When the Roses Bloom Again by TheBlack'sResurgence

Chapter 23

A Person of Interest

It was not often his job granted him an evening of respite, especially during the trying times the world was currently facing. Of course, it was the Germans once again causing problems, the Austrian leading them much of the worry of Europe at present.

He was a hateful fellow, one who found himself in power through the desperation of a country that felt they had been punished harshly over the past three decades.

Perhaps they had been.

The treaty they had been forced to sign had not been kind to them, had crippled their economy, and resulted in uprising.

Little by little, Hitler fought against the agreement, and sooner or later, something would have to give.

The Prime Minister released a laboured breath.

Were war to break out, he would likely need to step down. He was under no illusions that he was the right man to lead the country during such times.

He could only hope that conflict could be avoided and that the Germans could be appeased with minimal overtures granted to them.

He frowned as his fireplace flared an emerald green, and his stomach sunk.

The appearance of one of them in his office never boded well.

"Neville," the other Minister greeted him.

"Hector," he returned cordially, though he remained guarded.

"Can I pop through for a chat?"

"You're going to anyway," Neville muttered, beckoning the man to enter.

"It's always polite to ask," Fawley chuckled as he did so and took the seat on the opposite side of the desk.

"So, what is it now?" Neville asked, not in the mood for pleasantries.

This made it twice already during his short tenure as Prime Minister he had been visited by his wizarding counterpart.

He had been assured that it would likely never happen, but here the man was once again.

Wizards indeed.

When he had been first visited, he had thought he had drunk too much whiskey during the celebrations of newly acquired position and had put the event down to a drunken stupor, yet here he found himself again.

Neville prided himself on being a composed man, but the thought of a secret society of people able to use magic was as worrying as he had believed to be preposterous.

"Bad news chap," Fawley huffed. "We are going to be closing the borders for the most part to visitors from the continent. Something is happening over there, and it could spell disaster."

"Not the bloody Germans, is it?" Neville asked.

Fawley shook his head.

"No, not yet at least. It's the Czechoslovakians and Bulgarians. We believe they have been taken over by a very dangerous man. I am awaiting a full report from our governing body to confirm it."