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The Girl in my Arms	By : PotionMaster Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 3779 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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A/N Just a reminder that thoughts are shown like this and sign language =like this=.

Arabella's New Job

Once Arabella, Remus, Severus, and Dumbledore were comfortably settled in the Headmaster's sitting room, Albus asked her about her meeting with the Minister.

"I assume from your earlier run-in with Filch that things did not go well, Bella dear," he said.

= I guess that depends on your point of view. The assignment he has given me can be accomplished without having to compromise my loyalties here or showing my hand to Cornelius; and eventually it could prove to be vital to everyone's plans, but I'm afraid we did have another fight. =

"Ah Arabella, my dear, do come in and have a seat," Fudge intoned pleasantly.

= Whatever you say, Minister, = she signed with a glare.

"Tea perhaps?" he enquired.

=Please, = she smiled at his secretary, who then hurried away. Stalking across the room she sat down and crossed her arms, still glaring at the Minister.

"Come, come, Arabella. You're not still upset about out last meeting are you? It was all a necessary part of a greater plan, as I'm sure you appreciate by now."

= I realised that this morning. I am, however, at a loss as to why you couldn't tell me this at the time. =

"I'm afraid I needed your reaction to be quite genuine. If it appears that you are disenchanted with me and with the Department in general, you will seem a much more likely target for turning to the dark," he replied.

=I see. So you believed my acting abilities weren't up to convincing people that I was actually pissed off with you and yet now you think that I would make a good spy! For Merlin's sake Fudge, if you must come up with these intricate plots you could at least try and apply some logic to them! =

"That is enough, Miss Pettigrew," he snapped, his eyes glinting with a seldom seen fury. "You may not appreciate my methods but you still work for me and I demand some respect."

= Professor Pettigrew, = she retorted, starting to lose the fragile grip she'd had on her own temper since she entered the office.

The door opened at that p and and the secretary reappeared with a tray of tea things, preventing Fudge from making any reply. When she left, the Minister continued.

"I arranged for your appointment at Hogwarts for a reason," he said imperiously. "You are to allow yourself to be turned by Voldemort's followers. Make them believe that it was all their idea and they will trust you. Then you can feed us information on their current activities. It shouldn't be too difficult since that bumbling fool Dumbledore has allowed at least one 'former' Death Eater to reside there."

=At least one, Minister? = Bella signed. * Damn it, what's he building up to now? * She took a sip of her tea in an effort to regain some measure of calm. * I suppose I should at least try to be civil to the man, he is still my boss, even if he is remarkably stupid sometimes. *

"That snake in the grass of a Potions Master," Fudge said. "It is clear to me that he has returned to his old ways; and his old loyalties."

= Yes I realise that you were referring to Professor Snape, = she signed as if talking to a rather stupid pupil. *That's right, Professor Snape is a pompous fool. And if he was working for Voldemort you'd never catch him. He could run rings around you in his sleep! * She took another steadying breath. = I was asking who else you suspected, Minister. = *Please, please let him say Malfoy, * she thought, barely resisting the urge to cross her fingers.

"I think it's about time you discovered what your oh-so-respected headmaster is up to," he said with a half-smile.

*What on earth is he planning now? * Bella wondered, raising one eyebrow and pasting a politely curious expression on her face.

"I believe Albus and his pet werewolf are hiding that criminal Black somewhere on the premises." As he said this, he looked pointedly at Bella, anticipating her reaction.

*Ooh now that was below the belt, Cornelius. I'd forgotten how good you were at this game. * Feigning shock she signed, = Oh surely not, Minister. I mean I know he believes that Black is innocent but he wouldn't risk the children by allowing a convicted murderer onto school premises. =

"I'm certain of it Arabella. And it's not just the safety of the children that concerns me. I fear for your life too. After all I'm sure he never intended you to survive his last attack on you."

* Yeah, right! Such a touching display of concern. He can't seriously expect me to be taken in by that. * Bella shook her head. = You know I've never believed that Sirius was responsible for this, = she signed, indicating her throat. = If you remember I couldn't identify my attacker. =

Cornelius studied her carefully for a moment and then slid a folder across the desk towards her. "At the time of the attacks on the Potters and on yourself our Experimental Magic Department had been trying to develop a method of tracking a wizard by his or her magical signature. The science was still in its infancy then and although they could isolate individual signatures, they couldn't match them to specific individuals. This report shows that the same signature was recorded at Godric's Hollow, in your kitchen, and at the site of your brother's murder. Conclusive proof, I'm afraid, that Black was present at all three attacks."

This time Bella didn't need to pretend shock, she was shaking as she took the report. *You bastard, you knew, you knew all along and you never told me. This doesn't prove Sirius' guilt; it proves his innocence. Damn it, if you'd shown it to me once, just once, in the last twelve years I would have been able to put everything together. Peter could have been rotting in that hellhole instead of Sirius. * All the colour had drained from her face now and it was taking every drop of willpower she had not to burst into tears on the spot.

=I can't read this now, Minister, = she signed shakily. =I .. Could you let me have a copy perhaps? =

"I'm not sure I should. It's highly confidential you understand," Cornelius hesitated, torn between his desire to bring her totally under his control and his obsession with protocol.

=I understand that, Minister. I wasn't planning on showing it around the staff room. Please, for my own peace of mind I need to study this and I can't do that here. =

Reluctantly Cornelius agreed and swiftly muttered the words necessary to cast a duplication spell.

"Now back to business," he said briskly. "I thought that if you could get close to someone who we know to be one of Voldemort's sympathisers then you could allow him to recruit you. Let it be known that you are disgusted with the way that the Ministry treated you and that you take it as a personal slight that Dumbledore is so robustly defending that criminal Black, especially as you hold him responsible for your injuries."

= I'm afraid I don't understand Minister, what exactly is it that you want me to do? = Bella queried. *He's taking his own sweet time getting to the point here, * she thought. * He must think I'm going to violently object to whatever the assignment is. *

"Like I say I want you to befriend someone close to -"

= For Merlin's sake Minister, will you just stop dancing around the subject and tell me exactly what you want me to do. I don't want to be here all day! =

Cornelius glared at her, annoyed that she had interrupted his well-planned speech. "Fine. I want you to seduce Severus Snape and get him to introduce you to his Death Eater friends. Make him think that it was all his idea and that he is seducing you."

Bella gaped at him for a moment, *He was right; I am going to object. Although probably not for the reason he's expecting! *

=Excuse me? You want me to seduce him? You're ordering me to have sex with a Death Eater? = She gestured with her hand and a book flew out of the shelves that lined the walls of the office and into her hand. She dropped it on the desk in front of the Minister.

"What -" he exclaimed, clearly confused.

= It's a dictionary, Minister. I thought you might find it useful. You can look up the word 'spy' and see how the definition differs from that of 'whore'! =

Remus laughed, "You didn't actually say that to him did you?"

= Of course I did. I may still be required to work with the Aurors but I'm fairly certain he can't order me to have sex with someone. He didn't even have the grace to be embarrassed or apologetic about it. =

"Does this mean that you turned him down?" Albus queried.

= No. I let him convince me, eventually. We could do with knowing what he's up to and I wouldn't be able to find out if I hadn't taken the assignment. Besides, if I'd turned it down he might have given it to someone else, = she glanced at Severus, = and I can't have him throwing other women at my man! =

The Minister glared at her for a moment, "I hardly expected you to be pleased at the prospect of having to be 'intimate' with the man, after all he's no great catch, but it is necessary and you will do it."

=You can't force me to do this. I'll make a complaint. =

"To whom? I don't answer to anyone. You work for me Pettigrew, just remember that. You will do as I say!" Cornelius stood up in an attempt to intimidate her, a move that she easily countered by standing up herself. Normally she was taller than the Minister, a fact she knew he intensely disliked, and in the heels she was currently wearing she could easily look down on him.

= Have you even considered the fact that I might be involved with someone. This kind of assignment would put a considerable strain on any kind of relationship. =

"I happen to be in charge of an entire department of spies and detectives. I would know if you were seeing someone. If that's the best excuse you can come up with, you may as well sit down and let me go over the details of the plan because this is obviously a discussion you're going to lose!"

She glared at him for a few more moments before resuming her seat, =It appears I have no choice, but I won't forget this, Minister. = In actual fact the glare was merely an effort to hide her smile, *Oh Merlin I'd love to wipe that superior smirk off his face by pointing out I've got two lovers. *

= So why exactly have you decided upon this course of action now? After all, Professor Snape's been at Hogwarts for 15 years now. =

"The attack on the Potter boy at the end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament made it all too clear that the Ministry has no reliable source of information on the Death Eaters."

=I thought that as far as the Ministry was concerned Voldemort's rise was the product of Harry Potter's imagination? = Bella asked.

"Clearly the child was suffering from a great deal of stress at the time and is highly suggestible. I don't believe for a moment that the Dark Lord has risen again. However, it is evident that some of his Death Eaters do believe that and for that reason we must somehow manage to get an agent in amongst the inner circle," Cornelius remarked. "We need to know who is responsible for organizing their activities."

*We do know who's responsible you idiot. Voldemort - you remember him, big, ugly guy, looks like a snake! *

=Anyway then we covered the details of how to keep in contact with the Ministry and specific information they'd like me to find out. Nothing we need to go over right now. You know how obsessive Cornelius can get when he starts dealing with the details of a plan, even when most of it will have to be changed once things start happening. I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to be able to get out of there. Fortunately, Arthur Weasley turned up for a meeting with the Minister and wouldn't be put off. I have never been so pleased to see anyone! =

Severus smiled slightly, before asking, "I was under the impression that the Minister knew which side I was on. Why is he suddenly so convinced that I'm loyal to Voldemort?"

= Since the culmination of the Tri-Wizard tournament he thinks Albus has gone slightly dotty, which means that all his judgements are questionable, including his belief that you're not really a Death Eater. Personally I think Cornelius is chasing his own tail and barking at shadows. He's terrified that Voldemort might actually have risen again and he's covering for that with a huge case of denial. =

"Let's hope that nothing else happens to further complicate matters," Albus said. "I don't think we need to discuss this any more at present. Keep me posted on how things are going. Now I think the three of you probably need to talk this over so I'll bid you goodnight."

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The Girl in my Arms