"I'm worried, Albus."
"About what, Minerva?" Wizened old eyes stared at his colleague over silver-rimmed glasses as they sat in the headmaster's office.
"This Ashworth fellow," the witch began, "he seems a nice enough person, and he's certainly competent, but surely you've heard the rumours that have been going around the castle lately."
"Rumors, Minerva?" There was an amused twinkle in the depths of the headmaster's silver eyes. "I had not pegged you for someone who paid heed to the grapevine."
"I don't, normally," the silver-haired Transfiguration mistress acknowledged, "but this one has been persisting for a while."
"Ah," Dumbledore nodded sagely as he reached for a lemon drop. Popping his favorite candy into his mouth, he enjoyed the flavor for a moment. "You're referring to the rumours about Mr. Ashworth and Miss Black having an illicit affair? Lemon drop?"
"That's the one," McGonagall confirmed as shook her head to turn down the yellow confection. The deputy headmistress only barely managed to avoid shuddering in revulsion at the thought of lemon drops - she had tried them once, fifty-odd years ago, at Dumbledore's insistence, and the memory haunted her to this day. They were just so… so sweet . Utterly, beyond-sugary, disgustingly sweet. It made her wonder why they were called lemon drops if they didn't even taste like lemons, or anything remotely sour, for that matter, at all.
"I think it's harmless."
"Really, Albus? From what I hear, Ashworth is taking leave of the castle at odd hours. And even during the day and in between classes, he seems to be spending an unusual amount of time with Miss Black. In his office, in private."
The ancient wizard noted with interest that she seemed almost offended by this idea. McGonagall had been one of the faculty who had not been particularly fond of the board appointing Harry as Slughorn's replacement for the school year. "I understand that they are spending quite a bit of time together, but do keep in mind, they are close in age, and she is the first friend he made in this country. That does not necessarily mean there's anything going on between them."
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," McGonagall muttered. "They're close in age, and I've seen the way she looks at him. And even more, the way he looks at her ! He looks at her with this… this thoughtful, absent look. I know that look!"
"Do you, now?" Dumbledore chuckled quietly. "Be that as it may, is there any substance to those rumours?"
"Not that I can tell, but you have to admit there's something unusual between those two."
"They're friends, Minerva. I would assume that, since the rumour has not yet faded, they are indeed closer than usual for faculty and student, but given their circumstances, I can understand that, certainly," Dumbledore noted absently. "I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt."
"I still want to keep an eye on things. I mean, I've caught Ashworth leaving the castle at odd hours at night." The witch frowned. "And he was quite evasive when I asked him where he was going. Said he wanted to get some air."
"Understandable. He's young. I imagine he feels rather constrained within the castle. And since his quarters are here, he doesn't have anywhere else to go but out."
"I still think we should do something about-" McGonagall looked up sharply. "Albus! Are you even listening?"
Dumbledore blinked and nodded automatically. "Of course, Minerva."
"Good," the deputy headmistress said, "because if you were about to doze off…" she left the sentence unfinished.
"Good heavens, no, Minverva, I'd never do that to you."
"Good," she repeated.
"Be that as it may, I think for now it is best if we give them both the benefit of the doubt, and carry on as usual. If there is anything going on between those two that violates school rules, I am sure we will find out soon enough."
McGonagall shook her head. "I'd rather nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem. We don't need the board to come down on us again and interfere with the way the school is being run, Albus."
"Then I am sure you will keep an eye on the situation, and let me know if something develops." Dumbledore smiled at her graciously.
"Naturally." McGonagall rose from her chair. "If you'll excuse me, I have a class I must get to."
"Of course, Minerva. I will see you at dinner?"
With a curt nod, the elderly witch departed the room. The moment she left, Dumbledore dropped the airhead façade and sagged in his chair. Part of him wanted to tell her he agreed with her suspicions, only that he didn't think Harry and Bellatrix were lovers. There were things going on in the wizarding world that he was sure were connected to the abrupt arrival of one Harry Ashworth, but he had no idea what those things were. As it was, it was too early to voice his suspicions to any of his staff, even his most trusted ones.
"Knut for your thoughts?" Moody stumbled through the fireplace, coughing and patting the soot from his robes as he entered.
Dumbledore shrugged nonchalantly and gestured towards the chair that McGonagall had just vacated. "I'm afraid you would need a small fortune, if I were to list them all."
"That bad, eh?" The auror grumbled as he sat down and made a face when the headmaster offered him a lemon drop. "No thanks, I try to stay away from those."
"Oh well." The elder wizard shrugged again.
"I assume you've heard the news?"
"Which?"
Pulling a copy of the Daily Prophet from his robes, Moody flipped the paper open and handed the page over. "These. They've named a candidate to take Thornton's place if the motion goes through."
"Hmm…" Dumbledore skimmed through the pages. "Cygnus Black?"
"There's something fishy going on there, I tell you." Retrieving a flask from within his robes, Moody took a long swig from it. "First they put forward a vote of no confidence, then this. Especially considering who spearheaded the vote."
"If I recall, that was Davian Prewitt, wasn't it?"
"Who's a friend of Orion Black's. You can bet that old manipulative bastard is pulling Prewitt's strings," Moody grumbled.
Shaking his head, the headmaster put the paper down. "Not necessarily. I know Davian Prewitt. He may be one of the old guard, like Orion Black, but he's not an easy man to fool. Nor is he easy to manipulate."
"Then maybe he's in on it. But don't you find it a little too convenient that we're running into the Blacks so much these days?"
Dumbledore took a moment to think about it, and realized that the auror was right. "Indeed. It is rather curious, but one has to wonder what they are trying to achieve with this."
"I'm willing to bet you that that Ashworth fellow is in it, somehow. I don't know how they're linked, but he must've started it all. Everything went crazy the moment he showed up."
"Now, I wouldn't exactly say things are going crazy right now," Dumbledore replied mildly. "But you are right, I wonder how everything is connected. Young Mr. Ashworth's sudden appearance and appointment to Hogwarts, and now this motion before the Wizengamot."
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