Howls and Howlers
Howls and Howlers
Two of our four housemates returned early the next morning. Looking like they'd stayed up the whole night and making me very glad Barnaby and I had decided to stay home and relax, instead of joining our friends for a night of getting piss tanked. It had been exactly what we needed and I was grateful not to be hungover like my friends.
"What happened to Alexi and Diego last night?" I asked the two who had just stumbled into the kitchen. "I dunno, they didn't come back to Penny's with us, I expect they left with Ben or Chiara after we'd called it a night" Ismelda told me. Merula only grunted in agreement as she rummaged around in the cupboards for a coffee mug.
I was about to ask Ismelda where she thought they were more likely to have gone, my natural curiosity as usual, overtaking my desire to butt out of things that didn't concern me. But I was interrupted by Nightspur, who shot in through the kitchen window like a tawny meteor. Being chased it seemed, by three more owls. "What the-" I started, but stopped immediately when I saw one of the owls was carrying a large red envelope that was smoking at the corners. I hastily untied it from the owls leg and threw it into the kitchen sink, not one moment too soon.
"BARNABY LEE, HOW DARE YOU SEND ME AN ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOU AND YOUR HALF BREED TROLLOP! YOU HAVE DEFILED THE ANCIENT NAME OF LEE AND SHAMED ALL OF YOUR RELATIVES! DO NOT EXPECT MY PRESENCE AT YOUR ABOMINATION OF A CEREMONY-"
"Merlin's lacy knickers Strixx, shut that thing up!" Merula bellowed at me over the howler, holding her hands over her ears. But it hadn't finished yet.
"-IF YOU THINK FOR ONE MINUTE I WILL SIT BY AND ALLOW YOUR NASTY LITTLE MUDBLOOD TO BECOME DESIGNEE OF MY FAMILY'S INHERITANCE YOU HAD BETTT-"
"Incendio!" Barnaby had appeared in the kitchen, ending the howlers tirade with a quick flick of his wand. "Charming. I'm so sorry Samhain, that'd be my dear Aunt Lisidia sending us her congratulations.. horrible woman she is. Don't give it any thought what she said, she's been bitter since before I was born." I frowned at him. "Easy for you to say Barnaby, you're not the one marrying into a family who hates you before even meeting you." I replied a bit sourly.
"She's batty Samhain, I promise no one hates you. And it doesn't matter what they think anyway. Stupid blood elitist lunatics, the lot of them" he asserted, doing his best to comfort me. I sighed and got up to hug him. "Well I hope the rest of these letters aren't as charming as hers was." I muttered quietly, untying the other two letters so the owls could fly off again.
The first was from my parents, it was long and full of love, that made me smile. At least one side of the family was supportive of us. I passed their letter to Barnaby to read while I opened the last one. It was from Uncle Cecil, asking us to try and make it into work the next day as they had a "strong lead" on where they thought the Werewolf of Hogsmeade had gone.
"Do you think he has any idea we've taken custody of Alexi or will this just be a wild goose chase?" I asked, snickering. "Hmm, probably the later. Full moon has just passed so whatever lead they've got, could have been anything, but very doubtful it's actually Werewolf related. I suppose we should show up though, for appearances if not anything else. We need to at least make it look like we're still trying to find Alexi, so no one gets suspicious" Barnaby stated.
I agreed with him. "Actually that's given me an idea Barnaby" I told him. "It's a bit wild but it might just keep the WCU off Alexi's trail for good. What if we got Alexi a job in the WCU? We could cover for him during full moons, of course."
"Samhain you are devious, well done" Ismelda cackled. Barnaby just grinned at me. "Devious, genius, gorgeous, I'm so lucky you're mine" he pulled me into him for a steamy kiss while Merula made loud, gagging noises behind us.
"So, you think that'll work?" I asked, a bit breathlessly when I finally pulled back from his embrace. "I think so. They're, well not to be rude or anything, but they're not the brainiest operation are they? And Uncle Cecil has been trying to recruit more people to join for ages. I think hiding Alexi in plain sight inside the WCU is probably the last place they'd ever expect an unregistered Werewolf to be." He grinned at me.
A little while later that morning, Alexi and Diego finally got home and we told them our plan. They both thought it was clever, but Alexi had some reservations that he shared with us. "I'm not familiar with the British Ministry's requirements to join. I was born here but I went to school at Durmstrang, so I'm not sure if I'd be accepted. I think my father assumed it'd be easier for me there because I didn't speak the best English when I started school. The exam requirements are different there too, I graduated a year ago."
That solved another mystery of Alexi that I'd been curious about, but hadn't wanted to bring up. Any time his family was mentioned he got visibly upset and went quiet. We'd found out Alexi was our same age the day we met him, but I hadn't asked him about where or if he'd gone to school.
"I think you're fine" I reassured him. "You qualified at Durmstrang and I don't think the WCU branch of the Ministry is all that strict, they didn't even ask us about our O.W.L's, nevermind N.E.W.T's before hiring us. So don't worry, we'll get Uncle Cecil on board when we tell him you were the one who found the Werewolf's camp in the woods and showed it to us." I announced, smiling mischievously at Alexi.
We discussed different ways to cover his absence during full moons and by the following morning we were all feeling pretty confident in the plan.
Barnaby, Alexi and I arrived at the Ministry very early. We thought for once we'd made it in before Tonks, but of course, the keenest Auror in training was already on her second cup of coffee at the Ministry Munchies stand in the Atrium.
"Wotcher you three" she greeted us sleepily as we joined her. A split second later her head snapped back, eyes widening in disbelief as she realised who she'd just greeted. "Oh no, no no no, Alexi what are you doing here! You're not, you haven't been, captu-" I cut her off quickly before she blew our cover. "Heyyy Tonks, this is our friend Alexi." I said loudly. "He's applying to work at the WCU today. Isn't that great? We've been so short of staff and especially with Barnaby and I off on leave, it's just the perfect timing for a new recruit to join, don't you think?" Relief brought some colour back to her pale complexion as she grinned furtively, catching on.
"Ohh, yes! Brilliant! Alexi, pleasure to meet you, for the first time." She winked so obviously as she said it that I stamped on her foot and gave her my best impersonation of Professor McGonagall's stern expression. "Ouch, bloody hell Samhain! I'm only being friendly with your brand new workmate, no need to be so rough."
I rolled my eyes at her. The Atrium was almost completely empty. Aside from us four there was only the witch serving coffees and farther away the security wizard, and both of them looked not very awake. But still, Tonks had a big mouth so I didn't regret reminding her to keep it shut. I loved her as a person but sometimes it took violence to make her take a hint. I remembered back to my first official date with Barnaby at Madam Puddifoots teashop in Hogsmeade and how Tonks and Charlie had crashed it, nearly spoiling everything by demolishing a carefully constructed tea cup tower.
I laughed quietly at the memory as we rode up in the lift. It was a lot funnier now that I was engaged to Barnaby, but at the time we'd both been riddled with nerves and so uncertain of each other's feelings. It had taken hours of Rowan talking me down from hexing Tonks that night. I sighed sadly at the thought of my best friend. I couldn't help myself from imagining her in every scenario I found myself in. Wondering, what would Rowan think about this, what would Rowan be doing here. I almost let myself get teary eyed when it occurred to me that Rowan would have been maid of honor at my wedding. We still hadn't set a date or moved ahead with any plans, but I knew at that moment that I wouldn't have a maid of honor. Bridesmaids, sure, of course. But no one would replace Rowan.
I shook my head free of sad thoughts and vague plans as we walked into the WCU office and found Uncle Cecil and Caltus already suited up and waiting for us. Introductions were swift and Uncle Cecil hired Alexi on the spot. Without asking him a single question about himself, his studies or qualifications. Only saying how brilliant he'd been to discover "that rogue beasts encampment" after we fed him the information. The briefing for Alexi was the same ridiculous laminated page Barnaby and I had received on our first day, which I could tell he found hysterically funny.
Uncle Cecil didn't waste any time. He told us that on the night of the full moon the Villagers of Hogsmeade had reported wild and terrifying howling coming from the same forest area that we'd discovered Alexi in so many weeks back. We were to head out immediately and try to trace where the Werewolf had gone next. Alexi as the newest and least experienced would be working with team Alpha, much to his displeasure. But Barnaby and I were not at all unhappy to be left on our own together. We left through the floo network and travelled quickly back to the Hogs Head Inn to start tracking the likely imaginary Werewolf.