The Marriage Decree

Chapter 35: This Map is Crap

"Lisa, I want to be informed as soon as they leave." Alexander Vyner, orders the ministry official at the desk as he exits the archives.

She jumps up from her chair. "Yes, Mr Vyner. Are you leaving them alone in there?" She asks in disbelief.

Alexander narrows his eyes angrily. "Minister's orders." He scoffs before heading towards the lift. "Don't forget to check them before they leave." He barks at her as he enters the lift, pressing the button for sub-level 19.

He taps his toe against the floor of the lift as he impatiently waits for it to reach his floor. As soon as the door opens, he races down the corridor towards his office. He bursts into the room making James and Lyra jump. He vaguely wonders where Elyssa and Daniel had gone but he's too preoccupied to question their absences.

"Mr Vyner, did I do it right?" He asks, rushing over to his desk.

Alexander sits down in his large, leather seat then rummages around his desk, looking for the map.

"You redeemed yourself, James, with that phone call." He muttered, hearing the other man breathe a sigh of relief. "Where the hell is the bloody map?" He shouts.

James and Lyra both jump into action, helping to sort through the parchments scattered across his desk. After a few seconds, Alexander takes his wand out of his pocket and Accios the map. They watch as it flutters from underneath a pile of parchments on Elyssa's desk.

"Where is she?" He asks, unfolding the map on top of the now messier desk.

"Lunchbreak." James answers.

Alexander glances down at the map of the archives. It's a very simple map, showing the filing cabinets as squares and the doors as a gap in the wall but it worked. The gap in the wall is filled in with a red flashing light when someone is in the archives like it is now. With a smile on his face, he leans back in his chair to watch.

"Lyra, you are excused." He states, not taking his eyes off the map.

"Thank you, Mr Vyner." She squeaks as she nods at him then scurries away to her own desk.

"Sir?" James asks nervously, shuffling from one foot to the other.

"I'm just curious, James, as to how they knew where to find me," Alexander asks, wandering his eyes over the map, wondering where they are.

"I- I don't know, sir. I- I never told them where the archives were." James stutters.

"I already know how they found the archives but what I want to know is how they knew I was in the archives. Did I not specifically tell you on Thursday when I received the Minister's orders to call me if I was down there when they arrived?" He asks rhetorically.

"Y-yes, sir. S-sorry, sir, but Mr Malfoy said they'd be back in an hour. How was I to know he would make his own way down to the archives? I didn't know he knew where they were." He tries to explain himself.

Alexander shifts his gaze quickly from the map to James and then back again.

"As I said, you redeemed yourself with that phone call. It's a shame I had to be the one to call you and tell you they were here." He snipes. "You're excused." He adds and James all but runs back to his desk.

He smirks to himself as he stares intently at the map. Nothing happens for a few minutes as he assumes they are taking in the vastness of the archives. Then suddenly a square filing cabinet flashes red. Black writing within the square reading 'YO – ZZ'. Alexander sits up straighter, watching as the cabinet stays open for a couple of seconds before closing. He watches sharply for a minute but nothing else happens. With a sigh, he leans back in his chair, entwining his fingers behind his head.