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wunderkind

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From:

jurisimpudent

[Brave and necessary. Or, really - brave. Hearing that word of praise from Sirius' mouth - however casually delivered - is...strange. And...nice, really. It's not a challenge, not a question, just a quiet affirmation.

So Edgeworth hesitates a moment before asking:]

What would you do?

From:

doggedly

[He glances towards the door again, sucking at his cigarette--but it's not an answer that he has to think very hard about.]

I'd tell 'em to get fucked.

From:

jurisimpudent

[That's the answer he was hoping for, but not really the one he was expecting. So Sirius has his full attention when he asks:]

Why? You never shrank from notoriety in the past.

From:

doggedly

[He shrugs, sharply, without looking around at Edgeworth.]

Because this is different. And you know it's different, that's why you're asking me. This isn't a quidditch match--Merlin, it's not even getting good marks in school. If they want to give you an award for it, it's only so they can talk about wonderfully safe things are now. You'll be something to point to.

From:

jurisimpudent

[And Edgeworth's face is indeed deeply troubled at that prospect.]

But things aren't safe. They won't be for years yet, if then.

From:

doggedly

Yeah, just try telling that to them. D'you think they'll listen?

[He gestures towards the door again. They, them--not the same as the they of the Death Eaters and purebloods, but just as separate from the two of them. Though that rather puts them in a group together, doesn't it?]

They need this victory. They'll make it look as great for themselves as possible.

From:

jurisimpudent

[He's quiet a moment, struggling with that thought. Finally:]

Well. That's...fine, I should say. A stronger Ministry should prevent a repeat of such a thing as this happening. I'm certain they'd do it for the greater good.

[But he looks troubled and unconvinced by his own words.]

From:

doggedly

[Sirius snorts, in disbelief--but doesn't comment, not just yet. Instead, he sits in silence, watching that door a moment longer. They've been in here for a long time now, just the two of them. It's difficult to imagine the world outside the door, the panic and elation that must be taking people by turns.]

You don't think that.

[He looks over at Edgeworth, steadily.]

You don't believe that any more than I do. The greater good?

From:

jurisimpudent

[And as soon as Sirius meets his eyes, he looks down, embarrassed. Because - no. He doesn't. Not really.]

That is their stated mission, is it not?

From:

doggedly

They want to keep people calm. They want to keep people happy--job security and approval ratings and all that. They want everything nasty over with as quickly as possible, so we can all get back to our lives in security and peace.

So, yeah. The greater good. Not very good, but passable.

[He shrugs, again, takes another drag on his cigarette. That kills it, and he flicks the end onto the floor, carelessly.]

Don't tell them you don't want any credit. Don't tell them anything. They'll pay you off to keep themselves safe.

From:

jurisimpudent

[But he shakes his head, uncomprehending and stubborn - ]

But I don't want to be paid off.

From:

doggedly

Then give the gold away, if they try to give you gold. Sell it, if it's something else--but you've got to take it, or they won't feel like they've done their jobs properly. They'll think you're a loose end otherwise, something that's going to come back to them.

If you reject what they're giving you, you're making a statement.

From:

jurisimpudent

[Again, he shakes his head.]

That's absurd. That sounds like they're...malicious. Which, no matter what can be thought of them, they're not. They'll not think I'm a threat just because I turn down some idiotic award.

From:

doggedly

It's not turning down the award. It's being unsecured. Anything could make you tell the truth of what happened, and if they build up some story about the Aurors being the one to take Voldemort down, and then ten years down the line you come along and say no, it was you, when you were a kid, a student--

Merlin, don't you see! You have to know that the Ministry isn't all pleasant and nice. Even Dumbledore knows that much.

From:

jurisimpudent

[Edgeworth hunches his shoulders. Sirius is right, of course, but the thought of the Ministry acting in so...evil a way - it's just - ]

So I'll tell the truth from the beginning. I'll not let them take credit.

From:

doggedly

Then do it. But then you get the credit, and you have to accept that. No going back on it.

[He slumps back in his chair, his legs stretched out in front of him, arms crossed over his chest.]

That's the way this works.

From:

jurisimpudent

But I don't want -

[He starts unhappily, falters, shakes his head.]

I...despise untruths. But I also don't want - all of that.

From:

doggedly

[He shrugs, carelessly. And he doesn't care, of course, because this is Edgeworth's life, and Edgeworth's feelings which are stopping him from accepting either option.

But after a moment, he offers:]

I'll take care of it.

From:

jurisimpudent

[He looks up, honestly confused.]

What do you mean?

From:

doggedly

We'll work out a story, and I'll put them off.

[He shrugs.]

It's easy. I don't care about lying. You don't need to say a thing. We were both there, we were both witnesses. It'll be simple.

From:

jurisimpudent

[But Edgeworth shakes his head.]

I care about you lying.

From:

doggedly

[He snorts, dismissively.]

Don't waste the effort. Look, it doesn't matter. It gets you out of what you want to get out of, puts the credit where it's due, and doesn't let the Ministry get away with too much.

From:

jurisimpudent

I...

[But it is neat. And it's easy. It's far neater and far easier than Edgeworth's dithering, wanting to have it both ways - both honesty and a lack of attention on him. Yet he's still hesitant - still feels like he's asking something immense and rather terrible of Sirius.]

What...sort of story are you suggesting you tell?

From:

doggedly

[He glances up at the ceiling as he considers. And this is, really, no big thing. No bigger than anything else he's ever done or been willing to do. You betrayed your family, more or less, what's one lie?]

If you were hit with a spell that erased your memories of it completely, you wouldn't be able to say anything, right? They could tell you whatever they wanted.