"Elphais Haddock. Looks like we're partners for the next two years."

Hestia liked to think of herself as a composed person. She had to be, to pass the rigorous tests that had allowed her to become an auror. To be where she was, she had had to prove that she had the ability to think well under pressure, and she usually didn't have a problem with it. She didn't freak out when bad things happened, she just shut off all of her emotions and forced herself to use logic. But dammit, Hestia was not perfect, and though she was generally restrained and well-behaved, she couldn't help but gape at the man in front of her with the kind of open-mouthed, disgusted shock of someone who has just found out that they have to pick through a garbage heap or shovel human feces.

"What?" she asked, as if she was hard of hearing. Then Hestia shooked her head. The moment had passed. "I mean...all right. Fine then."

She got up, and shook the man's hand. Like a rational person.

"Hestia Jones," she said, tilting her head back a little to look him in the eye. "Nice to meet you."

She was going to kill whoever's decision this had been. Who on earth looked at Hestia Jones's file and at Elphais Haddock's file and thought "hey, these two people would be compatible"? Evidently, they had been drinking, too. Maybe the auror department needed to have a little intervention and talk about excessive alcohol use. She would be happy to lead the whole thing if people would just explain to her why these things had to happen. Couldn't they have stuck her with another short person, at least, so that she wouldn't have to have those jokes? Quite frankly, it was too early for this kind of information. Hestia was much more contrary, bitter, and generally irritable in the morning. Had she gotten this information in the afternoon, maybe she would have been more optimistic. But not now. Not now.

"I'm over...there. For now, assignments will be handed to you either directly from Rufus or from me. If you've got questions, concerns, worries, whatever, ask."

"All right. Thanks." she said. Time for politeness. Yes. Politeness. She put on a look of sincere concern. Now was not the time to get on the man's bad side. "So...when you say partner, do you mean an actual equal partnership, or a mentor-student situation?"

She eyed him, as if indicating that his previous disrespectful comment was not appreciated. As if he hadn't figured that out already.