Inner Demons [Eden]

[Max Kameren]

Visiting the Auror Department always felt like tempting fate. How many years had it been now, four? Five? Still a chill went up Simone Rosier’s spine whenever her investigative projects dovetailed with the aurors. It wasn’t their work with dark wizards. Quite the contrary, as a psychological investigator those pathologies attracted her interest. This was Kameren territory.

The path to the Auror offices was dotted with burnt bridges. The Head Auror was a manageable kind of cold; they’d never met before working together thankfully, but he was prone to the odd disapproving stare if he recognized her name. She could live with that.

It was Fletcher who caused problems. It was a wonder the woman hadn’t been fired years ago, when Simone’s breakup with Fletcher’s best friend was fresh and resulted in a tongue-lashing Human Resources had had to step into before it became a duel. How ridiculous, screaming after her in the halls of the Ministry over a boy! It had been humiliating at the time, but time faded and eventually Simone’s reputation recovered. She avoided the Aurors now to prevent any kind of resurgence in the sleeping lioness’s temper tantrums.

Especially now, after what Simone had read in the Prophet she was sure her presence in the Auror offices would not be welcome. She’d avoided processing anything related to the Winston Warghollow attacks to try to keep her own sanity and Eden Fletcher out of her office. But she couldn’t avoid the offices entirely, and today ahead of a briefing on cult psychology and management protocol with the aurors and hitwizards she needed to prepare.

Simone came in early to peruse the archives of the Auror offices for case files; not early enough to escape the skeptical gaze of the Head Auror for a moment unfortunately, but definitely early enough that the sketch artist hadn’t arrived. When she’d successfully made it to the filing archives she closed the door and leaned against it, smiling in relief to herself as she reached up and switched on the first hanging lamp. She was in the clear.

[Eden Fletcher]

Eden had planned on researching runes that she had seen in a vision when she came into the auror offices rather early. She hadn't realized there was a briefing scheduled until she had noticed the rather alarming amount of aurors awake at such a god awful hour. More than a few people were gulping down coffee, eyes half closed as they ignored the morning people. Eden grabbed a muffin from a pathetic refreshment area and was about to avoid everyone when Cain floated by. He made a quip about Eden keeping her temper leashed and being on her best behavior when they had visitors from psychology on the floor. Eden quickly swallowed a mouthful of dry muffin but Cain had floated away before she could question him. Keep her temper? What was he blathering on about? Why would Eden raving mad in the file room? Cain didn't always make much sense.

Eden headed off to her cubicle to put her stuff done before the briefing. She wanted to be there even though she was just a sketch artist. AS Eden walked she heard someone say the name Rosier. Eden froze. Psychology, tempers, Rosier. Oh fucking hell. The bloody mind controlling harpy from the 7th degree of hell was going to prattle on about what made psycho's tick. Normally that wouldn't phase Eden but Max was a consultant and nothing would stop him from going to a briefing on Warghollow. Where he would see Rosier. It would be a fucking train wreck. He was in such a vulnerable state as it was because of the Rowena debacle. Eden needed to warn Max that it was Simone who was going to brief them.

Max could often be found in the file room so she went in there to look for him. Eden slid into the file room fully expecting to find Max. The overhead light was on but it wasn't Max looking through the cabinets. Eden stiffened when she realized it was the bitch snooping where she didn't belong. What was she doing in here anyways? Wasn't she prepared for her big show? What kind of amateur was she researching for her presentation the day of. Eden tried to leave the room but her feet were rooted to the spot as anger flashed through her as she thought of what Simone had done to Max. She remembered how consumed Max had been by her, how his every thought was of her. How she had him wrapped around her little finger. He had changed so much with Simone, had become what she had wanted. It had been sad to see how he blended into Simone. For all that Eden hated Rowena she was no Simone and she was actually good for Max. Did Simone know that Max was a consultant now? That he would be in the room with her? Had she planned on him being there? Was Simone going to insert herself back into Max's life again? Well she could try but she wouldn't get far as long as Eden was alive.

"Hiding out Rosier? I never took you for a coward." Eden said coldly.

[Max Kameren]

"Hiding out Rosier? I never took you for a coward." Eden said coldly.

Long, thin fingers paused in the filing drawers with the screech of a familiar harpy. Naturally Eden Fletcher had sniffed her out immediately. The woman was a bloodhound for conflict. So imbalanced in her thinking Simone was amazed she’d passed the Auror examinations to begin with. Impulsive, ignorant, and rude just like any other auror she’d met.

“Eden!” The taller witch turned with a bright smile that barely covered the venom at the edges of her greeting. “What are you doing in here? The filing room is usually only helpful to the literate…”

[Eden Fletcher]

“Eden!” The taller witch turned with a bright smile that barely covered the venom at the edges of her greeting. “What are you doing in here? The filing room is usually only helpful to the literate…”

The fake smile and cheerful tone couldn't hide the poison in the other woman. A bite from her would be deadly. Eden nearly rolled her eyes at the comment. Calling out her reading skills, how original.

Eden looked around with a mocking confused look on her face. "Wait this isn't the loo? I could have sworn that's what the sign outside said. But then again, I can't read so what do I know. I am surprised you're here though, I thought vampires couldn't come out in day light."

[Max Kameren]

"Wait this isn't the loo? I could have sworn that's what the sign outside said. But then again, I can't read so what do I know. I am surprised you're here though, I thought vampires couldn't come out in day light."

“Glad to hear you’ve finally been housebroken. Must’ve been tough.” Simone cocked her head in mock sympathy. The girl really was like an animal. Even when Simone and Max were dating, she lived like a heathen. Not to mention her social skills; wasn’t she from money? How was she raised in high society and still grunted like a cavewoman? She was too thick. No amount of repetition could get through that skull, Simone had seen that herself in her own arguments with the brute.

She smiled at the thought before turning back to her files, long slender fingers rifling through the drawers and pulling files with images she needed. “If you’re looking for a sneak preview you’ll have to wait for Deol’s lecture this afternoon. I’m only pulling visual aids; we know how antsy you aurors get when forced to sit and listen patiently for too long.”

“So,” Simone arched a brow and coffee-brown eyes darted momentarily up at her prey, “How’s our gaunt companion? Can’t miss him in the papers, poor thing. You still pining after him?”

A slight smirk tweaked at Simone’s lips. She knew that would get under Fletcher’s skin; throughout their relationship every row Simone had with Eden left a lingering unspoken affection the blond ninny held beyond her concern for Max. The two had been far too close for Simone’s liking, despite her best efforts. She’d be amazed if they hadn’t jumped each other in the time since she’d last seen him, really.

[Eden Fletcher]

“Glad to hear you’ve finally been housebroken. Must’ve been tough.”

"Actually it was quite easy but I can see where you would have trouble since most loos have mirrors. It must be hard turning to stone every time you see a mirror," Eden said sweetly. Simone really was Medusa. She made Rowena Covington seem like a ray of sunshine. Being in the room with Simone again made Elle actually appreciate Rowena. Rowena for all her faults had been good for Max. Rowena was a neurotic know it all but at least she wasn't a controlling man eating fishmonger who manipulated the world. Rowena didn't bat her eyes and try to control people because she was a woman. Eden might not like Rowena because she thought she was the smartest person if the world but she actually hated Simone for the way she had taken over Max. From the very first time she had met Eden, Simone had tried to get her to disappear. Rowena had never tried to convince Max to stop seeing her. Simone had tried to force Max to stop seeing her. SHe had isolated Max from Eden and his family. It had been awful.

“So,” Simone arched a brow and coffee-brown eyes darted momentarily up at her prey, “How’s our gaunt companion? Can’t miss him in the papers, poor thing. You still pining after him?”

" He's Madly in love and about to get married. She didn't have to resort to manipulation or love potions to get him to commit unlike you. And it is so kind of you to ask about him but at today's training you don't speak to him send thoughts to him or even bat an eye lash at him. He doesn't need your ugly face to distract him from his rune work."

[Max Kameren]

“Glad to hear you’ve finally been housebroken. Must’ve been tough.”

"Actually it was quite easy but I can see where you would have trouble since most loos have mirrors. It must be hard turning to stone every time you see a mirror," Eden said sweetly.

Alas, poor Eden. Again with the illiteracy? Medusa’s reflection couldn’t turn anyone to stone. Rather than debate Greek literature Simone took the high road and let the insult slide. Instead the redirected their conversation to their only shared interest. “So, how’s our gaunt companion? Can’t miss him in the papers, poor thing. You still pining after him?”

"He's Madly in love and about to get married. She didn't have to resort to manipulation or love potions to get him to commit unlike you. And it is so kind of you to ask about him but at today's training you don't speak to him send thoughts to him or even bat an eye lash at him. He doesn't need your ugly face to distract him from his rune work."

This again! Max’s bloody family’s wails would follow her to her grave, surely. She hadn’t done anything he didn’t agree to. Was it her fault that Max was agreeable? That he found her methods and arguments persuasive? Simone tended to win most arguments; Max was simply more easily malleable. That wasn’t her fault.

But wait. Simone tilted her head, her brow furrowing and eyes narrowing at the little auror. Max would be at the lecture? “What’s Kameren doing at the Ministry?” She arched a brow as realization dawned on her. “Is he working with the aurors now? Oh Max, daddy would be so disappointed…”

Simone’s condescending chuckle was accented by the slam of the file as she pushed it closed. “No need to worry, Fletcher. I won’t go out of my way after your man.” She winked, “We’ll just have to see what he wants, won't we?”

[Eden Fletcher]

Eden wasn't sure what had possessed her to tell Simone that Max Kamren was nearly engaged to Rowena of all people. A few months, hell even a few weeks ago Eden would have laughed her ass off if someone had told her that she would soon be saying that Max was engaged to Rowena and that she, Eden Fletcher was happy. Especially to Rowena who was the biggest pain in her arse and had been since school. Still, as annoying as Rowena was she was leagues better than the dried up twisted fossil that was Simone Rosser. Transfigured shit was better than Simone Rossser. If anyone who needed to look like their personality it was Simone Rosser. She was a twisted piece of humanity that used people to her advantage and only her own advantage. Sorrow and pity flashed through Eden and she looked at Simone sadly. Eden actually felt sorry for the woman. It was sad that Simone could only relate to the world through how the world could provide for her. It was unlikely that Simone actually had a real friend for long since she used people like tissue and then discarded them.

“What’s Kameren doing at the Ministry?” She arched a brow as realization dawned on her. “Is he working with the aurors now? Oh Max, daddy would be so disappointed…”


The pity quickly turned to hatred. The urge to punch Simone in her pretty little nose was so strong she formed a fist. The wicked little trollop had no right to speak about Curse Kameren like she knew him.

"You really ought to learn not to speak about matters that you know nothing about. Your ignorance is showing." Eden said cooly. Max was a consultant, not an auror and he was only doing it now because Mungos was not safe and his unique experience was needed to save everyone and especially the family. Curse would have been disappointed if Max hadn't helped out.


“No need to worry, Fletcher. I won’t go out of my way after your man.” She winked, “We’ll just have to see what he wants, won't we?”

"You know it is quite sad how you think that men and women could never be friends. Even if you were a good person and not a manipulative little shit, you're inability to trust Max and his friendships with women would have been the end of your relationship," Eden said heading to the door. She was done with whore.

"You can bat your heavily mascaraed eyes at Max but it won't make a difference. He can't be controlled by you," Eden offered like good advice.

[Max Kameren]

What a deeply fascinating turn of events. Max Kameren was working at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. That could be fun, even if just to raise the fury of the ferocious Fletcher. She’d be loath to admit it, but there was a time in the past that Eden Fletcher got under her skin. It always felt good to get back a bit, twist the knife whenever she could. She didn’t want Max, not really. But he made a useful tool.

“What’s Kameren doing at the Ministry?” She arched a brow as realization dawned on her. “Is he working with the aurors now? Oh Max, daddy would be so disappointed…”

"You really ought to learn not to speak about matters that you know nothing about. Your ignorance is showing." Eden said cooly.

“Maybe Max told me more than he told you.” She smiled. Simone remembered; Max would lament to her often during their late nights in bed about the Kameren family patriarch’s expectations for what Max could and could not do. The well-meaning pressure of his parent was the exact kind of manipulation that showed Simone the path to what pressure points to hit in her own arguments with him.

“But here he is, working with the aurors and already cut to ribbons. Poor thing.” She shrugged. “No need to worry, Fletcher. I won’t go out of my way after your man.” She winked, “We’ll just have to see what he wants, won't we?”

"You know it is quite sad how you think that men and women could never be friends. Even if you were a good person and not a manipulative little shit, you're inability to trust Max and his friendships with women would have been the end of your relationship," Eden said heading to the door. She was done with whore.

Simone bristled at the implication. “Manipulate? Ha! Look in the mirror, Fletcher. If anyone is manipulative it’s you.”

He’d told her: since Hogwarts, Eden detested any woman who graced Max’s line of sight. Heaven forbid he date anyone or risk the wrath of Eden hammering down on him, complaining and howling until either he left her to make it stop or she got fed up and left. Simone was one of them; the burden of Max’s family had been too much for her to bear. She was sure it was the same for any woman in his life since her, even this almost-definitely-fictional ‘fiance’ Eden was touting.

“You’ve demeaned every woman he’s ever laid eyes on. No one’s good enough. No one meets your standards except maybe…” her brow ticked upwards judgmentally as she looked Eden up and down with a grimace. “Don’t worry Eden, maybe someday your turn will come.”

"You can bat your heavily mascaraed eyes at Max but it won't make a difference. He can't be controlled by you," Eden offered like good advice.

“I can promise you I didn’t make a single decision in our relationship he didn’t enthusiastically approve.” Simone hoisted the files into her arms with an exaggerated wink, turning away from the auror to push the filing room’s door open with her shoulder and head out into the office.