Keys To The Heart [Open]

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Liona floo'd into the vestibule of the Ministry of Magic, heels immediately beginning to click on the floors as she headed towards the Department of Mysteries for work. She was in the middle of her internship; time had passed so quickly but she was excited that she'd be able to get to do her own research soon. What she was going to miss was being able to move from room to room shadowing the different Unspeakables. She'd just spent the previous day in the Love Chamber, shadowing an interesting man who had seemingly been completely uninterested in the work he was doing. She loved the Love Chamber though. Being around all of the Amortentia was addictive, which was exactly why they traded rooms everyday. While she'd been shadowing though she'd gotten a lot on her mind and her ideas had been flowing on properties of love. She thought of herself as a romantic, truly, but love was so interesting even just at a magical level. She'd wanted to get her hands on some experiments but, alas, her intern status kept her from it. Halfway through. She was almost done. She took a turn, only to see that the elevator had gone already so she stood patiently, waiting for the next one.

Tag; open

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I'VE LOVED AND I'VE LOST

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FALL 2024

Working at the Ministry of Magic involved a lot of using the Floo Network to get in and out, of course, she could have attempted to use the little phone box – but that was strictly for non-ministry personal. Sadly, the latter would never come to pass for her, and she was forced to attempt the Floo Network, the comic creation that hated her native accent of Ireland. Eventually, she just used the ones directly linked to the network of the Ministry, leaving out any need to speak to the damn thing. That morning, she did just that, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she walked towards the elevator, and she wasn’t the only one. A familiar woman stood before them, waiting patiently for the next one to arrive and she smiled. “Liona, a pleasure to see you. How have you been?” she questioned, wanting to pass the time to both of their locations with at least someone she deemed herself friendly with.

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TAG @lionaanna

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Liona was patiently waiting for the arrival of the elevator and pondering her work when a heavy irish lilt touched her ears. She recognized the voice and a polite smile came to her face as she turned around to her friend’s greeting. "Kaitlynn, always a pleasure to see you," she nodded her head at her fellow employee. Kaitlynn Poole had been a fellow housemate during their days at Hogwarts. They’d also been in the same house so they’d shared many classes together as well as dormitories. She’d always been nice enough and, in typical Liona fashion, she’d always been cordial and polite with her. Better to have a polite acquaintance than someone who might speak ill of you in the future. She had maintained that politeness with her as soon as she’d found out that they were both going for ministry jobs, her going to be an auror and Liona out for the Dept of Mysteries. Of course no one actually knew what she did at the Ministry; she couldn’t say so. They saw each other every now and then and Liona was always pleased by the interactions. "I’ve been well, minus the fact that this elevator seems to take longer and longer everyday," she chuckled lightly. "How are you? How is your Auror training going? Still as enchanted with it as when you first started?"

Tag; @kaitlynn

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I'VE LOVED AND I'VE LOST

[attr="class","next"] While Kaitlynn wouldn’t exactly say that she and Liona Zabini were good friends, she did like to say that they were friends or even acquaintances. They had attended Hogwarts together, same house and year, and had known each other through shared classes, meals, and dormitories. They also had the common ground of joining the ministry, even though different jobs separated them. They very rarely saw each other, unless of course they had a run in like this, or saw each other in passing around the Ministry or within the Wizarding World itself.

She let out a soft laugh, “I have noticed that. So many new people are entering and forcing themselves into the elevator, all of them going to each floor and cranny of this place,” she said truthfully with a smile on her face. “I’ve been good as well. The training has been fun, and I think I am – but who knows what I’ll be like at the end of it,” she said with a soft laugh. She had been extremely enchanted with her job when she first began, but sometimes she craved the thrill of Quidditch and wished that she had chosen that. But she was determined to finish what she started and figure out life once she completed her training – perhaps she’d love it more. “What about you? Enjoying the department, you are interning in? Mysteries…wasn’t it?”

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TAG @lionaanna

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"And that, unfortunately, makes the ride itself feel as long as the wait," Liona laughed lightly in reply to Kaitlynn’s observation of the newer additions to the Ministry. She couldn’t fault them for that because they needed to get to where they needed to go. Someone really should work on a better system of traveling to each floor of the building, at the very least for the sake of the employees. "I think it’s nice in a sense though. So many new faces to contribute to the betterment of wizarding society." She then listened to the other girl intently, nodding as she spoke of still being in love with the Auror training program. There were many people that had graduated and pursued the same job but she’d never seen the appeal in it. "At the end of it I fully expect you to be a full fledged Auror, ready to go out into the world and detain those who wish to do harm." Her words were spoken in jest but Liona suspected that if she was still in love with it so far, she was going to stick with it until the end.

Working in the Department of Mysteries was tricky in that Liona could not speak a word on anything that she did while in the department. Not any of the exciting research they were doing. That shouldn’t have been too much of a problem but Liona was ecstatic about all of the questions they had the potential to answer if the research went well. She couldn’t talk about any of it. So when Kaitlynn asked her how she was fairing, specifically asking her if she was working with the department, she smiled and nodded, keeping her composure. "Yes. I love it just as much as I’d thought I would in school. I honestly can’t imagine myself anywhere else.” She was absolutely in love with her job and all of the things she’d be able to do. And she definitely had high hopes and expectations for the discoveries she’d be able to make. "Enough about work though. We will both be diving into that shortly. How are you outside of work? I hope your work here hasn’t consumed you already.”

Tag; @kaitlynn

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I'VE LOVED AND I'VE LOST

[attr="class","next"] Kait found herself smiling and let out a soft laugh, “That is true—oh well, can’t do much about it. I bet half the auror trainees and the ministry interns will be out of the running soon enough anyway, so things will go back to normal before you know it,” she said truthfully. While both herself and Liona were trainee and intern respectively, she didn’t mean that they would be gone, she just meant that the others that didn’t make it would be. She hoped that the woman would understand what she meant or else the elevator ride would be filled with awkward silence. She let out a soft laugh, “Oh I will, at least, I hope—” she concluded biting her bottom lip as she did so. Maybe this job will not be what she was cut out for, even if she loved it, she wouldn’t know until she learned the hard way.

She smiled, “I’m glad, it sounds like you found the perfect job for you then, and that’s always a good thing,” she said truthfully. It was always nice when someone landed in a job that perfectly fit their personality and their expectations with everything. She let out a soft laugh as Liona wanted to change the subject and she shrugged, “I’m good outside of work. Same ole life, finally got myself an apartment in London after selling my parent’s house,” she said. Her parents had left her the house to sell, even stating in the will she could sell it or keep it. It wasn’t past down in the family, and she wanted a life away from the memories, so she sold it to a young couple that was ready to start a family. She prayed they had better luck in life than her family did. “And luckily, I haven’t become a workaholic yet, thank god,” she said with a soft chuckle before turning her undivided attention towards the brunette. “What about you? How’s life outside of the Ministry?”

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TAG @lionaanna

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"True," she replied with a slow nod of her head, "but this is normal for us considering we’re so new. I think it will be odder when it does clear out. At the very least, I hope we’re both around to see it once it calms down." She had no plans of being one of the unfortunate witches or wizards to leave once her internship was over. She was with the Department of Mysteries for the long haul. It was a good step before she pursued becoming Minister of Magic. That, however, was a bit longer down the line. She didn’t want to end up like Victoire Weasley, too young and inexperienced for the position and seen as a disappointment by the wizarding world. She had time, and she wanted to use that time researching what she wanted to. Though she’d started with a bit of confidence in her voice, the coyness won out and Liona watched Kaitlyn bit her lip with a look of amusement on her own face and a shake of her head. "Good. Keep that confidence and you’re sure to make it through your training." She teased lightly.

Liona noticed more people beginning to gather behind the two of them in wait for the elevator and she turned back to the other woman with a smile and a nod of agreement. She’d had confidence in that, that she knew what she wanted and what would be good for her. No one was going to stop her either. Conversation turned to going-ons outside of work and Liona listened with interest as Kaitlynn spoke about selling her parents’ house. Though she kept her face clear, nodding in agreement, she was curious as to why she’d had to sell it. What had happened to her parents? They had never been that close in school but Liona had always been cordial with her. She knew the woman was muggleborn, which meant her parents had been muggles. Of course, she wouldn’t know anything about her parents. She would have to find out but now didn’t seem like the appropriate time. What if they had passed? That definitely wasn’t the sort of social faux pas she was trying to make right now. "It’s great that you’ve found a place in London. I’ve been trying to decide if I want to stay at my parents’ house or if I want to venture off on my own and attempt to find my own place. I just feel like it might not be necessary just yet. Are you living on your own or with someone? A roommate? Perhaps, a special someone?" She wanted the conversation to remain light and friendly so she made sure to keep her words just that. And she really wanted to find out more about the woman, out of curiosity.

Tag; @kaitlynn

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I'VE LOVED AND I'VE LOST

[attr="class","next"] Kaitlynn smiled brightly, nodding her head, “Well—I know I have no plans in giving up now. I’m going to see this training through to the end,” she said with a soft laugh. While this wasn’t her first thought of job for herself, she had planned to become a professional Quidditch player, but after her parents died, she changed her mind. She wanted to protect people, especially those that could not protect themselves and she was prepared to brave the auror training and finish with Albus, her dear friend. She was sure that Liona would make it through her internship, and she had a feeling that the two of them would be seeing each other around the ministry from time to time, way down the line.

Revealing to someone that she wasn’t exactly close to that she had sold her parent’s house; she had been expecting questions of why. If it had been Albus or another close friend that knew of her parents passing, they would have understood. She felt terrible for being so cryptic, but thankfully, the woman had not asked any questions, and she knew that eventually if the two of them grew closer as friends, she would explain her reasoning. She smiled, shaking her head, “No special someone—but I do live in a two-apartment bedroom. I haven’t thought about opening it up to a roommate, but I wouldn’t mind one.” She said truthfully with a soft smile on her face, a part of her wishing that she could still live in her parent’s house and travel to work, then again, she didn’t know how well that would have worked with them living back home in Ireland. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out eventually. I’m sure your parents are happy to have you living with them as you figure out your future,” she said softly.

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TAG @lionaanna

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Liona offered a firm nod and a smile as Kaitlynn confirmed what she’d thought. They would both be sticking around the ministry it seemed and Liona would be seeing her with some sort of frequency. When she wasn’t off chasing dark witches and wizards of course. It was a good thing that Liona didn’t mind being cordial with people or else she’d be driven mad by the amount of times per day she found herself smiling and laughing with people she shared no real connection with but those she wanted to remember her as being friendly and caring. Kaitlynn was pleasant enough though so talking to her was much easier than others. She mentioned then that she didn’t have a significant other living with her but continued on by saying she did have a two bedroom apartment that she wouldn’t mind having a roommate for. Liona shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was by the young woman not having a significant other. "Not that I’m pushing you to talk about it or anything of the sort, but I do find myself surprised that no one has swept you off of your feet when you seem quite lovely. Are you just not looking for anyone right now and focusing on your training?" There was a lightness in her voice as she spoke to let her know that the question was easily ignorable and to press the fact that she didn’t have to answer but Liona was rather curious. Especially considering the research she was pursuing in the department currently. Everyone knew love was powerful, that’s why so many people craved it in its different forms.

The elevator chose that moment to arrive, the compartment pulling itself to a short stop and its doors opening to reveal its empty space. Everyone was coming in it seemed and there was no one leaving. She moved quickly to the back of it before she was surrounded by other employees, almost to the point of being pushed into the wall. "I don’t think I will ever get used to this," she said with a turn of her head towards Kaitlynn. The sound of the doors closing was quickly followed by the ringing of some sort of bell and she lurched forward at the rapid movement of the compartment in a backwards motion. Her stop wasn’t until a bit later; she knew by the faces she recognized on the elevator. "I know they don’t mind having me live there; the house is so big that it takes some effort for me to see them at times. I do ponder living on my own more often than not. Just because I can." If she were to pursue it she would live truly on her own, no roommate. It would allow her so much more freedom. She would be able to bring work home with her. Not literally, of course. That was forbidden. "How do you like living on your own? I know you said you wouldn’t mind a roommate but you have the experience of it already."

Tag; @kaitlynn

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I'VE LOVED AND I'VE LOST

[attr="class","next"] ‘Not that I’m pushing you to talk about it or anything of the sort, but I do find myself surprised that no one has swept you off of your feet when you seem quite lovely. Are you just not looking for anyone right now and focusing on your training?’ Kaitlynn found herself smiling lightly and letting a soft chuckle slip through her pink lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She shrugged her shoulders, “Yeah—I guess so. I might also be extremely picky when it comes to who I date,” she said with a soft laugh. It was true though, Kaitlynn had been asked out here and there, and she always turned them down, for now, she used her training as an excuse, but maybe it was just her pushing people away. Getting close to people with the fear of losing them, like she lost her parents, was not something she wanted to happen again.

Before she could say anything else, the lift arrived, and the compartment opened up, allowing everyone that was waiting to slip inside, through the cracks of the people that refused to get off, she found herself in the back with Liona. She laughed, nodding her head in agreement that she was unsure if she would ever get used to this, to be a part of the ministry. There were times when she questioned if she was doing the right thing and other times that she knew that she was – she wanted to protect others, and this job allowed her to do such.

Liona quickly explained that she didn’t think her parents minded her living at home and that she barely saw them, but she often thought about leaving it behind because she could do so. When she questioned her about how she enjoyed living at home, she shrugged her shoulders. “It has its perks. It’s a lot to get used to though—it’s always so quiet that I feel like I might lose my mind, but at the same time…it’s nice not having someone breathing down my neck because I forgot to wash a spoon,” she said with a soft laugh. “But it’s just Cooper and me, and we enjoy each other’s company as long as I keep him fed and leave him alone to his cat-scratcher,” she added.

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TAG @lionaanna

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