The Adventures of Artemis Hexley

THE BONDS WE BREAK • Chapter 2: Welcome Guests

"Shall we head off, then?"

Outside, it was still sweltering, but the midday sun had sunk lower in the sky, and as Artemis and the Weasleys explored the village, the heat of the day seemed to ease to a more comfortable warmth. The sunshine, fresh air, and the sounds of village life intermingled with the noisy chatter and laughter of the Weasley family lifted Artemis' spirits immensely. This was what she had imagined from a life of travelling, not being stuck inside an employees' compound studying on her day off work.

The tour lasted several hours, in spite of Bill deciding that it would be better not to visit any of the catacombs ("we can go to the pyramids tomorrow", he said, with a nervous look at Fred and George). By the time they had finished, it was time for the Weasleys to return to their hotel for dinner, an event Artemis found herself once more being invited to.

Bill and Charlie's parents had done themselves well. Having entered a prize draw in the newspaper, they had ended up winning the grand prize: seven hundred galleons, enough to pay off several debts and take the whole family on holiday to visit their eldest son, complete with staying in a luxury hotel.

"There's even a spa," Mrs Weasley told Artemis over dinner, a comment to which Artemis merely hummed and nodded in return, never having been to a spa before, or even knowing what one was.

It was getting late when Mrs Weasley and Percy started to shepherd the younger siblings to their rooms, and Bill left for the compound, having work to do before he could join the family on their adventures the following day. Artemis was left alone with Charlie and his father, the three of them drinking sugarcane juice on a veranda outside the hotel.

"Do you not have work to do tomorrow morning, Artemis?" asked Mr Weasley, and Artemis shrugged in return.

"Probably, but I've promised Molly I'll go to the spa with her, and that sounds far more exciting."

She had answered the question with a smile on her face, but Charlie frowned at her words.

"You're still hating it, aren't you?" he asked quietly.

"I don't hate it," said Artemis, her smile slipping. "It's just not everything that I expected it would be, that's all."

"Is it as bad as when you were training?"

"Yes and no," Artemis sighed, tilting her glass and turning the base of it on the table in front of her, the sugar juice swilling and catching in the light as she did so. "I'm not working with O'Callahan anymore, which is good."

"O'Callahan?" Mr Weasley frowned.

"One of the trainers. He's been promoted to Head Curse-Breaker," Artemis explained, exchanging a wry glance with Charlie. "Total arse."

Charlie half-smiled. "Total and utter."

"Yeah. I mean, I've got a couple of sort-of friends who aren't Bill and I get to do actual curse-breaking now. And I guess I don't have to go to lectures on health and safety or learn Gobbledegook or do quite as many written assignments, but there's still a lot of paperwork. And everything is about making money."

"There's something to be said about making money," Charlie's dad smiled at her. "As someone who chose a job I'm passionate about over a job that pays well, let me tell you, it's not easy doing things the other way around, either."

"I guess. But it just feels wrong, handling so much money when in the village there are children begging on the streets."

"I can understand that."

"Yeah," Artemis shivered slightly, though the night air wasn't that cold. "I dunno. I guess being a professional Curse-Breaker isn't all it's cracked up to be."

She finished her drink and forced a smile that neither Charlie nor his father returned. Instead, Charlie was looking at her with a saddened expression, and Arthur appeared to be deep in thought.

"You know," he said pensively, "maybe you could do with taking a break, having some time to try something different. Widen your horizons, so to speak. I actually know of a few jobs they have coming up at the Ministry. Temporary positions, so no commitment if you don't enjoy them. A collaboration between the International Magical Co-Operation and the Department of Games and Sports. Could be right up your alley."

Artemis could guess why those particular jobs were coming up. Next summer, Britain was hosting the Quidditch World Cup, and no doubt the Ministry of Magic would need more employees to help manage the event. It would probably be quite fun, actually, and at least it would mean guaranteed tickets to watch international Quidditch matches. But even so, she shook her head.

"No," she told Arthur. "Thank you, but no. I'm just having a tough month and I'm making a mountain out of a gnome hill, really."

"I dunno, Artie," Charlie frowned. "Maybe-"

"I'm a Curse-Breaker. That's who I am, I wouldn't be me if I did anything else."

She raised her chin defiantly, and stared across the table at Charlie, as if daring him to argue with her, which he didn't. He shrugged, and smiled silently at her over the top of his drink, but his father wasn't done.

"Your job doesn't define you, Artemis," Arthur told her. "And there's never any shame in changing your mind about what you want from your life."

But Artemis couldn't think of anything else she would ever do with her life.