A Surprise Visit - Julian Kaiser's Office

Nicole Archer wandered around the Auror offices. She knew who she was looking for, but wasn't sure how to find Julian Kaiser or whether or not he was even in. For all she knew Vinzent had dragged him off somewhere. Although she was there primarily to see Julian, the witch couldn't help but take a look around. The woman was still considering switching from a pub security guard to undergoing the required training to become an auror. Despite her magical issues, Nicole wanted to at least see what might be available for her in the field at some point.

A quiet sigh and a large smile twisted Nicole's mouth as she read the nameplate on the door denoting the space within was Julian's cubicle. The witch considered knocking but decided better of it and opened the door just enough to poke her head in.

The room was empty.

Nicole's face fell a little to see that Julian was away. She reasoned that he could be in the loo, or had a meeting, or something else and would be back shortly. Then again, like previously thought, the wizard could be out on assignment and ergo occupied for the entire day. Deciding not to stand around like an idiot the witch went inside.

It was a curious little place. Still decidedly what she considered 'Julian-esque' but yet it was something new she felt she hadn't seen before. Nicole stepped through the office with mindful care not to disturb anything as she walked around the desk to where Julian would have typically been seated. That looked like the perfect spot for the little gift she had brought.

Although Nicole could not cook a meal to save her life on an open stove (open grill was do-able, but stove? Forget it), she did have some knowledge on making chocolates. Her favorite ones to make had an alcohol-based filling and resembled the chocolatey-creamy goodness of a Cadbury Creme Egg. They weren't all egg-shaped: some were circles, others squares, and so forth. She had made quite a few not that long ago. Despite being more than capable of polishing them off by herself, Nicole decided it was high time she shared her only culinary talent with her new-found boyfriend.

The two-dozen chocolates were in a magically-enhanced box to keep them cold and had been enchanted to shrink and expand by way of a spatial sensoring charm, all magical aides compliments of Lori. On top of the box was taped a note to Julian:

Juli,

Made some of these the other night, and thought I'd share. You might want to wait until after work, however, and as adorable as Vi is I don't recommend you share these with her. You'll see what I mean soon enough.

Enjoy!

Nini

Nicole sincerely hoped she'd spelled correctly the intimate nickname Julian had given her. It looked right to her. For several moments the witch smiled at her handiwork. She could just picture Julian puzzling over the note and daring himself to not heed the precaution. The mental image made her chuckle.

With one last glance around the room, Nicole decided it would be in her best interest to get home. She didn't need anyone to catch her in here and assume her reasons were malevolent. Normally she didn't care what other people thought, but this was the law we're talking about here. Besides, there were a few brochures out in the main hall Nicole wanted to collect.

Not paying attention to anything but her own thoughts, Nicole reached for the doorknob...

Most people tended to hate Mondays -- the start of the work week, the relief of the weekend so far as to seem like a dream -- but considering that Julian didn't get the traditional five-day work week to begin with, he didn't really mind them. No, what he hated the most were Tuesdays, because Tuesdays meant paperwork, and he was quite agreed with his colleague Berlynn Stabler in her attitude towards paperwork. Adding in the fact that Vinzent could easily be described as a positive fanatic about filing every tiny little detail into it's proper place, and Tuesdays were the stuff of nightmares.

Which explained his third trip down to the little cafe on the next floor, despite the fact that it was only about 2 in the afternoon -- and he had a cup of coffee at home, and on the way in to work. It was actually a pretty terrible habit he'd picked up from Berlynn -- hiding liquor in coffee cups -- but he reasoned that as he only did it on paperwork days rather than when he was out on the job, it wasn't really harming anyone. It didn't have any noticeable effect on his work, anyway, and Vinzent didn't complain about it any more or less than usual since he'd started doing it. It wasn't like he got rip roaring drunk -- just buzzed enough to make the task bearable.

So when he reached out to open the door to his little domain in the Auror's Office, only for the door to be opened from the other side, Julian had a mini heart attack, thinking that Vinzent had dropped by and had now caught him smuggling in a pint of lager disguised as a latte. When his visitor quickly proved to be of a much more pleasant stripe, Julian's expression shifted from fear to pure joy so quickly it was almost comical. In his rush to get his arms around Nicole, he nearly spilled his drink all over her, and hastily he caught the cup just as it began to tip.

In one remarkably fluid motion, he practically threw the cup onto a cluttered side desk, caught Nicole around the waist and brought her with him as he whirled around in half a circle, kicking the door shut. In another moment he was kissing her very enthusiastically, picking her up slightly and leaning her against the door, holding her there with his body so that for once, their height difference wasn't an obstacle.

Nicole started when a tall, masculine body stood in her way. For a brief terror-filled moment she thought it was Vinzent coming to speak with an absent Julian. Her hand had just nicely gripped the pistol hidden at her side when she realized it was none other than Julian himself. Nicole immediately halted the potentially hostile gesture and flung her hand away from the weapon as discreetly as possible.

It was hilarious seeing what looked like fear instantly melt away to happiness upon Julian's face. Had Nicole any notion to have laughed then she would have. As it was she was rather caught up in the moment when Julian hurried inside. It did not escape Nicole's eagle eye that he had coffee and in his excitement and joy to see her seemed nearly about to spill it.

"Mind your...!" she began, not wanting to have an impromptu drink-shower, but was instantly cut off by several sudden actions that happened almost too fast for her to register. It seemed like in an instant the coffee was gone and Julian's arms were around her. A squeal of delight slightly quieted only for the sake of the public left the witch as Julian whiled her around. She barely heard the door close and didn't care how it happened just so long as it happened. Nicole noticed then that she was quite effectively lifted off the floor a little ways and pressed against the door, held there by Julian's physique. That was certainly one way to resolve the matter of height! Nicole had no complaints whatsoever.

The rush of seconds that had ticked by at breakneck speed, being pinned to the door as she was, and the fact she was very close to saying she loved Julian all contributed to giving Julian an equally passionate greeting of her own. With no thought to time or place one of Nicole's hands ran itself through Julian's hair. Her other arm wrapped around his shoulders. It hadn't been that long since she last saw Julian, but by her actions and thoughts Nicole had to admit she had missed him.

It took Julian a rather long moment to remember that there was probably some reason for Nicole's unexpected visit -- other than to indulge in a rather inappropriate-for-the-workplace make out session. Not that Julian minded, obviously: he welcomed and encouraged it. However, having come to that conclusion, he reluctantly pulled his lips away from where they'd made their way to the hollow of Nicole's throat so he could meet her eyes. His own eyes were still rather darkened with lust, and he kept his hip firmly pressed against hers, keeping her pinned fast to the wall, but other than that he was on his best behaviour.

...well, maybe that wasn't exactly his best behaviour, but somehow he doubted she'd hold it against him. It was a struggle for him not to be distracted by the immediate physical contact and remember that she very likely had something to say. Julian steadied himself with one hand against the door, letting the other take its time travelling down her side before it finally came to rest on her waist. Forming a coherent sentence while staring into her eyes was clearly not going to happen judging by how easily he was distracted by her, although to be fair, he was rather loosened up by the contraband liquor he'd been smuggling in his coffee cup all morning. He clenched his jaw and turned his lips towards her ear, tearing his eyes away from hers very unwillingly.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he murmured thickly, brushing his lips against her jawline. Yup, hopelessly distracted would just about cover it! It would be ironic if, after all the years Julian had spent slaving away to earn the high pay and protected status he now enjoyed, he threw it all away for a woman he'd only been seeing for a matter of mere weeks. It was so very unlike himself that he had to chuckle quietly to himself at the thought.

She shouldn't be interrupting Julian at work. She shouldn't have encouraged this, but oh how she wanted it! Yet at the same time Nicole was very well aware that they were still potentially in public, ergo she was potentially still in danger. The only person in this entire building the woman could trust was right in front of her. Divided attention was not wise.

That thought was proven almost an instant later, when Julian had paused in his amorous trail down her neck. Had he stopped because he needed or wanted to work? Had she become unresponsive while lost in her thoughts and he assumed the worst? Nicole could gladly reassure him otherwise... though it was probably best not to instigate such a thing while Julian was on the clock.

As their eyes met Nicole could clearly see the desire that burned in Julian's gaze. Her eyes were similarly bright yet dark with the same. Perhaps he too did not want his attention divided in such a place that required one's full attention. Only time would tell, and until then Nicole would try not to seduce Julian too terribly. She would be on her best behavior. Well, as best as conditions would allow at least. A slow sigh left Nicole's lips as Julian's hand traveled down her side and came to rest at her waist.

She leaned as he turned, assuming Julian was going to whisper something to her. The smile at the question and its lust-thickened tonality couldn't be helped. A quiet blend of moan and sigh left her at the sensation of his lips brushing themselves along her jaw. "You..." Nicole murmured and reached forward to gently nibble at his earlobe. "I thought you were out, so I left it on your desk..." she elaborated.

"My desk?" Julian replied distractedly, finally sparing a glance behind him to notice that there was, in fact, a parcel that had not been there when he left.

"Ahh, you come bearing gifts!" he realised, turning back to Nicole with a smirk. "As if just your presence wasn't enough." Carefully, Julian hooked an arm around the small of her back and eased off of her hip, effectively setting her back on her own feet without sending her tumbling to the floor. It was rather amusing to see her shrink nearly a foot, but he was careful not to poke that more sensitive subject. Switching his hand from her waist to her hand, he stepped towards his desk, where the package could better be inspected.

"So can I open this now?" he asked curiously, wondering what on earth his little present could possibly be. It was difficult not to feel like a little kid on Christmas day, eagerly awaiting his surprise, but if she wanted him to wait, of course he could. Better yet, since Nicole had initiated gift-giving for no special reason at all, he felt able to do the same, and began happily racking his brains for a present she might like.

Nicole wrapped both of her arms around Julian's neck, allowing them to rest largely on his shoulders. She chuckled a little at his remark once he spotted the parcel. A faint hint of airsickness overcame her as Julian set her back on her feet. It was a pleasant sort of airsickness, the kind which you get while on a Ferris Wheel. Nicole gave him a far more innocent embrace upon being returned to her true height before taking his hand and walking toward the desk.

The witch smiled, giggled slightly, and leaned a little toward Julian. "If you'd like. The note explains a little bit more," she answered mysteriously. "I was actually hoping to watch you open it." Realizing Julian had left his coffee by the door Nicole briefly left his side to retrieve it. As she walked back with it, however, she could tell by a vague scent that the contents were anything but coffee! Nicole smirked: typical Julian, and she wouldn't have him any other way unless the alcohol became a problem.

"Perfect, then!" Julian replied, snatching the note up quickly and scanning its contents with a slight frown. It was mysterious as to why Violet shouldn't be allowed sweets, but he shrugged, figuring Nicole had to have good reason. Looking up from the note, he realised she'd gone to grab his "coffee," and judging by the smirk on her face, she had discovered his dirty little secret.

"Ahhh....yeah....erm...well you see, it's Tuesday, so that's paperwork day, and erm...you know, certain little rules can be disregarded since I'm not in the field, really...quite boring, dry stuff..." he managed by way of explanation, blushing brilliantly. Hopefully, the fact that she appeared at least marginally amused meant that she didn't necessarily think he was a lush. As he was a father and the primary caregiver to his young daughter, certain standards of conduct had to be maintained, of course.

"You're not gonna tell tales on me, are you, Nini?" he asked in exaggerated shyness, batting his eyelashes and biting his lip for laughs. The truth was, he did a fair imitation of Violet when she got her hand caught in the figurative cookie jar -- or rather, Violet did a good imitation of him, for the routine was an old trick of his from when he was her age.

Nicole couldn't help a vague bubble of nervousness at the frown Julian wore as he read the note. However, it went away as he started explaining away the alcohol in his coffee cup. The witch smiled with further amusement. She couldn't blame him: paperwork was so dull and dreary. And if the department allowed for people to be lax on certain days, who was she to say anything? Plus there was a conflict of interest: Nicole didn't want to get Julian into any trouble. She liked him (or is that loved him?) too much to do something that cruel. Had she caught Vinzent getting plastered on the job, though... that would be a whole different story.

The woman laughed at Julian's antics. She then reached up to place a finger vertically across his lips. "Shh," Nicole smiled. Thank Merlin she inherited her father's arm length! "Your secret's safe with me." A wink and a sip from his "coffee" punctuated the statement.

With a cautious glance backward, Nicole hopped up on the neatest corner of Julian's desk and set the coffee cup down near the box she'd left. "If I'd known Tuesdays were your lax days... In that case you might actually enjoy one of those to go with your 'coffee'" Nicole snickered, glancing at the box of homemade chocolates.

An eyebrow quirked at Nicole's words, and then the contents of the note clicked in his head with something he vaguely remembered her saying on the day he first met Shelly. Something about a hidden talent for combining certain sweets with alcohol...his eyes widened in excitement, and he quickly whipped the lid off of the box of chocolates and without further prompting, popped one into his mouth very trustfully.

Julian had never taken Nicole for a liar, but apparently modesty was also one of her virtues: the chocolate confection he was currently enjoying by far made up for any lack of cooking skill she might have had. It was, in a word, very delicious and did indeed compliment his "coffee" so expertly that he wondered if she'd already suspected his secret Tuesday indulgences.

"Nicole. This is delicious!" he exclaimed, trying not to look too surprised. It'd do him no good to accidentally insult her; he wasn't surprised that they were good, just surprised at how very good. Nicole could easily make a killing selling these things, whether in the magical or muggle world. Both, even -- chocolates and alcohol were popular favourites in both.

"You've been holding out on me!" he accused lightly, pulling her lips to his in a rather chocolatey kiss.

It amused Nicole to no end when someone she trusted got one of those "lightbulb" moments; an "a-ha!" of having riddled something out or having had a grand idea. The same could be said of now as Julian clearly had a sudden thought and opened the box. She grinned when he promptly sampled one. 'Never tease Julian with food of any kind,' Nicole mused with comedy.

She tried her hardest not to stare expectantly. Yet, at the same time, it was the only thing Nicole felt herself qualified enough to make that had anything whatsoever to do with food. Ergo the witch was naturally curious. At his exclamation Nicole grinned her appreciation, hoping he wasn’t just humoring her. It didn’t appear that he was...

Julian’s light accusation made Nicole chuckle, and before she could reply she’d been pulled into a rather chocolatey kiss. With the way Nicole felt about the wizard, Julian plus chocolate equaled heaven. ”Not intentionally...” she laughed lightly. Without thinking about it the witch licked her lips, and one could assume the reason was to gather the smeared chocolate Julian’s kiss had left behind. A mischievous sparkle crossed her emerald eyes. ”Had to make sure that batch was somewhat edible, what with the way I cook... or can’t cook, as it were.”

"I bet you're probably not half as bad as you think you are, if those chocolates are any indication. In fact, I think maybe because your chocolates are so good, you must think you're a terrible cook in comparison. But no matter -- I don't mind being your lab rat. Any time, darling."

A small drop of chocolate clung to Nicole's lower lip, and Julian stared at it for a moment, debating whether or not to be horribly disgusting. In the end, being gross won out, as he thought she might be a little amused by what he decided to do next. Leaning in as if for another kiss, Julian pulled up at the last second and licked her face instead, wiping away the chocolate, laughing.

"You had a little...on your face..." he managed to get out between guffaws, gesturing to his own lip.

Nicole blushed at the compliments. It was flattering to hear him say such things, yet she worried that if her cooking wasn't good enough then it would hinder more than help. "Thank you... I probably should ask Lori to try teaching me again, since I have gotten better at making those," Nicole mused aloud to Julian, nodding toward the chocolates. "The first time I tried, I burnt the chocolate."

Her small smile turned into a full-blown grin at his comment on being a willing participant in any other culinary adventures, despite her worries. "We'll see... If worse comes to worse I could always make you a mixed drink guaranteed to help you forget all about having a terrible, Archer-cooked meal." Nicole's tone in this statement was playful despite the lack of confidence she had in this skill.

It did not take an eagle eye to notice Julian staring at her. More precisely, it seemed that Julian was staring at her lips. Ergo, when Julian leaned forward, Nicole readily followed suit in anticipation for a second kiss. What happened took her completely by surprise. The witch nearly jumped off the desk and into his arms at the unexpected feel of tongue on her lip and face. Nicole looked at him and blinked, shocked but amused, wondering what on earth prompted that. It put her in mind of the move she had pulled on him during the morning after their first date.

"Touché," she replied, tossing in a smirk and a wink. Nicole had half a notion to surprise Julian with a visit later in the evening. "You've a little on you, too." Nicole reached up and drew a finger across Julian's upper lip, then showed him the faint hint of chocolate that had been left behind.

"See?" she asked, a degree of playful mischief just beneath the facade of innocence.

Julian caught Nicole in surprise, setting her back on the desk with a smirk.

"You don't have to use alcohol to make me forget -- you're quite good at bending me to your will without it. And besides, I can think of a better way you could make it up to me," he teased, lowering his lips to her still-outstretched finger, very deliberately licking the chocolate off of the tip.

Once again they were treading dangerous ground -- the door to his cubicle was unlocked, anyone could walk in on them at any time -- and yet he found it difficult to summon up any shred of concern. The truth was, having no one to provide for other than himself for several years now, if he lost his job, it would be months before he ran into any trouble, and he'd certainly have found another job by then anyway. It wasn't exactly like working for Zolnerowich gave him the warm fuzzies in his stomach. And Nicole was extremely tempting...

Nicole chuckled at Julian's comment, the latter of the two causing a mild heat to creep up her neck to her cheeks. Her mouth and throat went dry as Julian deliberately licked off her finger. It was dangerous ground, indeed. Precisely who was winding up whom was difficult to say, but each seemed to be doing their best in turns. She shouldn't encourage it and Nicole knew it. Yet how could she resist after their exchanges thus far? One could cut the temptation with a knife...

Emerald eyes glanced between the door and Julian. Was it locked, or lock-able, she wondered? Was he commonly interrupted on a frequent basis on Tuesdays? The logical side of Nicole told her no and that it would get Julian in trouble... but little was being done to ensure the figurative angel upon Nicole's shoulder was heeded.

Trying not to disturb the contents on the tabletop of the desk, Nicole leaned backward and propped herself up on her elbows. An inviting smile curved her mouth, bright green eyes settling themselves on Julian's lips. "Is it... safe... here?" she questioned, raising a seductive yet concerned eyebrow. It was actually more a question of if Julian really wanted to take such a risk. If at all possible Nicole would prefer not to be walked in on but she was willing to take a chance if her partner was, 'adrenaline junkies' that they are.

All Nicole had to do was ask. Without further thought, or ever looking away from her, Julian flung his wand out towards the door, where a loud click signalled that it was now locked. 

"It is now," he replied, shifting himself forward so he could kiss her again. Another impatient swipe of his desk cleared the papers onto the floor, where they landed with a gentle flutter into a fairly neat pile. The package and his "coffee" cup flew onto his chair, miraculously not spilling a bit of their contents, but no sooner had they landed with a soft telltale thump that Julian let his wand clatter to the floor, in favour of using both hands to hoist Nicole all the way onto his desk.

"Keep quiet," he murmured, pulling off his cloak and sliding onto the desk as well. In another moment he'd moved on top of her, his lips swiftly finding hers once more.

******

Luck seemed to be with them, because over a half hour later, as Julian was re-lacing his boots, his cheeks still flushed pleasantly with colour. No unwelcome knock had interrupted -- by all accounts, they'd gotten away with it. Which made him smile just as much as the hazy afterglow provided by his hormones did.

"You're such a bad influence," he told Nicole, his smile twisting into a smirk. He meant what he said, too -- but he was hardly upset about it. With Nicole, it seemed like he was breaking every last rule he'd ever made for himself, but Merlin if he didn't love every last second of it. Almost made him want to make more rules, for the simple pleasure of breaking them with her. Julian wanted to break every last rule with Nicole, over and over again, for the rest of their lives.

He looked over at her, the words dangerously close to tripping out of his lips. The kinds of words that can't be taken back. And he hesitated, finally reeling them back in, feeling that it was the wrong time, no matter how true they were. This had been something rebellious and playful; it was no time for the gravity of such words. But Julian knew that the time would be soon, and as he watched Nicole rearrange her clothes, he wondered what she would say when the time finally came.

The door locked, and the stage was mostly set. All they'd need for it to be perfect was to be in the comfort of one of their homes. The hasty clearing of Julian's desk both delighted and frightened Nicole. To her relief the papers and things collected themselves neatly on the floor. Chocolates and alleged "coffee" were relegated to the office chair. Much like on their first date Julian dropped his wand and took her in his arms. The fact they were in a public place caused the witch to refrain from letting loose a playful squeal.

"I will if you do," Nicole teased in a whisper as Julian climbed up to join her. There was little need for words after that.

* * *

The combined forces of luck and miracles seemed to be with them, indeed, Nicole decided. She hadn't kept track of the time but it was relatively quick and they hadn't a single interruption. The flush upon the witch's face was not of embarrassment at all but rather a healthy glow as she tucked a tiny pistol into one of her boots.

Nicole grinned and snickered at Julian. "Would you have me any other way?" she replied happily. They shouldn't have done it, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. It was almost as if they were getting back at the tyrant that kept Julian either at this very desk or almost unwillingly at the unpleasant wizard's side. On the other hand she worried their little stunt would get him fired, for which Nicole could very well be blamed. She should have felt guilty but she didn't.

Feeling eyes on her as she readjusted her clothing and once more tucked her favorite pistol up the back of her shirt, Nicole glanced to Julian. He appeared to want to say something but thought better of it. Sheer curiosity overwhelmed her senses. "I shouldn't encourage it but I think I'd like doing this all over again sometime," Nicole smirked. She wanted to tell Julian that she was swiftly falling deeper and deeper for him, using that loaded four-letter word they had yet to utter to each other. Her only question was: when would 'like' turn to 'love' when they spoke of their fondness for one another? It was such a strong word, and not one that could be taken back lightly. Now didn't seem to be the right time, though. Their adventure had been playfully deviant - no need to ruin it with gravity.

"I would have you any way I could get you," Julian retorted without thinking, and then looked shocked at his own swift response. The flush on his face deepened, but he resisted the urge to backpedal. It was true, after all -- no use in denying it. Even if he hadn't said it yet, he was sure she must know how he felt about her.

"Although I certainly enjoy this particular incarnation of your personality. I can't say that your offer isn't tempting...it would make Tuesdays much more enjoyable, I can tell you that. I'd look forward to them if I knew this was waiting for me," he smirked, trying once more to keep the mood light. "As it stands, I'll never be able to look at this desk the same way again," he added, with a sigh in fond remembrance.

"I think we shouldn't make a routine of it, though. Firstly, that would make it highly likely we'd get caught. Secondly, I think the spontaneity makes it more fun. I like that we didn't plan this. It gives me hope that maybe I can one day pull off a similar stunt with you," he teased, rather taken with the thought.

Nicole blinked at the sudden reply, though quickly recovered and smirked. She paid the brighter color rushing to her cheeks absolutely no heed. A part of her wondered about the latent meaning between the lines while another side knew good and well what Julian may have been trying to say.

So he really liked the rebellious side of her? Nicole decided that was very Julian, and that she would have to let her inner rebel out more. A quiet and slightly sheepish chuckle left her at his next few words. "I don't think I'll be able to look at any desk the same way again," Nicole winked.

Nicole grinned. She was two steps ahead of him. "Agreed," she murmured. "I prefer the element of surprise, anyway..." the woman added, a twinge of tease in her tone. Nicole nodded to his enjoyment of not having planned this at all. At the thought of Julian doing the same only with the tables slightly turned, Nicole laughed. It was a delightful sound. The witch seemed to entertain that notion for a moment or two. "Depending where we meet up, I might know a little spot we could use..." Nicole offered mischievously.

"That reminds me... I was thinking about-" she began anew, but paused suddenly upon hearing a strange sound at the door. Like someone trying to get in. Immediately Nicole hopped off Julian's desk and locked her eyes on the door. Thank Merlin for the privacy glass! However, the long-haired, masculine figure that stood just outside did little to reassure Nicole that it was no one of consequence.


"Kaiser!" the voice of Vinzent Zolnerowich boomed angrily from the other side of the door.

Julian's eyebrows shot upat Nicole's mention of a "little spot" they could use. His smirk deepened as she began to elaborate, and then they both turned at the sound from the door: Zolnerowich. Julian was hardly pleased but as they were both fully clothed, he could hardly deny that the timing could have been much worse. And anyway, what was taking risks without a little actual danger? After all, he'd been well-trained to react in high-stakes situations.

As soon as he heard his surname -- Vinzent addressed him almost solely by it, only knowing that Julian disliked it, although not why -- he grabbed his wand off of the floor. He reversed his previous two spells, quickly scattering his papers onto the desk into the usual haphazard piles, and snatching his cup and chocolates from mid-air. Those he shoved as carefully as possible into a drawer in his desk, while gesturing for Nicole to take the now-empty seat.

"Just a moment," Julian called out lightly to Vinzent, heading towards the door. Only a few seconds had passed, but if he took time to prep Nicole, they'd be starting with the distinct disadvantage that was an angry and suspicious Vinzent Zolnerowich. He only had time to mouth the words "follow my lead" before Julian's hand reached the doorknob, and the door swung open.

Nicole nodded, somewhat frantic in response to Julian's haste. She hopped into the chair and crossed one leg over the other. An attempt was made to keep a neutral face, which was hard to do with the afterglow of her and Julian's antics still fresh in her system. A part of her had wanted to dart under the desk: she could listen to what Vinzent was up to without him suspecting. The other part of her - the part she listened to - refused to allow Nicole to run away no matter how tactically sound it was. The witch nodded to acknowledge Julian's request to follow and waited with no small amount of foreboding...

"This door is only supposed to be locked if you aren't in there!" Vinzent snarled impatiently from his side of the door. It was hardly a truth. The wizard's trademark scowl and cold blue eyes met Julian as the door opened. Vinzent stood as still as stone for two seconds before striding into the cubicle.

Immediately the eyes of ice found Nicole. Vinzent took a quick moment to assess the woman but his attention did not linger. Instead his gaze snapped back to Julian, clearly waiting for an explanation of what the blonde-haired woman was doing here.

Julian smiled widely at Vinzent, the expression not quite reaching his eyes, which remained cold and impassive. Indifferent, even, as though this situation occurred every day of his life. It was almost frightening how efficient and convincing he could be when required -- after all, it was what the Ministry was paying him loads of gold to do.

"Well, you know how Berlynn can be -- paperwork day has never been a particular favourite of hers," Julian remarked lightly, chuckling. "I thought the temptation of my having a client in might be too much for her," he continued, gesturing in Nicole's direction.

"Mr. Zolnerowich, I'd like to introduce to you Ms. Nicole Archer. Ms. Archer, I know you're already perfectly aware of who Mr. Zolnerowich is -- bit of a celebrity, as it were," he said, with the barest hint of a smirk.

"Mr. Zolnerowich, I've just been reviewing the report from the shooting with Ms. Archer here. I was quite lucky in finding her, actually, as witches and wizards with any familiarity at all with muggle weaponry are hard to come by. As it so happens, she's an expert in the field -- I don't need to tell you just how invaluable her assistance has been."

Julian desperately hoped that he was not taking liberties in divulging even that small bit of information about Nicole. It was simply far too easy for Zolnerowich to discover the truth if Julian attempted to completely fabricate a reason for Nicole's presence, and he could be absolutely certain that his boss would be running a background check on her as soon as he left Julian's office. Nicole's status as an immigrant meant that Zolnerowich would only be able to access the most basic information -- what was listed on her passport and little else. He was sure Vinzent would look no further than her U.S. military-issue passport before losing interest, disgusted as he was by anything non-magical.

In fact, if Nicole happened to have any kind of credentials on her, Vinzent probably wouldn't even bother to go that far -- he wouldn't trust Julian to run a background check in this instance, and Vinzent wasn't exactly the paperwork-loving type, himself. If only there was a way to ask Nicole, without arousing Vinzent's suspicion if she didn't have anything helpful on hand. Julian was forced to content himself with smiling at Nicole as pointedly as he dared, willing her to read his thoughts.

The scowl did not leave Vinzent's face as Julian smiled. In fact the frown lines simply grew deeper. Whether he didn't realize or simply didn't care that the expression didn't reach the other wizard's eyes was difficult to say. It was likely a mixture of both.

Nicole tried not to look too surprised at the smiling (dare she even assume cheerful?) mask Julian had put up. She knew Julian absolutely loathed working for Vinzent. Perhaps this was simply how they dealt with one another. After a few moments the witch realized Julian's smile to Zolnerowich did not reach the eyes. She almost smirked.

Ebony eyebrows furrowed when Julian mentioned Berlynn. Truthfully Vinzent missed the witch despite her shenanigans, but he would never admit it outside of several offers for her to return to working for him whenever she wished. He supposed it was a meagerly passable reason to have locked the door and thus remained silent, waiting for the rest of the explanation.

Nicole did her best to hide a flicker of mixed curiosity at the mention of another woman's name. She had seen a plaque denoting Berlynn's office while searching for Julian's cubicle. Were Vinzent not in the room she would have inquired. However, the politician's presence and the need to be on guard around him towered over that curiosity. In a way, if only Julian weren't also in the room! Vinzent was on Mark's wanted list, and Nicole had her weapons... It would put Julian out of a job, yes, but surely there was another employer much more deserving of Julian's dedication.

As prescribed when being introduced to another, Vinzent locked his gaze onto the woman again. He wondered what the purpose was for Julian to have a client in his office when it was clearly a day meant for paperwork. Merlin, even Vinzent had paperwork! Then again, were Liesel Stabler to stroll into his office... but that was entirely a different matter, or so he assumed.

Nicole's eyes hadn't left either wizard, bouncing between the two not unlike a spectator at a tennis match. Words, expressions, body language... the witch tried to collect any and all information that she could to better facilitate playing along. When Julian referred to Nicole by name she stood and approached the pair and hid her surprise that Julian used her real name instead of a fake one. Then again, Julian knew Zolnerowich best - perhaps it was better to simply omit certain details than fabricate them all. It took a chunk of self-control not to smirk at Julian's celebrity comment. She came to a halt somewhat behind and to the left of Julian and stood at attention. "Sir," Nicole uttered by way of "greeting". From what rumors had gone on about Zolnerowich, the only thing that made such a title apply to the politician in her opinion was his gender.

Icy blue eyes snapped back to Julian when his attention was requested. His lips thinned a little at the word 'shooting' for the incident was still a sore spot for him. Thankfully, his shoulder had healed just enough so he could dispense with the sling. Vinzent nodded slowly as Nicole's purpose was finally revealed. "With that scenario being so rare, as you admit, how can we be sure she is not the culprit?" Vinzent demanded sourly.

Nicole panicked slightly, using all of her self control to hide it. She could think of a couple of reasons why this information was revealed. The Prophet covered the shooting of Minister Liara and Vinzent Zolnerowich. Nicole speculated this move was to both exonerate her from being a future suspect and to explain the plethora of papers still haphazardly scattered around his desk instead of having been attended to. Another thought that occurred to her was that Zolnerowich was legally powerful: he could order some form of a background check at the snap of his fingers, or do it himself. The thought of the politician's slimy hands on every bit of her recorded history since birth made Nicole want to shudder.

At the demand from Vinzent, Nicole had all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes. "I did not attend the address for I work nights and sleep during the day, Sir," she replied with flat-out seriousness. Julian's smile was for some reason different as he set his sights upon Nicole, though the witch couldn't quite decide what it was. What was Julian trying to signal? Was Julian worried about the background check as much as she? Just how thorough was Zolnerowich? Then a thought hit Nicole...

Before Vinzent could open his mouth to debate her alibi, Nicole whipped out her passport and held it out at arm's length to Vinzent. "My credentials and passport, Sir," she explained, playing the part of still-enlisted personnel within the American military. Her passport and licenses for weapons possession and operation of ground and air vehicles conveniently would not provide that information.

It was difficult to hide the triumphant edge to his smile, but Julian very nearly succeeded. He saved his sigh of relief for later and instead addressed Vinzent's rather wild logical leap, one eyebrow arched in a mixture of amusement and amazement.

"Security at the press conference was such that all attendees were screened. She was not on the list of those present, and furthermore, our evidence would suggest that the assailant was a male, not a female. Of course there is also the simple matter of her alibi checking out," he shrugged, not about to go any further into detail. For one, he was starting to grasp at straws and Vinzent could start catching on soon if he wasn careful, and for another, Julian felt it was high time that Vinzent make his exit, or explain why he'd bothered to come when a memo usually sufficed.

"But anyway, I'm sure you didn't come to see me to ask about how the case is coming along. Is there anything particular that I can help you with?"

Vinzent lowered his gaze to the booklet the woman claimed to be her identification and credentials. He seemed to debate whether or not he should take it, and then gingerly stretched out his bad arm for the items. "The attendees weren't screened very well, then," he retorted irritably. "If it were up to me I'd send the security personnel in charge of screenings that day straight back to the academy to start all over again."

Flipping open the passport, the wizard found: the basic information Julian had provided, that Nicole was (or had been) a member of the U.S. military, as well as the fact that her various licenses allowed her to wield muggle weapons and operate many varieties of muggle vehicles. Although Vinzent had no love of anything remotely non-magical, he found this fleetingly interesting. With a scowl he closed up the little book and handed it back to Nicole with his uninjured left hand.

Nicole took her passport and licenses from Vinzent and replaced them to her pocket. She caught an odd sort of glance sent her way by the older wizard, and taking such a thing as a hint decided to meander about the room. Her attention was not truly as distracted by the decor of the office as it appeared.

Satisfied the woman seemed to no longer listening in on the conversation, Vinzent focused his gaze on Julian. "When this paperwork and your collaboration with Ms. Archer are complete..." he paused to glance in Nicole's general direction again to make sure she wasn't eavesdropping, "I have another assignment for you." A folded slip of parchment was retrieved from a pocket of Vinzent's robes, and handed to Julian. "I want you to go to Azkaban and retrieve any and all files or pertinent information regarding the individuals on the list. You have until first thing Thursday morning."