Order Only - Private message to Alice and Severus

[alt_sinistra]

Tosha wrote. The first time since - since December and everything. I can show you the message, and Alice, I know you're busy, but part of this is time-sensitive.

Some of it's about books (and I've no idea if there's a hidden message in there, there might be, but I'd need a couple more books to figure out if there is. They'd be easy for Jeremy or Nick or someone to pick up.)

But then he says that Severus making it clear he's in the Order makes him sure that Draco's alive. That, and knowing me and knowing Poppy, and knowing that there's things she and I wouldn't be party to. (Only it's more complicated than that, isn't it, but he's right about Draco. Sorry, I'm babbling.)

And then he gave me an ultimatum - that Narcissa needs to know. (Which she does, obviously, but he doesn't know that.) He says: "Does Narcissa know her son is still alive? Because if she doesn't, that is incredibly cruel of you. You have a week to find some way of telling me that she does that will satisfy your people in charge and their security measures, before I take care of it myself."

Obviously, I can't say anything to him in the journals, that'd put Narcissa at risk, he knows people are reading, and I won't do that. (Even if I hadn't promised Alice I wouldn't write.)

And I suppose the worst that could happen is that he tells Narcissa in a week, and she has to sort out what her reaction is with no warning, but honestly, Narcissa's Narcissa, and I'm sure she'd manage well enough. But I can also think of ways we could manage a private enough note, maybe. (I'm quite sure he'd go a very long way to avoid hurting her or putting her at risk.)

And then he said something - one of the Russian proverbs, it's about not talking about rope in the house of a hanged man - that he knows his entries might be read (well, especially to me) but in a way that makes me wonder what else he put together. And then he ends with "Give Miss L my best. And the other whose location I think you know."

And that might be Poppy, but I'm rather thinking it's Cedric he means, only that wouldn't be safe to say at all. Or acknowledge.

Comments

[alt_severus]

Interesting. I wonder what else he has put together.

You realise, of course, that his ultimatum is a double-edged sword: if we do not send word to him, he will likely assume that means Narcissa already knows, because we would not let his ultimatum go unanswered if she did not. (If she did not, our move would be to contact him and tell her that she did — in the hopes he would take our word for it and not confirm with her — and therefore, he will assume that if we do send word, he will need to tell her, while if we do not, he will not. Unless he believes I am advising you, in which case he will assume I have explained his likely line of thinking and reverse those outcomes.)

I wonder if he is attempting to goad you into giving him some sign that you are alive and well.

Alice: Draco ought to know about this, whatever you decide.