"Miss Quinn" he always liked to do that, press people's buttons and watch the rage bubble inside them, smirk as they fought against it either through fear or just a sense of common decency he didn't share. Already up to her full height, she felt herself deflate slightly, even as anger filled her, simmering below the service. 

 "-Do you not think we have extra work ourselves? Whilst you're in there dealing with home-brews and awful spells everyone stopped using, some of us are rushing around catching Snatchers and tracking down the sudden increase in werewolf cases."

The anger bubbled closer to boiling point, his cruel dismissal of her work and she opened her mouth but he overrode her, his tone resigned

 "However, if I feel this lot can't save their own skin when it comes to simple protective magic, I'll be out the door by 5:15." 

She held her smile within her anger gone because for all his petty jibes she knew she had him and better still he knew it.

 "I suggest a briefing wouldn't go amiss. Although keeping it solely within the department is a good idea.... " he hesitated opening the door for her to reenter the room with a gruffI'd rather this not be a waste of my time. This sort of thing tends to be if people aren't prepared." she opened her mouth for a smug parting shot but stopped he halfway through, closing the door again and speaking in a hushed whisper

"Do you not think perhaps more specific spells should be mentioned? I've already had four reports this week of things I'd rather others didn't know." 

She felt a chill run down her spine. She had heard rumours, they all had, and she had believed many of them, yet the solemn face before her, tired eyes that had seen too much even as they drank hers in was enough to tell her that the rumours were but a fraction of the truth. Nott was a tough man and for him to be feeling the strain said it was worse than they could have dreamed out there.

Anger and gloating happiness evaporated and she started to reach out, to touch him on the shoulder but thought better of it instead speaking in hushed tones

"However bad it is out there, I'm glad we have men like you protecting us, George" the name felt alien on her tongue but she ignored it continuing in a more business like tone

"As much as I'm a fan of transparency, if you starting teaching us curses to deal with specific threats every person in there will read a reason into it. They will assume it is because a hoard of god knows what foul manifestation is baring down upon us. By 9am next morning it will be spread through the ministry, by 5pm tomorrow what started as an innocent idea will have caused full scale panic."

her mouth twisted as she thought, sucking on the inside of her cheek

"best you teach us to defend ourselves against humans, everyone knows there are snatchers and worse about even if the ministry denies it and.... Dementors" her voice quivered

"everyone here knows they have abandoned azkaban even if the public don't. I think that will make everyone rest a little easier just feeling they have a chance to protect themselves"

Her tone became hushed again her voice hesitant, concern forcing her to ask what she would rather not know, what she did not want to have to face

"Is it that bad out their? I was only a child when it happened last time, but I..." her lip quivered " I remember... is it like last time?