The Liars Department || Drarry

Chapter 3

The next morning, Harry stepped out of one of the many floos set along the wall of the atrium. He brushed ash off his robes as he headed toward the reception desk. A clerk was already waiting for him by the time he reached the semi-circular counter. "Good morning, Mr Potter," said a bright-faced young lady who looked around his age though he didn't recognise her from school. Then again, he had trouble remembering anyone outside his year. Ron and Hermione were always sighing at him not knowing who someone was.

"Err, Morning," Harry said, "I was looking for the....the Liars Department."

The young lady, she was wearing a name tag that said Florence, flashed him a bright smile, "Oh, the new department! You're the first to ask," she turned and pointed to one of the narrow hallways that started behind the reception desk, "If you go down this hallway, it's about five doors down, you can't miss it."

Harry stared down the way she had pointed, "You're sure? I didn't think there was anything back there."

Florence quickly nodded, "It's- I- Yes. I wouldn't lie to you, sir. It's...a bit strange, but it's probably only temporary, the department only just being set up and everything."

"Alright, thanks," Harry said with a wave.

The light grew dimmer as he headed down the hallway, the lumos charms on the ceiling seemed further apart, and the stone walls were unpanelled unlike most of the upper floors. There was a plaque beside the first door. It read Stationary Supply. The next one read, Cleaning Supply, then there was Furniture. Harry pulled that door open, finding scuffed old desks and chairs that wobbled precariously in stacks up to the ceiling. Harry had thought the desks and cubicles in the Auror's offices were bad, but he'd never complain again if these were the alternative.

He didn't look into the next room. It was labelled Owl Supplies, and Harry was certain he could hear squeaking coming from inside. The next door was just labelled Storage. It was filled with filing cabinets. It was nice to know they'd never run out, Harry mused as he shut the door behind him.

Just as he was starting to think this was a joke after all, he found it. The next door had a piece of paper spellotaped to the wall on which someone had written The Liars Department. Harry flicked the paper up. The plaque underneath read Storage Overflow. His eyebrows rose, and he carefully rapped his knuckles against the door expecting... nothing to be honest.

"Enter," Malfoy's voice called imperiously through the wood.

Harry pushed the door open, only for it to thunk to a halt halfway. He squeezed through the gap and into the room and saw that it had run into a desk. A desk that took up most of the small storage sized room. Malfoy was sitting behind it, still wearing that flashy white suit or perhaps another that just looked remarkably identical.

"Auror Potter," Malfoy grinned, looking far too amused. He pushed his chair back, and it made it six inches before running into the wall behind, somehow managing to rest his feet on the desktop at a sort of kitty-corner angle that looked precarious, to say the least. "Welcome to my office. I'd offer you a chair, but I'm afraid I only have the one."

Malfoy's trouser leg had risen up an inch revealing a pair of florescent blue socks covered in small, equally bright yellow ducks. Despite his best effort, Harry couldn't help staring at them.

"Good, aren't they?" Malfoy said. He dropped his feet back on the floor, "I didn't think I'd get to see you again. The Auror uniform is a much better look on you, the dishevelment almost looks intentional."

Harry blinked and frowned at Malfoy, remembering why he was there in the first place. "I don't have time to mess about, Malfoy."

Malfoy leaned back into his chair and bumped his head against the wall.