UsernameEmailRegionInterestAOL IMICQ IDYahoo! IDMSN IDJabber

Brady/Aland ...BECAUSE I CAN, DAMNIT...Part 1
"I didn't do it!"

"Oh, that's fantastic, Aland. If you skirt-up those wide-eyes a little more you might get an opportunity for parole amended to the life sentence in Azkaban."

The younger man's features darkened as he moodily scowled. "I didn't do it," he repeated. "Not this time."

Brady grimaced and let his quill drop to the table between them. "I didn't hear that. And you should be thankful that they didn't hear it either. I had a colleague in Defense Wards sweep the room before the Hitwizards brought you in."

The maverick of a wizarding defense lawyer eyed his client. The rich snot didn't even look thankful for his attorney's forethought to secure the room.

Brady exhaled slowly through his nose and sat back in the plain stiff-backed chair. "Do you want to go to prison, Aland?" he asked the wizard in a flat tone. "That is where you're going unless I convince the Wizengamot of your innocence. Which I can't do unless you give me something useful. You could start by telling me the truth."

"I have. I. Didn't. Do it."

"Yes, that's wonderful," Brady said dryly. "You've absolutely convinced me. Now can we move onto something a bit more substantial?"

The younger wizard rose a brow. "Such as?"

"Your alibi."

Aland frowned. "I already told you--"

"Yes," Brady interrupted and continued loftily as he recalled his client's earlier statement, "home all by yourself in a hot water bath. I'd rather the truth, please."

"Excuse me?" the younger wizard looked thoroughly affronted.

Brady let out a sigh and leaned forward on the table to lock his client's defiant gaze. "If you can't lie to me properly how do you expect you'll do against an entire high court?"

The distance between Aland's brows disappeared and his jaw tensed. He then crossed his arms and avoided his attorney's stern gaze. "Okay--I was with someone," he grumbled.

"Uh-huh," Brady murmured in disbelief.

That got a reproachful glare. "Well, I was!" Aland sunk down further into his seat. "A girl--woman," he added bluntly.

"Right, a woman, of course," Brady replied, lofty tone returning as he scrutinized the younger man's squirming. "Did this woman perhaps have a name?"

"Heidi."

"And where's Heidi from?"

"Huh?" Aland's expression had eased into confusion.

"Where did you meet her?" Brady demanded, still stony.

"I..." His client was glancing away again. "I don't know," Aland replied with a shrug.

Brady gave a frustrated nasal huff of an exhale. His jaw was tensing as he became increasingly annoyed with the younger wizard.

"What? I have to remember every skirt I take home?" his client quipped.

"No, Aland," Brady said testily. "But you do need to stop being a bloody ponce and take this seriously. The Dementors are waiting for you Aland. They're right outside that door. They are going to take you to your new holding cell at Azkaban and there is nothing I can do to stop them."

There were sounds of a wooden chair scraping on stone as Aland shoved away from the table and stood. The lanky wizard mopped a palm over his face and seemed to think for a few seconds before throwing his arms wide. "I don't know what you want me to say!" he shouted.

"The truth, Aland," Brady leveled.

The younger wizard's shoulders drooped and he turned his back to his attorney. His long fingers lace at the back of his neck and raked downward. Something was definitely eating at him.

"Okay," Aland said with a sigh of final defeat. "I was with...a bloke."