Chapter Text
A sharp ringing broke the woman out of a light sleep, her head jolting quickly off the surface of the table. Her eyes darted around fitfully as she attempted to locate the source of the ringing. Groggily, she picked up the telephone and answered slowly.
“Hello, this is Erma, International Relations, Ministry of Magic, how can I help you?” She huffed as she finished her line, the new muggle telephone was a stupid invention, but apparently owls took too long for matters of ‘international importance’.
“Yes, this is Scarlett, MCUSA, I’m calling to inquire about your arrest of Queenie Goldstein on behalf of MCUSA.” Erma flicked her wand and a file came fluttering towards her. The label named the Goldstein woman, but the pages were frightfully empty.
“I’m sorry, I’m not cleared access to that information, I’ll have to transfer you across to the Auror department, please hold.”
Scarlett, sitting at a small desk in an almost empty office, sipping pumpkin juice sighed as she heard the hold music on the line. Telephones really were a dumb invention.
“Hello, Scarlett is it? Yes, this is Cardinal of Auror Correspondence speaking, I’d like to be put through to George?”
“Right away sir.” Erma listened closely from her chair to the music.
“Georgina Bailey, Auror Correspondence. Madam President has put through an inquiry about the arrest of Miss Goldstein.”
“I can send you the file?”
“If I could just have the details now, we are sending an envoy to speak to the head of the Aurors by floo tonight.”
“She’s being held on the lowest floor, cell 7B. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“She’s an American citizen, we will be taking her tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry, but we will be keeping her here. Her crimes were committed on British soil.”
“Madam President thinks otherwise. We will speak in person tomorrow. Send her up to Courtroom 1.”
Mr Bailey hung up the telephone with an upturned nose at the silly contraption.
Some 800 miles away, a woman smiled, a plan already forming in her mind.
•••
Vinda presented her plan to her leader, and his… companion. She took great care not to sound to pleased about the brilliance of it all, as it was partly her fault it was needed in the first place, and she didn’t want a reputation for having a big ego.
“I take it you’re thinking what I’m thinking?” Grindelwald softly murmured, to his ‘newfound’ friend.
“Perhaps,” Albus responded, “I can only hope to be at your level of intellect.”
Gellert raised a brow, “Being humble now are we?”
With a shrug, Albus wondered aloud, “But how are we going to know who will be in the envoy?”
“I trust Vinda to figure that all out.”
Vinda in question tried not to glow with the praise, and keep her head down, pretending she couldn’t hear their whispered conversation, and that they were kindly forgetting it was her fault.
“How many people will you need?” Grindelwald posed the question to her, jerking her out of her thoughts.
“Just one other. Someone competent.”
He nodded. “Take Carrow. I trust you won’t lose her?” Grindelwald raised an eyebrow at her. Maybe they hadn’t kindly forgotten. Slightly sheepish, she nodded, and backed out of the room, creating a mental list of everything that she needed for her plan.
•••
Gellert quietly stirred his morning cup of tea, the clinking of his spoon echoing in the long empty hall. Queenie’s hot cocoa and cheerful aura were hugely missed. Without her bubbly energy, the castle was… quite dead. Much like Gellert was before he saw Albus again, not that he would admit it aloud. Taking a small sip, he caught a figure entering the room in the corner of his eyes.
“It seems you have slept in by...” Gellert paused to read the time on his pocket watch, “five minutes.”
Albus rolled his eyes as he made some toast, “As if you care. You just like using the pocket watch.”
Gellert shrugged as Albus took a seat next to him, spread some jam on his bread and took a bite.
“You’re getting crumbs everywhere,” Gellert complained, waving at the crumbs scattered on the table.
Albus ignored him and continued eating.
Gellert smirked, “You have some jam on the corner of your mouth.”
As Gellert’s hand reached to wipe away the jam, Albus also instinctively licked the corner of his mouth but licked Gellert’s finger instead. He instantly retreated his tongue as Gellert leaned back and licked the jam off his finger.
“Strawberry… not bad.”
Albus flushed, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
•••
Vinda and Carrow were standing in front of a fireplace, dressed plainly to fit in.
“You know the plan?” Vinda asked her companion, just to make sure. She didn’t want another disaster on a mission, Grindelwald hadn’t let her leave Nurmengard up until this point as a punishment, she’d had to rely on Carrow to get the necessary items.
Carrow gave her a cold look. “As ridiculous as it is, yes. I don’t see the need for such theatrics.”
Vinda shrugged. “Dramatic is fun, and showy will impress Grindelwald.”
“Ah, so that's what it’s all about. You getting into his good books. Are you sure you didn’t lose Queenie on purpose to get all his intentions?”
“Don’t make me sound so petty. I do have dignity. And don’t act like you don’t want to be liked by him too. There's a reason you’re in the inner circle.”
Carrow stayed silent, and Vinda gestured for her to step into the fire, throwing the floo powder in.
“Ministry of Magic!”
Vinda watched as Carrow was whisked away, and quickly followed behind. They arrived in the atrium, and she smirked at how easy it was just to get inside. One would think the Minister wanted Grindelwald to win the war.
She hustled Carrow over, taking care to look confident and like she belonged. Vinda seriously questioned the security when they were just let into the elevator, and onto the floor of courtroom 1. She stopped Carrow outside the door.
“You know the spell?”
Carrow huffed and pushed into the room, “ Serpensortia!”
Vinda almost laughed at the startled screams of whoever was inside, before stepping through the doorway and creating more snakes. Uncontrollable creatures yes, but they definitely had the shock factor and the dramatic flair that she loved ever so. She watched as the snakes slithered over to the small party inside, their natural self-defence coming into play and attacking the source of the loud noises. She spotted Queenie, chained to the customary chair in the middle of the room looking uncharacteristically ruffled, and easily spotted the signs of crappy healing jobs all over her. (Grindelwald didn’t let just anyone become an acolyte).
As Vinda approached the chair Queenie was slumped in, Carrow waved his wand and muttered ‘ incarcerous’ and the snakes bound the three guards tightly.
“You won’t get away with this-” With another wave of Carrow’s wand, their robe collars flicked up to cover their mouths.
Vinda concentrated on the girl before her, tapping her wand to numerous barely clotted wounds and large purple bruises before unchaining her from the chair. They stood silently and made for the door.
“Are you okay darling?” Vinda asked with somewhat concern, as Queenie swayed on her feet.
“I’ll be fine ma’am. I knew Mr Grindelwald would come and get me.” Vinda shook her head impatiently and grabbed Queenie’s hand.
“Must you hold my hand?” Queenie mocked, and Vinda shook her head fondly as they made their way down the corridor.
A storm of footsteps echoed behind them as the two sneaked around the twists and turns of the lowest floor. Vinda flung an arm across Queenie’s chest, slamming her against the wall of a narrow pathway to her left and peeking around the corner on her right as a pair of aurors walked past. She let out a breath after they walked out of sight, relieved that the darkness had concealed them. A small cough came from Queenie as Vinda’s gaze trailed down her arm to where her hand tightly clutched the blonde’s left shoulder and the rest of her arm rested on –
“Apologies,” Vinda muttered, her arm dropping to her side.
“No worries!” Queenie smiled as Vinda continued to lead her towards the floo.
“Let’s leave this hellhole already.”
•••
Albus sat in front of the fireplace, his finger tapping vigorously as he watched the hands on the clock slowly move with the passing time.
How long had Vinda been gone? Did something happen to Vinda and Carrow on the way there? Were either of them hurt? Did they even make it to Queenie? What about Queenie? Did all three of them get caught perhaps? What if –
Albus’ thoughts were interrupted by a pair of arms that snaked around his neck from behind the backrest, resting loosely on his chest as Albus took a deep breath.
“Feeling anxious about something?” a soothing voice murmured, wary of Albus’ nervous habits.
“Of course! It feels like Vinda and Carrow have been gone for ages!” Albus muttered angrily, clenching and unclenching his fists on the armrests.
When there was no immediate response, Albus looked up and his eyes locked with Gellert’s, who smirked before opening his mouth to speak.
“Do you not trust the capabilities of my acolytes?” Gellert smiled, his heterochromatic eyes staring at him with unwavering certainty, “Vinda and Carrow should be back with Queenie anytime now. And then they’ll be free to seek revenge on Safra.”
Albus sighed, “You’re right… it’s just after essentially all of Britain now knows I’m your partner, I really need something to go right.”
“Am I not something right?” Gellert murmured teasingly.
Albus got up, Gellert’s arms retreating to the top of the backrest as Albus reached to cup the side of his jaw. He angled Gellert’s head so that their lips meant in a quick, endearing kiss before Albus broke away.
“You are perfect.”
Gellert smirked, “I know.”