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"Judge people based on how they treat their inferiors."
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The Sanctuary for Magical Creatures was a vast expanse of forest cover in the Forbidden Forest, at just the right distance from Hogwarts so that the children couldn't go there alone, but could visit under Hagrid's supervision. Headquarters involved seven scattered hut-like buildings, with different duties assigned to each. Any lost or injured animals were brought there and tended to, then returned to their natural habitats. The Sanctuary also welcomed people who had come upon any such creature or being that needed assistance. 

That was the place Theodore Nott was currently walking to while carrying a misshapen bundle in his arms. It was really horrid that there were apparition wards on Hogwarts, because of which he had had to walk all the way from Hogsmeade, across the grounds, past the mucky side of the Lake, and through overgrown forest to get to his destination. All the while, the bundle in his arms quivered. 

The closeness of the trees growing overhead obscured sunlight to a level that made the occupants of the Forest live in constant twilight even during the day, and in pitch blackness during the night. 

Out of the gloom, Theodore caught sight of a cleared pathway veering away from the main path, lit by little floating tea lights with flames of different colors. 

Ah ha. 

Theodore turned and walked along the path, his steps becoming short and quick when it sloped downwards. 

The path opened into a large clearing, with the seven huts looming around him like overgrown clumps of moss. A fence ran to Theodore's left and right, till as far as he could see on either side. 

"Who's there?" 

Theodore jumped on hearing the voice. It was feathery and echoed through the trees, and Theodore first mistook it to be a tree nymph or something. 

But that was until the person who had spoken appeared from around a hut that was straight ahead. 

"I'm uh...here for he-help?" Theodore spoke hesitantly, unsure of the procedure to follow.

"Oh," the person walked ahead. From the distance and through the slight mist, Theodore could only see the person's outline. He could tell from the voice that it was a woman. 

"You can come across the fence," the woman said in that same dreamy voice, "What is that you have with you?"

Theodore stepped into the fenced area. 

He started noticing other looming shapes between the trees and all around him. He recognised the Thestrals, and he heard the hiss of what must have been an Occamy. 

"It's very kind of you to think about coming here for help," the woman was finally within a distance for Theodore to see clearly. Her dirty blond hair was strung around her shoulders in two scraggly braids, and her wand was placed behind her ears. Theodore highly doubted the safety standards of that method of wand safekeeping. She was walking barefoot, as if she didn't mind the bitter cold of the hard earth, or of the protruding roots and twigs of the trees. She spoke on, "Not every witch or wizard cares enough about magical creatures to think about trying to help them, you know. Most people kill them." She stopped right in front of Theodore and held her hand out, "Luna Lovegood, pleased to meet you."

Theodore gingerly clasped her hand, half afraid that she would turn out to be a form of mist. But her hand was as real as himself, and it was cold and scratchy, "Theodore Nott."

"Oh, are you the one whose father ran out of tax money?" She asked serenely, with such frankness that Theodore couldn't find it in himself to feel affronted. 

Luna wasn't looking for an answer, "So what do you have there?"

"I don't know what it's called, I think it's a Demiguise," Theodore said, speaking very fast and avoiding looking at her face, "But it's been living in the basements for Merlin knows how long and it's made a mess of everything."

He handed the bundle to Luna, who took it gently. She unwrapped the top of the cloth, "It is a Demiguise." 

She sounded exquisitely happy about that fact, but in a split second her dreamy look was replaced by a stony one, "What happened to it?" 

"Oh, no, I- I just stunned it so that I could bring it here," Theodore explained hastily, "I swear I didn't drug it or anything, or Immobilise it, or-" he shut his mouth and cleared his throat to stop himself from saying any other stupid thing.

"Good, Stunning is exactly what people are supposed to do," she said in a clipped way, "Some people bring in drugged animals. I don't understand humans."

Theodore discreetly rubbed the base of his neck, "N-neither do I." 

"Follow me," Luna gestured with her hand and began walking towards one of the huts, "You'll have to fill out some paperwork. Demiguise don't usually turn up in people's homes, so I'll have to look into that."

Theodore nodded and followed her. The Thestrals stared at him with hollowed eyes in their sallow faces, but Theodore had long since overgrown being unnerved by them. 

"You're supposed to be back here."

Luna's voice snapped him back to reality, and he turned around to see that she had come to a stop a few feet away from him, and was standing in front of a hut.

"Right," he felt unusually flustered and conscious. He tried to keep his back straight and his hair back so that he wouldn't look like a fool in front of Luna, and then he questioned himself about why he even cared about what Luna thought anyways. 

Theodore stepped inside the hut after Luna, and was greatly surprised to see that it was much larger on the inside than on the outside, and it was brightly lit as well. There were a few other animals, all mostly small and manageable looking. Theodore spotted a Niffler with a cast on its leg, and a few Bowtruckles frolicking on a climber - covered iron frame. A few Krups were engaged in play fights in the far corner, and witches and wizards wearing brown trousers and sporting official looking badges were milling about. 

"We can leave this little guy here for now," Luna placed the Demiguise on a mattress on the floor, "Helios will take care of him."

Luna went off to call who Theodore assumed would be Helios, while Theodore shuffled his feet awkwardly. Which was strange because he never shuffled. 

"Right, now we can go finish up the paperwork," Luna said cheerily when she came back with a tall man who had a few fairies flitting around his person. Theodore nodded briefly at Helios, then followed Luna outside. They crossed the path to enter the opposite hut. 

This one was much smaller than the last one, and Theodore assumed it was the Head Office. There was a single desk, several bookshelves, and lots of things that looked so unusual and kooky that Theodore didn't even bother with trying to know what they might be. Murals and paintings covered the walls.

Luna summoned an overflowing folder to herself and pulled out a few sheets of parchment. She hummed absently as she worked, and when the papers were laid out on the desk she called Theodore over.

Theodore accepted the dove quill that she had silently handed him and bent over the desk to fill out the forms handed to him. As he wrote, his eyes scanned the contents on the tabletop. He didn't really mean to pry, but he was intrigued by the curious belongings of Luna Lovegood. 

In the corner, nearly covered by a pile of what looked like dog food, was a photograph. Theodore recognised Luna in it, and after a moment of thinking he recognised the round and cheerful face of Neville Longbottom. 

Now that he looked at the other things, he noticed that there were several other pictures of Longbottom and Luna. At first, Theodore was confused, but then he recalled what Pansy had told him about Luna and Longbottom's split. It had been all over Witch Weekly. 

"It's done," Theodore stood and put the quill down. 

"That's lovely," Luna said with a wide smile, "I must thank you again for bringing Louis here."

"Louis?" Theodore cocked a brow questioningly.

"Yes, I think that's what I'll call him," Luna said, "How do you think Louis sounds?" 

Theodore was startled at being asked his opinion so unexpectedly. He hastily nodded, "Great. Sounds great."

Luna collected the papers and tied them with some string before placing it in one of the cabinets. 

Theodore couldn't help but glance at the photographs again. They looked so happy in them, what had happened?

"Do you like the pictures?" 

Abashed, Theodore looked away from the photo frames, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh, no, it's completely fine," Luna said serenely, "I was thinking of putting them away anyways. They're gathering dust, I don't get much time to look after them."

Theodore nodded, still feeling very embarrassed. 

Luna led him to the exit while talking about a few Mokes the Sanctuary had come across at an illegal breeding centre. For the sake of being polite and for making up for his last rudeness, Theodore listened intently.

"Careful when you're walking back, a few of the wild Gnomes like knocking people out," Luna said when Theodore was back on the path that would lead him out of the Forest, "You can just tell them that it's time for food at the Sanctuary, and they'll leave you alone and come here."

"Right, I'll keep that in mind," Theodore said gratefully. Before he could say or do anything stupid, be turned and began walking. 

The Gnomes did try to get to him, but he did exactly what Luna had asked him to do. The little beasts darted away through the trees, jumping over roots and swinging on the low hanging branches. 

Theodore left the Hogwarts grounds feeling strangely light hearted and with spirits higher than they had been in a long while. 

He apparated to the grounds of the Nott Estate. 

Perhaps he would have enjoyed the scenic views around him if he wouldn't have been worried about what he would have to face once inside the Mansion. The rolling grass dunes were slowly turning from bright green into a dirty grey, signalling that winter was close. The trees had their leaves bleached and turned into warm shades. The clouds formed a low ceiling for the world, and not a sliver of the blue skies was seen. 

His father spent most of his time cooped up in his study while drinking himself to death and feeling guilty about how he had spent a fortune on gambling, while his mother complained about him and how much she was suffering, and how she had half a mind to go away to Paris where her parents' house last empty. 

Theodore was growing sick and tired of everything. 

He had recently had to borrow money from Draco again, for paying off the taxes levied on the Nott Estate.

Draco was one of his greatest friends, but Theodore couldn't help but feel like a burden. Draco never said no, he never bargained and never talked about Theodore's debt in front of others, or even with him. Theodore knew that he would soon need a way to pay Draco back, but at the moment, he had no means to do so. 

He desperately needed a job. 

The Ministry would never employ him. He had gone there with fine slips several times too many for the Ministry workers to have any respect left for him. And seeing as the Ministry had influence everywhere, no other place would employ him either. The Prophet office claimed that they would not employ an insolvent. The Goblins at Gringotts said they didn't trust him not to steal.

Thus he was left with almost no choice. 

He kicked disgustedly at the grass as he walked towards the Mansion. 

He needed a job. 

He really needed a job. 

Like a switch going off, an idea popped into his head with such suddenness that he stopped walking and stared at his shoes. 

Soon after, he was rushing to his study to gather some books and papers, and he found a copy of the Daily Prophet with contact details of The Sanctuary for Magical Creatures. He could just go back, but he wanted to go through the formalities.

It wasn't really a bad option, and Theodore wondered why he hadn't thought of it before. He had, after all, bagged an 'Outstanding' in his Care of Magical Creatures N.E.W.T, and had been a good student, if he may say so about himself. Although he had spent a large amount of time lounging about with Draco and Blaise and the others, he did like spending time studying well.

He pulled out all the volumes about Magical Creatures that the Nott library had to provide, and selected a toasty corner by the fireplace to read. 

If Luna Lovegood would be the one who he would have to see for the job interview, he would go beyond what was expected of him. 

Just to show how dedicated he was, of course. No other reason.