| Details for Answers and New Questions |
| Summary: | Phil comes to Graham's office for answers |
| Date: | 10-10-1938 |
| Location: | Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic, London |
| Related: | What Are Secrets Among Friends? |
| Characters |
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The Law Enforcement office can either be very busy or very quiet and full of people doing paperwork. Sometimes it's both like today some of the law enforcement squad move out of the office in a bit of a hurry though most still remain at their desks. In the back is the auror's division and with his recent promotion Graham sits in his new office behind his desk it looks like he's going over a file a bit closer flipping between things as if referencing ideas.
Phil had come to speak with her contact in law enforcement, but as he is out she left a note and so is finding her way to Graham's desk. As a reporter who frequently works the crime beat she is not an unknown face around the office. "Hey, Cohen," she says then drops onto the chair next to his desk. "So tell me about Thomas."
Graham looks up from his desk at the sound of approach and the look on his face is confusion followed by a smile as she moves in and plops down in a chair. "It's good to see you too Phil." he says lightly just teasing of course. He reaches to the side of his desk where his wand sits idly and flicks it so the door shuts lightly. "Okay, but I have to explain the precursor first." he pauses "I'd stopped by Rhyelines house to visit as often I do. When Thomas dropped by." he shifts in his chair lightly "When he entered her house he greeted and all that before announcing his intentions to court Rhyeline." he'll pause here to let that get through.
She gets settled comfortable, determining from Graham's preparation that this is going to be a long story. Phil nods slowly, mouth pursing briefly. "She is pretty, but I did not imagine her as his type. However, that is neither here nor there. Go on." She motions for Graham to continue his tale.
The young man watches his friend and nods to her words "Okay, well I figured they needed to talk about that so excused myself. So don't know exactly what was said but from what Rhyeline says she didnt think it a good idea given her health." he says a sigh about the health but continues "The next time I saw her she was visible upset, apparently Mickhale had been a bit cross and yelled at her. Thomas had gone to Berlin, to." he pauses again "To try and find the wand which cast the curse. After you'd left the cauldron by the way Thomas apparently had gotten back and came in."
"She is a grown woman, she will make her own choices, but as we have already discussed both of us have concerns about some of those choices." Not that Phil ever makes bad choices, nope, never. "I can easily understand her wanting to get well again, properly well." Phil nods slowly, conceeding, "And I can understand that if Thomas is enamoured of her he would want to help with that. At least if he made it back he is safe, but it was a bloody stupid thing to do. He is not an auror and being in the dueling club does not make him one. Mikhale was right to be concerned."
Graham listens and agrees with her words. "I agree well, except Mikhale shouldn't yell at friends of mine but that's just a personal preference." he says giving his friend a smile "I tried to tell Thomas that yesterday, but trying to not make it seem like he was a lesser wizard or anything it's not how I meant it." he says knowing this isn't as big of a deal "Anyways, Thomas did not find the wand not only that, but he found out Rhyeline was lied to. The assassin was not caught and killed, they aren't even caught. I had to talk to Thomas so he didnt go looking for this person. Not sure he'll listen to me though."
"My siblings would scream and shout if it were me and not Thomas. Sorcha's would do the same. I'd scream and shout on your behalf," Phil knows Graham has no siblings. "The kind of curses like she has, the people who use them are asassins and difficult to catch. With the way things are in Germany right now, frankly I am not surprised Thomas found nothing. Thomas is not an investigator any more than he is an auror." Phil sighs heavily. "I could start working on it I suppose, but surely someone from your office already is?"
Graham listens and ends up nodding "Your right of course i'd ben angry if any one of you went into danger likely that." he says realizing this though still not liking friends to be upset. "Trust me I know, it scares me Phil. I've never heard of a curse like this. You know me I read up on everything." there is concern in his voice truly at this point doubting himself. "Only about three or four people know about this news and two of them are in this room. I will look into it if the current treatments for Rhyeline don't work as expected, but I trust Keenan he's a good healer. I'd not put anyone else in danger apart from myself."
"You mean the Ministry are not investigating it?" Phil seems surprised. "But the attack happened to one of our diplomats, even if it was in Germany. I know Magnus was a bit of an odd ball and people — Rhyeline aside — found him creepy, but surely the British Ministry of Magic should be investigating this assassin and this curse? What if he sets out to use it on others? Assassins are paid to attack and kill. Who is to say someone else won't hire him? Or her?"
Graham closes the file infront of him and sets it off to the side. "It's possible, that i've not heard that it's being investigated but i've nothing since joining or nothing further with my credentials. I will do some poking about, though I fear that the ministry left it in the hands of our counter-parts in Germany." he winces at this thought. "Your right, absolutely they cannot be allowed to do the same again. I think this even if Rhyeline is cured is why i'll have to investigate it."
Phil crosses her legs and leans forward to cradle her knee in her laced fingers, elbows on her thighs. "You look into what is happening here and let me see if I can do some asking around. See what I can learn on the street. There are a lot of people fleeing Germany. It might mean the assassin comes here. Though given what we are hearing about the Nazis it could mean he, or she, has found like-minded people to work with."
The auror looks concerned for his friend "Please be careful Phil." his gaze says a bit more worry than his voice does were she to look at them seeing more distress. "I am afraid of that myself I am also still investigating something here at home which I cant let go by the wayside." he taps his file that he'd been looking through before she got here. "Can I ask a favor as well?" he asks.
She flashes him a reasuring grin. "I am always careful, Graham. You know that. You have seen how I work." Phil nods, lifts a hand and motions for him to ask her what he likes. "Of course."
"I do know indeed." Graham returns the smile "I just couldnt stand any one of you getting hurt." he finnaly voices what he'd been hiding previously. "The favor is rather less dangerous though. I couldnt convince Rhyeline yesterday that you werent angry with her. She was quite upset about it, if you'd talk to her?" he asks and than seems to get an odd look to his face "One last thing before I spring you?"
Phil's mouth pulls down into a frown. "I will speak with her. I am not angry, no. She…she is like a little girl. People all around her are grown ups but she is like this child playing at being a grown up. I worry that she does not know how to be forceful, how to say no. If anything I am angry with Thomas, because he is smart enough to know that is how she is." Her hands slip into the pockets of her robes, she nods indicating for him to continue.
Graham nods at her words "She is unlike anyone i've met before, but she is making progress she approached that healer yesterday. She is petrified of them beyond Keenan." he notes as progress he's trying to help her though as she motions for him to continue it's his turn to push up his chair a bit before speaking. "I know i'm likely being over sensitive." he starts before trying to decide how to speak. "At the park the otherday you made a comment off hand, and I don't believe anything was meant by it." he tries to remember "Something to the affect of forgetting what I am sometimes, which I took to mean my blood status." he pauses sighing "I played it off at the time, but it hurt a bit. I wanted to see if you still saw me the same?"
"I meant it differently than you took it in," begins Phil. "It was a compliment, Graham. You fit in here in this world, making it very rare that the idea of you not being pureblooded ever crosses my mind. I was…" she sighs. "I was trying to explain to you how people who come from a background like I do see things. I can never fully understand what it is like to be anything other than who I am, what I am. I can empathise but that is not knowing or understanding. You, will never know what it is like to be pureblooded and I will never know what it is like to be a half-blood or muggle born."
The young man seems to relax more at her words he'd been concerned by this it would seem. Graham is quiet as he listens to her explanation and even agrees with the words. "I understand now, I agree with you that there are pressures uniquely faced on either side of the coin." he pushes his seat back and stands moving to the otherside where she sits an odd thing for him but he'll reach out and hug her if she'll allow if not he'll still speak. "Thank you Phil I appreciate it."
Phil rises from her seat and hugs Graham, kissing him on the cheek. "I am sorry I hurt your feelings. I did not mean to." She rubs his back lightly as they embrace and then steps back. "I will have a word with Rhyeline and also I think, with Thomas. Do you know if he is at work today? I could swing by on my way out."
Graham smiles a bit more warmly now "I know you didnt, I just thought it best to speak about it." the auror says to his friend glad now he decided to bring it up afterall. "I am not sure, he may need a break when I left yesteday he was being friendly with a whole bottle of gin." he says as he remembers this bit. "Thank you for coming to see me it was much better than staring at this file trying to find something I missed." he chuckles lightly
"Something must have happened," muses Phil. "Thomas is not much of a drinker." She would know, she tried to get him drunk. "I'll see if I can track down the Carrow house and visit him." Breathing out a heavy breath she then smiles. "I will leave you to your exciting file," says Phil as she makes for the door.