WHO: Hestia Jones & John Dawlish | OPEN WHAT: Hessie is just doing her evening patrol about the grounds. WHEN: 8 September 1996 | after nightfall WHERE: Hogwarts Grounds | close to the lake RATING: PG SUMMARY: John opened up to Hestia about his past; both leave on rather awkward terms! STATUS: Complete
The school year had been off to a brilliant start, much to the dismay of some of Hestia Jones' eager workmates. Nothing of grave consequence had shown itself near the grounds of Hogwarts, although the Aurors and faculty had been put on alert that, of course, nearby Hogsmeade had not been so abundantly warded. As such, the Aurors at the school worked shifts, patrolling the grounds and the castle at all hours of the day. With the help of faculty, it was their goal to ensure no area remained untouched. One second of laziness on her part could mean a world of pain or danger for any unprepared individual--particularly students.
Adorned in Ministry robes with wand hidden beneath, Hestia stepped briskly through the dewy grass. The weather had been dismal all week which in turn made the nights a bit more brutally chilly than was usual for that time of the year, even in England. Hestia's small, soft hands tried futility to warm her arms, though she stopped within seconds. Something off in the distance attracted her earnest attention: the silhouette of a restless creature near the lake's edge. Her heart began to race, Hes finally realizing that perhaps she should've stuck to the policy of traveling with a buddy when outside the castle walls (especially after nightfall). 'Foolish, absentminded git.' She reprimanded herself, continuing to move quickly though making minimal sound. The cautious auror took shelter behind the knotted trunk of a nearby tree, slowly raising her wand toward the lake as her head followed suit and poked out. Now that she'd gotten closer to the suspicious blob, Jones began to breathe easily once more. It was nothing, really. Only a pair of students snogging by the lake. It was still eerie to consider how easy it was to sneak up on the two, though she couldn't allow herself to think of that at the moment. Hes was tempted to let them in on how, in a matter of seconds, they could've become prey if she'd been someone looking to harm them. However, that wasn't her nature.
"Lumos." Her normal tone was a bit softer than the typical person, so of course, her words had gone unnoticed. She'd wrongly assumed they'd spot her light, and thus precede to create some distance between them. Alas, many young lovers nowadays knew very little shame in such regards. Stepping out further from behind the tree, Jones made as much noise as she could possibly think to make, breaking twigs and swinging her wand around as if she hadn't seen the pair. Fortunately, this was enough to save her from the awkward task of breaking their locked lips and roaming hands. Now pointing her wand at the students, the auror could identify the female. It was fellow Ministry member's daughter--Marietta Edgecombe. "I think it's time you two head in for the night," Hestia suggested, giving them an innocent grin. The manner at which they stumbled to their feet meant she needn't embarrass them any further. They made their way back up to the well-lit castle, leaving Hestia at the lake side in their absence.
At this point, Hessie's eyes shifted back to the lake's surroundings as she held her wand up higher to examine it further. Just as she'd hoped: nothing. "Nox." Hestia needed nothing more than scattered moonlight to see her surroundings. Besides, every good auror was trained to work with utmost secrecy. The element of surprise, if kept in her court, could make the difference between life or death in the proper situation.