Chapter 3
WALKING INTO MACUSA'S AUROR OFFICE is daunting for Rory. It shouldn't be, considering she'd been perfectly confident at the Ministry. But this is completely different, this is MACUSA.
Rory stands awkwardly in the doorway, hoping someone will notice her and show her to wherever she’s supposed to be.
"Hey kid. You Rory?"
A gruff voice asks. It sounds like it belongs to someone who's smoked nearly every day of their life.
"Yes!"
Rory shouts a little too loudly.
"Hm. I'm Jacob. Don't do anything stupid and get the two of us killed."
He requests.
"You're my partner?"
Rory clarifies.
"Yeah. Problem?"
"No. Nice to meet you."
"Can't say the same."
Jacob grunts, turning to lead her into the office.
"Your desk is there, mine's across from it. Keep on top of any paperwork so we can focus on doing our actual job. Understand?"
"Uh, yes."
Rory confirms.
"Good. Come on, we're going out."
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SHE KNOWS THINGS CANT ALWAYS be exciting, but Merlin, Rory is bored. First official day on the job and all the British witch had been doing is leaning lazily on some street corner. She isn’t even one hundred percent sure what they’re supposed to be doing. Jacob simply told her to stay in position.
"Rory from Cornwall?"
"Hm? Oh, hi Pietro."
"What are you doing here?"
Pietro asks.
"Waiting."
Rory replies simply.
"For a friend?"
"No. I'm just waiting."
"So you're not busy?"
Pietro asks.
"Well, I suppose not."
Rory shrugs. Technically she is but technically she’s not. There’s no clear answer.
"Would you like to grab a coffee?"
The question throws Rory a little, she can’t figure out why he'd want to get coffee with her.
"You don't seem like someone who needs any more energy but we can grab a drink."
Rory eventually laughs and pulls Pietro along the footpath.
"So uh, I don't know this city like at all, so where would you suggest for coffee?"
She asks as they falls into step. It’s a little hard to keep up with the tall man but she manages.
"I know a place."
Pietro assures her, pulling her into a busy shop on the corner. The sign reads Starbucks.
Rory has heard of this before, her Aunt Hermione had told her about the global coffee chain. She never had the chance to visit it while she was back in the UK, but she’s about to do just that.
Claiming a table, Rory asks with all the seriousness she can summon if they serve tea. Pietro laughs at her, muttering something about British stereotypes, before promising to get her some tea.
Returning to the table, Pietro has a coffee for himself and a tea for Rory, as promised. The grin that spreads across Rory's face is infectious.
"So, tell me about yourself."
She asks, taking the first sip of her tea. It’s nice, a vaguely vanilla flavoured black tea. Pietro chose well.
"Like what?"
"Family, hobbies, childhood stories, that sort of thing."
She lists absently with a shrug.
"Only if you do the same."
"Deal. I'll start. I come from a large family, I'm the oldest of four with two sisters and a brother."
Rory starts.
“I have a younger twin sister, the rest of our family died when we were young."
He reveals. Rory apologises for his loss, she understands what it feels like to lose family and feels bad for bringing it up.
"Hobbies?"
She asks after a short silence.
"Does annoying my colleagues count?"
Pietro wonders with a little laugh.
"It sure does."
Rory laughs with him.
"How about you?"
Pietro returns the question to her.
"I like pranking my family, I sorta inherited it from my uncles. Which is odd cause I never met one of them, he died in the war."
Rory laughs sadly at the thought of her uncle Fred.
"Which war?"
Well shit, she forgot that Pietro was a muggle.
"Uh, one of them."
She covers quickly.
"Tell me about your childhood."
Pietro asks, thankfully moving to the next topic.
"I'm the eldest, so my siblings look up to me. Lately, Victorie and I haven't gotten along. I think it's some sort of inferiority complex which makes no sense because I'm literally a mess. My little brother is ten years younger than me and he is the most adorable thing I've ever seen. One time a few years ago, the kids in our village were giving him a hard time so he screamed that his sister was a detective and sprayed them with a hose."
Rory can’t help the smile at the memory. Louis had come home covered in water but smiling like the biggest idiot, and later the parents of the children had complained about his wild behaviour.
"Cute. I didn't know you were a detective."
Pietro points out.
"Cause I didn't tell you. I just transferred out here, much to my family’s horror."
"Why wouldn't they support your career?"
"Beats me. They're just a bunch of hypocrites. My dad went to Egypt before he came back after meeting my mum, my uncle Charlie moved to Romania to work at a sanctuary, my uncles Harry and Ron and aunt Hermione literally disappeared for a year, my uncles George and Fred didn't even finish school before opening their business. So I really don't see the problem is with me spending a few years in America."
Rory shrugs. She doesn’t fail to notice the fall of Pietro's face. His mood suddenly down.
"It's not a permanent thing?"
Pietro asks, sounding a little disappointed.
"Why? Do you want it to be?"
Rory shoots back, taking a sip of her tea. Pietro blushes and chokes on his drink as her question registers in his mind.
"I-it just seems counterproductive to move to a city for a few years, is all."
"Nice save."
Rory teases the silver haired man. His blush deepens.
Spotting Jacob's patronus, Rory quickly excuses herself to the bathroom. In there, the patronus lets its message play.
"Where the hell are you? I told you to stay in position! Now I'm chasing the target by myself. You better get your arse back here!"
Jacob hisses angrily before the silvery image vanishes. Cursing quietly, Rory rushes back out to Pietro.
"I'm really sorry but my partner just called and I need to go cause he needs help."
She apologises hastily and continues to rush out into the street. Darting into an alley, Rory disapparates to her post, hoping she isn’t too late.
"Your partner?"
Pietro whispers long after Rory ran off. Disappointment blossoms in his chest as he pays for the drinks and walks slowly home.