"Mostly, we would like to have an extra wand on hand," Moody said. "If you were to agree to spend a few nights at the Burrow to be on hand in case of an attack, the Order would be quite beholden to you."
"The Order already is quite beholden to me already, I should think," Bellatrix said, taking a bite of meat.
"And that's why we are giving you this prime opportunity!" Sirius exclaimed. "We're telling you where an attack will occur well before it has happened. Think of how many hours it would have taken you to hunt down a Death Eater attack and foil it."
"Yes," Moody said, "all you have to do is spend a few nights with Arthur and Molly. Maybe there is an attack and maybe there is not an attack. During the days, you would be free to attend to whatever business you have."
"And, if there is an attack, the ghost of Ashworth will break it up quicker than it began, I should think," Sirius declared. "I hear that even old You-Know-Who has been left quite unsettled by these appearances of Ashworth's ghost."
"I did teach Lily how to cast the spell," Bellatrix said, yawning. "Why do you not hire her?"
"She has to defend her own house," Moody pointed out.
"I have a house, too," Bellatrix said.
"Yes, but nobody knows what city it is in, let alone anything specific about it," Moody parried.
"True," Bellatrix said. "I think Lily could teach both Molly and Arthur how to use the ghost of Ashworth spell, however."
"She could," Moody admitted. "However, more than anything, it would be very comforting to us if the Weasleys had another wand on which they could rely in the next few days."
"I suppose I could spend a few nights with the Weasleys. As you say, it saves me the trouble of ferreting out an attack on my own." Bellatrix admitted.
"Now, you realize we are not promising that there will be an attack," Sirius clarified. "We only have a suspicion that an attack on the Weasley residence is being planned.
"Already covering your butt?" Bellatrix asked.
"Yes," Sirius said. "I don't want you to become angry if there is no attack or if you discover Professor Dumbledore's ulterior motives before the attack occurs."
"Ulterior motives like monitor my movements?" Bellatrix said.
"Yep."
"Like help me develop an emotional attachment to the Order?"
"Yep."
"Like get me in the habit of following Dumbledore's lead in the war?"
"Yep."
"Like watch me cast the ghost of Ashworth spell and confirm that I really am the one that has been terrorizing Death Eaters?"
"Actually, yeah."
"Anything else you care to divulge while you can?" Bellatrix asked, her lips quirking in amusement.
"Nope."
"What about you?" Bellatrix asked, narrowing her eyes at Moody.
"Suffice it to say that there actually is a threat to the Weasley family and that we believe your efforts would go far in reassuring all involved and possibly repelling an attack." Moody said, clearly annoyed that Sirius had been so willing to confirm all of Bellatrix's suspicions about Dumbledore's secondary purposes in asking Bellatrix to help the Weasley family.
"All right," Bellatrix said after finishing her last scrap of meat and taking a final sip of wine. "Let me stop off at my place and pack a few things."
"I need some time to eat this," Sirius said as the server appeared with his order.
"Get a doggie bag," Bellatrix said, producing a Gringotts First National Bank of London credit card and handing it to the server as soon as the woman serving had placed Sirius's order on the table.
"You'll pay for this," Sirius complained as they waited for the server to return with Bellatrix's card and Sirius's doggie bag.
"I just did," Bellatrix said.
"I mean there will be revenge for not letting me finish my food."
"Seriously?" Bellatrix said deadpan, and before Sirius could respond, she continued. "I will apparate back to my place and rendezvous with you by the lamppost."
"That should be acceptable," Moody said as the server returned, card and doggie bag in hand.
"Great," Bellatrix said. "Do not follow me."
"Try and stop us," Sirius grumbled.
Bellatrix shrugged and after waiting for Sirius to pack away his food into the doggie bag, she departed from the table, making a beeline for the women's restroom. "Ta-ta," she said as she stepped in and let the door swing shut behind her. She then shut herself in a stall and apparated away.
.....
Moody allowed the moving staircase to carry him up to Professor Dumbledore's office where he found the headmaster and Lily Potter waiting for him. Without waiting for Dumbledore's customary offer, he reached out and grabbed a handful of lemon drops while grunting a response to Albus and Lily's greetings as he settled himself in an available chair.
"Well," he declared, "she agreed to go and be on hand for the possible attack."
"Fascinating," Dumbledore observed, also helping himself to a lemon drop.
"She did see through most of your motives-particularly your theory that we might confirm whether she's actually the one terrorizing Death Eaters with the ghost of Ashworth." Moody continued.
"That was not completely unexpected," Dumbledore said, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Though, it is probably a moot point. We have not detected any sign that she is operating in cahoots with anyone."
"Now, if her performance with the ghost of Ashworth fails to meet expectations, we'll have to assume she did it on purpose to annoy us and cause us to wonder whether Ashworth might have actually survived," Moody growled.
"Yes, it is an aggravating situation," Dumbledore admitted.
"Did she show any sign of realizing that part of our motive is drawing her into a closer friendship with us?" Lily asked.
Moody shrugged. "Yeah, though her phraseology for that sentiment was quite jaded.
"Sincerity on our part will overcome her cold heart, I think," Dumbledore observed.
Lily was quick to jump in on this point. "I think she was raised without a lot of love in her family. If Professor Ashworth died, she must have been so lonely."
"And then we show her kindness and affection, eventually making her part of our loving family," Moody said sarcastically.
Lily glared at the retired auror. "That is precisely what we do."