Who: Rufus & Barty Sr Where: DMLE; Barty's office When: After this, 4 August 1979 What: Rufus does not want Moody leaving
Status: Complete Rating: G
The day was going very very wrong. No, wrong didn't even approach the edge of the ballpark that this situation was in.
Rufus barely had finished the first memo Crouch had sent out (amidst much head shaking and eyerubbing and checking the three or four half-buried mugs on his desk for any sign of coffee) when another came flopping onto his desk. Resignation? And then he looked up to see a furious looking Moody. Oh hell. HELL. "Stay right where you bloody are!" And Rufus wrote a note in his journal, half quilling, half tripping his way to Barty's office, in case rage made Alastor temporarily deaf. He didn't have time for affirmation, he was too busy ignoring Barty's undersecretary's protests and banging upon his boss's door. "Sir? We need to chat."
Bartemius looked up at the sound of the door opening, looking unimpressed at the Auror before looking down at his papers again, continuing to read them without much change in his expression. "Auror Scrimgeour, as I have repeatedly said – there is a time and a place for everything, and in order to find a time and a place within this office, I highly recommend that you make an appointment with my undersecetary, and if it is urgent, conduct yourself in a manner befitting a Senior Auror," he said. Settling down his papers, he folded his hands together and looked at the other man. "However, as you are here, sit down and discuss what you need to discuss."
"It is urgent," Rufus said lowly, closing the door as a half appalled, half desperately curious undersecretary looked on, "and with all due respect, Sir, if you have a particular criticism with my current manner, I operate best when given specifics." Given Rufus's long, long Scottish heritage, it was sometimes rather miraculous that he'd managed a bloodline without any unduly explosive characteristics. Crouch could be a mirthless, dispassionate jerk, but as far as Rufus was concerned, he got the job done and he got it done efficiently and effectively. He had few complaints.
Today, however, he reflected upon taking up a rather formal sort of stance before his boss, Crouch was not being reasonable, and though Rufus could easily be accused of having a charming and easy personality, he favoured honesty above most things, even now. "While I feel that your anger with Elladora and Alastor's lack of professionalism is justified, I do not feel that your approach to the situation in this matter will get us any favourable results. Auror Moody has been with us a damned long time, he's a good officer and though he may have had a lapse in judgement, likely due to his recent medical issues, I do not feel that he acted in a way to warrant an insulting reprimand." He continued on briskly, with only a pause long enough to take breath. "You have always been a scrupulously fair employer, and I would never accuse you of treating people cruelly. However, I do believe that in this situation you have made a misjudgement and that we as a department cannot afford to lose Alastor Moody as a consequence of that misjudgement." There.
Bartemius leaned back against his chair, fingers tapping against the desk in front of him as he watched the other man, inclining his head slightly. "I would suggest perhaps next time not barging into my office, and instead sending me an Owl telling me of your impending arrival as it is not only polite, but what if I had someone in here with me and we were discussing something?" he asked reasonably.
Listening to the other man speak, he knew he was calming down as time went on and he nodded his head towards the other man. "Mr. Moody chose to act irresponsibly, and regardless of whether or not his medical issues are in play – and if they are he should’ve been responsible enough to ask for time off if things were bothering him that much instead of coming to work and engaging in the current situation we are in," he said speaking slowly, articulating each word. He honestly did not see why everyone was so worked up regarding everything that had happened within the past twenty minutes or so. "Auror Scrimgeour, I do not tolerate disrespect in this office regardless of any situation, and that includes when the members of the Department speak to those outside of the Office. Auror - I apologize - Mr.Moody and Auror Guffy acted like school children on the playground, and since they seem disinclined to act their act, I am going to treat them like the children they are acting like. I do not like it anymore than anyone else, however, I fail to see any other option," he said nodding his head.
"As for Mr. Moody’s resignation, he chose not to take the punishment that was handed to him, and chose to resign. As I said in the memo, regardless of what I may have said, I am not his Nanny, and I was under the impression that he was a grown man who is capable of making his own decisions, including whether or not he wishes to remain and Auror in the Department."
"If you'd had someone with you, it would have been my pleasure to apologise profusely and wait my turn; as there was not, I can only apologise for barging - though in my defence I did knock." And he had - but Rufus wasn't here to make excuses for himself. "I was out of turn, but I know that if I had waited until Alastor had actually left the building, there would be no return."
Rufus decided to take a seat - usually towering over someone else while they were seated didn't leave the best impression, and though he wasn't about to suck up to someone, even Crouch, he would treat him with the respect his position demanded. "I agree wholeheartedly that Alastor spoke out of turn, and that your demand for an apology was just and fair; however, Sir, I cannot imagine that it is customary practice for the head of a department to make unfavourable comparisons of his employees against children. Regardless of your personal feelings - and believe me, Sir, I share many of them, Alastor's reaction to resign could only have been spurred by his surprise at your actions. I have known him a long time, and he has always been willing to take the punishments meted out to him for any infraction, but I do not blame him for reacting so strongly to what must have been seen as an offensive reprimand. As our boss, you set the tone for the department, and though I agree that you are not intended to play Nanny for any of your employees, stating so so explicitly may have been in error."
"It is not up to me whether Alastor stays or goes, but I hope that you will reconsider the actions that led to this situation, and in retracting them allow us to retain one of the best aurors ever to have walked into this ministry."
Deciding not to carry on that conversation any further, Bartemius followed Rufus’s movements as the man sat down and he listened to him intently, figuring that the other man deserved that at least – regardless of how rude he had been bursting into his office like that. A small frown formed between his eyes as he continued on. He could see where the other man was coming from with the reference to how he had treated them. He rubbed his temples, thought back to exactly what he had said to the other man, and nodded his head slowly. "I can understand that perhaps I made an error in judgment regarding the letter, as I was perhaps not in the best frame of mind while writing it," he said slowly, carefully thinking about what he was saying, as he usually did instead of the previous letter where he had perhaps made a grave error.
Watching Rufus for a few moments he eventually leaned forward and picked up a piece of parchment and set it in front of him. "Very well, the essay shall be retracted but the public apology will be required before either of them continues on with their duties, assuming of course Mr. Moody will still wish to remain a member of the Department."
Relief flooded through Rufus but was quickly washed away in the aftermath of doubt. It didn't really matter what Barty said now, it was going to be up to him to convince Alastor to actually stay. Bugger it all, why did they have to piss off Crouch? It wasn't that hard to stay between the lines. "Very good, Sir. I hope this situation is resolved quickly. May I be excused?"
Bartemius nodded his head as he raised a hand to wave the other man away. "If Mr. Moody decides that he wishes to stay, please remind him that he will need to notify me of this intent so I do not send the paper work regarding his resignation through," he said looking up at the other man for moment before looking back down.
Really, Rufus thought with a bit of sharpness, that was the least of his worries.