I'm back! Okay, so I'm working on Teddy's Visit, promise, and I'm currently taking a break from Loyalties. But I had to write this down.
Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, Draco would have full, luscious hair at the end and I would have included Astoria throughout the books.
Harry James Potter was head of the Auror department, and bloody well tired of it. Today he hadn't been given stacks of paperwork with those tiny little lines and loopholes and agreements "initial here" stickers everywhere. No. Today had consisted of ...interviews.
"But sir," he'd protested, "I'm head of the department. Can't we get someone a little," he leaned down his head, looking up over his glasses, "lower on the ladder, so to say, to do such things?" he wasn't proud of it, and those "lower on the ladder" would have wrung his neck if they had heard, but he'd be damned if he spent the better part of his day asking awkward strange questions to awkward strange people. Kingsley did not agree.
"Potter, since you'll be showing whoever's hired the ropes anyway, I think it's best if you go ahead and make sure you approve," Harry opened his mouth, prepared to beg, plead, but then Kingsley raised the Eyebrow, and he was dismissed before the appropriate amount of butt-kissing could commence.
Which is exactly how he got stuck interviewing exactly 23 applicants, complete with 16 Nos, 3 Frankly-They-Freak-Me-Out-So-Nos, 2 Who-Let-These-People-Into-The-Building-Nos, 1 I-Think-Voldemort-And-Bellatrix's-Secret-Love-Child-Just-Tried-To-Infiltrate-The-Ministry-Quick-Call-Kingsley-No, and one who hadn't shown up yet.
Harry sighed, dumping out the contents of his candy dish onto his desk, starting to organize the little hard candies (he was far to cheap for good new candy, besides, Ron needed to stop sneaking sweets anyway before Hermonie got on another health kick, so he was really helping, suffering in silence with cheap dusty candies so his best mate wouldn't be starved on soy milk and carrots) by color. He shuddered, trying to clear his memories of the last applicant.
"So Kandy, how would you rate your experience in dealing with the dark arts?" The voluptuous brunette bit her lip, pearing through dark lashes.
"I'd say I'm...well practiced in dealing with...dark things," she whispered throatily. "I can show you, if you want," she winked, giggling as Harry turned the color of his wife's hair. His wife who would have had a whiplash if she was there. After cursing Kandy Kane and Harry if the feeling possessed her, of course.
But at least she wasn't "Mr. B.", who kept trying to sell him a silver bullet necklace that was emitting suspicious green smoke, insisting it would save his life. Maybe Mr. wasn't so accurate, seeing as though the hood was pulled so low that he wasn't quite sure if it was "Mr." or "Mrs.". And he felt better off not knowing. Knowing would mean researching which would mean writing which led to paperwork. Everything in the bloody Ministry led to paperwork. Everything.
"Mr. Potter?" he looked up from sorting the cyan candies (he was quite sure they contained some sort of muggle drug) to see a young girl with big green eyes and messy black hair. Maybe she'd also have a mass murderer who'd try to kill her since she was a baby and a redheaded best friend with an irrational fear of spiders.
"Yes, come in. Are you," he paused, glancing down at the list on his desk-" Ms. Astoria Greengrass?" she nodded, closing the door behind her. Her dress was blue and far too expensive looking, but not to an indecent level. Dainty little heels, but not too high and strappy. No fur, no sequins. More of a stuffy pureblood type, less a Kandy Kane repeat. "So," she settled herself down in the chair, pursing her lips and already looking bored, "tell me about yourself," this was the trick part, of course. He didn't really care if they had a fetish for feet or were allergic to raspberries, and telling those little personal details only got you farther and farther over the Freak line. So far, 22 applicants had went way over the Freak line by the end of the interview.
"Slytherin," oh great. We already have Zabini lounging around for no apparent reason, now we have another one ,"Two years younger than you. Younger sister to Daphne Greengrass," Harry's knowledge of Daphne Greengrass was a, erm, developed figure, a bit to friendly with the male population, ditzy, and far too nice for Slytherin. Dumbly nice, but nice none the less. "- and total opposite of her, thank Merlin.," agreed ,"Practice in the Dark Arts? I spent most of my childhood surrounded by Deatheaters, Mr. Potter.," suspected as much ,"I stuck away and fought in the Battle at Hogwarts.," Now that was surprising... "Favorite color? Blue. I like to take long walks on the beach," okay, now she's just being a smart alec ," and read poetry in my spare time," she deadpanned. "Is that enough?" she smirked. Harry blinked, not quit sure what to do with all this information.
"Erm, why do you want to be an Auror?" he stammered. She looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping her dainty chin.
"What else am I suppose to be?" she smirked again. A question in reply to a question. That smirk. Didn't even have to tell me she was a Slytherin Harry thought darkly as she sighed.
"So, Mr. Potter," something about the way she said it in such a mocking tone was familiar..."Did I get the job?" Harry blinked again. Did she? She was a hell of a lot better than Kandy, Mr(s).B, and "the Love Child", but did he really want to work with such a rude little sarcastic person day in and day out?
Suddenly, a loud bang shook his office. "Ron! Give me my bloody peppermint back! NOW!" a shrill shriek, then silence. She raised her eyebrow at him.
"It's yours," he said suddenly before he could change his mind. She smirked. Ah, well, maybe we'll have some intelligence in this department now.
"I look forward to working with you, Mr. Potter," she shook his hand, then stood. Harry's eyebrows furrowed, then he stood up.
"Astoria," he called as she was walking out the door.
"Yes?" she asked, evidently impatient, ready to go do something more important.
"You don't happen to ah, know Draco Malfoy, do you?" her eyes widened just the tiniest bit before they narrowed.
"No, he's one of Daphne's friends," she sneered, "Why?"
"No reason. Have a good night," she quickly walked away, leaving Harry to drug candy and paperwork to fill out.
It gets better, I promise. review?