Almost

Chapter 71: Circle

It has to be the tempering, she thought. There's no other reason . . .

She sighed and shook her head, not able to focus on it right now. But something about it really didn't feel right. Like the pull of her tempering was rubbing off, cursing not just her but others.

What if none of them really cared about me? What if it was some sick tempering cast love enchantment that . . .

Stop. It couldn't be that. You and Kevin were already . . . well, already whatever it was before the tempering came off. And Ezra hated you—if it were a real enchantment, he wouldn't be able to do that. Not to mention that countless other humans you've come in contact with over the last months who have not liked you at all. And—

"Ready?" Ezra asked as she crossed the hearth of the floo into the MACUSA lobby. Katherine cleared her throat and her mind and nodded.

"How was your Ministry tour?" he asked softly. His pace was quick as usual, but he didn't seem as hurried as normal. Maybe he was just not so used to her being here with everyone in agreement about it.

"Good," Katherine answered. "There's a job in the Department of International Cooperation that seems promising."

Ezra's eyebrow raised, but he bit his tongue.

"What?" she pressed.

"Nothing," he shrugged. But she could see the joke burning against his cheek. "I just think it's interesting that you would be drawn to International Cooperation."

"And why is that?"

"Because you almost singlehandedly ended any cooperation between MACUSA and the Ministry."

Katherine rolled her eyes as he laughed, slipping his hand into hers. Another peculiarity.

"And the Department of Mysteries?"

"Not a chance," Katherine said. "Though, being an Unspeakable has a certain poetic ring to it."

"Katiebird, I have a feeling that if you end up in the Department of Mysteries, you won't be the one doing the research."

Her eyes flickered to him at that, swimming with new questions. But they had just reached the training room.

"Okay," he said, pausing outside the door. "Don't let them give you any flack. I can beat all of them, so you definitely could. And if Schmidt so much as looks at you wrong—"

"We don't have time to fight amongst ourselves," Katherine reminded him. "I can hold my own. You just do your job like normal."

He scowled at the door. "Trust me. Schmidt and I didn't get along before you, either."

Katherine brushed her thumb along his knuckles. Along where his wedding band should be. He hadn't had it long enough for there to be any indent or tan—nothing compared to the still stark line that remained from her years wearing the tempering.

"Well, then don't do your job like normal. Do it better."

She knew that would rile him, and he looked up at her impish grin quickly as she lifted herself up onto her tiptoes.

"Show off for me, Creepy Crawley."

She barely let her lips glance across his ear before returning to her heels and opening the door to the training room. But the near growl he let out, quiet as a breath, let her know she had made her point.

The aurors were already in the room, waiting only on Grouse. Katherine kept her distance and Ezra stayed by her side, his hand on the small of her back. She coughed slightly and scratched at her temple, and he gave a nearly imperceptible nod.