Morag pursed her lips. 'Perhaps we can work to that end together,' she suggested. 'My magic is...unreliable,' she admitted. 'Side effect of pregnancy,' she added. 'But there are other ways of fighting. My center of gravity is changing rapidly, and that should keep me off my toes enough to keep you safe if we spar while you're recovering.'
She narrowed her eyes at him. 'Don't even think about saying it!' she advised, knowing he would protest sparring with a pregnant woman. 'You aren't going to be able to hurt me, and it gives me the opportunity to make sure I can defend my daughter if something comes up!'
'And I won't have Percy compromised,' she said decidedly. 'Tiberius worked too hard to make the Aurors independent of the Ministry, preparing for a situation such as the one in which we find ourselves. I will not see that go to waste. Nor will I agree to something that will interfere with your relationship. I care about Percy. We don't see eye to eye on certain things, but I respect him and want the best for him. I....have an affinity...for him,' she said. She was liking that phrase better and better.
'I do need to ask you something, though,' she said, leaning forward slightly. 'You don't like my husband,' she stated. 'I imagine he said something, likely either to you or to Percy, and it offended you. I need to know what he's done. He already does his best to take the mickey out of Percy. Be honest with me....I do know the man. He had Ginny ready to take his head off, but they've made up. I've asked him, but the big git can't remember anything other than that he trying to get you to go away so he could wind up Percy....' She rolled her eyes. 'He gets bored at parties,' she confided. 'I work out routes for the safe evacuation of everyone and contemplate possible scenarios and how they might be handled, and he works off his jealousy by needling my closest friend.'
She gave Cass a horrified look. 'Oh, Merlin, could that really be it?' She burst into delighted laughter.