GOLDEN || T. NOTT ✓

thirty-five | new beginnings

SUMMER BROUGHT BEAUTIFUL weather and lots of celebration.  Theo and Blaise had both been accepted into Auror training, Ginny had received an offer to play Quidditch with the Holyhead Harpies, Draco and Astoria were currently vacationing in Italy and Luna was assisting her dad with the Quibbler.  Paz, however, still felt pretty lost.

Kingsley had sent several letters home with Theo as the July month continued to pass, offering her a job with him at the Ministry, though she always declined.  She never got along much with the Ministry and as much as she loved Kingsley and everyone else she knew that worked there, she felt as if it wasn't what she was meant to do.

George also kept insisting that she join him in the joke shop, which she was planning on saying yes to the next time she saw him. George was such a joy to be around, and was also someone Paz talked to about losing a sibling. They understood each other and she valued his friendship very much.

Theo had also began opening up to Paz once Auror training begun. He talked more about his father, what it felt like losing his mother all those years ago, it all broke Paz's heart, but at the same time brought the two even closer together.   She loved that she finally got to help Theo heal, as he had been helping her for months.

Everyone was also slowly moving out of her house.  Astoria planned to move in with Draco once they returned from Italy and Blaise wanted to move into a flat of his own quite soon. 

Paz had no problem keeping her large house, though she didn't see much of a point in it.  She always felt as if it was a little too big, everyone felt so far away when inside.  The only thing that was keeping her from selling it and moving elsewhere was Pansy's room, which she had still not been able to clean out.

Every so often Theo would convince her to finally start, though the moment the two stepped into Pansy's room, Paz had to turn around and run towards the bathroom due to feeling ill.  Theo never got angry at her, understanding how hard it was to suffer a loss this big.  However, he knew Pansy's room had to get cleaned out at some point if the pair ever decided to move.

On a rather humid day mid July, Paz and Theo sat in the backyard of the Burrow.  Theo was speaking to Blaise, Harry and Ron about Auror training, while Paz, Ginny, Luna and Hermione were discussing plans of their own.

"I've gotten a job at the Ministry!" Hermione sequels excitedly, earning a chorus of 'congratulations!' from the others.  "How has practice with the Holyhead Harpies been, Ginny?"

"Really well, actually! All the women are awesome, I keep mentioning how good a player Paz is so maybe she can get recruited as well." Ginny says, nudging Paz.

"Oh shut up Ginevra, as much as I love Quidditch I was certainly not a star like you." Paz says, earning an eye roll from Ginny.

"So what have you been looking into?" Hermione asks curiously.

Paz sighs.

"I still don't know.. I feel like all the jobs in the wizarding world aren't meant for me." Paz answers honestly.

She wasn't lying either. She had yet to stumble across a job offered to wizards that she really liked. Money wasn't yet an issue, so Paz didn't mind the fact that she was unemployed, but there wasn't all that much to do anymore. With no more summer work to worry about and her friends busy starting their careers, Paz was normally left alone with her thoughts.

Paz hated being left alone with her thoughts.

"Maybe you should look into university?" Hermione suggests, Paz then tilting her head in confusion. "You know, school, but for Muggles."