How in Merlin’s name had he ended up having this argument? They were gnomes. Bloody-silly-mostly-insignificant gnomes and though there wasn’t an inch of Konstantin’s heart that would have allowed him to do any aspect of his job with anything other than full commitment even he was beginning to waver.

It wasn’t even as though the solution was complex. Smugglers were coming and they would be there waiting for them when they did - he hadn’t even felt the need to deploy more than two hit wizards for the occasion give the crime was far from Machiavellian - so why on earth waas Miss Goyle making everything so difficult?

“I would never dream of faulting you Miss Goyle but I still insist upon you remaining out of the line of fire,” well, line of fire was probably hyperbolic, but he couldn’t imagine that Miss Goyle’s presence would be anything other than a hindrance. “The hit wizards are more than capable of capturing a few idiots without your assistance I assure you.”

The mere possibility of failure was utterly absurd – the smugglers would undoubtedly be outmatched in skill – but Kons managed to keep his scoff to himself. He was many things but rude was not one of them and he had never known Miss Goyle to appear as anything other than sensible so she deserved his respect; even if he didn’t exactly know her beyond that she had done well in a department that was, at best, not quite achieving its targets.

“I have no doubt that such a spot could be found but I fail to see why you would wish to be there at all,” he counted with a frown. “I would be more than happy to consent to you observing the interrogations once they are brought in to the Ministry’s holding cells but it would be remiss of me to put anybody in the field that was not experienced.”

He didn’t wish to insult her, in fact it was the last thing he wanted other than for this disagreeable conversation to steer towards friendlier ground, so he was happy to make the concession. She could do no harm observing down there after all and, more importantly, she could come to no harm either.

Well, it wasn’t the worst offer he’d received in the last few weeks but he doubted it was the sort of interaction with a young lady that his sisters dearly thought he needed. Still, at least it would be something to say during Friday night dinner with his family.

Not that he was getting mentally off-topic or anything.

“Neither of us are trained you realise?” He replied with the beginnings of a smile. “I doubt the chief would allow either of us into the field.”

He had won a dueling tournament of course, but he doubted Miss Goyle was the sort of woman who would be impressed either by the feat itself or him mentioning it at all.

“Unless you’re proposing we both go rogue?” He asked with a sparkle of humour in his eyes.

The squad chief, in Konstantin’s experience, could not be mollified by either promises or flattery and was especially opposed to, well, Konstantin’s experience. He didn’t doubt his own abilities as such but it was difficult not to back down when the weathered, experienced wizard who was technically his junior in the department told him how things were going to be.

Ross had not put him here to be a coward. On the other hand Ross didn’t have to do business with a six foot six block of Welsh granite.

“You would think that wouldn’t you?” He replied with a sardonic rise to his eyebrows. “He’d be wrong in both our cases though Miss Goyle, I’m quite sure.” He thought quite suddenly and irritatingly about his father’s stance on women who didn’t know their place - words that were not his own rang in his ears but Konstantin, with a fair effort, quashed them. The old man had some very funny ideas after all. “Perhaps if I were to appeal to the Minister on our behalf?”

In all his daily dealings Konstantin prided himself on maintaining the utmost professionalism – he didn’t even call upon Ross for favours most of the time, and he had intended to have a general gripe about the Squad Chief anyway when he next joined his brother-in-law for a sly whiskey before dinner – but before he could stop himself he broke into a grin, the likes of which only his youngest sister was apt to draw from him. He had no doubt that Miss Goyle would put the man in his place; she had, after all, learnt from a woman that Konstantin had been vaguely nervous about sitting next to in the Wizengamot before Ross had given him a look.

Konstantin also had no doubt that the Chief, like most of the old guard at the Ministry, would have some absurd bit of legislation that hadn’t been touched since Merlin was a boy tucked away that prevented others from interfering in his little kingdom.

“I really can’t tell you how much I would enjoy seeing it, Miss Goyle,” he replied, still smiling but feeling rather rueful as he leaned into a more relaxed pose that took years off his whole bearing. He levelled a thoughtful gaze upon her, taking a moment to make his decision, and once it was made Konstantin intended to stick with it.

“Alright then. We shall go together though, if that is agreeable to you?”