Scratches (Fred Weasley)

(145) You're Not You

"Tell me, what happened?" Sirius said, pacing about in front of Florence as Julien continued to press a pack of ice against her jaw, while Sloan sat directly in from of her. Sirius had fought Dumbledore about leaving the headquarters the minute Sloan received an owl from Robards about the fight Florence got in to.

 Florence felt a pang of pain as she moved her mouth to speak, "I told you, she just punched me out of the blue. That's literally all there is to it." 

"Did you say anything to get her mad?"

"No." Florence scoffed, annoyed at the interrogation, "I don't start fights, Sirius. I only asked her why she didn't like me, before teasing me about something that I apparently don't know that she does."

"Okay, Florence, listen, I'm not accusing you of anything. I didn't say you started the fight, you might have just said something that provoked her, without you realizing it."

"Maybe she's just psycho," she shot back, "Seriously, I really do believe that she is."

"What did you say her name was?" Sloan chimed in to the conversation, hearing the frustration in her niece's voice

"Reagan. Reagan Fawley."

"Fawley." Sloan echoed, a sour look dawning on his face as he had realized something, "That's probably why."

"What is it?"

"Fawley is a surname that's part of the Sacred twenty-eight.." said Sirius, "So I'm guessing she's from a clan of death eaters?"

"Right you are," said Sloan, "And some few good years ago, during Gabriel's first raid, he threw a Fawley death eater in to jail. Barnabas Fawley."

"So that must be her father...?

"Or uncle." Julien suggested.

"I don't think that would be enough of an incentive to punch someone. Most likely, he was her father."

"Was?" Florence said, "Is he not alive anymore?"

"No," Sloan replied solemnly, "Your father made sure he got immediate execution after he was proven guilty of being a death eater. It was Gabriel's first case, he just wanted to do good."

"Great. Now she's going after me since she can't go after dad since technically, he's dead too." Florence flopped back against the couch in exasperation, "What an amazing coincidence."

"But if she's from a family of Death Eaters, why the hell was she inducted into the force? Didn't Scrimegeour do background checks of any sort? I mean, if anything, her surname is enough of an indication." asked Julien.

"Probably got top marks and everything. It doesn't matter if she's related to death eaters. There are several other people of high ranks in the Ministry who are, and no one's bothered weeding them out so far, which is a terrible decision, if I may add." said Sloan, "I'll talk to Robards and Scrimegeour tomorrow about her, if you'd like?"

"I don't want you to," said Florence, "I don't want her to think that I'm scared of her, because I'm really not."

"She nearly took your jaw off with that punch." Sirius pointed out.

"Yeah? Well I nearly ripped off all her hair if Robards hadn't pulled me off of her. She's lucky she isn't bald right now." Florence stood up, plucking the ice pack from Julien's grip, "Anyway, I think I'll be sleeping early tonight. Don't wait up on me for dinner."

"We need to get your jaw checked out at St. Mungo's." Sloan told her, "I don't think that ice pack is going to do anything by itself. We could go and let Nicolai do the check up if you'd like? I heard she's already starting her work at the ward."