Clearing the Air [Jake]

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Blake had found it didn't take him long at all to settle into the castle, and he soon found himself wandering the halls with familiar ease, not needing to think any longer about which turns to take. There'd been one main issue with the whole thing -- Jake Newbury, an auror, younger than him by a couple years, but an auror nevertheless.

Since Blake was working in a team that not many people knew existed, it was obviously a problem should Jake recognise him -- and, since they crossed paths before, it was not a question of if, but when. And Blake wanted to get that out and over with as soon as possible, before questions were asked.

Oh, he didn't doubt that Jake was professional and wasn't going to show any outward signs, but it was still the right thing to do. Besides, it was easier if he had someone there who could watch his back if things went wrong. That, and he felt he owed an explanation to the male; it wasn't nice to come into some else's territory undercover. That was almost as though saying that Jake wasn't trusted to maintain the safety of the location, which wasn't the case.

It was simply that they wanted someone who nobody knew was an auror there.

And so, a few days after he settled into Hogwarts, Blake sent out a note to the DADA Professor, asking Jake to meet him in the Astronomy tower.

It was the safest place, since they could see anyone approaching and they could also charm the door to not open. He sat on the ledge, wand tucked away somewhere he could easily reach, and waited for Jake to arrive.

Subject: Re: Clearing the Air [Jake] Mon May 01, 2017 10:56 am

The arrival of Blake had been one of a confusing nature. Not that he doubted that Blake could teach Muggle Studies, or that he wasn't suited for the job. But, because Jake knew of Blake's job within the Ministry. Being an Auror didn't mean you couldn't teach as well, but... Jake just didn't see it as something that happened often. There was Scarlett, of course, but Scarlett had come in when Jake had spoken to her about the idea.

Blake, though...

Jake's thoughts had been kept to himself, though. Having not even mentioned it to Veronika when they'd gone home. No, it was not something he wished to speak of until he had the chance to speak to his colleague. However, Jake's doubled up jokbs left him quite short of spare time. So, it had not been him who had called the meeting. Instead, he'd been summoned to the Astronomy Tower after lessons.

The younger of the two Aurors wasn't worried, though. Tidying up his office so that he could return home after the meeting with Blake, Jake had made his way to the tower. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Jake had stopped. Considered,
and then locked the door, and put a Muffling Charm on the door. From there, he'd
taken the stairs to the top, and found his colleague sat on the ledge. Closing the door, and locking it after him in the same manner as before, Jake moved to the parapets and looked out across the grounds for a moment.

"I figured it was something important. I've locked and muffled both doors." Jake told his colleague, before looking over with a small smile on his lips. "Excuse the caution, but I'm sure you understand my reasoning." He added, hoping that he hadn't over thought the situation. It was just... odd. But, Jake wasn't going to question, simply wait for explanations to be given.

________________________________________________
~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

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Blake kept his gaze on the grounds below, watching for any signs of movements -- not that he really expected to see anything interesting -- as he let his mind wander. The last time he'd been up on an astronomy tower like this, it had been a hard night, and he'd been Martin for a few short moments as he laid his heart out bare for Andi with consequences far better than he'd ever imagined. The irony hadn't escaped him, of course, that the previous time it had been Andi who was undercover as a Professor, and now it was him. A part of him wandered if she would show up like he had and then wrote it off at once.

That one had been because she hadn't said goodbye, because she'd left suddenly, her identity compromised. This time, he'd gone in knowing full well his role and what was required of him. No, Andi would have her own jobs to complete.

Just because his mind was wandering did not mean Blake had let his guard down, and the moment the light sounds of footsteps reached his ears, he sat up straighter and turned slightly towards the entrance, hand moving closer to where his wand was situated. In an emergency, he could easily perform something wandless before reaching for it, but he also didn't want to appear overly suspicious should it be someone other than Jake who meant no harm.

But it was Jake, and he relaxed, turning to look at the grounds once more as he waited for the other male to settle down.

Blake dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement of the words, and then his lips twitched into a smile at the information. "In our line of work," Blake started, tone serious and steady. He let a second pass. "We're paranoid bitches," he finished, lightly and with a grin. "Although it's good you did it, cos otherwise I'd have to and I'm really comfortable in this position."

He let a few seconds pass before letting out a tiny sigh and turning to face Jake, swinging his legs from over the edge, so that he had them both touching the floor. Looking at Jake, he said, "Right, let's get this done and over with. I have things to do and places to be." He paused, and then let out a laugh. "No, I don't. I've just always wanted to say that; it sounded pretty cool, didn't it? Like I'm some big bad boss."

He grinned. "You have questions. You're wondering why I'm here, right? What my purpose is, yada yada yada... Well, congratulations, Auror Newbury. You've won yourself a one-time pass to Answers Land. I'll explain everything I can. I'll need you to be my backup if things go sideways, in any case, so it's good if you know everything."

Subject: Re: Clearing the Air [Jake] Mon May 01, 2017 2:30 pm

The serious opening made Jake raise an internal eyebrow. He didn't really know Blake, in truth, only on a professional level and not really anything else. This wasn't, of course, to say that Jake didn't want to know his colleague, it was just time. And finding the right moments for proper introductions and drinks, or the like. But the notion of being paranoid bastards made Jake laugh with the other man.

"You're welcome." Jake replied to the whole notion. Not too formal, just a comment with little weight. It seemed, though, that his instincts had been right. This was going to be something of a serious chat. Whilst he was playing it down, Jake's normal mission senses were tingling just a little bit. Information was on it's way, he was sure.

The small pause was interrupted by Blake's words of him needing to be somewhere. Before another laugh erupted from the other man's lips. Jake had smiled politely, waiting. "I think, if you were a big bad boss, I would be stood straighter than I am at the moment." Jake pointed out with a small laugh of his own as his eyes moved to Blake's for a moment before going back to the grounds. "But, important enough." He conceded, not wanting to piss on his colleagues bonfire too much.

"Please, call me Jake, Auror Newbury, much like Professor, is much too formal and I'm not too fond of formalities." Jake told his colleague with a small smile, before turning serious at the notion of being the other's backup. "So you're here on a mission." Jake stated, even though that was obvious, he was simply gathering the facts.

"For what?" Jake added, curiosity peaking as he turned his attention to Blake in that moment. What the Ministry believed to be going on in the school... Merlin only knew.

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~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

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Blake let out a laugh at Jake's words. "Hey, don't hurt my feelings. I technically outrank you, you know!" he joked. This wasn't true, not really. Blake's team operated mostly incognito, meaning for all intents and purposes, they were simple Aurors, nothing special at all. If they were going by technicalites, it was Jake who outranked him; but if they were going by sensitivity of information and danger levels, it was Blake.

He did, after all, purposely get himself into positions that could kill him and then remain in that situation for days, weeks, and even months -- and how many times had he narrowly escaped death? Too many.

He dipped his head in acknowledgement. "In my team, we use last names to indicate we're breaking cover or talking to them as operatives instead of Aurors, friends, or colleagues. It's a habit that is hard to kill," he explained, choosing his words purposely. He wanted to see if Jake could make the connection. "I only really meant to say I was going to talk to you as Auror to Auror, not Professor to Professor or even man to man."

The statement, though, brought forth a grin.

"Yes, to teach the children about muggles. It's shocking, really, how little they know about their counterpart, and the ministry felt that they really should do something about it, so here I am!" He grinned, showing he was joking, and then took a breath and changed his entire demeanure. It wasn't difficult, separating his usual jovial self from his Auror side, although he enjoyed blurring the lines if it didn't call for it.

But now? Now he wasn't Blake -- he was Auror Mason, and he was going to be professional as an ice cream taste tester. (Were they professional? He wasn't sure. But he'd be damned if that wasn't an important job that was to be taken very, very seriously indeed.)

Whatever the case, Blake's posture changed, subtle, small differences that anyone in that line of work would catch, and his smile faded a little. It was still there -- as it always was -- but it held a sense of seriousness, this time. He joked around a lot, said things he didn't mean, but when push came to shove, he could be serious, even if he didn't like it. This was, incidentally, what made him such a good candidate for undercover work; he was able to switch between characters quickly, from geeky to comedic to serious.

"I have no doubts that you remember the incident that took place here." He didn't name the Nightshades; he had to be careful what he said, even if the place was secure. No naming of things if at all possible, that sorta thing. "The investigations showed they didn't force their way into school, and they certainly couldn't have aparated in," Blake continued, his tone now a dull, informative one. "The minsitry has questions and concerns. I'm sure you can figure out what they are, the least of which is who aided them."

"I'm here," he gestured directionlessly, "to find out these answers. You're known as an auror. People will put on an act around you, and be extra careful if they have something to hide. But me? The muggle studies professor who jokes too much and isn't serious about anything? I wouldn't notice a bomb if it was right under my nose with a note labelling it 'explosive'." He grinned humourlessly. "If anyone is up to something, I'll notice it. It's what I do."

Subject: Re: Clearing the Air [Jake] Wed May 03, 2017 7:30 am

The comment on outranking one another was one that Jake simply laughed off in that moment. The technicalities of the ranking difference between the two of them was not particularly a conversation Jake wished to jump in to. After all, he definitely didn't wish to end up with something going too far, and offence being taken by either one of them.

"No harm done. And, understood that we're talking on that level." Jake told Blake with a small smile. Though, he was definitely highly curious as to why Blake had been stationed here. There were already two Aurors within the school on the teaching board, so why could they possibly need more?

Blake then went in to the explanation of why he was here - the cover of the Muggle Studies professor - the goal of trying to find the accomplice to the Nightshades getting in to the school. It made sense, really, to throw someone in undercover. Jake was too obvious a choice. Scarlett was probably much the same. So, a new person - an unknown person - in the school would make for the best cover in all of this.

"That makes sense." Jake commented when Blake had finished. Again, it wasn't too much more than a throw away comment to buy the younger of the two males a little more time to think through the whole scenario before he spoke again.

"Which is why you've called me up here. To ask me not to break the cover you've been given." Jake finally summarised, before giving a small nod. "Consider it done. We'll make friends of one another in due course, as all teachers do. Which will give me the necessary cover to bring you the information if I should find anything." Jake spoke the idea out before looking to Blake for confirmation.

"And Auror Waters?" Jake added, wondering what was to be done about the other Auror in the school.

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~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

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Blake noted, almost at once, that Jake hadn't picked up on his choice of words. That he was an operative, and not just an auror. It was interesting to note, therefore, and Blake was already filing it away. How much more had Jake missed in either his colleagues and peers or his students?

It wasn't Jake's fault, of course; everyone had their own fortes. Some Aurors weren't sent in for undercover work, and some weren't sent in the front line for fighting. Blake and his team, however, had to be all rounded (as much as possible), for the nature of their job. Of course, if it came down to it, Blake would rather let Andi do the fighting than him, but it wasn't as though he couldn't hold his own.

He'd have to start new, then, in observation. That wasn't too much of an issue; it had been what he'd been prepared to do from the start.

"Oh, it isn't your job to worry about me. I've got things covered, and my team will be but a summon away. Anything goes wrong -- not that I expect it to; we're in a school, for Merlin's sake. The worst, I expect, is ungraded homework because I couldn't be arsed to read through so many essays -- and I'll have backup here in moments," Blake said.

What he really wanted to say was Man, you're really uptight. Chill a little; let's go get piss drunk. It was like someone had stuck a stick up Jake's butt and he couldn't bend over. The image brought somewhat of a smile to Blake's lips as he mulled over the situation.

"Eh, cover isn't something I particularly think is an issue, really. I'll make friends alright, but I wouldn't call it cover," he continued. "The only difference between professor Mason and ... what I do ... is that Mason isn't a super secret auror spy person. Personality wise we're two peas in a pod." He grinned at Jake. "Let's go drinking one night and gossip over students. That is what teachers do, don't they?" He put on a mock girly voice. "Like, oh-em-gee, you would not believe what so-and-so did in class today. Like, urg, seriously."

Shrugging, Blake dropped the tone. "Seriously, though, let's go drinking. Relax and live a little."

The question was one he expected, and he shrugged lightly. "Scarlett doesn't really know me; our paths haven't crossed many times," he said, deciding at the last moment not to put emphasis on her first name, although he wanted to. "But she has been briefed."

Subject: Re: Clearing the Air [Jake] Sun Jun 04, 2017 7:52 pm

The comment about not worrying made Jake laugh a little. A dry laugh, somewhat of disbelief, but also because he couldn't think of a time he hadn't worried about his kids here at the school from facing another attack. "I'm not worried about you, I'm worried about the kids." Jake told the man beside him, adults in their profession could hold their own, he was under no illusion of that.

Jake nodded as Blake explained that Professor Mason and himself were pretty much the same - bar being a spy. Was Jake surprised with that admission? Not really. It made more sense as to why Blake was here, being undercover and more elite than him and Scarlett were. Oh, it stung a little, knowing someone in the Ministry didn't think he and Scarlett were enough. But he understood.

The offer of a drink, however, made Jake's eyebrow raise more than a little in that moment. Was that normal? But the accent that Blake put on only a few moments later had Jake laughing, relaxing and realising that he wasn't needed in a professional sense, not really. "Yeah, alright, a drink sounds good." Jake replied to the other male, giving him a genuine smile in that moment for his newly acquired friend.

Being told to relax, Jake gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. There's... a lot going on in the background." He told the other male, not delving in to that, because he doubted that Blake would want to know in that moment anyway.

The mention of Scarlett - in first name terms - was odd, but Jake simply nodded. "As you say." Was all Jake needed to tell the other male.

"If you need anything doing though, anything at all, please do ask. Four eyes are better than two." Jake insisted of the other male, because he wanted to help in any way that he could. The sooner the Nightshades were conquered, the quicker they could all relax again.

________________________________________________
~ Auror ~ Profile ~ DADA Professor ~
~ In a Relationship ~ 36 ~ Father ~ 6' ~ American Accent ~

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