OFFICE HOURS || OPEN

[sebastianmatthews]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: D0D4D7; border: #526976 solid 9px; width: 410px; padding: 5 5 5 5px;] i can live without you but without you i'll be miserable at best It was late afternoon, probably close to five Sebastian figured. He didn't bother turning around to look at the clock on the wall behind his desk. It didn't matter either way what the times was. He hadn't finished going over the scrolls from his students which held the latest homework assignment on them. He was about half way done. Some of them were very well researched and informed. Others... made him sigh in frustration at the lack of effort and understanding they showed. Sometimes he wondered if some of these children should even be at Hogwarts. It was the same old thing, as he'd read in a muggle book once, 'you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink.' It was a very good metaphor for teaching he thought as he rubbed his eyes with his left hand, having pulled off the glasses he had to wear these days for reading. He was worn out, lack of sleep and an complete insane amount of caffeine and nicotine would do that too a person. He sighed and got back to work, cringing when he had to cross out an entire charm and following information on said charm and rewrite it in it's entirety. How did this student get it so wrong? It was a 7th year class, surely they should know this by now. Frowning he pulled out a smoke and stuck it between his lips, lighting it magically and taking a draw. He would need many more before the night was over it this was the quality of work he had to deal with. He paused for a moment, having told his class that his office would be open until dinner time, if anyone needed anything. They had worked on a particularly trick charm today, he knew a few of the class hadn't managed to perform it and of those who did only three or four of them had gotten it correct. So far however no one had come seeking advice or help. He snorted and conjured up a mug of strong black coffee and took a large gulp. Of course they hadn't shown up, it was Friday afternoon after all. words - 500### tagged - openopen notes for anyone who wants to join! coded by becky! of caution 2.0

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Esmeralda Echo’s first week of employment at Hogwarts Castle was certainly not going according to plan. Already she had been promoted beyond any of her aspirations for her new five year plan (though she had to admit her track history for actually keeping to those plans hadn’t really alluded to it’s success). This little surprise had made a wonderful first impression in the Great Hall when Dumbledore had been kind enough to introduce her over dinner, ‘Please welcome our new Professor of Herbology and Head of Hufflepuff House.’ Head of Hufflepuff?! The drink she’d taken to diffuse any eyes upon her had promptly stuck in her throat and she’d coughed and chocked infront of the whole school. Glaring at Pomona Sprout she’d only been given a large thumbs up and a huge knowing smile. Esme was not normally a violent woman, but in that moment if she’d been closer she could have happily throttled the older woman. So much for the quiet little job taking a lesson here and there when her friend was not feeling her best. No doubt Pomona would be more then happy with her early retirement pottering around the green houses all day long.

It was Friday afternoon; most of the students had taken to the castle grounds to soak up what remained of the sun. She was most grateful for that, after two hours wondering aimlessly around the castle she had the sinking feeling she was no closer to her destination. In her right hand she clutched a sorry excuse for a makeshift map of directions she’d managed to pry from Nearly Headless Nick, though it seemed the helpful ghost had quite forgotten that they weren’t all incorporeal if the many directions that led her straight to a brick wall were anything to go by. In her student days she’d known this castle back to front, it certainly hadn’t been this complicated back then, though this old knowledge seemed only to hinder her, corridors she was sure she recognised bringing her out on the completely opposite side of the castle. She had the distinct feeling the castle was almost enjoying forcing her to re-evaluate and learn its hallways once more.

She was starting to look a little flustered to say the least. Struggling to juggle a large bag thrown over her shoulder, Nick’s rather useless instructions and a large exotic looking potted plant. It’s long tendrils curled like tentacles around bright lilac flowers, occasionally it seemed to twitch and rustle slightly menacingly. Coal black hair had long since fallen out of the grips that attempted to push it back from her face to sit around her shoulders. Her attire had gained many questioning gazes as she made her rounds. What would have been a rather stylish muggle purple pencil skirt and burgundy blouse bizarrely paired with dragonhide boots, sashes of leather, layers of fishnet and billowing outer robes with stitched lime green swirls.

She stopped apprehensively at yet another door, stareing at the useless sheet of paper as if it held the answers. It was the last door on the furthest western corridor... Taking a deep breath she pushed open the door and stepped in, bright blue eyes surveying the room. Wrong again! She gave a visible sigh and seemed about to turn and leave before she caught sight of the occupant of the room. Judging from the look of ‘not again’ that crossed her face for a moment it was clear this probably wasn’t the first office she had barged straight into that day.

“Argh… hello!” She managed; a warm smile quickly crossing her features. “I’m so sorry for charging in; I thought… well I hoped I was on the third floor...” She looked around as if the office would hold a tell tale sign of her actual location. “I think the stairs are plotting against me, the portraits say go up and the staircases turn round and go down.” She gave a nervous though honest laugh. “Sorry I’m Esmeralda, Esme, I’m taking over from Professor Sprout.” She juggled the large pot to her hip, stuffing Nick’s instructions up her sleeve and extended a hand to shake in greeting.

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WORD COUNT -- 695
TAG -- Sabastian
NOTES -- Stolen! Hope thats okay =)

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