The Devil's Stratagem

The Devils Stratagem Chapter Five: An Abstruse Acquaintance

Don't know much, but one thing's for sure,
Looking for a life full of adventure.
There's a purpose for you being here.
Opportunity knocks, so open your ears.

Open your eyes, take a glimpse down the road.
Take a picture in your mind, choose the path you must go.
Choosing what's right is what you gotta do,
just take a chance and see it through.

"Opportunity knocks" - That Darn Eve

***

Crunch. A bone was snapped in half whilst a salivating mouth covered it and began gnashing at it with its teeth ravenously. The last bite of meat was savored inside the mouth, but eventually swallowed and followed by a sip of red wine.

A smooth hand curled around the cup, perfectly polished nails glinting with the firelight. Fierce eyes stared into the wavering fire. A plan was being formed in his mind; a beautiful plan that was surely faultless.

Another sip of wine and a smile put the lord of the castle in an amused state. Everything was going perfectly. No one suspected him, for none knew he was not imprisoned and had not been for years.

His smile widened as he gulped down the rest of his glass. The clinking of glass on wood was not the only sound that echoed through the room when the lord placed his glass down. A knock also called through the room.

With a wave of the lord's hand, the door opened, showing the figure of a man clad in black. Briskly, he stepped inside, not even flinching as the door closed behind him. He did, however, pause to push his hair back from his face.

He arrived at the lord's side and kneeled down, bowing his head. "I came as quickly as I could, my Lord," he mumbled, his head still facing down. A touch upon the top of his skull ushered him to an upright position.

"I called you here," the lord began, strings of saliva clinging to his lips as they moved up and down. "To ask you a favor." He spit upon saying the last word, the gob landing on the other man's face. He held himself from wiping it off.

He replied briskly and blinked only once. "All right, I'll do anything."

"I need you to follow Eliana's second. Get close to her, track her if you will. Become her friend; become her sole confidant. Offer her a job, something, just get close enough to take it from her." A nod and a cough of approval was all that was voiced for some time.

"...But what if she finds out my true intentions?" It broke the still silence that had formed around the pair of men. The lower man seemed to shift uncomfortably from foot to foot. He already knew what the answer would be.

"Then kill her."

"Yessir."

***

Darkness filled the flat and not a sound could be heard, save the curtains which flapped against the window via the small cat's paws that were batting them about playfully. Suddenly, the sound stopped and a light padding of paws could be heard.

A low meow escaped the cat's mouth as she jumped up on the armchair that sat by the patio doors. A shadow seemed to be moving outside, and the cat swatted at it just as it had swatted the curtains. A clunk of the cat's paw on the glass caused the owner of the shadow to stumble out from behind a large potted plant.

His wide eyes looked into the cat's eyes and suddenly, he made a rash movement. The cat jumped off of the chair in fright, hissing loudly. With a soft pop, the man was gone. Not knowing, or caring, the cat stumbled to Ginny's closed door, crying loudly.

It only succeeded in rousing Harry. A large thump signaled from the living room, and then a shuffle of feet followed. There was a pause, and then a loud clang. Harry could be heard swearing under his breath as he hopped into the hallway holding his foot.

He saw the cat sitting where the door would open, whining rather loudly. The cat paused for a moment, turning to him. She meowed at him, as if she were speaking to him, and then turned her attention back to the door. Harry wrapped his slender fingers around the doorknob and, cautiously, turned it.

As he opened the door as noiselessly as possible, he let both himself and the cat inside. His eyes immediately fell on Ginny. She looked so peaceful with knurly tendrils of hair placed serenely across her face. He sighed and tiptoed over to her bed.

As he neared, he could see her eyes scrunch up in what seemed to be pain. A small gasp escaped her lips. Her fingers clenched the sheets and her teeth began to grind. Harry slipped a finger beneath her hand. She grabbed it tightly and her body began to relax.

"Gods Gin, what is this blasted thing doing to you?" Harry reached over and with his other hand took the cross from her bedside table. His green orbs gazed at the intricate design on the tips. What is it? He asked himself, slipping his finger out from under from Ginny's hand.

He proceeded to stroke it, his fingers rippling on the rough texture. It was like nothing he had seen before. The trim was so deeply cut it made imprints on the other side. Gazing closer at it, he saw tiny rhinestones wedged inside of the silver of the cross. His eyes began to shine.

"I don't understand why you won't let me look after it," he whispered to the sleeping Ginny, turning to her. "I think it really would be for the best if I... Yes. I shall-"

Ginny's eyes soared open and fell on the cross that was gripped tightly in Harry's hand. A cold sweat began forming at her brow. Drip. One stream of sweat fell to the bed sheets. She brought herself to a sitting position.

"Harry," she almost breathed, afraid that he may crush it at any moment. He jumped, his eyes growing wide.

"Yes, Gin?" he asked, looking at her, his clutch on the cross lessening only a tiny bit.

"Can..." she trailed off, her chocolate eyes falling on the object held in Harry's fist.

He squinted his eyes and looked down at his fist. He coughed in surprise and nodded. His hand fell away from the cross as he extended his hand to her. She took it and held it to her chest.

Harry's eyes still remained on the cross. "If you look close enough, there's a hole at the top..."

Ginny cocked her head to the side. "Really?"

Harry nodded his head. "Uh-huh, and I'm sure you could fit a chain through it."

"Then I could wear it as a necklace!" Ginny was beaming with delight. She scrambled out of bed and dashed over to her vanity. Gently opening her jewelry box, she searched for old necklaces.

She paused, holding up the necklace that Ron had given her for her last birthday. The horse charm shimmered in the moonlight, but the chain was the only one in the jewelry box small enough to fit into the tiny hole of the cross. "I'm sorry," she whispered, slipping the horse off of the chain. It was promptly replaced with the cross.

She staggered with the clasp. Swearing under her breath, she brought the necklace out in front of her again.

She jumped upon hearing Harry's voice. "Can I help with that?"

He walked up behind her and began fingering the necklace. "Let us see how this works..." He bit his tongue in concentration as his finger fought to keep the fastening open. Ginny pulled up her hair for him.

He murmured a quick thanks and slid the chink into the open clamp. Smiling at himself, he turned Ginny around. "I did it!" Ginny giggled at him.

"Yes, it looks like you did. --What time is it?" she asked, yawning.

"Time for you to go to bed, I'm sure." And with that, he shooed her back under the covers.

Sleep began to take Ginny. She rolled over onto her side, her hands folded neatly under her head. Harry gave her a half smile and then prepared to walk out of the room. Ginny sniffed. "Can you stay a bit? Just until I go to sleep?"

He nodded, sitting down next to her on the bed. "Sweet dreams." His hands began to stroke her hair.

She murmured happily as her heavy eyelids fluttered closed. She took his hand from her head and placed it in her own. Her porcelain fingers slid into his bulky palm. They spread around his hand, searching for his fingers.

Once found, her fingers rolled across his, the tips folding over to cover the tips of his own fingers. Suddenly, in one jerking movement, her fingers fell down and gripped his hand tightly. Another painful gasp escaped her lips.

"Ginny! Ginny!" Harry bent over her, looking into her face. Her grip tightened. Harry yelped in pain. "GINNY!" She couldn't hear him; she was in a deep sleep.

Harry crawled over her on the bed and thudded down behind her. He pulled her closer to him with their intertwined hands. Whispering soothing things into her ear, he saw that she was calming down.

"It's going to be all right. I'm here." She shivered, her entire body quaking. With his free hand, Harry reached down for the covers. He pulled the blankets over the both of them and made sure that Ginny was completely covered.

***

A flash of light flickered atop Ginny's closed eyelids. She squeezed them closed and then opened them. "Wha' was 'at?" she murmured through the sleepiness that slurred her words.

She received no response, but spotted a tiny camera ducking into Harry's open robe. Looking down at herself, she saw her necklace pulled out and laying above her nightdress. Quirking her eyebrow, she looked up at Harry, but all she saw his wand.

Her head dropped to the bed.

***

For a second time that morning, Ginny stirred in her bed. She hoisted herself up on her elbows and her eyes dashed around the flat. She spotted Harry on the window seat, a fag hanging out of his mouth.

"I didn't know you smoked." She half smiled, getting out of bed. Stepping into the bathroom, she tossed on her robe and came to stand next to him.

"Only bloody good thing Muggles invented..." Harry muttered taking a long drawl on the cigarette, his eyes holding to the scenery of the surrounding suburb. Ginny let her eyes fall on the scenery as well.

"Come, come now. It's not the only good thing..." She hesitated, but placed her hand on his crossed arms.

He looked at her, his eyes shining brightly. "It is."

"All right. People have different opinions..." she tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"It's not a matter of opinion Ginny." He turned sharply away from her.

"Harry!"

He turned at his name, but his eyes were a stony color. "Ginny, we are nothing like them. They only did one good thing... and it's a mere cigarette... look at the world of good we've done."

"Do not go placing people in those kinds of categories. There is no 'us' unless you are talking about mankind. Besides, would you say such things if it were Hermione here in my place?" Ginny's eyes were wide with disbelief. Hanging his head in shame, he turned from her. She wasn't quite finished yet. "You were a Muggle too once upon a time if I'm correct."

His head snapped up. "Yes, and I hated every bleeding moment. Look, let's not talk about this." The hard expression that covered his face signaled that the topic was closed. Another puff of his fag caused his body to relax a bit, but Ginny could tell by the tight lines in his face that he wasn't easing up inside.

She took a step closer to him. "I'm sorry... I know what you grew up with... I..."

"It's all right," he plastered on a fake grin. "Peachy keen."

"Harry..." sympathy lined Ginny's voice.

Before he could respond, her tiny arms had enveloped him in a tight hug. His cigarette hung in his half open mouth for a moment, but he brought up his hand to take it out. A stream of smoke emerged from his mouth just before his head slowly fell onto Ginny's shoulder.

"Everything is just catching up to me Gin, I don't know what to do anymore," he shook his head into her shoulder, mussing her robed and twisting them into a most uncomfortable position. "I'm practically on owl every day... and... and..." his voice faltered. "I don't think I can take it anymore."

Ginny rubbed his back soothingly. "It's okay... just take everything one step at a time."

"How can I take everything one step at a time if everything just springs on me?" He was like a small child in her arms. His hands clawed at the robes on her back, gripping as tightly to her as he could. She didn't know what to do; she didn't know what to say. This wasn't her job; this wasn't what she had ever done for him. This was Hermione's. Hermione had to comfort him, tell him everything was okay, not Ginny. Ginny made him smile. Ginny distracted him.

"Working at the Department of Mysteries is very..." she coughed, searching for the right word. "Tiring." She settled for the first thing that came to mind.

"I just... I just want to look further into the veil but they keep me occupied with every other thing in the entire place... it's driving me insane." Ginny could feel his tears smearing through the cloth of her robes and onto her skin.

She gave him an extra squeeze before pulling away. She took her hands, planted them firmly on his shoulders, and practically made him look her in the eye. "You can't keep trying to bring him back..." Her doe brown eyes tried to search his, but they flicked away quickly.

He stepped back as if she had just stabbed him. Not even his glasses could conceal all of the hurt and anger that he felt. "Don't you tell me what I can and cannot do! I can bring him back... I can, dammit! I can bring Sirius back!"

Ginny reached for him, but he collapsed into a sniffling ball on the floor before she could do anything. So, she knelt down and crawled over to him. "Harry, he's been gone for a long time. You need to let go..."

Harry stood up and collected himself. With a resounding sniff, he turned to her. "No. I don't. I'm going to work. I'll see you tonight." With a few strides and a slam of the door he was gone.

"Well I never..." she mumbled to herself as she got up. Shaking her head at his rudeness, she stepped into the kitchen to fix herself something to eat.

***

Harry rapped on the door that lay in front of him softly. "Boss?"

"Who is it?" a deep voice boomed from the inside.

"It's Virtuoso."

"Slip in your ID."

Harry shuffled about the side of the wall and opened a small flap. He pressed his hand up against the blue goo... he never did like this part of his job. Removing his hand, he looked to see if any of the goo stuck to it, but, as usual, it did not.

Taking in a breath, he stuck his entire head inside. Suddenly, there was a quick shock through his brain. A blinding light took in his credentials and a small 'bing' sounded from inside the door. Harry removed himself, feeling a bit disgusted, and trotted inside the opened door.

It immediately slammed shut behind him.

Harry stopped at the foot of his boss' desk. Just beyond it, the boss sat in a large backed chair. His brown skin stood out against his maroon shirt and a small glint of sunlight reflected off of his bald head. A wide grin spread across his large lips once his eyes settled on Harry.

"Ah good to see you. I understand you wished to speak to me about something?"

"Yes sir. Some odd things have been happening to my friend..."

"Ah, the one with the demon? Yes, we've been tracking that for quite some time." The boss turned from Harry and shambled about the drawer of his desk. It appeared as if he couldn't find what he was looking for.

He began mumbling. "Ah, bleeding son of a bitch. Can't find the damned thing... must get better cleaners."

"But sir, we don't have cleaners..." Harry interjected, looking over the desk to see what his boss was doing.

He brought his head up to Harry's eye level, a smile playing across his lips. "Precisely." He wiggled his eyebrows and sat back in his chair. "Looks like we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way."

With a wave of the boss' large palm, a screen popped up before them. "This is the recordings of the 'watch dog' that we planted at her flat, and let me tell you, she is quite the vixen..."

Harry promptly cut him off. "You don't mean you can watch while she... she... does personal stuff?"

A booming laugh escaped the boss' lips. "Of course not. Just teasing you. She's a 'good girl' anyway, am I right?" Confused, Harry nodded his head. "Thought so. I know these things," The boss lightly touched his nose. "But, I'm sure you'll fix that problem..."

Harry couldn't help but smile.

"Back to the topic at hand. The only reason why I've obtained this tape is because one of our security brought her odd sleeping patterns to my attention. Not only are they irregular, but if you look closer..."

The screen suddenly maximized so you could see Ginny's face. "Her face is always in a right state. We started playing serious attention when she began coughing up blood," Harry's mouth dropped as he watched the screen-Ginny do just as his boss had claimed. He scrunched his nose in disgust.

The boss cleared his throat to regain Harry's attention before continuing. "There were traces of it everywhere, but in the morning, most of it disappeared..." The screen seemed to fast-forward the video to the morning where the blood would suddenly vanish from sight. "No one can figure out what's been going on in that bloody place. Pun not intended.

"It's actually become a kind of amusement around here. Most of the blokes gather 'round to see if anything's happened to her." The boss promptly stopped when he saw the glare on Harry's face.

"What do you mean 'most of the blokes gather round to see if anything's happened to her'?" Harry's eyebrows were furrowed so close together, they were touching.

"Don't worry mate, no one saw anything inappropriate."

"You shouldn't be watching my... my..."

"Harry, you were the one that suggested we planted the 'watch dog' on all of your friends, don't come back now and yell at me for doing what you asked."

Harry collapsed into the open chair in which he was standing in front of. Rubbing his temples he looked back at the boss. "Okay, okay." He still wasn't happy.

The boss dabbed at his nose with a tissue. "Besides, we can't see anything if one of our men go to check on her, so all last night was a complete blur. We couldn't see anything. There was quite the uproar."

"Well, odd as it sounds... a gothic cross popped out of her left hand. I had to mend it, but she'll always have a huge scare there. I swear, this thing was monstrous."

"Did you take a picture?" The boss cocked his eyebrow.

"Yes sir, I did."

"May I see it?"

"Oh, right." Harry shuffled about his robe pockets. Finally, he found it and extended it to his colleague.

The boss opened the side of the camera and the picture of the cross popped up. He observed it for a moment and let his eyes absorb everything he could. "Virtuoso, I'm removing you from your present case. You are to make sure nothing happens to her..."

"Thanks. I didn't want to go against orders." A genuine smile lit Harry's face.

The boss nodded, handing the camera back to Harry. "I figured it would save me the energy from yelling at you."

***

Ginny sat, crouched in a ball on her favorite chair, with a mug of coffee in her hands, staring at the book that she needed to bring back to Hermione. She didn't take her eyes off of the dreaded thing, even as she took a sip of her coffee. She was already dressed, her hair was done and her face was fixed up with makeup. A necklace even lined her neck and delved down below her shirt.

Of course it was the cross, and she would have worn it no matter the circumstance, but wearing jewelry was a new thing for her. The point was, she was ready to leave her flat and go about normal business, but the prospect of seeing Hermione after what was previously said left a sick feeling of anxiety churning in her stomach.

She sniffed at the book and went to take another sip of her coffee, but she found that she had already drained the mug. Uncurling herself from her comfortable ball, she went into the kitchen to pour herself another cup to procrastinate, but found that she had already drank the whole thing.

Muttering under her breath, she placed the cup in the sink and went to put some shoes on. Her old working cloak from Hogwarts covered her shoulders and the book sat in the crook of her arm. A small bang signaled her absence.

***

"Here." Ginny pushed the book into Hermione's arms.

An awkward silence passed between the two girls. Hermione brushed a curl behind her ear while Ginny pretended to look for something in her pockets.

"Ginny..."

The redhead looked up. "Mm?"

Hermione inhaled as she took her glasses off and let them dangle from her chain. "I don't want to act childish anymore. I want to apologize to you. I shouldn't have said those things to you yesterday. It's just... I don't know. You've always..."

"Been in the way of you and Harry." Ginny sighed, finishing her peer's sentence. She looked down at her feet.

Hermione's eyes grew wide. "No! No, not at all! You've always been there for me and I've always treated you so horribly! I've always looked down upon you, but you're really someone to look up to."

Ginny looked up, her eyes misty from tears. "Oh..." she threw her arms around the older girl. Hermione squeezed her gently and backed away.

"You can come back, you know. You can work here again..."

"I... I don't think so. I'm sorry. I'm just a bit tired of accepting everything that's been handed to me. I want to work for what I get..."

"I understand. Well, do come round for tea one of these days, won't you?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course."

Hermione scrunched her nose, happy for Ginny. There was a brief pause where she cleaned the smudges off of her glasses; a thing she rarely got to do. Looking back up, she smiled at Ginny and her eyes darted to the clock. "Some of us have tasks to attend to," She smirked teasingly. "So, you will understand if I hole up in my office won't you?" With a nod from Ginny, Hermione continued. "Good, because I really should be going. Ta!"

Ginny watched Hermione walk away and smiled to herself. Free at last, free at last; thank God all mighty...I'm free at last. She giggled, taking one last look at the old building.

"I suppose just one last peruse wouldn't hurt..."

Her shoes 'clinked' against the floor as she wandered about, looking through different sections of books. She sat down, by a cart ironically, and took everything in.

It was all so neat and tidy. Somehow, she had never noticed it before. The walls of books seemed smaller than they had when she first entered as an employee. Her eyes drifted to her favourite corner and watched as a couple nestled themselves into a couch by the fire and read.

She would actually miss this; miss the people smiling and saying hello, miss being able to wander practically anywhere and not get in trouble, miss having any book at her disposal-

"E'scuse me miss, do you work here?"

Ginny's head swiveled around. It was the man who had knocked her down the other day. "Er- no... but I used to. Do you need help?"

He scratched his head. "I was just wondering if I could return this book here."

"You're actually supposed to return the books at the front." She pointed to a cart near the front desk.

He nodded, placing the book on the table. He looked at her, just staring for a moment. Ginny fidgeted, pulling her robes closer to her body. This man was quite strange.

"Do I know you?" He had finally spoken.

"Well, kind of. You actually knocked me down the other day." Her face slightly flushed.

"I knew it! Don't come across many redheads now-a-days, do you?"

"No, I suppose not..." A small smile lined her lips. He wasn't strange, he was amusing. In an odd way, of course.

"You're not someone I'd easily forget anyway." Ginny blushed a deep red. He cleared his throat. "The name's Zabini. Blaise Zabini."

Ginny's eyes grew wide. "THE Blaise Zabini? The famous author?"

He extended his arms. "In the flesh." Clapping his hands, he slid down in the chair across from her. "And who might you be?" He rested his head on his folded hands as he awaited her response.

"Ginevra Weasley, but everyone calls me Ginny... or Gin. Ha! I have a nickname for my nickname!" Ginny mentally slapped herself. Just stop talking and maybe you won't make an arse out of yourself.

"Well, I am very pleased to meet you, Miss Ginny."

"As I am." Not knowing what else to say, she simply smiled. You're making such a fool of yourself! Just, do something...anything! Her eyes diverted themselves to the book that was still on the table. "Catching up on your own works, I see?"

Now it was his turn to blush. "Ah, well. There's an explanation for that. Am going to see the big boss and wanted to refresh my memory of my opinions. You see my opinions come and go and change every moment. I have to keep one in mind and stick to it when consulting the big cheese."

Ginny couldn't help but picture Blaise spouting off prophecies to a huge block of cheese in a chair with a suit somehow strapped around it. She beamed despite herself. Blaise's crisp blue eyes looked at her wonderingly.

Ginny waved her hand in front of her and shook her head. "It's nothing. Just a bit of insanity flaring it's nasty head. Anyway," She brushed her hair behind her shoulders. "What opinions are you going to parade around at this meeting of yours?" Her hands folded neatly in front of her on the desk.

"Oh the nasty ones... you know," he sat back, shaking his head so his hair would fall from his line of vision. His brown curls bounced as they moved, showing his impeccable complexion as they cleared from his face. Merlin, is he perfect? To answer Ginny's unspoken question, Blaise smiled, revealing pearly white teeth. Inwardly, she swooned.

"Actually, I don't..." she replied as she snapped back to reality.

"Well then. I'm just going to spout off some of Nostradamus' predictions and support them with every fiber of my being. A.k.a.... I'm going to bullshit something to you," he winked. "'Tis simple enough really."

"Really? And what interest would your boss have in Nostradamus?"

"Ah, and here comes the hard part; explaining. I've been recently hired into a marketing company, or something, I don't even bloody know, because the demand for prophecies and diviners has skyrocketed. People are very interested in the supernatural and what's beyond, believe it or not." He cocked his perfectly tweezed eyebrow. Ginny noted how clean and primly cut they were. She thought it a bit odd, but applauded him for noting how importance appearances can be.

"I'm there to inform the company of all of the prophecies that could help boost interest in our clients' businesses. I know, rather drab, but it brings in the bacon." Blaise grinned at the bemused look on his companion's face.

"Interest in the supernatural? You'd think the ability to do magic would be enough for them, wouldn't you? Jeeze. And besides, if you want mystifying and future all you have to do it look at the bible." She paused upon the look on his face. "Sorry. The 'Bible-Thumper' in me is coming out again."

"No, it's not a problem at all. Please... elaborate. I want to hear this."

"Erm. Well, for starters, you can just talk about how the devil was trapped; you can't get more 'supernatural' and 'exciting' than that. I mean, an angel comes down from heaven with a chain of darkness and binds Satan and throws him into a pit that shall hold him a thousand years; yet we see that Satan still has the power to do his deeds through his minions. And when he is to rise again, he shall bring an army of darkness with him into the city of Jerusalem where God will engulf Satan and his army in flames. I mean..." Ginny was astounded at the passion with which she delivered her speech.

A light was in Blaise's eye; a thought was brewing in his head. "Kind of like how the third antichrist will take the city of Jerusalem with his army, sit in the temple and proclaim that he is God... to trick the people." He seemed to be out of breath and his eyes were full of excitement.

Ginny placed her hand on his. "Are you all right?"

Blaise snapped his head to hers. "Would you like a job?" he asked eagerly, looking directly at her. "You just started an entire reel of ideas in my head and..." his eyes searched her own. "I need you to come with me and talk with me at my meeting." Ginny bit her lip skeptically.

He scooted so he was at the edge of his seat, and took her hand in his. "Please? I need you to do this with me. You have so much passion when you speak of the bible, such emotion." He leaned back in his chair. "You really believe all of it, don't you?"

"Well of course I do!" she exclaimed, earning herself a disapproving look from the couple on her favorite nearby couch. She hunched over with embarrassment.

"That's the difference between you and I..." A playful smirk lighted his face.

"Do you mean that you don't believe the prophecies you promote?"

He shook his head, scrunching his nose. "Not in the least."

"Well, it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

"Aristotle? Now you simply have to accompany me to the meeting." He looked at her pleadingly.

"Well, I am looking for a job..." Ginny sighed, giving in.

"Perfect. It's tonight. Will you be able to make it?" His eyes were so hopeful...

No, I have plans... "Yes, tonight is fine." Well, I'm sure Harry will understand. It's a bloody job for chrissakes. He has to understand. And besides, I really like the idea of doing this for a living. "What should I wear?"

Blaise grinned evilly. "Nothing."

Ginny's eyes grew two times their normal size, which provoked a laugh from his lips. "Dress robes. I'll pick you up around seven."

"Yes, well, that's all fine and dandy, but you don't know where I live..."

"-And that is why you're going to write your address down right here." He produced some parchment and a quill from the inside of his robe.

She gladly wrote her contact information down. "At seven then?"

"Yes, and it won't come soon enough."