LEO HAD FORGOTTEN JUST HOW MISERABLE BEING A REGULAR AUROR WAS. His year leading the department at MCUSA had spoiled him. Before that, he had made a habit of staying busy and getting cases from Hoode right away.

     Leo leaned back in his chair, and looked up at the ceiling before he let out a long sigh. He then leaned back up against his desk, his desk was practically empty still. There was a few quills, two jars of ink— one black and one red, and a small roll of parchment. This first day was the absolute worse, it was like the first day of school— it felt like he was sitting through hours of speeches about rules and why each of them were important. At the congress, he was usually hanging around anywhere but his own desk; socializing with the other aurors that were avoiding all of their desk work.

"In a while, Scrimgeour will hand out owls."Lydia said from her seat across from Leo. Her eyes still casted downward towards the news paper.

Leo groaned, "So what is the point of being here on time in the morning?" he questioned, "If it's going to take ages to start anything."

"You saw his office, right?" she rose a brow curiously. "He's a stickler for reports. We're supposed to be working on them until OWL's come in." she said simply, explaining their usual job before they were given anything interesting to do. "Sometimes that's the only time we have to work on them."

"Why is that?" Leo asked, leaning back once again into his chair— fixating his eyes on the seemingly endless ceiling that turned into a dome above them.

He heard his new partner sigh heavily, "Sometimes once we get a case, we're stuck with it for weeks, if not months." Lydia replied, "Take Coleridge and Thomas over there for example," she began and Leo sat up and followed her gaze. To a man a few years older than Leo, hunched over and writing. Across from him, a man who had a mug of something in front of him as he leaned forward and talked to his partner. "They've been leading the investigations for..." she stopped, glancing away from Leo for a moment. "for Sirius Black."

Leo frowned, suddenly for practical silence towards him made complete sense. Come to think of it, everyones silence towards him made sense.

"Will it be a problem being partners? Sirius Black being my cousin and all?"

Lydia's eyes widened and she quickly shook her head quickly.

"I haven't seen him since I was eight. I promise that you don't need to worry about me snapping one day and killing you or anyone else for that matter." he assured her, "I swear, I hate my family as much as most people do."

Lydia relaxed a bit, a small smile appearing as she did so. But after a moment, she leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So, then all of the assumptions about you must be wrong?" she questioned.

Leo smirked as he sat back in his chair, mimicking her position. "Yeah, probably."

"You were the head of the department at the Magical Congress? For a whole year?"

Leo nodded, "That one's true."

"Family of death eaters?"

Leo pressed his lips together, "If you're talking about my immediate family," he paused, "I'm afraid there's just one." he stated, holding up a single finger.

"Hm," she hummed, "and it isn't you?"

Leo chuckled, "When death eaters were a big problem, I was barely old enough to ride a broom." he stated, "So I'm afraid not. Anything not about about my family?"

Lydia shook her head, "Afraid not. That's been the talk of the department since the prophet wrote about the American Auror that MCUSA is Dumping on the Ministry."

Leo arched a brow as he sat forward, leaning his elbows against his desk. "They really wrote about me?" he questioned, "And I wouldn't say I was getting dumped here..." he added.

Lydia nodded, "Probably not an article that you'd fancy reading."

"Hm," Leo let out a huff of air, "well, I'm not being dumped here. I was offered the job." he said simply, "Sounds like the Prophet is a load of bullshit."

Lydia cocked her head to the side, "Oh and the Daily Owl is so much better."

"At least they talk about news and not gossip."

"A head Auror leaving his job for this-" she motioned to the two desks, "-seems like a newsworthy ordeal."

Leo chuckled, but didn't say anything else. She wasn't entirely wrong— he saw how it looked. And he knew how this position made him feel after having his own office at the Congress.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment. Both waited for the other to break the silent, but when it didn't happen, Lydia relaxed and went back to her reading of the paper that was before her on her desk. But before she could get too pulled into it, everyones talking quieted down as Scrimgeour stepped out of his office to begin handing out assignments.

He hated waiting for his...

"I told you once already, you'll be staying in today, Black." Patrick Hoode said in a aggravated tone as he walked back to his office with Leo close behind him.

"Sir, that's a mistake." Leo protested, "Proctor doesn't know what she's doing with this assignment! Last time she came face to face with a death eater it almost got her and her partner killed!"

"Black, I can't risk having you out there leading the mission. I need someone who will do as I say." Hoode replied turning sharply in his doorway causing Leo to nearly run into him. "I can't have you leading a mission and changing the plan on a dime because you think it will work."

"But it does work sir." Leo replied, "You know I don't work well at a desk! I'm best out there! In the field!" Leo continued.

Patrick Hoode leaned on his desk and then lowered himself down into the seat. "Black, you'll be letting Proctor lead this one and you will be staying back." he stated again, "The discussion is over."

Leo didn't have enough fingers on his hands to count how many times he had to have that conversation with Hoode. He couldn't recall just how many times he was told to stay in the department while the others left on a mission that he would have been on if he would have just followed the original plan. So this time around, at the Ministry, he was determined to stay on Scrimgeour's good side. Although his reputation already made a impression on him...

"You two can go with Veslin, Robards, and Shacklebolt to the World Cup. Robards makes the rules once your there," Scrimgeour said as he stopped at the desks of Lydia and Leo. And watched Leo carefully for any protests, but none ever came.

Leo and Lydia both nodded, and then got up from their desks. Leo had been to a handful of the World Cup tournaments. He had gone to the one held in Australia, New Zealand, and California— one perk of having a father who knew practically everyone who was important in some regard. However he had worked at just one before when it was held in Florida. That year, along with every other year, there was always some type of drama between the fans of the participating teams. Without fail there was always some type of fight between the two written about in the paper.

"Think you can't handle not making the calls, Black?"

AUTHORS NOTE:
Thank You for reading!
Please remember to let me
know your thoughts! Leo is
one of those characters that I
made that I love to pieces—
I hope you guys do too!

Stay classy!
*edited 5/13*