Don't Ever Forget

XXXVII.

The next day started as planned. Harry, Ron, and Hermione waited at my kitchen table anxiously. They hardly ate the breakfast I made for them. 

"So when I actually offer you food, you don't take it," I tease the boys, hoping to ease the tension I know we all felt. Harry and Ron let out short laughs but I know the anxiety was still eating away at them. We know that this could either go good or bad, but the bad would be very bad. Either Fernsby had no idea what we were talking about and the conversation went on like a small friendly get-together, or Fernsby knew and he was part of the muggleborns being killed. And if he knew that we were on to him, he could react badly. 

"I'll ask everything and if I miss anything you guys can cut in, okay?" Harry goes over our plan once again while we wait. 

"Yeah, sounds good," Ron replies nervously. Hermione squeezes his hand and I notice the absence of the ring Ron showed me a while ago. I hated this current conflict. It was ending lives and also keeping others' lives on hold. 

"They'll be here soon," I say, noticing the time. It was usually when Harry and Ron switched off with Matthews and Collins. 

"Keep your wands close," Hermione quickly added. Right when she finished, Matthews, Collins, and Fernsby apparated into my living room. Matthews and Collins looked casual, which I was grateful for, and Fernsby turned to me with a smile. I was taken aback by it at first but returned it. We didn't know if he was involved yet. 

"It's been quite a while since I've seen you, Y/N. How have you been?" he asks politely, walking over to shake my hand. 

"Well, I haven't had much to do. How are you and the Ministry? Is it busier without me there?" I continue the conversation as if talking to a friend. 

"It actually hasn't been busy at all," he admits and I frown. So the Ministry really wasn't investigating as much as they should have. I sneak a glance at the rest of us and they seemed to have caught that, too. 

"Do you mind staying for a while? I want you to catch me up on what the committee has been up to," I say, gesturing toward an empty chair. He takes a seat and seems oblivious to the tension between us. 

"We have been keeping your idea alive and well, I assure you," he says and I smile.

"I'm glad to hear that," I say and glance at Harry. He takes the cue and picks up the conversation.

"It's a good thing, too. Especially with the recent muggleborn killing at that cafe so recently," Harry says and I don't notice any weird reaction from Fernsby. 

"Yes, it's quite sad..." he trails off with a frown. A normal reaction to the topic of death. 

"I have to ask, Fernsby, have you ever been to that cafe?" Harry pushes on, asking the question straight forward. Fernsby's eyes widen and he turns to look at all of us surrounding him. 

"I have. Many in the Ministry have," he answers. 

"Were you there that day?" Harry asks. I'm surprised at how casually he asks the question. If I didn't know it myself, I would never have guessed it was an interrogation but I think that Fernsby has caught on. He gulps. 

"What is going on here?" he asks, perspiration shining on his forehead.

"We're just asking questions, it's okay," I smile at him, trying to assure him. 

"No, I was not there that day!" he says defiantly. 

"Okay, then. But can you tell me what this is?" Harry then pulls out the paper with Fernsby's crossed out name on it and slides it over to him on the table. Fernsby's eyes widen when he recognizes the paper.