Baby there's nothing you can say
To make me throw it all away
I won't give nothing less of me
Nothing less than all of me
Halestorm (Unapologetic)
Whisky
"Rupert Genim Stilinski, age 18 – one of the 'lost' wizards" Meryl scanned a document before she looked up to glance at Stiles from her desk with a warm expression. Rises from the seat behind her desk and firmly lifts her hand for Stiles to take. "It seems as if there were actually a handful of missing wizards and witches that we found were missing after finding you."
Currently Hermione and Stiles were inside Meryl Jenson's office. And just like everything else, Stiles was in amazement when they walked into the ministry. It seemed, to him, that the wizard world was bigger, more majestic in every way. But were they better?
He looked at Hermione from the corner of his eye before taking the older witch's hand and shaking it. "…Hi?"
The left corner of Meryl's lip twitched upwards. "I trust that Miss Granger has filled you in on all the details about your," she looked him in the eyes, "circumstance?"
"She has." He stated, keeping a careful eye on the elder before him.
"Don't worry Mr. Stilinski. We only brought you in here today to do a background check." She explained, and his expression dropped – not that it had far to go. "It's nothing too bad, we just want to make sure you are who we think you are."
"Oh…" his eye brows knitted together, why would they think he was anyone else?
Hermione kept her distance when some of the other minister officials came in and out of Meryl's office. Some just looked Stiles over, while others felt the need to ask him nearly pointless questions.
"Name?" a curious wizard with graying hair named Orlinski flashed his illuminated wand tip on various parts of Stiles's face. Hermione could almost feel the uneasiness radiating him.
The boy winced as the light blared over his eyes. "Sti… ah, Rupert".
"Where were you born?" Orlinski's expression styed dry as he continued with his interrogation.
Once the last wizard left, Hermione stood by Stiles and rested her hand on his shoulder.
'5… 4… 3… 2… 1…'. He stared at the clock, counting down the time each official came in. He was prodded the same questions again and again; "birthday?", "Who are your parents?", "Do you know your blood type?"
"Do you need to know the names of the people I've had sex with too?" Stiles snarled at a younger female, a healer who worked for St. Mangos. She couldn't have been much older than 28, her face turned almost white as her hair at his crude comment.
In the corner Hermione's face fell. "I don't believe that was necessary", she snapped. Becoming as equally impatient as her male counterpart.
"No, It's alright." The healer answered, a smile creeping on her lips. "I can imagine all of this questioning is exhausting." Her eyes scanned the office before choosing the perch herself atop Jenson's maple desk. However, Hermione's tension did not ease as the healer became casual, thank god her superior was not present.
"I'm Madeline." She tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Rupert, I promise I'm the last one to see you today."
Stiles remained unsettled. "Stiles, I prefer to be called Stiles."
"Ok, Stiles, it seems here that you check out fine." Madeline flipped through the clip-board that she and everyone else used that day. "Miss Granger and yourself are free to go." She hopped down from her perch and walked from the room, leaving the door slightly open behind her.
"How do you feel?" Hermione asked her friend.
"Fine… so when does the fun start?" His completion brightened.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well, as soon as we get back to the loft we can start with a few simple charm incantations and potions."
Stiles smiled. "Thank you, really," Hermione's face softened with this.
"Anytime".
Fever
That night was the first time Stiles was going to write home. He wanted to owl everyone as to how things were coming along. However, every time he tried, things would start shaking. He must have had started over twenty or so letters, but nothing was coming out write.
Hermione came into the sitting room every so often to check-up, but mostly he was silent.
Ron and Ginny pretended as though Stiles was but a ghost in their presence. Oh, he could feel the distaste from them, but he really didn't care.
What was surprising was that Harry sat down next to Stiles on the couch at one point in the night. "Hello," came his cheeky-esque voice.
Stiles jumped nearly a foot in the air, his book and notes dropping to the floor.
"Oi, please don't do that." He held a hand above his chest, breathing shakily as he picks of his things.
Harry chuckled slightly. "How are you liking London."
"It's alright, more… unusual than I imagine."
Ron entered the room, eyes scanning before finding his best friend. "Harry, Ginny and I are going to mum and dads' for supper care to join? Hermione says she has too much work to come with."
"Actually, I may pop by later. I have some stuff to catch up on as well." Harry replied.
Ron's eyes moved to Stiles before scoffing slightly. "I'll leave you too it then."
Harry turned back to Stiles when his friend left the room. "Sorry 'bout 'im. He'll warm up eventually, he's a bit up in arms at the moment."
"It's fine, really". Stile's gaze dropped down to his book. Ron wasn't unlike his old 'friend' Jackson; both were hard-headed and seemed to hormonally driven.
Harry peeked over at the large leather bound book Stiles was scanning: 'Magical Beasts and where to Find them'. "Interesting subject", he pointed out.
"Yeah… Hermione had started me on potions a couple of hours ago." Stiles defended lightly. "But I'm interested in 'Beasts'? I guess?"
"Hermione mentioned that some of your friends are werewolves."
"And I thought I was just a human…"
"Muggle." Harry corrected and Stiles raised a questionable brow. "Name we use for none magic people." Harry expanded.
"Muggle." Stiles corrected. "There were certain things that I had access to before; I couldn't figure things out, before."
"And now you can," Harry gently padded the younger male on the shoulder. Stiles tensed a bit, but didn't shift away.
The sound of padded feet came into the room. "Nice to see you two getting along." Hermione nonchalantly commented on her way to the kitchen. Slowly, and with a long yawn, she poured herself a cup of coffee.
"You alright there?" Harry asked.
Hermione turned herself so that she was facing the two dark haired boys. "I was gone long enough for work to pile up." She shifted her focus to Stiles. "Why don't you go to the Burrow Harry. Take Stiles with you. Trust me, Stiles, it would do you some good to put that book down and go. Meet everyone."
Stiles looked between the two. "Everyone?"
"Yes. Ron… our family. Trust me Ron is going to be the only one to be cautious around." She tipped her mug towards them before retreating back into the hallway.
