Just keep walking, he told himself when he recognized her in the library (on the double-take, which he always did when he thought he spotted her particular shade of blond hair). Whatever she was doing in the library was her own business, and getting into the middle of it would only lead to trouble. The last time they'd talked she'd shown up alone in his bedroom in the middle of the night, and he hadn't even done anything to encourage her then. She'd wanted to work with him on what he was sure was a lost cause. He didn't think it would take much from him to entirely detail her life on this fool's errand.

He walked past her. He made it all the way to the stairs, where he flashed his Ministry badge at the door to unlock it. Then he stopped; frowned. He knew what section she was in, and therefore he could guess which books she was reading. So maybe it didn't matter if he interfered or not — maybe she was already down the rabbit hole.

He circled back. His frown deepened as he approached her table. "You know," he said, tone conversational despite his demeanor. "I've had access to the restricted floors of this library since twenty-one." So you think I haven't checked them yet? You think you'll find something I didn't?

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