Archer didn’t know how to handle this.  A trainee had been at the door and panic had set in rather quickly.  Archer was, unfortunately, closest at the time the panic set in and the trainees ran to him to handle a situation.  Archer assumed it was a curse victim or someone who had a complaint to file or even the wayward, irate journalist who demanded an audience with one of the ‘inept members of their auror corps.’  But, nothing Archer had previously dealt with could have prepared him for what greeted him.

If looks could kill, he was sure the petite witch’s stare would have been called the Avada Kedavra.  Her arms were folded under her chest and she was tapping the toe of her very high heel in the most impatient way possible.  The trainee standing with her looked like he was going to throw up and Archer sighed.   

The woman’s eyes turned toward him and she also appeared to feel some relief.  “Ah!” she announced, “Finally – someone who appears to know what is going on!”  Archer looked briefly from side to side – apparently, she meant him. 

---

The situation had been diffused, for the most part.  Archer had gotten the woman to agree to wait for a moment… placating her with the same pale-faced and knocked knee trainee babysitter.  Archer approached the door of Ed’s office and rapped with the back of his knuckles before sticking his head in.  “Oi,” he announced his presence and then took another step inside, “Uh… Ed,” Archer didn’t really know how to approach this in any sort of diplomatic way. “There’s a… uh… Eastern European woman trying to get in here.  Insists you’re her husband…?”

“Oi,”
Ed looked up from his desk. There was only one person that greeted the Head Auror in such a way and he was an obnoxious git. Habitually the greeting was followed with a grumble or an insult. Today it was followed by something far less expected. The words came out of Archer’s mouth and hung in the air for a moment as Ed’s face dropped and he suddenly looked a little worried.

“Crap.” Ed pushed himself up from the desk and moved around it closer to the door. He avoided Archer’s gaze. “She’s soddin’ early.” He walked out of the office, past Archer and through the Auror headquarters to the reception area where he presumed the impatient eastern European witch would be waiting.

Bright green eyes spotted her the moment he walked through the doors and the Auror trainee looked far too relieved to be dismissed with a quick nod from the boss.

“Sorry, luv’.” Ed’s hand reached out to the witch’s arm and he moved in to give her a kiss on the lips. “We’re tight on security. Got to keep the nutters out.” His trademark grin was offered to her.

Archer was… surprised, to say the least. 

“She’s what?” Archer asked, sort of not expecting the confirmation, but assuming that he had perhaps heard wrong.  Ed was his boss, but he was also one of his mates.  If he’d up and married some strange, blonde he would have told him, wouldn’t he have? 

It was just… something he had to follow up on.  So, when Ed passed in front of him, Archer fell into step behind him, eyebrows raised and ready for this story, whatever it might be.  Archer was fairly sure it was going to be good.  The trainee practically sped out of the reception area and tucked his wand back in his robes (as though he wouldn’t have pissed himself if he had to actually use it) and Archer stood a little back, just looking on. 

He could not believe what he was seeing. 

Alina was not accustomed to waiting.  She was used to giving orders and having them followed quickly and efficiently.  She was not accustomed to standing still and being told to wait.  Thankfully though, the tall, older auror was obviously more socially trained than the pipsqueak who had attempted to pull a wand on her and threaten her with an arrest if she persisted.   Honestly, did they not know she was the wife of the head auror? 

She had tried her damnedest to get out of Romania after the explosions – her poor, new husband was suffering and she was still trying to arrange her new job and fill the responsibilities of her old one.  Hoenstly, it was the earliest she could get here and she could have sworn she sent Ed an owl about it…

Whatever the case, seeing him stroll toward her, at the very least, she was glad to see him in one piece – if not looking a little haggard.  “Ee-die!” she greeted with a breath of relief and a far more exuberant hug than he would probably expect, returning his offered kiss. 

“We’re tight on security. Got to keep the nutters out.”

Snitting incredulously, Alina did not disengage her arms from his neck, but she did wrinkle her nose.  “I offered my wand for identification,” she informed him, “but there was no Alina Dalca-Pratt listed.”  Alina took a little step back, looking up at her husband (still considerably taller than her even in her shoes).  “Why is that, Eddie?”   

Ed wasn’t sure if his new wife was excited to see him after a while apart or relieved to have finally been acknowledged as his wife and proven the auror trainee and Radley wrong. The hug confirmed his first thought; the demanding question confirmed his second.  Ed didn’t have time to stew on why his beautiful secret wife had shown up in the UK ahead of time, instead he needed to calm her and handle what was no doubt a great deal of confusion from his best mate and colleague behind him. Who, after all, didn’t tell their best mate they were married? Ed would very soon be regretting that move.

“We can’t very well have aurors’ spouses wondering into Headquarters willy nilly, luv’. Dangerous world I work in. Gotta protect ye poor weak creatures.” A hand was raised to brush some hair from her face and Eddie’s eyes danced between hers, alert and bright. “Ye look grand, darlin’.” He brushed her cheek with his fingers before pulled back and turning to glance at the wizard that was no doubt quite lost.

“Meet my owl order Romanian bride, Archer. She cooks, she cleans and she’s bloody gorgeous.” He braced himself for whatever Alina felt the need to whack him with.

Alina adored her new husband, that much was obvious.  She’d uprooted her entire (successful) life to come to England.  She could have very well stayed and coached a team until they were champions – they had been on their way, but she decided to leave and then rushed even faster after her husband had been in a terrible attack.  She had only regretted not getting there faster. 

Until this moment.  Her eyebrows furrowed and she dug her fingernails into the sleeves of his shirt – hoping the sharp ends might remind him to watch his tone . She thought maybe that was where the compliment came from and she eased, just a little.  “Thank you,”  a demure response all things considered and she resisted the urge to lean into the brush of his fingers.   “I’m glad to see you are not burned to a crisp,” she added back. 

It might have been okay from that point. But… Eddie put his foot in his mouth. 

Looking over, Alina tried to gauge the  reaction of his colleague.  The taller man straightened up, his eyes got wider.  That was disbelief.  Good, obviously this man had all of his wits about him.  “I have a name,” Alina cut at Eddie, reaching out to grab him – which might have really been a pinch.  A very hard pinch.  “I am Alina,” she took a step forward and put out her hand, “And I believe my husband has suffered brain damage, a traumatic head injury.”  She glanced back at Eddie, “I see it all the time.”

Archer felt uncomfortable.  He probably had other things to do, but he didn’t really have a moment to excuse himself from the conversation-  or moment, or whatever it was.  And it wouldn’t have been half bad if he wasn’t watching Eddie actually hex himself stuck to the couch for a month. 

It was like every good sense alarm was going off in Archer’s head.  Granted, he didn’t know this woman – but he noticed her hands flexing and if that was Tamis… well.  Archer could only imagine the severity and creativity of the next months of his life.  Or years, really.  He wasn’t sure Tamis forgot anything. 

Hopefully, Pratt’s wife was not like that.  Didn’t seem likely though, Pratt’s affinity for things he couldn’t control would probably get the best of him. 

The blonde woman stepped forward and introduced herself – interesting, Archer thought she’d kill Eddie first, and Archer looked down at her hand that she extended with a slightly slack jaw.  “Nice to meet you, Alina...” he looked back toward Ed as he shook her hand.  “Well, I’ll uh – I’ll let you handle his uh… brain injury.  Excuse me,” he nodded to her, then him and turned quickly.  Beat a hasty retreat.  He wouldn’t have to see the bloodbath.  Normally, he’d enjoy seeing Pratt get chewed out.  But, it just seemed wrong to see that. 

Nails digging into his shirt sleeves felt oddly…pleasant. Perhaps that hadn’t been the intention of his new wife. She could be feisty. But Ed likes his women feisty. Where was the fun if not? Although, perhaps a man could dream of a wife who agree with everything he said and didn’t give him a hard time. Alina, Ed had hoped, would know when the place was for each. At least she thanked him for a very thoughtful comment!

Apparently Alina wasn’t satisfied with Ed’s introduction and instead offered her name to Radley and a suggestion that Ed had head trauma.  The other wizard was confused and made a hurried exit, thus leaving Ed and his unimpressed wife stood in the entrance. He very quickly found himself feeling conscious of the few sets of eyes on them and he frowned, pulling away, hands brushing over hers.

“Ye should have let me know ye were comin’ love.” His voice was suddenly serious as he took her hand in his. He didn’t like her here. He didn’t like anyone he cared about in the ministry. He’d already lost enough to his job and wasn’t prepared to lose anymore through people knowing more than they should about him. Not as head auror.

“Let me get my cloak and I’ll take ye home, ye? I bet yer tired.”

“I didn’t realize I had to,” Alina was still a little more than perturbed about the whole situation.  And Ed was not helping.  She was not used to being questioned – or denied.  As a coach, she ordered and her flyers did – that was that.  So, Ed quieting his voice and tried to give her the serious look, Alina frowned. 

It didn’t take much of a look though before her shoulders relaxed and she pursed her lips.  “It was supposed to be a surprise,” she added as if it were supposed to make him feel bad or something.  Or at least realize her intentions were pure.  It wasn’t as though she’d come here to pull him away… necessarily. 

She wanted to make sure he was alright and she expected him to be excited.  After all, how many other wives would have readjusted their entire lives on an expedited time frame in order to be there.  And make sure he came home in one piece more often than not. 

Reflexively, as he said she must be tired, Alina’s eyebrows pulled in.  “Oh, no no.  I wouldn’t want to pull you out of the office,” a thought creeped in her head and she peered around him.  Suddenly, she had the shadow of a smile on her lips and she clasped her hands behind her back, arching just a little.  “Plus, you can show me around a bit,” a pause and shrug, “your office?”