Thud!A hefty stack of files were unceremoniously dumped on Jonathan’s desk, burying a report he had just been editing.
‘What on earth is this?’ Jonathan exclaimed, alarmed by the sudden pile of work. He leaned to the right, trying to see who had been this most unwelcome messenger. It was Wynne, who used to be Hannah Chambers’s confidential secretary before her bizarre and tragic disappearance a month ago. Wynne was now working with Amos, the Interim Head who was helming the current Swedish debacle and part of the current British delegation in Ibadan.
Jonathan had remained behind to hold the fort for any domestic issues that came their way.
‘Congratulations,’ Wynne responded dryly. ‘It’s your promotion. Huzzah....’ She sighed heavily at the end, tired from all this 'excitement'.
'My what?' Jonathan was utterly confounded.
‘Oh, and you’ll have to hire staff,’ the diminutive witch added, ignoring his question. ‘I got transferred to the Wizengamot’s Office because I’m just. So. Popular. Prabjot is working under Amos now and Zahira just doesn’t want to work with you because she think you’re a--well, I don’t think I’m allowed to repeat it, sooooo...anyway, I did put out an internal posting for today, so maybe you’ll get some takers.’
She locked eyes with Jonathan for a moment, who was still stupefied at what was happening. Realising he wasn’t getting it yet, she shrugged and left his office, and the force of the door closing caused the top file to flip open.
It was Jonathan’s personnel file, though it seemed slightly different from when he’d last seen it. Right under his name was a new title: Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.
He bolted upright. They wouldn’t! He looked at the top of the file again, just in case he misread it. Oh no, no, no, no! And clipped to it was a memo signed by Shacklebolt, witnessed by three Department Heads and the Chief Warlock, their signatures dated just yesterday. He read through the rest of the memo, his eyes racing to catch all the information as quickly as he could. He was motioned to assume his new position...today!
He rummaged through the rest of the file. Jonathan noted that his father’s signature was nowhere in the memo, nor in the Confidential Minutes in which this decision took place. It was true his father was currently abroad, but these discussions were hardly ever done without Jon Sr’s purview, which meant that either Shacklebolt pulled a fast one on his father or he promoted the younger Emerson despite the elder Emerson's lack of support. He groaned that the thought of going through a very awkward dinner with his father when he returned.
But now there were more pressing matters. The division of assignments remained largely the same, but now they all had to come to Jonathan for final reviews and to sign off on the resolutions. It also meant meetings after meetings being briefed about every international case that Britain dipped its fingers in.
He slunked back into his seat, feeling suddenly exhausted. He looked at the pile of cases, his personnel folder, and looked at the door and all the chaos that awaited him on his first day on the new job. He sighed, and looked down at the bottom left drawer of his desk. He glanced quickly at the door before focusing back on his drawer.
Should he? Perhaps it was too early in the day. But he was the Department Head now! He could totally clear his schedule today if he really wanted, right? That was how it worked, didn’t it? So perhaps he should. No. Wait until lunch like he normally did. It was safer.
Jonathan got up again, making his way out of his office. He slowed down as he neared the empty one that once belonged to Hannah. Speaking of, did he have to move into it now that he had her position? It still felt a bit wrong. The fact that she simply vanished was troubling. He didn’t know whether to mourn or to hold out for her return. The Ministry, however, felt a month was more than enough time to get back to the old order of things.
Jonathan turned sharply, nearly bumping into a witch.
‘Oh pardon me! Say, you wouldn’t happen to be here for the hiring position would--’ Jonathan stopped himself when realised the woman was quite familiar. ‘Ah! Miss Garnier. Sorry, my mind is out of sorts lately. Heard anything new about the Chambers investigation on your end?’
@Chantal Garnier
