Sort of a spacer chapter, sorry
Ophelia was at work, it was surprisingly easy being a secretary, except when doting marks sent flowers to your place of work. He had sent her roses. She smiled and shook her head at the note as she set them on her desk.
"Miss Goldhart, where is my coffee?" Asked her boss a Mister William Aisling,
"Right here Mister Aisling, two creams no sugar." She said as she handed him the coffee,
"What appointments do I have today?" He asked, looking between her and the flowers she had on her desk.
"The President is coming to see the new exhibit on wands at ten, and then at eleven your family is stopping by for lunch. I've already made reservations at-"
"Vidalle's?"
"Yes, sir, and then at one you have a meeting with the curator of the Royal British Museum about who gets the excavated artifacts found on the royal merchant. British ship, but American territory," she said,
"Who are you routing for?" Asked her boss, looking over notes on a clip board,
"I don't know, will it sound unpatriotic if I say that since it is on American territory then America should get it?" She asked,
"No, I would say that sounds factual," he said, as he walked into his office,
Ophelia sighed and looked at the roses. He seemed to be really into the idea of a whirlwind romance. Where did Grindelwald find these blokes? It was a little more challenging this time around. He wasn't sensitive at all. In fact he seemed to like it when she was a little bit mean.
It also meant if she praised him, he was practically glowing. She had a date with him to see the opera tomorrow. And then she got to see her father. Who was being malnourished. She could just feel it.
Ophelia took a deep breath and continued to put together the contracts for the British Royal museum to sign.
"Roses for Rose, eh?" Said the Italian girl who worked in the Gift Shop named Lorna,
"Very original," she said, stapling the forms together, she had to have them ready in case of any decision. "Would you like one?"
"Oh, no, I could never. My fiancé Christopher would never hear of it." Said Lorna touching the roses almost longingly before snapping out of it, "In New York less then two weeks and you've already got an admirer,"
"I can only imagine how many you have, Lorna," she said and Lorna laughed,
"My fiancé, Christopher was the first. Childhood sweethearts," she said,
"That's so sweet. Did you meet at school or," asked Ophelia,
"We were at opposing schools, met at one of those dances held in community centres," said Lorna, "I just saw him across the room, and I thought this is the man I am going to marry. Isn't that romantic?"
"It is one of the most romantic stories I have ever heard," said Ophelia, Lorna seemed to glow with the triumph of validation,
"I need to go, cash registers to be manned, you know." She said,
"I'll see you at lunch?"
"Of course," said Lorna before walking away.
They always ate on the steps of the met. It just felt really extravagant, well Lorna started it but not having many friends in the city, Ophelia didn't mind joining her.
Ophelia really liked New York and it sucked that she would have to leave it. The door to her boss's office clicked open to reveal he'd stained his shirt with unremovable ink,
She went to the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a new shirt,
"The wonders of a forgotten trip to the dry cleaners," she said, handing it to him,
"Thank you, Miss Goldhart," said the man, taking the shirt, "Do you have those,"
"Flowers and candies your wife likes? Yes." She said, "Carnations, correct?" She asked,
"Yes, you are very good at your job," said William, taking the flowers and the candies from her, "My daughter is coming too, she is a very sullen teenager, but she loves history,"
"Is this your way of telling me you would like me to give her a tour?" Asked Ophelia,
"Yes, yes it is."
"Of course, sir." She said,
He nodded and then went back into his office. She returned to the forms. And thought about how amazingly dependant men are on women. Well it sure did make them easy to manipulate.
—
Tom was unhappy. Again. He'd had exactly a week with Ophelia and then she was gone again. On the plus side, this time around he was actually receiving letters. He really remembered why he loved her, she always made him smile.
They would discuss literary characters in depth, and would talk about research in magic. He honestly thought he loved her more now that she was just as fucked up as him.
He'd had his loyalty ceremony with his new knights. He was exhausted. The scent of Ophelia was embedded in his sheets and it didn't make him ache as much anymore.
It comforted him. Because he knew she would always come back.
He also didn't mind not having a high maintenance girlfriend. He could focus on his research, his job, and he could still communicate with the girl who truly felt like his other half.
—
Jason was minding his own business walking back into his flat in Dublin with groceries. He was planning to make a lovely soufflé, Gretchen has taught him and he needed to practice before serving her. Then he realized, the door was unlocked. He opened it to see Carl sitting in his dining room with several pictures in front of him.
"Hey, Carl, to what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked casually and then he noticed what the pictures were and that his apartment had been torn a new one, "Or displeasure from the look of things." He set the groceries down.
"You knew her?" He said,
"Who?"
"Poppy. You knew her as a child, you went to Hogwarts together," he said, picking up the one of them in their uniforms posing for Primrose who had been taking the photo.
"I never knew a Poppy Amara." He said, looking them over, he should have let her burn them.
"Did you know a Marigold?" Asked Carl and Jason sat across from him and tried to take the pictures, but he was stopped,
"Like the flower?"
"Like the family."
"Can't say that I did."
"I have the proof." Said Carl, "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I was obliviated."
"With a memory of this size, there would be serious side effects." Said Carl, looking at the one of them as children.
"Why are you here, anyways?" Asked Jason.
"I want to find my wife. And you and she got along almost too well. So I thought I'd pay you a visit." Said Carl, "What's her name?"
"You married her, Carl."
"We're you two ever," he asked, his fist clenching.
"Merlins saggy balls, no. I mean I tried for friends with benefits but she shut me down every time." Said Jason,
"Good for her." Said Carl, "What house was she in?"
"Hufflepuff." He said, "Loyal as fuck let me tell you, once when someone beat me up she cast a jinx on them to make them terrified of tables."
"I would have thought Slytherin." Said Carl,
"No, of course not." Said Jason, shaking his head, "How much do you know?"
"I know that Grindelwald is controlling her." Said Carl, "I know she is the female Marigold,"
"I remember the day she was taken, it was right after her birthday." Said Jason, "She ran, she was really smart about it too. She probably would have managed to get out if this one bloke hadn't called her name."
"So she didn't want to work with Grindelwald?" Asked Carl,
"Of course not. Are you insane? The Burlingtons killed her mum under his orders. She would rather kill herself than work for him." Said Jason, "She said quote, I hate myself so much for doing this to him."
"Did she love me?" Asked Carl, "Why didn't you ever say anything?"
"Well, officer I didn't want her dad to get killed and have her be forced to watch." Said Jason, "You shouldn't even be looking for her. Do you have any idea what you could cost her by finding her? Her brothers life, her fathers life, her best friends life. She would hate you."
"She loves me."
"Carl you need to stop looking. Honestly you will just hurt yourself, and her, and her family. She has her own plans to get out of this, but for now she needs to play along. Do you understand? You need to let her go." Said Jason,
"I can't do that." Said Carl,
"Come on," said Jason, "Carl we aren't friends but you need to see what other women can do."
"I'm not letting you take me to a strip club." Said Carl, "Can you tell me something real about her?"
"Best person I ever met." Said Jason, "Whenever one of her friends was in the hospital wing, there she was. No matter what she had going on in her life. She said no one should be alone in a place that depressing."
"Really?"
"She was on a first name basis with the matron and everything."
—
Andrew was sitting in his seat in the opera next to Rose. She looked so pretty in a sparkly violet dress. Her hands were folded in her lap.
He thought he was in for the most boring few hours of his life and then he heard the orchestra begin as the lights went down,
Then he heard violins, the hair on his neck was rising, a feeling that was new and surprising, but it wasn't the music that made his heart rate speed up, it was because he found her hand was in his,
That's where it stayed until they played the final chord. Her hand felt so right in his. He looked over to her and furrowed his eyebrows, there were tears in her eyes. She really responded to the opera. She wiped them away and smiled,
"Were you bored?" She asked, her hand still in his,
"I guess it wasn't boring," he said, his eyes trained on her golden ones, "It was the best time that I ever had,"
"Well then lucky for you I have seats to La Bohème. Who cares what you are listening to, it's who you're listening with," she said as they stood up and walked from their box, down the steps,
"I'm happy to hear you say that," he said, "Because tomorrow night I'm taking you out."
"Really? Two nights in a row? What if I have plans?" She asked,
"Do you?" He asked,
"Depends on where you are taking me." Said Rose, and he raised his eyebrows,
"To listen to music." He said, "My kind of music,"
"Sure, darling," she said, "You'll pick me up at my flat?"
"Yes. You can count on it." He said, "Can you speak German?"
"Yes. I can," she said,
"You are a very impressive woman, Rose Goldhart."
"I do my best, darling." She said, and he slid his arm around her waist, "What instrument do you play?"
"Piano and violin." He said,
"Classy," she said,
"I thought you preferred sophisticated," said Andrew and Rose let out a laugh,
"You are so charming, darling," she said, as he guided her out the door,
"I am also generous," he said,
"Really?"
"Which is why I am going to bring you to the best dessert place in New York,"
"Perfect." She said, "Lead the way,"
—
Carl hadn't set foot in the studio since Poppy had disappeared. Their house had been foreclosed and he had been forced to move back to the family estate. Without her, What was even the point?
He couldn't find her. But he had to find her, he had to save her. He wanted to take her home.
He looked at himself in the mirror and suddenly he imagined she was standing behind him,
"Don't give up, English." She said, smoothing the fabric of his shirt over his shoulders, "You're going to find me, and take me home. And then we are going to get you that Oscar. I know it, you know it."
"And then we can start a family?" Asked Carl,
"Yes, English, and then we can start a family."
—
"I'm exhausted," said Ophelia as she lay down in her flat on her sofa, her head in Lolitas lap, "I hate the way my voice sounds in a British accent."
"On the plus side you've got him practically coming in his pants every time you call him darling." Said Lolita, and Ophelia rolled her eyes,
"Haven't even kissed him yet." Said Ophelia, "I'll kiss him tonight, he's playing music for me,"
"How does he keep finding these old money artistic saps for you to love." Said Lolita,
"I wouldn't feel so bad if he were a literal crap pile but hey, he's not. So new found depth of self loathing party of one." Said Ophelia and Lolita brought her cigarette from her own lips to hers.
"Smoking helps."
"Sure does make everything more cinematic." Said Ophelia,
"I heard Carl fell off the face of the Earth, he payed Jason a visit," said Lolita,
"He can't find me," said Ophelia worried,
"I already told him. You're safe." Said Lolita, playing with Ophelia's hair,
"I wonder what he'll release,"
—
"You need to stop looking for her," said The minister of magic as he faced a PR nightmare after it had come out that he had a mistress.
"You told me to look for her,"
"Clearly you fucked up." Said the minister, "Your mother will not speak to me and I have so many things to do to right your mistakes."
"You are the one who had an affair." Said Carl, "What happened to tipping the scales of the war?"
"A friend of mine came to visit, a professor Dumbledore? He has told me not to keep looking for her." Said the minister, "And we always listen to Dumbledore,"
"That's bullshit." Said Carl and then Albus himself walked into the office,
"No it isn't." Said Albus, and Carl turned to face him,
"You weren't there, you didn't see how we were with each other. It was real." Said Carl,
"This is why he's keeping her, she is so good at her job. Her brother got cut loose you know? A watched release, but Miss Marigold is,"
"What? Has she moved on to someone else?" Asked Carl, his heart rate accelerating,
"I don't know," said Dumbledore, "I do know that she doesn't kill. I know that Grindelwald is low on funds. I know that if we stop her from doing this he'll hurt her. Do you want to see her hurt, Mister Spencer-Moon?"
"No."
"Then let me do the looking." Said Dumbledore, "I am far more discrete than you."
"She was the love of my life." Said Carl,
"It was a lie." Said Dumbledore, "I can understand why he wants to keep her around,"
"Are you saying it's my fault?"
"Merlin, No." said Dumbledore "I'm saying that she's good at what she does."
"You knew her, in school." Said Carl,
"Yes, she was one of the brightest students I ever met. The most friendly too. But she didn't like me very much." Said Dumbledore,
"So she was just plucked from school and sent to me?" Asked Carl, sitting down,
"I believe so," said Dumbledore, "I think he was waiting for her to turn eighteen."
"Did she leave anything?" Asked Carl,
"She isn't Poppy. Poppy is just a part she played." Said Dumbledore,
"No one is that good an actress." Said Carl,
"She was." Said Dumbledore, "When this is all over you can ask her yourself. The point is that I got to her before she handed the wand over to Grindelwald. He was going to get it either way, just now he doesn't know I have the elder wands allegiance. She may have won us the war."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Asked Carl,
"He would have hurt her. And her family, haven't we covered this, son?" Asked the minister, "You need to let Dumbledore handle this. Let her go."
"Do you promise that when this is all over, when Grindelwald is gone, I will get to see her again?" Asked Carl, clearly struggling to keep his cool.
"I don't think she'd have it any other way." Said Dumbledore,
"Where is she now?" Asked Carl,
"I don't know." Said Dumbledore, "She can take care of herself, Carl."
"But I want to take care of her."
"The most we can do for her is make sure she doesn't end up in prison." Said The minister, who always listened to Dumbledore,
Dumbledore advocated rather strongly on behalf of Ophelia. He thought her a kind person in the wrong business.