| Details for A New Partner |
| Summary: | Gideon gets a new partner, and he's not too pleased about it. But Elijah may be more than meets the eye. |
| Date: | September 1, 1937 |
| Location: | Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic, London |
| Related: | None |
| Characters |
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Law Enforcement, Ministry Of Magic - London
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the wizarding world's equivalent of the Department of Justice. The first thing to see upon arriving on this level of the Ministry is a waiting area with a few comfortable chairs lined up against the wall and some tables with old magazines on them and a small potted plant. All of it facing the duty desk. Behind the duty desk one of the officers of the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol sits the watch, doubling as receptionist and bouncer. Behind him is a large open space with desks full of paperwork where other officers of the M.L.E.P discharge their duties. Along the walls of the larger room are large bulletin board full of maps, pictures of dark wizards and witches, clipping from the Daily Prophet, and other miscellaneous items. Within a corridor leading deeper into this level of the Ministry doors open to the Auror Office, the Hit Wizards office, the Improper Use of Magic Office, the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, and the Wizengamot Administration Services.
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Stomp, stomp, stomp, stom-CRASH! "Dammit!" can be heard near the stairs and upon closer inspection, Elijah can be found kneeling down on the floor, scooping loose, nonsensical items into a box that's laid sideways on the floor.
Gideon sits at his desk, leaned back casually in his seat as he pores over a kidnapping case file for the twelfth time today. He pays only half-attention to sudden ruckus. But it's not his problem. The missing little boy is his problem, and he's got no leads. He runs a hand down his face in frustration, slapping the file down on his desktop.
Elijah finally gathers up his things and looks around the room, his lips moving in a silent sentence as examines it, searching around for somebody. Ooo, look! A ginger! He saunters over to the man's desk and stands behind him, peering over his shoulder and saying, "Dorian Bosworth. Victim. Kidnapping. Missing for eight days." He stops and ponders for a moment, saying, "Well past the forty-eight hour mark. Chance of finding him; very low."
Gideon's skin crawls the moment he senses someone lurking behind him. Then the lurker starts in about the case. Without looking up, his growls in a Glaswegian brogue, "Unless you have something useful to add, bugger off."
Elijah taps at his chin and says, obviously not sensing the anger in Gideon's tone, "Likely the intruder used a cloak of great sneakiness, though I haven't seen any of those outside of Dubai." He looks away for a moment, thinking to himself, "Alarm spells could have recognized him as a friend. Entirely more probable."
Gideon swivels his chair around to face Elijah. His countenance is stony and just a little menacing. "Don't you think I've considered that possibility? Who in Hades are you, and why are you poking your nose into my case?"
Elijah drops the box on the floor, clattering his abundance of useless items around onto the floor. He slides his sleeve up, and then down…and then up again before stopping and thinking deeply on something, "Inspector Elijah Lovegood. You're Adamantus Gideon; angry. Not by-the-book. The dog who's beaten for bringing in the newspaper. You're also my new partner."
Gideon glares at Elijah for a long moment, saying nothing. Just that death glare. Then, "Bollocks. I don't have a partner. Show me your transfer documents." How many times had Commissioner Ogden threatened to saddle him with a partner? How many times had Gideon made it clear that it wasn't going to happen? This would not do.
Elijah kneels down and pulls a folder out of the box, standing up and offering them to Gideon, "I assure you that everything is in order, Inspector Gideon." His eyes continue dancing around the room as he speaks.
Gideon rises to properly glare at Elijah at eye level. He takes the folder and thumbs through it, his expression unchanging. Seeing that the orders are clearly legitimate, he gives a snort, and promptly dumps the folder into his waste bin. "Go tell Odgen there was a mistake."
Elijah is continuing to ponder as Gideon tosses his file into the trash. It's just then that Eli's eyes light up and he looks dead at Gideon, ignoring anything he's said completely, "Dorian…his home life. What are his parents like?"
Gideon had started to sit down, leaning on his desk as he went. But the question, indicating that Lovegood hadn't left yet, gives his pause. So he remains hunched over the desk, his fingers balling into aggravated fists planted on the desktop. "Quiet," he growls. "The father did all the talking. He's a Muggle waste collector. Mother is a nurse at St. Mungo's. I assume you have a point, so make it quick."
Elijah reaches around Gideon and picks up the case file, flipping through it quickly, his dark eyes jumping from word to word, "Mother's a shrinking violet. Any signs of abuse?" He flips the case file sideways and holds it about an inch away from his face, his tongue hanging out slightly as he peers at it.
Gideon stands upright and turns to face Elijah once more. He's still glaring, but at least he's intrigued enough to follow the other Hit Wizard's train of thought. "The neighbors didn't see any. But all the neighbors are Muggles. They barely notice the Bosworths. The house looked good. No sign of a struggle. Mrs. Bosworth had a bruise on her wrist, but she said it came from a patient. The story checked out."
Elijah taps at his chin, beginning to pace back and forth as he talks, more thinking out loud than actual conversation, "Bruises on wrist definitely imply a struggle. Implies abuse. Implies abuse towards Dorian." He stops in his tracks and holds up two fingers, pointing to one of them with his other hand, "Father killed Dorian, reported his child was kidnapped." He points to the other finger, "Dorian's run away and we're chasing down leads where there are none. He's not being held anywhere…he's hiding from the people who will take him back home." The two extended fingers close together and lower, pointing at Gideon.
Gideon leans back against his desk, crossing his arms. "I told you, the story about the patient grabbing her wrist checked out. So now the orderlies at St. Mungo's are in on this cover-up?"
Elijah grumbles and says, "Well, that still doesn't cross out the runaway theory." He looks over at Gideon and says, "Who are your suspects?" He tilts his head at the man, studying him.
Gideon sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He really doesn't want to tell the man that he may be on the right track. "The parents," he grumbles, "are all we've got."
Elijah nods to Gideon and says, "Well, before you decide that this partnership isn't going to work out, I suggest we put out feelers around the home and see what we can dig up on them." He rests his hands on his hips and says, "What do you say…partner?" He beams brightly at the man.
Gideon just stares at Elijah in silence, then stands up and walks past him toward the exit. "Get your broom."
Elijah twirls around as Gideon passes him and smirks, following after him. He slides his hand into his pocket and whistles softly as the two of them disappear down the stairs.
Tune in next episode for the thrilling continuation!