Blood of the Moon {Remus Lupin}

Chapter 23

Sorry I didn't update as usual yesterday, but I was really busy. Learning to drive is sooo much fun... :)

 Auriga knocked on the open door, ignoring the quick and wary glances of Toby from his nearby desk. "You wanted to see me, Mr Crouch?" she asked as her boss looked up.

"Yes, come in," he said, shoving his paperwork and quill to the side. Auriga obliged and sat down in her usual spot opposite him, wondering what he wanted to talk to her about. "Congratulations," he told her with the smallest of smiles, "You're being promoted."

 Auriga had not been expecting that, and felt her face grow hot. "Oh," she said, "Thank you. But I'm currently in the middle of the Black case - would I still be working on that?"

"Not exactly, no," Crouch said. "Somebody else will be in charge of collecting the data and writing the reports for that, and other cases. But I was very impressed with how you handled the American negotiations, so I'd like to make you Head of Negotiations."

"Is that a current position, sir?" Auriga asked with a frown. It sounded exciting, but she'd never heard of it before.

"No, but talent like yours..." he began, leaning forward in his seat, "Well, it's something I haven't seen in a long time. Seems a shame to waste it under Cowell."

"So who would I report to?" Auriga asked.

"You'd report to me," he said, "And I can get you your own office just down the corridor from your old one. I understand you were very popular there?"

"Oh," said Auriga taken by surprise and growing hot again. "Thank you, Mr Crouch."

"So, you'll start Monday, report here and I'll show you to your office," Crouch said, reshuffling some parchment. "Anyone who needs to negotiate with another Ministry or company should come to you with a fully written-up report and you'll accompany them to any negotiations. Is everything clear?"

"Yes, sir," Auriga said, filled with pride and already composing the letter home in her head. "Thank you very much."

*****

"Enjoy your last term, squirt," Auriga said as she hugged her thirteen-year-old brother goodbye at Platform nine and three quarters. "Make sure you beat that mudblood girl in the exams."

"Don't worry," Draco said with a small smile, "I will." He turned his head and saw Crabbe and Goyle lumbering towards him. "You two!" he called, "Go and find a compartment." They nodded and shuffled away. Narcissa and Lucius looked at Draco in approval at bossing his friends around but Auriga only frowned. She hadn't had many friends at Hogwarts, even Dorothy Parkinson that she'd known since birth had drifted away by second year. And everyone had still always done as she'd said. But somehow it was unnerving to see her sweet little brother command with such ease.

"I spoke to your defence Professor when I visited Hogwarts," Auriga said casually, catching the attention of her parents. She hadn't mentioned Lupin to them at all. "I was there about the first Black break-in. He's under the impression that you're fond of teasing the other students? He used the term bullying, I believe?" She phrased it as a question but they all knew it wasn't.

 Draco went very pink and looked at the floor. "You don't need to worry too much about it, squirt," Auriga told him, and he looked up hopefully. "Even I had to use the odd torment while I was at Hogwarts to get what I wanted. Sometimes we have to resort to unpleasant measures, any reasonable Slytherin knows that. But maybe be a little more subtle? Professor Snape may let it slide, but others won't. Particularly McGonagall and Dumbledore. Just watch your back, yes?" The train whistled and Draco nodded with a grin, a mischievous glint in his eye. Auriga watched him go, with her parents stood behind her.