Wish Upon A Star (Cont.)

Meeting 4

When Ashlyn returned to her office in the afternoon one day, she did not expect an owl waiting for her...carrying a letter from Narcissa Malfoy...inviting her for lunch. 

Ashlyn sighed and closed her eyes. The time wasn't convenient at all. 

She had so many things to do and to start with, she could go with her appearance. 

After her recent excursion, her robes were tattered in places, her shoes were covered with dust, her hair was dishevelled, and she had bruises on her arms, and a gash running along her face. If she did start by sorting that out, she won't have time to finish the report she had been keeping pending because something *ahem* took up the time she had actually allotted for it. Then it didn't help that she would have to inform Robards about the new arrest, and then she had to go back out for another trip...

She just didn't have time. 

Ashlyn sank into her chair, behind her desk and pulled out her wand, muttering incantations under her breath, slowly healing herself. 

She should probably send a letter asking if they could rearrange the date or time for the meeting...Maybe it couldn't be done. Maybe Mrs Malfoy had finally managed to get Mr Malfoy out for a day. In that case, no other time would be convenient for them but the one she had mentioned today.

"Damnit," Ashlyn muttered and got to her feet, and conjured a large mirror in front of her. Then she began fixing her robes, her shoes, her hair...

She should probably carry the folder along with her. Maybe she would get a chance to squeeze in some work.

Ashlyn hurried down to the atrium, to the fireplaces, where she met Draco.

"I'm supposing you got mother's letter too," he said. 

Ashlyn nodded. "You look terrible," she told him.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Why thank you," he said sarcastically.

Ashlyn sighed and pulled out her wand, pointing it at him as they waited for the queue of the people trying to leave the Ministry for lunch. 

"What happened?" she asked.

"A duel, nothing much," Draco shrugged as she fixed him.

"There," she said finally, putting her wand back into her robes. "Now you look simply spiffy,"

"I had to leave my work halfway," Draco droned, as he watched Ashlyn bury herself in the folder in her hands, she was twirling a quill in her right hand as she frowned at the parchment before her eyes.

"You could have done the same," he said. "You really need to stop burying yourself in work. I hardly ever see you without a stupid folder,"

Just then a couple of purple airplanes zoomed overhead and settled in front of Ashlyn.

"Oh, dear," she sighed, collecting them and unfolding them one by one. 

"Yay~," she said enthusiastically. "More work,"

"You don't have to come," Draco said. "I'll tell mother. She can't possibly argue. There was no prior appointment. She can't expect the Head of the Auror Department to have so much free time," he grumbled.

"Chill, Draco," Ashlyn said, her eyes travelling across the parchment at a furious pace. "I can manage,"

"No, you can't," Draco snapped. "You should seriously stop overworking yourself,"

"I'm not overworking," Ashlyn said simply. "I've done much more than this when I was in school,"

"This is not school," Draco reminded her.