Another Christmas is gone and another orientation was here.
Not that Victoria did much resting. No, she was making sure Quidditch was running smoothly and becoming the new Department Head for level seven. It was weird without her best friend, but she would make the adjustment and work hard to fill her shoes.

As for her first orientation at a ski resort, this was weird. She didn't like that they couldn't bring a plus one, but she didn't have to worry about that. Her plus one worked for the ministry so Cossy was around here somewhere.

It was so cold though that she made her way to the hot chocolate bar and found herself a cup.

Natalie had very few weakness but a nice mug of hot chocolate was one of them. She made her way to the bar and poured herself a mug. She then topped it with whipped cream and marshmallows. Natalie then turned to the woman next to her. "Hello there. My name's Natalie."

Ski retreat for her Ministry orientation? That sounds fun! Too bad Phillip could not join this, but probably they both should have a ski getaway someday later. It was just weird being in a social occasion like this without her boyfriend but well... she could survive this event hopefully.

Merlin, it's still unbelievable that now she had become the Auror trainee! Even though she was still a trainee but at least she had been one step ahead. Looking around, Ava tried to see if there was a familiar face since she had done the internship with MLE two years ago, and not to mention there were some of the former Hogwarts students above her age working in the ministry too... Or seriously, anyone whom she could talk to because Ava felt like a lost kid here. Maybe she should try the ski race or sauna but first... Hot chocolate! Hmmm...

Another year another orientation, as it were. Although at least this year's offered something a little out of the ordinary. Not that Airey was particularly against formal functions as had been the case for the majority of his orientations since he joined the Ministry, but it was nice to see things moving a bit out of the box. Even if, arguably, their Minister was more peculiar than the astronomer himself.

Which some would say was saying something.

Little bit of snow still peppering his hair - no that was not dandruff - from being outdoors, he made his way over to the hot chocolate bar some a little something to warm his insides. Sweet solstice the kids would love this spread. Save for Atlas...who already at a young age seemed defiant on not behaving nor enjoying the same things as Andromeda and Aries.

"Ah, Victoria," he greeted his colleague. "Congratulations on the promotion." Adrenaline had him in a more sociable mood, thankfully for everyone. His forget-me-not blue eyes then fell on Natalie who, well, had not lasted long in Mysteries. Not everyone was cut out to handle the high pressure work of the department, so he could hardly fault her for that. Especially in light of the black hole incident.

Natural selection, weeding out the strong willed.

So he merely offered her a polite nod of the head before grabbing himself a cup and noticing a former student of his. This was something he was never going to get used to. Like watching a crup walk on its hind legs while twisting a hula hoop around there middle and wearing a bonnet. Or was that more the other way around? He tended to get that impression every time Zander saw him. "Miss Burton," he greeted with a nod of the head as he set his cup under one of the hot chocolate dispensers and held down on the button. "Fancy meeting you here." He was being candid, of course. As her former Head of House, the man had certainly not forgotten her ambitions of becoming an Auror.

Oh yes that DID smell deligh-------

And then without warning...the department head went completely still. Not even blinking and with his hand stuck on the button and hot sweet smelling liquid pouring into his cup....and overflowing it. Scorching liquid pouring over the hand holding the cup but the man himself unflinching.

Natalie then saw her former department head. She couldn't cope with working in the Department of Mysteries which was in no way Flamsteed's fault. "Hello, sir. How are you?" She then watched with a mix of shock and bewilderment as Flamsteed went rigid as scalding hot chocolate poured over his hand.

"Sir!! Are you okay?!"

Hot chocolate would make it all better, right? He was cold. Colder than he’d been in some time. West didn’t like being cold. He’d much rather be on a beach retreat for his new job, not at a ski resort. However, he was determined to make the best of it. He’d ski, he’d chat with people he didn’t know, and he’d smile when needed.

Doing his best to keep his eyes forward and on his destination, he beelined for the chocolate bar. As he arrived, he realized that he probably should at least have seen if his department head was in the room. She was the only Ministry Employee he would know, and his boss.

He took his time filling his mug with the steaming hot chocolate, then perused over the ample toppings. Finally deciding upon marshmallows and whipped cream. The marshmallows would go down first, creating a heat barrier between the hot chocolate and the whipped cream, letting the whipped cream last longer before melting into his drink.

Just as he was about to place another dollop of whipped cream on top, he noticed the gentleman next to him having some technical difficulties. Eyeing a stack of napkins, he grabbed a few and offered them to the man. "That might leave a mark. Your hand okay?"

Satisfied with his selection, he turned to find a seat. That’s when his eyes caught sight of his department head. “Good day, Victoria,” He greeted as he sat at a table furthest the door and away from any cool air blowing in.

Helping herself with a cup of hot chocolate, the former Gryffindor couldn't help but smiled at her former head of house. "Hello..... Mr. Flamsteed." Yeah, probably it would be weird if she called him Professor since he's no longer teaching at Hogwarts. "Likewise, sir." It's probably been a long time since she saw the former Astronomy professor, and speaking of that subject, hopefully he would never found out that she didn't pass her Astronomy OWL. "How are you?"

Oh Merlin! Did he just pour the hot chocolate to his hand? Ava was about to get napkins but a man (West) had offered some to Flamsteed. "Do you need some burn healing paste, sir?" Luckily she always had that on her bag.

It wasn't long before the blonde had other people around her,
but she didn't think it with the cold and this amazing smell of hot chocolate it.
She knew people would be surrounding it quickly. Smiling as the first person had come over, "Hello Natalie, welcome to the ministry. I'm Victoria Culloden, Department Head of games and sports." She had met all her own new employees with the interview process and things so she knew the woman wasn't part of her team, but it was nice to meet them anyway.


Now that she had her cup the next step was what to put in it, of course, shew as going to get the peppermint. So as she reached for it she noticed another new face and her son's former professor and her husband's coworker and now boss. "Hello, Victoria Culloden." greeting the new girl (Ava) first and then she turned to Airey "Thank you Airey, it was a shock to have Mariel leave, but I am very excited for the new position.", but before she could say anything further he seemed to have burned himself. Giving judgemental looked she had never quite figured him out.

"Are you alright? Do you need some help?" Her son was Bart Culloden so she was pretty good at some healing spells, she could fix that burn right up if he needed.


Noticing one of her new employees she gave him a nod, "Hello West, are you enjoying yourself today?"

To say that Leonardo Gaspard Beaufort (or simply Jasper) was surprised about the location of the Ministry orientation... had been an understatement. Perhaps he had been taking things a little too literally, but he had expected the orientation to take place at the ministry itself. So they could... you know... orientate themselves in the place.

This made sense too... kind of. He supposed that learning his way around the other people employed at the ministry was also important... but he didn't really understand why it needed to be here. Wasn't it sort of... expensive? Unnecessarily so?

But then, what did he know about finance on this scale? Government funds? Ministry perks? Nothing. Not yet.

Being a French native, Jasper and his family had hit the slopes plenty in the past, never really needing to leave the country to do so (not that it would have been such a problem to travel, what with magic). He was fairly prepared for the temperatures and had known what to expect, but he still headed for the area where they served hot chocolate before he did anything else.

There were already plenty of people gathered here, but that was absolutely not a problem for Jasper, who was a sensitive sort of soul but enjoyed the company of others a great deal. He had just singled out an individual to introduce himself to, when someone familiar took it upon himself to... pour hot chocolate all over his own hand. Hot chocolate. People were quick to fuss and fret and offer napkins, but Jasper frowned.

"Is 'e..." He had been about to ask 'Is he okay?' before realising the answer would surely be 'no'. 'Is he awake?' would have been a better question, but nobody else seemed to have the same question on their minds, even though, despite the assault on his hand, Airey Flamsteed was not flinching. At all. Jasper glanced between his new boss and anyone else who seemed to exude seniority, before abruptly deciding to take matters into his own hands.

He took a step forward and reached out his gloved hand to try and nudge Mr. Flamsteed's fingers off the button on the hot chocolate machine, unwilling to wait for him to snap out of his trance and unsure what kind of spell would be best (would be safest) to use in order to achieve the same result.

The Mysteries Department Head was entirely unresponsive as the questioned and aghast looks ensued around around him. Natalie's panic and unwanted use of 'sir' - the man still always thought of his father whenever it was uttered and preferred it not be used in association to himself - earned nothing more than a vacant stare ahead. As did the polite advice of the Games & Sports employee, who was correct in that hot liquid leaving a mark. Second degree burns due to scalding, one could hardly expect anything else. And still the man did not respond, though obviously his skin was in agony.

Actually, Miss Burton, cold water or ice would be much appreciated if you could manage. Or perhaps Victoria would be so kind?

It was only moments after Jasper, one of his new employees, began pushing his finger off the button did the man seem to come out of his trance...only to attempt to continue his conversation with his former student turned YATI as though nothing had happened at all. "Is it safe to assume, Miss Burton that yo----" And then all the nerves in his skin came alive, alerting his brain that there was a crisis to be had.

"YEEEEEEOOOOOOW!" he howled, immediately retracting his hand from the dispenser, the man was oblivious to the presence of his new Unspeakable and his hand was sailing through their air at an alarming pace that threatened to backhand the young man right across the face.

Rushing into the warmth of the lodge, Clémentine purpousfully sauntered towards the hot chocolate bar. She had just been out skiing for the first time in 5 years, and it wasn't as easy as she remembered it being. She was covered in snow from head to toe, and her cheeks were bright red from the cold.

She gave an acknowledging nod to the people at the bar, before she shuffled over to get herself a cup of delicious and most importantly hot chocolate.
Feeling a bit self conscious about the way she looked after her skiing trip, she tried to not draw too much attention to herself.

As he sat, away from the burning of flesh and screaming, West noticed another chilled ministry worker enter the lodge. She appeared to be new, but since he was new as well, he couldn't be sure. "Hi there. Just come in from the slopes?" He asked, motioning to her snow covered coat.

"I'm West, by the way. You are welcome to sit over here with me." He leaned back in his chair and took a long, slow drink of his steamy hot chocolate. He was finally starting to thaw after his morning out skiing. Thankfully, the lodge was warm and still had great views of the mountain. The rest of his afternoon might very well be spent in the very chair in which he sat.

"Are you a new employee too? I was just hired. Magical Games and Sports. Which department do you work in?" He eyed her, wondering if she too worked in his department and he should know who she is. That would be embarrassing. He hand't seen pictures of his fellow department members, but he had seen a list of their names and positions.

Being as new as she was, Clémentine couldn't help but feel a tinge of shyness around all these new co-workers of hers. So far, she hadn't done much socializing, but she knew the point of the retreat was to get to know her co-workers and maybe even make a few friends. It was, therefore, with great relief in her heart that she shot a glance towards the unfamiliar, but welcoming voice coming from over the way. It appeared to belong to a friendly-faced gentleman, perhaps some years older than her, sitting nearby. She immediately cracked a smile and turned towards him, leisurely stirring her cocoa.

"Haha, yes, you got me." she beamed towards him with a giggle. Her beautiful Belgian accent was clear, but not overwhelmingly so. As she slowly began making her way towards his table, she held her cup with both hands just to make sure she didn't spill any. These were precious drops and she was very determined not to let a single one go to waste.

"Clémentine." she introduced herself, pulling off her mitten for a handshake as she reached the table. She pulled up a chair and with a slightly exaggerated grunt, sat down. "Nice to meet you, West."

She was very pleased that someone had bothered to reach out and talk to her, removing the stress of making first contact, but even more so when she found out that he was also new! "Yes, I'm brand new too!" she answered his question enthusiastically. "Games and Sports sounds fun! I was never any good at sports myself. Especially flying. My broom is basically a relic!" She added with a laugh. "I'm a Botanist with Environmental Regulation and Protection. Plants were always more my style."

What. In. The. World?

That was the only thought that really had enough time to go through Jasper's mind as his new boss started coming back to the land of normal human behaviour, going about his conversation like nothing had happened. It was all confusing enough that, by the time Jasper had started processing everything, Flamsteed's pain had apparently started to register.

Aaaaand there was the flailing hand, coming directly at his face. Jasper's eyes went wide and he made an odd motion, sort of half ducking and half side-step, as though he couldn't fully commit to either. Because of his indecision, he didn't quite get out of the way in time. Luckily enough, he had been ready and already moving and so could quickly recoil with the impact, meaning that it didn't hurt - unless one counted the ego - though he certainly felt it. It was plenty embarrassing, too.

After that, Jasper went ahead and did the sensible thing, stepping right back and out of the way. He rubbed at his face - an automatic gesture rather than a reaction to the pain that wasn't there - and looked towards the others who had been quite willing to intervene earlier. Now was their chance, but he... was just going to keep back here, out of the way.

... Count him out of the hot chocolate, though. What had that been about?

Taking a break from skiing down the beautiful mountain, although she did prefer snowboarding if she was being honest, Ava decided to get something warm in her stomach. She just didn't feel an urge to go over to the sauna. Maybe for a day with girlfriends, but with all of her new coworkers? It just didn't seem to be a necessary way to meet anyone. As she headed to the entrance, she heard a godawful yell, and grabbed her wand. She wondered what possibly could have happened... a duel? A curse? Was the window going to burst any moment? ...Not yet.

Quietly, she stood on the other side of the door pondering the different possible scenarios awaiting. Quick breath and Ava opened the door to see... what did she see? A flailing man, hand somehow sopping in what smelled like hot cocoa. What had happened?? She really would have preferred a standard welcome orientation to be honest... She was seeing too much crazy at once. Did anyone sane work here?? Could they just form their own department? She made sure to stay out of flailing man's way, and went to get her cup of cocoa, carefully of course, because apparently that was necessary.

Evan stepped inside out of the cold with nothing more than getting himself something warm to drink on his mind. It was a little odd being here without his wife whom was home with the little ones but at least his sister and brother-in-law were somewhere around this place. He would find them again later. For now he just wanted some hot chocolate to warm him up.

He didn't really recognize anyone at the moment but that was just fine. All he wanted was a drink. Grabbing a cup he waited in the small line of people standing there for his turn. What was going on though? There was some sort of commotion happening just in front of him flailing his hand all about. Evan raised an eyebrow in both curiosity and concern. Did they need some help or was the situation being take of?

He watched her make her way over and sit. Her grunt echoing his feelings after getting of the slopes either that day. "It's a pleasure, Clementine." He sat in a more relaxed position, now that his table wasn't solely occupied by him. "It's nice to meet a fellow newbie. I'm not used to being the new guy." He was far too old to be starting a new job in a new country in a new field. Sure, his new job was very closely related to what he was doing before, but now he would be the guy that used to make him angry and cause all kinds of extra work.

"Plants. Nice." Nice? Ugh, he was never good at making small talk. "So, what did you do before coming to the Ministry?" Maybe she worked with extremely dangerous plants. He did know of several that could harm or even kill a person. That would make botany exciting, and he loved excitement and danger.

Picking up his now half empty mug, he took a long breath in, teasing his senses with chocolaty goodness. Tanking another sip, he savored the richness and warmth as the liquid traveled through his body. His feet were starting to thaw and he was getting all of the feeling back in his fingers.

Ava saw a couple of people talking, but they looked happily enough involved that she wasn't going to interrupt. She found the table past them to be empty and took a seat, looking out the window. She was quite happy with the view... if only there were less people in the way. As she sipped her cocoa, the door opened again. Another came through and gave a similar expression to her's had been once she had crossed the threshold. With a little smirk she spoke, "Watch out for that hot cocoa, it's apparently got a mind of its own."

Hahaha. Ha. Yes, apparently the cocoa could strike at any moment. Merlin's beard, she would soon be joining the crazy train wouldn't she?

He's never really fond with cold weather. He's born and grew up in a tropical country. Well, he did go to school in Japan but he still can't get used to this cold weather, so after skiing for a few laps, Juna decided it's enough and he needed a cup or two hot chocolate. With that thought the new Immigration Officer walked towards the chocolate bar. But when he's about to grab himself a cup of hot choco, there's a commotion around the bar.

What's going on? Did someone burn their hand?

He heard a woman voice saying something about the hot cocoa got a mind of its own. Juna turned his attention from the bar to the woman "Really? That's a very interesting cocoa."

Stepping in from the cold, Gidwyn flung off his snow-covered winter jacket and gave it a few good shakes. The entryway to the ski lounge was already covered in snow anyway, so no use worrying about it! Of course, the first priority now was to make a beeline for the Hot Chocolate bar and get absolutely smashed on cocoa and cinnamon buns.

The small line at the bar was expected, and even the yowling of a scalded department head wasn't that surprising. Maybe working at the British Ministry wasn't going to be all that different from Australia after all. In any case, the scalded man appeared surrounded by people ready to render assistance, so no worries for now.

Anyways, Hot Cocoa!

"Be careful with the hot chocolate, mate. Wouldn't want to end up like that." he said jokingly to the gentleman in front of him in line, gesturing towards the injured party. People in Britain were a lot more withdrawn than they were back home, and Gidwyn hadn't had a lot of success just approaching and being friendly with strangers, but this retreat was all about getting to know your co-workers right? So why not? Hello, stranger!

Ava let out a small laugh, "Still tastes alright at least." She eyed the man for a moment as she took another sip of her cocoa. "You're welcome to join me if you wish... I think I'm far enough away from it," she motioned to the dispenser, "that I'm safe from it's power." She widened her eyes, and let out a little chuckle. Whether he did join her or not was of no real concern of course, but it would be nice to meet someone. Maybe even someone from her department? She hoped the flailing man wasn't anywhere near the DAC...(Did anyone else call it that?) That would be the worst form of irony. Oh Merlin, she could and couldn't wait for the first Department meeting.

The line ahead of him seemed to be slow going but at least it was moving along. He could hear the whispers now of others telling each other to be careful of the machine. One of the people being a new arrival behind him. "I would prefer if I didn't either," he chuckled lightly. He wouldn't be to hard to fix being with some simple healing but it would be best not to have to deal with that. "My wife wouldn't be to happy with me if I went home injured." Especially if it hindered him in helping her with their children.

Soon enough it was his turn. Setting his cup beneath the spout he pushed the button to allow the hot liquid to fill his cup. No incidents so far. "I'm Evan Donovan. Magical Transportation," he introduced himself once holding a hand out to the man behind him. That's what this retreat was all about, meeting those he worked with. Once his cup was full he stepped to the side to add a topping or two.

Clémentine gave West an appreciative smile, echoing his sentiment completely. "Yeah, I was beginning to think I was the only new ministry worker around! It's great to know I'm not alone." If she was completely honest with herself, the pressure that came with being new at a workplace as vitally important as the British Ministry of Magic was a lot to handle, especially given her lack of responsibility-heavy work experience. She knew right away, though, that meeting other new people like West would make the transition way easier. Back when she began her studies at Edinburgh Wizarding University, she'd mostly kept to herself, and it sometimes made her life outside the classroom a tad uneventful. She didn't intent on making the same mistake here. For the first time since coming to the United Kingdom, she felt ready to make some friends.

"Well, I'm fresh out of a Herbology degree from Edinburgh W.U, but before that I worked for five years in Norway. Two years at a Magical Creature Sanctuary and three years at a plant conservatory!" Not that she blamed him or anything, but she could tell from his less than genuine enthusiasm about her field of choice that it didn't excite him. She, however, knew just the story to change that. "This one time, while working at the plant convervatory, I had my derriere visciously attacked by a murtlap!"

She moved her cup to her lips as if she were about to take a sip, but seemed to change her mind at the last moment. She glanced down at the liquid and gave it a gentle blow of air. "What about yourself?" she asked, still keeping the cup near her face.

"Nah, mate. Best not disappoint the missus." Gidwyn smirked, very pleased with his new co-worker's approachability and informality. As seriously as he took his work, he loved being able to quickly get past the awkward pleasantries and get straight to feeling comfortable around the people he worked with. He followed closely when it was Evan's turn with the Hot Chocolate, readying his own cup expectantly. "Gidwyn Grimshaw, Magical Law Enforcement." He offered a pleasant smile and a firm shake of Evan's hand. "A pleasure."

As soon as Evan moved to the side to top his drink, Gidwyn took a step forward, placed his cup beneath the machine and pushed the button. The motion was slightly rushed, as if he half expected it to blow up on him, but thankfully he was spared the fate of the unlucky department head nearby.

"Two questions for you, Mr. Donovan." he shot a glance over to Evan while waiting for his cup to fill. "First, what sort of work do you do with Transportation?" He was genuinely curious. He had never given that department much thought in terms of career opportunities. "Second, cream or no cream?" he gave a grin and gestured towards his cup.