“What in Merlin’s cockroach infested y-fronts…?” The words were loudly blurted out over this morning’s edition of the Daily Prophet. Auror Pratt rarely read the prophet with care. He had it delivered to the house in the mornings just to do a quick scan and make sure little was getting past his nose. It was rare he’d actually read an article. The Daily Prophet could tell him nothing important he didn’t already know from work and what it did have to tell him was bias troll excrement.

This article was, however, one that he was reading. How the hell did he miss this? Had there been an announcement? Had he missed something? What about Raynor? Why the hell did they need a new department head? What had Rosier gone and done? Ed briefly wondered if their boss’s boss had been caught wandering the ministry in his underpants. The auror took a sip of coffee, further scowling at the paper. Was he reading it right? Was his eye potion working properly or would the glasses have to come out in public?

Pratt was staring at an image of Brown. Auror Brown, the witch that liked paperwork almost as much as their miniature boss. Was this a fluke? Radley was behind it. Or Trevelyan. But why Brown? If they’d made some fake news article about a new head of department it would have been Dean Bailey’s picture Ed would have been staring at, while crying inside.

This made no sense, Eddie concurred. Therefore he stood up from his comfortable swivel chair and called out to his co-workers.

“So who else has read the Prophet today? Did I miss an announcement or is this how we hear about our new superiors these days?” There was definitely a meeting Eddie had failed to show up to. Or fallen asleep during. It was probably the latter.

The petite porcelain Auror cursed loudly. The morning had been relatively quiet enough that she was able to become engrossed in her paperwork as she always was but Pratt's exclamation had startled her enough to spit out the coffee she had been sipping at the time, all over her morning reports. She huffed and pulled out her wand soundlessly removing the spittle from her report before swiveling in her own chair in the direction of Pratt's words.

She got to her feet which wasn't really tall enough to look over the gathered cubicles and lifted to her toes instead. She hadn't read the paper herself that morning. She had been too busy. She was usually too busy to bother herself with such prattle. The prophet, while well respected, was still just twisted facts and opinions. If she needed to know what was really going on in the world she'd pick up a few reports and read the facts, not the drivel the Prophet passed off as facts. Needless to say she had no idea what Eddie was going on about but he was causing a disturbance and she didn't like that.

"What are you going on about Pratt?" She could have gone as far as to remind him that some of them in the office actually had work to get done but she was trying not to come off as pretentious and prudish as she usually did. It wasn't that she was worried of what the others thought of her, it was simply too early to hear their quips about it.

Vivian tapped her fingers on her desk, her head ducked low over the pile of paperwork she had amassed from the recent murder in Oulton Broad. She had a minor to deal with, a deceased muggle, and a wizard who has spoken one of the three absolutely unforgiveable curses. It pained Vivian that such a young boy could witness his mother being murdered, and it still hadn't set in that she was dealing with an extremely diffucult situation.

With a sigh she leaned back in her chair, rubbing her eyes and trying to get herself refocused. There was a letter on her desk that she was trying to avoid reading, and a whole lot of work that needed doing. She had almost gotten up the motivation to continue working when Pratt cried out from somewhere in the grid of cubicles.

Standing up, Vivian could see Pratt standing up, waving his Prophet around. Petite Berkerly was obviously on her tiptoes as she tried to figure out what was going on. "Give me that," Vivian said, snatching the article out of Edward's hands. New head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Huh. Well, it sure was news for the hard working Aurors, no doubt about that. "What's this all about?" She asked, "Auror Brown? Our new boss? When'd that happen?"

"Last week," Zora chimed in.  She was chummy with Admete Brown and had been sworn to secrecy. 

The middle-aged Auror wasn't in uniform because she'd been so lucky as to actually get today off.  Seemed her partner hadn't been so fortunate.  She was just in to gather a few things because even if it was your day off, seemed like there was still always a reason to come in. 

She was kind of pleased to see Pratt so ruffled.  He was such a panicky little git sometimes, wasn't he?  Someone used his coffee mug and he started a full blown investigation.

"You knew it had to be coming though.  She's been called to the Minister's office three times this month, and twice to the Wizengamot."  She leaned against a cubicle wall.  "There's that big meeting scheduled for after Christmas - 'All Aurors Report In'." 

There was a large sign posted and they'd gotten memos, although it hadn't any details as to the agenda. 

"Leave it to Ed to throw a tantrum every time he has to get used to a new babysitter, though. At least this time it's one of our own.  We know Admete.  Quality Auror, she is. You all ever work under Belisario? Robards? Scrimgeour?[1] This is a good thing for us."

She hoped.  One could never be sure, but one thing was for sure: she'd been wary of Rosier.  She'd even been wary of Raynor when she'd worn the title after Robards had been killed.  One of them wanted the job too much.  The other too little. 

1.	All former Department Heads and former Aurors.

Hearing the fuss Pratt was making, Sam came over "Admete'll be a good Department Head, I reckon. She knows what it's like for those of us on the front line. I'm more concerned with the fact this is the third Department Head we've had in two years, not counting when Raynor had the position until Rosier was appointed." Sam said, " Besides, are you really going to scream about it like a trainee that's just received the news they've passed Auror training? It's not like a change of Department Head is unprecedented." Sam added,clearly not happy. He had been writing some reports that were due in soon; he didn't need something like this happening.

Well at least Pratt hadn’t been the only one unaware of the change in the higher ups. In actual fact, Eddie didn’t care who was their acting head of department at the time as long as they didn’t stick their inexperienced oar in and try micromanaging an office that did just fine without. The aurors already had a miniature dragon bossing them about and breathing fire about paperwork without another quill pusher joining in to further make life more about parchment than it already was.

“Well, Roh,” Pratt began after a scowl in Callens’ direction for her light fingers helping themselves to his paper. “I don’t track the comings and goings of every auror in this department. I’d rather actually do me job.”

Harcroft piped up and the auror glanced around to him, bright green eyes revealing displeasure. Pratt and Harcroft had never seen eye to eye; especially since March when Harcroft had headed a case where Ed’s parents had been killed. Eddie didn’t like the senior auror and had since practically ignored him. Eddie knew it was irrational, but he couldn’t help still blaming Harcroft for his lack of efforts. If MacDuff had have been caught earlier Ed’s kids would still have had grandparents.

“Where you hopin’ for the position?” The auror gruffly asked the Senior before he turned back to Roh, deciding he didn’t want to get into this with Harcroft. Instead his green gaze washed over his partner.

“You ent even supposed to be here, lass.” Pratt’s trademark cheeky grin found his features. “Were ye missin' me?”

Zora gave Ed a smile and his shoulder a squeeze.  A show of affection that anyone who knew them would be sorely mistaken to think genuine.  "Just on my way out, dear.  Had to drop off twenty-ten's Safe Residence Registration."[1]  Zora's parents had moved house where they lived in York.

"The kid's home from school so we're all going shopping in Diagon."

Zora was looking forward to it, but it wasn't always easy for the little family to make the transition again when Waverly came home.  Always a bit of friction now that the rules were different and quarters were closer.  At least there'd be presents in the morning!

But then, lots of the Aurors had kids, didn't they.  She knew Pratt had a couple, and Sam here.  Poor sods stuck in the office on Christmas Eve. 

"She's a good choice," she said again, referring to Admete Brown.  "She'll know to let us do what we do best."

1.	Just figure that perhaps Aurors keep a file of where their loved ones live, just in case a sensitive case requires they have special protection.

"She'll know to let us do what we do best."

"Which isn't standing about on Christmas Eve chatting about me." Admete leaned against a wall and shot them all a grin. "Got to clean my desk out before they let anyone else have a shot at it."

Not that there was that much in it, but the pictures of Blair's kids were going in the new office. Speaking of which..."Blair about? Or you give him the heart attack already?" This wasn't a little surprise, by any means.

With any luck he wouldn't be around and she could bother him with it over Christmas.

Zora and a few other Aurors startled to half-attention when the devil should appear, but Zora with a smile.

"You can't do that anymore, chief," she teased with salute.  "Sneaking up on us like that.  We'll have to get work done."

Her old colleague looked good.  Comfortable. Relived, maybe?  No doubt it felt steady to have the decision made and the transition official.  Not that the road ahead would be easy.  Transitions of power were always rocky and would need to be tested.

"Luthas? Haven't seen him.  More like he's got some sense an is home with his family.  As I should be doing."

Iona and Waverly were home waiting, no doubt, but not waiting up.  They knew better than to wonder where Zora was at.  But she really had intended this to be a short trip and get home and actually celebrate the holiday.

She leaned across Ed to snatch up one of her mugs that had gotten in amongst his stuff and as she straighted she, looking smug as hell, said, "Happy Christmas, suckers."

And with another salute to their new Head, she was on her happy way.

Berkeley simply watched the interactions around the office once the initial 'announcement' was made. There was no mistaking the tension between Pratt and Harcroft, or at least the animosity Pratt was throwing in the Senior Aurors' direction. Berkeley didn't have to guess at what it was all about. The whole office had taken it's licks when MacDuff was on the loose, but those that had actually lost someone in the process, like Pratt, were having a harder time dealing with it. Berkeley understood the emotion behind it even if the pint sized Auror couldn't relate. Her father had been targeted but nothing came from it.

She had to admit Brown was a good choice, there definitely were worse choices. At least the older woman wouldn't bug her about being anti social or spending nineteen hour days doing paperwork. Berkeley was looking forward to getting her job done without interruptions. In fact she was about to get right back to it when Brown herself showed up. Her pale grey blue eyes followed the new Head of Department trying to determine if the title had gone to her head yet. She seemed level enough but the talk of holidays had caught Berkeley off guard.

She had apparently completely forgotten the date. Was it really Christmas Eve already? Kyson and Briar would be home with her father and considering the next full moon wasn't until the end of the month their father was probably in rather high spirits. They had gotten used to her not being there most of the time, Berkeley had a habit of getting lost in her work and her family accepted it as much as they had growing up with two Aurors for parents. What she was worried about was the certifiable juvenile delinquent that was currently crashing at her flat. As a way to keep an eye on him and hopefully keep him out of trouble Berkeley had invited her cousin Xavier to spend the Christmas holidays with her instead of staying at Wentworth manor with their grandfather.

"Happy Christmas." Berkeley managed to get out unenthusiastically before turning, slinking down into her cubicle and out of sight. She needed to get through her pile of paperwork faster than normal. She didn't entirely trust the broody Slytherin not to burn down her flat.

"She'll know to let us do what we do best."

Ed didn’t believe his partner any more than he could throw her. Auror or no auror, as soon as Brown sat behind the pompously sized desk she would turn into yet another quill pusher thinking they knew everything yet in reality had forgotten what it was like in the field doing the practical, important work. In Pratt’s opinion, every person in authority was the same. Every one of them was a pain in the backside and a witch or wizard high on his ‘avoid’ list.

So Eddie’s expression conveyed a great mistrust at Roh’s comment. She was oh so naïve or a bit too optimistic.

"Which isn't standing about on Christmas Eve chatting about me."

Pratt’s eyes shot from Roh to land on the new superior. His eyebrows rose. Nope, he didn’t like it. Any boss was an annoying one. Especially on Christmas eve. Why Roh had even considered coming in, Eddie had no clue. If he was off today he’d be as far away from the ministry of magic as possible. But he needed the 26th off. It was Noah’s birthday and his dad to have the kids. But the thoughts of a festive day with the family in two days time didn’t quite make up for working Christmas eve.

Therefore, when Zora shot her colleagues as cheery greeting after she’d snatched her mug from Eddie’s desk, he called her a rather unpleasant name under his breath.

“I’ll make sure to leave a nice paperwork present on yer desk for yer return, Roh!” Pratt called after his partner.

Cavanaugh returned to her work after a quick sentiment and that left Eddie facing the new department head.

“How is the dark side, then?” He paused, frowning. “…boss?” That just didn’t sound right.

Well, it seemed that Admete showing up had sent some of the Aurors scurrying away. Hopefully home, it was Christmas Eve, by Merlin.

But Pratt was still there. And sounding just a bit put off by the whole situation. "I'll let you know when I get there. Still got some formalities and another ceremony or two to muck through." And more paperwork and general fussing. Just what she needed. She took a step away from the wall, exaggerating it a little to stop any more accusations of sneaking. Walking wasn't sneaking just because her shoes weren't clunky.

"I talked to Headmistress McGonagall the other day, Pratt. She seemed pleased with how that security briefing went. Good work." There wasn't a trace of irony in the approving smile she gave him. Minerva'd seemed happy enough, and had gotten a laugh out of it besides.