"Anywhere, or we can just like walk and talk until we find a place," Abilee smiled and continued to walk. Was there a place here she could get something nice to wear? Besides, she had to make a good impression on Ronny's wife to let her come over and stuff. Like babysit. Though that made Abilee nervous and it kind of showed on her face.

Amelia nodded, and once she felt strong enough, stood up. As she watched them go however, she once again felt a strange tug of loneliness. WHY were all her friends attracted to foreign countries... Eugh.. Damn the French Ministry.... And before she knew it Amelia was crying..

Groceries. Yep, Krel needed some groceries. She had a grand total of three things in the cupboards of her apartment: earl gray tea, uncooked spaghetti noodles, and extra virgin olive oil, and quite frankly, plain spaghetti noodles flavored with olive oil did not sound appetizing for dinner. I’m getting bad…or just plain lazy. she thought to herself. It was true too. While she had been dating Chris, she would never had let her cupboards get so bare. But since their split and Edward’s – disappearance unavailability, Krel had become a workaholic Lucky for her, the grocery store was on the way back to her apartment. Up around the corner near the muggle restaurant most of the people at work frequented.

“Excuse me,” Krel said stepping around a young lady carrying a bag as her mind started occupying itself with figuring out which vegetables and fruit were in season.

Stupid.

That's how Ashley felt as she carried around her bag of clothes, trying to figure out which way to go in the middle of London. Should she head straight to the Ministry and luck out with droping her stuff off in an office at the Education Department? What if someone thought her a nutter and had her comitted?

Wouldn't be the first time people thought she was a nutter.

Someone walking down the street who appeared to be preocupied with other things walked past her. "Sorry," she muttered before looking up to step out of the way.

She blinked.

I know that voice, and Ashley spun around and saw a familiar looking head of hair pulled up into a pony tail.

"Krel!!" she shouted and threw her bag to the gound.

Krel skidded to a halt, her pony-tailed hair swinging forward to smack her in the chin. Her briefcase thumbed against her thigh and her dragon-hide heels clicked together as she turned. Can’t be – she thought, nose scrunched up the way it always did when she was surprised. Hearing that voice would have almost been as odd as hearing Faith’s voice.

“Ashley?” Her shoulders slumped forward a little as she pulled her briefcase in front of her so she clasp it with both hands. “What are you doing in London? I thought you were in – in…” she had to wrack her mind for the last place she had heard Ashley had headed off to. “Zimbabwe or something?” I don’t think she went to Africa silly, her conscience told her. It didn’t matter. Krel could have said Disneyland for all she knew of Ashley’s most recent agenda(s).

Krel Ansell.

It had been years since she'd last seen her, and yet all the memories came flooding back. All the drama that happened while they were in school together, what happened after they'd left. Where they all lived for some time.

It all came back.

Ashley giggled at the mention of her being in Zimbabwe. While she'd relish the opportunity to help the youth in Africa, or any thrid world country for that matter, she shook her head slightly. "I was back in Wales with my parents for a couple of years," she said with a small smile.

"I recieved an owl from the Ministry of Magic two days go," she continued. "From the Department of Magical Education. You're looking at the newest employee and team member."

She smiled wide and tucked her hair behind hear ears.

New eh? Well, she hoped Ashley wouldn’t pull a Shep and jump atop a desk and announce her newness to her department like Mr. Jones had done a week ago in her own department. “The Ministry you say? Why didn’t you owl me?” Ashley, of all people Krel knew, should have known that she was working there. It had always been her dream to work in international cooperation.

“What department? When do you start? Where are you staying? How’s Elijah?” Krel pushed a loose strand of hair out of her face trying to hide the fact that she was babbling, if just a little. In her defense, she hadn’t seen the women standing in front of her in a long time. “You look good Ash,” she smiled.

Ah ... right.

Ashley hadn't owled anyone from school. It wasn't just Krel, though she was probably the closest thing to a friend there was. "I guess it seemed that things had sort of ... fizzled out since school ended," she said shrugging her shoulders. "I knew you were working with the Ministry. No one told me, but I knew you had to be working there. You always talked about it in school, especially the work your parents did"

The smile returned and the stiffled giggles began as Krel rattled off question after question. "I've been hired by the Department of Magical Education; in the Examinations Authority office. I start as soon as I find a place to stash my stuff for a couple days. And hopefully a place to stay, too."

"Elijah's good," she added a small smile on her face. "He's happy where he is, and I hear from him enough to get updates on his life, though I miss him terribly..."

Her dark brown eyes looked up to meet the eyes of her friend and a wide smile spread across her face once more. "Thanks," she said. "You look good, too," she added with a nod.

“Magical Education? Are you going to be checking OWL and NEWT scores and developing tests?” It wouldn’t be to far off of Ashley’s personality or skills for that to be the case. “Oh bother…” The wind was picking up and blowing Krel’s hair into her face and making her skirt and transfigured robe/jacket blow around. “Did you eat? Common – there’s a café around the way which has good tea and muffins. My grocery shopping can wait until later.”

“Spot up,” she chided urging Ashley to come along as Ashley talked about needing a place to stay. Ironically, Krel herself was looking for a new place. Her flat she used to share with Chris was too depressing and she herself was looking for someplace new, so perhaps she could help with that. But first things first – food.

Everyone in the Level 8 plot...
 

Amelia was saddened to learn that she knew nobody here... So, drying her eyes as best she could, she proceeded to walk away.. Unfortunately, Fate chose that time to make her even MORE miserable, as she tripped FOR THE FIFTH TIME THAT DAY! Her last thought before it all went dark was that no-one would probably care...

Hope you don't mind...oh, and I'm sorry for Michel. xD
 

It somehow felt good to be back in a Muggle surroundings. Mainly because he didn't actually KNOW anybody there which meant nobody would come up with the idea to TALK to him. Plus, he was safe from his crazy Department Head and his crazy ideas like randomly dueling each other or turning into a magenta guinea-pig. Yes, none of that nonesense out here. Only him, some random Muggles and...

O_______o

...a woman on the ground?! Err. Michel just stared at the woman he had just almost stumbled over for a moment with his head slightly cocked to the side. She didn't move. Not at all. Was she dead? Not that he cared or anything but his mother had taught him that there was something called 'non-assistance of a person in danger' which when committed could land him in prison. Sooo... "Can you hear me?" He asked poking the woman softly in the upper arm with his finger.

Amelia stirred, just slightly, to see a man staring up at her. She was only able to whisper "St. .. Mungo's..."before the world wen't dark again...

Maybe he should just move on. This wasn't any of his his business after a- Stir! Oh, the woman had moved. Good, this meant she was alive and he wouldn't be sued for letting her die. Now he could just - "What?!" Had she just SAID something? And something which had sounded a lot like St. Mungo's. What the heck was St. Mungo's? Her home maybe? Did she expect him to take her home?!

Shifting his weight from one foot to the other Michel frowned down at the woman who had gone back to looking uncomfortably dead. Or passed out at the least. Err. "Erm, excuse me? Anybody know what St. Mungo's is?" He asked nobody in particular, glancing around himself for SOMEBODY to help him. Or help the woman actually so he could leave.

Amelia looked up again, feeling stronger, only to see the same confused (and uncomfortable) face staring at her.. She'd TOLD the guy to get her to St. Mungo's hadn't she? She checked again. Still there... Was he TRYING to get her wound up?!
Unless... No... Unless he was a muggle... But that was impossible.. wasn't it...
A terrible thought struck her.. If this muggle didn't know what St. Mungo's was then... had she just told it to him... Had she just breached the International Statue Of Secrecy? There was only one thing for it.. Non-verbally, she summoned her wand. Luckily, it was underneath her cloak so she was sure he hadn't seen it. With a quietly muttered episkey she healed her head which felt like it had taken a beating with a large sledgehammer. Now fully healed (everything else was fine) she lay down to get her strength back. She looked at the (possible) Muggle again... Dear Merlin, what WOULD her mother think?..

Oh, thanks for being so helpful people. NOT. Michel glared at a random by-passer as they all seemed to simply ignore him and the woman on the ground. Although...wait...what if this St. Mungo's she was talking about didn't really exist? What if it was all in her head? Well, that would definitely be an explanation for the other people's behavior. Maybe if he just left nobody would blame him. Maybe?

Just as he was about to take a step away from the woman - trying to look indifferent - her eyes fluttered open. Oh great, just great. At least it meant she was feeling better. "Are you feeling better then?" Michel asked, his voice thick with his French accent which mostly only came through when he was anxious about something. The actual question he wanted to ask was whether he could leave actually but even HE knew that this was not going to be taken well by the woman.

Armen was on his way into the Ministry this morning and had decided to walk from his London Flat today. He usually just apparated right into the security area and then the through the Atrium straight to his office, but today he decided he wanted to see some Muggles.

As he was walking and came to the street within the view of where the Ministry was, something caught the Division Head's eye in a Muggle Store front causing him to drop his breifcase and some of his papers fell out. This was NOT good. They were Portkey request forms!!! What if a muggle got them? He began to scramble and begin picking them up.

It was the perfect day for a walk through town before heading to work, John was weird like that because no normal person would go to the town at like 7am before heading to work, it just wasnt normal but then again what fun is it being normal when you can be abnormal. He hadnt got many things but he had gotten a few small ornaments for his desk at work, they were not anythinig special though, each had its own distint shape though which is why they caught his eye. One was shaped like a lion, One like a Snake, One like an eagle and the last was shaped like a badger that had been out in the sun too long because it had a red face.

Reaching the 'side' entrance of the Ministry John saw the familiar face of his boss Armen which was strange because he always apparated directly into the Atrium, and also becaus he was currently flying around on the floor like a demented Woodlouse. Running over to see what was wrong John noticed the words Portkey on several of the paper pieces around the floor. "Only you would drop all these important documents all over the floor infront of all these muggles" John said to him as he bent down to pick up several of the sheets and placing them neatly in the breifcase.

More and more people seemed to show up as his chased a few papers that the wind had caught. Seriously this couldn't have happened a worse time. Muggles and wizards in disguise walked by looking down at him, but the touble was you couldn't tell who was who; unless you knew them of course.

Finally he saw someone he recognized and was about to ask him for some help, when the man, one of his employees joined him on the pavement. "Thanks John, good to see you about now." he said finaly slamming his breifcase shut with finality when the last of the papers were safely inside.

It didnt take long to pick all the papers up although some were trying to make a bid for freedom in the wind but with his couch potato like reflexes John grabbed for them as if they were a doughnut falling off the side of the couch, which in his house always happened but none of the doughnuts ever reached the ground.

"I suppose it could have been worse and you could have asked a muggle to help you pick them up" John said with a grin "So heading to work now? If you are then i think ill join you". John liked to be around people when he was outside or at work because it made him feel like home but it would depend on if his boss thought it would look normal or not, but if you thought about things, what is normal anymore.

Standing back up and brusshing off the fabric of his suit, which was just too expensive for him to be crawling on the ground (Statue of Secrecy or not). He watched as John joined him back where normal people stood and then stuck his hand out to shake his helper's. "Really, thanks alot John, and that's why I wasn't planning on asking anyone. I rarely speak to anyone out here unless I know them. You never know even though we are this close to ... 'work', you can never tell half of the time." he nodded, staring down a few Muggles that walked by.

When John asked him he was heading towards the Ministry for work Armen nodded. "Yes I had decided to walk this morning and it took longer than I had expected so I started to rush, causing the problem we just solved." and after you factored in all of the time he spent gauking in the windows of the Muggle Electronic stores. "Sure I could use the company." he grinned as he began to walked down the street with his friend.

John rarely kept track of how long he had known people for which is what had been annoying him at that precise second, how long had he even known Armen for? He knew it was more than a week but he rarely paid attention to everyone else in work anymore because he just liked to get on with what he had to do and get the job done. "Why rush when you can take your time" John said just staring at him blankly when he said that he was rushing to work "Because if you rush to work then what exactly is the point in running, sure your going to be a few minutes late but oh well the higher people wouldnt notice anyway".

John liked to refer to the people who were head of the ministry as the 'Higher People', he usually thought it of as some sort of cult type thing were you had to do some weird and creepy things to get into it but no way was he going to go all vampire to join some stupid cult. "Like these little guys?" John said holding up the four figures after they had started to walk "I dont know about you but after working at the Portkey Office i seem to pick up these little 'trinkets' weird aint they?".

Armen tried to figure out what exactly John was trying to say but all he really got out of it, after a few minutes of silence, was 'Why rush to work?'. To be honest Armen hadn't been late to work a day in his life. He had always been punctual even though school, the thought never occured to him to take his time because then he would be late; hence the reason he Apparated every morning. "Well I don't normally have to rush, because I Apparate, but today since I walked I am a bit behind schedule and I have employees to supervise. That way my supervisor can do his job, and so on and so forth." he said making a turning hand gesture as he spoke and walked.

Wait, so was John trying to recruit him to a 'Arrive to late group' or something? Was this why he was walking to work with him? Was his own employee trying to distroy his perfect attendence record?! He had to get away! ..... oh ok he was just talking, nevermind the running now. "Well John you know I am sort of one of those Higher People, being a Division Head." he said with a chuckle, not to mention the guy's boss.

As they prepared to cross the street Armen turned to look at the objects John was referring to. "Nice, one for each house I assume?" he said looking at the Ravenclaw one. "That was my old house, you know." he said poking the Eagle's beak with his forefinger.

John tried not to laugh because Armen must have realised that the rest of the Portkey Office were also very Punctual and infact the only other person he really had to supervise was John, who was infact going to be also...late. While Armen walked he seemed to move his hands back and forwards which if you paid close enough attentioin looked like some sort of bird flapping its wings, wait...did that mean Armen was some sort of Bird in disguise bent on destroying the world on December 21st 2012...How could i have not seen it before, even the Muggle people saw that this was going to happen.

Hitting that idea out of his mind of the Time being John just sort of walked beside Armen listening to what he said when something suddenly struck him "Your aaaa hhhiiigggeerrr pp...ppppeersoon??" He stuttered now terrified of the man but knowing what they would do to him if they found out he knew about them John just acted cool "I mean yea i know Boss".

Armen seemed to be kind of nice for being an evil cult member birdman bent on the destruction of the earth as we know it but then again who wouldnt be, no people out to kill you because you are so all powerful and scare everyone. Suddenly something happened, it was something he hadnt been expecting..Armen touched the eagle that was sitting on John's hand. Ok so this would have been all normal apart from the fact that the metal eagle had now sprang to life and was clawing and biting at Armens hand as he reached out to it. "What the..." John said a bit too loudly as he shoved the now moving bird into his bag, hiding it from any prying eyes.

As Armen continued to walk down the street, nodding to a group of passing ladies, his attention was caught by John, who was walking slightly behind him. Why was he looking at him like that?! It gave the 30 year old the creeps. Well he would definately need to keep an eye on him, that's for sure. It actually made him nervous now to be with him in a crowd of muggles.

Then just as Armen tried to pretend nothing was wrong and start a conversation with John, he like had a mini-freak out about him being a higher person. "Well yes, John you knew that aready, you have been working for awhile now." he said calmly with a smile. There was something strange going on with the man today. Ok well he seemed to remember now. o.O

Then just as his finger touched the beak of the Ravenclaw figurine it sprang to life and the metal bird began trying to bite and claw his hand. "What is that John?!" Armen shouted loudly, but then watched as his employee shoved the thing back into his bag. He began again in an angry whisper. "Honestly John, you couldn't have warned me?! What are you doing with that THING?" he practically spit the last word. Another thought occured to him, did the others do that too? Oh Merlin.