Cored

Chapter 41: Words

As they walked out of the building, Katherine shrugged into her shoulder against the cool air.

"Could we go back to the bookstore?" she asked. "I wanted to see if they had anything about MACUSA. Like, lives of the presidents or something like that."

Picquery just shook his head, looking around and trying to seem casual. "No, not today. But I'd be happy to grab you a few. Though, admittedly, I have a bias about who I think the best President was."

"But I thought maybe we could sit and read there? It seems a perfect place, all the armchairs. And it would give me a chance to people watch a little bit. I haven't gotten to see many wizards, you know, and—"

"We can't, Katherine. But I promise I'll bring you some more books the next time I'm on. Just give me a list, I'm sure that Mrs. Spieller and I can find some good ones for you."

They had reached the door and Picquery held it open. Katherine stood stubbornly.

"Why could I go to the bookstore before but not now?"

Picquery sighed. "Because we've had to reassess the threat levels. We'd need more than one auror to go, and then it'd raise a lot of suspicion."

"What changed? Is it these letters I've read about in the paper?"

"Where are you reading the paper?" Picquery asked.

"Iz let me look at hers the other day. They just seem to make people sleep, what's the big deal?"

"Katherine, please, just come inside."

"No," she said, crossing her arms. Even she had to admit she felt a little petulant. "I want to know what's going on."

"That was not one of your conditions," Picquery retorted. "We've held up our end of the bargain, been as accommodating as we can be. But you have to let us do our jobs. And right now, that means going inside and laying low."

Katherine chewed on her cheek. She could run, of course. Get up to her bedroom and just conjure her door and wash her hands of it all. But now she had to know what had Picquery in a twist. She started to let her magic float out and towards his forehead, but he seemed to be prepared for that. A thick royal blue wall surrounded his thoughts.

"Katherine," he said warningly, like he could tell what she was trying to do. "I've given you a lot of trust, I need you to do the same."

"You're hiding something from me," she said quietly.

"No, I'm protecting you. That's the job."

She rolled her eyes and walked inside. She was tired of the half-truths. She went straight out to the balcony when they walked inside.

"Before I forget, this came for you," Picquery said, depositing a brown paper package with a letter attached and a peanut butter sandwich. "The Minister sent it over the weekend."

Katherine saw her scrolled name on the note and knew immediately who had sent it, recognizing the handwriting from the boxes in the storeroom and the joke shop. She left it sitting next to her as she finished her sandwich, determined to not open it. Eventually, though, her curiosity got the best of her. She conjured Nestor to sit in her lap as she opened the letter with a sigh and scanned the messy script.

Katherine,

I know that you don't want to hear from me. Frankly, I don't want to hear from me either right now. I've been trying to figure out how to say this since I found out you were with the Americans, trying to make it coherent enough to justify sending it to you. But I can't stand the idea of you thinking I didn't want you or doubting how undoubtably I love you, so I had to at least try to get you the truth you deserved.