Tainted Love

PART ONE: The Love Chamber

PART ONE: THE LOVE CHAMBER

IRIS

Iris Knightley walked through the streets of London with confidence - or at least as much confidence as someone with only a loose idea of where they were going could have.

She had been told by everyone she knew that England would be gloomy, full of clouds and fog and rain, but the sky above her was bright blue, and a couple children ran around in a park next to the road.

She was feeling optimistic for the first time in a while.

As of late, her job as a Potioneer at MACUSA had become more of an arduous routine than the labor of love that it used to be. The only bright spot in her day was Sadie and Simon, little stolen moments in the hallways and lunches that lasted just a little too long. And even then, the two of them had each other. They didn't need her around like she needed them.

So when she was called into Graves's office at the end of the day on what was otherwise a particularly pleasant Thursday and told that the department was transferring her to work in the British Ministry of Magic, it had felt as though her world was crashing down on her.

How she had been selected for the job remained a mystery - Iris wasn't even sure exactly what the job was. Apparently she would be working under Minister Shacklebolt in the Department of Mysteries, which she supposed explained the mystery of the whole thing.

Apparently, it was either go to London or lose her job in the United States, which was about all she had going for her at the moment.

Simon and Sadie had been all for it. Simon's family was originally from France - he had gone to Beauxbatons instead of Ilvermorny like Iris and Sadie had. He raved about how much fun she would have, how the job must be extremely important and equally as interesting if it was in the Department of Mysteries.

Sadie's focus had been less on the job and more on the potential for Iris to meet a British boy, which had caused a bit of an argument between her and Simon.

Besides, it would only be a year, anyways. She had arrived yesterday, June first, and by next June first she would be crossing the ocean by MACUSA's extra-strength Portkeys once again.

Even in the excitement of packing up, Sadie and Simon helping her label boxes and sort through all her robes, a little bit of nervousness had tainted Iris's perception of the situation.

What if she didn't meet friends like she had at home? What if everyone there was horrible? What if she hated the job, what if her coworkers were dull, what if her coworkers were incredible and she never wanted to leave?

But the fierce blue of the sky and the light breeze winding its way through the buildings around her now imbued Iris with a sense of purpose, a drive. She would make the most of it, take it for what it was, excel in her craft and return to America happier, more fulfilled... and maybe with a boy in tow. She'd be lying if the thought hadn't crossed her mind a couple of times - how could it not when Sadie brought it up at every chance she got?

Iris stared up at a street sign, trying to remember the precise instructions she had been given by the Ministry pamphlet. She peered around the corner, relief flooding her when she recognized the bright red phone booth.

She ducked inside, smoothing down her hair a little bit, trying to catch all the flyaways that the breeze had blown away from her face. She was sure her cheeks were flushed, stained with the excitement of a new beginning and the slight sting in the air.

She pulled out her wand, tapping one of the rungs in front of her. For a second, nothing happened, and she thought she must have read the pamphlet wrong, but then a clear voice rang out through the booth.