In Too Deep (Blairon)

I Have A Meltdown In Front Of My Boss

Sometimes I forget how terrible coming back to work is. The drag of putting my uniform on, reading endless case files, dead ends and generally being in the vasinity of Delores Umbridge, my boss, was the most mentally draining thing I could ever experience at age twenty five.

At least I knew I wasn't the only one. After what had happened last week at Finch Labs what with Blaise killing three other deputies, nobody seemed to be in a good mood today. Harry, who sat in the desk opposite me was absent-mindedly twirling a pen against the table with his index finger and everytime the pen fell, he flinched. My good friend Neville Longbottom, who we'd taken to the hospital the morning of the Finch Labs Massacre had gotten the enormous cut on his cheek stitched up. But his usually bright, happy eyes were sad and sunken as he tried to sign documents without falling asleep at his desk. Across from him sat Ernie McMillan, his partner.

Ernie had been the one to alert Harry and I of what was happening at the laboratory. I wasn't surprised to see he looked no different to how he usually looked, except his movements were sharp, his eyes were a darker hazel than usual and they raced around his eye sockets like he was still on-edge after witnessing the death of the three deputies. And I couldn't blame him. As much as I disliked Ernie, I hated Umbridge for making him and Neville even come to work after what they went through last week.

Amongst what seemed like thousands of telephones ringing, Neville's rang, he flinched and picked it up. I watched him listen and frown into the distance before our eyes met. He motioned for me to come over and I blinked, staggering up.

"-yeah. Yeah, I've got him here," Neville was saying as I approached. He ran a hand through his walnut coloured hair before whispering away from the phone. "Someone's asking for you. Won't give me a name," he said before returning to the conversation. "Sure, I'll give the phone to him."

Neville handed me the telephone and I frowned. Harry, who finally let his pen fall without picking it back up again seemed intrigued by Neville and I and got up, walking towards us. Across from Neville, McMillan rose a suspicious eyebrow.

I put the phone to my ear and cleared my throat. "Deputy Weasley here. Who is this?" I asked and I nearly threw the phone across the precinct.

"I'm here for maintenance." Said the familiar voice on the other end of the line.

I gulped. It was Maintenance Man, or the title I liked less- Cormac McLaggen. Son to the man who'd imprisoned the mers.

I cleared my throat so aggressively Ernie glared at me from under his glasses. I improvised. "Yeah, thanks Charlie. Six is perfect. And don't forget, it's the Manor on Thestral Boulevard." I said, trying my best to sound as casual as possible. Silence took over the line and I hoped McLaggen Junior had understood my message.

"Be expecting me. I come baring gifts." He said and I knew he understood where to meet and when. The conviction in his voice was determined and convincing. But gifts? What gifts could he possibly have unless-

I didn't have time to finish my thoughts before the door to the Sherrif's office burst open and Umbridge stormed out, her eyes set on me. Harry shook my arm urgently and I put the phone down, the line disconnecting.

"Potter, Weasley. Drop all your cases, I've got one for you that I want as your top priority," she said politely, her head inclining towards me suggestively. Just enough for me to realize that she was still confused at to why McLaggen Senior had vouched for me to speak to Blaise last week. The greed in her eyes told me she was itching to find out why me. Especially after she'd given me and Harry permission to take a personal day to see McLaggen when we first learnt about him.

Harry cleared his throat. "Sheriff, Ron and I are on multiple murder cases. We can't just-"

"Zip it!" Umbridge yelped in a voice so squeaky it made me convulse like one would when hearing nails on a chalkboard. "Give your current cases to Shortbottom and McMillan. You two are coming with me," she said sweetly, batting her eyes- an action which did not  suit her frog like features. Neville and Ernie's heads snapped up in alarm and Harry's mouth nearly fell to the ground. I couldn't tell if Neville was mortified because of the fact that she'd given he and Ernie all our cases, or because she'd called him Shortbottom.

"Sheriff-" He stuttered, scratching his nails against his desk nervously.

"Enough, Flatbottom." She drawled. Neville's face flushed so furiously I wanted to shield the poor guy from Umbridge's evil aura.

"Potter, Weasley. With me, let's go." Before the four of us could protest, Umbridge took Harry and I by the hems of our uniforms and dragged us out of the precinct. Curious on-lookers frowning as we passed by.

"Sheriff-" Harry started again, huffing as she pushed us towards her precinct given Honda. Unlike the other Station cars which were red, brown and gold- Umbridge's car was red, gold and black, the words were Sheriff painted in white on either side. Blue and red lights were attached to the top of it, just waiting to be switched on.

Umbridge shoved us into her car and it roared to life. She swerved out of the precinct with the driving skills of a lunatic, which probably broke at least three laws, (ironic, isn't it?) and began driving North towards the highway.

In the back seats, Harry and I glanced at each other, buckling up.

"With all do respect, Ma'am-" I began. "What the hell?"
Through the rear view mirror the woman rolled her eyes, ignoring my question. Harry glared out of the window, reading the street signs and suddenly panic washed over his face like a tidal wave. He leaned so close to me I thought he was going to peck my nose, but instead he whispered, "Finch,"

It took me a moment to compute what I'd heard. Cold ice seemed to settle around my heart, which in turn was trying to crawl out of my throat. True to Harry's words, I recognized the off ramp we'd taken to get to Finch Labs where the mers were being held. I blinked tears out of my eyes.

After talking with Draco just the other day at the crack of dawn back at the Burrow, I'd been headset on finding a way to get Blaise out of there. I'd left him to the dogs and I needed to make things right. Bill had told me that the military's research center on the coast had a Mer. Or as they saw it, a weapon.

I couldn't let them do that to Blaise. Or Pansy and Theodore for that matter.

I had planned to go back to the Lab and save that bloody bastard of a fish man but now? Now that I was actually going, I couldn't control my emotions for the life of me. I was terrified, afraid, guilty and if there were a word for being excited, angry and emotional at the same time I'd use it.

I wiped my tears furiously, praying that Umbridge was too busy driving like a drunk to look back.

The car screeched to a halt and I blinked. The enormous glass building loomed over us, casting a shadow so dark I shivered.

The large glass doors opened and out stepped my least favourite person. Terrence McLaggen...