I was depressing myself with all the Harry leaving stories, so decided I needed an antidote. Hope it gives you a smile…I also need to restore my status as an H&N shipper after the last one. I'm being nice and posting it all at once so be nice back and review too.
All characters belong to the BBC, no infringement intended. Rag Week (or it was when I was a student) is a week-long charity drive organised by students at universities in the UK.
RAG WEEK
Chapter 1
The Abstract
"You know why you're here," Leo's voice shattered the silence of the conference room. The assembled crowd all refused to make eye contact. It was unusual to have the whole department squashed in there, but Leo obviously meant business and the thunderous look on his face showed he was going to stand no nonsense.
Nikki had a seat at the conference table; she'd been on time to the meeting; she wasn't looking at Leo either but her eye's flicked up to the back wall to see her colleague lounging against the doorway. He'd been late, stopping Leo in mid flow as he wrenched open the door and squeezed himself into the packed room. Nikki smiled and looked back pretending to study the grain of the fake wood of the table.
"As you well know," Leo continued. "This week is Rag Week at LSSE and I don't need to remind you of the various fiascos that have occurred in the past." Leo still looked threatening but in the crowded room there was the noise of suppressed giggling.
"This is a serious educational establishment," Leo's voice went up a notch. "And this week I will not find as I have in previous years, perfectly alive students in mortuary drawers, on slabs, under surgical covers." Nikki raised her gaze to meet Harry's again and saw a hint of a smile in his eyes. "There will be no items on offer for the scavenger hunt, no one will be plaster-casting anyone, there will certainly not be any blow-up dolls, plastercasted or autopsied. And any police officers who visit this building are to be the regular kind and not the…not the…not the other kind. Do I make myself clear!"
"That Y incision is a real killer for the blow-up dolls," someone muttered and the laughter from the assorted members of the Lyell Centre team threatened to overtake Leo's seriousness.
"We are a serious research establishment, we are not here for pranks or the amusement of the students ."
"Aren't they supporting Cancer Research this year?" another anonymous voice interjected.
"I have never raised any objections to any staff members here wishing to raise money for worthy charities, come on," chided Leo, changing tack and trying his avuncular tone. "You know we all supported Zak in that footballathon thing he did, I even let you dress up for Children In Need, but I don't want us to jeopardise the seriousness of what we do here. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes sir," droned the downstairs office staff, and then started to giggle again.
"The doors will remain locked tomorrow for the scavenger hunt, I will post notices to the students that items will not be available from the Lyell Centre, they will have to scavenge elsewhere this year. Can I impress upon you the need to bring your passes to work tomorrow, as Security have strict instructions to turn away anyone without a pass. Right, well that's it. Back to work everyone and I mean it. Back to work!"
Harry was the first to slip out of the door. Rag Week; it was his favourite week of the year.