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Awkward silence filled the elevator as the short goblin bellboy hummed to himself. Ariadne didn't even know how Tina found herself in this predicament, something about a bank? Within the four wall cage, Ariadne let her mind wander. Madam Picquery had ordered that she find answers to the destruction, something to tell the Confederation who were bound to arrive in New York. They all wanted answers that Ariadne didn't have or even know where to find. Silently, she played with the bracelet on her wrist, the rose that Theseus had given her a month ago twirled.
The ground floor of the building was busy. Wizards were walking around, different destinations in each of their minds. The ceiling seemed nonexistent as Ariadne craned her head up to the clouds. Tall windows illuminated sunlight into the building as a large poster of Madam Picquery hung up. In front, a large golden clock floated with its hand pointing at an orange metre reading 'severely unexplained activity.'
"Miss Nott!" Ariadne whipped her head around to find auror Achilles Tolliver calling her name, a few paces behind.
With a sad smile she turned to Scamander and Tina who stopped at her name, "I should probably stay here. I hope you find your case..."
"Newt."
"Ariadne," she smiled.
"I know," he replied. She was just about to ask how he knew her name, a slight suspicion that it was either from the papers or maybe from his older brother but Tolliver had caught up to them. His presence silenced Ariadne as he threw them a friendly smile.
"Graves wants you back," he uttered, eyes glossing over Tina discreetly.
"Come for dinner?" Tina asked, eyes pleading for some normalcy as she placed a hand on Ariadne. She nodded before bidding her friend farewell. She watched as they freely exited the building while she was confined to Tolliver's side, silently hoping that both Newt and Tina would find what they wanted.
☆
Softly knocking on the office door, Ariadne waited for Graves to verbally let her in before she opened the wooden door. Inside, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement sat in front of a large desk. His office space was messier than Theseus' and darker, how was it that almost everything here was dark and cold? Graves looked a little worse for wear as he glanced up at his intruder of silence, a file report in front of him.
"I found something back in the library," she started, "Here." Ariadne placed a book down with the sub heading 'Obscurus.' There was a hint of surprise in his features that made Ariadne narrow her eyes.
"Where did you find this?"
In your pile of books.
"I was just revising some of the books that we found," she easily lied, hoping that Graves hadn't learnt how to read her eyes like Theseus had, "It makes sense though, 'when an Obscurus loses control, a Obscurus force will be released which may sometimes be invisible-'"
"There are no Obscurial in America, Miss Nott," he sternly mentioned, snapping the book shut. Suspicion started to flood through Ariadne's body as a pit grew in her stomach. He was unnerved by something, making him agitated.
Deciding to surrender in her battle, Ariadne simply nodded, "Of course." She went to collect the book but Graves pulled it away from her grasp.
"Let me look over it," he finally said. Ariadne stared at him for a moment too long before she nodded. Her pace was quick as she left his office, heading to one place in particular. One thing was clear; it was time to become an expert in Obscurials.
[606 words]