Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Harry Potter universe, that all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Non Llewellyn however is mine.
Chapter 2
Saturday morning was a struggle. I'd slept in until near noon, almost unheard of for me and I pottered about the house for a bit as I waited for the cotton wool like feeling to leave my brain.
This always seemed to happen when an overload of adrenaline left my body, I was always so tired the day after. Still I couldn't look back at the evening before with any real regret; I had enjoyed myself the Percy incident aside.
I decided to take Harry's advice (I pretended to myself it wasn't an instruction) and I didn't go into the office. Instead I took advantage of the bright July day to get out into the garden. Gardening was a bit of a passion of mine that I'd picked up from my muggle mother and as I surveyed my vegetable patch I felt an inner gleam of pleasure.
My potatoes were doing brilliantly, with the garden peas and runner beans just hitting their stride as their wondering fronds made their way up the climbers I'd arranged for them. Neat rows of carrots and beetroot were just starting to emerge and my lettuce patch was nearly ready to start picking. That then was the muggle part of my garden.
Heading down the path, studiously ignoring the weeds poking through the flagstones, I made my way to the bottom of the garden. Here is where I kept my greenhouse full of the magical plants that would be harmful should any muggles accidently come calling by. It was a great store for all of the herbs and plants I needed for any potions that were required.
After glancing inside to make sure all was well I headed to the 'wild' patch and caught sight of two garden gnomes running for cover and I giggled to myself. I'd try to come to an agreement with them after my last mass eviction of them. So long as they stayed in this part and left my vegetables alone I was happy. Amazingly they seemed to be sticking to our pact.
Just further beyond them was the start of a small copse of trees. I was pretty sure a Bowtruckle family had recently moved in but it had been over a week since I'd seen any signs so I wasn't sure. There had however been a steady mound of woodlouse carcases forming in little piles so I was taking it as a very good sign. The more magical things I could get in my garden the happier I would be.
So my Saturday passed in fairly relaxing fashion but as Sunday rolled around I started to get fidgety. There was only so much relaxation I could do before my brain rebelled against me and started to over think in directionsI really didn't like it going. It was one of the reasons I normally kept myself so busy with work.
I had a few locked doors in my mind that I purposefully kept that way but when I was alone, every now and then one of those doors would wobble. On this day it was the war door. Not the battle itself, I hadn't been at Hogwarts for the final showdown, but the year that built up to it. The year I came of age. The worst year of my life. Having a muggle mother and a muggle born wizard father had found me in a precarious blood status position.
Trust me when I say having Snatchers in your life was not good. At all.
By the time Monday morning rolled around I was near tearing my hair in frustration to get back to work and to occupy my brain. It was strange that even though we were tracking dark wizards who had themselves been involved in the war, I was able to keep it all separate. The war was then, a time to be forgotten. They however were now, people to be hunted, arrested and locked up for good.
The auror department was fairly quiet when I arrived, and I hurried over to the drinks table to pour myself a large mug of tea before the rest started to filter in. Only two other aurors were in my line of sight, Jessica Tobin and Patrick Gilden, both were working their own cases so I didn't have much to do with them, so after a brief hello I settled at my desk waiting for my team to arrive.
I say my team, but I wasn't officially the leader. I suppose Harry was the unofficial leader of our little section but given that I was permanently office based I'd certainly taken the lead of some of the threads of our investigations.
We'd been on the case of what muggle police had put down as smuggling occurring on the eastern Scottish coast. It was near some obscure little fishing village but there had been enough signs of magic that we'd had to send up an investigation team. If it hadn't been for the dead fish we'd found we would never have suspected any magical wrongdoing and would have attributed the damage to muggles but the thing is, the fish were inside out. Literally turned inside out. I'd seen the photos, it was disgusting, but there was no way a muggle could have done it. If anything it looked like experimental magic, and something only a truly depraved witch or wizard would wish to master.
It was the fifth case of experimental dark magic we had come across in the last year. I pondered that as I swished my wand to send a red marker on to the map to note this new location. There'd been one on Anglesey, Blackpool, Dover, Brighton and now right up in Scotland. I frowned as I considered it.
There seemed no obvious pattern to the places, they were just random areas in the UK. The one obvious thing of course was that they were all on the coast but there appeared no other direct link. It was just another maddening seemingly dead end.
We had a list up on the wall of the outstanding Death Eaters. In the two years after the war we had caught most of them and taken great pleasure in crossing their names out, but there was one who was stubbornly outstanding and we hadn't heard even the slightest whisper of him. Rabastan Lestrange. His name still stood out in clear letters as though mocking us. I hated looking at it, it was a reminder of our continued failure and it was horrible to think that he was still out there somewhere.
Ron was convinced he had escaped abroad and that he was no longer our problem but Harry and I weren't so sure. His brother Rodolphous had been recaptured after the Battle of Hogwarts and placed back in Azkaban and aside from Voldemort if there was one person we knew Rabastan to be devoted to it was his brother.
To know there was such an evil person walking free… I had to supress a shiver. Thinking about Rabastan Lestrange always made me feel uneasy.
I had apparently been gazing at the wall too long for the liking of some. I jolted to awareness as a package came flying in my direction and I caught it just before it smacked me in the face.
I scowled in the direction it had come from.
"Mrogngh Mon, bwrfst frr oo."
I blinked.
"I don't know whether I should be more disgusted with you speaking with your mouth full or the fact that I understood you, but thanks for breakfast."
My scowl quickly changed into a smile as I saw what was inside and Ron chuckled at my delight, before he swallowed his food noisily.
"It's a skill to understand me Non, don't knock it. Mione thought you might like that, she says thanks again for coming to the pub".
Ah Hermione, of course. I had thought it weird that Ron would remember how much I loved bagels and cream cheese. I was just summoning a napkin from the food station when Harry arrived, robes askew and his hair as messy as ever.
"Tell Hermione thank you for me." I said to Ron.
"Why don't you just tell her yourself?" Harry questioned and I blinked, a bit surprised by the question. "You know Ron's not likely to remember" he added, ignoring an annoyed "Oi!" from his best friend.
I blinked again. That was very true, really there was no arguing with Harry's logic.
"You are wise in the ways of the Weasley oh Master Potter, I defer to your expertise."
Harry rolled his eyes at my teasing and as I bit into my bagel he snatched at an internal memo that had just appeared zooming to settle above his head. He pulled a face.
"New trainee start date has been delayed by a month."
My jaw dropped in outrage and Harry pulled a face.
"Sometimes Llewellyn you are more disgusting than Ron. No honestly, that's not easy to do."
I hastily shut my mouth to hide the half eaten food as I chewed furiously before I could respond.
"Well that's disappointing," Ron grumbled "I'd been working on all my best stories to scare them, you know give them a proper welcome to what it is to be an auror."
I finished chewing and rolled my eyes.
"Yes Ron, because nothing says welcome like that. This is a problem though, we're already short on numbers, is there any reason for the delay?"
Harry just shook his head, absentmindedly rubbing the middle of his forehead more out of habit than any indication of pain.
I sat back with a huff thinking of our staffing problem. We had a group or aurors permanently assigned to guarding senior employees of the Ministry. That was their set job that they worked out between themselves and our investigating team had little to do with them.
Then we had the rota to work at Azkaban. Even though we were all happier that the Dementors were no longer in charge of the prison having to now guard the prisoners there with aurors had made a serious dent in the numbers we had to carry out all other investigating and arrests. We all had to take our turn to guard the prison as well. It was easily the worst part of the job.
I was still mulling over our lack of numbers when I recalled the dead fish report and I smirked to myself as I saw Ron finish his food.
"Hey guys look at this, experimental dark magic, what do you think?"
I got up and shoved the picture of the inside out fish in front of them. Ron turned a distinctive shade of green.
"Screw you Llewellyn, couldn't that have waited until later?" Ron sat back in annoyance as Harry chuckled loudly before his face took on a serious expression.
"This is not good. How many is it now?"
"Five." I replied immediately. "All on the coast, all with different outcomes and no other apparent link."
"We're going to have to go through each of the cases again I think, see if we missed something…" Harry trailed off unhappily although I knew that task would largely fall to me.
"I'm on it. Bit quiet my end at the minute, Hopkiss and Monart still haven't brought me anything new." I frowned as I said it. It was very strange for them actually. They were my go to aurors. They went out to investigate, obtain the evidence and then bring it back here for me to sort through.
"Oh I saw them earlier, they'd dropped stuff off for Gilden I think."
"What?!" I scrambled in my seat to lever my head up over the partition of my desk and sure enough Gilden was now nowhere to be seen.
Harry eyed me thoughtfully before he continued.
"They can report to others, can't they?" He was not successful in hiding his smile.
"Of course," I sniffed, "I just wish someone had told me is all."
Ron rolled his eyes at me as he stood and stretched.
"You know you could just go out and get information yourself Llewellyn."
He ignored my returning scowl as he adjusted his robes, belched and then picking up his wand he made to leave the office, Harry trailing after him.
"I hope you get rained on!" I shouted at their retreating backs but they just laughed.
My Monday passed under a mound of paperwork as I frustratingly trawled through the first five cases of experimental dark magic but if there was any link between them I was at a loss to find it.
Tuesday was still devoid of Hopkiss and Monart so I devoted my day to training. On top of weakly duelling training we also had the option of top up practice in stealth, fitness and toxic response. I'm not going to lie, fitness was probably my weakest area by far but I still enjoyed it. When I didn't want to think, which was often, it was a welcome distraction.
However when Wednesday rolled around, after I'd filed yet another maintenance report from Azkaban about a fault in the shield wall (we were assured it was nothing serious, just your typical minor glitch given the size of the place) I was ready to scream. Hopkiss and Monart had re-appeared only to tell me they could only report to Aurors Gilden and Tobin. They also wouldn't tell me on whose orders that was on but it wasn't hard to narrow the list down to one. Head Auror Beckett.
I glowered darkly at his closed office door while I pondered whether to go and confront him. I even got as close as standing outside his door when I remembered his words from last week.
Get out more Llewellyn, that's my order.
I chewed on my lip, mulling it over. I didn't think one trip to the pub would be enough to have me back in his good graces. I was getting desperate though, it was approaching the point I either ask Belkin what minor infractions had come in (which no Auror ever wanted to deal with) or do some archiving. Neither were appealing.
Trying to buy myself some time I decided to pop up to the legal department to see Hermione. I still hadn't thanked her for the bagels and I knew she'd appreciate it coming from me in person. The fact it may earn me some brownie points from Beckett was also not lost on me.
I walked quickly from the Auror department before anyone could notice as I was now technically skiving. The corridor to the department was largely deserted at this time in the morning as after checking in most aurors were back out on their daily tasks. I waited at the lift entrance and when it arrived I was glad to see it was mainly empty. Giving a courteous nod of acknowledgement to the other two occupants I quickly announced to the lift where I wanted to go and then set myself for the jerky ride.
The other two occupants lurched to the side but I allowed myself to relax enough to follow the lifts speedy movements without too much trouble as I mentally prepared myself for the legal department. It was always absolutely bustling with people, a hive of activity but as the lift announced the arrival at the correct floor and I took a step out I was not prepared for the mayhem that faced me.
Ministry workers were madly rushing about the place with precarious piles of papers, the usual drone of voices that people fought to keep quiet had been abandoned for outright shouting.
"Here, Marcy, do you have that memo yet?"
"Watch yourself Thompson can't you see that I'm here? Move it Rogers!"
"If we don't get this done by close then Farrell will have my head"
Mouth slightly agape I took it all in. What on earth was happening here? I quietly stepped forward and weaved my way through the bustling people as I made my way to Hermione's office. I got cast a few irritated glances but for the most part I appeared to slip by unnoticed. Knocking on Hermione's door I waited for her quiet "come in" before I walked into a room that was a beacon of calm and as I closed the door behind me the furore of the department was immediately silenced. She'd charmed the room then.
"Hi Mione" I greeted her quietly, smiling at how she looked. Frazled hair in a messy bun, but her legal robes suited her and with the mounds of books and neat writing on reams of parchment in front of her Hermione Granger looked in her element and it was lovely to see.
"Non! Oh it's good to see you. How are you? Here have a seat."
"Thanks. I've been meaning to pop up all week. Thanks for the bagels."
"Oh it was nothing" Hermione said dismissively, waving a hand.
"No it was nice, thank you. Although I was relieved to hear it was you that sent them, for one second I thought Ron had had a blow to the head or something."
Hermione snorted.
"Well it would take something like that wouldn't it?"
She'd tried to laugh as she'd said it but there was a sharp undercurrent to her words. I shifted uncomfortably as I sought for a change of topic, my light hearted comment had clearly fallen a bit way off the mark.
"Say it's a bit mental out there, what on earth is going on?"
Hermione pulled a face.
"Merlin knows. Nearly every senior employee has been taken from other projects to work on whatever it is, that's why it's so problematic. There's no actual junior employees to do the admin work for them and it's carnage out there."
"Senior employees? That sounds like it's something pretty major. Why just senior ones?" Something about that really didn't sit right with me and from the darkening of Hermione's expression she was clearly of the same mind.
"I don't know," her frustration was clear, "all I've managed to glean is that it's going to be something fairly momentous. I overheard two witches talking in the bathroom they mentioned 'biggest ministry change in three centuries'. They noticed I was there then and hurried out. I've even tried asking Percy, you know how he can be, but nothing. In fact he evaded my question entirely when he usually loves to point it out when he knows things the rest of us don't."
I frowned slightly taking all of it in. Now that was weird about Percy. He'd mellowed since the war but he was still a bit pompous when it suited him. And now that I thought on it he had mentioned something about a new law in the pub on Friday.
"I reckon I might have a bit of leverage with Percy, he wanted our rooms downstairs until things settled down up here. I'll see if he'll agree a trade; rooms for information."
"Well I hope it works. If you find anything out it would be a help. This department is driving me crazy. Hey I'm escaping at lunch to meet Ginny in Diagon Alley at one o'clock. Want to come? I think she'll have Teddy with her."
A grin lit up my face. I adored Teddy Lupin. Mine had been one of the first names he's been able to say, I conveniently ignored the fact that as mine was a single syllable it was by far the easiest, and I crowed about it mercilessly when Ginny was being particularly obnoxious about my dating life. Merlin knows I loved that witch but she really did like to interfere.
"Yes that would be great. I'd been meaning to owl her actually, I was getting the full passive aggressive treatment from her on Friday, I think I've got to make amends."
Hermione's answering laugh did not reassure me but I chuckled along.
"Well yeah Non you've been pretty hard to get hold of you know. We've missed you. Are you…is everything all right?"
The quiet seriousness in her voice washed over me as I thought how to answer. I normally brushed off questions of concerns but my hiatus from the social scene was one that was hard to give an excuse for, but I wasn't really sure where to begin. I hadn't told them about my PTSD diagnosis or the anxiety that came with it although I was sure they suspected the anxiety at least. Before I could answer the door to her room burst opened revealing an incredibly flustered wizard, arms full of loose bundles of parchment.
He cast an irritated glance around the room, clearly he was in the wrong place but he froze when he saw me.
"Hey why are you here? Did you sign in?"
His confrontational tone had me fighting against the urge to sink bank in my seat away from him and I found my auror spine and sat up straight.
"I hadn't realised I needed to, since when was that a requirement?"
"It was quite clearly sent around the departments last month!"
"Well it missed the Auror department" I responded coolly before I gathered my robes and stood up, something wasn't right here and I didn't want to get Hermione into trouble as I could see her chewing on her index finger a confused frown on her forehead.
"Thank you Granger for your assistance, I've got what we need now." I was pleased to note Hermione managed to keep her face neutral at my words, and nodding a brisk farewell to her and the angry faced wizard I left the room, I could only hope that had defused the situation. If I'd accidently broken some legal department protocol I didn't want her to be punished. I made my way back down the corridor to the lift before pausing to bend down as though checking my shoes. Casting a quick glance behind me, I saw the wizard leave Hermione's office and heading in the opposite direction.
As I straightened I made a beeline for the reception desk and had to hide a wince as I recognised the witch sat there. I couldn't tell you her name, my one memory of her was her kindly stopping me in the Ministry lobby to point out that on that particular day I'd tucked my skirt into my knickers after a trip the bathroom. She was however staring at my vacantly so I surmised she didn't recognise me and I for one was definitely not going to remind her of it. I'd not worn skirts for months afterwards.
"Hello" I said as brightly as I could muster, "I need to see Percy Weasley; we need a protocol update for a case. Auror business" I added as her face had remained neutral. At my last words she huffed slightly before moving to fill out a form.
"Busy hey?" I tried to make small talk but all I got in response was a stiff nod.
"Here," she snapped, shoving some parchment at me. "Here's your pass, Weasley is ten doors down, on the right."
"Um, thanks-"
"You have ten minutes then you'll have to leave," the reception witch interrupted and I was momentarily flabbergasted. What in Merlin's beard was happening in the legal department?
"Oh-oh okay, thank you. I best get to it then." I smiled at her but she'd already turned her attention back to the parchment in front of her.
Wow, and I thought the Auror department could be unfriendly to visitors…
Not wanting to waste my few precious minutes I hurried down the corridor before halting outside Percy Weasley's door. I wasn't quite sure how I should handle this conversation given the last time we met I'd shouted at him. I decided perhaps the best course of action was to pretend that had never happened and stealing myself by taking a deep breath I knocked on the door.
"Enter!" Percy's muffled voice answered my knock.
"Hello Percy!"
I think I may have been a bit too cheerful as I entered the room. Percy's curly hair was frazzled, it was in fact the only part of him I could see over the mounds of parchment in front of me. His head popped up and he glared at me.
"You."
"Um, yes, hello?" I gave a nervy wave.
"What do you want?" he snapped. He was clearly still very displeased with me. "I'm exceptionally busy."
"Why yes, that is actually what I wanted to talk to you about." I had walked further into the room and was going to try and sit before I noticed there was no available surface so I stood awkwardly trying to fight the urge to duck my head and tuck my hair behind my ear as Percy continued to glare. Sustained scrutiny I did not like. I decided my best chance was just to plough on through.
"Look Percy, I was thinking about what you'd said about the spare rooms we have. As luck would have it, our trainees aren't starting just yet anymore and-"
"Why have they been delayed?"
I took a deep breath at the interruption.
"No idea. But look it means we don't need the rooms yet so it could be that I can arrange for you to use them."
"Could? I suppose you want something in return."
Curse Percy he was sharp. Oh well, there was no point in lying to him.
"Yes actually. I need to know what this new law being pushed through is. You tell me that and the rooms are yours for a month."
I could see he was tempted. I resisted the urge to clench my fists in my nervousness as he made his mind up.
"No."
I blinked.
"What, that's it? A full month Percy, you've been asking for this for weeks."
"Well exactly. I needed that access weeks ago, and now I don't- that is to say I've learnt to cope without them."
I see your hesitation Percy Weasley. What are you hiding?
"Don't? Is the law that close to finalising then?"
"I couldn't tell you, I'm not working on it." His voice didn't waiver but his ears had turned pink.
Why you little liar…
"Percy. I'm a trained auror. Don't lie to me."
He started to rearrange his papers and purposefully looked away from me.
"Well if that'll be all Llewellyn you may as well go, as you can see I'm very busy."
"C'mon Percy just tell me. If it's passing into law so soon what can it hurt just to tell me now?"
Adjusting his glasses Percy Weasley paused and took the opportunity to actually consider my request. I held my breath, praying he would at least give me a hint.
He opened his mouth once, then closed it again, his brow now furrowed. I was painfully aware my ten minutes were ticking down. He finally spoke.
"It's being announced on Saturday. That's all I can tell you, trust me Llewellyn when I say I'll be fired if I even breathe a word more."
There was something in Percy's tone of voice that worried me. He actually looked like he wanted to tell, and a frustrated look of dissatisfaction settled on to his face. I felt very uneasy.
"It's bad then?"
The only change in Percy's face was the slight clenching of his jaw and I decided to relent. He clearly couldn't, rather than wouldn't, say anymore.
"Right yes, you can't say. Sorry then Percy, to have bothered you."
My hand was on the handle of the door when he spoke again.
"Non, look if you need-"
What it might be that I may need I didn't find out as at that accursed moment my ten minutes was up as my visitation slip gave a wail of alarm before it flew from my grasp to expire in a burst of flames.
"You need to go Llewellyn".
I cursed inwardly. The interruption had stopped him from saying something that I had no doubt was important. I ground my teeth in frustration as I waved goodbye to him and stomped my way back down the corridor to the lift.
There was something seriously wrong with the legal department.
After my trip to the legal department it didn't take long for one o'clock to roll around and I quickly hurried to the atrium to meet with Hermione before we took a floo connection to Diagon Alley. As it was a mid-week lunch time, the alley was busy without being overly crowded and I released a pent up sigh of apprehension as I realised this. There were more people around than I liked but certainly it wasn't so busy that I couldn't cope.
Walking along with Hermione she was telling me about the latest book she had ordered from Flourish and Blotts, it was a legal text book which as hard as I tried I couldn't muster her level of enthusiasm about. It did remind me though that there was a new hex defence book due to be released, I ought to call in to the shop to pre-order it. Being an auror was a continuous development process I had come to realise, you never stopped learning. It had come as a shock to a fair few of the trainees our first year and needless to say they hadn't been the type to stay the course.
We reached the tea shop and could see that Ginny had managed to snag a table outside, making the most of the sunny summers day. The cream parasol erected over the table provided enough protection from the strength of the sun but it was nice to be able to sit outside and soak up the warmth. Ginny's red hair was tied up today which was unusual for her, she usually only put it up when playing quidditch, but as I clocked the four year old by her, hands covered in ice cream it didn't take me long to figure out why she'd done it this time.
I was a bit apprehensive when I sat down after I'd said hello to Ginny. I'd been excited to see Teddy again when the thought hit me that he was only four and I hadn't seen him for months. Would he even remember me?
"Hi Non, glad you could tag along" Ginny smiled at me before nudging the dark haired toddler to her right. "Hey Teddy, look who it is?"
The adorable Teddy Lupin looked up, momentarily distracted from his puddle of ice cream and contemplated me quietly for a few moments. He had changed a bit since last I saw him and whilst his hair was still dark his eyebrows were decidedly ginger and his eyes were now brown when last time I'd seen him they'd been blue. His metamorphmagus ability was really starting to show.
"Hi Teddy" I greeted him fairly quietly with a gentle smile. "Remember me?"
Teddy responded with a bright chubby cheeked grin.
"Non Non!"
I laughed, ridiculously relieved I had not been forgotten and didn't mind at all when he slid from his seat to make his was over to me to be picked up, messy hands and all.
"Got it one Teddy Teddy".
His childish giggle met my ears as he clambered up my legs to settle on my lap, and he started to inform me quite seriously about his and Ginny's day so far. I was amazed at how well he could speak now and I could see Ginny smiling at him fondly. Ginny and Harry often helped Andromeda Tonks out with looking after Teddy and as it was the off season from quidditch Ginny was making the most of her time off to help.
As we ordered a light lunch from the passing waiter, Teddy's story half held my attention as Ginny and Hermione caught up, but I couldn't help but survey Diagon Alley and the people passing by as though looking for danger. There didn't seem to be any suspicious activity but I monitored passers-by just in case.
"Non, stop working."
"Hmm?" I asked distractedly not really hearing as my eyes followed two wizards arguing over a package. The paper covering ripped to reveal a box of quills and my shoulders relaxed slightly in relief.
"Honestly", I clocked the exasperated voice as Ginny's as I turned to her guiltily. "You are actually worse than Harry."
"Wow hey now that's a bit much", I complained but Ginny just crossed her arms. "I have never to this day mistaken a pygmy puff as a disguised detonator."
Ginny's lip twitched as she fought a smile. Harry had done that in his first year. In his defence the pygmy puff had gotten itself stuck in a muggle traffic cone and was as such causing it to move sporadically down the road but still, it was a good one to tease him about.
"Fine", Ginny relented as Hermione giggled, "But for not paying us sufficient attention you are helping me pick stuff up at the twins. It's a nightmare going into the shop with Teddy on my own."
Teddy was oblivious as he had taken to drawing on a napkin with some crayons Ginny had put out for him. I tried to still the nerves that had bloomed in my stomach at the mention of the twins. I fought against grinding my teeth in annoyance. This reaction was stupid and irrational.
"Alright," I agreed decisively, "I've not been to the shop for ages, it'll be nice to see it." I sounded a lot more confident than I felt.
After we'd finished up our sandwiches Hermione had to make a move back to the office. I'd told both of them how Percy had been and I could see a concerned frown settle on her face as she gathered her things together.
"I just don't know what's going to happen this weekend I really don't but I feel nervous." Hermione looked guilty for even worrying at all.
"Well look, let's not worry about something until it's happened. Wasted time, right?" Ginny prompted with a soft smile. She always did like to focus on what she could control as opposed to worrying about what ifs. In that regard we were completely different.
"Yes of course, you're right," Hermione agreed. "See you guys soon."
We called our goodbyes after her as she wended her way back down the road to the floo portal and Ginny and I quickly gathered up Teddy's things and after settling the bill we headed on down the street to where Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes stood, its dazzling frontage drawing every eye. Our progress was slow as Teddy had walked between us, his arms raised as he held each of our hands but I didn't mind. The amount of overtime I normally worked I figured one day of a slightly extended lunch wouldn't hurt. Or I hoped it wouldn't.
"You know that colour combination is really just offensive," I commented in distaste at the lurid mix of lime green and bright pink that covered the front of the shop.
A wide grin crossed over Ginny's face.
"And don't they know it! Still it certainly helps make them stand out, and business is apparently doing well so I don't think it's a deterrent. It's amazing how well they're doing; I think Mum still can't get over it."
"She doesn't still want them to get a Ministry job though surely?"
"Nah, she's gotten used to them running their own business now I think but they're just so…Fred and George."
I laughed quietly.
"Yeah that about sums them up doesn't it?"
Ginny nodded in agreement. We'd reached the door to the shop when she bent down to address Teddy.
"Hey Teddy, we're going in to see Fred and George, want a lift?" she held her arms out to him, no doubt wanting to keep a hold of him when he entered the shop so he couldn't cause carnage that four year olds were so capable of. And with the products in the twins shop in easy range I couldn't fault her thinking.
It was a bit disconcerting to see a four year old consider the question so seriously so in an effort to distract him I reached down to tickle him under his arms and he giggled in response.
"Non can carry me!"
"Good!" Ginny beamed before adding in an undertone "Watch out, he's pretty heavy."
I chuckled lightly before scooping Teddy up into my arms. Ginny hadn't been lying.
"Oof! Goodness Teddy you're almost too big for this you know?"
"Nope" he answered cheerfully, wrapping his small arms around my neck as his legs went around my waist.
I just shook my head at him as we followed Ginny into the shop and I froze slightly at the sight of so many people in the shop. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was rammed with customers, with people squeezing past each other to get to the shelves. I subconsciously held Teddy a bit tighter to me as though he was a shield before I forced myself to take a deep breath and relax my shoulders.
It's just a shop Non, we go in, get what we need, we go out.
Inner pep talk over I started to navigate my way through the shop. Ginny had already disappeared to find the twins to pick up whatever it was she needed. Teddy was pointing excitedly at one of the shelves so I decided to humour him and walked over. It was a display of stuffed toys which looked suspiciously muggle. Reading the description however they had charms on them for basic animation and movement. Teddy wanted to claim a wolf which I thought so apt I decided I would get it for him. With the four year old happy with his find and wolf toy clenched in his small fist I made my way over to the next shelf.
There were an assortment of day dream boxes and I frowned lightly as I shifted Teddy to my left hip and reached out with my right hand to read one of them. It seemed straight forward enough, the potion allowed you to escape into a day dream of your choice, depending on what theme you picked, that allowed you to pass your time more pleasurably if you were faced with boredom. This was clearly targeted at a student audience but as I read through the instructions I couldn't see that there were any safety measures. There was nothing it seemed that could withdraw you from the daydream once it started.
"But what if you're attacked after you take one?" I mused out loud and heard a startled laugh behind me.
"Well I can safely say we've never been asked that question before."
I spun around at the voice to see the freckled face of a Weasley twin.
"George!" Teddy called delightedly.
"George? George?!" the twin grabbed at his heart dramatically. "Can't you see I've got two ears Teddy? I'm Fred!" And Fred pulled on both his ears and stuck out his tongue at Teddy who laughed delightedly. "Plus I'm much handsomer," he added with a wink at me.
"Fred!" he called out arms reaching to have a hug as I shook my head laughing lightly.
"C'mere, you little monster."
I passed Teddy to him and I rescued the wolf toy that had slipped from his grip.
"That for him?"
Fred had noticed it and I nodded in reply.
"Alright, follow me."
A path through customers seemed to magically open before Fred as I trailed behind him quietly as he called out to answer customers' questions as he made his way to the till. I could see Ginny already there stood to one side as George served a steady line of customers. Wolf toy in hand I stood at the back of the queue while Fred joined up with Ginny.
By the time I got to the counter Ginny was staring at me with an exasperated smile.
"Non did you really question the safety aspect of the day dream potions?"
I blushed lightly as all three Weasleys looked at me. Ducking my head a bit I pushed my hair behind my ear and shrugged.
"Habit, sorry."
Ginny just rolled her eyes.
"Aurors, honestly. You're all the same."
"You're an auror?"
I looked up as George asked the question and I nodded.
"That's right. How much for this?"
I gestured to the toy hoping to move the topic of conversation away from me.
"Two galleons, five sickles. I didn't have you down as an auror."
"Oh." My forehead creased slightly at his words as I dug into my purse for the money. I fumbled slightly but managed to finally get the coins out and handed them over to see George looking at me with a confused expression.
"Thanks. Don't you want to know what I had you down as?"
I thought for a moment, trying to fight a blush as George stared at me, a smile starting to twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"You know, I think it's safer not to ask." I muttered as he laughed loudly in response. "Thanks for this." I gestured to the toy as I picked it up and he just nodded at me still chuckling.
"You should really ask me you know."
"Ask you what?" Ginny questioned as she joined me, Teddy in one arm and a couple of parcel's in the other. I quickly took Teddy from her and she shot me a thankful smile.
"What I thought she was instead of an auror." George answered, looking at me expectantly.
"Ooh what?"
"Oh no little sister I'm not telling you, Non has to ask."
I squirmed inwardly under their combined gazes before giving a light shrug and smiled.
"I'm not that curious."
"Oh spoil sport!" Ginny huffed as George chuckled.
"Non Non?"
Merlin bless four year olds and their distractions.
I moved to the side to allow George to continue serving customers.
"Yes Teddy Teddy?"
"Can we go see the brooms?"
I looked at Ginny with a raised eyebrow and she shook her head softly. I turned back to Teddy with an exaggerated sad face.
"Sorry Teddy Teddy no can do."
Did you ever notice that a four year old can look adorable when they pout?
"But look here you've got your wolf toy hey?"
Teddy's face brightened as he re-claimed the toy I'd just purchased. I glanced at my watch and grimaced at the time. It was nearly three o'clock. Beckett was going to absolutely kill me if I was any later.
"Non Non's got to go?" Ginny asked and I snorted lightly.
"Non Non's really got to go." I agreed. "Bye Teddy Teddy" I said to the child in my arms. I was rewarded with a hug before he wriggled away to be with Ginny.
"See you soon?" I asked her.
"Yes. Hey, come over on Sunday?"
"Do you want me to trial your cooking again? We all know what happened last time." I snickered lightly at the memory as she scowled.
"I am much better now thank you. But yes, I'll be cooking. Dare you brave it?"
I pretended to contemplate it seriously.
"I think I could do it, being an auror and all."
"Good. Get there for twelve?"
"Sure thing, bye Ginny."
She waved her own farewell before attempting to juggle Teddy, his toy and her packages. I smiled softly shaking my head as I turned to start my way out the shop.
"Bye Non!"
I started slightly and turned to see George waving at me cheerfully over the head of a customer he'd just finished serving. I could feel a confused expression settle on my face. Should I have tried to say goodbye before I left? I hadn't thought to thinking he was busy. Did he think me rude? Another blush broke out over my face.
"Um, bye?" I called hesitantly before turning around trying to resist the urge to roll my eyes at myself. I was so utterly socially backward sometimes.
Shaking my head slightly at my own ineptitude I walked as quickly as I could through the shop. I really was late to get back to work and as I walked back into the sunlight of Diagon Alley a part of me was tempted by a skiving snack box that was being advertised in the window.
Like Beckett wouldn't know I'd taken one.
I rolled my shoulders to try and shift my nervous tension and took a deep breath. Blocking my embarrassment at my interaction with the twins I strode determinedly down the street. That aside I'd managed to socialise at lunch without feeling too anxious and that for me was a victory. I felt a small glow of pride. It was only small but it was something and I treasured it as I headed back to work and wondering what George Weasley had thought my job was. Perhaps he was right, I should have asked him.