Meeting the Head of Fluffy Fanged Things

Marcus came to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to see the head, Jack Dyllan. As the lift stiopped and a fleet of interdepartmental paper airplanes flew out, Marcus walked slowly into the level. The department was busy, he was sure of that. He was usually fast moving but he had developed a cold and couldn't stop sneezing or coughing. As he approached the receptionist, he blowed his nose on a tissue.

"I'm here to see the head of the department."

"State your name and business," she said simply.

"Marcus Dakota, head of the department of magical law enforcement," Marcus said back to her in a congested tone.

"Very well. She's in her office."

"Thank you."

Marcus continued along the hallway until he reached an office that read "Jaquellene Dyllan, Head of Department". He knocked on the door twice an waited.

Jack loved her office. It was a perfect place to hide out from the strains of working in the cubicles like she had before her promotion. She didn't like the removal from the thick of action, true, for she was not as capable to gague the general atmosphere. But she knew well enough; she was a good judge of character and she also was amicable with the staff. They liked her well enough and wanted to do well.

There was a knock on her door and she perked up, dropping her feet from off of her desk, wiping it quickly with her hand to erase any traces. She raised her wand and said, "Come on in!" She waved her wand and the door opened. Of course, she had arranged this meeting but she had not expected the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to actually be on time.

She stood to meet him and held out a hand for him to shake, saying, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Dakota. I'm Jack Dyllan, feel free to call me Jack. Please sit. Want something to drink?" She gestured out a mini-fridge. She could not go long without her soda.

Marcus entered and he was surprised that the woman in there was around his age. "Thanks," Marcus said while shaking her hand. He took a seat in the chair in front of Jack's desk and took his wand out of his back pocket because it was really bothering his back. He lied it on his chair and he automatically feeling a little better. Jack had offered him a drink.

"Yes please."

Her mini fridge looked awesome. "I need to get one of those in my office," he told Jack. "Very convenient."

Soda was always the cure to everything. But not for this mysterious sickness. Body aches, cold, and a mysterious rash that was spreading on his body and it was turning GREEN! Good thing it was only in areas that weren't visible but Marcus was sure by the end of the week, he would look like an alien.

He settled down into the chair on the opposite side, and they shook hands, Jack making sure her grip was strong and firm as it always was. She knew that first impressions were key, and she was mostly meeting men and needed to prove she was equal and could hold her own. A light, dainty handshake had never been in the cards for her. She could crush someone's fingers if she wanted to.

He said he would like a drink and Jack moved over to the fridge. At his words, she turned her head and glanced over her head, chuckling. "It is an absolute neccessity. Trust me, once you really settle in and everybody is trying to leech every second off of you, having refreshements at hand can pretty much be the difference betwen life and death."

She grabbed a can of soda, one for herself and one for Marcus. She leaned over and set one in front of him and opened her own. "Cheers," she said. She opened her can and took a drink. "So, shall I call you Marcus? How does it feel, running the department?"

"Cheers," Marcus said after her and he took a sip. "It sure can be the difference. Especially how crazy my life can be. I also work at Hogwarts." Marcus scratched his arm, fighting to resist the temptation to impale himself with his fingernails. "Yes, you can call me Marcus," he clarified. "I guess it feels like a big weight is over your shoulders because you're leading an entire department and you're responsible for it. It can be a bit hectic at times."

Marcus took another sip of his soda and set it down on a coaster set in front of him. He scratched his pant leg as invisibly as he could. It was pretty embarrassing about what was happening. Marcus hated when the worst things happened at the most important times. It was ridiculous!

"So Jack, how long have you been running this department?"

Jack shook her head at his words. "What is it, with the department Heads. I own two places around Diagon. The others all have second and third jobs too. You'd think the hell of having to organize interns and monitor meetings would be enough for some people, but you and I are proof otherwise." She took another drink of her soda, happily letting the soda wash her tired throat. Marcus approved of her casual greeting, for which Jack was glad. She hated going around saying 'Mr. Blah Blah' and "Ms Yada Yada' to people she had to deal with on a daily basis. She prefered a casual approach to work.

She nodded at his words. "An apt description." She had begun taking pain potion at night for her back which knotted and twisted painfully during the days. She was certain it was the nasty combination of all of the strenous physical toil she enacted as well as the stress of her hectic life slowly tearing her limb for limb. "Ah, it's been a few months now. I sort of lost track. I've settled in from being the new girl though. Now, I'm in the ranks."