Summary: Y/N finally got her big break at the Daily Prophet and has the chance to cover a big Ministry press conference solo. Unfortunately, the Ministry is an insanely big and confusing building, and Y/N might not even be able to make it to the press conference without a little help from a kindly stranger.
Word Count: 1,735
Category: Fluff
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
I swore under my breath as I looked around my surroundings, trying to find any sign of the room I was looking for. The stupid Ministry hallways all looked exactly the same, and nothing I could see gave me a single clue.
After years of working for The Daily Prophet and gradually working my way up from intern to reporter, I'd finally been trusted with a solo, lead story covering a Ministry press conference. It was a dream come true, and I'd come up with plenty of good questions after spending a week carefully familiarizing myself with the issue. None of it would matter, though, if I got lost in a hallway and missed the press conference all together.
"Excuse me?" I whirled around to find (to my horror) a tall, handsome man standing before me, looking slightly confused. "Can I help you?"
I tried not to grimace at his question as I responded.
"I'm quite alright, thank you." A lie, that sounded unconvincing even to me. "I just... uh, I'm here for a press conference and it's my first time covering something like this, especially solo, and I must admit I'm a little bit lost..."
I trailed off, trying not to give in to the tidal wave of stress about to overwhelm me. The man, thankfully, gave me a kind smile which somehow set my heart racing and put me at ease at the same time.
"Don't worry, this place can be a maze. I still get lost sometimes," he said. "I can walk you to the press room. It's on my way to a meeting I need to get to, anyway."
"Oh! I don't want you to do that..." I tried to brush him off, feeling my face warm a bit as I did. "I wouldn't want to make you late for your meeting..."
"Nonsense," he said, quickly waving off my concern before giving me a dashing smile. "If there were any need for me to be concerned about being late, I wouldn't have stopped to talk to you in the first place. Besides, what kind of person would I be if I didn't stop to help someone in obvious distress?"
He met my eyes with that same charming look, and I couldn't help giving him a smile of my own in return. He was handsome and kind, and if he was insisting, I didn't see a reason to turn him down.
"If you're sure..."
"Completely. Please, follow me." With that, he started off down the hallway, leaving room for me to fall into step beside him. "So, you're a reporter, then?"
"Yes. With the Prophet. I started as an intern, and now I've finally worked my way up to covering lead stories." I couldn't help beaming at the statement. I'd worked very long and very hard to get here, and every time I thought about the fact that it was finally paying off, my heart soared.
"Well, congratulations then," he said, shooting me another smile as we turned down another corridor that looked exactly the same as everything else around it. "I'm sure you'll do wonderful with this press conference then, too."
"I certainly hope so," I said, unable to hold back a slight nervous laugh. I focused on taking a few deep breaths as we slowed to a stop in front of a massive oak door. I could hear the excited buzz of a room full of people behind it, and even though I was insanely nervous, I was also excited beyond belief.
"This is your stop," said the man who'd quite literally saved my day. He opened the door and held it for me, and I gave him a quick smile as I darted through.
"Thanks," I said, quickly surveying the room even as I carried on the conversation. "By the way, I didn't catch your name. I'm Y/N-"
I turned around to face the man, but he was already gone. I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed, although he'd told me he'd been running off to a meeting himself.
I quickly put the man out of my mind as I found a seat in the crowded room. All the Ministry Officials scheduled to be on the panel were present but one, thankfully, saving me from being the latest person in attendance.
I took a deep breath and glanced down at my notepad where I'd listed all my questions, the pulled out a quill so I'd be ready to write down everything they said. A moment later, the door at the front of the room flew open, and the man who'd helped me find this room strode on stage.
My mouth dropped open as I watched him walk all the way to the middle seat and sit before the nametag for the Head of the Auror's Division.
Theseus Scamander. I'd just met, walked with, and been helped by Theseus Scamander, one of the primary subjects in the story I was reporting on today.
Theseus's eyes scanned the room as he took his seat, and after a moment, they landed on me. He took in my gobsmacked expression and grinned before quickly looking down at the table, clearly trying to hide a laugh behind his hand.
Unbelievable.
"Alright, now that we're all here," the moderator began, looking from Theseus out into the crowd of journalists. "Let's kick things off with the questions I'm sure you all have about our latest press release."
As one, the crowd of journalists (me included) shot to our feet, clambering to be heard and picked over the noise of everyone else. The moderator selected a few of the men who'd been coming here and covering Ministry events like this for many, many years, and I had to take a deep breath to keep the frustration from getting to me. I shouldered my way forward a bit and raised my hand as high as it would go, and the moderator's eyes finally swept to me.
"Yes, you. New girl."
"Y/N Y/L/N, The Daily Prophet," I identified myself to the panel and then met Theseus' eyes. He still had a spark of warmth and humor there, and I could tell he was fighting a smile as he looked at me. He was very handsome, and he'd completely saved me earlier, but I'd come here to do my job. I wasn't about to change that for anything or anyone. "My question is for Mr. Scamander. With anti-muggl sentiment initiated by Grindelwald still on the rise even in the wake of his capture in the US, what makes you so sure any of the new measures being implemented by the Ministry will have any kind of impact?"
Theseus looked shocked, and then impressed, before he marshaled his expression again and cleared his throat.
"Well, I'm glad you asked..."
Theseus, to my relief, had an excellent answer to my question and the next few follow-ups. I took careful notes for the rest of the press conference, and when it came to an official end and everyone started filing out of the room, I got more than a few compliments and impressed nods from my fellow journalists.
I was absolutely floating on Cloud 9.
I took my time packing up my notebook, quill, and everything else that I usually threw haphazardly into my bag, trying to savor the moment and convince myself everything had, in fact, been real. I was just straightening to leave when I felt someone come up next to me.
"You did a fantastic job." I turned to find Theseus there, smiling at me with his hands in his pockets. "Were you pulling my leg when you said this was your first press conference of this magnitude?"
I smiled, and I couldn't help feeling a little giddy at his words and his presence.
"Nope. This was my first time ever playing in the big leagues. I'm just glad you couldn't tell."
"Not at all. You asked better questions than half of the people who've come before you."
I smiled again, trying not to get too carried away.
"Well, thank you. And thank you for helping me get here in the first place, too. I think my debut as a hard-hitting top reporter might have been a little less impressive if I'd missed the actual press conference."
Theseus chuckled, and when I looked back at him we shared a smile. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, and even though it felt like the conversation should be coming to an end, I couldn't bring myself to go.
"So..." Theseus started, showing nerves for the first time since I'd met him. Which, admittedly, wasn't that long ago. "I know this may be a long shot, but I have to ask... is there any chance you'd like to get drinks with me sometime? Completely separate from our professions, of course."
I stared back at him, not wanting to completely jump to conclusions. He looked at the carpet, the walls, and just about anything but me as the silence stretched on, so I finally cleared my throat and forced myself to speak.
"Like... for a date?"
Theseus turned bright red. "Well, yes. If you... if that's something you'd be interested in."
"I'd probably need to talk to my editor, but... I'd love to, Theseus."
"Really?" he asked, finally meeting my eyes with an expression of relief and hope.
"Yeah, really. You seem like a really good guy, and I'd like to get to know you better."
"I'd like to get to know you better, too. Can we plan on Friday evening? I can pick you up from work, if it wouldn't cause too big of a stir."
I grinned. "That sounds perfect, Theseus. Just as long as you know that my article isn't going to change at all based on the fact that we have a date."
"I'd never expect it to," he said, back to his smiling, confident self as he offered me his arm. "May I walk you out?"
"You may. And not just because I really don't know how to get out of here," I said, taking his arm. We shared a laugh, and the butterflies in my stomach didn't calm down until well after I'd left the Ministry of Magic.
how about some headcanons or an imagine about Theseus and reader (from another department in the ministry) flirting at work and just being cute whenever they see each other
xxx
yes sure! thanks for requesting
Theseus Scamander || Headcanons
Pls don't mind my bad grammar eh
Theseus Scamander x Reader
AGHHHH THESEUS SCAMANDER. I just love him, don't mind me lmao :)
okay so where to begin like-
Being a member of the Oblivator squad from Department of Magical Accidents and Casatropes you would often be required at the fields and the Auror Office
Yes, They do need the help of your team to clean up the evidence when Aurors make slips up infront of muggles in their missions
And you see him. Oh dear Merlin. Theseus
It's not the first time you've caught him staring at you whenever you two work together
and there went your heart beating like crazy
He would just stare at you even more, just because he knows it makes you flustered and all
Oh how bad you wanted to wipe off that smirk off his face
He clearly knows what he's doing
You two are friends somehow
Also not you taking every chance to visit The Department of Magical Law Enforcement at work
You would wave at him if you see him while you're passing by
or just stop by his office if he's free
And dear boy, doesn't that makes his heart flutter
He would run up to you, pausing whatever the work he's doing. Yes, the same Theseus Scamander who is dedicated toward his work would do that just to speak to you.
He likes to ruffle your hair every chance he gets much to you annoyance
He would invite you to have a coffee time to time
Oh the things his smile does to you
He'd tease you a lot, just to get your annoyed reaction
"It's fun to mess with you," he would say
You being you would compliment him all the time. Which leaves this badger a blushing mess
He would clear his throat, the tips of his ears gone bright red
"Are you trying to flirt with me?" He asks
"I don't know, am I?" You would say, while continuing to do so ;)
One time you expressed your worry about him fighting Grindelwald and he hugged you. YES. he's a hugger, remember?
He would hold both your hands together and will assure that he will be careful
This man would do anything to gain your attention
Him suddenly sneaking behind you and scaring you to death, which led you to punch him in the face one time. Unexpected
Small notes at your desk, a flower or a cup of coffee in the mornings
You had to patch up his bloody nose, and you didn't even try control you laugh
I hope u enjoy it heh. Idk if it's good but yea-
anyways thank u for being patient and for the request again 😭<3
Head Auror James Potter uniform ref sheet for a personal fan project.
I decided to design him first because he’s in the first scene of my first draft wearing this. But after I rewrote my draft... \( ; v;)/ he’ll appear much much later. Yay.
But it did help establish in my head the aesthetic I wanted to stick to.
Eh, I wanted to draw a Head Auror Harry Potter. I soon realized that the auror don't have a uniform really, just a trench coat? Idk, I didn't watch Harry Potter in a while. So...I just put Harry into a suit and called it a day. I'm really awful at making up backgrounds so I decided to keep it simple XD.
I put red highlights to emphasize Lily's genes shining though I guess.
Summary: Y/N is the Head Auror for the French Ministry of Magic, having risen rapidly through the ranks after securing a good position in the Auror's department after graduating from Hogwarts. Now, with the threat of Grindelwald looming ever larger on the horizon, she's going back to London to work with the British Ministry of Magic and, more importantly, Head Auror Theseus Scamander. With a lot of bad blood between Y/N and Theseus, will they be able to work together to save the wizarding world?
Word Count: 3,987
Category: Angst, fluff
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
I pulled back my shoulders and straightened my posture, making myself look as imposing as possible as I walked down the familiar hall. I hadn't been back here in a decade, but I still remembered the carpeted halls of the UK Ministry of Magic like it was yesterday.
Heads turned as I passed groups of wizards working on various assignments. Some were old classmates from Hogwarts, others I didn't recognize. I ignored all of them, keeping my eyes focused ahead of me and my head held high.
Ten years ago, I'd been in my final year of Hogwarts. I graduated at the top of all of my classes, and I earned twelve Outstanding N.E.W.T.s, the most possible. I'd known since my first year that I wanted to be an Auror, so I'd applied here right away. In response, they'd offered me a job well below my skill level. They wanted to make me what was basically a glorified secretary.
So, I left. I'd reached out to the French Ministry of Magic, and thankfully I'd had better luck there. They gave me a job as an Auror, and I steadily worked my way up the ranks. I got a French citizenship, and then towards the end of my third year after graduation, I became the first female Head Auror in the world.
I'd held onto my position and handled everything that came my way, and for the most part, it wasn't an issue. While Grindelwald hadn't focused too much on France in his earlier days, we'd made sure to keep him from getting a foothold for as long as we could. Now, however, after recently escaping from where he'd been captured in America, Grindelwald was making waves and getting more and more powerful every day. As hard as we tried, we hadn't been able to keep his movement from growing anymore.
So, now I was here, back in the place that had essentially rejected me so long ago. And I was on my way to see an old classmate.
I took a deep breath before knocking on the door of Theseus' office. We'd been completely inseparable best friends when we started at Hogwarts, but around fifth year, he had turned into an arrogant ass and we'd split apart.
I hadn't seen him in ten years, and I was not excited about seeing him again. But Grindelwald was a bigger problem than my old interpersonal grudges, and Theseus was the Head Auror for the UK, so we had no choice but to work together.
Although, for the record, he hadn't become Head Auror until a year after me.
"Come in!" called a voice from the other side of the door. I hadn't seen him in ten years, but Theseus' voice was still unmistakable.
I took one last deep breath to steel myself, then pushed open the door. Theseus was walking around his desk and shuffling papers, so he wasn't looking at me as I came to a stop in the middle of the room. It gave me a second to survey him.
He looked good. As good as I remembered him looking our seventh year before we'd finally officially parted ways.
After a few more seconds, Theseus finally looked up. I kept my face neutral and my head held high as I met his eyes. The shock was obvious, although he quickly covered it up. Whoever he'd been expecting to walk through that door, it wasn't me.
"Y/N," he said, clearing his throat as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "I... I wasn't expecting you for a few more hours."
"Well, in a case like this, Theseus, we don't have as much as a second to waste," I said, walking the rest of the way across the room to his desk and looking at the papers he had laid out there. "We're on the verge of being in another full-out war with Grindelwald and his followers, and I don't intend to let him get a step farther than he already has."
Theseus didn't say anything as I picked up one of the files on his desk and riffled through it. It had intel on a possible meeting spot for Grindelwald and his followers, and it included a potential meeting time: tonight.
"If you weren't already planning on going for it, this might be a good place to start," I said, handing him the paper and putting my hands on my hips. "The sooner we can infiltrate one of their hideouts, the better."
"This one's too dangerous to send anyone in on," said Theseus, apparently getting his wits back. He looked down at the paper with a frown and continued. "A small team would be in hot water if something went wrong, and a big group would never make it past the front door."
"Well, it's a good thing you have me, then," I said. "Give me somebody from your office as backup, and I'll go in undercover with them."
"What part of 'too dangerous' did you not understand?" he asked, looking up and making eye contact with me for the first time since I'd walked in.
"The part where you're going to miss a perfect opportunity to catch Grindelwald and get information on his operation because you're scared," I said simply. "We were both in Gryffindor, Scamander. Show a little spirit."
With that, I took the file back from him before turning and heading for the door.
"Have one of your people meet me in the Atrium in an hour," I said, not turning around as I reached the door. "We'll be in and out without a hitch."
I didn't give Theseus the chance to argue before I was out the door and off to prepare for my first assignment in my home country.
****************
Just under an hour later, I stood in the Atrium with the best disguise I could muster. Grindelwald's followers did a good job of blending in with everyone else, which was usually a serious problem for us. But today it was going to work in our favor.
I glanced at my watch as it marked exactly one hour since I'd left Theseus' office. Hopefully Theseus hadn't decided to ignore my order, and someone was actually on the way.
I looked up and scanned the crowd bustling around the entrance to the Ministry, but I froze when I saw Theseus walking towards me in plain clothes, a fedora helping to hide his bright hair.
"I'd apologize for being late, but I'm not really sorry," he said, coming to a stop in front of me. I was still too shocked to muster a response. "This is a terrible plan, and I would've just left you standing here if I didn't know you well enough to realize you'd just go in on your own."
I blinked a few times, then finally processed enough to get my voice back.
"I told you to send one of your people. You don't have to come, if you think it's such a terrible idea."
"I'm not sending any of my men into a situation like this. If anyone's taking this absurd risk with you, it's me. I'm not putting it on them."
I just scoffed and rolled my eyes.
"Oh yes, noble Theseus Scamander. I'd forgotten just how far you could puff up your chest. Come on then, let's go."
I didn't wait for a response before turning on my heel and disapparating with a crack. The file had identified a good place to drop in and access the meeting, and if Theseus hadn't read that, then I certainly wasn't going to miss him.
Apparently Theseus had read it, because he was there barely a second after me. He shot me a glare, which I also ignored, and the two of us straightened up and walked casually down the street. The entrance to Grindelwald's underground meeting place was a few blocks away, so we'd hopefully blend in with any other wizards headed that way.
"Alright, we have no reason to think that Grindelwald himself will make an appearance tonight," said Theseus, his voice low as he walked next to me. "But if he does, we need to be prepared to leave at a moment's notice. He might not be at the point of killing Ministry personnel in such a public setting yet, but we don't want to find out the hard way."
"Obviously. And you need to keep your head down. I've never been up close and personal with this issue, but some of his followers and the man himself are much more likely to recognize you," I said.
"I know," he gritted out. I smirked at the irritation in his tone, but I quickly plastered a neutral expression on my face as we rounded the last street corner between us and our destination. Theseus took my arm, and I almost ripped it away on instinct, but I managed to stop myself. He was right, unfortunately. It was a good addition to our cover.
There were a few other people ahead of us who turned into the hidden entrance of Grindelwald's meeting, and I tried to mirror their posture and demeanor as closely as I could. Theseus and I kept our heads down as we walked through the door, coming to a stop just behind the trio we'd followed in.
We were in a small entry way, big enough for only a few people. A bouncer stood across from us, in front of another door. Theseus and I did our best to appear casual as he finished with the trio inside and let them in, then turned to fix us with a cold stare.
We stepped forward to meet him as confidently as possible. He looked us both up and down, then stared for a few more seconds before finally speaking.
"You two here for the convention?"
I just nodded once, mirroring what the woman in front of us had done. The bouncer nodded back, then shifted towards the door. Instead of opening it, however, he slammed a panel on the wall. Before I could even begin to wonder what was happening, Theseus and I fell straight down and landed in a heap in a small stone room. I managed to raise my head and saw the bouncer glaring down at us through a tiny gap in what was now our ceiling.
"We don't allow Ministry scum into our meetings," he spat down at us. Then the trap door slid shut with a bang.
Theseus and I had landed in a tangled heap, but now I took the time to move away from him and stand.
"So much for these disguises," he grumbled as he did the same. I ignored him, instead raising my wand and trying to disapparate. It didn't work, which really didn't surprise me. I tried a few more times just to be sure, but I wasn't expecting Grindelwald's operatives to be stupid enough to forget the most obvious escape route.
I sighed and looked around for another way out. I blasted at the walls a few times with different spells, but none of them had any affect.
"This is why I didn't want to send any of my people on this mission."
I whirled around to see Theseus just watching me try different spells, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the opposite wall. I glared at him.
"Maybe instead of being an arse you can help me find a way out of here," I said. Still, I gave up my spell shooting. I mirrored Theseus's posture, crossing my arms and leaning against the wall furthest from him.
"There's not a way out," he said simply. "We're going to have to wait until they come to get us, and then we're going to have to take the opportunity to fight back as hard as we can and escape."
"Oh, well then, thank goodness you're here! Mr. Know It All, here to make sure I know how this is going to work." I shook my head, breaking eye contact with Theseus so I wouldn't launch across the room and try to kill him myself. "Of all the people I'd choose to spend my potential last minutes with, Theseus, you're dead last on the list."
Theseus didn't respond, and after a few minutes I turned back to make sure he hadn't magically dropped dead while I wasn't looking. He was fine, and still staring straight at me with an odd look in his eyes.
"What?" I demanded.
"Why do you hate me so much?" he finally asked. He sounded genuinely curious, despite his behavior at Hogwarts and over the past few hours.
"That seems like it should be my line," I said. "We got on well for so many years, but then out of nowhere you started behaving like a complete dick to me. So I decided I wasn't going to put up with that, and I gave as bad as I got."
"Are you joking? I came to breakfast one day and you weren't speaking to me! You wouldn't tell me or anyone else what was wrong, and we barely had two conversations for the rest of the year," he said, pushing off his spot on the wall to take a few steps towards me. It was a small room, so he was only a couple feet away, and it was absolutely not where I wanted to be having this conversation.
"I was up in my room before dinner sobbing after you tore apart my DADA presentation. I was so proud of it, and you ripped it to shreds because you couldn't stand the idea I beat you. I wouldn't be where I am now if I let you continue to have an impact on my life."
My voice wavered as I spoke, but I stared Theseus straight in the eye and didn't back down. He stared back, and the silence hung heavy between us for a few moments before Theseus finally looked away.
"I didn't know," I heard him mutter, barely loud enough for me to hear. "I didn't know it hurt you like that."
"Well that's a shit excuse! What did you think it was going to do, Theseus? Make me feel good about myself?"
"You were good at everything," he finally responded, raising his voice back to slightly above normal levels as he turned to me. "No matter what happened in class, you were the best at it. You made it look easy, you beat me at everything without even trying! I was supposed to be the top of my class, moving forward to uphold the family name and make everyone proud. And every time I did something, it ended up being second to you. It didn't really matter to me until... well, until our futures started being at risk."
He shook his head and got quiet towards the end of his explanation, dropping his eyes to stare at the cobblestones. None of what he said made up for any of what he did in my book, so I just crossed my arms. I wasn't invested in continuing this conversation.
Finally, Theseus looked back up at me. His blue eyes met mine, and I felt a pang in my heart at the sincere regret in them. I managed to keep the indifferent expression on my face, but I also didn't look away.
"I'm so sorry, Y/N. I was young and stupid, and I cared more about impressing other people than keeping a genuine friend. I... I was wrong. And I've been wrong about everything to do with you since."
I sighed through my nose, and now it was my turn to break eye contact. His words didn't magically make up for everything he'd done over the years. And they definitely didn't make me feel better about the fact that he got the Ministry job that should've been mine. But, I still appreciated it. And it's not like it was his fault I didn't get the Ministry job. No, that was the bigots in charge.
If Theseus meant what he said, it might not hurt to give an old friend a second chance.
"Without all the bad blood between us... would you have agreed to my plan?" I asked, looking back to Theseus. I wanted to know exactly where he stood.
Theseus sighed through his nose, but he didn't look away.
"No. I would've preferred to scout out the place longer before going in. But I wouldn't have been as much of an arse about it."
I nodded. "Thank you, Theseus. For the apology, and for telling me the truth."
I let the silence hang, honestly not sure what more to say. I suddenly didn't want this conversation to end, and thankfully, Theseus picked it back up for me.
"I know this doesn't magically heal anything of the past, but... if you're interested, I'd like to have a shot at being friends again. You are strong and smart and incredible, and I think it's going to be one of my biggest regrets that I made the first move towards ruining our relationship."
The corner of my mouth pulled up slightly, and a little blossom of warmth bloomed in my chest.
"Let's make it out of here alive first," I said. "Then we can talk about getting coffee and catching up after spending ten years as bitter rivals."
Theseus huffed out a laugh, and a small smile appeared on his face too as he turned to scan our small prison again. His eyes roved the walls and floor, taking everything in, just as I had done earlier.
"Deal," he said. "Although I still think our only way out may be to fight."
"They could kill us in two seconds by shooting the Killing Curse down from above," I noted, joining Theseus in examining our options.
"I can't imagine that's their plan... we have valuable information, and they could've just killed us at the door if that was what they wanted," he said.
"I agree. Still, we're going to have a hard time fighting our way out if we wait for them to come to us..."
Theseus and I fell silent, both of us thinking furiously. If we just waited for them to show up, we'd be at a huge disadvantage. But if we could somehow get the drop on them...
"Theseus, how serious are you about making amends and becoming friends again?"
He turned to me slowly, a wary look in his eyes. "Very... why?"
"Because I have an absolutely mental idea, but I think it just might work."
****************
"Alright, are you ready?" I asked, looking at Theseus.
"Ready as I'll ever be." He stood facing me, wand out and at the ready. We were going to have to seriously trust each other if this plan was going to work, but since it was a do or die scenario, I had hope.
As far as we could tell, the only way in or out was through the trap door at the top of this pit. Which meant the only way to get the drop on these people would be to go back up the pit before they were expecting it. Theseus was going to use Wingardium Leviosa on my robes to get me up there, and I was going to burst out spells-first.
"Be careful, alright?" he asked, his voice low as he looked at me intently. I nodded.
"Likewise. I don't fancy a long drop into a dingy well if you lose your focus."
"Have a little faith," he said, shooting me a roguish grin. Before I could respond, Theseus cast the spell, and I felt my clothes slowly begin to drag me upwards towards the trap door.
I braced myself as I neared the top, and as soon as my forearms made contact with the door above me, I shoved with all my might. The door went flying off, and I quickly dragged myself to solid ground before firing off a spell at the nearest wizard. Thankfully, it was just a few of them guarding the door, so I wasn't in much danger yet.
I shot off a few more spells to give myself cover, then quickly leaned back over the well.
"Accio Theseus' Wand!" I bellowed. Accio didn't work on people, so we'd decided I would use it on his wand while he hung on for dear life and we both hoped for the best. I didn't have time to do more than quickly hope Theseus managed to hold on tight before I was forced to whirl around and throw up a shield charm.
After a few seconds, I felt somebody close behind me. I didn't need to look to know it was Theseus, back to back with me now and facing down the few guards left. We made quick work of them, ducking and dodging and moving like we'd been a team for those ten years we'd spent not talking.
I shot off one last Stupefy for the guy in front of me, then turned to see Theseus had finished off all of his guys too. I was breathing heavily as I turned to him, a smile slowly spreading across my face.
"Not bad," I panted, the smile officially a full on grin.
"Right back at you."
Neither of us said anything for a few beats, instead just staring at each other, both smiling like idiots. A sound from a little too close for comfort knocked me out of my thoughts, and I suddenly remembered that we were in very, very hostile territory.
"Let's get out of here," I said, turning on my heel and heading back the way we'd come. Now that Grindlewald's people knew both of our faces, we'd definitely need to regroup and come up with a new approach.
"Good idea," said Theseus, falling into step beside me. We walked quickly, putting as much distance between us and that meeting as possible. Before we'd gotten more than a few blocks, Theseus turned to me with the smile still on his face. "So, now that we've survived that... what do you say we get out of here to a bar or someplace and catch up?"
"Wow. Not even five minutes past almost dying and you're trying to ask me out."
Theseus just smiled and shook his head. "I never said anything about a date. But ten years is a long time, and you're the one who said we'd figure things out if we survived. We survived, and I want to make up for lost time."
I slowed a little, then came to a stop as we rounded a corner only to be faced with an open, vibrant looking bar across the street. Slowly, I turned to Theseus, who'd come to a stop beside me.
"I wouldn't have passed Divination if I ignored signs like this," I said. "I guess a drink or two couldn't hurt."
Theseus grinned, then held out his hand. I paused for a second, then took it, and he pulled me after him as we ran across the street like idiots. For just a second, it felt like we were back at Hogwarts before our relationship had crumbled, two reckless Gryffindors running through the night.
Maybe this assignment with the British Ministry of Magic would have a silver lining.
Request: Would it be possible for another Theseus x reader? Literally anything? These is a large lack for him on here
Summary: Reader is a senior auror for the MACUSA, chasing down the head of a smuggling ring that deals in dark objects. When the target slips through reader's fingers and escapes to England, the reader gets paired with a certain auburn-haired Hogwarts grad. After a raid where the reader (an Ilvermorny grad) manages to take out more enemies than Theseus, a competition inspired by the schools' rivalry kicks off while they finish the man hunt.
Word Count: 4,424
Category: Fluff
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
"Stay right where you are!" I yelled, leveling my wand at the man I'd been chasing all over New York for the past forty minutes.
The man slowly raised his hands, but the look on his face told me he hadn't really given up. I started moving closer. I didn't want to stun him if I didn't have to, but I couldn't let him get away from me.
See, I was a senior auror for the Magical Congress of the United States of America. My department had been tracking the head of a criminal organization dealing in the trade of dark objects for a little over a year, and we'd finally gotten a good tip on the head of the group. I tracked him to a safe house in New York, chased him through the city for the better part of an hour, and now I finally had him cornered in an alley.
I was not letting him get away this time.
I hit him with a spell first thing that kept him from disapparating, hence the long chase. Still, I couldn't be sure he wouldn't try to stun me at the last second, or pull some ridiculous last trick out of his hat.
I edged closer, refusing to lower my wand and keeping my eyes trained on the man in front of me. If he so much as flinched, I'd stun him on the spot.
I got within five feet when the door of a restaurant leading into the alley flew open right next to me. I had to dive or get smacked with a door, and when I looked up again, my target had a can from the garbage in his left hand.
"Drop it!" I shouted, but he was gone before I'd even finished the first word.
A Portkey. A garbage Portkey, and a stupid door. In less than three seconds, my entire chase suddenly meant nothing.
And now I had a muggle busboy to Obliviate too.
****************
After a few days of extensive detective work, my team and I managed to track our target's Portkey. He'd gone all the way across the ocean, and according to a few of our informants, he was hiding out in London. Which meant I was taking a trip.
Wizarding travel to and from the US was pretty limited. For the most part, we required muggle travel in and out of the country. However, since nobody here wanted the Ministry of Magic getting the payoff after doing none of the work, I was getting an exception. My boss arranged a Portkey for me, and just four hours after getting a location, I was standing outside the British Ministry of Magic.
I walked inside confidently, getting directions from the first person I saw and heading straight for the office of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement. I'd never been here before, but thankfully, it wasn't too hard to find.
I knocked on the door and strutted inside as soon as I heard a "come in". I was greeted by two men sitting at a round table, looking expectantly at me to take the third seat.
"Y/F/N Y/L/N. Welcome," said the older man. Torquil Travers, Head of Magical Law Enforcement. The younger man next to him could only be Theseus Scamander, the famous war hero turned Head Auror.
"Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here," I said, sitting at last and looking between the two men. Truthfully, I didn't want to be here, wasting time in a meeting. Every second we waited was another second my target could be escaping, but this was their country, and I had to play by their rules.
I just hoped this wouldn't take too long.
"How have you found your stay so far?" asked Travers, beating around the bush as he shuffled through a stack of papers. Theseus kept his eyes locked on me, so I couldn't even glare to vent some frustration.
"Well, I came straight here as soon as I got in so... I'd have to say it's too early to tell."
Travers just kept shuffling through his papers, so I decided to continue.
"The trip will certainly get five stars from me as soon as I get my target."
At that, Travers stopped his shuffling and looked up at me. He stared without saying anything, and I stared right back, reclined in my chair. This man was on some kind of power trip, but I wasn't going to back down.
"Fine. You want to get to work so badly, then do it. You'll be assisting Mr. Scamander, so you can work from his office."
My mood soured as soon as the words left his mouth. I sat up straight and scowled at Travers, ignoring the other auror.
"I'm sorry, I think I might have misheard you. Did you say 'assisting'?"
"I did." Travers sat all the way up now too, leaning forward and staring at me with a self-important air about him and continuing in a patronizing tone. "You're not in your jurisdiction anymore, Y/L/N. You're in our country now, and so is your fugitive. You'll be doing things our way, and a Ministry auror will be leading the case from now on."
I clenched my fists and tried to pick just one of the many choice phrases that came to mind to retort with, but Travers spoke up again before I got the chance.
"Of course, if you can't handle taking a backseat, then you're welcome to go back to America."
Every muscle in my body wanted to launch across the table and knock that smug look off of Travers' face, but I stopped myself. I swallowed my pride and my protests, and took a deep breath to calm myself.
"No, no that will be fine. I... I look forward to working with Mr. Scamander on this case." I could barely get the words out through my gritted teeth, but I manageed.
"Wonderful," said Travers, sounding cheery as he returned to his papers. "Theseus, if you wouldn't mind taking this to your office?"
"Of course, sir." Theseus stood, and I did too, although my motion was a little more strained than his. Now that I was standing, the urge to jack Travers in his smirking face had doubled, but I managed to get ahold of myself enough to follow Theseus out the door.
I knew it wouldn't be the greatest start to our working relationship, but I couldn't stop myself from letting out a frustrated groan as soon as we were out of earshot of Travers. Damn that man.
"Not excited to work together?" asked Theseus as he started leading me down the hallway to his office.
"No, sorry, it's not that. You seem like a good guy, and from what I've heard, you'd be a great partner."
"Then what's the issue?" he asked, holding the door to his office for me once we'd reached it. It was close to Travers' office, but still far enough away that he probably wouldn't hear me cursing him through the walls. Perfect.
"Theseus, let me ask you something. When you've been working a case for more than a year, when you finally get a lead and someone barely slips through your fingers, when you've been working day and night for at least forty-eight hours... would you be happy about passing the lead off to an auror from another country and taking an assistant role?"
Theseus grimaced as he took a seat at his desk.
"No, I wouldn't be."
"Yeah, well, that's me right now." I plopped down in the seat across from him, crossing my arms unhappily.
Theseus sighed and looked at me, an apologetic look on his face.
"I'm sorry about Travers. He can be... a bit intense." I scoffed. A bit? "But everything he said back there was more about posturing for the Ministry than anything actually reflecting how we handle the case. That's up to us. And I would much rather have you as a partner than an assistant."
I didn't respond for a minute, because I hadn't quite registered his words yet. I'll admit, that was not the answer I was expecting.
"So... if I were to tell you where we needed to go and then take the lead on going there and busting everybody in sight... you would be alright with that?"
"I would."
I grinned, jumping up and reaching out to shake Theseus' hand.
"I like you, Scamander! Now let's go, there's a warehouse in London that I wanted to be at, like, an hour ago."
****************
Theseus and I apparated a little ways away from the warehouse, so we could scope it out before going in. We crept forward together, and I took the lead. With a little magic combined with peeking through windows, it didn't take long to figure out exactly who was in the warehouse.
"Three men," I whispered, turning back to him in our hiding spot just outside the warehouse. "I don't think any of them are the ring leader I tracked in New York."
Theseus nodded, glancing back at the warehouse. "That's okay. Hopefully when we bring these three in and raid their hideout we'll get a clue that leads to us to your target."
"I sure hope so. You ready to go?"
"I am." I raised my wand to apparate in, but Theseus grabbed my arm and stopped me. "But I'd like to ask you to stun first and ask questions later. I know that's not always the MACUSA's go to, but I think that's our best course of action today."
"I agree," I said, nodding. After the alleyway in New York, I wasn't going to pull my punches, even if they all surrendered as soon as they saw us.
"Alright then. We'll apparate in on three." I nodded again as Theseus dropped my arm, getting ready as best I could for whatever lie ahead as he counted us down. "Three... two... one."
As soon as the last word left his mouth, we both sprang into action. I appeared on one side of the warehouse, and I could see Theseus on the other. Three men sat between us, calmly playing cards until they noticed they had visitors.
"Stupify!" I cried, taking out the first one before any of them could react. The remaining two shot out of their seats, but with another red jet of light from me and one from Theseus, they quickly fell back to the ground.
"Nice work," called Theseus, walking towards the three unconscious men. I moved to join him.
"Thanks. I just wish the ring leader had been here too."
"Don't worry, we'll get him. This warehouse might be able to tell us a few things, and I'm sure these two will have some clues for us once they're on their feet again."
I nodded, looking around the warehouse for anything obvious. If their boss used a Portkey in New York, maybe we'd find another one here that we could trace.
"Nice shooting," Theseus called, examining the three men laying unconscious on the ground. He got to work tying their hands and taking their wands, just to be safe.
"Well what did you expect? I'm an Ilvermorny grad," I said with a grin, walking back towards Theseus. He scoffed.
"I'm impressed you managed to do so well despite your education. Everyone knows Hogwarts is better."
"You can say and think whatever you want buddy, but there are three unconscious bodies on the ground and I put two of them there. Last time I checked, you only got one, Mr. Hogwarts."
Theseus laughed, turning and shaking his head at me in amazement.
"Well, when we finally find your original target and we go to bring him in, we'll just have to see who takes out the most bad guys then, won't we?"
I grinned. "Theseus Scamander, are you proposing a competition?"
"I am."
"Then I'm in." I got all the way back to Theseus, and we shook on it. Now I had twice as much reason to get a location on my target.
I had an attractive British auror's ass to kick.
****************
Two weeks later, and Theseus and I had hit a brick wall. We'd been working tirelessly to find some lead, some clue that would put everything together and give us a location on the ring leader. We came in early and stayed in Theseus' office trying to find something until late every night. Still, we'd gotten nowhere.
"I think I'm starting to go crazy," I groaned, dropping the stack of papers I'd been looking through and collapsing backward in the chair.
"So the words on the page are starting to laugh at you too?" asked Theseus, doing the same and rubbing his eyes.
I nodded. "I swear, the transcript of the interrogations with the three guys we caught loses the most important paragraph every time I look at it."
Abruptly, Theseus stood from his desk and ran a hand through his hair.
"Alright, leave all your papers where they are. We both need a break, so I'm going to make some tea and we're both going to ignore this whole mess while we drink it."
Theseus walked over to a tea set in the opposite corner of the office from the desk. After our first night staying until one in the morning, we decided having access to tea without having to leave the room was essential.
I glanced at the clock and saw it was going on midnight. After two weeks of this at my office in New York, I really would have been going crazy. But as I stood and turned to see Theseus smiling tiredly at me, two cups of freshly-brewed tea with him, I realized I really didn't mind as much as I should have.
There were certainly worse places to be than spending long nights with Theseus.
Theseus was leaning against the table we'd put the tea set on, and I walked over to do the same right next to him. Silently, he passed me a cup, and I took it. I didn't say anything other than a mumbled thanks, mostly because I couldn't think about anything other than the work ahead of us. We'd long banned case discussion over tea, and I didn't want to be the one to break the rule.
"I take it your silence is because you're still thinking about work?" mused Theseus.
"Yeah. I've read through the same papers so many times and stared at the same evidence that it's pretty much all I can see anymore."
"You need to distract yourself," Theseus said matter-of-factly, leaning more heavily against the desk and sipping his tea. "The whole point of this is to get our minds off work."
"Easier said than done."
"Oh, come on. Is the Ilvermorny graduate really giving up so easily?"
I grinned. "Low blow, Scamander."
"It worked, didn't it?" We sat there for a moment, and now my thoughts were completely focused on Theseus and his smile. And his eyes. And his hair— "So, tell me. What's normal life like for an auror in New York? Friends? Family? Boyfriend?"
"Small family that I see whenever I can, and my friends are pretty much just the people I work with, since I don't have too much time outside of work." I smiled and looked Theseus straight in the eye as I said the last part. "No boyfriend."
Theseus smiled at my words, shifting his weight a little and looking down.
"Well, that's..." He cleared his throat. "Good."
"Oh yeah?" I asked, feeling daring all of a sudden. "And why is that good?"
Theseus met my eyes again and grinned, apparently feeling the same rush of courage as I was.
"Because I'm not seeing anyone either."
"Huh. So we're both not seeing anyone," I grinned, unable to stop myself from glancing at Theseus's lips. I looked up to find him doing the same to me as he breathed a response.
"Neither of us is seeing anyone yet."
I don't know if it was the intense sleep deprivation, the frustration I felt with the case, or if I was just plain crazy, but I couldn't stop myself. I leaned forward and closed the space between us, pulling Theseus into a kiss.
Theseus seemed pretty shocked at first, but as soon as he got over his surprise, he wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer, deepening the kiss.
His free hand came up and into my hair, and I was grinning like an idiot when we finally broke apart. We were barely an inch away from each other, and I could feel Theseus' breath on my face when he spoke, barely above a whisper.
"All of the hours we put into this case, all of the work, basically becoming nocturnal to solve this... it's all suddenly worth it."
He pulled me into another slow, passionate kiss. My mind was spinning, but it wasn't from being so close to Theseus anymore.
I think he'd just given me an idea.
Reluctantly, I pulled away. I looked at Theseus in defeat; he clearly didn't want to stop, and I didn't either, but I couldn't risk losing this train of thought.
"What's the matter?" asked Theseus, suddenly looking worried.
I sighed. "I think I just had a breakthrough on the case." Theseus's eyebrows shot up, his way of asking for an explanation. "You said nocturnal. That got me thinking about a couple of choice phrases our three warehouse buddies used... in America, there's a rumor about England's Knockturn Alley. Any chance it's real?"
Theseus looked thunderstruck.
"Of course... Y/N, that makes perfect sense!" Theseus started to pull away, presumably to go to his desk and make the most of the breakthrough we'd just had, but I pulled him back.
"Promise me we'll continue this later?" I said in response to his questioning look. The confusion quickly turned to a confident grin as he swept me into his arms, pulling me into a last, lingering kiss.
"I promise. Now let's go, we have a villain to catch and a competition for you to lose!"
****************
Once Theseus and I finally saw what was staring us in the face, it didn't take long to track the ring leader and get an exact location on him. Finally.
Unfortunately for us, he apparently moved his operation to London when I caught him in New York. Everything we knew told us he'd have at least thirty men with him, ready to attack at the first sign of an auror and give him plenty of time to disappear. We had to organize an entire Ministry task force, and even then we might not have enough people to get through all the bodyguards before the target could escape.
At least Theseus and I would have plenty of people for our competition.
Theseus and I met in the lobby of the ministry on the day of the raid, about five in the morning. We were going at such a horrible time in the hopes of catching everyone in the hideout off guard. It might not work, but we were going to try for every possible advantage.
I was extremely tired and a little strung out, but just standing next to Theseus made me feel better. He gave the orders to the assembled aurors who were coming with us, and then we all disapparated to our designated points. Theseus and I were going in together, partnered up at the back entrence.
"Alright, everyone's in position. We'll move in when our man at the front gives us the sign," said Theseus.
"Sounds like a plan. And hey, don't take it to hard when you lose today. Just because Ilvermorny's better doesn't mean you're bad. It just means you're... less good."
Theseus shook his head, a grin creeping onto his face.
"You're lucky you're so smart and beautiful. Otherwise the delusions would send people running for the hills."
A grin to match Theseus's spread across my face, and I got ready to charge in once we got our signal. Between the very real stakes of this mission and the honor of my school being on the line, I had no time to waste and no room for error.
"Alright, we're going in three... two... one."
Just like last time, Theseus and I made our move as soon as the last word was spoken. We burst through the door, immediately met with ten guys who wanted to kill us. We managed to make our way through them, one after the other, and into a larger room full of wizards.
I spotted the ring leader, the jerk who'd escaped me in New York, and my focus narrowed like a laser. I went through people one by one, damn near forgetting the competition as I cut through people to the center of the room.
The target was inches from an old boot that was surely another Portkey when I hit him with a stun spell and watched him collapse. No taking him conscious this time.
I took a minute to enjoy my victory as the other aurors wrapped things up around the room, and then I turned to Theseus.
"Do I get extra points for hitting the main bad guy?"
Theseus laughed. "Never in a million years."
We helped the other aurors clean up the mess (there were quite a few unconscious wizards to deal with), and then we met back up in the middle of the room.
"Alright, give me your wand," I said, holding out my hand. "Time to tally up the scores."
Theseus did as I asked, and we both waited with baited breath as we let a spell determine the winner of the competition. Me or Theseus, Ilvermorny or Hogwarts. One would be forever victorious.
After what felt like years, our counts were in. Theseus had successfully stunned seventeen targets. I had stunned nineteen.
"Yes!" I cried, jumping up and pumping my fist in the air. "Take that, Hogwarts! Ilvermorny wins!"
Most of the rest of the Ministry wizards had left by now, but the few who hadn't gave me a very judgey look before disapparating with the last few people we'd arrested. Now it was just me and Theseus, and I was going to gloat like nobody had ever seen before.
"Alright, alright, so you beat me this time. That doesn't mean Ilvermorny is better."
"Oh, it totally does! By two whole wizards! Even less close than I thought it was going to be." Theseus playfully rolled his eyes, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me to him even as I continued my rant. "This is the final answer on which school is better. There's no more room for argument, ever. I won by a mi—"
Theseus cut me off by putting a finger to my lips to stop me. I stared into his beautiful blue eyes as he spoke lowly and confidently.
"Hogwarts is definitively better."
I took a breath to argue, but the cheater kissed me before I got a chance. Once I felt his lips on mine, I couldn't help but melt into him, leaving any protests to die in my throat. Hogwarts aurors may be worse in the field, but they were certainly better at being sneaky bastards when it came to winning arguments.
After what felt like a blissful, perfect eternity with Theseus, he pulled back, giving me a cocky smile.
"Now, what were we talking about again?"
"If you really want me to get into it again I will."
"No no, that's okay," he said quickly, and I laugehd. "So, it's almost late enough for breakfast. I know the perfect little muggle place near here that should be open by the time we get there. What do you say to going on a real date, now that our case is finished?"
"I say hell yes," I said, absolutely beaming.
"Good." Theseus grabbed my hand and swung it between us as we left the hideout and stepped into the fresh morning air, the sun just starting to stretch its rays into the sky. "You know, there's a position opening up in my department."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes. The Ministry's been trying to find an auror who can serve as a liason from MACUSA. We need someone who would be willing to move here, and who can work with our auror's department well."
"Theseus Scamander, are you offering me a job just to get me to stay in London?"
"No, I'm offering you a job because you're good. You staying here would just be a perk."
I turned to look at Theseus, who was smiling at me with the sweetest expression I'd ever seen. As we walked through town together, passing from the wizarding world into the muggle one, I decided there was no place on Earth I'd rather be.
"Alright, I'll talk to my department. Honestly, after everything I've done with them, I'm sure they'll say yes," I said at last. "I mean, you really do need me here more than they need me there anyway. MACUSA's got tons of Ilvermorny grads, but you've all had to make do with Hogwarts aurors for far too long."
Theseus laughed, responding with an eye roll and a shake of his head.
"Maybe we'll just have to keep our little competition going then. A few more raids like the last one, and I'm sure I'll have you beat by ten bad guys at least."
"Okay Theseus, sure. Whatever you have to tell yourself."
We kept laughing and talking all the way to the breakfast place Theseus had mentioned as the sun slowly rose in the sky. The city woke up around us, and as we sat down next to each other on our first real date I couldn't help but feel that this was the beginning of something amazing.
I'd never been happier about failing to catch the bad guy on my own.
