II
Tiny yellow leaves with dashes of brown and red danced and twirled in the air as she walked the paved track that crossed the park. There were lumps of leaves protected by the large trees from the ruthless wind. Charlotte adjusted her scarf around her face again and looked around but there was not a soul in sight. The grass had been mostly replaced by a muddy playground and every bench was wet and cold; the park did not look very inviting so she wasn't surprised to find herself alone.
She headed fast towards her apartment tightening her coat around her. Somehow, she expected to find it destroyed by a large fire, or to find that the whole building had suddenly collapsed, but it was the same as always. The white coat was a bit dirtier, and the street in front of it seemed busier, but apart from that, it was the same old place. Though she had been back to London for a few hours now, she hadn't actually been inside her apartment yet. On her way home, Charlotte had just thrown her bag into the hallway, locked the door back again and left for the Ministry, so at the moment she was somewhat expectant to be in it.
When she opened the door, she found her home engulfed in darkness; all windows were shut for some reason, the only light was coming from the fringe of the door that lead to the kitchen. She was taking her coat to the hanger when something caught both her feet. Once she regained her balance, she noticed she had tripped on her own bag that stood in the same place where she had thrown it before.
"Careful with the bag!" shouted a voice coming from inside the kitchen. She heard cutlery falling on the floor and the kitchen door opened lighting the hallway. "And I'm clumsy!" said a bright-eyed girl, who seemed about Charlotte's age.
Charlotte walked towards her and they hugged each other, laughingly.
"It's so good to see you." said Charlotte
"It's good to have you back! This place has been boring without you around." said the other leading them into the kitchen "By the way, you're late, and I made dinner. It's fancy, so I also bought tons of ice cream and chocolate to take the awful taste away from our mouths."
Charlotte between laughs, suddenly realized how much she had missed her home and her friend while she was in France, and felt as peaceful and welcomed as any home should make one feel.
"So why were you so late, anyway? I was expecting you to be home hours ago. Didn't they give you the day off?" asked the girl between mouthfuls.
"They did, but I wanted to deliver the documents and get this deal over with. You wouldn't believe how bothersome it was." said Charlotte without lifting her eyes from her plate.
"I know it's boring" said she with a grin "But by the look on your face I suspect someone else was there too. Blackboon?" she said with a frown, and inspecting pensively the food on her plate before looking up at Charlotte. She continued doing her best to sound light-hearted, "You should really, really put a hex on him. A really nasty one, too, maybe boils all over that ghastly face of his."
"Like that would do me any good." said Charlotte chuckling.
"Seriously, Charlotte, if you don't, I will. I can't stand the guy. Even Moody can't stand him and he usually at least respects good Aurors." she said stubbornly, her eyes fixed on Charlotte's face.
"Don't joke about that, alright?" Charlotte said, and suddenly the conversation grew very serious "He's really not someone you'd want to mess with."
"I am an Auror too, you know?" she said defiantly without steering her eyes away.
"You're not an Auror yet, Tonks" Charlotte replied.
"Listen, just because I'm in training doesn't mean I'm less capable. I passed the tests" said Tonks persistently. "Besides you don't need to be an Auror to be good; I remember you being one of the best at school and I still have no idea what you're doing in International Magical Cooperation." Tonks retorted.
"I got to spend a few months in France" she replied with a smile.
"I'm being serious Charlotte. He's a bully and you should stand up to him and tell him to step back. You're a Gryffindor; we're supposed to be brave!"
"And then what, duel him? Spend months away but this time in St. Mungo's? Or worse, end up in Azkaban?" Charlotte shouted, losing her patience. "Tonks, we're not at school anymore! There is no House Cup and there are no teams, having been Ravenclaw or Gryffindor means nothing now; this is real life."
"Well, I think it matters." Tonks retorted obstinately "I think it tells a whole lot about you and everyone else where the sorting hat placed you; and I bet Blackboon was still the same creep he is now when he was at Hogwarts."
Charlotte stared gloomily at the wall behind Tonks.
"You were happier when we met" Tonks said softly "but now you just look miserable and with this weight over your shoulders I can't really understand. I'm your best friend, and if I can't help you then only you can help yourself."
Charlotte watched her silently.
"You know I love you, so this is the last you'll hear me speak of this, wake up! and stop being so numb about everything that is happening. You can do something about it if you try and believe it is possible."
After a moments silent, Charlotte said "Thanks" and grimaced at her plate. "Tonks, sorry to say this is really awful."
Tonks giggled and put down her fork, "I know. Let's get the ice cream and I'll tell you all about the time I set Moody's staff on fire. By accident, of course."
"Well, I actually have to go back to Level Two now. Moody wants to have a talk about my training." Tonks said faking a pout.
"Oh, well, good luck." Charlotte said laughingly.
"You'll be ok?" and she nodded at the dishes.
"Sure, I'll clean up. I have the day off anyway." Charlotte said.
"See you later then." and she ran off snatching her coat on the way and a handful of powder in a little box by the fireplace.
Charlotte lifted the table herself as the dishes and glasses washed and dried themselves and once they were done she placed them in their cupboard. Charlotte grabbed her bag and climbed up the stairs into her room. She noticed that, contrary to her desk in the department, there was no dust covering the furniture and the bed was freshly made. She threw a smile at the absent friend and started unpacking. A few minutes later she gave up on the idea, however, leaving her half folded clothes lying all over her bed. Then she reached for the papers she had brought from the office: a few notes to update her on recent events she had already heard about through conversations, and some other papers on her return from France for her to read and sign. She gave up on those too, throwing them carelessly and sending several of the pieces of paper flying all over the place.
She sighed, "Tonks is already rubbing off on me; I'm getting clumsier by the minute."
Eventually, she just sat by the windowsill, very still and watching the street below her. Everything under the rain that was hitting violently seemed surrounded by a fog and a translucent shadow that warped the world, but at the same time it was all gleaming. The leaves and the few cars that passed by seemed brighter to her. The feelings that had risen once she returned home were not quite gone yet, but now, being alone again she believed she would stand it much longer. Her work, her house, her colleagues, it all barely meant anything to her and as she was without a family, Tonks' company just nearly made that place a home for her.
Charlotte stopped her mind from turning to their previous conversation; she knew quite well what it meant to give herself the opportunity and she would not let it happen. She sighed again and frowned at all that brooding.
"Muggles have it real easy." she said with one last look out of the window.
She was about to turn away from the window when something crashed into it making her jump to the floor and reach for the wand standing at a corner of her bed. The dark figure, disfigured by the rain washing the window just stood there, levitating and she heard a scratching noise against the glass. Charlotte exhaled deeply and let the owl fly inside the room. It flew to a chair and shook off the beads of water laying on her feathers and fluffing up. The owl stretched her leg for Charlotte to take the little piece of parchment tied to it and flew away again into the heavy rain. Charlotte felt troubled but saw the owl disappear behind the building next to her house and its flight seemed steady.
She turned her attention to the piece of paper she was holding, it didn't say much,
We need to talk. I have serious news. I can't say much but you're not going to like it. Same place as usual, lunch tomorrow.
Thomas
She grimaced and sat on her bed examining the paper for more clues.
All day she had been disappointed when she noticed that Thomas wasn't in the office and she still hadn't seen him when she left. He had been, so far, the only person among their colleagues who had refused to ostracize her, and Charlotte had always very much enjoyed their conversations. They had been classmates at Hogwarts, so she knew him well enough and he was not prone to exaggerations, nor was he likely to miss work for ordinary reasons. Whatever it was, it concerned her and it arose in him a state of emergency, so Charlotte grew anxious.
She pushed the piece of paper into her pants' pocket and started gathering up her cloaks, but her mind ran too fast and she was too agitated to focus on any chore, so she just left her room as it was. She threw all her clothes onto a chair, undressed and got into bed; too tired to think, she fell asleep immediately.