WHO: Kingsley and Diana
WHAT: Snooping Looking for information
WHERE: Knockturn Alley
WHEN: Very soon after this
RATING: Not sure. PG or PG-13, depending
Kingsley was not snooping. Snooping implied hiding oneself, ducking in shadows, listening in on otherwise private conversations, and generally going about unseen. Which was exactly what he was doing, but he was one of the Good Guys, so it didn't count as snooping. No, this was gathering information. Yeah.
Currently, he was flying under the radar in Knockturn Alley, hidden by a rather good Disillusionment charm. Thus far, no one had taken any notice of him, not even to turn their head at the sudden sensation of someone walking by when there wasn't anyone there. Kingsley was good at Disillusionment.
He tucked himself into a tiny side alley between two dilapidated buildings as a group of indistinguishable creatures in black cloaks went by. Whatever they were, they weren't human. Knockturn Alley was getting more dangerous every day; a microcosm of the outside world.
He was just about to move back into the main alley when loud voices approached, sounding quite drunk. Kingsley pressed himself against the wall of one of the buildings, keeping to the shadows of the side alley despite the charm already concealing him from view. Drunken wizards could be dangerous...
WHAT: Snooping Looking for information
WHERE: Knockturn Alley
WHEN: Very soon after this
RATING: Not sure. PG or PG-13, depending
Kingsley was not snooping. Snooping implied hiding oneself, ducking in shadows, listening in on otherwise private conversations, and generally going about unseen. Which was exactly what he was doing, but he was one of the Good Guys, so it didn't count as snooping. No, this was gathering information. Yeah.
Currently, he was flying under the radar in Knockturn Alley, hidden by a rather good Disillusionment charm. Thus far, no one had taken any notice of him, not even to turn their head at the sudden sensation of someone walking by when there wasn't anyone there. Kingsley was good at Disillusionment.
He tucked himself into a tiny side alley between two dilapidated buildings as a group of indistinguishable creatures in black cloaks went by. Whatever they were, they weren't human. Knockturn Alley was getting more dangerous every day; a microcosm of the outside world.
He was just about to move back into the main alley when loud voices approached, sounding quite drunk. Kingsley pressed himself against the wall of one of the buildings, keeping to the shadows of the side alley despite the charm already concealing him from view. Drunken wizards could be dangerous...
"You know..." she said dryly. "When we agreed to go somewhere, have a drink, and talk, I was laboring under the delusion that a conversation was defined as a time when people exchanged ideas, facts, sentences... It involves trading off..." She quirked an eyebrow at him. "I've monopolized things long enough. Why don't you take over?" she asked. "Is there anything you'd like to ask me...?" she suggested.
Sometimes secret operatives could be babies. Apparently she was going to have to hold his hand and guide him through this normal human interaction of the art of conversation. Poor soul.
"I could ask you what your search for information has turned up," he said at length. "But I have the feeling that you wouldn't be willing to tell me, and that it's none of my business in any case."
Who knew, maybe that tactic would work. Indifference had its own way of gathering information.
"A Muggle man?" he inquired. "Did you catch a name?"
"No, I didn't catch a name. They don't really seem to believe in calling muggles by their names, or even knowing them unless it has some strategic purpose. They just call them degrading epithets, like... like animals. They kept making jokes about him though... Saying that once the Dark Lord had his way with him, he'd ring out like Big Ben... you know, the bell in the clock tower in Westminster? Since the bell is a muggle invention, they all thought this was terribly funny. I don't know if it was also a codename, he seemed to be a rather important muggle to them..." Diana revealed, not sure if this information would be of any help.
"Did they say anything about where he was? Where they were keeping him?" Kingsley tried not to sound to eager as he asked this. "It could be important."
It would be far too risky at this point to use her as bait, and it was unlikely that Casey would consent to such a plan in any case. She had no real reason to trust the Order at this point.
Stretched thin...they wouldn't still be hiding Ben in Luton, would they? Yes, his crazy aunt was among Voldemort's cronies, but hiding in plain sight wasn't a Death Eater tactic.
"I can infer from your interest that there is a missing muggle, that he's important, and that you know his name but not his whereabouts," she stated calmly. "I have given you all of the details I know about it. Care to reciprocate?" she asked hopefully.
And yet, Diana had not yet made any indication that she knew who he was, much less that he was involved in the Order. Either she was a very good actress, or she truly had no idea.
At last, Kingsley decided to be vague.
"I believe you're right in your assumption that this particular Muggle is very important," he said, keeping his voice low. "Why is still a mystery, but he may be in quite a bit of danger. And anything that the Dark Lord sees fit to shroud in such secrecy could be very dangerous for us."
"Us" meaning The Good Guys, presuming they both were...
Diana wasn't sure what to say or do with Kingsley now. She had shared her information and he had given her a limited piece in return.
"Do you have an address?" she asked at length. "You know... a Post Office box or something? I can owl you if I hear more. Like I said... if you're a Death Eater, I'm only going to get myself killed. If I keep going it alone like this, it'll happen sooner or later, anyhow." She wasn't complaining, merely being pragmatic.
"I have a feeling that we will run into each other again," Kingsley said, getting to his feet. "And perhaps I will have information that you will find useful." Probably not, but it sounded good, and friendly enough without actually being an offer to share anything he might find out in the near future.
She tossed some coins to Tom, giving the man more than the tab was. Diana was a rather prolific tipper. She wondered what to do now... it was rather late to be skulking about Knockturn Alley now. She had to admit after a rather stilted conversation, it was going to be very lonely in her flat tonight.
Berating herself for her reluctance, she turned and stuck out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you, however strange it was," she remarked cordially.