November 15, 1995

"No, Clark, I'm afraid Audrey's running an errand to the records office." Percy's droll tones kept me in the file room across from the Minister's office. I kept my ear pressed against the closed door to listen to the conversation while clutching a collection of files that Percy needed to do a project for the Minister.

Nobby Clark Junior was a persistent young man, he was the same young man who thought I had been in the country for four hours one my first day and apparently became very taken with me. He displayed this by personally coming up to run errands for the Beast, Being and Spirit division at least once a week in order to chat with me for a few minutes, annoying Percy in the process who would remind Nobby Junior that he could just send a memo for all of his department requests before sending him on his way.

"Which one?"

I could practically see Percy raising an eyebrow in my mind's eye. "Why?"

"Well," Nobby's voice lowered a bit, trying to be quiet and sound a bit more manly. "I'd like to ask her out."

I felt my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline.

Nobby Clark Junior was a very nice boy, pasty looking, wore too much cologne, but nice. There were a few glaring issues with anything related to dating him. Namely, that I could not get past his name. More specifically that his mother had looked at the baby in her arms and decided he would be called Nobby Junior. Misty said it sounded like a sex joke over drinks a couple of weeks ago and she had a point

"Is that why you keep coming up here instead of sending a memo?"

"She's pretty!"

The files I was holding flew up into my face with a dull smacking sound.

Percy, if you send him in here I swear to Circe I will turn you into a pig and damn the consequences…!

"It's the one on the third floor."

"Thanks!"

I released the breath I had not realized I was holding. I was not in the mood to craft lies about my availability to Nobby Junior today.

"Clark!"

"Yeah?" Nobby's voice came from further down the hallway.

"Send the memos for your department's requests!"

"Sure!"

I listened to incoherent mumbling from Percy and Eddie's crescendo of laughter while I waited in the records office for another few minutes until I was sure Nobby Junior was on his way down the elevator before stepping out with a cautious glance down the hallway before running to the office.

The first thing that greeted me was Eddie's smug expression. "Audrey! You just missed Nobby!"

I chose not to dignify that with a response and put the files on Percy's desk, meeting his very blue eyes as he looked up from the memo he was reading.

"Thank you for handling Nobby."

"You're welcome." He moved his inkwell distractedly before folding his hands on his desk like the forty year old man he thought he was. "He doesn't need to be up here as much as he is."

"I agree." Why was I smiling so hard?

"You kids want to go to lunch?" Percy and I simultaneously turned towards Eddie, our paperwork and the weird moment between us seemingly forgotten. "My treat!"

Percy looked around at his desk, seemingly ready to protest.

"I have far too much to do for that."

There it was!

He had three papers and maybe other things I couldn't see in his in-tray. He was too efficient to have a backlog, even with the amount of work he received from the Minister (that he never shared with me) and all the meetings he sat in on to take notes.

"No, none of that, Weasley! When your boss offers to buy you lunch, you say yes."

He sputtered for a moment, taken back somewhat by Eddie's confident insistence of lunch or his proclamation at being his boss. Partially true, but Percy worked directly for the Minister ninety five percent of the time.

"What about you Aud?"

"Yes please!" I responded, it would be nice to get out of the office and spend time with my coworkers socially.

"Fine," Percy muttered, clearly knowing he was out voted.

Eddie knocked on the Minister's office door before popping his head inside upon a muffled response.

"Hey boss, I'm taking the kids out for lunch. Want me to bring anything back for you?"

Percy and I exchanged annoyed glances at Eddie's description of us being children.

I was not a child. I paid taxes!

"No, no. I'm meeting Elizabeth for lunch. Thank you Eddie."

"Enjoy your date, boss. Tell Liz we said hi!"

Eddie closed the door and waved the two of us to the office door. "Let's go!"

I turned back to my desk to grab my purse while Eddie spoke with Percy by the door. Men were lucky. They just needed a wallet and their house keys, women had other needs if only to honor girl code and a lack of decent pockets in our clothing.

Percy held the door for me as I followed Eddie to the elevator.

"The place is run by a friend of mine, Pearl Leonar, wizards only, no muggles. Just easier."

The elevator clinked shut.

"She makes fantastic food! Can cook just about anything and it always tastes like my mum used to make. Spicier though."

Eddie sounded as if he liked Pearl more than just as a friend as he continued to talk. The glowing smile on his face and reddening cheeks while he spoke of her only elevated that opinion.

The elevator stopped on every floor letting people on and dropping them off on different floors. Some were holding lunchboxes or talking about what was in the dining hall for lunch today. Percy, Eddie and I found ourselves pushed to the back as more people came on. Most left on the next stop.

I stepped forward with a sigh of relief to be off the wall for the rest of the ride down before stepping back to allow two people on.

"Really, Arthur, I have no idea what else to tell you."

I felt Percy stiffen next to me and the air grow tense and quiet in the elevator. I glanced up at Percy who looked pointedly ahead like the pair did not exist at all. Eddie pressed closer to me to make room for the new arrivals, his smile growing forced.

The tension in the elevator was something that prickled on my skin in a manner that reminded me of the Byrgen House and every bone in my body wanted to get off the elevator and take the stairs.

"What floor?" I asked, my voice chipper as I ignored the tension in the elevator. I smiled at the tea witch and the older redheaded man. He looked like an older version of Percy, his expression was just as hard.

"Level three, dear." Agatha was looking between the two men with a concerned expression as if they would have a family brawl in the confined space of the elevator.

"Yes ma'am." I pressed the buttons and moved back quickly.

Stepping out of the elevator was like taking a breath of fresh air. I tried to be the first out the door but was trapped behind Eddie who was a bit quicker on the uptake on the courtesy of awkward elevator rides. Percy calmly walked out behind me, clearly unbothered by whatever the hell that was while my spine tingled from merely being exposed to the chilly, awkward encounter. I felt my heartbeat settle as Eddie led us across the Atrium.

Was that man in the elevator Percy's father? They were near identical if only separated by age, same build, same blue eyes. Percy's hair was a couple of shades darker, while the other man's was coppery and his hairline was in a full military retreat.

By the Twelve, I was sure they wore the same glasses!

Eddie led us up onto the cold, dreary streets of London, the rush of cars and the dull roar of city life assaulted my senses. I needed to start looking at apartments, with what I was earning for working as a secretary, a small apartment in London might not be out of the question.

He led Percy and I down an alleyway a couple of blocks from the Ministry phone booth entrance and turned to the right onto a quiet back street. I could see a small wooden sign up ahead that revealed the Dancing Dove before a door manifested out of nowhere beneath the sign. The No-Maj walking by paid it and us no mind as Eddie held the door for us.

The space was unusually light for a pub, the space done in light wood instead of more masculine, dark mahogany. It felt cozy and bright, with the windows out to the street and news clippings about Quidditch pinned to a nearby corkboard and the radio playing soft jazz music somewhere behind the bar.

"Pearl!"

Eddie straightened his tie before loosening it with a lazy smile at the woman who was looking at the three of us from the bar. She was pretty, olive skinned with her dark hair in a braid down her back and a few silver piercings in her ears. I guessed she was in her late twenties, maybe early thirties tops.

"Eddie Smith! It's been a while!"

"Just a few days," he smiled and his face turned a dull pink.

Percy and I exchanged a look. Did he just bring us here as his wingmen?

The pair smiled stupidly at each other for about thirty seconds. Percy and I did our best to look anywhere else in any other direction. I found the bathroom sign of a sudden, peculiar fascination.

Pearl came out from behind the bar with a broad smile that showed her gleaming white teeth. She was a very pretty woman and I suddenly understood why Eddie had been so insistent about coming here.

"Who are your friends, Eddie?"

Pearl's voice broke Eddie from his reverie of rare silence, he came back to earth with a quick cough and a stutter. "Ah, yes! These are my coworkers, Percy and Audrey." He motioned to the two of us in turn with a motion of his hand, his eyes still on Pearl. "Kids, this is my friend, Pearl Leonar."

Friend, huh?

"Oh, I've heard about you two. All good things, I promise." She shook Percy's hand and then mine, her smile still bright and eyes sparkling with warmth and mischief.

"Eddie says you're an amazing cook," I said enthusiastically, trying to act as a good wingman. "That you actually know how to spice your food."

I could feel Percy's eyes boring into my skull from somewhere above me.

"The English can steal spices from their colonies, but that doesn't mean they learned how to use them."

I made sure Percy and Eddie were both looking at Pearl before I nodded in agreement.

"Our food is okay, it's just… Well… You have a point. I get tired of putting pepper on everything my mother makes for Sunday dinners. You use more interesting stuff that does not make me feel like my mouth is on fire."

Pearl blushed, "Really? My mother says my cooking is terrible and I'll end up a spinster for it."

Not the way Eddie looks at you.

"In any case, let me find you all a table and get you settled in."

Pearl led us away from the front door, towards the back of the pub and past the other customers who were eating an array of nice looking and delicious smelling foods. I recognized a few of them from the Ministry whom I had seen in passing getting a morning paper.

We sat at a small table in the back, the space was a bit tight but it was comfortable. I took the seat next to Eddie and across from Percy who was looking around the room with interest before focusing on another nearby clipboard of Quidditch newspaper clippings.

"So, Audrey," Eddie smiled mischievously as made himself comfortable, flipping over the menu as he seemed to already know what he wanted to order. "Out of curiosity, are you seeing anyone?"

"I see you and Percy everyday."

Percy covered his mouth to try to muffle a huff of laughter behind the menu.

"You're funny, but I meant, romantically."

"Oh, why do you ask?" I put the menu on the table deciding on the daily soup because I actually knew what it was.

"You're an American girl in a foreign country. I would feel bad if someone took advantage of you or something."

Eddie, I'm a little more astute about that than you are.

I smiled toothily and played with my bracelets, "I just hang out with my great-aunt and her groundskeeper during my off time. Why not ask Percy about his? It's probably much more interesting."

Eddie waved his hand, "It's not. Dead in the water since his break up in… When was that, Weasley?"

"August, Eddie. Thank you for reminding me."

"Wasn't on your birthday, was it?"

"How do you know my birthday?"

"Irene had everyone's on her desk calendar, which is now mine. Also, Aud, I need your birthday so we can get you the customary chocolates."

"Oh, too late. It's October fifteenth."

"Well, damn. I'll throw it in for Christmas."

"Ah, thank you!"

"So anyway, back on topic, I know a lot of people. If you're looking at all, I could help set you up. Help keep Nobby Junior away. I just need to know what you like."

I did my best not to think about it, instead focusing my attention on the bathroom sign a few feet away, praying neither of my coworkers could read minds.

"I've never put much thought into it."

Eddie nodded sagely, "Probably for the best. Dating within the Ministry is kind of a pain. Everyone knows each other and everybody's business. Have you two heard about the drama in the Department of Magical Games and Sports?"

"No, what's going on?"

"One of the managers was apparently dating his secretary."

I felt my shoulders tense.

Percy made some kind of noise from the other side of the table. "That's incredibly unprofessional and against policy."

I thought about my father and Vanessa and nodded in agreement. I would never date a coworker, it was messy and too close to the mess of my home to want to repeat. "As a secretary, I would never get involved with a boss."

"C'mon, Audrey, what if it's the real love of your life?"

"Then one of us will have to find another job no matter what. It would never get to that point anyway."

Eddie laughed while Pearl came by with three glasses of water and took our orders with a smile and a wink at Eddie who watched her go back to the bar with an expression so lovelorn it almost made me feel lonely.

Percy took the opportunity to move the subject away from office romance and towards something a bit easier to discuss.

"So, what was Ilvermorney like? I doubt it was better than Hogwarts?"

"Hm? Well… Simply, Ilvermorny is the greatest wizarding school in the world," I said with a smug smile.

"So, how much of it was inspired by Hogwarts?" Percy leaned forward with a grin, clearly ready to have some kind of debate with me about something other than filing methodology.

My face grew heated, "Well I think we did it better. Made improvements to the Hogwarts system."

"What kind of improvements?"

"Well, Isolt Sayer built it with her No-Maj husband, and her two students. There was no division among our founders."

"A muggle helped build a wizard school?"

"Yes, I believe he planned the layout as the school was built so it's cohesive and easy to navigate."

"I did some research on international wizarding schools before the Triwizard Tournament last year. I read a little bit about Ilvermorny, but since they were not participating I did not pay much attention to it."

"Allow me to fill the gaps in your education."

We spoke of Hogwarts and Ilvermorny and the differences between them. Hogwarts moving staircases and Great Hall, Ilvermorny's own Great Hall with the mythology of the school and the country that danced on the walls and our staircases to nowhere built to confuse invaders and the secret passages to safety nearby.

Percy told me about the Sorting Hat that was imbued with the knowledge of the four founders of Hogwarts to decide which house each student would go to. I retorted with the statues who would judge each incoming student when they stood on a Celtic cross while the rest of the students looked on from above, the statues would bow, glow, roar or shoot an arrow in approval and the student would decide where to go if two statues wished to claim the child.

We quickly realized we may have been spilling some kind of international schooling secrets and then changed the subject to extra curriculares and the grounds.

"You call it the Forbidden Forest? That's a bit on the nose."

"It's a forbidden forest. What would you call it?"

I shrugged, "I was just expecting something more unusual or fantastical. More weird English words."

"Aud, you barely speak English," Eddie laughed and pulled out his wand to write something in the air.

B-a-s-i-l

"What does that say?"

"Basil."

"Bah-sil."

"Bae-sil."

"See?"

"No, no I don't see. You just say it in a pretentious way."

Percy was laughing and doing a poor job of hiding it.

"Hey Weasley, over here!" A voice from a nearby table got our attention to a small group of young men who looked like they were also from the Ministry, judging by their robes and some of the department pins.

Percy excused himself to go talk to the table of young ministry workers who had waved him over. I watched the interaction for a few moments, surprised that my weird coworker was actually social. I mean, well, I never pictured him as having a social life. I kind of just imagined Percy going home to his owl to complain about work and eat leftover takeout.

I looked back at Eddie, who had gone back to watching Pearl prepare food behind the bar.

"Eddie?" I asked quietly.

"Hm?"

"What exactly was happening in the elevator?"

Eddie straightened and looked at me, his eyes wide.

"You heard about any of the Weasley family drama?" Eddie asked before taking a large bite out of a sandwich.

"Hm? What drama?" I slid my water a couple of inches away before leaning forward to keep this talk private. Eddie leaned forward with the conspiratorial grin of someone who knew a lot of things.

"I heard through the grapevine a few months ago that Percy had a roaring fight with his father over this job. Broke off all contact."

"What?"

"That man in the lift was his father, no hiding that resemblance."

No hiding that at all!

"Really? Over the job?"

Eddie looked around awkwardly. "Well, not entirely. How much do you know about Harry Potter?"

"Sole survivor of the killing curse. He's supposed to be a wizard on par with… What was the phrase? You-Know-Who?"

"Right! Well Potter is saying-" Eddie's voice lowered to a whisper, "That You-Know-Who has returned from the dead and killed that poor Diggory boy in the Triwizard Tournament a few months ago. Well, the Weasleys are known to be close to Dumbledore and the youngest boy, Rupert I think, is very close to Potter. Same year, best friends, you know how it is."

Not really.

"Percy's the smart one in that lot, he says Dumbledore is dangerous and all kinds of crazy things happen around Potter. Potter may be half mad, falling all over the place and telling lies about the return of dangerous dark wizards. He named prominent Ministry donors as You-Know-Who's Death Eaters! The gall! The boy talks to snakes, you know!"

These people- speaking parseltongue does not a dark wizard make!

"So, they fought over politics?"

He nodded vigorously in confirmation.

"Can you imagine such a thing?"

Uh… Well…!

"There is no magic that can revive the dead."

"Precisely!" Eddie took a sip of water before continuing. "Dead is dead. Ask my Aunt Tilly, though no one would have brought her back anyway."

I had thought about what I was reading in the papers as I skimmed for my brother's name on a published article. This was not my country, I was not haunted by the wars of the past the way these people seemed to be and there seemed to be a lot of merit in the idea that dead was dead, that nature and time were the two great, unstoppable forces of the world.

"Now, I do admit that Arthur is an odd duck, he works in Muggle Relations, he's so fascinated by them. He's perfectly pleasant to work with, but he's nutty as a squirrel. The man built a flying car that is reportedly still roaming the Hogwarts grounds!"

"What?"

"Yeah, Rupurt stole it with the Potter boy a few years ago, thinking they would make an entrance at Hogwarts. Weasley had an inquiry and everything. Bit of a spectacle that was."

I bit my lower lip and tried not to laugh.

Does he want to trade? Percy would either get on famously with my father or grow to dislike him as Alex and I had over the years. Frankly, I would take odd parents with questionable political taste over the nest of vipers at the Byrgen House any day.

"Don't mention any of that to Percy, he gets a little tense."

"Oh, never."

Oo0Oo0

November 19, 1995

I crept down the stairs, staying close to the wall to avoid unnecessary creaking from the stairs. I could hear Lucinda's stern tones and Elizabeth's warm responses in the sitting room on the other side of the wall. I knew this was not a… mature pastime, but Lucinda was… hard to talk with at points, being stern and intimidating.

I curled my toes on the edge of the stair and sat down so any shifting weight would be better muffled. I could see the light of the sitting room. Lucinda never had guests, if she did, she would tell me in advance and invite me to come make conversation. Normally they were people who wanted to discuss rates for photographs and parties, one man was planning an engagement for next spring and was hoping to time it with the summer blooms Tavish was organizing.

"Lucinda, don't you understand how this might be seen as heavy-handed?"

"Not at all! It's for the good of the Ainsley family."

"How so?"

I could hear Lucinda sigh and the clink of a teacup against a china saucer.

"I'm holding onto this house and property by the skin of my teeth. I'm as gold poor as a Weasley. The girl is pretty, smart, and not closely related to any of the rich old pureblood families that are still around-"

"This didn't work the first time, Lucinda." Elizabeth's voice sounded more firm than I had ever heard it before, her soft pleasant tones replaced by a steel that I had never associated with the Minister's wife. "It sent Lucina to the states and into the arms of that man who didn't know what a treasure he had."

"This is different."

"You'll besmirch Lucina's memory by trying to marry off your great niece, her daughter, to secure a position in society the same way you tried with her mother. This is no different."

"I'm not arranging a match this time. Audrey's already shown she'll do a bunk at the drop of a drop of a hat. I'm hoping to arrange introductions. That's all."

"How kind of you," Elizabeth's sarcasm stung my ears with its unfamiliarity. "That is some way to treat the daughter of a girl you raised."

I pressed myself closer to the wall to keep from sliding down the stairs. What was I hearing? I knew Grandpa Ainsley had died fairly young, that Lucina had been raised by her aunt, but not that she had tried to put Lucina in an arranged marriage that Lucinda had managed to avoid. I had just been doing as Lucinda told me throughout the weeks I was in this house to make her happy. To try and connect with this strange, prim woman. What kind of story was this?

There was a low cough from behind me. I turned, my eyes wide in nerves and found Barry the House Elf staring at me from the top of the stairs.

We stared at each other for exactly two seconds before I managed my most awkward smile and wave at the elderly House Elf.

Barry looked me up and down before turning away to go down the upstairs hallway with a tired huff.

"Frankly, Lucinda," Elizabeth's voice got my attention once more and I returned my focus to the conversation at hand. "I think you should expand your invitation list."

"How so?"

"You want Audrey to be financially secure and for you to make the connections you need to keep Thornell in your family? How about this as a solution, you put your name in the ring to host the one of the Ministry Galas next year. I'll talk to Cornelius, Merlin knows I can't make the arrangements for this year, and I'll see about getting the time of year that would best display your gardens and ready invitations to the well connected, business owners, and the young up and comers who could do with a bit of the society Thornell can offer them."

"Thornell is in no state for that, Liz!"

"It can be, Thornell is a historical home, it's uniquely isolated to host large wizarding events and has one of the most beautiful gardens in the country. I'm sure that would be enough of a reason to dip into the historic preservation fund that Cornelius is so proud of."

Lucinda was quiet for a moment as if she were looking to negatives for such an astounding offer.

"Besides, I'm tired of having to play nice with the Malfoys and their peacocks. If you want to arrange introductions for Audrey, then get your focus off the Sacred Twenty-Eight, Lucina married into money and it did her no favors. Aristocratic money through marriage is not the only connection you need to make to ensure your estate's upkeep."

"I accept. You name the date and we'll see it done."

"Thank you."

"But respectable young people only. No hooligans!"

"Define hooligan." Elizabeth's tone had grown teasing.

"Potter supporters and anyone who reminds you of the idiots you dated at Hogwarts. Lucina told me all about the Barrow boy!"

Elizabeth laughed, "Don't remind me! I haven't thought about that in years! Lucina always said that she was going to tell Auntie Lucy to have words with me about my taste in boys."

I could hear an unusual noise and it took me a moment to realize it was Lucinda laughing.

Oo0Oo0

Author's Note: Parallels and foils everywhere. We'll see how it goes over the next couple of chapters.

The next chapter is complete and is just kind of heavy, so I'm debating on raising the fic rating or holding off a bit longer so I'll think that over over the next couple of days.