'Yes, and again, I thank you, but it wouldn't be safe to go alone.' Dumbledore said as he was leaning on his desk. His office was as splendidly organized as ever. Ariadne only had to come here twice before; once when she had practiced a self-invented spell on a fellow student and once to talk about her remarkable magical abilities.
The place hadn't changed much since, but she had. There was a time that no one would have recognized her, she had completely altered her appearance. Which metamorphmagi wouldn't abuse their power after all?
Dumbledore had guessed her identity though when she'd repeatedly appeared at the inn that was run by Abelforth. And it wasn't because of the black silk gloves which she had religiously worn ever since she returned from Versailles. Her powers had deteriorated increasingly over the past time as she struggled with heavy emotions, or rather the lack thereof.
She exhaled heavily. There was nothing that she loathed more than the thought of teamwork. She couldn't stand other people almost as much as she couldn't stand herself.
'I can do it perfectly fine alone Professor, you know how determined I am, you told me so yourself. Besides this way no one else would have to suffer the deadly consequences this mission might have.'
'Oh, but I believe that to be the contrary; if Grindelwald discovers your identity I am afraid that this could become a catastrophe, not only for yourself but also for all of us, the entire wizarding world, regardless of your unquestionable determination.'
Ariadne took her time to think on that, she did not want that to happen. It could become catastrophic if her powers were to fall in the wrong hand, that was true. But she refused to believe she would ever succumb to Grindelwald. She could not.
"Professor Dumbledore, we both know I would rather die then-"
"Well, excellent, then you would agree to a companion!"
She wanted to say that her readiness to die is perhaps higher than her readiness to engage in teamwork and social interaction. But she would be lying. Frankly speaking, she would do anything. She would give up everything to take down Grindelwald. Both Dumbledore and her knew that. She just did not particularly want to be around anyone.
Ariadne simply crossed her arms and looked out of the window. There were small Hogwarts students chasing after one another. It reminded her of her past, all before her life took a turn for the worse. Her gaze got less worried as she watched the interactions the students held. Her heart appeared to have found a certain serenity.
Dumbledore followed her gaze and went to stand next to the window, with his hands on the frame. He looked outside. He was quite surprised by what the saw, but then quickly grinned and said 'Of course. So, be it."
Ariadne turned her head to the Professor, unsure what he was referring to.
"Do you believe in fate, Ariadne?"
"Religiously." she answered, slightly taken a back a single muscle straining near her mouth. Dumbledore knew her too well.
"You came here because of fate's call, didn't you?" He continued. "I believe fate has given you a companion."
'How kind." She managed to sarcastically breathe out, feeling outwitted by the man.
Albus Dumbledore smiled faintly at her. Her facial expression made him recalled a particular group project that Ariadne had participated in as a student.
"I am well aware of your disdain for groupwork, Ariadne. I would never force you do to anything. I will respect any decision you will take."
"I know. I'll do what it takes, no matter the cost."
Albus Dumbledore nodded his head. The two of them continued discussing the details of the plan concordantly before the question of whether or not to reveal her identity to her companion came up. Ariadne was adamant on secrecy.
'What about my companion's identity? Who is it?" She asked, promptly turning the question the other way. Dumbledore didn't mind, he calmly continued to speak.
"My initial idea was to contact Yusuf Kama, a wizard that came close to Grindelwald before." Dumbledore said as he started to pace around.
"However, it appears that he has travelled back to Senegal with no intent to return. But is seems that fate has certain plans for us, Miss Somni."
Ariadne got chills, like echoes of the past that came to hollow out her soul, when she heard her name. Dumbledore was the only one to know it. His words awoke some interest in Ariadne, who firmly believed in fate, and thus eagerly replied. "What plans? Who will do it then?"
A knock on the door made both Albus and Ariadne turn their heads to the door. Professor Minerva McGonagall's head appeared, as if she were unsure whether or not the room was occupied at the moment. After seeing Albus was in fact present, she opened the door fully and entered into the room, commanding attention to her presence.
'Pleasant to see you, Minerva.'
'The pleasure is mine, Professor Dumbledore. I saw a young man on Hogwarts ground, he appeared to be looking for you Professor, Mister Scamander he called himself.'
'Ah of course... I already expected him.' He said as his eyes were filled with thoughts.
Ariadne had heard of Newt Scamandar before, he was the one to find the Qilin! He seemed quite nice actually, perhaps working with him wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps Fate had been kind to her after she'd endure so much cruelty by her hand.
'So, I take that he is your guest and that I can release him?'
Albus raised his eyebrows. 'You held him in custody, Minerva?' He asked his college almost whisperingly. If Ariadne would have focused properly on Professor Dumbledore instead of McGonagall, she could have heard Dumbledore's comment A minister, Head of the Aurors? Impressive, Minerva. Yet her exceptional ability - that would be easily confused as a Legimancy - did not work when she was focused on something else completely.
Ariadne grinned, look at Professor Minerva arresting wizards left and right. She was overcome by warm emotions for her, she hadn't seen her in such a long time.
"Of course, I couldn't let an unauthorized figure strut about the castle. I apologize, I had no idea he was your guest." She held her reply with a stern look on her face that had crumbled towards the end with apologetics.
"Neither had I. But do not worry, your actions were... reasonable and quite amusing.'
Ariadne had seated herself on one of the desks, her legs crossed. She muttered incentio under her breath and the long cigarette(that had appeared out of nowhere) lit up in her hand. She took her time as she inhaled and exhaled the smoke, not sparing a glance at the other two people in the room. She knew how to catch the much craved attention of her favorite Professor a s she faintly reminisced of the times she got in trouble for being absolutely insufferable (which included her scrawny attempts at smoking).
Minerva then turned her attention towards Ariadne. But Professor McGonagall did not recognize the young witch before her, she merely stared at her appalled, in a certain disbelief.
Professor Dumbledore scraped his throat. "This is an old student of mine... you weren't a Professor yet at that time, Miss -" He motioned his hand towards her, moving it ever so slightly up and down, pretending to have forgotten her name.
Great! Now she had to pretend to not know Professor McGonagall while the only thing she longed for was her comforting words.
"Soulange. Slytherin. My family is from Versailles." Ariadne spoke slowly as if she was exhaling all her frustration. She often used this name as a decoy. She had visited her aunt in France and met one of her aunt's friends, Lady Bonham-Soulange, an icon. May she rest in peace.
As if Ariadne Somni, or rather Lilith Soulange suddenly remembered who she was pretending to be, she straightened up and held her head high in the sky. She lowered her oval shaped sunglasses a bit and looked her ex Professor up and down as if she were evaluating her. She was inexplicably angry and was just trying to make herself feel better by making everyone else feel awkward. It worked as McGonagall found her self in utter discomfort.
Ariadne stretched out her hand, covered by a glove of the finest silk, after transferring her precious cigarette to her left hand.
She quickly decided to delve into Minerva's mind. What an arrogant git! Adriana let out a laugh which she quickly masked with a cough. Not weird when one smokes, right?
Dumbledore had lied, Minnie had been her Professor. It was her first year and Adriana's last when they met. She had been Minerva's favorite. They were practically best friends at the time partially due to the uncertainty in her authority as a young Professor. Now Minerva was just offended, shaking the hand of a witch that had not bothered coming off the desk.
I get why the French used their Guillotines. She could hear her Professors thoughts slip. Breath in breath out, don't laugh. She blocked out her Professor's thoughts. She quickly glanced at Dumbledore. Thank God she was wearing sunglasses.
'Enchantée.' The fake Soulange said not withstanding a small giggle.
There was a kick to pissing off the teacher, especially when it's your friend as well. That is what she'd always thought. Professor McGonagall had not even spared a glance at her signature black gloves, she was way too hot-headed at the moment. Fate twisted this encounter so cruelly, that she did not know whether to cry or to laugh. She tried not to laugh at least. Sort of failed on that front.
Ariadne had secretly hoped she would recognize her. Embrace her. Tell her it will be alright. Scold her. Anything really. She quickly thought about it, she could make her do that. But she was abruptly torn away from the intrusive thought when Minerva spoke.
"I'll let Mr. Scamander in now Albus." McGonagall said as she straightened her robe and walked away without granting Dumbledore a single look, as the only thing she had to offer was angry face due to an unpleasant encounter with an arrogant witch that seemed to be laughing at her.
"Don't smoke in my office, Miss Somni. Why would you act like that towards your Professor?' Dumbledore asked as soon as Minerva disappeared.
"Ah...but she was not my Professor now was she?" Ariadne responded painfully. Dumbledore had not told McGonagall due to Ariadne's ferocity when it came to privacy. It was clearly not his fault. But she couldn't help but find herself sick of the very own lie she had concocted.
"Besides I am just in character, I have to be unrecognizable, don't I? Even she could not tell..." Ariadne couldn't get a hold of herself, she had not slept in 3 days. She was all over the place or not at all. Screw this ability, it's a curse, she thought.
Dumbledore merely sighted. This girl was a menace. But hopefully, with the right direction, mostly a menace to Grindelwald.
Ariadne shifted uncomfortably on the desk, making her scandalous and silk dress dance around her body. She looked at the cigarette and then at Dumbledore and rolled her eyes in defeat as she put out the cigarette. She unsurely bit her lip. When Aunty Boham-Soulange did it, she looked so flawless, she thought.
It was exactly like that that Theseus first saw her. O Merlin, help me.
Ariadne turned her head as soon as she heard that sincere thought.
She could not stop staring at the man that had appeared in front of her. She was taken aback. She had expected Newt Scamander, the zoologist, not this unknown man that was standing there, sculpted like a Greek God. His suit fitted him perfectly, embellished with a little pocket lock. His hair looked sleek, but had a softness to it that made you want to caress it.
Yet Adriana could only look into his eyes. It was as if she had never seen anything else before.
So the two of them stood there without uttering a word, without thinking a single thing, staring perpetually in each other's eyes.
And well, Dumbledore was there too.
He studied the two attentively and the hopeful thought he cherished seemed to become more realistic by every passing second. He smiled as he looked on the ground, recognizing what had happened here instantly. Fate.
"Theseus. Your timing is impeccable!"