the odds [harry]

[theodore royce nott]

Lunch hour, it always came as a great relief to Theodore. A small hour window of peace to indulge in, regain his energy with some much-needed sustenance. Although many wouldn’t suspect such a thing as cataloguing and pushing papers was that hard of work, they were unequivocally wrong. It wasn’t strenuous work, but rather tedious, which could be just as draining as manual labor. The cafeteria on the ground level of the Ministry was as good a place as any to acquisition your meal from and that, one this day, was Theodore’s destination. Rounding the corner into a pair of double doors that swung both inward and outward, Theodore made his way over to the line, the food prepared and served by House Elves of course. The fact that they were free never had sat well with Theo. Taking his place in line he quickly moved through paying and headed for a table. The issue with this, of course, was that most employees seemed to have the same notion as Theodore, and the place was packed. The only table, that he had noticed at least, contained a single individual, Harry Potter. Sighing heavily, Theodore, with much internal chagrin, placed his tray on the table and took a seat. “Hope you don’t mind,” Lying through his teeth already. “But every where else is full.” A rare genuine statement from the young man.

[harry james potter]

Harry came to lunch at the very moment day where he was off the clock, practically running there. Sure, he enjoyed, craved, needed his job to keep his home and sanity, but today the work was simply tedious. Without a dark lord to slaughter, the auror department was left with either former snatchers or Death Eaters committing small crimes or trying to plan 'uprisings', which were never more than two or three gathering and muddling through curses, or other crimes such as robbery and some assaults. He felt passion for the victims and did his duty of catching those responsible, but it wasn't the same. No one could fool him with that.

Food, in this case, was his escape. He had already, in his excitement, eaten through his sandwich, leaving only an apple and a mug of coffee left. Perhaps, in concentrating in his eating, he blocked out that he was alone in the lunchroom. Well... not for long.

"Don't mind at all," Harry replied casually, having mastered the art of controlling his temper over the years, "Everyone's got to eat somewhere." He took a bit out of the apple, glancing at the man at his table. Theodore Nott, coworker of his and a man of opposing beliefs. All Harry could do was not provoke him, and to start he paid him no mind.

[theodore royce nott]

Being in Potter’s presence did make Theo’s appetite rather sour but he pushed that unpleasant feeling aside knowing that he needed to choke down his food if he expected to have the strength to deal with the incompetence of his boss the remainder of the day. It peeved Theodore that invalids surrounded him. This extended to his view of Potter. The way that he had conducted himself over the years was most unbecoming. It wasn’t that he thought Potter should have accepted Malfoy’s hand of friendship back in their first year because Theodore hadn’t done that either, but the boy had some much potential and had squandered it on an unfortunate set of beliefs.

Sometimes he wondered if Harry fully understood what Voldemort was trying to achieve, but that was a pointless effort. Potter knew nothing of the sort, he only knew what that old coot Dumbledore had told him. What a hypocrite he had turned out to be it seemed, after that light that Rita Skeeter had shed on Dumbledore in his youth. Taking a bite out of his sandwich Theo could very well have spent the lunch hour in silence, but it didn’t seem right. “Damn decent of you.” The civil statement, a thanks in any other circumstance, had the slightest tinge of condescending to it. “How’s the Auror business treating you?” Theo hoped poorly.