Luck of the Draw

The Choosing

Like most years, Athena hardly got any sleep the night after the feast. However, usually it was because of the excitement for the year to come and her new students. This night, it was more because of the impending Choosing the next day. There were several eligible professors and professors assistants in the castle, none that she could honestly see herself marrying. Although, since the war, Athena could hardly see herself getting married at all. Her thoughts had remained scattered throughout the night, leaving her the exhausted mess that she was in the morning. She was sitting slumped over at the teacher's table in the Great Hall when Minerva approached her.

"Good morning Athena." Athena looked up and then groaned in exasperation. Minerva was not someone that she had wanted to deal with so early. "I understand your upset at seeing me this morning, dear. However, I'm going to need you awake and functioning as quickly as possible. An official from the ministry should be arriving soon to administer the test that will help choose your spouse and I assume that you'd like to be awake for that." Athena groaned again  and nodded in understanding. She sat up and grabbed the nearest pot of coffee, pouring it hastily and adding her cream and sugar to taste. As she quickly drank her coffee (the quicker she drank it, the quicker she could get a second cup), she made herself a plate of food and scarfed that down as well.

"Well, someone seems excited this morning," Sirius chuckled as he approached the table.

"Ministry is coming this morning, I'm just trying to wake myself up to be honest."

"Couldn't sleep either, then?" Athena shook her head.

"Too many thoughts, if I'm being honest. Not entirely unusual, however." The doors of the Great Hall slammed open, a group of ministry officials entering the room. Both adults looked at each other with trepidation. If Athena was being completely honest, she wasn't sure who was more nervous, her or the students. At least the seventeen year olds had an excuse to be immature in a relationship. Athena could hardly tell her future husband that being painfully shy and a war had ruined any chances she'd ever had at a relationship. At Minerva's instruction, all children fifth year and below headed back to their common rooms. With a wave of her wand, the five long tables disappeared and desks appeared in their place.

"Could I get all of the eligible witches and wizards seated at a desk please? Quickly, quickly," The ministry official said loudly. Once everyone was seated, he continued.

"Our goal today is simple. With the test I am going to hand to each of you, we will gather enough information to be able to match you with your perfect partner. This is very important for your future happiness, so please remember to answer these questions as truthfully as possible." With a wave of his wand, papers began to distribute themselves to each of the people at the desks. Athena looked down at the paper that landed in front of her. In the upper left corner was her name, neatly printed, and then the questions started. She noted that they ranged in importance from light-hearted questions such as 'What's your favorite color' to questions such as 'What were your parents like'. How in the name of Merlin these questions were going to match her with a husband, she couldn't tell you. She honestly didn't care if her future husband shared her favorite color or her tragic, pureblood childhood. She answered as truthfully as possible, and then took the paper to the official, who then dropped into a cauldron behind him. Athena nodded sharply and the exited the Great Hall. Once she'd made it closer to the dungeons, she leaned against the stone wall, closed her eyes and took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes. She still had lessons to plan for all of her classes on top of dealing with her prospective marriage. With a groan, she pushed herself off of the wall and continued to her office to, hopefully, at least start her lesson plans.

She had been nose-deep in deciding age-appropriate potions for the students for at least forty-five minutes when she heard a knock at her office door. With a wave her wand, the door opened, allowing the knocker to enter.

"So, what did you think of the questions they asked Professor Bailey?" A slightly smug looking Sirius Black stood in front of her.

"What happened to 'Athena'," Athena questioned, a small smile on her face.

"Well, I assume you're in the 'Professor' zone at the current moment." She chuckled lightly.

"I think the questions were quite silly, there must be a better way to pick someone that they expect us to reproduce with. Whether or not we share a favorite color hardly matters." Sirius shrugged, still not sure how he felt about the entire situation. Being in prison for twelve years had hardly changed his opinions on marriage, made clear by the simple fact that he was nearing forty and still wasn't married.

"Was there anything else you needed, Sirius?"

"Minnie wants us all back in the Great Hall in fifteen minutes. Said that some of the results have come back."

"Merlin's Beard! Did they do the entire country at once? There's honestly no way!" Sirius laughed and started towards the door.

"Guess we'll have to head up there to find out, now won't we?"

Their walk to the Great Hall was nearly silent, a joke or two from Sirius being the only thing to break the tension. Once outside the doors, Athena turned to him and smiled softly.

"Well, best of luck to you, Black. I hope the luck of the draw works in your favor."

"To you as well, Bailey. Here's to hoping your perfect match isn't Longbottom." Athena rolled her eyes. While handsome, the teacher's assistant Neville Longbottom was far from someone she could see herself with for the rest of their lives. The two stood at opposite ends of the crowd, trying to be present should a student need some kind of assistance.

"Hello again all," The official began. "It is time for The Choosing!" A slip of paper shot out of the cauldron and into his hand. "Now, I will read off the names of each part of the couple. Once matched, I'd like you to stand off to this side," He motioned towards the right side of the Great Hall.

"Athene Nott and Oliver Pardee." A statuesque Slytherin groaned from across the hall as she joined a quiet Ravenclaw on the right side of the Hall.

"Madeline Sampson and Quentin Collins."

"Coralin Matthews and Neville Longbottom." Athena gasped. Coralin was a seventh year Hufflepuff. In fact, Athena noticed that everyone in the room had had their matches be in the room with them. She sucked in a deep breath as she hugged Coralin before she left to join Neville.

"Don't worry, Cor. He's a good man." The young red head smiled softly and nodded at Athena.

"Haley Burke and Sam Cresswell."

"Athena Bailey and Sirius Black." Athena's jaw dropped. She glanced down at the handsome professor who's pretty face had twisted into a slight smirk. When they joined each other in the matched section of the Hall, Sirius leaned in close.

"I guess the Luck of the Draw was on our side after all."