Egypt smiled as the woman blushed and got all breathless as she talked about the reason for coming to work for the Daily Prophet. "Would this old friend be a man?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

Spotting the twinkle forming in the woman's eye, she dips her head. "Yes" she replies with a smile breaking out. "He was the Groundskeeper at Hogwarts when I taught there."

Folding her hands in front of her, she uncrosses her leg and crosses the other. "Just between us" glancing around hoping the others weren't paying as close attention any longer "I think it's actually getting serious."

She looked at her in surprise, "You taught at Hogwarts?" she asked her honestly.

Egypt leaned forward as it seemed like they were going to get into girl talk. "Oh that certainly is lovely," Egypt told her honestly. She loved love and everyone that was in it.

Nodding, "Yes, I was quidditch/flying instructor for one term. Things didn't work out...and it was a long time ago." Well it sure seemed like it, almost 15 years... she thought.

Smiling her soft smile, "Thank you." She was happier then she'd been in a long time, that's for sure. A new job, and plenty of time to spend with Erik. What could be better?

"How long have the two of you been married?" she asks casually.

Egypt nodded at the girl's story. "All of my children play Quidditch. Well Willow doesn't she's more artistic," Willow was a weird child, but she was her own person. "Do you still play?" she asked.

She smiled and handed Nathan his tea back. "We've been married 17 years," And she was proud of that fact. Especially after the efforts her mother went through to pull them apart.

"That's wonderful!" she comments with a smile "It's a fun sport to get into." Shaking her head, she replies to the question "No, I've not flown much...since teaching, really. Before that, I was seeker for...well that's another story. I don't want to bore you." she adds with a laugh, her eyes twinkling. She did tend to go on about things.

"Wow, congratulations!" her eyes widening with surprise. "How many children do you have?" There was at least two apparently...maybe three, if they all played except Willow.

Though Egypt never played to loved to watch it. Especially when her children were playing. "My sister India is the seeker for the Ivories. Why haven't you flown since teaching?" that was certainly strange for someone who played Quidditch professionally.

Egypt blushed "Thank you," she replied. They had been happy years except for the two dark episodes. But they were better than ever now and she wasn't going to dwell on the bad times. "We have seven children. Two girls and five boys. Our oldest, Paris, is in the French Ministry." she explained very proud of all her children. As only a mother could be.

"That year, most of us professors actually left. We had a mysterious disappearance of the prefects, and attacks on the school. I was on the search party..." breaking off, she looks down at her hands. "I guess I just lost the love for flying after all that happened. Perhaps I will acquire it again...someday."

Looking up as she explains about her children, blinking back tears, she smiles inspite of it. "Precious. I've always loved children...maybe, someday I'll enjoy that part of a family."

Daphne slowly made her way into the lounge area, very tired from an ill advised night outing with her mates. She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. Luckily she followed the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She slowly lifted the pot and poured it into her pink Daily Prophet mug.

There were a few coworkers chatting away, but Daphne was too tired to engage them. She sluggishly waved to them and took a sip of her coffee. It did little to wake her up, but she continued to drink, hoping it would stimulate her to get actual work done.

Hunter finally dragged herself into the lounge, hoping the coffee was on, hot, and not totally burnt out and bitter. It smelled decent at least. She paused in the doorway to look around the room, admiring it for just a moment before she slipped along the wall to the coffeemaker.

"How is it?" she asked anyone who would respond.

Looking up as another woman enterred, Kenzie smiles at her. "Not too bad." she replies holding up slightly her empty mug. Standing up, she walks over to refill it.

Daphne looked up, slightly more awake after her cup of coffee. She lazily rolled her head around, not prepared to start her day at the DP. She was glad someone else started chatting, this gave her time to get another cup. After all, it would be rude to leave in the middle of a conversation.

"It's much better! Can't believe we used to drink that sludge beforehand," she marveled, pouring herself another cup. This time she added some cream and sugar, which she was too exhausted to do for her first cup.


Daphne took a seat next to one of her coworkers. After a cup of coffee, she was far more social than before. "I'm glad they finally splurged to get some nice brews," she said to the gal next to her. Now she felt like the kitchen area was a nice little cafe to sit, mingle, and relax.

Stifling a yawn, lips pressed together with the effort, Caelan peered around the door and into the lounge. An area he'd never visited, having been away from the actual offices since his hiring... hmm.

It wasn't too bad. He had no way of knowing how it compared to the previous one.

Not taking too much notice of those that were already here, he rubbed the back of his neck and wandered toward the table. It was still sore from the previous night's sleep, and it just would not convert back to its normal non-painful status. Blargh. Wonderful state to be in when actually meeting your coworkers for the first time. Doing his best to ignore the annoying little jabs, he pulled out a seat and tossed his weary body into it.

"Rough night?" she asked the man. Had he entered moments before, he'd have witnessed Daphne in a similar state. "Coffee's good though, I'd grab some before we finish if off."

She glanced at her watch and saw she still had some time before returning to work. Even if she were to work now, she had nothing too interesting to report. This way she got to sit around and mingle, which was much more productive.

"It sounds unanimous," Hunter poured herself a cup and gave it a tentative sniff, followed by one of long appreciation. This wasn't bad. Followed by a sip.

"You know... this is fair. Ian gets props for that."

"I knew it!" Hunter sloshed her coffee a little as she pointed at the man who had just entered the lounge area. "I knew there were men hiding around here. Just because Ian likes to surround himself with lovely ladies... he's depriving us of male companionship."

He was only half paying attention to the people going on about coffee. Rubbing his left eye, attempting to dislodge the sleep from it, he looked at the woman who was directing her coffee comments to him. He would've smiled at her, were his face not in automatic frowny mode while he rubbed his eye enough to see spots when he finally opened it.

"Slept funny... it's weird being in my own bed again after so long, I guess it takes adjusting to." Shooting a look at the coffee pot, he considered it before standing up.

And immediately directing his suddenly wide-eyed gaze at another of the women. Why was she pointing at him and shouting about hiding men?

"I've been working here for a bit now," he said with a shrug. "I was just off on an assignment. Damn tournament took longer than I thought. And those Irish just wouldn't let me leave."

There was a moment of hesitancy before he extended his hand to the loud one.

"Caelan Lee. Definitely male and definitely not hiding."

The companionship thing would need to be worked on.

"I could tell you were male," Hunter reassured him with a little grin. Silly boys. "I'm merely pointing out that you are HIGHLY outnumbered, and I think it's a plot on the part of the Boss Man."

She slid into the nearest chair and sniffed the coffee some more. She liked it straight black, the bitterness almost pleasant to her. "Ireland? What section do you write for?"

"I'm glad," he replied with a smirk. "If you couldn't, then I'd obviously be doing something wrong."

He rather quickly retrieved himself a cup of coffee; dropping a bit of sugar into it, he flicked his wand in a circle, stirring it, as he returned to the chair he'd vacated.

She was right. He was outnumbered. From what he understood and had seen so far, the Daily Prophet had been overrun by women. The way she had said it, it was as if she expected him to be shocked or unhappy about it. He most definitely wasn't, however.

He'd gone to Beauxbatons. Being surrounded by girls was something he was very well-adjusted to. And he actually liked it. Heh.

"Sports," he replied, before taking a sip of his coffee. Slightly more bitter than he liked, but... well. The sugar was all the way over there. And he was over here. Which meant he'd drink it as it was. "I've been covering sports in Ireland. They're fascinating, even if their cheering is death on the ears."

Drawing another shot of bitter caffeine into his mouth, he observed the woman before setting the cup down on the table.

"You?" A slightly amused look crossed his face. "What do you write for? And... do you have a name to go with your pretty face, or do you just go around with that as your introduction?"

She nodded her head. She remembered reporting some of the happenings at Hogwarts that year. It had been a scary time she almost pulled Paris out. But of course Paris wasn't having any of that. Egypt looked at the woman with sad eyes, "You never lose love." she told her softly.

Egypt nodded. "Its the greatest thing I've done with my life," she told her honestly. Nothing compared to being a mother in her book. "Well come by the house sometime and hang out with the family. We would love to have you." she looked over and smiled at Nathan he had just dozed right on off. He would never change.

She looked up and smiled as hunter walked in. The girl was a whirlwind of femininity that reminded Egypt of her daughter Paris. "Hunter dear how are you today?" she asked her with a smile. Though they were close in age Egypt looked at Hunter as her daughter and she was going to see her in a long lasting relationship if it killed both of them. If she could get Alexa and Warren down the isle she could do anything.

She giggled at the exchange between Hunter and the new boy. There did seem to be an usually high amount of women at the paper.

"Hunter," she leaned forward and offered a hand to him. "And yes, it's a boy's name and no, I don't go by anything prettier or frillier. I prefer a gender neutral name attached to my writing."

Hunter snuggled back into her seat and tugged her pencil skirt against the top of her boots. Sigh. She loved boots. Paychecks went to boots all the time. "I write for Lifestyles. Lots of travel stuff recently, but I haven't been to Ireland recently."

She studied the front of her blouse for traces of coffee before taking another sip.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomasina Riddle

She looked up and smiled as hunter walked in. The girl was a whirlwind of femininity that reminded Egypt of her daughter Paris. "Hunter dear how are you today?" she asked her with a smile. Though they were close in age Egypt looked at Hunter as her daughter and she was going to see her in a long lasting relationship if it killed both of them. If she could get Alexa and Warren down the isle she could do anything.

She giggled at the exchange between Hunter and the new boy. There did seem to be an usually high amount of women at the paper.

Hunter gave Egypt a little wiggle of her fingers and a cheeky grin. "I'm behaving myself as usual, Momma Egypt. I promise." It amused her greatly to be mothered by the lovely woman a few years her senior, but she also found it quite endearing. Her own mother was amazing but not particularly affectionate, so this was a whole new experience.

"We should do lunch today. I want to enjoy the weather while it lasts."

It was silly - petty, really - that Ollie had a tendency to be wary of the Lounge any more, because Vexia Rumpos could be anywhere, really. Even the men's loo, which wouldn't surprise Olliver Stratton all the much, given her predisposition towards Editor-in-Chief Ian. Actually, the young male realized, perhaps he was best off avoiding the loo rather than the lounge, as it was.

No matter, Ollie needed a quick mug of coffee - a jolt, if you would - and he hadn't the time to rush off down the alley way towards the Leaky, force through the swarm of students, wait on a brew, and suffer through prolonged minutes of Mozzie's babbles. Dearly as he loved the girl, he was on the clock and she didn't give a care.

His head buzzed: it buzzed with a slight migraine forming just behind his left temple - it throbbed and he was acutely aware of it; it buzzed with commotion and noise; it buzzed with colors and senses - an overload of extrasensory details flooded him and he all but reeled from everything.

The voices of his co-workers spilled from within the lounge. Ollie was sure he heard the sound of fellow-Lifestyle writer Hunter Bones in there and, sure enough, as he poked his head in, he spotted her. He nodded her way, in greeting, directed at she and the male with her, before he ran his left hand through his hair. Long, slender fingers tangled with sandy hair - he'd forgotten to brush it the morning before he left - and the sleeves of his tattered robe fell up his arm. The artist paid no heed as he made his way to the coffee area and poured some into a blue thermos. It was a lovely shade of blue - somewhere between a sky blue and a royal blue, with a deep color and a sort of pearly sheen. Ollie marveled at the way the mustard colored paint on his index finger looked against the blue of his thermos and the paint-covered finger itched for a paint brush.

There was no time, though, he reminded himself, even though he was already painting in his mind. An ocean. He saw an ocean and a school of mustard-colored fishes. A few red, too. Thinner ones. Did such fish exist?

"Good afternoon," he greeted the number of Prophet staffers, when he finally turned away from the coffee pot, twisting the lid onto the thermos.

"That's what I keep telling myself..." she replies smiling weakly walking back to her chair with her now full cup of coffee again. Sighing she adds softly "Someday..."

Her eyes brightening again, she nods "I'd love to!" Glancing at her husband Kenzie laughs lightly. It reminded her of Erik, dear things men were. She couldn't wait to meet the rest of Egypt's and Nathan's family. She loved children...and in a way, missed teaching.

Her smile brightened as Hunter waved at her. "I'm sure you are Hunter," she winked. The girl reminded her so much of Paris it was a bit scary. "So how is your next assignment going?" she asked her.

She looked up in surprise as a new man practically spilled into the break room. She smiled softly at him. He had that artist air about him, too busy with his head in the clouds to worry about what happened on the outside. "Hello there," she called to him.

She nodded. "Oh that would be wonderful we would love to have you over," she told her. "The children love meeting new people. Just don't wear anything shiny." she warned her with a wink. "The little ones like to um....attach explosives to shiny things." she told her honestly.

Smiling she replies "I'm sure I'll enjo..." her eyes widening, "Explosives?" Oh, my goodness! Taking a drink of her coffee, she shakes her head laughing. "I'll make sure not to wear anything shiny. Thanks for the warning."

Things children come up with. she thinks still chuckling a little.

Iridesca was a little bit nervous about visiting the lounge area. She had been sooo wrapped up with the latest issue's graphics and layout that she had hardly met any of the people she worked with since coming to the DP a few months back. She had never really been this unsocial but she had tried very hard to impress the editor, a feat that she was sure she still hand't accomplished.

She pushed the door open and instantly noticed that the place was packed. She didn't want to just interrupt the conversations going on so she decided to walk over to see what were in the promising boxes on the table. O she hoped there were some donuts or something, her stomach had been growling all morning.

She smiled simply at the others in the room as she glided over to the table trying not to be noticed just yet. Her mission was clear, she needed a donut and quick.

Just as she got to the table and reached for the top of the box in the center of the table, her stomach gave a loud growl that instantly turned her face red. She glanced around to see if anyone had heard her choir in her stomach and then quickly grabbed a donut and chomped down on it instantly.