Kaleidoscope || t. scamander

Down Memory Lane

The Ministry of Magic were, to say the least, not the most pleased with Reginald's report the next morning about Grindelwald's ongoing plans. The news had flown through the departments and Roo would've lied to herself if she said that the Ministry was currently going through a breakdown. There seemed to be less people showing up for work, and those who did sported fearful expressions, scurrying about with hunched shoulder as if they feared getting scouted as one of the members of the official case they were to open to delve into Grindelwald's affairs. 

Roo struggled to keep her eyes open the day after the report was due, for she had stayed behind burning the midnight oil with her senior at her side. They had worked on writing the report together but it had still taken up till the early hours of the morning. Roo only got bak around five in the morning, with the knowledge that she only had approximately two hours of good sleep before she was due back at the Ministry. 

Theseus didn't look much better. They bumped into each other as they barely clocked in past the secretary's desk, Roo's forehead suddenly bashing right into his right shoulder before she let out a yelp of pain.

Theseus turned, instinctively grabbing the back of her elbow to stop her from falling right onto her butt. 

"You okay?" He was breathing harshly, as if he had just run a race. To be honest, she probably looked just as dishevelled.

Roo nodded and he let go. The front desk secretary gazed at them curiously when they walked past her, but Roo decided to brush it off. She had more important things to think about. Things like Grindelwald and the upcoming war that was looming above them. A calm before the storm, they liked to call it.

Roo was barely making it through mid-morning until a cup of coffee was placed on her desk. Her head snapped up in surprise and when she saw Theseus, quickly jumped up in her chair and pushed her messy, tangled locks out of her face, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.

But his dark blue eyes -- he had such beautiful eyes-- sparkled with what looked like amusement. A small half-smile danced across his lips and she wasn't sure whether he was making fun of her.

"Here." He nudged the cup towards her, "I think you need it." 

Lost for words, Roo made a grab for the cup and felt the warmth rush through her fingertips. It felt good against the chilly air inside the office. "Thanks." She mumbled. 

He grunted before going back to his desk and resuming his work. His gruff attitude might have thrown someone else off, might even had come off as rude. But Roo knew it wasn't everyday she got to see this caring side of her senior. Somehow, the tiny, almost insignificant gestures made it even more special when it came from him, and she couldn't help herself from grinning. 

Newt dropped by their office during lunch time, asking for their help. He was to talk to Dumbledore, and Reginald thought it to be a good idea for them to tag along since they were working on the Grindelwald case, with hopes that maybe they could get further information on the case. They used a portkey this time, with Roo squeezing her eyes shut and feeling the entire world twist, turn and wobble around her, before her feet landed on hard ground. 

Slowly, her eyelids fluttered open. A gasp died at the back of her throat. Her jaw went slack when she gaped at the huge castle that towered over their figures and which looked like it had just come out of a fairytale. With its gorgeous, Victorian-style archways and towers made out of cold stone bricks, with the elegant vines twisting and coiling around its walls to give it a magical air, Hogwarts Castle looked just like she remembered it all these years ago when she had attended for the Triwizard Tournament.

Adam nudged her arm, "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" he asked once her eyes met his.

Roo's face broke into a smile, memories of their adventures flooding through her and making her chest feel tight, "That was my most memorable year to date."