know that, right? It won't all fall into place and be perfect. I want to be with you, I have no doubt in my mind over that. But I'm a mess and you're a mess. Let's go slow. Let's rediscover ourselves and eachother. Because I've spent the last 6 years being an exaggerated version of the sides of me I despise. You and Aldora both deserve perfection. "

Blaise: ”Love," he looked a bit surprised and smiled. "I meant as a family with us both still being apart. Co-parenting. Doing more things with Aldora together but still not being with one another yet. I know it's going to take time. There's a lot that I have to work out in my own head too.  It wouldn't be fair to either of us or her if we just rushed back into things. I never wanted them to just be as they were suddenly. Don't worry about that, alright?"

Astoria: ”Right," she said quickly. "Erm, so I guess for real this time. What is for dinner? "

Blaise: He laughed. "Uh, stew with some vegetables from the market. Aldora asked I make it. It's her favourite thing to have when she's feeling a bit yucky."

Astoria: She smiled at him, then looked a little sad. She should know that. There was so much that she should know. "Your cooking was always surprising good."

Blaise: He chuckled. "I blame the chef, and partly my mum, for that. Just don't spread it around that I'm actually good at something like that. I could pass you the recipe, if you want. For when she's with you and she's feeling ill," he looked to her with a smile. He wanted to help her make it up to her.

Astoria: ”I always thought it was kind of sexy. Good with your hands and all," she smirked, laughing a little then smiling sweetly. "I'd love that, Blaise . I really would."

Blaise: He laughed. "Oh, well, in that case, tell anyone you want," he winked at her as he went to tend to the food. "Sure. I can put together something with some of the recipes to things she likes. She would eat the lemon cake every day if I let her."

Astoria: ”I'm not telling a soul. I don't need any competition right now." She walked over to him, leaning against the counter to watch him. "So she's got a sweet tooth like her mum then. "

Blaise: He grinned. "Worried someone may want to snatch me up, are you?" He teased her. "She does," he confirmed. "She's ... quite a bit like you. At least your soft side."

Astoria: She nudged him jokingly, "you're like one of those...what are they called? DILF. Thank you but I do hope she's not too much like me, we both know how I attract drama."

Blaise: He laughed. "Well, that's certainly good to know," he grinned. "And nah. She's more chill than you are," he teased, nudging her back.

Astoria: ”And hopefully not as chill as you, or she'll never do anything other than sleep," she smirked, enjoying this time with him. It had been  a long time since she allowed herself to tease and joke around him.

Blaise: ”Well, we do take a lot of naps around here," he laughed. "I'll be a bit sad once that stops," he told her, glad that it felt comfortable. It was nice, in a way it hadn't been for a long time.

Astoria: She laughed, "I can just imagine it. Aldora, Windsor and you all curled up..." She trailed off, thinking of it, almost envious and a little sad. "Why would it stop?" She looked at him a little confused.

Blaise: ”That's basically it," he chuckled. "I'm glad for the big bed," he added. He shrugged as he got down the bowls. "Because she'll get older. Grow out of taking regular naps."

Astoria: ”Could always have another," She laughed, watching him struggle before resting her hand on his lower back to help support him.

Blaise: He smiled at her. "Thanks," he told her, before he started to fill them. He looked over at her and laughed. "That's true. That wouldn't be so bad."

Astoria: ”Yeah. Maybe let's wait a few years," she laughed. "And also, be in a relationship."

Blaise: He laughed. "Yeah, no, I'm not in any hurry," he assured her. "Do you want to go get Aldora and I'll finish up here?" He smiled at her. He was glad for this, happy to have her there and to spend time as a family, even a slightly fractured one. He was optimistic at least, that things would finally start to get better.

Astoria: She nodded, touching his arm as she left the room to head upstairs. Aldora was still napping when she opened her door. She looked peaceful, and to Astoria, the most beautiful thing.  She walked up to her bed, kneeling on the ground to watch her for a moment, taking in the whole of her face before kissing her gently on the forehead to wake her. Astoria knew she wasn't a perfect mother and probably never would be, but looking at Aldora filled her with enough love to at try. She scooped her up in her arms, sitting her on her left hip while Aldora woke up rubbing her eyes. Neither of them said anything, she just nuzzled into her mums neck. Astoria smiled, stroking her leg as she carried her downstairs and into the kitchen to eat.

[thedeptmuggleinterests-blog]

Inferius. Part 4: A Serpents Fall From Grace.  (4th August 2017)

Harry:The entire operation took approximately 47 minutes to complete before Harry and Ron had Theodore Nott in their custody.

It hadn't been easy, Nott's henchmen were skilled bastards that gave as good as they got and then some. Both parties suffered minor injuries, with confundus charms and stupefy's being flung out by the Auror's, but Nott's party didn't hold back as they shot sectumsempra's and confringus charms at Harry, Ron and their team.

One by one, the Auror's picked them off like chips off a block of wood, slowly edging forward to Nott manor. By the time they had reached the basement, Nott had been alerted of their presence and was more than ready for them. The Goblin who he was dealing with quickly made his exit and immediately apparated away with his wizard crony.

For the next fifteen minutes, Theo taunted Harry, who fought hard against him, Ron reigning him in when he hit a bit too hard. He couldn't wait to send the bastard down, especially when he sent a cruciatus curse his way, Harry dodged it like a bullet.  He and Ron circled Nott, sweat covering them in the humid basement. Theo had a bloodied nose and frenzied eyes as he laughed in their faces. A creak on the floorboards above them distracted him long enough for Ron to cast a  Petrificus Totalus and they had him in their improsonment. Now, here he was in cell number one, down in the underbelly of the Ministry of Magic awaiting his fate...

Ron: Ron rolled his shoulder blades down his back, pulling on his tattered robes. He had just spent the last 20 minutes getting tided up by a mediwitch in his office. He was tired, but the thrill of the fight and the thought of bringing Nott down was enough to keep him going. He knew he didn't understand fully how Harry must be feeling, but Ron felt an anger he hadn't known in a long while. As he reached the door to the cell, his body tensed. He took a moment, shaking it off before opening the door. "Nott."

Harry: Harry leant over the bathroom sink and breathed heavily. It had been intense but they finally had him, and for that, he was happy. He had all of the evidence against him, Nott didn't have a leg to stand on... Harry straightened up and stretched out his back, listening to the satisfying clicks of his spine before unbuttoning and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He chanted to himself in his head as he made his way down to the cell 'Stay calm. Breathe.' He ran his hand through his hair as he approached the door. Without bothering to knock, he grabbed the handle and swung the door open, spying the bright red hair of his friend and colleague and the tattered, bloodied Nott. "Let's get this done shall we?"

Theo: Nott sat on a steel chair, the cool metal against his ripped shirt soothed the gash on his upper arm that Harry had inflicted. On the top of his head his hair had been singed off, both is eyes were black from a fall to the floor and he felt a few of his ribs may be broken. His piercing blue eyes starred at Harry challengingly. The corner of his mouth was upturned, he looked almost pleased with himself; slouching with his legs stretched out and crossed at the ankle.

Ron: Ron watched Harry enter the room, trying to read him as best he could before turning to Nott. His lips pursed and his anger increased looking at the casual way Nott sat, the way he was baiting Harry for a reaction. It was how he held himself that infuriated Ron the most. He’d just been caught and arrested but still, Theodore Nott looked like he’d won. Ron’s eyes narrowed as he leant against the stone wall, letting the silence stew for a moment.

Harry: Harry strode over to Theo, the smirk on his face wide and intimidating. "The stone walls of Azkaban are going to see a lot of that, are they?" he chuckled darkly "Looking at our evidence and the crimes you've committed it looks like you won't be seeing daylight for about....30 years? At least." Harry wandered over to the steel table that sat a meter or so away from Nott and picked up the file that sat upon it, flicking through it gently. "Being in possession of lethal drugs such as 'Inferius', Being involved in numerous deals on the black market, robbery, harming with the intent to kill or seriously maim... tut tut tut" he clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth. "My, my we have been a naughty wizard..."

Theo: His jaw clenched as he swallowed, his eyes not leaving Harry’s while he spoke. Nott let out a short huff and leant forward in his seat, cracking his neck as he did. “Names. Is that what you want? I’ll give you names,” He spoke clearly and confidently, “I have no loyalty to anyone.”

Harry: ”Names? You think I only want names, Nott?" Harry slammed his fist against the table, causing the smack to echo in the dark room. "You nearly killed my son!" He yelled "My two year old son, who, along with thirteen other young children currently lies in St Mungo's, crying and covered head-to-toe in deadly boils because of you!" He pointed his finger right in Theo's face. "And you sit here, looking like the cat who caught the fucking canary!?" He took a moment to breathe and calm down, glancing at Ron and nodding that he was okay when his friend gave him a concerned look, before turning back to his prisoner. "Who did you buy the Inferius from?"

Theo: Nott’s body jolted slightly as Harry's voice echoed in the small room. "I don't know anything about any kids," his voice was beginning to loose it's calmness, "my business isn't in hurting children." He glanced over at Ron, wondering why the hell the man was even in the room if he was just going to lean against the wall. He looked back over to Harry, "You've got the wrong man, Potter."

Harry: Harry leaned back onto the steel table. "My sources tell me different." Harry lifted his wand up to inspect the handle of it as he continued. "How well do you know Astoria Greengrass?"

Theo: Nott took in a deep breath, his eyes filling with rage. "Astoria," He mouthed. He replayed their altercation from a few hours ago in his head. "Fucking Astoria Greengrass. She's a drunk, a whore. You can't trust a thing that bitch says," Nott spat.  "And I sure as Salazar had nothing to do with your bratts getting sick!"

Harry:Harry could feel his fist begin to clench as Nott said the word 'brats'. He raised his wand and pressed it to Theo's throat, turning it as he put pressure on it. "Watch your tongue, Nott" he growled. "You're right though, YOU certainly can't trust a word Greengrass says... after all, she is my mole." He waited a moment to let it hit Nott, the fact that a woman who he considered to be a reliable confidant was actually going behind his back with a blade at all times. "And as for having nothing to do with the children... what were your whereabouts on Saturday 5th August? In the morning?”

Theo: He ran his hand through his hair as he felt Harry’s wand against his throat. He pressed his body into the chair, looking away from Harry. “I’ll fucking kill her,” He muttered under his breath. His eyes were on the floor as he replayed his movements from the previous days. “I don’t know,“ He said sternly. “Doing the usual stuff, I was most likely at The Den.” Nott’s eyes moved over to Ron, trying to avoid looking at Harry who was far too close to his face for comfort. “I think maybe I went to  a fucking kiddie play thing.”

Harry: The pressure on his wand increased slightly and Harry turned his head slightly to face Ron. "Send that owl, would you? I'm nearly done" he said, nodding at his friend, before turning back to his prisoner. "We have got cctv footage of you entering a play centre at 10:06am on that morning. You met with one of your bits of skirt there, Ivy Wittering? She was more than willing to tell all after a drop of veritaserum... How you were messing about in one of the play areas and one of your vials of Inferius cracked in your pocket." His eyes were menacing now, thinking about how his child, merely a couple of hours after had toddled over that same spot, contracting the awful illness that was now plaguing his poor little body. How it could have killed him. "You were even trying to peddle the stuff to her and her friends! Is that what you want, Nott? Get as many young, innocents on this shit so it can fuel your dirty little business and fill your robes with filthy bloody cash?"

Ron: Ron watched the two men carefully.  As Harry called on him, he caught his eye, questioning silently if he was sure before looking quickly at Nott and nodding sharply to Harry. Ron turned to leave, hoping to Merlin Harry didn’t get too carried away while he was gone.

Theo: Theo watched Ron leave, his heart started to beat heavier against his chest realising it would be just him and Harry. “Look Harry,” He said hurriedly, “people will buy that stuff regardless of who it is that’s selling it. I was making money and people enjoyed the product. I…Even Greengrass used it a couple of times. I’m not the bad guy here. All the guys below me who went out selling, you want them! I’ll give you names, addresses, anything.” He looked Harry in the eye, his face was almost frantic, “Harry, you don’t want to do anything. I mean they will know it was you.”

Harry: ”Who will know it was me, Theo?" The bitter satisfaction began to fester inside Harry as he watched Theodore Nott begin to panic. "Don't you even bring Astoria back into this... she did what she had to do for me" he snapped. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on his forehead and he wiped at them with the back of his hand. "Now, who did you buy it from? I won't ask again. Or do I have to hex it out of you? Do you not even have an ounce of care in the world that you nearly killed a group of innocent children!?"

Theo: Nott kept his eyes on Harry’s wand. “Okay. Okay!” He said quickly, hoping that it would make Potter back away from him, or at least lower his wand from his neck.  “He’s a Bulgarian bloke, I don’t know his real name but goes by Zmiya. He’s been making the stuff out of an abandoned barn in the outskirts of some city there.” Nott sat himself up, rubbing his face with his hand, “Look, Potter. It’s not like I did anything to any kids on purpose, and it’s not like anyone who bought off me didn’t get what they paid for. I’m just a guy who saw a gap in the market and filled it. The people wanted a service, and I provided.”

Harry: ”Don't go all entrepreneurial on me you sick fuck" snarled Harry, as he leant down into his face. "Do you know how many people you have killed with your "product"? How many lives you have endangered!? Imagine your own niece or nephew laying in hospital dying because of this. I'm pretty sure you'd be baying for blood." He turned away from Nott and crossed his arms. "This will go to trial and you WILL be prosecuted. No matter how much you beg, we have the evidence." He turned again to face the raven haired serpent, "Azkaban has a cell with your name on it Theodore Nott and I hope to Merlin that you rot like you deserve, thinking about what you have done."

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https://twitter.com/MacMcLaggen

https://twitter.com/mionejane

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https://twitter.com/DGreengrassx

https://twitter.com/BlaisetheBomb

https://twitter.com/DracoTheGod

[thedeptmuggleinterests-blog]

Inferius. Part 3: We’ve Got What We Need.  (4th August 2017)

Astoria: The summer breeze blew through her hair, causing it to cover her eyes briefly. She swept it back behind her ear, only to spot the deep red gash on the palm of her hand. An injury she hadn't had time to heal with a charm yet. She had news to deliver, news far more important than the wound, which now she had re-noticed, was throbbing. Astoria walked hurriedly through the Ministry. She had no time to Owl or use any of the numerous messaging systems her and Harry had employed over the year. Her normally calm exterior was showing its cracks. The countless sleepless nights and worry had got to her but she finally had it. She had what she needed to get Nott arrested, to get her life back. Her eyes darted around as her feet carried her hurriedly through the offices until she reached the door to a room she has only been in once. 'Harry Potter- Head Auror' She opened it with no care for who was inside and leaving behind a streak of blood on the handle. And in a hasted breath, "I've got it! I've got what you need!"

  Harry: Harry leapt out of his seat and grabbed his wand, thrusting it towards the door. He heaved a huge sigh of relief when he realised who it was, "For gods sake Astoria! Never do that to me again, you frightened the soul out of me!" He gasped, making his way over to her. He ushered her inside, poking his head out of the door and looking around to see if her presence had been noted and as he went to close the door, he noticed the blood. "Are you bleeding?" He said, swiftly casting a scourgify before closing and locking the door.

  Astoria: She watched him move around, herself a ball of anxious energy.  Waving her hand she moved passed his comment on her cut. And without giving Harry a chance to settle,  she stood in the middle of the room and began. "Tonight's the night. It's the best chance you're going to get. He's having one of his parties but this isn't the normal sort. Tonight he's buying. It's going to be at his family's home." She took a breath, she was speaking far faster than she normally would and she still had so much to say. "Under the ballroom. The cellar. He's meeting with the manufacturer. Tonight Harry. They call it Inferius.  It makes the taker go into some sort of zombie state. Seriously dangerous stuff." She stopped. Took another deep breath and looked down at her hand. "I can't help you anymore Harry..." Her voice was direct as she looked up at him

 Harry: He watched her with wide eyes as he took in all of the information she was spewing at him, his brain putting it all together like a puzzle in his head. When he heard the word 'Inferius' he twitched 'I've heard that word before' he thought 'Padma told us it's what had affected the children'. He was squinting at her now, his brain tick, tick, ticking away as he watched her looking at her hand. "What happened to you there, Tori?" He asked slowly and calmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And how did you cut your hand?"

 Astoria: Astoria had put two and two together as soon as Padma mentioned it. Before arriving at the hospital she had come from The Den where Nott was being unusually boastful about his new find. Mentioning how he'd tested it out on a few test subject and loved the product. She would have gone straight to Nott that day if her daughter hadn't been lying in a hospital bed nearly fighting for her life. Astoria looked Harry straight in the eyes, "He hurt my daughter.  You think I was just going to let him get away with that?" Her voice rising as her grip tightened around her wand, that she hadn't realised she was still holding,  so much her nails dug into her uninjured palm "He was lucky and I guess I was too. His bodyguard was there. I barely touched him but believe me he will have trouble getting rid of the burning welt that's now on his chest." Her jaw clenched and her eyes filled with rage."I swear to Salazar if you don't catch him, Potter, I will find him myself and torture him until his skin rots off. "

 Harry: Harry took in all of the information, slowly coming to realise that Nott had been the supplier of the Inferius - the one that had nearly killed his child. He clenched his fists and looked at the floor trying to let it all sink in, but the fury was bubbling up inside of him. "Are you saying that HE was the one that had the drug at the play centre?! I can't believe I haven't put it together... I'm so exhausted I can't think" he looked up at her and gestured to her hand "And what the fuck were you thinking?" The curse word felt foreign on his lips but he didn't care, he was too angry. "You could have blown this whole thing! He could have cottoned on to the whole entire scheme and be half around the world with a suitcase full of bloody polyjuice potion by now!? You should have come to me straight away as soon as you knew! He could have KILLED you!" He screamed.

 Astoria: She watched the anger grow in his face, his whole body tensing up. Had it been any other situation she wouldn’t have let him talk to her that way, but she understood his pain more than anyone else could. Had she worked harder she could have got the information before all of this happened. Before their children ended up in hospital. She let him finish, allowing him the time to express his anger before moving toward him and speaking in a low harsh tone, “I am sorry but do you blame me? That animal wanted me there, it was the first time we had made contact since the hospital. Would you have honestly dealt with it in a different way? Face to face with the thing that hurt your child?” Astoria looked down at her hand, “He doesn’t know I work for you. It all happened so fast that I’m not even sure he knows why I did it. But you need to move fast, Potter. Move before he catches on.”

 Harry: The blood boiled in Harry's veins as he listened to her speak. He didn't blame her for what she had done at all, he was just thoroughly pissed off at her for nearly blowing the whole plot, and it still being at risk of it being foiled. In fact, right at that moment, he was thinking of all the ways he could kill Theodore Nott and make it look like an accident. Harry hadn't felt this way in a very, very long time, but nobody touched his family and got away with it... Now, he had to act fast before Nott slipped away and disappeared to Timbuktu. "Go back to your daughter and stay there, do you understand?" It wasn't a question, but an order. "You're not to follow me." He murmured "You're done now." Harry strode over to the door, taking his wand out of his pocket once more and turning to face her, he muttered a 'Vulnera Sanentur' to heal the wound on her hand before giving the witch a soft nod in thanks and disappearing down the hall. He had a Weasley to find.

  Harry: The smacking of his shoes against the polished marble floor was deafening, as Harry Potter all but sprinted his way down the corridor. He skidded to a halt outside a door which held a polished gold sign saying 'Ronald B Weasley - Deputy Head Auror' and without knocking he swung the door open and slammed it shut behind him. "Ron I need your help"

 Ron: Ron looked up, eyes wide like a cat in headlights as his fourth danish of the day hung from his mouth. "Uhh," He managed to mumble before removing the dangling pastry from his lips. "Harry! What's going on?"

 Harry: He began to pace immediately, a thin coating of sweat forming on his brow as he figured out how to tell Ron about this horrendous situation. He sat down and then abruptly stood again, pacing once more. "It's... it's hard to explain but I need you to help me and promise you won't get angry... but it's something I've had to do and had to keep from you, from everyone. Shacklebolts orders."

 Ron: Ron wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his robe and watched Harry a little confused. "Well if you tell me not to be angry, you've already got me worried.” He creased his brow and huffed, "I promise. What is it?"

 Harry: Harry told him everything. From the moment he was approached by Shacklebolt about the scheme with Astoria, meeting with her in secret every week for the past 6 years, to the whole Nott situation and him being the one who was responsible for Inferius and infecting the children. "We need to go and get him tonight." He scrabbled "Astoria went there and attacked him, she didn't give anything away but he could be putting two and two together right now. We need to get to him before he disappears..."

 Ron: Ron had listened in silence as Harry told his almost unbelievable tale. An alliance with Astoria? Nott? 6 years? He was confused as hell and although he promised, he was most definitely angry, Harry had never kept something like this from him. After a while of reflection, Ron stood. "Right. Well I guess we'd best go get him then."

 Harry: "I'm sorry, mate" Harry said. Ron didn't look happy at all... "You know what Shacklebolt is like, if I had told you and he found out I would be sacked!" He sighed "Keeping it from you, Ginny, Mione, everyone has been one of the hardest things ever. You know how honest I am." He scratched his beard and took his wand from his pocket. "When this is done, we can go to the pub and I will answer anything. Right now I just want to find the bastard who poisoned my son and put him in Azkaban..."

 Ron: He swallowed and nodded at Harry. His fury at Nott taking over his anger at Harry. "Where are we off to? I'm ready," he said curtly, reaching for his jacket.

 Harry: "Nott manor.." Harry murmured as he strode over to the door "There's a deal happening under the ballroom. I'm not sure how many there'll be and there's sure to be numerous guards so stay alert. And Ron?" He paused, gulping "Don't let me kill him..."

 Ron: Ron put his hand on Harry's shoulder, "I'll try mate but there may just be a fight for that when certain parents find out." He tried to give him a sympathetic smile, Ron had no idea how Harry could possibly be feeling- Albus was his nephew but to have this happen to your child? "What's the plan? Surround the place? "

  Harry: Harry nodded "Half the team will surround and you and I will go in, stupefying as we go until we get to Nott. We arrest all of the ones involved with the deal. Nott goes straight to cell one so he can be interrogated first..." he paused "Then we get the forensic team in to collect evidence"

 Ron: "Sounds good, mate." Ron walked toward the door, his energy increasing but wishing ever so slightly that he hadn't just eaten so many pastries.

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Inferius.  Part 2: St Mungos (2nd August 2017)

Padma:There was a steady thrum of pain behind Padma's forehead, as she waved an engorgio spell over the samples of blood. She couldn't believe what she had found, so had to triple check it before she passed any information on to Albus and Aldora's parents. Working as a healer was Padma's passion and a profession that she found fascinating, but right now she felt nothing but tension and stress. It had been a long few days to say the least and the fact that she was treating her close friends' and a pair of former Slytherin's children, the pressure was starting to get to her, let alone the exhaustion. She glanced up at the clock and bit her lip, knowing she was behind, but as she waved a final incantation over the samples, her eyes widened and she let out a short gasp. She snatched up her clipboard and ran out into the corridor, heading to the paediatric ward.

 Daphne: After just arriving in the paediatric ward of St Mungo, a large buttered cappuccino in her hand, Daphne was clueless as to which direction to head in. She had originally headed to the hospital to see Padma, however at the request of her younger sister, Daphne had been asked to stick around and pressure the healers and mediwitches for information about Aldora.

Spotting Padma further along the corridor, Daphne began to follow. "Padma..." She shouted after her, not waiting for an answer before trying to get her attention again. "Padma!"

 Padma: Padma skidded to a halt as she was about to fly round a corner to another corridor. "Daphne!" She beamed, and scurried quickly over to her. Their online conversations had been friendly, although the two witches hadn't actually conversed properly in person, Padma was happy to see her and the large steaming coffee in her hand. "You are far too kind" she said, gesturing to the coffee. "I don't think I've slept properly for the past three days...not that it matters" she stumbled "I just want the answers as much as anyone else"

 Daphne: "You're doing me a favour, so bringing you coffee is the least I can do." Daphne held the cup out to Padma, smiling at her. "Are you heading to the ward? I'm supposed to be helping Astoria find out what's going on?"

 Padma: She took the cup carefully from Daphne and took a sip straight away, not caring about the harsh scold of the coffee, but savouring the buttery taste. Her eyes widened as Daphne mentioned Astoria and she snapped back into action, waving her clipboard. "Yes. You can come with me if you like? I'll show you the way." She paused for a moment and said quietly "I think I know what it is... it's... it's so ridiculous and you might think I'm crazy but I swear the results are showing it as true..."

 Harry: Round the corner a tense Harry Potter stood pacing outside the room where his son lay inside, purple and raging with blistering welts. He felt guilty, like it was his fault almost for Albus getting ill, but mostly he felt entirely helpless, not knowing what to do. He had to get Ron to frogmarch Ginny out of the hospital to go home and get some rest. The worry hadn't done her any favours and she looked like the living dead. He ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation as he continued to pace. 'I think I know what it is...' he heard a voice say. "Padma" he whispered, before darting down the corridor and turning the corner to see her standing there, coffee cup in hand and a worried expression on her face as she chatted to Daphne Greengrass. "What is it?" He exclaimed "Padma, tell me what's wrong!"

 Astoria: Astoria hurriedly cast a charm over herself as she half ran into the pediatric ward. In an attempt to rid herself of the smell of drink and smoke, it now lingered under the sent of fried mushrooms. Her head was too chaotic to give the spell the attention it needed as she cast. Her shoes tapped heavily on the polished floor, while she tried to remember the way to her daughters bed. As she turned the corner, her shoes squeaked as she came to a halt. A short distance away she spotted them and her heart sank. Frozen for a moment before taking a breath, she strode through the hallway, pushing her sister aside with her hand. “Well?”

 Daphne: A crowd of concerned parents had began to gather around them. Harry had heard Padma's voice and swiftly joined them to ask what was wrong with his son, and Daphne smelled her absent sister before she heard or saw her join them in the corridor. Excuse you." Daphne spat at Astoria, pushing herself back into the conversation. "Both you and your attitude stink. At least I was here to try and find out what's going on with Aldora." It made Daphne's blood boil that her younger sister thought it was so easy to push her aside. She might not have been a parent, but Astoria had asked her to be there, and she still cared for her niece.

 Astoria: Astoria turned sharply to her sister, glaring at her as she spoke through gritted teeth. "Do not test me right now, Daphne." She knew she owed a lot to her sister for this and for all the times she had left Aldora in her care but thanks was the furthest thing from her mind. Her attention moved quickly to Padma, "tell me you know what's wrong with her! She's been here for over a day now and if you were doing your job correctly, all of this children would be at home!"

 Harry: Harry watched as the confrontation unfolded in front of him. He wanted answers as much as Astoria did, but nobody spoke to his friend like that. "Hey, watch your mouth, would you?" He snapped at her "You don't see me or any of these other people shouting at Padma or the other staff, do you? Of course she's doing her job correctly, otherwise our children wouldn't be stable and we would all probably be attending funerals by now, so shut. Up." He paused and breathed for a moment, calming himself down before turning to Padma.. "So... what were you about to tell Daphne, before we were so rudely interrupted?"

 Padma: Padma's knuckles had gone white from where she'd been gripping her clipboard so hard. All eyes pointed in her direction and she gulped with anxiety before clearing her throat and holding the coffee cup out to Daphne. "Daph.. would you mind while I..?" And she thanked the eldest Greengrass as she kindly took the cup from her grasp. She took a deep breath in and raised her head, pulling her shoulders back to address the small crowd that had formed around her. "So..." she began "I'm so sorry that it's taken so long to give you answers. I can imagine how frustrated you've been feeling..." she glanced around the group, looking at everyone with huge apologetic eyes. "All of our first tests came back inconclusive and all of the charms we tried performing backfired with little working or making a huge amount of difference. But with the blood samples I have managed to make a breakthrough.. a very unusual one that you might not believe, but I am adamant is true. I know what it is..."

 Blaise: Blaise had spent the better part of his time fighting his way into his daughter's room, and once he had finally managed to successfully get there, he had spent all the time possible. Ever since his daughter was born, he found his life, and the way he used to view things, constantly changing. It was no longer all about him. It never would be again. When Aldora finally fell asleep once more, he got up to stretch his legs and get a cup of coffee. He was on his way back when he saw the congregation. He hesitated, wanting nothing more to go back to his daughter, but when he heard the last few words of Padma's, it sent him directly to the group. "What is it?" He asked her. The man was exhausted and stressed and was still upset enough with Astoria he wouldn't even look at her.

 Padma: Padma looked over to Blaise as he approached the group and nodded in acknowledgement before continuing... "What I found in the children's bloodstream is Peruvian Vipertooth venom, which causes dragon pox." Padma ensured that she spoke slowly and articulately so that everyone could hear. "Now, this would explain the change of skin colour and welts, however dragonpox usually turns the patient predominantly green, not purple." She took a moment to refer to her notes and clear her throat once more... "Not only was the venom in the bloodstream, but the appearance of the venom was different to what I've usually seen, like it had almost curdled? So I did a further breakdown of the cells using a few muggle techniques and found that the blood also tested positive for one thing, something I wasn't expecting to see... a muggle drug called heroin. I don't know how or where these children have managed to ingest this kind of thing, but I looked it up and there is a new psychedelic drug being sold on the Wizarding black market called 'Inferius'. It sends the user into a zombie like state and gives hallucinations. But this particular batch had bad viper venom in it, thus being particularly deadly and if injected into the vein would have caused immediate death."

 Astoria: Astoria listened intently to every word that came out of Padma's mouth, not noticing that Blaise had joined them. Her heart in her throat, and stomach threatening to empty itself, her voice cracked. "How did my child get that in her system?"

 Padma: Padma was taken aback by Astoria's unusually quiet tone. "I don't know. But what I do know is that the likelihood is that it was inhaled, hence why they are only severely sick. Dragon Pox as you know is quick to manifest in young children and the elderly, but because of the curdling it was sped up. As soon as I make an antidote for the sickness I will also have to make an injection for those who have been in direct contact with your child whilst they have been ill. As you know we have kept the children in quarantine bubble charms, but we cannot take any risks." She paused for a moment to let it sink in, giving a reassuring but timid smile before turning to Harry. "We need to find out how this happened."

 Harry: Harry nodded in agreement before turning to address the group. "I will have my team come in and take statements from you all individually from the time that your children first showed any symptoms and also about their whereabouts over the weekend. I think we can all agree that the past few days have been a living nightmare and that we can all thank Miss Patil and her team for all of their hard work during this crucial time."

He looked at Padma thankfully before addressing the crowd once more... "I'd also like to promise each and everyone of you here, that my team and I WILL find whoever is selling this awful drug and also whoever is supplying it." He took a long look at each member of the group, pausing momentarily on Astoria. "I'll make sure that justice is served to them"

 Daphne: Daphne was overwhelmed by the information they had just received, as this was not at all what she had expected. "It's all well and good us talking about taking statements, but no one has actually asked if either of these children will be okay and if they're going to make a full recovery." Although she was more than willing to recount every hour of the last few days to try and help, she knew there wouldn't be much in her statement to help. Her mind was going into overdrive. "And what about everyone that's not here right now that has been in contact with Albus and Aldora? There are going to be a lot more people that need that injection than just us, right? Is there going to be enough?"

 Blaise: "Are they going to be okay and make a full recovery?" Blaise asked, stepping closer to Padma. He was grateful; that was an understatement, for the care she had given not only Aldora, but Albus as well. He was just still too flustered and upset to think about voicing that yet. "And how the hell would they have gotten into contact with heroin?"

 Astoria: Her eyes widened as Astoria noticed Blaise was standing with them. But avoided eye contact with him, turning slowly to Harry before directing her question at Padma. "How long will it take you to make this antidote?"

 Blaise: Blaise glanced at Astoria, but made no move to go closer to her or even to really speak with her. He decided against his coffee, mainly because his hands were shaking so horribly he doubted he could manage to drink it when if he thought he could stomach it.

 Padma: Padma watched the parents, as they all moved closer to her. She wanted to take a step back at the overwhelming sensation that began to seep over her, yet kept her feet fully planted on the floor. "I have the ingredients to an antidote, I just need to go to the lab and mix it. It's basically a dragon pox antidote with a magical remedy that counteracts the muggle drug. Because this is a brand new case, I can't tell one hundred percent how it will work, but myself and my team are positive that it'll work, as the children's symptoms are very similar to dragon pox." Padma paused and took a deep breath before looking up at Daphne. "In terms of the injection, we will be administering it to the parents and guardians and any young children or elderly in the family to be safe. We will also send out a widespread message with the symptoms and to bring whoever may present these symptoms straight to St Mungo's where we can treat them swiftly and accordingly" Finally, she turned to Blaise "As for how they came into contact with the Inferius... I can't answer that as I don't know. However the fact that all of you brought your children in within the same 24 hours makes me wonder whether it was a location that you've all taken your children to, where they could have inhaled the fumes?"

 Daphne: Daphne had only had Aldora in her care couple times recently. The last time she had looked after her, she was already sick, and the time before that she had done all she could to entertain the girl. "How recently could this have happened? Because I know that before Aldora was ill, my husband and I had her overnight, and the following day we took her for lunch and to a play centre, but this was all last week."

 Harry: Harry's ear pricked at the mention of a play centre and he could see the other parents' thoughts buzzing in their heads to try and remember where they had taken their children over the weekend. Ginny had taken Albus to Happy Hippogriffs on Saturday, the day before he'd started to fall ill. "Which play centre did you go to?" He asked, stepping forward. "Ginny took Albus to one over the weekend"

 Daphne: Daphne had to think about the name of the play centre. It had been Cormac's idea to take her there and Aldora had practically bounced the entire way after they asked her if she wanted to go. "The place has a creature in its name. Like Griffin or Hippogriff or something."

 Harry:Harry's heart began to beat a little bit faster... "Was it Happy Hippogriffs by any chance?" he asked. He glanced around the group and he could see that a few parents' eyes were wider than before and some were furiously muttering to one another in recognition of the name.

 Daphne: "That's the one." Daphne said, nodding at what Harry had said. "It seemed like a nice place at the time."

 Astoria: Astoria turned sharply to face her sister, glaring at her. "You did this to her? You took her to that disgusting place full of other people's children!"

 Blaise: Blaise stepped forward, towards Astoria. "I've taken her there before," he frowned. "She can't live in a bubble, she has friends, it happens. Maybe she got sick from me taking her. It happens. Things happen. She's not to blame."

 Astoria: She didn't move to look at him, she just huffed and looked to Padma "Just do what you need to do. And Potter, figure this out quickly. Before I start calling for your job." She didn't wait for a response. Instead she turned around and began heading down the corridor to find her daughter.

 Padma: Padma watched as she left before turning to the rest of the crowd "I'm going to brew the antidote now. It shouldn't take more than an hour. If you have any questions at all please don't hesitate to contact one of my colleagues. I'm so sorry that you've all had to wait so long..." she nodded and smiled softly at everyone, lingering on Harry, Blaise and Daphne... "I'll catch up with you soon, thanks so much for the coffee" she said quietly to Daphne, before shuffling around the group and heading off quickly down the hall.

  Blaise: "Thank you," Blaise nodded. "Your efforts have been appreciated and have not gone unnoticed," he told Padma, before she departed. He sighed and rubbed his face once she left, before he nodded at both Harry and Daphne and then made his way down the hall after Astoria, towards their daughter.

 Harry:Harry responded warmly to Padma's nod and smile and watched her disappear, so grateful that she had a cure. He turned to the others.. "You all get back to your children. My team will be in within the next 24 hours to take statements from all of you and get a proper investigation launched. Rest assured I will find out what happened. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be getting back to my son." He smiled and turned on his heel, looking forward to the prospect of being able to hug his son once again.

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[thedeptmuggleinterests-blog]

Inferius. Part 1: We Need More (26th July 2017)

Astoria apparated, the hood of her long black cloak shielding her face from passers by. She moved swiftly through the now overly familiar ministry offices, stopping suddenly outside a dark, worn door. She glanced around before opening it and walking into the small damp room. Only a steel table and two chairs occupied it, no windows and a small ventilation vent. She took a seat, removing her hood and waited for him.

A swift glance at the clock told Harry that it was time for him to leave. He sat amongst thick piles of paperwork in his office with a couple of coffee cups here and there. The morning had been long and slow. He wanted answers. With a swift Accio towards his jacket, Harry Potter was soon marching his way through the bustling corridors of the ministry of magic. Within minutes he stood outside the familiar oak door. He breathed sharply through his nose once and pushed the door open.

She looked up with a bit of a start when the door opened. After 6 years the situation still didn't sit well with her. Her eyes met Harry's as he moved his way into the room. "Potter," she spoke in a soft voice but it didn't cover the disdain in her tone. "I only saw you last week. I don't know what you think I can tell you." Astoria sat back in her chair, pushing her hair behind her ear.

He almost wanted to smirk at her ill tone. "Greengrass..." he returned, bluntly. Six years of her jibes and mind games had taught Harry an awful lot about Astoria, and he wasn't in the mood for games. "Let's just cut to the snitch shall we?" He approached the table and rested his palms on the sides of the cool metal, looking her dead in the eye. "Nott."

Astoria watched him, she couldn't deny she respected him but that hadn’t fully replaced her hatred of the situations he had put her in over the years. She leant forward, her face merely centimetres from his. "I've been trying," she moved back, shifting in her seat. "He trusts me but I'm not his number one, I don't have access to the supply yet. This is going to take longer than I thought. So you're going to have to wait."

An exasperated sigh left his mouth as he stood up straight and began to pace. "I've been waiting for nearly three months, Tori." Her nickname rolled off his tongue naturally. Their relationship was a funny one...Six years of payback for her crime by dishing the dirt to him. It was a fair price to pay, but they had fallen into their habits together. "He keeps disappearing. Where is he going?"

As she watched him she shook her head gently. "I know you've been waiting a long time. I want this to be over as much as you do," Astoria was fully aware of all the things she had missed, all the bridges she had to burn and relationships she watched crumble so as to not break her cover. She was silent for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "Bulgaria. I'm pretty sure it's Bulgaria. Shaffer mentioned it in the Den last week,” The Den was Theo’s favourite spot. A pub where purebloods would often go to fuel their drug and alcohol habits. “but Nott has never let up on that sort of info. “

Harry tapped his lip as he watched her speak. She was always so calm and he always felt so tense. This whole situation was like a ticking time bomb and if he didn't act soon, the whole scheme would fail. The main source coming from Astoria meant that Harry had to trust her. Six years was indeed a long time... but not enough time to fully trust a Slytherin. "Jensen Flatcher. 17" he started, moving the chair back to sit on it. "I had a call from his mother at 5 am this morning to tell me that she found him in his room with a needle charm sticking out of him. Dead." He paused for a moment to let her mull it over. "He'd just finished his second to last year at Hogwarts. Had a fantastic mind on him... wanted to become a Herbologist. Until he met your wonderful Theodore, that is." He scraped his chair along the floor so that he could rest his arms on the table and look at her. "We can't let him get away with this Astoria, it has to end and you need to help me. Innocent lives are being stolen because of this Wizard that you call your friend!? It cannot go on. I want you back in there and I don't just want names and gossip and speculation of a place, I want a confirmed place and I want to know when he will be there next."

Astoria watched intently as he spoke. She knew his next words would not the pleasant ones. Harry only sat when he was about to tell her something serious. She froze. Her heart beating against her chest as her eyes fell from his and her head bowed. The strikingly blonde hair that had been behind her ears now curtained her face, hiding an empty expression. This was bad. Astoria knew Nott was supplying, she'd spent the last few months getting close to him. Parading around Nott and his gang of some of the most brutish men Astoria had ever seen. Nights spent boozed up and high- all to get Harry what he needed. But it hadn't been enough. Astoria ran her hand through her hair as she lifted her head up to meet his eyes. The sadness was evident on her face as she whispered, "I'm trying. Nott is charming and very clever. He isn't going to give up that sort of information easily, Potter." Her mouth had gone dry as she stared into Harry's bright eyes. Astoria had seen Jensen at the Den a few nights before. He was a kid. He was friendly and now he was dead. The reality of what she was doing was sinking in. Before he was just a dealer, a supplier but this was death and she had been right there. Close enough to touch him as Nott took his money and gave Jensen what he had paid for. "Nott is not my friend, Astoria protested, "You think I want to spend my days and nights around that scum and missing my daughter grow up?" Her voice had become clearer as the sadness turned to anger. "I will get you what you need to put him in Azkaban but this has to be the last time."

He watched her slowly. Their business like relationship had been one of convenience, one that Astoria had been... reluctant to agree to at first with her pride and fiery temper getting the better of her. The change had been remarkable. Harry raised his eyebrows when she looked up sadly with big wide eyes. If this had been all those years ago, he wouldn't have even taken a second glance to know that she was being manipulative and putting it on. He had seen her go through it all, each job and each briefing with him slowly ebbing away to who she truly was. He would probably even go as far to call her an occasional friend, somewhat. It pained him a little to see her ill-treated by others in public, to hear his own wife go on about her and her lifestyle choices, judging her down to the ground. But he could not tell a soul who Astoria Greengrass really was. He couldn't tell them that she was smart, endearing, witty and even the slightest bit empathetic sometimes. Nobody could know, as they slunk around each week and met in a room that resembled an abandoned prison cell and stank of mould. The Minister had given orders to Harry himself... "We need to use her to our advantage, the witch is a pure blood, a former Slytherin and a Greengrass! What more could we need?". That was when the first task started, infiltrating small groups that were stealing family heirlooms and ancient artefacts. And here we were, six years down the line... Harry had been promised that it would be his last job on this seedy excursion. He had important things to do in the main belly of his job, really important things, plus a wife and two young children to go home to at night, a family who knew nothing. People might think he was having an affair with Greengrass if they weren't careful. It was all becoming much and he needed to finish it. He leaned forward towards Astoria, to show her at least some comfort as she proclaimed her dislike for Nott and promised him more. "I believe you Tori" he murmured "I want this finished as much as you do." He reached up to scratch the beard he had been letting grow out for the last few months. "One last time, that's all I ask. Get in, find out where and when. I promise that's all I need"

Her heart still pounding, Astoria stood, her heavy cloak hitting the floor with a small thud. “As I said, I will get you what you need.” She began to turn away, to walk out. She was exhausted, her head still sore from the night before. Yet again she had had to take her daughter back to her fathers because Nott needed her at one of his parties. It was Astoria’s job to charm them, charm the potential clients into buying whatever Nott had for sale that particular night. It came easy to her, and once she realised that, it disgusted her. She’d already convinced everyone around her that she was an unfit mother that she had often wondered if she would have been better off in Azkaban. At least that way she wouldn’t have to see Aldora’s face when she let her down time and time again. “I need you to promise me that after this, you will make it right somehow,” She turned to look Harry in the eyes again. They both knew the irony that the only person who really knew her at this point was Harry Potter, but she needed him and though she’d never admit it, she enjoyed him. “I know this was my punishment but I need my life back. I’ve done so much for you, for this ministry. I’ve given up everything.”

Harry nodded in agreement, he didn't deny it at all, she was right. There was no doubt that the crime she had committed those years back was serious and gods had she been made to realise that. He had made sure of it... On the last day of her preliminary probation he was glad to be rid of her. He would finally be able to wipe his hands and put her under another Auror to take charge of the rest of her sentence. But unfortunately for him, Shacklebolt had other ideas. Through the years of secret jobs, he had watch her slowly come out of her shell, yet crumble at the same time. Her hard and sour shell melted away to reveal a vulnerable woman, worried for her relationship with her daughter and others. The secrecy and gritty dirty work was slowly ebbing away at her, to show who she truly was: a human, a mother. Her child needed her in it's life. Harry never had the joy of his parents sending him off to Hogwarts, cheering him on at a Quidditch game or to coming home to them at the end of the schooling year. Who was he to prevent a woman from watching their own child grow? At the beginning of this, Harry would have said that Astoria deserved to be used as the ministry's puppet. But six years is a long time... He found himself staring at a fly on the wall for a minute as he went over her words carefully, before looking up at her and doing the one thing he'd never thought he would do in Astoria's presence. He smiled. "I promise"

Astoria smiled weakly to mirror his. She was no doubt glad to be able to put this all behind her but she knew that in order to get Harry what he needed, things had to get much worse. Sometimes she had enjoyed the cases Harry had put her on; they gave her an excuse to let out the frustration and anger that had pent up over the years but this was different. Nott was different. She'd known him for years, they all had. He was charming, warm, gentle....on the surface that is. During her time with him she'd witnessed his darker side. She'd once arrived at The Den just as he was finishing one of his 'training excersises' where he would take a tramp off the street, promise them drink and warm clothes then hang them to a wall all night, letting the highest bidder have a go at casting whatever hex or curse they wanted. She needed this all to be over. "Thank you," she mouthed. She was fully aware that Harry had lost his enjoyment for putting her in situations like this, and for that she was grateful. "Give me a few days and you'll have what you need." Astoria gave him and sharpe nod, pulled her hood up over her head and walked out of the room with all the grace of the pureblood princesses she'd been brought up to be.

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