Working to gain respect

Selene had a stack of folders in her arms. Books were floating in the air behind her, and she had a cup of coffee floating beside her. She looked a little stressed and somewhat overworked, but she appeared to have it pretty well handled. She flipped folders onto desks, books were set down and picked up, and she disappeared into a personal office, before coming back out without the cup of coffee. It wasn't to long until she had made her rounds passing everything out, and then it was time to pick things up.

Selene stopped by the water cooler for a moment to grab a cup of coffee. Everyone who worked here tended to only sit at their desk, and take for granted the person who brought all of their stuff to them, the stuff they requested that couldn't be sent via memo. Their folders were personally dropped off so that confidential information couldn't be grabbed out of the air. She also brought books to and from the library. She wasn't the highest of secretaries, in fact she did the brunt work, the stuff nobody else was willing to do, but needed to be done. The stuff you never got recognized for.

Selene mumbled and started heading around the cubicles again, stopping at each desk and asking them if they needed anything, if there was anything they had that needed taking away, or needed a book from the library. It was how Selene spent her day, and it got repetitive, that was for sure.

Jamie sat in her cubicle. There was nothing particularly special about it. Small, crammed with papers, and with an unremoveable faint oder of cat pee. The only attempt to personalize it were the few pictures tacked to the wall. One was of Prim giggling in her crib, one of Jamie standing arm in arm with Sophia, both girls grinning like mad, and one of Jamie at the masquerade ball two years ago, among others. Yet Jamie always found herself staring at that picture of her under the garden lights in that too-grown-up-for-your-age black dress. Maybe if she had worn something less revealing he never would have noticed her and none of this would have happened. Jamie remembered trying to look as beautiful as she could for the dance. Why had she tried so hard? It would only lead to her fate being fixed as a cubicle worker. 

Jamie shuffled though the papers on the desk not really looking at them. Work was a boring as her dad had always complained of. Honestly Jamie spent most of her day making paper airplanes and trying to get them in the trash can. For some reason she thought this department would be exiting. The best part of the day was when she got to go catch a boggart and blow her pregnant self to bits. At least that was satisfying. Jamie had been told she had a real knack with dragons. Maybe she would switch over to that department and play with fire all day. It was days like these that Jamie wished she was still in school. The three meals a day without pay system of Hogwarts seemed very helpful right about now.  Jamie was broke, bored, and boyfriendless. Oh yes, she was bloody thrilled with the way life turned out. Curse little black dresses. 

The secretary dropped a file on Jamies desk. She seemed busy, rushing around doing errands. That girl probably was unhappy with her current job as Jamie was. Then Jamie recognized her as one of the Tri-Wizard champions. That French girl. If Jamie remembered right she had transferred to Hogwarts after the cup and had become a Puffer. As the girl was about to hurry off to deliver the next file Jamie spoke out. "Now what's a triwizard champion doing as a secretary making coffee and copies?" She may not have won but she still deserved more than this.

Selene froze when she heard someone say something to her after she had passed the cubicle. She turned around. "Sorry?" she asked in her strong french accent, it was slowly fading after a year in Britain though, and she was much more understandable now. "Oh... Triwizard? I erm... got a job 'ere is all." She said carefully, staring at the girl. Not many people recognized her from the fiery participant of the Tri-wizard tournament anymore. For a while that was all she heard about, and then it had just stopped, nearly as completely as her life had after Elijah Krum. He had offered to let her stay in his apartment for two weeks, it had been great, a good two weeks, and then she had left for work, and hadn't seen him again. Last she heard he was off getting engaged and striking up similar correspondences with girls her type.

Nothing had happened between them except a few kisses, as Selene had been to reserved for that to happen, but as it was.. her favorite artist must not have seen anything special in her after all, if he was able to just, drop her on her own, and leave her be to be a secretary at the Ministry of Magic. "It was a job, and I took it." She said, carefully pronouncing each word. It had been a major complaint from the moment she had come here, and she made sure to keep her accent clear, and easy to understand, but made sure not to sound like she was talking down at someone. She had had that problem early on, and had gotten a few complaints of her speaking slowly as though the other person was stupid, now she spoke quickly, and neatly, her French accent all but stamped out of her system.

"There were not any jobs in the department for me to take.. so I am a secretary, and here I am.." she said holding out her arms, showing a neat crisp skirt, and a nice blouse, her hair pinned up in a bun, and a very, secretary air to her, as she was holding lots of folders, and even had a few empty coffee cups floating in the air beside her. "Is there something I can get you? A book from the library.. or.. a cup of coffee?" she asked softly. Normally her cheeks would have been burning with shame, now she was just so used to it she didn't even care anymore.