(no subject)

[clumsy_auror]

*Back in London, the August heat was approaching oppressive, but the evening twilight still had a soft, pleasant glow.

Nymphadora had changed without a word, before they even stepped outside. It wasn't a face she wore, in the place they were going.

Still, they were happy and relaxed as they walked through the streets together, Nymphadora pointing the way as they went. Finally, they turned down a rather disused street, and they slowed to a stop in front of a rather shabby telephone box.*

Well. This is it.

Comments

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*Bernard suppresses a smirk*

The grandeur is kind of overwhelming.

[clumsy_auror]

Oh, hush, just get in.

*Grinning, Nymphadora herds Bernard inside and closes the rickety door after them.*

Okay, you're nearest -- hit six-two-four-four-two.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*Bernard starts to punch the numbers, and brushes a kiss to her neck.*

And here I thought you'd just picked a particularly seedy location to inform me that you're an exhibitionist.

[clumsy_auror]

*Nymphadora laughs and starts to respond, when all of a sudden a cool female voice begins speaking.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

She grins at the look on her husband's face, and speaks.*

Nymphadora Tonks, Auror Office, escorting Bernard Wrangle on a tour.

*The voice instructed Bernard to attach the name badge coming out of the coin return to the front of his robes.*

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*Bernard snorts and affixes the name badge to his shirt.*

Rather be naked and covered with silver paint.

[clumsy_auror]

*Snickering, she presses a kiss to his cheek, and then the phone box starts to descend.*

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*Bernard grins as the street disappears and they descend into a huge atrium lined with fireplaces. He looks up through the glass and gapes a little at the swirling constellations that map the ceiling.*

[clumsy_auror]

Nice, huh? My tax dollars at work.

*The door swings open, and she steps out, pulling him after her. They cross the atrium -- the spot where the Fountain of Magical Brethren had been still lying vacant -- and approach a desk where a security wizard sits, half asleep.*

'Lo, Eric.

*Eric starts, and eyes Bernard, but Tonks gives the guard a cheery grin.*

We're just going to the office. Want to show my husband around.

*Eyes still narrowed, Eric thinks for a moment, and then waves them on, giving Tonks a little smile.*

Ta, Eric. We'll be back in a jiffy.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*Bernard shoots Eric a charming grin, the one that got him through countless airport checkpoints with ten pounds of boom-boom and a pack of twinkies strapped to his sides, and Eric relaxes a little more and smiles back.

Their hands laced together, Bernard leans over and pecks Nymphadora on the cheek.*

Gosh, I think he likes me.

[clumsy_auror]

He might, actually. I do wonder about Eric, now and again.

*Nymphadora gives him a cheeky grin, and they step into an elevator the grille sliding shut after them. The cool female voice returns when Nymphadora presses the button for the second level, and they begin moving upwards.

"Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."*

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*His eyes twinkle. How appropriate! Perhaps he is Dumbledore!*

Improper Use of Magic?

[clumsy_auror]

Not like that. Smutty-minded man. Mostly for people who bewitch Muggle stuff when they shouldn't. As nasty pranks, sort of, on the Muggles. Arthur Weasley's half the office.

*The grille slides open and they walk around a corner and through a pair of heavy oak doors. Beyond is an area of cubicles, all deserted at this late hour.*

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*Bernard looks around. Huh. Looks like any other office really. He quells a vague impulse to blow it up.*

...So we should pay him a visit?

[clumsy_auror]

Hush. I've already privately declared the Special Occasion box exempt, 'cause we don't use that stuff on other people.

*Snickering again, she leads him down a row of cubicles.*

That one's Kingsley's, and this one is mine.

*She pauses and holds her arms open in a 'ta-da!' pose.

The cubicle is... very bright, first off. No boring colours for Tonks. Pictures drawn by Sunny are everywhere, and stacks of files, spare quills, and ink bottles are scattered around the desk.

Tacked on one wall are all the major cases she's been working on, and significant leads based on wand signatures and spell traces.*

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*He smiles and runs his finger along a particularly bright scribble of Sunny's.

It might be Ellie. Or the lake. It's a mystery.

His gaze alights on a picture frame. It's empty. Brow furrowing, he turns to her inquisitively.*

What--

[clumsy_auror]

Ah, right.

*Nymphadora picks up the frame and taps it with her wand. A picture of Bernard, Nymphadora, Sunny, Aziraphael, and Crowley at the lake party fades into view.*

'S charmed, only I can see it.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*He takes it from her and grins at the angel feeding Sunny apple slices and telling her a story.*

How come?

[clumsy_auror]

*She chews on her lip a little, her response casual.*

Nobody else needs to know what you lot look like.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*At this, Bernard tenses a little and puts the frame down.*

Good thinking.

[clumsy_auror]

Well. That's my job.

*With another tap from her wand, the picture disappears once more. She gives him a reassuring kiss on the cheek and then gestures at the tall book case next to the window, which is displaying a cheerful snowy winter scene.*

Blimey, Maintenance still hasn't fixed my window... anyway, these're some of the books I use. We've a rather large reference library, but these are for my specialty.

*Shelves and shelves of books on charms and wands loom over them.*

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

Golly.

*He picks one off the shelf. Wand Core Properties and Charm Work: A Complete Analysis.*

Looks gripping.

[clumsy_auror]

Oh!

*her eyes light up*

That's a good one. I mean yeah, his theory on dragon heartstring being a reactive agent with the denser wand-woods is a bit dodgy, but the section on core-combining is fabulous.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*He sits on the edge of her desk, looking up at her warmly.*

Go on.

[clumsy_auror]

Well, I mean traditionally, wandmakers have only used one core in their wands, right? Mine, for example -- it's just got a unicorn tail hair, and that's it. But there's a new school of thought about the possibility of using complementary cores in a single wand to heighten the effectiveness of it, and also make it more specialised. This bloke *she taps the book with her finger* is sort of the leader of that particular pack.

[the-woodpecker.livejournal.com]

*He grins*

Groovy.

Do they make them like that, then?