Holla to chapter 4 :)
This chapter was updated as of 7 August 2015.
4. Audrey: Faces and Names
Audrey had never seen so many people squeezed into one place.
The Ministry seemed to be bursting at the seams with witches, wizards, Squibs, elves, and many more members of the Wizarding World. It was as if the place was still a war zone, completely immune to the fact that the threat had long disappeared. The Floo Networks were perpetually glowing green. The sound of clicking heels and chatter reverberated and etched themselves into the walls.
Another sound that soon joined in was that of the bouncing vibrations of Audrey's heart plummeting to the ground as she saw the length of the queue for the main service desk.
I will not be turned away by a long wait, Audrey chided herself. She walked along the queue until she reached the end, and took her place.
The constant noise was starting to give Audrey a headache. She took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. She thought of simple silence. It was a poor attempt, and hardly worked, but Audrey mentally patted herself on the back for trying.
Giving up on tuning out the hectic environment, Audrey's eyes skimmed over the large, crowded room until finally they landed on the person in front of her. Audrey blinked in surprise to find him already staring at her. He had red curly hair and a freckled face that seemed to only be able to hold a look of kindness. It made it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
The conversation with the man in front of her blurred in Audrey's mind, but once he introduced himself, she finally was able to put a name to his face.
Of course, Audrey thought to herself, Percy Weasley. Now I remember.
That was when it dawned on Audrey that he did not recognize her. This was a change from the usual scathing looks she had been receiving, and Audrey was glad for it.
And yet, she felt no desire to talk to him, so she gave him a curt introduction of her own name and attempted to muster a stony and uninviting expression.
With that, the man lightly nodded and turned to face ahead. As much as Audrey longed to talk to someone without them constantly thinking in the back of their minds that she was a horrible person, it felt wrong to take advantage of someone's lack of knowledge just to make herself feel better. It simply lacked honour.
Besides, as much as she remembered of Percy Weasley, he was a bit of a prat. He had been a prefect and Head Boy, and in his time with those titles, he made every attempt to ensure that everyone knew he possessed them. Perhaps he wasn't someone she wished to talk to, anyways.
"My goodness! Audrey Callaghan, is that you?"
Audrey cringed. Oh, Merlin, please don't.
But of course, he did.
"It really has been a while since I've seen the friendly freckled face of a Callaghan."
Audrey sighed. There was no way she could get out of this one. She turned to see the smiling face of Daphne Greengrass. Although she was two years younger than Audrey, Daphne always walked, talked, and took every breath with an air of aristocracy and maturity. The Callaghan and Greengrass families had gotten along for some time, so Audrey had known Daphne and her younger sister Astoria since before they had started attending Hogwarts. Needless to say, they were hardly acquaintances. Of course, Audrey's "blood status" was enough to make Daphne act otherwise, especially in these times, when one would grab on to whatever tether they could find.
Daphne's rambling was as Audrey had expected of her: contrived cordiality with just a touch of gossip. Audrey tried her best to not start a shouting match with Daphne about how bigoted she was and kept her replies curt and unfriendly. However, soon enough, their conversation lost some contrived cordiality and gained some gossip.
The younger girl's airy smile had melted off her face, replaced by a look of disappointment and embarrassment. A biting reply was on her lips, but instead, she took yet another step closer to Audrey and quietly asked, "I've been hearing rumours that you sold the estate. But that's not true, is it?"
"It is," Audrey replied.
Who knew that the pureblood social circle had so quickly discovered of the sale of the Callaghan Estate? Last Audrey had checked, the Callaghans' exclusion from the Sacred Twenty-Eight was enough to make the holier-than-thou families grimace their way. The Greengrasses were of the few number of the included pureblood families that had maintained relations with the Callaghans.
Needless to say, it wasn't exactly flattering that they were all gossiping about her.
"Audrey!" she gasped. "That's one of the oldest pureblood estates in Ireland, and you sold it? To muggles?" Daphne looked just about ready to implode.
"Daphne, my parents were murdered in that house," Audrey said, seething with anger. "I want nothing to do with any of the pureblood traditions. Look what good it did me. I have nothing."
"You had an estate, and you gave it away at your own accord," Daphne bit back.
"I don't want a bleeding house, I want my family," Audrey hissed. "Is that really so hard to understand?"
"Well. We certainly have different perspectives on the matter."
With that, Daphne went on her way, her nose sticking up in the air. Audrey crossed her arms and tried to calm herself down. She could feel the redness in her face, a result of anger at Daphne's superior attitude and embarrassment that she had been forced into a discussion on that godforsaken estate.
And then there was the matter of the formerly clueless man standing in front of her. Although she did not wish to take advantage of Percy's poor memory (or observation - she wasn't sure which one), it was nice for Audrey to know that at least one person in London didn't have something against the Callaghans. Now, it was highly unlikely that that was true.
The line moved faster after that, and Audrey was thankful for it. She wanted to forget her whole encounter with Daphne.
Once she arrived at the main service desk, she asked, "Auror training enrolment?"
The attendant didn't even looked up as she answered, "Level two. See Auror Halloway."
Audrey nodded in thanks and went on her way, weaving through the mass of witches and wizards until she arrived at the elevator.
Finally, after a cramped and stomach-jerking ride, she arrived at level two of the Ministry. Audrey strode through the dimly lit and suffocatingly crowded halls until she reached the Auror Office. She skimmed the names on doors, then stopped in front of one with golden lettering spelling the name HALLOWAY.
Audrey raised her hand to knock, but the door swung open before she got the chance. A man was standing behind a large cluttered desk. He motioned at the chairs on the other side of the desk, and Audrey took that as an invitation to come in. She refused to sit, and simply handed him the envelope with her credentials and application to resume Auror training.
The man, who Audrey assumed was Auror Halloway, grabbed the envelope and slid out the main page. He raised an eyebrow.
"So, you wish to join the stream of trainees in year two?" he asked coldly, still reading the form.
"Yes," Audrey answered. "I finished year one, then it got disrupted by... well, it got disrupted."
"I see that," he said. Suddenly, he looked up and met Audrey's eyes. There was a cold and shrewd appearance to his face that made Audrey feel uneasy. "And you think you're ready for this commitment."
It sounded like a statement, not a question, but Audrey decided to answer anyways. "I'm hardworking, I'm talented, and I'm determined. What more do you expect from an Auror?"
Halloway narrowed his eyes at her. "Honour."
Audrey felt the same anger that she had felt with Daphne overcome her, although she wasn't sure why. She wasn't exactly surprised by Halloway's reaction. The Callaghans had long been a family of Aurors - ever since the establishment of the Auror Office - but after the persecution they received after the Global Wizarding War, the Irish family had changed directions.
After a shameful exclusion from the Sacred Twenty-Eight and after the Callaghan patriarch at the time had put away a good number of purebloods known to have conspired with Grindelwald, the Callaghans opted for neutrality so they could preserve what few pureblood family connections they still had. During both Wizarding Wars, all of the Aurors in the family - training or otherwise - temporarily resigned from their posts. Of course, no one could suspect them of siding with Voldemort, considering that the Callaghans would dutifully offer to confess their innocence under Veritaserum.
But that didn't stop people from talking.
Audrey stifled her anger and said, "I prefer explicit discussion, sir."
"Oh, I think I'm being very explicit," Halloway said. He slid the papers back into the envelope and dropped it clumsily on his desk. "We'll consider your application to resume Auror training."
Audrey gave a nod, then turned to exit the office, muttering under her breath, "I sure hope so."
Audrey stepped onto the streets of London and let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to be out of that crowded, imposing place.
As she turned to walk the short distance to the flat she was staying in, Audrey immediately bumped into a towering body. She nearly tumbled to the ground, but a pair of hands grasped her wrists and steadied her. As the hands let her go, Audrey looked up to see a young man standing in front of her with a smile on his face.
"Blimey, I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's been a rough day."
"No apologies necessary," the man said, still smiling. Audrey couldn't help but think that she'd at least look irked if some clumsy woman stumbled into her. "Hey, you look familiar."
"Goodness, I hope not," Audrey said quietly. She hoped it was quiet enough that he didn't hear her.
Suddenly, the man took a step closer to her and whispered, "Did you go to Hogwarts?"
Audrey sighed. "Yes," she replied tiredly. Then, she realized that this man, like Percy, also didn't recognize her. Now, she just had to cross her fingers that a former Slytherin wouldn't walk past and strike up a conversation with her. "I finished two years before... well, I finished two years ago."
The man stepped back and said, "Right. Touchy subject matter. Did you play quidditch?"
"Goodness, no," Audrey answered. "I can't stay on a broom for more than five seconds straight."
"Ah, that explains why I can't recall your name."
"Callaghan. I mean Audrey. Audrey Callaghan," Audrey stumbled. Should've left out the Callaghan part, Audrey scolded herself.
However, the young man showed no reaction. "Oliver Wood," he replied. "It's nice to still see familiar faces."
The two smiled at each other and then went their separate ways. Audrey congratulated herself on how smoothly that went. If only every conversation with past Hogwarts students could flow so easily.
Finally, Audrey reached the front steps of her building. She walked up the third floor, each wooden step squeaking under her weight, stuck her key in the door with the poor paint job, and walked in the flat to be greeted by boxes and many objects whizzing and floating around. Erin had an interesting notion of unpacking.
Suddenly, the blonde girl peeked her head from a doorway. "Did you kill anyone?" she asked emphatically.
Audrey rolled her eyes. "No." Obviously.
"Then it was a success!"
Erin also had an interesting notion of success.
"There's tea on the dining table, if you want. We'll have to do with fast food for tonight," Erin shouted from a room.
"Why's that?" Audrey asked, pouring herself a cup of tea.
There was no reply.
"Erin?"
"Oh, sod it all! I broke the stove! I'm sorry!"
Audrey sighed. "Remind me never to leave you alone again. Honestly, you're like a child."
Wooow, who saw the Audrey and Oliver interaction coming? Probably all of you because you're a bunch of smarty pants.
Stay tuned :)