Dwelling in Possibility

((OOC: Uhm....guys? Albus is in disguise....which means none of your characters should be able to recognize him, besides Kat-Car. He's not an official DE....that's the entire point. Feel free to refer to him as the unrecognizable 'brunette twerp' or something xP ))

"Very well. My apologies." Albus inducted without a pause, features straightening, smoothening out into a neutral, impassive expression that crowned all masks. Internally though......cogs were turning with increasing speed, counter arguments and explanations being registered and examined. The inner Slytherin that had never quite forgotten what it was like dwelling in the snake's pit- noted the almost unnoticeable confidence with which the Lord of the manor, Lorcan d'Eath spoke, either uncaring of the fact that the original question had been addressed to Katrina-Carlotta, in whose stead he had answered, or had simply not realised it. The second option was infinitely more interesting. Second in command, then. Or more probably, the minister in the back room who influenced all the decisions.

Pansy Parkinson....one could see the eagerness practically slithering out of every pore. Those talon-like, immaculately painted nails, the sharp, predatory smile.....this was a malicious witch if he had ever seen one. She seemed to offer her services not just out of an ordinary lust for power, a desire to earn approval, but rather a twisted sense of amusement felt on ruining people's reputations. The Ministry's, to be more specific. Rita Skeeter had never had a more dangerous successor.

The young man next to him....glancing upward periodically, but too subdued to voice a word. Anxious too, if his scrabbling fingernails were any indication. The other woman staring at him, with something that downright bordered on hunger. Blackthorn, clearly earnest to have the Death Eater ideals upholded. The Rookwoods, hovering like wraiths on one end of the table. And in the middle of it all, the only one smiling, as if her position weren't obvious enough- Katrina-Carlotta du Hunt. She coaxed a kink out of her wrist, cracking it hard, replete with black widow eyes, and Albus resisted the urge of his lips to tug upwards in response. Morbid, twisted fondness? Perhaps.

Altogether, too much could be gleaned from the undertones of this meeting. The frequent, oft-thought secretive glances that one passed to another, a light word meant to sound innocent, but actually a veiled taunt. Was it only because it was a gathering of mostly snakes, thriving on subtlety? Or due to the fact that these were snakes whose fangs hadn't been drained of venom......or bared, yet.

Even its leader. It wasn't in Katrina-Carlotta's nature to talk in riddles, that he knew. Yet still, in spite of their statement of purpose, and its defense.....she lingered on actually declaring what was their plan of action. Something, was definitely amiss here. Something being hidden in plain sight. That, needed to be drawn out.

"If this is the objective, then how do we plan upon achieving it?" Albus desisted from looking at Katrina-Carlotta again, it could draw suspicion. He wasn't the only observant one in the room. "Its all very well to declare that the Lupins and the Order aren't our enemies, currently. Then the natural question arises: who is?" Despite the wrong hue of his eyes, they had lost none of its calm incisiveness. "Who's behind all this? Who are we fighting against, here?"

(ooc: Sorry! I edited it to the unfamiliar face haha, my bad).

A gleam of putrid poison spread maliciously across her pug-like face at Katrina-Carlotta's approval. She already had a few articles in mind and a few reputations to rupture. She'd start with Theodore's marriage, drop it unpleasantly into an article about his life turning upside down. After that an interview with Jack Dyllan would prove useful, she'd no doubt shed some unholy light on the law even if the Quidditch player wished to remain anonymous. Then an interview with a student would be the cherry on the cake. Parents seeing their children married young and unhappily would be enough to cause a revolution. This marriage law would fall.

The feeling that she, Pansy Parkinson-Nott, could stir such a civil unrest, make the Ministry crumble against the wave of hatred from the nation was enchantingly thrilling. Of course the reporter wouldn't be able to go on an all out assault, she'd probably get fired for being too anti-ministry. A few smaller stories mixed in with the cataclysm provoking press would be in order.

Able to sit happily whilst the meeting continued Pansy listened intently to what the other death eaters had to say. The first, a question from the unfamiliar face. Whoever this unknown wizard was he had quiet the cunningness. How were they going to achieve the goal? Pansy figured that she could cause quiet the stir among the nation but this task needed more than just her vindictive quill. What exactly were the other death eaters going to be doing?

Reverting her eyes back to Katrina-Carlotta she pouted slightly awaiting a response.

((OOC: I didn’t know he was in disguise. Sorry about that. . Changed my post.))

Steppe turned, the tension and silence was starting to become unnerving, her insides annoyed by it. Most of her anger had turned into a diluted and rancid liquid of emotion that had no name but seemed dull.

She blinked her eyes, when she herd Pansy speak. Pansy. Her smile and everything about her, her hair, even her looks. Pansy seemed ice queen attractive. Her perfect skin, and eyes, even her facial expressions. Steppe tended to avoid Pansy in school most of the time, in part due to the fear she held in her heart whenever she saw her.

Pansy had her own gang of girls in Hogwarts, and not only were the gorgeous, but they all held their pureblood status above everything else.

Steppe allowed the memory to softly dry away like breeze against glass.

As Miss Du-Hunt gave Pansy her approval, Steppe turned to look at the rest of the group casually.

Steppe wanted to participate but could not come up with any ideas. Her mind as usual seemed empty of other thoughts she was trying to get her mind to function, whipping away Henrys presence and her thoughts of Hallie, she tried to focus once more. She allowed her mind to go over the facts.

If Pansy’s article was going to cause civil unrest and stir the masses…

What the dark haired stranger stated was true. If the Order or the Ministry was not the enemy… then who was? Who ever this enemy was he wanted to marry muggles with purebloods and half-bloods… Steppe’s boiling contempt calmed realizing she was not the only one who was annoyed by the silence and vagueness, a dull feeling entered her heart.

So the masses could rebel, and if the masses rebel then, whoever the enemy was would be forced to show his face to the nation.. the light bulb in her brain turned on.

Steppe opened her mouth to speak, and found her lips dry and a sour taste was lingering in it.

“What if we caused a distraction?” she opened her mouth, only to realize she was thinking aloud. It was too late to take the words back.Well now time to back my words up...

“Miss Parkinson-Nott is going to make the masses turn into a frenzy,” Steppe continued.

“So what if we did something… to cause the Ministry and other curious fellows to lose focus,” Steppe paused knowing her idea was still vague, still it was as if lubricating oil had been placed in the gears of her brain, the idea came flowing into her head and out of her mouth faster. “Well, I am not saying to commit a crime in broad daylight, but if we cause just a few crimes, here and there, (she placed her hands in front of her as if holding an invisible cup in her hands) in the middle of the all the mess, then (Steppe shook her hands, eyeing the invisible air between them) nor the Ministry nor the Order will know what or who our real target is,” Steppe’s hands dropped to the table as she turned to look at Miss Du Hunt.

She tapped the table with the nail of her index finger. “Hopefully in the middle of the ‘distractions’(she played with the ends of her scarf) if the masses go crazy enough to rebel. The person who made that law will not be satisfied and will be forced to show his face to the public, and then we can nab him!(she hit the table with the side of her fist),” she finished looking towards Miss Du Hunt for approval. Well her idea was out now… she didn’t even know if it was a good idea or if it even made much sense. This was always one of the reasons why she didn’t voice her opinions much in these meetings.

She turned to toy with the edges of her purple scarf, then turned back to look at Miss Du Hunt.

Back, forth, back, forth, back…

The silver hanging from the earlobe of his daughter-in-law swung at every flex of a long index finger. As his eyes lifted from individual to individual, the thumb of Augustus Rookwood began to move circles into the bare shoulder of the young woman seated beneath him, chilled with gooseflesh. The base of his glass connected with a soft clink to the chipped surface of the table, the lime green liquid sloshing against the side, and Augustus straightened his spine, sidling a glance in the direction of his son and nephew who stood shoulder to shoulder, mirror images of the Rookwood ideal in the mind of their patriarch.

The elder of the two, the son of Thaddeus, leaned idly on his cane, beside his cousin, his fingers flexing around the bird that sat atop as his badge. Augustus had noted the trickle of blood that had slid down Theodore’s ring finger, the scarlet on the sharpened talons of the brooding rook. A decanter of firewhisky had taken Kendall’s affection and thus the Rookwood men had begun to clear out the vampire’s drinks cabinet, remembering enough good grace to offer some Dutch courage to the woman whose stricken visage looked ready to propel her to the floor.

The influx of black widows did not go unnoticed by the Rookwood party and glory seemed to rule them. Contemporary to each other, they were lacking in genuine experience but Augustus would forgive them for their virgin eyes and virgin minds because, as the adage went, it did bring fresh insight and concepts which they could use. Augustus shared the reservations of the Blackthorn woman but he was not wholly opposed, rather he wished to exercise caution where otherwise they would have and could have marched eagerly into certain conflict.

“Miss Seeker’s case has certain merits,” Augustus drawled, rolling the diamond at the end of Athena’s earring between his thumb and forefinger.

“There is no need to overthrow,” Theodore stepped up, setting his glass down on the table, contrasting the ochre with the lime.

A smirk licked at the sides of Augustus’ lips as he glanced over at Theodore, his fingers twinkling through the air in agreement with his nephew.

“If, and only if, we provide problems for the Aurors with those less exhibited to the mass media, we can make use of Madam Nott’s quill to furnish the blame upon the lapels of the Blood pack. Thus, orchestrating the events, we can provide the solutions.”

“Short term,” Theodore continued, “this is sustainable but we need Death Eaters in the Ministry for when the appropriate time comes to dance with the Order over that little gem. We can swing this the right way.”

Augustus picked up his glass and drained it of the absinthe, dropping it back onto a table with a clang. Athena’s hand shot out to steady it and Kendall poured another few fingers out from the cut crystal decanter waiting.

“As well as cooperation, we need to show our use,” Theodore finished off, lifting the glass up for Augustus to take into his grasp, ample enough reward for his contribution.

Katrina-Carlotta snapped abruptly out of her own thoughts. She'd only really been half-listening to what her fellow Death Eaters had been saying since Albus'd asked his own questions. The witch should have expected that the disguised male would pick up on things that no others did. Few in the room would dare to question her like that, asking for further information that she clearly hadn't wanted to give. Then again, the Potter had always been something of an exception, ever since the very first moment they'd met.

"We're fighting against the Ministry," the European announced, making eye-contact with the brilliant wizard. "Not the entire Ministry, we're not looking for a full-out civil war," Katrina-Carlotta added, glancing over to Steppe pointedly, "even if that would produce the outcome we're looking for, we're not powerful enough. It would be easy enough to start chaos, but after that we'd have no method to channel it in the correct direction."

"Our enemy is a specific segment of the Ministry, the segment that laid in wait until Robert Lupin was indisposed, and then passed the Marriage Law when the only person powerful enough wasn't there to oppose it," Katrina-Carlotta told them, forcing out her last word so that it almost echoed in the near-silent room. Her eyes flickered back to Albus's momentarily, knowing that he would understand what she was saying. Someone inside the Ministry was somehow connected with whomever had targeted Robert Lupin. There was a mole.

"Miss Seker is partially correct in that we need the masses against the law, Ms Parkinson I'm sure you already have that quite under control," Katrina-Carlotta admitted, purposely not using the married witch's full name. After all, she obviously wanted little to do with her husband, the woman was only granting Pansy's wish.

"However, we don't want to overthrow the Ministry. Mr. Rookwood is entirely right in that respect. Through a rather unexpected chain of events I, and therefore we, have become allies of the Lupin family. Working together with them, we will be able to get the Marriage Law repealed far faster than we could be capable of alone," the assassin stated, leaving no room for argument on the matter.

Leaning lazily back in her seat, the woman nodded slightly to Theodore. "On the topic of Death Eaters inside the Ministry, I'm sure at least a few of you have heard of the new Undersecretary. Her name is Marie Voisard, and she is one of us. She sadly couldn't make this meeting, and asked me to pass along her apologies," Katrina-Carlotta said with a smirk, remembering the rest of her conversation with Marie. The woman couldn't be gladder than her friend would be spending the rest of the foreseeable future in England. Long-distance floo travel was horrific.

The dark witch paused for a moment, giving everyone a chance to speak just incase they objected too strongly to anything she'd just said. Counting silently to five, Katrina-Carlotta figured that the floor was still hers.

"The Blood-pack, yet another thing I wished to speak of today. They need to be exterminated, as quickly and efficiently as possible. Those of you inside the Ministry will need to throw your support behind getting them off the streets. That may involve working with the Aurors, possibly even a few members of the Order. If anyone has a problem with that, do let me know now. I do not have the time to be bailing people out of Azkaban for attacking Order Members," Katrina-Carlotta informed them, dark eyes lingering significantly upon Henry Yewbeam for a few tense moments.

Henry listened, for perhaps the first time in the meeting. Still his head was down an his fingers circling the empty goblet before him. If only it had been a pumpkin juice, pumpkin juice was excellent when laced with sugar. Spice? That would have to be something for Henry to try and no doubt by the end of his trial his new addiction, leaving sugar behind. Sugar would soon seem to have no effect on Henry.

The one thing that didn't make sense to Hebry was why Lupin hadn't come in and scrapped the law, surely as minister he could do that? He'd passed new laws on Hogwarts and the banning of half breeds to study there why couldn't he scrap a marriage law? Not that Henry cared, he wasn't a blood purist an never had been but if it was what the death eaters wanted then it was what he wanted.

Feeling the gaze of Du Hunt pressed heavily against him Henry felt weak, guilty, a failure. He'd failed to capture and kill Hallie, who although wasn't known as an order member, was an Auror. How long would it be before he failed to complete another mission? As long as it wasn't one involving attacking someone he would be fine. He hoped. Henry wasn't going to attack anymore Aurors or order members. However, now he thought about their plan, he didn't see a part for himself at all. How was he supposed to prove himself.

In spite of Du Hunts gaze Henry spoke up for the first time, the forgotten bravery beginning to battle it's way through. 'Why can't Lupin just remove the law himself? He's created the new laws at Hogwarts, why can't he overrule whoever started the law?'

"A fair question," Lorcan spoke up.  "And one that brings us to the crux of the matter.  Ms. Du Hunt, I'm sure has the details that I'm sure she'll give those to us as she feels appropriate.

"However, Minister Lupin  by wizarding law, the only person with the power at this point to rescind or amend the marriage law. I don't believe Lupin has ever been unclear about his political views or his values, so I don't think many people would believe that this is a law he would likely support.

"Consider that the Lupins, while highly private in their personal life, have not hidden themselves in public life. However, Minister Lupin has not been seen since someone attempted to assassinate him some weeks back and apparently nearly succeeded. Consider too that Khaat Lupin has not been seen in public either since an assassin attempted and nearly succeeded to kill her as well. They are both considered to be on medical leave, and very precious few people have apparently seen them at all.

"I am not opposed to us exploring whether or not we would like control of the Ministry at some point, but the timing on this, at present, stinks, honestly. There is someone who has been doing a fine job of eliminating powerful wizards regardless of their political views.  Thaor Elldir, a known Death Eater, and former Deputy Minister, is dead.  Robert and Khaat Lupin have both been victims of assassination attempts. And in none of these incidents has anyone been arrested.  

"The Lupins have the same goal that we do--to stop the law and preserve our world. They don't seem to be backing away from the would-be murderer, or murderers. Typical Gryffindors," he muttered the latter under his breath. "Willing to toss themselves under the bus for the greater good and all that rot.

"If Robert Lupin is willing to position himself on the fireline and take his daughter with him, then so be it. Let him do it. I don't want to particularly lose any of you at this point.  And as long as he has the same goals that we do, then he is our ally.

"Ms. Du Hunt, I believe we need to get back to your plan, should we not?"

"Mr. Lupin is indeed out on medical leave," Katrina-Carlotta reiterated with a nod, "he has come down with something particularly unusual, and it is currently unknown how long it will be before he is capable of returning to office. However, it is our job to ensure that as soon as he is well enough, he will be welcomed with open arms. Our goal is to smooth the way, not to add turbulence and chaos. There is a fine line, and I expect every one of you to walk it carefully."

The assassin's eyes lingered momentarily over every single occupant in the room. The silence should have been awkward or oppressive, but to Katrina-Carlotta it seemed almost thoughtful and attentive. When the dark witch had first joined the Death Eaters, she had seen mountains of wasted potential. There was so much that the group could accomplish, but too many of them were too fond of using violence to solve any and all problems that got thrown their way. She had thought that their goal was to fix the wizarding world and make it into a better place, not throw it into a chaos that could rival that of the dark ages.

"We need to discuss the Blood Pack," the woman informed them, breaking the silence that had only just managed to settle. "Anything and everything you know about them, size, possible members, strengths, weaknesses, strategies. They got past the gates of Hogwarts once, and we cannot allow it to happen again. As Headmistress I have set certain protective measures, but we need the Pack obliterated. They are a danger to all of society. They don't discriminate, and the British werewolf population is higher than it's been in over 200 years. This must be stopped." Katrina-Carlotta announced, nodding tersely as if to emphasize her point.

Leaning backwards slightly in a way that made the European appear slightly less domineering, she surveyed the group before her. "Well," Katrina-Carlotta prompted, right eyebrow raised, "you lot have got to know something."