The safe houses were finally completely empty from the full moon of two evenings ago.  The members of the WCU had processed their paperwork and Primrose had received multiple reports already.  Collection was a process that happened for over a week after every full moon and then the Legislature would meet to discuss the protocols and procedures and their efficacy during the full moon.  The number of incidents reported, the check-in rates, and the numbers of self-maintained safe houses were all part of the review.  It was a taxing and time-consuming process. 

Chasing down everything had turned into something of her job, since she was amongst the youngest actual members of the legislature, and though she sent Gillian out after things as well, it wasn’t entirely successful in as short of a time as she would have liked.  Primrose wanted the information quickly.  She wanted the hearing to happen.

She wanted to continue to prove herself.  She wanted to bring numbers down lower and make security a number one priority again.  There wouldn’t be another opportunity to discuss it again until the month after.  Her restlessness was not doing anyone in the wing favors, and she decided it would do everyone better to escape for a short while and go to the atrium and the library.  The records she was looking for from the previous month would be there (and more organized than on the floor), so she’d spend time there. 

Her tea, however, was not coming into the library with her (lest she get into it with the ancient witch behind the counter again), and Prim sat perched at one of the atrium tables, delicately sipping at her tea, almost too hot to drink with a dash more lemon than a normal person who could not tolerate so much tartness would ever use.  She breathed slowly through her nose as she placed the cup back on the surface of the table, leaning back in the chair while still maintaining appropriately formal posture for a work environment.

---

Title taken from the Helen Rowland quote, "A man is like a cat; chase him and he will run - sit still and ignore him and he'll come purring at your feet."

Summer break was proving to be... Let's face it, boring. Bertie was a man who had been used to the constant work that came with being an auror-- and then when he became a professor, he was still busy. He loved his students, he enjoyed chatting with his coworkers, but part of him felt like he didn't truly belong at Hogwarts. Bert was certain that he had been a good teacher, but part of him missed being on the field, being back at the ministry with his old coworkers. At least on this summer break, he was able to meet up with old friends and pester them.

After a visit with his favorite sad sack, resident ginger Dean Bailey, Bertie made his way to the atrium to get a cup of tea.

It was then that he saw a lovely, familiar face. Bertie didn't even hesitate-- he approached Primrose with a giant, goofy grin and clapped her on the shoulder. "Rosie, long time no see~~"

Primrose had always been under the impression if one were to sit with perfectly good posture, sip tea as seamlessly as possible, and not make eye contact with anyone, they would be summarily ignored until they wished for attention.  She hadn’t even raised her hand with teacup for the third time – people having blessedly walk past her without a second look as the steam from heavily lemon infused tea floated up in her nose. 

She had closed her eyes, inhaled, and was just about to lift her hand when she was disturbed from her moment, a clap on the shoulder (really!) and her tea spilled, landing on the finely tailored edges of her robe.  Frowning, she turned her head and immediately felt a pang of dread. 

Rosie.

It made her stomach drop.  No one called her that.  Well, one person did… obviously.  She did not enjoy it.  But, she tried to look as little like she was going to choke on a lemon as possible before she forced herself to smile (a little bit).  “Adelebert,” she greeted in as lukewarm a fashion as anyone could have.  “What a… delight…” she cleared her throat, “didn’t fancy seeing you here since the… career change?”