Being a Greengrass after all should sound pretty serene.
But being a part of "the Emeralds" should not, especially when hearts become entangled with the infamous Regulus Black.
Goodness, lawfulness, or evilness. Which path will they tread in the ti...
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September 27th, 1979
The sun had barely risen. A pale wash of grey lingered beyond Avery's bedroom window, softening the outlines of the world outside. Mist drifted low over the manor grounds, turning the gardens and distant hedgerows into blurred silhouettes. Somewhere downstairs, a kettle began to whistle and was promptly ignored.
Her room bore all the signs of a restless week. Books lay open across her desk and floor, parchment spilling from between their pages in untidy stacks. A sweater hung over the back of a chair. Her boots sat by the door with their laces half-undone, as though she'd kicked them off without bothering to finish the task. At the center of the chaos sat a single parchment. A letter, which had arrived two days ago and hadn't moved since.
The edges were beginning to curl. A faint coffee stain marked one corner where she'd nearly knocked over her mug the first morning she'd read it. But the Ministry seal remained intact at the top, and the words below seemed no less unreal than they had forty-eight hours ago.
Ministry of Magic Department of Magical Law Enforcement Auror Recruitment Division September 25th, 1979
Dear Miss Greengrass,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been provisionally accepted into the Auror Training Program, following successful completion of both interview and spellwork evaluation.
Your official training period will commence on November 1st, 1979, at the Ministry Headquarters, Level Two. Additional details regarding uniform, wand registration, and assigned mentors will be provided on arrival.
Please note: acceptance is conditional and training will be rigorous. You are expected to uphold the highest standards of magical discipline and ethical conduct.
Welcome to the fight.
Yours sincerely, Callum Rowle Senior Auror, Recruitment Lead Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Avery hadn't told anyone about it except her mother and sister. Her eyes flicked to the clock. Almost time. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders, wrapped her scarf twice around her neck, and tucked her wand into her boot. She was meeting Regulus as they had promised to visit Merope Gaunt before the frost came in. Something about unfinished questions, or maybe just the compulsion to discover more "potential Horcruxes."
Melissa's voice rang sharply up the staircase, as always carrying further than seemed possible. "Avery! He's here!"
Avery winced slightly at her mother's voice, but didn't reply. She wound the scarf once more around her throat, tucking the ends neatly beneath her coat, and grabbed her gloves off the banister as she descended the stairs quickly. As she passed the drawing room, she deliberately kept her gaze forward. Her mother would be inside. And if experience had taught Avery anything, it was that Melissa Greengrass possessed an extraordinary ability to acknowledge Regulus Black's existence without ever actually acknowledging it.
