"So that's it?" I whispered to Levitt as he led me back through the Auror office.
"Yep. It's mostly fit they're looking for. You obviously have the brains to do the job, they just want to know that you have the common sense to handle it."
"Oh." Levitt stopped abruptly so that I almost crashed into him.
"Brilliant interview, Miss Shepard. Best of the day." I chose to take the compliment, and waved at Ms. Banks on the way out the door.
Two days later, a strange owl was waiting for me when I got home from waitressing.
"Hello there, handsome." I let the owl in, exchanging the letter for a treat. "Tell me you're from the Ministry, please." He hooted, butting my arm. Holding my breath, I slit open the seal.
"Holy cheese I made it!"
An impromptu victory dance was preformed, observed by an uncannily amused looking owl and cat. Quickly I scribbled a note to my parents, knowing that Sisy would be by sooner than later. "Thanks again," I told the owl. My euphoria now gone, I realized how much my feet hurt from my eight hour shift, and sighing, I went in for a shower, stripping off the sadly unflattering waitress uniform dress.
Like I said before, my apartment is one room with a tiny bathroom off to the side. When I exited said bathroom in my towel, I found my best friend lounged on my bed, a contentedly purring Vermeer perched on her stomach.
"Congrats on the job!" India Carmichael chirped. I glared at her over my shoulder, having retreated to the corner where a tattered dressing screen stood.
"How did you . . ."
"I read your letter." India shrugged unrepentantly.
"You know that's a Ministry ofence, Miss Carmichael.
"So sue me."
"I might just send the Aurors after you."
"You do that," India snorted, then paused. "Can you make sure they're the cute ones? I only want the cute ones hunting me down. Got it?'
"Sure, sure." Now fully dressed, I joined her on the bed. "I'm sure I could swing that."
"Good," India hummed. "So? Details!" For the next half hour, I regaled India with tales of Levitt, Potter, both Weasleys, and that one kid who had run screaming. She particularly enjoyed that one. Suddenly, she held up her hand. "Hush. My story's on." It was then that I noticed that she had the tv on in the background, and indeed, the opening chords to her soap were starting.
"Aha!"
"What?" India made shushing motions with her hand, and I ignored them.
"I knew you visited me only for my television!"
"Little bit." India shrugged. "Muggles have cool stuff."
"I love my best friend," I reminded myself, shoving her head as I walked by. "Cup of tea?"
"Please." When the tea was done, I saw India had relocated to the couch, and I sat at the other end, shoving her feet off.
"I start tomorrow," I told her, and she grinned at me.
"I wanna picture of Levitt and any other cuties."
"I'll do my best."
Thankfully, the sun was out as I stepped out my front door, and my walk to the apparation point was almost pleasant. I took it as a good omen, thanked Merlin, God, and anyone else who might be listening, and spun on my heel.
Consuela Banks was already at her desk, and the smile she offered was nothing short of friendly. "Hello dear!" It's so good to see a fresh face. Congratulations on your new job, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." I thanked her earnestly and headed back, running into none but Levitt, who was deep in conversation with a witch who looked to be about the same age. Which, if I had to guess, would be mid 20's.
"Hey Magdalena!" I had been trying to slide past, not wanting to disturb their conversation, but the fact remained that Levitt was really the only one I knew around here. "Meet my partner, Althea Fox." We shook hands.
"You must be the new liaison. Good luck." But her smile was friendly, and so I grinned back.
"They're in a meeting with the Head of Magical Law Enforcement right now, but they'll be done soon. Here, let me show you your office." Levitt set off with Fox by his side, leaving me to trail behind. The pair came to a halt outside of a dully empty cubicle, and Levitt waved a hand airily at the grey walls. "Welcome home, Miss Shepard.
"Thanks . . ." I trailed off, not sure what to call him.
"George," he supplied. "And Althea. She doesn't bite."
"Only bad guys," Althea added with a smile that gave me the impression that she also bit any woman who looked twice at George.
"Then I'm Lena." I addressed it to her, assuring her that she would not, in fact, have to bite me.
"Levitt!" The yell echoed down the corridor and the man in question winced.
"That's my cue," he sighed, turning and setting off down the hall. Althea lingered.
"It is really good to have you," she said. "Now, this is a man's world, so don't let anyone push you around. If you need anything, talk to me or Consuela." As I stuttered my thanks, she set off after Levitt.
I was sitting down, trying out my new chair when Consuela bustled in.
"Here you are, dear. Your first assignment!" She held out a formidably large stack of paperwork, and I took the proffered mountain, heart sinking.
"Looks like . . . fun," I finished lamely."
"It's just the standard release forms, et cetera," she laughed at me. "You'll be done in no time." After a short chat, she left, and I was left to the inevitable.
I was roughly a quarter of the way through when another disruption appeared behind me.
"Well hello," a deep male voice said. "You must be the new girl."
"What gave it away?" I muttered, turning to face the two men who stood at the entrance to my cubicle, grinning. They were notably older than George and Althea, and far more battle scarred.
"We saw Levitt and Fox with you earlier, figured it was our turn," the other man said. "I'm Nathan Goldstein," he was the tall, stocky one, "and this is my partner,"
"Cadmus Proudfoot," broke in the lean, slightly shorter man, holding out his hand. I shook it.
"Magdalena Shepard, pleased to meet you."
"New girl?" Another old man, complete with grizzled beard appeared. "Inigo Jones."
"Must be a good day to be new," I said. "I get to meet everyone."
"Oh, not everyone," Inigo Jones assured me. "There's plenty more of us old geysers out in the field at the moment."
"Are you sure?" I asked, distracted slightly by the disgruntled mutterings of Proudfoot and Goldstein ("Old geysers? Speak for yourself, you prat") and the arrival of Jones's partner,
"Christopher Wren, will you marry me?" My cheeks reddened at that, and I held up a hand. They fell silent.
"It's very nice to meet you all, but I really need to get back to this." I gestured at the mound of paperwork on my desk. "Unless you'd like to help . . ."
"Oh, we really should get back." They all were headed off when Wren turned. "Offer still stands, missy." He winked, tipping an imaginary hat from his grey head. I waved sarcastically, and was just taking up my quill again when someone else appeared.
"No, Wren, I will not marry you," I sighed, swiveling to face none other than Harry Potter, who had a single eyebrow raised.
"I won't ask," he said wryly, lips twitching at my now cherry red cheeks. "Come on." Immediately I sprang from my chair.
"Sir, I haven't finished my release forms," I told him as I followed.
"Don't call me sir," was his automatic response. Then, "oh, you didn't? Try not to die, then."
"Got it," I muttered.
Hi, guys. So not to make it sound like I'm begging or anything, but I haven't gotten any reviews. LIKE, NONE. Even if you hated it, some feedback would be nice. Other than that, I have no beta so any glaring errors in grammar are mine. Also, I obviously do not have a background in either communications or law enforcement, so corrections are very welcome. Thanks.
