Rubiey took a seat at the Headmasters' waiting room. She was nervous to meet him, but was determined; he was going to be her DADA professor afterall. She flicked through the magazines without really seeing anything; she was too scared.

He could still feel the eyes of the statues on his back as he made his way over to the seating area, despite their frozen demeanor. Still unsure about the wiseness of his decision for waiting, he plopped down in one of the seats in the waiting area, sparing the young girl in the same area a small smile. Then his eyes were flicking around the waiting room, over the seats where he had panicked when his friends had turned up bloodied and hurt before Sam Huxely's attack, where Headmaster Tate had offered a reassuring hand. Over the maganizes which pulled a faint smile to the corners of his lips; fourth year of school, first year at Hogwarts, waiting to be lectured on smart-mouthing the Headmaster at the opening feast.

It was one of the magazines that drew his attention strongly, a fishing one that appeared newer than the rest. An edition from last year. Letting his bag slide off his shoulder and onto the floor at his feet, he gently picked the thin book up and started to flip through it. There was only one person that would have brought such a muggle item to Tate's office; Kellen Stern. He had been right, Tate had needed an update to his collection and from the look of it, the magazine had some good reading.

Silently she followed behind him, unsure of what to say to the Griffindor. Though it seemed that silence was what he needed most. At least until he was ready to talk to her. She could feel the necklace he had given her swaying slightly with every step she took, and occasionally she would glance down at the feathers and watch the light reflect off of them. Arya might never get to meet his mom, never give her a personal thank you. The thought pained her and she quickly pushed it aside.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she glanced around the seating area, sparing the waiting girl a halfhearted smile. Her eyes peeked at the magazines, but in no mood to read anything, she simply slid into the seat beside Sabel. This was.....not how she expected to the term to start.

"I remember, first year I was here..." Sabel began quietly, flipping slowly through the pages of the magazine. "One of the students at the Gryffindor table had a fit, some sort of food poisoning or something. We, another Gryffie and myself, brought him up to the staff table for the Healer and I perceived Tate as being accusatory towards a student. I told him if he was taking points off anything, it should be the food."

A small smile touched the corners of his lips as he shook his head. "I lost Gryffindor the first two points of the school year." Another shake of the head as he flipped a page. "Kellen came up with me to wait here, until Tate was free to talk to me about my behavior. He couldn't believe how old the magazines were." Closing the book he offered it to Arya. "This one, is quite new. I'm guessing Kellen bought it for the Headmaster."

She didn't look away from the magazine she had been staring at when he started his story, though it was obvious she was listening. It coaxed a small smile from the girl as she listened, knowing it sounded exactly like something he would do. Speaking up in someones defense without thinking to getting the full story. Poking at one of the magazines on the table with her foot, she let her eyes float towards the boy. The magazine looked newer than the others, maybe Tate didn't have time to replace the magazines.

"Maybe we should bring him other magazines," She mused. "Ones that are more interesting." Though she enjoyed the little bit of fishing she did over the summer, she didn't care to read about the sport.

A small smile touched his lips as he replaced the magazine gently, almost as if fearing it would break by a bit of jarring contact. "We should. Not too sure what he is interested in, though I guess they're for the students, so almost anything would go."

Resting back in the seat, he folded his arms behind his head and frowned a little at the ceiling, his voice becoming softer. "You should come to Canada sometime, Arya. I would love to show you the mountains. Its absolutely beautiful there. I'm sure my parents........would love to meet you." He couldn't hold back the hitch of emotion in his voice, or how his brow furrowed with the pain that shot through his gut. "They would both...love to meet you." He wouldn't admit to himself just yet, that it would be a near impossibility.

"We should surprise him," She looked up at Sabel, her smile growing at the thought. Surprises were always nice. "I could always send home for some magazines about.....not fishing." Because what student wanted to sit and read magazines about fishing. None she knew of.

Come to Canada? All her summers had been spent with Ivory and her family, she had never thought of visiting her other friend's families. "I'd love going to Canada with you. Maybe next summer." That sounded like a good plan, especially since she hadn't planned what next summer would hold for her yet. This summer had just ended. Her expression softened at the mention of his parents. "I'd love to meet them too..." Maybe for Christmas...next summer was so far away.

He nodded a little, suddenly at a loss of words and an absence of voice for them. Turning his eyes to the gargoyles he shifted his weight a little, working on biting back the rising emotion inside. "I'll...send them an owl and ask...Not that it will be a problem..." It just depended on...

Shaking his head forcefully he dismissed the train of thought, nodding instead at the gargoyles. "You think they watch us, or Tate just somehow knows we're down here, waiting?"

"Can't wait....make sure you tell your mom I said thanks for the necklace." Her hand drifted towards the feathers, fingering them lightly. Glancing at Sabel but not trying to catch his eye, she instead let her eyes follow his to the gargoyles. She sank deeper into the chair and began to let her mind drift. Not wanting to force Sabel to think about his parents anymore than he needed to.

Blinking a few times, she thought about how the headmaster would know that they were in the waiting area without coming down himself. "Maybe there's a silent charm....that goes off when someone walks into the room." It was possible since the gargoyle seemed to have some sort of transfiguration spell placed on it.

Something inside winced at the mention of his mother, brought his head to a quick nod and his eyes to a rapid blink to ward off any potential tears. That was all that would be in his first owl; thanks and worry.

Determined not to let his emotions get the better of him, he focussed on Arya's evaluation of the gargoyle-situation. "Sounds like some sort of security system. It would be a very good way to do it. Though then you get the jokers that would hop back and forth over the line and repeatedly set it off." He wondered how accommodating Tate would be to share if they asked him.

Hmm. She hadn't thought about that. "Maybe its an advanced charm or a combination of charms that make it so a person wouldn't be able to set it off more than once, like it detects who the person is as well as when they walk in." The idea made her curious as to what types of charms could do such a thing. "Maybe the gargoyle tells him when someone enters and leaves." Of course there was always the situation of how the message got delivered. It didn't seem like the gargoyle could move from his position.

Scratching the side of his head, Sabel eyed the gargoyles in thought. "You would make a very good Home security employee." He knew the gargoyles could only shift to the side, allowing the Headmaster and students entrance to the office, but he had never seen them get up and physically walk anywhere, though he wouldn't be disheartened if they did. "Maybe the gargoyles operate on a charm of shared sight." It would be one way of communicating with the Headmaster. "Or maybe Headmaster Tate's simply psychic." They were after all, in a magical world; almost anything seemed possible. Almost.

Arya's nose scrunched up as she stared at the gargoyle. "You think Tate could be a seer?" He wasn't a very good one if so. All the things that happened while he had been running the school, surely he could have foreseen something if he was a true seer. "He's not a very good one if so..." She didn't know, reading about seers never interested Arya, but now she might pick up a book on them....or go see the divination professor. "I think the charmed gargoyle is probably how he knows."

"It's the portrait, actually," Tate approached from down the hallway, pointing to an empty frame just to the side of the gargoyles. "He works with the gargoyles too, but that stodgy, boring little man is my main source of information. He completely disapproves of you all."

He seated himself in one of the sofas and gave all three students a weary smile. Long days. "Did you lot visit just to check up on my reading material? I think I need a knitting supplement. I'd like some new socks and a blanket for my cold office, and maybe that would be a way to suggest the gift."

"Or he's just a new and improved Gandalf...Gandalf the White!" Sabel exclaimed, amused by the image. And then the man himself popped up seemingly out of the woodwork. "Surely if he disapproved of us all, he would not iterate to you we wait." Turning slightly, he spared the Headmaster a small smile. "And knitting, eh? Fishing a thing for the young ones now?"

The mention of a gift just increased the weight of the bag resting on his feet, his smile faltering. All of a sudden, seeing how tried Tate seemed, he felt rather guilty and somewhat of a misplaced shame for coming to bother the man. Shifting his weight a little, he spared a glance down at the backpack, frowning slightly at it before looking to the other girl that was waiting.

"I....came to drop something off for you, Sir...but if this is a bad time, it can wait." His eyes flicked back to the Headmaster, suddenly hesitant and unsure. He really didn't want to bother the man unnecessarily, but at the same time, this was necessary.

"Gandalf the White..." She repeated, equally amused by the thought. Her eyes diverted to the Headmaster when he appeared from the hallway, eyes flicking towards the empty frame and wondering why she hadn't noticed it before. Aw. Portrait man didn't like them, she couldn't figure why not. "Was it cause we didn't speak to him?"

Returning her gaze back to the Headmaster, she returned his smile with one of her own, slightly more cheerful than Sabel's. Tate seemed tired. Maybe they should have let the man sleep. Well.....it was too late for that now. "We can bring you knitting magazines," Her smile grew a bit. "But you'd have to knit the socks yourself." She would love to see that.

"I tagged along with Sabel." She added belatedly, curious as to what the boy had for the Headmaster.

Rubiey looked up from her magazine; she had been so engrossed in it she hadn't even realised the two older students sitting a little way from her. She smiled timidly at Professor Tate; he looked very tired. She guessed trying to run a school and look after two foreign schools in the midst of the biggest wizarding competition wasn't as easy as it sounded. *wink* He was funny, she liked that. He seemed nice.

"Hello, Headmaster." she said, speaking for the first time since she had got into the waiting room. "I was just coming to introduce myself to you." Ah, but she hadn't done that yet. What an idiot. "Rubiey O'Rielly, Gryffindor First Year." She was so nervous, her hands were shaking. She hastily shoved them into her pockets, hoping he hadn't noticed.

"He disapproves of anything that distracts the Headmaster from his true job of extensive paperwork," Tate shrugged with a little smile. "But his sole task is to tell me when I have visitors, so he fulfills that job in spite of his objections."

He glanced at the boy's bag as well, before returning his gaze. "Mr. Dakest... I wouldn't seat myself here and invite conversation if I was too busy for this. I appreciate your concerns, but I can assure you that I have plenty of time for you."

"I don't have TIME to knit, but... I do have time to wear socks. Two at a time, because I'm a multitasker," Tate smiled at the young girl. She seemed to be doing remarkably better after the happenings last term. "Maybe you could just provide the magazines, and someone else will knit the socks."

The Gryffindor girl spoke up at that point, and Tate gave her a warm smile. And look... she was looking at his magazines! They were getting use!

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Miss O'Rielly. I'm sure you'll have a lovely first term, especially with the Triwizard excitement. Please let myself or your Head of House know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Sir. I appreciate it.... a lot." Sabel gave the Headmaster a weak smile at the reassurance, slightly relieved that they apparently were not distracting him from more important things; well, as long as one did not ask the portrait for his opinion on the matter. He had to shift his weight a little as the man glanced down at the pack. All of a sudden he realized how difficult this was going to be.

Reaching down, he let his fingers linger along the zipper as the Headmaster addressed Arya. He hadn't changed much save for the tiredness upon his face. It was nice to see - one that seemed constant in the world. Then the younger Gryffindor was introducing herself and he found his hands slowly withdrawing from the nap-sack. Gritting his teeth he cast his eyes down and slowly worked the fabric open, staring blankly at the inside. Now he realized just how much he didn't want to have to go through this again. Denial seemed better.

Smile growing into a grin, she sunk back into the couch with her eyes on Tate the multitasker. "I'll get the magazines then." She nodded her head in agreement. Who would do the knitting was another story. Too bad Gold wasn't here, she knew how to sew. Arya glanced over at the younger Griffindor girl when she introduced herself.

Her attention was diverted, however, when Sabel slowly unzipped his pack again and pulled out another gift. Same as the last time, he seemed reluctant to give the gift away. What was it though? With her knee she gave him a soft, encouraging nudge with the smile to match. Surely they hadn't come all this way to not give Tate the gift. Whatever it may be.

"If you would prefer, we could do this in my office," Tate offered. No sense forcing the boy to be sociable here in public if he preferred privacy. He slid to the front of the chair and nodded toward the door where the gargoyles shifted slightly in anticipation. Dust filtered to the floor.

Filthy old things. The house elves couldn't reach the top of them to dust.

"That's nice of you, Miss Lovegoods. And will you be attending Defense class this term? I have a secret to tell you... I think you already know the new professor." Her watchfulness in regards to Sabel made Tate wonder a bit about their relationship. Overprotective sibling types?

Sable had to jump a little when Arya nudged him, though it felt almost more like a shove off balance. He couldn't help himself from jumping again when Tate addressed him and shifted, the offer and movement both startling and unnerving him. Agitation and painful frustration wound itself in a knot at how skittish he was, at how on end his nerves had become.

Swallowing, he wrapped his fingers tight around the wrapped object and cast his eyes to the other Gryffindor. Private would be nice but... "I don't want to interrupt, or ruin your first meeting with a new student." Good Merlin, sending an owl with the package would have been easier.

"You're deflecting most everything I say with apologies and excuses, Dakest. Do we need to go upstairs for a chat or do you want to come back later? Because... it seems to me that a conversation must be had," Tate pointed out, a wry look on his face.

Air caught in his throat at Tate's tone, his eyes flicking up to the Headmaster briefly. It took a moment for him to get the will and courage to offer a faint nod. He wasn't sure if he wanted the Headmaster knowing. It took another moment to realize he hadn't actually answered Tate's question and he tripped over his words for a moment to try and makeup for it. "If...it's not trouble...I...would like to talk...in chat...in private I mean."