Caroline’s feet shuffled across the hardwood floors, soles scuffing the wood with petulant squeaks muffled by the rustle of cloaks and half stifled yawns. A sense of resignation bound them together; packed like penguins as they oozed towards the elevators, reluctant runners on the last leg of the morning commute.

Her breath caught in her throat, tendrils of icy mist rising around her despite the regular flash of flames as wizards and witches burst into reality. Shifty eyes glittered in the firelight as they searched for an adversary, taught faces relaxing as they gratefully burrowed into the crowd. More than cold kept the group together, a tension stretched over them like clingfilm pulling them tight, holding them close.

These were not days to be alone. You Know Who, the name hung round their necks, a lead weight pulling them down, the crowd a sea of bowed heads staring fixedly at their shoes. Even the ceiling seemed sorrowful, teardrop shapes and downturned mouths of pure gold twisting and undulating across a sky of deep melancholic magenta.

 Without warning she shivered though it had nothing to do with the cold, even as she allowed herself to be carried into the elevators.
 
The office seemed normal. The senior testers huddled around the coffee pot, eyes closed and heads bowed over their cups as if in silent prayer. The juniors held court on the other side, wide eyed and bouncy as they discussed the activities of whoever was currently enduring the wrath of yet another nocturnal excursion into youthful debauchery.

Looking at the centre of the bunch, her eyes widened as she found her usual bleary eyed culprit of a Thursday morning, wide awake and head already bent over a dusty tome and she advanced on him with playful exuberance, creeping forward as he remained intent on his work.

 The desk gave a dull thud as she slammed both hands down but didn’t draw a wince only a wary glance from below his fringe as he looked at her with weary glazed eyes that seemed strangely distant. If he was on something it was something she hadn’t seen before and with this lot she thought she had seen it all.

 “Caracus I thought you told me that Wednesday nights at The Coven was worth the agony”

 He looked at her slightly bemused before giving a weary strained smile his voice short

"Not last night,wasn't feeling it"

She clasped her hands in mocking pride her voice high and eyelashes fluttering

"They grow up so fast"

"Shut up" His face contorted with a dull snarl words snarled in a tone she wasn't sure was sarcastic. He immediately returned to his work and she turned to the group with a questioning eyebrow raised

"Who shoved an owl up his nightshirt" she whispered and Kay,his roomate, gave a shrug of her slender shoulders, blonde hair rippling in the candle light

"Dunno, he's been a cock all morning, Daz think's he's on troll bogies"

Caroline snorted

"Don't be ridiculous, troll bogies can't give you a high"

A smile twitched across David's thin face, emerald eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief

"Exactly, wouldn't you be pissed if someone sold you them to you?"

Caroline's eyes widened and she grabbed the impish face by the ear and dragged him to her desk with a low hiss

"David McIIroy, you may be able to sell stilts to giants but you were born without sense"

The cheeky cocky face twisted in confusion, the smile fading into a question which Caroline answered with a low hiss

"You don't screw with someone who could tear your head off with or without his wand. Caz has a nasty temper at the best of times, so give him his money back and keep him out of sight.You know he's on a final warning."

She gave a small shake of her head releasing the ear of a suddenly twitchy David to flop down at her desk chair with a wan smile. Not even 9 o Clock and she was already at it ; everything was back to norm... no....she shook her head,desperately trying to clear the creeping sensation that everything was far from normal.