Don't Ever Forget

XV.

I'm smiling all the way back to my office, I don't even notice Billingsgate waiting for me and looking cross.

"Y/N, you're late," he says in a tone that immediately gets on my nerves. I take this as an opportunity to boast a bit about my chat with Fudgel.

"Sorry, sir, Fudgel asked for a word with me in his office. We had a little chat, I didn't mean to be late." I say with a smile and his nostrils flare like they do when he's angry.

"Don't let it happen again," is all he says and he leaves me alone. By instinct, I turn to Elflock's desk but she's not there. I knew she wouldn't be there but it hits me hard. I walk over to her desk and inspect it a bit. It looks oddly organized and neat, probably due to someone who had to clean up the aftermath of the break-in. There's only a small blemish on the desk, it looks like a scrape, where the killing curse must have grazed before hitting Elflock...

Suddenly it feels like I can't breathe. Standing so close to where she died is too much and I go straight to my office and close the door behind me. I lean on my desk as I start to feel lightheaded and dizzy. There's a pain in my chest and I start to gasp for breath.

I have to get myself under control. I can't let anyone see me like this.

I shut my eyes tight and try to take deep breaths. I try to push aside the image of Elflock's last moments. I try to push aside the image of her, lifeless, beside her desk. And for a selfish moment, I fear that that could happen to me, too. It could have been me and it could still happen to me.

But I think of Hermione and Ron. I think of Harry. They've survived danger much worse than this before and I believe in them. I believe that they could protect me. I think of Draco. He would protect me, too. He cares for me.

Running these thoughts through my head calms me down. I slowly feel my breath return to me and my heart slowing down. I only have a moment of relief before I hear a knock at my door. I take a second to collect myself, fix my hair, and calm my breathing before opening the door. Unsurprisingly, Billingsgate is standing outside.

"We have a short meeting today." Is all he says before walking away. I let out a sigh. Of course there is. I walk to the committee room and the rest of the members are just settling in.

"Hello, all. I hope that you've been taking care of yourself during these troubling times." Billingsgates starts. He pauses a bit to make sure he has everyone's attention then continues.

"First off, I want to have a moment for Elflock. I know she was a good friend to many of you," he glances in my direction, "and she will be dearly missed." There are a few sniffles when he finishes saying this. There's a moment of silence for Elflock and I allow myself to remember the last time I saw her.

"Now, for business," He starts after a minute, "We all know that certain records were stolen from the Ministry the night before and, since our department is connected to the Muggle world, we have the responsibility of deciding how to protect Muggleborns and their families." The room is silent when he says this and I guess it's because no one has the slightest idea of how to do it. I rack my brain for an idea but I can't come up with anything.

"I know it'll take a lot of effort to plan so this is by no means something we have to decide here right now. I just wanted to let everyone know that that is our priority. Also, our friends at the Aurors and Obliviator Headquarters will be working with us on our plan since they too are connected to this issue." Oh great, that means Draco, Harry, and Ron are going to be working very closely with each other soon.

The short session is just filled with brainstorming and weak ideas for what we should do. I know a good idea will have to include the Auror, Obliviator, and even more Departments to keep everyone safe but thinking of a concrete plan is difficult. The session ends with everyone feeling just as clueless as when it started.