Catch The Snitch

Late November, 2005

Stifling a yawn, Dorian stood guard at the double oak doors of the Great Hall as students and teachers flooded out in different directions, on their way to the first class of the day. Officially off-duty from another long night shift, Dorian crossed the Entrance Hall and slipped into the staffroom corridor, intending to take advantage of what he expected to be an empty staffroom.

The school Aurors, while technically not "staff", had always been permitted use of the Hogwarts staffroom, though very few did. Dorian himself preferred to relax in the privacy of his own quarters, but he was much too tired to make the trek across the castle this morning. Reaching the door flanked by two stone gargoyles, Dorian gave the password that he had used the last time.

"Open sesame," he said. Nothing happened. Clearing his throat, Dorian said it a second time, but louder. "Open sesame!"

"Shouting it at us won't make it any less wrong!" barked one of the gargoyles.

"What?"

"Just how thick are you? That. Is. Not. The. Password."

"It worked last week!" Dorian said indignantly, but now that he thought about it, it had been quite some time since he had last visited the staffroom.

"Are you even allowed in here?" quipped the second gargoyle as the first cackled with laughter.

"Fucking muppets," Dorian swore under his breath as the door swung open and he found himself face-to-face with the Headteacher.

"Oh," Dorian said quickly. "I was just –"

"Yes, I was on my way out and couldn't help but overhear," Rossi said, but he was smiling and Dorian felt himself relax. "It's hard to keep track of all of these passwords, especially when they change so often. Although, the password to the staffroom has been 'Widdershins' for quite some time now."

"Ah… okay," Dorian replied awkwardly as he stepped passed the Headteacher and into the staffroom. "Er… Thanks."

As he expected, the staffroom was empty, and Dorian sighed in relief as he collapsed into the closest chair and checked his watch. The first class was now in session, and unless another Auror came in (and that was doubtful), Dorian would have the staffroom to himself for the next two hours. He didn't particularly want to sleep here, but the chair was comfortable, and there was no harm in closing his eyes for a few minutes.

Only half conscious of the passing of time, Dorian was jolted awake at the sound of a door opening. "I'm up," he grunted, forgetting that he was off-duty and within his rights to nap in the staffroom. Sitting upright, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes to take in the newcomer.

Aubrey held up his hands as Dorian jolted awake, "Sorry, friend," he smiled, "Just thought I'd take a little break after trying to help first years get through the basics of flying," he chuckled a little as he walked in, pulling his hair down his ponytail he kept his hair out of his face while flying.

"You okay?" he asked, "I can't imagine being so tired that I'd take a nap in here," he chuckled a little smirking at him before finding himself a spot to sit, crossing his legs as he sat back, "Though, I do suppose the seats are comfortable enough," he mused as he bounced a little in his seat as if to test it.

Blinking the sleep out of his eyes, Dorian was alarmed to see his friend standing before him, palms raised in a pacifying gesture. "No worries," he said quickly, guiltily. Dorian knew he hadn't been a very good friend these last four months, not to anyone. Ever since his marital separation in August, Dorian had avoided his friends to avoid talking about it. He had simply withdrawn then, but after the Boggart event earlier this month, Dorian had been downright unpleasant - even rude.

Dorian had slowly been making amends; he had invited Mal to a Quidditch game and had even sent Selah a letter thanking her for sending him his broomstick. But it was a slow process, and Dorian couldn't remember the last time he had even spoken to Aubrey, nor what he had said. Not knowing if he should address the elephant in the room or pretend it never existed, Dorian shifted uneasily in his chair and did not speak.

Aubrey seemed at ease as he walked into the staffroom, both literally and figuratively letting his hair down as he took a seat and made conversation. "Yeah," Dorian said a beat too late to sound natural. He tried to relax somewhat in his seat and looked at one of his oldest friends. "I, er..." he began uncomfortably, wondering how to even begin to explain why he was sleeping on a chair in the staff room instead of at home in his bed. He sighed, deciding to start at the beginning - somewhere he didn't want to go. "Look, mate, I'm sorry about these last four months. I haven't really told anyone, but… well, Selah and I have separated. I've moved out. I didn't want to talk about it, so I just…" he trailed off and made a gesture as if to say, 'well, you know the rest'.

Aubrey looked at him as he spoke to him, gave a wry smirk hearing the apology, "There's no need to apologize to me, it's been a rough time from the sounds of it," he murmured, "I'm not gonna make you talk about it, but if you want to, you know I'm here," he said, "Where have you been staying? I'm assuming in the time, you've secured yourself somewhere to stay?" he asked. He didn't want to press any buttons and upset him too much, but he wanted to make sure he was taking care of himself at least. He hadn't taken the bad moods personally, he hardly ever did regardless of who it was. He was just aware that people had their own issues and he didn't know what everyone was facing.

"Thank you," Dorian replied quietly, relieved that Aubrey not only accepted his apology but did not ask many follow up questions. It wasn't easy for Dorian to open up – to anyone – and though the tension in his body was beginning to disipate, he still felt uncomfortable and guarded with this line of conversation. It was only last week that he had finally (soberly and with honesty) confided in Mal... but Mal did not work at Hogwarts, and no matter how much he trusted Aubrey, Dorian knew how quickly gossip could spread within the castle.

Aubrey's next question about where he had been sleeping seemed harmless enough, and Dorian answered with only the slightest pause. "I spent a few nights at the Leaky Cauldron, or I crashed with a friend of mine. But, mostly, I've been staying here at Hogwarts. In my little office," he laughed, though it wasn't funny; he was certain his back was permanently damaged from months sleeping on a too-short couch. "I didn't want anyone to find out, but, well, you know how hard it is to keep a secret here." Dorian smiled at this, pleased that he had managed for so long... if it wasn’t for the Boggart, he might still be living in secrecy. Then again – if it weren't for the Boggart, he might still be a miserable, bad tempered drunk. "Rossi found out and he moved me into quarters nearby. I’m still in the Octagon tower, but a floor above my old office."

With a yawn, Dorian stood from the chair and stretched. It hadn't been the most comfortable place to nap, but he had slept in worse places. He looked out the window, surprised to see a bright sunny day. "Fucking hell, what time is it?" he asked in alarm. Did he sleep until the afternoon?

"Well, as long as you've got a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in, that's the most important part right?" Aubrey said with a light smile, then heard Dorian's question of the time, "Oh I believe it's about noon, but I'm never very good at looking at the time," he said, looking out the window too.
"That's because you have the luxury of being on your own time, Morris," a woman's voice cut in as the door opened again to reveal a different Auror that had been haunting the halls, "Flitting about like the very snitch you were so fond of catching," Nuka muttered as she moved into the room, pulling her trench coat off and tossing it onto an empty chair, "Please tell me there's coffee in here? I don't expect the marvels of modern technology here, but I can make coffee the old-fashioned way," she muttered as she walked over to any kind of cabinets in the room, opening and closing them as she searched.
Aubrey cleared his throat, feeling a bit slighted by her comment as he was aware it was meant as one, "I suppose you've just woken up then, Murphy," he said, giving a smile. He preferred to be friendly with most people, but some people made that hard.
Nuka sucked her teeth as she turned, the coffee in her hands now, "Mind yours, eh?" she said, giving a tight smile in return though it quickly went away as she turned to go about the process of making the coffee.
"Hard to do so when you come barging in like a twister," he muttered a little under his breath. He scoffed though when she tossed him an obscene gesture without looking at him, "I think I should find my way out. Let me know if you need anything," He said to Dorian, sincerely, before standing and starting out of the staff room.

Dorian was still looking out the window, grateful for the excuse to hide the scowl that crossed his face at Aubrey's comment about having a roof over his head. "Right," he mumbled, more to himself than anything. His friend wasn't wrong; Dorian was indeed lucky to have a place to stay free of charge, but he couldn't help but feel ashamed for how pitiful he had been acting these last few months. After all, he could hardly complain that he had to sleep on a couch in his office when he was the one that had left Selah in the first place. If he hadn't been such a fool, he would be sleeping in his own bed in his own house right now. Dorian shook his head slightly, but let the subject drop; this was not the time or place to ruminate over past regrets.

Thankfully, another voice interrupted his reverie, and curious as to who the newcomer would be, Dorian turned to face the door. If Aubrey was correct about the time and it was indeed noon, wouldn't most teachers be at lunch in the Great Hall right about now? To his surprise, it was his co-worker that entered, a woman whom Dorian knew only by sight. Realizing that he must have based his belief that Aurors didn't frequent the staffroom on his own reclusive habits, he chuckled softly to himself as the Auror began to banter with Aubrey. While his memory of the last six months had been muddled by heavy drinking, Dorian was certain that they had been introduced, and he did not join in their repartee as he tried to recall her name.

It wasn't until the Auror began to open and close cupboards in her search for coffee that Dorian opened his mouth to speak. "There's -" he began, pointing to the long staff table in the middle of the room, then falling silent when he realized it was empty. He frowned in confusion; any other time that he had visited the staff room it had been laden with coffee, tea, pastries and sandwiches. Perhaps the house-elves were too busy with lunch to worry about supplying what should be an empty staff room with food and beverage. It made sense now that he thought about it; he had seen how empty the kitchens were compared to his days as a student. "Never mind," he added quickly, as she pulled a package of coffee from one of the cupboards and got to work.

As his friend made his goodbyes, Dorian moved from the windows to take a seat in the same chair he had been napping in earlier. "All right," he called back to Aubrey. He was a beat too late, and his forced smile was more akin to a grimace; he was definitely out of practice when it came to socializing. "I'll probably see you out on the Quidditch pitch. Selah just sent my broom and I've been dying to get back in the air."

Looking back to the Auror and trying desperately to remember her name, he said conversationally, "I take it you're not a fan of dining in the Great Hall, either."

Aubrey looked over at Dorian as he spoke and nodded, "I'm usually out there, so I'm sure you'll find me," he chuckled a bit and then left the room.

Nuka looked at Dorian for a moment then snorted, "What point is there to sit in there and be surrounded by a bunch of bright-eyed hopeful and moody teenagers?" she grumbled as she worked on making her coffee, "Especially when I first wake up and they're all rearing from their morning classes," she shook her head as she leaned on the counter, "I brought my coffee maker but forgot this place doesn't have any accessibility to electricity so it's a moot point," she scoffed, rubbing her eyes.

As the coffee finished, she poured it into a mug and then...slipped out her flask and poured some of the contents into the coffee as well. She then took a sip of it and gave a satisfied "Ah", "I think this is some idiot in the Ministry's idea of trying to remind me of my youth or something, make me a nicer person, but they can fuck right off," she said with a tight smile.

After engaging in the obligatory small talk, Dorian was set on making a subtle exit from the staffroom, eager to avoid any situation that would expose his memory lapse regarding the Auror's name. He had a strong feeling that she had been introduced as his superior, and he hoped once he learned her name, he could make a better impression on her the next time their paths crossed. However, her decision to brew her coffee in an "old-fashioned" manner caught his attention, and he lingered behind to observe.

Having been spoiled by the luxuries of magic and house-elves, Dorian was curious why she would want to make coffee the Muggle way. "Well, that's not quite the old-fashioned way, is it?" he playfully quipped, alluding to the magical assistance she used in heating the water. "Can't say we didn't do the same at the World Cup in '94." Dorian smiled wistfully at the memories, and while it wasn't quite on par with the World Cup, he was rather looking forward to the upcoming Wasps match with Mal.

Even with the assistance of magic, the brewing process was slow compared to the convenience of a ready-made pot just steps away. If her reasoning was to avoid the teenagers, Dorian wondered why she hadn't simply ventured a floor down to the kitchens for her coffee. "The house-elves are pretty bright-eyed too," he mumbled as if answering his own mental question. Perhaps it would be worth investing in a maker like this, for when he just wanted to be alone.

From the comfort of her armchair, Dorian watched as amber-hued liquid dripped into the waiting carafe, releasing an irresistible aroma. Wanting to avoid the temptation, Dorian decided to leave when the brew was finished; he needed to get some sleep and caffeine would only ensure that he was plenty tired in time for his shift tonight. As he formed his goodbyes in his head, a flask emerged from the Auror's pocket and Dorian felt the pull of another more dangerous craving. However, just as he got to his feet and prepared to leave, her next words steered the conversation to an intriguing path. "What do you mean?" he asked, despite his previous intention to avoid conversation.

"There's not a stove in here for me to make it without the magic, so halfway old-fashioned then," she snorted at Dorian's correcting her. She definitely could feel his trying to slink out of the room, it was like a tangible thing coming from his direction.

As she got comfortable, sipping her "coffee" again, she almost smirked a bit at the fact he found he was asking questions instead of leaving as he clearly had intended to.

"I'm not exactly the friendly type, especially not the kind to coddle children, so why else would they send me here?" she shook her head, "Hoping being around all these children will soften me up. Not likely," She scoffed, "But you seem like you're two steps out the door. Don't let me keep you, look like you need some sleep, bub."

Generally speaking, being assigned to Hogwarts wasn't a coveted position and Aurors stationed at the castle usually fell into one of two categories: veterans who had their own motivations for being at the school, and newcomers who had no say in the matter. Discovering that the Ministry of Magic had dispatched a seasoned Auror to Hogwarts for the purpose of being "softened up" piqued Dorian's curiosity, and he approached the Auror, momentarily setting aside his exhaustion.

Leaning against the table, Dorian's eyes locked on the coffee maker but his thoughts were distant. The notion of being pulled from an exciting role in the Wizarding World and dropped into the exceedingly dull environment of Hogwarts reminded him of his own suppressed feelings of job dissatisfaction; after six years, it was only his apathy that kept him here now. "How long is your sentence?" he asked quietly, his words matching her cynicism with a touch of empathy.

Dorian chuckled, amused by the use of her word 'bub' (maybe he wasn't the only one struggling to remember names today) and her keen observation that he had been halfway out the door. What had he expected, trying to fool someone who read body language as part of her job? "Yeah," he admitted, running his hands through his long hair. "I just finished a night shift - well, I guess it's been a few hours now," he corrected, recalling Aubrey's reminder that it was now past noon. "And I'm back on duty tonight. What about you? Were you lucky enough to land the coveted day shift?"

"They didn't give me a release date," Nuka answered the initial question with same sort of metaphor as he'd asked it, "So I guess until I learn to act whatever way they want," she snorted, shaking her head, "Meaning I'll probably be here until we're not stationed here any longer or until I retire, whichever comes first," she rubbed at her temple with her free hand.

"Considering the time I guess you could say it's more of the afternoon shift... though I don't tend to stick to any kind of set schedule, whenever I'm conscious I'm walking around. Sometimes that's for more than a normal shift amount, depending on if sleep wants to be my friend or not," she shrugged. She'd stayed awake days at a time before because sleep just wasn't an option. Some nights, not even the alcohol was enough to keep it away.

She sipped her "coffee" again before looking at him, "What about you? How long are you stuck here?" she raised a brow, "You don't seem the type to want to spend your days surrounded by hormonal brats either."

Suppressing a bitter laugh, Dorian's pessimism seeped into his response. "Might want to consider an early retirement then. Hogwarts doesn't exactly grow on you, and the Ministry won't be pulling us out anytime soon." When he had eagerly accepted the assignment back in 1999, it was with genuine belief in the job's importance - a belief that hadn't faded. But it was no longer the job for him; after six long years with little to no excitement, it had become tedious. Of course, some Aurors could find long-term contentment at the school, but judging by her attitude, Dorian suspected that she was not among them.

As if she could hear his unspoken thoughts, the Auror redirected his question back at him regarding the duration of his assignment to Hogwarts. "My sentence is self-imposed," he muttered, shifting his weight from foot to foot in his discomfort. Dorian knew it wasn't fair to be reticent now, especially after he had asked her the same questions… but he was barely ready to confront his feelings, let alone share them with a stranger. Straightening his posture, Dorian signalled his intent to leave. "I better get some sleep," he said. "See you later… bub." Offering her a tight smile, he exited the staffroom.

Once the door had closed behind him, he shook out the tension in his shoulders and let out a deep exhale. Now painfully reminded of his growing discontent with his job, as he walked back to his living quarters, Dorian's thoughts gravitated towards the bottle of Firewhisky tucked away in his trunk -- untouched, yet always there, just in case.

When Dorian evaded the response, she quirked a brow but didn't call him out on it, sipping her drink again. She smirked at the "bub" and watched him leave, not responding.

"See you, Dorian," she muttered to herself in the now empty room, her eyes flashing a little. She pulled a notebook out of her pocket, along with a pen, and jotted some notes to herself, "This shall be interesting," she muttered to herself as she looked over towards the window, seeming much more focused than she had during the entire conversation, like slipping off a mask.

She'd done her research on the other Aurors and all of the staff before she came here. If she was responsible for protection, she took that seriously enough, even if it didn't mean she wanted to be everyone's friend. But there was only so much one could learn about a person on paper, so she'd have to do some research on her own time.

(And end scene lol)