"You're lost too?" Aubrey stated the obvious to which the girl eagerly nodded.

As before, she paused before speaking as her face broke into yet another brilliant smile, "I am ... perhaps we can be lost together ... two losts make a found! You know, two negatives make a positive, two wrongs make a right - "

"Two wrongs don't make a right?" Aubrey corrected, unable to help herself.

The girl nodded, "That's what I meant! Two losts make a found, see?"

A deep sense of curiosity had befallen Aubrey, wondering why it looked like the girl was rebooting every time she said a new sentence. Eerily, the girl was starting to mirror her movements she noticed: every time Aubrey took a wary step closer, the girl took an enthusiastic one.

"Two losts make a found!" The girl repeated.

"Why are you lost?"

Instantly the girl's face fell, "Er ... why are you lost?"

"I was looking for someone, my parents are here too."

Again the bizarre hesitation occurred, "... me too! I was looking for someone and then I lost my parents too!"

"Really?"

"... no?" The girl said, suddenly looking increasingly afraid, "Or yes ... which answer will make you come with me?"

At this rate, neither, Aubrey thought but wasn't sure the girl could handle such sass, "Just tell me the truth, hon."

"I was ... sightseeing?"

"In the Ministry."

"I like the ceilings?"

"The ceilings."

"... yes?" Aubrey suddenly felt incredibly bad for questioning the dubious girl in this manner. Even though she wasn't always the best judge of character, the girl didn't seem malevolent although given what happened last year, people weren't always what they seemed. Still, she could see no reason they couldn't help each other, as long as she kept careful control. After all, she'd feel bad if she just left her alone.

"I'll lead," Aubrey said after a pause, nodding as she finalised her choice, "I will lead ... and you will walk next to me at all times," They came out as rude due to her fierce tone but they were merely precautions, "Is that okay? I'm willing to help you but ... this is a must."

"Oh, more than okay, it's completely understandable! Amazing, even! Incredible!"

Aubrey tilted her head a little as she cautiously backed out of the dead end, "Sorry, I genuinely can't tell but ... are you being sarcastic?"

"No! I really do think it's incredible," She said firmly, "Very few people are so upfront from what I can tell. I prefer it when someone is just straightforward with me."

"Me too," Aubrey replied.

"Me too!"

Aubrey gave her an odd glance, "I forgot to ask ... who are you?"

The girl paused for a second, her brows furrowed before she quickly met Aubrey's gaze again, "Saskia. Saskia ... Cyrus. Is that a good name?"

"It's pretty, yeah," Aubrey replied, "I'm Aubrey ..." She vaguely contemplated revealing her full name but decided to leave it for now. Even though Saskia seemed harmless, Aubrey still felt her fingers tighten around her wand like a reflex, her other hand nervously twirling a strand around the index finger.

"That's pretty too," Saskia smiled, "Did you know it means 'Fair ruler of the little people?'."

"I didn't actually."

"Would you say that describes you well?"

Aubrey glanced around at several of the doors, trying to figure out where she was going, "Um ... I suppose? I wouldn't say I rule over little people unless you're counting Lexy here."

"So it's a kingdom of one?"

"What?"

"Your little people," She tried to read Saskia's face but found it incredibly hard, not just because her skills were bad, "It's a Kingdom of one. I'm little, smaller than Lexy by a good inch ... I could join, do I need a ... passport?"

After a moment, Aubrey laughed, "You're not that small, hon and no it was a joke. I don't have a kingdom or anything, I'm afraid."

"Okay, that's a joke ... I see."

"Sorry, where did you say you were going?"

"Where are you going?"

"Looking for Fudge's office although once we get to the foyer, I'm sure I can manage."

"Oh ... I can go there too," She grinned, "This is such an adventure, I love it. We could wander for hours, there's so much to see and do here."

Adventures were overrated in her eyes but Aubrey decided to nod out of friendliness, "I would but I do have a time limit to how long I can walk around."

"Oh ... oh, me too," Saskia replied, suddenly staring intently at Aubrey from under her eyelashes, "If I walk too far, my legs will start to wear down into stumps so I have an actual time limit... it was a joke!"

"Bravo," Aubrey laughed as they came to a junction of several paths, "I can't remember if we've been here - "

"We have, hon, a few times actually, take a sharp left," Saskia cut in. For a moment, Aubrey eyed her up suspiciously before realising she was indeed right, the corridor did look familiar.

"You seem to have an idea of where we're going..."

"Um ... I do? That was a very lucky guess, most of what I do is a guess."

"But you sounded so sure."

"That's good - LOOOOK!" Before she knew it, Aubrey was yanked by her hand towards something at the end of the corridor. They came to an abrupt stop just in time to see a flurry of paper airplanes rush by. Saskia almost ran right into them, which would no doubt have disrupted the already chaotic ministry as well as given the girl several fatal paper cuts.

"I think the ministry uses them to communicate - "

"They're so cool, I love it! Aubrey, is it possible to make a massive one?"

"Probably."

"We could fly in it. Do you want one?"

Aubrey laughed, "Er ... I don't know if it would hold our weight, hon - "

"We're little and you're so bony! We'd be fine," Saskia laughed, jabbing at Aubrey's ribs making her jump back a little. Instantly she retracted her hand, "Oh no, did I break a bone?"

"Clearly not ... just please don't, you know, jab me like that."

"Okay ... no jabbing," They came to a stop before Saskia said, "Okay, from here, I think it's the second right ... but you lead."

"Thank you," Aubrey replied, noticing the girl watching her with wide eyes as they walked. As they walked, Aubrey continued to be confused by her new companion although she wasn't itching to get away from her anymore. Despite her random lack of understanding in some areas, Saskia was nowhere near as lost as she claimed, helpfully pointing out the directions even better than Aubrey. By the time they arrived at the foyer, Aubrey was a little ashamed to say she had done very little, recognising Saskia was the most efficient way to help her out.

"Maybe we should ask for directions ..." Aubrey began once they entered the foyer before feeling Saskia grab her sleeve, carefully not holding her arm.

"No need, I know the way! Come on, we should be speedy, there are so many people, we can't have that!" She pointed towards the door which Jasper and Mary had taken to find Fudge. Now that they were running, a few people began to notice the two teenagers but due to their combined speed, nobody had the time to ask any questions. Despite her short legs, Saskia was suddenly incredibly fast and agile, by the time they arrived at the other side, Aubrey was incredibly out of breath.

"Woah, that was quite exhilarating, I love having legs!" Saskia grinned, "Did you find it fun?"

Judging from the fact Aubrey was leant against the wall, she felt the need to answer the question anyway, lest the girl not pick up on the nuances, "... not really but it was efficient - "

"Do you need help?"

Pushing herself up from the wall, Aubrey replied, "No, I'm fine ..."

"There were a few flights of stairs but other than that, it was just a bunch of really twisty corridors, I think," Saskia assured her, skipping ahead before remembering the golden rules and letting Aubrey go ahead, "But you can lead."

"Thanks," Aubrey replied before glancing back at her, "How did you know this? The route, I mean ... this is my parent's secret route apparently."

"No, it's very common, I think. I knew people who used to take this all the time."

"... alright," Aubrey replied, eyeing her up warily one last time. 

After Saskia assuring her she was leading one too many times, Aubrey finally officially transferred ownership over to Saskia who seemed a little reluctant despite the fact she'd practically been doing it the whole time. However, as Saskia turned a corner, she suddenly came to an abrupt stop. This brought back vague memories of when Lexy got imperiused, causing a wave of panic to surge through Aubrey, gripping at Saskia's arm.

Luckily, there was no Mad-Eye or Barty there, instead, Saskia was staring at two men standing at the end of the corridor. It appeared Saskia had gone into rebooting mood again, her eyes wide, fists clenched as she continued to stare.

"Saskia, is this the right corridor - "

"Yes ... I don't want to go down it though," Saskia said suddenly, her brow furrowed, "I think those men down there are bad. Aubrey, they are bad men."

The two figures appeared to be discussing paperwork of sorts, nothing about them suggested they were bad yet Saskia seemed so sure, "Saskia, we can just go a different route or maybe they'll - "

"They're coming this way," Saskia hissed, "They don't mean to be bad, but they are bad people."

"Why? Have they hurt you - "

"No, not me, we should hide," Saskia suddenly turned around, "Aubrey, which room do you want to hide in?"

"I guess I want to hide in ... that one?" She said uncertainly, pointing at a certain door. Saskia smiled, putting a finger to her lips before pulling Aubrey towards it. The two girls entered with ease, Saskia clicking in shut behind them.

"Woah, good choice."

Aubrey wasn't sure she would quite say that given how bizarre the circumstances were, her eyes darting towards the thankfully unlocked door, "Saskia, are you okay because if you're in trouble, I'm sure someone here can help. I really do need to head back - "

"In thirty seconds but we needed to hide you," Saskia explained merrily, "Which room is this?"

Only then did Aubrey turn around, glancing at her surroundings. Decorating the low ceiling roomed were numerous objects were numerous shimmering objects, all standing apart as if repelled by a magnet. The Ministry had many interesting things but this was more reminiscent of a museum than anything else. She drew closer towards a strange giant set of scales, peering closely at it.

"They're all inscribed ... maybe it's runes of some sorts."

"Shall we touch one?" Saskia whispered.

"Absolutely not," Aubrey replied, "We'll be out of here soon."

"Shall we look at them then?"

Aubrey straightened, coming to stand next to Saskia who was peering up at something on the ceiling, "What is that?"

"I don't know..." Saskia, leaning on Aubrey's shoulder reached up, her fingers almost brushing the bottom of the golden object hung from the ceiling. Aubrey squinted, trying to figure out what it was."

"It looks like one of those gong things. You know the ones that you hit and it makes an echoey sound," Aubrey said, "It's pretty ... and massive."

"We could hit it - "

"No!"

"Okay."

Aubrey was somewhat entranced by the way the surface of the gong seemed to shimmer and swirl like a liquid, "It's gorgeous ... " She murmured, "I want get a closer look at it - MERLIN'S BEARD!"

She barely moved out of the way as the gong suddenly fell from the ceiling as if the strings had, almost landing on her neck had she not jumped back. The gong landed on the stone floor with a loud CLANG! rolling in circle before landing flat, the two girls frozen in place until the sound stopped.

"Merlin's beard ..." Aubrey repeated, "What the hell was that - "

"Hey ... at least you can get a closer look?"