ENCHANTRESS | Harry Potter

THREE

The training grounds were mostly empty, the room a vast space with no body to absorb sound, Bada's spells echoing as they burst against the wall made of magic that had been raised out of thin air the moment she had started training. There was only one more person with her at this hour, and even though Bada knew she had woken up earlier to train like this, she doubted her companion had done the same. If she were to judge by her wide eyes and somewhat clumsy moving, she would say she hadn't slept at all last night and had come straight to the training grounds. She didn't pay attention to her any further, though. She focused on finishing her training.

It had been a while since she had last trained like this and it was almost liberating – her magic finally had an outlet and her energy left her wand unprompted, taking the final form of a spell that crashed against the wall. Bada only stopped when her gaze fell on her watch to see it was around time she headed to work if she didn't want to be late. She sent one last spell at the magical wall and then reached down to retrieve her coat, put it on, put her wand in one of its pockets and started walking away.

Every step she took took her closer to the door and also the woman training on her own. She had been planning on walking right past her, but as she was passing by close enough, she heard her talking.

"Shit no, fuck why now of all days!" Bada glanced over at her, her brows raising as she noticed she was looking through her bag. As she let yet another curse slip past her lips, Bada stopped.

"Hi."

The woman looked up as if she were a deer caught in headlights, dark brown eyes wide, mouth slightly ajar, a strand of her thick, brunette hair falling in front of her face at the rapid movement. She blinked as she took in Bada and then, as if realizing the extent of the situation she was in, instantly sprang up. Under her watchful gaze, she brushed her hair behind her ears and sent her a rather awkward smile, her gaze having trouble remaining in her eyes.

"Hello. What can I help you with?"

"I stopped by to ensure you were alright," she explained, paying no heed to the blush that had started to spread on the woman's cheeks. "Are you alright?"

"Fine!" she squeaked. "I just realized I forgot the keys to my apartment at home. Again. Nothing to worry about."

"If you insist," she mused, her head tilting to the side slightly in a show of curiosity. "Are you from the Auror Office?"

If possible, the woman grew even more alarmed now. "Are you from the Auror Office?"

"I am," she said with a small smile as she outstretched her hand for the stranger to shake, which she did a moment later. "Bada Kim."

"You must be new," she observed, "I haven't seen you around."

"Arrived yesterday," Bada confirmed, "and you are?"

"Anthia Jones," she introduced herself as she let go of her hand.

"A pleasure to meet you, Anthia," Bada said, briefly taking in her attire—a pair of jeans and a simple shirt, nothing like the long coats all Aurors seemed to wear or anything close to their usual formal attire—before making her call. "Why are you in the training grounds reserved for Aurors when you aren't one?"

Anthia's expression turned sheepish. "I needed to let off some steam. There was a case that kept me up for most of the night so I came here before my next shift."

"So you work at-"

"The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office," she admitted as she pushed herself off of the ground. She was taller than Bada—like most people were—but neither of them paid attention to that as slowly, they started heading to the door without saying a word, a mutual understanding seemingly forming. "It's at the other set of doors. You know, you go through a set of doors and a corridor to reach the Auror office, if you take the other set of doors and go down the corridor you will come across a cupboard and then my office."