Tom never arrived home that night. It was well after midnight before Marlene felt the tug of sleep pull her from consciousness, and she awoke the next morning to the sounds of car doors slamming from the street outside.
She had waited up for him on the couch, worried that the intruder might make a return in a possible search for the paper left behind. She spent the majority of her time at Tom's imagining the image on the sheet in her mind, but it seemed foggier with each passing minute. To Marlene it hardly seemed to be of any importance, yet someone seemed to think it was.
And she continued wondering what the person was even doing in the house in the first place. She had moved around the small house looking for signs that something was missing, but couldn't determine that anything of value seemed to be out of place. It wasn't as though she knew the house very well, so either they were looking for something very specific, or they were looking for Tom.
She shuddered thinking about the entire ordeal and desperately wished that Tom would arrive home so that she could tell him about it. But unfortunately, he never did.
So when she awoke on the couch with an extremely stiff neck she glanced to the clock and determined that nine in the morning seemed like an appropriate time to pay visit to the Ministry of Magic in search of her godfather.
Uncertain how else to get there, she settled on using the floo network, thinking it was likely the easiest transportation to navigate. It didn't take her long to find Tom's stash of floo powder; he had a bag of it stored away in a tarnished gold tin on the mantle. She grasped a handful, threw it into the fireplace and watched as the emerald flames erupted into the otherwise empty hearth.
She eyed it wearily, having only used the floo network a handful of times. But she settled upon the comfort of knowing that it was more desirable than the sensation of apparition. She stepped into the heatless fire, feeling a light tickle rather than that of being burned and spoke clearly of her intended destination, "Ministry of Magic."
Images of passing living rooms spun through her vision as she moved through the network. When she stopped moving she stumbled from the hearth slightly dizzy, out into a magnificent hall that had towering ceilings with golden columns lining the long and narrow gallery.
A large sign sat above the main desk that informed Marlene she was in the Atrium which was situated on level eight of the Ministry. She moved towards the reception desk where a brunette with a dazzling smile sat greeting those passing through. Marlene waited patiently, watching as the witch moved swiftly around the desk preparing an elderly wizards visitor pass who stood in line in front of her.
When it was her turn she smiled politely as the welcome witch greeted her, "Welcome to the Ministry, please state your name and business of visit."
"Marlene McKinnon," she said, trying to match the enthusiasm of the vivacious brunette. "I'm here to see Tom Antonovich."
"Which department does he work in?" the girl began to process Marlene's request. A gleaming silver badge that she had conjured began to magically etch the beginnings of Marlene's name into the polished silver. She eyed the way the scrawl of her first name elegantly emblazoned itself to the badge, and wished that her own handwriting could look so refined.
"Department of Mysteries."
The witch stopped moving and so did the badge; it was one letter short of completing her first name. Marlene watched as her eyebrows drew inwards in a slight frown before the smile returned and she replied, "I'm sorry Miss McKinnon. You must be mistaken. There is no such department here."
"I'm fairly certain that I have the right department," Marlene said slowly. "He's my godfather. Tom Antonovich. He works in the Department of –"
"I'm sorry but that department does not exist," the girl interrupted her firmly with an obvious icy undertone that indicated the conversation was not open for further discussion. "Thank you for stopping by the Ministry. Have a good day."
She beckoned the couple that had been standing behind Marlene forward, bluntly indicating that she was no longer welcome. Startled, Marlene stumbled sideways and allowed the couple to approach the desk. The welcome witch greeted them with the same dazzling smile and demeanor to which Marlene had been initially welcomed with. Then the rage erupted within her at the realization that she had been so easily brushed off.
"Excuse me," she pushed her way back up to the desk, interrupting the gentleman who had replaced her position. "I need to see Tom Antonovich."
"Miss I'm going to have to kindly ask you to leave," the witch, who Marlene noted was named Samantha by a glance to the shiny silver name plaque pinned to her chest.
"He works here, and I need to see him. So talk to whoever it is you need to talk to, and confirm that he does, and then I'd appreciate it if you finish that off so that I can go about my business." Marlene nodded her head towards the visitors pass that lay unfinished at the side of the desk.
Samantha's eyes narrowed before she offered an apology to the couple she had begun helping. Marlene heard the man grumble something unintelligible under his breath with obvious irritation, but she ignored him. Samantha waved her hand and a large feathered pen scribbled out a quick note on parchment, folded into a miniature airplane and whizzed off down the hallway and out of view.
"You can wait over there by the lift," she said rudely while indicating to a spot at the far end of the desk where a lift appeared to bring witches and wizards in from what Marlene assumed to be the muggle entrance. Without another word she turned back to the couple and offered another profuse apology for the interruption, her tone once again a façade of enthusiasm.
Marlene didn't want to wait by the lift. However, she didn't really have much choice in the matter after eyeing the security gate up ahead which threatened to keep her out. Besides that, she didn't know where it was she needed to go.
She kicked her foot into the polished floors and waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Eventually after about ten minutes she felt agitated that she was seemingly waiting for nothing. She was just about to corner Samantha again when she detected a large body approaching her. She looked up at the sound of her name.
"Marlene?"
Franks smiling, yet confused face greeted her.
"Frank?" she replied incredulously. She hadn't really expected to see anyone else she knew on her visit, but she had forgotten that a handful of people she knew worked at the Ministry. It should have been obvious that the possibility of encountering at least one of them might occur.
"It's lovely to see you Marlene," Frank said politely and his smile reached his eyes. "I suppose you're the one causing all the fuss down here. What a nice surprise having a visit from you today."
"What do you mean 'causing all the fuss'?" her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits and she looked back over to the desk where Samantha was looking at them through her peripheral vision, attempting to appear as if she weren't trying to spy on their interaction.
"Not everyday someone comes in looking for the Department of Mysteries," his look was a mixture of humor and gloom. "When people are being difficult they send an Auror down to deal with it. Your request came through my department when you were denied. I'm supposed to interrogate you and make sure you're not a spy or threat of some sort and then make sure that you leave."
"Well that's hardly fair," Marlene said defiantly. "I came here to see Tom. I'm not about to unleash trolls or something. Look at me! It's sort of laughable that I am a perceived threat."
"Relax," he chuckled. "It's an obvious misunderstanding. I'll take care of it."
He moved past her towards where Samantha was pretending to busy herself with papers. Marlene couldn't hear what Frank said to her but she watched as Samantha's lips formed a thin line and she gave a curt nod of her head. She reached down to grab something on the counter and something shiny caught the light and flashed as she shoved it into Frank's hand. Marlene realized after he walked back over and held it outwards for her to grasp that it was her visitors pass.
"Come on," he beckoned her to follow and he directed her away from Samantha's curious judgement.
Marlene hurried behind him to join the flow of traffic and followed him into a line to where a golden set of gates stood polished. Marlene admired the surroundings on the way; from the dark wooden floors and dozens of fireplaces, to the golden statue that featured a centaur, goblin, house elf, witch, and wizard spouting water into the magnificent fountain that was the centerpiece of the Atrium.
Once they reached the gates they filed into a line that a witch in front of her said seemed longer than usual. Of course Marlene didn't know any differently and didn't mind spending the extra time admiring the contents of the large hall. At the front of the line a grumpy man identified as Eric Munch looked like he had seen better days when he mechanically requested her wand as per protocol.
He used some probe device that Frank explained was used to detect concealment spells or hidden magical objects and then analyzed Marlene's purpose of visit. He didn't seem phased like Samantha did and handed back her things without problem. Marlene glanced at the visitors badge that Frank had given her and noted that instead of 'Department of Mysteries' the 'Office of Magical Law Enforcement' gleamed back at her.
"Mysteries is up one level on nine, but it doesn't officially exist," Frank said quietly when they had moved away from the line and weren't surrounded by people.
"That seems rather silly to pretend it doesn't exist," Marlene scoffed. It wasn't the first time she had heard this, but to be inside the actual Ministry with workers not knowing the department existed seemed ludicrous.
Frank laughed as he ushered her into one of the empty lifts and closed it off before anyone else could join them. "I suppose it's because they don't want outsiders knowing that they're conducting top secret studies. I'd assume of all people, given what it is that you've been up to, that you would understand that."
Marlene ignored him. "So if I'm not going to the Department of Mysteries, where am I going then?" she asked him wearily while eyeing the lift that was going down and away from level nine where the department of Mysteries was supposedly at.
"Level two. Magical Law Enforcement."
"Will I actually get to see Tom?" she asked. "That is actually why I'm here, not to cause any trouble."
"Oh of course. I had Samantha send a message so Tom will be waiting for you there. Can't let just anyone wander around looking for a department that doesn't exist," he offered a cheeky wink and laughed again.
"Right," Marlene gave a weak attempt at a laugh. So much for her hope of catching a glimpse into the mysterious department she had such very little knowledge about.
When the lift stopped they stepped out into a long corridor that was lined with doors on both sides. Frank led her to the end of the hallway to where a set of oak doors led into an open space that was filled with small cubicles. A sign labelled the working area as 'Auror Headquarters.'
"That's my cubicle over there," he pointed towards one in the back corner. It was easy to spot being that it was the only one vacant. The room was loud with chatter from the Aurors that occupied the remaining desks, but it was too noisy to understand what anyone was saying.
Tom was standing right beside Frank's desk, waiting impatiently. His eyes were glued to Marlene's movement and the knot in her stomach tightened again.
"He's probably pretty angry at me, isn't he?" Marlene spoke softly to Frank. He shot her a sideways glance and what he probably intended to be a sympathetic smile.
"He doesn't look very angry at the moment," he attempted to sound reassuring.
"Key word is 'at the moment'," she laughed and then they were standing in front of Tom and she was enclosed in yet another bone crushing embrace.
"Terrified – what were you thinking – worried sick – crazy kids – " were just some of the words that were among other coherently undecipherable ones to Marlene's ears. When Tom released her she noted that Frank had settled down at his desk and had busied himself in paperwork without sparing an upwards glance in her direction. She was quickly ushered away from the unit and into an adjoining corridor where they walked for an uncomfortable two minutes before he directed her into a small chamber.
It was dimly lit and littered with various muggle artifacts, stacks of books and loose parchment scattered across every visible surface. It quite literally looked as if a storm had blown in and tossed the rooms contents all around.
"Is this your office?" Marlene asked vaguely, not terribly curious of the answer. She had more important questions in her mind that she was working up the courage to ask.
"No," Tom sounded tired. She peered at him and noticed how much thinner he looked and the hair on his scalp appeared to be more grey than she remembered. It was physically obvious that he was under a lot of stress.
"Interesting choice of room then," she pressed when he didn't elaborate.
"Where have you been?" he demanded, obviously not interested in her small talk.
"I've been working on something for Dumbledore," she said quickly. "But there's something more important I need to tell you so if you'd – "
"So this what you've been out doing for the last year? The reason you dropped out of school?" he sounded resentful as he interrupted her. "I thought I made it clear not to get yourself meddled in that business of Dumbledore's. It's going to get you killed, Marlene!"
"I haven't been in any danger," Marlene tried to assure him, but she never was very good at lying. He saw right through her and his fingers rubbed at his temples with vigor. "But Tom, I really need to tell you - "
"I hope you came here to tell me that you're done with this nonsense," he interrupted again.
"Tom!" Marlene raised her voice and Tom became silent. His lips drew into a thin line and his cold eyes bore into hers, challenging her. She pressed onward with urgency, "Can you just listen to me? This is terribly important."
"Fine, Marlene. What is it that that is so terribly important?" his tone was reproachful, so she decided to cut to the chase.
"I stopped by your house last night but you weren't at home," Marlene took a large breath. "I was going to wait for you inside but it seems that someone else had the same idea."
She hurried through the events of the previous evening, purposefully leaving out the information about the strange note the intruder had left behind. That piece of information she felt needed to be discussed once he had calmed down more.
She was met with silence. Marlene watched Tom's tired features twist into something resembling shock and horror, followed immediately by anger.
"And you're absolutely sure that it was a person and not some sort of stray animal that got in through the open window?"
"Of course I'm sure," she said indignantly, slightly annoyed that he would question her ability to distinguish between an animal and another human being. "They used magic to disapparate."
"And they didn't fight you back?" he asked incredulously.
"No," she replied. She hadn't thought about it until Tom asked the question, but suddenly she found it strange that whoever had been on the receiving end of her attack hadn't bothered to fight back against her.
"I don't want you going back to the house alone," he chided her. "Until I figure out what they were looking for, promise me that you won't go back there alone."
She wanted to argue with him and she opened her mouth to do so but the look on his face told her that it would only spark another argument. Besides, there was something else that had brought her into the Ministry and she felt it more prudent to pick the more important battle. She nodded in agreement, silently promising him.
"There's something else Tom," she began, watching his tired features display a lack of any vibrancy she had grown up knowing from him. She hated that she was the cause of so much of his stress.
"What is it Marlene?" he sighed. He sounded so exhausted, and she wondered how much more he had left to give her. But she had come too far to give up now and so she took a deep breath and internally wished herself good luck.
"Who is the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecies?"
***
A/N: Do you think he's going to tell her the truth?
Thanks for reading! Please vote or leave comments if you liked the chapter. Hoping to get another one up again real soon.