30 April 1921
7:00 pm
Charges: Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Child Endangerment
Date of Trial: November 1, 1921
FUCK!
It wasn’t a shock that there was going to be a trial. He knew it was coming, but what he hadn’t expected was a charge of Manslaughter. And Child Endangerment? Just fucking great.
Gideon was sitting in his office, one drink in, pouring another while clutching the letter from the Ministry and the Wizengamot. Thankfully his family kept a solicitor on retainer, a beast of a man who would do everything he could to get the charges dropped. Unfortunately, he didn’t see that happening. Kids had been tortured, a man had died and two cult members had lived within castle walls for months without being discovered.
He beat himself up for this daily, thinking about to interactions with the men, sign he had missed, conversations that could be taken a different way with the knowledge he had now. It was still a mystery to him how everything had gone so wrong.
Besides spending time in Azkaban, which worried him greatly, there was another aspect of this that terrified him. What would Rose say when she found out? Would she want to break up with him? Rethink moving in with him? He couldn’t lose her and Fiona. It was unthinkable.
The knock on his office door startled him. Looking at the clock, it became glaringly clear that he had missed dinner and in turn, his “date” with Rose. They had plans to sit next to each other in the Great Hall. Not the type of date he wanted, but the one they could have while school was still in session.
Ruby had laid down the law. Nothing romantic. Keep it clean. No Fraternization on school grounds where students could see.
Thankfully, they had locking doors and the kids had curfews. There were ways to bend the rules.
“Come In,” he said, watching as the door opened and the flash of red hair floated in, causing his heart to stutter. Standing, Gideon met Rose in the middle of his office, just in front of the yellow sofa. “I’m sorry I missed dinner.” He said, giving her a brief kiss, resting his forehead on hers, his hands on her hips. “I got a letter.” Handing the letter to Rose, he stepped back and sat on the sofa, waiting for what she had to say.
Dinner had been… frustrating. Gideon was supposed to sit with her – pathetically being good while they were around students or their coworkers. She wouldn’t lie, it was insanely difficult to behave, and she found that they met up the second curfew began.
Finally, when dinner was over and the students and everyone left the Great Hall, Rose made a beeline towards Hufflepuff, and specifically to the door of her – boyfriend? No, she hated that word. That felt so damn juvenile compared to how they felt about each other.
“Come in.”
Rose opened the door, shutting it behind her. Gideon stood and apologized for missing dinner, which made her frown a bit. He was off. Tense. It was strange how quickly she’d become tuned to his mannerisms that way. He didn’t embrace her like he usually would, with fire igniting between the two. The kiss was brief. She looked up at him as he mentioned the letter and handed it to her. She watched him sit down on the yellow sofa.
She looked at the parchment in her hands and her mouth dropped open. Manslaughter? Child Endangerment?
“What the fuck? You’re going on trial?” she asked, looking at him, her eyes widened.
Panic? Yeah, probably some panic. “There’s gotta be a mistake, because this… you did nothing wrong!” Okay, perhaps she needed to calm down, but after working at the Ministry so long, especially in Magical Law Enforcement, Rose always had a high opinion of them. But this?
She dropped the letter on his desk, an unhappy look on her face as she joined him on the couch, scooting as close as she possibly could. “This is bullshit. I’m going to go to the Ministry tomorrow and talk to them because they must be high or something to think that these charges are even relevant to what you did,” she huffed and looked at him.
“I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this bullshit, Mo ghrá,” she said, grabbing his hand and leaning onto him.
“What the fuck? You’re going on trial?” Her immediate reaction made him smile. The use of a provocative swear word made him want her right there on his couch. Not that it took much. Minutes ago he was angry beyond comprehension. Now, with her sitting next to him, he was smiling. Roisin Byrne was the only person on the planet able to get him out of his funk so quickly.
“There’s gotta be a mistake, because this… you did nothing wrong!” With a sigh, Gideon pulled her closer, “No mistake my love,” he said, kissing her on the temple. The exhaustion that wafted over him was deep. Months of stress had led up to this moment. All the magical issues that plagued the school, the trauma so many had suffered, the dishonesty and secrets. While he was glad it was over, he wished it had a different ending.
“This is bullshit. I’m going to go to the Ministry tomorrow and talk to them because they must be high or something to think that these charges are even relevant to what you did.” Looking at her huff with anger. Wanting to go all rabid badger on the ministry, it was hot as hell. God he loved her. He would do anything to protect her, it was nice to see she had his back as well.
“I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this bullshit, Mo ghrá.” His hand went behind her head, pulling her down, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss. Tucking her hair behind her ear, Gideon stroked her cheek with his thumb.
“I’ll send an owl tomorrow to my Solicitor. We’ll come up with a game plan. I promise we will get through this.” With a sigh, the next thing out of his mouth was difficult to say. “If you want to postpone moving in together, until after the trial, I understand."
While he would understand, he hoped she wouldn’t take him up on the officer.
Rose sighed as Gideon said they’d get through it. She was sure the Blackwood Solicitor was top tier, but the thought of this being in anyone’s hands besides her own was… enough to drive her absolutely mad. They’d get through it. Afterall, they had each other. Gideon would not be going through this alone. She would be there at his side the entire way, if permitted. Maybe even if she wasn’t allowed, she’d find a way.
“If you want to postpone moving in together, until after the trial, I understand."
She popped up, her back straight, and she looked at him as if he’d just grown another head. “What the fuck?” she asked, feeling a flicker of anger again – this time directed at him. Which was odd.
And she really didn’t like it.
So, to lighten the mood a bit, despite her feelings, she picked up the nearest throw pillow and (gently) hit him in the face with it.
“Sorry, Sunshine, but you’re gonna have to do a lot more than these charges to get rid of me,” Rose said, still feeling conflicted emotions. How could he jump straight to that? Honestly, it was absolutely ridiculous. At this point, whether he knew it or not, he was stuck with her and Fiona. She wouldn’t be leaving him, and if he thought she should then she’d definitely enlist the help of his sister, and the rest of the Blackwood clan to make him see that he’d lost his bloody mind.
“Short of finding out you’re the Devil himself, you’re stuck with me.” She looked at him, finally smiling a bit. He was going to need her; she didn’t know what this would look like for him – if it would affect him. He already was more tense, it was quite obvious. But would he try to shut her out? “And I swear to Merlin that if you try to shut me out of this whole thing, I will -” she stopped, clearly trying to think of a thread. “Me and Vinnie will team up and beat the shit out of you, ‘k?”
Gideon flinched back, a smile stretching across his face. She was pissed, but the fire burning inside her was hot… in more ways than one. Watching her grab the pillow and smack him in the face, he laughed, in shock from the sudden assault. “Sorry, Sunshine, but you’re gonna have to do a lot more than these charges to get rid of me.”
Tossing the pillow to the ground, Gideon watched as Rose kept spouting off about leaving her out of things and not getting rid of her.
Good. Glad they were on the same page
“And I swear to Merlin that if you try to shut me out of this whole thing, I will - Me and Vinnie will team up and beat the shit out of you, ‘k?” Oh shit, she was bringing Vin into this? That was just rude… and brilliant.
Before she was able to toss anything else at him, Gideon grabbed Rose and pulled her close crushing his lips to hers. An effective way to stop the verbal onslaught. As their lips parted, Gideon chuckled. “Remind me never to piss you off.”
Getting up off the couch, he stretched, popping his back and neck. Moments ago he was exhausted and pissed. Now? Being in Rose’s presence for a short five minutes, he was energized and smiling. It was time to get to work, meeting with his solicitor would be a priority .
“Trust me, I’m mad too, but we will fight this. We did what we needed to do to save those girls. They can’t throw us into Azkaban for protecting them.”
Before Rose could begin going off again, adding more words that told him just how in this she was with him, and how much she had to be beside him, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was hard, clearly being used as a means to shut her up. Maybe restart her. Which was kind of funny.
Still, as Gideon pulled away, she wanted to pout because the kiss had ended way too soon for her liking.
“Remind me never to piss you off.”
Rose tilted her head to the side slightly, considering this. Was there anything he could do that would piss her off? They were so perfectly in sync about everything, that she couldn't imagine them quarralling. About anything.
She watched him get up and stretch. He looked more like himself now, she noted. She smiled, just taking him in. She loved him.
“Trust me, I’m mad too, but we will fight this. We did what we needed to do to save those girls. They can’t throw us into Azkaban for protecting them.”
Rose stood up as well, her hands on each of his shoulders, looking at him. The smile was gone from her face, and in its place was a serious look. Her blue eyes locked onto his, because she wanted him to really take what she was about to say to heart.
“Gideon, I love you. I promise you that I am going nowhere. Please, do not try to carry this on your own. I’m here, and I can help,” she said, pausing for a moment before gently pressing her lips to his, sealing what she’d just said with a kiss.
She really did love him, more than she thought she ever could.
“Gideon, I love you. I promise you that I am going nowhere. Please, do not try to carry this on your own. I’m here, and I can help.”
He ran his fingers through her hair, pulling her face closer. Not kissing this time, but resting his forehead against hers, just breathing her in. He wasn’t used to having someone by his side, ready to fight his battles with him. As was typical in most arranged marriages, and even more in strict Pureblood families, the man was the bread winner while the woman remained meek and quiet. Supporting her husband with a clean house, well behaved children and food on the table.
It seemed he didn’t much like that. Seeing Rose stand up with him, for him, was very attractive. She had a brain and a spine and thoughts of her own. He had found a partner to help fight the battles, not arm candy with no brain. “You, my love, are sexy as hell when you get all riled up.” He whispered in her ear.
Fucking Ruby and her rules. What he wanted was to bring Rose to bed, pull her close, surround her with his arms and fall asleep. He needed her close, but Ruby had laid down the law. No fraternization. And with him already facing a trial, he didn’t want to press his luck.
“It’s getting late.” With a sigh, he wrapped her in his arms. “You should go back to your quarters, spend time with Fi. Give her my love please. We have one more month and we can get out of this castle get you two moved in.”
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