Too Much Stress in the Workforce --Oliver

[victoire weasley]

THEY SHINE DOWN TO SHOW US---*

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Slamming the brown folder down on her desk, Victoire ran the fingers of her left hand carelessly through her hair. The day had started off simple enough, with no devastating reports, nothing to really file and certainly nothing to file. Then, as soon as lunch time had rolled around, the dreadful brown folder had crossed her desk. An injury report had found its way into the department, which meant a threat assessment on the dragon who caused the injury and possibly termination of the creature depending. These were the parts of her job Victoire disliked fully. She felt bad for the poor bloke currently sitting at St. Mungo's while the doctors there healed his wounds, but she felt even worse for the Common Green Welsh. The mighty beast was just acting inside of its natural being, and now its life was on trial. Victoire had way too much empathy for a job like this. She should have just gone into curse breaking working for Gringotts, like her father. But no, she had to be the rebellious child and turn out like her Uncle Charlie.

Pushing her chair back from her desk harshly, the legs screached along the tiled floor. Her boots clicked against the floor as she walked briskly towards the door. As usual, the eyes of the men followed her graceful form out the door, but soon returned to their work with smiles on their faces. There were very few women in the control and regulation of magical creatures dragon research division, and even fewer still who had been brave enough to take on dragon wrangling. Victoire loved it though, and her Uncle Charlie had taught her everything she needed to know. She was successful, strong, and always willing to do the hard work. Pushing her way out the door of the offices, brown folder in hand, Victoire walked with a rather glum look on her face. She had to turn in the report, and let the Department of Magical Accidents call out their findings. After that, she'd take care of whatever they saw fit. Her words on the subject were already on paper, and there really wasn't much she could do after that.

Victoire headed for the elevator, and pressed the downwards button. She would have much rather just apparated, or send the file by inter-office memo, but with injuries, these files had to be brought in person. It was a transfer of files she was not looking forward to. In fact, the only thing she was looking forward to was getting back to Romania. She loved it there, especially in the mountain ranges where the wranglers worked. Even her pets loved the land. Galahad was free to fly through the sky and come and go as he pleased without much interference. Her puppy, Duke, could roam the landscape, climbing and exploring to his little heart's content. She had honestly thought about escaping life in England and disappearing in the mountains of Romania for a while. Just take a break from the world around her and gain some perception. After all, it wasn't as if she had anything besides family tying her down in England. Even still, she could keep in touch with family easily enough, but there was no one else. Victoire waited for the elevator impatiently, playing with her pendant necklace and humming the tune to some muggle song. She just wanted the day to be over so she could go home to her animals, crack open a bottle of wine and sit in front of her fireplace with a good book.

The Outfit

[crowe]

Another dull day… Personally Oliver was looking forward to transfer out of London away from those harpies who ran the prophet. They had ran story after story bad mouthing his name and along with the torture and the drop of rank he maintained a lot of psychological, physical, and emotional wounds. Upon finishing yet another debriefing he rubbed his temples gently… Leaving his duster at home he was wearing a soft dark brown long sleeved button up shirt. A pair of normal blue jeans with a dark brown leather belt around his waste and lastly a pair of dark brown leather hiking boots on his feet. Today was a long day and he has had the same headache for a good month now…

Silently continuing his daily routine he could not stop thinking about Victoire… Ever since the night he decided to end the relationship it had been dragging on his conscience. He had felt bad ever since that discussion and for the past several months he believed he made a big mistake… His mind drifted as he remembered her gentle embrace until more paper work was stacked on his desk… Great… Groaning silently he read through and initialed several papers as the time went by. His eyes were blood shot from all the reading and his bodies was physically exhausted and still soar. He finally called it a day and stood up and began to walk with a noticeable limp on his right leg. His body had not fully healed from the eventful night and his right leg still had a lot of pain whenever he put weight upon it.

Such suffering must happen when one takes upon him self magical wounds… Feeling love sick and generally grim with a hint of depression he continued moving with a solemn expression on his face. Victoire was probably out protecting some dragon from the ministry… He thought while making his way to the elevator… He began to zone out for who knows how long until the doors opened and before he him he saw a few people and one specific person stood out… His eyes looked out as they made eye contact for a moment which seemed to take for an eternity until finally the door began to close and quickly Oliver moved into the elevator standing now beside Victoire… What to say…. What to say…. Damnit… Crap… Why does this stuff have to be complicated. ”I… Umm… Well… Good day Victoire…” He blurted out quietly to her while a warmth began to fill his cheeks… He looked to her and then quickly looked away as more people filed in and out of the elevator.

[victoire weasley]

THEY SHINE DOWN TO SHOW US---*

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you know when the sun forgets to shine[/font][/font][/center]

His presence at the door of the elevator had caught her off guard. Suddenly, her heart had sped up and she was nervously fingering the charms on her bracelet as he entered. Oliver seemed just as surprised as she was, though, so maybe the situation wouldn't be too awkward. Victoire laughed mentally. How could the situation not be awkward? So much had trasnpired, not only between the two of them in the past, but also the past few weeks. Oliver had broken her heart the night he decided to end the relationship. Sure, things had taken a downward turn, and he had drifted away long before he'd ended things, but that didn't make the conversation go any easier. The fact that he had been captured and tortured hadn't made anything easy, either. After all, she still cared for him, she probably always would.

When he stepped into the elevator, Victoire almost shrank against the corner. When she was in school, she had no problem talking with her exes, or even hanging out from time to time. It was just in her nature never to throw someone away, despite the ending of a relationship. Whether they cared for it or not, Victoire had been determined to keep each ex-boyfriend as a friend. After all, it wasn't every day you let someone into your heart. Victoire had begun to wonder if maybe she let Oliver in a little too much. Their relationship had always been rocky. With two people who have the tendency to become completely engrossed in their respective jobs, there is little hope for a relationship to thrive. There had always been something about Oliver that made her stay in it, though. There was something so captivating about him that she couldn't seem to just walk away, even during their on again, off again cycles. The last time, though, that breakup had hit her hard.

With a nervous, yet appearingly confident smile, Victoire turned her head towards him slighly and brushed her hair from her bare shoulder. "And to you, Oliver." The elevator slowed to a stop once more and there was a chiming sound as the doors opened and people began to file out. As the doors closed, Victoire was suddenly acutely aware they were alone in the elevator together. 'Perfect' she thought, crossing her arms over her stomach, 'Just when things couldn't possibly be any more uncomfortable.' Shaking the thought from her head, she took a plung and dived into conversation, "I didn't think we'd be seeing round the offices this soon. No with your...er, ordeal and all. How are you?"

The Outfit

[crowe]

Oliver was silent as he looked at her again as she saw her shrink into the corner nervously… Oliver had a heart broken expression while looking away and listening to her speak. He then brought him self strength to speak after several moments of silence… ”The… Ministry of Justice has been debriefing me… Not to many people look at me the same any more… The Daily prophet is rolling my name in mud…” He said quietly while taking a few steps aside to give Victoire her space. She seemed to be a nervous wreck around him and he could not help but feel more like a creep. He remained silent again as two more people filed in and then on the next level they filed out.

Taking in a deep breath Oliver looked back at her quietly and then began to speak again. ”Umm… So… Uhh… What are you doing later… I… Think we umm need to talk.” He said quietly yea… Good job wording that one you wanker… He thought to him self while looking back to her. ”Umm… Look Victoire… I umm said some stuff… and umm… I am really sorry… It breaks my heart when I see you like this.” He said quietly which was true… As the elevator slowly landed on the bottom floor and opened… Oliver stood their awkwardly and waited for Victoire to exit and he would fallow her. Biting his lip he could feel a sharp burning pain return to his arm as he clutched it again… Ever since that night the doctors said he had a minor effect of post traumatic stress disorder and he has been having occasional spikes of pain and flash backs.

Wincing silently he massaged his arm gently while forcing him self to be silent. The familiar pain of feeling is muscles were being pried again with burning hot knives returned as his eyes shot open. ”Crap… Sorry….” He finally said after letting out several pain filled pants and sitting on his knees for a moment. ”It… Will go away… It will just take a minute… The… Doctors said I was one of the lucky ones… Most tend to go insane after being subject to the Cruciatus curse…” He said quietly as he slowly stood back up and the pain began to slowly fade.

[victoire weasley]

THEY SHINE DOWN TO SHOW US---*

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Her heart began to flutter when he asked her what her plans were later. Part of her wanted to wave off formality, take his face in her hands and kiss him while the other half of her wanted to slap him. She figured the latter would not be appropriate, given his recent experience with torture, and chose to forgo it. That didn't stop her from being overtly cautious. The last time either of those two had said the words, "We should talk", they either ended it, or wound up in bed together. Victoire bit her lower lip, wondering what he could possibly want to talk about when he went on. She had been right. Oliver wanted to talk about the last time they'd been together, the time he'd wanted to end things. She was usually so calm and cool when it came to these situations, with the air her mother use to carry so gracefully on her shoulders. What the hell had happened to her?

She was about to answer when his painful breaths reached her ears. Brow furrowed, she crossed the short distance of the elevator towards Oliver. Her hands had made their way to his shoulders just as he sank onto his knees. His assurance that he was okay fell on nearly deaf ears. Though she didn't sink to the floor with them, her tiny fists balled up his shirt on each of his shoulders while her knees bent slightly. She rolled her eyes at his comments, his assurance of his being okay. Victoire had enough boys in the family to know when they grit their teeth and bear it, they're really screaming inside in pain. Gently, as he began to get to his feet, she offered her assistance, almost fearful to remove her grasp on his shirt. Victoire hated seeing him this way. It was that Damnable compassion and love she still had for the man.

"Yes, well if they were Doctors at all, they'd have kept you in the hospital longer."

[/b] After a few moments, Victoire released his shirt with an apologetic look. She hadn't meant to keep such a firm hold on him, not when he hadn't asked for help. She let her hands drop to her sides, and took a slight step back. Victoire hated seeing him this way. It was all she could do not to order him into a bed so that she might take care of his wounds and nurse him back to health. It was just another romantic ideal stuck in her head. A romantic ideal she'd have to get rid of if she were ever to move on in life."Are you sure you're all right? You don't need to have a sit or anything?"
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The Outfit

[crowe]

Sighing gently he listened to her speak as he felt her gentle touch he changed his posture to now stand up straight as the pain continued to fade. ”I… I am fine trust me Victoire… This burden I will carry on for the rest of my life… As much as I try I can never forget the pain I had felt. That’s what makes the curse potent it burns into the mind… Victoire… I am not trying to get you back in bed or trying to seduce you I just want to talk… I really hate what I said…. How I ended things and we deserve to talk and catch up. I can never really make up for my actions and I know at this moment that I cannot be forgiven and I am not asking forgiveness… I am shipping off for Hogwarts in a month and I might not see you again for a while.” He said quietly while slowly exiting the elevator.

His eyes seemed like they were about to water while he waited for her to exit with her. ”You must be busy I was just asking that we sit down and enjoy a cup of tea and talk for about ten minutes.” He said quietly with signs of emotional pain within his voice while he still looked away from her. He could not even bring him self to look at her. His voice shook with each sentence while he kept him self silent for several moments. She was the closest thing to family he has ever had and it was his habit of pushing people away that got in the way of the relationship… The break up was a bit to much on both sides and it was left with a lot of loose ends.

That type of pain takes a while to heal… ”Victoire… I do not like how things ended and you probably did not either… And… To… Be honest you are the closest thing I have had as a family. I mean you actually cared for me and near the end I treated you like crap.” He fell silent his voices still cracking while he tried to keep his composure. This was totally out of his normal appearance he showed he normally kept a strong and quiet demeanor. People who have been close to Oliver can tell blatantly obvious that something was wrong. He looked up to her quietly and looked away losing the ability to look back to her…

[victoire weasley]

THEY SHINE DOWN TO SHOW US---*

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[/b][/color] Victoire exited the elevator but stayed her distance from the man. This was a slippery slope that Victoire didn't want to lose her footing on. "I know you know that I care about you, and quite frankly I always will. But Ollie...why would you come back to apologize? To talk about things?" Her brow furrowed and tears threatened to burn her eyes. The pain she had tried to keep buried away was threatening to come back up, feeling brand new.[/ul]
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ooc: It's short. sorry!

The Outfit

[crowe]

Oliver bit his lip as he began to walk away a few steps and then looked back to her with a sad and broken look. ”I lost everything…” He said quietly and then looked away pulling out a flue powder bag and eyed the nearest fire place. ”I understand if you are busy. If you would rather not see me again or if you do not talk and if so I should just leave.” He said quietly Oliver had never really be the one to quit or give up and for those who knew him it was a sure sign that something as wrong. He silently looked back to her and then took in another deep breath and he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out.

Finally he was able to speak… ”I went through hell… Felt the worst pain I have ever felt in my life… A pain that will never go away… I almost died in a way where I was completely powerless… Such situations change most… Some situations cause most to lose their composure. But I… I realized a thing that were truly important and that is what kept me going… I have lost everything, most of my friends, my family, my dignity… For what doing the right thing? What is justice in the world where the evil just walk… When someone makes a choice not to break and save The Department Of Justice… Instead I lost my rank, my credibility, and a part of my self. Most people think why the Cruciatus is so potent is not the pain it makes you go through but the fact it invades you and takes apart of you away with it. I have lost everything and I do not want to lose you.” He said quietly while placing the pouch back into his bag and began to walk with a light limp.

He then turned to her again… ”I am not trying to force you back into a relationship… I just want to talk and catch up with you… And be a friend.” He said quietly and then he turned around and continued to walk. He moved with a steady graceful pace with every so often a limp of his still healing leg.

[victoire weasley]

THEY SHINE DOWN TO SHOW US---*

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you know when the sun forgets to shine[/font][/font][/center]

There was a point in his speech where Victoire wanted to physically slap herself. It was the French in her that boosted her ego so surreptitiously. She had learned from her mother how to approach life with confidence and poise, almost to the point that she seemed quite arrogant. Her father's more laid back personality had certainly sequestered her mother's teachings, at least enough that she didn't seem so haughty to those she presented herself to. Victoire had been stupid to think he wanted her back in a romantic way. This whole time he'd been speaking of family, yet her thick skull only saw candle flames flickering, romantic fires roaring, and Oliver's arm wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Victoire had only seen the way things had been, not what he was actually speaking of. "Oliver! Wait..."

Pressing her hand gently against her forehead, Victoire shook her head slightly. It was utterly egotistical of her to expect anything else from him. Especially after the ordeal he'd been through. There were those at the Ministry who tended to believe every word the Prophet said, as if it were the equivalent to the muggle bible. Then there were those who actually knew people, who knew the slanderous effects the Prophet had, especially on those who worked at the ministry. Victoire had known from day one that Oliver was innocent. It had been his sister trying to ruin the one good person that had come out of his family. If she had anything to do with it, Victoire would surely teach his sister a lesson or two, but she didn't. All she could do was honor Oliver's request of friendship. In doing so, Victoire strode forth, closing the gap between them he had created and gently, so as not to inflict any pain on the poor bloke, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her hug lasted slightly longer than a friend's would have, but they had history. There was no denying that fact.

Pulling back slightly, she kissed both of his cheeks in the French manner and smiled at him. "I would be happy to sit and talk with you. These files don't have to be in for another hour. How about we grab a cup of coffee down in the lobby? We can sit an talk. Catch up a little?"

[/b] She hoped he would accept the offer. It had been a while since she had seen him, anyways. After their last breakup, Victoire had scampered off to Romania to mend her broken heart. Her uncle Charlie seemed to have a permanent residence there, and she stayed with him until she felt she could come back to Britain without all the reminders of what had been. Again, she felt somewhat guilty. Shortly after she had come back, Oliver had been captured, and some sort of strain had lifted from her when she heard the news. Of course, it was immediately replaced by a new sort of pressure, or worry rather, for as much as she hated to admit it, Victoire had still been in love with the daft fellow. At this juncture, she feared she always would be in love with him. There was just something about those eyes, those intoxicating eyes, that just made her fall.

Reaching down, she took his hand in hers and gave it a friendly squeeze. ""Come along, then," She said and tugged him gently back towards the elevator. Oh how she hoped he'd just be compliant and follow her. No more speeches, no more declarations, or apologies. Just a bit of conversation between old, close friends and some coffee. Maybe she could start something new with him, something nice.
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The Outfit