tw: violence

November 21, 1979
11:11 pm
Callaway Investigations
London

Anneliese's back ached from being slumped over her wide desk for the past three hours, holding her forehead in her hands as she looked at the pictures sitting on the edge. It was a sharp pain, starting at the small of her back and creeping upwards.

Her eyes went slightly blurry as she stared at the closest picture of her, Sirius, and James sitting together in a booth in the Leaky Cauldron, all of them laughing at something going on behind the camera.

The one next to it was of her and Charlie, him jumping up and trying to catch one of the planes flying through the air in her office that she had folded into a dragon for him.

She smiled a bit more with the picture from the last Christmas entitled The Callaways (technically) that showed her, Leo, and Ella Mae all hugging with their identical eyebrows furrowed in silent laughter.

Finally, the most recent was of Sirius, Regulus, her, and Myra all sitting together with the caption the most confusing double date to ever exist.

Anneliese pressed them all flat down on the wood so that she couldn't see any of their faces anymore. It was just a distraction at this point, something keeping her from focusing on what she needed to.

Which was where the hell Peter was.

The one section of her green notebook devoted to him had turned into the entire back of a bulletin board with red string, pictures, notes, newspaper clippings and all to complete the picture. Anneliese paced back and forth as she stood in front of it, yawning again.

There was simply no pattern to his movement or the places they saw him, tiny glimpses from windows or rumors, but nothing ever enough to get in a single word with him. A discussion wasn't even in her highest hopes or the picture at all.

Somehow, Pettigrew still wrote to James, Lily, Sirius, and Remus. They were still in constant contact with him, but whenever they tried to make plans to actually see one another or track an owl, Peter always found a way to get out of it.

The only people who knew about Peter being a spy were Anneliese and Regulus, the two people who had been hurt themselves. Yet they both knew that no one would believe them. So they had formed a kind of alliance, a way to find him and prove themselves.

It had been Regulus's idea to open up a case on Pettigrew, unknown to the knowledge of anyone that wasn't working under Anneliese.

They had all been sworn to secrecy, even if they didn't understand why trying to help find a friend was such a thing that should be kept under wraps.

It had now been exactly eighteen months since any of them had an in person conversation with Pettigrew, and it was slowly driving Anneliese insane.

She slammed down her coffee mug on her desk, picking up a cigarette and lighting it with an aggressive snap of her fingers. Callaway had been smoking more and more often recently, so much that even Sirius said she should slow down a bit.

What bullshit, Anneliese thought, smoking coming from her lips in a long, steady stream. As if he still doesn't drink every second that he's not on the job. And while he is working for the Order, actually. The stupid Order. God.

The Order of the Phoenix was becoming a pain in Callaway's side. And the Ministry, for that matter. Every major 'good' organization seemed to be after her.

It's because I'm better, Anneliese thought smugly. And they can't handle it.

And it was true.

Callaway Investigations had become the leading organization in both cases and arrest numbers. Well known, wanted criminals and Death Eaters would show up magically bound at the Ministry's doorstep to be put in Azkaban, now at least one a week.

With her business card between their teeth, as always. It was a direct slap in the face to the government, and it was meant to be. Just another reminder that this nineteen year old girl was kicking all of their asses and taking their jobs with class and finesse.

And who were they to let the fugitive go when they were so easily presented with one?

Azkaban cells had become fuller and fuller as the Ministry begrudgingly accepted her help, but Callaway wasn't just in it for the justice.

Anneliese was rich.

Her reputation had started off small with a few good words put in for her from Euphemia before she passed away, but it had taken on a life of its own from there, or so it appeared to most people.

But Anneliese had made it her job to know things.

If a family member went missing, before they could even show up to the Ministry with their plea for help, her signature business card would once again show up at their doorstep with her office's number neatly embossed in gold on the front.

She had always known she was good at connecting dots and seeing things that other people didn't, but she never thought that it would take her this far this quickly.

Yet it wasn't just that so many people knew of her that had made Anneliese so instantly successful in this business. She had something that the big players didn't, something that made her easily the first option to hire on a case before any other company.

Trust.

Despite the company's professional appearance and rich interior, the fact remained that it was entirely run by a teenage girl.

People found comfort in Anneliese being the one to discover the full picture, a shoulder to cry on and a face to put to help their problems instead of some cold, commercial government full of propaganda and closed doors.

And in total, there was only one case she hadn't been able to solve.

Peter, obviously.

Anneliese looked out of one of the windows of her office to the enormous black chalkboard that was magically levitating against one of the walls, listing every single name arrested and every single person that had been found.

Focus on the good things, she reminded herself, a soft smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Look at how many people you've helped right there.

A knock on her office door startled her out of that good feeling, sourness snapping back abruptly as she turned her head.

"Who is it and why are you still here at this time of night?" she snapped, not in a good mood and certainly not welcoming whoever it was in immediately. "Go home and get some sleep."

Anneliese quickly turned the side of the bulletin board dedicated to Peter over so that her basic work setup was visible instead of the one that would be suspicious to anyone besides Regulus since she wasn't technically supposed to be working on that case.

"I already tried to get some sleep at home," a Bostonian accent said back in an exasperated tone. "But Remus is still awake working on some insane diagram or calendar or something for the Order and is not trying to be quiet when he makes a new pot of tea every five seconds, so I gave up."

Anneliese absentmindedly flicked her wand at the door with a still bitter expression, unlocking it but not even opening it up for Leo.

"What do you want?" she asked as she straightened a stack of papers by tapping it against her desk a few times, voice cold and irritated. "I'm busy."

"That's no way to greet your brother," Anderson grinned, but the smile faded when she just stared at him and didn't give any indication of amusement. "Damn. What's up with you? You were super happy a few days ago according to Sirius and James."

"I was happy because I hadn't seen Lily and James in over a month, Lily's having a kid, and my boyfriend had just gotten back safely from his two week long Order mission," Anneliese said in a defensive tone. "And now I'm back to business. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Never said there was," Leo replied, brow furrowed. "But you don't have to work all the time. No one's making you do this, you can take a break-"

Anneliese slammed down her fist on the desk as her eyes turned to that same lethal lightning that had first shown up at Malfoy Manor and never gone away since, becoming more frequent if anything.

Anderson stepped back slightly.

"Do you think the fourteen muggleborn girl who went missing two nights ago agrees with you?" Anneliese snapped furiously. "Her family is terrified. She just finished her third year as a Slytherin, captain of her chess team with six siblings. Aced all of her exams."

Callaway's voice was rapidly switching between broken and angry, two oddly similar tones.

"And all of the sudden after she wrote an article for her neighborhood paper about ways kids could still have fun on their bikes and go on walks with their friends while staying safe and being aware of their surroundings because of the war, she's gone," Anneliese said.

Leo fumbled to catch a piece of paper thrown at him aggressively, the newspaper article that he assumed was by the missing girl.

"She's a beautiful writer," Anneliese continued vigorously. "Poor parents came in sobbing, saying she wanted to report for the Prophet when she was older. So tell me, do you still think that taking a break is more important than this girl's life?"

Leo was speechless. Callaway stared at him for a few seconds before her face turned away from its stone to regret at lashing out. She sighed deeply, running a hand down her face and sitting on the edge of her desk.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking back towards him with deep, sorrowful eyes. "I don't even know if she's alive. If she is, I'm going to find her. If she isn't, then I'm going to get this family the justice they deserve. I can't let that go, Leo. I can't."

"I know," Anderson said softly, sitting next to her. "But obsessing over it isn't going to do anything. It's too late for you to focus properly. Just come home. I think there's some leftover ravioli in the fridge from when Sirius made some earlier."

"Is he even home?" Anneliese asked. "Or is he still working as well?"

"If he is, I'll drag him home," Leo said firmly. "He just turned twenty, you're nineteen. We're all too young to be getting jobs in a war like this. Just relax for once. Come on, A. Please."

Callaway stared at him for a few more seconds, arms crossed over her chest before giving him a final, tight nod. Leo immediately started celebrating, but Anneliese held up her finger to stop him before he got too excited.

"But first you have to help me file these," she said, slamming down a stack of beige and brown folders onto her desk from behind her chair. "You get started, I'll make some more coffee."

Leo smiled slightly, sitting crossed legged on the floor as he started to organize. He was grateful for any time he could get with Anneliese at this point, even if it was sorting through paperwork that she didn't trust with anyone else.

Callaway could have someone under her do this job, but she considered the files too important to take the risk of someone messing them up.

"So," Leo said, yawning as he punched a staple into two sheets of paper. "Have we figured out when Ella Mae is finishing law school yet? I feel like we'd be shit siblings if we just full on missed her graduation."

"I don't like graduations," Anneliese said, chest tight. "You can just go."

"Fine," Leo sighed, a slightly manipulative tone creeping into his voice that Callaway instantly detected. "But I'll have to give her some of dad's money instead of you getting new chairs for everyone here. Is that okay with you?"

Anneliese glared at him.

"These people deserve some comfort while they're working their asses off," Callaway said firmly. "And that money isn't yours to give out. We both got it from him, we both have to approve of where it's going to."

"We blackmailed him because of him cheating on your mom with mine so that he would give it up," Leo rolled his eyes. "Since when are we following the rules?"

"Since I said so," she retorted, sorting even faster. "And don't bring them into this."

"What, our parents?" Leo asked, tone still infuriatingly casual. "I think they just made us stronger, to be honest. If it weren't for all of that messed up stuff, then maybe you wouldn't be running such a successful business right now-"

"I didn't need to be strong," Anneliese interrupted him sharply, looking up again. "I needed to be loved. And don't act like you had nothing like I did. At least your mom was in the picture."

"Oh, don't," Leo said, finishing his stack and starting to take some off the top of hers, which barely had anything left. "We both had it bad."

"Sure, L," Anneliese sighed dismissively, standing up and shutting the last cabinet drawer with a metallic creak. "Thanks for your help."

Anderson stared at her, considering starting an argument before realizing that right now, that wasn't going to get them anywhere. He flicked off the glowing orange lamp in the corner before locking her office door behind them and stepping out into the freezing night air.

Anneliese accepted his hand, and they apparated into their apartment together.

Leo, Remus, Sirius, and Anneliese all shared the same two bedroom two bath apartment in a renovated factory in London. It was where they had moved together shortly after her kidnapping, all chipping in a bit of money to help.

And even though Anneliese was much better off now, none of them had ever seen a reason to move out of the homey, open place.

There was something so comforting about the routine they had settled into with one another, the reassurance that at least one of the four would always be waiting for someone with a smile and dinner when they came home. It was a little safe haven, their very own small paradise.

But just because they hadn't moved out didn't mean that Anneliese hadn't made a few adjustments with the money she was making.

Leo flicked on the lights after casting the customary protective enchantments behind them, kicking off his shoes and burying his socks into the faux polar bear rug that had cost more than the water bill typically did alone.

Anneliese flicked her wand at the brick fireplace, instantly warming up the living room.

"SIRIUS?" she shouted hopefully, calling out to all rooms of the apartment. "ARE YOU HOME?"

Callaway was answered by a sad, echoing silence that made her feel more empty than she would care to admit. Even if Sirius was sleeping, he would always still wake up at the sound of her voice calling him.

Leo watched her blink more than necessary with a frown.

The girl she was on those walks and lying with Sirius by the fire was still alive, she was just buried deeper. She could still be brought out by him with so much as a glance, when Black decided to actually put in the effort.

Instead of the good being on the outside and the dark being deep, things had reversed. The cheerful, laughing part of her had sunk down while the cold, harsh element had risen.

Anneliese just considered it a sign of the times.

"It's fine," she sighed, but her voice contraciced that. "I'm just going to brush my teeth and sleep. He can save his stupid raviloli for himself- he didn't even rinse out the pot. My god."

"I can go wake up Remus and we can do it," Leo said softly, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Get some sleep, A. Please."

Anneliese smiled weakly, realizing he was right.

But she didn't even get a chance to take off her gloves before the air was lit up by a silvery blue animal, a black dog. Anneliese felt a small, unwilling thrill go through her stomach. She still wasn't over the butterflies when it came to him.

Callaway herself had now only turned to using a patronus as communication to the last resort. Dumbledore had made it the Order's trademark, and the last thing she wanted was to be associated with him and that organization.

Anneliese didn't even like how many of her friends were under his command, but talking them out of it was a vain effort that would just end in guilt and arguments at this point.

"We need you at the Burrow," Sirius's voice said firmly. "Right now."

Anneliese startled slightly at his tone as the patronus vanished away again. A simple 'how are you' or 'see you there' or even just a 'please' would have been nice.

Leo watched as she took a deep breath in and pulled her hair out of it's bun before starting to redo it in her reflection in the dark window, her expression changing from soft and sad to cold but still sad.

"Stay here with Remus," Anneliese said as she saw that Leo was lacing his shoes back up, straightening her coat again. "He just asked for me, not you. It's late."

Her tone didn't leave any room for questioning. Leo felt that empty, late night feeling again as she apparated away.

If Anneliese wasn't fully happy, then it was hard for him to be, too.

"Well?" Dorcas asked as Sirius tucked his wand back into his pocket, impatiently pacing back and forth in the Burrow's kitchen as she repeatedly checked her watch. "Do you think that she's going to come?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know that?" Sirius asked with an annoyed tone. "She might still be at work for all I know. Or asleep."

"Well, shouldn't you know?" Alice pointed out with a displeased crease at the corners of her mouth, tucking a short strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, living with her and being her boyfriend and all? I feel like that would make sense."

"Don't make it sound like that," Black grumbled. "It's not my fault she spends more time in that stupid office of hers than talking to any of us anymore."

"She's doing a lot of good things in that stupid office," Marlene said firmly. "Don't. And speak for yourself. We still get coffee together at least four times a week. Have you considered that maybe she just doesn't want to see you and is avoiding you?"

"That's enough, you two," Molly said firmly, glaring at them from the sink. "I just got the twins to fall asleep, and we don't want to wake them up with this bickering, now do we? That's what I thought- Fabian, I still need your help. Don't leave yet."

"Yea, don't leave yet," Gideon echoed, a teasing smile on his face that fell when he saw his twin's expression. "Why do you look like that? Not excited to see A?"

"He's never excited to see her anymore," Lily countered passively, a hand over her stomach. "Do you guys have any more of those roasted potatoes- thank you so much. God, I'm hungry. James, do you want one?"

"No, I'm not eating for two people like you are," Potter sighed, sitting down heavily next to her as something still didn't set right with him. "This isn't okay, guys. We're like ambushing her with all these people. It's an unfair set up."

"Well, now that I know it's an ambush, I feel stupid for walking right into it," a southern voice said, slamming the door behind her. "And might I inquire what exactly I've done wrong?"

They all turned and looked at Anneliese, shame creeping up onto their cheeks.

Callaway was in her gloves and tight bun as always, except this time a button up shirt and suspenders were underneath her trench coat that she quickly threw over the back of the chair Lily was sitting in.

Sirius met her eye, but she just turned away and ignored him.

Anneliese tried not to let herself be taken aback by the amount of people in the room. There was Moody, Andromeda, Kingsley, James, Lily, Alice, Frank, Molly, Fabian, Gideon, Dorcas,