Chapter 1
Chapter 1-
It was almost Christmas and Tristan Shaklebolt was running through Whittle-Castle in the dark after a man on the most wanted posters. “Stop Brentwood ! Stop “, He shouted at the man. Just then a large bird swooped down and almost hit him. He ducked down and tried to get the bird locked in a cage for safe keeping. “What in the world is a Hornnose Bucking doing here ?”, Tristan said out loud. They were native to Asia. Brentwood was gone and so was the bird. Another report he would have to write up later great. The other aurors were on the outskirts of town in a small village cottage. They were organizing the items they found which was not much. A few potion bottles and one niffler they found hiding. Tristian walked back to the cottage. “Oh well you tried, no use of crying over this, he wasn’t staying here long”, Said Senior Auror Thomas. “Let’s all get back to the office”, Auror Thomas advised them. “At least the citizens here are taking notice of the posters”, Said Tristan as they entered the office. Tristan went to his desk and took his heavy cloak off. He then rolled his sleeves up dressed in a cotton long sleeve shirt under his Auror robes otherwise it was too hot for him to stand. The office at night got stuffy with the fires on. “Tea anyone ?”, He asked looking around at his team. A few hands went up and he went off. Five cups of tea easy. Some with milk, some with just sugar. His was milky white. They were due home in another hour at 11pm when night shift came in. He liked working the later shift and he didn’t run into his dad as often. Hazel would be reading or asleep. She always asked for the holiday week off and Christmas was in three days. The office was Skelton crew next week unless a disaster occurred or war broke out. He was looking forward to the week to sleep. Tristan passed out the teas and started on his part of the report. Suspect visual. “Time for you all to get home”, Auror Thomas said eventually and they all clocked out for the day. Tristan put his pea coat on and caught a cab home. He loved London in the winter. It had been fairly warm. The cab stopped near the flat and he went inside. They had moved into a two bedroom. They had a door man now. “Evening”, Said Tristan entering and nodding at the older man working. He went upstairs. Using his wand he let himself in. The kitchen light was on he could see through the door. The master bedroom door was open. Hazel sat on the bed in pjs- matching ones. They looked new. “Alright ?”, She said seeing him now. She was wrapping boxes and he had no clue what was inside them. All labels ready. Lots of ribbon. “Clark and Manor had sale on ribbon. Mum found these pjs when we went out today. She is asleep now. She isn’t use to all the walking”, Hazel said. “Oh I didn’t know she was staying”, Tristan said. “Just till tomorrow night after dinner. I told her you were working until Christmas and she would see you then”, Hazel said. He smiled at her and changed into his pjs. He settled on the bed helping her wrap everything up. “They look good”, Hazel said. He took them and put them in living room. They had a very small tree with lights in the window on a table so people could see it. They didn’t want a big tree. “Love you”, She said touching him and then kissed him. They went to sleep turning the lights out. Tristan fell asleep uneasy. They had not had anything major happen for awhile now. Over the summer problems with tourist but nothing they could not handle.
Hazel woke up around 8am. She heard her mum making tea. “Hello darling”, Hazel mum said. “Did we get everything yesterday?”, Hazel asked. “Well I wanted to get Camron and the kids some sweaters at H&M, you know the one in Bathworth is awful and she has to order everything”, Hazel’s mum said. “Thanks mum”, She took the tea cup from her mum and sat down at the table. They had a room for the kitchen and a longish four person table in the bay windows. It was such a nice flat. Bathworth was muggle and wizarding town near almost to Cornwall. Her sisters husband was a herbologist managing one of the larger green houses out there for Saint Mungos potion department. Camron wrote for Which Broomstick and could work anywhere. She could floo into the London offices three times a week and was the quidditch liason manager now. Her mum was muggle and lived outside the city. She took the train in. Her dad was wizarding and retired now. Her older brother Max lived in Germany and came to London in the summer with his three kids then they all went to Spain on holiday. Then there was Camron and then Hazel. Hazel and all her siblings lived mainly in the wizarding world. “We can stop at some other shops over there near Knightsbridge, I need a dress for the New Years Party that the Shaklebolts have planned.”, “Sounds good, we can get lunch in Harrods then what a treat”, Her mum said. “I’ll go shower”, Her mum said. “I will get the hairdryer out of the closet for you mum”, Hazel said going back to her room. She kept it on the top shelf. She left for her mum on the the guest bed already made up. Hazel got Tristan a cup of a tea. The door was closed and she clambered on top off him. “What are you doing?”, He said. “It’s almost nine, did you even get me a gift ?”, “We are going out soonish to major shopping”, Hazel said bouncing around him. He grabbed her legs and she yelled out laughing. She fell to the bed. “Dork”, Tristan said to her hugging her to his chest now. “Yes I got your gift. It’s already under my parents tree”, He said. “I will stay in, I should do some auror reading” He told her drinking his tea in bed. “Ok fine”, She said and went to brush her teeth and do her hair. Hazel put on a jeans, a t-shirt with a sweater then her Chelsea boots. “You look good”, He said coming back in with a bowl of cereal. “Hazel ! I am all set. Do I need my coat ?”, her mum called out, “She brought her large coat”, Hazel said to him whispering. “No mum it’s so warm on the tube it’s not far !”, she called back. “See you later”, Hazel said smiling and leaving. He heard them talking and leave for their outing. He put the radio on and sat down for some auror training reading. He had brought it home earlier this week and had a test in the new year but probably February when it was slow.