Workin' 9-5 (w/Garf)

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

Career week in the Wizard world was...strange. Fee had attended enough of them as a college student when she was in her "denying my witch genes" phase. So far, they'd had a speaker from the Ministry of Magic, Charlie came, River had come, and today was Garf. He, too, had been a satellite friend to Charlie and River, though Fee didn't remember HIM, either. He showed up a few minutes before her class started, to find her sitting at the desk in her classroom, lost in her own little world. She startled, and then smiled. 

"I am so sorry. Welcome to 7th year Transfiguration!" Some days, she felt too young to teach 7th years; had it really been that long since her own studies at Hogwarts?! The swish of her dress-she didn't wear robes, as she found them matronly-was loud in the silence of the room. She smiled a nude-lipsticked smile, and spoke. "Please, set up as you wish, and make yourself comfortable. A bit of tea?" She came up with an extra china cup from one of the drawers. "It's Lapsang Souchong but I do have a bit of cream." So 

[GARFIELD HYDE]

Career week. Or, rather, career week with him as the star. Garf wouldn't, couldn't have imagined it even in his wildest dreams before the owl had arrived at the office with the invitation attached to its foot. Before they had decided that the low man on the totem pole could be the one to sing the praises of the Department of Cultural affairs. Even now he had the rather distinct impression that this whole thing could go sideways fast. But, who ever really knew with teenagers.

Though, he had managed to get out a cheerful wave to his adorably embarrassed daughter so there was that.

Garf spared a knock on the door to the classroom as he entered, already running far enough behind. Those staircases were out to get him, and his pitstop hadn't helped matters. "Ah, hello." Shifting awkwardly in front of the woman and reminded eerily of his Hogwarts days, even if she wasn't wearing robes. "Well, at least I've got the right classroom." Because just as soon as he had remembered the right floor all of the classrooms had begun to look the same. It'd been seventeen years, sue him.

"I'm not too familiar with that kind of tea," he offered with a smile, the most he ever remembered was earl grey and chamomile, "I'm sure it's great though!" Garf added as he began to pull things out of his bag to set up, including his guitar which he pulled out with a bit of a mischievous smirk. The least he could do was make this thing interesting.

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

Fee nodded.

"It's a strong black tea from the Fujian region of China. It's quite lovely. It's got a bit of a roasted pine note to it." She extended the cup to the man. If he took it or not was up to him, and her feelings would not be hurt. "I discovered it when I lived in Dublin." She said, by way of conversation.

"You went to Hogwarts, didn't you? I vaguely remember seeing you in the halls. I was Hufflepuff; two years behind ye. You may know my former...my friend, River Adeline?" She always felt silly asking. Why would anyone remember either one of them? They had been no bodies, nerds. But now River was a published author and she had had a peer reviewed study done! But this man probably didn't follow chemists. "It's always so weird how we do that, innit? "Name, house, year." She chuckled, but sighed. *Just because there's a strange man in your classroom doesn't mean he needs to be fed and entertained, Fee*, she reminded herself.

"Do you need anything from me? The children should start filing in any time." With that, she popped to her feet, and went to the blackboard, to prepare. She wrote down his name-"It IS Garfield, like the cat, correct? And Hyde, like Hyde Park." She stepped back a moment. She'd written "A presentation by Mr Garfield Hyde, Ministry of Music," in her flowing script. Just then, a cadre of students streamed in, and she smiled.

[GARFIELD HYDE]

Garf couldn't help the confused arch of his brows as he accepted the cup of tea and studied it a bit dubiously, "A roasted pine note?" He wasn't exactly sure what that meant, or what it was supposed to taste like, but surely it couldn't be terrible? She wouldn't give him anything terrible, right? Right? Taking a deep breath Garf braced himself and took a quick sip, not so much savoring it as trying to drink the bit quick enough that he wouldn't gag if it was bad.

And, well, it certainly wasn't horrible.

"Huh," he said, watching the liquid in the cup, "Well, I don't think it's a bad find." Probably not something he'd find on his own but it was good enough to drink, certainly.

"Oh, you were?" Garf shifted a bit awkwardly, "I might've known of him, a Slytherin, right?" He ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head nervously, "I didn't talk too much to Slytherins back then." The house rivalries hadn't been the best, and well Garf knew he'd been a bit of a pain back then. "Yeah, I guess it is a little weird." Name, house, year. Huh.

"Ah yes, if you want to help me unpack a bit, maybe grab the pamphlets from my bag, if you could?" He turned and returned to sorting his things out after setting the cup of tea down. "Yes. Yeah, that's my name." Garf replied with a soft, awkward laugh and more shuffling of his things around, "You can call me Garf, though, if you'd like," More awkward shuffling. And then the students were starting to stream in and it was almost time to begin. He hoped he had it in him.

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

"Aye, it's quite different!! Boxty House served it; went there once with me Da, for his birthday!" She had a bad habit of word-vomiting when she was nervous, and she was always nervous. "He turned 55 that year. I am his only child." She should probably shut up now. "Aye, I think that means that it supposed to taste a bit spiced, like cider or somesuch." She shrugged.

"No! It's quite good, innit?" She was pleased to be able to show him something new.

"Correct. I was Ravenclaw myself," she said, sipping her own tea. "Nobody talked to Slytherins back then, or now, really!! Not much has changed. Except me. I don't think he really DID want to be a Slytherin, but that's how it works, right?!" She chuckled. "We met because I tutored him in spells. Boy was a mess." He still was. "A little bit, I suppose, but it's the life, I guess!!" She needed to sit down so she'd shut up.

"Oh! Pamphlets! Yes." She went to the tote bag he'd brought with him, and spread them across the first desk. "When the children arrive, you can let them know to take one! And Garf? It sounds quite...silly." She also didn't have a filter. "Sorry, I mean...doesn't sound like the name for a grown man is all I mean. I am going to sit down now!" As the students came, she stood up, ON her desk, simply to see over them.

"Good morning, children. This is.. Mr. Garfield-Garf-Hyde. He's here for the first Career Week presentation from the Ministry of Music. He'll be in charge for today's session, and you will give him the same respect you give to me." She smiled, and nodded at him. "Go!"

[GARFIELD HYDE]

"Ah, I'm not an only child myself," though he hadn't had the time to talk to his younger sister too recently. He should probably get on that at some point, especially now that Finley was in school. In fact, he should get on embarrassing her more. More embarrassing owls at the very least - it's how he would have wanted it as a kid (probably). Garf stared into his cup of tea, an almost considering look on his face, "Doesn't taste much like cider, but I haven't had that lately." Not that he remembered anyway, but perhaps he could have on any of his recent excursions.

"Yeah! It's good!" Better than he had ever expected it to be. He'd expected to be doing a spit take upon his first sip.

"Ah, yeah, we were all little jerks about it too." All the inter house bickering and hexing and what not. Garf was certain he could have done better but, well, the past was in the past.

Garf shuffled awkwardly and shrugged, "It is a bit silly, I suppose. But it's just a nickname that I like my friends to call me," This said with a tentative smile. Garfield had always been such a mouthful so he'd always preferred Garf because it was a little bit silly and a little bit out there.

Garfield shuffled awkwardly with his papers for a moment as Fee introduced him, nodding to the class, and began passing out the typical Department of Cultural Affairs pamphlets, "Hello kids, as you can see I'm from the Department of Cultural Affairs, we focus on incorporating things like music and the arts into school programs and such .." He drolled on, not the most interesting speech and it made him feel a bit stiff but he had no idea what he was doing, probably for the best.

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

Fee nodded, and smiled. "Lucky you!! I would've killed for a sibling or two." It CERTAINLY would've made her life easier, that much was true. "Did you ever feel forgotten or ignored, though?" She never understood how a child might, but all of the people she knew who had siblings had never reported feeling this way. They were all loved, supported, and taken care of. After Garf sipped the tea, she smiled. "I haven't had any cider in a while, myself, either." To her, it was a pre-Christmas drink-and she'd not drink it before or after September to November. It wasn't the RULE! You didn't have apple cider in June. What kind of monster did that?

"The kids are a BIT better; at least in my class, they are. I wouldn't stand for it, though...I might be small but they know better. You know what they say about short people and tempers? It is TRUE!" She informed him, a hand on her hip and red head tossing. "OH! I see. Well. Fee is a nickname, too. My full name is Fiona," she said, "But Fee suits me, I think." It was small and short, like her, and Fiona always sounded like she was about to be in trouble with her father!

She watched him struggle through the introductions, and then smiled before interrupting. "Children, let's help out Mr. Hyde here. Ask questions!! Maybe he can give us a demonstration of his musical...skills?" What did they even call it, anyway??

[GARFIELD HYDE]

"Ah, I just had the one. A sister." She was awesome too, like a rockstar without all of the music and stuff. "Never really felt forgotten," certainly had felt a bit useless at times when his sister had been able to take over the family business. Even if he had never actually wanted to take on the business, the point stood. "More for the holidays, isn't it? Maybe I should get a batch soon." Throw the whole cider industry on its head. Ha. As if he had that kind of pull. Still, it sounded like a good idea, he felt rather nostalgic for cider after this. Had he even had any last year?

"Ah, well - I'll be sure not to get on your bad side then." Garf said with an awkward chuckle, as if he had planned to. Plus, she was a redhead. Short and a redhead? A bad combination for a temper, that was. "I don't imagine I could keep a bunch of kids in line though, so kudos to you." Nor would he ever want to have to deal with keeping any in line but his own.

"I can do that!" Garfield offered eagerly, his grin turning broad as he laid fingers on his guitar and raised it to the proper position. "Any requests, genres, songs, anything. I'll give it a shot!" He was rather used to special request nights at the pub, after all. What was a classroom full of kids in comparison?

[FIONA MACCAFFERTY]

Fee chuckled. "Aye. Sounds lovely. I didn't really get to experience the kind of teasing and things that went with siblings until I was dating my ex-he has a few siblings and they are very close," she said. She had no filters, not really realizing that that kind of thing wasn't something you just say say to someone, particularly a stranger. Even if they are[/I] cute. STOP IT FEE.

"Don't worry, my annoyance tends to only affect the chiselers-uh...that's Irish for kids," she explained. "And only when they're acting the fool. Generally, they're well behaved but as the semester just started, of course, they're still keyed up from their breaks. I am trying to give them grace-I remember how it was. You just wanted class to be over so you could back and show your friends the things you got-or in my case, didn't-whilst you were away," she said. Her father was too poor for her to get new things every time she came home. Only at Christmas, and then it was generally one or two small items, generally clothing pieces or the like. Still, she treasured them because even as a young child, she recognized how hard he had to work just to get her some small thing.

"You will definitely need to start with the Hogwarts theme!! Then perhaps...each house theme if there's time!" She said.