Strings Attached

Chapter 7

"The station by the end is yours. Get ready quickly, our training time starts in 20 minutes." Charlus said. Celeste nodded her head and began to walk towards her station before Charlus called.

"It's good to have you as a workmate now." Charlus said, smiling genuinely.

"Same goes here." Celeste said smiling before disappearing in her station.

There was a charcoal black woolen cloak, with a deep red colour vest and a black shirt. It was accompanied by charcoal black slacks and a black man hat.

"Nice choice of uniform." Celeste said before shrugging off her red leather coat. She stepped into the changing room, and discarded her clothes.

She picked up the black shirt, opened buttons and slipped her right hand first into sleeves followed by the left hand into the left sleeve.

She buttoned up her shirt. She picked up her deep red vest and fastened over her upper body.

She slipped into her slacks and tucked her shirt under the slacks. It's really happening. The only thought rushed in her head as she shrugged on her long woolen coat and tipped the hat over head.

She slipped her wand into the holster hidden beneath her sleeves.

She wore her ministry given Black faux leather boots. She tied up the lace and now she was a hitwitch.

A smile swept on her face as she walked out of her station and joined Charlus and an older looking man.

"Ah the woman of the talks. Miss Fischer, I am Joseph Timber. Leader of this squad. I have heard great things about you, from the head of the department and from Charlus over here." Joseph said as he extended his hand to be shaken.

Celeste shook his hand politely and gave him a good natured smile. "I sure hope that I live up to their words." Celeste said confidentially.

"And there is no doubt in that. But the training is going to be hard. You will be blind folded, your hearing will be temporarily taken away, and you are going to deal with unforgivable curse, except killing curse." Joseph explained as he walked them into the training room.

"It's gonna take me three years to complete the training, right?" Celeste asked as they braced up for the training.

"Depends on how fast you catch up with the course. You will learn to deal with the darkest magic of magical history. You will learn to disguise yourself in the given environment." Joseph said as he waved his wand and all sorts of equipment materialized in the room.

"How hitwitch training differs from Auror's training?" Celeste asked, intrigued.

"Auror have to learn more discretion, learning to track down and investigate a crime scene. Hit witches or wizards on the other hand solely deal with dark magic. They do not investigate the scene or try to find a trace of the criminal. They are summoned by aurors or minister of magic when in dire need." Joseph said as he pointed towards one of the pictures.

"We can be hired for the muggle prime minister, or as a security for minister of magic. But we do track down dark wizards, which are out of auror's pay grade and field range." Joseph said, looking at Celeste.

"So you mean, dealing with riots in case a war broke out in both the wizarding and muggle world but also with tracking of dark wizards?" Celeste asked as she slipped her wand from her holster into her palms.

"Exactly, you catch up fast. Starting of this training is with seeing how good your reflexes are. Then we will take up how well you can deal under pressure. Then taking away your instincts and see how well you roll with it." Joseph said, nodding his head.

"Wow, that sounds...intense." Celeste said, whistling making Joseph chuckle. "That's why nobody actually takes this offer. They run for the hills when they hear that they will solely deal with dark incidents." Joseph said and their training began.

And hours of training later, Celeste walked out of the ministry in her uniform to her home.

Her limbs were aching with the training. Jumping away from a red spell, deflecting the yellow spell and hours and hours later, her body was giving hell to her.

She knocked on the door of the house. Gilbert was the one who opened the door. His eyes brightened up at the sight of his sister.

"Aye, the uniform!" Gilbert exclaimed as Celeste entered the house and removed her boots by the threshold of the house.

"Uh huh, but training was draining. Seriously man, my reflexes need sharpening, lots of sharpening." Celeste said as she entered the sitting room where everyone was sitting chatting.

"Ah, the hitwitch has arrived." Albert said, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"The one and only." Celeste said proudly, removing her hat and placing it on the hat rack in the sitting room.

"So, one day, you will be our superior? Dang sis." Gilbert said with a grin.

"Me? Superior? I thought Aurors were superior?" Celeste asked  eyebrows scrunched and sat on one of the sofa.

"You thought wrong. Mr. Dawson is not an auror, but a hitwizard." Theseus offered, sipping on wine. She nodded, her mouth formed an 'O'.

"Where is Newt?" Celeste asked almost immediately, not noticing the reddish brown haired boy.

"Where do you think? In his room. Went to bed early. Apparently he has some urgent business tomorrow. He seemed excited." Gilbert said, handing her a wine glass.

"Thanks, I desperately needed a drink." Celeste said as she took the glass in her hand.

Theseus and Gilbert asked her all sorts of questions, and night slipped away. Celeste yawned loudly as she walked towards her room.

"Celeste, is that you?" Newt asked, poking his head out of his room. He looked like he just woke up from his sleep.

"Oh yeah. Gil told me that you went to bed early." Celeste said as she looked at him, a smile on her face.

"Ah yeah I did. Too much excitement for a day. But...is that your uniform?" Newt asked, finally noticing the change of her clothes.

"Oh this? Yes, it is my uniform." Celeste said almost excitingly.

"Looks good on you. And I guess your optimism worked wonders today. I got promoted to the beast division." Newt said, smiling shyly.

"Really?" Celeste asked, eyes brightening up. "Yes really. Tomorrow is my first job at the ministry as a beast division employee." Newt said, and Celeste could say that it is just the start of something great for him.

"Oh Newt, I am so happy for you." Celeste said as she walked in front of him and pulled him in a hug.

"Your optimism is always appreciated. I don't think I would have made it till here without your support." Newt said as he buried his nose in her hair and wrapped his hands around her waist.

"Nonsense. Even without me, you would have gotten the job. I appreciate the credit, but it goes for you too." Celeste murmured into his chest.

"And I- when will you be free tomorrow?" Newt asked, still wrapped in the hug.

"7 pm. One hour give or take. Why though?" Celeste asked, knotting her eyebrows together and lifted her head to look at him.

"How does dinner sound? I know we haven't been out together, just us, for a while." Newt asked.

"Sounds amazing. And now if you don't mind, I need to get out of these clothes. As much as I love them, I need to take a bath." Celeste as she pulled away from the hug.

"And I will go back to bed. But, really, I am proud of you." Newt said, smiling at her. Celeste gave him a last smile before she walked to her room.