Because I Can

The secret to not being questioned when venturing into a place one does not technically belong was confidence: you walked like you owned the place and not a soul possessed any right to tell you otherwise. It worked for Dite, in any case.

Dite. That was fairly new, really. Aphrodite Kallistos. She liked the sound of it, the way it tasted in her mouth. Aria Kennet was simple and sweet, and it suited her before. Dite wasn't simple and sweet, anymore. She had neither reason nor desire to be.

It was not long before the girl found her way to her destination, as verified by the marker beside the door. The blonde leaned against the doorjamb, gazing in at the single man seated within.

"Is this the aurors' meeting room?" she drawled thoughtfully, eyeing the room a bit disapprovingly. "Odd. One would our auror forces would be more... pampered."

Dite stepped into the room, blue and brown gaze settling upon the man. "It is my understanding that you are in need of greater numbers. I wish to undergo auror training. With whom should I speak?" She arched a pale brow expectantly, calmly waiting for the man's response.

Eli sat at the table, scribbling notes in the margins of their latest mission report. He looked up at the sound of the door opening, and was immediately confused by the presence of a total stranger. That was something you didn't see often at the ministry, and even if you did, they never seemed quite this sure of where they were going.

"Yeah..." He said, his eyes scanning the room with a frown, his pen still hovering over the paper, "Well, you know. It's not as if we need much in the way of an office. We don't really spend that much time here."

"Anyone really. It's a small department. I can interview you right now, if you're up for it." He took out a piece of blank paper, then squinted back up at the girl, "Umm... Who are you exactly?"

A bright smile overtook the girl's features and she stepped further into the room. "I suppose that is true," she replied. "It would be odd if you spent much of your time here when all the work is out there, wouldn't it?"

Stepping lightly, she crossed the room. She probably didn't look much the auror type: young, petite of build. The girl carried herself with a self-assured poise and grace, though, and her gaze was bold, not the least bit timid.

"Aphrodite," she replied, extending a hand. "Aphrodite Kallistos. Dite for short. And I certainly am up for an interview now, if it won't be a bother."

"Nice name," Eli shook the girl's hand. "Okay," The man said with a brief smile, gesturing to one of the many chairs "Have a seat, Dite."

"First thing's first, being an auror means fulfilling certain educational requirements. I'm assuming you've finished school, so we'll need a copy of your official report card and N.E.W.T scores from your seventh year, as well as a copy of your birth certificate."

"So," He said, leaning back in his chair, poising his pen to take notes, "Why do you want to be an auror?" Just about everything regarding this girl was atypical of an auror- her build, her attitude, even the way that she talked. But still, everyone had the potential to be a good fighter, no matter how they seemed externally. Who was he to say that this girl didn't have what it took?

Dite took the indicated seat, instantly settling in like she belonged there. "But of course," she responded agreeably. Reaching into her bag, she drew out an envelope holding all the requested information: her "birth certificate" (which stated her birth date as being August 30, 2038 - setting her age as 19) and her N.E.W.T. scores - which she really did achieve by honest means, an O in all her subjects.

"Why?" She gave a melodic laugh. "I suppose 'because I can' wouldn't be the right answer, would it?

"Well, frankly, Mr. Auror-who-forgot-to-introduce-himself, I just want to use my capabilities to really do something. You know, something challenging and worthwhile. I love a good challenge. And really, I can't imagine there are many vocations that would provide such stimulus. Can you?"

Eli took the papers and began shuffling through them, his eyes scanning over all the charts and numbers, nodding slightly when he came across something relevant. When he flipped to the test scores, he raised an eyebrow, impressed, then handed them back to her, "That's probably enough for us to hire you."

"Patterson," he said with a small smirk, "Eli Patterson- Deputy Head Auror."

"It's why most people join," He said with a small tilt of his head and a shrug, "Not that many of them admit it. Most people just say it's because they want to fight bad guys and save lives. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course, but I'm glad you have ambition and aren't afraid to show it."

"So," Eli sat up in his chair, "When do you want to start training?"