Bad Moon Rising | Nordstrom

Saturday, April 2, 1921
Bertram Nordstrom's Office
After Work Hours
♫

Things could not have lined up more perfectly if James Laurence hadn't orchestrated everything himself.

The man had already been neck-deep in the beginning stages of what could only be called a coup, working night and day to strategize and find a crack in the seamless armor that was Wylder Merrow. Now, it was as though Merlin himself had blessed the plan and laid the foundation right at James's feet.

Incompetence was what had led to three children being taken by that lunatic Thayer, and James had every intention at capitalizing upon the events. With several powerful pureblood families already at his back, James was now working quickly to close ranks amongst those he found most useful.

Nordstrom was easily one of the most valuable, if James could convince him.

His granddaughter Everleigh had been one of Thayer's victims, and if James was a betting man, he'd bet that Bertram Nordstrom was hungry for justice. The two men were well-enough acquainted with one another, having worked on the Wizengamot together for nearly a year and Benji and Matilda being best friends. James had to admit aside from Ministry work and basic knowledge of the Nordstroms, he didn't know much about Bertram personally, but he aimed to rectify that quickly.

He'd sent his house elf ahead the morning prior to inform - not request - Nordstrom he'd be stopping by after hours, indicating the meeting was urgent and couldn't be put off. And it wouldn't be. Either Nordstrom would see the value in aligning himself and his family with the other high-ranking pureblood families, or he wouldn't.

James wasn't a man who took no for an answer.

He knocked lightly on the doorframe to Nordstrom's office. "I apologize for the impromptu meeting, but after the events at Hogwarts, this wasn't able to wait." He waited for an invitation to enter the office and sit. "I hope Everleigh is recovering quickly?"

Typically, Bertram was seen around the ministry in his professional best. Suit, tie, vest, pocketwatch, shoes shined and a long wool coat in the winter. On many occasions he even had a matching hat. Today, it was like a different man showed up to work. Bram was in his normal suit pants, shirt and vest, but everything was slightly askew. His hair was disheveled after numerous attempts to pull it out by the roots. And the bags under his eyes were packed for a month-long vacation.

After the event at Hogwarts, where his granddaughter Everleigh was taken and tortured by Thayer, Bram had been beside himself with worry. She wasn’t ok. That was obvious, not that her imbecile of a father would listen to him.

His son in law, Thatcher, had his head SO FAR UP HIS OWN ARSE, he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. A daughter on the brink of a breakdown. After the girls, Everleigh, Alice and Matilda, came home from school for the Easter Holiday, Bram and Tilly went to visit Everleigh and Alice. Bram needed to see her for himself. Hold her tight, and make sure she was ok.

It was clear as day that she was not ok. Flinching at noises, screaming nightmares, mumbling rants, withdrawn, pale, lack of interest in all her favorite things. Thatcher wouldn’t hear any of it. When Bram got the owl from James, he was surprised and intrigued at what might be on his mind. They didn’t cross paths often in the ministry, but they knew each other well enough.

Through their time in the Wizengamot, both being part of Pureblood Society and the relationship Benji and Tilly had from their first year at Hogwarts, the men were not strangers. Asking for an out of the blue meeting outside of office hours, was outside of the norm.

The knock on the door brought Bram out of his internal musings, “come in,” he said, standing up to greet his guest. He automatically went to button his suit coat, when he realized he wasn’t wearing one. Running his hand through his hair to tame the mess, he moved to shake James’ hand as he came into his office. “James, nice to see you, please come in and take a seat. Can I offer you a drink?”

"I apologize for the impromptu meeting, but after the events at Hogwarts, this wasn't able to wait. I hope Everleigh is recovering quickly?"

Bram motioned for him to take a seat in the seating area across from the desk. Two cushy emerald green arm chairs sat inviting the men to relax. At James’ reasoning for the meeting, Bram sighed. He wasn’t wrong, it couldn’t wait.

“Ever is. Well, she is alive, which is about all I can say. Otherwise, she isn’t well. I’m worried, if I’m being honest. She is typically such a strong willed, bullheaded girl. Always listening, always putting her 2 sickles in, but now? She is barely speaking, mumbles, night terrors, flinching at the slightest noise. Her mother burned the pork roast at dinner and the smell just about did her in. I thought we would have to sedate her.”

Bram was up and pacing at this point. Not able to sit there and talk about such things. Pouring himself a drink, he took a sip of the dark amber liquid letting it burn his throat on the way down. Bringing him back to the present and the topic at hand. “I’m sorry, you caught me at a difficult time. How can I help you?”

“James, nice to see you, please come in and take a seat. Can I offer you a drink?”

"Fine, thanks," James said with a slight dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm meeting my wife for dinner in an hour or so." He didn't need to show up even slightly inebriated. While Amelia was a tolerant woman and looked the other way for much of his behavior, he didn't like arriving anything less than full present when he was with her.

After shaking hands, he settled himself into one of the cushioned emerald chairs, leaning back slightly and resting an elbow on one of the arms. There was intention in his eyes as he listened to Nordstrom go on about his granddaughter, feeling a sort of empathy for the man. Barely speaking. Night terrors and flinching. James shook his head, as the reality of Merrow's incompetence settled over the room. It was one thing to hear about it, another to look a man in the eyes and see what it had done to his family.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Bertram,” James said, his tone sincere, steady. “If it would help, Amelia’s a patron at St. Mungo’s. I can have her reach out? See that Everleigh is looked after by the best healers they have.” He offered it without flourish or condescension; a resource, not a favor. A bridge, not a bond.

And Nordstrom, to his credit, seemed willing to listen in return.

Excellent. They could get to it, then.

"To be frank, I'm here to see how you feel about Merrow and the way he's managed his time in office thus far. With the attack on Hogwarts, and your family directly harmed, it raises concerns I’m sure you share.” James indicated slightly towards Nordstrom as he paced about the room, "It begs the question of competency at the top." He studied the man for a moment, keeping his expression even and neutral.

James needed all the power he could get behind him if he were going to take the Ministry by the throat and make it theirs. Nordstrom was an important cog in the machine, one he preferred to make an ally with rather than an enemy. If appealing to his softer side via his family wouldn't work, James had other ideas up his sleeve.

“Instead of safeguarding our children, Merrow spends his time on petty measures. The wand registry, for instance, while our children were left like lambs to the slaughter."

“I’m sorry to hear that, Bertram, If it would help, Amelia’s a patron at St. Mungo’s. I can have her reach out? See that Everleigh is looked after by the best healers they have.”

Taking another drink Bram looked at the man. He was a hard one to gauge, and in his current unstable state, all the more difficult. Typically a good judge of character, Bram would stick to his gut and hope his instincts didn’t leave him astray. “Thank you for the offer. If we come to that I will let you know. Of course, her parents might be a hurdle too high to jump.”

Back to the topic at hand, Bram ran his fingers through his hair, stopping to lean on his desk. Ankles crossed, legs outstretched. Drinking the last of his whisky, he sat the glass on his desk and crossed his arms listening to what James had to say.

"To be frank, I'm here to see how you feel about Merrow and the way he's managed his time in office thus far. With the attack on Hogwarts, and your family directly harmed, it raises concerns I’m sure you share.” Bram nodded along, taking in what he said. Coming up with his answer before James had finished talking. "It begs the question of competency at the top."

Back on topic, and less restless, Bram took his seat again, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. Forming his words carefully. He didn’t speak for a beat. He needed to tread lightly, not wanting to commit to anything or show his cards

“Instead of safeguarding our children, Merrow spends his time on petty measures. The wand registry, for instance, while our children were left like lambs to the slaughter."

And that did it. “That fucking wand registry," Bertram grumbled. "Absolutely ridiculous. It wasn’t something I supported, I can tell you that. In regards to Hogwarts, I agree. The remaining staff should have been brought in for questioning and vetted before the school reopened. While I am not happy with how this term has turned out, for obvious reasons, I believe the school was set up for failure. It should never have come to such extremes, and that starts at the top.”