She'd stayed longer than planned with Cory and the lunch hour was mostly over, all the resident employees having settled back into what Katie considered to be very dreary and monotonous jobs.  Somehow she was taken all the way to the top floor and was working her way back down when the lift slowed, a soft 'ping' alerting her that the door was about to slide open. 

Katie glanced up at the man who stepped into the lift, his dark hair and serious expression familiar for some reason though she couldn't place it.  When he caught her watching him, Katie's eyes widened and she dropped her gaze. 

 Anthony grabbed a file folder off his desk and headed toward the lifts while making sure he had his wand. This appointment should be interesting, he thought as he stopped in front of the lift doors. A whole family to obliviate. Should make for interesting small talk, well, if I had someone to talk small-talk to. Smiling to himself, he thought of Megan and wondered where that 'friendship' was going.

 Is it too early to owl? It's too early. Hell it's only been a couple of weeks since the last muggle, and a meager half a week since the wizard. Hold yourself together, A. He glanced upward as the doors opened in front of him and saw that there was only one rider inside, a blonde girl, who was looking at him funny. Giving her a quizzing glance, he moved to the back of the elevator and leaned on the wall beside her. He smirked when he saw her drop her gaze and he looked to the wall beside him. There was a quidditch poster hanging on the wall and, out of boredom, he studied it.  

Wait, is that...? He turned to look at the girl beside him.

As the doors slid close, Katie could feel the man's eyes on her and she chanced a glance up at him.  He definitely was looking at her, a hard to read expression on his face.  She was hit again with the fact that she knew him from somewhere, but still couldn't place him.  Since it was patently obvious that she wasn't going to be able to escape his notice anymore, she gave him small smile and chanced a "hallo?"

 Anthony narrowed his eyes at her smile and said, "hi" a bit hesitantly. He then pointed to the poster, "that you?"

Katie's eyes went past him to the poster on the wall.  She hadn't even noticed it.  It was an advertisement for the Witches of Quidditch calendar and she just happened to be front and center in this particular one.  She could feel her cheeks heat as she found his eyes again.  "Yeah, that's me." 

Her eyes dropped again and she fought the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. People recognized her as a Quidditch player all the time, but it wasn't something she ever really got used to - especially when she recalled the conversation she'd had with Harry about one of his coworkers having pictures of her all over his office.  She was positive this wasn't the man Harry had been speaking of, but it didn't help the blush painting her skin. 

Shaking herself a bit, she glanced back up at him with a sheepish smile.  "Katie Bell.  And I'm pretty sure I know you from somewhere, but I'm not sure where?"

 Anthony smiled at her shyness. She was a quidditch player after all, and had agreed to pose for the calender. He shook his head. At the mention of her name he thought, Katie Bell... Katie Bell. Nope, doesn't ring a bell, and smiled to himself. 

 Wait, I didn't obliviate her did I? If I did, then I really fucked up because she couldn't have remembered that... No. Not possible... Oh. He thought of another possibility and said, "Well, I don't recognize you but, where did you go to school?"

"Hogwarts.  Graduated in '97.  Gryffindor," she answered with a small smile.  Katie tilted her head to the side, eyes sliding over the smile he'd offered and the thoughts dancing in shadows behind his eyes.  As she studied him, she found the connection.  She'd known him at school ... not in her house, not through Quidditch ... she bit her lip, the answer sitting just on the tip of her tongue. 

Anthony nodded, "Yes, I attended Hogwarts, too. Ravenclaw, graduated a year after you. Sorry I don't recall you though, as a Ravenclaw I kept myself to my books." He gave her another smile, though this one was forced. He was tiring of these run-ins he was having lately with all his old classmates.

As she processed the things he had told her, Katie noticed a new tightness to his features.  She ducked her head even as the answer came to her.  He'd been in "... Dumbledore's Army," she said softly. 

 Anthony nodded with realization, "The DA, sure, I was in that. Rough times for everyone, I think. Too busy worrying about...," he paused and thought of Mischa, "Voldemort to pay attention to everyone else." 

 They sat in silence for awhile until he said, "How've things been?", awkwardly while shifting his gaze.

Katie glanced at him when he paused, eyes quickly running over his face and taking note of the far away look, only there for a split second, before going back to studying her shoes.  His presence filled the small space they were in and she was relieved when the elevator pinged, signaling they had reached their destination. 

As the door slid open, she felt as if she could offer him one last smile.  "I've been well, thank you.  It was pleasant to see you again ..."  A small frown knit Katie's brows together as she realized she'd never caught his name. 

 Anthony sighed gratefully to himself as the doors slide open. He was beginning to think the lift would be keeping them stuck in there together for the rest of the afternoon, just to spite him. "That's fantastic," he said a little too energetically as he moved around her and out of the lift. "It's Anthony. Anthony Goldstein. Look, I've got an appointment to get to, so I'll see you then?" Damn DA. Who knew it would come back to bite me in the arse this often?

"See you..." she answered softly, not really meaning to be heard, as he disappeared into the crowd.  Shaking herself, she stepped out of the lift into the always busy Atrium.  Anthony Goldstein.  She'd have to remember to mention to Cory that he worked here next time she dropped in.  Pulling her wand from the back pocket of her denims, she apparated with a soft 'pop.'

{Summary: Katie and Anthony run into one another in the lifts at the Ministry.}