And We're Back - Teacher's Lounge - (Open to All)

[NATHANIEL ZIMMER]

Another year, another start of term. After twenty or so years of teaching, one would think the Charms Professor was used to it but it always brought a certain sort of thrill that only the nerdy, lanky man. Even as a boy he had always been a delirious level of stoked for the start of the school year. New books, new classes, new robes (as an only child he lucked out in that department), new things to learn, same faces and same place. Even as a teacher that same excitement burned within him and he very much looked forward to seeing all of the students he had grown attached to grow and all of the staff that he had grown fond of (some more than others).

Pouring himself a bit of tea from a floating pot above a small flame contained by now candle or oil he took a quiet sip. Mm... Something about the tea at Hogwarts always tasted better than how he made it. He had pestered the house elves and Headmaster for years but they never gave up their secrets. So be it, for more reasons than tea did he always find his way back to the hallowed halls.

[Deleted]

Alora was still getting used to her position at Hogwarts. Although she had been here a few weeks now, she still felt a little antsy and like she could be fired at any moment. In a way it was good she supposed, being on edge at any given time meant she was hyper aware of what was going on around her for the most part. It meant she caught misbehaving students and stopped trouble before it began. As well as that she could sense when some of the more placid students were being preyed on by certain dangerous plants, and as a result she could often save a catastrophe before it began.

However being so switched 'on' all the time had its downsides; when she wasn't hyper alert she was utterly exhausted and dazed.

This afternoon in the staff room was no different, she had wandered in after her last class and barely took note of who was there or what was going on. It was then that the over zealous floating tea pot bumped against her head and brought her back to her senses.

"Ooft" with a frown she began to rub at her temple where the side of the rounded edge had thumped into her. Slowly she looked around to try and gather some clarity on the situation.

NATHANIEL ZIMMER

[NATHANIEL ZIMMER]

Nathaniel noticed the woman walking toward the tea pot before the woman did. It was during the precious few milliseconds that he strode quickly over to where she was headed holding out his hand which only cushioned some of the blow as she beat him to the 'punch'. He winced slightly and smiled at his former student apologetically even though it wasn't his fault.

"Are you alright, Miss Astor?" He questioned lightly, not wanting to embarrass her but genuinely concerned over her wellbeing. As an extra precaution, his large left hand reached for the floating kettle and slowly lifted it higher in the air and out of most people's reach so that no further accidents could occur. "I wouldn't fret too much. You're not the first one who has had a nasty collision with it." In his over two decades of teaching, he would need at least six hands to count all of the awkward head-knocking encounters he had personally witnessed in this very lounge.

Leaning down toward her, as he was quite tall, he offered her a few kind, albeit very soft, words just for the two of them. "Don't worry. I will not mention it if you won't." The Charms Professor did his best to reassure her. He had a nasty habit of always wanting to look after those around him - whether they wanted him to or not. It certainly got him into his fair share of accidental trouble. Now probably wasn't one of those times though.

"How has your day been otherwise?" He decided to change the subject to make her feel less uncomfortable kindly handing her a cup of tea with both of his hands. Better safe than sorry.

[Deleted]

A healthy red weal had began to raise on her temple where the tea pot had bumped her, or rather she had bumped the tea pot. Combined with the force and the heat of it, it would definitely leave some sort of mark at the least, even if just for the short term. It took her another second before she had realised the full extent of her accident and how it had brought attention to her. Nathaniel advanced on her to carry out some damage control and reassurance only worsened her embarrassment, causing her cheeks to flare brightly.

"Er....yes. Just wounded my pride, I think" trying to swallow back her awkwardness she offered him a half smile. "Thank you...Professor Zimmer" Alora held some level of awkwardness with her new colleagues. Some of them had been here when she was a student and her own Professor at a time. Now they worked on more even grounds, she didn't quite know how to address them half the time. It was difficult to work out if it better to be friendly with them, or just stay strict with a professional role. The flush in her cheeks was lessening bit by bit, especially as Professor Zimmerwas being quite kindly to her. With a silent, rather hurried nod she decided to agree and say no more.

The redheads smile growing more sheepish now, she was warming to her senior counterpart as she took the cup of tea readily and found herself please to have something to busy her hands now. "It's been okay I suppose. It's difficult in a way. I'm still getting used to it I suppose. I guess you must be used to it after so many years of it, Sir?"

NATHANIEL ZIMMER

[NATHANIEL ZIMMER]

"Of course." He didn't bother to correct her. Most everyone that was younger than thirty five called him Professor Zimmer because he had been their teacher years ago and old habits were hard to break. Truth be told, he enjoyed the title. It made him feel useful and as though he was making a difference even if it was just in a classroom.

"It does take some getting used to." He nodded, agreeing with her gently. "In some ways I'm still getting used to it." He confided hoping that the friendly words provided her with some reassurance. "It's not difficult mind you, it is just..." He searched his mind for a better word. "Eye opening." Holding his tea close to him he gesticulated some (a habit he often displayed in one of his rambling lectures). "If one had surmised many years ago that I would not be in the back of the class taking in information, but rather in front of it dispersing it - I probably would not have believed you." The Charms Professor choked out a weak little chuckle only to catch it and stifle it back in. His sense of humor, if there even was one, was odd and he didn't really want to make anyone uncomfortable because of his own awkwardness.

"Well, I digress." He smiled at her sweetly. "I imagine that you will make one fantastic teacher." And he meant it. The kindest souls often did.

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

Fee pushed open the doors to the teacher's lounge-late, as usual, to the meeting, but for good reason! A student needed her help to clarify a homework assignment, and she'd obliged. She always obliged. With a swish of the long dress she wore-she was too young for robes, she believed (for now), she found an open seat.

"Mind if I sit here?" She said, with a smile. "Fiona Maccafferty, the new Transfiguration teacher." She settled in the seat, carefully, arranging her small body in the large chair. She looked ridiculous sitting next to the taller, larger folks around. A lot of people still mistook her for a fifth-year. She didn't mind, mostly.

"Hope I am not interrupting. Wasn't there a meeting of sorts?" She looked down at the paper in her hand. Surely, she had the right date?

[NATHANIEL ZIMMER]

A familiar head of vibrant red came zooming in the room and Nathaniel couldn't help but smile a tad, his face filled with recognition and memories of years past. Some things truly never changed. His students were always his students, even if now they were grown ups with jobs of their own, they were still the same kids he had come to know and help shape - hopefully for the better.

"So I've heard Miss MacCafferty - and how is your first week going so far?" He smiled over at her knowingly, clasping his tea between both large hands. "Congratulations by the way." He had sent an owl upon hearing the news but perhaps in person the appreciative statement was better received even if it was uttered in a quiet, very polite voice just a little over a whisper.

"Not an official meeting, per say. More so a greeting of sorts."" Stifling a quiet chuckle at the young woman's unmistakable over eagerness (he would rather have that than apathy) he set his tea down on the table though he remained standing. "Once a year at the stop we tend to gather to exchange pleasantries before the semester takes off and we're all along for the ride." It was a ride Nathaniel very much enjoyed. He had no wife of his own, no children. His work at Hogwarts was all he had (unless you counted his Border Collie Scraps... which, maybe some did, others found it horribly pathetic).

"I reckon that you're prepared as always Miss MacCafferty." The tall man noted knowingly. He wasn't teasing, he didn't really even know how, but one of the enjoyments this year for him would be seeing his students fill the role in others' lives that he had once filled in their own.

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

Fee's big brown eyes went wide with recognition. Her old charms professor! She smiled warmly, again. 

"Aye, I AM prepared. Don't know how to be anything more." It was true. She opened the brown paper bag she carried-Fee preferred simple things-and removed some leftover pasta and hot tea. She was hungry, but it was weird, to sit here in the teachers lounge, having lunch as a full grown adult, discussing teaching with her former professor. She wasn't ever super good at charms, but she'd tried hard. 
"And that definitely sounds like a good idea. These children this year are quite smart, but also quite a handful. I don't know how you ever did it!" She marveled. Fee had no children of her own (yet), and while she had an ex-fiance, she was also without a spouse to discuss it with. He'd have to do. 
"Thank you for the Owl gram you sent!! I am very grateful to have been chosen for this position." Truthfully, she was pretty certain the Transfiguration wasn't the most popular course to teach-she didn't have much competition. It was dangerous, and hard work, and a bit of crazy was required. There were a very few instances in which the spell couldn't be undone, and she'd seen it once in her time, but only once. Still, for that reason, it was a more stressful position, but Fee's easy-going personality was perfect for it. Plus, she really cared about the children, and it was a good distraction from her real life. 
"How come you haven't retired yet, anyway?" She said, frankly. Tact had never been one of her strong points. 

[Deleted]

With a quiet laugh, she shook her head. No, he was hardly still getting used to things. It'd been years and surely he knew it all. But anyway, she let him be and accepted the compliment regarding his confidence in her "Thank you". A flush crossed her cheeks just slightly and instead she sat back, watching Fiona now.

The two weren't unalike, but they weren't really the same. Fiona a few years older than her, ahead of her in Hogwarts. She knew of her of course, but it was likely Fiona didn't know her. Story of Alora's life. In the shadow, withdrawn she knew everyone, yet she often flew well under the radar and went unknown. She bit her lip, and shook her head, her tone quiet and withdrawn "No, not at all.". Sitting back mentally somewhat, it was easier to observe for a moment. Silently watching her colleagues speak with each other, waiting to see if there was perhaps another place she could join in.

Except it didn't come.

No, instead she let a snort of laughter escape her at Fiona's lack of tact. Her cheeks flushed on everyones behalf really, but still, she was unsure of what to say. Rather awkwardly the words fell out of her mouth "Uh, sorry I just- I just didn't expect that"

NATHANIEL ZIMMER
FIONA MACCAFFERTY

[NATHANIEL ZIMMER]

AND WE'RE BACK

"After all of these years I still don't know. Just take every day as it comes." He offered accompanied by a small, friendly smile. There were few things that Nathaniel loved more in life than seeing his former students succeed. To imagine that maybe, just maybe, that he even had a small hand in that was remarkable. He might not have a family, a spouse, kids... but that thought would allow him to lay his head down on his pillow and sleep soundly at night... Most nights.

"How come you haven't retired yet, anyway?"

This remark caught him off guard and practically stabbed him right in his still very much beating heart. "Oh." He felt old most days, surrounded by the best and brightest young minds the wizarding world had to offer but now he felt absolutely ancient. Alora's laugh also didn't help. He wasn't mad mind you, it wasn't in him to become as such, but it did make him feel like a fish out of water where the two women could adapt and he was stuck flailing about in the mud. "I... uh... oh dear..." His cheeks flushed pink and hazel eyes darted away briefly as if searching for the answer. "I am only forty five." Most folks at Hogwarts didn't seem to retire until 'their hundreds' but Nathaniel was so shy and easily swayed by the heart that he actually found himself questioning his own age. "I should hope that I have a couple of good years left in me." But that remained to be seen

"I hope the same for the both of you as well." Hogwarts needed every good teacher that it could get. "Have you met any other members of the staff? Anyone familiar?"

Tagged: FIONA MACCAFFERTY & @alora & ANY OTHER TEACHERS
Notes: Come join us!

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

It's a charmed life,Innocence wild. Crayola skies for a thousand miles
It's a good life in the happily-ever-after
The very last page of the very last chapter.

♥♥♥

Fee gave him a weak smile. Oops. 
"I just remember you being here, always. You know? I hope I didn't make you feel badly." Great, Fee. Way to make things even more awkward than they already were. "Then, by all means, stay another thirty years! I hope to." She ate a bit more, then posed another question. 
"Of course. Aren't I always?" Fee knew this one of her flaws-she was prepared for ANYTHING, except real life. Her bag was a veritable Mary Poppins bag but she could she find a man?! No. "Sorry I am tardy; was helping a student." To Alora, she turned. 
"Nice to see another ginger; I am usually the only one and stick out like an old sore thumb. Do you want some rescue remedy for that bump on your head?" Without waiting for an answer, she reached into her bag and unearthed a bottle of the potion, and a small ice pack. "Just squeeze it, there," she said, gently. 
STATUS

[/b][/font]![/font][/ul][/div][/b] Finished
TAGGED![/b] @cue, @alora  
WORD COUNT![/b] I don't know.
OUTFIT![/b] Will link. 
LYRICS BY![/a][/b] "Charmed Life" by Liegh Nash
TEMPLATE BY![/b] Cass[/font]