Love In The Shadows | Fred Weasley x OC

Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Bad Morning

Adhara's eyes shot open, her head pounding and the blinding sunlight cutting through the curtains like a blade. She could feel the familiar weight of a hangover, the residue of too much wine the night before, swirling through her system. The first thing she noticed was the clock—9:05 AM. No, no, no!

Her heart pounded in her chest as panic set in. How could I sleep in this late? She was supposed to be at the Ministry, at the Wizengamot offices, in less than 20 minutes. She had an important meeting today—today—and she was nowhere near ready.

"Shit," she cursed, throwing the blankets off and stumbling out of bed. Her legs were still a little wobbly from the previous night's drinking, but she didn't have the luxury of time to recover. The thick scent of alcohol lingered in the back of her throat, but she couldn't waste a moment longer. The files, the case, the meeting—it all depended on her getting there, and now.

She ran to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face in an attempt to wake herself up. Her reflection stared back at her with bloodshot eyes, a pale face, and messy hair. She hadn't bothered to undo the glamour charms she had cast to make herself presentable, but they didn't seem to be working today. With no time to fix it, she grabbed her wand and tried to smooth down her disheveled hair with a hasty wave of her hand. No luck.

She glanced back at the clock. It was now 9:10 AM.

This is bad.

Adhara dashed back into her room, pulling on a pair of robes that were only half-pressed and grabbing the nearest shoes she could find under the bed. Her bag—where was it? She dug through the mess of clothes on the floor, finally pulling it out and shoving everything she needed into it. Files, case notes, her wand, and a pen—anything she could remember, shoving it all into the bag in a frenzy.

"Draco!" she yelled, already halfway out of the room. "Is the coffee ready? I need something, anything!"

She rushed down the hallway, skidding into the kitchen. There, on the counter, was a freshly brewed pot of coffee, and a note from Draco.

Coffee's on. You might want to hurry. You've got 10 minutes.

She barely had time to read it before she grabbed the coffee, spilling half of it on the counter in her rush to gulp it down. The liquid burned her throat, but she didn't care. She needed to be sharp.

She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and turned to leave. She glanced back at the kitchen, but Draco wasn't in sight. The apartment was unnervingly quiet. She hadn't heard him move around this morning, but there was no time to dwell on it.

She grabbed her coat and was out the door in a matter of seconds. No goodbyes, no pleasantries. She just had to go.

Her heels clicked sharply against the cobblestone as she hurried down the street, the morning rush of London already in full swing. People bustled around her—work commuters, students, people with their morning coffees in hand—everyone moving in a synchronized flow, while Adhara felt as if the world was moving too fast for her. She barely registered the street vendors calling out to passersby or the familiar faces of people she used to see in these busy streets.

She was late. She had a case to present before the Wizengamot today, a complex trial involving a dangerous dark magic artifact. She had spent weeks preparing, and now it could all go down the drain because she had overslept.

Her thoughts raced, but the anxiety gnawing at her insides made it hard to focus. She barely noticed the crowds around her as she pushed forward, the pressure building in her chest. The sooner she got to the Ministry, the sooner she could settle down and put on her professional mask.

As she rounded the corner toward the Apparition point, she almost collided with a tall figure. She jolted back, her breath catching in her throat as she narrowly avoided crashing into him.

"Sorry!" she said quickly, barely glancing up. Her heart was still pounding in her chest from the near-miss with the stranger. She needed to get moving, to keep moving. There was no time to stop. She had not even realized that her book slipped out of her hands.

The man, looking equally disoriented, gave a short chuckle. "It's fine. You alright?"

She didn't have time for pleasantries. Adhara simply nodded, her eyes darting around her as she took a step back to continue her journey.

"Take care," the man said, and Adhara heard the faintest edge of recognition in his voice, though she didn't think much of it.

With one last hurried glance, she turned the corner and finally arrived at the Apparition point, quickly gathering her focus and Apparating directly to the Ministry of Magic.

When Adhara arrived at the Ministry, she still had five minutes to spare. It was more than enough time to collect her thoughts and gather herself before heading to the Wizengamot offices. She passed through the grand entrance, the familiar bustle of the Ministry enveloping her as she quickly made her way through the corridors.

The Wizengamot chamber was located at the far end of the Ministry, tucked away behind large oak doors, each carved with ancient runes that no one seemed to pay much attention to anymore. But it still carried a certain weight—history, power, tradition.

Adhara's colleagues were already gathered in the chamber, speaking in low voices as they set up for the meeting. She hurried inside, her footsteps echoing through the stone hall. Her colleagues barely looked up when she entered, but the subtle glance from one of the senior members told her all she needed to know.

"You're cutting it close, Adhara," one of them remarked dryly. "We'll need to get started soon."

"I know," she said, her voice strained as she took her seat, gathering the case files she had hastily shoved into her bag. "I'm ready to go."

Her hands trembled slightly as she adjusted the files in front of her, the weight of the case pressing down on her. She was determined to get through it without a hitch, but deep down, her mind was still scattered. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. She was here, in the Ministry, surrounded by the most powerful wizards and witches in the country. This was her job. This was her life. And she had a case to present.

The meeting was long and exhausting, but Adhara was efficient. She gave her presentation with the confidence she had spent years building, her eyes sharp and her words carefully chosen. Her colleagues listened intently, the occasional nod from the senior members signaling that she was on the right track. The case went smoothly, and Adhara found herself breathing easier as the minutes passed.

By the time the meeting wrapped up, it was almost lunchtime. She packed up her things, relieved that the morning chaos was behind her. She hadn't realized how much pressure she'd been under until now.

As she left the chamber, her mind finally drifted back to that fleeting moment from the morning—the stranger she had bumped into. The feeling of familiarity. It was nagging at her, and yet, she couldn't place it.

"Shit, my book! Where is it? I must've dropped it," Adhara muttered, her voice strained with sudden panic. Her fingers flew through her bag in a frantic search, but the book was nowhere to be found. She dug deeper, tossing aside papers, case files, and stray parchment, but nothing felt right. The book was missing.

As she stepped into the Ministry's atrium, she was too exhausted to think about it much longer. She needed food, a nap, and maybe a bit of peace after the madness of the morning.

Later that evening, Adhara collapsed into the chair at Draco's flat, completely drained. She had made it through another day—barely—but the weight of her own exhaustion was starting to take its toll. She ran a hand through her hair, leaning back and closing her eyes, grateful for the quiet.

Tomorrow, she would focus on the next case, the next challenge. She had to keep moving forward, even if she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something important had slipped through her fingers.