of Professor Hecate Scarlett Lafay
 

http://i295.photobucket.com/albums/m...ionsoffice.jpg

The door is closed and locked though the professor is in. Once you knock the professor will allow you to enter. The walls are lined with bookshelves, but on them no books. There are various rare ingredients in jars and bottles. A desk and a chair behind it, books and papers on the desk. There is a workstation with a pyrex cauldron on a burner. There is always something burning. A very uncomfortable chair is set in front of the desk. This makes it hard for a student to spend too much time in her office.

*from the corridor*
 

Because of where he was stood, Tobias was not surprised when Lafay's voice rang out down the corridor. There was a split second in which he was worried she WAS a dementor, but y'know... that was just his imagination playing tricks in the dark and all.

As Lafay unlocked the door with her wand, Tobias couldn't help but try and look at her face more intently than he had in classes before, because he'd just now remembered what Sophie had said to him when they'd met at the festival. About her grandmother being Head of Slytherin House. Was she really? She didn't look nearly old enough to have an 11 year old grandchild, but then maybe Toby was basing everything on his own grandparents, who were all dotted somewhere around the '70' mark.

He was probably dwelling on that a little too long, because the Potions Lady was impatiently hurrying them into the office. He seemed to jolt back to life a bit and rushed in after the other girl. He too, found himself interested in the jars lining the walls, and it was all Tobias could do not to go up close for a better look and start tapping on the glass.

But no. He stayed where he was. There was only one chair in the office, so Tobias stayed a couple of steps further back from the other girl. She was here first, so it was, y'know, manners. Still, he had his perpetual fidgeting problem and so Tobias stood there constantly bouncing gently on the balls of his feet, though not so much that his feet ever left the ground, and playing with his hands and fingers. He kept a smile on his face too whilst he kept running through in his mind what he wanted to say/ask. Maybe he should have written it down.

Hecate walked behind her desk and sat watching both students. She sighed and said, "I hope you both realize I don't have all day to look at students... if you need something, speak up."

Okay so there were manners towards other students and then there was trying not to tick off a professor. At Lafay's words, Tobias was kind of jolted into talking. He took the couple of steps forward which would put him in line with the other girl and spoke.

"I had a couple of things to ask you about, Professor," he began, and faltered ever so slightly remembering that she didn't have all day. "I'll try to be quick."

Wow this felt like a bad idea.

"The first thing was about last term? With the-" he didn't say 'ice cream' because Tobias hated even the sound of the word these days "-syrup? At least I'm pretty sure it was the syrup. Just that... it made everyone sad last year, and now this year nobody is quite as happy and energetic about last year. I was wondering..." he twisted his expression a little. Would she understand quite why this confused him? "... why did that have to happen? Why couldn't everyone have stayed happy and then just not been sad anymore?"

Was that a very Hufflepuff thing to say? Toby kind of hoped so. But he genuinely couldn't see a problem with everyone staying happy. Tobias NEVER let himself be sad unless dementors were around and he had no choice and couldn't think of any downside to that. At all. None.

He decided to wait for an answer before asking his next question.

She sighed. "Because too much happiness draws in Dementors..."

Duuuhhhhhh!

gosh so MEAN
 

"But... doesn't the school have ways of keeping them out, regardless?" Tobias frowned slightly. He had never heard of dangerous levels of happiness. It sounded the most ridiculous concept ever.

But he didn't say that.

Because she was scary.

"So..." Hmm. "If everyone was like, naturally super happy, would you have to make them all miserable?"

"I doubt people would be super happy all the time... they would have to remain happy in their sleep... and it just isn't possible, which is why we knew something was up." She said irritated. "Anything else you need enlightenment on?" Why did kids always have to ask HER the question?

Ooh a Professor that was... a grouch? Direct to the point? No likey monkey business?

Well she wasn’t here to be monkeying around either.

But the other boy had some questions about last term, something about food and happiness and dementors. The brown-eyed girl kept mum as she politely listened to the other boy speak. Last term had so much going on she’s gathered. She’s read Dementors are a scary bunch. Still not changing her opinion that they are a fascinating creature she wished she could’ve studied far beyond the pages of a textbook.

Anyway.... when it was her turn she gulped, trying to calm her nerves and hide it behind her sweet smile “Well hello Professor. I cant help but say I am amazed at your collection here...” she started, gesturing with her hand at the array of STUFF along the walls. “I’ve also been taking a look at your potions stores—the ones available for us students of course...” she said, adding that last one to make it clear she didn’t break into her private stores “I had noticed that it can use a bit of organizing—not majorly since the shelving are pretty well sorted, but you know.... consolidating some ingredients, re-jarring some, fixing up the labels, checking for expired ingredients, that sort of thing....” Pause “I can help out if you wish?” Smiiile.

Tobias gave the professor an odd look, brow furrowed, half smile. Not possible? The urge to correct the Potions Mistress, based on personal experience, was almost overbearing. Almost. He did have SOME degree of self-preservation, even if he wasn't a Slytherin.

Now he was down here, actually in front of Lafay, Tobias wasn't feeling quiiiiiiiite so confident about asking the professor for advice, even if it was just about potions. He could work all that stuff out on his own.

"Nope, that's all," he said brightly, with his usual cheery grin back. "Thank you for explaining that to me, Professor. I'll just get out of your way now, yeah?"

She cocked her eyebrow and said cautiously "I guess that would be alright."

"Alright... good." She said and narrowed her eyes. That was it? Really? Ok...

*will apparently never not have an awkward character*
 

Good.

Very good.

Soooooooooo... he could go?

Tobias decided that that meant YES he could go, and made for the door, slightly hesitantly at first, but then kinda quickly. "Okay... uh, thanks Professor! G'bye!"

Aaaaaaand he was gone. Outta there. Off for a nice pogo around the grounds. You know the deal.

LOL! Sorry, Hecate is just a meany...
 

He was still here? "Goodday..."

Seeing the note on the floor she summonned it. Read it, placed it in her drawer in the appropriate file, and shook her head. She'd have to speak to that girl...

ooc: Steele, I want to get the others in. If you are done, you can walk out, if not, just stay and continue.

She looked at the other girl and said, "Well if that's all with you as well..." She flung the door open with her wand to let the student out and seeing the other children said "Oh for Merlin's sakes... IN!"

From the corridor:

...just as she was about to, the door flung open, and she nearly jumped off the bench all thanks to not expecting that at all. She just looked at Lucien, shrugged, and then made her way into the office. Maybe if she was first to come in, she'd be the first to be seen. The others could wait--MWAH HAHA!

-----

Sophie stepped into the office and suddenly, confusion struck her. What was she supposed to call this woman anyway? They'd never really discussed this. Sophie wasn't even sure if she should bring up the fact that they were technically related. Would she even be recognized with this beard anyway?!

...and now she was suddenly humiliated again. She had a BEARD.

"We have a problem," she began, stating the obvious, "and we were wondering if you could help." She assumed Lucien would be in soon, and it would be clear who 'we' was.

Lucian was glad Sophie went in first. Yeah, his dad taught him to be all gentlemanly and stuff, but that was Gryffindor behavior. Being brave and going into the Queen of Snakes' chamber first didn't seem like that smart way to go. No. BUT. If you thought about it, he was still being gentlemanly, letting Sophie go in first.

WIN.

Stepping in after his housemate, Lucian grinned at professor Lafay, though she might of not seen it since there was a great bush of hair sprouting of his face. HELP. "We need your help," he echoed Sophie. "Please."

Mmmmm... the Captain's Grandaughter... and she has facial hair...

... and a boyfriend... also bearded.

"Alright..." as if she didn't know, "what do you think I can help you with?"

Oh, ...she was in a good mood. Which was, well...GOOD. Sophie knew this woman fairly well, and she knew if you said something--ANYTHING--the wrong way, she'd go off. So good, so far, though. She heard Lucien behind her, which was good, too. A team of two, yes?

...and why was she so worried? She'd just sat at the dinner table with this woman, the one at home and not just at school, a few weeks ago.

How could she help? "Well, a potion got us this way," she said, meaning the UNSIGHTLY beard, "so we were thinking a potion could get us out. It's not our fault, though. Professor R. French had us do Arithmancy with these beards, because he said we'd get better answers this way. He gave the entire class an actual beard. Then at the end of class, he just said goodbye and left before anybody else. So now...we're all stuck."

THE ENTIRE CLASS. O_O

Lucian nodded along as Sophie explained what happened to them. He smoothed his beard over his chest. He was growing fond of the furry beast - yes, it was a thing now - and he was going to have to say goodbye to it. As much as he thought of himself all manly with the beard, he STILL wanted it OFF.

Itch. Itch.

"We thought maybe you knew of an antidote," Lucian added once Sophie finished, with squinted eyes. There was nothing wrong with his eyes, of course. He just thought it would be rude to scratch in front of his Head of House. Impressions, they are important, his mom had said. And so he tried to ignore the urge.

She smirked... "If you had been fifth years I'd have you make it yourselves... but as you haven't had a potions class yet..." She went to her cupboard and unlocked it with her wand and removed a bottle of a green liquid. She placed it on her desk and said "Three drops and your facial hair will be removed... this includes your eyebrows. They will grow back the next morning, your beards wont. I assume you'll want to take the whole bottle to bring to your classmates? Don't worry... I'll get your father to pay me back..." Getting the curly haired man to pay up might be something she may ask the captain to do... "Go Ahead... take it."

There was that well worn part of her that expected adults to say no, or snort and brush her aside and she was prepared to make her case, as far as her nerves can handle it at least. So the Potions Mistress agreeing took her by surprise.

But a GOOD surprise. She can use some more of these.

“Thank you Professor!” She was smiling now, like genuine happy grin. She stood and paused, thinking of adding something “I-if you want, I can sort out your personal stores too? It will be all itemized.” Nod nod.

If they'd have been fifth years and could make it themselves, they'd have solved this problem a long time ago. But Sophie didn't mention that. Instead, she had a thought. "I wonder why the older kids in class didn't just do that in the first place," she said. There had been some older kids, after all, back in the class and wondering what to do.

Sophie followed the professor's actions with her gaze, watching as she unlocked the cabinet and removed a bottle. Three drops? Three drops where? On her head? In her mouth? "Three drops...where?" she asked. Okay, so she was a first year with literally no training. She needed a break here.

She nodded. "We'll bring it back to the Arithmancy classroom when we leave here," she answered. Looking up, she smirked when she heard her father had to pay for this. That was actually funny in her eyes. Heh. As long as she didn't have to pay for it, she didn't care who did. MWAH HAHA! "Thank you," she finally said.

Hecate turn around and stared at the girl. "Absolutely not!" She said turning around. "My personal stores are off limit."

"You are welcome Miss Newell..." She said with a nod. "And both of you take 10 points each for helping your fellow students."

Ariel filed in after the other two, fighting the urge to fidget nervously. She really didn't want to be here. After all, it was only because of her father that she was here at all.

The girl stood, extending a nod of greeting to the Professor. "You must be Professor Lafay," she announced politely. "My name is Ariel Bride. I'm a fourth year." In all her nervousness, Ariel did her best to hide the French accent. This focus only further amplified the accent, making it thicker than it should have been, though her words were still clearly English.

"I thought it best to introduce myself since I'll be seeing you rather often," she went on, "and my father asked me to send his best regards from the French Ministry. He's told me many times how impressed he is with the educators here at Hogwarts." Ariel slurred through the words French Ministry as best she could. She had managed to hide the fact that she was the Prime Minister's daughter from most of the people at Hogwarts for a good while, and quite frankly, she was enjoying her solitude.

But that was why she was here, in this office-- because her father, the Prime Minister of France, wanted to flaunt around his authority some more, as if commending the school was some sort of charity. No thank you. She would very much like to take her leave now.

She looked at the girl. "You may tell your father his appreciation is best shown in monetary value..." She could use more ingredients... "Very well Miss Bride, you've introduced yourself... I know who you are. You may go."

"Of course," Ariel agreed with a nod. "He sent a donation to the school over the Summer. I'm sure he'd be interested funding the school's endeavors in the future as well."

The girl gave a polite nod in her professor's direction. "Yes, madame. Thank you for your attention." She turned towards the door, taking her leave at once.