A Few Drinks

Aaron finished up his soup as she talked about not knowing of the spy. Good, the word was not out, and he hoped to keep it that way. Having Silvyr in the ranks of the Order was one of the things he wanted to keep secret. Aaron was sure that, at some point, there would be a spy amongst his people and he did not want them to know who that person was. Silvyr could handle himself, but getting discovered would hinder their pipeline of information.

"That is a big secret miss Sofie, one I do hope you can keep to yourself." He let the words soak in, not a threat, but something to warn her that it was a secret and it should stay that way. She had to know that when he said something like that, it was not something he wanted her to go talking about. The fact that he even mentioned it should have alerted her to his small amount of trust.

"Family men are the easiest to corrupt." He sat back again, clasping his hands, and going into thought. "Get his children, wife, grandchildren, whatever it may be and we have leverage over the Minister. You said you did research on him, what do you know?"

Sofie picked at her salad, popping a tomato into her mouth and chewing. She liked the lightness and delicacy of this meal. It was pleasant, full of flavor, and was rich. An elegant meal, not like what she had been accustomed too since moving here. She sipped her iced tea.

Aaron spoke, not a warning per se, but a reminder. She smiled at him, almost sadly. "Who would I have to tell?" Months in the country, and she had not a friend nor enemy. Her interactions were limited to daily interactions and her relationships within the Death Eaters. No one really cared too much for her in their ranks, though. She was still the new girl, and usually disregarded. Sofie might not have worried, but she was used to the company of her family. The drastic change had been a bit lonely.

He asked for her information and she said, "Well his daughter is Chief Warlock and Director at St Mungo's. Power runs in the family. Her names Khaat Lupin, married to a man named Brian Quinn. They have a little extended family of sorts, I caught other names- Michael, Angus. All of them would give their right foot for Khaat. They're clever." She paused a moment. "Come to think of it, that man, Elldir. His name was tied to the Lupins. He has some connection there."

For a moment, he saw the sadness in her eyes, and he felt for her. Being in the position he was in yielded absolutely no friends. The people who called him a friend would stab him in the back faster than he could say et tu brute. The life he lived, was lonely, but he had always been lonely. The only friend he ever had was dead and he was not willing to go through that pain again. One moment he was there, the next, he was gone. Ripped away over nothing, and what was left now? Blank apologies that meant nothing to Aaron. No, the world would pay soon enough for ripping him away. He would return the favor and show everyone what it was like to have the most cherished thing in their lives torn away from them for absolutely nothing.

The rage filled him for a moment. He went back to those dark and lonely memories that haunted him some nights. He suppressed it as quickly as it could, but once it set in, it was hard to let go. He hated remembering the death, he hated that he still mourned, he hated being alone. But this was the life he chose, and if he was going to accomplish his goals, he was going to have to get over and so was Sofie.

"I know of Khatt, but she will not be easy to touch. From what I know, she is well respected and protected, so we need not worry about her." She mentioned Thaor, and his face lit up. Thaor had just come to him and swore his loyalty in return for complete secrecy. He promised himself to Aaron, and now all of the sudden, Aaron had use for him. "Thaor, as far as you know, is dead..." He had promised not to speak of his allegiance, and he was a man of his word.

"Find out who would be easiest to get into contact with. Take anyone you want with you, figure this out, I want to strike the Minister where it hurts." He pushed his bowl of soup away and then he leaned forward, wanting to give a piece of advice to Sofie.

"Another thing.... this life you are choosing... it is not easy. That loneliness you feel only gets worse. The quest for power and the quest for love are two different roads and you cannot be on both at the same time. I can teach you how to suppress these... emotions if you wish?"

His words on Khaat were correct- the woman was public and beloved, and to so much as sneeze in her direction would throw the Death Eaters into the spotlight they did not want. His words of Thaor eleicited a strange reaction from Aaron, and he phrased his words stranglely. Still, Sofie bowed her head and said, “Yes.” And Thaor died.

Sofie nodded as he gave her permission to carry forth a plan. Sofie thought the best person to go to would be Khaat herself. She would just have to check herself into St. Mungo’s. She would bring along someone unspecacular, maybe that Lucifer fellow. Someone to protect just in case, but someone no one would be concerned about losing.

Her eyes met his as he continued on and she felt she could not stop herself from making one observaion. “You speak from experience.” It was a revelation, and it was not a question. She could see it in the way he said it, she could see a film. She swallowed, realizing that she had presumed too much, had been too personal. I apologize. Um,” she thought about it for a moment. “I am very thankful. But I have seen some of the others that have tried too hard to forget their humanity. They cannot handle it and I don’t want to risk forgetting I am human for too long.”

She knew that any successful Death Eater must forfeit their emotions eventually, but she had seen some succeed without doing it too- her father, for example. “I know roads may cross, but I know which I will continue to walk along. Unless the roads converge and become one, I cannot see myself walking the other.” She knew she was a minority; not many nineteen year old women decided to forsake love for honor. But Sofie spoke truthfully.

She was very right, he did speak from experience. She was also right about losing her humanity, if she did it wrong that was. Aaron never wanted to lose track of who he was once before. There was a large chunk of his life where he fought the good fight. He wanted to prove that not all Slytherins were bad people and that he could use his cunning for good instead of evil. He never wanted to forget about that person, because it made him who he was today.

"Do you believe that I have lost my humanity?" He smiled when he said it, trying not to throw her off the conversation. "I promised too never forget about where I came from or lose my sanity. Suppressing emotions and completely forgetting about them are two separate things. But, if you wish to continue as you are, I cannot force you to change."

He was asking her honestly, and to her, that meant giving permission to answer honestly. She studied him. "No, you have not. I believe I am appreciated by you because my motives are not for killing and evil. I do what I believe is right. That tells me you understand humanity and retain it. Forgetting and suppressing are different. But I believe that, for myself anyway, it is my ability to feel that enables me not to forget. I don't think you want to feel."

She had gone too far. Permission or not. She quickly ate the last bite of her meal and said, "I thank you for the meal. I apologize if I have overstepped my bounds in any way."

Aaron smiled when she felt like she had overstepped her bounds. Aaron admired honesty and the ability to stand up for ones self, which was what Sofie did. She may not have believed very much in herself but at least she went out and did what she thought was right or what she had to do. She finished her meal quickly and then apologized to him. He held his hand up, stopping her from apologizing or leaving.

"You overstepped no bounds." He sat quietly for a moment, staring across the table at her. He wondered, for a moment, how he had gotten to this position of power so easily. He knew it would not be hard, but to be here now, was strange to him. "I want to feel, I do, but I cannot. I am a human, just like yourself, and I experience the same things. Sadness, loneliness, anger, lust... all of it. The thing is, if I give in to those feelings, I can lose everything I have worked for. To be in the position I am in, to have the power that I have, and to crave more of it, I have to ignore all of those feelings. But, there are moments, when I have to let them out. Cry, lash out in anger, seek out someone for comfort. I just know how to control them."

He finished the last of his drink before speaking again. "If this has become to much for you, we can leave."

Sofie listened to his words with a patient, open expression. Sofie was, quite honestly, an open book. She was honest and understanding. Though she operated for the Death Eaters, she was a sensitive creature. To this day, she refused to kill or harm children. She believed in the feelings of others and their importance. She understood and liked people. She just wanted some to get into their place in the world so it could run more smoothly.

So she did not listened to Aaron with a hardened, cold heart. She nodded as he finished, saying, "Naturally. There is a time and place for everything. Professionalism and emotion must stay separate. I believe I follow that belief."

He presented an out and she shook head, smiling reassuringly. "No, no. Today has been a very good day I believe."

He was glad she was starting to get a little more comfortable around him. It was strange having so many people on edge around him all of the time. He certainly enjoyed the power that it gave him, but he kind of wished there were at least a few people who could be around him and not have to walk on egg shells. Of course he could not break character and just ask it, not now at least, so he had to slowly coach someone into the feeling.

"Glad you have enjoyed it." He motioned for the waiter to bring their check, and when he did, he left the amount plus a pretty sizable tip. "So, shall we continue our tour of Diagon, or would you prefer to do something else?"

"Thank you for the meal," she added, always sure to say please and thank you where it was appropriate. The meal had been a much needed delicacy. To be reminded of the elegance of a fine meal was almost like relieving the occasional pangs of homesickness. Though she could not call it that. She loved her maternal influences and her sister, but she was fine without them. It was her father who she wished to remember.

He gave her a choice and she raised her shoulders. "I wouldn't be able to say where we could go, I am so ill acquainted with the area. This tour is lovely."