The Liars Department || Drarry

Chapter 2

Harry checked the perimeter one last time as he took down the wards then went back up the narrow alley and apparated back to the Ministry. It was nearly five, and the atrium was starting to get crowded as people began to clock out for the day. He waited for an elevator that was full when the doors open and that he rode up alone and filled as soon as he stepped out onto the second floor.

There was a reception desk with three or four clerks staffing it right across from the lift, the offices of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts and Wizegamot Administrative were on the left, and the Auror's took up the right, at least on this floor. They also had the holding cells on the lowest level, offices in International Magical Cooperation and Magical Creatures along with a lot of informal liaise positions in other departments. The higher up you got as an Auror, the more you ended up working with other departments, and politicking and schmoozing. The Senior Aurors who were good at it were few and far between, and when Harry did eventually get promoted, he knew without a shadow of a doubt, he would not be one of them.

Harry headed straight for his little cubical desk, absent-mindedly nodding to the other aurors he passed who were leaving for the day or clocking in for the night shift. He pulled out the form he hadn't finished filling out, more crumpled than folded and had to do several flatting charms on it to get most of the wrinkles out. He knew better than to try an ironing charm unless he wanted his report to be singed at the edges.

"Harry! Lucky catching you!" Ron said jovially.

Harry didn't look up, focusing on finishing up the last few boxes so he could sign off on the whole mess.

"You're usually long gone by now," Ron went on, stopping by Harry's shoulder, "Thought you just had a standard Muggle Exposure."

"It was," Harry said, "We still on for dinner tonight?"

Ron nodded, "Yep, I was gonna pick up some Indian food on the way."

"I'll wait so's I can tell you and Hermione at the same time," Harry said, messily signing his name and standing back up.

Ron took out his wand and tapped it on Harry's badge, turning it back into auror robes, "For how much you complain about the muggle uniform, you sure leave it on quite a bit."

"Oh, shut up," Harry groused, "I just forget."

"Yeah, right," Ron said.

Harry rolled his eyes, let his pace match Ron's as they headed back to the reception desk where Harry dropped off his and Malfoy's forms with the desk clerk there.

"Hey, Lewis was it?" Ron said, leaning on the other side of the counter.

"That's me," A scrawny looking bloke with glasses said, looking up from a mess of files he was attempting to organise.

"I heard you just transferred here. How do you like it so far, better than that stuffy old Patent Office by far, yeah?" Ron said.

"It's certainly more exciting," Lewis said, "But most things are more exciting than patent applications... unless it's from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

Ron grinned, "Too true. But you ought to stick with the Aurors anyway."

"Maybe," Lewis conceded, "But my friend Geoffry asked me to transfer to Magical Creatures and work with him so-"

"Damn," Ron said with mock dismay, "Friends beat out excitement every day."

Lewis grinned, "I do like it here though. Top of the list."

"Brilliant. I'll take that. Have a good one, yeah?" Ron said with a wave.

All the receptionists waved and said goodbye, Ron being the sort of generally good-natured sort that he made friends easily and could charm an acquaintance with a grin and bad joke.