[Dept. Of Mysteries] so I turned myself to face me {lorin}

Penny was both looking forward to her date that weekend, and dreading it like a chore. For one, she wasn’t terribly interested in the guy who asked her out. He was just some random Ministry worker who had chatted her up while she was on line at the Ministry reception desk to get her employee badge set up. She had listened politely while he explained his job that had sounded terribly dull, and had agreed to a date with him only because he had so thoroughly surprised her by asking, that she automatically said yes. As the date neared, however, Penny started to look forward to it; if nothing else, she could learn what dating was all about.

Anticipation for this date presented a challenge for Penny. One of the most vexing challenges she had ever had to face. All the grueling hardships of training paled in comparison to this challenge: the challenge of what to wear. Penny thought vanity was rather stupid. If you were intelligent what did it matter how you looked? As a result she had never given much thought to what she wore. This was easy in Hogwarts, where she could shut herself in the library all day surrounded by books, but in her (very new) adult life it was proving to be a problem. People still sometimes mistook her for a Hogwarts student, and Penny was convinced it was the way she dressed. And she knew that people didn’t look at her with romantic interest. She knew this because she herself did not look at slobs with romantic interest, so why should others? That’s why she was so surprised someone had finally taken interest.

Penny was determined to tackle this challenge like she tackled all challenges: with a plan. She knew that her best bet would be to recruit the help of a friend, but the problem was that Penny was a bit short on friends. Or rather, she didn’t really have any. There was one person, however, that Penny saw almost on a daily basis, and although they had never spoken, Penny was sure that Lorin Odell had the knowledge she needed. Friday afternoon, Penny decided, was probably the best time to catch her.

Penny emerged from the dark winding corridor where her office was located, and set to Lorin’s office. She was the secretary of the department head, and although Penny was definitely not scared of her boss (ok, maybe a little), Penny was glad that she hadn’t had many reasons to visit this part of the department. Penny was relieved to see Lorin at the office, looking classy and put together as always. Every time Penny passed Lorin she would be amazed again at how well dressed the other woman was; whether it be beautiful black heels, or a particularly nice hairstyle. Penny had been determined to not dress differently today, because she felt that it would be best if Lorin could see what level Penny was at, so to speak. She was wearing a typical Penny outfit: black pants, black shirt, black robes. Her long black hair was braided to the side, the tip of it reaching her hip. Because it was the end of the day the braid was rather messy; little wisps of hair escaping the braid, particularly at the top.

“Er, Lorin, hi. My name’s Penny. I just joined the department.” Penny always felt the need to explain who she was to people. She knew who Lorin was even before work; they had been together in school after all. Still, she found that people had a tendency to forget her.

“I was wondering if you had a moment to help me with something? Not work related.” Penny faked being confident, for the most part because she had rehearsed these lines ahead of time. She just hoped she wasn’t making a total fool of herself.

Lorin was getting restless. She had scheduled her interview with the Department of International Magical Cooperation, but she hadn’t told anyone about it—much less Winston. It was within the week, and she was nervous! She had recently quit her second job, and was a little concerned about keeping up with her lavish spending habits, but it turned out that more free time meant more time to worry. She wanted to visit with her mother for a mock interview, but she didn’t want to tell anyone about it. What if she messed up? She could be the laughing stock of the family. She tried not to bite at her manicured nails as she tried to focus on her filing. So many thoughts swirled around in her head, making her dizzy and anxious. The more she thought of it, the worse it was. She needed a distraction.
 
She tried thinking of Donnie. They had been getting along better now that they worked together, and she had softened to him a bit. She no-longer blamed him for firing her, as he was right about it all—she really could have done better than playing assistant to him. This was proof of that. Her interview was… NO! Not that again. Donnie. He was very handsome and sweet to her. She quite fancied him, admittedly, though that was certainly never going anywhere. He had taken her out for drinks that past Friday after work, but he was just being nice, wasn’t he? She liked to pretend that it meant something, but he was so much older than her. Established. Not quite sophisticated or put-together, but he had made something of himself. He was wealthy and intelligent. She loved that about him. All of those things. He was just… too good for her, probably. He didn’t want a little girl, fresh out of school. Besides, she wasn’t sure she was ready for a relationship anyway. She still ached, after Seth, and she didn’t know if her heart would ever be un-broken.
 
She had been entertaining a few flings, but that felt just as empty as anything else. Even when the man was gorgeous and foreign and athletic and strong and rich and—basically perfect. She really just indulged the affair for the perks and the respite from her loneliness. He didn’t even speak her language, so how could they really have a connection? Plus, he was pretty but witless, and that wasn’t really her type at all. Good for a night or two, but not for anything serious.
 
She was still lost in her thoughts when she was approached by someone she barely knew. A younger girl, not by much. Penny, right? She was a Ravenclaw alumna from the year below Lorin. She had seen her and worked with her a bit, but didn’t know her personally. It seemed strange for Penny to approach her for something that was, admittedly, not about work. Lorin was receptive, though. She had so few friends, and had been noticing it more and more as time progressed, that she couldn’t be as picky as she was in school. She wanted someone to share things with and talk and have fun. She didn’t know if Penny would be able to fit into any of those categories, but she wouldn’t turn her away at the door based on looks alone. Looks wise, Penny was rather pretty but a bit plain in the way she dressed and carried herself. She was unintimidating, not a threat or competitor, really. That made Lorin softer to her than she normally would be. Lorin was notoriously mean to pretty girls, as she was easily jealous.
 
She smiled at her. It was a bit disgenuine, but only because of the stress she carried in her shoulders. “Of course, Penny, what can I help you with?”

With panic, Penny realized that though she had rehearsed her very first line, she had forgotten to rehearse the most important part: the request itself! Pull yourself together she coached herself, you’re a ministry Unspeakable, you can do this!

Penny was a bit confused by Lorin’s smile; it didn’t seem quite there, but Penny figured that the other woman probably had an automatic tendency to smile at people. It was, after all, probably part of the job. Which is why Penny could never do a job like Lorin’s; people bothering her all the time, asking her to file things. She was happy that she had her desk in a dark room, and most of the interruptions she had were done via memos. Despite the lackluster smile, Lorin’s words sounded encouraging, so Penny took a deep breath and carried on.

“Well, you’re beautiful.” Oh great, now she would think Penny was hitting on her (and if she were braver, perhaps she would).

“What I mean to say is, you’re always dressed so nicely. Your shoes, your hair, your robes. You always look so…” Penny struggled to find the next word. Put together, yes, but it went beyond that. Lorin dressed fancy, true, but that’s not why Penny chose her.

“Classy. Very classy.” Penny wanted to learn to dress nicely, true, but she didn’t want to look like a peacock. Penny realized that she was dangerously close to rambling, so she hurried on.

“I, however, don’t know the first thing about dressing nice,” Penny waved her arms in front of her in a gesture that said as you can see.

“Despite this, I’ve been asked out on a date for some reason, and find myself with nothing to wear. I was wondering if you could help me figure it out? Like, maybe give a recommendation for where you shop, or some tips and tricks, or…maybe we can even go shopping!” Great, Penny was rambling. And there’s no way the other woman would want to go shopping with her; she didn’t even know her.

“I mean, I know you’re super busy so any help really would be appreciated.” She added, hastily. Penny hated herself for squirming as much as she was waiting for Lorin’s reply; twirling the end of her braid in one hand and biting the nails of her other. She had the distinct impression that she had failed her plan, and that Lorin would think she was a bit dotty. She felt like a Hogwarts student again, and it infuriated her. She was an adult; couldn’t she ask something of another adult without rambling on and on?

Lorin really didn’t know Penny at all. They had never truly interacted when they were at Hogwarts, even though they were really only a year apart. She wasn’t much younger than her, really. Lorin was moderately jealous that Penny had snagged an illustrious position within the Department of Mysteries as an actual unspeakable, not just a secretary, but she wouldn’t let that cloud her judgement. If things went well, she would be moving onto a department that was a better fit for her, anyway. When Penny began to speak, Lorin’s smile became a great deal more genuine. How flattering! Penny thought she dressed nice? Classy? That was so sweet.
 
“Oh, wow, thanks Penny.” She began. “I… don’t really know where to start, but if you’re free after work today, perhaps we could hit up a few shops nearby? Do you have a budget in mind?” She asked. She had gotten used to being able to afford nice clothing, but still loved a bargain. She loved shopping in second-hand shoppes and vintage stores. She found the most unique pieces there that always made her feel like she stood out. In her professional life, she was much more muted, in contemporary and professional styles. She doubted Penny wanted to look like she was going to an interview for her date. Maybe something curve-hugging and sexy would be a better bet. Lorin could see it now, a vivid green velvet dress, hugging her curves with a deep v-neckline. Perhaps a corset belt. That would really accentuate Penny’s waist. Lorin was a larger girl, so making her own waist look small was always a priority. Penny did not share Lorin’s thick frame and was rather slender instead, but she was boxy. The illusion of curves would do a lot for her, Lorin thought.
 
“I have a few ideas of what might look good on you, but I admit that I’m far from a fashionista. I have a very specific look.” She warned. “At least, when I’m not at the office. It’ll be up to you if you take my advice.” She laughed. “I’m off at five.”

Well, it didn’t look like Lorin was going to run away, and she wasn’t giving off the impression that she thought Penny to be crazy or weird. All in all, it seemed a success, and Penny was pleased with herself. During Unspeakable training she not only learned how to keep secrets and crack codes, but she also learned —out of necessity— how to interact with people better.

“Great, thanks so much Lorin, you’re a lifesaver!” Penny said expressively. “Well, you probably know what my salary is, so it would be good to keep costs low, but I also wouldn’t mind investing in some key wardrobe items that I can wear with lots of different things.” Truth be told, although Penny’s salary was the meager salary of an entry level Ministry job, she also didn’t have to pay rent, so she didn’t have to worry too much about money.

“I’ll swing by the office in an hour.” Penny had timed her request purposefully close to when Lorin got off work. And she knew when Lorin got off work because she had spent the last few days tracking her movements in and out of the office. Oh sure, she could have just asked a coworker, or Lorin directly, but that would require a conversation, and conversations were not Penny’s strong suit.

The next hour passed by incredibly slow. Penny had already finished all the work she had on her desk for that day, and was resisting the temptation to open another book, or start another project. She knew that if she did that nothing would be able to pull her from the office for hours. Instead she did the least favorite part of her job; organizing her files, and filling out some paperwork.

At five o’clock on the dot, Penny headed over to Lorin’s desk, and the two head out of the department of mysteries to the main atrium.

“There’s a shopping centre a few streets over from here. We can start there, unless you know a better place? I don’t know where the date will be yet, but I’m assuming it will be just drinks at some pub, so I’m looking for something somewhat casual.” Penny barely remembered the name of the guy who had asked her out. Was it Dan, or Donn?

As they set out to the cold streets of London together, Penny figured she might as well make an effort at conversation. The problem was that although Lorin was only a year above her, and therefore they had been at Hogwarts together for some years, Penny hardly knew her at all. It was Penny’s own fault; she had isolated herself from most of her fellow peers during Hogwarts, finding ease and solace in books rather than the complications of people. She still wasn’t entirely comfortable with social necessities like small talk, but she was at least making the effort.

“So, how do you like your work for the department?” Penny asked. She figured that work was a safe topic; after all, they worked in the same department, even though their jobs were vastly different.