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The lift doors rattled shut almost immediately behind Sameera, closing out the view of Level Five behind her, before lurching backwards. She, however, remained unfazed; her hand automatically caught onto a gold rope hanging above her head that had descended to accommodate to her height and she remained looking at the folder in her hands, not really caring that she was being jostled around. She'd spent enough time in the Ministry to not draw attention to her height.

As the usual interdepartmental memos circled over the heads of the occupants in the lift, she wondered - still staring, though unfocused, at the DMLE logo stamped on the folder - if the Minister would take to the suggestions she was about to make. A smidgen of anxiety, of course, contributed to the musing, but it was more overwhelmed by the slight thrill in her chest that, like a snake, had raised its head.

Now, now, she told herself. It was all very well that she was offering up the new perspectives and aims for the IUM, but how would Persepolis take it? She recalled what Mordecai had said to her earlier that morning, when Level Two was quiet save for the administrative staff.

"As much as I think your suggestions are good, Meera, you do realise that I don't actually have that much power to change things, don't you?" Mordecai was calmly stirring his tea as he'd spoke. "You'd have to go higher than me in order to get your ideas to stick. I don't think the Head of MLE would very much appreciate me going around making changes just because I have some upstart employee who's not even off probation just yet walked into his[1] office saying so. You can either speak to him or the Minister for Magic herself. It's your choice."

"You do have some power," she'd pointed out.

"Nevertheless."

Just like that. She couldn't argue with 'nevertheless'.

Would she consider her suggestions to be unacceptable? Possibly, but she wouldn't be able to tell until she spoke with the Minister. Still, speaking to the Minister. The cocktail of dread, anxiety and excitement lurched and plunged with every movement of the lift, until she reached Level One. Normally she wouldn't be coming from Level Five, but clearing out belongings that she thought she'd already packed inserted itself into her schedule. Fortunate timing that she'd arrived early this morning.

Soon enough she was firmly in the office of the Minister, and suddenly she felt the thrill give way to uncertainty. It's the Minister you're going to see, an urgent thought flitted past in her head, and she instinctively took a look at her prim clothes just to check if everything was in order. Despite being jostled about in the lift, her appearance was no worse for the lift journey.

Well, here goes then. "Sameera Taylor, Deputy Head of Improper Use of Magic," she introduced herself, with all the innocence and pleasantry that she had used the day she confronted Mordecai.

1.	At the time, Cameron Rosier. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The Minister for Magic was draped in robes of aubergine, standing behind her desk and making some quick notes with a quill.  She'd just finished meeting with the Department of International Magical Cooperation who had a special part to play in quieting down this whole nonsense about Dragon Pox at Hogwarts. 

But now she had a meeting with...

"Sameera Taylor, Deputy Head of Improper Use of Magic."

She looked up when her answer introduced itself.  It was a witch of her own age with a striking silver earring.  It took her a moment, but with the name and title, it came together.

"Yes! Madam Taylor. I'm glad to see you." 

She came round her desk with outstretched hands to greet her. "You'll forgive us up here.  We're backing up Games & Sports and International Cooperation on this Dragon Pox business.  Public relations tangle. That's all.  Here. Do sit."

Persepolis invited Sameera Taylor to have a seat while she went back around her desk to clear a space.

"Are we waiting on Hollingbury or...?"  she was skimming down her diary for the annotation of what this meeting was about.

"I'm here on his behalf, actually." Sameera sat down, briefly clutching her folder to her chest in an abrupt desire to protect herself, but then relaxed. "We've been making some changes to our system, so he's catching up on it. I hope I'm not interrupting anything? I simply feel that we should be notifying anyone else of the changes we're making."

For her entire tenure in the Department of Magical Law Cooperation, she had only caught glimpses of the Minister's robes regardless of whoever was wearing them. Not everyone got to meet the Minister; it often felt like an increasing distance the further up the hierarchy, whereas Mordecai had sort of been on her level as a fellow senior employee. The roundabout, deflective manner with which she had introduced herself to Mordecai was not going to work here.

"I won't take up too much of your time then, I hope," she said primly, setting the folder down onto the Minister's desk. "I proposed additions to the roles the Improper Use of Magic Office has in the general running of the country, as a way to give this office a bit more purpose than background noise in its usual dealings. Hollingbury has expressed appreciation towards the proposals, but he advised me to run them through the appropriate channels. I haven't been able to catch the Head of Magical Law Enforcement though, so I just...aimed a little higher." She gave the Minister a quick, bright smile that suggested all innocence, though admittedly her last words had mostly been a part of her mischievous streak slipping out a little.

"As I suggested to Hollingbury, the Improper Use of Magic Office seems to have a very incomplete role. Its focus is breaking the Statute of Secrecy. But, as I thought, while the Statute is crucial to our society and world, surely 'improper use of magic' would be an umbrella term for abuse of magic for certain motives?" Sameera waved a hand vaguely. "We'll get to redefining that later, but for a start I've noticed the Office is consulted when Aurors and various other Ministry officials seek permission to use magic where the Statute would not allow it. That's a small but significant enforcement measure to keep Ministry officials from abuse of magic under any circumstance. So, simply put, why not expand the IUM's role to more than just that?"

Some might say this idea of making the IUM more than it was a 'fixation' of mine, she thought, considering all the occasions she had mulled over it, long before she had strode into Mordecai's office like she'd worked there for the past ten years. "I'm sure you may have doubts on how we'd be able to enforce that, and plenty more given the Ministry's, er, turbulent past and the disposition of various predecessors, but that's what I'm here for. More opinions to broaden the horizon of the minds."

Ms Taylor was being appropriately deferment and warm. Persepolis Zephyr observed Taylor quietly evaluating her political effectiveness.  She was performing a self-effacement that was common to women in government, down-playing ambition, acknowledging authority to save superiors face.  Persepolis was familiar with the tactics, hard-learned as they were.  They were necessary, often, but ultimately a sort of self-sabotage.  She'd trust Taylor to do her business, however. Judge her quality of work and ignore any likability maneuvers.

In response to Taylor's assurance she'd be brief, Persepolis waved a hand and muttered, "not at all."  Holmes had scheduled them ample time.   She continued to listen carefully.

Then, "do you have a proposal?"  She was handed a thick packet, which she began to leaf through, inspecting headings.

"This is thorough. Comprehensive. Clearly you've been working hard on this.  I assure you, we'll have a close look at it and involve Rosier whether he likes it or not."

Cameron Rosier was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.  He can from a controversial family and Persepolis having him on board was nearly as disquieting.  But he had major clout outside of the Ministry, even if he didn't play well with others within...

"And he won't," she said sing-song.  "There's always resistance to accountability initiatives."  And that's what this sounded like. Extending the powers of the Improper Use office to include more internal and external oversight of magical ethics.  She sat back in her chair and continued to read, in no rush at all.

"Yes. Yes, this is worth the effort.  Tell me, Ms Taylor, about some specific cases.  What kind of thing are we talking about?"