Kayley entered work the next morning on a mission. She needed to check with Leta to see if the Minister would be in any meetings that day. She turned to Leta's desk and sighed. It looked like she would have to wait in line. There was a young brunette man already talking to Leta.
"Are you sure?" Kayley heard when she came into hearing range.
Leta studied some papers. "Yes, she's due to be in later today, but you never know. She was delayed last time." The young man sighed.
"Alright, thank you." He turned around and almost ran into Kayley. "Excuse me," he said.
Kayley looked up, "Oh, Excuse—" she paused, seeing him properly for the first time. "Travis? What are you doing here?" She smiled.
He smiled too. "Well, I was just asking about you." Kayley got herself together after a minute, and remembered her mission.
"Uh, Leta, could you make me an appointment with the Minister, please? Just send a memo with the time to my office."
"Ooh, your own office?" he asked teasingly.
Kayley smiled at him proudly. "Yes, my own office, would you follow me please, Mr. Kelby?"
She led him up to her office and he took the only seat across from her desk. Kayley sat behind her desk in her office chair.
"So…where have you been? I almost didn't recognize you, you look so old," Kayley teased.
"You too," he replied good-naturedly. "I've been in Europe, most of the past years," he said.
"Big bad Death Eater now?" she joked. She wouldn't have, but she already knew the answer and needed to let off some stress after the weekend.
He mock shivered, and then sighed seriously. "No, of course not. Then you would have to arrest me," he added, breaking his seriousness. "I got hit up by some recruiters. I said I wasn't interested at the moment and left the country." He was back to being serious and Kayley just nodded. "I've heard stories about people I know though," he said simply. Kayley wondered if that was a reference to her brother.
They talked about the four years they had been absent from each other's live until a little yellow memo paper swept into Kayley's office. She caught it in mid air and read it. It only said eleven thirty in neat script. She sighed, the memory of all that she had to accomplish and in an unknown and almost certainly short time came flooding back. She looked up at the clock. It read eleven fifteen. She hadn't realized that they'd been talking that long. "Travis, I have a meeting in fifteen minutes."
He stood and strolled over to his cloak that was laid across the couch in the small parlor section of the room. He wrapped it around himself and turned. "It was great to see you again," he paused, and looked unsure. "Maybe we could have dinner sometime?"
"I'd love that, but not tonight." She shook her head sadly. "Actually, probably not this week. Maybe next week?" she suggested.
He smiled. "I'll hold you to it." He turned and headed toward the door. Kayley watched her ex leave somewhat wistfully. She recalled that she had been so mad at him when he left. He had been two years ahead of her and after he graduated she hadn't heard from him until today. She'd just been mad at him because he left, but he had been a jerk not to contact her for four years.
Mrs. Kipling walked in almost immediately after Travis left. She must have been watching, she had come in while they were talking and they insisted that she stay, Travis had even said he needed to leave anyway, but Mrs. Kipling assured them that he didn't have to leave and gathered up some papers and left. Kayley realized guiltily that that had been at eight o'clock and it was now after eleven.
"Who was that?" Mrs. Kipling asked, starting to clear off her desk.
"My ex-boyfriend," Kayley said, still ashamed of making Mrs. Kipling leave, even if she had volunteered.
Mrs. Kipling nodded understandingly. "It's been awhile since you've seen him?"
"Yes, four years." She stood and started organizing her own desk and trying to think up an appropriate speech for the Minister. She left her office at five 'till it was time.
She raised her fist and knocked confidently on the Minister's door. She went in after she had been invited. He was sitting at his desk with his hands folded waiting for her. She noticed that his hair was getting thin on the top of his head before she sat down.
"What can I do for you, Miss. Daniels?" he asked.
"Well, while I was in England, I met Mr. Andrew Kirke. We were touring St. Mungo's and his wife told me that he was in there for Death Eater related injuries. Mr. Kirke was an employee from the Department of Mysteries. Mrs. Kirke was afraid that they, the Death Eaters, would be after him, wanting information. She said that she had asked Mrs. Weasley if she could relocate him and of course, Mrs. Weasley said that they did not have a relocation program and she could not relocate him. She asked if I would consider relocating him. I thought about it and I wasn't going to, but I didn't want him to die if I could stop it. So, I did, Minister, I relocated him to here and he is currently staying at my house," Kayley paused and the Minister didn't say anything. "So, I was thinking, Minister, that our contribution to the war effort could be a relocation program. I'll head it from here and the documents will be difficult for the Death Eaters to get a hold of," she stopped again, this time waiting for him to say something. "So, what do you think, Minister?" she finally got up the courage to ask.
"I…I think it's an idea," he said slowly.
Kayley smiled wryly "Yes, but what kind?"
"Well, I'm not sure it's a good idea, but I'm fairly certain that it's not a bad idea either. Are you suggesting that I start a new department and put you at the head?"
Kayley's eyes widened. "Oh no, Minister, I thought it would be a separate project."
"Do you think you can handle your suggested project and the foreign relations too?"
"Yes," Kayley said more confidently than she felt.
He sighed. "I will contact Minister Scrimgeour, and you inform Mrs. Weasley of your plan," he finally said decisively.
Kayley was asked to the Minister's office as she was getting ready to go. She locked the door to her office and started to the Minister's office cloak in hand. His door was open and Kayley went in and sat down. He was hastily scribbling out a letter.
"Miss Daniels, congratulations on your new project," the Minister said distractedly. "The British ministry said that they would go on paying him until he found another job and then make up the difference. He's to go on working for the ministry and communication will be through you; I believe that's what you had in mind?"
"Yes, exactly!" Kayley said trying to conceal her delight. "Now, Minister, perhaps I could come in tomorrow and you could fill out the paper work for Mr. Kirke to change his name? Then he could start work Wednesday," she said feeling guiltily happy about getting him out of her house so soon.
Kayley found Mr. Kirke in the study writing a letter to his wife when she got home. They had dinner and then set to the task of deciding upon an alias. Tomorrow he would be Mr. Taylor Stafford. Kayley set to studying The Complex Book of Transfiguration perhaps Mr. Stafford would have a new look too.
Kayley got the official name change papers set up and got a slightly different looking Mr. Stafford settled in at her old school. Things were going quite well, Kayley thought as she sat at her desk after introducing Mr. Stafford to Professor Jarvis and having a lengthy conversation with the latter. She had asked him to sign all of his letters with his new name and assured him that she would explain the situation to his wife.
While she was going over the days events a young barn owl landed lightly on her desk. She took the letter off of the owl's leg and immediately fell into a fit of laughter.
My Dearest Kayley,
Your suggestion of making me wait until next week makes me shudder. I urge you to reconsider and have dinner with me this Friday at Scribner's at seven o'clock. I anxiously await your reply.
Yours forever,
Travis Kelby.
Kayley took out a pen and a piece of paper, still laughing.
My Darling Travis,
I would be honored to have dinner with you on Friday night. Things have luckily calmed down a bit and I am no longer as busy as I expected to be. O as eagerly awaiting Friday night.
All my love,
Kayley Daniels.
Kayley was still giggling as she attached her envelope to the waiting owl's leg.
Kayley left work a little early Friday—well a lot early. She left right after Mrs. Kipling, which was an hour earlier than usual. She reasoned that she had a lot to do before seven o' clock and would need all of those extra two hours.
She clipped up her light brown hair carefully after her shower. She selected black slacks and a teal turtleneck sweater. She had a feeling that Travis would have liked something shorter (and of the skirt variety) but it was too cold. She stepped onto her porch, it was freezing, and she was glad she wouldn't have to be outside long. She Apparated to the alley behind Scribner's and made her way into the little restaurant. It was small, but quaint. It was dimly lit with circular tables and booths and had deep red curtains around the windows pulled back so that you could see the night.
She saw him, sitting in the back and the dimmer lit part of the restaurant. She made her way past the tables to him. The restaurant wasn't very full of people, but there was no shortage on tables.
"Miss Daniels," he said in polite greeting as he pulled out her chair for her. Kayley sat and looked over the menu while he went back to his seat. "You got my letter," he stated conversationally.
She put the menu down and smiled at him. "Yes, it was very charming."
"Yours was good, too," he said.
They ordered and caught up some more on the past. "May I walk you to your door?" he asked when they had finished eating.
Kayley looked at him hesitantly. "It's kind of cold and out of your way," Kayley said.
"It would be my pleasure to walk you to your door," he said certainly.
"Alright," Kayley said pushing her chair in. They Apparated to Kayley's gate and she had to perform a warming charm on herself because her jacket wasn't warm enough.
"It was a pleasure, Miss Daniels," Travis said, kissing her hand. Kayley laughed at his act that he had assumed since he wrote the letter.
"Well, Mr. Kelby, if you're in a hurry to be on your way, that's fine, but I was going to invite you in for hot chocolate," she paused, but not for very long. "Oh, well, maybe next time," she said opening the door.
"Now, Kayley, you know I always have time for hot chocolate," he said following her in.
They talked over hot chocolate for another hour before she walked him to the door.
"When can I see you again?" he asked.
"You haven't even left yet!" Kayley teased. "I don't know, owl me," she said seriously. "But remember, I'm not allowed to go out on a school night." She smiled.
"I'll remember that," he said seriously. Then he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, Kayley," he said before he left.
Travis and Kayley started going out every week. She checked on Andrew, now Taylor, often and Professor Jarvis often used her visits to try to talk her into learning wandless magic.
It was very cold on January twelfth, as Kayley got ready to go back to England. She thought that they were having an unusually cold winter. It didn't snow much, but when it did they got more than three inches. Kayley had several things to do before she went back. She needed to check on Taylor and make sure she had all of the paper work she needed. Kayley imagined that she wouldn't be leaving until well after noon. Then she needed to check in at the Leaky Cauldron. She had had to explain why she hadn't stayed there last time, and it wasn't fun telling the Minister that she had stayed at a Muggle motel.
It was only seven when Kayley got to the Leaky Cauldron. She made her way to the bar and Tom gave her a toothless smile. "Good evening, Miss," he greeted.
"Good evening," she returned.
He turned and took down a key. He handed it to her. "I've enchanted it to only work when you have reservations. Just keep it and you won't have to waste time getting your key."
Kayley gave him a tired smile. "Thank you, Sir," she said before heading to her room.
Sunday afternoon she took her lunch in her room and then sent her trunk to Malfoy Manor. She wrapped her cloak snuggly around her and Apparated to the Manor. She landed outside the front gate—the locked front gate. Kayley couldn't say she hadn't guessed that it would be locked (he had been expecting her Friday evening), but it was still annoying. She pulled her cloak around her a little tighter and set to work at undoing the charms to get her in.
She was relieved when she reached the massive door and it was answered by a timorous girl in a maid uniform. She nervously stepped back to let Kayley in. "Mr. Malfoy around?" Kayley asked. The girl nodded nervously and set off in the direction that Kayley knew lead to the stairs. They shortly ran into Draco.
"Fernella, where is Katrina?" Draco asked Kayley's young guide. He had asked in a questioning tone, instead of strict or annoyed, but the young girl still quivered.
"I—I lost her, Sir, I—I—I'm very sorry," she stuttered out after a pause.
"Well, go find her," Draco advised, still in a normal tone. She nodded and hurried off. Draco turned to Kayley and shook his head. "I'm sorry about that, she's new," he explained.
Kayley shrugged. "It's fine."
"I expected you Friday," he said. "I would have had the gates unlocked."
"That's alright, I'm getting quicker at undoing them," she joked. "I had to go to the Leaky Cauldron. The Minister asked me why I hadn't stayed there last time." He nodded and Kayley realized that they were in front of her room.
"I'm having another guest at dinner tonight," he said pointedly looking at her jeans.
"Oh, alright, would you like me to eat in my room then?" Kayley asked.
Draco looked taken aback "No, of course not." Then he turned awkwardly and went back the way they came.
That evening Kayley wore her cerulean robes and paid extra attention to her hair and make-up. She went to dinner at the usual time and found Draco and his guest already seated. They both stood when she came into the room. The guest was tall, young, black man. "Kayley Daniels, this is Blaise Zabini, Blaise, Kayley." Kayley and Blaise shook hands and then the three of them sat.
Kayley wondered at first what they would talk about, if they would talk about 'business' and leave her out, but both men had been brought up better than that and the three of them talked easily about politics and prices going up and other domestic topics. Neither of them said any thing about Death Eaters, besides references to the war, and Kayley realized that night as she was getting ready for bed that she had not told one lie that night. Luckily she hadn't had the need to.
At work the next day they went over details on the new relocation program. They talked about potential people to relocate, and she was bullied into agreeing to give an interview to the Daily Prophet the next day.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters or anything from Harry Potter. The only thing that I own is plot and any characters that you don't recognize.
She was shocked to find Draco at the Manor when she got there after work. He was sitting in a chair in a room that was on the way to her bedroom, reading a paper and looked as if he had been waiting on her. He tossed her the paper and she starred down at the front page in horror. "Have you seen this?" he asked calmly. There was a picture of her talking to Mrs. Weasley and a headline that read "New Relocation Program Set For Launch."
"Err… well, you see, we didn't have this set up until after I went back home and it slipped my mind yesterday," she said at length.
Draco was lounging on the couch, looking extremely lazy, but in a dangerous way, like a lion deciding whether to pounce or not. "I see. Your notes, please," he said eventually. Kayley made a face; she had not had time to change them, and knew he wouldn't let her make an excuse not to give them to him. She grudgingly pulled out her notes and copied them in front of him and then handed him one of the papers.
He was waiting for and took her notes as soon as she got back for the rest of the week.