The Early Bird Gets the Drop
Oct 30, 2016 0:20:36 GMT
Post by Crystal Meadowes on Oct 30, 2016 0:20:36 GMT
Crystal had had it up to here with the Ministry. Between the appalling werewolf legislation, its determination to politicize every tragedy and its insistence on pointing fingers at people who were eventually deemed innocent (and then proceeding to pretend said people hadn’t just up and disappeared), she was seriously starting to question why she was even doing this job. She had become an auror so she could make the world a better place. But how was she supposed to do that when the Ministry kept tying her hands behind her back?
The news that they would be giving Tonks’ desk to someone else come morning had been the last bloody straw. So what if it had been almost three weeks? There were still people in this department who were hurting. Who weren’t ready just yet to let Tonks go. People who looked to that empty desk as a reminder of exactly what they were supposed to be fighting for. But of course none of that had been enough to sway her supervisors. (Probably because Crystal had been yelling, but still.) So she had decided to take matters into her own hands. If she couldn’t talk sense to them, fine. She would just have to make it more bloody trouble than it was worth. Like Umbridge all over again. In the grand scheme of things, this probably wasn’t a hill worth dying on. But seeing as the Ministry seemed bound and determined to boot her off all the hills that were, Crystal was bound and determined to hold this one to her last breath.
It was some ungodly hour right in the middle of that awkward time between night and morning when she headed into the auror office armed with an innocuous looking backpack. (Nothing at all to indicate it was actually a prank arsenal.) Late enough that the workaholics should have finally gone home and early enough that the early risers were hopefully still snoring in their beds. The Ministry was all but empty as Crystal made her way to the auror department. The handful of sleepy aids still in the halls paid her no mind. Nobody in their right mind was here at this hour unless they had urgent business. Which Crystal most definitely did.
She reached the auror department to find the light dim and not a soul in sight. Perfect. Her feet knew the way over to Tonks’ desk. It was a journey she had made a lot over the years either to share a laugh or to ask if the Lupins would be home that evening should she decide to crash dinner again. But now the desk was completely empty. All traces of Tonks had been cleared away save for a small burned patch in one corner from one of her infamous report burnings. Crystal set her backpack down on the surface with a quiet sigh. Tonks had been her best friend, and the woman's death seemed to have ripped a giant hole right through Crystal’s life. Still, a hint of a smile touched her mouth though as she reached out to run her finger over the singed wood. Tonks had always hated reports. Maybe Crystal should set fire to some of her own just on principle. “I’m going to make this right,” she said quietly. “I don’t know how. But I will.”
She had just unzipped her backpack (equipped with an undetectable extension charm and stuff with all manner of Weasley products) when she heard a noise behind her. Crystal turned her head over her shoulder, hand hovering in the top of the bag. Maybe she could pretend it was full of reports or something. Her tight stance relaxed and a tired smile touched her face when the recognized the redheaded auror standing nearby. “Bloody hell. You scared me half to death. What are you still doing here?” More importantly, should Crystal run her off or drag her into this little vendetta? The two Order members certainlygot on well enough. Maybe having an accomplice here wouldn’t hurt.
@lyra
(OOC - Seeing as she's your only character I haven't really interacted with, I figured I'd give it a shot.)
The news that they would be giving Tonks’ desk to someone else come morning had been the last bloody straw. So what if it had been almost three weeks? There were still people in this department who were hurting. Who weren’t ready just yet to let Tonks go. People who looked to that empty desk as a reminder of exactly what they were supposed to be fighting for. But of course none of that had been enough to sway her supervisors. (Probably because Crystal had been yelling, but still.) So she had decided to take matters into her own hands. If she couldn’t talk sense to them, fine. She would just have to make it more bloody trouble than it was worth. Like Umbridge all over again. In the grand scheme of things, this probably wasn’t a hill worth dying on. But seeing as the Ministry seemed bound and determined to boot her off all the hills that were, Crystal was bound and determined to hold this one to her last breath.
It was some ungodly hour right in the middle of that awkward time between night and morning when she headed into the auror office armed with an innocuous looking backpack. (Nothing at all to indicate it was actually a prank arsenal.) Late enough that the workaholics should have finally gone home and early enough that the early risers were hopefully still snoring in their beds. The Ministry was all but empty as Crystal made her way to the auror department. The handful of sleepy aids still in the halls paid her no mind. Nobody in their right mind was here at this hour unless they had urgent business. Which Crystal most definitely did.
She reached the auror department to find the light dim and not a soul in sight. Perfect. Her feet knew the way over to Tonks’ desk. It was a journey she had made a lot over the years either to share a laugh or to ask if the Lupins would be home that evening should she decide to crash dinner again. But now the desk was completely empty. All traces of Tonks had been cleared away save for a small burned patch in one corner from one of her infamous report burnings. Crystal set her backpack down on the surface with a quiet sigh. Tonks had been her best friend, and the woman's death seemed to have ripped a giant hole right through Crystal’s life. Still, a hint of a smile touched her mouth though as she reached out to run her finger over the singed wood. Tonks had always hated reports. Maybe Crystal should set fire to some of her own just on principle. “I’m going to make this right,” she said quietly. “I don’t know how. But I will.”
She had just unzipped her backpack (equipped with an undetectable extension charm and stuff with all manner of Weasley products) when she heard a noise behind her. Crystal turned her head over her shoulder, hand hovering in the top of the bag. Maybe she could pretend it was full of reports or something. Her tight stance relaxed and a tired smile touched her face when the recognized the redheaded auror standing nearby. “Bloody hell. You scared me half to death. What are you still doing here?” More importantly, should Crystal run her off or drag her into this little vendetta? The two Order members certainlygot on well enough. Maybe having an accomplice here wouldn’t hurt.
@lyra
(OOC - Seeing as she's your only character I haven't really interacted with, I figured I'd give it a shot.)
