The temperature outside was stuck at freezing point and the sky was overcast with heavy snow clouds, impending weather for the week as they moved into December. Johann had thrown down his quill at half past one, grasped his coat and taken a brisk walk outside to get away from the mounting pile in his in tray. He'd been back full time at work for a week now, but that just seemed to suggest to everyone that they could pile on the work. He supposed it could be interpreted that people were glad he was back to 'normal' after so many disrupted months.

From the Ministry, it wasn't far to Whitehall Gardens and the Victoria Embankment, on the opposite bank to the London Eye. It could be quite busy with coaches of Muggle tourists even in winter season, but they gave him something to look at other than the Thames as he made his mind up. His brisk walking shook away the morning toiling over intricate, difficult paperwork. One of the coach drivers, perched on the embankment wall, obliged Johann with a light so he did not have to covertly use his wand. He had acquired one of Balfour's cigarettes quite by accident, had found it in his coat pocket on the way. With the way he felt about Monday, he decided to smoke it, if only for the familiar scent of his lover's preferred tobacco. He was unconvinced he really enjoyed smoking one himself, and knew he shouldn't.

Twenty minutes later, he arrived back at the Ministry. With the atrium's busy fireplaces, it was like stepping into the foreign climes of the Caribbean. He was scheduled to head to Aruba on Thursday, with the bitter British weather, he anticipated he would find it tricky to acclimatise so suddenly. Bundled in a long navy wool coat and scarf, Johann lost them both over his arm before he reached the lifts. Instead of getting out on level five to return to his desk, he stayed in the lift as it traversed onwards, through three to two, where the majority of the occupants got out with him. Being the largest Department in the building, it was hardly surprising. He'd stayed away from this floor as much as possible for two months now, Pinn and Kelly had taken the jobs for them where possible.

The Improper Use of Magic office was squeezed in, opposite Wizengamot Administration Services, back to back with the detention cells and neighboured with the Domestic Offices of Law. Even their office arrangements suggested that they were not overly liked by their Level 2 counterparts. It was a shame, he was quietly fond of at least three of them.  Two wizards left the office just as he arrived, deep in conversation, paying him no attention, for which Johann was glad.

The scene within, as ever a little cramped, but efficient. For two o'clock in the afternoon, things were busy and Johann paused in the doorway, coat over his arm, in a navy blue suit, looking a little windswept for his walk. He nodded to Dieter who pushed a cabinet drawer shut as he noticed Johann. If he wasn't trying to avoid coffee, he would have stopped to engage Dieter in his love of it when they had passed each other in the atrium the previous week. The fellow Durmstranger always looked too big to fit in the office, and was a comical contrast to Meera in proportion. Johann was always mildly amused to see them side by side, though he never mentioned it out of politeness.

The rather more petite Deputy Head of the office, known for her tenacious attitude and her inability to let things slide through sheer staggering efficiency was engaged in conversation with Mordecai, clipboard clasped in her hand. Meera had been part of Level Five before seizing a role up here, but the two of them had not worked together all that much before her move. He had an inkling they would get on had they the time to get to know each other. Johann paused in the doorway, indecisive about approaching. They were busy, this wasn't important to them. But it was important to his mother, and he didn't have many friends in the Department anymore.

"Afternoon," he greeted them all, guilty of initially adopting one of those forced smiles, but it fell away to something more natural as he continued to speak, "how goes it, Impropers?" As nicknames for the IUM (which never rolled off the tongue) that was one of the politer ones. Level Five historically had less to do with IUM, so had no need to be creative in their disparaging references. "Merlin, are you drinking dragon breath or something, Dieter? Inhaling that coffee could wake a giant up." He waved a hand before his face more in approval at the potent brew.

"Sorry to disturb, but I wondered if I might seek a little advice, Mordecai. Well, from any of you I guess." He shrugged, a little unsure as he looked between them all, "It's admittedly not your direct area, but I'm not sure who else to ask." He glanced about them to secure acceptance before he turned to close the door behind him.

Most people, if asked what the Improper Use of Magic Office usually got up to when they weren't snooping around in other people's files, would normally just shrug. But the connection between the office and the Wizengamot Administration Services was still fairly popular considering that every day minor crimes were being reported.

"We can definitely say there's precedent for sending a case as such to the Wizengamot, but do you even think they'd pick up the recommendation?" Sameera asked her superior doubtfully as she checked her clipboard. "It's just a garden." Behind them, Dieter was looking through a cabinet drawer, but he was grinning. The office was small enough that anyone could eavesdrop by accident anything going on at one end from the other, so eavesdropping by default was allowed.

"For some people, defining the borders of their gardens, yes, even between siblings, is an absolutely serious matter that requires some mediation when you can't apparently decide how much land your brother takes," Mordecai replied calmly. "We have civil law governing distribution of land and such, but do we have precedent about actually having to divide land in London?"

"I haven't seen those laws then, that's news to me--" Sameera paused. "Are you taking this seriously, sir?!"

"No, are you?" Mordecai nodded at Sameera's suddenly annoyed expression, smiling a little. "As much as the two brothers want to take their dispute to court over being able to hide one's herbs and magical plants from the other in a plot of land that measures two feet square next to a flat they both live in, I doubt we'll be seeing Plessey v Plessey anytime soon in the records." There was a laugh from Dieter from the other side of the room.

"Could've just said instead of leading me around..." Sameera's quill was already scribbling. Mordecai simply slid the file on his desk towards her with an amused smile on his face.

"Afternoon." Sameera and Mordecai looked around at the tall figure who'd just walked into their office. "How goes it, Impropers? Merlin, are you drinking dragon breath or something, Dieter? Inhaling that coffee could wake a giant up." Dieter gave him a thumbs up to this.

Mordecai's eyebrows raised. He hadn't seen Johann Storm around a lot lately, but he wasn't surprised. People avoided the Office if they could. Before he could answer, Sameera took it up for him. "The usual crimes and cases, Mr Storm. It's been a while, good to see you again. Are you looking for help?"

"Sorry to disturb, but I wondered if I might seek a little advice, Mordecai. Well, from any of you I guess. It's admittedly not your direct area, but I'm not sure who else to ask."

Sameera looked back at Mordecai, who directed his raised eyebrows at her. Wordlessly she nodded and strode off, heels clicking against the floor, back to her desk, though she did briefly pause to give Johann a look-over, as if she was wondering if he'd suddenly grown a flower on his head and was hiding it from her.

"It's not a problem, I'll try the best I can," the Head replied, nodding towards Dieter and Sameera. "Just don't mind the two over there. Take a seat."

Sameera and Dieter were installed at their desks as Johann crossed the small office to take a spare chair nearer to Mordecai, folding his coat and scarf over the back of it. Sameera's look up and down hadn't been missed, but it was nothing less than what he would have done in the same situation.

"It's about the events of the 27th of September," Johann began, gaze resting on the edge of Mordecai's desk. He didn't if Sameera and Dieter were listening in, so he used a normal conversational volume. "The day my father died in court." He glanced up to Mordecai to measure his reaction. The Wizengamot member had not been in court that day - he had not sat for the trial at all. Johann had studied each and every one of them on the benches in plum coloured robes and read up on them obsessively to try and predict how they might vote. All wasted effort.

"I spoke with Edward Pratt on 4th October about the circumstances, but he was not interested to discuss with me. Perhaps because we do not see eye to eye. Since then, well it's been two months without any insight into who killed my father, before a packed court, after weeks of custody." Johann shrugged. "I am inclined to believe that it has been swept under the rug by Level Two." He shook his head, "If only my family could do quite the same. If not for me, as much as I realise my name is mud up here," he gestured to the floor at large, "but for my mother, who was widowed from her husband of thirty-five years that morning." He exhaled uneasily, glancing briefly out of the corner of his eye at what he could see of the other two before he looked to Mord.

"I know it's not your area, Mordecai, but someone on duty that day must have helped him. It was something he drank, or even ate that morning. It wasn't a spell in the courtroom, it wasn't suicide, he didn't even have his wand, wasn't buried with it even. It was dark magic and he was in the care of the Ministry to keep him from running, but not to keep him from being silenced." He drew a sudden breath, realising he was beginning a rant and raised a hand in apology. "If not for my father, then who is to say that it won't happen again, another case. If you find your Leaky Cauldron bomber, that they might perish before they can be examined by the wizengamot?" He upturned both hands as if to balance the options and looked to Mordecai hopefully.

Mordecai listened to Johann without interrupting, picking up on all of the younger man's grievances. He hadn't been there, that was certain, but he'd heard about it later. Part of him had been regretting not going, but after that little tidbit of news had passed around he wasn't quite sure if it had helped for him to be there in the first place.

Since he was sitting across Johann and facing the rest of his office, he could see exactly what Sameera and Dieter were doing. The two of them had resumed their own paperwork, but Sameera was a more than capable eavesdropper and Dieter had been part of covert government operations. They would know how to react at the right time. For now they kept their heads down; Dieter was working on a report and Sameera was organising notes.

"What did you talk to Pratt about, if it's not too much information?" he asked, out of curiosity. "For the record if your name is indeed mud up here I haven't heard, and if there was a memo being passed around then the entire Improper Use of Magic Office has missed it. According to what I heard, you would have every right to have been angry."

Mordecai looked down at his files in silence for a moment, and then looked back up. "Sameera, do we have any records of the court trial?"

"Not easily available in the office, but I can retrieve them from the Wizengamot Administration Services for you," Sameera answered without looking up from her notes, nodding as if to herself. Mordecai watched her pick up a different quill and mark down something on the little parchment that hovered above her desk - her task list for the day, which wiped itself clean every night. Without asking her to do such a thing...that meant she was also interested in it. He turned back to Johann and was about to ask something else when a thought occurred to him.

"Sameera," he asked, turning back to her again, "why did we not pursue the werewolf matches? I assume this was simply on the principle of it not being an 'improper use of magic'?"

The witch looked up at him from her notes. "I, uh...as far as I remember the Aurors were the first and foremost authority concerning the illegal fights. Remember that we weren't exactly that well established yet, or had the resources? I mean, Dieter was certainly here, but not invited. But in which case yes, some would claim indeed that it doesn't technically come under 'improper use of magic', as such."

"No, I certainly remember." Mordecai certainly needed to have words with the new Head of the department. He turned back to Johann. "I must apologise, you probably know we're not exactly a welcome sight in many places in the Ministry, and we have a lot of ground to cover still. When half the Ministry won't necessarily cooperate with you out of obligation, therein says something about exactly how much power we have, despite what we theoretically have the authority to carry out.

"But it would be a sore state for you to leave this office after coming all the way here only to be told that we don't have any leads or jurisdiction in the matter, wouldn't it?" Mordecai glanced towards the other two. "Any abruptly active movement from us may generate suspicion within the Ministry on its own, and thus we'll have to move as subtly as possible. But we will investigate as best as we can, and within our capability."

He gave Johann a sympathetic look. "Is that sufficient for the moment?"

"What did you talk to Pratt about, if it's not too much information?" Mordecai asked. Johann inhaled, shoulders rising as he considered[1], and he exhaled a little before he spoke.

"Past apologising for shouting at him on the day, I asked him if he had got any closer to finding out how or why my father died." He explained while his eyes were lowered, contemplating his wording. He glanced up to Holingbury "He said, 'yes' but he said he wouldn't tell me because of my interview on the Haunting Hour the previous week." He shifted a little uncomfortably and glanced to Meera. "I insinuated he was lying about progress, and he said I shouldn't blame the aurors. Which I wasn't, but I expected they might investigate. Fobbed me off. I might have reiterated that I thought he was lying…" Johann winced. He'd been awfully behaved in the fortnight after his father's murder. Although he felt ashamed for it now, he still felt angry for the lack of progress despite his lashing out.

To Johann's surprise, Mordecai asked Meera about the files. He had only come to seek Mordecai's advice as to whether it might be worth the energy to pursue or whether to drop it. He watched quietly as the pair conversed, brow a little furrowed as his blue eyes darted from one to the other.

"More than," Johann replied, eyebrows raised. "I had only expected to come here to ask your advice on whether it was worth my efforts to pursue, I … I had no idea you'd perceive as worth your while to review quite so easily. I… " It was a strange sensation to be a little lost for words. "Thank you, Mordecai, Sameera. Of course, I understand if you cannot act, you must be overrun with the ongoing investigations of the fifth, and everything else. Just can't leave it, despite what he did." Johann sighed. 

1.	Oct 4, Well Aware of How it Aches

Mordecai smiled at Johann's response. "The lowdown is that the MLE didn't call us to get involved. It doesn't technically come under 'improper use of magic', as Sameera said - only just a murder - and the only possible person involved died before he could spill the beans. The Aurors ended up with no leads and no evidence to help them even gain some footing. Like you said, it may have been an inside job, and if it was then I think the culprit was very good at keeping a clean trail and having an alibi."

"Never a good idea to reiterate that the Aurors were doing anything bad, by the way," said Sameera from her desk. "The Aurors work on their own terms. While I think they could do with a lot more interdepartmental cooperation - goodness, even intradepartmental - they won't do what they think isn't necessary. And maybe to them this wasn't within their jurisdiction, and therefore not necessary."

"I would say that even if we're not technically the right place to ask, this is about the closest you'll get in the MLE." Mordecai lightly tapped his fingers on his desk. "Yes, we may not be able to act on anything, and not just because of the investigations of November 5th due to perhaps a large amount of red tape standing in our way, but that doesn't invalidate your feelings of a lack of justice brought to someone related to you." He gave Johann a shrewd look. "And if it does, then something would be very wrong with our justice system. You have a perfectly valid reason for following it up.

"But if you really want to pursue it, then keep your head down. For all we know, you could be a target. Or, perhaps, everyone in the Ministry." The older man glanced at the reports of Nov 5th on his desk. "Or just someone having fun and toying with all of us. Either way, it could be dangerous and we wouldn't want you to get involved with that."

Sameera signalled to him. Mordecai glanced at her, and then looked back at the young man. "We'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. What we need to do is get access to those records - probably easy, since they may have been set to low access due to a dead defendant and no leads - and have a talk between us to figure things out. Sameera or Erin might be able to drop you a message if it's too private to fly a memo to your desk when we're ready with some kind of judgement. But outside of this office, we're not doing a single thing with your father's case and that's final. Is that all right with you?"

Johann nodded to Mordecai's explanation attentively and to Sameera's interjection with a slight blush. Retrospectively of course she was right, but back in October he'd not been thinking straight at all.

"But if you really want to pursue it, then keep your head down. For all we know, you could be a target…" Johann swallowed audibly, not enjoying the thought. It had crossed his mind more than once, which is why he had lingered on Level 2 when he'd reappeared to be questioned, and then gone to ground again after the trial.

"… But outside of this office, we're not doing a single thing with your father's case and that's final. Is that all right with you?"

"More than, Mordecai." Johann confirmed with a curt nod. He glanced between them all. "I er, won't waste a moment more of your time." He got to his feet hastily, and clasped his coat over his arm. "I was just checking a matter of protocol for a piece of legislation I'm translating, complimenting Dieter's coffee and consulting you on your wife's birthday present. Gardening gloves, by the way, if you should be asked in generalisation." He glanced to Mordecai apologetically. It wasn't the most fantastic idea for a gift, but he'd make sure they were good ones that allowed for detailed work and didn't make the hands too hot or cold while being resistant.

"Thank you, I really should have asked earlier. I appreciate this, really I do." He was oddly humbled by their actions when all he'd come was to ask advice. "If there is anything you should need, please don't hesitate to ask me - for this, or in general." He crossed their little office, gave a half bow as he reached for the door handle, and a nervous smile before he left.

End