Chapter 11, YAY!!!
After longer than I would have liked, a long bout of writer's block, a death in the family (my cat), and a new addition (my new cat, named Fitzwilliam Darcy, who is insane but also adorable), chapter 11 is finally done!
1/2/3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10
Chapter 11
Ron returned to work the fourth Monday after the Betrayal, as he had begun to call it. He found Raleigh crouched in front of a wall in the antechamber, apparently scanning the text written on it for changes. He looked up upon hearing Ron’s footsteps and surprise and then pity passed over his face before he walked over to pat Ron’s shoulder. “Glad to see you back, my boy. I’m sorry to hear about that boyfriend of yours, always thought he was the wrong sort.”
Ron smiled awkwardly and looked around. “Thanks, where’s Bill?”
“In the burial chamber. We’re trying to go over everything, see if maybe we’ll find another pictograph. We haven’t found anything thus far, though.”
“Well, maybe we’ll get lucky, you never know.” Ron went through the tunnel to find his brother. It wasn’t until he reached the burial chamber that he noticed that Raleigh had followed him. Bill was crouched near the floor, head turned almost upside down and resembling a confused dog. Ron tried to ignore the animal-like posture and the flash of his oldest brother covered in blood that flashed through his mind. “Find anything yet?”
Bill looked up sharply, apparently having not heard them enter the chamber. A huge grin plastered his face as soon as his eyes fell on Ron. “Hey, little brother. Good to see you back.” He stood to greet him and clapped him on the back.
“Good to be back. Have you found anything yet?”
“No, but we haven’t lost hope yet, right Raleigh?”
“Of course not. We’ll just have to keep trying.”
Ron glanced at Raleigh before turning his attention to the wall decorations. “What about the museum job? Is it still available?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. Do you have a resume?” Ron looked down at his feet, scuffing one shoe against another.
“Harry and I missed that seminar at school…”
“Well, we’ll have to put one together for you. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight and we’ll work on it?”
“Yeah, sure. That sounds good.” They shared a smile and turned to the wall as a group. They spent the rest of the day scanning over the hieroglyphics, but no new information surfaced and Ron could tell that Bill and Raleigh were both becoming frustrated.
Ron came home with Bill that night to an enthusiastic welcome by Fleur. Ron was shocked to find that she was glowing ─ quite literally─ and they’d barely got through the door before she burst out with the reason why. “I’m pregnant! Isn’t it wonderful? I am so ‘appy!”
Ron grinned and kissed her cheek. “Really? That’s great! You’re glowing.”
“Yes, I know; it is perfect. Being pregnant agrees with me, I think.” She took the opportunity to preen and Ron had to force himself to look away. Damn her veela hormones. He only hoped Bill had missed the lapse, but looking at his brother, it was obvious that he only had eyes for his wife. “You are looking well, too, I think. We are getting over that awful boy, yes?”
Ron forced a smile, though his heart was clenching, and nodded. It was taking longer than he would like, but the ache seemed to be lessening with each passing day. It was even getting easier to not think about Forten, at least not every second of every day. Yesterday, he’d managed to only think of him twice─ at least, until he crawled into his large, empty bed. He blinked away the thought and looked down at Fleur. “It’s getting better.”
“Good.” Her face lit up in a smile and she reached up to kiss his cheek before turning to Bill and kissing him full on the mouth. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I expect the table to be set when it is, hmm?” She kissed him again before gliding off back into the kitchen, a faint glow trailing after her. Dinner was simple, but good, and filled with Fleur’s excited chatter about the baby and all the plans she had for converting the guest room into a nursery. After cleaning up, Bill and Ron settled into the living room to put together Ron’s resume and cover letter. It took a few hours and some very unhelpful comments from Fleur, but before Ron left for the night, it had all been completed and compiled with an application for employment, as well as the references Bill and Raleigh had both prepared, and was on its way to the museum.
Ron was owled for an interview three days later and nervously set an appointment day.
/
Ronald Bilius Weasley
87 Kasr El Nil St., Fourth floor, apt.25, Giza 12411
Floo: Sandstorm Flat
Education:
1991 - 1997: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
1998 - 1999: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Qualifications:
OWLS: Astronomy (A), Care of Magical Creatures (A), Charms (E), Defense Against the Dark Arts (E), Herbology (A), Potions (A), and Transfiguration (E). 1996
NEWTS: Astronomy (E), Charms (E), Defense Against the Dark Arts (O), Herbology (A), Potions (A), and Transfiguration (E). 1998
Professional Development
Year Abroad:
• Defensive Skills 1997
• Ability to identify and neutralize dangerous hexes on objects and buildings 1997
• Dark Arts 1998
• Ability to investigate foreign sites for evidence 1998
• Problem solving 1997
Internship:
- Knowledge of Egyptian Mythology and Archaeology 1995
- Ability to navigate complicated dig sites with ease 1996
- Technical knowledge of the Archaeological processes 1996
Work Experience
Archeological Assistant
• assisted a professional Egyptian archaeologist on a daily basis
• participated in archaeological digs at Djedfre,
Personal Achievments
• Assisted Harry Potter to track down and destroy four of Voldemort’s Horcruxes
• Assisted to develop the spell used by Harry Potter in the destruction of Lord Voldemort
• Oversaw the largest chess match in British history
• First place champion of chess association of Britain 3 years consecutively
• Represented the Gryffindor Quidditch house team as Keeper
• Founding member of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare
Personal Details
Date of Birth: 1 March 1980
Nationality: British
Marital Status: Single
Health: Excellent
Heritage: Pureblood
Apparition License: Full and clean
/
Father Williams was astounded at what was coming out of Mrs. Anderson’s mouth. When his secretary informed him that one of the mothers wanted to talk to him about an important matter, he had assumed it had something to do with one of the students. Instead, she was talking about one of his teachers, one of his most respected and well-liked teachers at that.
“You sat he was at the bar with another man? And appeared to be… intimate with this man?”
The look of fury on her face only increased. “Yes, they looked as though they were attempting to crawl into each other’s clothing! How can you allow such a monster to teach at this school?”
“Now, now, no need for harsh language. You are positive that it was Mr. Smith that you saw and just a gentleman who looked like him?”
“Of course! We were only at the bar because I’d seen a flier for his band. I had no way of knowing we would meet with such an abomination!”
Father Williams wiped at his brow worriedly. He liked to think of himself as one of the more progressive clergyman of his diocese, but he knew that many of his parishioners would not tolerate homosexuality in their church or their school. If the allegation was true, he would have no action but to fire Michael immediately.
“I’ll have to call him to the office to answer to these charges before I can take any action, you understand. He has never been accused of any indiscretion before, let alone one of this magnitude.”
Mrs. Anderson huffed and muttered a few angry epithets under her breath. He only hoped she would calm down before Michael arrived. He left the room momentarily to speak with the school secretary, who sent the hall monitor with a note to the music room. Within a few minutes, Michael appeared in the doorway looking slightly befuddled as to why he was there. Father Williams gave him a bracing smile and indicated the chair next to Mrs. Anderson. “Michael, if you could take a seat, I need to speak with you about a very serious matter that has just been brought to my attention.”
Michael hesitated before taking the seat, muscles tensed in worry. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to one of my students?” he asked.
“No, no, it’s nothing to do with the students. I want to ask you a very serious, very personal question and I need you to be completely honest with me.”
“Okay…”
Father Williams braced himself and took a deep breath before asking, “Are you a homosexual?”
Michael froze, his skin losing all colour and his eyes growing wide in shock. The mother next to him was glaring viciously at him. “I… what would make you ask me that?” he asked, attempting to stall what he knew in his gut was an inevitable confession.
“We will get to the how in a moment. Right now, I need you to answer the question.”
Michael looked down at his hands, shaking in his lap. This was it, the moment he’d been dreading from the day he began to work at the school. He was going to have to tell the truth and he was going to lose his job. He took a few steadying breaths before locking eyes with his principle. “Yes, I am. I never told you because I didn’t think it had any bearing on my teaching abilities.”
“You know this is grounds for dismissal, correct?”
He nodded sadly, biting his lip to hold back a sudden rush of tears. “Yes, I’d thought that might happen.”
The woman beside him bristled. “It most certainly should! What you’re doing is an abomination! You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He turned to her in shock, staring at her as though he didn’t know her and hadn’t taught her children for three years. “Mrs. Anderson, I’m sorry that you feel that way, but this isn’t something I chose. I was born a homosexual, and if it were wrong, I don’t think God would have made me this way.”
“You weren’t born that way; you chose to live in sin. How dare you blaspheme God like that!”
“I’m very sorry you feel that way, Mrs. Anderson, but this isn’t a choice. I didn’t choose to be gay, I just am. No one chooses their sexual orientation; it’s chosen for them before their born. I can’t help it any more than I can help having dark hair or blue eyes.”
Father Williams stepped in before the woman could continue yelling, as it was obvious from the red colour of her cheeks that she intended to do so. “Regardless of the nature versus nurture debate, I’m regretfully going to have to let you go, Mr. Smith. If you could please go and clean out your desk, I will have Mrs. Rubens take over your classes for the rest of the day.”
Michael looked horrified. “What do you mean? I can’t finish out the day? What am I going to tell the kids? They’ll want an explanation; I can’t just leave them without saying goodbye.”
One glance at Mrs. Anderson’s murderous look told him that she would not tolerate such an action. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stay. I will explain the situation as tactfully as I can to the students myself.”
Michael considered arguing more, but knew that it would only make the situation more difficult, so he nodded instead and stood. “I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed you; I never meant to cause any trouble. I just love this school and my students and I wanted to help them. If I’ve caused any harm, it was unintentional, and I deeply regret it. Though I do not, nor will I ever, feel ashamed for being what I am.” The last he spoke through clenched teeth, glaring violently at the woman who had just destroyed his career, his life. He left the office calmly and tried to stop his hands from shaking as he cleared out his things and left the building. He managed to keep it together long enough to make it back to his apartment, but as soon as the door closed behind him, he sunk to the ground, shaking violently and sobbing. His boyfriend, Jordan, found him that way three hours later, when he returned home from work, and after a broken explanation, took him into the bedroom and held him as he cried.
/
“Mind stopping by my office quickly before we go and see Ernie? I left my jumper last night and I want to get it before I forget.”
Draco nodded distractedly, eyes focused on the forms in his hand. Justin smiled and kissed his temple, causing the blond to lean into him. Draco had been preoccupied all morning, fussing over everything from what they wore to what colour ink they’d filled the forms out in. Justin had tried to relax him with sex, but Draco still thought of little things to worry about even mid-coital. Now they were in the lift and finally almost to the appointment. As they neared the floor, the bottom was falling out of Justin’s stomach. He kept convincing himself that Ernie had been mistaken in assuming that Draco’s initial reaction was too mild to be the real thing, but subconsciously he knew that he wasn’t really Draco’s mate. He worried that Ernie would try to bar the registration. If Draco found out that they weren’t really destined, he would lose him and Justin loved him already, too much to allow that to happen. And so he was stalling by going to the office. He hadn’t left his jumper, but Draco was too distracted to notice that he never picked one up.
The lift opened onto the second floor and he directed his boyfriend down the hall to the muggle/wizard relations office. He left him outside and went in to rummage “for the jumper”. When he walked back out, he was surprised and aggravated to see Higgs glaring at Draco with a curious Orin at his side. Draco barely looked at him with a disgusted wrinkle of his nose and moved to Justin’s side, insinuating himself under Justin’s arm.
“Flavour of the month, are we, Finch-Fletchly? Why am I not surprised that you went after my seconds once again?” Justin looked to Draco, confused by the comment. He hadn’t been aware of any connection between Draco and Higgs besides house affiliation. Draco sneered.
“Seconds? Is that what you call all the men who are so disgusted with you that they throw you out? I seem to remember you being very upset that I turned you away. How very interesting that you had had a change of opinion only after you’ve been tossed out on your arse.”
“I’ve had time to realize what an unworthy demon whore you are.”
“An unworthy whore, am I?” He raised a cynical eyebrow. “That would be why I am going with my life partner to register him as my mate, wouldn’t it? I am not a whore, nor am I a demon, and even if either term were to apply to me, I am a veela and have strong sexual instincts. You and the whore at your side do not either of you have any such excuse.” He turned his face up to Justin. “I’m tired of this conversation, love. Shall we go?” Justin nodded and quickly steered him back towards the lifts, wanting to get as far away from Higgs and Orin as possible. Draco wrapped his arms around him as they stood in front of the lift doors and kissed him without regard for who was looking. Justin only allowed it because he wasn’t working that day and he wanted to make Higgs jealous, if just for a moment. They entered the first lift to arrive and headed back down to the Fourth floor. Justin wanted to ask Draco about his relationship with Higgs, but there were other people in the lift, a few he knew by face if not by name, and so he stayed silent and just put his arm around the blond instead.
It felt as though the entire Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was staring at them as they made their way to Ernie’s office. These people knew him; he was in to visit Ernie enough, and he knew that Draco had the reputation of the most difficult creature the department had seen since Fenrir Greyback (though for very different reasons, obviously). Draco walked into the head office without knocking, heedless of any prior meeting Ernie might have had.
Ernie looked up and rolled his eyes at Draco before turning to Justin with a smile. “Good morning. Here to register?”
“That’s what I requested this meeting to do, yes,” Draco drawled, slinking into one of the chairs in front of Ernie’s desk. Justin sat next to him and smiled hesitantly at his old friend. He felt too awkward and terrified to speak, so he let Draco go through the preliminary questioning and only half-listened to what was being said. After about half an hour of conversation, Ernie asked to speak with him alone. Draco protested at first, but gave in once Justin perked up and squeezed his hand comfortingly. Once they were alone, Ernie gave him a stern look. “This is on the knife-edge of illegal, you know.”
Justin wrung his hands guiltily. “I know it is, but I can’t help it. If he finds out I’m not really his mate, he’ll leave me, and I can’t lose him. He’s my life; I need him.”
“You’ve only been seeing him a few months. It can’t have become that serious already.”
“It is. I can’t explain why, but I don’t think I could function without him anymore. Please do this, as a mate, a close mate.”
Ernie looked disgustedly down at the file with Draco’s picture on it and shook his head. “I don’t understand what you could possibly see in him ─ besides the veela bit. He’s a complete wanker.”
“Not to me. He loves me ─ needs me. He… makes me feel needed, like I’m the only thing that keeps his world spinning. How could I not fall head-over-heels for that?”
“Easliy. But if this is what you want, I’ll help you. I’m not filing this paperwork, though, nor do I advise you to allow him to bond with you. Both are highly illegal and can result in a visit to Azkaban, understood?”
“What should I tell him about the bonding? He’s already started talking about it.”
“Whatever you like, just don’t do it. If I ever see the bonding mark on your wrist, I’ll have you arrested myself. I may hate Malfoy, but I’m not going to be responsible for his death.”
“Death?” Justin was suddenly very alarmed. What did death have to do with Draco and his bonding?
“Yes, death. If you bond with him and then he finds his true mate, the despair of never getting to be with his true mate will kill him, just as it would if his mate were to die.”
Justin swallowed and looked stared at Ernie with wide eyes. “It will?”
“Yes, so you have to make certain that you do everything in your power to prevent it.”
“Of course I will. I would never do anything to harm him.”
Ernie didn’t reply, but instead wrote something on one of the forms and filed them all away. “Anything else before I send you off?”
“I’m trying to convince Draco to go to the pub tonight, want to come?”
Ernie looked hesitant for a moment. “Only because it’s you.”
“Brilliant, I’ll firecall you with details this afternoon.” They shook hands and then Justin went in search of his boyfriend. The blond stood outside the door, sneering at little Emma, who had replaced Ernie when he was promoted.
“Be nice. Emma’s never hurt anyone,” he whispered into his ear. Draco turned to him with a smile and kissed him. “Is everything all right now?”
“Perfect. Shall we go home?”
“You could not get me out of here fast enough.”
/
Hey Draco,
I’m glad you found your soul mate finally; I know it was a real problem for you. I’m not going to lie, I was surprised to read that you had. I never thought you’d keep writing once you found him. I’m glad that he doesn’t mind you writing to me and that you want to keep our friendship even after you’ve settled down. I really enjoy getting letters from you; it’s nice to know that I have someone to talk to about the things that are going on in my life who is able to look at them objectively. Especially now that something’s happened and I’m at a loss as to what to do.
I’ve been fired from my school. I had a show a few weeks ago and apparently one of the more conservative parents went and saw me there with Jordan. She went to Father Williams complaining and threatened to go to Cardinal Francis George if I wasn’t let go immediately. I know Father Williams didn’t want to do it, but he had no choice in the matter. Still, I could see the disappointment in his eyes, you know? Like I’d let him down by loving the wrong person. I feel terrible. And the worst part about it is that they didn’t even let me finish out the day; I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my kids. A few of the parents want to bring in a psychologist to see if I abused any of the boys. How could anyone possibly think I could do something like that? I love those kids, I would never do anything to hurt them! The whole thing is a nightmare; I don’t know what to do.
Jordan thinks that I should hire a lawyer and put together a discrimination suit, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. It would cost a lot of money and I don’t think I really have a case. I mean, it is a Catholic school; they aren’t sanctioned by the government the way public schools are. And besides, despite what they’ve done, I could never do anything to hurt them. It’s still my church. I grew up going there and, I don’t know, I feel like I’d be betraying them and accomplishing nothing. What do you think?
I feel like I’m having an identity crisis. I’m working as a substitute, but I’m not even sure I want to teach anymore after what’s happened. Maybe I could go into music therapy or start playing back-up full time or something. I don’t know. I just feel so out of my depth, you know? I know that I’ve been anticipating something like this happened since I began working at the school, but in the back of my mind I never actually thought it would happen.
Even though I know you’re completely committed now, and so am I, I can’t help but wish you were here with me. As much as I love Jordan, and as much as he has been supportive through all of this, I would still rather have you with your sharp mouth and your answer for everything. I know that if you were here, I would know what to do rather than being stuck in this Limbo. But, of course, you’re not and I don’t expect you to be. Really, I shouldn’t even be thinking these things. Maybe I’m having a quarter-life crisis, huh? I don’t know. Hopefully, I’ll figure things out soon. For now, I miss you and I hope you are healthy and happy.
Love,
Smith
/
Draco stared at the letter, unsure of what to make of it. He couldn’t believe that those vicious Catholics had dismissed him, but he also didn’t know what to make of Smith’s final paragraph. A part of him was throwing up defensive barriers around his relationship with Justin, but there was another part of him that felt a kind of longing to be in America, with Smith, taking care of him. He felt odd and unsettled and could barely stop himself from squirming in his seat. It was ironic, what Smith had said about Justin accepting their continued correspondence, since Justin didn’t know, had never even heard of him going to the States, let alone meeting a gorgeous Blues musician he’d fancied himself in love with for a time. That would no longer be the case when Justin moved in, of course; there was no other way he could explain the carrier pigeons who brought him messages every few weeks.
He looked at the letter again, re-read it, and stared at it in hopes that it would give him some kind of idea as to what to write back. He was distracted by the sound of apparition before he could come up with anything and quickly stuffed the letter under the chair cushion. Justin was in the room a moment later, looking tired but generally pleased to see him. He settled into the sofa next to the blond’s chair and leaned over to kiss him hello. “How are you?” he asked.
Draco grinned up at him and slid out of his chair and into his lover’s lap. “I’m wonderful now that you’re here.” He kissed him again, teeth lingering to tug at his bottom lip, tongue massaging it. Justin made an appreciative noise and returned the kiss, pulling him close by his arse. Soon they were writhing against each other and pulling at clothing in a desperate fashion, letter completely forgotten for the present.
/
Ron, when he thought of it at all, had always imagined that job interviews were done in offices with stuffy receptionists and uncomfortable chairs, but this was nothing like that. He stood in the middle of a dig site armed only with a name and little idea of where to find the person who belonged to it. Seth Abdul-Latif. He looked around at all the men hauling baskets and hoped to find someone who looked like he might be in charge. Off in the distance he could see a rotund man dressed in brightly-coloured robes who looked to be directing the goings-on around him, and Ron made his way towards him, hoping for help.
He had walked over intending to great the man in Arabic, but the very round man greeted him in cheerful English before he could get the first word out. “Afternoon! You must be the Englishman looking to be my assistant.”
Ron paused, taken aback by the accented English. He hadn’t been addressed in English by an Egyptian in months. “Are you Mr. Abdul-Latif?”
“Only if you’re Ronald Weasley.” The man ─ Seth ─ grinned at him, showing a row of perfect, pearly white teeth. He laughed at the confused look Ron gave him. “I am, my boy, you needn’t be so uptight. You are nervous, I can see. Do not worry, I am sure we will get along well.” Ron smiled, still on edge. “Your resume says you have been on digs before; would you like to join me down in the tunnels and we can discuss your employment?”
“That’d be great, sure.” With Mr. Abdul-Latif at the lead, they descended into the cramped, shadowy corridors, the large man chatting about the particulars of the dig as they went. Ron listened with interest, glad that he hadn’t been required to speak a great deal yet. They arrived in a chamber deep inside the pyramid, through a doorway so narrow that Ron wondered how the rotund man ha managed to squeeze through, and were now standing in front of a regular-looking mural of slaves building various statues. Ron looked from the mural to Seth, unsure as to why he was being shown this particular set of hieroglyphs.
“What do you see?” Seth asked, his eyes glittering with some sort of amusement.
“Er…” He looked back at the mural, taken aback by the question. “It… uh, it looks like a scene of slaves building a monument to the pharaoh. Fairly common, isn’t it?”
Seth’s eyes continued to glitter at him. “Keep looking.” As Ron continued to look, still befuddled as to the point, the picture began to change, and Ron took a step back in shock. It was the pictograph they’d found in Djedefre’s tomb, nearly exact except that the head worshiper was the owner of the tomb they happened to be in. Ron stared at Seth, speechless.
/
Form:83352739
Name:Draco Malfoy
Registry Number: 625369
Date:15 Mar 2003
Age:22
Mate:Justin Finch-Fletchly
Current Location: London, England
Number of Sexual Encounter(s): 19
Name(s) of Partner(s): Justin Finch-Fletchly 19(M)
Age(s) of Partner(s): 22
Species of Partner(s): wizard
Description of Sexual Encounter(s): Sod Off.
Was non-Veela magic used during the encounter(s)?: Yes
If so, what spell or potion was used and what were its affects?: The usual.
Did any encounter result in pregnancy?:
Was Veela Power used in any manner not involved in finding a mate?:
Yes
If so, how and why?: I dislike being told ‘no’.
Comments: You have once more failed to answer me as to whether or not I will be receiving a new form, preferably one that does not contain the request to describe my sexual encounters with my mate. I don’t want to have to send Justin up to get them from you, but don’t delude yourself into thinking I won’t.
>
1/2/3/ 4/ 5/ 6/ 7/ 8/ 9/ 10
Chapter 11
Ron returned to work the fourth Monday after the Betrayal, as he had begun to call it. He found Raleigh crouched in front of a wall in the antechamber, apparently scanning the text written on it for changes. He looked up upon hearing Ron’s footsteps and surprise and then pity passed over his face before he walked over to pat Ron’s shoulder. “Glad to see you back, my boy. I’m sorry to hear about that boyfriend of yours, always thought he was the wrong sort.”
Ron smiled awkwardly and looked around. “Thanks, where’s Bill?”
“In the burial chamber. We’re trying to go over everything, see if maybe we’ll find another pictograph. We haven’t found anything thus far, though.”
“Well, maybe we’ll get lucky, you never know.” Ron went through the tunnel to find his brother. It wasn’t until he reached the burial chamber that he noticed that Raleigh had followed him. Bill was crouched near the floor, head turned almost upside down and resembling a confused dog. Ron tried to ignore the animal-like posture and the flash of his oldest brother covered in blood that flashed through his mind. “Find anything yet?”
Bill looked up sharply, apparently having not heard them enter the chamber. A huge grin plastered his face as soon as his eyes fell on Ron. “Hey, little brother. Good to see you back.” He stood to greet him and clapped him on the back.
“Good to be back. Have you found anything yet?”
“No, but we haven’t lost hope yet, right Raleigh?”
“Of course not. We’ll just have to keep trying.”
Ron glanced at Raleigh before turning his attention to the wall decorations. “What about the museum job? Is it still available?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ll find out. Do you have a resume?” Ron looked down at his feet, scuffing one shoe against another.
“Harry and I missed that seminar at school…”
“Well, we’ll have to put one together for you. Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight and we’ll work on it?”
“Yeah, sure. That sounds good.” They shared a smile and turned to the wall as a group. They spent the rest of the day scanning over the hieroglyphics, but no new information surfaced and Ron could tell that Bill and Raleigh were both becoming frustrated.
Ron came home with Bill that night to an enthusiastic welcome by Fleur. Ron was shocked to find that she was glowing ─ quite literally─ and they’d barely got through the door before she burst out with the reason why. “I’m pregnant! Isn’t it wonderful? I am so ‘appy!”
Ron grinned and kissed her cheek. “Really? That’s great! You’re glowing.”
“Yes, I know; it is perfect. Being pregnant agrees with me, I think.” She took the opportunity to preen and Ron had to force himself to look away. Damn her veela hormones. He only hoped Bill had missed the lapse, but looking at his brother, it was obvious that he only had eyes for his wife. “You are looking well, too, I think. We are getting over that awful boy, yes?”
Ron forced a smile, though his heart was clenching, and nodded. It was taking longer than he would like, but the ache seemed to be lessening with each passing day. It was even getting easier to not think about Forten, at least not every second of every day. Yesterday, he’d managed to only think of him twice─ at least, until he crawled into his large, empty bed. He blinked away the thought and looked down at Fleur. “It’s getting better.”
“Good.” Her face lit up in a smile and she reached up to kiss his cheek before turning to Bill and kissing him full on the mouth. “Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. I expect the table to be set when it is, hmm?” She kissed him again before gliding off back into the kitchen, a faint glow trailing after her. Dinner was simple, but good, and filled with Fleur’s excited chatter about the baby and all the plans she had for converting the guest room into a nursery. After cleaning up, Bill and Ron settled into the living room to put together Ron’s resume and cover letter. It took a few hours and some very unhelpful comments from Fleur, but before Ron left for the night, it had all been completed and compiled with an application for employment, as well as the references Bill and Raleigh had both prepared, and was on its way to the museum.
Ron was owled for an interview three days later and nervously set an appointment day.
/
Ronald Bilius Weasley
87 Kasr El Nil St., Fourth floor, apt.25, Giza 12411
Floo: Sandstorm Flat
Education:
1991 - 1997: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
1998 - 1999: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Qualifications:
OWLS: Astronomy (A), Care of Magical Creatures (A), Charms (E), Defense Against the Dark Arts (E), Herbology (A), Potions (A), and Transfiguration (E). 1996
NEWTS: Astronomy (E), Charms (E), Defense Against the Dark Arts (O), Herbology (A), Potions (A), and Transfiguration (E). 1998
Professional Development
Year Abroad:
• Defensive Skills 1997
• Ability to identify and neutralize dangerous hexes on objects and buildings 1997
• Dark Arts 1998
• Ability to investigate foreign sites for evidence 1998
• Problem solving 1997
Internship:
- Knowledge of Egyptian Mythology and Archaeology 1995
- Ability to navigate complicated dig sites with ease 1996
- Technical knowledge of the Archaeological processes 1996
Work Experience
Archeological Assistant
• assisted a professional Egyptian archaeologist on a daily basis
• participated in archaeological digs at Djedfre,
Personal Achievments
• Assisted Harry Potter to track down and destroy four of Voldemort’s Horcruxes
• Assisted to develop the spell used by Harry Potter in the destruction of Lord Voldemort
• Oversaw the largest chess match in British history
• First place champion of chess association of Britain 3 years consecutively
• Represented the Gryffindor Quidditch house team as Keeper
• Founding member of the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare
Personal Details
Date of Birth: 1 March 1980
Nationality: British
Marital Status: Single
Health: Excellent
Heritage: Pureblood
Apparition License: Full and clean
/
Father Williams was astounded at what was coming out of Mrs. Anderson’s mouth. When his secretary informed him that one of the mothers wanted to talk to him about an important matter, he had assumed it had something to do with one of the students. Instead, she was talking about one of his teachers, one of his most respected and well-liked teachers at that.
“You sat he was at the bar with another man? And appeared to be… intimate with this man?”
The look of fury on her face only increased. “Yes, they looked as though they were attempting to crawl into each other’s clothing! How can you allow such a monster to teach at this school?”
“Now, now, no need for harsh language. You are positive that it was Mr. Smith that you saw and just a gentleman who looked like him?”
“Of course! We were only at the bar because I’d seen a flier for his band. I had no way of knowing we would meet with such an abomination!”
Father Williams wiped at his brow worriedly. He liked to think of himself as one of the more progressive clergyman of his diocese, but he knew that many of his parishioners would not tolerate homosexuality in their church or their school. If the allegation was true, he would have no action but to fire Michael immediately.
“I’ll have to call him to the office to answer to these charges before I can take any action, you understand. He has never been accused of any indiscretion before, let alone one of this magnitude.”
Mrs. Anderson huffed and muttered a few angry epithets under her breath. He only hoped she would calm down before Michael arrived. He left the room momentarily to speak with the school secretary, who sent the hall monitor with a note to the music room. Within a few minutes, Michael appeared in the doorway looking slightly befuddled as to why he was there. Father Williams gave him a bracing smile and indicated the chair next to Mrs. Anderson. “Michael, if you could take a seat, I need to speak with you about a very serious matter that has just been brought to my attention.”
Michael hesitated before taking the seat, muscles tensed in worry. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to one of my students?” he asked.
“No, no, it’s nothing to do with the students. I want to ask you a very serious, very personal question and I need you to be completely honest with me.”
“Okay…”
Father Williams braced himself and took a deep breath before asking, “Are you a homosexual?”
Michael froze, his skin losing all colour and his eyes growing wide in shock. The mother next to him was glaring viciously at him. “I… what would make you ask me that?” he asked, attempting to stall what he knew in his gut was an inevitable confession.
“We will get to the how in a moment. Right now, I need you to answer the question.”
Michael looked down at his hands, shaking in his lap. This was it, the moment he’d been dreading from the day he began to work at the school. He was going to have to tell the truth and he was going to lose his job. He took a few steadying breaths before locking eyes with his principle. “Yes, I am. I never told you because I didn’t think it had any bearing on my teaching abilities.”
“You know this is grounds for dismissal, correct?”
He nodded sadly, biting his lip to hold back a sudden rush of tears. “Yes, I’d thought that might happen.”
The woman beside him bristled. “It most certainly should! What you’re doing is an abomination! You should be ashamed of yourself.”
He turned to her in shock, staring at her as though he didn’t know her and hadn’t taught her children for three years. “Mrs. Anderson, I’m sorry that you feel that way, but this isn’t something I chose. I was born a homosexual, and if it were wrong, I don’t think God would have made me this way.”
“You weren’t born that way; you chose to live in sin. How dare you blaspheme God like that!”
“I’m very sorry you feel that way, Mrs. Anderson, but this isn’t a choice. I didn’t choose to be gay, I just am. No one chooses their sexual orientation; it’s chosen for them before their born. I can’t help it any more than I can help having dark hair or blue eyes.”
Father Williams stepped in before the woman could continue yelling, as it was obvious from the red colour of her cheeks that she intended to do so. “Regardless of the nature versus nurture debate, I’m regretfully going to have to let you go, Mr. Smith. If you could please go and clean out your desk, I will have Mrs. Rubens take over your classes for the rest of the day.”
Michael looked horrified. “What do you mean? I can’t finish out the day? What am I going to tell the kids? They’ll want an explanation; I can’t just leave them without saying goodbye.”
One glance at Mrs. Anderson’s murderous look told him that she would not tolerate such an action. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you stay. I will explain the situation as tactfully as I can to the students myself.”
Michael considered arguing more, but knew that it would only make the situation more difficult, so he nodded instead and stood. “I’m very sorry if I’ve disappointed you; I never meant to cause any trouble. I just love this school and my students and I wanted to help them. If I’ve caused any harm, it was unintentional, and I deeply regret it. Though I do not, nor will I ever, feel ashamed for being what I am.” The last he spoke through clenched teeth, glaring violently at the woman who had just destroyed his career, his life. He left the office calmly and tried to stop his hands from shaking as he cleared out his things and left the building. He managed to keep it together long enough to make it back to his apartment, but as soon as the door closed behind him, he sunk to the ground, shaking violently and sobbing. His boyfriend, Jordan, found him that way three hours later, when he returned home from work, and after a broken explanation, took him into the bedroom and held him as he cried.
/
“Mind stopping by my office quickly before we go and see Ernie? I left my jumper last night and I want to get it before I forget.”
Draco nodded distractedly, eyes focused on the forms in his hand. Justin smiled and kissed his temple, causing the blond to lean into him. Draco had been preoccupied all morning, fussing over everything from what they wore to what colour ink they’d filled the forms out in. Justin had tried to relax him with sex, but Draco still thought of little things to worry about even mid-coital. Now they were in the lift and finally almost to the appointment. As they neared the floor, the bottom was falling out of Justin’s stomach. He kept convincing himself that Ernie had been mistaken in assuming that Draco’s initial reaction was too mild to be the real thing, but subconsciously he knew that he wasn’t really Draco’s mate. He worried that Ernie would try to bar the registration. If Draco found out that they weren’t really destined, he would lose him and Justin loved him already, too much to allow that to happen. And so he was stalling by going to the office. He hadn’t left his jumper, but Draco was too distracted to notice that he never picked one up.
The lift opened onto the second floor and he directed his boyfriend down the hall to the muggle/wizard relations office. He left him outside and went in to rummage “for the jumper”. When he walked back out, he was surprised and aggravated to see Higgs glaring at Draco with a curious Orin at his side. Draco barely looked at him with a disgusted wrinkle of his nose and moved to Justin’s side, insinuating himself under Justin’s arm.
“Flavour of the month, are we, Finch-Fletchly? Why am I not surprised that you went after my seconds once again?” Justin looked to Draco, confused by the comment. He hadn’t been aware of any connection between Draco and Higgs besides house affiliation. Draco sneered.
“Seconds? Is that what you call all the men who are so disgusted with you that they throw you out? I seem to remember you being very upset that I turned you away. How very interesting that you had had a change of opinion only after you’ve been tossed out on your arse.”
“I’ve had time to realize what an unworthy demon whore you are.”
“An unworthy whore, am I?” He raised a cynical eyebrow. “That would be why I am going with my life partner to register him as my mate, wouldn’t it? I am not a whore, nor am I a demon, and even if either term were to apply to me, I am a veela and have strong sexual instincts. You and the whore at your side do not either of you have any such excuse.” He turned his face up to Justin. “I’m tired of this conversation, love. Shall we go?” Justin nodded and quickly steered him back towards the lifts, wanting to get as far away from Higgs and Orin as possible. Draco wrapped his arms around him as they stood in front of the lift doors and kissed him without regard for who was looking. Justin only allowed it because he wasn’t working that day and he wanted to make Higgs jealous, if just for a moment. They entered the first lift to arrive and headed back down to the Fourth floor. Justin wanted to ask Draco about his relationship with Higgs, but there were other people in the lift, a few he knew by face if not by name, and so he stayed silent and just put his arm around the blond instead.
It felt as though the entire Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was staring at them as they made their way to Ernie’s office. These people knew him; he was in to visit Ernie enough, and he knew that Draco had the reputation of the most difficult creature the department had seen since Fenrir Greyback (though for very different reasons, obviously). Draco walked into the head office without knocking, heedless of any prior meeting Ernie might have had.
Ernie looked up and rolled his eyes at Draco before turning to Justin with a smile. “Good morning. Here to register?”
“That’s what I requested this meeting to do, yes,” Draco drawled, slinking into one of the chairs in front of Ernie’s desk. Justin sat next to him and smiled hesitantly at his old friend. He felt too awkward and terrified to speak, so he let Draco go through the preliminary questioning and only half-listened to what was being said. After about half an hour of conversation, Ernie asked to speak with him alone. Draco protested at first, but gave in once Justin perked up and squeezed his hand comfortingly. Once they were alone, Ernie gave him a stern look. “This is on the knife-edge of illegal, you know.”
Justin wrung his hands guiltily. “I know it is, but I can’t help it. If he finds out I’m not really his mate, he’ll leave me, and I can’t lose him. He’s my life; I need him.”
“You’ve only been seeing him a few months. It can’t have become that serious already.”
“It is. I can’t explain why, but I don’t think I could function without him anymore. Please do this, as a mate, a close mate.”
Ernie looked disgustedly down at the file with Draco’s picture on it and shook his head. “I don’t understand what you could possibly see in him ─ besides the veela bit. He’s a complete wanker.”
“Not to me. He loves me ─ needs me. He… makes me feel needed, like I’m the only thing that keeps his world spinning. How could I not fall head-over-heels for that?”
“Easliy. But if this is what you want, I’ll help you. I’m not filing this paperwork, though, nor do I advise you to allow him to bond with you. Both are highly illegal and can result in a visit to Azkaban, understood?”
“What should I tell him about the bonding? He’s already started talking about it.”
“Whatever you like, just don’t do it. If I ever see the bonding mark on your wrist, I’ll have you arrested myself. I may hate Malfoy, but I’m not going to be responsible for his death.”
“Death?” Justin was suddenly very alarmed. What did death have to do with Draco and his bonding?
“Yes, death. If you bond with him and then he finds his true mate, the despair of never getting to be with his true mate will kill him, just as it would if his mate were to die.”
Justin swallowed and looked stared at Ernie with wide eyes. “It will?”
“Yes, so you have to make certain that you do everything in your power to prevent it.”
“Of course I will. I would never do anything to harm him.”
Ernie didn’t reply, but instead wrote something on one of the forms and filed them all away. “Anything else before I send you off?”
“I’m trying to convince Draco to go to the pub tonight, want to come?”
Ernie looked hesitant for a moment. “Only because it’s you.”
“Brilliant, I’ll firecall you with details this afternoon.” They shook hands and then Justin went in search of his boyfriend. The blond stood outside the door, sneering at little Emma, who had replaced Ernie when he was promoted.
“Be nice. Emma’s never hurt anyone,” he whispered into his ear. Draco turned to him with a smile and kissed him. “Is everything all right now?”
“Perfect. Shall we go home?”
“You could not get me out of here fast enough.”
/
Hey Draco,
I’m glad you found your soul mate finally; I know it was a real problem for you. I’m not going to lie, I was surprised to read that you had. I never thought you’d keep writing once you found him. I’m glad that he doesn’t mind you writing to me and that you want to keep our friendship even after you’ve settled down. I really enjoy getting letters from you; it’s nice to know that I have someone to talk to about the things that are going on in my life who is able to look at them objectively. Especially now that something’s happened and I’m at a loss as to what to do.
I’ve been fired from my school. I had a show a few weeks ago and apparently one of the more conservative parents went and saw me there with Jordan. She went to Father Williams complaining and threatened to go to Cardinal Francis George if I wasn’t let go immediately. I know Father Williams didn’t want to do it, but he had no choice in the matter. Still, I could see the disappointment in his eyes, you know? Like I’d let him down by loving the wrong person. I feel terrible. And the worst part about it is that they didn’t even let me finish out the day; I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my kids. A few of the parents want to bring in a psychologist to see if I abused any of the boys. How could anyone possibly think I could do something like that? I love those kids, I would never do anything to hurt them! The whole thing is a nightmare; I don’t know what to do.
Jordan thinks that I should hire a lawyer and put together a discrimination suit, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. It would cost a lot of money and I don’t think I really have a case. I mean, it is a Catholic school; they aren’t sanctioned by the government the way public schools are. And besides, despite what they’ve done, I could never do anything to hurt them. It’s still my church. I grew up going there and, I don’t know, I feel like I’d be betraying them and accomplishing nothing. What do you think?
I feel like I’m having an identity crisis. I’m working as a substitute, but I’m not even sure I want to teach anymore after what’s happened. Maybe I could go into music therapy or start playing back-up full time or something. I don’t know. I just feel so out of my depth, you know? I know that I’ve been anticipating something like this happened since I began working at the school, but in the back of my mind I never actually thought it would happen.
Even though I know you’re completely committed now, and so am I, I can’t help but wish you were here with me. As much as I love Jordan, and as much as he has been supportive through all of this, I would still rather have you with your sharp mouth and your answer for everything. I know that if you were here, I would know what to do rather than being stuck in this Limbo. But, of course, you’re not and I don’t expect you to be. Really, I shouldn’t even be thinking these things. Maybe I’m having a quarter-life crisis, huh? I don’t know. Hopefully, I’ll figure things out soon. For now, I miss you and I hope you are healthy and happy.
Love,
Smith
/
Draco stared at the letter, unsure of what to make of it. He couldn’t believe that those vicious Catholics had dismissed him, but he also didn’t know what to make of Smith’s final paragraph. A part of him was throwing up defensive barriers around his relationship with Justin, but there was another part of him that felt a kind of longing to be in America, with Smith, taking care of him. He felt odd and unsettled and could barely stop himself from squirming in his seat. It was ironic, what Smith had said about Justin accepting their continued correspondence, since Justin didn’t know, had never even heard of him going to the States, let alone meeting a gorgeous Blues musician he’d fancied himself in love with for a time. That would no longer be the case when Justin moved in, of course; there was no other way he could explain the carrier pigeons who brought him messages every few weeks.
He looked at the letter again, re-read it, and stared at it in hopes that it would give him some kind of idea as to what to write back. He was distracted by the sound of apparition before he could come up with anything and quickly stuffed the letter under the chair cushion. Justin was in the room a moment later, looking tired but generally pleased to see him. He settled into the sofa next to the blond’s chair and leaned over to kiss him hello. “How are you?” he asked.
Draco grinned up at him and slid out of his chair and into his lover’s lap. “I’m wonderful now that you’re here.” He kissed him again, teeth lingering to tug at his bottom lip, tongue massaging it. Justin made an appreciative noise and returned the kiss, pulling him close by his arse. Soon they were writhing against each other and pulling at clothing in a desperate fashion, letter completely forgotten for the present.
/
Ron, when he thought of it at all, had always imagined that job interviews were done in offices with stuffy receptionists and uncomfortable chairs, but this was nothing like that. He stood in the middle of a dig site armed only with a name and little idea of where to find the person who belonged to it. Seth Abdul-Latif. He looked around at all the men hauling baskets and hoped to find someone who looked like he might be in charge. Off in the distance he could see a rotund man dressed in brightly-coloured robes who looked to be directing the goings-on around him, and Ron made his way towards him, hoping for help.
He had walked over intending to great the man in Arabic, but the very round man greeted him in cheerful English before he could get the first word out. “Afternoon! You must be the Englishman looking to be my assistant.”
Ron paused, taken aback by the accented English. He hadn’t been addressed in English by an Egyptian in months. “Are you Mr. Abdul-Latif?”
“Only if you’re Ronald Weasley.” The man ─ Seth ─ grinned at him, showing a row of perfect, pearly white teeth. He laughed at the confused look Ron gave him. “I am, my boy, you needn’t be so uptight. You are nervous, I can see. Do not worry, I am sure we will get along well.” Ron smiled, still on edge. “Your resume says you have been on digs before; would you like to join me down in the tunnels and we can discuss your employment?”
“That’d be great, sure.” With Mr. Abdul-Latif at the lead, they descended into the cramped, shadowy corridors, the large man chatting about the particulars of the dig as they went. Ron listened with interest, glad that he hadn’t been required to speak a great deal yet. They arrived in a chamber deep inside the pyramid, through a doorway so narrow that Ron wondered how the rotund man ha managed to squeeze through, and were now standing in front of a regular-looking mural of slaves building various statues. Ron looked from the mural to Seth, unsure as to why he was being shown this particular set of hieroglyphs.
“What do you see?” Seth asked, his eyes glittering with some sort of amusement.
“Er…” He looked back at the mural, taken aback by the question. “It… uh, it looks like a scene of slaves building a monument to the pharaoh. Fairly common, isn’t it?”
Seth’s eyes continued to glitter at him. “Keep looking.” As Ron continued to look, still befuddled as to the point, the picture began to change, and Ron took a step back in shock. It was the pictograph they’d found in Djedefre’s tomb, nearly exact except that the head worshiper was the owner of the tomb they happened to be in. Ron stared at Seth, speechless.
/
Form:83352739
Name:Draco Malfoy
Registry Number: 625369
Date:15 Mar 2003
Age:22
Mate:Justin Finch-Fletchly
Current Location: London, England
Number of Sexual Encounter(s): 19
Name(s) of Partner(s): Justin Finch-Fletchly 19(M)
Age(s) of Partner(s): 22
Species of Partner(s): wizard
Description of Sexual Encounter(s): Sod Off.
Was non-Veela magic used during the encounter(s)?: Yes
If so, what spell or potion was used and what were its affects?: The usual.
Did any encounter result in pregnancy?:
Was Veela Power used in any manner not involved in finding a mate?:
Yes
If so, how and why?: I dislike being told ‘no’.
Comments: You have once more failed to answer me as to whether or not I will be receiving a new form, preferably one that does not contain the request to describe my sexual encounters with my mate. I don’t want to have to send Justin up to get them from you, but don’t delude yourself into thinking I won’t.
>