Warren sat on the cushioned bench with his head bent toward the notebook lying open in his hands. He heard the lift open and the familiar voice calling out the floor. Eighth floor Atrium...etc...how old is that blighted thing. Seems to me if you don't know what floor you're on then you're just out of luck. Shaking his head he went back toward his notes, trying to drown out what was going on around him but failing as his Auror skills would never just go away for a bit. Constant vigilance. Sometimes you don't want to pay attention.

As he felt someone coming nearer his thoughts trailed off and his hand moved from the back of his notebook toward his pocket where his wand lie in wait for the next needed moment. That was out of habit though. He had been practicing his wandless abilities, improving them. Hearing the voice that went with the person next to him now he sighed and placed his hand back on his book, not bothering to look up. "No, in fact it makes for a day I happen to like. When one likes what they do it is not work." He spared her a glance that could be construed as decisively unfriendly and looked back at his illegible scrawl. "What do you want, Alex?"

Alex gave a low throaty laugh as she moved to sit down beside him, crossing on long leg over the other. "This is so true. I like what I do and it's certainly not hard work at all." Seducing men was the easiest job in the world especially if you were Alexandra. She shifted her body slightly towards him. "But you Warren are going to make me work aren't you?" She gave him a smile that would usually melt the hearts of any man but knew it wasn't going to work with Warren and that made the challenge all the more worth it.

Alex raised an eyebrow at his question. "Who said I wanted anything? I was merely on my way to the bar and I just thought I would come over and say hello." She leaned back in the chair and regarded Warren with an appreciative gaze. The man was extremely good looking but didn't realise it, which of course made him all the more appealing to her.

Warren kept his eyes on his notebook as Alex moved again and sat down beside him. "And what about it do you like exactly?" He felt her shift towards him and at her question he looked up at her blandly, "Work is good for you. It builds character. But I'm not quite sure what you're referring to." Seeing her smile he simply stared at her blankly and turned back to his notebook with a slight shake of his head. Oh yes, he'd seen her kind before. She reminded him all too much of someone from his past. His jaw clenched slightly at the memory.

Hearing her response he kept his eyes on his notebook and said almost bored, "Because you would have left already if that were the case. I don't do idle chat." He turned the page of his notebook and continued to read with a slight frown. Why was it people insisted on chatting to him? Nathan did it, Egypt did it. The only person who didn't was Alexa...who didn't want anything to do with him now it seemed. The thought brought up the last meeting with Alex and his jaw clenched again. Without taking his eyes off his page he said almost harshly, "Why did you do that? At the bar last time."

Alex threw her head back and laughed before turning her gaze back to Warren, a smirk still on her face. "I'm sorry Warren but that would be giving away all my secrets and you are not that high on my list...yet" she added still smirking. She noticed the clenched jaw and wondered what is was that he was thinking about. Of course she didn't particularly care about his thoughts, it was what else he had to offer that she was interested in.

Ah he was a tough nut to crack but she would crack him soon enough. Alex rose gracefully out of the chair and picked up her bag. "As you wish Warren" she purred suggestively. She turned on her heel and took a few steps when he spoke again and she smiled to herself before turning around to face him again. "Do what Warren?" she asked innocently. "You told me to meet you at the bar Warren and that's exactly what I did." Alex raised an eyebrow as she stared at him. "If you're going to play with fire Warren, you will get burnt."

"Fancy that, someone who's list I'm not high on. Never thought I'd live to see the day," he drawled on boredly. He was high on a few and many of them were not so nice ones. Occupational hazard really. As she stood up and picked up her bag he didn't correct her on her statement to point out he hadn't said he wished it. He didn't care one way or the other really. As she turned around and replied almost acting innocent his eyes narrowed and he looked up at her from his notebook. "I didn't know I was playing with fire. I told you to meet me. Not involve yourself in whatever I had been doing. I had no intention of showing up if it hadn't been for Alexa being there I wouldn't have still been there." He eyed her suspiciously and closed his notebook slowly. Standing up to his full height he placed his notebook in his pocket, "I don't know what game you're playing but I don't want to be a part of it. Go find some other pawn to be your pet."

He stared at her with his piercing blue eyes and his jaw tight. After a moment he straightened his jacket and walked past her toward the exit himself. "If I were you I would listen to my advise. You may be fire but I'm a volcano. You tango with me and worse things than getting burn is liable to happen," he said loud enough to hear as he walked away from her and continued toward the exit not having decided where exactly he was going.

She had to admit he was incredibly sexy when he was angry and she let his words wash over and she merely shrugged. "And that worked out real well for you didn't it?" Alex chuckled again, she was finding this whole situation rather amusing. "Maybe you should have just met with me, it would have been less heartache and you never know you might have enjoyed yourself." Of course he would of. Alex never disappointed anyone. "I'm not playing any games with you Warren and believe me I have many pets" she smirked again as she watched him stand up.

Oh purlease you haven't got anything on me. "Certainly Warren, whatever you say" she called to his retreating back. "Question is, can you stay away from me?" Alex murmured softly as she watched him walk out of the exit and she waited a few moments before making her way to the doors and get herself that drink she so desperately needed.

Getting fed up with waiting around the employment office for a job, Theo decided to head to the Atrium.
Walking into the grand area Theo was a little overwhelmed with all of the goings on, hoping that one day soon he can be apart of it.
Everything was so new to him and he just really wished he knew a few more people around the place.

"If you really want it, it'll work out for you. That's what my whole life is based on," he said simply, feeling that it was the only way to convert how he really felt about the subject. "Wow, Potions Masters - impressive," he said, wondering why on earth some people would want to pursue Potions even further than NEWT level.

He had often wondered which subject he would have liked to indulge in back when he was still at school, but he had always come to the same conclusion - travel. It had been his dream to see the world, to experience living with different cultures, different people. Once he had done that, he had come running back home to begin on his true passion - education.

"Yes, I do. Actually, no that you've confirmed that you traveled, I think you'd like it even more. Not to mention my home," he said, thinking of the hundreds of artifacts he had stored in those two places. Oh no, look at the time! he thought as he happened to catch sight of the watch on his wrist. "Listen, Ater, I would love to stick and chat but we both have jobs and I'm late to mine, so promise me you'll drop by sometime later this week ok?" he said quickly, slightly panicking. With a final friendly smile at Ater, he quickly ran towards the lifts, intent on making it in time for once.

“That is a good rule to live by” he told him with a smile. As Jake was impressed with the fact he was a potions master, he felt for some reason, proud, and his smile became a bit warmer. “Thank you Jake, but I’m afraid it is as you said earlier, if you really want it… and Potions has always been a passion of mine.”

Ater had decided to be a Potions Master after just one week of Potions class, he had fallen in love with the subject, far more then he ever imagined.

“Ahh, a traveler yourself?” he inquired casually, he really liked this Jake fellow, he was an interesting character. “If I assume correctly, part of it has to do with memorabilia then you might enjoy my home as well” he said with a low chuckle.

As his friend looked at the watch and spoke Ater sobered up immediately, "yes, no good to be late on the first day either. I promise Jake, I’ll drop by soon.” He said with a smile and a quick bow as he continued to the security desk.

As nice as looking around the Atrium is Theo decides to leave and go for a drink at the leaky couldron.

Becca walked through the atrium slowly, looking around. Hoping to see Brian amongst the crowd was fun. She went on her tiptoes and looked over the heads for that vision of perfection that was Brian. Sighing, she gave up and looked around lostly instead.

Heading into a day of busy work was fun. Fun. Fun. Fun. Fuuuuuun. WHOO! Not. She sighed, as she adjusted the straps of her bag on her shoulder. The sound of her heels clacking on the floor. She would have to make it through the day, even though she was exhausted from the night before; parties could be so draining. Reaching in her bag for a pack of gum, she bumped into someone. "Sorry," she said before she noticed that the woman seemed to be in another world.

She gasped as someone bumped into her "Oh, don't worry" she smiled as she turned to her "It's no problem, I'm Becca by the way" she introduced herself as she took in the womans tired appearance.

She was relieved that the woman didn't seem to be annoyed that she was bumped into. You never knew with some people. She smiled as she made an introduction to her. "Nice to meet you, Becca. I'm Lima. What Department are you in?" She never saw her before.

She nodded "You too, Lima. I'm in Law Enforcement" she glanced around again and then focused on Lima "Which department are you in?" she asked as she put her hand in her pocket.

She smiled that was so cool. "Awesome! My boyfriend's in that Department. What do you do over there?" She found that section so much cooler than the one that she was in right now. She wished that she could do something exciting, though she didn't want to be an Auror.

"Really? I'm a division head and I work with the objects and people who have been cursed or something like that" Becca smiled, people usually found her job boring, but it was actually quite fun.

"Yep, he's training to become an Auror." She smiled. She was a Department Head? Awesome! "Cool. I work in the Apparation Division, and it's so boring." She laughed.

"Sounds good" Becca smiled "Apparition? Oh, I bet it can be fun" she smiled "You just have to make it fun" she nodded "It's what I had to do with my divisions, I make up rhymes and silly things while I'm working, it makes it bearable" she smiled

Spinning out of one of the floo entrances Richard emerged brushing soot off of his jacket and sweater. He pulled his wand out and began tapping the top of the mantlepiece and the sides of the fireplace. It was usually maintenance's job to adjust this sort of thing but it could be done it a few seconds. After a few seconds tapping and twirling of his wand and a mechanical click Richard was satisfied. The fireplace had started admitting sounds through both sides. People had been hearing the sounds of the ministry and the ministry had heard a random cacophany of noise from buildings up and down britain at unpredictable times. Stowing his wand inside his inside jacket pocket, Richard strolled along the atrium. He nodded to a witch escorting a portrait with a pair of legs sticking out of the bottom of the frame.
"Hi there? Can I help?" he asked politely.
"Well if your ministry can give me a hefty payment for this invention of mine, yes" she replied rather aggressively.
"Um, well good luck with that, it's certainly unique" Richard replied rather taken aback.
During this conversation the walking portrait began to shift nearer and nearer to the golden gates before breaking into a run. Richard aimed his wand and ignoring the woman's cry that if he broke it he'd be coughing up the money for new materials.
He managed to catch the portrait around one of his legs in an invisible lassoo and pulled tripping it over. Stepping nearer to the portrait he could see it was scratched a bit on its framework.
"I'm sorry madam but if you can't keep this portrait in a calm subdued state you're not getting past these gates" he said apologetically.
She turned away swearing loudly about 'this day and age'.

The walk hadn't taken that long, or maybe it had and it just hadn't felt like it had taken a long time because he was in awesome company. Although they hadn't talked that much, he couldn't help the small smile he was currently trying to hide from Lili as his hand held hers. Walking into the Atrium, they made their way through the crowded and long room towards the lifts. He wondered how early he would be able to get away tonight so that he could start early. "Thank you for your company." He said to her as they walked through the Atrium.

"I'm glad we went out, it was just what I needed." she told him, squeezing his hand lightly in thanks. "Now that we're back here," she began, "do you have any idea's about what we can do to liven up our department?"

Iain smiled at her again. He couldn't seem to stop doing that around her. As she asked her question, he shook his head and sighed. "Unfortunately. I don't. I've been thinking it was really quiet so far this week, but I didn't know it if was always like this."

She didn't want to let him know it was always slow, but she found she couln't not tell him the truth. "It's pretty much always this slow," she told him, with a sad smile on her face. "I really hope it gets better though," she added after.

Hmm. He nodded as they continued to walk through the crowded entrance hall. "Let's hope that something new comes through, with Trade or Law." He'd never have thought that it would of been slow and quiet at the Ministry. Maybe they just needed to look at things from a different angle. Maybe.