Three Years A Failure

Three years she'd spent, three years as a failure, and her family still didn't know their daughter had spent it sat at a desk, stamping forms and filing archives. With a frown she scrunched up another rejected Auror application, both cursing and wondering who it was that hated her so much, why couldn't she catch a break? Surely she hadn't been that bad on her training? She didn't think so, in fact she thought she handled the situation rather well considering how stressful and out of hand it became.

Breathing out an annoyed huff she picked her wand and with a simple swish and flick send the scrunched letter floating off in the air. She watched it glide away from her with a look of contempt, likening the drifting ball of paper to her hopes and aspirations, before setting her chin into her free hand and changing up the spell.

Graves stepped out of the lift with a nod to the short elf on duty before pausing to take in the quiet floor, none had yet to notice him and it seemed there wasn't any designated person to speak to, no front desk, no manager figure, just bored and solemn looking faces and the sounds of typewriter keys tapping, and the odd dull thump of a stamp.

'Just go down to one of the admin floors and pick a desk,' He was told with a carefree wave on the matter, 'We don't assign secretaries because most of us know who we want to bring with us,' the older man shrugged, having explained that when he had his promotion he'd brought along someone from his old team that he knew he could trust and do the job, others had different motives. Some would bring a pretty face or long legs, some would choose the push over they knew they could force more work on, some even went as far as being petty enough to bring someone that didn't like them just so they held authority over them everyday, but Graves didn't have anyone like that, he came from a team of Aurors, and he wasn't going to ask one of them to sit at a desk for him and do his filing, and so he was sent off to find someone already in the field of filing.

With a huff of frustration he stepped further into the room, looking at the desks either side of him as he passed and noting the faces and looks he got when some of the ladies would glance up at him, some would give him a curious raise of the brows, others a confused frown, some a polite smile and the younger women more of an odd gawk, he paused at one desk prepared to ask one of the more elder ladies with a kind face for assistance when a sudden flash caused him to jolt in alarm as it shot across the room before hitting something he hadn't seen, causing it to light up like a small fire work and flutter away in cinders, the little pieces burning out before they had the chance to touch anything.

"Just like my hopes and dreams," The woman uttered to her self, lowing her wand and watching a stray bit of ash float down before disintegrating into nothing, she wasn't surprised anymore, she never expected a different outcome every time she applied but she wanted to feel like she was doing something, anything to get her out of her dim and boring job.

With his stance a little startled and brow knotted in a frown, he followed the line of fire back to one desk and to a slightly pouting face he found familiar, dark hair twisted into a plain knot and small button nose- he was sure he knew her. Clearing his throat as if it covered up his moment of fright and giving a quick glance around to see if anyone had noticed- in his defence he was not prepared for anything of that sort to happen on such a floor, but it seemed he was the only one surprised by it- he then approached the desk calmly, his look turning to confusion and eyes in disbelief.

"Wisper?" She peered up expectantly when her name was questioned, forgetting about her moment of sulking, "It was Wisper?" he gave a light frown as if he seemed a little unsure but his eyes showed he wasn't mistaken, he knew who she was.

"Mister Graves!?" She chirped, a little surprised to see him down in the lowly levels of admin, "What can I help you with?" She smiled, back to being professional as she stood from her desk and moved the files from her desktop and into an open drawer with out breaking eye contact.

"They have you down here?" He questioned in confusion as he once again looked about the floor to be sure he was in the right place.

"I've been here three years, Sir," She frowned lightly, confused to why he seemed to find her being down in admin strange but she also didn't blame him for not knowing, despite working in the same building the last she saw him was when she was doing her training with him.

"I thought you'd gone back home, to finish your training there?" he shook his head lightly and she could see the cogs turning as he thought through his facts.

"No," she shook her head, "Why did you think that?" She wasn't given the opportunity to go back to finish her training, it was take the demotion or quit, and she wasn't a quitter!

Graves observed the sincerity in her confusion but still he couldn't quite understand, he didn't merely think she'd gone home to finish her training, he was told that, and by someone of high stature, "I- err- I must have you mixed up," He shook his head and allowed his confused frown to relax.

"Probably," She smiled with a bob of her head, trying to seem cheery through her failures, "So? What is it you need, Sir?" She questioned.

"A secretary, actually," He stated, still a little surprised at that fact and it seemed so was she.

"Oh, Okay," She nodded, watching as he stood tall, hands behind his back casually as he looked around the dim admin floor, "Promotion?" She then questioned, she had heard he was in line for one on the gossip mill.

"Err, yes," He glanced back to her but his eyes didn't stay steady, as if he was avoiding attention because he was embarrassed.

"Congratulations, Sir," She smiled and bobbed her head in a nod, and he looked back to her, noticing she was genuine.

"Thank you," He nodded, giving a light smile back, he was happy that someone else was actually pleased for him, everyone else had either been fake, sarcastic or passive-aggressive when congratulating him.

"You're welcome," She nodded, noticing how he now kept eye contact- he wasn't embarrassed about the promotion. "So, a secretary?" She questioned and instantly his eyes moved off to inspect one of the pillars next to her desk- that was what he was embarrassed about.

"I told them I don't need one but they insisted," He shook his head, one hand coming forwards to motion at nothing in particular as he spoke.

"It's a common thing Mister Graves, every department has a few and every high rank has their own," She shrugged.

"It's the 'go pick one' part I don't like," He spoke quietly.

"Go pick one?" She frowned, "What are they? Cake?" He nodded showing he agreed with her thoughts but shrugged to show he was at a loss of what to do other wise. "Well, its better than working here," She huffed, "Technically it's a promotion to us form stampers and filers," She gave her own shrug before motioning to the rest of the floor, "I guess you could go talk to some and go from there?" She suggested, both of them looking to the other desks and instantly spotting a few faces peering over at the man with eager eyes, "Looks like there may be a few interested?" Wisper offered, cringing lightly as she thought they were no doubt interested in him rather than the job.

Graves stood with a worried look on his face as his eyes passed each of the eager faces staring at him before he turned back to Wisper, he noticed the let down cringe on her face as she looked at her colleagues, catching her shake her head and mouth 'stop it' and forcing him to dare a glance back and spotting one of the women bob their head down quickly. With a raised brow he turned back to Wisper and found her smiling tightly back at him, he had obviously missed something and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know or not.

"Well, good luck," She huffed with a smile before pulling her chair out and taking her seat once more.

Graves took a step towards the other desks but still watched as the dark haired woman began to busy herself with her work once more. Why was she down here? That thought came to him again and once again it baffled him, she shouldn't be down here he thought with a light frown, his gaze moving on from her and too the room, instantly noticing the few heads duck back down and pausing his advance, what would happen if he went any further? The possibilities that flew through his head made him back up a step as if he'd just stumbled upon a sleeping dragon, he wasn't feeling the many conversations that was bound to start if he continued and so he turned back to Wisper, "You up for a promotion?" he asked her once he'd successfully back tracked the one step he'd taken, watching as her head snapped up to look at him, a stunned silence setting in, before she questioned incredulously.

"Me?" her brows knotted in confusion and she even took a moment to check around and confirm it was indeed her he was talking to.

"Yes, you," He affirmed, giving a quick glance at the other women, worried as if they may pounce at any moment, "Grab your things, lets go," He waved for her to follow and instantly started to stride off.

"I-I don't know what I need!?" She stuttered in a fluster, looking around her desk in a unprepared flap.

"Worry about that later," He called and she hurriedly grabbed her bag and coat and chased after him.