Lucius shifted his weight uncomfortably, contemplating on making a move. When he found a short burst of bravery matching up his desperation, he strode up to Tanya.
“Tanya,” Lucius greeted.
Tanya turned to see who it was and replied, “Why am I not surprise?”
“I take that as a compliment,” Lucius replied.
“Well, you should go find someone to pair with.”
Lucius shifted his weight again, this time too obvious too ignore.
“Wait, are you here to ask me to be your partner?” Tanya asked, drowning the pride Lucius was attempting to keep afloat.
Before Lucius could reply, Tanya added, “But I already have a partner.”
The girl standing with them smiled and said, “It’s alright. I don’t mind making new friends.”
When the girl left, the sharp pinch from her words remained. But instead of defending his already hurt ego, Lucius turned to Tanya.
“You didn’t have to say that,” Lucius said.
“Say what?”
“Point out that I’m here to ask you to be my partner,” Lucius answered almost immediately.
“Why? Isn’t that so?”
Lucius narrowed his eyes, and then he said, “Sometimes, I’m not sure if you’re really that naïve or just playing me.”
Tanya shrugged in reply and began walking towards the exit. Lucius simply followed her, and continued doing so as the group broke off in their pairs and headed to the ministry headquarters.
The city was bustling that day, and it took Tanya only ten minutes to find the lifeless boutique they were instructed to find. Her sense of direction amidst the rushing muggle crowd was rather impressive.
Once in the shop, Tanya whispered the numbers ‘62442’ to the shopkeeper and they were immediately led to a fireplace in a hidden room behind an old bookshelf.
“Ladies first,” Lucius said.
Tanya took a handful of floo powder from a deep bowl, stepped into the fireplace, and said the magic words. When the flames shot up and died down, Lucius went next.
The heatless flames engulfed Lucius and a second later he arrived in the ministry headquarters. The ministry was as busy as the streets above, and Lucius began imagining what it would be like to be a minister. He could see himself climbing his way up and achieving greatness, and the thought of controlling the magical community gave him shivers of excitement. Unfortunately for him, his imagination was cut short with Tanya’s call.
“Lucius, come on! Which department are you in? We can’t be late.”
Despite the urgency in her tone, Lucius took his time. When they finally arrived at the elevators, Tanya said, “You could walk faster.”
“We’re not late,” Lucius replied with a shrug.
“We have five minutes to get to our departments. We will be late. Anyway, which department are you going?”
“Department of Magical Education,” Lucius replied.
The answer gave Tanya a strange look on her face. She seemed to be having a hard time digesting his words.
“Don’t look so surprise. What department are you in?”
“I’m hoping you have no ulterior motive for choosing that department.”
“You can’t choose where they place you,” Lucius pointed out.
Tanya chuckled and said, “I’m sure YOU were given an option. Well, I’m off to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. I don’t want to be late, so you can take the next ride. Meet you here at five!”
With that, Tanya squeezed into a crowded elevator and waved goodbye. The elevator shot backwards and then sideways, with Tanya’s startled scream bouncing down the tricky elevator tunnels. Shortly after that, Lucius found a rather empty elevator and headed to his department.
The first day as an intern was rather satisfactory for Lucius. He was the only one placed in that department so there were no other interns outdoing him. The people also knew who he was, and they praised him for his little act during the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s examination. Lucius was sort of an ideal intern in their book, and they treated him way better than he had expected. He did not have to make the coffee or copy letters, he simply sat in their meetings and discussions, taking in more information than he should.
When the clock on the wall finally ticked five, Lucius left his bare desk and met up with Tanya at the atrium.
“So, how was your first day?” Tanya asked excitedly.
“It was fine. How was yours?”
“Splendid!” Tanya continued on with how much she had learned about the dark arts, which made Lucius a little uncomfortable. He was no stranger to it, but the fact that the ministry knew so much was not comforting.
Tanya recited her whole day while they had dinner in a cafe in the ministry headquarters, and then she went into the littlest details as they made their way to their muggle apartment. Tanya only stopped her ‘daily report’ when they entered their living quarters and found it ten times larger than what it seemed from the outside. That would explain why they placed all the interns in one place.
“This is amazing!” Tanya said in awe. She was acting like a typical mudblood the whole day and Lucius was feeling a little sick from it.
Excusing himself, Lucius went to look for his room. When he finally found it, he wondered how he was going to survive for the whole month. Sharing the tiny room with a stranger put a lump in his throat.
Muttering under his breath, Lucius dragged his legs in and slumped on a bed. Just as he did, an envelope bounced off the soft comforter and landed gently on the floor. Was the letter for his roommate, or was it for him? It was addressed to no one and Lucius wondered if he should take a peek.
To Be Continued…
(Leave a comment below or vote on whether Lucius should read it or leave it!)
Jeyna Grace 