The Buddy System. *Complete*

Getting To Know You

The boys had only been gone and hour and already we were pining after them.

Yeah yeah I know we are hopeless.

I for one don't care.

We have settled on the sofa to watch Meet Me In St. Louis, a Christmas movie, with popcorn and treats.

Andromeda had just finished her paperwork with Azaleah and had one eye on the TV and the other on Teddy who was trying to reach up on the table in the corner on which sat my unnamed owl.

"When will Draco be back?" Azaleah asked.

"I'm not sure. He wants to spend time with his mother over Christmas so I think he will be away for a few days. He will be back before New Years I'd say. Pansy and Blaise are coming over."

"They are?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course. We are going to ring in the new year as a little family."

The rest of Christmas day passed in this manner. We watched TV and ate our weight in food.

By 10pm, Andromeda had went home with Teddy and we were introduced to Mr Daniel Waters. Charming man in his 50's who kind of reminded me of a teacher with his maroon cardigan, camel coloured trousers and his smoking pipe. As soon as we made introductions and polite conversation for a while, we both headed upstairs and were both tucked up in my bed within 5 minutes. Azaleah had a sleeping draught already and was sound asleep next to me.

I was reading my new copy of Little Women. The most precious gift I may have ever received.

I may or may not have read for most of the night. But I didn't care.

The following morning, I was woken by the sound of shouting downstairs. I wasn't sure what was going on. It didn't sound like it was a threat as such...just a heated discussion. I slipped on my jeans and cardigan and headed down the stairs to see what the commotion was. 

Mr Waters was standing at the front door. He was barging at more paparazzi that had turned up. It was not just the Daily Prophet anymore. There were a few others - closer to 9 people standing at the bottom of my garden. 

"I have told you for the last time to leave the poor girl alone. Has she not been through enough?"

"Well the people have a right to know what is happening with the case." One young lady said. 

"What is happening with the case?" A older man said.

"How do you feel about babysitting a Death Eater Waters? Have you no shame?" a young lad who looked to be my age asked.

My blood was boiling. I was pulling on my boots to go out and give those vile cockroaches (for that was all they were) a piece of my mind when I heard a booming voice from behind them.

"Gilly Lavos....what did you just ask an ex-Auror? Someone who fought valiantly for our community for generations?"

It was the Minister for Magic himself.

The boy looked terrified. "Well... I ... that is to say...I mean...well she is a Death Eater!"

"Miss Matthews has been cleared of the charges against her. She is appealing the loss of her wand as we speak and I am pleased with the progress of the investigation. Miss Diggory, who's flowers you are trampling at present by trespassing, and a few of her friends are the last to be cross examined and she will be spoken to in the New Year."

He moved until he was standing inside the garden and turned so his back was to me. 

"Now I have already given a statement today and here is another for you. Anyone from the Daily Prophet, if you would like to keep your job, I suggest you go home. Everyone else, unless you would like to be arrested - go home." He boomed. "Not so fast Gilly. I believe you owe Mr Waters an apology, Miss Azaleah too and Miss Diggory for destroying her flowers."