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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 29, 2009 0:26:41 GMT -5
Carefully spinning the half-filled mug in her hands, Madison regarded the sloshing liquid inside - hot chocolate, made rather strongly gauging by the smell wafting from it. It had gone cold about fifteen minutes previous, but that fact was one of the farthest things from her mind. Off of work for about an hour and a half at that point, she was vainly trying to relax after a particularly long day of running around - following reports that were very disturbing. Not ready to go home either mentally or emotionally, she had stopped for late lunch and had been sitting there ever since. The food was long gone, but she was still no more ready to go back to Grimmauld Place than she was to go back to work the next day.
Being an Auror wasn't as cracked up as it was supposed to be in that day of age, but Madison was now sucked into the work as surely as she was thirty-two. Often wondering why she followed that dream in the first place, this occasion was no different. Time was all she had, so she took it to get lost to her own thoughts.
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 29, 2009 9:12:41 GMT -5
Coralie pulled a few galleons out of her pocket- cursing herself inside for doing it- and walked into her favorite cafe, letting the nice cool air inside hit her cheeks. She was working a double shift at the Quidditch shop that day, and she was a little frustrated. There were all sorts of people in the shop, demanding answers on their questions and tearing apart displays, but it seemed no one ever bought anything. That was the problem with students getting ready to go back to school. Perhaps that was the reason for Coralie's glum mood- the idea of school in general.
She nodded when the barista asked if she was getting her usual, and Cora stared at the pastries behind the glass longingly. She shouldn't have been indulging in the coffee, either, since money was tighter than usual due to the twins going back to school. Not that Remus would have been angry that she had treated herself.
She paid for her coffee and took the steaming mug, looking around for an empty table. Her eyes caught on a familiar face, however, and Cora couldn't help but smile. "Hey, mind if I join you?"
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 29, 2009 10:54:28 GMT -5
Coming out of her self-imposed reverie when she heard a familiar voice, Madison glanced up to see who had spoken. Seeing Coralie across the room, she managed a somewhat tired smile and waved a hand to motion her over, "There's plenty of room." While she hadn't really factored in company, let alone seeing anyone she knew at this time of the afternoon, she also knew she needed to do more than just sit there and stare at nothing. Plus, the thought of getting her mind off of work, even if just for a little while, was a definite relief.
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 29, 2009 21:17:48 GMT -5
Coralie flopped into the chair across from Madison and let out a small, relieved sigh that she was finally able to get off of her feet for more than a few minutes. "So what brings you here? You surely can't still be working." Cora took a sip of her coffee and made a small face as she burnt her tongue, but it gave her an oppurtunity to really look at her friend. "No offense, but you look pretty down today- what's up?"
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 29, 2009 21:38:51 GMT -5
"What's not up any more?" Giving a smile that was lightly touched with a bitter edge, Madison set the mug of cold cocoa aside, folding both hands on the tabletop. Though she had an urge to be doing something with her hands, she kept them both still - rather miraculous with her nerves shot to hell.
"I hate to bring it up, but before I get started with my little rant session, how about we start out with how we're both doing?" It was a rare occasion when Madison saw Coralie now, what with how busy they both were at their respective jobs, so the first part of their conversation sessions usually entailed catching up on the new details.
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 29, 2009 22:08:56 GMT -5
Cora raised a brow at Madison- she was used to being the one with the sardonic edge in their group, to see someone else beating her out was a little frightening.
"I suppose we can do that- and don't think I'll forget. Well, let's see.... I work like a madwoman all day, I spend money I don't have on overpriced coffee-" here she raised her mug with an ironic salute- "I'm fighting with my husband, annnnndd I have no social life to speak of. But, all things considered, I'm in a fabulous mood. What about you? How's dear Siri and the kids? Better yet- what's up with you?"
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 29, 2009 23:10:46 GMT -5
"Fighting with your husband?" It was Madison's turn to raise an eyebrow, as the thought of that made her want to snort. Their relationship rarely ever led to blow-ups and arguments, two things she was used to with her own husband. It was just a part of their relationship dynamic at times. Shaking her head, she decided not to wait for an answer before giving hers.
"Siri's his usual self, we aren't fighting though, miraculously. The kids are great, when they aren't fighting like cats and dogs." She smiled dryly and sat back, folding her hands behind her head and lacing her fingers together. "Now, what's up with me..to be to the point about it, my job is driving me insane."
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 30, 2009 9:07:31 GMT -5
Coralie smirked at Madison's doubtful look. "Believe me, it sounds funny to me, too. But, alas, it's true." Cora took a long drink of her coffee, swirling it around on her tongue before swallowing. Ah, bliss.
"With parents like you two, how could they not fight?" She teased lightly. She did raise a brow at Madison's comment, however. "What's wrong with work, aside from the usual surrounded-by-idiots-and-baddies that tends to run in the Ministry?"
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 30, 2009 18:48:08 GMT -5
"As you seem insistant on hearing my problems right now, I'm making a point to ask about yours when we end this part of the conversation." Leveling the other woman with a look that proved she meant that, Madison then breathed a sigh and tightly pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers, hedging in answering as she tried to figure out how to do so.
"It's not so much work, but all that goes with it right now. All the talk of tighter security, our department's constantly overrun with outlandish requests for protection and security jobs, and the Minister himself is threatening placing each and every one of us on rotating patrol duty when Hogwarts starts up again to be sure nothing happens to the students. I would like to think he's being pressured by Dumbledore, but I know that's not the reason. He wants all the Aurors to do the job of a department ten times the size it actually is, and I don't know how long most of us can keep this up." Once done, she let out a breath and gave a soft, slightly sardonic laugh. "We're not super-human, and I just don't understand what they expect."
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 30, 2009 20:01:49 GMT -5
"Wow, and I thought be a saleswitch was rough. At least my jobs keep normal hours." Coralie finished off her cup of coffee and sighed absently, running her finger around the rim. "Well... shifts can't be that bad, can they? At least you'll only have to worry about being responsible for a certain amount of hours. You can go home and spend time with Siri." Suddenly Cora's eyes lit up and she blinked at Madison. "Wait... you'd never have to wonder what was going on at the school... Maddie, you'd be in the school. You'd be the first to know if anything happened to our children..."
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 30, 2009 20:22:10 GMT -5
"Shifts are shot to hell and back now, too. As I said, each and every one of us in that department has to do the job of several people in any given day." That was a point she was getting caught on, as she had just managed to get off earlier that day because there were fewer reports coming in. On most days recently, that hadn't been the case. "I'm lucky if I get off before nine, and I'm going in at four am.
Struck by the sudden shift in subject, she frowned and looked across at Coralie. "Technically, yes. Why do you..?" It hit her a moment later what was probably being implied. "You want me to keep tabs on all our kids, don't you?"
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 31, 2009 14:26:46 GMT -5
Coralie gave a delighted laugh, the most lighthearted she had sounded in years. "Maddie, you just solved all of my problems! Granted, if I could be there instead I would be much happier, but you're the next best thing!" Coralie resisted the urge to jump up and down shouting, and instead reigned in her excitement long enough to explain herself.
"Remus and I have been fighting about sending the twins back to school. I don't want them to go because I can't be around to protect them, but with you there... I know you won't let anything happen to them. Maddie, you just solved everything!"
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 31, 2009 19:40:07 GMT -5
Inclined to think about this for a moment, Madison smiled in a rather bemused manner. It was the explanation she had been waiting for, but she hadn't expected it to come out so quickly. "You're..welcome, then." She didn't miss the relief in her friend's voice and even her appearance, and it at least made the knowledge that her work would be doing others good.
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Post by Coralie Rianne Lupin on Aug 31, 2009 19:43:08 GMT -5
Cora grinned, looking much younger now that her worry over her children was eased. She propped her chin up with her hand, unable to wipe away the small smile on her lips. "Anything I can do for you- even more than usual- you just have to ask, Madison. You've seriously just solved all of my family's problems in the span of less than ten minutes. I am so indebted to you."
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Post by Madison Renée Black on Aug 31, 2009 23:06:04 GMT -5
"Keep that up, Cora, and you're going to inflate my ego to Sirius level." Smirking, Madison leaned foward and folded her arms on the table, now feeling more relaxed - or more than she had, at least. "I'm not indebted to you, either. I'll be doing my job both as an Auror and a mother. Plus, I get to help friends. That's why I wanted this job in the first place."
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