InsaneJournal

Who: Dulcinea Doge and Amelia Bones
What: Catching up and strategizing
When: During the week starting 6 April 1998, before the WICCA Casino Night on the 10th.
Where: Amelia's office in the DMLE
Warnings: None.



Dulci made her way across to the Hit Wizard bullpen, waving at old colleagues as she crossed through the cubicles, and came to knock on Amelia's door. At home she had been supposed to use a cane to get round during the recovery from her illness, and she ought to be using it now according to her Healer (never mind her family) but she'd left it in her own office. There was no point in there being any more gossip about Dulci's health than there already was.

Besides, Amelia would have a nice chair in her office to sit down on. Quite possibly the same one that Dulci had ordered when it had been her office. The DMLE was, in Dulci's opinion, insufficiently funded in peacetime. Perhaps the new Minister's next budget would have room for a few extras--though in a time of war it wasn't as if new chairs would be high on the list. Extra provision for catering during long hours might be something they could pull off.

Amelia tended to leave her door open during the day- normal business hours, such that anything was ever "normal" in the DMLE- but if she was working on something particularly time-consuming (or confidential), the door was shut. Not that this meant she couldn't be interrupted, of course- if her team needed her, well, the paperwork could wait.

With the knock on the door, Amelia shuffled said paperwork into a more presentable order, then called, "Come in!" She hadn't been expecting Dulci, however, and she stood quickly from her desk at the appearance of the other witch. "Dulci! How wonderful to see you." Amelia crossed to greet her, extending a hand- whether to shake, or to offer for physical support, whichever she needed more. "Come in, come in!"

It proved to be a handshake, which was up to its normal firmness--strong enough to know she'd had a clasp without actually hurting given that Dulci herself was also wearing a plain, heavy ring on her right hand--and a hearty grin. "It's good to see you too, and to be here. Is this a good time? I know you're busy right now--as if there's ever a time when you're not." Dulci took a glance at the level of paperwork on Amelia's desk to gauge whether Amelia actually had time to chat.

"Never too busy for you, Dulci," Amelia insisted. After all, if anyone would understand the true scope of her job, well, it would be the woman who had preceded her in it. Once Dulci was inside, Amelia closed the door behind her with a quick spell, then resumed her seat behind the desk. There was a chair of Dulci to take in front of the desk, and Amelia relaxed back in her own seat- to, hopefully, give this impromptu meeting a more casual air rather than a formal one.

"What brings you by today?"

"I'm just checking in with everyone, showing the flag, finding out what's going on in the building. I've got a few cases on my desk but not so many I couldn't work my way through them and decide it was time to hear what was happening elsewhere." Dulci settled into the chair, a little more carefully than she would have before she'd taken leave. "I hear things from Bina and of course I read the Prophet and hear things on the wireless, but it's not the same as having your fingers on the pulse of the Ministry. Not to mention hearing how everyone is doing. How are you, Amelia?" The question was accompanied by one of Dulci's patented penetrating looks, if one laced with fondness.

Amelia knew well enough, of course, that hearing things second-hand was hardly the same as actually being here. After so many years in the DMLE, she wasn't sure she could ever bear to leave- the not knowing would be maddening.

"I'm well, as can be expected," she offered. "We've been running very tight schedules for the last… three, four months? Especially since Scrimgeour came back to the Aurors- eyes are on all facets of the DMLE, to make sure we don't have any cracks in our armor."

"I can imagine. Rufus runs a tight ship." Which Dulci recalled from the last war, and if nothing else, every conversation and ward with Bina reminded her of it. "And no doubt you're getting the backwash of the minor cases that the Aurors are sending to the bottom of the queue while they deal with the aftermath of the Macnair case and all of the trouble caused by Lady Noir." Which was an understatement about the latter, Dulci knew. "Have we got any signs of werewolf or vampire involvement, or do you know?" That kind of thing might fall to the Hits if the Aurors were completely overwhelmed: not that they were, yet, but the DMLE had to be thinking of the long haul.

"As do I," Amelia added, a touch playfully. Of course, Rufus' reputation was perhaps stronger than her own, but then the Aurors generally got more publicity than the Hits, anyway. "We've been covering the Aurors' excess for some time now- since the Gringotts murders, at least." Amelia was far from complaining, of course- not that she advocated violence or anything of the sort, but a busy department was never a bad thing.

"None yet. There are always reports of werewolves around the Full Moon each month, but the almost invariably turn out to be paranoid widowers who heard the wind howling too loudly." Amelia shook her head. Dark creatures, of course, were no laughing matter- but they'd lain low for so long that it almost seemed like they no longer existed, at times.

Dulci had expected no less than a tight ship from Amelia; her pleased expression reflected as much. She nodded along to the reports of werewolves, which had certainly been the case during her term in the position. "Let's hope it stays that way. I suspect if anything comes up, the first thing you'll hear is from the Witch Watchers. That's how I recall it starting last time."

That was too grim of a subject, when Dulci had an obvious one to ask about. "But what about your private life, Amelia? Are there any changes to report?" Dulci took a significant look at Amelia's left hand, where her new rings resided on the third finger.

Though Dulci had all but hand-picked Amelia as her successor, the latter still felt a need- an obligation- to do right by the former. It was around the time of her ascension to the position of Hits Head that Amelia had fallen for Brutus the first time- and the ensuing turmoil in her personal life had led to her calling things off with him much too soon, then. Not that she blamed this on Dulci- certainly not. It was her own insecurities, back then- and it had been easier to focus on the job than to even consider juggling it along with a relationship.

But not so any longer, and Amelia was glad to be done with hiding. She hadn't made an announcement or fuss over their wedding- nothing more than telling her family, anyway- and though she now wore her wedding rings in full prominence, not many had asked over their significance. As such, a faint blush colored Amelia's cheeks- she may not have wanted to be a blushing bride, but sometimes it was unavoidable.

"Brutus and I married last week," she offered, simply.

A delighted smile lit Dulci's face. "Oh, Amelia, I'm so pleased for you." She reached to take Amelia's hand again, to get a better look at the rings. "I know he's waited a long time for you. I'm pleased you two have found happiness at last." It was a sentiment that few would have expected from a divorced woman, but Dulci's own experience hadn't turned her against marriage. It had simply turned her against the idea of doing it badly. "Will you be changing your surname? And where should I send a gift?"

Amelia let Dulci examine the rings in question, grateful when the blush finally started to fade from her cheeks. "No, I intend to keep my name," she admitted. It wasn't traditional, perhaps, but, "I've grown rather attached to it. And there's no need to cause further confusion by duplicating Rufus' surname in this department." The latter wasn't her real reasoning, of course, but it served as a decent enough placeholder for one, for now. As to gifts, well… Refusing would have only caused offense, so she added, "To the Distillery, I suppose. And- thank you."

Once she'd withdrawn her hand, Amelia looked back to Dulcinea. "Was there something else on your mind?"

"You're welcome." The news that Amelia wasn't changing her name sat well with Dulci; she gave Amelia another satisfied smile. While Dulci had changed her surname on her long-ago marriage, she had taken her birth name back at the time of her divorce. (It had probably been hard on Bina, which Dulci was sorry for, but Dulci hadn't wanted to be a Bulstrode any more.)

Noting the bit about the Distillery--Dulci would write it down when she got back to her desk--she turned her attention to Amelia's next question. "Actually, there was something, now that you mention it. I know that we haven't seen much trouble from Lady Noir lately, but given the causes and the company it's likely to attract, not to mention that at least some of the Ministerial candidates will be present, I'm concerned about the safety of Casino Night on Friday. My daughter and one of her colleagues will be there, off-duty, but if you could send a couple of undercover Hits as well, that would be very helpful. Their tickets would be covered, of course, and there would be a little spending money for the tables as well."

Admittedly, Amelia hadn't been paying much attention to the planning of the upcoming Casino Night- Narcissa seemed to have that well under control- but she did plan on attending. It was a good cause, of course, and- whether it was official or otherwise- Amelia was always at least a little bit on alert and watch. Still, the idea of having a few extra planted Hits among the crowd was a good one, and she nodded her agreement. "I'll assign a few to attend, yes. It shouldn't be that hard of a sell," she added, laughing just a bit.

"We're happy to sweeten the pot to make it worthwhile. I don't expect any trouble, and I don't think anyone else does either, but I'd rather overprepare for an event like this than underprepare. And a Casino party would be better than whatever security detail your people end up on for the election." Dulci raised a hand to forestall any protest about the confidentiality of that information. "I won't ask. But I remember how it went when Regulus Black was chosen, and we didn't even have a full-on popular election then. I wish you luck with it."

"It has been such a long time since there was an election at all- many will not remember what it is like… The disappointments of a losing candidate can be distressing, though hopefully few people take that distress out in the form of protest." Amelia shook her head. She would never understand that penchant for public outcry just because one did not get their way. "However it plays out, however, you will still find me here."

"You'll need a little time to get settled with the changes in your life before you take on your next project, I imagine." For all that Amelia and Brutus had been circling each other for years, and that Amelia was an unconventional and eminently practical bride--a fact that Dulci approved strongly of--they would certainly have some adjustments to make. "But after that, anything is possible."