Back in the Element [OPEN]

[Curse Kameren]

“Tell me, Argus, are you naturally this thick, or do you have to work at it to get this good?” Curse Kameren spoke around his cigarette, his analytical emerald eyes watching the other auror work. His Wizangamot robes sat draped over a chair behind him. The Ministry’s Hall of Cells was an infamous place for criminals to be stored. One step before Azkaban, many called it. There weren’t dementors, but the aurors weren’t much better company.

“Always a pleasure working with you, Kameren. And it’s Crabbe to you.” The older wizard glanced over his shoulder at his ex-superior. Crabbe was one of the few who knew Curse still worked for the aurors as a consultant. Much to his chagrin. Now, with the school year out and the professor with no students to teach, the eldest Kameren was back in the offices of the Ministry. Once and auror, always an auror.

“Put that out, there’s no smoking in here.”

“Yes there is, I eradicated that rule three years ago.” Curse blew smoke purposefully in Crabbe’s face, grinning crookedly. “What’s this poor bloke in for, anyway? Eyes are red, some bruising around the knuckles but not enough to have really caused damage. Either a pub fight or a domestic dispute.”

“It’s been three years. Tynan’s brought that rule back. Largely because of you.” Argus coughed as Kameren laughed, blowing more smoke into the Senior Auror’s eyes. “He’s here for demon taint. Was out late, must have gotten bitten.”

“You’re kidding. Please tell me you’re kidding.” Curse shouldered Crabbe out of the way, slapping at his hands to move him. Curse laughed. “Argus, you slay me. How long have you been an auror? Did Daksmer bring this one in? Jackass doesn’t know a demon form a house-elf…”

“Move!” Crabbe shouldered Kameren out of the way. “And put out that bloody cigarette!”

“Merlin, Argus, you need to work on that temper.” Curse took another pull at his cigarette, blowing it at Crabbe. Argus coughed, backing up away from the smoke. “Now seriously, you don’t think he has the taint, do you? Look here,” Curse’s round green eyes darted up and down the prisoner; he talked about the man like a subject, rather than a person. This was how he communicated inside the auror department. As a consultant, he was here to solve the case. That was what he was best at. As of late, he had run out of cases, so instead he followed others around. Or he waited in the cells, observing the inmates. One could learn a lot from paying attention to their prisoners. Too bad more aurors didn’t notice that.

“I ain’ got the tain’,” the inmate eyed Kameren warily. Kamerens were dangerous. They were the tall, gaunt reapers of the Department of Law Enforcement. Curse Kameren was a madman, a killer. Luckily for this man, today, Curse Kameren was a saviour. The prisoner’s skin was dry and scaly in patches, his fingers ending in long claws. Curse recognized the symptoms easily, but not from a cursed demon.

“You are a curious one. Probably shouldn’t be arrested for the taint, though. The common night-demons don’t leave a taint, and I hardly doubt this man is seeking out the rarer variety. More like illegal animagus.” Curse’s eyes flashed, suddenly turning to the catlike slits of his animagus form. He ran his long, pale fingers along the man’s skin and the scales suddenly disappeared. “Either I’m the blessed one, or this man is a failed animagus. Lay off the firewhiskeys next time you try Transfiguration.” Curse winked, his eyes turning back as he did. “Monitor lizard. Rubbish animagus, no offense. If you’re looking for stealth, better move.”

Curse blew smoke, smiling at Crabbe. “Wotcher, Argus. Better luck with the next one. Send Daksmer my regards. Seventeenth rejection by the auror department this year, innit? When he hits twenty we may have to throw him a little party. Onto real taint cases, then.” Curse threw his Wizengamot robes over his shoulder, smiling cheekily as he strode out of the Hall.

[Eoin Tynan]

"Woah, watch it-" The handsome, blonde-haired man put his hands on Curse's shoulders right before the taller man ran smack into him.

"Either you've escaped from the cells and I should 'stupefy' you, or you're down here for the same reason I am." A smile quirked the Head Auror's lips as he waved a thin sheaf of parchment.

"Maybe you can save me the bother then. Do we have another half-demon in there, or is that bloody Daksmer being his usual aggravating self?"

More reports this morning on his desk, he swore they were multiplying like rabbits in his inbox when he turned his head away for even a second. Mostly residents of the local towns complaining about more demons, more shadow-creatures wreaking havoc. It could be from small things such as the family cat suddenly taking flight or to the village-sized mess of demons that had terrorized Hogsmeade last week. But of course, and Collin Daksmer seemed to be the main culprit, there were the arrests of individuals said to be tainted. Well, there was only one actual case that the Ministry had seen, and she was quite sane and in the care of Arianna Blackthorn.

Eoin Tynan stepped back and eyed Kameren's smoking cigar, but pointedly ignored it. If he were still in Tynan's department he might have made a mention of it, but Curse was a veteran, and besides, he'd most likely ignore the rule anyways.

"I have a report of a tainted half-demon in the cells. Unless your friend Echo decided to spend the night there, I'll wager Daksmer's jumping the wand again." He frowned, a thought occurring to him.

"You've been an auror longer than me even. Tell me, does any of this seem...normal to you?"

[Curse Kameren]

"Either you've escaped from the cells and I should 'stupefy' you, or you're down here for the same reason I am."

"Bothering Crabbe? It's been my favorite hobby since I've been a junior," Curse shrugged, being considerate enough to take his cigarette out of his mouth around the Head Auror. He had respect for Tynan, partially because he knew how awful his job was. "I have Wizengamot duty today. Thought I'd check in."

"Maybe you can save me the bother then. Do we have another half-demon in there, or is that bloody Daksmer being his usual aggravating self?"

Curse stood awkwardly as Eoin eyed his cigarette, surprised and thankful when the man decided not to comment on his smoking. He didn't like flouncing the rules in front of people he liked, but he hated not having a smoke before Wizengamot even more. The Wizengamot was an unbearably tiring ritual. "I'm guessing it's application time of year again, if Daksmer's being this bloody obnoxious. How does he get his captures into our cells to start with? They should be under the hitwizards' jurisdiction." Curse scowled, letting the protocol aside. He had always hated protocol, but after being Head Auror himself, it became a pet peeve of his own.

"It's not a half-demon, he's an illegal animagus. A bloody bad one. Give him a ticket and send him off to Magical Creatures. Your cells are demon-free." The ex-auror took a puff off his cigarette, crossing his arms. He glanced at his watch; he was still early for the trial, enough time to stop and chat with an old auror friend.

"You've been an auror longer than me even. Tell me, does any of this seem...normal to you?"

"How long have you been an auror?" Curse cocked a brow at Tynan, sighing. After long enough in these halls, an auror loses track of what's normal. "It's always something. These demons are strange, I've never seen something that affects magic like this. Sooner or later, fighting them off every night isn't going to be enough." He sighed, leaning in closer and getting quieter. He didn't want the others around the office to know Curse's ongoing research on the demons; Max knew, Alex and Reckony knew, and that was enough. "They are going to get stronger. We need to find out their origin, stop them from appearing in the first place, or things are only going to get worse."