21. Happy Birthday, Ron

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March 1999

"Are you sure this isn't silly? It feels like my first day of school." Eloise asked as she straightened the silver Ministry pin on the lapel of her blazer.

"You know your parents will want this picture, now smile." Fleur ordered, holding the camera in her hands.

Eloise knew better than to argue with her very pregnant best friend these days, so she let out a sigh and gave a bright smile to Fleur as she snapped the photo.

"I think I blinked!"

"Elle, it's a moving picture, it doesn't matter if you blinked." Fleur laughed as she waited for the polaroid to dispense from the camera, "Look how nice you look!"

Fleur held out the photo towards Eloise who watched herself smile in front of Shell Cottage. Her blonde curls were blowing slightly in the ocean breeze and she looked both excited and nervous at the same time. Also she did in fact blink, but Fleur was right that it didn't really matter.

"I look like a kid."

"You've always had a baby face."

Eloise furrowed her brows slightly at her friend, but she couldn't think of a good argument because she knew Fleur was right.

"What time is it?" Eloise asked.

"It was about half past seven when we came out, so it's probably nearly time for you to go."

The two witches headed back inside as Eloise ran her fingers through her hair, trying to remove the tangles the wind had caused.

"Do you think I should put my hair up?"

Fleur laughed softly, "I think you should stop worrying... but yes, it does look a mess."

Eloise rolled her eyes at her comment. Although sometimes Fleur could be a bit blunt for some people's taste, ultimately her honesty was much appreciated as it saved Eloise from a lot of embarrassing moments throughout her life.

She pulled a hair tie from her wrist as she walked to the mirror right next to the front door, she brushed her frizzy hair back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. A few flyaways still escaped around her face, but there wasn't much that could be done about that.

"Alright, I think I'm ready." Eloise said, nodding to her reflection as if she were trying to convince herself that she truly was prepared for her first day.

Fleur was already standing near the fireplace holding the container of Floo Powder. They had connected the fireplace to the Ministry last week, it was the last step in truly making her job feel real.

Eloise was the type of person who would convince herself that any good news wasn't actually real until it was truly happening before her eyes. She said it was to spare herself from any disappointment but Fleur told her she was a pessimist, which may have had some truth to it. An 'optimistic pessimist' would have been the most accurate description though, always hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

Reaching into the container, Eloise grabbed a handful of Floo Powder before setting foot inside the fireplace. She hesitated for a moment and looked to Fleur once more for reassurance.

"You'll be great. I'll see you this evening." Fleur said with a smile.

Eloise let out one last sigh before saying "Ministry of Magic" and throwing down the powder, quickly being consumed by the bright green flames.

Though it was far from her first time taking the Floo Network, she still stumbled out of the fireplace in the large lobby of the Ministry. Thankfully no one around her seemed to notice as they were all too busy making their way to meetings and appointments.

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