Enclosed

Chapter Two: Dramatics

Being part of the Weasley family, Rose was no stranger to humiliation. Matching Christmas sweaters, helicopter cousins, and prank wars left and right. There were many times throughout her life when Rose couldn't hide her red cheeks and flustered state. In those moments, the humiliation was never planned. It was spontaneous and unavoidable. Completely unlike this situation which was both planned and avoidable. 

When Rose woke up that morning she felt ready. It only took a few mental pep talks and a little bit of practice in the mirror, before she felt prepared enough to leave her flat. It started fine. She got to the ministry easily enough. Nobody questioned her as she rode the elevator down. Besides a few extra whispers about her poisoned drink, everything was normal. 

It wasn't until Rose stood in front of her supervisor, Helene Montague, that the plan began to crumble. 

Helene was a kind older woman in her late forties. She was normally soft-spoken and worked hard to build professional relationships with everyone in the office. Her graying hair, hung like a curtain down her neck, framing her pink eyes. Her pink eyes, watched Rose expectantly as she entered the office. 

Helene leaned back in her chair.  She knew what was coming. That should have made it easier. Somehow it made things worse. 

Acting was not one of her strong suits. Natural emotions were permanently etched on her face. To disguise them with fake ones was unlikely. Emotions were complicated enough to deal with. Trying to convincingly replicate them was even more complicated. 

"Ms. Granger-Weasley, what can I do for you today?" Helene flicked her fingers, opening the door wide enough for curious eyes to sneak a peek. 

Rose took a few seconds to let her eyes wander the office, giving her nerves time to build up. The mahogany desk was piled high with unassigned cases. Shelves and storage cabinets were neatly arranged behind the desk. The office was left without any hints of Helene's personal life, which Rose couldn't understand. Her own office was filled with family photos and quirky gifts she'd received over the years. If she had to spend most of her life trapped in the office, why not make it feel a little more like home?

Helene leaned forward in her chair, "Rose?"

Rose jumped and shook her head. She could do this. She could do this. 

"I'm done," Rose shouted, throwing her arms out in a dramatic fashion. Files and quills cluttered to the ground behind her and all friendly chatter stopped. It wasn't out of the ordinary for Rose to yell. Her office had a permanent silencing charm placed on it, to not disturb her co-workers. It was, however, extremely unusual for her to be yelling at a superior. At least she now had everyone's attention. Just as they planned.

"Rose, please. I can understand why you are upset." Helene began. 

"UPSET? Someone just tried to murder me yesterday and you think I'm upset? I'm livid, Helene. This is the seventh time an attempt has been made on my life all because of this blasted case."

"I know and I get why this is scary for you." Helene stood from her chair, reaching forward to place a comforting hand on Rose's shoulder. 

Rose aggressively jerked out of her reach. Gasps erupted from behind them. Rose didn't pay them any mind. "Scary? Scary! How would you feel encountering death threats daily? And what have you done to prevent it? That bottle got through our security measures without so much as a red flag. If I hadn't been so precautious, I'd be dead right now!" Rose added a little extra growl in her voice, hoping it sounded more convincing. 

"We are working on tightening security protocols now. No items, unless authorized by you, will make it into these offices."

"How long will that work before someone figures out a way to get through? I'm not okay sitting here and acting as bait." Tears gathered in Rose's eyes and she did nothing to stop them from flowing. Maybe all the death threats were finally catching up with her. She'd never say it out loud, but she'd been terrified these last few months. Living in constant fear. Always wondering who was watching her. Waiting for someone to strike at any moment. It was exhausting being on high alert all the time. Admittedly, it felt good to let the tears fall.