Legal Disclaimer: I own my stuff, but not the original source material. That belongs to whoever. Also, the opinions and interpretations I use here may not reflect the same in said whoever that owns the source material. Look, I'm just a poor college librarian. Suing me isn't going to get you anything but tears.
Warning: This work may be offensive to some readers. Feel free to back out if that's you.
Author's Note: As a member of multiple minorities, I have issues with benevolent racism. It's one of many factors about why I dislike certain characters.
Submitting Info:
Stacked with: House Competition (Term 4); Spring Bingo; FPC
Individual Challenges: Click Bait It (N); Gryffindor MC (x2) (N); Yellow Ribbon (N); Yellow Ribbon Redux (N); In a Flash (N)
House: Hufflepuff
Role: Player (7th Year)
Category: Drabble
Prompt: Working in the Muggle world as a witch/wizard (action)
Space Address (Prompt): 2B (Tea)
Representation(s): BC Use
Bonus Challenges: Persistence Still
Word Count: 909
(^^)
Grandiose Plan
(^^)
Arthur Weasley had always loved Muggles. As a boy, he had every issue of Martin the Mad Muggle, including the collectables. His older brothers—all of the extended Weasley clan, actually—thought that his fascination was something embarrassing, something that he would grow out of eventually. Even Molly thought his current plan was taking his hobbies too far and that Arthur would be better off taking the job that his father had offered in the Goblin Liaison Office.
Arthur was going to show them all that he could successfully work alongside Muggles.
"Your father said that he could hold the position until the end of the week," Molly reminded him as he fastened the buttons on his Muggle jacket. She looked worried, as if he was headed off to a private meeting with a Malfoy instead of his first day job hunting in the local village. He kissed her cheek. "We have a little saved up, and if you took the job right away—"
"Mollywobbles," he interrupted gently, "there's nothing to worry about."
With those words of comfort, he headed out the door. The walk to the village was refreshing. Ottery St. Catchpole was a bustling village with many small shops clustered around a library that also housed the local Muggle authorities and a building that served as both a primary and secondary school for the surrounding area.
Arthur took a moment to smooth his jacket before going into the library. The front lobby had a huge dragon model hanging from the ceiling by thick metal strings. He tilted his head upwards to examine it as he moved towards the front desk. Not watching where he was going, he bumped into it.
"Extraordinary," he announced to the matron who was rearranging the stacks and cups on the desk's counter. She gave him a stiff frown. He remembered why he was there and gave her a much friendlier smile in return. "I am here for employment."
"Our periodical section is straight back that way," the librarian said, pointing toward a well-lit area fully sheltered from direct access to the door. "Carl is our coordinator for those seeking employment. He knows who's looking for what in the area."
"And I should assist him?" Arthur asked. She blinked at him, clearly confused. Arthur gave her another smile before heading off in the direction she indicated Carl to be waiting.
He had told Molly that there was no need to worry, but even he hadn't believed that it was going to be this easy! If they solved all their problems as quickly as he had managed to find a job, it was no wonder the Muggles were able to manage without magic! It was a bit concerning how trusting they were of strangers. Imagine if he had been a Death Eater and they had just welcomed him like this!
The man who must be Carl was sitting before a series of boxes stacked atop each other. In front of the stack was a contraption with a multitude of buttons on it. Each button had a letter or number on it. Just as fascinated as he was with the dragon in the lobby, Arthur leaned over the man's shoulder to watch what he was doing as he hit the buttons so quickly.
"Extraordinary," Arthur exclaimed when he realized that Carl was somehow making green letters appear on the topmost box's black face with each hit of a button. The man startled badly, knocking over the cup that had been sitting near the side of the button-board. Milky tea spread quickly across the table, dripping over the edge to the carpet. Arthur almost reached for his wand to clean up the mess as he would at home. How would a Muggle clean up a spill? "Uh, do you have—yes, napkins would work lovely for this!"
"I didn't hear you come up," Carl apologized as he used the paper napkins to soak up the mess. "I get so absorbed in my writing. Did you need something, sir?"
"I'm here to help you with people," Arthur declared. Like the matron, Carl seemed confused by this. It was actually rather adorable how Muggles could manage such extraordinary things but get so easily confused about the simplest of things. Arthur gave him his friendliest smile before repeating himself but speaking slower and taking great care to enunciate to give Carl the best chance at understanding. "I'm here to help you."
"I wasn't aware that I had been assigned an assistant," Carl said with matching care as he dumped the now-sodden napkins into the bin. "Michaela knows that I only need one during job fairs and training courses. I didn't know that there had been any new hires at all, actually. What did you say your name was?"
"Arthur," he answered, sticking his hand out towards the Muggle like his Muggle Studies professor had told him was the correct greeting between Muggles.
To Arthur's shock, instead of returning the gesture, the man took ahold of Arthur's hand and pumped it up and down twice before letting it go again. Carl then turned back towards rest of the section as if looking around for answers to something. He was biting his lip when he turned back to Arthur.
"Well, Arthur, I could use some help assembling these information packets. Do you think that's something you can help with?"
"Yes!"
He had known that working in the Muggle world had been a grand idea!