𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘀, the marauders

˗ˋ 03

CHAPTER THREE
✧
-: the beginnings :-

── IN WHICH THE GROUP IS GATHERED

. . .

SEVERAL DAYS LATER and Ophelia was approaching the breakroom of the Aurors department, bag swinging by her side and hands full of various items - two paper bag in which seemed to hold two rather round objects were close to breaking, two takeaway coffee cups and several folders were tucked under her arm.

"Diggory - did you get that muggle food cleared at entry?" A voice barked at her, and the girl very almost dropped everything she was holding. 

"Mr Fawley, Sir. Good morning." Ophelia smiled, words bumbling. "Of course, it's just a couple of muffins and coffee, so they were cleared quickly."

"Perfect!" Another voice said, and a hand pulled a paper bag and a coffee out of Ophelia's hands. "Well done Ophelia, always on time, thank you very muchly."

"That wasn't.. no problem Mr Fox." The girl sighed, watching as her breakfast disappeared down the corridors. "Good morning to you too." She called after him, always trying to be polite even if the treatment was nothing near it. 

"It seems Eberhard has taken a liking to you." Elijah Fawley grinned down at her and eyed the other bag which Ophelia rather strategically moved her folders to hide. "How's that death eater case of yours? Come into contact with any of his little friends?"

"No, but I've been working on setting up.. interviews." Ophelia's eyes widened and she twisted her wrist to see the watch on her hand. "Oh Merlin's beard." She gasped, looking up at her boss. "I'm so sorry.. I agreed to meet with someone at least ten minutes ago." 

"No worries, it's good that you've got something to keep you occupied. I daresay if not then you would be rather bored around here." Elijah left before Ophelia could, and now on her own, she hurried off down the corridor and very almost bumped into Alastor Moody as she did so (he barely even saw her, always busy on a case and always hurrying around). 

Twisting down several more corridors, Ophelia was finally near her own offices, wincing when she saw several people sat right outside on the singular very old sofa.

"Nice of you to finally show up Diggory. I've been waiting for fifteen minutes here and Kingsley doesn't seem as friendly as he did when we were on the Quidditch team." Pushing up his glasses, James Potter stood up from the armchair and his friends followed.

Sirius Black looked amost the same as he had done at the hearing of his father's will, a slither of mischief settling on the same serious expression that he had worn before. Remus Lupin looked weary, a new scar across his cheek and his clothes patched up like they had always been. He still had bags under his eyes, and had clearly lost someone in the couple of years between Hogwarts and then. 

Peter Pettigrew seemed to be a little more confident than he had been in his school years, no more pressure to try and be exactly how people expected a friend of James and Sirius to be and he held his shoulders a little higher. 

"Kingsley should be here in about five minutes." Ophelia began, her words oddly stilted. "There's nobody in there.. but please, come in."