antebellum [t. riddle]

xxix.

december 1944
tw: brief mentions of suicide

sicaria ended up being two minutes late to dumbledore's office. 

she stopped just outside the door, casting stronger glamours over herself, and once she stepped inside, she transfigured her school robes into work-appropriate attire with a particularly high neckline. 

dumbledore made no mention of her tardiness. he often seemed to ignore her faults, instead choosing to pretend that she was some sort of saint. he treated her similar to how he treated people while he was a professor; choosing to act as though she was his student and not his co-worker, though sicaria felt like neither.

sicaria thought that perhaps it was some sort of pity, like he felt bad for her situation, and tried to make it easier on her by not chastising her at every turn. she didn't know whether or not to appreciate it; she didn't need nor want his pity, but for the most part he stayed out of her way, and for that, she was grateful. 

they had an understanding, a mutual sort of trust. eventually she began telling dumbledore almost anything of interest that came from her interrogations. they came up with theories, and occasionally, he helped her make logical connections that she hadn't seen before. he was getting more out of it than she was, but she didn't care. she didn't particularly give a shit about what macusa did and didn't want him to know, and it wasn't any information that was damning to what their cause was supposed to be: beating grindelwald. 

it seemed that governments had lost sight of the original vision, and now wanted the glory and recognition that would come with such a feat. treaties and legislation against each other only lead to more chaos ensuing, and prolonging the war leading to more and more death. instead of working together under the International Confederation, nations were actively undermining each other trying to be the first to the finish line. 

once the two of them exited the floo, dumbledore followed sicaria down the crowded halls of the department of magical law enforcement. instead of turning into the atrium where she usually gave her check-ins, they continued down a long, narrow corridor, leading to a small conference room. alessandria was sitting in a chair by the door. 

"ms. edwards, mr. dumbledore," the woman nodded serenely at the two of them, waving her wand in the motion of a quill as words began to appear on the parchment. 

"mrs. goldenberg," sicaria smiled at the secretary. "you won't be joining us?"

alessandria shook her head. "no, the classification level for this one is even past me." she turned her head. "vota has insisted that mr. dumbledore not be in attendance either."

dumbledore gasped in mock surprise, but his smile gave away that he somehow knew this would happen. sicaria eyed him suspiciously. "that is most unfortunate, but no matter. i shall be waiting just beyond this door when you are finished, ms. edwards."

she stared at him with narrowed eyes for only a moment longer before choosing not to respond. she grasped the door handle and stepped into the room. eileen vota and barry campbell sat at a table, barry seemingly oblivious to vota's contemptuous grimace. 

they both looked up when she entered. 

"ms. edwards." vota said, gesturing at a chair on the opposite side of the table from her. barry gave her a smile and a wave as he exited the room and his happiness to see dumbledore could be heard through the closing door. "have a seat, dear."

something was... off. 

the vota she remembered from the previous meetings had been stoic to the point of being almost inhuman, and though this vota was still impassive, she was slightly more expressive in tone. she even called sicaria dear.