Listening to her colleague as she spoke, Laura forced her gaze away from the shock of orange on the far end of the office. She curled her fingers around her coffee cup, feeling its warmth spread through her palm, and softly drummed on it offhandedly. Jasmine was a nice woman. And, Merlin, was Laura jealous of her shoes.

"Yes, indeed. I look forward to working with you, as Permitting Director," she said with a big smile. She liked to believe she could work with just about anyone, but the fact that Jasmine was so pleasant so far made things so much easier. And then, before she could stop herself: "I like your shoes," she kind of blurted.

Chuckling it off a little, Laura took a sip of her coffee, which was now pretty much at the most perfect of coffee temperatures. Pleased, she finished half the cup as she listened to Jasmine's answer to her conversational query.

"Oh, I completely understand about paying the bills," she said, nodding. "Flats in London are no joke these days." She laughed. "But then again, cramped flats aren't as glamorous as cruises! Either way, that sounds like a wonderful way to spend your break. Was it a magical cruise?" she asked, genuinely curious. She had always wanted to take a cruise, but she only knew about Muggle cruises. She wondered if there were magical cruises available as well.