Galway Girl ** (OPEN)

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open !
<3

There was a small spot in Horizon Alley that Rachel went to just think. Not about anything in particular, but just anything at all. It was also one of her mother's favorite spots, and while it was now closed, Rachel didn't stop going there. Every Sunday afternoon she sat at the smallest table outside of a little ice cream parlor and just people watched.

Currently, while she watched, she thought of all the changes going on. Hermione, who had been her Head, was now Minister of Magic, and Harry Potter was the Head of her department. Rachel wouldn't mind working with him; at least she hoped. She had never really spoken to him before, and with him being so well known, she was a bit nervous to do so. She took a deep breath, her eyes resting on the list of flavors on the side of the building, a small smile visible on her lips.

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Padma wasn't looking for anything specific so much as a breath of fresh air when she spotted Rachel Randolph sitting outside a shuttered ice cream parlour in Horizon Alley, gazing into the middle distance, clearly lost in thought. It had been a busy little while, and based on the other woman's reputation (all good), Padma had a feeling it was about the changes in the Ministry. She had to admit she was curious as to how all of it was going over in the DMLE.

She approached her and, gesturing at a chair, asked, "Do you mind if I join you?"

@jill17

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@padma
<3

One of the other Head's of a Department had walked over to Rachel, quiet as a mouse. She jumped slightly and rose her eyebrows, but smiled when she realized it was just Padma Thomas. Rachel smiled and gestured to the seat in front of her. "Go right ahead! I'm not waiting for anyone." Coughing quietly, she crossed her legs and placed her hands into her pockets to keep warm. "How are you Padma? Is the Department running well?"

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"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," she said as Padma took the seat across from Rachel.

"I've been well, thank you. The Triwizard Tournament has been taking up an awful lot of time, so it's all rather busy as we try to manage that on top of the usual, but it's as well as can be expected given the circumstances. How are things in Law Enforcement these days?"

@jill17

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@padma
<3

"Oh no need to apologize! I had just been spacing." Rachel gave a small wave of her hand and a laugh. Normally she was more cautious of those around her, but being at this place was sentimental to her and her mother had clouded her mind and vision. "I can imagine that it's been going crazy! I hope everything's going well though, I can't imagine having to plan such a large event."

Granted, Rachel had a lot of her own personal planning to do within their Department, but nothing like such a well-known and large game as this. "Law Enforcement's going well, Harry is now the Head of the Department which was helpful towards me of course, having to do Deputy and Head work until they had found a replacement for Hermione." Rachel smiled and sat up more. Harry was wonderful to work with, and even though she missed having Hermione to work under, she had a positive outlook on her relationship with Mr. Potter.

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Rachel insisted that there was no need to apologise, waving it off, but Padma wouldn't hear of it. "No, truly. With all that's going on, startling people is not something to do." That was a bit vague, perhaps, but she rather thought Rachel should understand. After all, surprising the wrong person could end up with a nasty hex, and most of the people in Law Enforcement would be the wrong person.

"It has been twenty kinds of a nightmare, and that's with it all going reasonably smoothly, thank the Founders," Padma said with a chuckle. "I'm used to event planning, to a degree, but I won't miss it when it's done."

"And how is having Harry in charge going? He's very good at defense, I know, but he's no Hermione." No offense was meant, naturally. There was no one quite like Hermione Granger, and being head of a department herself, she could see where Harry would be good at the job and where he'd fall short, and they were very different places than Hermione. It must be an interesting time there, right now.

@jill17

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@padma
<3

Rachel nodded, completely understanding of Padma's worry. No, it probably wasn't the best thing to do as of late. Not with all of the murders that have happened recently. If you asked her, Rachel wasn't sure if she'd have cursed someone that scared her. Padma commented on the events of the tournament and Rachel laughed quietly. "I'm assuming that is good, then! That it's going smoothly, I mean. I'm sure it will be a relief when it's over!" She knew she wouldn't be able to handle that stress, even with all of the help.

"Harry is wonderful! He is a lot different than Hermione, yes, but in a good way I suppose. In my opinion he's much less intimidating, but I also find it a bit harder to speak to him at times." Rachel laughed. She had gotten close to Hermione, working together as Head and Deputy Head, and she hoped at some point she may have the same relationship with Harry. "You know him better than I do...any advice?"

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"I'm looking forward to it being over, and we're only halfway through," Padma admitted, "but that it's all gone smoothly has been very fortunate." She would need to take a very long vacation when it was over, and she didn't think anyone would begrudge her it.

Rachel gushed about Harry, which was excellent to hear. Different could be managed, so long as it was good. "I'm so glad to hear that! It can be a bit intimidating, but I tend to find it helps to remember that whatever Harry did, he never did it alone." Some people might contest that, she supposed, but she'd seen how inseperable Ron and Hermione and Harry had been in school, and she knew he'd had mentors and support from teachers, and, she flattered herself to think, from the other students. "Also, he was an absolutely rubbish date to the Yule Ball, according to my sister." And she laughed, because that was such a silly thing to remember so, and yet it helped to remember he had flaws sometimes.

@jill17

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@padma
<3

"Well make sure to enjoy it as well! I'm sure you'll miss at least some of it when it's over." Rachel laughed quietly. There was a lot going on this year, much more than expected. With the deaths of Abigail Shacklebolt and Theodorus Nott...it seemed as if all of the departments at The Ministry were juggling many different things as of late. Rachel nodded at her comment on Harry not doing anything alone. "Maybe that will help. I just hope I'm as decent of a Deputy Head that he needs." She smiled and laughed along with Padma at her mention of Harry being a date to the Yule Ball. "Awe, rubbish? Poor man."

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"I certainly hope so!" Padma didn't actually think she'd miss the Tournament, but it was a lovely idea. It was so much work, and she and her staff couldn't just do the things that they really needed to do. She didn't want to complain, but she begrudged it quite a lot.

Rachel said that she hoped she would be a good enough Deputy Head for Harry, and it was easy for Padma to reassure her. "I'm sure you will be. A bit of an adjustment for both of you, perhaps, but that's only natural."

But Harry's skills (or lack thereof) as a date were a far more entertaining topic, and biting back another laugh, Padma amended, "to be fair, he's probably improved since then - you'd have to ask Ginny about that, though."

@jill17

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@padma
<3

Rachel nodded. She knew her and Harry would learn to work well together, it just may take awhile. But even so, Harry seemed like a genuinely good person and Rachel didn't have any thought that she might have any issues with him. She hoped it was the same way with him, but you never know! "Well thank you Padma for giving me a bit of information on him. I'm sure he'd be okay with telling me things himself, but I suppose it's just my nerves."

"I may! Though I don't want to offend her." Rachel laughed as well. Ginny was a totally different subject, and she'd never spoken to the woman. She looked a bit intimidating, but Rachel was sure she wasn't. However, a possible joke about her husband's dating skills may change that.

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Padma watched Rachel nod understanding that she and Harry would work well together in the end. She smiled. "I'm sure he would. But nerves are natural with any new boss." She'd been dreadfully nervous when Victoire took on the Minister's job, and so many times before and since.

"That's probaby the kind of joke that you needed to be there for the start of, true. What it really comes down to is teenage boys, though, being utterly hopeless." Except for Daryl - he did alright, from what she knew.

@jill17