---

Going back to work after Christmas was nobody’s idea of a good time, Theta was sure. Even the most dedicated of unspeakables showed subtle signs of dismay that wet Tuesday morning in January. In the lift down to Level 9, she had overheard one dismal administrator ask “how long until we can stop wishing each other happy new year?” Given it was already January 3rd and Tuesday, Theta reckoned maybe to the end of Wednesday before it got really stale. She was glad to step out of the damp-smelling lift and make her way down the dark, tiled corridors of the Department of Mysteries.

Moments later (time always was a little fluid down here), Theta seized the brass door handle. The plaque beside bore copperplate lettering, Time Turner Workshop. Here was home amongst all the mysteries and oddities. A constant amongst the variables. The door suggested a small room but magic rarely followed such mundane rules.

The central workbench was tidier than usual owing to the Christmas holiday. Her uncle Francis, her mentor, was particular about finishing projects and stowing things away if the workshop was unattended. Everything had its own place, from the little pots of greases, lubricants and polishes to the lines of dainty tools hanging in batches at intervals along the wall beneath a long timeline on the furthest wall, and several star alignment charts and calendars.

Theta was about to lift her wand to fill and set the kettle boiling when she saw a note. It was attached to one of the great magnifying glasses on extendable arms. Tucked neatly into one of the clasps. She stepped forward and plucked it, unfolding it carefully.


Theta checked the date and runes on the corner, satisfying herself that Francis had left it only an hour before, and in his natural timeline, rather than turned back. A call out wasn’t entirely unusual, but not at all frequent either. Theta felt a mix of curiosity as to the purpose, faint irritation she hadn’t been invited along to learn and then overall brightening at realising she was effectively in charge for the day without supervision.

Forgetting about the tea in the short term, she placed the note into her jacket pocket and reached for the appointment ledger. Theta flicked the page over to today’s date to see a name she'd been hoping to encounter more often.

Returning to London after visiting home always felt like the world had turned upside down.  It didn't help that the two places couldn't have been farther apart; the eleven-hour time difference essentially flipped day and night, leaving Kaia groggy for the first few days after she went from one to the other.  But it had been worth it to take a brief sojourn to summer and spend the holidays with her father and twin brother. 

Even so, her visit home had made it harder than usual to drag herself out of bed that morning, to brave the frigid rain and overcast skies on her way to the Ministry.  She'd arrived a bit later than she wanted to, which left her with not very much time at all to navigate the confusing hallways of Level Nine to drop her things off in her workspace, and then find her way to the Time Turner Workshop.

Having to stop in to this part of Level Nine on a regular basis might have been more of a hassle, but she liked the Peppers: the fastidious Francis and his apprentice niece.  Theirs was a family that really had time on their side, a side effect of the family business.

Usually, when she came for her appointments, both Francis and Theta were there to greet her.  But today, after she knocked twice and then turned the brass handle to push the door open, there was one less figure inside the tidy workshop than she was expecting.  Perhaps Francis was still out enjoying his holiday, so he'd decided to leave this particular piece of regular business to his very capable niece.

"Hullo," Kaia said cheerfully as she entered.  She flashed Theta a friendly smile, closing the door behind her.  "Your uncle left you to mind the shop today, eh?  Or will he be joining us in a bit?"

Theta ran a dainty finger down the ledger, noting the past appointments and the meticulous notation beside each regarding the outcome. Her finger had just landed on Kaia’s name when a ‘hullo’ sounded from behind her, as if the ledger had summoned Miss Arahanga itself.

“Your uncle left you to mind the shop today, eh? Or will he be joining us in a bit?”

Theta smiled brightly, and carefully set the ledger down, approaching Kaia with empty hand.
“Not sure, actually,” she replied, a hand into her jacket to pull the note out far enough to see the corner. “Left me word but may not be back. I trust you’ll be fine with me taking care of the tuning today?”

She shouldn’t really have to ask, but this year would see her uncle receive Ministry award for thirty years of service, whereas she would have just a tenth of it. Despite her Ravenclaw mind, there was a dash of insecurity about her abilities in the adult world.

“Happy new year though, if we’re still doing that? How was Christmas?” Theta reached for her leather apron as she spoke, ready to get going despite the smalltalk. Kaia had work to do too - more than Theta. She looked her colleague up and down with interest as she tied the knot behind her waist. “How’s it been running - hopefully not too much use hmm?” She extended her hands for Kaia’s timeturner.

"Reckon I'll pull through somehow," Kaia replied, not looking the least bit perturbed by the news as she flashed Theta an approving smile. 

She knew too well how it was: even here on Level Nine, it was a bit too much of an old boys club, with a certain chosen few getting easy access special privileges.  Kaia liked all of her coworkers, even the ones who were a bit stuck on themselves like Virgil Carstairs, but having to constantly play catch-up because she hadn't been childhood mates with their Department Head got a bit wearing.  Good on Theta for getting the shop keys turned over to her, even if just for a day.

The other Unspeakable wasted no time in getting right to the point, reaching for her apron.  Kaia responded in kind, her hand automatically moving to her chest to find the small magical hourglass that she kept tucked under her robes.

"It was brilliant, ta," she said, as she freed the Time Turner from her clothing, and then reached behind her neck to undo the clasp.  "Nice to pop back home for a bit to see family and get a taste of summer."  Warm weather, of course, was relative on the South Island even during the sunnier months, but she didn't miss the cloudy skies of London.   

"And no, not much use," she agreed, shaking her head as she passed the magical artifact over to Theta.  "Full Lent Term doesn't start for another two weeks, so I'm only holding down the one job for the moment."

“Nice to pop back home for a bit to see family and get a taste of summer.” 

“I bet!” Theta agreed with friendly enthusiasm. “I swear winter gets longer some years. I can’t wait until Spring, not that one should ever wish their life away.” Theta approached the workbench with Kaia’s timeturner held carefully between both of her dainty hands. She gave it a quick look over with the naked eye. at first glance was in order.

To her left was an elaborate brass stand with many arms bearing different sized magnifying glasses. The reflections threw different ovals of light up onto the ceiling and down onto the bench. Theta drew one of the larger ones towards herself and adjusted the angle so she could see a little better and resumed her inspection.

“How are your family? What’s it like back there?” Theta hadn’t travelled very much. She’d gone from school straight into her apprenticeship without one of the wizarding world’s traditions - the grand tour. New Zealand seemed impossibly far away, even if it was a series of floos for a wizard, rather than a Muggle aeroplane. “You’re just popping home over Christmas and I’ve not been further than Eastern Europe in my whole life.” She blushed a little at this inferiority. So many unspeakables were hideously well travelled.

Theta reached to a small array of tiny instruments ahead of her. They looked not too dissimilar to a Muggle dentist’s tools, but smaller and in greater variety. Her fingers danced between a couple of choices before her hand returned and she slid it into place in one of the tiny holes in the time turner’s case.