Enclosed

Chapter Seven: Temporary

The weeks start to pass a little more quickly. Since giving Malfoy the book, their petty arguments had lessened significantly. They hadn't stopped completely of course. They just weren't clawing at each other's throats anymore. 

As shocking as it was, Rose didn't mind the change. They'd even managed to have a few casual chats about The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 

Those chats were a decent excuse to put down the parchment and get out of the office for a break. Not that she took too many. The bags under her eyes were evidence of that. At this point, they were a permanent mark on her freckled face. Getting more than four hours of sleep was a luxury. Adrenaline and coffee were the only things helping her stay upright. 

Scorp's interview with Marcus turned out to be useless. She'd already heard everything and gathered no new information. At this point, Rose only had table scraps to build a full case on. 

Her meeting with Ruiz went almost too perfectly. With Al disguised as the American lawyer and Uncle George's new extendable ears, she was able to feed Al word-for-word what he needed to say. Ruiz's deal hadn't changed much since the last time he proposed it and Rose was well prepared with a counter deal. She would lessen the sentencing from a dementor's kiss to life in prison if Pious agreed to give them a complete list of his followers. 

Ruiz denied Pious having any involvement in the case at all and insisted that his client would plead not guilty. Unless they could build a more solid case, Pious would have a good chance of walking.

The only physical piece of evidence was clipped around her neck. She thumbed it wondering for the thousandth time what its purpose was. She suspected it was a key. What it unlocked was an entirely different question. One Rose was attempting to answer right now. If only there was more wall space. 

The walls were blocked by bookshelves, which wouldn't do. She needed a flat wall to create a board. The supplies were laid on the floor, ready for use. Large whiteboards. Pictures and cut-out clippings from articles. Various colored yarns and quills with specialized charms. It was everything she needed to create a diagram of facts. She was missing something. Something big and creating a visualization would hopefully help her figure out what. 

Rose wiped away the sweat on her brow and continued trying to push the bookshelf to the corner a few inches away. It didn't budge. Books might have been light and enjoyable on their own. Packed together they were a nightmare. A hassle even.

Rose wasn't great with keeping time. Her parents gifted her an heirloom watch for her seventeenth birthday to not only carry on the tradition but to help Rose with her punctuality. It didn't work well. She could have sworn it was 2:00 pm a few minutes ago. How was it already 9:38 pm? Time did slip away when you weren't watching. 

With a heavy grunt, Rose pushed her shoulder into the shelf. It shuddered against her weight, sending books collapsing onto the floor with a disruptive bang. It remained unmoved. Her muscles ached, begging her to surround herself and go back to the less physical task of sitting at the desk.

Sliding down the bookshelf with a defeated groan, Rose looked at the pile of books on the floor. It would take forever to categorize them the way she liked. This small task had just turned into a few-hour project. Hours she didn't have. 

The office door swung open with such force, that it banged into the wall, leaving a small hole in its wake. Malfoy stood defensively in the doorway, his wand at the ready as his eyes scanned for danger. 

Rose crossed her arms unimpressed, as Malfoy's confused gaze found no immediate threat. He straightened up, slipping the wand into his back pocket. "What's with all the noise?"