Silk and Sinful

Zada bored easily with wearing the same clothes too many times. She had taken advantage of the rainy spring day to apparate into an alley beside some of the best shops on Bond Street in the muggle section of London. Her tall beige heels clicked almost at attention as she took a rather commanding pace down the concrete sidewalk. Muggles. She did loathe them, and they were everywhere. There were few things she loathed more. However, buying off the rack at Madame Malkin's fell right up towards the top of her list of things she loathed. She could sometimes find things she liked in the best of the muggle shops, if she were selective enough. She had tucked her wand into the tan, trim belted trench coat she wore, along with a couple of muggle credit cards, and had come into town.

She entered the exclusive shop and was met by a shop clerk who was bright enough to detect that Zada was all business and very astute as to what she wanted. Zada made some inquiries about silks and other top of the line fabrics for warmer weather. She was led past a rack of what Zada thought were "unacceptables" back further in the store to where some of the more select designer originals were.

Zada knew exactly what she was looking for, and clothes were just really a start.

"Isaak. You have the connections and you have been sending me on these fool-hardy missions alone for a long time. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Mikki, at one point, we all need help. I have a friend who I have been checking up on lately, and I think she would be of help to you. She has no alliance but she is intelligent, she will know that Grindewald is the smart choice. He is returned, Mikki, my sources have told me. But before you come to him, you need to be ready to show him what you can do. The two of you will be able to be his top advisors, I am sure, but you need each other."

The conversation had been that morning at breakfast before Isaak had sent her to where he believed this Zada Forbes to be. Mikki would love to know how he got his information, but he would never tell. He was the brains, she did everything else. That's how this worked.

Mikki stepped into the store, seeing a figure that resembled that of Zada, or at least how Isaak had described her. Mikki blinked and slowly moved between racks and clothes until she found the woman in the back of the store. Mikki got down to business, she did not like preambles. "Are you Zada Forbes?

Zada's head snapped around like lightning. Who in the world knew her name here? She looked at the younger woman. Zada was as poisonous as any viper, but she was far more dangerous. And she knew it. She looked at the mere child and sensed this was no mere muggle. She waved the clerk away from them

"You are either incredibly brave or truly insane," Zada replied, "Personally, I've found a blend of both to be very useful to me at times." She had not preplanned coming here today. It had been something she had decided upon after reading the morning newspapers, seeing articles about current fashion trends and the best places to find the best of the best. That, in itself intrigued her. She was being sought out, but for what? Zada's curiosity had been raised. This might well be beneficial for her.

"Alright," she said after a moment, "I'll play. What are we doing this morning, young one?"

The woman was dangerous and that blipped up on Mikaela's radar. Mikki was a thinker, not a fighter, but she had fought her way through so much that if it really came down to it, she could defend herself from this intimidating looking woman. She really would rather talk her way through this, which she seemed to be good at.

She cleared her throat and reached out, pulling a shirt out to look at it, sweeping her eyes over it. "My great uncle Isaak Gerofsky told me to seek you out. Apparently, the two of you are allies, or at least acquaintances?" She paused here to let Zara explain if possible. "He wanted me to find you to talk to you about Gellert Grindewald. Unless you are too busy to speak."

Zada laughed. "Isaak? I haven't seen him since...wait...was it St. Petersburg? So thats where you get it from. Yes, I know your great uncle. Now why would he want to talk to me about some old dry bones? He's been dead a long time. There are very few people that I would actually probably take much time for, but Isaak would be one on a very short list. Alright. Perhaps we need to go someplace a bit more private. Do you or Isaak have someplace in mind?"

As Zada looked, she could see the family resemblance between the girl and Issak. Zada had liked Gerofsky--well, as much as Zada ever liked anybody. It was Gerofsky who had introduced her to some of the benefits of the finest Russian vodka in a dank, cold, stone castle in the deepest part of the Russian winter. It had been brutal, but Zada's father had wanted his daughter to have a sense of brutality. It had been arranged as part of her training. Zada had not found many places that were colder in the winter. Still, a bottle of prime quality vodka, a chess game, perhaps a bit of caviar, with either some bellini or some crispbread and some creme fraiche, along with a bit of quiet conversation? There weren't many better ways to spend a long winter evening.

"So, then, where shall we go?" Zada asked.

The information filed itself away with no prompting from Mikki, her mind instinctively knew to store it all away. Mikki patiently listened, pulling out the shirt from the rack to look casual, pulling the act off with ease- practice made perfect. At Zada's question, Mikki decided to make a gutsy move. "My uncle's kitchen." She gripped her arm and turned on the spot.

They reappeared in the kitchen and Mikki hoped her uncle would be there- she had a feeling Zada would be rather cross. Mikki lucked out, for once, and her uncle was rising as the world righted itself. He threw his arms outward and approached Zada, saying, "Ah, Zada my dear!"

"Issak," she beamed, embracing her old ally. "It has been much too long. You do have a very gutsy young niece. There are not many who would come knowingly into the designer section of Harrod's and call me by name and live to tell about it. She has your eyes. And your character. She will be a fine credit to your family. I am curious, though. Did you warn her about me, or did she handle this all on her own?" It always interested Zada to see how much courage someone so young might have.

If they merely had raw potential, Zada was not above mentoring them in the finer aspects of the Dark Arts. However, if they had the makings of a true gem, then that always interested her far more. She broke out into a smile when she saw Issak had already thought enough to set out her favorite brand of Russian vodka and a couple of glasses. She helped herself without invitation. She had never needed invitation with Issak before, so she didn't expect to need one now. And as far as she was concerned, it was never too early in the day for the finer things in life.

"You still buy the best vodka," she said. She took a sip of it and savored the delight of the liquid fire burning all the way down her throat. "This, Issak, is Russia's true gift to the world. So, what's this your lovely niece tells me about Gellert Grindewald? Why are we talking about some rotting old bones when there are so many more potentially more interesting things to explore." Isaak knew all to well Zada's lust for power, and she was never shy about any opportunity to look for more.

"I told her nothing of course," Isaak said, embracing her as Mikki went to sit down at the table that had only two chairs. When Zada sat across from her and Isaak went about looking for some biscuits, saying, "This is Mikaela, my great niece. I simply told her your name and some information on you. She has a nose like a hound, can track anyone-" He turned and saw her in her chair.

"Действительно ли Вы глупы, девушка?!" He growled, grabbing her by the hair. She winced, biting her lip harshly as he threw her from the seat. She collided with the counter and grabbed the edge of it, slowly raising herself up, a blank look on her face. She hopped up onto the counter and sat there, reaching up to untangle her hair and watch her uncle.

He slowly turned back to Zada and pushed a tin towards her. "Biscuit?" He waited and then said, "Yes, Grindelwald. You know how I said Mikki is rather good at investigating. Well, she's heard rumors... Rumors that I have confirmed as real talk. Grindelwald has been ressurected via Horcrux."

Translation: Are you stupid, girl?!

Zada watched Issak's treatment of Mikaela with no emotion. However, the girl did interest her. As Mikaela regained herself, Zada watched how quickly she recovered. She flicked her wand at Issak's chair before he sat down in it and created a duplicate and placed it at the table in between herself and Issak.

"No thank you. Biscuits and vodka do not mix. She interests me, Issak," Zada said as her defense regarding sitting the young witch with them. She listened to Issak talk about rumors about Gindelwald and the possibilities of a horcrux. She cast him a look of casual curiosity. "Really? Well, now, that is worth ripping me out of a rack of silk spring fashions. I forgive you. Shall I presume he wants to make a bid for power of the wizarding world? It would seem to me that there would be few other things to truly want once one has been beyond the veil and back. By all accounts, it does seem to align one's priorities perhaps a bit differently at times.

"If that is true, answer me this. Who would take it upon themselves to roust him out of the afterlife. I know of few dark wizards that have that sort of insight. I know of a great many stupid ones, but what's your opinion on who did that and why? Surely, unless they failed History of Magic, they would have some sort of clue that Grindelwald would not assemble himself from a horcrux again and then become their lowly servant out of gratitude. I don't see that as even a remote possibility." Issak's news brought tremendous interest to Zada.

"With all of that in mind, what are you thinking? I know you too well. You love chess far too much to not have any sort of plan in your mind. You also know I do not easily play the role of a lackey for anyone. Not even Gellert Grindlewald. Neither do you. You never did make a good lackey." She looked at Mikaela. "And when she gets to be our age, she won't be a lackey for anyone either."

Mikki did not want sympathy; she had been struck by her uncle since she had been a girl, and she knew him to have a terrible rage. She did not respond when he did it anymore not because she was weak, but because she was strong, and one day she would be able to overpower him instead... And, oh how eager she was for that day to come.

Zada conjured up a chair and Mikki hesitated before sliding off the counter and slipping into the chair. Isaak commented, saying, "Yes as do I, but I am more interested in grooming her for the world." He poured himself some vodka and answered her next question, "Well yes. Those capable of achieving power will try. But he s more subtle and knows how to use less to get more. That's what makes him much stronger than The Dark Lord."

When she asked who, Isaak looked over at Mikki who coughed and addressed Zada. "My research led me to believe Sandra Archer and an alchemist named Wake may have worked together. I suspect Bittel to be involved, or Ellldir, but all threads there I can not be too sure of."

Isaak continued off of that, "Both are two of the most intelligent Death Eaters, in my opinion, though Mikki has said there is no proof Wake is a Death Eater. They seem to have decided their role is played and they will get their prosperity by sitting back and waiting. What they do not realize, is Grindelwald needs trusted people, people not tied to the Death Eaters, their allegiance to him."

He paused. "My family are allied to Grindelwald, we always have been. If Mikki went to him now, he would see her earnest and she would be his top officer... But would she, so young? I thought if it seemed as though she had a superior, Grindelwald would put both to work, though the benefits would be being the only ones in his inner circle. You can imagine the benefits to that, Zada. And, well, I thought of you."