Upon Professor Lafay's desk sits a black giftbox. Within the box is a bottle labeled phoenix tears and a moke skin pouch containing a very particular sum of Galleons.

There is no note, but there is a large green ribbon wrapped around the box.

She entered her office and saw the box. She sat down and opened it quickly, careful not to let the contents be been... Phoenix tears... and... She smiled. She took the green ribbon and put it into the box, closing it again. She then put it into her desk, locking it.

So here he was again, in her office which hadn't changed a fraction since he had been in it last. There is comfort in familiarity? Not really. Not in this case.

Doing his best not to eye whatever it was that Lafay was sticking into her desk, he made a slow approach. There wasn't much point in sitting down just yet, he really couldn't be sure on how soon he would be kicked out again. That was of course depending on his choice of words.

For a moment he chewed on his bottom lip trying to find the best way to approach the topic. This wasn't a speech he had planned out and ready. He really should have though. "Professor, I wanted to...apologize, for last year." Yes, the words tasted like acid, but they were true and that was the point.

She looked up at the blue eyed boy. Really? an apology? "Go on..." She said and leaned back into her chair.

Awkward? Only a lot.

Shifting his weight, Sabel stuffed his hands in his pockets and did his best to hold Lafay's gaze. "I don't take back what I said, to me those words still hold truth." Yes, that was a great way to start an apology. Wincing he shook his head a little and tried again. "I...didn't have the right or the place to take up the tone I did with you. Or to be...rude as I was."

Brushing the toe of his sneaker against the side of his other foot, he frowned a little at the wood of the desk before letting his eyes slowly return to the woman. "My mother, was very sick during that time and...nothing was working. I didn't have a right to be, but I was angry that there was nothing that could cure her, even in the magical world. I was angry at magic because it just seems so easy all the time. And I felt the need to defend the muggles, because even though they are limited, they have done a great deal. It just, wasn't a good time..."

If it was awkward before, it was even more so now.

She looked at him, and kept his gaze.

Hmmm...

"Very well... you may return to my class..." She said and took out some parchment. She began to write... "How is your mother now?"

Sabel blinked at her. He hadn't been expecting a return to her class and he wasn't going to ask for it. He wouldn't lie; he had hoped but given it was Lafay a return to graces didn't seem possible.

Her next question seemed even less, but it still jarred him enough to forget about his perceptions on her character. "She passed away. Just after Christmas." Even though it had been almost a year, the words still stung brutally.

...

She stopped writing and put away the parchment.

"I'm sorry to hear that Master Dakest, but, if she was truly as sick as you said she was, at least she isn't hurting anymore." She said and sighed. "I assume the two of you were very close." She had never been close to her family, let alone her mother, but she knew that was an odd thing.

Master Dakest? What was going on here again?

"We were..." He didn't want to think of her not hurting anymore. It was the truth, and a strange truth coming from Lafay, but it wasn't as comforting as everyone presumed it would be. "Thank you...for your..." Sympathy? Condolences? Politeness? "...Thank you."

There was a strange temptation to tell this woman that if she was this understanding all the time, then perhaps students wouldn't be so adverse against her. But it was not his place to tell people how to behave or dictate any such thing, and he gave a slight nod instead, wondering if there was anything left to say.

She narrowed her eyes at the boy. Why was he thanking her? Weird kid. "Make no mistake, I'm not going to coddle you, Master Dakest. You will be attentive in my class and you will listen to everything I have to say. If you have a different opinion, you may let me know it, and we will talk about it later in my office. Step out of line, and I'll put you in detention so long, you will wonder if that is your new quarters. She said and summoned a book from a shelf. "This is what you missed last term. Read it. Learn it. Know it before my first class." She said.

Ah, this was a bit better. A bit more...normal.

Reaching out, he couldn't help but smile a little as he took the book from her. "I'd expect nothing less." Of either of them. Giving her a polite nod of his head, he folded the book under his arm and reduced his smile to a proper expression of neutrality.

That didn't last long however as a particular memory prodded at him, his lips curling down in a slight frown. "Professor, that girl that was in my detention last year, near the pool. Who was that?"

"No one." She said far too quickly. "Just... a memory." Her wand came up and the door suddenly opened. "Good day, Master Dakest." She said.

A memory is hardly no one. For a moment he stood there, blinking, thinking that perhaps his thoughts had made it to a vocalized state. Thankfully, that did not seem to be the case and he gave her another quick nod before turning and leaving the room. It was the only way he could keep himself from blurting out questions in pursuit of the truth and destroying all good graces he had received with the Professor. Again, Tate's words rung in his mind; proper place, proper time. This was not it, so he left.

Someone else at her door?

"Come in," She said rolling her eyes. Term had barely started and this was the second student in her office. Merlin.

At the beckon, Jake entered the room, letting the door swing shut behind him. It really was a dingy place, not helped by the sunglasses. He kept them on, though.

The young man said nothing. Just... waited for an acknowledgement.

He'd need to keep a hold of his temper today.

"Morgan..." She said looking at the boy, and then raised an eyebrow. "I'm not the Hufflepuff Head of House, but I would think they, or your mother, would have taught you manners." She took her wand out and summoned his glasses. "Wearing sunglasses inside is not only rude, but, especially in the dungeons, it is completely idiotic. For the life of me, I cannot understand the reason you," and that prat Truebridge, "choose to purposely blind yourself. You don’t look cool. You don’t look important. And you are disrespecting me, by not removing them in my presence."

Oh, lookit that.

A lecture.

Fine, he just wouldn't look at her.

"Which mother might you be talking about?" he said simply, staring over at the ingredients on the bookshelves. He'd had to learn 'manners' and 'unwritten rules' and all sorts as he entered Hogwarts. It had been difficult but nobody had ever mentioned a rule about not wearing sunglasses inside.

"I honestly don't expect you to understand, Professor. It's not to blind myself, it's not to look cool and it's not to look important. If I could walk around with my eyes shut and still able to see, I would."

Plus, Truebridge wore sunglasses. That little statement was just waiting to make itself known... as was Jake's anger at having his sunglasses taken.

But if she thought he hadn't brought plenty of pairs with him, she was mistaken. Only... that was his favourite pair.

"Whatever you do outside my office, and classroom is up to you. But when you are in my presence, you WILL remove them." She said and looked at him. Why was he looking away? She wanted to crush those glasses, instead she put them on her desk. "I don't care which mother... What do you need Morgan?"

"Of course you don't," Jake said simply about the mother comment. Not meaning much by it. Much.

Hmm.

Why WAS he here?

Not to apologise... Merlin, no.

"I was wondering if, possibly, you would be free at some point soon to meet with me in the Potions lab," Jake spoke to Lafay, but stared at a jar of something unpleasant. He didn't have to imagine it was Lafay. "Perhaps a healthy potions making competition or two between us would be..." Fun? Heh. "Instructive. And would also lead me to be able to ask many of my potions related questions which may not be in place in the classroom, and will take up your... precious time here."

What with all the fans she had.

"Since it is my NEWT year... I'm looking to get top grades. Again."

And work on that Transfiguration grade. Grrrr.

What?! He wanted to have a potions competition with someone who held a Potions Master's Certificate? Someone who apprenticed under one of the best potioneers the wizarding world had ever known? Someone who had articles written about her accomplishments in potion making?? ... aside from other things?

"What makes you think that I would waste my time competing with you? Yes, I took the time to bring out your wand work, and charms. Since then however, you've disobeyed me repeatedly, you've shown no respect to me... Why would I care now if you get top grades or not?" She said and cracked her knuckles. "I may be a professor, Morgan, and because of that I will teach you as I would teach others, but I will not take my own personal time out to compete with you, when I know you will fail miserably."

Right, she wanted to play hard ball? Very well.

"Disobeyed you repeatedly? Would that be at the feast, Professor, when I was directing a question to another member of staff, and refused to leave until I got my answer, which I was perfectly entitled to receive?" Jake asked sharply, glaring at the jar of the ingredients by this point. "And not that you'd know or have noticed, but I looked up to you and I did respect you. Just because you were too busy to notice did not mean it wasn't there.

"As for respect now, why should I show that to a professor who instills at least a modicum of fear into the majority of students and does not care for a student's grades? Among other things." Why would she know about the sunglasses? She didn't care... she said the words 'I don't care'. "You know nothing of me, Professor Lafay, which is a shame. You might have understood my previous actions and intentions. Better people have taken time out for me, and the best potioneer on the planet taught me more than anyone could expect to. I had hoped to prove my knowledge to you, but now I see that I have little reason to show you respect, from the way have been treated since I arrived back."

As for the 'respect your elders' thing... why would he? He ALWAYS treated people with respect when they first interacted, expecting it back, and so it went like that, nobody going 'first', until there was an issue. Now here it was.

He stepped forwards and held out his hand for the sunglasses as he stared at them. "If you please, I'll take my sunglasses and I'll take my leave. As for failing miserably, well, we'll just have to see about that, won't we?"

He would not flip out... he would not flip out... He'd ignore the painful lump in his throat and he wouldn't cry and he would wait until he was at least 100 yards away before he had an outburst.

"No." She said tossing his glasses to him. "We won't. Get out."

She opened her drawer, quickly went through files and pulled a sheet of parchment, giving it a quick glance first, she set it on fire in her own hands, crumpling the blackened pieces.

"Then watch me nail this subject without your help," Jake spat the words out and caught his glasses, putting them back on when still in the room. The young man turned and went to the door, but as he pulled it he added something else, addressing the heavy door.

"Maybe you should read the permanent records of students when you get involved in helping them," he added, referring to her helping him out the first time. "Then you'll know who to give up on straight away."

With that, Jake left, snapping the door shut, wondering what that WOOSHING fire sound was that he'd heard.

Now... he could flip out.

"Next!" She yelled.