Sara Weasley

Commission

"Welcome to the Ministry," a cool voice tells her. She spins around in surprise.

"Oh. Thanks." It's Paul Finnegan, standing with his hands crossed over his chest and a smile on his face.

"How're you?" he asks calmly, as if they've planned this.

"Um. Good. I'm working in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Just a bundle of joy, those people are." She rolls her eyes, and he chuckles.

"Hey, I know some people who are absolutely horrible. Fancy meeting them?"

She raises her eyebrows. "And who gives you such authority?" she teases. "Authority to invite me somewhere?"

"Um, your uncle. Who loves my dad, and now loves me. Score!"

"Why? 'Cause you're such a damned Finnegan?" He grins.

"Maybe. Anyway, yes or no?"

"Hell yes! When?"

"I'll pick you up here on Friday. The second you get out of work, okay?" He's gone, then, and she realizes she hasn't asked him anything about himself.

It's that Friday that she meets his friends, lads and lasses that make her find how much she's missed out in life and how much Firewhisky she can consume.

It's a month later that Paul comes to her with a tiny little blonde with him, grinning and kissing her every chance he gets. And soon he stops coming to these Friday night customary gatherings.

"He's screwing chicks," his friends explain. "Does it once in a while. He's restless."

And she still doesn't know what he does for his living.

But instead of thinking of him, she does things she's not supposed to do, says things she's not supposed to say, all because she's with these people. People that make it all right. People that make it bearable.

It's almost a year later when she hears once again, "Welcome to the Ministry," from a cool, playful, recognizable voice. She turns coldly, glaring up at him.

"Oh, nice to see you again."

He looks hurt. "What gives you the authority –"

"Only the fact that you deserted us, never spoke or hung out with us anymore, and you were too busy with blondes to see your best friend! Yeah, Tara told me about that." Her voice is unbearably bitter. "What do you do here anyway?"

He steps back, on his face an unruffled mask. "I'm a – bloody hell, I'm the bloke who opens elevator doors for people. I've got no life, no money, no girlfriend…and friends who apparently hate me."

"Maybe if you'd have stuck with us –"

"I'm sorry. I don't live in the past."

He's gone.

"What gives him the authority to do that?" she murmurs to herself, refusing to feel guilty.

And then the next week he's there, the second she gets out of work. It's a Friday, and she's headed to Timon's house for some Firewhisky. She could do without this headache.

"What are you doing here?" she gasps.

He gives her a half smile. "Starting the future."

And now he's got the commission to lead her away, to Apparate them to Timon's and to kiss her afterwards (she can't help but think she isn't a blonde at all), the smile on his face impenetrable.

Because now it's time for the future.

A/N: ONE CHAPTER LEFT!! (Though it's being stubborn...) Please review. By the way, I'm not totally sure I used commission right…sorry!!

For those that are a tiny bit confused: Yeah, Sara becomes a DP writer. But first she tries her hand a law. She stays on for a while, all the time writing. And soon enough the DP is publishing her, and she's got to make the choice.

Decision: I'm planning on posting my Family Tree & summaries of the lives of the 3rd generation Weasleys at the end. The overwhelming response (two people...) to my question sent me in this direction. D

Got it?