Careening Careers
On Tuesday, Corny, the lone house-elf remaining at Greengrass Grange woke Astoria at six o'clock sharp. Her first day at the Ministry of Magic lay ahead.
She alternated her shower between hot and cold, scrubbing briskly. The soap and shampoo were a bit lumpy – she'd never been a deft hand at potions – but at least their scent was lovely. She used the best lavender the garden of the Grange had to offer.
Then she stood in her dressing room, wondering what to wear. The most precious gowns (like all other valuables at the Grange) had been sold to cover the costs of her parents' trials and the resulting fines. But she still had more than enough to choose from. She had inherited her sister's clothes.
No House colours and no black, Astoria thought. But I do want to look nice …
For whom? a nasty little voice at the back of her mind inquired. It's not as if Harry Potter can see you. And ghosts are supposed to be beyond such earthly temptations.
Simply for myself, she argued, staring at the colours and fabrics in front of her. To celebrate that I have finally a real job.
Soft grey and pale lavender, she decided. Colours that went well with her colouring. Ash blond hair and silvery eyes – she was a Greengrass, after all. She'd never be as beautiful as Daphne; she was not quite tall enough and a bit too sturdy. But she was no hag, either. And if she could keep up her act, she had at least a vestige of that wretched Greengrass elegance going for her.
"You look beautiful," her mother gushed at breakfast. "Just you wait, you'll be the personal assistant of the Minister in next to no time."
Astoria resisted a groan. "Mother. Theo – Theodore Nott – is the personal assistant of the Minister. I'm an intern in the archives."
"But you'll be working at the Ministry!"
"Indeed." An honest smile warmed her face, and she couldn't resist to brag a bit. "And for heroes of the war, no less. For Draco Malfoy's ghost and Harry Potter himself."
Though they hadn't appeared very heroic the day before, she contemplated, the blind man and the ghost down in the dark dungeons of the Ministry …
"Draco Malfoy?" her mother's voice soared shrilly. "But, but he's dead!"
Astoria winced. She ought to have broached that topic more carefully … Obviously Draco's continued existence was not common knowledge, and if the Malfoys wanted to keep it a secret, or worse, if the Malfoys were not aware of it at all …
Stop it. Stop it, she chided herself. Nobody told you not to mention Draco. They can't kick you out for that!
"Yes," Astoria said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Draco Malfoy. Apparently he returned as a ghost."
"I never knew …" Her mother breathed, shocked. "Why did Narcissa never mention that?" Shock and indignation warred in her immaculate features.
Astoria very nearly grimaced. "Maybe … they don't want people to know?" she suggested.
Her mother mulled that over. Then she sighed. "His was rather an ignominious end, wasn't it? Poor Narcissa. And poor Lucius. And if Draco chose the Ministry as a haunt over Malfoy Manor, of course that would be such an embarrassment … "
oooOooo
"Well then, Hannah, what do you want to show me?" George asked.
Hannah Abbott had applied to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to become the contractor for their new line of wizarding sweets.
She had just bought the Leaky Cauldron. And though the pub was as busy as ever (if not more so, thanks to the toilets being cleaner and the food being more wholesome and less dangerous), she needed some extra money. The conditions of the goblin-granted credit she'd taken out at Gringotts to finance the acquisition of the Leaky were quite gruesome. Additionally the pub was subject to taxation in both the wizarding and the Muggle world, and last but not least she really needed to start putting by a little money for Scorpio's schooling.
Hannah took a deep breath. The quality standards demanded by WWW were extremely high. They worked only with the best of the best. She'd spent all of her free time for many weeks on this project. At times she'd expected to find soft sweetmeats growing out of her ears and hard-boiled crunchies coming out of her arse.
"These look like magical delights –" She pointed at a plate heaped with sweetmeats. "And they taste like them, too. For example, these are rich chocolate with bits of candied hazelnut and sprinkled with coconut sugar. But I call them 'Sweet Nothings'. As soon as you swallow them, they disappear – leaving behind no sugar, no fat, no calories. Witches will love them."
"This is something Teddy Lupin helped me with." A goblet with glittering crystals. "Cartoon Crystals. All flavours possible. They turn you into a comic character, complete with speech and thought bubbles. The effect lasts an hour."
"And here's something for adults: Romance Rounders. Going out while staying home. Perfect for parents with small children and a tight wallet. Depending on the flavour, they create different illusions. An evening at the beach or in the mountains."
George picked up a chocolate 'nothing' and chewed it. His face betrayed nothing. Then he waved his wand over a green rounder. It released a cloud of mist that smelled of forest and coalesced into an image of a lovely, lonely wooden glade. Then George scooped up a handful of crystals.
A second later, a red-haired, grinning Superman turned to Hannah. The words "You're hired!" floated in a speech bubble above his head. "Apply for the patents as soon as possible. The MoM's bad enough, but the OFF and the OHMM at the EMU are a real nightmare. If you need help with the forms, ask Ron."
Hannah beamed "I will. Thank you so much!"
"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes is always on the lookout for new talents," George said solemnly as they shook hands.
oooOooo
A/N: "Sweet Nothings" are based on an idea by Fileg. "Cartoon Crystals" are derived from a suggestion by Leany. "Romance Rounders" are my own brainchild.
OFF is "the European Office for Fun and Filking"
OHMM is "the European Office for Harmonious Magical Markets"
EMU is "the European Magical Union"