Time to Taste Some Culture (Rosie and Cobester)

Rosie hadn't spoken to Cobalt in a while not since they had met quite be chance in the Leaky Cauldron a couple of weeks ago, despite her better judgement she had wanted to see him again, but still she was a little scared about what might happen...she was a little wary of every man after Kerew came on the scene.

Gently she knocked on the door, flask in her hand and waited for Cobalt to answer, she hoped against all hopes that he would be in and not somewhere else with Charlotte or something...otherwise she'd look just a tad stupid.

In the flask was some of the Spanish hot chocolate that she had been talking about and she had learnt a special charm to create whipped cream out of the end of her wand just in case it was needed for anything.

Cobalt had smelt her coming as soon as she'd entered the dungeon level of the school. He'd committed her scent to memory for reasons he was still quite unsure about. But despite having smelt her he was content to let her sweat a little bit. Which had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was currently trying to desparately finish his marking. He sighed a little before opening the door with a wave of his wand. He smiled warmly,

"Hello Rosie. What brings you my way?"

As the door opened Rosie jumped a little bit having been stood outside it for a little while with no reply, as soon as she gained her composure again she smiled warmly back at Cobalt and entered his office slowly looking around at all the ingredients floating in different jars.

"I came to educate you."

Rosie smirked jiggling the silver flask in his direction.

"I told you I would have you try some..."

Uncapping the lid she walked over to Cobalts desk and sat down in a chair facing him with a small smile, she wasn't nervous just being curteous.

He raised an eyebrow before chuckling a little, gesturing at the unmarked essays,

"What makes you think I want anything more to do with education?" he teased lightly before inhaling deeply, using his enhanced sense of smell to smell through the vaccum seal of the flask, "Smells like... chocolate."

Now smiling fully, Cobalt levitated two cups over to the desk from the side of the room, setting them both down near the flask,

"That you did Rosie, that you did." he smirked a little, "And I promised I would so lets start tasting."

Rosie looked at the pile of unmarked essays as shook her head a smile plastered on her face, not the most organised of guys then she guessed. She half wondered how he could tell that it was chocolate through the metal of the flask but put it to the back of her mind.

"Tut tut naught naughty Professor Smith not marked your classes essays yet? When they due for tomorrow?"

With a wink Rosie poured two cups of the thick hot chocolate and raised her figers before clicking them and covering the two cups with a large amount of whipped cream.

"So, how have you been Cobalt?"

She asked, not out of politeness but out of genuine interest, she was intruiged by Cobalt and wanted to know as much background about him as she could to see why he intruiged her so much.

Rosie winced slightly when she moved the back of her neck still sore after one of her nights with Kerew and she found herself deliriously happy that he had chosen to go away for some time, she didn't really like him that much...it was just a...'physical' thing.

He smiled a little and scowled at his essays,

"Sorry about this but my second year class thought it would be funny to all hand in their summer work a month late. And all at the same time." he sighed a little and pushed the essays off of the table and into the bin beside the desk. He smiled a little, "They're not getting them back now. Now that you're here I really don't feel like marking essays."

He took the hot chocolate and conjured spoons for himself and Rosie. At her question he looked away for a few seconds before responding,

"I've been okay I guess... been some disturbing movement from people in my old profession." he told her, trying to trust her while still skirting around what his old job had actually been. She had been the minister for magic after all. He chuckled a little, "Oh and doing the typical dad-thing of worrying about my baby girl."

He frowned when she winced and looked at her a little more critically, sniffing the air a little. Recognising the scent he raised an eyebrow,

"A werewolf?" he asked in surprise, "I didn't know you were seeing a werewolf."

Widening her eyes as Cobalt just threw the essays in the bin Rosie shrugged, in a way she agreed with him if they couldn't be bothered to hand in their work on time then they weren't going to get it back on time, their own fault really.

"It seems like whenever we meet one of us is doing paperwork."

With a small smile Rosie listened to what Cobalt was saying, it seemed like despite his words he wasn't alright at all and Rosie wanted to see if she could help him, ears pricking up at 'baby girl' she turned her gaze back to Cobalt with a raised eyebrow.

"Did not have you down as a daddy type Cobalt, I think I know you're daughter...is it Charlotte? I mean Smith is a common name so I never put two and two together..."

Grinning Rosie poked Cobalt's nose with a chuckle. Wondering if she should tell Cobalt she practically knew what his old profession had been Rosie decided that it would be a good move to do so, keeping ti from him and it coming out later would just wreck their...friendship.

"Well I would have to say being an ex-assassin would earn you a lot of hassle, don't think I'm prying or anything or that I would tell anyone! No no...but being the Minister you have people you need to keep an eye on and you just so happened to be on that list...but since I got...fired I have been a little bit naughty, not such a goody two shoes anymore."

Raising her eyebrow at the werewolf comment Rosie shook her head a little confused:

"No...I'm not with anyone, not any more and I don't think I've ever met a werwolf."

He chuckled a little and drank some of his hot chocolate,

"I guess we really are busy people." he smirked a little, "Although I must say that when doing paperwork you manage to look a lot more composed when you do paperwork. I end up trying to pull my hair out."

Cobalt smiled a little and pulled out a small, non-magical, photo of Charlotte and him on the Great Wall of China,

"My little Charlotte." he smiled warmly as he held the photo out for her to take, "I adopted her during the summer. After she became my apprentice I realised I cared much more for that girl than anyone else."

He smirked a little and leant forwards on his desk, steepling his hands together. With a small wink he chuckled a little,

"Let me guess... they told you that they'd been monitoring me." he smiled warmly, "But that they couldn't do anything against me. Mainly because the last time they tried I killed twelve aurors... and they ain't cheap."

Sighing a little he shrugged a little,

"Don't worry, I know you won't say anything." he smiled a little, "I trust you not to. But I also I don't think anyone would believe you. I've been very thorough in making myself into a nice potions master. Glad to hear you don't see things in black and white anymore though."

He frowned a little before sniffing at her again,

"Oh..." he smiled a little, "Must just be Sammy then. But, a slightly more serious question now... what's up with your neck? Your posture suggests there's something wrong with it. If it's sore I can massage it. I'm quite good at that."

"Oh why thank you for that...compliment?"

Rosie winked, not quite knowing if looking composed was a good thing or not, taking the photograph from Cobalt as he handed it to her she smiled and looked carefully at the little girl captured within it, she was very pretty and she recognised her now.

"That's such a cute picture, and that's such a sweet sentiment, you know I would never have thought you were this sensitive from the reports I read on you."

Laughing a little Rosie nodded holding up her hands in an I surrender gesture, for that was exactly why she knew about his dubious past she she was very glad that he beleived she hadn't told anyone as strong as Cobalt thought her she didn't think she could best him in a fight.

"Yes, I'm familiar with this little anecdote. That is exactly why I didn't bother with you, waste of resource..."

Rosie blushed furiously when Cobalt asked what was wrong with her neck, oh boy, this was going to be one to explain to the ever growingly handsome potions master...oh Merlin how was she going to say this...

"Um...well...I...um...a couple of weeks ago, actually it would be a few months now I had a little romantic run in with this guy who was kind of borderline phycopath and yeah he was not the gentlest person...my neck hasn't been right since!"

Rosie stared at the floor, wishing it would just eat her alive out of her embarrassment.

Cobalt chuckled a little,

"Don't worry, it was a compliment. You can take it as one." he nodded a little before smirking, "I didn't want to say 'beautiful' and come on as some kind of pervert."

He smiled warmly as he accepted the photograph back,

"That little girl is my life now." he announced firmly before smirking, "And reports involving death tolls rarely ask the question; Is he a caring person?"

Cobalt smiled a little more before he began to chuckle a little, seemingly at nothing. Realising that it had been a bit out of the blue he explained himself,

"Sorry Rosie, this is just the first time I've realised that you're the second ex-minister I've had drinks with." he shrugged a little, "Although ex-minister Shaklebolt wasn't exactly aware of who he was drinking fire-whiskey with that evening. The first half of the poison I slipped him muddles the brain quite a bit. Fortunately the job was called off at the last second and he walked away with only a slightly heavier headache than usual."

Cobalt smiled a little,

"You should really be careful about who you have these... entanglements with." he winked, "Besides that... bad boys to the extreme much there Rosie? Couldn't it just be someone with tatooes and a motorbike?"

He chuckled a little before sobering with a frown,

"He's not been a pain about it has he?"

Rosie grinned darkly at Cobalt as he said that she was beautiful, she had been told this before of course but not in quite this same nice and gentle manner, more like as she was pushed into a sofa passing remark kind of thing.

"Why thank you Cobalt, nice to know that little event hasn't scarred me on the outside as much as the in."

Raising her eyebrow as he spoke Rosie smiled, before tensing a little bit she knew that she had poured and made the drink herself but...no...he wouldn't hurt her she knew that, Rosie was just being over paranoid Minister.

"He was a nice guy, not to bad at his job, but he was awful when it came to socialising not exactly the one for mingling and creating allies for the Ministry."

Blushing again and rubbing the back of her head Rosie sighed, trying to make sure that she wouldn't put her foot in it here.

"No, not really...I'm just a little worried. I know I don't have feelings for him but I don't want to be with anyone else in case he comes back and hurts them...he was really clear about that fact that I'm his."

Sighing she pulled down her top to show one of her shoulders with his initals etched into it.

"That's what he did."

Cobalt frowned a little,

"Scarred on the inside?" his frown deepened, "This wouldn't lead to me wanting to kill someone for being a dick of the highest order would it?"

He smiled a little before winking at her,

"Don't worry, I wouldn't kill you." he smirked a little, "The price for you is so high no one is willing to pay. You're safer than anyone else, barring Charlotte of course. As for Shaklebolt... the guy tried to kill me when I went to see him after his official election. And all for bringing him a bottle of scotch with a warning to stay away from me."

Cobalt's face instantly fell into a scowl,

"Disgusting son of a bitch." he spat out with a growl, "A human being belongs to no one but themselves."

Reaching out he stopped just shy of touching the mark. Now scowling a lot, he moved out of his seat to start rummaging around inside a supply cupboard,

"Son of a bitch... no better than a slaver... if I meet the guy his lungs are coming out... a person is not owned..." he muttered darkly as he finally found a potion to heal over cuts, "I can make the mark go away if you want."

Rosie chuckled lightly and shook her head, she didn't want Cobalt to get mixed up with this guy, he was someone who scared even her and he apparently loved her. Rosie thought she would hate to see someone he detested after a run in with him.

"No no, it's fine really."

Her eyes widened a little bit and she thought carefully about what this would mean for her saftey, so there were people willing to put contracts out on her? Oh dear. Poor them.

"Thats always interesting to know, I didn't think they'd bother, Minister for three weeks it's hardly an accomplishment."

As she saw Cobalts face desend into one of the most menacing looks she'd ever seen Rosie shuddered inside not because he looked scary but because, well, because he looked rather hot. Blushing for even thinking that Rosie coughed and ran her hand through her hair.

"Cobalt, please, you don't want to meet him he's a madman! He brought me two severed heads in a box and his idea of a good time was to buy me sets of underwear and get me to try them on for me...he's not worth it."

Rosie shrugged and nodded at the mention of a potion.

"Oh man yes please. I hate this thing."

He raised an eyebrow,

"I take that as a yes." he frowned, "I probably would want to kill them."

Cobalt smirked a little,

"It wasn't you they really wanted dead." he shrugged a little, "You're a powerful person Rosie. You have admirers. Those like-minded. But if you were to meet a rather grusome end... well then there would be much less talk of change."

He looked at her for a second before drawing a knife and stabbing it into the wood of his desk. He pointed to it,

"Look at this blade Rosie." his eyes hardened, "And look at the thing that has ended more lives than ministry forms you have filled out. I have killed, cut, severed, maimed and basically torn apart thousands of people with this knife alone. None of them were pleasant deaths but some of them more grusome than you could image."

He shook his head a little as he began to dab at the mark on Rosie's neck with a potion-soaked cotton ball,

"I've seen worse. I've done worse. If he's anything like I think he is, he's a rabid dog. All I have to do is snap his neck and put him down."

Rosie smiled as Cobalt said that she had admirers, she knew that she still had people in the Ministry on her side, fellow women, even men who believed that they needed a change and that Rosie was still the person to head that change. She knew, with the next election coming up she would run again. She would win.

"Thank you Cobalt, sometimes I just need to remind myself of that when I'm trying to think of reasons to run in a re-election campaign."

As soon as Cobalt drew out the knife Rosie's eyes flashed and she whipped out her own from her holdster on her thigh.

Relaxing as soon as she realised that he wasn't going to hurt her Rosie placed it back in it's place and listened to Cobalt intently. She wasn't scared of him when he was like this, she was merely interested.

"I guess when you kill so many they all become a blurr after a while. I wouldn't know, never have killed, never ordered a death, never will do."

Cobalt chuckled a little and raised his hot chocolate to her with a smile,

"When you run for office again I promise you one thing." he winked at her, "I'll be your head of security. No assassination attempts on you."

His eyes unfocused a little and he looked away,

"When I was younger I took part in a ritual to give me total recal. A photographic memory." he sighed a little and smiled sadly as he finished healing the mark, "I remember every face. Every splash of blood. Every look of surprise, horror or, the worst, the eyes that ask why."

Rosie smiled gently at Cobalt when he said that he would be the head of security for her when she ran for the re-election campaign which of course she was going to do, nobody especially not her gave up on her dreams.

"Well thank you for that, I think I might take you up on that offer, since you are one of the best."

Placing a warm hand on Cobalts cheek as he looked away from her Rosie gazed into his eyes softly and stroked his cheek with her thumb.

"We all do things that we wish we had not, heck, you might not even wish you hadn't done them but you are still effected by them, this is not something to feel badly about Cobalt this is something that shows just how strong you are..."

Kissing him softly on the cheek Rosie drew away with a smile.

"Thank you for that Mr. Potions Man."

Cobalt recoiled at her phrasing, clutching at his heart in feigned pain,

"One of the best?" he threw his head back as if dying, "You wound me Rosie!"

He smiled faintly and shook his head,

"No one has ever called me emotionally strong before." he chuckled a little, "I run away from my problems too much. Mainly because I find it easy to do so."

Cobalt smiled a little and kissed Rosie on the forehead,

"Don't worry about it."

Rosie couldn't help but laugh out loud when Cobalt pretended to be wounded because of her statement, going along with the act she rushed over to him and hugged him close:

"Oh no! Whatever shall I do!?"

She sighed, pretending to faint with her arm over her head.

"Seriously you are Cobalt, it takes a big man to admit to his faults as freely as you do, and to actually open up to someone shows a maturity that is refreshing in actuality."

Blushing a little at the kiss to her forehead Rosie looked up at Cobalt through her lashes and she smiled softly at him.

"If there is ever anything I can do for you..."

He hugged her close as well but dropped the act and simply held her for a few moments,

"You smell so nice..." he muttered to himself, "And you're so very soft and huggable."

Cobalt chuckled dryly,

"I'm not strong for listing my faults." he sighed a little, "I'm thorough. I make it a point to know the weaknesses of everyone around me. Myself included."

He looked her in the eyes, past her fluttering eyelashes,

"I want you to be here with me Rosie." he smiled a little, "I want you to be with me when I need you. And I will do the same."

Rosie blushed softly when Cobalt told her that she smelt nice, she was the type of girl never to bother with prefume or the like because she never had the time or the occassion to make herself look nice. Brushing back a strand of his hair from his eyes Rosie kissed Cobalts cheek once more.

"Thank you, what pray tell do I smell of?"

With a sigh Rosie leant down and captured Cobalts lips in a soft kiss.

"Just take the damn compliment."

She mimicked.

"Of course I will Cobalt, I will always be around should you need me, moral support, shoulder to cry on, etc etc."

He smiled when she kissed him on the cheek and took a deep breath at her question. Closing his eyes a little he frowned a little,

"You smell of... clean." he chuckled a little bit before expanding, "A hint of vanillia. Some subtle hints of something else I can't describe... you either smell like silk naturally or you're wearing silk underwear."

He grinned a little and kissed her back,

"Fine, I guess I will." he smirked a little before giving her a wink, "Moral support, shoulder to cry on and one really kissable set of soft lips."

Rosie chuckled lightly and nuzzled her head in the crook of Cobalt's neck placing some soft kisses there before nibbling his ear and moving away from him to look into his eyes as he spoke.

"Clean? Descriptive skills are second to none there Cobalt. Oh, vanilla. I could get used to that."

Shrugging her shoulders Rosie ran her fingers through Cobalts hair a little more.

"I am wearing silk underwear actually...how could you tell?"

Sighing happily Rosie kissed Cobalt softly at first but then made it more and more passionate the longer their lips stayed in contact with each other.

"I'd be happy for you to kiss my lips all day long Cobalt, your kisses are wonderful."

Cobalt shuddered a little as Rosie kissed his neck and nibbled on his ear a little before looking her in the eyes,

"Clean vanilla." he smirked a little bit, "Clean is actually very good. Most people have at least a hint of sweat or something else like that. With you there is clean, nothing in other words, and then there is vanilla."

At her question, Cobalt's smile drew a bit dirtier and he leant close to her ear,

"It smells different..." he nibbled on her ear a little, "When exposed to certain... chemicals found only in certain areas of females."

He smiled a little more before giving her another, short and soft kiss,

"If we did that then I'd most likely never get any work done. And neither would you."

Rosie raised her eyebrow at the shudder that Cobalt felt when she kissed his neck, doing so again she tried something that had always worked for her, to get her shuddering, kissing slightly up Cobalts neck about halfway up Rosie licked from there up to Cobalts earlobe sucking it gently.

"Ah but you have a valid point there Mr. Potions Man, I should leave you to create your wonderfully crazy potions and get out of your hair."

Winking Rosie made to move but shrugged her shoulders and stayed where she was, pressed up against Cobalt enjoying the closeness.

"Actually I think i'll be selfish today and stay right here."

Eyes widening Rosie chuckled lightly and nuzzled her head against Cobalt's chest.

"Wow, that's kind of pervy, but I guess there's no holding it back from you Cobalt, you already know I'm turned on by you."

Shrugging Rosie moved a respectable distance away with a smirk.