The almost-autumn breeze was gentle, yet cold. It was the first indication that summer had come to a close and more frigid weather was approaching. The dark hair that had been tied up into an elegant bun was coming to pieces slowly. Astoria could feel the hair descending onto her shoulders, but there wasn't much that she could do about it. Her heels clicked against the cobblestone as she made her way through Diagon Alley. She didn't have much to do that day, although she regretted her decision to go that day. It was Astoria's first time in Hogsmeade outside of getting school supplies.

She had just graduated the summer previous, and hadn't realized that going at the end of August would mean that there would be students everywhere. She didn't want to seem angry about it - it was merely that she didn't want to run into those that she knew. Astoria had kept a relatively low profile within Hogwarts. She had graduated and instantly went to the Ministry. She had begun training at the Ministry in hopes of potentially getting in with the Department of Magical Games and Sports. She couldn't clearly remember the timeframe of events, but next thing she knew she was being whisked away from the other interns and doing more... advanced things. She was a rather quiet individual. She didn't quickly make friends at the Ministry, and she didn't really have friends outside either. She had no idea what they wanted from her. Most of the time she ran errands around the Ministry. She had overhead many of her fellow interns gossiping about her and saying that she dropped out of being an intern to be an "errands bitch." Astoria ignored the comment. She wasn't easily angered. She didn't question what she was doing, even if it seemed pointless or tedious. Her duties ranged from getting coffee for Mr. Heimworth in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes to delivering unmarked packages from unnamed persons to seemingly random individuals. She didn't question it. She was being paid, and that was all that mattered, right?

It had been months before Astoria got any clue to what was going on. She watched as the interns she came in with got more permanent start-up jobs. Sure, the jobs they were getting weren't fancy by any means, but they had jobs. After the last intern either left the Ministry to pursue other things or got a job within the Ministry, Astoria was still doing errands. She wondered perhaps if they found her too boring to keep as an intern, or if her quiet demeanor was perfect for what she was doing. For all she had known, this was going to become a permanent position for her. As much as she was glad to be employed, and as much as she loved the fact that she seemed to continuously be getting raises and bonuses, she wanted an actual title... something that wasn't "errands bitch."

Astoria had no idea that the title she would get would be "Unspeakable."

She had known something was different when they had asked her to come in during the middle of the night. It was now late February and extremely cold - very cold for London's standards. At midnight, she entered the Ministry of Magic, completely bundled up. She had found it odd how empty the place was. She had walked through the Ministry, being hyperaware of the fact that she could even hear herself breathing. Astoria had been told to report to Kenneth Lerwick's office. She had no idea who the man was. She had never run errands for him, and she had never spoken to him. She had looked down at her hand where she had etched his office number on it. Admittedly, she initially was lost. When she finally found his office, the door was ajar. She lightly knocked on the door whilst entering. The man was sitting behind his desk as if it were the middle of a busy work day. He was an older gentleman with wispy white hair and deep wrinkles along his face. When he looked up at her, Astoria was caught off-guard by how deeply black the man's eyes were. It was extremely contrasting compared with his white hair and almost matching white skin. With long, knobbly fingers, Kenneth grabbed a pair of glasses and put them on. With such dark, thick frames, it almost hid his strange eyes. The way he was dressed was a bit abnormal as well; instead of robes he opted for a pin-striped suit instead. Regardless, Astoria made no comment. She merely stood in the doorway, suddenly feeling quite colourful in her pink blouse.

"Astoria Greengrass?" Mr. Lerwick asked. When she nodded, he motioned towards the black leather seat opposite him. "Have a seat."

Astoria did as she was told. She clasped her ivory hands in her lap and merely looked at him. To be honest, his appearance had stolen her words. Nothing she thought to say seemed like it would work for him. Mr. Lerwick met Astoria's eyes and just gazed at her for a few moments. She couldn't help but wonder how old he must be. He looked like he had forever in his eyes.

"Ms. Greengrass, do you have any idea whatsoever why you are here?" he questioned. As he awaited her answer, he pulled out a navy folder from his already-open desk drawer, put it on his desk and opened it. Even from a distance, Astoria could see that her unsmiling photo was clipped inside. Astoria shook her head, but then realized that Mr. Lerwick was looking down and reading from the file.

"No, sir," she replied. It then became clear to Astoria that she hadn't spoken for possibly days. Her job didn't require her to say much, nor did she go out of her way to make conversation. She had no pets at home, and she couldn't even remember the last time she spoke to any family members. Her voice almost seemed foreign to her.

"My dear, how would you like to become an Unspeakable?"