Paperwork (Emma)

[Arden Patricks]

It’s time to stop being childish, I remind myself firmly as I walk across the Atrium with my arms crossed tightly, hands continually clenching and unclenching because I can’t keep still. I’m on my way to the elevator that will lead me up to my former place of employment… and it’s really quite difficult to keep myself convinced that I’m not bothered by that. It’s stupid to feel so much loathing for a place. The place can’t loathe you back, can it?

I sigh very slightly, deciding not to answer myself, and just stand staring up at the numbers of the elevator, waiting none too patiently even though I don’t want to go up there. I just have to fill out some sort of paperwork that they somehow forgot to tell me to fill out in all the three years I haven’t worked there anymore, and then I can go home. And then I will not have to set foot in the Ministry for, hopefully, quite a long time. And I certainly will not have to go up to the auror office for perhaps the rest of my life.

It’s stupid to be wary of a place.

But I know that in this case, for once, it’s more than just the place. I worked there, worked with the people there, for over five years. I wasn’t an auror, of course – just worked with things like paperwork, helping them keep their files in order and that sort of thing. And I liked it perfectly well; I had some quasi-friends; and everything was fine – up until Travis died, murdered by an auror. And no matter how many times I try to tell myself that it wasn’t really murder, just somebody doing his or her job a little overzealously... I still don’t think that I can look at my former colleagues without at least a touch of anger and hurt. And I don’t want that. I just want to fill out the paperwork as quickly as I can so I can leave this place forever.

[Emma Saunders]

For everything there is a reasonable amount of time to finish and take care of things. When your working on some form of house project, within a week is ideal for small travial things. When working on a food dish, an hour at the most unless your a renouned cheff cooking for the prime minister and the meal has to be perfect. When working on paper work for work, two days at the most. But this was the ministry and nothing goes normal, so of course they contact Emma three years after the fact to finish the paperwork.

Rolling her eyes Emma sighed. She should be home by this time. Shew knew that David was home, but that didn't matter. Emma wanted to be home. She wanted to see Daniel and Daniella because she had promised them that she would go and get them some new summer clothes becase they've sprouted up in the past year. She wanted to see Hayden because she had told him that she would help him read a book so he could get better marks in his class. She wanted to see Josh, not because she had promised him anything like her three other children but he was her baby, that she could really still consider a baby. Plus the fact she wanted to see David because latel the time they get together is starting to deminish because of work and kids and everything else and she needed to spend time with her husband.

Plus the fact that Emma didn't want to think about that day. She hated it and still the fact that she knew she had killed someone still ate away at her. Emma hadn't shared this fact with anyone else, not even David or Maddie. She still thinks that maybe, just maybe, she could have done something else he could have lived. Yes, death does seem like a better option than azkaban to most but still. Emma hated herself sometimes for the fact that she had killed another human being.

Closeing her eyes, Emma knew she had to just put all that on hold for a moment. All this would just take a matter of minutes. Sign this, read that. That's all it would be, and she could be on her way. One of the other aurors had told her that she needed to just wait around in the artium and someone would be around to drop off the paper work.

Looking around Emma knew that it would be an easy thing because the area was practically empty. Give or take the few people that are going home. Like you should be.. Shaking her head, Emma pushed that thought out of her mind. Glanceing up, Emma catches sight of a woman. She seems familar... Tilting her head almost thoughtfully, Emma knows that she has seen that woman around before. It only takes a few moments until it clicks. Standing up a little straighter Emma smiles slightly. "Hey Arden," She calls over. Emma can see Areden holding onto some papers but Emma doesn't give it another thought.

[Arden Patricks]

Oh… speak of the devil…. I think wearily, turning around as I hear my name and forcing a polite sort of smile at… Emma, I’m pretty sure her name is – one of my ex-coworkers who actually did fit into the quasi-friend category… at least from my perspective.

I glance back at the elevator and decide that it’s never going to arrive so I may as well be friendly. I have nothing against Emma specifically, so I suppose a polite little chat is preferable to going upstairs and facing a whole horde of ex-coworkers… or not. It’s only now I realize that it’s roughly quitting time for most people around here… though the auror office, of course, is certainly never empty.

“Hey,” I call back quietly, smiling a little more genuinely within a few milliseconds of turning around. “What’s got you here at this time?”