บท 100: Chapter 100. 'X' marks the spot 2
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… dingy one-room apartment, downtown Slough…
All the color drained out of Hazel's face when she saw the very last person she had been expecting to see… Audric…
He had changed so much in the past four years that if she walked past him on the street, she might not recognize him.
"My statement cannot be taken now?" He asked with a frown looking in her direction.
Hazel felt her heart slow down, faint hope sparkling in her eyes. Her hope was squashed immediately, Audric didn't even seem to recognize her, his stare was cold as he looked her over.
It made her gulp painfully, what had she been expecting? That he would be excited to see her like they were long-lost friends?
Harry hesitated, it could be but he had a feeling that if they let Audric go again, there would be no finding him till he chose to come out again. "It can…" He sighed heavily, getting to work.
Audric edited out all of the questionable parts of his story, Celeste's memory had been altered to match it so it was a passable statement. He relayed with a straight face how he was heading home from a pub some streets away and then bumped into Celeste who offered him her services.
Harry struggled to keep a straight face as he penned down Audric's uncomfortably blunt statement but Hazel didn't have that much self-composure, especially when Audric was involved.
She gaped at his words, slight horror on her face as she tried to picture what had gone down based on Audric's side of the story.
"I was half drunk at the time and she supported me here and tried to feed me some spiked soda, there's some in that cupboard over there." Audric pointed out.
Harry inclined his head in Hazel's direction and she snapped out of the horror-filled trance that she had fallen into, walking to the cupboard in question.
"If I'm not mistaken, it should contain some traces of sleeping nightshade but you're free to do your tests." Audric shrugged. "I refused to drink it and she became a tad violent, fortunately for me, a drop of the drink knocked her out for a few minutes, long enough for me to regain my bearings. He stared straight at Harry. "Nothing like the threat of death to make a man sober."
Harry just scribbled faster, it was easy to believe that all this had happened by chance but Audric didn't strike him as the type of man to waste his time at a pub, drinking or seeking out prostitutes in dark corners.
No, this was premeditated, it had to be but the end justified the means, it didn't matter his motive. What mattered now was that the thorn in his side was finally in custody. It also stung Harry that he never thought of sending out Aurors to pretend to be victims, they already knew her style of killing and her preferences, it was something that would have been easily pulled off.
"I tied her up while she was out and then sent a report to the Ministry." Audric finished up. "Any questions?"
Harry straightened up from staring at Celeste who was silently raging, her magically sealed lips keeping her crass and loud words in.
Audric gave a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes. "She has a rather foul mouth." He offered a vague excuse.
"Of course." Harry had no qualms about 'X' being gagged and bound. "I have no questions right now but some might arise later so I'll have to trouble you when that happens." He said casually but Audric picked up on the intent behind his words.
Audric narrowed his eyes, he had underestimated the Auror. Audric could force him to take his statement here but he could force him to ask questions which gave the Auror an open check to request a meeting anytime. "Very well." He accepted graciously, "If that'll be all I'll take my…"
Voices from outside the apartment interrupted Audric's dismissal, the door getting thrown open.
"Are you guys in here!" A jolly voice called.
"What if they have been ambushed?" A sterner voice scolded in hushed tones. "Is your skull filled with hay?"
A third bored voice spoke up at this point. "Do I have to be here?"
Harry straightened his back as the rest of his team showed up. "Enter." He ordered in a severe tone, the people outside going quiet at the sound of it.
Daylen Swiller was the first to make an appearance, keeping a firm grip on Finn as they both marched in. Behind them was the third person, Weston Witter.
Weston's bored expression changed to one of slight surprise when he saw who else was in the packed room besides Harry Potter and Hazel.
"A surprise to see that you're still alive." He spoke directly to Audric, much to Hazel's horror.
"A pleasant one I hope." Audric smirked, adjusting the lapels of his overcoat. "The room has become a little too crowded, it's best I take my leave." He nodded to the rest of the Aurors in the room, walking out.
And to his surprise, someone else followed right behind him, hot on his heels. He was half expecting it to be Hazel so seeing Weston instead caught him off guard. Audric didn't slow down, Weston having to pick up the pace to catch up with him.
"Can I help you?" Audric asked, his tone inhospitable.
"No, I don't think I can help you either but it has to be said." He answered cryptically.
This caught Audric's attention and he turned to the side to glance at the other man. Weston was easily the same height as he was, his blond hair cut short. He said nothing in response, waiting for Weston to keep speaking. He also didn't slow down, striding away from the apartment that held Celeste with a purpose.
Weston kept the pace beside him, obviously having no qualms with abandoning his team behind just to get a word with Audric. "You could also say that maybe I feel guilty."
Audric raised a brow. "But you don't?"
Weston shrugged, "Let's pretend I do… I should have said something." He sighed.
Audric was starting to get irritated by his cryptic way of speaking. "If you have something to say, then get it out."
"Back at Hogwarts, before you left. The others were hoping that things would resolve themselves, they preferred to sit on the fence, well, I did the same too so I am in no position to judge..."
"That was a lifetime ago, why do you feel the need to bring it up?"
Weston shrugged again. "Because I want to apologize, I acted immaturely by not confronting you with the rumors that were going around, hoping that it would keep you away from Hazel."
Audric stopped walking. "And how did that work out for you?" His words cruel.
Weston laughed cynically. "How do you think? It has to be my punishment." He stopped walking when Audric did. "She carries around a cutout of the article that covered your survival but you didn't even have to be alive to take her from me."
Audric went sober. "Your apology holds no weight anymore, just like how Hazel feels…" He trailed off and looked at Weston with an inscrutable expression. "You should let her go, Witter, it's long due."
Weston watched Audric walk away, making no move to follow him, pain bleeding into his eyes as he curled into himself. "If only it were that easy." He gritted out, his voice low.
"West? What are you doing?"
It was Hazel, she had followed them out... Of course, she had. Weston straightened up immediately, wiping every trace of torment from his face. "I just wanted to get some air, I'm not needed, am I?"
Hazel didn't even try to hide the fact that she was looking around for Audric. "No," She mumbled, distracted. "I just…"
Weston stared down at Hazel, his gaze growing cold. How many years had it been? His whole life? He had always tried to be by her side but it was clear exactly who it was that she wanted.
'Let her go…' He had never even considered that, being by Hazel's side was the only thing he knew. The responsibility of taking care of her had been put on him since when he was no older than a toddler.
What did he even plan to do with his life? Hang around Hazel like a beaten dog that just wouldn't leave until she took pity on him and accepted his feelings? She was the reason he had joined the Ministry… The reason he had gotten good grades was so that he could get a decent job to take care of her.
His entire life had been all about Hazel, what about him? What about the things he wanted?
"...est? West? I was asking if you spoke to Audric?" Hazel shook him out of his thoughts.
Weston stared at her, she kept speaking but he couldn't hear her words, his ears were ringing.
"West?" Hazel frowned now, Weston was acting strangely, she just wanted to know if he spoke to Audric. She couldn't just leave the way he had and she had to take an excuse from Mr. Potter before she could leave.
When she came out, she barely caught a glimpse of them walking together but before she could catch up to them, Audric was gone. "I said, did you…"
Weston just turned around and walked off, leaving a stunned Hazel in his wake.
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