The Head Auror cursed and started pacing, muttering to himself. Derek forcefully ignored the knots twisting in his stomach and tried desperately to think of something. "Gov, I'll do anything else you ask. I'll tell you anything but I cannot go in there. I won't be the one to put him in Azkaban."
"It's not a request!" Mac yelled again. "I tell you and you do it! Merlin, Bly, you're covering for him. A Death Eater! You're in a better position than anyone and now you're telling me you can't vouch for it because of who you're sleeping with."
Derek's eyes turned cold and he glared at the older man. "Don't."
"Damnit, Derek."
"You have to find another way," Derek insisted. They were so close but he could feel it as well as the other Auror; they weren't going to make this stick. Were it anyone else, someone less connected, the evidence they had would have been enough. In this case it probably wasn't. "They're not going to believe me in there anyway, they know I'm biased. We're better off with someone else. Someone has to have seen something."
"And you know they haven't." The Head Auror sighed and stared off for a moment, leaving Derek to stand waiting in silence.
There was no going back from here.
Mac shook his head, "Get out."
Derek pressed his lips together and nodded in acknowledgment. "Should I clean out my desk?"
Mac's eyes snapped up. "When I want you out I'll tell you so. Go home," he barked, "to your girl and don't come back until I say. You're suspended until I decide what to do with you."
Derek made a quick bow and ducked out out of the office as Mac tossed his wand onto the desk angrily. Right. Somehow it didn't feel like he'd dodged a curse. Derek wasn't happy but he'd done the only thing he could- the same thing he'd been doing. Whether it was right or wrong, he couldn't say. Derek would live with it.
"It's not a request!" Mac yelled again. "I tell you and you do it! Merlin, Bly, you're covering for him. A Death Eater! You're in a better position than anyone and now you're telling me you can't vouch for it because of who you're sleeping with."
Derek's eyes turned cold and he glared at the older man. "Don't."
"Damnit, Derek."
"You have to find another way," Derek insisted. They were so close but he could feel it as well as the other Auror; they weren't going to make this stick. Were it anyone else, someone less connected, the evidence they had would have been enough. In this case it probably wasn't. "They're not going to believe me in there anyway, they know I'm biased. We're better off with someone else. Someone has to have seen something."
"And you know they haven't." The Head Auror sighed and stared off for a moment, leaving Derek to stand waiting in silence.
There was no going back from here.
Mac shook his head, "Get out."
Derek pressed his lips together and nodded in acknowledgment. "Should I clean out my desk?"
Mac's eyes snapped up. "When I want you out I'll tell you so. Go home," he barked, "to your girl and don't come back until I say. You're suspended until I decide what to do with you."
Derek made a quick bow and ducked out out of the office as Mac tossed his wand onto the desk angrily. Right. Somehow it didn't feel like he'd dodged a curse. Derek wasn't happy but he'd done the only thing he could- the same thing he'd been doing. Whether it was right or wrong, he couldn't say. Derek would live with it.
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