First Day at the Office

Chase grinned as she carried her box of little things into the office and onto her new cubicle desk. There were two small desks set into a corner, on one of them was a box labelled in, and another box labelled out. Chase moved those onto a far corner, and dumped her stuff onto her desk. Mostly she had papers, and a few folders, besides her wand, which she had tucked safely behind her ear. She slowly put out a few organization baskets, a jar for her quills, and a couple of ink bottles in a drawer, and one on the desk itself. She had been given a large stack of folders to look through already, and she pushed them into a corner to deal with later... it was decorating time!

Chase pulled out a trash can from her box and placed it under her desk, before she looked into the bottom of what appeared to be an otherwise empty box. But laying on the bottom were pictures. Carefully picking them out, Chase grabbed a box of tacks and hung them up carefully. There were pictures of a baby girl with a lot of red hair. A picture of a man with a mess of brown hair, large brown eyes, and a goofy grin holding the baby. A picture of Chase, the baby girl, and the man at a picnic. And a few others, one of which was a young boy, with brown hair, and the same color eyes as Chase, who was smiling broadly at the camera, in a grand entrance hall to what must have been a manor home, beside him was a man who looked exactly like Chase. Red hair, and crooked glasses, complete with freckles. They were grinning and waving at the camera, apparently extremely happy. Of course all of the pictures were moving, and they all looked extremely happy. But it was obvious that these pictures were somewhat old, because the Chase in the pictures looked a lot different then the Chase in present times.

Chase was a pretty girl, but her looks were now often forgotten, when one looked at her face. Small scars, that looked like they had been made by a razor blade crossed her face, and her right eye had a large scar over it that resembled the one from the Muggle Children's movie The Lion King. That eye was turned slightly to the side, and the lid kind of drooped a little bit on it. When she was looking at you, it looked as though she were looking over your shoulder on that side. The biggest difference that picture Chase, and real Chase had, was their hair. While in the picture her hair was long and wavy, flowing about her shoulders in red waves. Chase now had choppy red hair, that clung about her ears, it looked as though someone had taken a knife and simply cut her hair that way.

Chase grinned at her handiwork, and decided to explore the area a bit, so, glancing out of her cubicle, she wandered around the aisles, glancing in and saying hi to the occupants every now and then.

It was Bran's first day at work. He arrived at his cubicle and immediately took note of its small size. Well, he had had worse. After working at a muggle pet store, this was still comforting. It was his own space and, although small, it was not enclosed. He looked around and saw that other people were putting their own things onto their desks and Bran felt silly, as he had brought nothing of his own except his preferred quill and ink bottle. He shrugged his shoulders and began arranging his desk anyway, placing the in and out boxes he was supplied with to the side and grabbing a stack of papers he saw. Glancing at them he realized that they were reports. He hadn't been at work for five minutes and he already had a seemingly endless supply of tasks to do. He grabbed the first file and began working.

The file was, interestingly enough, about a Common Welsh Green. Common Welsh Green attacks were uncommon, but did occur. He grabbed the proper form and filled out the necessary information. Two muggles were harmed but were healed successfully with memories modified. The dragon was relocated farther from civilization. Filling out the paperwork was an exceptionally boring task, but once all of it was finished, he could start the interesting stuff, the research. He placed the report and its new form in the outbox and continued with the next file.

This report involved a confrontation between an angry wizard and a group of centaurs. Anything involving centaurs was always messy. In fact, Bran even working with centaurs was proof that their relationship with wizards was not at its best. For years they had refused "being" status and chose to be classified as beasts. Again Bran grabbed the necessary form and wrote down the proper information. Hopefully he would get a promotion soon so he could be done with the paperwork, though, as he had just started, a promotion would not likely happen for at least a year or two.

Bran was in the midst of a report about a kelpie when he realized that someone had spoken to him. He looked up and saw that it was a red-haired woman that he recognized from Orientation. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Chase leaned over the low wall that separated the people in the cubicles from each other, but only enough to give them a bit of privacy. She grinned at the man she saw in there and looked down at his work. "Are you seriously already doing work?" She asked, looking astounded. "You just got here! The first day shouldn't be for working! It should be for getting to know your co-workers." She said grinning at him. "I'm Chase Moor by the way. Magical Creature Healer, you ever find a wounded anything, and you come straight to me okay? I find that with this department, they must really want us working together or something, cause seriously, the walls are so low I can come up behind you and look right over your shoulder! But at least we don't have computers or anything, to much magic you know, if we did have them everyone would be playing solitaire right now!" She laughed heartily, head thrown back, a twinkling in her eye. It was obvious that Chase Moor was a talker.

Chase leaned over the wall a bit and got a look at his papers. "Oohhh Paperwork.. ick." She said making a face. "Gotta love how the first thing we get here is the stuff that someone else has already done, and WE gotta do the paperwork for it... I have a huge stack of folders back at my desk... I think a lot of it is just information I should know though... they even gave me a book." She said giggling. "I feel like I'm at Hogwarts, but a lot more defined in what I'm learning... This place is great though." She said looking around and smiling at everyone. "I intercepted a note earlier when I was walking in, and it didn't have anything to do with work! Everyone is just passing notes back and forth, it's great!" She said giggling and running her hand through her choppy hair. "Oh, I'm sorry.... I guess I should warn people that I talk to much." She said frowning, and leaning against the wall of his cubicle so that only her head showed above it, and her hands on either side of her head. "What's your name?"

She was right, she did talk too much. "I'm Bran Anwyl. I'm in the Beast Division." This girl was very strange. Her personality didn't seem to match her body. From what she said she seemed like one of those people who were always happy and friendly, but there were dozens of little scars across her face, as if she had seen true pain, and real horrors. She also had a scar across her eye. which made it so she couldn't quite look at him. He tried not to stare and hoped his looking had not been obvious, and immediately felt bad that he had looked. "I've just been working because if I don't do these today, I'll have to do them tomorrow, and then I'll never get to do any of the good stuff, the research. Honestly, if I couldn't do any research, I wouldn't be working here. Besides, it seems that I don't need to introduce myself to my coworkers. They find me." Bran laughed, trying to lighten the mood. He felt extremely uncomfortable, like he always did around new people, but he tried not to show it.

"So do you remember where we're supposed to go to do the research?" Bran asked, hoping she still knew, even though she was a Healer. Although, it may be a place that she would visit frequently, as the creatures there were bound to get ill sometime. "I know we went over that in Orientation, but I was too amazed by all of the creatures that they had in there to remember how to get there!" Bran laughed again. He may not always get other people's jokes, but he was definitely able to amuse himself. "I know they only have single and double X creatures, but they have a lot, maybe even all of them, and at this point, anything is better than paperwork."

Chase smiled at the man and glanced around. "Bleh, take the day to learn more about the office then! You need to loosen up! Look at this place, it's so awesome! I don't feel like I'm working, I feel like I'm at a summer camp or something, it's awesome." Chase grinned at him again, and scratched her nose, showing that many of her fingers were bent funny, as though they had been broken in multiple places, there was no ring on her finger, but she seemed to have a quality of dreaminess in her face that made it obvious she had a boyfriend. She saw his eyes though, saw as they looked over her face, and knew that it was best she had worn a shirt that had a high neck. Else he would have seen other scars that probably would have horrified him.

"Hmm... I do remember that room.. lets see... I think it was over there somewhere.." She said pointing across the room over the cubicles.. "Come on, I'll show you the way!" She said giggling and holding out her hand for him to take. Chase, while talking a lot, was very sweet, and seemed to be the happiest person alive, if only the scars didn't make her look like a seasoned warrior. "So Bran Anwyl of the Beast Division, what brought you to the Ministry of Magic this year? Did you work somewhere before? I know you just got here because you were at the Orientation, and your desk is completely empty.. mine is over there." She said pointing, and it was visible from here to see that she had already put pictures up, and had brightly colored organization boxes. "Follow me, I'll show you the way to the creatures room." She said giggling and leading the way through the maze of cubicles.

"I doubt they have such wonderful stories to read in summer camp," Bran said in an obviously sarcastic tone, glancing at the reports on his desk. If this was summer camp, then real work would be excruciatingly dull. Bran took Chase's hand and stood up. She seemed like a very kind girl and, hopefully, someone he could make friends with. Making friends was never Bran's specialty. He just always had difficulty opening up, showing his true self, but this time would be different, even if he had to force himself.

"Well, I've always had a fascination with magical creatures, ever since I learned of their existence. They just seem so mystical and....cool, for lack of a better word. My favorites are the dangerous ones, like chimaera, and dragons...." He instinctively moved his shoulder blade when he spoke of dragons, remembering the attack which seemed to have happened a lifetime ago, even though it had only been 11 years. "Well, I worked in a muggle pet store until a few days ago. It was very boring, but I still got to work with animals, so I dealt." He glanced at her desk as she pointed it out and saw what looked like half a dozen pictures. She seemed, if it was possible, happier in those pictures, and he noticed, even from his desk, that those pictures were taken before she received her scars. They showed a Chase that did not look that much younger, so she must have obtained them recently.

He followed her as she lead him through the office, and eventually they came to a door that said "Creature Containment and Research Center." "Well, thanks for showing me the way. I do feel a little stupid though, as the sign on the door is kind of obvious." Bran did feel stupid, but it didn't matter. Chase seemed like the kind of girl to not care. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if she had just come with him even if he had known the way. "This," he said , tapping the door, "is why I've come here. This is what I live for." He suddenly realized that he knew nothing about her. He had no clue what she lived for. "So, what about you?" he quickly asked. "Why are you here? What did you do before you came here?"

Chase grinned at him as he spoke. He was very kind, she wasn't quite sure if he was being sarcastic, but one look at him and she rolled her eyes. "I enjoy learning about them though.." She said smiling as she led him through the cubicles. She watched him carefully when he suddenly moved his shoulder when he said the word dragon, and she frowned. Obviously someone hadn't had a very good run with a dragon.. and yet he still went after them? Looking, and researching them.. how odd. Her gaze lingered on him before she turned around and continued to lead him, listening as he spoke. When they finally got to the door, Chase looked up at it and tilted her head to the side slightly, reading it, and then grinning. "Poor things... I feel almost sorry for them, being cooped up here for research.." She said shaking her head and looking at him, her hand going limp and falling to her side, dropping his.

Her eyes went wide when he spoke though. "Don't feel stupid!" She said staring at him. "No one is stupid.. No one!" She seemed to get a little tense for a moment, but she relaxed after a moment and then looked up at the door. She smiled at the door as he tapped it, and she pressed her ear to it, listening to the noises beyond the door. "I wonder if we're allowed in there yet." She whispered, and looked back at him when he questioned her.

"Oh... Well, I just graduated from Hogwarts! Just turned 18 actually, and I thought it would be best to get a job and help support my family.. well, yeah.." She said thinking and then shrugging. "For the longest time I wanted to be a Healer at St. Mungos.. but Calvin.. my boyfriend, was there before, and he didn't do so well, and I think I might not either.. so... when I got a letter, explaining this place, I jumped on it, and got a job! I was so excited!" She said giggling lightly and rapping her knuckles on her head. "People say I'm not exactly the brightest person alive, but I can manage! I love animals, and I love healing. So.. I came here... and let me tell you I love it!" She said rocking onto her toes and back onto her heels. "I'm sure it'll get pretty dangerous sometimes.. healing creatures.. but... it's not like one or two more scars can hurt!" She said making light of her appearance, and at the same time, putting the subject out for conversation.

Bran saw that she noticed his shoulder move. He could almost see her mind thinking, the cogs in her brain turning as she pondered his movement. He'd have to stop doing that, it drew too much attention to it. He had, however, promised that he would do his best to open up, so he would have to mention it eventually. Eventually, however, did not mean now.

Bran jumped when she practically yelled. He hoped he hadn't offended her by calling himself stupid. By her reaction he deduced that perhaps she knew someone who wasn't too smart, and that was a person she was willing to stick up for. He could be entirely wrong, however, there was only one way to find out, and he wasn't going to ask. Luckily, she visibly relaxed, and continued as if nothing had happened. Her next question surprised him. "I'm sure we can go in. I mean, I was under the impression that we could go anywhere we wanted, that we were a family or something. I'm sure we wouldn't get in trouble or anything, I just figured that paperwork was more important than research." Bran hoped that he was correct in his assumption. If Chase went in sometime and was discovered to be somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.... Well, he would feel very bad.

She mentioned supporting her family. He wondered if something was wrong with her parents and she had to care for them. She was obviously too young to have children, and yet, the little girl in the pictures he saw bore a striking resemblance to Chase. She was probably a niece or something. Maybe her boyfriend was a few years older than her and had a daughter. Anyway, it wasn't important at the moment, so he shrugged it off as she basically called herself stupid. "You seem smart enough to me," Bran said truthfully. "I mean, you were smart enough to be able to read a sign on a door, unlike someone else over here." He laughed at himself. He really should have realized that the door would have a sign, it was, after all, a government building.

As soon as she mentioned her scars, he thought of his own, and barely stopped himself from move his shoulder blade again. She seemed to be comfortable with her scars unlike himself, even though they had happened much more recently than his. She, however, wouldn't be able to hide hers, so she would have to be comfortable with them. Bran felt the urge to ask about them, and blurted out, "So how did you get your scars?" He immediately regretted his words, and tried to make up for them. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking, that is." He looked into her eyes, hoping she wouldn't be upset with him.

Chase looked at the door and nodded. "I'm sure you're right.." She said smiling at him, and glancing at the door again, to nervous to push it open herself.. not until they reached an agreement on whether or not they would go in there yet. "Paperwork... bleh." Chase made a face and looked at him, grinning. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind us.. looking... maybe not do research yet on them.. but.. touring areas she said we could go in.. I don't remember her ever telling us NOT to go in here.. and I've seen people going in all day.. soo.. maybe it's fine." She said nervously, glancing at the door before stepping back from it carefully.

He said she was smart enough to him, and she couldn't help but smile. "You are smart... look at you, diving right into work, I'm taking my time to ease into it anyway..." She shrugged and smiled at him. Knowing she had scared him with her outburst that he wasn't stupid... the word just got to her now a days.. the word made her feel angry and upset, and all of her scars tingled painfully just by hearing it. It was something Barker had told her repeatedly, over and over.. telling her she was stupid, saying everyone thought she was.. so when the word came up... she tensed and made sure the person knew they weren't stupid, not at all...

Chase met his gaze when he asked about her scars, and she raised her hand, scratching one on her cheek nervously. She secretly hated them all, every single one of them reminded her of all the different ways Barker had hurt her... left her in a state that was way to nasty to forget easily. She has scars everywhere.. even in places you wouldn't expect, she had one that was on both sides of her hand, as though it had been stabbed through with a knife, some on her feet of the same, her biggest one crossed her stomach, it intersected an older scar that ran from her hip to just below her breasts, and then intersected again which ran from that point all the way around her back and meeting on her hip of the last one, like a sash. She frowned slightly, and then decided to be honest with him.. he obviously was an okay guy.. so why not?

"Erm... just after the battle at Hogwarts.. at the end of the year.. turns out Felix Barker was broken out of Azkaban... he's the one that kidnapped Khaat Lupin, Elijah Krum.. all of them... kept them for days.. when they found them they were tortured and nearly dead.." She swallowed uneasily and ran her hand over her shoulder. "Well.. turns out Barker had a thing against Khaat Lupin.. who at this point in my life, is my legal guardian.." She said frowning. "Well he went after me.. and found me with my daughter... erm.. I have pictures of her.. she's only a month or so old.. but.. he found me with her... and he kidnapped me as well.." She said looking over her shoulder as though expecting to see Felix Barker standing there. "He had me for nearly a week... and.. erm.. dropped me off in the streets of London... but don't you go feeling sorry for me okay?" She said pointing a finger at him. "It's past.. I healed up to an extent.. and now I'm just left with scars... So don't go feeling sorry for me.. it's the facts.." She said and let her hands fall to her sides.

Felix Barker. Even hearing the name made Bran sick. He had heard of him, but luckily had never seen him. Felix was a ruthless savage. He made murderers look like bunny rabbits and rapists look like chipmunks. He took sadism to a whole new level. Bran shivered and continued listening, and was glad he did. Did he hear her correctly? The little girl he had seen on her desk was HER daughter? Bran was shocked. If she was this young then she had to have gotten pregnant in Hogwarts. She had seemed more responsible then that, but who was he to judge. He didn't know the circumstances, so he pushed his thoughts aside.

He recognized one other name. Khaat Lupin. Now she was a big shot, and she had been kidnapped by Felix Barker? Bran did not know that, and it scared him. If someone like Khaat Lupin could get abducted by Felix, then no one was safe. No one. Bran knew that Felix had no reason to want to hurt him. Bran wasn't anyone important. He didn't have connections. Not many people would notice if he disappeared, but it didn't matter. Felix Barker wouldn't need a reason. He did it because he like to do it. Bran fought back the urge to vomit. He quickly realized that Chase was still talking and focused back on her words.

Felix Barker had caused her scars. Felix Barker had tortured her for a week and then dropped her off like yesterday's trash. Chase told him not to feel sorry for her, but he couldn't help it. The sympathy was practically oozing out of his body, and no matter how hard he tried to stop it, he knew it was obvious to anyone who looked at him. Still, he didn't have to mention it, and that was at least something.

"Yeah...well...." Bran didn't know what to say. This seemed like the kind of situation where he should share his own horror stories. Unfortunately, his worst one didn't even come close to meeting hers. He also hadn't planned on mentioning it this soon, but she had told her story, and it was time for him to tell his. "I also have a scars...well, one scar actually. The cause wasn't nearly as bad as yours, but it was still unpleasant, I guess. I was 12 and had just finished my first year at Hogwarts. I'm muggle-born, you see, and I had just learned that dragons were real and that one of the many breeds was native to Wales, my home. So I went out searching for a Common Welsh Green and found one a little ways from home." Bran sighed, remembering his stupidity. No matter what Chase said, he had been very stupid to approach a dragon at 12. "Well, it was eating a sheep, and I guess it thought I was trying to take its meal. Luckily it was a young one. It charged at me and I ran away, but it was faster than me. It swiped at my shoulder blade with a claw and apparently thought I was no longer a threat when I fell down and passed out." He had been fighting the urge for too long and could fight it no more, so Bran shifted his shoulder and immediately felt better. "Some Ministry guys arrived sometime later and I was taken to St. Mungo's and everything turned out all right, except I gained a scar on my back. My parents were horrified and wanted to move, but the Ministry folk convinced them that such an attack was extremely rare and that the dragon had been relocated. That and a promise from me to never go dragon hunting again convinced them to stay in Wales...and...there you go. That's my story." He looked at her, wondering what she would think.