So many security failures...

Cobalt didn't like this.

He was reading over a list of security suggestions from some of the other aurors and some of his contacts in the PMC business. It was rather annoying that the auror side of the list had been attached to the message board in the office for months and no one had done anything about it! Who the hell was in charge here?

Sighing, Cobalt ignored the odd looks he was getting for using a ball-point pen instead of a quill. Honestly though, it was much easier to use a ball point when you were doing things like paperwork, it meant that you cut the time it took by at least half. He had started his week at the auror office with a box full of the blasted things but it had taken one drastically reduced paperwork session on his part before the entire box emptied and the others began trying to adjust to using a pen rather than a quill.

He would be damned if that was the only change he would effect around here though.

Looking out at the other ministry employees, Cobalt tried very hard not to see them as sheep to be used on his way to success. He wasn't very successful in that regard but it wasn't like anyone could read his mind.

Just in case, his shields were always up.

Lunchtime. Or, whatever time of day it was. Hugo, if he was going to be honest, wasn’t entirely sure. Nevertheless, he was glad of it because his stomach was howling mournfully inside of him, clearly unamused by however many hours it had been since he’d last indulged it. A midnight raid hadn’t been Hugo’s idea of a good evening spent and the subsequent paperwork had more or less done him in. He was now determined to do as he wished and drown his sorrows in a slice of lasagne and a big lump of chocolate cake.

The seats were taken up by friends and co-workers all bickering together about something or another. As Hugo looked out over them, he found that he couldn’t spot anyone he knew, really. Neither could he actually discern a seat. No, that was a lie. He’d spotted one, far across the room where a man sat looking fairly busy. Hugo wasn’t in a rush to bother him but as his stomach rumbled he knew that in lieu of angering the caterers by stealing back to his office, there was only one place left to sit.

“Hi,” Hugo offered, coming up to the table. He put down his tray and smiled a little before plopping himself down opposite the man. “There’s nowhere else,” he explained, gesturing around the room. “And I’m starving. So, put up with me for a bit, eh? Cheers. I’m Hugo by the way, Hugo Weasley.”

As though to illustrate his point, his stomach rumbled again and Hugo winced before picking up his fork. He stabbed at the salad he’d been given along with chips and his lasagne and ate that quickly before moving onto the chips, sighing softly when he began to fill up. Brilliant, he thought as he munched greedily through the chips. This would do – but perhaps he’d go back for seconds.

Cobalt had to say he was about ready to slam his head on the table in despair but he perked up a little bit when someone actually wanted to move up to the empty seat he had. He raised his coffee in greeting and took a drink,

"Feel free, I doubt anyone else will fight you for the seat after all." he joked with a light smirk, "Somethings never change from school right? New kids always get ignored for the most part."

He set the list of failures down on the table and drank some more of his coffee. Weasley huh? Well there were worse people he could be spending his time with that was for sure,

"If you don't mind me asking, what do you do around this place?" He asked casually, "I've not seen you in the auror's office but I have only just started so forgive me if I should have done."

It seemed strange to Hugo that the Ministry was so very much like Hogwarts. He knew what the other man meant about being left to your own devices when first starting. Only, Hugo had been desperate for it when he’d started at Hogwarts. The reputation of his parents and his aunt and uncle preceded him and he was expected to be just as brilliant. He’d not disappointed, not really, but he could have done without all of the input from his co-workers. He knew that eventually everyone would warm to this bloke. The department of law enforcement was the funniest one of the lot – everyone was unnecessarily surly.

“It’ll look up, soon,” he promised glibly, picking up the coffee he’d gotten along with the food. “They’re all arseholes, anyway,” he shrugged his shoulder. “Makes sense though. No one’s happy and cheery after a while.” He shrugged his other shoulder and smiled a little before putting down his coffee after a few mouthfuls, returning to the lasagne which he dug into happily.

Looking up, Hugo raised an eyebrow, a hesitant smile lifting the side of his mouth. He swallowed the mouthful of lasagne he had and wiped at his lips with the back of his hand, taking another sip of coffee before venturing after an answer.

“I’m an obliviator,” he explained. “I take the memories of Muggles away if they see magic or from witnesses who want peace of mind.” He took another sip of coffee. “It’s not for everyone,” he admitted. “What about you? You’re a law enforcement officer aren’t you?”

Cobalt chuckled a little bit. It likely would look up in the end but right now he didn't hold out much hope of that. A select group of the aurors had come over to try and warn him: apparently they had thought he would be trouble due to his reputation as a Para Military Contractor.

He'd only broken one of their arms and warned them that he was their superior officer and if they had an issue with that then they would find a lot of broken bones in their near future.

He doubted it would be a quick journey to acceptance,

"Well I think I might have them beat in that category." he joked a little bit, at his own expense. People tended to respond better to you if you were less serious, "You seem to be doing a better job than most at keeping happy... enough to even sit next to a newbie!"

Ah.

An obliviator huh? Well this was definitely was a meeting that Cobalt could enjoy. Finishing his coffee, he hummed,

"An interesting career choice... not something a lot of people choose but it's rather complicated isn't it? Delicate?" he asked before smacking his forehead lightly with his hand, "Where are my manners?"

He held his hand out for the other man to take,

"My name is Julius Smith - but everyone calls me Cobalt."