Disclaimer: I don't own and of the Harry Potter characters, nor am I J.K
Rowling, I think they belong to Warner Bros. (Please don't sue me.)
Severus woke up from his thick, hazy sleep feeling even drowsier than he had before. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't go back to sleep. He glanced at the clock through the corner of his eye and saw that it was already 6:00 AM on the next day. Orion! He quickly sprang out of bed and sprinted down the hall to the baby's room. Orion was sniffling in his crib and he looked very disgruntled. Severus bent over the side of the crib to pick him up, which proved to be a mistake. The pain threatened to come back, so he withdrew his other arm and tried rather dangerously to pick Orion up with his other arm. (I really don't recommend this. . . be VERY careful when handling babies ;-)
After several attempts, he finally managed to lift Orion out of the crib and flop him on the changing table. "I'm so sorry, Orion. . ." Severus apologized. Orion continued sniffling until he was changed and fed. Severus then put him back in the crib and sauntered off to his room. He haphazardly threw some clothes on and then retrieved Orion again.
He immediately Apparated to the Ministry, (he'd gotten special permission, and since he was no longer a visitor anymore, he could apparate there whenever he felt like it) and dropped Orion off at the day-care center. Then he headed straight off to the Auror Headquarters. He sat down at his new desk and admired his own flashy nametag. It read: Severus Snape, Auror- Ministry of Magic. He was looking through his drawers at different odds and ends until Cornelius Fudge came in.
" 'Ello, Severus," he greeted not so cheerfully.
"Morning," he replied.
"Now," Fudge started, "since this is your first day, I'd like to welcome you, and give you your first case." He handed Severus a rather thick stack of papers with a 'confidential' seal across the front of it. "You will be finding out more about the object that was taken from the Department of Myths last week. I trust, you've heard about it."
Severus had to think for a moment before responding, "Yes. Yes, I read about it."
"Very well." Fudge gave him a quick wink before heading towards the door. "Oh, and by the way, Severus, Remus is your supervisor. Anything you find should be reported to him."
"Blast!" Severus said, clenching his fists. It took a moment or two for him to calm down and skim through the case file. The object missing was none other than the second half of the Orb of Soul. It'd been in a vault for longer than anyone could remember, and had been stolen sometime around midnight. There weren't any suspects, so the case was somewhat of a wild goose chase anyway. He slumped back in his chair and put his hands over his eyes. This was going to be interesting.
* * *
Riona carefully crept out of bed. Lucius was still fast asleep, snoring loud enough to rattle the bedposts. She took the Orb and tucked it in her pocket before heading outside. The night air was cool, and there was a thin fog covering the ground. She slipped her Invisibility Cloak around her body and made her way off the grounds.
When she was a safe distance away, she apparated to the Ministry. She was almost past the front desk when the guard stopped her with a long cane. "Excuse me, ma'am, you have to check in."
She was about ready to give him a knee in the groin before she caught herself and shyly responded, "Oh, of course. My mistake." She rolled her eyes and strode up to the desk.
"Name?" the fat receptionist asked boringly.
"Amelia Dohockney," a cold voice replied behind her. Riona spun around and looked straight into the eyes of Lucius Malfoy.
"Oh. . . hello. . ." she said timidly.
"Here's your pass, don't forget it next time," the fat woman huffed.
"Lucius. . .you were asleep, I didn't want to wake you."
"You think I wouldn't notice?" he sneered. "No matter. I have something to show you." He took her roughly by the hand and went to the Auror Headquarters. "Wait here," he grunted.
She stuck her head around the corner of the cubicle and saw Severus Snape sitting in the desk. She went lightheaded and started shaking all over. "Snap out of it. . ." she told herself. "He can't work here, this is some mistake."
"So, Severus, how is your first day?" Lucius inquired, making doubly sure that Riona heard.
She didn't hear the reply. She was too busy bolting down the hallway, past the front desk, and out of the Ministry.
* * *
Severus woke up from his thick, hazy sleep feeling even drowsier than he had before. No matter how hard he tried, though, he couldn't go back to sleep. He glanced at the clock through the corner of his eye and saw that it was already 6:00 AM on the next day. Orion! He quickly sprang out of bed and sprinted down the hall to the baby's room. Orion was sniffling in his crib and he looked very disgruntled. Severus bent over the side of the crib to pick him up, which proved to be a mistake. The pain threatened to come back, so he withdrew his other arm and tried rather dangerously to pick Orion up with his other arm. (I really don't recommend this. . . be VERY careful when handling babies ;-)
After several attempts, he finally managed to lift Orion out of the crib and flop him on the changing table. "I'm so sorry, Orion. . ." Severus apologized. Orion continued sniffling until he was changed and fed. Severus then put him back in the crib and sauntered off to his room. He haphazardly threw some clothes on and then retrieved Orion again.
He immediately Apparated to the Ministry, (he'd gotten special permission, and since he was no longer a visitor anymore, he could apparate there whenever he felt like it) and dropped Orion off at the day-care center. Then he headed straight off to the Auror Headquarters. He sat down at his new desk and admired his own flashy nametag. It read: Severus Snape, Auror- Ministry of Magic. He was looking through his drawers at different odds and ends until Cornelius Fudge came in.
" 'Ello, Severus," he greeted not so cheerfully.
"Morning," he replied.
"Now," Fudge started, "since this is your first day, I'd like to welcome you, and give you your first case." He handed Severus a rather thick stack of papers with a 'confidential' seal across the front of it. "You will be finding out more about the object that was taken from the Department of Myths last week. I trust, you've heard about it."
Severus had to think for a moment before responding, "Yes. Yes, I read about it."
"Very well." Fudge gave him a quick wink before heading towards the door. "Oh, and by the way, Severus, Remus is your supervisor. Anything you find should be reported to him."
"Blast!" Severus said, clenching his fists. It took a moment or two for him to calm down and skim through the case file. The object missing was none other than the second half of the Orb of Soul. It'd been in a vault for longer than anyone could remember, and had been stolen sometime around midnight. There weren't any suspects, so the case was somewhat of a wild goose chase anyway. He slumped back in his chair and put his hands over his eyes. This was going to be interesting.
* * *
Riona carefully crept out of bed. Lucius was still fast asleep, snoring loud enough to rattle the bedposts. She took the Orb and tucked it in her pocket before heading outside. The night air was cool, and there was a thin fog covering the ground. She slipped her Invisibility Cloak around her body and made her way off the grounds.
When she was a safe distance away, she apparated to the Ministry. She was almost past the front desk when the guard stopped her with a long cane. "Excuse me, ma'am, you have to check in."
She was about ready to give him a knee in the groin before she caught herself and shyly responded, "Oh, of course. My mistake." She rolled her eyes and strode up to the desk.
"Name?" the fat receptionist asked boringly.
"Amelia Dohockney," a cold voice replied behind her. Riona spun around and looked straight into the eyes of Lucius Malfoy.
"Oh. . . hello. . ." she said timidly.
"Here's your pass, don't forget it next time," the fat woman huffed.
"Lucius. . .you were asleep, I didn't want to wake you."
"You think I wouldn't notice?" he sneered. "No matter. I have something to show you." He took her roughly by the hand and went to the Auror Headquarters. "Wait here," he grunted.
She stuck her head around the corner of the cubicle and saw Severus Snape sitting in the desk. She went lightheaded and started shaking all over. "Snap out of it. . ." she told herself. "He can't work here, this is some mistake."
"So, Severus, how is your first day?" Lucius inquired, making doubly sure that Riona heard.
She didn't hear the reply. She was too busy bolting down the hallway, past the front desk, and out of the Ministry.
* * *