Timeless II: Minutes of Tranquility [ATEEZ Hogwarts AU]

Sunday, January 8th

Sunday, January 8th. 06:15 AM. Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Vice Minister's office.

The office was busier than usual. A hive of activity hummed through the corridors. Distressed chatter from overworked employees, heavy doors opening and closing every second, and constant hooting from post owls disrupted the silence that usually reigned the weekends at the office. Other than that, it was a morning like any other in the Ministry of Magic.

Well, at least it had been until the vice minister heard a strange noise to his right. One brow raised, he glanced up from the report he had been working on for the past hour and scanned the room.

The neglected, dusty bookshelf, the vertical two-door cabinet full of badges and trophies, the large, old-fashioned fireplace. No signs of intrusion or disturbance. After a few beats of silence, he directed his attention back to the parchment in front of him. Barely a minute had passed when he heard the same noise again.

This time he was certain. It had come from the fireplace.

The vice minister drew his wand and rose from his office chair. It rolled backward until its backrest bumped against the bookshelf behind him bookshelf. He approached the fireplace, slowly, his wand directed at the dancing, orange flames.

He hesitated, listened. But nothing happened. The flames crackled mockingly around the firewood.

He rolled his eyes, starting to get annoyed. He was about to return to his seat when, in the blink of an eye, the flames turned emerald green. Tightening the grip around his wand, he braced himself as they hissed angrily and grew higher than the size of a man. The deadly spell had just begun to form on his lips when a person leaped out of the fire.

The vice minister was knocked off balance, stumbling backward against his desk as the attacker's arms wrapped around him. His familiar warmth encased him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"David," he whined. "You scared me."

David laughed his hearty laugh. The one he showed a few select people. "That was the plan, Vassily."

"I almost cursed you!"

"Yeah, yeah, but you didn't!"

Vassily shook his head. "Thankfully."

David pulled away from him, grinning.

Vassily stifled a grin of his own. "What are you doing here anyway? You were supposed to lay low for another month."

"I know, I know. But laying low turned out to be a lot more boring than I thought."

"Laying low is supposed to be boring."

"I wanted to see you."

Vassily studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. You can stay for a while. But make sure you don't get caught."

"Yes, my Lord," joked David. Not that he had to use that title.

Vassily pointed his wand at the door on the other side of the room and muttered, "Colloportus."

The lock clicked closed.

He plopped back into his office chair and let his wand glide back into the inner pocket of his fine, plum-colored robes.

David spun the chair for him as he glanced around the room. The expensive paintings and portraits that covered almost every inch of the emerald tiled wall, the ceiling-high bookshelves, the ancient telescope in the corner, the self-watering plant next to the entrance, the flames in the fireplace that had returned to its original state. He ran a hand over the nameplate on Vassily's desk.