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Tweak says, "The backroom is reopened, boys"

painted_gray (painted_gray) wrote in strugglewithin,
@ 2008-12-26 19:40:00

Entry tags:

*complete, caleb warrington, graylin savage, september 1997

RP: Lunch between professionals
Date: 26 September 1997
Characters: Grayin Savage, Caleb Warington
Location: Ministry Canteen
Status: Semi -Public join if you're having lunch
Summary: Gray runs into Caleb at lunch
Completion: Complete

Gray entered the canteen with wary eyes, lately she had been certain that there was no one to be trusted in the Ministry other than Robards and Tonks. The interviews she had taken part of and the interview at the Grangers had really shaken her leaving her looking for shadows lurking in every corner. As she walked through the line she barely noticed what she was putting on her tray until she caught herself putting a bowl of sprouts on the tray and she knew she had to keep out of the funk. Come on girl keep it together. Taking some of the baked chicken along wth carrots and a salad. Gray was pondering the pudding choices seriously as she waited for the line to get moving again. "Come on people it's lunch not world peace we're deciding here." She muttered under her breath.

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cowarrington
2008-12-26 07:12 pm UTC (link)

Caleb looked down at the top of the red head in front of him. "Put people want world peace, so I've heard. But no one wants this slop, so there's no real motivation to get moving."

He reached around her to summon several rolls from further up the line before they all vanished, a move which garnered quite a few upset looks. But Caleb was hungry and only had a thirty blasted minutes to eat. He glowered and loomed and soon those tempted to berate him looked away.

Those Hogwarts skills still came in useful every once in a while.

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painted_gray
2008-12-26 07:19 pm UTC (link)

Hearing a voice Gray looked up and up and saw Caleb standing behind her. She didn't really know much about him other than he was a hitwizard having joined the MLE a year or two after she had.

"It could be that," she commented with a nod. "I accidentally picked up the sprouts that would have been really nasty to deal with." Gray said with a wrinkle in her nose. She watched and chuckled as he reached around her for the rolls before she grabbed a dish of fruit crisp.

"At least the rolls and crisp aren't too bad, not that I should live on dessert while on duty. Really makes me miss the food at Hogwarts. There has to be a good reason we can't have elf cooked food here." she grumbled.

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	cowarrington 2008-12-26 07:38 pm UTC (link)
	Caleb let his mind drift to a happy memory of Hogwarts' loaded tables. When he refocused on his tray, he scowled. Why did she have to mention Hogwarts? "They save the elf-cooked for upper level bureaucrats," he said dryly. "If we lowly minions get food poisoning, who's going to care?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

painted_gray
2008-12-26 07:58 pm UTC (link)

"Nice to know they have such concern for us lowly ones." Grey grumbled, it was almost enough to motivate her to cook more and bring to lunch. "I mean really reading a cook book is not potions or maybe it is. Perhaps they lack and ability to read." she wondered out loud.

They reached the cashier and Gray handed the witch a couple of knuts before heading to a table. "You're welcome to join me if you like." she called over her shoulder as she pulled out a chair.

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cowarrington
2008-12-26 08:05 pm UTC (link)

Hmm, sitting with a pretty co-worker or joining the group of old biddies from the secretary pool. This was a very hard decision.

Caleb followed Savage to the open table and settled quickly into the chair across from her. "You lot over in the Aurors been busy?" he asked in way of small talk as he settled the contents of his tray in something resembling order. He hoped she wouldn't be too offended if he just dug in. He was on a schedule.

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painted_gray
2008-12-26 08:14 pm UTC (link)

"Sure, we're on a massive manhunt, and we have people pushing for the catch." she said in low voice leaning in and looking around to make sure no one could hear her. She wasn't breaking protocol because he was MLE but she still didn't want anyone over hearing.

Pulling her wand out from it's holster, Gray cast a privacy charm just in case the walls had grown ears in the past couple of days. "What about the hitwizards, everything kosher over there?"

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cowarrington
2008-12-26 08:34 pm UTC (link)

He raised an eyebrow at the spell work, but let it go without comment. "As far as I know, everything is as it should be. There's been more of a call to bring in people peddling Muggle wares illegally than there was a few months ago." He shrugged a massive shoulder. "I would have thought that would fall to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department, but maybe they're overwhelmed."

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painted_gray
2008-12-26 08:42 pm UTC (link)

Gray shrugged, not knowing the meaning behind the whole worries about the use of muggle items but these days nothing could be taken for granted.

"You would think but then I never thought the day would come where we would need a passport to traveling be rounding up random people for questioning. If all things muggle are bad then it's very possible that they are overwhelmed."

She ran a spoon through the lumpy gravy and potatoes before sighing. "Let's just say I'm glad I don't have anything muggle in my house and I'm a half blood."

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	cowarrington 2008-12-26 08:48 pm UTC (link)
	"Muggles and Muggle things don't belong in our world, but hunting down grannies selling plastic dolls is a waste of MLE time in my eyes. But what do I know? I'm just a trainee." He kept his eyes on his food, unwilling to lift them and let the witch see how foolish he thought her to be. Who but an idiot would be admitting to mixed parentage in this climate? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

painted_gray
2008-12-26 08:56 pm UTC (link)

"Just like questioning and requestioning a proper witch is a great use of mine." Gray commented. Nothing made sense anymore. This world she was raised in was crumbling at her feet. Her grandparents had been muggle born, sixty years ago it would be them under suspicion.

"As for you being a trainee, that's better than being seasoned these days. You'll actually be able to see the funky things going on rather than being complacent. You don't have to do anything just keep your eyes open and always cover your arse." she suggested.

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	cowarrington 2008-12-26 09:11 pm UTC (link)
	"I'm an old-line Slytherin, Savage. I was born with a predispositon to cover my arse." Again he shrugged. "I do as I'm ordered and leave the rest to my superiors." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 09:16 pm UTC (link)
	"I wish I had that predisposition. Have any tips?" Gray asked hopefully. "Thankfully I am getting good at these privacy charms otherwise Robards would have my arse in a sling." she confessed as she pushed her food away and reached for the crisp. Apparently today would be another day where she survived on pudding. Why do I have to be such a puff? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 09:21 pm UTC (link)
	It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest that she stop confiding in barely known co-worker. "Talk less about what you really think," he offered, "never write anything down unless you know you can control what happens to it." Don't trust so easily. And don't fucking advertise your dirty blood. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 09:33 pm UTC (link)
	Gray put down her head and sighed. He was right and having it pointed out to her was just embarrassing. She stirred her dessert a little feeling glum again. When was she going to learn to button her lip? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 09:54 pm UTC (link)
	Great. Now she was all gloomy. "That doesn't mean don't talk. Just don't talk about important things. Other than Quidditch which is both vitally important and meaningless at the same time." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 09:58 pm UTC (link)
	She nodded, sometimes she wondered why she was any good at being an Auror. At least she knew how to talk Quidditch. "Who's your team then, since it's a safe topic." Gray asked warily. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 10:07 pm UTC (link)
	"The Falcons," Caleb answered immediately. "They may not have the best record, but they do have the right kind of reputation." He grinned fiercely. Any team that focused on putting the other teams in the hospital was his kind of team. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 10:16 pm UTC (link)
	Gray shivered a little from the look on Caleb's face, she could totally see why he was a trainee hit wizard. "They certainly have that kind of reputation. I suppose. I like the Magpies even if they aren't the best team either, they are rather plucky though." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 10:33 pm UTC (link)
	"Plucky. That's one way to put it." He reined in his disparagement a little. But really. The Magpies? That was little better than admitting a fondness for the Cannons. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 10:39 pm UTC (link)
	"What can I say? It there any point in rooting for a team that always wins? Say the tornadoes. Sometimes you just have to enjoy the colossal fail in a team." Gray told him brightly. "Besides sometimes the best part is seeing just how bad a team can be without being a total shame. The Magpies have had some very funny plays." (Reply to this) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 10:45 pm UTC (link)
	He eyed her in disbelief. Enjoy colossal failure? Was she utterly mad? "I suppose," he said doubtfully. "But then with that philosophy, shouldn't you be rooting for the Chudley?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

painted_gray
2008-12-26 10:49 pm UTC (link)

Gray gave a giggle before shaking her head. "Certainly not. The Canon's lack creativity. They use the same dumb plays knowing that all the teams know the counters for them." She explained. "The Magpies on the other hand are very off the cuff so their plays have a chance of working out or they would if their players had better follow through." Gray informed him with a shake of her head.

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	cowarrington 2008-12-26 11:00 pm UTC (link)
	"So as long as you're creative, it's okay if you lose?" He shook his head. Obviously this one was wide-eyed dreamer. However did she get into the MLE? "I think I'll stick with the Falcons and head breaking." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 11:05 pm UTC (link)
	"Better than being boring and winning all the time." Gray told him sagely. She had a true appreciation for creativity and knew it was good for getting out of a pinch. "The appeal of shear brute force is there too at least you learn what works and what won't on a broom." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 11:31 pm UTC (link)
	"Exactly. It takes real skill it knock a bloke silly and not get caught by the ref." Caleb nodded sagely. "Not that I know anything about that, of course. Slytherin only played a clean game." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-26 11:42 pm UTC (link)
	Gray grinned brightly pleased that she had managed to say something that didn't make him think she was the village idiot. "Yes, of course they did, I've watched some of their matches. Very creative." Was all she would say about it. Gray new for the most part they had played fair but they pushed the line when ever they could (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-26 11:49 pm UTC (link)
	He eyed her. Did she not recognize a bald lie? He came up in Marcus Flint's team. They had entire practices dedicated to dirty plays and how to get away with them. "Yes, very creative." He glanced at his watch and swore before shoveling food quickly into his mouth. Swallowing thickly, he said, "sorry. Got ten minutes to get back to the office." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	painted_gray 2008-12-27 12:00 am UTC (link)
	At the mention of time Gray looked down at her own watch and gaped. She stood up abruptly and smiled. "Not all at, I need to get back too. I have people to investigate. Thanks for eating with me Warrington, it's been very interesting." Pushing back her chair she picked up her tray and walked over to the trash to throw away her leftovers. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	cowarrington 2008-12-27 12:02 am UTC (link)
	Caleb nodded a goodbye. He tracked her with his eyes, never pausing in his hurried eating. Savage was a strange one, that was for certain. (Reply to this) (Parent)