Two Houses (HarryxDraco)

Chapter 3

The heavy oak door creaked open and a pretty woman with a pale, heart-shaped face popped her head into the office. Her dark, twinkling eyes scanned the room and her face broke into a big smile when she saw Minerva.

"Professor McGonagall!" said Liv brightly, stepping into the room and closing the office door behind her. "It's a pleasure to see you again. It's been a long time."

"It has indeed." Minerva nodded in agreement, rising to her feet to greet her guest.

Liv strode towards Minerva, her hand already outstretched when suddenly she tripped over the hem of her long robes and stumbled forward. She barely managed to stop herself from falling flat on her face but the contents of the folder she was holding spilled all over the flagstone floor.

"Whoops! Sorry..." Liv mumbled an apology and quickly gathered up her papers, her blush matching the crimson robes that she wore. Minerva struggled to suppress a smile at the woman's clumsy antics: evidently, Nymphadora had inherited her cousin's gracefulness as well as her looks.

"Not to worry," she assured her, taking Liv's hand in a firm handshake before they both took their seats. "Tea?"

Liv nodded vigorously. "Please."

Minerva conjured a fine bone china teacup and poured a fresh cup for Liv, placing the drink in front of her guest before topping up her own. Liv flashed Minerva a quick smile before picking it up and taking a sip.

"Mmm, that's lovely," she sighed, carefully placing the teacup back onto the desk. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Minerva gave a polite nod and took a sip from her own cup, giving Liv a thorough once-over. She hadn't changed much in the twenty years since she had attended Hogwarts. A few streaks of grey had appeared in her fair hair and wrinkles now formed around her eyes when she smiled, but then the stress of working for the Ministry—especially in the last year—would turn anyone grey. Minerva's eyes fell to the maroon robes and she smirked.

"If you think that wearing red is going to appeal to my Gryffindor sensibilities, you are sorely mistaken," she warned. Liv chuckled.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Professor," she grinned. "I appreciate you agreeing to see me. I must admit, after reading today's Prophet article I was a little worried that you were going to cancel the interview."

"It did cross my mind," Minerva admitted.

"I don't want you to get the wrong impression of me," Liv continued. "What they quoted me as saying in the article, they twisted my words: I merely confirmed that I had put my name forward for the position. I wouldn't presume to think that I had gotten the job before seeing you about it personally."

Minerva huffed out a derisive laugh. "Yes, The Prophet does have a habit of twisting one's words to suit the agenda of the day. Don't worry, I take anything that they say with a large pinch of salt. But enough chatter about The Prophet, let's discuss the reason why I invited you here today: the Muggle Studies post."

Liv sat up attentively in her seat, a look of steely determination in her eyes as Minerva pulled a piece of parchment towards her and scrutinised it closely. "You have quite an impressive C.V., Miss Tonks—"

"Please, call me Liv," she implored. Minerva gave her a small smile.

"Very well, Liv. As I remember correctly, you graduated in nineteen seventy-four with five N.E.W.T.S. including an Outstanding in Muggle Studies—"

"Naturally," Liv joked, rolling her eyes. Minerva ignored the interruption and continued her examination of the parchment.

"It says here that soon after you graduated, you emigrated to the United States and spent five years working for MACUSA at the Office for Magic Relations and Education. What did that job entail?"