After finished some paperworks, Brian walked down the secuirty desk area. He had been there for so many times before, but this's the first time as a department head. He was hoping to see his friend Edward, one of his division head, but...

He stood there, looking around the deserted place. No visitors, no staffs, no one was there. He sighed, moving to towards the closet area as shoved his hands into his pockets.

Ater finally arrived at the Security desk to be checked before being allow permeation to move around the building.

The tall, dark hair man, stood in line as he waited his turn to be checked, he wanted to be done with already, though probably those where nerves speaking. His face remained impassive as the people in front of him moved slowly forward.

The Slytherin boy was a stark contrast with the white room in his black and deep green clothing. Moving gracefully when he was finally called he moved to the front of the desk, and bowed in greeting.

“Good morning sir. How are you? It is my first day at the Ministry, and it is my understanding there must be a check of some kind correct?”The young man hadn’t been in England for the last 4 years, and even when he was, he had never been to the Ministry of Magic; he had some idea of what to do, but better safe than sorry.

As Brian noticed there was a visitor through the glass door of his office, but no one behind the security desk. He came out, approached the desk, "Sorry for the delay, here I'm to help you," the department head said politely.

He looked up at the youngman who said tobe new to the Ministry. "Welcome to the Ministry..Mr.." he trailed off, "Yeah ofcourse, we have to check out your wand. Excuse me it's a formality. Can I see yours?" he said, waited for his response.

Ater looked as a man approached him and spoke. “Penumbra, Ater Penumbra sir” he replied as the man asked his name. Ater nodded as the he was told the procedure and reached to his left sleeve to take his dark colored Bocote 14' with Basilisc's fang wand and with a flourish gave it to the man.

“Is it required for the wand to remain here?” he inquired not really happy with that thought, he didn’t like leaving his wand anywhere he couldn’t reach. He patiently waited, watching the man do his work.

Brian looked up at the guy, "Oh..great. Nice to meet you Ater. May I know in which department you're in?" he asked as he examined his wand by various ways and methods.

As he satisfied with the wand he smiled and handed over the wand back to him. "No..no need for that. You can equipped with your wand all time, " he said, noticed the guy's doubt and hesitation over his wand earlier.

Ater nodded at the man, as he examined his wand, “It is a pleasure to meet you too sir. Department of Magical Law Enforcement, sir; it’s my first day as Hit Wizard and in the Magical Equipment Control Office.” He replied politely, and accepted his wand when it was given to him.

“Thank you Sir, for you time. Is there anything I need to be aware of before I continue? Any other checkups, or rules?” He asked the friendly man in front of him, it was better to ask now than to make a fool of himself later on, in his department.

As he waited for the ma to reply, he replaced his wand in his sleeve, and straightened his robes.

Brian eyes instantly sparkled when he said Magical Law Enforcement. Becca's department. He smiled to himself for how much he was obsessed with that department lately.

He cleared his throat slightly, "Welcome to the Ministry once again. And You're in such a challenging department i can say. I hope you'll enjoy your hit wizard job..there..," he said with his casual smile. "No..no more checking, just some general rules to follow, I guess you knew it by the time," he replied to the man in a friendly tone.

Ater nodded at the man as he spoke, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly as the man smiled to himself. “Yes, I believe it will be quite challenging to work there, too. I trust I will enjoy it, but I’m afraid only time will prove me right or wrong”. He replied to the man with a neutral voice, though he tried to infuse it with some excitement. He did have a small smile on his lips though.

“Thank you for the welcome, sir” he replied he bowed slightly. He then took the man’s hand and shook it energetically “I do hope to learn them, in time, thank you for all your help” With a last nod at the man he began walking past the security check, in the direction of the lifts.

Brian's smile grew at Ater's excited yet nervous talks about the work. A natural thing for a new appointment. Brian shook his hand back, "Anytime Ater. They will not be that much hard I hope. You can come to my office at anytime If you need anything," he nodded his head, "Have a good day!" He watched the man's retreating figure.

Edward comes stumbling from the office area, looking disheveled and a mess. His clothes (the ones he'd been wearing for weeks) were stained and wrinkled and starting to be a bit putrid.

His hair was a scraggly mess and he hadn't shaved properly in a month, so his clean shaven face was now hidden beneath a month worth of unkempt beard and moustache. His frame was now a bit slimmer and he looked as if he hadn't had a proper meal in well over a month.

He weaved unseeing and leaned against the security desk and crying out her name.."Si....Si...Si...where are you?"

Alina had practically run here, after getting the note. Well, as fast as she could get away with without looking odd. Which was easier said than done. She just hoped he was around here. Reading between the lines had told Alina that she should be worried.

With a frown she glanced around the area that she thought he worked in most, but saw no one lke Edward. Unless...he'd let himself go totally. She frowned as she looked at the man slightly in front of her, the lump in her throat swelling. He looked a mess...yet something was familiar. And that was the only thing that told Alina this could be Edward and not some random guy trying to get into the Ministry. Gosh, he looked ragged.

Alina bit her lip doubtfully. If this was indeed Edward, he needed her help. "Edward?" she questioned softly, in case it wasn't him. In many ways she hoped it wasn't, for the state of this man was simply horrible, but equally it would save her running all over the Ministry. "I got your note."

As Edward stood/leaned there thinking of his missing wife, he heard something. It sounded familiar and he wasn't sure it was true. He only replied. His mind had so twisted things that any voice, and woman sounded like her and had he bothered to look up, he would have seen it wasn't Si at all, but his lady friend from downstairs.

"Si?" he asked. "Si, is that you? Have you come back to me?" His strength having finally given out totally, he slumped to the floor, leaning against the security desk and crawled into a little ball on the floor, willing himself to sleep.

As she stood and watched, Alina could tell it was Edward. At least she was pretty certainly he was somewhere under that mess, hair and loss of weight. And the desperation in his voice was cutting through her. How had she noticed he was like this? She had to help - something terrible must have happened for Edward to been like this. He'd been her rock through those turbulent times, she would do all she could to help him now.

Her stomach knotted and she couldn't move as he slumped to the floor. But she had to help him. She swallowed slowly, trying to think about how to tackle this. Her motherly instincts were taking over. "No, its not Si, Edward. It's Alina." She softly moved over to him, making sure that he could see her. "I'm here to help you." A tear formed in her eye. She couldn't help it, she could see all his emotion raw, and it hurt her too. "Edward, what's happened to you, hmm?" She sat down beside him, reaching out to put a hand on his shoulder.

Laying there against the cool, varnished wood, he saw a figure move into his field of vision. He heard the voice respond and began to weep and agonizing, feral sound. It only got worse each day since he had come home and discovered she had left. The only thing that kept him moving to get here was the fact that he hoped if he came here, he would see her. It hadn't happened yet.

The voice that was sweet and gentle, like his mum when he was younger, got closer. He heard his name and then Alina's name. She would know what to do. In a croak, just a decibel or two over a whisper he said to the person. "Can.....you.....get.....her?" and then just a notch louder, he said her name. "Alina." With that, his strength failed and he passed out there on the floor, too exhausted to continue staying awake.

Alina caught tear before it fully trickled down her cheek. How had she not noticed? She sighed, trying to not show how upset seeing Edward like this had made her. She wasn't sure showing that would help the situation. She laid her hand on his, and gave it gentle encouraging squeeze.

"I can't get her now," she replied softly, "Not with you like this. I need to help sort you out first." She contemplated what might have happened with Si for Edward to be like this, and what might help him get better. Then he repeated her name. It struck her as a final plea for help - was she all he had? "Yes, I'm here for you. We'll find her."

And then he passed out. "You're not giving up on me, Edward," Alina said, pulling her handbag towards her. Since having Nathaniel, Alina had always carried chocolate with her, and she figured by the size of Edward he was both hungry and tired. Maybe it'd come in useful for more than when she'd had sugar cravings.

"Come on, Edward." She shook him gently, hoping it was tiredness rather than anything else that had made him pass out and that she could wake him. She wanted to cradle him and protect him from whatever demons had got him like this.

Unconscious, like a rag doll, he was pulled closer. His strength had finally given out. It was the result of unimagined grief and very poor diet (meaning he hadn't eaten anything solid in a week). His body had finally given up the battle to maintain locomotion and he lay there as his body fought to keep him alive with what little energy it could produce.

For a few moments, Alina didn't know whether to be angry or sad. Angry at Edward for letting himself get to this stage without asking for help, at whatever caused him to get like this, at herself for not noticing with worrying about Theo and Nathaniel at home. Sad just because he seemed so helpless, because something was tearing him apart from the inside. And at the fact he'd seemed to have lost hope.

She broke a chunk off of the chocolate, wondering if putting it in his mouth would work, when Alina remembered she also had some sugar sachets with her. She'd picked them up for coffee at a service station on the motorway, and they'd been in her handbag ever since. Perhaps that would be better. She tore the top off of the packet and gently tilted Edward's head so she could put it on his tongue. She'd seen someone do it in an emergency once for a diabetic, and she was hoping it might have some sort of effect here. She didn't want to have to leave him to get help. It was an awkward enough situation as it was. Plus he needed someone there who would understand. Alina had been part of the way to this stage in the past.

"Come on Edward," she whispered quietly, "You'll never find Si if you're like this. You need to get your strength up, have some proper food. I can cook for you, just don't give up. Please, it wouldn't be the same here at the Ministry with you and Theo both gone." She took his head and cradled it into her arms, wondering whether her sugar would work and whether or not she should try another. Why hadn't she ever taken any healing lessons? What was she meant to do?

Through the glass door Brian had noticed Edward, his close friend who was looking ragged and oh..what..oh...no..he was stumbled on the wooden desk. He was on his feet already towards the door. What's going on with him? Where he had been this much long? Why he looked like this? Brian's mind stopped thinking as he saw Edward stumbled again but this time on the floor like a log.

He excused himself to Mei Lin and hurried out of the office, reached the spot quickly. Thankfully Alina was there before he came, took his head in her arms and giving him some sugar contents. Brian kelt down beside Edward, placed his hand on his limped arm, "Edward? Buddy, Are you okay?" he shook him gently, looking at him sadly, then turned his gaze to Alina, "What happened? This..this...s shocking.." he felt his mouth dry and seemed the words couldnt come out properly. He couldnt even think properly.

Alina looked up from Edward as she heard footsteps draw closer. She was relieved to see it was Brian, another good friend of Edward's and it was clear that the state of their friend has affected him just as much as her. She sighed at his words.

"It is shocking," she said softly. "I got a note on my desk from him - but all it said was 'She's gone. I'm not sure what to do anymore.' I came down straight away, worried. But I didn't expect it to be this bad." She looked at Edward, and squeezed his hand again. "He looked totally out of it - and was calling for Si. Something has obviously happened to her to make him like this, but what, I don't know. I think...I think he mistook my voice for hers. I've been so busy with the new baby I hadn't seen him for a while, and then to find him like this. I wish he'd sent a note sooner." She looked away from Edward and Brian and felt that lump in her throat as the guilt rose again.

"What should we do?"

Unaware of the concern for him as his best friends attended to him, Edward lay there motionless, the sugar causing saliva to form and drip down the right side of his face.

Becca had broken away from the chaos of level two to come and see her favourite person in the world. As she stepped out of the lift, she was almost bursting with excitement. She started to walk speedily so she could get to Brian's office, but on the way she heard his voice... it was quiet... and worried... she instantly changed course and ran towards him "Brian?" she called out as she approached "What's wrong?" she asked as she took in the scene before her, she instantly knew Edward, Brian's friend, was in trouble. She closed her eyes, crouched down and let her instincts take over "Mmm, ok, tell me what happened..." she addressed the woman and Brian "I know some healing spells" she assured the woman.

Brian was keenly listening to Alina, looking back and forth at her and Edward. Something had happened horribly, he realized that. Edward was so strong both mentally and physically usually. But not this time. It was so pathetic to see him on the floor. "Okay, first thing first, we can solve his worries later, now we have to move him from here," he said to Alina and heard hurried footsteps approaching them.

Without looking back he knew whose it was. Becca the girl who was making his life more wonderful and meaningful. He looked at her as she knelt beside him said about the healing spell. "He is going through a tough time Becs," he nodded, "Yeah, healing spell idea is good, but not here, definetly," he shook his head, and took Edward from the floor, held him on his shoulder, walking towards the his office as he gestures the girls follow him.

Richard reached the security desk. He sighed. He was used to being out there but now working behind a desk was his main concern. His interests had shifted from exploring and caring for people's problems but now it had turned to asking questions and maintaining the welfare of those who had normal, maybe glamourous lives.
He sighed as he undid his briefcase and pulled out a wad of parchment and pointed his wand at the papers so that his signature appeared on each application.
As the signatures appeared he turned to his collegues.
"Hello everyone. Been busy?" he asked.

Edward strolled into the desk area and saw Richard. Edward's appearance was much more businesslike than it had been yesterday. After having gone home he went into a deep, restful sleep. Waking up, he showered, shaved the stubble that was growing and grabbed clean clothes. Now he walked in with his comfortable black oxfords, black casual trousers, a gold, long-sleeved shirt and embroidered maroon waistcoat. His hair was clean and slightly spiky and missing from his left hand was the solid gold band that he had worn since his marriage to Si.

He looked over at Richard, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Not too much. How about you?"

"No can't say too much has been going on to be honest" he replied to Edward. "As usual mountains of paperwork.I caught up with the family at an anniversary recently though. My nephew Roland's started back at Hogwarts again. His dad, well my brother, wants him to go in to the ministry but he's not interested. Bit like I was at the time". Richard paused thinking whether he still liked working at the ministry. "Oh and my other nephew Tristram is on the wizarding Wireless soon. Which should be interesting. We've got that many different opinions and directions in the family there's no such thing as a black sheep in it to be honest".
He straightened his beige overcoat and brushed soot off from his knitted cricket jumper underneath. Despite only doing paperwork and walking around London it was surprising how dirty his clothes became.