It took a while, but here I am. I hope you'll enjoy it.

I've already missed you

The sun was almost up when Amberrose and Edgar ended their night patrol. The little city was still quiet, only a few children could be heard screaming and laughing inside the house while the mother was probably preparing the breakfast. The few houses were small but seemed cosy and cheerful. Here and there, Amberrose stopped to admire the spring flowers. Each garden was different as if they were competing with each other.

Soon, the tiny houses were replaced by a big alley full of little cafeterias, shops, restaurants and even a block or two, here and there. Those blocks were mainly inhabited by different Ministry officials who couldn't have found better accommodation. Most of them, especially unmarried ones, preferred to live there as they could get a chance of catching the glance of one of the young Aurors from OZD. It wasn't a secret anymore that this was one of the places the young women preferred to spend their time after finishing work.

Amberrose and Edgar were a very funny sight to see. He was like a mountain, tall and strong, while she seemed like a tiny doll compared to him. She was barely half his height and so, she was constantly forced to pick up the pace to keep up with him.

The Head Auror would have seemed cute if it hadn't been for the dark cloak that covered her entire body. Yet, even if her outfit hid every inch of her skin, causing her to resemble a miniature version of a Dementor - the reason why people had used to name her 'die kleine Dementorin' - the elegance of her posture combined with the creativity of the design offered her a queenish look. Even those who secretly named her die kleine Dementorin could hardly portray her as being ugly or scary. In fact, despite the numerous rumours regarding her accident, they all expected to find a very beautiful woman behind all those layers of fabric.

"You have an admirer." Edgar laughed as they passed by the window of one of the Ministry officials' apartment and he caught the glance of the lone bachelor directed at his little companion. The man pulled the curtains as he'd noticed he'd been seen, but it was a bit too late.

"Only one? Disappointing," she joked. "He will back down as soon as he meets me," Amberrose added. The fact didn't seem to bother her much. It had been long since she had paid any attention to what men thought about her. Much as she'd tried to lie to herself that looks weren't everything, she'd learned the hard way that men would back down as soon as she takes the veil down.

"You know," he continued, "men find you quite attractive."

"If you ask me, I'll say men are very strange creatures," she spoke as if she had analysed the utility of a certain element in an academic essay. "With all my body language courses and my Legilimency powers, I couldn't decipher how exactly their brains function sometimes." This topic wasn't exactly the thing she'd expected to debate now even if she'd read the same thing on their faces numerous times. "I won't add the fact that I'm not young anymore. Not even for wizard's standards."

"Your posture, your voice, your energy, your every action. It's hard to picture anything but a very attractive woman behind your cloak. And they aren't wrong. I bet that during your school years, you had every boy wrapped around your little finger."

"They treated me more like a jewel than a human being. I'd be a liar if I say I didn't enjoy the attention. I was so confident that I'd thought I could make one of the boys give up his plots and dark ambitions for me. Deep down, I hoped people saw more than a nice face. I hoped he considered me someone special. In the end, it seemed I was just a trophy for him. He only wanted me as he'd always wanted the things other people desired. Now, he is the darkest wizard of our times. So, my beauty didn't serve me much, and neither did my intelligence. The only comfort I have is that there is something he desired and he had never had." It was regret in her voice and maybe a little disappointment.

"You and …" He didn't dare pronounce the name, but he didn't want to go for that stupid name people used when referring to him.

"Tom Riddle." The name came naturally to her. For anyone who wouldn't have known who that Riddle was, the name could have easily been mistaken as an ordinary one.

"Were you together?" Edgar uttered too loudly that some curious wizards, who happened to be on the street, turned their heads towards them. The news shocked him, and Edgar was as elegant in showing it as his own style was. Edgar was the opposite of elegance, messy hair and loose clothes, topped by his savage appearance. Yet, he had a big heart and Amberrose found no offense in his lack of tact.

"No, we were colleagues." She paused as she seemed to think thoroughly. "I've never thought of it like that," she continued after a while. "Yet, it was a time I hoped we were friends. We were both intelligent, ambitious and charming. The same year. The same house. I guess that's why he looked for my company. He saw potential in me and wanted me to join his cause. However, we were so different. He was calculated, while I was reckless."

"Wait a moment. You? Reckless? The calculated Amberrose Eissee reckless?" he exclaimed loudly as he couldn't control his surprise.

Amberrose was famous for her cold blood during critical situations and her calculated moves acting like a veritable chess champion daily. Everything she would say or do was carefully analyzed and planned before.

"I've grown wiser, eventually. But, yes, I was very reckless at times. I hated the professors' favoritisms as well as my colleagues' biases. It didn't help that I could read their thoughts. I usually ended up cursing one of them or provoking the professors in front of the class. Or I would have been caught reading other books during the classes."

"I can't imagine how you would handle Allan were he to find you weren't paying attention to classes." Edgar laughed. Allan had been given her a hard time lately as it was difficult to convince him to study more.

Allan had been a teenager Amberrose had found on London's streets 17 years ago, who'd grown into a wonderful wizard under the attention of the Head Auror and his new friends. He had been 16 years at the time and couldn't display the simplest form of magic. Now, he was not only part of the Aurors, but he was one of the best.

"It bored me. By the time I would have gotten to Hogwarts, I had already studied all the spells and potions from the schoolbooks and tested them in the first weeks. I wanted to find new things. Read new books," Amberrose continued in a more energetic tone.

"That hasn't changed much, and neither has your tendency of telling people what you think. I won't be surprised if HE felt intimidated by you as well." It was hard to imagine someone like Voldemort being intimidated, but Amberrose wasn't just an ordinary witch. She was resourceful, clever and one of the strongest witches he'd met. He wouldn't have been surprised if a younger Voldemort would have felt intimidated around her.

"She must have seemed more intimidating as she could have used her eyes to pierce your soul," he thought. "She had lovely eyes." He remembered a photo he'd seen in her room. "Unique. Amber-like eyes."

"He was too full of himself. I wasn't capable to," she answered confidently, but then she added, "I don't think so. He never seemed to. Do you think I'm intimidating?"

"I guess that's why no one dares to ask you out. You intimidate them."

"I intimidate them? Really!" She laughed. It was so hard to associate this voice with her gloomy outfit. Her voice was light, cheerful. It was so full of life and energy. He had another one, though. A serious tone. The official, cold tone that was able to impose respect after the first sentences. Yet she hardly used that tone with them. They were more than her underlings. More than simple colleagues. They were friends.

"You are quite famous among the Austrian Wizard Ministry as a very strong-willed and confident woman," he spoke with such pride as he felt he was so lucky to be around her. "You funded OZD from scratch and transformed the castle into one of the best institutions in Austria and maybe in Europe. Few had dared to confront you during the time, and none had managed to win against you. Another thing that made you famous, apart from your great deeds and your duelist skills, was your sharp tongue. You are too intelligent and confident for their liking."

"Then they are a bunch of cowards." She dispatched the topic as if it wouldn't have been worth her time. "Let's get some sweets for our brave mischievous friends and leave the topic of my attractiveness for the respectable noble of Austrian families. I hope Ivy and Alfie hadn't blown the place down. I really miss my pillows."

"After all this time, you still hope to sleep?" He knew her well enough to be aware that there were few chances she would find time for relaxation.

"They've opened. Go and buy some sweets." She pointed towards a Muggle bakery. He took a double glance at the surroundings but said nothing.

"Good that she pays attention to the surroundings," he thought, "I haven't noticed we've got in the Muggle area of the town."

Ivy and Alfie stood at the table in the cafeteria near the huge windows. It was their favorite spot. The place wasn't big, but it was cozy and cheerful. Tiny, wooden tables and chairs and many, many flowers all over the room, making it look like it were in the middle of a rainforest. And of course, tasty cookies and fruit tarts. The sight from the top of the castle was breathtaking and the two elves enjoyed watching the mountains and talking or working on their projects there.

The part of the castle was quiet at that hour, and the two elves were completely alone. Ivy had a big strawberry cake in front of her and she ate it delicately while Alfie read his new project aloud.

"I think you should have added some recommendations, as well. Amberrose asked for a description of the properties of fresh sage and some examples of potions where sage is the main component as well as some direction on new ways of using it," Ivy reminded him. She had already finished her essay and so she could relax for a while."You shouldn't have left the essay to the last minute, Alfie. If you asked..."

"What am I supposed to say? Can I copy it from you?" he begged. He knew it was useless, but he didn't want to give up without a fight.

"No" she threw at him. "You won't, and I don't care what you do." She didn't mean the last part, but he was so annoying...

"Can it be used to release pain? Such as a painkiller or I don't know...maybe sleep drops?" He tried again, this time using his mind.

"I guess so," Ivy muttered and went back to her cake. "But I think it is already used on these types of potions... Allan, " she cried cheerfully as she noticed the tall and skinny figure of Allan entering the cafeteria. "Maybe he has an idea, " Ivy continued before having another bite of her cake.

"Tell me three ways of using sage in a potion which hadn't been discovered until now!" Alfie said instead of any greeting, his essay in his hand.

"Amberrose is giving you a hard time, isn't she?" Allan joked. "Haven't you tried to copy from Ivy?"

"She won't give me her essay, and Amberrose wants it today. She wants to teach us some useful herbs. I guess she wants to discover new potions to heal wounds and release pain. However, she kind of overestimates my imagination. I hope she doesn't intend to make us brew the potions as well." He made a face that displayed how much he detested the idea.

"She needs to supply her potion provisions and she probably needs some help. That's why she is teaching us Potions later," Ivy explained.

"She could have done the potions herself instead of wasting her time with me." Alfie didn't seem to agree with Amberrose's plan. Much as he liked her, sometimes he wished she was less bossy.

"Yes, but that way, we won't be able to brew potions while she's gone," Ivy went on.

"Is she going somewhere?" Alfie and Allan asked at once.

"Grindelwald told me that Albus Dumbledore was here. Is she going to help him fight You-Know-Who?" Allan continued.

"Dumbledore was here?" Alfie asked before Allan could give further details.

"What were you doing around Grindelwald?" Ivy cried at the same time.

"Hey. Let me breathe, buddies." Allan tried to stop the flood of questions."That was what I was intending to ask you, Alfie. I don't know if he was here and why. And, yes, Ivy, I went around Grindelwald. Amberrose demanded I change the password, and so I had to spend some time with him."

"I bet she didn't ask you to chat with Grindelwald, did she? And keep your voice down, Alfie. I don't think that the entire Wizgamond needs to know that Albus Dumbledore was here. It's something between him and Amberrose. I don't know if she is going to get involved in the war, Allan, but she has said something about a short trip to England. She wants to be sure we can handle it in case her journey takes longer. And, Allan, I hope your Occlumency skills have improved because your going to Grindelwald was very irresponsible and stupid. What if he were to find something important and….we got into trouble? Amberrose won't like it. Not at all."

She hardly finished her rushed speech when something jumped directly on Allan's lap. The first thing he realized, after he'd got over the scare, was that it was heavy, warm and poofy. Then, he figured out it was alive and had claws. Very sharp ones and they went directly into his flesh.

"Amberrose," Ivy laughed as she noticed the black cat that purred mischievously in Allan's lap. Two yellow eyes were watching deep into his very soul, and Allan felt like a naughty child caught red-handed.

"How was your day?" He tried to change the topic, but he found that his heart pounded faster than normal.

"I've done nothing wrong," he tried to convince himself, but his body said another story. Suddenly, his blonde, middle-length hair seemed to bother him and he tried to push it away from his face. "Why am I so nervous? Because you know she won't be happy when she finds out about your chat with Grindelwald," he admitted in the end.

"I hope your Occlumency skills have improved," Ivy whispered in his ear as she came to play with the cat. Amberrose lifted her head and shared a conspiratorial glance with her. Then she stood on all fours before jumping gracefully down on the floor only to turn back to her human form.

"Don't be so grumpy!" Edgar joked as he entered with the sweets. Suddenly, all the eyes were on him.

"How, in Merlin's beard, can you see that I'm grumpy?" she retorted. Her face was completely covered by the veil so it was, technically, impossible unless he could see through the veil. She hoped he couldn't, because the idea he could see through her clothes as well didn't make her very comfortable. However, she doubted he might have tried again if he'd ever been able to.

"Are you?" Allan asked timidly. "I didn't mean...I've just…" he bubbled.

"What exactly didn't you mean? To go to Grindelwald or to be discovered?" This was one of the times when she adopted her cold voice. No one liked it—least of all, Allan.

"What information could I have provided to Grindelwald to cause a security breach?" he asked, wishing Amberrose would save the day as usual.

"As long as he hadn't set him free...You haven't set him free, have you?" Amberrose kept a serious tone, but she was joking. "I'm not worried about what you told him, but what he told you. We have enough on our plate now, Allan, and having Grindelwald free is the last thing we need. He might be old, but he wasn't called "Silver Tongue" for nothing. Yet, you're right. I should give you more credit. I know you are capable enough to deal with him. I've known that for a very long time. Don't look at me with that face," she added as she noticed his surprise. "Yes, I wouldn't have let you there if I hadn't made sure it was safe. Don't get me wrong. I trust you. I trust you all. Yet I'm human and can make errors. I couldn't trust my feelings with something so delicate as this. Though, I won't be here forever to fix your errors or to come with a plan B. There is a reason I kept teaching you Occlumency and I won't say I'm a bit disappointed you couldn't resist the temptation. And there is a reason why I want Alfie to learn Potions. I might have to leave for a while and I want to be sure you'd be alright."

"Are you going to England?" Edgar asked. He'd suspected for a while. "We want to come, too."

"Of course. We can help you fight that green git," Allan declared enthusiastically.

"I don't want OZD to get involved. I spoke with the Ministers and Maher considered that any institutional involvement may turn Austria into a target."

"If he wins the war, he's going to come to Austria anyway. What are the chances for him to limit to the island when he can have the world? So, why not stop him now?" Edgar added.

"OZD is independent. You have the power to decide. After all, you're one of the three," Allan continued.

"I can't decide on the name of the Austrian magic community. Maher Waltz as their Minister of Magic is the representative of their will, and I can't go over it. However, neither can I wait for Tom to become stronger before the Ministry decides that drastic measures are necessary. Anyway, someone has to keep OZD together. And I trust you'll do a wonderful job. Meanwhile, I want you to announce to your colleagues we had a party tonight. In my quarters. Free food and drinks. Nice music. Edgar, don't forget to take the camera. I want to add some photos to my collection," she said.

For a while, no word was spoken. A strange emptiness seemed to cover their souls. Their perfect world was starting to change and they had no idea how much.

"Come back soon." Allan was the first to find the words. "OZD needs you. We need you."

"See you tonight. It's going to be fun." She turned back into the cat and left the cafeteria. They wouldn't see her sad. She'd made her mind and there was no going back.

She took one last trip to her office before allowing herself to take a nap. So many things had crossed her mind during the last months, and the last days had been overwhelming. Yes, she needed honeyed melissa and basilic tea and a good night's sleep.

The place was a complete mess. Different books were lying on her desk and there was hardly any space on it. She mentally promised to clean around after she woke up. However, she managed to find the magic diary she'd spelt to communicate with Tommy, her little spy. Though, she hadn't expected to find a message.

'A possible attack against Muggles.' She read. '24th May, at night. Grünedorf.'

She took a pen and wrote back to him. Get me more details about the attacker/attackers. Anything you can find about the people, as well as their resources, is valuable. Please, pay attention to what other people think of the plan. Write to me as soon as possible. You can find me at Grünedorf. Ask about a black cat."

Edgar was right. She would have to postpone her tea and her little nap for later.

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