InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "...aliens"

bd_orla (bd_orla) wrote in beyond_dark,
@ 2008-09-04 22:58:00

Entry tags:

* september 2006, antonin dolohov, orla quirke

Who: Orla Quirke and Antonin Dolohov
What: Orla wants to discretely talk about Milicent with Antonin
When: September 5th, 2006
Where: The Shack
Rating/Status: PG-13/Incomplete

It was all about tiny mentions, never true requests. Orla hadn't wanted to ask for this particular meeting in such an outright way. That would have made her anger such an obvious thing and she didn't want that. She was annoyed, but that needn't be conveyed in the message. It wasn't necessary. Only the message that she wanted to meet need get across.

With a small bit of downtime, Orla sat behind her desk in her small office finishing up her lunch. It didn't take her long and once she'd finished she stood up to straighten herself up. She smoothed out her hair which she was wearing down, a rare occurrence. Her healers robes were perfectly form fitting, clean, and completed her well put together image. The Shack hadn't been very busy that morning and so she'd managed to avoid the usual stains. She was glad for that, because she would hopefully be having a meeting in just a few minutes.

Orla had let it get out just the day before that she wished to speak with Antonin Dolohov. He worked at the Shack occasionally and Orla knew she could have just told him herself, but she didn't want to appear like she really cared. Though she did. She knew Antonin was the one who'd begun the process of cleaning up Millicent Bulstrode. Orla couldn't say that she appreciated that very much, given that since the pathetic little witch had stopped drugging she had stopped getting her weekly sessions.

She more than resented this.

The message she'd sent out had hinted that if Antonin were to be around during the lunch hour, she would like to speak with him in her office. Nothing serious, she'd told the intern she knew would spread the news around, just a few work questions that needed to be attended to.

Orla glanced at the clock on the wall, wondering whether or not he would show up. This wasn't meant to take long.

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bd_dolohov
2008-09-04 10:09 pm UTC (link)

Antonin had taken to dropping into the Shack on a fairly regular basis to check up on what was happening, and to see if there were any interesting cases that caught his attention.

When he got the message that Orla wanted to see him, Antonin made his way to her office. Knocking politely at the door, he entered at her invitation. "I heard you wanted to see me, Healer. How can I be of service?"

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bd_orla
2008-09-04 10:24 pm UTC (link)

Orla turned around from the small mirror she faced and dropped both her hands to her side. Her high ponytail bounced from side to side as she made her way over to him. "Thank you for coming," she said, giving him a perfunctory smile. It was a bit 'false bedside manner'.

She walked over behind him and closed the door. "This shouldn't take long. I was just wondering... about a former patient of mine, actually. I heard you've been working with Millicent Bulstrode? Is that true?"

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bd_dolohov
2008-09-04 10:33 pm UTC (link)

Antonin watched Orla as she closed the door. He knew from experience and observations that she wasn't one to usually waste time with social conventions and politeness. In fact, he rather enjoyed her blunt manner most days. So he was put off a bit when she used her bedside manner on him, although he didn't let it show in his face.

"Ah, Miss Bulstrode," he replied softly. "Yes, I've done a bit with her recently. Helping her deal with her recent loss during our plague episode, and all that."

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bd_orla
2008-09-04 11:06 pm UTC (link)

"How's she doing then?" Orla asked, getting straight to the point. She sad down behind her desk, smoothing out her robes down over her legs.

"She really didn't seem to be responding very well to treatment when I was attempting to help her." Which, well, of course not. Orla knew good and well that she'd simply been handing the woman drugs and taking advantage of her in ways that completely violated any oath she'd taken when she'd finished her Healer's training.

It had benefited her, so of course she had. Millicent was a very attractive woman.

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bd_dolohov
2008-09-04 11:22 pm UTC (link)

"Rough," Antonin told Orla simply. "She's dried out, right enough. But she thinks she can white-knuckle sobriety - no support or counseling at all. She's very headstrong. I don't give her good odds for a long-term prognosis. Still, I'd consider it a favor if you keep this confidential. For the sake or her child, I'd rather word of her treatment not reach the erstwhile Minister just now."

He went on, "If if was anybody but you, I'd question competence in the amount of potions she was given. I'm suspecting, though, that she was getting potions prescribed by several healers, taking advantage of the frequent confusion here at the Shack."

"Not to mention," he shook his head sadly, "all the odds and ends floating about on the streets these days. Its a shame more isn't being done to end the confusion here and take care of the less savory drug traffic out there."

"You know, this war and your farcical Minister can't last too much longer. Given your abilities, you ought to think about a future position of more responsibility in the British Healer's ranks."

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bd_orla
2008-09-05 08:16 am UTC (link)

"Oh of course," Orla nodded, looking appropriately concerned when Antonin mentioned keeping everything quiet. She was in complete agreement with that, if only because she didn't want Millicent revealing anything about her own involvement. "I won't say a word. I did feel bad for her... I suspect she must have gained a bit more resolve with you, because we would make progress, she and I, but then she would slip back into her old habits. Sad, really."

She shook her head, folding her hands in front of her on the desk. "I assume it's the things floating around on the street that held her back," she shrugged.

"I'm very happy where I am." Lie. Orla was all too happy to imagine her position in Rodolphus' eventual administration. He'd promised her a department headship and she knew she could count on him to deliver. "Minister Umbridge knows the work I do here and she says she's watching for openings for me to advance."

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bd_dolohov
2008-09-05 10:52 am UTC (link)

"After she threw some Dark Magic at me in her delirium, I felt justified in using somewhat harsher methods to clean her up than would be approved by most British healers. I'm afraid she's not inclined to consider me her friend right now."

Antonin smiled slightly, "I wouldn't put much faith in any promises from that Umbridge woman. They would have as much of a foundation as the legal fiction she based creating a new Ministry does. Let's just say that there might be legal actions pending that would upset her no end, and a popular choice for a Minister waiting in the wings. I think a settling will be coming soon."

"The after battle reports say Roddy was badly hurt. Bella is pregnant and if she hopes to see the birth of her child she will have to step back from fighting. Rab and Lisa would have trouble commanding a bowel movement, let alone troop movements. It looks like the pitiful acts of terrorism will be ending soon."

Antonin nodded to Orla, "It won't be much longer until somebody will be looking for a responsible and competent person to set up a new hospital and healer's system for the wizarding world in England. I would not be adverse to contributing to the process for the sake of Morag's ties to this place."

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bd_orla
2008-09-05 10:56 pm UTC (link)

Orla knew good and well how hurt Rodolphus had been. She'd been the one to work on him, cauterising the wound, and making sure he was able to sleep through the pain. She also knew how Bella's pregnancy was progressing, for she'd been treating that as well, though she wasn't a trained maternity healer.

"Are you that close them?" she asked Antonin, noting how he seemed to be on a first name basis with the lot. "I'd heard about the Lestrange woman's pregnancy, but only because Nymphadora Tonks brought it to my attention. I think she was the first to start the rumour... or spread the truth, however you want to look at it," she said.

"I do certainly hope to be around for the building of the new system. We're in desperate need of something more stable." She pursed her lips and looked around her office, as if disapproving of the building itself. "Minister Umbridge doesn't seem to know much about medical care or the like, but I'm happy to advise her where it's needed and if I do that, then it's more likely she'll remember me for the future."

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bd_dolohov
2008-09-05 11:11 pm UTC (link)

"We used to be friends, once, before I came to a parting with Tom Riddle over his methods and means. Roddy tried to keep of the pretenses, but given the low quality of the minions they sent to bring me down after Tom's death, I don't think they've done at all well at the evil mastermind thing."

"Look at them," Antonin chuckled. "Roddy is shy a wing, and they are all on the run these days. His best henchmen are either that mad werewolf Grayback - I have a spot reserved for him in front of my fireplace in Dolohov - or his younger brother and his bitch, neither of whom is any great shakes as a scholar or a fighter. I wouldn't say they are doing too well; would you?"

"After the lawyers are done tying Umbridge in knots, I don't think she'll have any future as Minister at all." Antonin made a quick gesture as if throwing something small away. "It wouldn't be the best idea I could think of to hitch your cart to her star just now."

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bd_orla
2008-09-06 12:13 am UTC (link)

It didn't matter, Orla thought to herself. Rodolphus had promised her much more than Umbridge could ever hope to deliver. She simply 'hrmphed' underneath her breath and shrugged. "Well, I do what I can. I work for the pleasure of it, you know, not because I must. Whatever happens, I have very few worries."

She didn't very much like werewolves at all and couldn't help the distasteful look she gave her desk when he brought up Fenrir. And she certainly didn't approve of the casual way in which he brought up Rodolphus' missing arm. "I think that's a problem we have. We under estimate them. Don't," she said, pursing her lips. Rodolphus sans one arm was just as dangerous as Rodolphus with two.

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bd_dolohov
2008-09-06 02:52 am UTC (link)

"Still, it helps to be appreciated for what you do. I'm impressed by your work. Let me know if you need any backing, social or financial, in the future."

Antonin sighed and crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall next to the door. "Morag or I come up against Rab or Lisa and they run away. Roddy tries to match me with sword and Dark Magic and ends up running away himself. Funny how that has gone lately. Without a band of rabble to do their dirty work, none of that lot amount to much of a threat. And, their rabble has definitely been of lower quality of late. Morag complains about how hard it is to get a good fight from them any more."

"Poor Bella went from merely dangerous crazy to mean crazy in Azkaban; I think Rodolphus has gone the same way. When we had dinner together, oh, I think it was a year or so ago, Rod had a bit of that Voldemort madness about him. You know, the 'I'm right and you're wrong and that gives me the right to kill or enslave you' sort of craziness that Tom was so good at in the worst of his delusions."

"I haven't underestimated, or feared, either, any of that lot for some years. I have gone back and forth between pity and a rather intense dislike for the Lestrange family since Tom died. If they would stay mad little rats in their ugly little holes, I'd be inclined to live and let live. But they've tried to kill me for some ten years, and have hurt and killed people I care about. If Rod or Rab had the decency left to respond as gentlemen, I'd call them out on the field of honor. Since that is not to be, we shall have to continue to hunt them down."

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