To old war heroes.

It had been yet another long day at Ne'Os's shop. He always loved when a vampire attack occured in London. Wizards from all around would come to buy his silver crosses which he claimed would stop and kill any vampire it touched. Of course Ne'Os would never actually put out a weapon that could one day be used on Samantha so the crosses did nothing more than look shiny and provide a false sense of security. He decided to end his day with a stop at the Leaky Cauldron.

"Firewhisky" he said to the bartender, leaving some sickles on the bar.

Kingsley had been visiting the Leaky Cauldron quite often since he had come back. He wasn't much of a drinker, in fact, he hadn't had an alcoholic beverage for over a decade. He would simply sit there and think, sometimes chatting with the bartender. The Leaky was also a nice place to hear the latest gossip in the Wizarding World. He had learnt quite a bit from just listening to people.

Taking his regular seat at the front, he nodded to the bartender, who brought his orange juice. He looked a bit strangely to Kingsley and then to the person beside him, as if he expected something to happen. Only then did Kingsley notice who was sitting next to him. "Ne'os," he exclaimed. What was the former head of the Death Eaters doing here?

Ne'Os turned his head to see where the familiar voice was coming from. He gave Kingsley a warm smile. "Enjoying a well deserved drink after a successful day in my shop. Someone has been spreading rumors about vampire attacks in the city" he said with a smile revealing his fangs. "Luckily no one has been harmed. What are you doing here my old friend. I haven't seen you in what feels like a lifetime."

As far as friendships went, Kingsley's and Ne'os' relationship was quite a strange one. They had been allies, and they had been enemies, but Kingsley had never once had the slightest dislike for Ne'os Emof. He had been disappointed, confused and frustrated with him, but Kingsley believed that Ne'os was not evil like the other death eaters were. Besides, the debt they all owed him for defeating Voldemort could not be repaid in any way.

He frowned slightly as Ne'os talked about the vampire attacks. Then he sighed, and gave a tired smile. "A good strategy," he said, without much interest. Kingsley didn't really believe that no one had been harmed, vampire attacks were a growing concern nowadays, and the casualties had been high. He could not link those killings with Ne'os, but he wouldn't be too surprised if Ne'os was the culprit. "Reminiscing," he replied to Ne'os' question, as he gazed at his drink. "It feels that I have spent all my life fighting evil. And I will spend the remainder doing the same thing. And yet, I have achieved nothing," he explained. "When one villain goes, someone worse comes to take over. Speaking of which, your no longer head of your so called 'death eaters,' are you?"

Ne'Os gave a fake single laugh "Of course not. I went on a small trip to get away from my disease and when I returned I had been replaced. You know how it is these days. I doubt even if I returned and was still in charge it wouldn't have been long. This current group has no sense of honor. Its just kill kill kill. And while I admit I have done my share I at least did it when I felt it was beneficial to our cause... But that doesn't matter. So tell me how is the order? Doing as well as always?" he asked thinking about a different life where he was accepted as one of them.

He had always wondered if they would take him back one day but he knew that wasn't his life. "Well think of it this way we have both spent our life fighting evil. You literally and well I suppose the same for myself. Though the ways we combat them may be a little different. But don't think you haven't achieved nothing. You were the Headmaster of the greatest school in our world. Plus you are a accomplished auror, and you met a child who sacrificed his life so that I could kill our worlds greatest threat." he said ending his sentence abruptly to take a drink of his firewhisky.

Disease huh? Kingsley had suffered from it as well, he was still quite sick actually, but not showing it. Ne'os though, seemed a little better. "Is your disease gone then?" he asked, wondering if their illness was the same.

Kingsley was far more guarded when it came to the Order. Ne'os and Kingsley were on good terms, but Ne'os and the Order were not, and Kingsley was hardly about to tell him anything about them. He couldn't tell Ne'os that Jess was missing, and that the Order itself was shrinking, for Emof could tell that to the other Death Eaters. "The Order is fine, as usual," he replied convincingly.

"Death Eaters never had honor," Kingsley said shortly. "You had a little bit, I admit. But no murderer has honor. Still, I am glad that you are seeing your pals for what they are now."

"Yes. That's true I guess." Kingsley was glad that Ne'os was trying to cheer him up, although it was quite unexpected. "Evil cannot ever be destroyed. Dumbledore told me that once. But we have to fight to keep it at bay. In that regard, I guess I have done my job. And will continue to do so." He looked at Ne'os very seriously now. "You could help us you know… I know you have no interest in joining the order. But you are in the Death Eaters and we need someone inside. Defeating them is in our mutual interest." It probably wouldn't work. Kingsley had never been quite sure what Ne'os was truly after, but it was worth a try.

Ne'Os smiled he rolled up his sleeve to show a green patch. "Nope but my recent turning and some effective potions have beat it back. I assume as soon as my body adapts to being vampire again it will reappear with a vengeance." he said looking at the patch with disgust.

"Well good for them I suppose" he said raising his drink in a small salute to the order. "They have always been a bit more organized than us. But we have the small advantage that we don't give up. I guess that is what has kept us alive in these uncertain times."

"Well I do have to admit that would help put trust in me back in Jess's eyes, but I doubt he would believe anything I pass along. Besides I'm not sure how safe that would be. But...Perhaps I don't need to be the one to pass information. Watch this." he said

Ne'Os held out his arm, and a couple seconds later a large black raven flew in through a open window and landed on his arm. It shuffled up it to his shoulder where it sat staring at Kingsley with a cold stare. "This Is my newest pet. Notice anything about it?" he asked stroking its feathers affectionately . The raven looked normal to the untrained eye. However Ne'Os didn't doubt Kingsley would immediately notice that the bird was a complex and powerful artifact.

"Well, I guess that's one way to handle it..." Kingsley replied. Although, personally, Kingsley would rather remain human. Ne'os had always had some strange interest in Vampirism.

"We have been," Kingsley replied. Problem is we are not nearly as motivated, he thought. Many Death eaters were cowards, but there were several who would give their lives for what they believed. There were few left in the Order willing to do that. "I guess it helps that all our members are not backstabbing cowards."

Kingsley nodded as Ne'os mentioned Jess. There was no way that Jess would trust a word that Ne'os would say. Shacklebolt had realized from the last meeting that the majority of the Order despised Ne'os more than any other Death Eater. He didn't exactly blame them.

Kingsley watched with interest as Ne'os' pet Raven flew in. But.. it wasn't a pet. Kingsley had taught transfiguration long enough to spot an enchanted object when he saw one. And he detected plenty of magical power from this so called Raven. "Yes, it is not a pet, but an artifact. Interesting," he said, examining it. "But how is it any different from an owl?"