Closed Starter @rebellxon
Running a hand over his face, Kingsley was actively fighting the urge to go home. Although he hid it well under his well-composed facade, the way the war was going had filled him with an intense feeling of urgency. A need to try and fix everything, single-handedly if he must, to try and save as many people as he could. It had led him to taking on more and more responsibilities, far more than he should have, and he wasn’t sure how exactly he was keeping himself functioning at this point. But even while all the logic in his possession - and he possessed quite a bit - told him that he needed to cut back and take care of himself before he crashed, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. There was a nagging voice at the back of his mind, telling him that if he slowed down for even a minute, something would go wrong, someone could die, and it would be all his fault for not doing enough.
He glanced towards the upper right corner of his desk, where there was stationed a single, bright yellow flower in a small planter, sitting underneath of it’s sun lamp. At least he had managed to keep that alive, even as out in the world people were being killed or going missing at an alarming pace. The flower had been a gift from Mary, and truthfully he treasured it. While not generally a demonstrative man when it came to how he felt about people, or things in general, she was one that could usually find a way to make him smile. That, of course, when he wasn’t too busy worrying about her. She had been through a lot for someone so young, and ever since he’d been sent to investigate her attack while she was in Hogwarts, he had felt like it was up to him to keep an eye out for her.
As he was thinking about this, still staring contemplatively at the small plant on his desk, there was a quick knock on his door. His eyes flicked over to the clock. Three-thirty in the morning. “Come in,” he called out, trying to make himself look more awake than he felt. But then Mary stepped into the small office, and he felt himself relax slightly. But instead of telling her that, or saying he was glad to see her, he asked instead, “What are you doing out at this hour? You should be in bed.”
Mary almost wanted to burst out laughing, because there he was, where she expected to find him -- at his office at 3:30 A.M. “You know Kings, that would hold a LOT more weight if your arse was in your own bloody apartment! I swear,” of course, even at this time of night ( or morning ) she was still lively, she was still every ounce of energy she was expected to be. Hilariously enough, looking at Kingsley, he looked ever so like the Auror that he was expected to be as well -- alert at 3:30 A.M. ready to answer the call of duty in a moments notice. To an extent, she could understand -- she’d do anything she could to help the cause. To help end this war. The guilt of not being able to do more than she was often propelling her to have nights like these ( though, there were other factors involved ). Mary could only imagine how Kingsley felt, with how long he’d been fighting the good fight, for how long he’d pushed himself to the brink of death only to come back & do it again the next day. The idea of losing Kingsley to this war was beyond devastating, so, she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that didn’t happen. That he had support the way he’d supported her for years. She knew how much of an honor & privilege it was to be let into his space, his life, his head, she was determined to protect him as much as she could.
Taking a deep breath, she properly walked into the office, the newspaper articles she’d accumulated over the last week -- muggle & otherwise -- along with some food, a blanket, and a cushion. Lifting them up, she started, “I couldn’t sleep sooo I brought some goodies. No pot though, I didn’t want to get you fired. I figured neither of us needed to be alone at 3:30 A.M. acting as if we don’t know the other is awake somewhere brooding or working themselves too hard. I figured you’d maybe be hungry too, so I brought food as well. Muggle newspapers, wizarding newspapers, we can research. Not go too batty or at least, not go too batty alone,” looking around her, Mary plopped some what she brought on the desk ( & yes, possibly on Kingsley’s work ) and chairs in front of them.
“A blanket as well! In case, you know, you’re ready to actually sleep. The cushion’s for me though, I’ve got a lot to go over as I’ve been slacking so I thought I’d utilize this nice floor,” her hand motioned to the floor in front of his desk, her mind already thinking of ways to organize her work space. The nervousness was obvious, Mary knowing her busy work and attitude would be pointed out as she now walked around the room, mentally planning.
Not many got to see when Mary was such a nervous wreck, literally scrambling, but there was no way she was able to bullshit around him. This was how Mary was most nights, she hid it best she could from most of her friends, but there was not a chance she’d be able to hide it from Kingsley. Besides the fact that he was a fantastic Auror with an uncanny ability to see people, he knew her far too well for hiding to be an option. For performing wellness to be acceptable or convincing. It helped her to be able to be this way around him, Mary often preaching the values of honesty though unable to follow her own advice due to her own issues. This practice in being herself at what she felt was her worst was as freeing as her being herself at her fullest when loud and unapologetic. She was grateful every night like this that they’d shared that he just accepted her for it. That he let her be.
Finally, her eyes settled on him, then the sunflower that had been kept in tact -- Mary finally pausing just to admire the fact it was ALIVE. “I’ll be mad when I have more energy at the fact that this isn’t at your place but it means you went to your apartment, then? At one point? Progress. I’m so happy you’ve kept it alive, I think if you’re not going to commit to a garden in your flat, you could make a small one here. Liven up the place. Maybe you could grow a fruit in it too, so that you’ll actually eat a fruit every now and then. Even I eat fruit, Kingsley. ”
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