She couldn't actually stop the genuine smile from flooding her face, though she did school it somewhat at the question.

"You are, actually. Unlike some people, I have work to do every morning." Still, her words lacked the acid they might have carried in the past, or to anyone else.

"I'll be right with you." She held up one finger and then pointed over at the couch. He knew that couch. He should be well comfortable waiting there.

When she turned her attention back to Gabi and Angela, it was clear that she was anxious for them to leave, even if she was trying to hide it and carry on professionally. Ahem.

"I'd like to offer BOTH of you positions as department liaison. We're a large department, and our work has us interacting with every other level. That's quite the workload. We'll have to talk about how best to divide that up, and I'd like for the two of you to discuss how to implement a more efficient liaison relationship with other departments. The role offers an additional 200 Galleons a month on top of your current rates, by the way, with room for bonuses for outstanding work." She glanced over at Dash, hid another smile and then more sternly returned her attention to the women.

"Gabi, I have another task for you actually: Your division has a new assistant, Cora Greenwell. I'd like for you to take her under your wing, show her the ropes, help her figure out if she wants to aim for Research or Development in the future, give her some tasks. Mentor her, basically."

Paaause.

"And Angela, today at some point, if you wouldn't mind, please send a memo to Mr Amoroso and let him know that you and Gabriela are available as DMAC's liaisons. I'll leave the rest up to the two of you, and have the contracts on your desks by five pm." So she'd do that as soon as she was done with the meeting later on. Sigh.

No, Althea didn't mind. She sat back and listened attentively, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you for that, Gabi. I must say, you are very qualified for the position."

She couldn't actually stop the genuine smile from flooding her face, though she did school it somewhat at the question.

"You are, actually. Unlike some people, I have work to do every morning." Still, her words lacked the acid they might have carried in the past, or to anyone else.

"I'll be right with you." She held up one finger and then pointed over at the couch. He knew that couch. He should be well comfortable waiting there.

When she turned her attention back to Gabi and Angela, it was clear that she was anxious for them to leave, even if she was trying to hide it and carry on professionally. Ahem.

"I'd like to offer BOTH of you positions as department liaison. We're a large department, and our work has us interacting with every other level. That's quite the workload. We'll have to talk about how best to divide that up, and I'd like for the two of you to discuss how to implement a more efficient liaison relationship with other departments. The role offers an additional 200 Galleons a month on top of your current rates, by the way, with room for bonuses for outstanding work." She glanced over at Dash, hid another smile and then more sternly returned her attention to the women.

"Gabi, I have another task for you actually: Your division has a new assistant, Cora Greenwell. I'd like for you to take her under your wing, show her the ropes, help her figure out if she wants to aim for Research or Development in the future, give her some tasks. Mentor her, basically."

Paaause.

"And Angela, today at some point, if you wouldn't mind, please send a memo to Mr Amoroso and let him know that you and Gabriela are available as DMAC's liaisons. I'll leave the rest up to the two of you, and have the contracts on your desks by five pm." So she'd do that as soon as she was done with the meeting later on. Sigh.

Uh huh. And had he come to remedy that? Hmmm? She was already mentally shuffling her plans to fit him in. Wasn't he lucky? If she didn't have employees with her, she might have said that she had him, didn't she? But then again, that'd just make him smirk and act all superior so maybe not.

She gave him a look when he spoke again. "I considered it, but it'd take too long and be too messy." Hush over there in the not-so-cheap seat. Besides. If he'd not interrupted she'd have.... well, toyed with them a little longer.

Ahem. Where was she?

Althea nodded at both women as they left, overall pleased with her decision. The thing was, they'd both in theory work harder to try to out do each other. So Thea would end up with TWO more effective people over all.

But onto more enjoyable things.

"Since when have you needed anyone to like you?" Althea asked, standing up and going over to join him on the couch. "They just know that I wouldn't put up with such an interruption from just anyone." She was respected around these parts, that was all. Not that they needed to know why Dash pretty much had the closest thing available to free range when it came to her office, though she supposed they'd talk. Well whatever.

"I didn't expect to see you today."

"So why mention it at all?" She pointed it out, almost smugly, though really she was already dismissing thoughts of Angela and Gabi from her mind. She'd talk to them later, and it wasn't as if Dash visited her at work every day, so she intended to make the most of it.

"Well, you're not just anyone, after all." She paused to kiss him back. As it was, she LIKED that he did the unexpected. Kept things interesting. She also liked that he couldn't actually pinpoint her reactions to things either. She liked to keep Dash on his toes. "Besides, I'm in a good mood... today." Which was good for everyone really.

"So you have time on your hands." She kicked her shoes off and shifted on the couch so that her legs were over his lap. Comfy. "And you missed me so damned much that you couldn't resist dropping by?" Or was he here for specific reasons?

"Because you're an expert in such things." Eye roll. "Thanks ever so much." So VERY helpful, wasn't he? He was ridiculous.

The smirk. There it was. She narrowed her eyes at him a bit and gave his hand a little smack. Naughty. "Isn't the most important thing that I'm not in a bad mood now?" Despite that he was clearly TRYING to get a rise out of her. She leaned back comfortably against the arm of the chair, away from pinchy fingers.

Uh huh. He KNEW a month was too long. The LAST and ONLY time they'd been apart for a whole month he'd ended up in here in a complete and utter whirlwind and they'd both been... very on edge. "You wouldn't let me stay away that long. Not again." She was sure of it and glad of it too. Althea wiggled her toes. Yes he COULD give her a foot rub. Mmhmm.

"Mmm. Can't have that." Secrets were supposed to stay secret after all. That was the point of them. Besides she knew he was good at keeping things hush hush when he wanted to. Anyways, he spent enough damned time writing that he didn't need ANOTHER project, even if he was being sarcastic about it.

She wasn't going to rise to the bait. If THAT was the only reason he was here, to get her in a mood just so that he'd be entertained thinking about it later, then she wasn't going to cooperate... even though it annoyed her just THINKING about it so in a way it was already working. He got a glare but then she tried to control it. Which was weird. Because it became a glare and a smile combination.

Oh should she? Noooo she had someone for that. Someone who even KNEW that was what she wanted. She wiggled her toes a little more and prodded at his knee with one foot. He could do it. Mmhmm. "I COULD hire someone, but why would I?" She liked his touch much better after all. And honestly some people were creepy about feet. Who knew what strange obsessions someone would have to have in order to specifically massage feet for a living?

She watched him, taking in that thoughtful expression without feeling any need to prod him to share. He either would or he wouldn't. That was his way.

And then he did.

"I know." She answered quietly. "I know you would. And I'd want you to."

Yeah he SAID to and yet... she already had one. Right now in fact, there was someone rubbing her feet. Mmmm. She sighed happily and leaned her head back against the arm of the couch. Clearly she didn't need to SAY things.

She returned the little smile and just watched him, also happy in the silence. It was the companionable sort and besides she was being pampered a little bit with the foot rub, so Althea was happy enough just to indulge. It was always the little things that you had to enjoy after all.

Oh he had a reason? She lifted her head a bit. "Mmm. Yes, just this one meeting. Not until 1pm, its with the Minister and the other heads." And a few employees to deal with a certain... zombie outbreak. "I don't expect it to take long, nor do I intend to stay if it dissolves into petty bickering." Which the menfolk often did. Shrug."I believe the Minister has another meeting at 2 with a foreign minister, so it won't run over an hour." Aside from that? She had work to do of course, but as Dash had reminded her time and time again... she was the boss.

Dash could kidnap her after the meeting if he felt like it.

Honestly the fact that he was rubbing her feet at all was enough, she hardly expected him to just service her all day. Not today anyways. She let out a pleased little sigh at his touch. You couldn't really go wrong with a foot massage.

"Short but unmissable. We're really only checking in and my department is already on the ball with our particular area of investigation so it isn't as if we need to discuss what level 3 needs to do so much as inform the other departments and invite them to work with us. I actually have other things to do later but.... those can be postponed until tomorrow." As in, she'd rearrange her schedule since Dash had made an effort to come see her. It didn't need to be said out loud though.

She looked at him. Not necessarily need her.... but want her since apparently he would wait? Gratifying. She WANTED him to be here. Althea didn't say that either, only smiled. "I would like dinner." Definitely. Did he have somewhere in mind? Somewhere casual?

Summer? Thea met his eyes directly, finding it natural to do so. Her lock tattoo had moved from its usual position on her wrist, down to her ankle with the two stationary tattoos, under his hands. The cockatrice remained on her back. The lock was sort of... twitchy. But the closer it got to Dash the more it appeared to relax and slow down. She was ignoring it, as she'd gotten rather good at doing.

"Did you have something in mind? I can get leave, I have quite a bit saved up actually, if you want us to go somewhere with Kyroh or maybe just.... stay home and spend some time together."

The thing about running for the Board of Governors was that it took a lot of time what with the little events here and there that she was expected to show up for even with sometimes only a day's notice. Not that she wasn't keeping up with her work, Althea thrived on working hard, it just meant that lately the only time she had for Dash was when they were interacting at the school, which meant toning things down a little, even if they were no longer hiding the seriousness of their relationship.

Right now Thea had been going over correspondence with St Mungos, going through and looking for a likely healer or two for magical first aid courses for her staff, something that the budget had not stretched for recently, but she was going to make it happen, as promised.

Hearing a knock on the door she looked up and flicked her wrist, the door opening a fraction in invitation. "Come in."

Oh it was Jade, good, she'd been meaning to talk with her.

"Oh, excellent." She widened her eyes in amused acknowledgement of the stack of paperwork and smiled. "Sit, now is fine. If we're likely to run over we can reschedule."

"Improper Use of Magic." Althea corrected sort of absently but nodded, making a mental note to get Jade a bonus for handling the situation, and for working with MLE on the matter. It was particularly useful that she didn't need to check what she was doing every second, it made her job easier and reassured her that she had done the right thing putting Jade on the case. Definitely a bonus. "Flick me a memo when you have the full list." She added.

Althea just listened to the next part. "That's procedure." She pointed out. "I assume you didn't do any permanent harm? But even if you did, you have clearance to use necessary force when extracting or implanting memories." She paused and added in a softer voice, "Izzy will understand."