Ah ye olde Department of Mysteries. So dark. So cold. So...so... mysterious. How he hated it. All of a year and a half of his life (the most miserable parts of course) seemed to be encased in its black marble walls, mocking him. He was grateful that, in general, the unspeakables kept their department clean and in excellent repair, since it meant he had to spend very little time encased in the black tiled coffin. Unfortunately, there was a serious spill in the Potions lab that required the maintenance staff. Since he knew the DoM better then any of his coworkers, he was naturally the one chosen for the job. Either that or some god up there was having a good laugh.

Navigating his way through the circular room, Sidney nearly tripped into the brain room before he caught himself. Didn't want to do that again. Marking the door, he searched his memory in hopes of remember which door led where. Had it really been that long? It felt like mere months since he left the place. Perhaps he just hated it so much that he had wiped all traces of memories from the dreadful hole. He kinda wished he hadn't though, it was getting annoying tripping in and out of the various rooms like a blithering idiot. He didn't need people to think he was stupider then they already did.

"Dammit... ok... That's the brain room... that's the hall of prophecies... no... dammit..." He muttered, trying to remember which room was which. After marking about every door, he finally found the one leading to the offices. The rest was easy, at least. Opening the door to the potion labs cautiously, since he knew better then to throw them open when there was always volatile explosions bursting about the place, he found the room mostly quiet and empty. "Hello? Anyone... Here?" He said slowly, wary about exciting anyone who could be mixing something dangerous.

Wednesday mourning, Una arrived at the lab to find it completely empty. Well, not completely. The old Darcy was on his post; but she suspected he was... stuffed... there. At least his post was away from hers; it would be annoying working near of someone so static.

Still she looked at her watch; she was on the right time, right day, right place. Well, maybe there was something like an Unspeakable's Secret Society and that was ritual day. She shrugged. Just because everyone disappeared it doesn't mean her work would too.

She walked to her station, feeling, at least, comfortable enough take off her robe and stay on her high-waist skirt, long-sleeved blouse and gloves. That was already too much for the weather and for the constant work with high temperatures. Watch the tinctures on the incubator; the ashes on the oven; the potions on the cauldrons. Taking care of the plants was almost literally a breeze of fresh air.

Air that Una breathed deeply in relieve when she started to prune them. “How my beautiful babies are doing today? The Moon will be so good tonight; will let you all grow so-” she fell in silent immediately when she heard the door opening. Normally she wouldn't be talking to the plants with childish voice, but muttering some song to not look so stupid.

When the person who opened the door called for anyone there, she wondered if was someone lost. That was likely to happen on that crazy halls. Una turned and spied between the leafs before walking out of the plants. “Hey,” she said, to announce her presence before getting closer of the half-giant – or so the man seemed to be, near her. “I'm here! Are you lost, sir?”

“I'm here! Are you lost, sir?”

Sid heard the voice but didn't see the speaker. "Uh... No... Are you?" He said awkwardly as he glanced at the forest of plants, both magic and mundane, where the voice had come from. It took a moment, but he finally saw who spoke... well at least he saw the top of her head. She was tiny next to him, which made him feel all the more awkward when she finally looked up enough for him to see her pretty face. Like with all pretty girls, Sid immediately flushed a brilliant red.

"Uh.. Whats up... I mean... H..Hi. I'm Sidne-- Sid... Call me Sid" He stuttered out, starting to reach out for a handshake before pulling his hand back and rubbing his neck sheepishly. Why did he go and do that? She didn't care who he was. He was just a guy in a jumpsuit who was there to clean up rejected experiments. He knew all of this, yet somehow he could stop stuttering out his pathetic excuse for flirting "So uh... what are you... doing?" He trailed off here, realizing how stupid the question was. She obviously was an unspeakable, though he couldn't remember there being girls like her when he worked there. "I... I mean aside from...y'know... working..."

He thought it was embarrassing enough but It got worse, quickly. Resting his hand on a nearby rack of plants, he leaned against them in an attempt to look relaxed and cool, only to find himself losing his balance rapidly. In one fell, humiliating, swoop he managed to not only fall on his face but to send the rack of plants toppling into another rack... and another.... and... another. As pots and planters shattered, leaving shafts broken and bent in piles of dirt, Sid slowly climbed to his feet. His face flushed so red that it was nearly purple as he stared at the mess, his hands buried in his hair and fingers clenched around the thick locks. "Oh... Merlin... I... I am so sorry...I... I will help you c-c-clean it up..." He stuttered, horrified.

"Uh... No... Are you?"

“No, I'm... not...?” Besides the slightly tone of question, Una remembered she has just checked so no, she really wasn't lost. Was that supposed to be answered, by the way? Well, he seemed to be pretty lost even affirming the opposite; at least until he could look at her face. After that he got completely disoriented.

The witch just watched with a concerned expression on her face while he started to talk... stutter, actually. Una considered if he got lost and trapped on any bizarre experiment involving his brain, like some stories that she heard from her father. Oh, poor guy... she didn't knew if she was supposed to call someone; maybe that was the safest. Or maybe if she could made him sit and drink a soothing potion...

“Eh, listen, Sid... I-” she paused when he leaned against the rack; a quick look at him, and at the rack, and part of her started to wait for the worst. “I-” she tried again, stepping forward, but then her bad feeling just came alive when he fell – and the racks and plants fell along. Una's eyebrows raised and her chin dropped for some seconds, on which she looked a lot like the old Darcy – a pale static figure. But then she came back quickly to herself, and besides her worry about the plants, her concern about Sid was more urgent.

“Are you ok?” She asked, approaching and stupidly trying to help him to get up. His color was no good, he should really be suffering from something. When he started to stutter again, Una tried to stop him, “No... No-no-no, shh... Don't worry...” her voice was sweet, more sweet than even her expected. But she really wanted to make him comfortable, while she stood on the point of her feet on a pathetic effort to take a look at his face and his head, searching for any possible wound for the fall.

“Here, come here, please.” She stated, instead of asking, on an attempt to grab his hand and guide him to sit at the nearest chair. Una was sincerely concerned about his well being, not only for her naturally empathic disposition that made her feel pity, compassion towards him; but also because he proved to be dangerous enough at his nervous state. Yes, she should definitely give him something to calm down and take care of any wound before remembering that what just happened wasn't a nightmare – and all her babies plants were dying on the floor.

“No... No-no-no, shh... Don't worry...”

Sid wasn't hurt. His mother always said he had a head of steel, which was important because growing up his brothers thought it was 'fun' to play catch with him. Not throwing-baseballs-at-each-other catch... Oh no, not when Sammy was in charge. When Sammy played catch, Sid was the ball. He had gotten used to scraps and bruises and bumps early on, and more when his brothers started school, but no matter how well he could take a hit, he couldn't turn down a pretty girl running her hands through his hair. "It...Its... not too bad..." He murmured half-heartedly while bending down a bit so she could get closer. She smelled nice.

“Here, come here, please.”

Sid followed her like a puppy, too entranced by how small her hand was in his. He sat down obediently and looked around, wondering if maybe he did have a head injury. This was just too surreal. A pretty blond worrying over him? He had a sneaking suspicion that any second he was going to wake up to getting mouth to mouth by some skeezy git named Dolf. Things like this just didn't happen to Sid. Not when he was awake anyways.

"What about the plants?" He said suddenly, realizing how many precious and rare plants the DoM would be housing. What if he lost his job because of this? Worse, what if she lost hers?? The idea that his clumsiness would make his dream girl miserable... well it was very upsetting. Even if this was all a dream and she wasn't real, he couldn't risk it. "I'm fine... I swear... Just let me help you clean that up..."

Una analyzed Sid one more time, leaning over him and almost clinically holding his head, turning it slightly to the left, then to the right, while looking at his forehead; and finally down to search for any mark between his hair. She breathed in relieve when there wasn't any more doubts about his physical integrity. But as for the mental, she still wasn't really sure.

"What about the plants?"

She raised her eyebrows, afraid of looking at the plants again so soon. She wasn't still prepared to face them and, in any case, it was better to lose some species than to omit help to a human being. What if he has dropped dead while she was crying over the leafs? Of course she was being dramatic, but...

"I'm fine... I swear... Just let me help you clean that up..."

“No... I mean, just... wait here a second.” She asked, patting his shoulder before walking to her station, out of his sight. But she was really quick in returning with a vial of a light green potion on her hand. “It's a weak potion, almost a tea. Won't do any harm, I promise.” Una said before giving him the vial. She was determined to make him feel, at least, calm and comfortable enough to get some inner balance. Then she would be able to judge if he was really really fine.

“But it's bitter... like, really bitter...” she gave him a smile that was obviously a silent apology. “Take this and then we can start to... clean... the mess.” Una sighed and turned to finally face everything. Thinking about the long long morning – probably afternoon – she would have made her cross her arms for a moment, then lift her left hand to her face. Lieber Gott, from where should I start?

“No... I mean, just... wait here a second.”

"O...Oh okay..." He murmured, so completely enthralled by the feel of her hands on his head that he didn't realize what she was saying. It wasn't until those fingers left his scalp and were replaced with a rush of cold air that he snapped out of his trance. "Wait... what?" He called as she disappeared out of his view. Suddenly alone, he felt the awkwardness in the room multiply tenfold. He begin to tap his fingers on his knees nervously, wondering if he had scared off another girl. Luckily, she returned quickly enough to relieve some of that fear. Then she handed him a cup of green potion and the fear came roaring back.

“It's a weak potion, almost a tea. Won't do any harm, I promise. But it's bitter... like, really bitter...Take this and then we can start to... clean... the mess.”

Sid scrutinized the swirling 'tea' and sniffed it critically. It wasn't that he didn't trust her as much that he didn't trust what came out of the labs. He had enough crap tested on him when he worked there to be cautious. Dipping his finger in the brew and tasting it, he recognized that it was flowery rather then putrid. Shrugging, he downed the drink and managed to not wince. It was pretty bitter but no more then what his mother made for him when he was sick as a child. "Huh..." He murmured, smacking his lips "... Lavender and uh... Valerian root? Something else too..."

He noticed that she seemed distracted and perhaps even sad. Following her gaze, he saw the piles of broken plants, some writhing in what could be pain, and felt a wave of shame. Here she was taking care of him and her plants, which were obviously precious to her, were left there to die. Putting his glass down, Sid stood and took a deep breath. He had to make this right. Walking over to her, he reached out and touched her shoulder lightly. He would have left his hand resting there, but he didn't know how she would react to even that brief touch. "H...Hey... Let me do this... I made the mess, I can fix it..." He offered as reassuringly as he could.

"Huh... Lavender and uh... Valerian root? Something else too..."

“Rue.” She completed automatically, taking a few seconds to notice that his palate was really good. Only a few people would be able to distinguish the herbs used on an elixir so well. But her mind was still on the plants in front of her – she should treat the smallest, weakest ones first, maybe she would lost some of them on the way, but the Moon was good for planting again too; the bulbous plants could resist more longer, but...

He touched her shoulder and she came back to the present moment. Una looked up at him with normality, and when he offered to fix the mess – again – she felt that he was really worried about what happened, and eager to settle everything up. For the first time she noticed that he was really good intended. Accidents happen, she could tell, and could also tell how he should be feeling at the moment.

So she forced a smile; even not being a hundred percent sure, she decided to trust him. “Do you work with that, don't you? Fixing things?” She asked, and then looked at his jumpsuit to silent explain from where did her guess came from. “Let's do like this, then: you put everything on the right place – everything that is possible, at least – and I take care of the plants, right?” She patted his shoulder briefly, trying to make he feel confident – an important thing to avoid more accidents.

“My name is Una Freher, by the way. But if I can call you Sid, I guess you can call me Una.” She smiled a little more open, but still a polite smile. “Don't worry, I bet you can do a great work!”

“Do you work with that, don't you? Fixing things? Let's do like this, then: you put everything on the right place – everything that is possible, at least – and I take care of the plants, right?”

"Yeah, sure!" Sid lit up considerably at this idea, pleased that he could do anything to help her out of her funk. It sent a pleasant wave of warmth over him, which was intensified when she patted his shoulder softly and smiled at him. He couldn't help the dorky grin that he responded with or the flush that tinged his cheeks.

“My name is Una Freher, by the way. But if I can call you Sid, I guess you can call me Una. Don't worry, I bet you can do a great work!”

"Una? That's a pretty name..." Sid said softly as he begin to pick up the pieces of broken clay out of the pile, suddenly bashful. Her compliment really meant something since most people assumed he was an idiot for just being a lowly maintenance worker, but he didn't want to seem arrogant by calling anymore attention to it. Besides, he was more curious about her. She didn't seem like the normal Unspeakable type. She was nice and pretty and not at all sinister. Sure there was a mysterious air about her, as though she had many secrets, but he sensed she was a pure-hearted person. Then again, what did he know? He was the most gullible person most people knew.

"So uh...You like plants huh?" He said after a few moments of awkward silence and immediately kicked himself. What a stupid thing to say. Of course she likes plants... You are such a moron... he derided himself inwardly, embarrassed that he ruined the one chance he had to get to know her by sticking his foot so far down his throat that it was now kicking him in the ass. "I... I mean of course you do... What I meant is that... um... Did you... join this department..." He spoke slowly as he tried to formulate a better question, or at least one that didn't make him look stupid. The last part came out in a rush "... Because you like plants?"

Oh yeah, that was much better.

He was the first person that actually told her that her name was pretty. Most prefer to keep in silence any thought about it – certainly finding Una a strange name. Or make horrid puns. Just when she started at the lab, someone sent her an anonymous note and, between other shameful things, there was a little one about the Latin origin of her name. “Una, you're the One for me” was some words she really wanted to forget.

So pretty was a good compliment, and she said a simple, but sincere “Thank you,” before bending over to carefully take a stand of fragile, aromatic Cretan Dittany. She walked a few steps away to put it on a new pot and complete with earth, but was close enough to hear Sid's... undecided... question.

“Ah, I don't look like an Unspeakable, right? Everybody thinks that...” she said, but not condemning him. She seemed to be condemning herself, actually, but on a distant, distract way. “I like plants, yes. But became Unspeakable for other reasons. I have a beautiful garden at my home, I miss spending more time there... I mean, here or at home, I'm always surrounded by them, so... But it's certainly pleasing to work with something that I love.” She shrugged softly and smiled at him while coming closer again, to pick with triple care an angry stand of Venomous Tentacula. “Shh, shh, shh... gutes Kind, good...” she muttered to the plant, avoiding a closer contact with her right gloved arm.

“Could you lift up that rack, please? I think I've heard a Screechsnap squeaking down there.” She pointed with her head, while gently struggling with the Tentacula to put it on the pot. “And you? Do you like to fix things?”

“Ah, I don't look like an Unspeakable, right? Everybody thinks that...”

She looked so forlorn when she said this that Sid's heart hurt. He hadn't meant to insult her. He wanted to add '... and there is nothing wrong with that...' but she went on before he could interject.

“I like plants, yes. But became Unspeakable for other reasons. I have a beautiful garden at my home, I miss spending more time there... I mean, here or at home, I'm always surrounded by them, so... But it's certainly pleasing to work with something that I love.”

"That sounds great.." He murmured. Watching her talk about her garden and coo lovingly at one of the most deadly plants in the wizarding world reminded Sid of his mother. Una wasn't as open or carefree as Carla Dervish, but he could tell that she had the same warm aura that exhuded affection for those things too weak to care for themselves. Children... Animals... plants... Whatever it was, she was there to shower it with love and protection. The thought made him smile dreamily until he realized he was staring like a lovestruck moron and he immediatly tore his gaze away, embarrassed. 

“Could you lift up that rack, please? I think I've heard a Screechsnap squeaking down there.”

"On it." He obliged, grabbing the mangled shelf and lifting. It proved heavier then he expected, since he wasn't exactly 'athletically built', and by the time he got it in place he was gasping for air. "Merlin's left buttock..." He muttered, out of breath. Realizing how pathetic it looked that he was exhausted after lifting one shelf, Sid quickly added "That... screechsnap has some lungs on it..." Pulling out his wand, he muted the weakly warbling plant and being to prepare a pot for it.

“And you? Do you like to fix things?”

"Oh... yeah I guess." His right shoulder half shrugged as he tamped down the dirt around the screechsnap's roots. "I mean... In my family there are two things a Dervish must be good at, racing brooms and fixing things. Since I am too tall and clumsy to be a broom racer, I kinda just stuck to the latter...." He paused for a minute and then added a bit bitterly "...Gotta please my father somehow."

“Dervish? Arabian?” She asked, remembering of that word in something Middle East related. Something about some of the music her father liked to hear, maybe. Nice music, made her wanna dance. Her father has a really good taste on that and she was fond of listening music with him. And speaking of fathers…

“Oh, I know how it is…” she said softly, while gently taking from him the pot of Screechsnap he was working on. “Let me handle this.” Una tried to be sweet doing that, but the truth was that she would feel more comfortable with him dealing with the racks and broken pots.

“Not for my father,” she continued, while trying to make the plant feel good on its new house. “He’s really supportive and quite happy with me doing whatever I wish. I’ve chosen to follow his steps for my on mind. He was an Unspeakable.” Una explained, walking again between the little debris to take a stand of some tiny tiny flowers.

“My mother is ok, but my older sister is like…” she nodded her head, taking a deep breath. “Nothing seems to please her.” There was something sad on her statement, but something tired too, like she has already given up of trying to do anything for Septima.

Suddenly she turned to him smiling, after placing the plant on the pot. Her face was a little brighter than expected for the kind of conversation. She was trying to make him feel a bit more positivist, actually. “But you gotta love something! I mean, if you were free of this family thing and didn’t care about anyone’s opinions… what would you like to do?”

He nodded attentively as she spoke about her family, trying to split his focus between her and the broken planter he was carefully reassembling. He felt a bit envious of her, for having a father who supported her, but his envy faded when her voice became heavy and sad. Glancing up at her out of the corner of his eyes, so she didn't think he was staring, he studied her face as she calmed the screechsnap. It made his heart clench to see her look so sad and he felt a great deal of relief when she finally looked up at him and smiled brightly. It was more than likely a faked smile, but Sid was still happy to see it. However, her question was less appreciated.

“But you gotta love something! I mean, if you were free of this family thing and didn’t care about anyone’s opinions… what would you like to do?”

"I..." He paused awkwardly. Honestly he didn't know what to tell her. He had spent his entire life trying to live up to his fathers and brothers and girlfriends expectations that he didn't really know what he wanted to do in life. It was part of the reason that Trina had dumped him. He had no ambition, according to her, and he didn't have any proof to argue otherwise. Shrugging half-heartedly, he focused on the pot he was repairing for a moment before answering "... I dunno. I mean, I haven't gotten to give it much thought. I have things I like to do but I am not sure what I could even do with them. Like... I like potion making and herbology and cooking and... lots of stuff" He purposely left out 'video games and loafing around' since he figured she might frown upon that. "... But could I make a career out of them? I'm not sure."

“Hey! I like potion making and herbology and cooking,” she used the same words deliberately, looking at him with a smile. “And, like me, you don’t look like an Unspeakable at all…” Una softly laughed; no intention to offend him, she was just a little amused for finding someone who seemed to, legitimately, have some things in common with her.

She approached again, but this time she knelt next to him, picking up thin branches scattered on the floor. “You know, my father always told me that magic is will, and the difference between us and Muggles is that we are born with the ability of perceive and control this will,” she shrugged; that was her father’s theories on vacant conversations they had, not something official. “Anyway, work with these kinds of things - potions, plants and even food - is work with commitment. The results aren’t immediate and you have to really put some love on it, put a lot of care… and respect...”

Una was having a hard time trying to find the right words, but then suddenly she turned to him, stopping what she was doing and speaking more directly and firmly, “Because you’re not dealing only with your own will and your own magic, but with the Nature’s will and magic as well. You have to be able to co-create with life, and only a few are able to do that sincerely.”

“Just saying… I mean, you look like someone who’s capable of doing that. And respect the fact that your own life made you not thinking much about a career.” She reached his shoulder, saying the next words as a secret, “You are exactly where you should be now and you will be exactly where you must at the right time. You will know, don’t worry.” Her bright smile was a lot more real now, before she stood again to put the branches on a vase.

“I’m sorry, being raised with my father makes me have this kind of wanderings sometimes…” she was softly laughing of herself now. But for some reason she wasn’t feeling awkward for having this with Sid. Maybe the fact that he was a little clumsier than her made her feel comfortable. “But cooking, ah? What do you like to cook?”

“Hey! I like potion making and herbology and cooking, And, like me, you don’t look like an Unspeakable at all…”

"Well... That's why I am not one anymore..." Sid chuckled, grinning at her. He was beginning to feel a little more comfortable in her presence now, mainly because she seemed just as awkward as he did. She didn't make him feel small for not having a dream in life, in fact, she went on to tell him that he wasn't a loser at all! Instead she talked about how he was doing something wonderful. He couldn't help but stare at her as she spoke, amazed by the passion in her voice. Though he found it hard to believe her fully, thanks to years of belittling by his family, Sid appreciated how her words and her smile tried to give him hope. He wondered if there was a way to bottle that little bit of hope and take it with him back to the dingy maintenance closet so he could daydream about a better life. One with a job he loved and someone who believed in him. Maybe a couple kids too... and a dog. Definitely a dog.

“But cooking, ah? What do you like to cook?”

Her question brought him abruptly back to earth.

"Ah...well... nothing all that great..." Sid said bashfully, clearly embarrassed that he had even mentioned that particular hobby. His father, unlike her supportive one, taught him that cooking was a womans duty, not a proper mans hobby, so he always felt awkward when the subject was broached. He had long ago given up the idea of being a chef because nothing could convince his father that it was a manly career, even if you brought up the fact that Sid's maternal grandfather was both a chef and a mob enforcer (which Sid learned to never ever bring up in his fathers presence). His grandfather, though he had only heard of him from his mother, was the driving force of Sid's dream to cook as well as Samir's hatred of said hobby. You could even say he was his hero, minus the mafia connections and habit of removing the body parts of anyone who looked at him sideways.

"... Mostly Italian and French food." He finally admitted, realizing he had fallen silent while his thoughts were off on a tangent. "... and a bit of Persian cuisine." He added and then immediately thought Wow, I sound like a braggart. I hope she doesn't think that. The hint of pride hiding in the background was his mother talking. Unlike his father, Carla always had complete faith in Sid's abilities and encouraged him to follow them despite Samir's objections. It had caused quite a few arguments between his parents when he was a kid and Sid had blamed himself for any marital issues they had, which was part of the reason he didn't want to become a chef any more. "... My mothers family owned a restaurant in Italy... and she learned everything she could from her father to pass onto me. Kinda like a family legacy I suppose..." Thinking on this, he fell quiet. Unlike Una's family legacy of Unspeakables, Sid couldn't pass his legacy on.