This Morning

[alt_hydra]

Many of you at breakfast probably saw me return a ring to Justin Finch-Fletchley.

We have decided to end our commitment to one another, and are no longer romantically involved. There is no ill-will between us, and I'm sure we will both remain on friendly terms. I suppose there will be a lot of speculation as to what happened between us. I will only say that we discussed the future and decided that it would be best, for both of us, if we parted ways.

To be clear: there's no need for further discussion.

Thank you,
Hydra Lestrange

Comments

Order Only

[alt_justin]

Yes.

For those of you who might be wondering: No, this isn't an act. We're quite earnest about this decision. Professor Sprout, I know you've no reason to believe us so rest assured, it doesn't change any of the measures you and Professor Slughorn have arranged. We can promise satisfaction on that account and you shan't be disappointed again.

And I can only echo Hydra's sentiment that there's nothing more to discuss. Please let us all put this unfortunate episode behind us and move forward.

Order Only Private Message to Justin

[alt_ron]

You all right, then?

No, sorry. Is there anything I can do that would take your mind off it. Or help you figure out what's next?

Um. If you want to play chess after supper, we could. Or tomorrow if today's too soon. Or, y'know, go to the library and just work on things. Whatever.

Re: Order Only Private Message to Justin

[alt_justin]

Ron,

Very not all right Yes, I'm fine, thank you.

I appreciate the offer. Perhaps tomorrow, old man. I've some things to attend to tonight.

-F-F

Re: Order Only Private Message to Justin

[alt_justin]

Ron,

I'm afraid I'll have to postpone our game, indefinitely, it would seem.

I'm to spend every evening in Professor Dolohov's office, from the end of supper until curfew, until further notice.

It's rather a relief, in a way. Knowing how one is to be occupied.

-Justin

Re: Order Only: Private message to Justin and Hydra

[alt_alice]

I understand your wish for privacy on this matter. However, there are several lingering issues that we need to discuss, and we will be addressing them further over hols.

In the future, should either of you find yourself facing significant danger, regardless as to whether the cause is Order business, I expect to be kept informed. Not five days after, but as soon as possible.

And just so we're absolutely clear, I also expect that for now, you both will not be engaging in behaviour that would endanger Justin.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Justin and Hydra

[alt_hydra]

We won't be engaging in that behaviour now that we've broken up, so you needn't worry about Justin.

I will try to inform you in the future, but I'm not very good at keeping track of when I'm facing significant danger or not, because it's most of the time, you see.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Justin and Hydra

[alt_alice]

Yes. I can see how that would be the case.

What things like this do is show us our blind spots. I hope we can learn from this and move forward, making these breakdowns in communication less likely to happen.

I'm not expecting an hourly report or anything ridiculous, obviously. I'd rather err on the side of sharing information and keeping an open line of communication, however.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Justin and Hydra

[alt_justin]

Mrs Longbottom,

Your frustration is entirely justified. I can assure you that Hydra and I are well aware of the gravity of our situation; indeed, if we weren't, we might have been tempted to take altogether less drastic measures to assuage her parents and diffuse the damage done.

Perhaps Professor Sprout has not seen fit to inform you of the measures proposed to keep me or Hydra from straying again. They are not unreasonable, given the facts that the staff had at their disposal, and we--that is, I, at least--see no reason to attempt any disobedience. Hydra may well have to circumvent the surveillance on her dormitory bed, but in connection to her Council competition, not for an illicit meeting with me.

It's clear you don't believe or understand exactly what we mean when we say that we've broken off our engagement and are no longer involved. I would not be surprised if many members of the Order believed that we are merely biding our time until the scrutiny passes, and mean to carry on in secret. Nothing could be further from the case.

We did not separate merely to appease the Lestranges, or just to dissipate the danger to myself or to Hydra (and the sooner you realise that she was in just as much danger as I, perhaps more, the better). This incident forced us to confront the futility of our arrangement with Hydra's father and, moreover, to accept that our relationship was, in itself, an unacceptable liability to ourselves and to the Order. It's not merely that you had reason to doubt your trust in us; we realised that we cannot trust ourselves, so long as we entertained any hope of togetherness. Therefore, the only course of action open to us was to take our leave of each other and give up any expectation of success.

I regret that it took our failure to force us to accept what we should have known from the start. I deeply regret that Hydra's attachment to me caused her pain and brought about rifts with her family that will only make her mission more difficult to accomplish.

But those regrets are nothing next to the reality that we now face. Nonetheless, the only way is forward, and at least now we are both proceeding with the full knowledge of what we have sacrificed and what we must do to serve the Order and to see that the Protectorate falls.

If you think it necessary to lecture us further about how our actions potentially exposed the Order to discovery (which we would not have allowed) or how we are supposed to notify you of impending situations about which you can do nothing, so that you can worry helplessly while we face the inevitable, that is your right as our commander. Perhaps you have observations that will prove more illustrative than the lesson we have learned through harsh experience. But please, kindly believe that we understand the implications of our present circumstances more keenly and more fully than you, Sirius, or anyone else could possibly imagine.

-F-F

Re: Order Only: Private message to Justin and Hydra

[alt_alice]

If you do not see the point in keeping me informed, then yes, I very much need to make sure that we are all on the same page.

And you're correct in that it is my right to ask.

Know that my immediately addressing the fact that contact outside of normal school events puts you in certain mortal danger does not presume that I am blind to Hydra's situation. And I have reason to question your judgement and your ability to make decisions in the best interests of your own safety, so clarifying my own position was necessary. I do not mean to minimise the choice you've made, and want very much to believe that you are genuine in your resolve.

Trust goes both ways, though, and I recognise that I have yet to fully earn yours. I will do what I can to be worthy of the sacrifices you are willing to make, and attempt to demonstrate this through my actions as well as my words. I only ask that you do the same for me.

I understand that you've just had the floor fall out from under you in a very real way. My intention was to address what I believed to be the most immediate and urgent concerns so that we could hash out the consequences of all of this and how to move forward from it once you've had a chance to regain your footing and adjust to this new reality.

I don't intend to waste any of our times shouting or smacking wrists, as I don't see that as particularly productive. I also don't presume to know the entirety of what you're going through, or believe I have the right to tell you how you ought to feel or what lessons you should learn. I want to sort out what we can do to help you, what you can do for this organisation under these new circumstances, and how we might function and communicate more effectively.

In order to better help you, and better make decisions for all of us, I depend on you to keep me informed. You are the expert in your situation, Justin. I need you to educate me about what your challenges are, and communicate with me about how I can help you -- and even if I can do nothing, knowing your situation better helps me understand what our capabilities are.

I am heartily sorry for what has happened to you both, and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for you right now.

Re: Order Only: Private message to Justin Finch-Fletchley

[alt_terry]

I'm very sorry.

For you both.

Order Only: Private Message to Ron

[alt_sirius]

Has Justin answered you?

I'm not asking to pry, I promise. If he's talking to you, that's great and I don't need to know what you're saying. I just - know he must be hexing himself fairly thoroughly right now. Did he seem .... What sort of shape is he in?

I just want to make sure he's not planning to add any more melodrama to this pantomime. Right?

Let me know how he's doing, please.

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Ron

[alt_ron]

Oh. Hullo.

Yeah, I don't think he's doing great. He answered, but doesn't want to talk at all, really. And, I mean, I didn't really expect he would--would you? Just wanted him to know he can count on me, I guess.

You heard what he did today, yeah? Told Hydra at breakfast that she could break it off if she wanted, and she gave him back his ring. After that, he didn't say anything--just walked away. He was in lessons, but didn't say anything at all, I don't think, except once when Acton asked him to explain something from the homework. He did come to supper, though.

Re: Order Only: Private Message to Ron

[alt_sirius]

Mordred. I'd almost hoped .... I'm going to say something and it's going to sound patronising but indulge me for a minute. I thought perhaps this was a show they were putting on for everyone's benefit, pretending to break up but only as a means to an end. Now I'm not sure whether they really had some sort of falling out, or if something else has come up to make them give up on each other.

That probably doesn't make a lot of sense. I mean to say, I don't think they'd be wise to carry on while everyone's got their eyes on them but I didn't think they'd give in to Bellatrix altogether, either. But you think it's real, and not playacting?

How is Hydra handling it, any idea?