~And I've been waking in the morning just like every other day
And just like every boring blues song I get swallowed by the pain~
Lillia Parks woke up from another nightmare. She kept her eyes shut tight. She knew she'd only had a few hours of sleep and that no matter how hard she'd try, she would not be able to fall back asleep. It did not matter how exhausted she was. There was no use.
Her lips were pressed together to keep her from crying out. Her teeth dug into her cheeks until she could taste blood. She inched her hand a little until her fingers wrapped around the slim piece of wood that was her only protection. She stayed in this stiff position until the sun rose and she finally felt brave enough to open her eyes. She got up, showered, and dressed. A few more hours of waiting until she felt she could say she'd gotten more then three hours of sleep, and she left for work.
"Hello, Miss Parks," the white haired man said to Lillia as she walked in. She feigned a smile and tipped her head to him.
"Morning, Archulan." He held the door open for her as she walked into what looked like an abandoned building. The outside was only a facade, of course. The inside was grand, beautiful, but Lillia was also too familiar with the place to appreciate it much anymore.
She made her way to her department, the sixth floor. "Department of Aurors and Magical Enforcement."
Today she'd gone with the muggle cliche of bringing coffee and donuts. She hoped this would distract her coworkers from how awful she looked or asking her awkward questions. "Morning," she said as she walked straight to her desk. She paused. Somebody was already sitting in her chair. She began to walk towards her desk again, slowly. Nobody would look her in the eye.
She placed the coffee and box of donuts on her cluttered desk. The boy looked up at her with a smile on his face. He couldn't be much older than her, maybe he was a bit younger. She did not smile back. Instead, she threw her bag in his lap roughly and tossed her coat over his head. As he moved the coat away so he could see, Lillia turned to face the room. "Who the fuck is this?"
It was her boss who answered. He sat with his feet on the desk reading a file. "Your new partner: Harry Potter."
