InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "That's the way I like it"

Logically Molly knew that the Aurors had no real information tying her to the Battle that night. The only thing that actually put her at the scene was having dinner at the Potters’ house, which could be easily corroborated by five other people who were there too. But she knew that the Ministry also used flimsy evidence to cause all sorts of trouble in people’s lives and this was literally the last thing that she needed. That her family needed.

She was a bloody Gryffindor though. Or she used to be. Before she had any children she was a fearless lion, taking on the world headfirst and without restraint. Now she wept when her children gave her scribble drawings. How the bloody hell was she supposed to survive this?

Molly had never even been to the Auror Headquarters so the area was unfamiliar as she followed the directions from the lady in the lifts. When she’d found the right offices she stalled in the entranceway, not sure where she was supposed to go. A man to the side of the entrance asked for her name and then weighed and confiscated her wand. She felt so exposed without it. “You’ll be called in shortly, Mrs. Weasley. Please wait over there.” He pointed to a very sparse seating area and she sat down and waited.

It was promptly before ten o’clock when Tairith received a message from the front desk stating that Molly Weasley had arrived. She smirked to herself for a moment, remembering the bet she had with Clarissa that if she could get Molly to cry within the first three minutes of being in the interrogation room, Clarissa owed her a drink. She pushed the thought out of her head and stood up from her desk, grabbing a stack of folders, that had no particular meaning but were very useful for intimidation purposes, and walked out of her small office. Her black shoes clicked across the floor as she walked to the front of the Auror Division offices and out the door into the waiting room.

Tairith stood in her black work robes and her dark hair pulled back and up tightly wound in a bun. She shifted the stack of folders in her hand to make it very clear to the red-haired woman that she meant business. She smirked as she slowly walked towards the woman sitting down and extended her free hand towards Molly. “Mrs. Weasley...Thank you so much for coming.” After a very quick handshake Tairith pulled her hand back and the smirk from her face faded. “This way please.”

She led the way back through the door and immediately turned right to head down a long white hallway. A few inter-departmental messages flew overhead as Tairith led Molly to one of the doors and opened it. “After you, please.” The room itself appeared very sterile and mostly empty with nothing but a small wooden table and two chairs.

Tairith waited for Molly to enter the room and then closed the door behind them. “Have a seat wherever you like.” Not that there was much of an option.

Molly sat in one of the two chairs with her hands brushing over her thighs in a nervous sort of gesture. She was doing her best to remember everything Gideon and Fabian told her earlier, but it felt particularly uncomfortable in this small, stark room. It didn’t help that her hormones were out of whack too with the new pregnancy. At least she knew she wouldn’t be crying tears of joy because of something sweet Tairith said. It was bloody obvious by the way she smirked at Molly when she’d arrived that she was going to make this as painful as possible.

Tairith waited for Molly to sit, then she herself sat opposite of Molly and placed all of the files on the small wooden table. “Thank you again for coming Mrs. Weasley, as I’m sure you realize in these very strange times the Ministry takes all matters of terrorism very seriously.” She clasped her hands together and set them on the table, crossing her feet underneath her chair as she locked eyes with Molly. “So, why don’t you start by telling me how long you and your family have been collaborating with terrorist organizations?”

Fabian had definitely been right; they were trying to scare her. She didn’t really know why anyone wanted to bother with her, but she certainly wouldn’t let them have the satisfaction, even if she was extremely nervous. She placed her hand on her stomach before answering. “My family and I have not now or ever collaborated with terrorist organisations,” she replied, her tone remaining even.

She tried to examine Molly for any type of facial change or shift in body language but had to hide her disappointment when she noticed none. Tairith continued to stare at Molly and narrowed her eyes slightly. “So then perhaps you can explain to me why several prominent members of the wizarding community have linked your name to the Order of the Phoenix? What reason would they have to lie?”

Molly placed her hands on the table, linking them together to help quell her nerves. This was just repeated nonsense from the article. She’d already had her chance to freak out about it so she was much more prepared to hear it this time around. “I can’t presume to explain to you why someone else would want to lie about me. All I can do is tell you the truth as it actually is.”

Tairith leaned back in her chair and took her hands off the table. “Why don’t you tell me about your relationship with your brother, Fabian Prewett, and your relationship with Lily and James Potter?”

At least this was a legitimate question to ask in an interview rather than the trash she’d already asked. Molly gave a curt nod. “My relationship with Fabian is completely amicable. Lily and James are friends of myself and my husband. We have them round for tea and they have us round for dinner. We have sons that are of similar age, you see. Ron and Harry - they’ll be starting Hogwarts in the same year. We think they’re going to be fast friends.” Rattling on about her children was definitely a thing Molly was good at.

This was going nowhere fast; Tairith tried to not show her frustration at how calm Molly had just become and how her three minute bet with Clarissa was definitely over at this point. The last thing that Tairith wanted was to hear this woman babble on about how her child and the Potter’s child were going to be fast friends. Tairith leaned in to the table and raised her voice slightly. “Then perhaps you can tell me about you and your brother’s involvement in the Battle of Godric’s Hollow?”

She was feeling a little more relaxed now that she realised that this auror had not seemed to do much homework on Molly. She wasn’t even certain that Tairith knew she’d been at the Potter’s at all that evening. She seemed to be rehashing the nonsense from the article and that was it. “I can’t tell you that seeing as neither of us were involved in the Battle.”

Tairith knew at this point she had to do something to shake up Molly, this was certainly not the way Tairith saw this going. She leaned in a little closer and almost whispered. “Mrs. Weasley...are you aware of the charges that you might be facing?” Tairith’s expression changed to one of fake worry for the person at the other side of the table. “I understand that the sentences handed down from the Wizengamot are fairly lengthy and Azkaban Prison would be a terrible place to spend the years without being able to see your children grow up...so are you sure that you want to keep lying to me?”

Interestingly enough, she believed that Tairith was trying to intimidate her by mentioning Azkaban and then bringing up her children. Unfortunately the mention of her children only served to make her angry. Her fingers tightened together on the table so she removed them to place them back on her knees before responding. “Since no one has formally charged me with anything,” Molly began, “I have to say that I don’t know what charges ‘I might be facing’.”

Her mouth was tight, but she took a few deep breaths as to not lose her temper. She just needed to think of what Fabian told her about holding her tongue… and actually manage to do so. “But as I mentioned earlier, all I can do is tell you the actual truth, which is what I have been doing.”

Tairith nodded and folded her arms over her chest. “Well Mrs. Weasley, I can tell you that any evidence of you or your family’s involvement with the Order of the Phoenix would result in charges being filed by the Ministry. However, seeing as though you are vehemently denying any such involvement on behalf of you or your family, you are free to go.” She slowly rose from her chair and smoothed her skirt with her hand. “I trust that you realize that should the Ministry find anything contrary to the statements you’ve made today, we’ll definitely be in touch.” Tairith offered a sweet smile towards the woman.

Molly stood up as well, letting her anger diffuse so she didn’t say or do anything stupid on the way out. At least it was over and as Fabian and Gideon had mentioned, it definitely had just been a scare tactic. They had no information on her or anyone else. “Thank you so much for inviting me in, Ms. Burke. Have a pleasant day,” Molly smiled back just as sweetly before leaving to retrieve her wand and get the hell out of there.