Will laid his quill down and pushed his chair away from his writing desk. He had managed to get away from the office before nine o'clock that night, but he'd been dismayed to arrive home to a pile of letters quite as large as the one he'd had that morning when he went into the Ministry. He had spent the better part of an hour, sorting through them and trying to decide by the handwriting and the manner of address which ones were official and which were not, which ones were urgent and which ones he could perhaps put off until tomorrow. That done, he had begun the slow process of responding to them. His advisers couldn't understand his determination to personally write replies to each letter, but Will knew he couldn't do anything less.

He got up, ready to finally go to bed--what was it, after midnight?--but was halted by tapping at the window above the desk. He usually left it open for owls to drop their letters in, but he'd closed it when he got home to keep the cold air from blowing on him as he wrote. He started to groan, but stopped when he recognized the owl as Jasper's. Somewhat confused, he went to the window and opened it. Jasper's owl dropped the letter--more of a note, really, just a bit of rolled up paper--on the writing desk, wheeled around the room once, and left. Will shut the window behind it and picked up the note.

After glancing at it, he dropped it and immediately Apparated to Diagon Alley.

He arrived in the alley behind Jasper's home and walked around to SHOP, or at least the lot where SHOP had formerly been. Will could see where the Ministry clean-up crews had begun the work, but from what he could see the extent had been simply to remove debris from the street. He supposed they were leaving the rubble to Atlas to deal with when he was released from the hospital, and made a mental note to do something about property damage procedures. Shaking his head, Will stepped over the remains of a wall and went to the general area where he could find the trapdoor to the basement. After moving the debris, in which he recognized several of SHOP's attractions, he stooped and lifted the door.

"Lumos," Will said once he was down the stairs. "A girl, Margot--" there she was, directly across from the stairs. She was laying on her back, one arm bent next to her and the other resting across her stomach. Her somewhat unruly hair partially covered her face. She might have been sleeping, except that her thin chest--her whole body--was eerily still. "...the fourth unforgivable..." Will went over to her and knelt, slipping his arms under her light frame. He lifted her easily as he stood, looking sadly down at her, limp in his arms. Whoever she was, she looked very young.

He looked around--"there's a soul box"--and spotted a small metal box, half obscured by an overturned table. Even in the dim light, it seemed covered in thin shadows that might have been etchings. Will stepped closer. As he reached out a foot slowly to tap it, he felt heat coming from it. "Well, whatever it is, it couldn't hurt to get it out of here," Will said aloud. He pointed his wand at it and levitated it. He touched a fingertip to it, and having decided that though it was warmer than a simple box ought to be it wasn't hot enough to burn, he rested it on Margot's stomach and Apparated back to his apartment.



"Atlas," he said gently, not sure if the battered man before him was asleep or just closing his eyes. Will looked him up and down again. The Healers assured him that they'd been able to do a few more spells, and that they hoped to have all of the physical ailments repaired or cured within a week. Will had wanted to speak to the Healer in charge of Atlas about having him removed to the care of his friends--from what he understood the worst had been dealt with already; Will had some skill with healing spells, as did all Aurors, and certainly if there was something he couldn't handle there was always Constance. The Scot had a special talent for healing and Will was eager to encourage the pursuit. But, the Head Healer had gone home not more than an hour ago to rest after a long shift, and though the woman he'd talked to offered to call her out for the Minister, Will declined. Far be it from him to deny anyone their rest! He certainly sympathized with the poor Head Healer.

Of course, part of Will's desire to have Atlas out of St. Mungo's was because only he and Logan Fletcher knew how to revive Margot, and Will wasn't sure how willing Fletcher would be to assist, nevermind the repercussions that would arise if it got out that Will had consulted with him. If anyone found out that the Fourth Unforgivable had been used on Margot, Fletcher would be an immediate suspect--so Will had concluded that it would be better to leave him uninvolved.

"Atlas," Will said again. "I got her out. She's safe at my place." He thought about saying more: promising to catch his attackers, offering his help with rebuilding SHOP, things like that, even asking more about Margot. Will hadn't known she existed, not that he was a frequent visitor to SHOP. He stayed silent. Atlas had told Jasper he needed to talk to Will, so it only made sense to let him say what he wanted to say before assuming what he needed.

Atlas.

It was too early for this…or too late for this. There was no clock in this room, a fact Atlas had discovered some time after Jasper had departed when he had jolted awake and found himself disoriented, confused, and left with no possible way to tell exactly what time it was and therefore how much time had passed. He seemed to recall that there had been a window in the room once upon a time but when he checked for it, hoping that the light (or lack thereof) coming through it, it hadn’t been there. This had inevitably led to a standoff between him and the nurses, they hadn’t seemed to realize that moving him to another room (and a drastically different one at that) and failing to inform him upon waking might lead to a certain degree of panic.

In the end though they had gotten the message across, they had put down their wands, and Atlas had begrudgingly given up the large bottle of skelegrow he had been preparing to lob at any would be attackers. Pathetically this had resulted in Atlas being exhausted on top of the gnawing pain and the disorientation. Refusing several of the pain killers pressed on him he’d settled down for an attempt at a nap, jumping uneasily every time an unfamiliar noise (and there were many of them) drew his attention. He’d settled into a sort of half sleep state only to be awakened by this persistent voice.

Atlas.

There was really only one voice Atlas knew that could sound that sorry without having really done anything wrong. Will Channing, their new Minister of Magic. Lord and Master of the realm. Atlas almost didn’t open his eyes, thinking it better to remain in the strange fuzzy place he was currently occupying but then Will started up again, I got her out. She's safe at my place. That bit of information seemed important enough to come back to the conscious and horrifically sterile world of the hospital room. Jasper had made good on his word apparently and true to form here was William standing at the end of his bed and looking over him as if he were on a dissection tray.

He had never really thought to be so happy about anything that would come out of the other man’s mouth but there it was. Better still Will had avoided the hospital and the scrutiny that would have come with it. This was…awkward. He’d asked Will to come and now he was here but Atlas really wasn’t sure where he should begin.

To say anything was to have to say everything. Beginning from the Ministry break in onward. Sighing Atlas wiggled for a moment, wincing but getting himself into a more or less upright position. “I’m….” God he was never going to live this down. “extremely grateful. Thank you Will.” He rubbed at his nose before continuing. “I was hoping to avoid a trip here. They’d stick her in that awful wing they have with Garrow’s other failures. And….I hadn’t managed to create a fake medical file for her yet. Jasper told you she was a Muggle then?”

“I doctored her paper work, slipped it into the Level 2 archives a few weeks ago.” He realized he was rambling and took a few moments to collect his thoughts. “We need to talk.” He indicated one of the chairs next to the bed and glanced at the closed door. “Do they let you travel alone or do you have goons in towe? How is she? Did you get the box? Is anyone with her and are they trustworthy?”

Atlas seemed willing to wake up once Will mentioned Margot, but he still didn't seem to be fully alert; Will supposed that was only to be expected. If Atlas still looked this bad after being in the hospital almost a full day, it was hard to imagine what he'd looked like coming in. Jasper's note had made no mention of it except to say that Atlas was injured, but that wasn't really a surprise either. Jasper was a squeamish person, and honestly Will was impressed that he'd even been able to get Atlas to St. Mungo's on his own. He made a mental note to talk to Jasper about it sometime soon, trying hard to suppress a sigh. His mental list was getting very, very long.

The other man began to move, and it took a moment or two for Will to realize what he was doing, because his progress was painstakingly slow. When he figured out Atlas's objective he opened his mouth to urge him to leave off and lay back, but he shut his mouth again. He doubted Atlas would pay any heed to that kind of advice, especially if the nurse's stories about his reactions to treatment were true. So he waited and watched anxiously as Atlas raised himself as close to sitting as he could manage.

“I’m…extremely grateful. Thank you Will.”

Will just nodded to show that it was nothing, and a part of him wondered when he'd become so somber. I suppose that's what happens when the world is simultaneously looking to you for leadership and expecting you to fail. It wasn't a comfortable business, but then, Will had always concerned himself with making the uncomfortable comfortable--just never for himself. Unthinkingly he stepped forward and rearranged Atlas's pillows behind him so he had more support in his new position.

"And….I hadn’t managed to create a fake medical file for her yet. Jasper told you she was a Muggle then?"

"A Muggle?" Will said in slight surprise. How on earth had Atlas ended up with a Muggle girl living with him? Will had been under the impression that Atlas, though curious about Muggles, distrusted them. "No, his note was too hurried for details like that. I can see why you wanted to avoid the hospital with her, then." Will reached up and rubbed his jaw, his fingers rasping against the slight stubble there, and sat down in a chair next to Atlas's bed. "We need to talk." This couldn't end well.

“Do they let you travel alone or do you have goons in tow? How is she? Did you get the box? Is anyone with her and are they trustworthy?”

Will chuckled. "I have a so-called protective detail, but considering the fact that I'm a former Auror and that their shifts are as long as mine--and mine are quite long--they're more than willing to be convinced to take a night off here and there." The smile faded as he addressed the questions that followed.

"I got a box, which was sufficiently strange enough for me to believe it to be the one Jasper meant. As for trustworthy persons, I wrote to Constance Fallon and asked her to stay with Margot while I came here, and make sure there aren't any serious physical injuries. Con is a dear girl and very loyal to me, so we don't have to fear any betrayals from her," Will continued. He waited.

"What do you have to tell me, Atlas?" he asked.

Atlas flinched when Will made a move toward him and blinked as the other man retreated again. A few shuffling motions and he realized that The Minister of Magic, the most powerful man in England had just fluffed his pillow. At first he thought maybe it was something politicians did, like kissing babies, or petting dogs. Or maybe it was just something Will did he amended a moment later allowing a brief smile by way of gratitude.

The look that crossed Will’s features when Atlas mentioned Margot’s blood status was one that in no way indicated that he had had any knowledge of just what exactly she was. Will hadn't really had any contact with her but for weeks Atlas had been concerned that she might run into him on the street. Of course, even if Will had figured out that she was a little non knowledgeable for a squib Atlas suspected that his inexhaustible good will toward other men would have prevented him from saying anything. Atlas almost wished he had figured it out, at least to the point of asking. It would have provided a perfect opportunity to check about how authentic Atlas’ fakes were. Again, if Will had realized Atlas was fairly positive the matter would have been settled in private anyway.

I have a so-called protective detail,. Atlas tensed for a moment but Will continued, the words reassuring enough that Atlas settled back. but considering the fact that I'm a former Auror and that their shifts are as long as mine--and mine are quite long--they're more than willing to be convinced to take a night off here and there.

“You might consider keeping them closer. I’m not implying that I doubt your skills but people in your lofty position have a very inconvenient way of disappearing. You might have a chance at doing something good, but only if you don’t get spirited away while your watering begonias or reading to orphans….” He trailed off realizing that Will was here as a favor and it could be two aurors who he didn’t know in here. Hell, it could be Ballentine looming over him. Interrogating him about how exactly he had landed himself in this predicament and not taking ‘I don’t remember’ as an answer. With all this in mind he decided to discontinue slagging on Will.

I got a box, which was sufficiently strange enough for me to believe it to be the one Jasper meant. As for trustworthy persons, I wrote to Constance Fallon and asked her to stay with Margot while I came here, and make sure there aren't any serious physical injuries. Con is a dear girl and very loyal to me, so we don't have to fear any betrayals from her.

The relief he felt at that statement was palpable. Like good whiskey or nice curing spells, it soaked into the skin. A dim part of his brain provided a quick bio on one Constance Fallon, former Auror…but no more. As for trust worthy he would just have to trust Will…Will who was the Minister of Magic. This was so shaming.

What do you have to tell me, Atlas?

rather an awful lot of things really…. At least Will hadn’t said ‘want’ then they could have been here all night (at least Atlas assumed it was night) discussing semantics. As it was they didn’t really have the time for it.

“I helped Carmen Snidgeton break into the Ministry of Magic….”Once the first part was out the rest came tumbling after. “I stole the layout plans from Urban development and might have created a scenario in which 7 out of the 10 guards on duty that night were called away to attend to other matters. I took the box containing the soul of Kate Derum and had it for several months while I was attempting to determine its point of origin. I’ve been trying to do some careful calculations involving the spell in an attempt to find a counter curse.”

Will blinked owlishly at him. “Margot is a Muggle…I doctored papers so she could pass as a squib and she’s been living with me for about a month and half.” This was a touchy issue and Atlas felt he needed to add more in her favor. If Will had her memory erased and sent her back into London Atlas would be powerless to prevent it. “She’s a muggle but she displays several abilities outside those of any wizard or witch I’ve ever known.”

“Lastly, Garrow’s curse isn’t your only problem. I feel as a concerned citizen I should inform you that you have at least 4 magical terrorists on the loose. One of which is a veela…magical control should love that.” He sat back, coughing for a moment before looking up to watch Will carefully.

"Just thought you ought to know."