Alicelxngbottom - There Is Thunder In Her Heart

dorcxsmdws​:

…

“I know,” she said softly.  And she did know.  She did know that she was doing this well, and she knew that what she was doing was important, crucial even.  But that didn’t make it any easier.  It didn’t make it easier to give up her whole life, to throw herself into danger every day.  But she’d rather it be her than anyone else.  She knew that she could handle it.  “Hopefully we can end this sooner rather than later so that we can all have a little bit of peace.”  She smiled at her.  “Eavesdropping is how I find nearly everything I give you guys, so don’t underestimate it.  Men are sexist and will talk in front of you like you’re not even there.  Use it against them.”

She shook her head.  “But I haven’t really tried.  When a few more people get here I’ll head upstairs and see what I can find.  You’re just as pregnant as Lily is, are you sure that you’ll be okay all night?  Especially without Frank?”

...

Alice sighed, nodding in agreement with Dorcas but keeping her face neutral to keep up the illusion that they were merely making small talk. It was safer for Dorcas to interact with her than most members of the Order, but they still needed to be careful. Alice would be shocked if her cousins within the Dark Lord’s ranks didn’t have their suspicions about her own loyalty. “Yes, please Merlin just let this be over soon,” she breathed, her hands subconsciously moving to cradle her bump. Giving Dorcas an understanding smile, Alice chuckled. “Remind me to take you out for a beer when all of this is over. In fact, I think all of us will owe you free beers for life.” It wasn’t even the beginning of what they would all owe Dorcas for the danger she was putting herself in, but it was something. 

Alice waved her hand. “Oh, I’ll be fine. My parents are around here somewhere, and good manners dictate that my cousins have to be polite to me.” There was a benefit to being a Rosier, even if most of the time she would much rather have nothing to do with her extended family. She kept up the relationships anyway, knowing that those connections were invaluable in this war. Alice reached out to touch Dorcas’ arm. “Be careful,” she said seriously. “Even if they trust you, they won’t be too keen on finding you snooping through the house.”

“Mostly, I hope for snow in winter and the fortitude to bear it.”

— Jennifer Chang, from “The Strangers”, Some Say the Lark (via voirlvmer)

Alice knew that she really should give herself more time to recover and be at home with Neville, but after everything went down at the Ministry’s Halloween Ball, Alice was antsy to get back to work. She loved being a mum, and being with Neville lit up a part of her that she hadn’t even realized there was, but she couldn’t get her mind off the thought of what was going on outside the walls of their cozy house. Maybe in another world she would be content staying home with her babe, but she couldn’t close her eyes and blind herself to the reality that they were living in a war, and she was too much of an asset to the Aurors to walk away when they needed her. She had wrestled with the decision for weeks, but Alice knew that she needed to return to work. Even if it meant that there was a chance Neville might lose her, it was a choice she had to make. Whatever it cost, Alice needed to make a safer, better world for her son. 

So after a difficult conversation with Frank, Alice sought out the person she was most nervous to talk to this about -- she knew that Moody would probably be delighted to have her back, but she also knew that he would likely try to talk her out of it. He knew the stakes better than anyone else, and she had gotten the sense that there were a few people within the Auror department and the Order who thought she should step back now that she had a child.

Still, nervous as she was, Alice was no coward, so she held her head high and her shoulders back as she marched through the Auror office, nodding to the people she passed who looked up from their work or called out her name. Reaching Moody’s office, she knocked firmly on the door, waiting a moment and then turning the handle to push open the door when she heard his voice from within. “Hey, boss,” she said, her tone confident, as she stepped into the office and shut the door behind her.

@alamoody​

@frxnkislong​

(✿ ♥‿♥) 

dorcxsmdws​:

…

“You’re of plenty use,” she said softly.  It never sat well with her when people downplayed their strength or usefulness, and although Alice didn’t necessarily need a self-esteem boost, she still deserved to know that she could be an important asset and pregnant at the same time.  “Nearly no one else has the same access you do.  I’m a halfblood, you know?  I’ve been working at this for nearly a year now and the trust is still only minimal.  Enough that I overhear important things, but not enough that I’m told them, anyway.  You’ll be a good asset down here while I try to run interference where I can.”

When she started all of this she would never have had such a frank conversation in a room full of people, but she had quickly learned that no one expected a secret conversation to be held in a room full of people – but the background noise made eavesdropping more difficult.  “I don’t like when things are out of my control,” she admitted.  “I’m good at this, I get why this is my mission, but it makes me nervous when others, who are less used to their tactics, have to put themselves at risk.  But it should all be fine.  It’s – it’s fairly simple.”

...

Alice listened intently to what Dorcas was saying, appreciating that the younger witch considered her useful despite how far along she was in her pregnancy. Giving her a sympathetic frown, Alice glanced over to where Bellatrix and Rodolphus were greeting guests. “You’re doing a great job,” she murmured, looking back at Dorcas. “It takes time to do what you’re doing, to gain the kind of trust we’re after. And I may be a pureblood, but my cousin knows me well enough to suspect my allegiances, so I’m fairly certain I only received an invitation because of my maiden name.” She laughed. “Still, I’m glad to be here, and I’ll do what I can to protect our people and eavesdrop for any useful information.”

Alice sighed, nodding her agreement at Marlene’s statement. She felt the same way every time she watched a young Order member go into battle or on a mission. They were eager and skilled, of course, but until you had seen as much of this war as people like Alice and Moody and Dorcas had, there was a certain naiveté that always put you at risk. “I know,” she said softly, thinking of all the people here tonight that she would have preferred to keep home. “Paulie and Lily really shouldn’t be here, but Moody wanted to let anyone who volunteered come. Personally, I’m not sure this mission is really worth the risk.” Alice looked into Dorcas’ eyes. “Have you heard anything so far?”

@frxnkislong​

@frxnkislong​

On the day of her due date, Alice sat on the couch in her and Frank’s living room, trying to make herself relax by reading a book. Frank and Moody had put their feet down and insisted that she take some sort of maternity leave both from the Auror department and the Order, so now Alice had an abundance of time where before she had done her best to keep busy. Sitting here in the living room, the house silent around her, her thoughts whirling a mile a minute, Alice remembered why it was that she had tried to distract herself for the last nine months. All of the fears she had been trying to keep at bay were descending upon her. 

Alice’s head popped up at the sound of the front door opening, a feeling of relief spreading through her that she was no longer alone. “I’m in the living room!” She called out, abandoning the barely-read book and watching the doorway expectantly. When Frank appeared, she patted the couch next to her, motioning for him to sit by her. As he obeyed, Alice gave a soft sigh. “How was the office?” 

@frxnkislong​