Magical Affairs: The Summer Placement : Tulip

19 June 1923
9:00am

The Ministry was a living, breathing thing. Fast footsteps echoed across polished floors. The tempo and pulse shifted as you crossed from wood to gleaming tile. Floos burst to life every few minutes, their emerald flames roaring before depositing another witch or wizard into the atrium. Owls flew overhead carrying letters, bundles of parchment, and packages from every corner of Britain. Paper airplane memos flew through the air with purpose, darting between employees before disappearing into elevators or slipping under office doors.

Witches and wizards filled the corridors. Some hurried along clutching thick files against their chests. Others lingered in quiet conversation, discussing upcoming meetings, recent legislation, or the latest Ministry gossip.

As the lift arrived on the second floor, the Department of Magical Affairs came into view. A polished bronze plaque was mounted next to a pair of large oak doors. The moment you crossed the threshold, the noise seemed to disappear.

Not because of magic. Because everyone inside was quietly working.

Voices were low. Quills scratched steadily across parchment. The occasional page turning seemed almost loud against the steady scratching of quills. No one hurried from desk to desk in a panic. The office itself remained calm. Desks filled the room, each occupied. Some worked through international trade agreements while others quietly coordinated meetings with foreign delegates.

Two men in tailored suits stood before a large map of Europe, discussing a cluster of glowing pins that drifted slowly across the continent. Silver threads stretched between the pins, weaving and shifting as diplomats left for meetings and apparated to new locations.

Large oak bookcases lined nearly every wall, the shelves stuffed with leather bound volumes, journals, atlases, treaty records, and decades of carefully catalogued reports. Fresh flowers sat in simple vases on filing cabinets and side tables. Cut from Bertram’s garden and thrust upon the head of the department by his flower loving granddaughter. One visit to the stuffy office had been enough for her to declare it needed more colour.

Bram didn’t dare say no.

Sunlight poured through tall magical windows, giving the illusion that the office looked down on the city of London. Near the windows, an old copper tea kettle sat on an enchanted warmer, steam curling lazily from the spout. Mismatched teacups sat on a shelf with an array of loose-leaf tea, honey, sugar and a plate of biscuits.

People wandered over when they pleased, poured themselves a cup, exchanged a few quiet words, then returned to their desks.

Nothing felt rushed. Nothing felt frantic. Yet somehow the work was getting done.

At the far end of the office a door stood open. No fancy nameplate, no polished title. Just another office. Another desk buried beneath neatly ordered paperwork and open books. Inside, Bertram Nordstrom was exactly where everyone expected him to be. Working.

A Junior member of the department left with a smile on his face, new assignment in hand. Excited to stretch his wings to show what he could do.

A question floated across the room before it had even reached his office. "Mr. Nordstrom?" "Second shelf. Blue binder," Bertram answered without looking up. A beat passed before a grateful, "Found it. Thank you, sir." He smiled faintly and finished signing the parchment before finally checking the clock.
As much as he loved working with the Hogwarts Interns, it did cause an element of chaos in the well oiled machine that was his office. Standing from his desk, Bertram buttoned his suit jacket and walked with purpose out into the main area of the office. ”Patrick, you’re with me.”

Patrick didn’t question his boss. Didn’t whine or groan. If Bertram was asking him to come along, it was for a very good reason. ”We’re meeting a new intern. I’d like you to show her around the office. Hit the highlights, then bring her back to me.”

Arriving in the main atrium, Bertram found the group of Hogwarts students waiting. Tilly had described Tulip, so he knew what to look for. Thankfully, only one person fit the description. ”Tulip?” He asked, holding out his hand for a shake. ”It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things from Tilly. We’re very happy to have you with us for the intern program. This is Patrick, he’s going to give you a tour before bringing you back to the office, at that time we will go over the plan for the summer. Sound good?”

This was not how Tulip had envisioned her Summer Holiday, what was technically her last summer holiday from school as from September she would be in her last year. Tulip had planned a relaxed summer not surfacing till mid-day and generally refusing to do anything useful. Of course Papa and Mater had other ideas. They had been going on about Tulip's lack of a future plan. She had no aspirations and no potential husband so her parents were in a flap. She had tried to point out they were wrong, she had plans, Professional Quidditch Player or handling Magical creatures. But these were not proper lady like professions for a girl of her status. This was news to Tulip, since when did she have a status and when had anyone cared if she was lady like or not.

This had led to the devastating news the previous week that her Papa had arranged for an internship in the Ministry of Magic. Tulip was not happy, firstly she disliked authority and the Ministry of Magic was literally the source of all authority in the magical world. And secondly, office work, did she look like a girl who looked forward to office work. Seven years at boarding school had taught her one thing, her parents knew nothing about her.

She had accompained Papa to the ministry, she assumed she would be working wherever he did but no he dumped her with a bunch of other much more eger Hogwarts students with a hasty "Now Tulip non of your shenangians.... remember I work here!". She had rolled her eyes, once again showing how little they knew of her, shenanigans only happened when there was good reason for them, forced work was going to cause shenanigans here, but wait till he wore his smoking jacket at home, it would really smoke, with the stench on smoked kippers. Being 17 had some benefits.

Tulip smoothed the skirt of her dress, one of the more fasionable things she wore, dark blue with pale yellow trimming in popular sailor collar style. It was summer she had point blankly refused the woolen tweed monstroity her monther had suggested. No robes, but muggle fashions seemed more acceptable for ladies than it did for men, she would have hated robes, it would have felt too much like school. She watched another mail paper plane fly over hear, she wanted to catch one out of the air, although if she had a beaters bat she would have certainly swatted a few to see what would happen.

She should have been in awe of being in such a place, but she was still miffed about it so naturally she refused to let herself enjoy it.

”Tulip?”

Hearing her name broke her out of her day dream, "Yes..." she said slowly looking at the source of the voice, the face looked fmiliar like she had seen it somewhere before.

”It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things from Tilly."

Good things, about her? Bless your heart Tilly, who knew you could tell such lies. "Er thank you.... Do you know Tilly?" she asked the older man as she shook his hand, she figured it was best to find out who was who before she offended the wrong person.

We’re very happy to have you with us for the intern program. This is Patrick, he’s going to give you a tour before bringing you back to the office, at that time we will go over the plan for the summer.

Tulip assumed answering that she was here against her will was probabily the wrong thing to say, "I'm super excited about the opperunity" she lied, who said she couldn't be diplomatic. "A tour sounds super." she looked at Patrick ready to begin. A tour was useful maybe she could find places to slack off.

Tilly's friend looked awed by the Ministry atrium. It was rather spectacular, if you took the time to appreciate the details. She also looked surprised at the mention of Tilly.

"Er thank you.... Do you know Tilly?"

Bram chuckled softly. No wonder she looked confused.

"I do," he replied, warmth settling easily into his smile. "Tilly is my granddaughter. She lives with me here in London." His expression softened at the thought of her. "Your name has appeared in letters and stories for years now. Don’t worry, they've all been favorable."

Being that Tilly and Tulip shared a dormitory, stories of her housemate had become a familiar topic in their letters. Or, as Tilly so often referred to her.

'My favorite flower friend.'

"I'm super excited about the opportunity. A tour sounds super."

That earned another small smile. Bertram suspected super was not the word she wanted to use. After years mentoring Hogwarts students, he had become rather good at recognizing enthusiasm... and those students that lacked it.

"Excellent," he said, turning toward Patrick. "Show Miss Asquith where she'll spend most of her time. The break room, the archives, the mail room, the Minister's corridor, and the supply office. Introduce her to everyone you meet along the way. By the time you are done, she'll know the department better than I did on my first day."

---

Bram was busy reading over reports submitted by his senior staff. Since Minister Laurence's appointment, there was no shortage of work. Proposed legislation awaited review, diplomatic correspondence arrived almost hourly, and requests for meetings with the new administration seemed to multiply daily.

A gentle knock interrupted his concentration.

"Come."

Patrick stepped inside first.

"Thank you, Patrick. I'll take it from here." He rose from behind his desk and turned his attention to Tulip. "Miss Asquith, welcome. Please, make yourself comfortable."

Instead of directing her to the formal chairs opposite his desk, Bertram gestured toward the sitting area in front of the fire.

The office was spacious without being over the top. A fire crackled beneath a large magical map of Britain, hundreds of glowing pins shifting as delegates and officials moved about the country. A leather sofa faced the fireplace, flanked by two armchairs surrounding a large coffee table.

Before sitting, Bram offers Tulip some tea, pouring two cups and floating them to the coffee table while he carries a small plate of biscuits.

Taking a sip Bram got comfortable, before turning his warm eyes on Tulip. ”So Tulip, please tell me about yourself. Hobbies, sports, books you love. And by the end of the summer, what do you hope to gain from this experience?”

Tulip followed Patrick, he seemed less than thrilled to be looking after a new intern, the endless come on.... Hurry up... You don't need to see that.... Ask questions at the end. Tulip hadn't felt especially inspired, there was plenty to look at but she was honestly not sure sitting at a desk was for her. It seemed to much like school. She didn't hate school, although she was surprised she hadn't been thrown out. She just didn't enjoy sitting at desk learning. Things like COMC was a lesson she enjoyed, it wasn't classroom based, as was Herbology even though she didn't have green fingers. Again she was not chained to a desk. It seemed every one though the appropriate future for well brought up young ladies was desk job, teaching, healing until a suitable husband was found and as soon children came to be a housewife. Tulip saw 99% of that as utter blige and refused to be part of that future.

She couldn't believe her interaction was being supervised by Tilly's grandfather. The magical world it seemed was Very small. She knew the expectation on Tillly was to be married off. Perhaps a forced internship was better than marriage.

She followed Patrick around nodding but lost in her own thoughts until Patrick was knocking on an office door and like most of the day she followed him in to find it was Mr Nordstrom's office. She looked around and found it was quite a plush office, better than the banks of desks the Ministry drones sat at. She expected to be sat at the desk but when she was directed to the sofa she took a seat.

So Tulip, please tell me about yourself. Hobbies, sports, books you love. And by the end of the summer, what do you hope to gain from this experience?”

Well that put her on the spot. Did he want to know her shoes size too? "Well I guess my favourite hobby is Quidditch. I used to play beater of the Gryffindor team until it got indefinitely suspended, because numerous head teachers are incredibly short sighted." She started, the headteacher who was a criminal was the last week let them play Quidditch. "They've been saying it's for our safety, but it seems a total cop out. Personally I think it was just because the heads of some of the other houses are salty at his good the Gryffindor team was, the cup would have easily been ours several years in a row" He had probably already heard from Tilly that Quidditch had been cancelled. A few secret pick up hands had happened, some bad been busted leading to detentions.

She ignored the question on books, she didn't really read, looks of notes frustrated her, the women are always in the shadow of men. Had she been born earlier and always thought she would have been a suffragette.

"I guess my parents would like me to find a potential career pathway for when I finish school this year." She had no idea what she was going to get out of this other than work on her holiday. She also had no real idea about what she was going to do after school. Run away and join a circus was on the list.