It had been almost a year since he'd first met Lexus Dale.  He knew because he'd looked it up;[1] back then, keeping meticulous notes had been one of the few defenses he'd had against magical troubles, and Jonas had dutifully recorded the details of his first run-in with the young Canadian woman.  A year ago, he'd had no idea how fateful that meeting would be.  That the temporary employment would build such a strong bond.  That Lexus was a werewolf on the run from the Canadian Ministry, although he'd pieced that one together quickly enough.  That a year later, he'd have given up the private detective trade to take up his badge again as an Auror, or that the young woman he had kept from stumbling on the Underground would be one of Level Two's few undercover assets in Knockturn Alley.

Plenty had changed in a year's time.  His office was obviously different.  He used it less and less now: a place to store files or do some late night research, or to watch something on the television with Adon when they didn't want to be at his house.  It was much more secure now, of course, between the enhanced security system -- a gift from Tamis Raynor -- and the various charms and enchantments that had been gifts from the Eleor brothers.  The sense of permanent habituation had also long since faded; documents stayed neatly organized without him really trying, though his victory in the war against clutter was being somewhat out-competed by the thick layers of dust that had begun to grow instead.

He was different, the office was different, and Lexus was different too.  Jonas didn't like to admit to himself that his former assistant made him nervous at all, but it was hard not to feel twitchy when one was in the same room with the Canadian werewolf.  When Jonas had first met the young woman a year ago, there was nothing about her that would have given her lycanthropy away at first glance.  But since the incident with the bad wolfsbane -- since Lexus had been arrested by the Ministry, and he'd forced her into a bargain with the devil to save her freedom or her life -- there was no mistaking the sharp slant to her canines, the streaks in her hair, or the yellowish tint to her eyes.

Everything about her screamed predator, but Jonas had decided several months before that he wasn't going to let that bother him.  And so he sat completely relaxed, calmly and naturally cracking open the second beer, before sliding the bottle across the desk and over to the werewolf.

"So how've you been, Lex?"  His forehead creased as he examined her, a slight frown crossing his face.  Jonas imagined that he understood as well as anyone, wizard or Muggle, what it felt like to walk through a world that you didn't quite inhabit.  It wasn't easy.  And Lexus had never asked to play informant.  "You're still getting by?"

1.

Stumbling

It was absolutely surreal sitting with him like this. A year ago she had been scared, lost and lonely. Jonas had been her saviour, he had kept her from living on the streets or charming muggles just to survive. He had given her a job without a second thought and in mere weeks he had become her entire world. The office didn't look too different from when she had left, storming out after a wild confrontation with the older man, but it was obvious Jonas was no longer spending nights there. She'd be lying if she said she didn't miss the place, didn't miss him.

She gave him a shrug and a soft yet genuine smile before taking a gulp of the beer, still getting used to the fact that he liked it at room temperature, "I'm doing a lot better than I thought I would." She twirled a silver lock around a clawed finger. She felt like she was invading, intruding on a life that she no longer had any right to. Jonas had meant so much to her, still meant so much to her but now her life was so far from what she had ever wanted it to be and she was no longer his young attractive assistant with crazy hair styles. Now she was a monster, one that was only useful in a world like Knockturn, "The shop's doing well and I've made a few friends, ones that aren't as shady as some of the blokes down in Knocturn."

She took another swig of her beer, "Tawse doesn't trust me and I'm not going to get much deeper than I already am without him." She turned her gaze to the window, to the mist outside it. She wished they could just talk about everything, about nothing, about anything but 'work', "How are you doing? Life as a red coat again, that must be something."

The former private investigator flashed her a crooked grin.  "Scarlet," he corrected nicely, as he raised the bottle to take a sip.

It was funny in the fact that it really wasn't something.  A year ago, the thought of returning to the Ministry had been absolute anathema to him.  He had barely wanted to have anything to do with Tamis; it had taken a surprise New Year's Day visit from Archer Radley before he'd gotten back in touch with his former partner.  The only reason he'd agreed to collaborate at all was because Tamis had asked him to take on the Runespoor case after her lead investigator had taken a leave of absence.

But now he was back in scarlet, and back at the Ministry, and oftentimes it felt like he had never left.  He had friends around the office -- Adon and Radley and Pratt -- and plenty of colleagues that he both liked and respected.  Responsibility was a comfortable mantle to shoulder; the doubt that had plagued him for so long had vanished.  For the first time in years -- maybe for the first time since Tait had died -- he felt like he belonged.

"Yeah, it's been alright," he said with a lopsided smile.  "Adon -- 've you met Adon? -- he and I've settled in alright, I reckon.  Work's been manageable --" Now that no one was threatening to kill them on a daily basis, and Tawse and his Wizarding Blood Alliance had more or less vanished without a trace.  "--and things've been quiet at home, now that Gwenna's been off to school.  You should stop in for supper sometime," he offered, lifting his beer again.  "You could floo in, even, if you're worried about being spotted outside."

Lexus nodded with a pleasant smile. She had met Adon along with most of the other Aurors, either during her incarceration or on the few occasions she had actually come into the Ministry to update one of her reports - though she often did so in the guise of her current alias, afraid of what might happen if a werewolf just waltzed into Level Two. Even though she was registered now and went to Ministry sanction safe houses every month she still felt as if she was the enemy. Thanks to her bloody past and her current half transformed appearance she couldn't exactly get a normal job any more. Though she supposed she couldn't complain, she was finally doing what she loved to do - making potions - what did it matter that she was doing in Knockturn for the scum and villainy of the Wizarding world?

"Is Gwenna going to Hogwarts?" Lexus was well aware that Jonas had been married to a muggle and that he had two kids, or rather she was aware of that now. In the beginning she had felt rather betrayed that he had kept such a fact from her but now she didn't really think on it. She hadn't realized his eldest was now old enough to be 'going off to school' and was rather curious as to whether she had inherited her father's magic or if she'd be a normal muggle like her mother. Lexus herself was the only witch in her family, her older brother and sister were muggle. Thankfully her aunt had married a wizard, giving her someone to talk about magic with.

Lexus let out a surprised bark of laughter and covered it up with a long swig of her beer. She didn't know why but the thought of her having dinner with Jonas and Anna as if they were all normal people, talking about their days was rather humorous. She adverted her eyes still, she felt as if her skin was crawling but there were some answers she needed for her own sake, despite everything that had gone on between them, "So how are things with you and . . . Anna?" She still didn't look at him. She had once been so angry that he had kept his marriage from her. They hadn't really gotten a chance to talk about it with everything that had happened, him becoming an Auror again and her getting registered and becoming an informant for Level Two.

At the time she couldn't quite explain why she had gotten so mad at him. It wasn't as if she had ever asked him if he was seeing anyone but she had plenty of time since their blow out to anlyze her actions. She had been jealous, she had been jealous that there was another woman in his life one that held a role she could never fill and even now she felt a little awkward about his ex wife no longer being so ex, "Are you guys still divorced or?" She met his eyes, "I'm sorry, it's really none of my business. I would love to come over for dinner sometime, so long as Anna can handle, well," She motioned to herself indicating the altered appearance she had taken on since she had drank the tainted wolfsbane.

"Ah."  The Auror gave an awkward laugh, his face nearly as red as his hair.  "Yeah, uh, stuff's been alright," he said, with an uncomfortably lopsided grin.  "I mean, uh, it's been going alright.  And I don't think she'd mind," he said quickly.  "I mean, she's gotten used to a lot right quick, and she puts up with Adon alright, and he --" He waved a hand that was evidently intended to communicate Santa suits, foreboding death dreams, and loud Israeli tempers all in one gesture.  "I mean, not that he's a werewolf," he finished hastily.  "But I think it'll be alright -- Gwen'll be bloody sorry that she missed you, once she hears."

The thought of his youngest daughter's face, when she realized that her family played host to a werewolf for supper while she was away at school, nearly made him grin.  Or grimace -- he wasn't sure if it it would trigger moping or another temper tantrum.  But either way, he was determined that Lexus should still be included in normal life events, which in this case included dinner with his family.

Jonas cleared his throat, stretching his legs out in front of him as he regained his composure and leaned back in his chair.  "And yeah, Gwenna's off at Hogwarts.  Got sorted into Gryffindor," he said fondly.  As much as he had promised Anna and reassured Gwenna otherwise, he would have been disappointed if she'd ended up anywhere but.  "She's written a couple of times; sounds like they're all aflutter with that Tournament."

He turned his attention back on Lexus, regarding her with consideration.  It was harder to read her now after all of the physical changes that had occurred, but his former assistant did not seem entirely happy in her new role. 

"So how are you liking this, Lex?" he asked with a frown.  "I mean, you playing informant -- this was never supposed to be permanent, yeah?  If Tawse doesn't trust you and you don't think you can get in any deeper, maybe we ought to talk to the Ministry about pulling you out."

Lexus chuckled and gave him a soft smile, "Dinner sounds great then." She could play the part. She could go to his house and eat dinner at his table as if she really belonged there. She could sit pretty and make nice with the woman who still obviously held his heart. It wasn't as if she had ever really come to terms with how she felt about him, even if she was more aware of it now and who knew, maybe she'd actually get along with the other woman.

Lexus couldn't help but picture a tiny little jonas girl all excited about meeting a werewolf. That was the thing about this country, the children here were warned about dangers that lurked during the full moon but they weren't taught to hate out of the womb. Sure there were some wizarding families that held grudges against werewolves and rightfully so but it wasn't like it was back home, where lycans weren't even seen as human anymore, "Look at the proud Daddy." She chuckled, her mind still wrapping around the idea of Jonas being a father.

Lexus' smile fell and she scratched at the back of her neck. She was happy in the sense that she was brewing again and she had met a few people she could consider friends but it definitely hadn't been the life she had imagined for herself when she graduated Pinebrooke. There was a hint of sadness in her eyes when she regarded him, "Even if this doesn't pan out, if Tawse never accepts me and I never learn more than a few illegal trinkets here and there, where do I go from here?" The question was more rhetorical than an actual inquiry, "It's not like I can  get a normal job anymore and other than polyjuice poition, beauty charms don't work on this," She waved her hands to encompass her new appearance. As a werewolf she was already resistant to magic but something about the tainted wolfsbane had seriously messed with her body.

"I can't get a date, I'll never have a family the way you do, normal witches and wizards aren't going to accept me." There was sadness in her voice but also a sense of finality. She wasn't whining or complaining, simply stating the truth that she was learning to accept (or at least trying to) "What else is there for me?"

It was rare for an individual to turn the same color as his hair, but Jonas nearly managed it.  He cleared his throat, his attention fully fixed on his beer bottle, his body language making it clear that he would rather discuss anything besides his current state of fatherhood.  And luckily enough, before too long, Lexus obliged him -- although he wasn't any more happy about the newly instated subject.

Jonas frowned, his forehead creasing as he regarded her.  True -- she did not exactly look the part of the witch next door right now.  He didn't know very much about werewolves; he had no idea whether the physical changes in his former assistant were natural, or inevitable, or irreversible now that they'd happened.  He couldn't say that she could easily pass for a normal human.  But this, all of this -- he'd heard this before from a friend too recently.

"No, Lex," he said with feeling, shaking his head.  "There's plenty.  Don't start on that."  Adon's current concerns were obviously a bit different -- his best friend was terrified of dying, rather than being accepted -- but he wasn't going to stomach this from either of them.  Life didn't stop just because it got harder.

"You can get a job.  The Ministry will hire you," he said firmly.  "They hired me, for Merlin's sake."  And he'd been just as much out in the cold at one point -- turned on, threatened with arrest or worse, accused of not being a proper wizard.  "You've a knack with Potions, you could go work for the Unspeakables.  They've already got one werewolf down there -- Downer.  There's no reason why they won't hire another."

He let out a breath in a hurry.  This sort of thing -- being sympathetic, doing anything but attacking problems with reason and logic -- he'd never been any good at.  "What I mean is," he said quietly, more sympathetically, "don't let this make you feel like you're trapped.  If you want to get out, I'd help you, yeah?  And the rest of it --"  He waved a hand.  The dating, the family.  "-- it'll come about.  I sure as hell never thought I'd end up married."

Lex stared into her beer and brought it to her lips several times for the sake of having something to do. This was a dance they had done before, one they seemed to be doomed to repeat again and again. Lex would be self deprecating about her lot in life and Jonas would do anything to reassure her, to tell her that life was more than just running, or hidding or playing puppet to Level Two. When he finished his part of the dance Lexus broke form. Normally it was her turn to brood and change the subject without actually resolving anything but it was so familiar, so common, so them - that she couldn't help herself and just laughed.

Her laughing carried on for a while before she managed to stop herself, "I'm sorry it's just -" She stifled a chuckle and drank some of her beer instead, "When are you ever going to stop coming to my rescue?" She smiled depsite the fangs that showed and her golden eyes sparkled with the tail end of her laughter, "You really are a good friend Jonas and you make me feel like such a whiner." She stuck her tongue out at him making her look and feel a lot younger than her tweenty five years, "If I can't get anywhere with Cin, I promise I'll be knocking on your door to put a good word in with the Unspeakables for me."

She wasn't a hundred percent keen on working for the Ministry but it would be a respectable job, with a respectable income, meeting respectable people. She wasn't sure she was ready for something like that but it did beat skulking around the dark back alley's of Knockturn though she had a feeling she'd still keep her shop.

"And as for the 'other stuff' I guess we will just have to see. To be honest I'm suprised a gorgeous guy like you hadn't been scooped up earlier. I blame the whole being on the run thing." She chugged some of her beer in an attempt to hide the laugh that was trying to surface and the blush that was already on her cheeks.

At least she was laughing.  Jonas smiled warmly, some of the seriousness leaving his expression.  Despite the hardships that she'd faced in life, the Canadian werewolf always seemed like she maintained a positive outlook.  It made him wonder sometimes what she would have been like if she hadn't been through so much: her transformation into a lycanthrope, the accidental murder of her parents, her year living on the run, the arrest and botched transformation back in March...

But 'could have beens' didn't really matter in the long run.  Lexus was a survivor, just like he was.  Even if times were tough now, she'd find a way to get through them.

He shrugged at the compliment; he'd long ago just taken up the habit of ignoring the young woman's indirect flirting.

"Naw, I met Anna pretty early on into it all," he said easily.  "After quitting the Ministry, I mean.  I reckon that was what kept me together through most of it.  It's a lot easier to keep on through it all when you've got a life to focus on, whether it's useful work or starting a family."

'Useful work' -- it was odd thinking of what she was doing in that way.  When he'd first met Lexus Dale, despite the hard knocks she'd obviously suffered in life, she had struck him as young, enthusiastic, and blissfully naive.  But after he'd asked her on as his assistant, he had begun teaching her some of the tricks he knew from his work as a private detective.  A year ago, he never would have even considered dragging Lexus into this mess -- but then, a year ago, she probably wouldn't have been of any help.  Now, with her budding connections in Knockturn Alley, there was a chance that she could be.

He took a deep breath, his expression growing gravely serious once more.  "Y'know, there is something else that I wanted to ask you about," he said quietly.  "A favor.  But it's personal, Lex, not for work.  And though I don't want to get you into more trouble, this could easily be as dangerous as trying to get in good with Tawse.  But I'll be up front with you -- a good mate of mine could use some help, and I reckon you might stand a better chance'n I do of tracking down the individual that we need to find."

Lexus just smiled and took another swig of her beer. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for him. She was and she was glad that things with Anna seemed to have worked out for him, especially considering he had kids in the mix but she didn't exactly enjoy thinking of the other woman and how she may have caught his attention and affectations all those years ago. Though if she did think about the timeline she likely would have still been in school when Jonas met his wife, if they had met there would have been nothing there but at least she wouldn't have been a werewolf then.

She tried to think of whether what she was doing what useful work. In a way it was. She really enjoyed working her potions shop and if it wasn't for her parole restrictions she could really make a life of it. Selling and brewing potions was something she had always wanted to do and the fact that she was walking the thin line between legal merchandising and illegal distribution gave her a lot more freedom than she would have if she wasn't pretending to be a hardened criminal. If it wasn't for the fact that she was trying to break into the underground just to report back to the red coats she could have been truly happy with what she was doing.

Her expression turned serious when his did and she placed her bottle down on the table, "You know I'd do anything for you Jonas." She said at once without really thinking, "Who is this guy? Why do you need him so badly?"

The offer came so quickly without so much as an unspoken reservation that Jonas gave a quick, sad smile.  Ever since he'd invited her in off the streets, the Canadian werewolf had always been doggedly loyal.  In a way, he was taking advantage of that loyalty now, but he wouldn't have asked if he hadn't thought she'd be willing to help -- and he wouldn't let her if he thought she wasn't up to it.

"He goes by Terry Katsaros," he said seriously.  "He may've used other names in the past, though.  Greek wizard, trained at a school in the Middle East called Beit Gaddol, so any magic he does'll stand out a bit.  About this tall," he added, gesturing, "dark brown hair, brown eyes, complexion looks Mediterranean, heavy brows.  His wand's about ten or eleven inches, and the wood's black -- it's got little decorations carved into it, running up the shaft."

Why was unfortunately a bit more complicated than who.  There was no point in trying to tell Lexus about the dream.  The entire thing still made Jonas feel uneasy: it felt a bit too PreCrime-ish, as if they were all determined to hunt the bloke down for something that he had yet to do.  But there was plenty of actual crimes to focus on in the present.  The duel with Dreogan at the Hogsmeade Winter Festival, the possession, the attack on Akiva in Diagon.  And if Jonas managed to get a punch in before the bastard could take a go at his best friend -- well, he wasn't going to complain too much if he ended up having to relive Minority Report.

"He's threatened a couple of good friends of mine," he said quietly.  "The Eleor brothers -- I dunno if you've met them.  Adon's me partner at the Ministry, and Dreogan, his brother, he runs the new Muggle Affairs Office.  Katsaros possessed Dreogan -- kind of like the Imperius curse, a bit -- and he attacked his wife, and he's threatened to kill both of 'em.  I'd like to find 'im before he gets the opportunity."

He frowned, giving her a serious look.  "But the man's dangerous, Lex," he added firmly, putting a weight behind the words.  "All I want you to do is tell me if you happen to hear about 'im being in town.  Don't get close to 'im, don't let on to anyone that you're looking.  Don't play hero, yeah?  All you have to do is pass on word."

Lexus nodded and took another swig of her beer as he described the man in question. She racked her brain trying to remember if she had seen him come through Knockturn. Unfortunately since her shop opened she had seen all kinds of people come through - not to mention her late night binges at the Leaky Cauldron (The Chimeara just wasn't the place to go until she could secure her place in the underground better) - it was hard to recall if she had seen him. Though now that the image was in her head she'd be better at pointing him out.

Her expression turned grave when Jonas tried to explain the why. He definitely didn't sound like the kind of guy you wanted to take home to mother. She hadn't met the Muggle Affair Brother but she had definitely come across Jonas' partner Adon and anyone stupid enough to threaten an Auror and his family was either reckless, or so confident in his abilities that he didn't fear the consequences. Lexus feared he was in the latter category. Which meant he wasn't someone she was eager to come across.

She scowled and took another gulp, "No need to worry here. Doesn't sound like the type I wanna be messing with, 'specially if he's got the balls to threaten an Auror and his family." She looked him over, "I'll send word if I see him, but shouldn't there be a proper search party for something like that? I mean it's not that I don't want to help, I do, but isn't there some way of tracking this guy?"

"Yeah, we're working on that," Jonas said, flashing her a tired smile.  "But that's the rub, innit?  A proper search party makes a lot of noise, and this bloke's got experience staying off the map."  For all he knew, Katsaros was no longer even in the country -- but that didn't mean that Jonas wasn't going to try and cover as many bases as he could.  "That's why I'm hoping that you'll turn up something we can't."

He didn't like this, the sensation that they were all just sitting around and waiting for something to happen.  The only thing he could do was be as proactive as he could, to keep an ear to the ground and ask his friends to do the same.  That didn't mean he expected the effort to go anywhere, but it was still worth a try. 

"You come across anything, even if it's small, I'd appreciate it," he said reassuringly, giving her another lopsided smile.  "And the same is true too, yeah, Lex?  If you need anything -- help, a hand, even someone to buy you a beer sometime," he added, with grave seriousness, "you ring me.  And I expect to see you over for dinner sometime soon."

Lexus nodded along accepting the gravity of the situation. If they sent out word that they were looking for him or even went out in full force the man was likely to high tail it. She definitely could see where she'd be an asset to him though she'd need to keep her guard up if this was a man even the aurors were skittish about. She regarded Jonas tempted to bite her lip. Once again the situation made her think just how deep she had gotten herself in. True she was no longer worried about spending the rest of her life in Azkaban but she wasn't exactly living the high life either.

She took another swig of her beer, "You know it, luv." She gave him a smile. Going out for a beer with Jonas would feel like old times though she had a feeling they'd have to go to a muggle bar for the beers since she couldn't really spend time in the Leaky Cauldron and Jonas couldn't exactly waltz into the Black Chimaera.

She drained what was left of her beer and got up to stretch, "Let me know a night for dinner and I'll be there." She placed the empty bottle on the table between them "I'll give you ring if I hear anything on this Terry guy. Keep me in the loop kay?" She gave another nod, "I've gotta go see a new supplier. Thanks for the beer, luv." With one last smile she left his office.