Jail-Break [VIVIAN]

[ana]

Ana stalked down the hallway toward the court room carrying the letter in her hand. She knew that she had only a little while before the girl was due in court and if she was going to get out of it, it was going to take a hell of a lot of work. She had been sitting at her desk minding her own business when she had been Owled by John Woods. Of course, the man had a lot of ministry pull and he had immediately demanded that his daughter - who was on trial for attempting to communicate with Death Eaters - be released immediately. It was a ridiculous notion, but she couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pang for the girl...whoever she was. Ana so desperately wanted to send a letter to her mother, but she knew the consequences, and she wasn’t about to risk it. Perhaps the girl had just been caught in the wrong situation. Ana had been the one to receive the letter because of her high standing in the Department of International Magical Cooperation...The letter had been intercepted on a country boarder line, which meant that it fell into her realm...or at least, that’s what John Wood’s argued. The man wasn’t to be argued with, so she set to work finding a way to get the girl out.

With a couple of loop holes, Ana had managed to spring a jail-break for Ms. Blackwell. It had to do with the way that the ministry conducted the search. Illegal evidence and all that. Then she had gotten a couple of signatures from her supervisors and she was on her way for the jail-break of the century. Hopefully this girl was grateful.

She reached the door to the courtroom and then took a left, edging herself toward the holding room where she knew she would find Ms. Blackwell. A few ministry workers were hovering in front of the door. She lifted up her parchment and flashed them the seal, “Move, Parker.” She demanded, keeping her voice as low as she could manage. She didn’t need everyone to know that she was down here pulling all sorts of strings.

“Grayson, you can’t be down here, you know the rules and-”

“Screw the rules, Arnold.” She said, narrowing her eyes and holding up the letter again, “You’re going to let me in to see the Blackwell girl.” Parker nodded his head and stepped out of the way, giving Ana full access to the door that was behind him.

“Ana?” Parker turned around so that he was facing her, his jaw set in a firm line.

“Yeah?” She returned, raising both of her eyebrows innocently. There was no way that he knew what she was about to do...did he?

“You’ve got the letter to get her out...dont you.” It wasn’t really a question, but more of a statement. Ana rolled her eyes and held up the second envelope.

“She wouldn’t be John’s daughter if she wasn’t able to swing a jail break on her first day.” Ana said and then offered Parker a wink. Normally, she wouldn’t have been so flirtatious, but she felt like it would help her cause. If she got along better with the people around here, they would be more willing to let her waltz out of here with Vivian in tow.

She pulled it open and walked inside, eyeing the small girl that was sitting at the table nearby, “Vivian Blackwell?” She questioned as she leaned against the nearby wall. She looked the small girl up and down, not sure what she had expected. The girl was uncommonly beautiful, small, and fragile looking...but she also had an edge about her. She looked dangerous. It took Ana a second, but she realized that she reminded her of a younger version of herself: All tied up in thoughts.

[/justify][/size]

[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian had been sitting in this vile room for merlin knows how long. She was bored out of her bracket, and was starting to wonder whether or not Theo had come through for her. Surely he wouldn't have dawdled when it came to sending that letter to her step-dad, after what she had done for him. She had tried, in the brief moments she had had, to convey the urgency of sending that letter to him. Because the Ministry was on a Death Eater hunt, and they'd take down anyone they possibly could.

After what had happened with Voldemort and the War, there was no leniency when it came to Death Eaters, or those who associated with them. Vivian knew that now that they had her, they weren't going to let her go without a fight. She hadn't been able to get in contact with anyone, and so if Theo hadn't sent that owl she could be stuck here for some time.

Vivian was trying to look small, fragile, and like a complete non-threat. And she was doing an exceedingly good job. Some people- not all, but enough- sensed that there was something not right about Vivian. They sensed that there was something dangerous there, the way an animal senses a predator. And so Vivian had learned how to seem non-threatening, how to come across as docile as possible. She knew how to look un-confident and unassuming, to not draw attention so as to hide her beauty (as long as no one looked for more than two seconds). She resisted the urge to tap her foot, because that wasn't what a meek sort of person would do. They would sit there quietly, eyes on the table, and wait. Vivian knew how to survive. Some people liked to attack predators, before they attacked you.

And then she heard her name being called, and she looked up. A woman had just entered the room, one Vivian hadn't seen here before. Vivian knew instantly that this woman was no lackey; she was from higher up in the Ministry, which meant her step-dad had come through. Vivian could tell all this from the way the woman dressed and styled herself, from the way she held her shoulders, and from the way people in the room were looking at her, and deferring to her with their body-language. It was something Vivian recognised, because it was something she experienced herself.

Vivian stood up, and dropped the meek act. It wouldn't make much of a difference now. When Vivian stood up she was tall, about 5'8", and she looked anything but fragile; she had a strong, healthy body, with curves expertly crafted by her Veela gene. Even in her school uniform, her exceptional figure was obvious. She was no waif. She ran a hand through her hair, something she'd been wanting to do for a while now, and it caught the light, shimmering like gold. It was like a different person had just entered the room.

"That's me," she said, unnecessarily. Vivian's voice had a very slight low tone to it, which could sound effortlessly seductive when the need arose. But right now there was no need for that, and Vivian sounded like she always did; mildly bored.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[ana]

”Of course it’s you. There’s no one else here that I don’t already know.” Ana said softly and eyed the girl. The way that she stood up led Ana to a completely different train of thought. John’s letter had been explicit: Get my daughter out, or you lose your job. And now she saw why. The way that Vivian stood up and shook out her body gave off the air of a girl that definitely knew how to take care of herself for the most part. She seemed strong and confident in the way of her looks and was probably used to using them to get what she wanted. But that wouldn’t work here. It never did. Sure, Ana had been able to swing a few deals that were low on the totem poll, but when it came to Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort, there was a no tolerance policy. The men that would try her down here were hard-core and cold to the bone. Except for maybe Parker outside...Oh yes, Vivian had gotten mixed up in something that was way bigger than she had ever anticipated. Luckily for Ms. Blackwell, she had Anastasia Grayson on the case.

Ana reached up and pushed some of her hair away from her eyes and then adjusted the lapels of her blazer, still staring Vivian down, trying to get a read on her. But it seemed almost impossible, ”Gotten yourself in quite the...situation, haven’t you?” She said, softening her tone slightly. She had to admit that she felt bad for the girl...this wasn’t a place for Hogwarts students. Especially ones in their sixth year. Ana had taken care to read Vivian’s file while she was getting some of the necessary signatures. Of course, there was nothing of interest to report...just a normal Hogwarts student with extreme heritage based in the Veelas. Perhaps that was notable, but in Ana’s eyes, it just made her a target at Hogwarts. Much like she had been.

Ana pushed herself off of the wall and cross to the side of the room on which Vivian was. She took a seat in the chair that Vivian had vacated and looked up at her, ”I’m assuming that you know why I’m here.” Her voice was carefully clipped, seeing as she wasn’t quite sure what to make of the girl the more time that passed. There was something off about her...but it was something that Ana saw far too often in herself. She couldn’t place what it was though. She figured the more time that she spent in this room, perhaps the better she would be about figuring out what made this Vivian tick. She crossed her ankles and then looked down at her high pumps, glad that she had chosen to wear plum instead of black today. They gave her a definite distinction amongst the other mindless drones of the Ministry.

It was then that she held up the two letters. One that was addressed to herself and the other that held the key to Vivian’s release, ”John’s request for you to be released,” She said as she held up the first letter to Vivian so that she could read it. Ana wasn’t sure how else to explain what she was doing. She hadn’t a choice when the letter arrived. For one, her job was hanging in the balance, and secondly, she owed Mr. Wood. Her Ministry career had started off slow, being hired into the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but as time went on, Ana steadily proved that she was ready for more of a challenge. John saw the potential and urged her superiors to promote her...rapidly. Of course, this was unheard of because of her age, but she moved up in rank and quickly became a high standing employee. Since then, when the letters bearing the Wood seal arrived, they were immediately sent to her desk where she tended to them immediately. This was one of those matters that had to be dealt with, whether she wanted to or not, ”He cares about you a lot.” She commented dully as she looked up at Vivian expectantly.

[/justify][/size]

[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian watched as the woman sized her up. Or at least, tried to. She watched as she looked her up and down, her blue eyes finally coming to rest on Vivian's face. Vivian knew that she would look into her eyes, and see nothing there. The eyes were the hardest to fake, almost impossible. Unless Vivian really felt something, her eyes were emotionless. Most people didn't really believe their eyes gave that much away; they thought that the whole 'windows to the soul' thing was just a saying. But they were wrong. When you observed emotions from the outside, as Vivian often did, you could see things much more clearly.

The woman- Vivian still didn't know her name- made a comment about the situation Vivian had gotten herself into, which Vivian didn't answer. Yes, this was quite the situation. She didn't think a response was needed. There were only so many times you could state the obvious. This was a bad situation, but Vivian was sure she could get out of it.

All the Ministry had was that a letter had been sent from Hogwarts addressed to a known Death Eater. They didn't have the letter in question as proof, because of Vivian's charm. The only thing linking Vivian to that letter was that she had performed the same charm that had been used on it. Circumstantial evidence, at best. That was all, that and the unreliable words of a scared little girl, in an unofficial and unrecorded environment.

The woman sat down in the seat opposite the one Vivian had just vacated, and Vivian followed suit, slightly irritated that she had to sit again; she was getting restless. She watched as the woman held up a letter, one that she knew was from her step-dad. Apparently he was asking for her to be immediately released.

”He cares about you a lot.”

Vivian let out a snort of derisive laughter.
"No," she said, shaking her head, "no, that's not it."

From early on, it had been apparent that John Woods was far too interested in his step-daughter. From a young age he had abused her, which made her narcissistic mother jealous, rather than angry. She had blamed Vivian, and beaten her. It was an endless cycle, until her mother finally decided that she and her husband would spend most of their time travelling, and left Vivian alone with a nanny and a tutor.

So to say that John Woods cared for his step-daughter would be a stretch, by anyone's standards.

"What happens now?" Vivian asked, wondering how long it would take for her to get out of this place. If she ever did, that was.

[ana]

Ana was surprised with the force that Vivian answered her; honestly, she had expected the girl to be a royal screw up. But it seemed like there was something else hiding right underneath the surface. That much was evident by the cool laugh that she had produced just seconds before. It would have been off-putting if Ana herself hadn’t used in many times. It was her defense mechanism, ”I don’t know why he would go to so much effort if he didn’t care about you, Ms. Blackwell.” All of this was beside the point, Ana knew this. She knew that she should try and delve into John’s personal life...it would only cause her hurt in the long run. In fact, she should just steer clear of making any assumptions about his family in general, lest she find herself in an uncomfortable situation. She bit back on her lip slightly and leaned back in her chair, carefully studying the girl that sat before her.

She looked like she was about to fly from her seat. Anxious, perhaps? It was very possible. But she also looked as if she was ready to get out of here as quickly as possible. Ana could understand that. She had spent some time down near the courtrooms before, running errands, and it gave her the chills every time. It was drafty and she was more than positive that the walls leaked. With a grimace, she ran her fingertip across the wall, feeling the moisture.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the girl’s voice, yet again.

“What happens now?”

[/i]

Ah. A question that Ana felt both comfortable and able to answer with ease, ”Now-” Ana breathed as she straightened the hem of her skirt and then looked back at Vivian. She scanned the girl’s face, paying careful attention to the fact that she was giving nothing away. It was almost as if they were two peas in a pod, Ana and Vivian. Ana could clearly see herself reflected in the girl’s eyes. Almost unnerving the way that she was able to control her emotions, in a way. She wondered briefly who had taught her to become so...reserved, if that was the way to phrase it, ”You’re going to tell me what you were doing with a letter that didn’t belong to you.” She knew that she was treading on thin ice; she shouldn’t be interrogating John Wood’s daughter (step or not), but she couldn’t help herself. She knew all the Death Eaters and the Wood’s and Blackwell’s were not among the ranks. The letter had been someone else’s or Vivian had stolen it, and either way, Ana needed to know from whom. If there were still others out there who were evading capture, she wanted to help them to safety as best she could, ”And as soon as you answer, we’re going to waltz out of here and I will take you home.” Ana’s voice had cooled significantly and was dangerously icy, even though she knew this wasn’t in the letter that John had given her. She just had to know.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/size]

[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

Vivian raised an eyebrow. Did she really not understand? Did she not see why John Woods would want to get his step-daughter out of trouble, even if he didn't give a damn about her? It seemed terribly simple to Vivian, so predicable that she had bet her freedom on it.

John Woods was a high flier. He wouldn't want anyone in his so-called family scandalised. It wouldn't reflect well on him. But that paled in comparison to the nature of the 'crime'; association with Death Eaters. John Woods and his wife had stayed decidedly neutral during the wizarding war. They didn't stick their neck out for either side, and so wouldn't suffer any consequences no matter who won. Neither the Woods nor the Blackwells cared who had control, as long as they could whisper in their ear. As long as they could get what they wanted. But now that the Order had won the war, John Woods wouldn't associate (at least not publicly) with a Death Eater for anything. And if a Hogwarts student was convicted of trying to contact Death Eaters (especially when the student in question photographed so perfectly for the press) that would be very public. Very public indeed.

”You’re going to tell me what you were doing with a letter that didn’t belong to you.”

"Who are you?" Vivian asked, slightly irritated that the woman hadn't introduced herself yet. She didn't trust her, but that didn't mean she wouldn't tell her what had happened. Well, to an extent, anyway. She wouldn't tell her it was Theo for anything. She had gotten herself into this mess because she wanted to protect Theo, so it would be pretty stupid of her to wind up getting him in trouble anyway.

If this woman hadn't walked in with a letter with the very distinct seal of her step-father on it (not to mention his hand writing) Vivian wouldn't have told her a thing. This was yet another reason why it had been better for her to take the fall, not Theo. Vivian couldn't be manipulated. She couldn't be scared, and then offered a helping hand. She knew that in these situations a helping hand may only be giving you enough rope to hang yourself with. She had seen her step-dad handle enough of them. But that letter changed everything. She knew this woman was here to get her out. Her step-dad was a lot of things, but he was powerful. He got what he wanted. And what he wanted was predictable; he wanted Vivian. He had always wanted Vivian.

The woman's voice turned icy, and Vivian relaxed slightly. It was a tone she knew well. It was a tone she heard all the time, in her own voice. It wasn't an unknown quantity. She knew what she was dealing with, here.
"I wasn't doing anything with a letter," she said. "The ministry intercepted a letter, and it burned up when they tried to open it. They came to Hogwarts. I told them it was mine, my wand had cast the enchantment, I could prove it. I didn't write the letter. I didn't send the letter. Really," she added, anticipating the woman's scepticism.

"I'm not in contact with Death Eaters." She paused, her eyes carefully trained on the woman. "Sorry to disappoint you..." Vivian was very good at reading people. She had needed to be, to survive. And this woman wanted to know about Death Eaters. She had the letter in her hands to get Vivian out of here right now, just as her dear old dad had commanded. She didn't need to be asking all these questions. Vivian spoke carefully, making her meaning clear without directly implying anything at all.

[ana]

Vivian’s question caught Ana off guard. She hadn’t been aware that she had completely forgotten to introduce herself. Most of the people in the ministry already knew who she was, acquaintance or not, so it seemed only natural to her that this girl would too. However, the fact that Vivian was not a regular inside the Ministry was reason enough to introduce herself, she assumed. She leaned back in her chair, eyeing the girl in her Slytherin robes, ”Anastasia.” She said, her voice low and flat, ”Anastasia Grayson.” There. She would most likely get some recognition there. If the girl was in Slytherin house than she probably knew her brother and that would either be a good or a bad thing...Ana could never tell with Arch. Although, based on the girl’s level of attractiveness, she was sure that the pair had probably done their fair share of flirting. Still, it could lean either way for her, ”Your step-father helped me get my job. Wrote a hell of a glowing recommendation letter.” She said and then looked down at her nails. She was in desperate need of a manicure, not that it was particularly pertinent now, but she would have to get that checked out before her next meeting with the Minister.

She stopped looking at her nails and returned her attention to Vivian. Ana leaned forward slightly so that she could drop her tone. Her hands reached into her robes and pulled out her wand. She didn’t break eye-contact with Vivian but pointed it in the direction of the door, ”Protego,” She muttered, the bluish light coming out of the tip of her wand and drifting over to the door. The spell seemed to engulf the wood and pulsed slightly. No one would be able to overhear them now that Ana had done that, and that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be able to speak to Vivian candidly about what had happened. She needed to know what the girl was up to, ”You probably know my brother-” She shoved her wand back into her pocket, still without looking away. She kept her eyes just as void as Vivian’s, beginning to see that this was the girl’s game, ”Archer Grayson?” She was hoping for the best relationship between Vivian and Archer, but she couldn’t help but be less than optimistic. Arch had never been very good about keeping and making friends.

”So you didn’t send the letter and you didn’t even write it.” Ana repeated as she looked down at her shoes. She was going to have to get those cleaned before her next meeting too. It was a shame, she hoped that she didn’t look like she was losing her touch. She couldn’t stand it if people thought that she wasn’t fit for her position any longer. But she would have time to worry about that later. Much more time if she got this little...party out of the way. She looked up at Vivian and offered her a dull, distracted smile, ”Seems a little odd if you ask me.” She muttered and shrugged her shoulders, doing her best to act as if she didn’t care, although she had already shown her hand by inquiring about the whole mess in the first place. If Ana had been smart about it, she would have waited until she was out of the Ministry before starting to throw such wild ideas out. However, she had never been the best when it came to strategic timing. That was why she didn’t play Quidditch.

She set both of the letters down on the small table between them and smoothed out the creases with her hands, keeping herself controlled. She was a lethal weapon when she needed to be, but it seemed so was Vivian. They were almost at an impasse. One staring at the other, neither one willing to let up, ”Not a disappointment-” She was lying, she was more than certainly disappointed that Vivian wasn’t in contact with them. But her story led Ana to believe this; she was probably in contact with someone who was trying to contact the remaining members of the Dark Lord’s army. She entwined her fingers together and stared at her for a long time before speaking again, ”You are a rare bird, Ms. Blackwell.” She said and then cracked the smallest of smiles. She couldn’t help it. The girl was reminding her more and more of herself and it amused her to no end. As much as she wanted to ask her more questions about the letter, she knew that there would be time for that.

She pulled the MInistry letter back into her grasp and then stood up, ”Put the other letter in your bag.” She said, still smiling slightly, knowing that there would be more time to chat as soon as they were out of the holding cell. Ana could probably even take her up to her office while they waited for John to arrive to pick her up, ”And follow me, love. We’re off to bigger and better things.” She said and opened the door to the outside hallway. Immediately, the enchantment broke and the rustling of Parker could be heard from a few feet away.

”I think we’re done here, Park.” She said, offering him her sweetest smile and holding open the door for Vivian, ”I’ll be taking Ms. Blackwell with me-”

“But, Ana-”

[/i]

Parker’s voice was cut silent by a glance from Ana. She wasn’t to be argued with. She held up the letter again and narrowed her eyes, ”Have a good afternoon, Park.” She moved past him and began walking in the direction of the Ministry elevator, not waiting to see if Vivian was following her.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/size]

[VIVIAN HOPE BLACKWELL]

The name 'Grayson' rung a bell, but Vivian wasn't entirely sure where she'd heard it before. She didn't pay much attention to the social situations at Hogwarts, and Theo was basically her only friend.

She said that her step-dad had basically gotten her her job here at the Ministry, and it all made sense to Vivian. Yes, he did that. Make someone and you can tear them down just as easily. Put them in a high up position, and you have someone on the inside who owes you. Very clever, very generous. Vivian trusted Anastasia Grayson more after that revelation, because she knew that anyone willing to accept favours from John Woods would want very much to keep their job.

And then Anastasia mentioned her brother, and Vivian knew where she had heard the name before. Archer Grayson was a Slytherin in Theo's year, captain of the Quidditch team, and all around 'big deal'. Vivian knew him, and although the two of them didn't exactly play together on the playground, he wasn't an enemy. At Hogwarts, with school-yard politics at play, you may not get along, but out here in the big wide world a fellow Slytherin was your ally. You had to have some sort of house loyalty, after all.

"I know Archer," she said, simply, getting to the point.

Vivian nodded as she said that she hadn't written or sent the letter. That was true, after all.

”Seems a little odd if you ask me.”

"Yes," Vivian said, "it does." She hoped to impart that she had had her reasons, but she wasn't going to share them. "But that's not really important." She wasn't going to lead Anastasia Grayson to Theo, not until she was absolutely certain that she wouldn't put him in harms way. She had come all this way for him, after all. She didn't want the day to be a total waste.

She knew that Theo was a supporter of the Death Eaters, and that he wanted to get in touch with his real dad. If Anastasia Grayson had the same goals as he did, then maybe she could help him. But until she knew for sure, she was staying tight lipped. And either way, she wasn't stupid enough to start blabbing about it right in the heart of the ministry.

Anastasia gave her the letter, and Vivian put it in her bag as instructed, standing up when she did, thinking 'Finally...'. She was very glad to be getting out of this place. She followed Anastasia Grayson out of the room she had been held in, and watched, amused, as she headed off her guard's protests. Vivian shot him a smile as she swanned past him, and he glared. She smirked slightly to herself, and followed Anastasia to the lifts.