Staring blankly at the bland, grey walls that surrounded her, former Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Hastings Applespice rubbed her eyes, trying desperately to stay awake. Around her she could hear the noise of ministry business going on and she once again questioned why anybody in their right mind would want to work there. Why was she working there? Oh yeah, she had quit her job at Hogwarts. Sighing, Hastings took out a piece of paper and scribbled a quick note to her friend Odessa Grace, who was lucky enough to have a window in her cube.
Ode -
I have to get out of here. My head keeps dropping onto my desk. Meet me in the Department of Mysteries in five minutes?
Yours,
Hastings
Hastings folded the note into a paper airplane, knowing that her folding skills were under par, and it would more than likely flutter precariously around the ministry before finding its intended reader. Hastings tapped the note with her wand, muttering a confidentiality spell, then let it fly down the hall.
Odessa Grace absently mindedly twirled her hair with her wand, something she hadn't done in years due to the serious mishaps that had occurred. However, on this occasion, she completely engrossed in coming up with a new limerick.
There once was a man from Venus
Odessa giggled to herself. Can't do that one, she thought, not an original – although rather funny.
I once went to a party
Where everyone was rather farty
I held my nose
And ran on my toes
To find another Tart-y
Well, not my best work, but it's somewhat amusing anyway. What else rhymes with – "Ow!" Odessa brushed her head only to have a chick come squeaking onto her desk. Odessa smiled, "That hasn't happened in years. I think I'll send you to Hastings along with my limerick." She folded the parchment into an airplane and put the chick on top of it. She performed a quick binding spell and sent it off to Hastings' desk. Hmmm, Hastings said she'd write to me, I wonder what happened? I hope she doesn't turn the chick into a peep. Oh well, I suppose we must all be eaten at sometime in our lives. Odessa went back to filling in the report on her desk that she had been studiously ignoring for the past hour.
Odessa had barely finished filling in the date when something pointy hit her in the head. She turned and found a paper airplane doing cork screws like muggle Air Force planes, and then finally landing in a nose-dive onto her desk. Odessa opened the letter and smiled at her friend's hastily scrawled note, picked up her handbag and left her work unfinished. Her pocket watch said quarter to five, she'd just start her weekend early, no one would care.
Hastings walked up and down the corridor of the Department of Mysteries as she waited for Odessa, thinking about which drink sounded better after this long week. Soon enough, Hastings saw Odessa walking down the hallway, her heels clicking as she went, gathering her robes about her securely in preparation to go outside.
"It's hot out today," said Hastings.
"It was cold this morning, Haste," said Odessa. "Forecast said to expect rain."
"Don't tell me you believe those muggle news shows," said Hastings as they walked down the hall towards the exit.
"Sometimes they're right," said Odessa. "What did you think of the limerick?"
"What's a Tart-y?"
"I dunno," said Odessa. "I had to find something else to rhyme with party and farty." Odessa reached out and pushed open the door. A gust of wind slammed it back in her face.
"I think the muggles got it right today," Odessa said, pushing the door open again and battling her way outside. "Why aren't we apparating again? Oh wait, I remember now, someone had to go and break the rules." Odessa glanced at Hastings. "Whatever possessed you to apparate into that poor muggle's car?"
Hastings smiled, "You forget that I was disguised as a troll at the time. And, if you must know (even though I've already told you a thousand times) he was rude to me and I thought he deserved a good lesson."
"But they modified his memory, so what did you teach him exactly?"
Hastings shrugged her shoulders, "For a few hours he learned that when you give someone the finger needlessly that there are consequences."
"Like a suspended apparating license…"
"It's only for another month."
Odessa smirked, "And until then we have to rely on muggle forecasts – which you obviously ignored this morning. No matter, here's The Leaky Cauldron." Odessa opened the door and they hurried in.
"Good evening, ladies," said Chris, the bartender. "I'm guessing a low-fat Butter Beer for Odessa and a Magical Mayhem for you, Hastings."
"You know us too well, Chris," said Odessa.
As Chris went about making their drinks, Ode and Haste found a table and sat down. "Are you up for Quality Quidditch Supplies after?" asked Hastings, removing her cloak.
"We go there every week," said Odessa. "They're never going to lower the price of the Cleansweep 11. Get over it already."
"But I'm tired of walking everywhere," said Hastings. "And port keys are hard to come by since the ban on enchantment of muggle artifacts."
"Then we'll get some floo powder," said Odessa. "You're saving up for new dress robes, remember?"
"Oh, that bloody ball," said Hastings. "Do you have a date yet?"
"The less said on that subject the better," said Odessa with a blush. "What about you?"
"I never have dates for these things, you know that," Hastings grinned.
"You could always ask Chris," said Odessa.
"He just got out of Hogwarts last year, Ode, he's barely 18."
Odessa laughed. "Remember when we were sixth years and he was a first year?"
"Yeah, nearly wet his robes the first time he met Hagrid Junior," said Hastings.
"I thought I'd die laughing." Odessa said fondly. "You know, Hagrid Jr. is even bigger than Hagrid now."
"I know, who'd thought it possible? Oh, thank you Chris."
"You're welcome ladies," he said as he sat the drinks down. "And don't think I don't know what you're talking about. You forget that my parents are muggles and in my experience giants only existed in fairy tales." Chris gave them a wink and walked away to tend to some people who had just walked in.
"Hastings!" Odessa whispered, nudging her in the ribs.
"What?"
"It's Falcon Puddinghaste. You should go to the ball with him! You've liked him since fourth year and don't tell me you no longer like him. I caught you doodling his name in hearts the other day."
Hastings blushed, "I'm not asking him to the ball. He's a nitwit."
"And a very handsome one at that."
"But, let's get real," said Hastings. "Hastings Puddinghaste? I can't think of a worse last name."
"But you sure think a lot of him," said Odessa.
"Read my lips, Ode. He's. A. Nitwit."
"Prefect our fifth year," said Odessa."
"Shut up," said Hastings, taking a big drink from her Magical Mayhem."
"Head Boy…" said Odessa.
"I'm not listening…"
"Outstanding on ALL his NEWTs, and team captain for Gryffindor."
"You forget that he was a beater and took about thirty bludgers to the head our fourth year. Never been the same since."
"He's smart, Hastings. And… I happen to know he's got a rather big crush on you." Odessa made dreamy eyes and took a large sip from her butter beer.
In spite of herself, Hastings smiled, "Do you really think so?"
"That's what he told Harry Weasley," said Odessa.
"That geek?" asked Hastings. "He's always got his head stuck in a book—did when we were at school, still does now. Takes after his mum, they say. He doesn't know which way's up, let alone who likes whom… Geez, I feel like we're teenagers, talking about all this."
"Well, we're not teenagers, but we're not old maids either! At least not yet anyway. It's time to take some action and –"
"I don't want to take action," Hastings interrupted. "Especially not your type of action."
"Stop being a fuddy-duddy," Odessa said. "You know…I wonder…"
"Wonder what," Hastings asked, looking worried. Odessa muttered a few words under her breath and waved her wand. Hastings gasped and ducked as a rain cloud formed over her head and started raining on her.
"Oh no! Why Hastings, I'm SO sorry I…" Odessa paused to wave Chris away who was coming over to help. "I can't imagine what went wrong, oh my!" By now everyone was looking in their direction. Hastings groped for her wand but couldn't find it.
"You took my wand!" She whispered angrily to Odessa.
Odessa just smiled sweetly before turning around, "Falcon! Over here. I could use your help." Falcon looked up and smiled, making his way over to her. "Can you believe what I just did?" Odessa asked, motioning to Hastings. "I can't figure out how to stop it – I was just trying to show Hastings a new hairstyle and," Odessa shrugged, "well, anyway."
"Still having trouble with spells after all these years?" he asked as he pulled out his wand and quickly stopped the storm and cleaned up the glitter.
Hastings glared at Odessa before turning and thanking Falcon.
"It's no problem," he said. "I'm glad I could help."
"Please, let me buy you a drink," Odessa waved Chris over before Falcon could protest. "So, what have you been up to lately? Any interesting cases at St. Mungo's?"
"Well, there always are you –"
"Oh my!" Odessa interrupted him. "I just sloshed butter beer all over myself. I'm just going to run over to the bathroom and clean up. Please, keep talking, I'll only be a minute," and in a flurry of robes, Odessa disappeared.
Falcon watched her as she left, then pulled up a chair and sat on it. "Odessa, she's… a little clumsy today, huh?" he asked.
Hastings laughed nervously and said, "Well, her last name is Grace, you know… makes perfect sense."
Falcon laughed, asking "Are you going to the Hogwarts reunion ball?"
Hastings stared at him in disbelief, unsure of what to say. Before she could think, she said, "Yes… but I'm going alone."
Falcon looked at her with wide eyes, but then his mouth widened into a grin. "Fancy that," he said. "So am I."
"Well, I guess I'll see you there," said Hastings.
"Are you apparating?"
"Well," said Hastings, "I have a suspended license."
"You? You never did a bad thing in your life," said Falcon. Hastings proceeded to tell him why she'd gotten the suspension. "Looks like he deserved it, then," said Falcon. "Meanwhile, how are you getting to the ball? It's tomorrow night."
"I'll think of something," said Hastings. "Maybe floo powder."
"That can seriously mess up your dress robes," said Odessa, who had just returned from the bathroom.
"Well, I suppose I could…" Hastings began.
"Why don't you come with me?" asked Falcon. "I just got the Hell-Fire three with side cart." Suddenly, he blushed, "I mean, if you want to…"
"You should," said Odessa. "That'd be great. Now I can apparate without feeling guilty."
"What do you say?" asked Falcon.
"Ummm," Hastings stared into her glass for a few minutes, "Okay. Yeah. That'd be nice."
"Great. I'll pick you up at 7:00 then."
"Great."
"I suppose I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Yeah, tomorrow," Hastings tried to keep the stupid grin off of her face.
"I'll see you tomorrow as well Odessa. Be careful with that wand. I don't think Flitwick has ever forgiven you for turning his nose into a rat."
Odessa shrugged sheepishly, "It's not my fault that my Charms and Transfiguration spells somehow get mixed up. Besides, I'm sure it'll make me rich one day."
"Uh, huh." Falcon said disbelievingly, walking out the door."
"Odessa Cinnamon Grace! I could kill you!" Hastings said as soon as Falcon was gone.
"You know you love me. Besides, you better love me or I'm keeping your wand."
"How'd you get that out of my pocket anyway?"
Odessa smiled, "My grandfather and Mundungus Fletcher were the best of friends, right up to my grandfathers death. Granddaddy passed his skills onto me. I thought I told you that. Anyway, how do you think I was always so successful in getting the ingredients we needed for the potions we used to slip into people's drinks at school?"
"I just thought you schmoozed the professor," Hastings replied.
"Well, just because I was the best in the class…"
"And so humble. You know I'm going to get you back."
Odessa shrugged, "I know. But I think you'll have such a good time with Falcon that you'll forgive me. Besides, you look cute with wet hair."
"I can't believe Falcon helped you."
"Stop acting all surprised. Of course he did! You're here. Besides, we were friends at school. You were always just too shy to talk to him. Now, we better go, you have a date to the ball tomorrow night."
"And who are you going to go with?"
"Nobody."
"Who do you want to go with?"
Odessa laughed, "Like I'm stupid enough to tell you that. Here's your wand. I'll see you tomorrow night at 8:00." Odessa took a last swig of her butter beer and apparated. Hastings slowly gathered her stuff up and made her way to the fireplace. I'm going to the ball with Falcon! Trying not to giggle, she gave Chris 2 knuts to use his floo powder.
