Up in an Elevator (OPEN)

[emmeline]

It had been almost 3 years since she had stepping foot on English soil; stepping out of the bright green flames, her trunk floating behind her Emmeline Morgan tried to decided if her return was such a good idea, if the wands currently pointing at her face were anything to go by things were still not going well for her home country. She had been reading the papers while she had been away so she knew about the muggle attacks and the random wizards being killed but she never thought it had gotten so bad.

Offering the group of red robed wizards before her a small smile she quickly answered the questions they asked her before handing over her wand for inspection, they wouldn't find much, she hadn't used her wand for a while, it was dangerous to use magic in the middle of an ancient newly discovered temple and that is where she had come from, she still had dust and spider webs in her hair for the proof of it.
"Excuse me but is it normal to treat returning English people this way or is it just the women? Is the ministry now sexist as well is rude?" She glared at the wands still aimed her way until their owners slowly lower them; grabbing her wand offered to her by the short wizard who had asked for it not 2 minutes ago Emmeline glared at the man also for good measure before pushing her way though the group making sure to let her luggage bump into a few knees as it followed behind her.

"Really, like anyone planning to attack would come though the floo network, they would be better of watching the aperation points or at least the lifts" Her robes drifting behind her Emmeline headed toward the large golden lifts, she had a few places to visit before she left the ministry today, starting with the shop licensing department.
Ignoring the glares off the people her luggage bumped into Emmeline slipped into the closing doors of the first elevator, not taking tot he time noticed who was in until the lift started moving slowly up "Afternoon" She greeted as she noticed the other occupant.

Her appearance

[severus snape]

It was stil school term, but Severus had managed to obtain permission from Horace Slughorn to visit the Ministry Potions and Ingredient licensing Body on the fifth floor, under the department for International Magical Co-operation, the Trading Standards office. Ostensibly it was to gain a greater understanding of the hard work required to "achieve such a highly regarded professional position, such as your own, Professor." The fact that Severus was not known for flattery and that Slughorn enjoyed having his ego stroked as much as he enjoyed his crystallised pineappple had meant he had been permitted to journey, chaperoned, to the atrium, at which point, Professor Slughorn had decided Severus was responsible enough and could be left alone.

That was why, at this very moment, Severus was waiting in the Golden lift for the doors to close, and hoping no more security wizards wanted to subject him to a probity probe. The witch in front of him hadn't given satisfactory answers so had been taken into a side office. Severus had consequently been exceedingly nervous but due to still having the Trace on him, passed through the security easily. He glanced down at himself, essentially in his school uniform, save for the slytherin tie had been replaced with a plain grey one. HE wanted to give Porcius a continued good impression after all. The man was TAnith's father, and while he might not work entirely within the rules his office set out, Severus had to at least pretend to. The real reason he was here was of course to secure a work placement, not to simply wander around and be a tea boy again.

When a witch and several items of magical luggage entered the lift, he glanced over at her, trying to work out her profession. Perhaps a curse breaker...she looked rather a lot like she was the sort to go smashing through deadly curses without a bat of her eyelashes. OR she could be a hit wizard with evidence in the suitcases. HE faced the front again quickly. Best not to irritate her. OR get in her way. She looked quite busy. And clearly well-off, from the style of her robes.

At her greeting he turned back to look at her. "Good afternoon." He responded glad that his voice had finally settled into quite a low tone even if he didn't have much stubble at all yet.

As the lift ascended he looked up at the memos flying above them then back to the mystery witch. He knew it wouldn't take long to rectiy the error if she was going to a different floor, but still, it was polite to ask. "This is going up to the fifth floor...."

[emmeline]

As her luggage stacked itself neatly at her left Emmeline slowly took in the appearance of the other, despite what her first impression had been the guy didn't appear to be any older than 18, his black robes looked suspiciously like the ones she herself had worn while at school in fact. Not really one to make assumptions based on image Emmeline didn't bother to indulge her thoughts in trying to guess who the guy was and instead fasted her attention on the slowly moving dial above the elevator doors, it was slowly moving from 1 to 2 when the guy beside her broke the short silence.

"I'm sure" She noted, she had never been good at small talk so she wasn't sure what she would say if the other decided to keep a conversation going, she did know what she wanted to know now though and if her memory of the ministry building was still up to date that mean this boy worked with potions 'fantastic, here for 10 minutes and already I meet someone to connect through' "And you work on that floor do you?" She asked, trying not to sound to interested even if she was itching to give her name and the addresses of her new shops.

Even if the guy didn't look very old Emmeline was very much aware that age didn't prove talent so in her mind it was completely logical to assume the guy worked in the approaching department. Out of the corner of her eye Emmeline saw the thin needle on the dial move slowly from 2 to 3.

Comment: he could work in Emmeline's shop maybe? some weekends?

[severus snape]

H e watched her luggage stack itself neatly and organised ina pile. She was clearly quite good at charms, so the curse breaker theory still held, as did the Hitwizard or Auror theory. He was so curious about the contents of those suitcases...but curiosity killed the cat, and Severus did not want to be that cat.

Severus felt a little offended by the sudden and short answer. He shouldn't have since he hiself was no social expert, but he supposed that since he'd actually made the effort to try adn talk to her it stung slightly that she was such an ice queen. HE should have known that wherever he went people would be hostile. HE slouched slightly in teenage angst and misery, before remembering that he was trying to appear adult, so he straightened back up again when, much to his surprise she spoke again.

"uh...No. Not personally. I...I know one of the Heads of Department. And was on my way to speak to him about a future in his particular line of work." She clearly worked with Potions the floor number confirmed it, but now that he thought about it he could just smell the faint scent of various ingredients. Something he knew clung to him as well, no matter how hard he scrubbed away.

HE knew from her question though that she couldn't be a ministry regular then, or she would have recognised him or not as an employee, not guessed at it. She could be a valuable contact...

"Severus Snape."He offered his hand, not quite ready to explain that he was a student until he could make her take him seriously.

[emmeline]

As the elevator moved slowly up toward both their destinations Emmeline cast a quick charm to collect the spider webs out of her hair, she wasn't daft enough the banish free ingredients, the loose ball of spider web hovered silently before her as she just as quickly searched her robe pocket for a jar to put them in, finding one she sent a silent thank you to who ever invented endless pockets. Nodding to herself Emmeline placed the now sealed jar on top of the rest of her luggage knowing her charms would automatically include the extra weight.

Turning to glance at the dial over the doors it was almost as much as a surprise as the first time to guy spoke when she saw his hand pushed out toward her and his name still echoing though her mind "Pleased to meet you Mister Snape" She offered as she took a hold of the mans thin white hand "My name is Emmeline Morgan" She almost expected to hear the gasp she had become accustomed to off the people in Greece when she said her name, she had released a few potions papers over the last year that had left the greek potion masters in awe all because she had used a few common muggle herbs in place of magical ones to increase shelf life of a couple of snake venom antidotes...she didn't see why they thought it was such a big thing what she did she did purely out of self preservation, she didn't fancy waited 3 hours while a potions was brewed to save her life after being bitten by a snake so she had shared a bit of her knowledge.

She didn't expect anyone here to know about it though since the research had been in greek but she still expected a flash of recognition for some reason "My name is Emmeline Morgan" She added, making sure to smile when she had finished saying her name "Tell me Mister Snape, what is your level of experience?" She couldn't help but ask especially not now she had seen and felt the mans hands, she would know a potioniers hands from a paper pushers anywhere.

[severus snape]

Se3verus watched her gather up all the cobwebs and subtly summoned a few strands to his hand, pocketing them so that he might be able to deduce through analysis just where it was she'd been. Or at least he'd know what kind of spiders she had in her house. MAybe he'd be a little closer to figuring out her job.

He noted that her hands were slighlty roughened as she shhook his hand, and wondered again at her profession. The mystery witch was clearly someone who worked with her hands, though he doubted she was a labourer from her elegant frame. Perhaps she was a Potions Specialist then. Did she know Porcius? PErhaps if Porcius wouldn't agree to giving him decent work experience he could try and peruade her to give him a chance, particularly if she worked somewhere slightly less dreary than the Department for Regulation of Potions and Poisons. Oh god..If he could get a research placement....

"My name is Emmeline Morgan." Severus froze midway through the handshake, mouth ever so slighlty open. He was shaking the hand of Emmeline Morgan. The Emmeline Morgan.
Right...Be mature. Be sensible, And make sure you dont' make her think you're an idiotic child.
Severus had forgotten, however that his not-quite-so-inner-after-all fanboy was just as geeky as he was on the outside.

"I read about your research on snake antivenin. I had to translate from the greek but from what I read it was-" HE managed to rein in his overwhelming ethusiasm and attemtped to sound more serious. "ground-breaking...."

"uh" He didn't rerally want to tell her that he was still a student...But he did want her to know that he had talent. "Not anywhere near your own, Ms. Morgan..." He could tell her about his 'extra-curricular study' but make it sound more offical and project like. "
Well..I'm currently working on improving the recipes in Libatius Borage's 1857 Advanced Potion-Making. I've shortened the brewing times for Polyjuice y five days." THat last was s hsameless attetmpt to impress her. HE wasn't sure he should mention his illegal brewing of eritaserum. Polyjuice was restricted, but that was only imprisonable for supply or possession, and since severus no longer possessed any, nor had he supplied anyone, he supposed he was safe from the law on that front. Not quite with Veritaserum though. Perhaps later when she appreciated that he was skilled.

[emmeline]

She honestly hadn't expected the man to recognize her name and the fact that he had and have even commented upon her work left her almost speechless, she had always known British potions masters to be extremely patriotic even when it came to reading papers by others in the same field.

For sure she was of English blood but she had given the work to the potions council in Greek and that in her mind crossed of any publishing of her work here and still this man knew her, had an idea of what she must have gone though to get herself heard, especially considering the Greek government in power right now was actively hunting and killing any muggle they thought knew or even thought once that there was real magic and it lived among them...it was one of the reasons Emmeline had left the country so quickly as she had no wish to kill muggles just as she had no wish to welcome them into her life with open arms.

Releasing the hand she realized she still held Emmeline made as small curtsy "Thank you, I will admit I didn't expect you to know me" She confided as she stood up fully. With her hands now free Emmeline stepped back slightly so so could take in the mans full appearance at once not bothering to be subtle now as they where nearing the floor where she would be leaving "You research potions?" She asked once Severus had stopped talking, her interest in the other jumped higher as she absorbed this fact and even more he had modified Polyjuice!

It wasn't a new idea, Emmeline herself had tried to shorten the brewing time of that particular potions (along with swapping a few ingredients around but she didn't like to think of that since a sip of that particular potion had had her running around naked in the middle of the red light district in Amsterdam for 2 nights convinced she was a werewolf) her best attempt had given her two hours as the other person rather than one; after here visit to Amsterdam though she had left the potion alone and she knew of n one else with enough knowledge of the potion to try anything with it.

What she really wanted to know now though was his level of training, maybe if his job hunt didn't go well today she would be able to help him out, she didn't think she would struggle even with 3 shops but it was always nice to have company, especially if things went wrong.
"Your work sounds interesting Mister Snape, I would love to hear more about it, maybe we could exchange some notes" She glanced at the dial over the doors, it was passing slowly over the number four.

[severus snape]

Severus didn't hold by this idea that countries should hold onto their own potions knowledge. What if the Chinese finally managed to crack that Vampire Repelling potion that lasted for 5 years? Britain would be begging to know about it.

He paused. He did research them, quite regularly actually since a lot of the recent homeworks had involved greater breadth and depth of knowledge than was attained in the lessons. He nodded, "Yes, when I get the time." He needed to tell her soon, they were nearly on the fifth floor and he still needed to get details of where to contact her.

His work was interesting? how? She was a well recognised- internationally recognised Potions Mistress. He was a sixth year student with no friends, who only turned to potions because they didn;t laugh at him.m Well actually..he did have one or two friends.
"I- That would be very acceptable." HE nodded seriously and tucked his tie in slightly more. "Do you have any contact details I should use?" hmm... A slytherin Idea had presented itself to him. "If you ever wish to contact me, Porfessor Horace Slughorn can put you in touch with me.." He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, ignorant of the fact that it had a note from Slughorn about his NEWT choices on the back, and wrote his name on it with a pencil.

Severus Tobias Snape .

Should he ask her....Shouldn't he?...maybe there was a little gryffindor in him after all.
"I..I'm still at Hogwarts. As a student."

[emmeline]

She had pulled out a small white card with her details on before the other had finished his sentence. She had been worried about returning to England after so long, she hadn't bothered to keep in contact with anyone after school so she had no one to talk to or even meet up for lunch with. Not the she minded time to herself but after being surrounded by people for the last few years she knew silence would get old quickly.

With her contact card in hand she held her hand out for the small slip of parchment the other held, it was a bit odd for an adult to give out their details in such a school boy manner but she wasn't interested in that right now. The idea of getting someone in to help her who knew something about potions was more important for now. That and if she could get him to agree it meant she wouldn't have to suffer though 100's of interviews with arrogant potion master who thought themselves to be better because they were male and so a 'lowly woman'
'Sexist pigs.'
-
She froze, honestly what else could she do, the man before had just claimed to be a student, a boy. She didn't know if she believed him or not. On the one hand if she did believe him than she was admitting that a boy half her age was better at potions then she was, because it would be true. Anyone who can modify a potion like polyjuice at Hogwarts level was sure to be an amazing potions master.
Bu then if she didn't believe then she would need to ask why he would lie and basically call him in a lie. Still though, who lies about their age and makes themselves a teenager?

"I see" She replied finally after a short pause "In that case," She became silent again as she glanced quickly down at the card still held in her hand "I think it would be best if you were to ask permission before you came to visit me" She smiled at the boy as she slipped her contact card into the others hand "I hope to have my shop in Hogsmeade open by next weekend" She added thinking the information might be useful

[severus snape]

Severus took the contact card, perhaps a little too reverently. But this was Emmeline Morgan. How could he have thought her an Auror. She was clearly far too intelligent for that sort of thing.Though he'd always imagined her to be much stricter and more serious looking. Older too, even though the remarks on her youth and expertise were often made at the same time whenever Vilenius Garridan of the Potions Gazetteer decided to use her as an example of how some women could make 'passable' potions masters, but still shouldn't have been allowed to become one due to feminie sensibilities, and too many emotions interfering with logical detached research. Severus didn't know what feminine sensibilities really were of how they could interfere so greatly with research, but the latter point was a valid one. IF it proved true. And for Emmeline Morgan, it didn't seem to be.


Damn. He could see her freeze for a moment. He'd really put his foot in it now. She probably wouldn't believe him. He stood there, looking like the schoolby he was and awaiting judgement. He hated the fact that people couldn't look past his age. Some people only started experimenting with potions after seventh year, and when they were twenty, they'd be taken more seriously than him, even though he'd been experimenting since second year as soon as they had started to learn proper theory.

But no...She hadn't laughed or patted him on the head. She...Believed him? Thank god.
"Oh I will...I'm sure Professor Slughorn wouldn't have any objections though. After all, you'd be an ideal candidate to explain wha being a Potions Master is really like." And then she said something that put a slight upwards quirk on his determined thin lips. An apothecary in Hogsmeade that was specialised to be just that and not a mixed shop, was exactly what he ha dbeen wishing for. He didn't have much money to fritter away on Sweets and joke quills, so he was glad to have somewhere that at the very least he could restock his supplies of imp gall.
"I'll be sure to visit. Where is it opening?" He enquired, slipping the card into his pocket.

[emmeline]

She smiled at the nervous looking boy "You know the small dead end street along the side of the Hogshead?" She didn't expect a negative answer so she continued "My apothecary is at the end of that road" She stopped to reach for the slip of parchment Severus had written his name on "I shall contact your Professor and make sure you can leave the schools grounds this weekend regardless of there being a Hogsmeade trip" She glanced at the spider script on the slip, she was lucky she could read it. But then it would be odd if she couldn't since the handwriting was similar to her own and it would be daft if she couldn't read her own writing.

"Is that okay with you Mister Snape?" She asked, she didn't want to seem rude by organizing everything around him just because he had come clean about his age. She wanted to show him that her opinion of him hadn't changed just because he was a student. She was still interested in hearing about his work and she planned to pick his brain, so to speak, if he did turn up at her shop.

"What do you say to 2pm this Saturday? You can help me set up and take stock." She also intended for him to help her with the over flow of potions requests she had gotten from her two other shops; that was only if he turned out to be as good as he sounded.
As soon as she stopped talking the doors to the elevator sprang open to reveal the busy corridor that lead to the Potions Department. Floor five.

Glancing at Severus she offered him her hand to shake "It was nice talking with you, let me know if Saturday is not practical for you so we can rearrange"

COMMENT: I'll start the topic over there now ;-)