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"YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE" Remus murmured as he stared up at her. Athena frowned to herself for a moment, looking over at the ornate clock sitting on the bedside table. She was going to be late.
"And whose fault is that?" Athena asked as she leant over him and kissed him yet again. The metal of her locket settled on his chest as he rested his hands gently on her neck, occasionally running his fingers through the curls of her hair.
"Yours" Remus whispered through kisses, "it's your job not mine"
"You're too addicting Remus, I don't want to leave" Athena smirked as he sat up from the bed and wrapped his arms around her. He buried his face in her neck as she sighed to herself. A few more days like this would be highly appreciated right about now.
It felt as though their summer had been taken in a storm of order business. Athena couldn't remember having a spare moment to themselves in weeks which was annoying considering that today was the first day of the new school year. Every year was a repetitive broadcast. The same over and over again. Hoping this year was different was a bad omen. Athena was positive it would be different she just wasn't sure it would be for good reason. Change was never good, especially not at the moment.
"You always said you'd leave after Harry leaves" Remus reminded her as he placed smaller kisses around her collarbone.
"I know I did" Athena replied, "and I meant it... at the time"
"I can't see you ever leaving Hogwarts" Remus muttered, looking up at her through almost sad eyes.
Athena stared back at him for a moment before she forced a smile, placing her hands on the side of his face and giving him one last, meaningful kiss before she slid backwards off his lap and onto her feet.
"Truthfully I can't either" Athena shrugged, "but I can't go on forever, maybe after this war... priorities will be different"
"If there is an after this war, that is" Remus mused, taking the opportunity of her absence to lie back on the bed with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.
"You're beginning to sound like me" Athena laughed lightly as she picked some dark red robes out of the wardrobe.
"Well I do spend most of my time with you" Remus pointed out with a small smile, "it's only natural—"
"Yes, yes I know" Athena replied, pulling the robes over her head, "but I could do with some of your well guided optimism right about now. This year doesn't bode well"
"You say that every year"
"And somehow I'm always right" Athena sighed shortly, arranging her hair over her shoulders, "I look a mess"
"You could never look a mess Rena" Remus smiled, sitting up again, "you always look beautiful"
"Yes well you have to say that" Athena scoffed.
"Doesn't mean it's not true" Remus shrugged, grabbing her arm and pulling her closer to him, "five more minutes?"
"It's you who pointed out I was going to be late" Athena laughed, "the feast is going to start in less than twenty minutes and I don't even have my stuff together yet"
"But if you're late you might as well accept that you're going to be late—"
"I'm going" Athena interrupted, "I'll see you at the weekend"
Remus sighed dramatically, standing up and wrapping his arms around her again. Athena was very tempted to simply stay, to appreciate the warmth he provided and the safety he convinced her was present. Unfortunately their time was yet again limited which meant no matter how much she wanted to stay in his arms, she couldn't. Hogwarts needed her.
"Yeah you will" Remus replied, looking disappointed that she was leaving, "there's a meeting on Saturday"
"Oh you are kidding me" Athena groaned loudly, "I swear they're all the same, nothings happening... can't they just accept that?"
"Evidently not"
"Dumbledore is obsessed yet again, he let that go to his head last time. Now he's ignoring Harry and I have no idea what that's going to do to him. This isn't fair. None of it is"
"Of course it's not" Remus shook his head, "but the more meetings we have, the closer we are to finishing this whole thing"
"Let's hope so" Athena stated simply.
Her furrowed brow and frown disappeared a second later as she looked back up at Remus who was smiling warmly at her through Athena's annoyance. Her anger melted as she reached up and kissed him again.
"Last one" she murmured.
"I swear you said that half an hour ago" Remus laughed, "come on, you need to go. Aurora won't be happy if you're late and she'll blame me again"
"Well it is your fault" Athena joked, "if I lived alone I would have been there hours ago"
"Oh my apologies" Remus scoffed sarcastically, "do pass on my sincere words of sorry to your sister, I do hope she forgives me"
Athena laughed jovially as she picked up her bags and started to walk down the stairs. With every passing step she became closer and closer to leaving. Even if only for a week. The thing was, one week would then turn into two and things would get so busy she'd barely have a chance to get away. It happened every year.
Stepping into the fire place, Athena turned one last time and stared at Remus who was leaning on the door. There was a smile on his face she wished she could savour in her mind.
"Only a week" he said gently.
"A week" Athena nodded, "I can do that"
His smile was the last thing she saw before she dropped the floo powder in front of her feet and stated her destination loud and clear. The green flames stole her from her home and took her on a whirling ride down and down and down until she felt her feet hit against the fireplace she knew belonged to her own shared office.
"You're late!" Aurora called immediately rushing forwards, "come in we need to get to the feast"
Aurora looked the same as ever in plumb robes with her hair so tight there wasn't even a small baby hair out of place. She took Athena's arm, linked hers with it and started to hurry towards the door.
"Give me a minute at least" Athena sighed, dropping her bags over the floor as they fled the room.
"I can't, somethings happened" Aurora said almost anxiously.
"What do you mean something's happened?" Asked Athena, "what's happened?"
"Oh I'm not sure Rena but it's not good" Aurora continued, "he didn't tell me, in fact I think he only told McGonagall"
"Who? Dumbledore?" Athena frowned, "told you about what?"
"Who he hired, or not hired for that matter" Aurora sighed loudly as they paced down the stone cases two stairs at a time, "oh it can't be good Rena"
"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" Athena stopped dead at the bottom of the staircase leading to the entrance hall. For once Aurora looked dishevelled as she rearranged her robes, staring at the floor rather than into Athena's eyes.
"I think the ministry has infiltrated Hogwarts" Aurora stated simply.
"What?" Athena gasped in horror. She couldn't think of much worse than this. The ministry had an iron grip on most of the wizarding world but until now Hogwarts had remained safe from this. At least Athena had believed so. At the moment, the ministry were casting all the wrong ideas onto mouldable minds meaning that people were listening to lies and delusion. The ministry trying to get Hogwarts under their vice certainly didn't bode well.
"How could Dumbledore let this happen?" Athena asked angrily.
"He didn't have a choice" Aurora replied, "it's Fudge, obviously it is... oh come on we're going to miss his speech"
Athena didn't have any time to question what was going on as Aurora took her arm again and pushed through the double doors into the great hall. Students turned their heads towards the two sisters as they paced across the stone between the tables and up to the one at the top. She didn't have time to look at who the defence against the darks arts teacher was as Aurora pulled her into the seat next to her.
Dumbledore stood up as soon as they were seated. Athena hoped they hadn't been waiting for her. She looked around the room to see everyone gazing around, some eyes glued to Dumbledore, others still looking at her and Rory, some looking at each other in question.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
Umbridge. Athena recognised that name. She wasn't sure if she'd ever met her but she knew she was a ministry official. This was what Aurora had been talking about. No one looked delighted to welcome Umbridge. Not that all the students were aware who she was.
There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"
"Hem, hem,"
The small girlish cough echoed over the walls. Aurora stiffened in her seat and Athena looked curiously at the woman who had now made her way to the front of the teachers table beside Dumbledore. Now in plain view, Athena couldn't believe this woman existed. She looked almost toad-like facially, her hair in tight fake curls. She wore pink, so much pink that it was a lot to take in. She was short, a lot shorter than Dumbledore but carried a certain power in her mean eyes. Her fake smile was noticeable from a mile away. Athena had never seen anyone interrupt Dumbledore like this before.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk. Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Athena had ever seen it.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish and again, Athena felt a powerful rush of dislike that she could not explain to herself; all she knew was that she loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan. She gave another little throat- clearing cough ("Hem, hem") and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
Athena cast a glance over the hall. None of the faces she could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"
Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("Hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Athena distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation . . ."
Professor Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Athena had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively. Aurora was very obviously making notes in her head, trying to remember every aspect of the words she spoke.
Athena could clearly see why. These words were important as they outlined the ministry's mission. Umbridge was probably in Fudge's pocket and knowing the minister of magic, he would definitely do anything in his power to squash any belief that Voldemort had returned. This would be reversing the work the order had already sought to do.
". . . because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Athena noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."
Aurora turned to Athena immediately and the next words of Dumbledore were drowned out.
"I told you it was bad" Aurora whispered, "don't you see? They're going to change everything good at Hogwarts. I'm under no doubt that Fudge will try and push Dumbledore out"
"Dumbledore needs to not give Fudge a reason to do that"
"In Fudge's eyes he's already given reason enough" Aurora sighed, "if they've already managed to place one of their own directly under everyone's noses they won't end there. They're seeing how much they can push this until there's none of Hogwarts left, just a skeleton"
"We won't let that happen" Athena frowned.
"What are we going to do?" Aurora asked, "anything we do is a risk not just to us and this job but to the order. That's why she's really here, that's why Fudge wants to stand in the way. He knows Dumbledore isn't just sitting back and doing nothing. He's trying to find out just what he is doing"
"As I said, we can't give any reason for him to suspect a thing" Athena continued, "we lay low and see what this bitches deal is. I mean really, how bad can she possibly be?"
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A/n
Words - 2650
Published - 10th July 2021
I'm nearly finished
watching criminal minds
considering it has over 300
episodes I only started it at
the end of May I'd say that was quite
an achievement
I'm going to be completely
lost when I finish it though
I'm way too emotionally attached