From the Devil's side

Chapter Eleven- A useful ally

I sat in my usual leather armchair beside the fireplace in the common room, absently skimming over a book that I had taken from the restricted section earlier that week. No one ever even dared question what it was that I was reading or how it was that I got my hands on it. No one ever doubted my 'pureness' other than those I chose to show my true aspiration to. 
I frowned as I saw the tall blonde swinging her hips as she walked over to me looking agitated. 
"Celia, how may I help you?" I asked looking up from my book to face her. She bent low over me her shirt slightly unbuttoned to expose some of her cleavage. I looked back up to her jealous looking expression waiting for her to speak, 
"There is some stubby little Gryffindor wrench asking for you." she spat bitterly. 
I closed my book tapping my finger on it and making it disappear before standing without another word to the messenger much to her disgruntlement and walked over to the entryway. What could she possibly want at this time of the evening? 
Rosier was already stood in the doorway and Celia was stood behind me trying to crane her neck over me. 
"Thank you Flint, thank you Rosier," I nodded to both of them, "I will take over from here,"
They both looked a little reluctant but knew better than to challenge me and retreated into the common room.
"Its nine pm McLaggen," I stated, looking at her. She had on her long maron dressing gown, her hair wild around her head like a lion's mane her expression wired and elated.
"I've got something I need you to see, well hear, well I will have anyway," she blabbered, waving her hands around animatedly.
"I'm afraid I don't follow," I replied as I considered her. Trying to come to some kind of realisation to what it was she was referring to.
"Look just trust me," she sighed exasperatedly, "We need to go somewhere private," she bit her lip, 'private'?
"Come on," she took off down the corridor, not once turning around to check that I was following her. 

Closing the large wooden doors of the room of requirement behind us, she spun around excitedly to face me. I had never seen her like this before... I had to admit her energy was almost contagious... almost.  
"Well McLaggen you do know how to build suspense," I smirked. 
"It will be worth it!" she beamed. What was she planning?
"Let me introduce you to," she clicked her fingers and a puff of white smoke, a crack and an old wizened looking house elf stood in the middle of the room, looking around himself, confused. "Leo," she introduced, using her hand to gesture to where he stood.
I could do nothing but merely looked down at the elf in disbelief... a house elf... I felt homicidal. 
"An elf," I left an exaggerated pause between each word, "You brought me all the way up here, at this time of night, on a week day to meet an elf," 
"This elf," she emphasised, "holds the answers to all our questions,"
The elf looked as confused as I was. 
She addressed the small elf "Leo, I need you to search through my Father's files,"
The elf's eyes widened, "Mistress wants Leo to go sifting through my Masters possessions without permission!" The elf looked flabbergasted, as if he had just been asked to slit his own throat.
"Yes Leo, I am your Mistress too and I forbid you to tell him what you are doing or that you have even been here do you understand?"
The elf eyes wider than ever, he spluttered, "But...I...you... Master...yes" as he began to slap himself upon his wrinkled bald head.
"Stop that!" she instructed him firmly and he stopped instantly, big eyes looking up at her for mercy.
"Leo, the file in which I need you to find is any documentation relating to the 'Gaunt' family,"
She flicked my gaze towards me for a moment but my attention was fixed upon the small elf.
"Yes Mistress," the elf replied through thick sobs.
"Oh and Leo?" the elf looked up at her, "Do not come back to me unless we are alone, Tom is okay," she gestured me beside her, the elf gave a nervous look towards me and nodded.
"Okay, off you go then," she said, dismissing the elf, there was another puff of smoke and another echoing crack and myself and Grisha were left alone together in the room once more, there was a moments silence.
"I am... impressed," I said honestly, leaning myself against the arm of one of the armchairs. She grinned at me clearly satisfied with herself.
"What is it that your Father does?" I asked after a moment, I felt the time was right. If there was ever a time she was going to answer my questions it was now. My prediction was proven to be correct as she merely smiled and replied quiet casually as if she was discussing quidditch. 
"He works for the ministry, top secret, high security, that's all I know, I am not privy to any more information than that," there was a slight bitterness to her words but it was hardly noticeable. "He clearly underestimates you," I replied. Rarely was my flattery ever truly genuine but in this circumstance I believed what it was I was saying. Grisha was proving to be more than I ever imagined she could be. 
"If there are any Gaunt's left we will know," she said confidently. I smiled my knights could learn a lot from her. She was proving to be a more useful ally than I could have hoped for.