The Level 7 lift's doors were open and Rex Vindictus was staring at something. What it was no one knew but the man himself. But it appeared that he was thinking as he talked out loud to himself.

"Public service announcements," he said thoughtfully. "Interspersed with promotional posters. The English Dream Team. Definitely need to promote the team. Hmm...need to meet with the Daily Prophet reporters." Then he stopped. "How many lifts does the Ministry have?"

Alina headed out of Patents and towards the lifts to head to the cafeteria. She was thinking about what to get herself for lunch, since she hadn't had time to prepare herself any that morning. Cheese and pickle sarnie? Bacon roll? Decisions, decisions.

She was just about to absentmindedly call the lift when she spotted her boss apparently just standing and staring at something. Except there didn't seem to be anything of interest down the corridor or in the lift - and he seemed to be muttering to himself.

"You alright there Rex?" Alina asked with a slight confused frown. "And I think its about twenty lifts for levels one to nine. Or at least, it used to be." She shrugged, wondering why Rex was takling about the number of lifts.

"That many?" Rex asked and turned around to retrieve a rolled up poster that was leaning in the corner. "The new public service announcement posters arrived this morning. Hogwarts got theirs, too." He unrolled it so that Alina could see it.


A public service announcement from
the Ministry of Magic's Department of Magical Games and Sports.



Don't let this happen to YOU.
Distractions while flying can be hazardous to your health,
so remember that smart fliers are safe fliers.

Alina nodded. "I think so. Level ten doesn't have any though - and I wouldn't know about the Department of Mysteries, like if they have additional ones." Still wondering quite what the relevance of lifts was, Alina looked curiously as Rex unrolled a poster.

Tilting her head slightly so she could get a better angle, Alina smiled. "Nice, simple but with a bold image. I like it." She took a second, closer look and winced. "That's really gotta hurt". Returning how gaze to Rex, Alina thought about the logistics of these posters.

"So how wide spread are these going to be? And since you were wondering about lifts, would I be correct in saying one is going to be posted in or near each? To catch all the employee's attention," she asked, wondering who was going to get that job.

Liam who had desided that whilest things were calm in his Division was going to go and get something to eat, he suddenly saw Alina and Rex and decided to see if they were okay. "Hi." He smiled as he looked at Alina, he had been looking for her. "Alina, do you want to grab something to eat and then chat?" He hadn't spoken to her for ages and he wanted to know how everyone was.

He then turned to look at Rex. "Hi Rex." He smiled. "Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Well, I think we need to post reminders in all lifts because this is the season where we get too many broom crashes," Rex replied. "Then we can replace those with World Cup posters."

"Hey Liam," Alina greeted as he joined them. "That sounds a great idea. We haven't had a catch up outside of work stuff at all recently." She smiled. "Rex here was just showing me a new poster," she said, gesturing to the object their boss was holding. "A public service announcement about paying attention whilst flying."

Alina nodded. "Very true - a good place to catch people's attention. And a new crop of Hogwarts students will want to practice over the holidays at home no doubt." Her eyes twinkled, knowing full well Nia would want to come home and fly some of the time. An advantage of living in the country.

Ding. Tagren leaned up against the back wall of the lift, whistling to himself and watching the doors open up. This was Magical Games and Sports, if he remembered correctly. He still hadn't gotten all his levels straight, even though it was posted on signs at every floor.

He'd spent the last half hour pushing the elevator buttons with his eyes closed, and trying to guess which floor would come next. His own floor was easy--Level Four had a gamey smell to it. Magical Accidents was usually rather noisy and punctuated by explosions and yelling, and the Department of Magical Education was eerily quiet, like a library. He could tell which levels were having a business luncheon. Level Five had an overactive coffeemaker that make the whole hall smell like burnt beans.

Tag leaned forward, eyes closed, and slapped a few buttons. This game would occupy at least another 45 minutes of his exceedingly dull life as a peon of the Ministry.

Bored. Disgruntled. Annoyed. Anxious. All those things was how Sarah Lee was feeling as she wandered around the Ministry, rather aimlessly. Bored? Well there was absolutely nothing for her to do. Disgruntled? ... She didn't know why she was disgruntled, she just was. Annoyed? Poor werewolves. Left out. Anxious? How many weeks was left until she became an aunt?

As the lift came to the level that Sarah just currently stood, it opened up to reveal a man a few years older than her, standing in the middle of the elevator with his eyes closed. Odd. Person. She stared at him, blinking, and then raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

"Um... sir... would it be rude and nosy of me if I were to ask you what you were doing?" Sarah asked with her arms crossed against her chest.

"Shhhhhhhh," Tag whispered, keeping his eyes shut. "Hang on. . . I've almost got it." He inhaled deeply, then exhaled. "Yes. Yessss. . . that's it. Magical Games and Sports is having a pot-luck in their breakroom. . . and if I'm not mistaken. . . there's fried chicken." He cracked an eye just enough to identify an attractive young woman watching him. Well, this was the first time anyone had asked. Everyone else had places to go, people to see, and magic to make. They all assumed Tag was among the hurried workers on his way to, or from, somewhere important. Little did they know that the new Being Division recruit was busy finding ways to waste time. And he was not half-bad at it.


"Well?," Tag demanded. "Am I right? You work on this floor, right? What did you have for lunch?"

Shhh?! Did he just tell her to 'shhhh'?!?!

Blinking in utter confusion and surprise, Sarah continued to stand in that exact same spot as she waited for whatever the strange man was doing, to be over with. Almost got what? This guy just wasn't make any sense! Did he escape from St. Mungo's? Sarah had the urge to reach into her pocket and grip her wand, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. Maybe the man was just a really, REALLY, REEAALLY, odd person who liked to stand in the elevator and tell people to hush up while they tried to 'get something'.

Oh wait. Wait. He was getting something here. If Sarah didn't know any better, she would've thought the guy was meditating. But she knew better. At least she thought she did.

... Fried... Chicken? Sarah raised an eyebrow as the man identified what floor they were on and the apparent aroma that was flowing throughout the hallways. She didn't know if it was indeed fried chicken but she shrugged and decided she'd just go with the flow of it. Not everyday you some some guy meditating in an elevator.

EEP. She jumped back in surprise as he spoke up once more, in a rather demanding attitude too. Geez. Don't need to get so feisty all of a sudden. Did she work on this floor? Well... no... she didn't. But he didn't have to know that right? Smirking to herself, Sarah decided to go along with it and pretend that she worked on this level. It wasn't like he was going to find her right? Or even try to find her. Right?

"Um... yeah. You're right. I do work on this level and I ate a sandwich for lunch, thank you very much," she said, sticking her nose into the air. "Can I come in now?" Pfft. Why was she even asking? It was a PUBLIC elevator.

"Be my guest," Tagren shrugged, and gestured towards the ninety percent of the lift that he was not currently occupying. He'd been wrong about the pot-luck, then. Either that or this lovely young woman had chosen to eat alone in her cubicle. Hmmph. Not surprising. She looked very comfortable with her nose in the air. Perhaps she was even the type to turn down free food. Free fried food, even.

Tag was immediately mystified.

"Which floor then, miss?," he asked, as a gentleman should. Hmmmm. . . he'd pressed all the buttons already. Tag felt the tips of his ears turn pink. He quickly looked straight up at the ceiling, as if there were something quite fascinating growing up there, and rocked back on his heels. "I mean. . . going up?" Not that she could change her mind at this point.

Pfft. Be his guest. Sarah refused to show any hint of slight annoyance at the man. He was intriguing, maybe a bit too intriguing and outrageous for her personal liking. But step in she did. She moved from where she stood and walked inside the elevator, holding onto her bag tightly. Her paranoia got to her and couldn't help but wonder if he was a spy or a creeper of some sort. She'd whack him with her bag if he pulled any sly moves. That was for sure.

Which floor? Well... Sarah didn't exactly want to go back to Level One already. Nor did she wish to go back to Level Four. Those places were quite over-visited and she did not wish to go back either places so soon.

But it probably didn't matter anyway. For when Sarah's eyes glanced over at the elevator buttons, they were already glowing as proof that they had been pressed already. Did she really have a choice on what level she went up to? Sarah couldn't help but smile and laugh gently at such a silly, yet cuuute, mistake and at the behavior the man was taking on at the moment.

"Ehh. Not like I have anywhere else to go. Plus I don't feel like going back to the offices. I think I'll ride the elevators for a while," she said, smiling as she leaned back against the elevator back wall and crossed her arms across a chest.

"You don't want to go back to your offices?," Tag repeated, trying to hide his alarm. "You weren't like. . . on your way somewhere?" Inconceivable! There were more Ministry employees that had nothing to do but ride elevators? And, still more baffling, no bossy person to come after them and make them do actual work?

Unfortunately this left Tag with somewhat of a problem. Going up and down all afternoon by himself was entertaining enough, but now that he had company, his reputation might suffer just a tad. He didn't want to jeopardize his position of doing self-imposed research. Oh wait. . . yes he did.

The elevator doors dinged, and closed in slow-motion. Tag turned to the young woman, a spark of glee in his eye. "Right when we get to Level Eight, jump with me!"

The more Sarah interacted with this strange guy that she had met just minutes before, the more he gave off this weird personality to him. Weird was good. She liked good. He just seemed to get odder... and odder... and odder... and ODDER. Odd was cool and all but surely a person had their limits to how odd they could be. But Sarah wouldn't judge. She wasn't exactly the most sane person there was either. Though no one knew that. She was at her hyperest of moments when she was Brian or Becca. And there were hardly ever any times where either of them were present.

Sarah snorted and shook her head. "Not busy. I wasn't heading anywhere. Why? Would you feel more comfortable if I was?" she asked, cocking her head. She got the feeling that he felt uncomfortable, confused, or surprised at how things were run around here. What exactly did he expect?

... Um. Just when Sarah thought he couldn't get any odder.

"Er. Okay?! Why exactly are we jumping, may I ask?" she asked with both confusion and excitement. Sarah turned to look over at the man again. His eyes seemed to sparkle with mischief and delight. She didn't want to know what he was up to. Well she did. But. Yeah. It probably wasn't exactly a good thing.

Someone sneaks through the corridors sticking this to the walls with the following message flashing across it:

Join us as we stand up for Beings and Beasts Rights!Don't give into the injustice. Stand up and walk out for what you believe. Join the hundreds of Wizarding Workers who are opposed the Ministry's prejudice against those who are different! There will be a mass walk out on Saturday at 4 p.m. to show your support for those who have none. Take to the streets of Diagon Alley and stand up for what is right!

"We are. . . defying gravity," Tagren said solemnly. "Now, on my signal." He scrunched his neck down and stuck out his hands. "Ready-ready-ready-ready--" the elevator slowed, "NOW!!" Tag leapt into the air, just as the lift shuddered. It was a grand split-second lift-off, making Tag's stomach flip and his curly head bumped the ceiling as he went up, and the lift went down. He landed with a thud, laughing. The elevator car shook. "There!," Tag exclaimed. "Definitely worth the momentary nausea."

Just then, the lift doors parted, and a flier whizzed between the two occupants and slapped itself on the back panel. Tag jumped. (Sideways this time.) "Where did that come from?," he wondered, annoyed. "Oh. . . it's more protesting sh--uh, stuff." Tag frowned. This Quidditch Cup controversy had not only turned all his coworkers into fire-breathing sphinxes, ready to tear each other's throats out, now it was infringing on his private vertical oasis. Otherwise known as the elevator.

Defying gravity? Where did this guy COME from? But Sarah had to admit. It sounded a rather enjoyable thing to do. Which was why she didn't protest or anything as he gave her instructions on what they would do. Instead, she just nodded her head and pretended that she was listening to him. Which she was... though Sarah was more along the lines of half listening half watching the elevator and wondering when it'd get to level eight. If this whole defying gravity ordeal involved something similar to dyiiiing, then that wasn't cool.

He seemed so serious. Sarah couldn't help but giggle quietly at how serious he was at what he was saying. How could someone be so sincere? "Got it, Capn'," she said, nodding her head as she mock saluted him.

She waited for the man's count and Sarah felt the elevator slow. As it does, the man suddenly yelled out for them to jump and she launched herself into the air, her long blond hair flying up along with her. The feeling. Was... so different. Her stomach lurched and seemed to somersault. It only landed for a second or so though. Sarah found herself landing back down with a thud and a huge smile on her face and laughed also.

Why hadn't she tried this sooner? It was SOOOOO FUNNN.

"That was fun. I've never done that before," she said, in a daze as she leaned her body against the wall of the elevator.

EEEPP. Sarah moved her head farther to the right as something whizzed by and slapped itself onto the wall of the elevator, just inches away from Sarah's face. "Whoa. Close one," she muttered gently, though loud enough for the man to hear also. Sarah backed away from the wall and stood over where the man stood, reading what the paper said. Oh. They were on about that stuff again. Sighing, she shook her head. Must've been because of the date the Quidditch Cup was scheduled. It's not like they'd be able to change Chad's decision.

"All this protesting stuff," Sarah said gently, hardly noticing the mistake that the man almost made. She supported werewolves and vampires and all. But this was just... just too much. It was a way for people to express their beliefs but Sarah couldn't help but feel that something would go greatly wrong. "It can't be changed. It's not prejudice, it's safety precautions. I don't see why they're making such a big deal out of it."

The lift doors closed, dinging, and they were off again. "Because," Tagren said in a low voice, teeth gritted, "Some people need continuous drama, a cause to fight for, and something to whine about. Otherwise they get distracted by the mundane bits of life, like the fact that they can't maintain a long-term relationship or pay their mortgage. Take up the banner of the poor suffering Quidditch-less vampires!" He leaned up against the back of the elevator, lips pinched together. Normally Tag wasn't quite so malevolent about political matters. He himself was a stickler for saving magical wildlife. But the Ministry had been completely taken over by the talk of this decision, and he was downright sick of it. Tag was even supposed to be a werewolf liason (at least, he thought that's what his job was. . .)

"I don't want you to think I don't like good furry were-pals," Tag added, suddenly feeling the need to excuse his strong sentiments. Oh man--the elevator was not a good place to lose his cool over the Quidditch policy. He didn't know this woman, or where she worked for that matter. But it was a little too late for that. "I mean, I don't understand why they've excluded goblins, but I don't know alot of goblins who are Quidditch fans anyway. And the werewolves just have to suck it up. They're not allowed anywhere else around the full moon either. That's tough beans, part of having the condition. What I'm concerned about is the Being Division and all the radicals who feel it's worth staging a revolt over. Fear does weird things to people. And lots of people are afraid of our clients."

Tag folded his arms across his chest as they passed the Department of Mysteries and moved on to Level Ten. "Are you having problems Games and Sports, too? I imagine the Quidditch committee is getting eaten alive. Maybe even worse than the level of indignity everyone's toting in my division. You'd think the Minister had come down himself and personally poked his quill in the eye of every goblin, house-elf, and werewolf in the country." He chuckled, finding the thought amusing. Of course. . . if that was the plan, the Minister would be in sixty pieces in about six seconds.

Oh. Okay. So they were going for another ride? Fine by Sarah. It wasn't like there was really anywhere better for her to go or do. It was the same old... boring... usual work and it was stuffy and lonely up in the Liaison Office. She could do with even a few minutes outside of the office. It'd do her good. Fresh air. Interact with employees that she didn't interact with within a five foot radius every single day. Yeah. Good for her. Healthy even. What was it that this Pandora woman said in the Breakroom on Level Four once? That Sarah had to make something of her social life before it was too late. EEP. Way to scare somebody.

Her attention was then returned to the mysterious man, who now spoke in a rather low and creepy tone. It seemed as if he was mustering all his strength to hide back the fury that he was feeling at that specific moment. And oh. Dear Merlin. Look at him go. It was as if something had triggered him and he could no longer suppress his thoughts. He released them like a gunshot. They all fired at Sarah so quickly that she didn't know which one to dodge or deal with first.

It was amazing. How much one could say in an elevator with a COMPLETE stranger. What was this guy's name again? Didn't matter. Chances are, they weren't going to be able to see each other again, anyway. After all, she was a Level One liaison that only went to the fourth level every now and then. And HE... well..... he did whatever it was he did and rode the lifts. SO YEAH. Chances were slim.

MHM. Oh finally done? Sarah opened up her mouth to answer that incredibly long speech that he had made. "First of all, bravo for being so open to me, a complete stranger. And second of all... I do have to agree with your views. Some people just need something interesting in their life to ignore all the boring aspects and they just need something to complain about so they don't have to focus on what's happening in their personal life. And on the topic of Goblins... well... honestly. Can you picture them wearing spirit wear to a Quidditch game? I pity that the werewolves are unable to attend the Quidditch World Cup... I really do. But nothing can be altered or anything. We can't just CHANGE the only date that accommodates everyone and just ruin billions of schedules that have already been set up... JUST for the werewolves. Let's face it... it's not like it's particularly a new deal. They're really not allowed to go anywhere during or near the transformation. With it being so close to the full moon, do they really want us to risk so many lives?" Not to say that all werewolves were cold blooded killers. She wasn't saying that at all!

"Like I said.... we're just taking safety precautions. There's really no need to create such a ridiculous riot over such a ridiculous misunderstanding," Sarah said, narrowing her eyes at the elevator doors. She had long ago leaned her back against the back of the elevator, right next to the man and her eyes stared off at the doors of the lift.

Meh. She'd rather not discuss it any further. Though it was nice to see other people's views on the whole situation.

Blink. Blink. HEH? Ohhh... right... she lied. It was just something she went along and now the fib was bigger... and BIGGER. So instead of answering the question, Sarah just nodded, adding an "mhm-hmm" and an "uh-huh". Then moving onto the next detail. HIM????

Sarah couldn't suppress a giggle and a smile broke out onto her lips, breaking the tension that was on her face from before. "One.... I don't think that would exactly be safe," she said, smirking slightly at the humorous joke that the man had offered about the Minister poking her quill into the magical creatures' eyes. "And two..." She seemed to be numbering off things quite a lot lately. "The Minister is a her." Sarah's eyes danced humorously at the mistake that the man had made. Must've still been thinking that Cooper was still Minister. But nope! Ol' Cooper was gone alright.

Tag found his cheeks growing warm. Okay, so he was a little outspoken sometimes. True, he'd just lambasted half of the Ministry and their zeal for justice. Admittedly, he was a tad sarcastic. "Ummm," Tagren murmured, "You're not a complete stranger. . . I mean. . . you're sharing my elevator, and I know you're from Level Seven. Plenty enough for me to go off ranting and raving, apparently." He smiled sheepishly. "Plus, see. You just have a trustworthy face."

Okay so he'd totally pulled that one out of a dark place, but it wasn't entirely untrue. The woman was attractive and young, and had been giving him incredulous-slash-amused looks for at least sixty seconds. Tag would pretty much do backflips for a decent conversation with the opposite sex.

And speaking of the opposite sex. Tag's face flushed crimson. The Minister was a lady?!? How did he not know that? He worked here, for crying out loud! He'd been here for two months! Not really paying attention, granted. Wow. Grade-A doof, right here, ladies and gentlemen. "Um, I've been. . . busy. . ." Tag gave an embarrassed laugh. And a terrible liar, too. There was really no excuse for not knowing who the Minister was. . . So the only thing left was to dodge. "What in the world is that!?!," Tag gasped, pointing behind the stranger woman's shoulder.

Blink. Well it was nice not to be considered as a complete stranger, but in truth, they didn't know each other like... AT ALL. And technically, Sarah didn't actually work on Level Seven. She worked on Level One. But he didn't know that. She didn't know if it was best to bring it up. That would sort of ruin the whole trustworthy image, wouldn't it?

Sarah blushed slightly at being called trustworthy. Aww... shucks. It was rare for her to receive such a compliment. And well... let's face it... Sarah sort of failed at her social life. "Well I guess that's enough to go ranting off like that. Nice to know that I look trustworthy enough to tell all those things to. And TECHNICALLY... if we weren't strangers we would know each other's names," she reasoned, nodding her head. Was it a good time to throw in that she didn't actually work on Level Seven? It shouldn't really make much of a difference. It wasn't like the guy would be depending on Sarah for a fried chicken supply or anything. "Oh. And actually... I don't work on Level Seven."

So... topic change?

The woman chuckled and grinned at the man's embarrassment for realizing at that particular moment that he hadn't known the Minister was a WOMAN. He had to have really lived in a hole if he hadn't known THAT. The fact that Minister Reagan had won was big news. Where was HE? "Busy...?" Sarah repeated, not convinced at what the man's excuse was. Busy with WHAT? Clearly the man was absentminded.

MEH? Sarah gasped at the man as he exclaimed that he saw something. Gullible her, turned around to glance at the elevator wall. WHAT? WHERE? WHEN? "Where is it?! I don't see it!"

"That color!," Tagren said, in a tone reserved for monkey scabs and steaming jars of dragon urine, "It's absolutely horrid! What wallpaper company makes that shade? It's gotta be labeled like--'Old Pus'! I mean, really. If the Minister is a woman, why doesn't she do something about the interior design around here?"

Tag hadn't realized the paint color had bothered him, but now that he thought about it, the decorating in this building needed some serious renovation. Yeah, he could gripe about this for awhile. The white walls in his office were making him crazy. And it was a great diversion to his ignorance about actual relevant information. "Hey," Tag said suddenly. "You're not from Level Seven? Then where do you work?" He was suddenly suspicious. Was she a spy? A secret shopper? An efficiency expert? Ah, yes. If it was that last one, he was certainly calling attention to the uselessness of his job. But that wasn't his fault. His boss was George Mayes, and she liked to ignore all her workers unless they were quarrelsome and irritating. "Not that it matters so much," Tag added, "Unless you're a werewolf yourself, in which case I've offended you and put you off of the Ministry for life." He eyeballed her. He was fairly certain she wasn't a client of the Being Division, so he was safe there. Ha, with his luck, she was an assistant to the Minister. The one he'd thought was a man. Yeah, that would be ironic.

"In any case," Tag stuck out his hand, "Let's not be strangers. I'm Tagren Sevens. I work for the Being Division, but I belong in the Beast Division. I make paperclip jewelry in my spare time, I drink too much coffee, and dragons are my favorite beast." He smiled congenially.

Wallpaper? He wanted to talk about wallpaper? Not that she had anything against the subject. In fact, now that she actually got a good luck of it, Sarah could definitely see how bland and dull it was. Definitely needed redecorating. "Maybe because she has more important matters to attend to? Just maybe," she suggested, sarcasm flowing in helplessly by it's own accord. Maybe she'd bring up the wallpaper issue with the Minister. Or make Chad do it. They always seemed to get along just great.

Sarah smirked slightly at the man as he looked at her with suspicion. Probably thought she was some stalker. Or an escaped St. Mungo's patient. Or. Or. There could be so many possibilities of what she could be, the list would need an expansion charm to keep it from going out into space. Maybe that was a slight exaggeration. ... Offended? Well she was definitely not a werewolf. If she had been, Sarah guessed that she wouldn't be supporting the Ministry's side of the Qudditch Cup date. Nor would she be talking so freely and casually with an employee of the place. Just something to dwell on. Tallyho.

Mighty charming guy. Whoa there. He worked on Level Four? How did she not know that?! Shows how much she knew. Oh well. Grinning, Sarah held out. Her hand and took his in a firm grasp, shaking it. "Hello Mr. Tagren Sevens. Nice hobby you got there. Coffee is quite enlightening and I'm obsessed. Dragons are indeed, fascinating. My name is Sarah Lee. I'm a Liaison for the Magical Creatures department and I work in the Minister's Office," she replied in return. A part of her really wanted to see the reaction the man would have upon discovering that SHE worked with the Minister and that HER office, more like desk really, was just five meters away from the Minister's own office. How ironic that he should meet her.

The lift was tardy! Rolling her eyes, Axel huffed and glanced at her nails as she tapped her feet gently on the floor of the lift. "This is taking forever!" She muttered and a crease emerged on her forehead by just the thought of using the lift everyday.

She sighed heavily when the door slid open and she finally stepped out of it. Phew, that was suffocating. Axel sucked in one cheek while rummaging through her handbag and pulled out the ministry letter which arrived yesterday. Quickly going through it once again, she strode towards the Department Head's office in a tizzy.