Tina looked back, unimpressed. "Mr Graves is always in a mood. You can't be the boss of all Aurors without constantly wanting to strangle someone."
"Yes but--" Queenie gestured at Graves's office. For a moment nothing happened. Then, as if on cue, there came an explosion of glass shattering, wood splitting, followed by an undignified yelp. The coffee in her cup only stilled when the racket stopped. She wore a smug grin. "See? Maybe we shouldn't--"
"Mr Graves!" Tina yelled, loud enough to catch the attention of half of MACUSA. "Are you alright?" She threw the door open and barged in.
Queenie decided she should have dropped the coffee and chained Tina to where she stood a moment ago.
"Mr Graves?"
The Director's office looked as if it had been raided by magical beasts. Tina must have suspected that-- she threw a suspicious glance around seeking Newt's darling Niffler. Then, amidst the rubble, in a manner that Queenie thought was adorably clumsy, a shaky hand reached up. It's followed by a familiar face, with bangs messily draped across the forehead. Graves's eyes conveyed something between confusion and frustration, until they caught the open door and the dozens of Aurors looking in. The emotions shifted, and Queenie muttered, "Oh dear." Embarrassment filled Graves's gaze as he scrambled up.
"So Mr Scamander did finally pay you a visit, Sir!" Queenie exclaimed, loud enough for the whole floor to hear. "Don't worry sweetie, some beasts are harder to tame than others. It took us a long time getting used to, too." She pushed a frowning Tina further into the office and shut the door behind them.
"What are you doing?" Tina hissed back. Her attention was back on Graves when the man struggled to climb back into his chair. "Oh Merlin, Sir, what happened? Were you attacked? Why didn't you call for us?"
It only worried her more when the man's instinctive move was to push her away. Queenie set aside what's left of her coffee and started repairing the windows. "Don't worry, dear. It's not permanent, and it's completely understandable."
Tina turned to her immediately. "What isn't permanent?"
Queenie, still smiling, gestured to Graves. The man caught her gaze and held it silently, until he decided otherwise and sighed. "Prolonged magical suppression, Goldstein. You of all people should know that Grindelwald has stripped me of my magic for months." His confession turned into a reluctant string of mumbling. "I thought getting it back would be easy. It isn't."
"You shouldn't expect it to be easy." Queenie said as she repaired a broken vase and returned the dried flowers to their healthy state. "This is why Madam Picquery gave you three days sick leave. Everyone needs time to recover."
"I don't understand, Sir. So this--" Tina, too, waved her wand to retrieve the scattered paperwork on the floor. "--is all you? The spontaneous explosions in the cafeteria also?"
Graves sent her a glare. "One, not all of them. I suspect Abernathy was practising his charms during his break. He only borderline passed last week's Auror evaluation." The man clearly itched to use his wand, but instead he started wiping ink off his desk with a handkerchief.
"Poor Abernathy, he got the brunt of the cafeteria incident. Pasta on him from head to toe." Queenie shook her head.
"Last week, when all books on advanced magical spells vanished from our library?"
Graves sighed. "I'm afraid that was me. I conjured one for reference, but in came twenty.”
"And when the typewriters went double their normal speed and started emitting smoke? Some exploded and after six p.m. started repairing themselves."
Graves nodded again. Then he shrugged. "I subconsciously wanted our paperwork done faster. It was done faster."
"The typewriters have a temper now." Queenie reminded him.
"And yesterday at the Senior Aurors’ conference?" Tina's eyes narrowed. "When the President's stationary started levitating and jumping out of reach when she needed it?"
Graves stared back unblinkingly. "If you're insinuating that I've deliberately charmed the President's quills so she wouldn't be able to sign the documents that put me on additional, compulsory sick leaves, the answer is no." The picture frame of him and Picquery sitting on the shelf behind him burst into flames. He sighed, turned around and waved his hand. The frame returned to normal. "But spontaneous outbursts are, as the word implies, spontaneous."
"Right." Tina nodded uncertainly. She charmed the last of Graves's misplaced paperwork into a neat pile. "And you will be alright, Sir? If we leave you alone?"
"The possibility of me growing into an Obscurus remains slim." Graves waved her away. "Out, both of you. The coffee stays. And get Abernathy in here."
They shut the door, just in time to see Graves open a cupboard with twenty Advanced Magical Spells stacked inside. He picked one out, looking a bit guilty. Queenie was wearing a grin and Tina was still frowning. "You think he'll be all right?"
They had only begun to step away when there came another explosion. Glass shattered, wood split, then another undignified yelp, followed by the sound of someone falling to the ground and dragging everything with them in the process. Abernathy, who was waiting anxiously at the door, slammed it open. "Merlin's beard, Sir, are you alright? Why is that picture frame on fire?"
Tina moved to help, but Queenie dragged her away. "He'll be fine, Teenie. If only a little annoyed by all the extra pampering he'll get from his underlings. But don’t you think that’s exactly what he needs?”
[FILL] Forced Magical Suppression 1/1
Tina looked back, unimpressed. "Mr Graves is always in a mood. You can't be the boss of all Aurors without constantly wanting to strangle someone."
"Yes but--" Queenie gestured at Graves's office. For a moment nothing happened. Then, as if on cue, there came an explosion of glass shattering, wood splitting, followed by an undignified yelp. The coffee in her cup only stilled when the racket stopped. She wore a smug grin. "See? Maybe we shouldn't--"
"Mr Graves!" Tina yelled, loud enough to catch the attention of half of MACUSA. "Are you alright?" She threw the door open and barged in.
Queenie decided she should have dropped the coffee and chained Tina to where she stood a moment ago.
"Mr Graves?"
The Director's office looked as if it had been raided by magical beasts. Tina must have suspected that-- she threw a suspicious glance around seeking Newt's darling Niffler. Then, amidst the rubble, in a manner that Queenie thought was adorably clumsy, a shaky hand reached up. It's followed by a familiar face, with bangs messily draped across the forehead. Graves's eyes conveyed something between confusion and frustration, until they caught the open door and the dozens of Aurors looking in. The emotions shifted, and Queenie muttered, "Oh dear." Embarrassment filled Graves's gaze as he scrambled up.
"So Mr Scamander did finally pay you a visit, Sir!" Queenie exclaimed, loud enough for the whole floor to hear. "Don't worry sweetie, some beasts are harder to tame than others. It took us a long time getting used to, too." She pushed a frowning Tina further into the office and shut the door behind them.
"What are you doing?" Tina hissed back. Her attention was back on Graves when the man struggled to climb back into his chair. "Oh Merlin, Sir, what happened? Were you attacked? Why didn't you call for us?"
It only worried her more when the man's instinctive move was to push her away. Queenie set aside what's left of her coffee and started repairing the windows. "Don't worry, dear. It's not permanent, and it's completely understandable."
Tina turned to her immediately. "What isn't permanent?"
Queenie, still smiling, gestured to Graves. The man caught her gaze and held it silently, until he decided otherwise and sighed. "Prolonged magical suppression, Goldstein. You of all people should know that Grindelwald has stripped me of my magic for months." His confession turned into a reluctant string of mumbling. "I thought getting it back would be easy. It isn't."
"You shouldn't expect it to be easy." Queenie said as she repaired a broken vase and returned the dried flowers to their healthy state. "This is why Madam Picquery gave you three days sick leave. Everyone needs time to recover."
"I don't understand, Sir. So this--" Tina, too, waved her wand to retrieve the scattered paperwork on the floor. "--is all you? The spontaneous explosions in the cafeteria also?"
Graves sent her a glare. "One, not all of them. I suspect Abernathy was practising his charms during his break. He only borderline passed last week's Auror evaluation." The man clearly itched to use his wand, but instead he started wiping ink off his desk with a handkerchief.
"Poor Abernathy, he got the brunt of the cafeteria incident. Pasta on him from head to toe." Queenie shook her head.
"Last week, when all books on advanced magical spells vanished from our library?"
Graves sighed. "I'm afraid that was me. I conjured one for reference, but in came twenty.”
"And when the typewriters went double their normal speed and started emitting smoke? Some exploded and after six p.m. started repairing themselves."
Graves nodded again. Then he shrugged. "I subconsciously wanted our paperwork done faster. It was done faster."
"The typewriters have a temper now." Queenie reminded him.
"And yesterday at the Senior Aurors’ conference?" Tina's eyes narrowed. "When the President's stationary started levitating and jumping out of reach when she needed it?"
Graves stared back unblinkingly. "If you're insinuating that I've deliberately charmed the President's quills so she wouldn't be able to sign the documents that put me on additional, compulsory sick leaves, the answer is no." The picture frame of him and Picquery sitting on the shelf behind him burst into flames. He sighed, turned around and waved his hand. The frame returned to normal. "But spontaneous outbursts are, as the word implies, spontaneous."
"Right." Tina nodded uncertainly. She charmed the last of Graves's misplaced paperwork into a neat pile. "And you will be alright, Sir? If we leave you alone?"
"The possibility of me growing into an Obscurus remains slim." Graves waved her away. "Out, both of you. The coffee stays. And get Abernathy in here."
They shut the door, just in time to see Graves open a cupboard with twenty Advanced Magical Spells stacked inside. He picked one out, looking a bit guilty. Queenie was wearing a grin and Tina was still frowning. "You think he'll be all right?"
They had only begun to step away when there came another explosion. Glass shattered, wood split, then another undignified yelp, followed by the sound of someone falling to the ground and dragging everything with them in the process. Abernathy, who was waiting anxiously at the door, slammed it open. "Merlin's beard, Sir, are you alright? Why is that picture frame on fire?"
Tina moved to help, but Queenie dragged her away. "He'll be fine, Teenie. If only a little annoyed by all the extra pampering he'll get from his underlings. But don’t you think that’s exactly what he needs?”