Dreams Lay On the Ground ((OPEN))

[audrey claire robineaux]

Audrey Robineaux studied the shining floor of the ministry atrium, struggling to hide the look of disgust that crossed her pretty face, and failing. Fortunately, few people paid attention to the Unspeakable as she stood near the Fountain of Magical Brethren. The atrium had been repaired since the battle that occurred there four years previously, but Audrey had seen it shortly after the struggle- and the sight had shook her. Since then, she had hated the atrium, which reminded her of times when fighting was still an option, when there was still a chance Voldemort could be defeated. Now, to fight was suicide, and few people were that stupid.

Audrey pulled her cloak tighter to her body, leaning against the fountain's marble edge. She tilted her head back, her green eyes fixating on the witch. To her, the witch looked sad, or perhaps Audrey was busy projecting her own thoughts onto the object- the thought made her scrunch up her nose again and turn away. Around her, seemingly unbothered, her fellow ministry workers teemed like little ants, coming and going, all too nervous to stop for too long, afraid that someone might be watching.

Usually, Audrey would be afraid too, but she was too tired today. No one wanted to talk to her, so she felt it safe to loiter for a few moments before apparating home. The stress of constantly having to find the right thing to say, of worrying who might sell her out, was making the young witch look older than her age, and she longed for a time when she actually enjoyed her job. Now, she simply didn't have any options- she couldn't leave even if she wanted to.

She sighed and trailed her fingers in the water, watching the droplets fall from her hand like glistening pearls.

[james ryan holbrook]

James Holbrook was walking along the corridors. It was the end of his eighteen hour shift and wanted to just go home and sleep. Lately, the ministry had been coming up with secret meetings on the top floor to start rebelling against the control of the dark lord. Voldemort was starting to make his way into the Ministry and was making demands. The Minister of Magic recruited his unspeakables and top aurors for the job which included him. If they didn't it was soon going to be that the dark lord would kill all or most of the muggleborns that worked here. Then he would make the others go and kill the rest of the muggleborns in the wizarding world so they could stay alive themselves.

James was all for the cause and not wanting muggleborns to perish, but it was taking a toll on the man. Walking finally into the atrium, he sighed and noticed a woman running her fingers through the water in the foundation. He frowned slightly. He knew it to be a rule not for anyone to touch these waters. Some myth about them being sacred. Stupid women. They never could follow rules. Like the holy one of staying committed to one man and going off with another woman. Walking over to her, he tapped her shoulder and crossed his arms over her chest. "Hey. You. You're not supposed to be messing with this foundation. I don't care if you're new or not. Don't touch it or else I will report you." he said sternly, his voice almost booming loudly as the rest of the ministry workers swiftly moved past them and continued with their stressful style of work.

[audrey claire robineaux]

It took Audrey a long second to realize the man was talking to her- after all, she had been here longer than a lot of these people, and probably longer than him. She brought her hand out of the water and placed it on her lap, looking up and meeting his stern gaze. She raised her brows, certainly she recognized him- James Holbrook. Any idiot this side of Voldemort would, and besides, she had been at the meetings too. Still, the "great" James Holbrook wouldn't know someone like her, and Audrey was just fine with that.

"No need to call anyone." She said, studiously drying her fingers on the edge of her sleeve. "No need to overreact, either." She said, this time much quieter. Had he caught her on any normal day, Audrey would have apologized profusely and probably offered to bake him ten pies as well to fix her oversight, but she was tired, and she didn't see how with everything else going on in the world, her running her hand through the fountain's water was really that big of a deal. Her green eyes were stormy as she looked away from him, considering the deed over, she had been admonished, surely he would go away now and leave her to her solitude?

Audrey couldn't be so lucky.

[james ryan holbrook]

James looked to the woman and raised his eyebrows some. She couldn't see his eyes as they were covered by his sunglasses. He heard the people around here say that they wondered if they were permanently glued to his head. The only people he would take his sunglasses off for would be his mother and his nine year old daughter Molly. Her comment made him sigh heavily before leaning down to her. "I'm not overreacting. All I said was don't touch the water. So don't get your panties all in a twist." he said in a strict tone as if she was a little kid who stole candy from Honeydukes.

He was only doing a part of his job and this girl had to be difficult. He was tired and was on the verge of snapping. If she spoke to him again like she did before, he was definitely going to lose his temper. "I'm asked you nicely. So don't touch the water alright?" he mutters to her ear before leaning back and standing there for a second, just to get a confirmation from the woman that she wasn't going to bother the fountain. Then he could go home, take a shower, settle down at the dinner table with his mom and daughter then read a bedtime story to Molly before going to sleep himself. If anything she was trying his patience right now to an extreme.

[audrey claire robineaux]

Audrey didn't consider herself to be a quarrelsome person- she considered the opposite. She was the peacekeeper in most situations, interfering before other people got hurt, but never did she instigate it. However, Audrey did not like the way this man was talking to her, and if he was irritated with her, well, she was irritated with him, too.

"Or what?" She laughed, her voice cold. Her green eyes were blazing with some form of righteousness known only to him, as if by telling her to stop doing something he had insulted her ancestors as well as herself. "Is the auror business really so slow that you have nothing better to do than dictate orders to me?" Audrey tilted her head, her pretty face almost innocent of whatever scheming was going on in her mind.

Very slowly, she removed her hand from her lap, and once again placed it in the water, moving her fingers to make a tiny splash. Not once did she take her challenging gaze off of James' face. She knew that the waters weren't supposed to be sullied, but really, with Voldemort slowly taking over the wizarding world, the waters were sullied enough. James was just being a bully, and Audrey wasn't in the mood to deal with it.

[james ryan holbrook]

James looked at the woman, just smirking the whole time she spoke. Damn this woman was annoying as hell. All her comments, he shrugged them off and just stared at her through his dark framed sunglasses. Watching her hand not that she could see him, go to the water and ran her fingers so it made a splash. He let out a sigh and glanced around. He knew his job placement was high on the totem pole and her. Well, he never even really noticed this woman before. She had to be some intern or something to be messing with him. Walking up to her as she sat there, he took his hands and pushed her into the foundation. It made a large splash and some of the workers stopped and stared at James and the woman in the foundation. "Next time. Don't push my buttons." he said smirking at her.

[audrey claire robineaux]

Audrey's eyes went wide as he pushed her into the fountain, taking a moment to fully register that now, not only was she mad, but she was wet. Sopping wet, to be exact. She grit her teeth and got to her feet, water running off of her and making merry plinking noises as it fell into the fountain.

While Audrey had to admit in retrospect pushing his buttons wasn't exactly wise, and was probably a misguided attempt at her part to thwart authority, pushing her into the fountain was completely uncalled for.

Her hand went into her pocket to pull out her wand, the petty, angry, childish side of her telling her to hex him, she mumbled a spell to dry her clothes, and finally raised her gaze to look at him. She could hear people laughing, and her pale face flushed in embarrassment, and she could feel tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She wouldn't cry in front of him, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She sniffed audibly, looking away- it was easier said than done, and the fact that people were still laughing, well, that hurt her pride too much. She felt a tear fall and she angrily brushed it away.

"Asshole."

[james ryan holbrook]

James looked down at the woman. She was completely soaked as she sat in the fountain. James sighed as he heard people laughing at her. Looking around, now he felt like an ass. Looking at her again, he noticed the tear being shoved away. Walking back to the fountain, he picked her up to his shoulder and carried her off to a small hallway away from all the people that were there. Setting her down, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Look I'm sorry. I had a long day and the fountain is one thing that is stable in my life sadly ever since this war. So I didn't want it messed with. Are you okay, uh. What's your name?" he asked her. Taking off his sunglasses and sliding them into his jacket pocket, his brown eyes glazed into her own. He never took his sunglasses off but right now, he felt awful and wanted to make sure she was alright. Under all his bitter layers, he was still a gentleman when a woman was upset, especially when it was himself who made her upset.

[audrey claire robineaux]

Audrey's gaze slid to his hands on her shoulders as he set her down, and she glanced from them to his face, her expression muddled somewhere between distaste and gratitude that he had had enough compassion to at least get her out of the limelight.

"Audrey Robineaux. I'm an Unspeakable." She sniffed, meeting his gaze as she pulled her long ponytail over her shoulder. She could tell already that once it dried, her retched wavy curl would return, and she sighed softly. It just wasn't a good day for either of them. "It's a bit sad that a fountain is something worth fighting over." She mused quietly, sort of an olive branch between the two. Just as James, Audrey found the fountain calming, a symbol of times long gone. Granted, she showed her attachment to it a different way than he did, but she could appreciate the feeling. That was rare in itself, to feel a momentary bond with someone else other than fear of Voldemort and his minions. She still didn't like this man, despite his apology, but she could feel her anger quickly diffusing.

[james ryan holbrook]

James' face was full of sincere concern as he stood there with the woman. Her facial expression was hilarious to him but he wasn't going to laugh right now. Especially after he caused people to laugh at her just a few seconds ago. "Ah Audrey. Nice name love." he smiled softly. Taking out his handkerchief he wiped her eyes lightly along with her nose before handing it to her. James chuckled faintly before shrugging. 'Yeah I know. But it's the only thing stable anymore around here." he said with a sigh. "So um. How about I treat you to dinner or something tonight? Or you could come to my place and I could make ya something?" he asked softly before giving her a sweet smile.

[audrey claire robineaux]

He had a nice smile, and Audrey laughed softly at his compliment. "Thanks, but I had very little to do with it." She joked, finger combing her long hair so it didn't knot from the moisture. She looked up at him, holding his gaze curiously. How could she honestly say no to an apology like that? Her smile didn't fade, but she looked amused. "You really don't have to do that. It's not like you broke my leg or anything." Then again, if he had, she would be asking for more than just a meal- Audrey hated St. Mungo's as much as she hated winter.

"Not unless you really want to, anyway." She amended.

[james ryan holbrook]

James shrugged faintly. "Hey, you decided to keep it. Some people change their names." he winked at her. "Oh no, it's perfectly alright love. Don't think about it. I want to do it for you." he said softly with a smile. "So which will it be? The nice dinner out somewhere of your choice or at my place? It's your call Miss Audrey."

[audrey claire robineaux]

"Well, since you offered, and since you were oh so mean as to push me in the fountain..." She smirked playfully, tilting her head, "I do believe my meal shall be cooked by you." It was hard to believe she was so closed to laughing with the guy who had just pushed her into a fountain, for Merlin's sake, but Audrey should know better than anyone that people were multifaceted. She had to admit though, she liked this side of him much, much better.

[james ryan holbrook]

James grinned at her smirk. Nodding, "If that's what you desire Audrey." he winked to her before extending his hand to her own to hold it. He was going to apparate them to his house. After the pop, they were standing in his kitchen. The colors around them were dark navy blue with a secondary color of pastel yellow. It definitely a modern style kitchen. "Alright. I almost became a chef, so name what you want to eat and I should have it around here." he said leaning back against his grey granite counter tops waiting for her answer.

[audrey claire robineaux]

Audrey took his hand, closing her eyes as they apparated. It was a useful tool for transportation, that was true, but it was harder to concentrate when you watched everything go by. When she opened her eyes she was a in a kitchen, a nice one at that, and she looked around curiously. "Nice kitchen." She said honestly, looking at him over her shoulder. She couldn't claim it was a nice place, that would be a lie, having not yet seen any other room. It suited him, though, she decided.

"Pasta sounds good." She shrugged. Audrey wasn't that picky of an eater, and she figured a free meal was edible in any format. "Why didn't you, then?" She asked curiously.