Adon Eleor, the auror, was stood at the bottom of the Astronomy tower stairs. Ignan regarded him suspiciously, taking a step back and to the side towards the wall behind a weighty stone statue, remaining out of sight of the man. This was all most worrying. Whatever he had told Georg about Tapendra coming to seek his help when the time was right, he wondered now if something had happened before that could occur.

Ignan waited it out, watching Adon, and leaning against the stone wall of the corridor, out of sight and arms folded. Should any student dare to glance at him in the shadows, they would receive a glare. Given his horrific week of teaching and lack of patience, none of them were too willing to pay him any sympathy or linger.

Hearing footsteps descending, Ignan watched as Jonas Trevelyan joined Adon at the foot of the stairs, and words passed between them. The two aurors made their way along the corridor towards the front entrance, and Ignan watched them from his lurking place.

When the two aurors had departed long enough, he stole out of his place and to the foot of the stairs, ascending swiftly, until he met Tapendra twenty or so steps from the top. The young man was descending in bare feet, dressed in Muggle attire. They both stared at each other, the first time they'd made proper eye-contact since the previous weekend when they had seen Azorma.

Ignan placed a finger to his own lips to indicate for Tapendra not to speak, and then ascended towards him, his urgency and body language indicating his colleague should about turn and make haste to the astronomy classroom. Chasing Tapendra, given his recent furious demeanor was easier than expected.

Once inside the classroom, Ignan slammed the door, uttering secrecy spells and binding it, nobody would be disturbing them. Finishing, he rounded on Tapendra, striding into the middle of the room.

"Interesting visitors." He remarked, giving his friend a pointed stare. Ignan turned away again, pacing - much like Tapendra had that first night the aurors had come, and he had bolted down to Ignan's classroom, interrupting the sixth year detention.

Realising what he looked like, he sighed, about turned and tucked his wand away before resting against the first row of student desks.
"What news did Trevelyan bring?" He asked Tapendra, his voice still a little on edge but less vicious than his earlier remark.

Encountering Ignan on the stairs was both a moment of intense relief and one of intense worry; while his desire to run to the man had been both practical and somewhat instinctual, he had forgotten the man's current manner was brusque, cold, and standoffish.

He all but fled back up the stairs, aware the control he'd done his best to exercise with Trevelyan was crumbling as he entered the classroom again. He stumbled towards one of the couches and sat on it, eventually laying on his back so he could stare at the vaulted ceiling instead of at Ignan. He was grateful for the secrecy spells; they were ones he'd have to make sure to plant everyday, now...Tapendra took a few deep breaths to calm himself and forced himself into the deeper, slower thought patterns of meditation again.

He watched Ignan pace, saying nothing to Ignan's first comment; the man's manner suggested he had more to say, none of it positive. He had to explain his decision to Ignan, of course; but now he wasn't sure how to make it sound sensible. It...hadn't been, had it? It wasn't smart, but he'd made it, and now he had to stick the course. Leaps of faith...

Ignan's sudden calming of tone - though it still carried an edge - helped. Tapendra swallowed, looking at a point just past Ignan's shoulder for a moment before his bright blue eyes met Ignan's colder ones.

"Her trial is soon. They're wrapping everything up. Azkaban, though the Italian Ministry wants her," he said, simply, before looking up at the ceiling again and swallowing.

"I agreed to help him," he said, after a short silence. "They've - they agreed to drop all of the investigation and the files they have on you. In return."

"Her trial is soon. They're wrapping everything up. Azkaban, though the Italian Ministry wants her."

Ignan's heart sank. It wasn't as if he hadn't been prepared to hear that, but a part of him still planned to liberate her at the right moment, escape and flee - return to that life they'd had over a decade ago. A stupid, romantic part of him that still managed to hold on to the thought he could be married, spend the rest of his years with the only woman he had loved. The rational side of him knew that it was never to be - some things were too good to be true, and he was going to have to be a bitter, lonely old man. He should satisfy himself with friends and memories.

Still, the thought of it momentarily choked him as he thought of her locked away, when he'd only just found her again. He managed no words to Tapendra to convey how he felt, but undoubtedly Ignan's expression spoke volumes as his eyes stared bleakly and his mouth lightly ajar closed and swallowed hard.

"I agreed to help him, they've - they agreed to drop all of the investigation and the files they have on you. In return."

"What?" Ignan uttered, his voice oddly croaky as he stared at Tapendra.

"You agreed to help - you're giving them information about Prideaux?" Ignan's voice rapidly cleared, and he got to his feet, stepping towards his friend's reclined form in alarm. "Are you insane? That's not going to help your mother - and I don't need to be saved - I don't need you to risk your life to try and bargain with aurors to turn a blind eye to my past!"

The words he probably should have been looking for were 'thank' and 'you' but Ignan was entirely wrong-footed by Tapendra's decision.

"How can you guarantee Trevelyan won't lie through his teeth, risk your life, and not keep his word? I don't care what happens to me - but you cannot have been so rash with Georgiana and Cyhirae, Tapendra!"

Ignan was now stood over his friend, his tone pleading, concern strong across his features.

Tapendra watched Ignan's crestfallen expression out of the corner of his eye. Had Ignan been anyone else, an outright reassurance would have been Tapendra's immediate response; but with Ignan, it wouldn't help. It wouldn't be alright. It was something that words could only bandage, not heal, and frankly Tapendra couldn't think of any that suited the feeling anyway. For once, he was at a complete loss for words.

Ignan's change in tone didn't help his own flood of insecurity, though; and for a moment, he visibly recoiled, eyes wide, legs and arms instinctively drawing towards his chest in a defensive posture. But then Ignan's expression and tone were soft, and Tapendra looked up at him in confusion.

He turned his head to the side, and sighed; running a hand through his hair, he sought the right words. "I did it because I wanted to," he said, finally, and his jaw set. He looked at Ignan, and then sat up a bit, voice steady and - for once - full of steel. "I'm tired, Ignan. I'm tired of being scared, I'm tired of running and I want..." he paused, rubbing his forehead. "If I can take the bastard down quietly, protectively, then - then I'd rather do that. But if Trevelyan betrays me - us - I'll kill him." He said those three words with a steadiness and conviction that made it very clear he meant it, and he did. Taking the girls was all Tapendra had. Without them - he loved his career, he loved the children at Hogwarts, but if necessary he would follow his mother's path and throw it away.

"You might not care what happens to you, but I do," he said, simply, not meeting the old man's gaze. "I made a leap of faith, and if it turns out I'm jumping into a pit, then so be it. But I did it on my terms, and Trevelyan gets what I give him."

At some point in Tapendra's declaration, Ignan went from standing into a crouch beside the couch Tapendra had sprawled himself on. The younger man had since curled as he'd explained his reasons, and was unable to meet Ignan's eyes.

"I just wish you hadn't felt compelled to risk jumping in for me. I really do not deserve it, however noble you mean the gesture, Tapendra." He explained softly, his gaze not moving from Tappy's face despite his friend looking away.

Cautiously, he extended one of his aged hands to Tapendra's forearm, where it rested lightly, to convey his sincerity.
"Really, Tapendra." He spoke soberly, trying to force the man to meet his gaze a moment. The subject matter, and the unusual close contact made for unusual reactions.

He lifted his hand, still crouched, and then lowered himself to the floor properly, knees bent before him and left arm looped around left knee. His bones grumbled less, for all his deep thoughts and anger that week, he had done a lot of walking, and the paunch that the rich Hogwarts food could give him was reducing.
 
"Too late now, you have made your decision." Ignan explained, lowering his gaze to stare at the foot of the couch thoughtfully. "As for killing Trevelyan, you'll have to join the queue." His tone was straightforward, truthful. "If the bastard is sending her to Azkaban, I want him to look me in the eye as I ..." He stopped himself and lowered his forehead onto his knee with a deep sigh that shuddered his shoulders. Emotions kept so tightly bound were seeping through when he thought of her, and he had to hide his face and swallow them down.

Composing himself before he looked back up, he changed the subject,
"I will be at her trial." He assured his friend firmly, and his expression darkened, voice calm. "I'll remember each of the Wizengamot, and if they have any children here, Merlin help them."

The contact of Ignan's fingers was like an electric shock, it was so unexpected. Tapendra almost jerked his arm away, but managed to keep himself still, least he give Ignan the wrong impression. Even so his eyes remained fixed on Ignan's wrinkled fingers for a long moment.

He shrugged, though; unsure how to really reply to Ignan's polite protest. Tapendra finally did turn to look at him, eyebrows raising at the steadiness of Ignan's reaction. He'd mostly expected anger, and to not get that was somewhat nonplussing.

"Skin him? Strangle him? Use the Crocodile Shears?" Tapendra suggested, with just a hint of very dark humor indeed. If Trevelyan betrayed him, well - he could give his smother a gift, certainly. And Azorma was the sort to think Trevelyan's head for her birthday was such a lovely gift...

Ignan really was a bad influence, wasn't he? Tapendra shook his head, patting Ignan's hand.

"Thank you," he said, simply. "But don't do anything to their children." He paused, and smiled slightly. "Unless they deserve it, I suppose," he said, with likely mock thoughtfulness.

He slumped, slightly, and looked at Ignan again, expression almost pleading. "I'm sorry. Trevelyan - he - at least for now, I think he's genuine." He glanced at the windows for a moment. "If he's a Legilimens, he wasn't using it while talking to me," he said, turning hid gaze back. "It's still probably insane to have agreed...but it's better than both you and Mum getting hauled off."

"Heh, one way we can be together." Ignan muttered bitterly, and shrugged, miserable.

"Logically, of course she will be imprisoned, but it doesn't stop me hating that possibility and everyone who causes it... because I love your mother." If there was ever any doubt, of course. He'd loved Azorma since he first clapped eyes on her - who couldn't? Well, anyone with half a moral conscience and a dislike of murderous intent and violence, that was who.

"Though, knowing her, she'll find a way." He assured Tapendra, and got back to his feet as nimbly as he could from the floor of the classroom. "And neither of us will be able to know, or discover how."

Ignan straightened his attire and brushed himself down a little self consciously, given the subject matter, now stood upright beside Tapendra.

"Do we have a date for it yet?" He gestured for Tapendra to shift his legs so he could sit down on the couch beside him. "Or did Trevelyan not implant that thought in your mind after he obliviated you?" A cruel smirk crossed Ignan's features as he sat down and turned his head to observe him critically. There was still some cruel sport in mildly winding Tapendra up.

Tapendra nodded glumly, reaching over to pat Ignan on the shoulder. "She seems pretty determined," he said, and smiled, slightly. "She's got a goal, after all." His warm tone made it pretty clear who and what he meant. "And if - or when - she does..." He paused, swinging his long legs out of the way so Ignan could sit. "If you disappear a day after, I'll think of something to explain it with."

He slumped against the back of the couch. "No, but the next two weeks seems likely, from what he said. He'll tell me." At least they hadn't asked him to testify. He would have refused, but it was better the question hadn't come up in the first place.

He glanced at Ignan, scowling darkly for a moment. "He didn't Obliviate me," he said. "I'm not missing time nd I remember the conversation from start to finish without issue. Though it'd be hard to tell if I was more jittery than normal, wouldn't it?" It was an odd thing that the comment didn't freak him out right away.

"I gave him one of the papers, anyway," he said, twisting his hands around each other - and there was the jittering, hidden for only a few moments. "And a list of people who need protection, if he's serious." He pressed his lips together. "All of them already - they know there's possibility they could get in trouble. Except for Ried, of course."

Rubbing his face, he looked at Ignan, and try as he might the fear and self-doubt was there. "It's too late to go back, now."

"...Though it'd be hard to tell if I was more jittery than normal, wouldn't it?"

"From Georg's evaluation of your mood this week, he didn't see you were out of sorts, perhaps even calmer than usual." Ignan explained. "Less than could be said for me." He muttered after, irritated with himself. His eyes dropped to his hands as he listened.

"I gave him one of the papers, anyway," Tapendra explained, and Ignan's eyes shifted from his own hands to Tapendra's which knotted themselves. He didn't let on he was watching, and continued to study them and the floor beyond them. 

"And a list of people who need protection, if he's serious. All of them already - they know there's possibility they could get in trouble. Except for Ried, of course."

"I very much doubt Trevelyan or the rest of the aurors will keep them safe, but a valiant effort in any doubt, Tapendra." Ignan echoed and raised his gaze, blinking slowly as he considered the pleas for protection when he had been serving, and how they had always fallen short unless they were significant for the Minister.

Tapendra rubbed at his face with his long-fingered hands, and then turned to regard Ignan. Automatically, Ignan turned to meet his gaze.
"It's too late to go back, now."

Ignan gave a solitary nod.
"Indeed. I trust you made a good decision, given the situation. It won't change your mother's trial, but we can hope it might incriminate Prideaux. I still suspect the Ministry have their own investigations into him - like I mentioned a month ago[1] when I couldn't get anything from Johann. I may have to get him drunk..." Ignan propped his elbows on his legs above his knees and rested his chin in his hands thoughtfully.

"We will have to sit it out, and see what rats are flushed out. Even if I think you're mad to have put yourself at risk, I'd probably have done the same thing. I only wish I could have done it for you." He lifted his head slightly from his hands to look at Tapendra and then gave a mildly humoured sigh and lowered it again like a despondent dog.
"Merlin, when did we become so bloody sentimental!"

1.	April 2nd - Act Naturally

"The meditation has helped," Tapendra admitted, with a hit of a smile. "The Legilimency has helped somewhat, as well, but less so..." He untangled his hands, rubbing them together.

Of course, Ignan's mention that the Aurors might not keep them safe was something Tappy had really wanted left unsaid. He nodded, glumly, looking at the floor before he chewed a lip. Most of them knew - they'd had wards around their homes, subtly, for years. But there was only so much being diligent could do, and with the children coming home it made it all the more likely they'd be vulnerable. He'd have to protect them himself.

Still, Ignan's approval - roundabout as it was - was probably a better help than the older man realized. Tapendra straightened up, sucking his breath in and letting it out slowly, forcing himself to relax. Panic was pointless, now; he couldn't wig out. It was far too late for that. And maybe the decision hadn't been as insane as it might seem. Maybe - just maybe - this'd work out, in the end...

"Thank you, Ignan," he said, managing a smile. "I don't know," he offered. "Usually this takes beer, or whiskey..." His smile shifted slightly, taking on a humorous turn. "But not to much, dear god. And, well -" He paused again, obviously struggling for words. "Thank you," he repeated, and slung an arm over the older man's shoulders in a half-hug.

"Tapendra," Ignan began, his tone a little warning, "I wouldn't push your luck any further today." He looked pointedly at the younger man, indicating without any further gesture that the arm dropped around him was a little more contact than he was comfortable with. Even if it was oddly comforting to receive it after avoiding his good friend and almost-step-son it was most certainly not an action he wished to encourage from the Astronomy Professor.

"Besides, I'd hate to have to break your arm."

Tapendra looked blankly at Ignan for a moment; slightly hurt, but at the same time -

He smirked, withdrawing his arm. "You wouldn't dare, old man," he said, tone warm and full of jest. "Now, hex my arm til it drops off , perhaps, or turn my nose around. Either way, you'd regret it." He sat back against the couch's arm, arms crossed. "Besides, I'd write to my Mum and then what would you do?" He chuckled; the fact she was to be jailed didn't really factor in. She'd still find a way to snap at Ignan and Tapendra, he was sure.

"Sorry," he added, a  bit more seriously. "Do you think Johann knows something? You said he was...unhelpful." It had seemed odd. Johann was the sort Tapendra would have pegged as nosy - the sort to look into things to try and find out what it was Ignan was up to rather than out of a genuine desire to aid his cousin.

"I think she has matters far larger on her mind than the fact I've scorned a hug from you." Ignan replied with a similar hint of humour. "I just don't do ... " at a loss of words, Ignan sort of gestured round and about with splayed fingers, "its not you - oh for Merlin's sake." He jabbed Tapendra firmly in the arm in mock retaliation.

"He wasn't the most helpful, no." Ignan's brow creased as he recalled things - it was easier since he'd dropped the memory into the pensieve while practising drawing out precise memories for the first time in a while between the meeting and showing Tapendra.

"Said Vedir was a businessman and had bought one of the houses Johann had shown to a Dutch wizard - Bergen, think he makes rather elaborate houses. Apparently one in Diagon Alley which was a bit of a mess. He wrote to me about the houses, if it turns out to be significant I can find the letter." Ignan frowned, knowing exactly what Johann had continued to say which was worrying him the most.

"I extracted the memory of our conversation that night while I was testing out the pensieve and preparing to teach you. Johann said something a bit odd after I asked him if they'd met. Apparently once in the atrium, where Johann found him a 'nice enough fellow'," Ignan exchanged a look with Tapendra as if to say 'as if', "and then said Vedir had lovely eyes - which he hadn't intended to say given his haste to cover it over." Ignan sat back in the same way Tappy had retreated away from him in mock offence moments earlier.

"Its been bothering me. Not because the whole family has a bet on Johann's preferences - but because even if Johann only met him once briefly... if he apparently has lovely eyes... it seems highly unlikely for Johann to have left it there. If you find someone attractive, you seek information about them, don't you? If you're Johann you bloody well stalk them." The frown deepened, "and then he offered willingly to dig up what he could on Trevelyan, not that he came to much conclusion there to help us regrettably."

He'd not had much time to dwell on it, but the more he considered it the worse it sounded. Especially as Johann was flaky in his responses. Ignan was aware he'd left Gabrielle's home in a bit of a state, and taken a holiday in France, and was back at work, but had not written with any regularity or elaborated on his domestic life. Not that Ignan would usually care.

"Then again, could be he can't say anything otherwise he'll lose his job, so we won't find out until the Ministry finally compile enough paperwork to give Prideaux a fine." He shrugged.

"I may persist to see if I can find out, especially if you've begun to feed information. You don't know where it could end up in London, do you?"

He laughed in response to the jab, and while the conversation quickly turned grim again, he smiled at Ignan anyway. Still, the Johann reports were bad news all around. Useless intel, and possibly an attraction to Prideaux. That was worrying indeed. Unspoken though the worries were, Tapendra understood them, his hand finding his beard as he thought, his brow creased with concern.

"If that is what's going on..." He started, hand shifting to his hair so he could lean his head on it. "Prideaux is an excellent seducer in...all the ways that word...implies." The discomfort even considering that was obvious; he wrapped his arms around his torso. "And he'll use any he thinks will work or that would further his goal the best."

"If Johann was interesting to him for...any  reason, he might have started, well..." He was having difficulty just saying it; both because he didn't want to, and because this was Johann they were talking about. "Johann might be in danger," he said, finally. "And...well..."

His thoughts were horrible, and he knew it. He leaned fully against the couch. "You're rubbing off on me," he confessed. "Or maybe it's Mum, but...Johann, if he and Prideaux are close - even as an employee - he might be useful. But it'd be dangerous for us to try that. Prideaux wouldn't hesitate to kill him if he thinks he'd a danger to him."

He swallowed. "The papers are likely on Trevelyan's person, or in the Auror office. What should we do about Johann?"

"You don't want either of us rubbing off on you, your liver wouldn't keep up." Ignan replied gruffly. "I'll deal with Johann... somehow. I just hope its entirely fluke. If its not, I'll bloody well send him into next week black and blue." He gave an irritated sigh.

"I think we're straight again, are we not Tapendra? My apologies that this week has been less than convivial on my part. Whereas you seek out women and shoulders and cry on, I prefer to think things through alone, and without distraction. Georg pointed out my shortcomings, but it takes a while for an old man to be humble." He paused, gave Tapendra a suspicious look and held both hands up palms outermost, "Please don't try to hug me again." The mood lightened a little again.

"I still very much want to continue our friendship, though I realise things have quite clearly changed between us - and Georgiana and Cyhirae. I'll keep my respectable distance from them as their Professor unless they have their wishes to know me any better given my recent... and not so recent involvement with your family." The smirk hinted at the corner of his lips.

"If things do turn sour with Prideaux, then I will do all I can to help. I will most probably be returning to Germany over the summer, but cross-continental floo is so very efficient... in either direction."