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Chapter 11
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Taking a deep breath in as Grace sits at her desk, acting as normal as possible she glances at the clock to see the minutes pass closer and closer to the end of the work day. Okay. We can do this. She thinks, finally adjusting herself to look over at Regulus.
"Ready?" She whispers softly. Nodding his head, Regulus' gut sinks at the idea of this plan. We should just bring him in for questioning. This is too risky if he is the killer.
"I just don't see why they should consider him." Regulus starts off the opening line of their pre-planned dispute.
Keeping her voice quiet enough to not cause a scene, but loud enough that it could draw Eriks ears, she forces a frown. "How could you say that?"
"He's a monster."
"He's my brother." She snaps, not needing much acting skill to be offended at the comment she's heard many times before. "How dare you even say that."
"Oh come on, Grace." Regulus scoffs, standing from his chair. "Would you really want your future kids to have a beast as a professor? Use your logic."
"Oh I am." She scoffs, standing up to meet his eyes. "I think you're done for the day."
"Are you seriously trying to dismiss me?"
"I am dismissing you, Black. Now go." Shaking his head in a strong performance of appearing to be genuinely pissed off, Regulus apparates out of the office leaving Grace to continue the scene alone. Letting out a long drawn out sigh, she tries to mimic what her normal behavior is when she becomes frustrated. Taking her seat once again she closes her eyes and lets her head fall in her palm as she takes in a few breaths. Just a few minutes like this and then I'll go over to him.
"Grace?" The voice catches her off guard as she jerks her head up to see Erik Brooks looking down at her after only a few seconds pass. "Is everything okay?"
"Um-" She hesitates, shocked he approached her first. "Yeah-yeah... Just some personal problems... I doubt you want to hear them, Erik."
"Maye I can help?" He offers, his brown eyes showing no hint of ill intent behind them.
Offering a kind smile of her own, she nods. "Ravenclaw Loyalty at work again, huh?" She sees the look of surprise cross his face before a blush appears.
"I'm shocked you remember that... I didn't think you really remembered me from school."
Shrugging her shoulders, she keeps her voice light. "I mean, it's not like we hung out, but I remember you well enough. OH!" She acts as if she has an idea. "How about we grab a drink after work? I sure as hell could use one and it'd be nice to catch up with you."
"A-a drink? With me?" He whispers out loud before bringing his attention back to her. "Oh, um yes, I-I'd love that."
"Any suggestions where?" She smiles again, feeling in her gut he isn't the killer. A little awkward and sure he might have a small crush on me, but he couldn't have killed nearly two dozen people. "I don't go out much and the usual place I go is far too loud to hold a normal conversation."
Nodding in understanding, he quickly responds. "The Wolf's Den?"
"Yeah... that's the one." She tries not to let her smile falter at him knowing the name of the bar she frequents... I'm sure I mentioned the name of Sirius' bar to him during training. She thinks to herself. I used to talk up the place to the other Trainees in hopes of bringing in more business.
"How about Urban Red?" He suggests. "It's a wine bar so it'll be quieter, plus their menu is delicious. I'm sure you'd love it."
"Should be perfect!" She agrees, playing off her part of the conversation well. "Will you be good to go by 5:00? I have one more report to write up then I'll be set."
"Uh, yeah, 5:00 works." He nods his head, looking over the woman's face for a few seconds longer than Grace would prefer. "Uhh I'll let you get back to work then." He gestures to the files on her desk.
Nodding her head, she opens up the random case she selected to 'pretend' finishing up as she writes out a quick note as he walks away. 'Going to Urban Red at 5:00.' Flicking her wand under her desk, the note vanishes as it heads toward the intended recipient.
Killing a bit more time by reviewing the old cases she has pulled, she keeps her ears tuned in as Erik works across the room, getting up periodically to pull files for other Aurors or greet witnesses who are swinging by.
"Ready?" His voice finally speaks as the end of the shift rolls around. "I can apparate us over since you haven't been before?"
"Great." Grace smiles, pulling her coat on and taking his arm without hesitation. Arriving with her stomach a bit twisted from the travel, she pulls her arm away quickly as looks around to spot a very small pub. "I thought we were going to a wine bar?" She quickly asks, seeing the beat up looking building with few wizards roaming the dark streets.
"Oh, silly me." He chuckles in a tone that makes Grace's gut clench. His sweet and awkward mannerisms from earlier seem to have disappeared. "I must have thought of the wrong location when we traveled. This is a small place I discovered a few years back. Hmmmm - since we're already here... might as well order a drink." Dammit. Grace curses at her carelessness. I didn't even consider he'd take me somewhere else.
"So where is this place?"
"Uh, not sure exactly. It's been so long since I first came upon it, I can't remember. I've always just apparated to the building directly." Bull shit. Walking cautiously into the old bar, they take two seats at a booth as Grace finally takes in how stupid this whole idea was. Potentially sitting with a killer who isn't afraid of using dark magic and I just let him apparate me away to Merlin knows where.
With an old barkeep walking over, Erik orders two drinks for them before looking across the table at Grace. "Sooo-" She attempts to make conversation. "Regulus told me you joined the department not long before I did. Did you not like being an Auror instructor? I thought you excelled in the role."
He stays silent watching her, as his eyes continue to fail to give off that same kindness they had shown just an hour prior.
The drinks arrive only a few seconds later, the silence from lack of patrons within the bar becomes painful as Erik continues to not speak and just watches her. Finally, taking a sip from his own glass he gestures to hers. Refusing to sip from her own for fear of who knows what being added into it, she attempts to converse once again. "Erik? Did you hear me? Did you not like being an Auror instructor?"
He takes another long sip of his drink before shaking his head. "Lord Regulus Back." He finally speaks in a whisper with his voice laced in malice. "What is it about Lord Black that you enjoy so much?"
Shit. "I don't feel comfortable talking about my partner with you." She quickly attempts to change the subject, wishing she had trusted Regulus' instincts and brought Erik in for questioning.
"Because he's your partner at work... or because he's your partner in the bedroom?"
Grace swallows, seeing his brown eyes grow darker and his grip on his glass tightens. "Regardless of the context, it isn't an appropriate topic to discuss about our co-worker."
He lets out a heavy breath that almost seems like a growl. "What is it about him?"
"Erik, my relat-"
"What were you fighting about earlier?" He cuts her off, hand straining as he clenches his glass.
Grace adjusts her posture on her side of the table so she has easier access to her wand. "I'm not comfortable discussing this, Erik. Please talk about something else."
"Did you like him back in school?" He tilts his head to the side slightly, still refusing to drop the topic. "He was older, but it might not have stopped you from thinking about him."
She takes a deep breath in, contemplating how she might be able to get out of this successfully. "No, I never liked him in school. The only reason I knew of him was b-"
"Because of Sirius Black." He finishes her sentence for her. "You were quite close with your brother's friends, still are it seems... visiting them regularly."
She feels her blood go cold as he speaks. "Erik, how d-"
"Don't play dumb, Grace." His voice grows harsh and cold as he cuts her off. "I'm not an idiot and we both know you are the farthest thing from one."
"I don't know wha-"
"Stop it." He snaps, finally releasing his glass before balling his fists under the table. "I really wanted to believe you, Grace. Wanted your little act from earlier to be real..." She watches silently as he shakes his head and looks at her with disgust. "You almost got me." He lets out a dry laugh before dropping his expression so he's left looking emotionless at her. "But then I looked at your desk and I thought, why would you be wrapping up a report on a case from nearly two months ago?" Grace thinks back to how he glanced at the files for just a second before walking off. "Took the liberty of checking out some of the other files before we left and low and behold... my personnel file was missing."
"Erik-"
"I take it your Lord is waiting for us at the wine bar?" Grace stays silent, glaring at the man as she channels her normal confident demeanor. "Oh come on, don't go quiet on me now."
"Why?" Is all she asks.
"I need a more specific question."
"Why kill the women?"
A tiny smirk twitches on his cheek before it falls. "I didn't kill anyone." He leans forward across the table. "I freed them... just as my mother was freed."
"Your mothers death wasn't reported on."
"Suicide." He confirms, still not showing a hint of emotion across his face. "Growing up I saw how hard it was for her... how she struggled being a muggle born. It wasn't her fault, but people made her feel like it was. People like my father." He scoffs, finally showing a bit of anger again. "She freed herself from this world and from her pain... What I did was help those women and in return they helped you." He smiles over at her, a whimsical expression filling his face. "The excitement I saw in your eyes once you realized there was an odd connection that you couldn't quite piece together. Ooo Grace, I made you happy."
"You think killing innocent women made me happy?" Grace's stomach twists as she tries not to vomit from the idea.
Sighing, the rage returns within his expression as he looks her over. "I freed them. We freed them"
He's a mad man. She thinks, trying to figure out a way to avoid triggering his anger. "You had to know I'd figure out it was you."
"I knew, oh I've always known how brilliant you are, Grace. And I knew it was only a matter of time before your attention fell to me, but that doesn't matter." He shakes his head, eyes not leaving hers. "No, it doesn't matter at all, not as long as I got to give you what you wanted."
"What I wanted?" Grace nearly laughs at the preposterous idea.
"A case, THE case! The case that can make a career." His voice increases with excitement. "Oooo to catch a serial killer."
"You want me to catch you?"
"Yes, Grace." He nods. "But not tonight. Not with your Lord still running around." Her heart clenches.
"Erik-"
"No." He snaps coldly, pounding his fist against the table hard enough that his glass falls over and spills across the wood. "I will not go to Azkaban knowing that pure blooded fuck is warming your bed... I did this for you... I accepted I won't be with you... this is the least you can give me."
"You know I can't let you do that." She speaks with determination as she slowly moves her hand towards her wand. "I won't."
Letting out a sigh, he nods his head. "I know." He places both hands on the table looking towards the center. "But you won't be able to stop me." Within a heartbeat, he uses wandless magic that casts forward and knocks Grace unconscious.
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A/N:
So sorry for the cliffhanger! Working on getting the next chapter uploaded by the end of the week!