Written for Rubik's Cube Challenge and Shipper's Dictionary Challenge/Competition. (This is set in a futuristic!AU, which was so hard to write for some reason. Eventually I settled on this.)
Frank groaned as he woke up. He had been up all night trying to figure out the perfect combinations of spells to give the new line of robot maid's. Apparently, James Potter thought that since Frank had given him a few suggestions, it meant he wanted to become a partner in this.
Frank was an Auror, not a scientist or an engineer.
The Potters however, were also the one wizarding family that were rich and famous in both the wizarding world and the Muggle one. James Potter had not only inherited the power and prestige of being the only heir of the family that pioneered robotics for Muggles and introduced Muggle technology to wizards, he had inherited the brains that allowed them to get that power and prestige.
It had been clear from the time that James was young that he was going to go far.
Which was while Frank wasn't a scientist or an engineer or held another job that would be appropriate to figure out how exactly the spells and designs were going to work for both wizards and Muggles without breaking the Security Statute, he wasn't stupid. James Potter had offer him 50% of the profits and this could make a lot of money.
What was one sleepless night? That was what Frank thought at the time.
It was apparently a lot, as Frank found himself getting to work ten minutes later than he should have and nowhere near as presentable as he could be.
Frank prayed that no one noticed as he made his way towards his desk. All the way towards it, no one seemed to notice, or at least care, which meant that Moody wouldn't find out, which meant that Fred wouldn't die today.
Nor did that mean he would have to return as a ghost and haunt James Potter.
As soon as he got to his desk though, he heard her. Slowly, he turned around with a sheepish smile on his face.
Her was Alice Fawley was Frank's beautiful, amazing, courageous, fierce, independent, brilliant girlfriend who he loved more than anything in the world. Last weekend, they went to see the aurora borealis, and though Alice had been fascinated, Frank had thought that it was the only the second best thing in the world.
"You're late." Frank could literally hear the smirk.
"Yeah?" he said, a nervous chuckle escaping him before he could stop it. "I hadn't noticed. My clock is broken, I've been meaning to get an automatic fixing one. It should be pretty cheap. I have an in with James Potter."
"I don't care. You're late. I've been covering you for Moody, and I'm pretty sure he suspects something."
"What does he suspect? That I'm late, or that we. . .?" Are dating was left unsaid. No one officially knew, but it was pretty much an open secret in the Auror Department at this point. Frank couldn't figure out if Moody knew or not though.
"Probably both," Alice said with a shrug. "But he's not going to punish you, which is good enough for me. Now come on."
Alice grabbed his bag and threw it on the desk.
"We are going to help Moody investigate some reports of Death Eaters. We are going to kick some ass today," she said a smile.
"How is that different from any other day?" Frank joked.
Alice laughed and Frank doubted there was a more beautiful sound.