Never Satisfied

-

Lily was incredibly grateful that her breakup with Edgar hadn’t ruined her friendship with Amelia. She would have been so sad to lose someone who always meant well. And Amelia did, Lily knew, even if she had trouble showing it sometimes. Or got distracted. Amelia was someone who could miss the trees for the forest, instead of the other way around. But Lily knew Amelia genuinely wanted to do good. Not everyone shared that goal, and few were as dedicated to it as Amelia.

“I’m glad you took it as a compliment, because it was meant as one.” After all, Lily was not one for backhanded compliments. She was rarely subtle. If she was going to insult someone, she would just come out and insult them. 

In response to Amelia’s look, Lily gave a look of her own that said, ‘it was as much my fault as it was yours’. Lily loved having friends  she could do that with, people she’d known so long and knew so well that communication didn’t always have to be verbal. Lily knew Amelia’s faces as well as she knew Marlene’s, or Mary’s. 

“I’m sure you usually have things up to date.” One of the many reasons Lily had always enjoyed studying with Amelia was just how on top of things she’d always been. As she continued talking, Lily linked her arm with Amelia’s and began to lead her out of the coffee shop, heading for a nearby alley where  they  could get cleaned up away from muggle eyes. “I’m glad you day is getting better, I’m sure the coffee will help. I hope I’m helping, too.” Lily wasn’t fishing for any kind of reassurances. She only said it to make sure Amelia knew that Lily cared about her and wanted her to have a good day.

-

“From anyone else I’d think it was maybe an insult, but I know you better than that,” she smiled before adding conspiratorially, “and we both know it’s probably true.” Lily was always typically blunt with her words, at least in Amelia’s experience. They were similar in the respect that they said what they meant, and they meant what they said. 

The quiet conversation that took place between them was a comfort. There were few people that Amelia could trust to read her so well, and Lily was undoubtedly one of them. Having a friend that could hear what she was saying without the words ever having to be said was a testament of how close Amelia had let her in. Without a doubt, she would get Lily back at another date. Maybe next week she’d drop her off a muffin before work. 

“Well you know me, all my ducks need to be in a row,” she teased, shrugging lightly. Amelia had always been a highly organized person, that much was known, but what she hid well from most was that she lived in her own version of organized chaos. She was a whirlwind within a perfectly cultivated machine. Amelia smiled as Lily looped their arms, and followed her out of the shop, taking a sip of her new coffee as she went. She took a moment to catalogue the feeling of the coffee warming her body as it spread through her veins. Turning into the alley, she pulled out her wand and set to work about righting both her bag and it’s contents, as well as her and Lily’s clothing. 

Grinning, she nodded, “It always does. We both know caffeine feeds my soul,” she admitted, laughing as she said it. “I’m also glad it’s getting better. I was hoping it wouldn’t get any worse,” Amelia chuckled, shaking her head. It had not started as a good day, but it could certainly get better moving forward. “You always help, truly. No matter how bad my day is going, a visit from you always makes it a little brighter,” Amelia told her frankly. When she was in a bad mood, Amelia tended to shy away from people so as to not pass it on to others, but Lily could usually help her stop it in its tracks. “So, aside from work, how have you been?” she asked.

- 

“Oh, I don’t believe in lost causes,” said Edgar, shaking his head and smiling fondly off into the night air – not because he was lying, but because it was so deeply the truth that he knew he deserved to be made fun of for it, just a little. “There’s always a way to reason with people who are on the wrong path, even if it takes more time, new tactics and a hell of a lot of persistence.” It was a miracle that Edgar still believed that, after the year he’d had. Would be believe it in another year from now? In two? In ten? He hoped so. 

Edgar tipped his head back and laughed at the collage suggestion. “That might actually make for a good Christmas gift for mum and dad,” he said. “They could keep it in their study. Or, knowing mum, right above her desk at the Ministry, so that anyone who books a meeting with her is forced to look at it the whole time.” 

Every word of his sentence was packed with fondness; he’d expect no less from his mother, firecracker that she was, and even hoped she’d do something like that, just so he could defend it with pride. 

“They’ve printed less about me but, of course, that’s because I’m a big, strong man and more important in every conceivable way because of it.” If his last sentence was overstuffed with genuineness, this one was the complete opposite; so sarcastic he could hardly convince the words to form. 

It seemed that the only thing to do about the articles was to joke about them. That wasn’t always the case. He could remember getting the Prophet over breakfast during his school days and his blood boiling over when he read another snarky comment about his father – literally his hero – or his family name. But ever since that letter he got that threatened his family’s safety, Edgar had been infinitely more anxious about the things people wrote in private than the things they wrote in public. 

Apparation was a quick and efficient affair when Amelia was in charge. Control freak he was, it wasn’t often he was willing to let others take the lead. But Amelia had his trust and that ranked above all else in Edgar’s eyes. 

“I still remember,” he said, as they disappeared from one alley and touched down seconds later in another – darker but louder, closer to busier London areas than the suburban isolation of the Bones family home. “How stressed you were before your Apparation exam, back in fifth. I don’t think you slept for weeks, remember that? And now you’re such a professional that they should move the Department of Transportation under your oversight.” 

It was such a nice moment but Edgar couldn’t keep himself from ruining the peace by looking around and adding, “What are the crime rates like, in this neighborhood? You work so late; you walk home alone from here every night?” 

-

“And that is one of the many things I love about you brother. I wish I could have that much faith,” she replied, only a hint of amusement. Amelia was being honest though, she did wish more than once that she could be a bit more optimistic about things, or believe in humans just a little more than she did, but the middle Bones was a realist at heart. Not a pessimist, not an optimist, just rooted in fact. “I think that’s true for most people, but not all. Some people are willing to learn and change, others will always be stuck in their ignorance. You can lead a horse to water but can’t make them drink and all that,” she shrugged. 

“I genuinely think they’d appreciate it,” she laughed. “Mum would absolutely put it in her office, golden frame and everything,” Amelia grinned. Their mother was brilliant in every way with a dash of pettiness and a hint of sarcasm. Despite coming off as being more like her father, she was her mother’s daughter through and through. “Dad could keep it as a warning,” she teased.

When it came to her parents, they had always had a healthy sense of humor. Amelia had always felt blessed to grow up in a home run by two educated progressives that cultivated an environment of love, healthy competition, and never ending teasing. 

Rolling her eyes, she laughed at his joke and nudged him playfully. “Obviously you’re just that good, Ed. What could they even say?” she added, amusement clear in her tone. “Maybe that should be our new family competition; who can get the most outrageous Prophet headline?” she joked. 

While Amelia has always been focused on becoming a successful name in the Ministry, she never took the words of others too seriously. She accepted criticism from her superiors, because she knew it would allow her to grow. However, the opinions of writers and being the subject of lowly Ministry gossip, never phased her. Truthfully, Amelia didn’t care enough about others opinions to let it rattle her. Like her mother, she let the comments roll off her back and did the one thing that would make them even angrier; continued to succeed. 

When Edgar had first passed his apparition test, she had been one of the first to go along for the ride with him. Amelia hadn’t been all that keen on apparition as a whole, but she trusted her brother to make sure she made it through safely. Now that she’d been doing it for a little over a year, she was more than comfortable apparating both herself and someone alongside her. 

“I don’t ever sleep before an exam,” she laughed, but she nodded nonetheless. “I was worried I’d splinter myself, or someone else once I brought another person along. It’s one of those things you have to be certain of to do it properly, and for someone that’s already a perfectionist, it just added that much pressure,” Amelia answered with a laugh. Shaking her head, she chuckled as she added, “Well, I’m nothing if not efficient.”

Manchester was a city that felt both big and small at the same time. It was a comfort to her, and she loved that she was able to live in the city that felt like home. Commutes weren’t much of an issue when she could apparate to London in a cinch or have a floo network put into her apartment. As they walked from the darker alley towards her apartment building in the Northern Quarter, she looked at him with a head tilt and answered, “Relatively low considering it’s a fairly busy city. This neighborhood in particular is about as safe as a city can get. I usually floo to and from work, but if I’m somewhere else this is typically where I’d walk from, sure. My building is right across the street though.” Amelia gave him an inquisitive look as she asked, “Why are you suddenly worried about where I live? You know I can protect myself.”

-

“It’s all fixable,” Vince echoed with a grin on his face, still warmly curious about the girl; and quite glad that she seemed to calm down quickly. If it had been a worse day and he was on the more-receiving end of the collision, he wasn’t sure he could be quite so charming as quickly. “They really are, aren’t they? If I had to make coffee for myself every single day I think I’d lose my mind. It’s never as good as when they do it, some kind of - magic touch or something, isn’t it. I wouldn’t have the patience for uncaffeinated masses every morning, and I have quite a lot of patience for grumpy people.”

Vince smiled and shrugged off her mirrored apologies, her insistence that he didn’t have to apologize in turn; all was good, and this young woman was definitely one of his own. 

“Knew it!” Vince snapped his fingers for emphasis, proud of himself for another mostly-recognized face. She had to be a recent grad; she looked young enough, and it was just about that time that newly-freed Hogwarts alums started popping up around the Ministry and London in general. “I’ve got an eye for faces. Names I’m a bit more challenged on - oh, thank you, thank you,” he was interrupted by the kindly barista handing him his coffee, and it only took him one distracted moment to dump the amount of sugar he deemed acceptable into it before he was back in Amelia’s orbit. “Oh, yes, lets walk. Don’t want this coffee staining my shoes…”

Amelia didn’t know Vince yet, but she was getting the full spectrum of how he behaved in a good mood; babbling, smiling, quick with a joke and attentive. The parts of him that made him a good journalist, combined with the less nice parts; his stubbornness, his penchant for being slightly annoying when he needed to be. Combative, too, but his new friend hopefully wouldn’t ever have to see that.

Vince held open the door for the younger woman and stepped outside with her, taking a grateful sip of his sweetened coffee as they began to walk.

“Going great, darling, absolutely wonderful. On my way to the Ministry to ruffle some feathers - oh, Christ. Forgot.” He stopped - they were near a quiet couple of yet-unopened for the day restaurants, a perfect place to perform a few subtle cleansing charms. “I’m Vince Sinclair, by the way. My manners are scattered before coffee. You were in Hufflepuff, weren’t you? That’s… the extent of my memory. And that one’s more of a guess, since I know you weren’t in Ravenclaw.”

-

Nodding, she took a deep breath as she replied, “Exactly.” It was no use getting worked up any further over something that could be reversed with a spell. Amelia knew that she was in control of how bad her day could potentially get, and that was enough to make her at least try to make things better. It also wasn’t Vince’s fault anymore than it was her own, so taking her frustrations out on him would not only be unfair, but rude. “Oh absolutely. It’s always better when someone else makes it. They put up with a lot more than I could ever have the patience to deal with. It’s bad enough dealing with things as an assistant, I cannot imagine being a barista,” she admitted. Bell was always great to her, but she had been dismissed more than a few times by other Ministry officials. 

At the very least, he was a friendly face to have around London.

Grinning, she replied, “Good memory.” Hogwarts school was big, but it wasn’t huge. With how much Amelia was involved in, she knew just about everyone in some way, shape, or form, at least in passing. Besides, as good as some wizards are at blending in, she could usually pick out one of her own in a crowd. Amelia had a knack for reading people, for getting a sense of them, and she was usually right. “It’s a good skill to have. Names can be important, but it’s better to recognize a face than nothing at all,” she added. Amelia took the offered coffee with a bright smile, “Thank you so much,” she offered, taking a sip of her long awaited drink. As the coffee spread through her, she sighed in contentment. Giving a genuine smile, she nodded, “Great. I have just the trick to get rid of it,” she offered. 

So far, Amelia quite enjoyed the other wizard’s company. Amelia’s entire career relied on making the right friends, and while she knew Vince wasn’t a part of the ministry - was more often than not a hindrance to them - but he was good company and a potentially good resource. Amelia didn’t put a lot of stock in the prophet most days, but she could tell Vince had integrity. There was something about him that spoke of honesty and genuine care as opposed to looking for the next bout of gossip. 

Stepping out into the streets of London, she took another grateful sip of her coffee as she fell in stride with her potential friend. 

Smiling, she answered, “Glad to hear it. I’m sure the ministry officials can’t wait to see you,” she teased. Amelia knew for certain that the ministry officials hated having their feathers ruffled, but she thought it was funny on at least some level. It was always interesting to see the ministry deal with the press. Stopping, she followed suit and went about righting herself, her bag, and it’s contents. “I thought so, but it’s nice to officially meet you, Vince Sinclair,” she offered, extending her hand, “I’m Amelia Bones. I work for Ambassador Bell.” Nodding, she smiled, “I was, yes. Hufflepuff and a couple years below you. My brother, Edgar, was also in Hufflepuff. I think he was a bit closer to your year,” she added.

- 

“I don’t have to ask, but it’s polite,” said Sebastian, only smiling more as Amelia closed her eyes and seemed to marinate in the difficulty of her morning. Although he was good at playing naive – hell, was naive in many real, tangible ways, especially given he didn’t have the cunning backbone to play much of anything other than dumb, when he wanted to throw up a shield against knowledge or responsibility — he was not so naive as to think he could coax a real smile out of Amelia Bones before she got her coffee. But he could try, couldn’t he? 

The smirk she gave him was almost a win. Almost. 

“I’ll ask her, but only because you think I have pretty eyes,” he pointed out, batting them at her for a few beats before taking a very real step toward the counter. Chancing a few backwards steps — as if his coordination had not already betrayed him today — Sebastian pointed at Amelia and added: “Also because I think she’ll believe me when I tell her you frighten me, and all women love a male damsel in distress, don’t they?” 

Sebastian winked when he said it, but he wasn’t even pretending to be smooth – he was just thinking about what the male version of a damsel was supposed to be, in the few seconds it took him to make pleasant, abashed eye contact with the barista between her line of customers. He left Amelia standing where he’d left her and checked over his shoulder only once to make sure she was still waiting, watching. He’d be put out if she left but only because he never got the chance to right the ship and butter her up with a new coffee. 

If she did pull some fiendish Irish exit, he’d never hold it against her…only keep her coffee, if it was replaced, and give it to the prettiest secretary he passed on the way into Ogden’s office. 

“Thank you so much,” Sebastian was cooing soon after, making a big show of touching a hand to his heart before the barista handed him a paid of new coffees, steaming hot from a fresh pot and — beautifully —free of charge. He smiled at her, all white teeth and the wide eyes Amelia had called pretty, until she had to focus on her next customer. Only then did he turn back to Amelia. Trying…not not trying too hard, as with most things…not to look smug. 

“Here you go,” he said, strolling up and handing one to her at random. 

Only after passing it over, did he realizing that the cup had marker-writing on the side, a name scrawled and what looked like the digits of a baffling – but recognizable, mostly thanks to being friends with Vince – phone number. 

“Sorry,” Sebastian stage-whispered and — as he reached to swap the cups — this time, his grimace was smug and theatrical on purpose. “I think that one’s mine.” 

-

Rolling her eyes, she fought the amused smile that threatened to break across her lips. Giving Sebastian, or anyone else for that matter, the satisfaction of seeing her smile before coffee was not on her to do list today - she had a reputation to keep after all. Still, despite her poor luck, Sebastian wasn’t making her day any worse. With any luck, she’d get her coffee and her luck would start to turn around. “You always were one for niceties,” she teased. 

Amelia’s eyes rolled back so far they could have gotten stuck there.

“Of course that’s what you fixated on,” she teased. Sebastian would likely be able to charm her better than she could, and pre caffeinated Amelia had no desire to put on the charming act it would require. However, she could always count on Sebastian to do just that, and she hoped he wouldn’t disappoint her now. At his added comment, Amelia lost the battle of wills and let out a startled laugh, “You’re a damsel in distress alright.” 

Seeing his wink she held back yet another eyeroll, wondering just how many she could fit in throughout the duration of their conversation. Still, she couldn’t help but shoot a cheeky smile as he looked back at her, as if to say, this was my idea of course I’m still here. It wasn’t even that Amelia didn’t like Sebastian, because she did. It was something she loathed to admit, but it was true nonetheless. Sure, he was a massive thorn in her side, but she still liked him. 

Watching as he ended up with two coffees, Amelia had made the right decision without a doubt in her mind. As it turned out, having a pretty boy around had its uses. 

Hearing as he continued to thickly lay on the charm, she couldn’t stop the eye roll from happening this go around. If it worked though, who was she to judge. Sebastian was now the proud owner of two new free coffee’s and that was truly a win in her book. Maybe he was worth keeping around after all. Even as she thought it, she knew she wouldn’t actually try to get rid of him anyways. He was a good person after all and Amelia knew first hand that good people were hard to find these days. 

“Alright Pretty Boy, you win this round,” she answered, smiling as she took the offered coffee. 

Just as she was about to take a sip he put his hand on her coffee and she momentarily debated on if she could get away with hexing him in the muggle shop. However at his words, she realized that she probably didn’t want to drink it anyways if it wasn’t his. Looking at the phone number, she gave a groan and handed it back to him. “For fuck sake,” she sighed, before letting out a laugh. “For all you know, she might have a thing for the woman that’s good at scaring men,” she teased, but handed it to him nonetheless.

Bellatrix put far more effort than the average person into being seen. It had nothing to do with social standing, which was what so many people meant when they said the same. No, her careful considerations had everything to do with alibis and being out at the right times. She had to power through so many mornings after all night assignments, just as she had to be seen at parties.

Maybe it was paranoid when no one had raised any suspicions about if she had any ties to the Death Eaters other than the cursory pureblood support—of course, she believed in the Cause, but the way they were going about it was all wrong. She believed that ensuring every one of these details were in place helped keep that gaze away from her. 

That was to say, she was in no mood to be in this coffee shop, and even less of one to be knocked into.

“Can you watch where you’re going?” she snapped. In truth, she was almost entirely unscathed. A little coffee on her was nothing compared to the damage done to Amelia’s bag, but she would not be accepting fault for this. “I swear, no one so much as thinks anymore.”

-

The harshness of the other’s voice made Amelia’s hackles rise. Despite having a less than stellar day, she was at least trying to be polite. However, seeing who she was dealing with, she was hardly surprised by the response. Bellatrix had already made a name for herself, though she didn’t know if all the rumors surrounding her were true or not. In truth, it didn’t really matter either way. She was not someone to be messed with.

However, neither was Amelia, and she had never been good at knowing when to back down. Add to that the caffeine withdrawal kicking in full force, and it was the perfect storm. “You weren’t paying attention either,” she sniped, frustration laced in her tone. Amelia was never one to shy away from responsibility, but wasn’t going to take the full brunt of it if it wasn’t hers to claim. “If you weren’t so busy walking with your nose in the air you might have seen someone coming around the corner,” Amelia snapped. 

In truth, it was an accident and Amelia had been fully prepared to apologize, up until she was met with such a bitter attitude.

Caffeine withdrawal made Amelia more argumentative than she already could be, and her words became abrasive as she continued, “Ah yes, because everyone else is dumb in comparison to the great Bellatrix Black” she mocked, “It’s too early for you to be on this high of a horse.”

“Starve, probably,” Davey teased. Sure, she did fine nights when he wasn’t there, which was most, but this was something he’d always been able to offer. He knew it could be overbearing, and when he and Dorcas finally moved out, he could channel it into feeding them instead of accidentally duplicating whole meals because he couldn’t coordinate with his family. For now, this would absolutely do, and he liked it. It kept him busy—busier.

“Keep giving me compliments like that, and you’re never gonna get me to stop. You’ll be up to your ears in ‘em before you know it.” He wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t a gross exaggeration. “Honestly, bet you get a thank you note for taking the pies and me for a night. I dunno why this is so much harder than summer breaks, but for whatever reason, we’re all over each other.”

Hadn’t it been like that with Galvin, though? They had deeper problems with Davey very deliberately stepping on toes and pushing every last one of his buttons, but he was gone and Davey was trying to get out. He was going for exactly what he wanted, with a characteristic confidence that he’d get there. It wasn’t solving it, though.

“Year two is the real test,” Davey agreed. “I mean, last year could’ve been a fluke. Or beginner’s luck. This year shows if we actually know our stuff or only have one more summer left.” The thing was, he was so certain they’d be fine. He knew it last year, too, back when he felt like he was being dragged along for those first few weeks until he realized that he did have a leg to stand on. 

“What’ve you got?” he asked. “I thought big Ministry job would come with Ministry hours. Well, I know you better than that, but at least something a bit more reasonable than the every-waking-moment-and-many-sleeping-ones working approach in school.”

-

A snort escaped her as she nodded, “You’re probably right,” she teased, though she wasn’t kidding. If it wasn’t for Davey, she would probably live off of take out and freezer food. It wasn’t that she couldn’t cook, she just didn’t make time for it. Out of all her priorities, that one was last on the list. Davey ensured that she had at least two good meals a week with his leftovers and for that she was grateful. 

Amelia grinned as she shrugged, “There are worse things I could be up to my ears in. Besides, it balances out all the mean things I say to you,” she replied, cheekily. In truth, Davey was probably one of the people she ragged on the least, but given her sarcastic nature she knew there were times she gave a good witty insult once in a while, though she could always count on Davey to give it back. Shaking her head, she mused, “I would certainly laugh if I did, though I can understand that frustration. Maybe it’s worse this time because you know it’s hopefully the last time, you know? It’s a transitional phase.” 

Thankfully, Amelia had only been home a week before she signed on her apartment. It wasn’t that she didn’t love spending time with her parents, because she very much did, but she didn’t want to live with them. Her parents always meant well, but she knew they would have caught onto her changed behavior almost immediately. Living with them would have gotten her found out and Amelia had been so careful to avoid being found out. 

“That’s true,” she agreed, because there was no point denying that, “but I believe you guys are going to make it. You guys put in the work, did the research, and are going to pull it off. If anyone can, it’s the two of you,” Amelia finished. She was never one for niceties, and she certainly didn’t give a compliment just for the sake of it. If Amelia said she believed in them, it was because she did. 

“Research,” Amelia mused, “My specialty.” Without a doubt, Amelia has always been skillful at research. It was part of what made her such a good fit for this particular job. “You’d think that, but there’s a lot to be done in a short time span. We’ve got a meeting in a couple days regarding the laws surrounding magical creatures on an international level. Bell doesn’t think we’re going to change anything right away, but it’ll at least get the conversation started, and the more research we have backing our position the better,” she admitted. Amelia shrugged, “It’s not usually this busy, but this is an important meeting and you know me, I want to make sure we’re prepared and that they can’t blind side us.”

-

“I’d certainly hope so,” Antonin quipped in response, still smiling, still charming, watching Amelia Bones with curious eyes. The eyes in question - large, green, perhaps a little off-putting at times - were well versed in taking quick glances and committing to memory as many observations as he could manage in a short period of time. Amelia didn’t look nervous, but she didn’t look comfortable. Which was good, honestly. Someone so new shouldn’t feel too at ease, not in their high-strung department. “I do hear that I’m a delight to work with, after all.”

Antonin stepped back around his desk, gesturing with a hand for Amelia to take the seat opposite him on the other side. Adjusting his cloak once more - one had to look just as good seated as they did standing up - he took a seat, pushing his papers carefully to the side so he could properly see the young woman across from him.

As always, a small portion of his mind was dedicated to what can I get out of her, what use is she to me?

The Bones family was well enough respected, Ministry folks through and through. It’d never hurt to have one on his side as he continued climbing the metaphorical ladder - especially since he knew he wouldn’t have her elder brother there. Though, who knew. They were all adults now, weren’t they? Antonin smiled to himself, amused at the very thought.

“Only good things,” Antonin confirmed with a sage nod of his head. “But I’ve known you were clever and a bloody hard worker just from our overlap at Hogwarts, so it was nothing surprising.” He blinked at her across the desk, head tilting just lightly to the side in consideration. “Bell is brilliant, I’m still learning a few things here or there from her. Keep close to her and you’ll be zooming upwards in no time. Working in a diplomatic office is certainly interesting, I’ll be excited to hear how you deal with your first proper crisis. Some foreign Minister of Magic arriving for a meeting with the Minister and finding yourself down a translator or three - that sort of thing.”

It was all said genially, conversationally; it was clear that Antonin really did love working in the department. His quick rise to a higher position only had a bit to do with that.

“I’m curious, and do tell me to shove off if this is too personal - was this your first choice department to work for?”

-

Without a doubt, Antonin was charming. She supposed that he probably had to be; charm got people farther than anything - just look at Sebastian. Usually, an over abundance of charm irritated the younger girl, but within the Ministry and dealing with their officials, she understood the need for it. She laughed with amusement as she commented, “I’m not at all surprised.” Her words sounded like a genuine compliment, but Amelia was sure that people told Antonin how great he was to work with for more reasons than just the truth - with power always came people following behind with praise. 

At the offered seat, she took one last glance around her surroundings before sitting down across from him. The chair was unsurprisingly relatively comfortable, and clearly of high quality. Truthfully, she expected nothing less from Antonin. He was nothing if not extravagant in everything he did and with everything he owned. 

Amelia could feel without a doubt that she was being sized up, and she sat stoically as he looked her over. At this point, caffeine was the only thing that could make her fidget, and even that she had tightly under control today. 

While the Bones family had never been as respected as the sacred twenty eight members, they were relatively high up in the proverbial status ladder. However, she knew her family’s opinions were not all that popular within the pureblood community. Among some ministry officials they were regarded as progressives while others found them to be a disgrace. Amelia was used to the controversy they somethings caused though, and she full heartedly believed in why they were causing it. 

Despite herself, she grinned. It was hard not to when she was hearing that all of her hard work was finally paying off. “That’s a relief. You never know how it’s going to go being the newest member of a department,” she admitted. At his compliment, she smiled warmly as she replied, “Thank you, I’m glad I made a good impression.” Amelia worked hard in school and even harder after it to cultivate a reputation worth having. Nodding, she added, “Bell is incredible and honestly working for her has been amazing. I’m learning a ton under her, and I’m looking forward to continuing to do so.” As far as an assistant position goes, she got unbelievably lucky. Smiling, she gave a hum, “I imagine it’ll be interesting to say the least. It’ll be a real test of my ability to work under pressure,” Amelia mused. 

Grinning, she shook her head, “No it’s fine. I was originally looking to take up a position in the magical control and regulations department, which is where I did my internships, but the only available post wasn’t going to leave me with much experience. My old boss pointed me towards Bell when her assistant position opened and that’s what brought me here,” she explained, before continuing, “If I’m honest, I think it worked out for the best. I really enjoy working with Bell and this department is a bit more interesting than what I did during my internships was.”

- 

“That would be perfect, actually!” said Edgar, a little too eager at the prospect of swinging by Amelia’s on the way back to his own flat – and not hiding well enough that he was relieved to be able to walk her home, to know that she made it through that final door safely for the evening. Then again, he’d never hidden it well enough; there was no real effort on his part to conceal the intention. He flung the dishtowel over his shoulder to rest after her teasing, and fixed his little sister with a very ‘big brother’ roll of his eyes. “I never turn down a good cry,” he insisted, nose in the air. “It’s cathartic.” 

Stepping into the nighttime air, Edgar let himself relax a little. He was still on guard, as he always was outside of the home – especially with Amelia by his side; the wand in his pocket felt heavy, present – but the couple glasses of wine he’d had with the hot dinner and warm conversation meant that his cheeks had long since gone red, and the comparatively cooler June evening was doing wonders to reduce the flush. 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s an old debate,” Edgar pointed out, smiling as they began their walk. He nudged Amelia’s shoulder with his own. “I know better than to wade into a conversation about an old topic if there’s a chance you might have new facts or figures up your sleeve. I like to keep current! Besides,” his voice grew lower at that, a little more serious. “Just because it’s not a debate between our family, doesn’t mean the conversation isn’t happening out there. I want to be prepared if it comes up in the wild; I’m not going to change anyone’s mind if I’m using ‘because I said so’ and a Prophet article from five years ago as my main sources.” 

Edgar snorted, derisive and unpolished. “Oh, we have a main news source, now? When did they replace the Prophet with something that actually delivers news?” He’d never gotten over catching a gossipy headline about an ‘outdated blouse’ his mother once wore to a major governmental meeting, and even if he respected Vince Sinclair as a fellow Order of the Phoenix member and as a person, it was hard to take the propaganda machine seriously. “  

-

Shaking her head, she almost laughed outright at how obvious he was. Edgar had always been a protective brother, and she didn’t fault him for it. Despite being the middle child, she at times get that same protective surge, especially over San, even if it wasn’t so constant as Ed’s was. Besides, she was privy to the fact that the work itself was getting darker and she couldn’t really blame him for wanting to make sure she got home okay. Anyway, she’s always liked spending time with her brother, no matter how often they got into spats. 

Laughing, she shook her head, “Alright, it’s settled then. We’ll go round to mine and have a good cry,” she teased. She had the perfect bottle in mind for them to split. It would be nice to hear her brothers take on the article anyways. Amelia loves chatting with her Da, but Edgar always had something new to add to the conversation. As they headed down the street, she let out a breath as the light wind caught her cheeks. It was a nice contrast to the warmth in her from the alcohol and the house. 

“That’s true. Our house is unfortunately the exception and not the rule. It shouldn’t be a debate, but then again neither should a lot of other things,” she murmured, clearly annoyed. Amelia didn’t understand how people could be so hateful and elitist, but then she was raised differently. Laughing, she nodded, “I suppose that’s true. I told you so and an old article isn't going to do much good in convincing anyone of anything. Though, anyone who believes that the prophet is a viable source might already be a lost cause,” she teased. 

Grinning, she couldn’t help but laugh at his comment, “I won’t even argue with that. The fact that people consider the prophet a credible news source is ridiculous. As if the entire paper isn’t just one bit of propaganda after the next,” she gripped. How they had gotten to this point was beyond her, but it’s where they were. “We should have a collage made of all the useless headlines people have written about our family over the years,” she snarked. Her personal favorite was the one that suggested that their Dad allowed his wife and daughter ‘too much of a voice’. Even then, Amelia knew it was because that particular writer had a grudge against their Dad. 

As they rounded into an alley that had some cover, she held out her arm to her brother “We can apparate from here,” she offered. 

ministry ministrations // gretchen & amelia

When the Ministry’s network of assistants – whether they be of receptionist, personal or over-eager internship stock – were in need of some assistance of their own, they always seemed to end up on the third floor break room, where the coffee was notoriously stronger than that of any other Department, and the tea bags rarely broke apart during steeping. It was the next best thing to being able to nip out for a better cuppa from a café in the real world and, rather than exposing this secret to their bosses or regular baristas, it had become a place of refuge. 

“Two questions!” Gretchen said, bolding pointing at the only other girl in the room – an impressively sharp brunette, with quick hands at the coffee machine and a passingly-familiar look that Gretchen both wanted to and could not for the life of her place. Something more subtle – like good morning – might have worked instead, but Gretchen had never been known for being subtle and, besides, she’d already finished her coffee and could feel the energy seeping steadily into her bloodstream. 

“First, how do I not already know you – are you new here or have my observation skills been slipping faster than Minister Minchum pulled an Irish-exit at that Department of Transportation benefit last week? And second,” she pointed dramatically at the young woman’s briefcase, laid at rest on a clean stretch of counter and obviously as well-made as it’d been well-loved. “Is that real leather? It’s gorgeous.” 

@brilliantbones​

-

One of the first things Amelia learned on the job was that the third floor break room was the best. It had the strongest coffee, durable tea bags, and sometimes there were even pastries. Learning that certain break rooms were better than others had been a god sent. Which was why she stepped into the room on her way back from the archives. 

Hearing a voice directed at her, Amelia looked up from the coffee and pot and nodded with a smile, “Okay, shoot.” The other woman looked vaguely familiar but she didn’t know her. By the looks of her though, this was the type of woman Amelia would want to get to know. She looked put together, confident, and like she was in charge of something important. Amelia felt like they might get along swimmingly. 

An almost ungrateful snort escaped her as she laughed at the comment. “You’ll be happy to know your observation skills are not in fact slipping as the minister’s are. I just happen to be new. I’m Ambassador Bell's new assistant, Amelia Bones,” she offered, extending her hand to shake. A beaming smile formed at her next question and she answered brightly, “Oh, why thank you. It is real leather; it was a gift from my dad after graduation. His exact words were ‘a young professional woman needs a case that shows they mean business’,” she grinned. “I’m pretty sure he got it at Merlin & Co though,” Amelia admitted.

cast in shade // sirius & amelia

Mundungus Fletcher’s flat was both ridiculously seedy and ridiculously easy to locate – which made sense for the side-business Sirius knew all too well that he ran, but perhaps wasn’t ideal for someone counted among the members of a secret vigilante society. The thought only occurred to Sirius as he arrived that afternoon because of his reasons for visiting Old Dung; he was here strictly on Order business, which made it only marginally easier to swallow his gnawing disappointment about all the things he wasn’t going to pick up from Mundungus, instead. 

Remus and Sirius had plenty of weed stashed away at home for the smoking, and bottles of liquor were steadily making themselves at home on the living room bar cart. It was the so-called harder stuff on his mind today – the stuff that had made things so much easier for Sirius for a while, before nearly ruining fucking everything; the stuff that he would forever link to Mundungus in his mind, the benefactor that had held his hand and tugged him fondly down the rabbit hole. 

The craving still burned somewhere inside his chest, and probably always would…but with the Order now in his life, avoiding Dung throughout that ‘always’ was not an option, so Sirius stomached it the best he could and knocked on the door with a brave face. 

The meeting didn’t take terribly long. Mundungus seemed even more motivated to hand off the Order paperwork than he ever had to take Sirius’s money. Didn’t want it in the flat, he’d whispered in some urgent tone, and Sirius had to fight the urge to inform Mundungus that ‘finding a more obscure place to life’ and ‘not being a nighttime vigilante’ were both perfectly valid options, if he was feeling paranoid. Not as hard as he had to fight the urge to ask for an eight-ball of cocaine, but he fought it valiantly all the same. 

Finishing up and stepping into the corridor, Sirius was expecting the same, empty stretch of drag doors and dim lightbulbs he’d passed on the way in. He wasn’t expecting to run into someone waiting out in the corridor; he certainly wasn’t expecting it to be someone he knew, on top of someone he knew wasn’t in the Order. 

“Er, hello, Bones!” Sirius said brightly. If he meant to hide his surprise, he failed. A half-smile played across his face, playfully accusatory and nakedly curious all at once. “Are you…you’re not here to see Mundungus, are you? I had to idea the two of you were mates.” 

@brilliantbones​

For all intents and purposes, Amelia tried her best to not meet Mundungus at his actual flat. The last thing she wanted was to be associated with Fletcher. It’s not that he’s a bad guy, not exactly, but everyone knew that Dung had whatever people or needed and usually it was less savory products. Still, she had gone years with no one knowing about her addiction, and that was due to her meticulous and careful planning. 

Sitting outside his flat made her feel vulnerable, and even worse exposed. Balancing a new job meant she wasn’t quite settled into her new routine. She had gone a day without refilling her pills, and the effects were almost too much to bear. The splitting headache that no amount of coffee couldn’t fix, the anxious jitters that made it difficult to write steady, and the fatigue that seemed to sap every ounce of energy out of her. 

If Amelia hadn’t been privy to her addiction before today, she certainly was now. The immediate withdrawal symptoms made it an undeniable fact and Amelia hated it. Her skin crawled as she thought about the fact that she couldn’t wait for a properly thought out meet up. Instead, she was sitting outside his apartment waiting for him to finally get back to meet her. Leave it to Dung to be late, she should have known. 

Hearing her name caused her stomach to start rolling. The fact that it was Sirius of all people was arguably worse. “Hi, Sirius. I didn’t expect to see you here,” she admitted and then cursed herself because out of the two of them she was probably more of the surprise. She could hear the surprise and overall judgement in his voice; fuck. The harsh comment threatened to roll off her tongue but she held it back. That’s the withdrawal talking her mind unhelpfully supplies. 

“Well you know, Dung has friends all over,” she answered, not giving anything away. Amelia knew it was suspicious for her to be here and anyone who knew what to look for could see the withdrawal symptoms seeping from her. “What about you? I thought you’d kicked that particular friendship,” she asked. 

Davey, as it turned out, was meant for this life. Summer breaks had always been good to him, but he adapted immediately to the idea that he wouldn’t have to go back to Hogwarts. No more homework, no more exams—well, one more exam, but he was feeling great about the upcoming referee assessment. Every day brought him closer to moving in with Dorcas, and he was filling the rest of his time putting the finishing touches on camp. That, admittedly, probably felt more manageable because it was their second year and not because of the impending school year, but he wasn’t thinking too much about it.

Better still was the ability to just go and see people. With so many of his friends graduating with him, it wasn’t just Galvin he could use to mix things up. Tonight was a work night, and he always had Amelia to respect and appreciate that. It was made endlessly better than a library or cafe because there was still someone to talk to, he had plenty of options for being able to move. It was how he worked best. 

“Sign me up for tea,” Davey said with a grin. He set his bag on the counter and immediately pulled out an array of snacks of his own to contribute to her stronghold. “I know, you’re gonna put on coffee no matter what I say.” He barely in shoving aside some of the papers he was trying and failing to keep nice, and pulled a tin covered dish from the bottom. “And do you have any need for a shepherd’s pie? I was playing around with my recipe and made too many, and I need to ‘get at least half of them out of this house, Davey’ as mum said." 

He shrugged, very rarely fazed by anything. "Absolutely, yeah. We’re pushing it a little to be after the World Cup—overlapping interests, you could say, and Emma is gonna be super involved with it—but there’s cabin and counselor assignments, turning the highlight newsletter fro the end of last year into the Get Excited newsletter to start this one. But I’m mostly counting down the days 'til we’re out there with the campers." 

-

Nodding, Amelia could have guessed that’d be his response, but it was nice to ask none the less. Flipping on the kettle, she moved over to the new coffee pot, a necessary purchase after hers died on her, and started getting another pot of coffee started. Grinning at him, she cheekily replied, “You know me so well.” It was a well known fact that Amelia Bones survived on coffee and spite alone. 

At the mention of food, she looked up with a conspiratory grin, “What would I do without, Davey?” she asked. Giving his arm a squeeze Amelia nodded, “I could always use a Shepherd's Pie and we both know yours are by far the best.” Amelia never made time to cook, it was just a fact. It wasn’t that she couldn’t, because she could, she just didn’t like to. She lived off of take out and left overs.

“Well tell your Mum I appreciate her sending some over,” she grinned. As the kettle went off she pulled her tea box closer and got a mug down for him. Amelia had specific mugs for each of her friends in the flat; a little way to make sure people knew they were welcome. She passed Davey his mug and the box of tea so he could make it up however he pleased. 

“That makes sense, honestly,” she admitted, knowing that overlapping interests could be cause for concern. “I think your camp is going to be amazing. I’m really excited for you guys,” Amelia grinned. “Sounds like you still have your work cut out for you, but it’s all going to be worth it,” she encouraged, “and thankfully tonight we can power through a good bit of work. 

Graduation had not improved Benjy’s timeliness in the slightest. While he maintained that he was only late on technicality—what was five minutes, or even fifteen when it could be an hour—he always blew into places knowing he was late. Harried and with apologies already forming but no promises that he’d do better next time. He wouldn’t. 

It wasn’t his fault cool things always happened seconds before he was supposed to leave. He couldn’t put something down that was suddenly working without being certain it would be that way when he picked it up again in an hour. That was today’s reason, at least. Losing track of time was just as prevalent as was giving himself just a few more minutes that he didn’t have. 

That guilt spiked for a moment with Amelia already sitting and through ordering. He knew her well enough to know that would be the case, and it meant he really should put in a little more effort—or any effort at all—into being there less than… three minutes late. That wasn’t bad at all.

“Sorry, I’m late,” he apologized anyway as he sat across from her with a smile. He’d managed to get most of the grease off his hands, but only a couple weeks in and it already seemed like it was going to be a permanent feature under the stubs of his nails and in whatever crease it could find. “You are an outright saint.” He ran one of his hands down the glass, collecting the condensation before taking a sip. “One of these days, I’m gonna get a taste for variety, though, and then were will you be?” he teased lightly, far from upset.

“Let’s see. It’s great, and exactly what I need right now. A good way to get actually funded closure on this which, you know, keeps me going. I’m great and better still that I’ll be out of my house next week—small house, five people, no magic.” He shrugged. “We all got used to me not being there.” As great on paper as it was, Benjy couldn’t keep his mind from wandering to his other “job” and the meeting that only shed more light on how thrilled he was to be part of it. “Are you already cleaning up in Bell’s office?" 

-

Amelia was always chronically early, but as she got older she found that there was respectfully early and so early it borders on rude. She tried to stay in the former category, but when it came to visiting friends she sometimes was just a bit too excited to wait. Trying to find a time that worked for both her and Benjy’s schedule was difficult sometimes, but they made it work and that was what mattered. Amelia was just excited to spend time with her friend. 

Waving her hand, she shook her head, “Don’t be sorry, B. I was just early today,” she teased, though it was entirely true. Two ends of the spectrum that typically balanced each other out. Checking her watch, she almost laughed at the fact that was apologizing for three minutes. Amelia had only been five minutes early, give or take, so it wasn’t as though she had to wait all that long. 

Putting a hand to her chest she teasingly replied, “Thank you, I do try.” Banter was familiar for Amelia and it was a comfort she resorted to with her closest friends often. When it came to Benjy, that was how they conversed over half the time, because his wit was always worth trying to keep up with. “Oh that’ll be the day. I would be too impressed to even be upset that I ordered the wrong thing,” she affectionally mocked. Amelia had a near photographic memory, so remembering the things that people liked and disliked came easily to her. 

“Merlin B, that’s impressive. I’m glad you’re getting the funding though; I know how important that is,” Amelia answered, before asking, “Better than the junior political advisor position?” If Benjy was happy with his career choice, Amelia wasn’t going to judge too harshly. He might have been offered some prime positions, but she wanted him to do what made him happy, even if it was a killer career to give up. 

As he talked about moving, she smiled excitedly, “Well that must be nice! How is it living in a home without magic?” she asked, knowing it would be a challenge for her, but at least somewhat interesting. Her smile softened as she nodded, “I’m glad you’re doing what’s good for you.” Amelia had the option to stay at home after graduation, but she wanted the freedom that came with living alone. Besides, she couldn’t afford to have her parents hovering as they would if she was there. 

When it came to the subject of her job, she smiled, “You could say that,” Amelia laughed, before shaking her head, “It’s actually be really good. Mrs. Bell is incredible and I actually really enjoy getting to learn from her. Anyways, she lets me have a voice, and I know most assistants don’t get that. I’m lucky to be working with her,” she admitted. Amelia was wildly grateful that her old supervisor had gotten her in contact with Ambassador Bell for the position. 

-

One thing about Lily, that she’d come to realize was quite rare, was just how much she cared. Some people, many people, cared selectively. They cared about people they knew, people they loved, but not Lily. When she asked a question she cared about the answer. When someone had a good day she cared about why. When someone had a bad day she cared about what she could do to make it better. And it didn’t matter who you were. It was one of the things that had earned her so many  friends, Amelia included.

She knew Amelia could easily fix her bag with magic,  but that didn’t stop her from trying to mop up the mess with napkins. It was a vestigial instinct from her childhood as a muggle. Even all these years later, her first instinct was to try to fix things without magic first. She smiled at Amelia’s little inside joke, unable to keep herself from adding to it. “Caffeine is amazing. It’s almost like magic.”

Once Lily had done as much for Amelia’s bag as she could, she moved on to her own top, trying to scrub the coffee off her chest. Her smile turned a little sheepish when Amelia offered her a spell. “That’d be great, yeah. Is it bad to say I’m sure you’re the authority on coffee stains?” Lily giggled a little. She didn’t mean it as a dig, she just wasn’t sure she knew anyone who drank more coffee than Amelia.

Lily apologized sincerely when one of  the baristas arrived  with a mop, moving out of the way alongside Amelia. After Amelia dropped two pounds in the tip jar, Lily fished one  out of her wallet and handed it to Amelia. “I actually don’t have to be at work yet. I’m closing tonight, so I don’t have to go in for another couple of hours. You’re not going to be late, are you?” Even if she had been scheduled first thing, Lily still would have been more concerned with Amelia’s schedule than her own. “Mine’s been great, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t say the same.”

-

Out of all of her friends, Lily was without a doubt the bleeding heart. It was something that Amelia admittedly admired most about the other girl. Amelia cared deeply about people in general, but she wasn’t good at showing it. She cared in the big picture way - she scared that everyone had rights, that people were treated equally across the board - yet, when it came to everyday interactions, she sometimes came off too clinically. It wasn’t that Amelia didn’t care, she did, she just couldn’t always show it. 

Lily seemed to have an abundance of care to give, and sometimes Amelia found herself learning how to show it better by following what Lily did. The other’s comment brought the first real smile to her face as she nodded, “It’s absolutely some sort of magic. I would bet my life on it,” she teased. Amelia had a spell to take care of just about anything, but particularly one for taking care of anything coffee related. 

Genuine laughter escaped her as she shook her head, “I take that as the highest compliment,” she deemed. Amelia was the resident coffee expert and it was good to be recognized as such. It was a silly thing, but it brought her a small bout of joy. Maybe it wasn’t the end of the world that it was sunny outside; Lily was making her day better. 

As Lily handed her the pound, she gave her a look that said ‘this isn’t necessary and I’ll get you back for it later’, but took it none the less. Waving her hand she answered, “I usually go in early to get caught up on anything that needs wrapped up, but I currently have everything up to date. I don’t need to be in for at least another forty five minutes.” Truly, she could wait a whole hour to go in, but Amelia liked having at least fifteen minutes to get settled before she actually had to be there. Shaking her head, she admitted, “It’s not been ideal, but it’s getting better.”

-

When Lily woke up to sun shining through her window, she knew it was going to be a good day. Sun was such a rare treat in Lily’s life, she’d gone from living in grey and dreary Cokeworth to dark and rainy Hogwarts to grey and dreary London, she always relished it when it appeared. She got ready for the day with flair, humming to herself as she made her breakfast and even changing the color of her nails to match the bright blue sky outside. After picking out a suitably summerey outfit, a skirt that was just this side of too short for work and a flowy peasant top, Lily was still feeling like the weather needed a little more celebration, so she decided to stop by the nearby coffee shop Amelia had introduced her to for a treat.

When Lily got to the coffee shop, the line was a little long, but she didn’t mind. She assumed it was mostly people like her, who wanted a little something special in honor of the lovely weather. She’d just decided to enjoy her coffee outside when she turned too quickly and ran straight into someone. Lily was mortified, until she realized she’d only run into Amelia. Then she saw the look on Amelia’s face and gathered that this was just the most recent in a long string of unfortunate accidents in Amelia’s day. She couldn’t help but giggle a little at the resigned look on her friend’s face, even though it wasn’t really funny. She quickly grabbed a handful of napkins, and then another just to be safe, before turning back to Amelia.

“I’m fine, really.” Yes, her shirt was also dripping with coffee, but it wasn’t nearly as bad, or as important, as Amelia’s bag, and Lily had time to go home and change before her late shift, anyway. “Are you okay?” Lily asked the question with genuine concern, because Amelia definitely looked like she was not okay.

-

Once Amelia recognized the voice that answered her question, she let her eyes fall back down and rest on the familiar girl; Lily. 

It was a known fact, at least in Amelia’s case, that Lily Evans could make even her worst days a little bit better. As it was, Lily wasn’t even the most bubbly person she knew, but she was undoubtably one of the most genuine, and that made all the difference. Being in the presence of someone that was so uncommonly kind could make even the biggest pessimists soften their edges. When it came to Lily, Amelia couldn’t help but adore her. Some of her fondest Hogwarts memories included her, from late night library sessions to sneaking into the kitchens at night for a well earned snack, Lily had been involved.

If anyone else had asked the question, she’d have assumed it was out of formality or common curtesy, but she could see the sincerity behind the other girl’s eyes. Running her hand through her hair, she gave a tired laugh, “I’ll be fine. I’ll be able to sort this out relatively easily once I get a little caffeine in my system,” she teased, though the underlying message was clear - magic can fix this once we’re out of the sight of muggles. 

“You know, I have a trick to getting coffee stains out. If you want, I can help you get it sorted,” she offered, having used that particular spell one too many times over the years. Amelia carefully moved out of the way as one of the employee’s came over with a mop to take care of the spill. After a short exchange that included a few too many apologies, they were being handed replacement drinks and Amelia was putting an extra couple pounds in their tip jar for them. 

“Are you on your way into work?” she asked, knowing that it was about the right time for anyone in the typical work force day to start getting a move on. “Come on, we’ll get cleaned up before we head in. Aside from this, how’s your day going?”

AESTHETIC BOARD: WARDROBE EDITION

Mary feared she missed her window of opportunity to sleep. She had locked up the bar many hours ago and if she had any room for sense in her she would have headed home to crash once her shift was over. But her and her coworker had decided to continue their conversation with a half bottle of whiskey at his, and they hadn’t realized how wrapped up they were in it until the sun started pushing its way through the window shades. 

If she went to bed now, she was sure to sleep right through her lunch date with Lydia which would earn her much more of an earful than showing up half tired and half hungover. Therefore, coffee was an absolute must. Just enough to get her functioning normally until that afternoon, which was to say many large cups of it.

Now, she did imagine she would get those cups in a drinkable form. Not so much as a splash going down the front of her. 

With a surprisingly quick reaction given her state, she grabbed her shirt by the hem and pulled it out enough to keep anything hot from burning her skin. Once she was able to check in and be sure there wasn’t any hidden injury, she looked up to see she recognized the person she just collided into. 

“Shit, ‘Melia, sorry ‘bout that. I should have been paying more attention.” It seemed any potential dangers her shirt held were neutralized, and Mary carefully lowered it once again. Amelia seemed to have gotten the rougher deal of it, her attention caught by the wet bag that no doubt held important papers. The kind that was going to create world peace or cure dragon pox or something of the like, knowing what she knew about the girl. 

“I didn’t realize this was the time all of London woke up. Anything I can do to help with that?” She almost reached for her wand, pulling some drying spells out of her brain, but then remembered they were squarely in muggle territory. 

__

Despite her increasing irritability due to lack of sleep, she actively reigned back the snappy retort that threatened to spew from her lips. Instead she took a breath, and focused back on the familiar face. Waving her hand, she shook her head, “Don’t worry about it, Mare. I’m more worried about you being burned, are you alright?” she asked, knowing that hot coffee could certainly leave a sting when it met flesh. 

“Besides, it was just as much my fault. I wasn’t paying proper attention either,” she admitted. Most people cherished a sunny day in England, but Amelia had always taken it as an omen. Sure enough, her day was chalking up the way she expected it to. Still, Amelia knew that her attitude would only make the day worse for herself so she tried to get it together. Seeing Mary helped though, as it usually did. 

A laugh escaped her as she replied, “Unfortunately, this is typically the start to Ministry employee’s work day. Though I’ll admit, I think it’s busier today in particular due to the good weather.” Amelia motioned for the barista’s attention and after a quick discussion, new drinks were being made for them. She quickly fished out a couple pounds to add to the tip jar, making sure they knew how appreciative she was. 

“Honestly, it’s okay. I should be able to get it all sorted once I’m out of here,” she reassured, knowing that Mary would understand her meaning. She couldn’t very well pull her wand out in the middle of a muggle coffee shop, but that didn’t mean everything was a total loss. This was hardly the first time something had spilled on her notes, and she knew just the spell to get them cleaned up and dry again. 

“I have a little bit of time before I need to be in to work if you’d like to walk with me?” she offered, seeing the exhaustion on her friend’s face. At the very least, Amelia could get them both sorted before they parted ways. Once the barista’s handed them their new drinks, and another round of thank yous and apologies were given, Amelia nodded towards the door. 

“Come on luv, you look beat. Let’s get out of here and have a moment,” she offered, guiding Mary out with her. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a breather with some caffeine and a friend while I clean up,” Amelia smiled.