˗ˋ 04

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by hvgwcrts

by hvgwcrts

CHAPTER FOUR
✧
-: the department of aurors :-

── IN WHICH THEY EAT
LUNCH

. . .

"DOES SHE HAVE TO JOIN US EVERYWHERE?" Ron muttered, sitting down at their table in the Auror section of the Ministry cafeteria, trays placed in front of them and the food that very almost rivaled the quality of Hogwarts meal.

They had only just gotten off for their lunch break, the team working on the murders of Orson and Nellie Mayden losing themselves in the mystery, so much so that by the time they finally managed to get off to lunch hall was almost entirely empty, the main rush having eaten and left, and now there was only the last dregs of the crowd remaining.

"The place is practically empty, Ron." Harry pointed out, as if it wasn't obvious enough already. "She doesn't know anyone else. And.. she hasn't been the worst over the last few days. She's actually been considerably useful."

"That hasn't stopped her comments though, has it?" Ron grumbled. He usually ate with Hermione, but she had sent a interdepartmental memo saying she had sat with some of her friends who worked alongside her in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in eradicating the pure-blood laws.

Harry glanced over to the queue where Phoenix Crowe was stood talking to one of the ladies behind the counter, trying to choose between apple crumble or a jam tart for the dessert option.

"Listen Harry.. this is rather awkward for me seeing as I'm her brother and everything - but I know since you and Ginny broke up a couple years you haven't exactly.. dated anyone." Ron swallowed, stabbing a piece of the pasta on his plate. "But if you're going to finally do something with someone else, please not her, no matter how much better she's gotten."

"I don't see why. Hermione's always talking about how people can change, right?" Harry shrugged, tearing his eyes away as she stood by the wizard who took her wand in order to identify it as her and access her Gringott's vault. "Not just knowing that she's changed, but Dracco Malfoy's a Healer now - and so was she. You can't do that if they're the same people as they were when we went to school with them. They're finally free of the darkness that held them down and becoming good people."

"Bloody hell you have been listening to 'Mione, haven't you?" Ron chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure they can be - beccause you helped put their Voldemort-supporting Death Eater parents on a successful trial and a no-returns journey to Azkaban."

"And Hermione's been teaching you more about Muggle transport." Harry chuckled. "What was it this time?"

"We took the Underground to work this morning. Very fascinating." Ron took another mouthful of pasta. "Dad would love it."

"You should take it." Harry replied as he ate his own meal - a chicken sandwich and crisps. He lived in Grimmauld Place now. It was close to work, and seeing as it was the only place he actually had and reminded him of his family, Harry had decided to do it up a bit on his days off.

Ron and Hermione lived in Notting Hill, West London - a place a lot brighter and more colourful than Grimmauld Place. But Harry didn't mind so much. He liked 12 Grimmauld Place really, especially now after Mrs Weasley had helped him clean it up.

There were certain places he refused to touch though. Sirius and Regulus' rooms were off limits, locked by a key kept around Harry's neck so he knew where it always was. Walburga Black's portrait had been silenced with a complicated spell Hermione had put on it, and Kreacher was always making everywhere else seem so much cleaner now that he had the locket from Regulus.

"Phoenix." Harry called, breaking free from the thoughts of the house he would return to and it's almost complex entrance, looking up from his sandwich and beckoning Phoenix over, the dark haired girl sitting down opposite him and Ron, tray placed down.

"Can you believe it? The woman said that they didn't have anymore of the rice and pork." Phoenix huffed, transfiguring the knife and fork given to her into chopsticks and giving in. "Imagine, they actually have food I like that isn't drier than Pansy Parkinson's scalp and they don't just magic up some more."

"You can't magic up food." Ron eyed her. "Trust me, I think we would all know that."

"She summoned it, idiot." Phoenix rolled her eyes. "And ignore the comment about Pansy, Draco asked me to be nice to her but I won't forget how she constantly tried to hook up with my boyfriend."

"Blaise?" Harry asked, Phoenix nodding as she stared down at her meal, picking through it to find something. Harry took it as a chance to nudge Ron. "Not only useful, but relatively interesting as well. What would we be talking about if she wasn't here? How upset you are over the latest Chudley Cannons failiure?"

"Yes." Ron said pointedly. "I still can't believe that idiot Aaron Westley tried to hit it away from the goal with his head!"

"My ears are burning." Phoenix took a sip of her iced tea. "Which Quidditch team do you support? Oh - and does Ginny really play for the Holyhead Harpies? I love them."

"Uh, yeah she does." Ron nodded. "And the Chudley Cannons. Westley is an idiot - everyone knows that those helmets are only about a centre-metre thick and do fuck all."

"Alright Ron, calm down." Harry chuckled, shaking his head. "Back to Blaise - Pansy tried to sleep with him? I could've sworn she had a thing for Malfoy. And you all always looked friendly with each oher."

"Pansy Parkinson has a thing for anyone who doesn't want her." Phoenix rolled her eyes. "We put on a front. Otherwise our parents might of killed us. We were supposed to stick with each other and try not to embarrass them. Even though they lived miles away."

"Oh." Ron couldn't quite imagine having such a bad family. He had heard all about the Dursleys from Harry, but they were muggles. Phoenix and all her friends were purebloods and expected to uphold that image that came with it.

"It's fine though, because I'm still good friends with Draco and Blaise and in one of the most unexpected twists of all, I'm solving a murder with Harry Potter and Ron Weasley." Phoenix said. "And no, Harry, I won't repeat those nicknames I gave you both earlier." She saw how he had made a face.

"Nicknames?" Ron questioned, but Harry just shook his head and smiled slightly, especially when Ron began to talk about Quidditch again and Phoenix joined in.

Perhaps Ron would be proved wrong and would make friends with her after all.

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a/n
filler chapter just to get
the characters more comfortable
with each other!