Weasley’s Warship Workshop 1 - Staffing
darthcourt10
Well worn.
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Weasley's Warship Workshop 1
Ron staggered as the Portkey dropped him just in front of the gatehouse. Taking a step he managed not to fall, instead placing his hands on his knees and wincing slightly.
"Are you alright Young Master?"
Ron nearly jumped out of his skin as Victoria seemed to appear right behind him. Turning to look at her he shook his head.
"No, I'm not. I hurt, my heart is racing and I barely had time for breakfast." Ron's voice was just a little testy before he took a breath and calmed down some. "I asked you not to surprise me like that Victoria."
"Apologies Young Master, I did not mean to do so." A small bow. "If you'd like I can prepare you a slight repast, something to hold you over for lunch?"
"No, I ate plenty I was just in a rush." Ron adjusted the time turner underneath his clothes. He hadn't wanted to waste his extra time on eating breakfast, not when he'd be able to make it under normal circumstances by hurrying.
"Very well." Victoria turned and offered her hand towards the walk up the main house, which looked better but was not in full repair. "I can accompany you back to the main building."
"Thank you Victoria." Ron nodded and began walking, with Victoria one step behind and to the right.
"You mentioned that you were hurt? Do you need me to notify someone for medical attention?" Victoria was leaning as close as her positioning would allow, looking Ron over as they strolled leisurely up the drive.
"No, I'm not hurt like that." Ron let out a dry chuckle. "I just… ache. I've started working out properly like Harry does and well he's been doing it a lot longer than I have."
"Did you try to keep up with him Young Master?" Victoria sounded concerned.
"No, no I wasn't that dumb. Well, only the once to see what he was currently doing." Ron shook his head. "I'm currently doing his workouts from… a year ago I think? Maybe six months? He said he thought I could do them and he's right… I just ache afterwards." Ron flexed an arm gingerly. "I'll be fine in a bit."
"Very well Young Master." Victoria accepted the answer for the moment and fell back to her position behind him.
"Is everything set for today?" Ron asked, turning to look at the blonde maid.
"Yes Young Master. We have interviews for the staff until luncheon, then Lady Summer and you will preside over another surgery for that abyssal. Finally you have the meeting with the French battleship." Victoria's sniff of disapproval signaled what she thought of that matter.
Ron couldn't help but glance back at Victoria. "You do know the French are our allies now, right? They've been so for like a hundred years?"
"Of course Young Master. I would never go so far as to offend any French guests you have. I've simply had some… visitors of the type who I wouldn't dignify with the term guest since they were quite properly and summarily thrown out after making a nuisance of themselves."
Ron looked back to Victoria but couldn't make anything out through the maids mask of formality. Instead he made a note to ask about it later and simply let it go for the moment.
"So have you looked over the resumes already?" He asked instead, switching topics to the staff they'd been working on getting.
"Oh yes Young Master. Lady Duke and Lady Warspite have already looked over most of them with me and we've had the cream of the crop. Your Mother sent down a very nice list of those looking for work from the magical side. From the attached paperwork I understand the government is being somewhat generous in tax breaks for those who can hiring magically inclined folks so they are more integrated into the workplace."
"So why are you having me take a look at them then?" Ron glanced back at Victoria as the reached the front door to the house and it opened on its own.
"We wanted you to be comfortable with them as well Young Master. You are the Head of the Household after all. There is also the fact that some of them are… unusual in their talents we should say."
Ron turned and looked at Victoria once more as the door shut behind them.
"Unusual in their talents?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at the maid.
"I think you should simply read their resumes yourself Young Master it's..."
Whatever Victoria was going to say was interrupted at the sound of Duke's voice.
"Ron!" Duke came down the stairs, a smile on her face.
"Duke!" Ron called back, watching as she came down the stairs. He noticed that she was walking a little different than normal. "Are you ok?"
Duke stopped at the bottom of the stairs and seemed somewhat surprised. "I took a few hits on my last mission. Nothing a bit more time in the spa won't fix." She paused and changed back to a smile. "It's good to see you again. A month can feel very long."
"It's good to see you too Duke." Ron smiled back at her and leaned up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Are you going to be around all day?"
"Yes, I wanted to sit in on the interviews with you if you don't mind."
"No, no that's fine. I don't really know what to do."
Duke smiled and shook her head.
"Just ask a few questions, I think Victoria has files for you to look over." Duke looked over to the maid.
"Yes I do. They should be in the sitting room along with everything else." Victoria nodded and gestured towards one of the now refurnished and refinished rooms.
"Alright. I guess I can take a look and you can bring them in whenever?" Ron looked between the two women.
"I shall bring some refreshments in first and give you some time, then bring in the first." Victoria did a little bow.
"Thank you Victoria." Duke gestured for Ron to take the lead and he headed to the sitting room where two folio's were sitting on a small table next to two chairs. Ron took the first one while Duke sat to his right.
"Only two?" He asked Duke, picking them up curiously.
"Victoria did most of the screening for us. She says that she likes these two and thinks between the three of them it will work out quite nicely." Duke smiled a bit as Victoria came in with some tea and light pastries.
"Here you are. I'll give you a few minutes to look over everything."
"Thank you Victoria." Ron gave her a nod and a polite smile as Duke began to pour drinks for the two of them. Starting with the top folio he began to read, having to pause several times as he did so.
"Am I reading this right Duke?" He looked up from the first one.
"Hmm?" Duke paused and then chuckled. "Oh, yes. Warspite and I were surprised as well but remember the initial list came from the government and your mother. Everything is just fine."
"Well if you say so. I don't see anything else to complain about."
"There shouldn't be." Duke smiled as she sipped at her tea. "Check the other one as well. It's got some interesting bits in it."
Putting down the first folio and picking up the second, Ron wondered what could be "interesting" compared to…
"What?" Ron's voice came out flat.
"Found the good bit did you?" Duke seemed amused.
"But… but why?" Ron looked up at Duke.
"I don't know. It's not as if you didn't meet some unique people in Japan Ron. Everybody needs to make a living."
Ron nodded to that. "I suppose you're right. Some of the people I've met through Harry..."
A knock interrupted his musings and he looked up to see Victoria waiting.
"Your first interviewee is here sir." She seemed extra formal at the moment, like he was actually important somehow and not just lucky.
"Bring her in." Ron settled himself in his chair and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Duke had set a cup of tea near his elbow in case he needed it.
Victoria bowed and gestured for someone out of sight to step into view.
The woman who did so was large, Ron would have said "quite large" before he'd met Summer and Angie, standing at six feet or more and broad shouldered for a woman. The rest of her frame followed suit, she was not fat by any means but Ron could easily imagine her posing for one of the new posters that encouraged women to work in more industrial trades. She looked as if a workers jumpsuit would have fit her more than the baby blue arm and ankle length dress she appeared to be stuffed into. Whatever fastener was holding the thing together had to be the hardest working thing in the room.
The two most striking things about her to Ron were her flaming red hair, much brighter than his own and the way her face was somehow formed into an expression of extreme meekness despite otherwise looking like she could be a lumberjack once out of the dress.
"One Lara O'Donnell to see Master Weasley and Lady Duke." Victoria introduced the guest, even though Ron had seen her name in the file.
"Hello." Lara's voice even sounded meek, the tenor carefully modulated to be as nonthreatening as possible while attempting to hide what appeared to be a deep Scottish accent.
"Hello Ms. O'Donnell. Please have a seat." Duke gestured to the chair that had been set out for her.
The woman nodded and took a seat, the chair standing up to the strain quite well since it and all its companions had been designed to accommodate capital class ship-girls.
There was a second of quiet before Ron caught Duke looking at him out of the corner of his eye and he cleared his throat.
"Hello. Ms. O'Donnell." Ron put a polite smile on his face. "As Victoria said I'm Ron Weasley and this is Duke of York. HMS Duke of York."
"Yessir." The words were nervous, rushed and the accent slipped in more. Lara then promptly attempted not to flush, succeeded only partway and nodded.
Ron glanced at Duke who gave a barely perceptible shrug.
"Would you like some refreshments?" Ron gestured to the tea and pastries.
"No, thank you." The words were stiff, stilted and attempted to be meek again.
"Very well." Ron wasn't sure how he was doing on the interview, either he was making a hash out of it or there was something else going on. All he had to go through was a vague idea to be somewhat formal and polite about the whole thing.
"So I've looked through the file we received from the government and everything appears to be in order." Ron picked up the thing so he could glance through it but hopefully so the woman could calm down. "You've been cleared for work in a government facility, said you would sign the necessary confidentiality papers and have no problem getting dirty or working with your hands."
"Aye sir." More accent this time, more nerves. Less meekness but the woman seemed to be about to vibrate out of her chair despite clearly fighting to maintain her cool.
Ron looked behind the woman to see Victoria still standing there, face impassive for the most part but somehow subtly encouraging.
"Well if that's the case I see no reason not to hire you on as a maid with the terms already in this proposal."
"...Ya nae care?" The confused question popped from the woman in a full Scottish brogue and she actively stuffed her hand in her mouth for a moment before dropping it again, clearly flustered.
"About what?" Ron looked up as he closed the folio.
"Mabledngwlf." The woman mumbled into her own chest.
"I'm sorry?" Ron glanced at Duke, who almost seemed amused.
"I'm a bleeding werewolf!" Lara burst out, then flushed and glanced down at her lap again. "I… I mean..."
Somewhat startled Ron leaned back for a moment and then leaned forward.
"Should I be?"
"What?" Lara looked up from where she had dropped her head in what appeared to be shame.
"Should I be concerned about you being a werewolf?" Ron kept his tone even, not bringing up the outburst.
"I… don't understand." Lara seemed slightly wary but she wasn't nearly as bad as she had been.
"Are you going to try and attack somebody, run off and terrorize the nearby town or anything like that?"
"No! No I'd never! Ma would kill me if I even thought like that and..." Lara petered off. "You really don't care."
Ron shook his head no. "My friend has a little sister that's an abyssal, one of my other friends is a light cruiser, Duke here is a battleship and I've personally met an ancient Egyptian sun-ship. Oh and a vampire who runs a shop in Diagon Alley. Maybe in a different world I'd care but in this one I don't. As long as you do your work properly we won't have any problems." Ron smiled a bit. "We'll probably even be friends."
Victoria looked a little off put by that.
"Well, as long as it's just us around. Victoria will be teaching you how to act I think."
A small nod from the Head maid.
Lara finally smiled herself, the expression looking much more natural on her face than the meekness she'd been attempting to exude before.
"You got it! I'm your girl sir! Ma'am!" She was positively exuberant.
"Then I think we're done. Unless you have something Duke?"
Duke smiled politely and shook her head. "No, I think Ron covered everything. I'll look forward to you starting Ms. O'Donnell."
"Thank you, all of you." Lara stood and nodded to Ron, Duke and Victoria before following Victoria out of the room.
When they were out of sight, Ron let out a sigh and slumped back in his chair before reaching to take a sip of his tea.
"That was stressful." He said, looking to Duke.
"I think you handled it quite well actually." Duke grinned at him before grabbing a pastry and munching on it. "Lara seems a bit high strung but she'll probably need the energy as time goes on."
"That was kind of my thoughts as well when I saw her. Victoria probably wants someone who can wrangle destroyers and carry heavy things for her." Ron took a nibble of a pastry himself.
"Most likely. She'll do fine I think, which is why I had no issues with her." Duke paused and took a sip of tea. "I'm glad you thought so too."
"I think she means well, she was just nervous and probably not used to getting accepted even for work." Ron nodded, tracing his own thought patterns out loud. "So she was surprised and trying to pretend like what she thought we wanted."
Duke just smiled and nodded as the sounds of someone coming up the hall became clear.
Victoria came around the corner again and nodded her head.
"Mr. Xathonorth to see Master Weasley and Lady Duke."
Around the corner came one of the most friendly looking old man Ron had ever seen. If he'd had a head full of hair to match his white beard he would've met the popular description of St. Nicholas but he was instead bald enough to shine in the afternoon light. His suit looked to have originally been made sometime around when Victoria had been built and patched irregularly since then. If not for the way he clearly had no trouble walking by himself and a quick glint Ron saw in his nearly amber eyes, Ron would have been concerned about the old man asking for a gardening position.
Instead the man smiled widely when Ron looked into his eyes and gave a small bow.
"A pleasure to meet both of you." His voice was deep and grandfatherly… if just slightly off from what Ron would expect.
"Please Mr. Xathonorth…?" Ron attempted to pronounce the name correctly, "Have a seat."
"Yes, thank you. Feel free to call me Xath if you wish." The old man sat down, straightening his sleeves as he did so.
"Refreshments Mr. Xath?" Duke offered pastries and tea.
"Yes, thank you. Just Xath if you don't mind. Too old for all the Mr. stuff." The man seemed as cheery as ever as he took a bite of pastry.
"So… Xath. I understand you're looking to fill the handyman and gardener position?" Ron fell back on formality as his thoughts tried to keep up.
"Yes, yes. Good with my hands and I like nature. Seems like it should keep me busy." The man nodded and the grin remained on his face.
"If you don't mind me asking… why?" Ron couldn't hold back his question.
The jolly looking man looked serious for a moment, matched eyes with Ron and then looked to Duke before going back to Ron.
"The winds of change are coming." The voice was less jolly but no less old sounding for it. "For everyone. I'm too bloody old to want to get involved in it this time around. So a nice easy place doing some yard work and helping out sounds nice to me. You're paying quite well too."
"I see." It wasn't quite the answer Ron had expected but it made more sense than any of the ones he'd thought up.
"Not everyone needs to be mysterious lad." The old man smiled, the jolly grin coming back. He leaned forward as if sharing a secret. "One of my extended family said your family were good folk so I asked around and heard the same. I'll have to thank her." He paused for a moment. "Assuming you're hiring me of course." Still a big grin.
Ron glanced at Duke who nodded to him.
"I'd say we are Xath. It'll be a pleasure to have you." Ron smiled and offered the old man his hand.
"I feel the same Mr. Weasley." As they shook hands Ron could feel a tingle of magic run up his arm. Not unpleasant but simply unusual… and strong.
"I think Victoria will handle everything from here Xath." Ron said. "Though be sure to ask if you need anything."
"I will, thank you." The jolly looking old man stood, having finished his tea and pastry.
As he turned to leave, Duke spoke up.
"If you don't mind me asking… when was the last time you got involved Xath?" Her voice was cool but curious.
The man paused, the light flashing in his eyes as he chuckled again.
"When you were around young lady. Got smacked by an 88 over Berlin. Had to sleep it off for a while and decided I'd had enough adventure."
Duke nodded and the man turned to follow Victoria out of the room.
Ron waited a few seconds before he sighed again.
"Sometimes I wonder when life got so exciting." He said with a small laugh.
"I do believe it was sometime around when Blood Week happened." Duke said. "For everyone."
"That's true." Ron looked over and reached out to take Duke's hand. "I'm not complaining. I wouldn't have met you otherwise."
Duke flushed a little bit, her boilers spooling slightly and she squeezed his hand.
"I wouldn't change a thing either Ron." She smiled and leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.
It was Ron's turn to flush and the boy tried not to grin too much.
"Do you think it's time for lunch yet?" He asked.
"Soon at least." Duke checked her internal chronometer. "Perhaps a game of chess first? It's been a while." She cocked her head at him.
"I think that sounds good. I have some new moves to try out on you so you better watch out."
Duke's throaty chuckle echoed through the room as the two stood and went to find a board.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: Wow that one got out of hand compared to what I thought but I hope you enjoyed! Questions and comments welcome like always.
Weasley's Warship Workshop 1
Ron staggered as the Portkey dropped him just in front of the gatehouse. Taking a step he managed not to fall, instead placing his hands on his knees and wincing slightly.
"Are you alright Young Master?"
Ron nearly jumped out of his skin as Victoria seemed to appear right behind him. Turning to look at her he shook his head.
"No, I'm not. I hurt, my heart is racing and I barely had time for breakfast." Ron's voice was just a little testy before he took a breath and calmed down some. "I asked you not to surprise me like that Victoria."
"Apologies Young Master, I did not mean to do so." A small bow. "If you'd like I can prepare you a slight repast, something to hold you over for lunch?"
"No, I ate plenty I was just in a rush." Ron adjusted the time turner underneath his clothes. He hadn't wanted to waste his extra time on eating breakfast, not when he'd be able to make it under normal circumstances by hurrying.
"Very well." Victoria turned and offered her hand towards the walk up the main house, which looked better but was not in full repair. "I can accompany you back to the main building."
"Thank you Victoria." Ron nodded and began walking, with Victoria one step behind and to the right.
"You mentioned that you were hurt? Do you need me to notify someone for medical attention?" Victoria was leaning as close as her positioning would allow, looking Ron over as they strolled leisurely up the drive.
"No, I'm not hurt like that." Ron let out a dry chuckle. "I just… ache. I've started working out properly like Harry does and well he's been doing it a lot longer than I have."
"Did you try to keep up with him Young Master?" Victoria sounded concerned.
"No, no I wasn't that dumb. Well, only the once to see what he was currently doing." Ron shook his head. "I'm currently doing his workouts from… a year ago I think? Maybe six months? He said he thought I could do them and he's right… I just ache afterwards." Ron flexed an arm gingerly. "I'll be fine in a bit."
"Very well Young Master." Victoria accepted the answer for the moment and fell back to her position behind him.
"Is everything set for today?" Ron asked, turning to look at the blonde maid.
"Yes Young Master. We have interviews for the staff until luncheon, then Lady Summer and you will preside over another surgery for that abyssal. Finally you have the meeting with the French battleship." Victoria's sniff of disapproval signaled what she thought of that matter.
Ron couldn't help but glance back at Victoria. "You do know the French are our allies now, right? They've been so for like a hundred years?"
"Of course Young Master. I would never go so far as to offend any French guests you have. I've simply had some… visitors of the type who I wouldn't dignify with the term guest since they were quite properly and summarily thrown out after making a nuisance of themselves."
Ron looked back to Victoria but couldn't make anything out through the maids mask of formality. Instead he made a note to ask about it later and simply let it go for the moment.
"So have you looked over the resumes already?" He asked instead, switching topics to the staff they'd been working on getting.
"Oh yes Young Master. Lady Duke and Lady Warspite have already looked over most of them with me and we've had the cream of the crop. Your Mother sent down a very nice list of those looking for work from the magical side. From the attached paperwork I understand the government is being somewhat generous in tax breaks for those who can hiring magically inclined folks so they are more integrated into the workplace."
"So why are you having me take a look at them then?" Ron glanced back at Victoria as the reached the front door to the house and it opened on its own.
"We wanted you to be comfortable with them as well Young Master. You are the Head of the Household after all. There is also the fact that some of them are… unusual in their talents we should say."
Ron turned and looked at Victoria once more as the door shut behind them.
"Unusual in their talents?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at the maid.
"I think you should simply read their resumes yourself Young Master it's..."
Whatever Victoria was going to say was interrupted at the sound of Duke's voice.
"Ron!" Duke came down the stairs, a smile on her face.
"Duke!" Ron called back, watching as she came down the stairs. He noticed that she was walking a little different than normal. "Are you ok?"
Duke stopped at the bottom of the stairs and seemed somewhat surprised. "I took a few hits on my last mission. Nothing a bit more time in the spa won't fix." She paused and changed back to a smile. "It's good to see you again. A month can feel very long."
"It's good to see you too Duke." Ron smiled back at her and leaned up to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Are you going to be around all day?"
"Yes, I wanted to sit in on the interviews with you if you don't mind."
"No, no that's fine. I don't really know what to do."
Duke smiled and shook her head.
"Just ask a few questions, I think Victoria has files for you to look over." Duke looked over to the maid.
"Yes I do. They should be in the sitting room along with everything else." Victoria nodded and gestured towards one of the now refurnished and refinished rooms.
"Alright. I guess I can take a look and you can bring them in whenever?" Ron looked between the two women.
"I shall bring some refreshments in first and give you some time, then bring in the first." Victoria did a little bow.
"Thank you Victoria." Duke gestured for Ron to take the lead and he headed to the sitting room where two folio's were sitting on a small table next to two chairs. Ron took the first one while Duke sat to his right.
"Only two?" He asked Duke, picking them up curiously.
"Victoria did most of the screening for us. She says that she likes these two and thinks between the three of them it will work out quite nicely." Duke smiled a bit as Victoria came in with some tea and light pastries.
"Here you are. I'll give you a few minutes to look over everything."
"Thank you Victoria." Ron gave her a nod and a polite smile as Duke began to pour drinks for the two of them. Starting with the top folio he began to read, having to pause several times as he did so.
"Am I reading this right Duke?" He looked up from the first one.
"Hmm?" Duke paused and then chuckled. "Oh, yes. Warspite and I were surprised as well but remember the initial list came from the government and your mother. Everything is just fine."
"Well if you say so. I don't see anything else to complain about."
"There shouldn't be." Duke smiled as she sipped at her tea. "Check the other one as well. It's got some interesting bits in it."
Putting down the first folio and picking up the second, Ron wondered what could be "interesting" compared to…
"What?" Ron's voice came out flat.
"Found the good bit did you?" Duke seemed amused.
"But… but why?" Ron looked up at Duke.
"I don't know. It's not as if you didn't meet some unique people in Japan Ron. Everybody needs to make a living."
Ron nodded to that. "I suppose you're right. Some of the people I've met through Harry..."
A knock interrupted his musings and he looked up to see Victoria waiting.
"Your first interviewee is here sir." She seemed extra formal at the moment, like he was actually important somehow and not just lucky.
"Bring her in." Ron settled himself in his chair and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Duke had set a cup of tea near his elbow in case he needed it.
Victoria bowed and gestured for someone out of sight to step into view.
The woman who did so was large, Ron would have said "quite large" before he'd met Summer and Angie, standing at six feet or more and broad shouldered for a woman. The rest of her frame followed suit, she was not fat by any means but Ron could easily imagine her posing for one of the new posters that encouraged women to work in more industrial trades. She looked as if a workers jumpsuit would have fit her more than the baby blue arm and ankle length dress she appeared to be stuffed into. Whatever fastener was holding the thing together had to be the hardest working thing in the room.
The two most striking things about her to Ron were her flaming red hair, much brighter than his own and the way her face was somehow formed into an expression of extreme meekness despite otherwise looking like she could be a lumberjack once out of the dress.
"One Lara O'Donnell to see Master Weasley and Lady Duke." Victoria introduced the guest, even though Ron had seen her name in the file.
"Hello." Lara's voice even sounded meek, the tenor carefully modulated to be as nonthreatening as possible while attempting to hide what appeared to be a deep Scottish accent.
"Hello Ms. O'Donnell. Please have a seat." Duke gestured to the chair that had been set out for her.
The woman nodded and took a seat, the chair standing up to the strain quite well since it and all its companions had been designed to accommodate capital class ship-girls.
There was a second of quiet before Ron caught Duke looking at him out of the corner of his eye and he cleared his throat.
"Hello. Ms. O'Donnell." Ron put a polite smile on his face. "As Victoria said I'm Ron Weasley and this is Duke of York. HMS Duke of York."
"Yessir." The words were nervous, rushed and the accent slipped in more. Lara then promptly attempted not to flush, succeeded only partway and nodded.
Ron glanced at Duke who gave a barely perceptible shrug.
"Would you like some refreshments?" Ron gestured to the tea and pastries.
"No, thank you." The words were stiff, stilted and attempted to be meek again.
"Very well." Ron wasn't sure how he was doing on the interview, either he was making a hash out of it or there was something else going on. All he had to go through was a vague idea to be somewhat formal and polite about the whole thing.
"So I've looked through the file we received from the government and everything appears to be in order." Ron picked up the thing so he could glance through it but hopefully so the woman could calm down. "You've been cleared for work in a government facility, said you would sign the necessary confidentiality papers and have no problem getting dirty or working with your hands."
"Aye sir." More accent this time, more nerves. Less meekness but the woman seemed to be about to vibrate out of her chair despite clearly fighting to maintain her cool.
Ron looked behind the woman to see Victoria still standing there, face impassive for the most part but somehow subtly encouraging.
"Well if that's the case I see no reason not to hire you on as a maid with the terms already in this proposal."
"...Ya nae care?" The confused question popped from the woman in a full Scottish brogue and she actively stuffed her hand in her mouth for a moment before dropping it again, clearly flustered.
"About what?" Ron looked up as he closed the folio.
"Mabledngwlf." The woman mumbled into her own chest.
"I'm sorry?" Ron glanced at Duke, who almost seemed amused.
"I'm a bleeding werewolf!" Lara burst out, then flushed and glanced down at her lap again. "I… I mean..."
Somewhat startled Ron leaned back for a moment and then leaned forward.
"Should I be?"
"What?" Lara looked up from where she had dropped her head in what appeared to be shame.
"Should I be concerned about you being a werewolf?" Ron kept his tone even, not bringing up the outburst.
"I… don't understand." Lara seemed slightly wary but she wasn't nearly as bad as she had been.
"Are you going to try and attack somebody, run off and terrorize the nearby town or anything like that?"
"No! No I'd never! Ma would kill me if I even thought like that and..." Lara petered off. "You really don't care."
Ron shook his head no. "My friend has a little sister that's an abyssal, one of my other friends is a light cruiser, Duke here is a battleship and I've personally met an ancient Egyptian sun-ship. Oh and a vampire who runs a shop in Diagon Alley. Maybe in a different world I'd care but in this one I don't. As long as you do your work properly we won't have any problems." Ron smiled a bit. "We'll probably even be friends."
Victoria looked a little off put by that.
"Well, as long as it's just us around. Victoria will be teaching you how to act I think."
A small nod from the Head maid.
Lara finally smiled herself, the expression looking much more natural on her face than the meekness she'd been attempting to exude before.
"You got it! I'm your girl sir! Ma'am!" She was positively exuberant.
"Then I think we're done. Unless you have something Duke?"
Duke smiled politely and shook her head. "No, I think Ron covered everything. I'll look forward to you starting Ms. O'Donnell."
"Thank you, all of you." Lara stood and nodded to Ron, Duke and Victoria before following Victoria out of the room.
When they were out of sight, Ron let out a sigh and slumped back in his chair before reaching to take a sip of his tea.
"That was stressful." He said, looking to Duke.
"I think you handled it quite well actually." Duke grinned at him before grabbing a pastry and munching on it. "Lara seems a bit high strung but she'll probably need the energy as time goes on."
"That was kind of my thoughts as well when I saw her. Victoria probably wants someone who can wrangle destroyers and carry heavy things for her." Ron took a nibble of a pastry himself.
"Most likely. She'll do fine I think, which is why I had no issues with her." Duke paused and took a sip of tea. "I'm glad you thought so too."
"I think she means well, she was just nervous and probably not used to getting accepted even for work." Ron nodded, tracing his own thought patterns out loud. "So she was surprised and trying to pretend like what she thought we wanted."
Duke just smiled and nodded as the sounds of someone coming up the hall became clear.
Victoria came around the corner again and nodded her head.
"Mr. Xathonorth to see Master Weasley and Lady Duke."
Around the corner came one of the most friendly looking old man Ron had ever seen. If he'd had a head full of hair to match his white beard he would've met the popular description of St. Nicholas but he was instead bald enough to shine in the afternoon light. His suit looked to have originally been made sometime around when Victoria had been built and patched irregularly since then. If not for the way he clearly had no trouble walking by himself and a quick glint Ron saw in his nearly amber eyes, Ron would have been concerned about the old man asking for a gardening position.
Instead the man smiled widely when Ron looked into his eyes and gave a small bow.
"A pleasure to meet both of you." His voice was deep and grandfatherly… if just slightly off from what Ron would expect.
"Please Mr. Xathonorth…?" Ron attempted to pronounce the name correctly, "Have a seat."
"Yes, thank you. Feel free to call me Xath if you wish." The old man sat down, straightening his sleeves as he did so.
"Refreshments Mr. Xath?" Duke offered pastries and tea.
"Yes, thank you. Just Xath if you don't mind. Too old for all the Mr. stuff." The man seemed as cheery as ever as he took a bite of pastry.
"So… Xath. I understand you're looking to fill the handyman and gardener position?" Ron fell back on formality as his thoughts tried to keep up.
"Yes, yes. Good with my hands and I like nature. Seems like it should keep me busy." The man nodded and the grin remained on his face.
"If you don't mind me asking… why?" Ron couldn't hold back his question.
The jolly looking man looked serious for a moment, matched eyes with Ron and then looked to Duke before going back to Ron.
"The winds of change are coming." The voice was less jolly but no less old sounding for it. "For everyone. I'm too bloody old to want to get involved in it this time around. So a nice easy place doing some yard work and helping out sounds nice to me. You're paying quite well too."
"I see." It wasn't quite the answer Ron had expected but it made more sense than any of the ones he'd thought up.
"Not everyone needs to be mysterious lad." The old man smiled, the jolly grin coming back. He leaned forward as if sharing a secret. "One of my extended family said your family were good folk so I asked around and heard the same. I'll have to thank her." He paused for a moment. "Assuming you're hiring me of course." Still a big grin.
Ron glanced at Duke who nodded to him.
"I'd say we are Xath. It'll be a pleasure to have you." Ron smiled and offered the old man his hand.
"I feel the same Mr. Weasley." As they shook hands Ron could feel a tingle of magic run up his arm. Not unpleasant but simply unusual… and strong.
"I think Victoria will handle everything from here Xath." Ron said. "Though be sure to ask if you need anything."
"I will, thank you." The jolly looking old man stood, having finished his tea and pastry.
As he turned to leave, Duke spoke up.
"If you don't mind me asking… when was the last time you got involved Xath?" Her voice was cool but curious.
The man paused, the light flashing in his eyes as he chuckled again.
"When you were around young lady. Got smacked by an 88 over Berlin. Had to sleep it off for a while and decided I'd had enough adventure."
Duke nodded and the man turned to follow Victoria out of the room.
Ron waited a few seconds before he sighed again.
"Sometimes I wonder when life got so exciting." He said with a small laugh.
"I do believe it was sometime around when Blood Week happened." Duke said. "For everyone."
"That's true." Ron looked over and reached out to take Duke's hand. "I'm not complaining. I wouldn't have met you otherwise."
Duke flushed a little bit, her boilers spooling slightly and she squeezed his hand.
"I wouldn't change a thing either Ron." She smiled and leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek.
It was Ron's turn to flush and the boy tried not to grin too much.
"Do you think it's time for lunch yet?" He asked.
"Soon at least." Duke checked her internal chronometer. "Perhaps a game of chess first? It's been a while." She cocked her head at him.
"I think that sounds good. I have some new moves to try out on you so you better watch out."
Duke's throaty chuckle echoed through the room as the two stood and went to find a board.
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AN: Wow that one got out of hand compared to what I thought but I hope you enjoyed! Questions and comments welcome like always.