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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 4, 2008 14:55:58 GMT -5
If Riley was unhappy, Roland was downright furious. He was lucky he was hiding in the back and that everyone's attention had gone back to Angelique, because he became very tense. Although he kept his emotions in check, it was very obvious to anyone who looked at him that he was seething with anger.
Yes, his last mission had been a partial failure. It wasn't, as some were saying, a total failure. He had failed to catch the small group of death eaters he'd been tracking. However, he had managed to save a family of muggles from certain death, and he had managed to get a glimpse of all four death eaters' faces, and would be able to identify them. This was important.... it was more than a lot of people had right now.
And yet, now he was being punished for a failed mission by being forced to work with a partner? It was an insult. He did not work well with others; he needed to do things his way. And Riley Neves? He barely knew the woman, but the few encounters he'd had with her had been largely unpleasant.
But he said nothing... not yet. He simply sat in the back and waited for Angelique to finish speaking.
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Post by Cara Ferrera on Dec 4, 2008 15:10:05 GMT -5
The further this meeting went, the deeper Cara frowned.
She was proud of Cyrus, of course, but Merlin, both of those boys were so young. Naturally, she worried for both of them. And now Roland... she had always kept careful track of his missions, and this was the first he'd been given a partner for. She may not have been looking at Roland, but she knew he wasn't happy. She tried to think that maybe it was for Riley's benefit that they were paired.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 5, 2008 0:09:46 GMT -5
Angelique sighed and looked around the room. She was exhausted, as if she'd run a marathon, instead of just giving a short speech. "Well, I think that should about cover it. Everyone has their missions, and if you need greater detail, please come to me in my office for the files. Does anyone have any questions?"
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Post by Riley Neves on Dec 5, 2008 0:24:17 GMT -5
No, Riley had no questions... none that she would ever verbalize anyway. She wanted to know how she had messed up to deserve a partner, but that was whining, and presuming, and she wasn't about to do that.
So she leaned back in her seat, glancing around the room when her eyes caught sight of Roland, a sour look in his eyes, and she frowned in his direction.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 5, 2008 11:05:33 GMT -5
Roland had questions, alright, but he certainly wasn't going to ask them here. He was not about to make a scene or to question Angelique publicly. But if he could get her alone after the meeting, he definitely wanted to know why he was being stuck with a partner.
He took a few calming breaths and glanced over to see that Riley was looking at him with a frown on her face. He stared back, almost defiantly, as if daring her to complain. Clearly this situation was not favorable to either of them... what were the chances he could get Angelique to change her mind? He was still itching to get back on the trail of the Death Eaters he'd been chasing before...
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 6, 2008 3:04:46 GMT -5
Angelique was surprised that no one had questions. Looking out at the aurors, she could see that a few people had things they wated to discuss, but they weren't going to do it in public. "OK, well, I guess the meeting is dismissed, then. Anyone who wants to talk to me about something can meet me in my office later. But I'd like to talk to Andromeda first, if that's OK." She nodded towards Andi, then started for the door.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Dec 9, 2008 8:54:37 GMT -5
Andi nodded as well. She sighed softly and stood up, putting her hand on her cousin Fabian's shoulder for support. She was glad he was there; he made her feel a little less lonely.
She avoided everyone else's eyes as she followed Angelique to the door, but she couldn't stop herself from looking over at where Ted was sitting. He looked so... angry. And hurt. And she wanted, more than anything, to run to him and tell him that she forgave him. But she didn't. Instead, she followed Angelique out of the room and down the hall to her office.
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 10, 2008 12:13:31 GMT -5
Angelique didn’t say anything as she led Andromeda into her office and closed the door. She moved over to her desk and motioned for Andi to sit down on one of the chairs across from her desk.
Sitting down in her own chair, Angelique gave the girl an appraising look. Then, without any kind of preamble, she spoke. “Andromeda, are you capable of fulfilling your assignment right now?”
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Dec 10, 2008 12:13:54 GMT -5
Andi was surprised by the bluntness of the question. But then, Angelique was nothing if not direct in her approach. And she honestly should have expected this question. Still, it stung a little.
“Yes,” she replied. “I’m working. I’m there. As long as he’s not there, I’m fine.”
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 10, 2008 12:14:23 GMT -5
“Are you sure?” Angelique continued. “You looked positively green in that meeting room. And I think I saw you shaking. Have you talked to him at all? I think you need some kind of closure or something, because I can’t have you being distracted by your feelings for him. It’s obvious that you still love him, and that kind of thing can be used against you by your enemies.”
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Dec 10, 2008 12:14:44 GMT -5
Andi sighed softly. “Yes, I still love him,” she answered quietly. She hesitated for a minute before continuing. It still hurt to think of the other night, and what had happened. She still wanted to take it back, but she was afraid it was too late. “And I have talked to him. He broke up with me to protect me; he thought it would be best if I went back to my family. He apologized to me, and told me he wanted me back. And I... I said no.”
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 10, 2008 12:15:09 GMT -5
This surprised Angelique. She had suspected, of course, that Ted had done what he’d done as a way of protecting Andromeda. But he had not admitted as such to her. Which of course, made sense, since it was really none of her business.
But hearing that Andromeda turned him down was a surprise. He must have really hurt the girl for her to turn him down after all that.
“Do you mind if I ask why? You’re clearly still in love with him. And I’d rather have you happy and focused than depressed and scattered. I can’t have you taking another week off from your teaching job. You need to be there.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Dec 10, 2008 12:15:26 GMT -5
Andi nodded. There were tears in her eyes, and she blinked them back as well as she could. “I understand. And I will be,” she said. “The thing is, he doubted my love for him… he thought I might change my mind in time. And if he could think that, then maybe the relationship’s not strong enough to last. I didn’t doubt it until he told me that he did. And I don’t know if I can forgive him for hurting me the way he did. He broke my heart…. And it hurts to look at him now.”
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 10, 2008 12:15:45 GMT -5
This was all a little more than Angelique really wanted to know, of course. But she didn’t say anything. “Well, as long as you can still focus on the job at hand, I have no qualms about keeping you there. Have you seen any possible candidates for death eaters on the staff?”
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Dec 10, 2008 12:16:11 GMT -5
Andi nodded. “I’ll focus, I promise.” She thought a minute. The only possible death eater she had noticed was, unfortunately, Bellatrix. And she had no proof about it; just a hunch. She just prayed that Bella had not been the one to kill Katie Lawrence. “I do have a lead,” she answered carefully. “I don’t think this person was the one who killed Katie, but I do think I have a possible death eater.”
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 10, 2008 12:16:38 GMT -5
“Well, Roland and Riley will be working on the murderer. But you might want to tell them of your suspicions and let them decide whether or not the person should be a suspect. Because right now, just about everyone on staff is considered a suspect. So anything you can do to help them narrow things down would be beneficial.”
Angelique gave a soft sigh. “OK. Well, thanks for the talk, Andromeda. Please get back to the school. And send in whoever else wants to talk to me. I don’t imagine you want to send in Ted, but I have a feeling Roland Ferrera is waiting to have a chat with me as well.”
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Dec 10, 2008 12:16:59 GMT -5
Andi nodded. “OK. Thanks, Angelique,” she replied.
She stood up and headed for the door. Taking a deep breath, she stepped outside and into the main part of the office. The other aurors were all hard at work, as always. And as predicted, Ted and Roland were both waiting to speak to Angelique. Andi looked past Ted to Roland. “She’s been expecting you,” she said to him.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 10, 2008 16:04:19 GMT -5
Roland nodded to her and stood up stiffly. He glanced quickly at Ted, then walked quickly past Andromeda and into Angelique’s office.
Closing the door behind him, he turned to her and, without bothering to sit down, began to speak. “A partner?” he demanded. He stood in front of Angelique’s desk, his arms folded across his chest. “Did I really mess up that badly?”
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Post by Angelique St. Clare on Dec 10, 2008 16:04:51 GMT -5
Angelique eyed him with mild amusement. She didn’t know Roland well, mostly just by reputation. He was one of the best, but his methods could be a little… unorthodox. She’d been reading up on his records since taking over the department and found him to be quite an interesting person. Some of the things he’d done seemed out of character, based on the quiet, controlled person she knew him as.
But now she could see the intensity hidden behind his eyes. He was like a panther in a cage, forever holding himself back.
“No, you didn’t mess up,” Angelique replied. “And neither did Riley. Look, the two of you are among my best, and I wanted my best people on that murder case.”
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Dec 10, 2008 16:05:11 GMT -5
He looked slightly satisfied, but he still didn’t sit down. “But those guys I was chasing before are still out there. Shouldn’t I be going after them? They know I can identify them. What if they go after my family?”
He couldn’t bear the thought of them going after his family. He’d kill anyone who tried.
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