Civility is Key

It was natural that Sofie would be tidying up the Shrieking Shack. She had been interested in the place ever since all of the old myths and rumors about it had reached her ears, and it had been on her mind when she had written to Aaron, requesting a meeting. Before she could really think too much of it, she sent it off. She had expected it to be somewhat difficult to enter the shack, but no such difficulties arose. She simply stepped over a collapsed section of the wooden fence meant to ward off intruders and walked up and into the house.

It was dusty, leaving footprints. She knew Aaron would be able to follow the footsteps and she knew that she could expect no trouble from anyone, so she left the footprints for Aaron like bread crumbs, searching for an appropriate room to meet her lord in. She found a well-furnished, if dusty, parlour and decided upon it. It only took a few flicks of her wand to mend the furniture, dissolve the dust, and create a lavender scent to waft about the room.

She strode about the room, cleaning the portraits and wooden tables by hand. She conjured a tea set and set about making it in preparation for her meeting. She may be discussing the takeover of society, but she could be civilized about it.

*

Aaron was not sure why she chose the Shrieking Shack as the place for them to meet. It always had an ominous aura attached to it from his days at Hogwarts. He had heard numerous horror stories about what went on in the place but he had never actually been there before. So it was quite a strange walk for him when he appeared just outside of it. He gave it a good long stare before realizing that he was probably the most dangerous thing out at the moment.

Sofie was different and that was why Aaron trusted her. She was not as fascinated with trying to grab as much power as she could. She was, like Aaron, more interested in the big picture. He had large plans and if he was going to succeed he would need more people like Sofie, but they were very hard to come by.

Any and all fears he may have had when he first came to the shack were very quickly shoved from his mind as he made way into the house. He noted that it was strangely quiet out and it sounded like his feet were terribly loud. His surprise must have been present when he saw how clean the place was. He was expecting a dark shack with old dusty furniture but it was the exact opposite.

"This place is not as dirty as I expected," Aaron mused as he looked around the building. He pulled the robe he was wearing off and he used his wand to levitate it over to the coat rack that was beside the door. He flicked his wand again and a chair moved for him. He sat down at the table and then looked over in the direction of Sofie who was making tea.

"A tea party in the shrieking shack. Never even saw it coming." He said with a chuckle.

Sofie heard footsteps on the oppressive silence of the shack and recognized them to sound like Aaron's. She smiled to herself and continued about her busy work of setting the table so that the two of them could rest, drink their tea, and she could share all that she had learned from her season of diligent investigation.

He spoke of the cleanliness of the parole and she smiled. "No thanks to whoever used the room last. It wad barely in one piece when I found it." She set the last of the settings down and gestured for the seat across from her, leaning over the table to pour him a cup from the teapot.

He spoke, again eliciting a smile from her as she poured her own cup, saying, "I think a cup of tea complements every occassion." She sat down and looked over at Aaron, quietly depositing some sugar into her cup and stirring. "I have news."

Aaron gave a small smile to the banter they were having and he watched as she poured him his tea. He did not speak as she sat down and announced that she had news, no, he wanted to enjoy his tea first. He gently picked up the glass and he admired the cup that it was in. Oh how things had changed for the Death Eaters. Once a bunch of ruthless fools and now he was turning them into civilized killers.

He took a drink of his tea and then he returned his attention to Sofie. "I should hope some good news. It would be a rather good change of pace from all of this negative news." He was referring to no one being able to get any information on the people he really wanted information on. Silvyr and Whight were doing their parts, but there was only so much they could accomplish, and the same went for Sofie. No one else seemed to have the desire.

Sofie patiently awaited Aaron, drinking her own tea in the meantime. He spoke and she considered his statement. "It's news. There's not much, but I've made what little there is into something of importance. It's scraps and pieces, for everyone in unwilling to take risks. But I'm sure you could see the potential."

She took another sip and began her speech. "I met with Sophia Granger of Mungo's; Danny Thompson of the Aurors; and Jake Collins of the Ministry's Magical Creatures Department. Ms Granger told me nothing, though she gave me the impression that she knew nothing either. Danny spoke only good of the Ministry and Minister. I found it interesting that in his youth, Danny traveled with the Minister, who was still his senior a few decades. The Minister apparently likes going on explorations with younger folks. He said the Aurors are working on a plan to combat the Death Eaters, but that this sickness comes first. He even advised me to leave the country to escape it- it's becoming dangerous."

She paused. "Jake Collins gave me more on the two Heads of Departments. Apparently, they live together now, and rumors that they skip work together and are often seen in each other's departments reached me just by walking around the place. I believe if you get Nemo Omara, you get Jack Dyllan too, or vice versa. Jake has the information we need without the suspicion of the power it holds. I've already made him a frequent contact."

Aaron took everything she said in and he analyzed everything that she was telling him. He had a run in with Sophia Granger, she was not in her right mind, that much was sure. Most of what she was saying were just confirming a lot of his suspicions. He knew the Aurors were busy trying to find a cure for the plague and risking their lives to go after a bunch of hooligans was stupid to the Minister.

It was stupid to think that Aaron was not a threat.

"The Ministry will do what they always do. Beef up security and go after anyone who even has the smallest tinge of dark magic about them. Everyone will become paranoid and they will eventually turn on each other." Aaron smirked and he took another drink from his tea before continuing. "The fact of the matter is they are scared of us now. We are a mystery again and one they cannot solve. They will try and arrest anyone who goes against them and we will use that to our advantage."

He thought about Jack and Nemo. Jack he knew from awhile back. They had done some work together, and while he found her quite useful, it was obvious that she would not be easily swayed. Nemo was even harder to try and get anything out of. He was the head of the Deparment of Magical Law Enforcement and the only real threat to the Death Eaters.

"And what will we do once we have Jack or Nemo? Torture them into spilling all the details of their love life? Their information is useless to me, I do not need it. What I need is for the other team suffer a morale loss. The world knows the Death Eaters are back but they are not worried yet. I want people to not only have to worry about this sickness, I want them to fear leaving the safety of their homes."

"Jake Collins, his information is useful, but we need more. Make him fall in love with you. A man in love will do anything for the woman and we need someone in the Ministry dumb enough to do anything." He finished off his tea and he sat it down gently. "As for Nemo.... we must prove to the world that he is merely a man. And a man is nothing compared to me."

Sofie listened patiently to Aaron, enjoying the private conference between the two of them. Sofie was at a severe disadvantage being new to the country. She did not know their Ministry's patterns. She could not, as Aaron could, make inferences as to what the Ministry's next step would be.

He spoke of the Heads of Departments and she said, "I only supposed that meant that to take one down, the other would follow quickly. The two departments are the largest of the Ministry, and to take out their Heads deals a considerable loss not only to the departments themselves, the Ministry as a whole, as well as a large portion of the Minister's backbone. It was these two, after all, that interrupted our murder of the other Aurors. They seem to be a driving force."

Aaron spoke and Sofie smiled slightly, glancing down at her tea. "That plan has already been put into effect actually. Collins has already owled me a few times for another date. I will have a steady stream of information soon."

He again spoke of Nemo and she said, "I have more information regarding him. From the rumors of the Ministry, Nemo's mortality is widely known. The man is known to drink himself into near oblivion, and suicide attempts seem to be a frequently reported occurrence."

He smirked at Sofie when she told him everything she had already accomplished. There was a reason she was his most trusted asset and she was showing why he trusted her. She was new to London but she was catching on very quickly. She already knew more things than most people who had lived in London all their lives.

The fact that Nemo was a drunk was almost perfect to Aaron. He was still a well respected member of society and getting close to Nemo would be rather easy. The only problem would be if Jack noticed him. She was the only person outside of the Death Eaters who knew his affiliation, but she knew him as a person who was trying to crush the Death Eaters. He was not exactly sure if she thought of him as evil or not, but that was not the problem at hand, it was getting Nemo.

"I will find out Nemo's routines and I will intercept him myself. If the fool is willing to go out and get drunk and try and kill himself.... well it might make it easier if there was someone there to help." He smirked and then he tapped his hands on the table in front of him, a plan forming in his head as he did so.

"If you wish to capture Jack, that is your priority, you organize it. I really have no interest in her." He reached forward to grab the pot so that he could pour himself another glass of tea. "But, I have news of my own I wish to share." He finished pouring his tea and then he took another drink of it, setting it down gently once he was finished.

"Sofie, you have been extremely loyal to me and you have proven your worth as a trustworthy and valuable asset to me. The thing is, the Death Eaters are a joke. If that comes as surprise to you, then I am sorry, but it is true. I am not even technically one of them." He lifted his sleeve and he showed her his arm which was not tattooed with the dark mark. She was officially the first person to know that he had not even been branded.

"They are a way to power for me, a front, the best way for me to gather as many bone heads as possible and use them to do my bidding. You do not fall into the category of bone head so I can bring you into this. The short version is simple: I want more than to be part of some gang created by a sociopath. I am here to change the wizarding world. With that being said, I have some tasks I have to attend to. While I am gone, you will be in charge of the Death Eaters. Simple gig really, you tell them what to do, they do it. If they get too mouthy kill them. Show no weakness, you are my number two, and if they disrespect you then I will deal with them."

He finished off his tea and he let out a satisfied sigh. "Your tea is excellent as always." he smiled and then he quieted himself down so that she could let everything he had just said soak in.

Sofie neither spoke yay or nay about capturing the other woman, for that could unfold itself to be necessary in time. Aaron would capture Nemo and all would be well in that respect, and then she could figure out what to do from there, surely. She was a patient woman, she felt it was most prudent to wait.

Aaron continued on, and for a Death Eater, literally born and raised, she bore this news exceedingly well. Sofie's life had changed. Her first Death Eater meeting had been a train wreck. She had gone home in near tears, called her friend Anton back home to rant about how foolish they all were, how she would never be able to succeed with such idiots. When Anton had asked if anyone had seemed at all competent, and she had only recalled one. And he sat before her now.

Sofie's allegiance to the Death Eaters was only in Russia, where she considered the real Death Eaters to be. These posers were not worthy of her full ability, but Aaron was. She would not disappoint him in his absence and, though she did betray some surprise at the fact that he did not have the mark, looked wholly unperturbed by this news. Things had changed, and there was no looking surprised by it.

"Thank you," she responded civilly to his remark. After a pause, she looked down at her tea and said, "I hope to assure you that my loyalty remains unswerving to you." She raised her head. "I came here to expand my skills enough to head the Russian Death Eaters which, I hope you will believe, are anything but a joke. I came here to do that, and to do what damage I can to the Ministry. I will tether myself to those I know can help me, and will help me. If you asked me to blow d'Eath manor to bits, I would make sure I provided you with marshmallows for the event. I trust in this process." She raised her eyes to meet his, sincerity sparkling in her irises.

((I already have Nemo's thread of capture going. We'll say Sofie captured him to give Aaron a little present. =3 ))

Aaron smiled at her remark and he relaxed after he realized she had taken his information very well. They had spoken before about her father and her desire to head them. He thought all of the Death Eaters were a joke, these days at least, there was no Voldemort to lead them and Aaron would not have most of them follow him. He preferred smarts of idiocy. Thought he knew why Voldemort chose them. He wanted goons to go and do whatever he told them to, Aaron knew the feeling all to well.

"No one has ever questioned your loyalty, especially me, so sleep well knowing that I trust you completely." No he didn't, he did not trust anyone completely, but he needed her to believe that he did. A person who felt trusted and believed in would work much harder and was least likely to betray him. "For now, though, lets keep d'Eath manor. The fools want to give us free lodgings, let them."

He finished his tea and he glanced up at Sofie. He was done, but he would give her a chance to ask him any questions. "Anything else we need to discuss?"