au_hogwarts | (no subject)

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alec troven

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It's late on a September school night - students should all be doing homework now, really. The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor certainly is. She's marking papers in her classroom, and occasionally batting away an errant pixie.

She's new to the school this year - this month - but she's been told that legend has it a batch of Cornish Pixies were released in this room around 1992 and nobody's ever managed to exterminate them properly. Legend has it, too, that they've evolved and become ever more intelligent, due to the high levels of magic in the air around Hogwarts.

Legend has an awful lot of things. Professor Brown is still making up her mind on whether or not any of them are real.

Teaching is kind of a new gig, and Hogwarts isn't very clear on what, exactly, the expectations for this Defence class are. So her first paper for the sixth-years is along the lines of: "This is what's attacking you. How do you defend? Give three options and three possible escape routes."

Her students' responses to that are -- apparently kind of entertaining, judging by the occasional hint of muffled laughter audible even from the corridor.

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"It's not like I'm condoning him dropping it in class," Sokka argues, pouting a little. "I'm just saying, that's a high-level potion I wasn't expecting any of them to manage properly. It's impressive that he got it! And if you don't tell me now, I'll just have to make a big spectacle tomorrow of figuring out who it was anyway."

A moment of silence and a big shiny grin. "Did you really Stun him?"

Steph looks him up and down, and - grins. "Something tells me you're going to make a big spectacle anyway. I'm not going to help. But I might watch.

"And no, I didn't Stun him. Came pretty close, though." She gestures, witha small smirk, at another, smaller scorchmark - on the back wall, above head-height, jerked upwards in the last second.

Kids shouldn't be setting off small bombs when their teacher is an Auror on active duty. Really, Wadsworth was just lucky Steph's reflexes are fast enough to change targets split-second. Poor kid.

It's okay, he'll get points for it.

Sokka, however, is laughing even as he shakes his head. "I swear, they get dumber every year. Surprising a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Maybe the house will only get twenty-five points, he's no good to them dead."

Steph narrows her eyes at him. "You are seriously going to give the kid points for playing pranks on me? Dude. You and I are gonna have to be mortal enemies."

Sorry. It's just how it is.

She remains very serious.

"Not for the prank!" Sokka protests, truly appalled by her incorrect assumptions. "Just for the potion! He'd, uh... get more points for setting it off in his own common room?

"...actually, no, he wouldn't." Thoughtful frown. "Because really, it's the testimony of a professor that legitimizes the whole thing."

Steph is trying very hard to not laugh. She's only new at this school and she wants to maintain what sembleance of dignity she has.

But Professor Aquam is kind of hilarious.

"So if I hadn't said anything ... ?"

"Rumored success is still just a rumor."

Shiny grin.

"I'd require at least three impeccable witnesses and there'd still be a penalty on the points, just for being a git about setting it off."

"That's my Brown Luck coming to the fore," Steph says, very sadly. "Note to self: next time someone blows something up, don't tell the Potions master."

"Well, now you're just being cruel to the students. Shame on you, Professor, I didn't expect an American to be so boring."

Steph is very wounded by this. DEEPLY offended.

"I'm eccentric like that. They did warn me that teachers here tend to get ... strange, after a while.

"Say, how long have you been here?"

"About ten minutes longer than I should have," Sokka answers promptly, beaming. "Long enough to find hazing new teachers and then insulting their patriotism still amusing. Feel free to return the favor, though - I didn't even watch the Cup this year."

And England was in it!

"Simply disgraceful." Steph mimics a very proper accent, and looks quite serious. "What kind of an Englishman do you call yourself?

"And now you've admitted to hazing I definitely don't believe you about the squid."

Her accent is getting laughed at pretty hard.

But he sobers a little at her disbelief. "That... could be a problem. I'd better get Leah to tell you, then, I'm told she has a more believable face."

"Leah? -- oh, Professor Ross.

"Wait. Leah Ross. ... Leah Ross?"

"Just got that, did you?" Sokka teases, grinning again. "Yes indeed, the Leah Ross, and she'll skin me alive if she finds out I didn't catch the Cup this year.

"There you are. You were nearly exploded this afternoon by one of my students and now you've got the means to destroy me right back, if you so choose."

A hand is offered, along with a grin. "Even?"

Steph laughs and gives him her hand, still beaming like the inner seventeen-year-old who just got told she's working alongside a long-held idol. Because she did.

"Leah Ross. Sure, even - I can't pretend I'm holding a grudge while I'm busy fangirling. I wanted to be her so much!"

Shaking her hand enthusiastically, Sokka can only beam more. "Excellent! Are you going to go ask her for an autograph? She's absolutely terrible at pretending she doesn't love being asked."

"Hell yes I'm gonna ask her for an autograph," Steph says, laughing up at him, still completely enthusiastic. "You know her well?"

"We were in school together. Same year, different houses, but I don't hold it against her. I mean, not everyone can be brainy and clever, you know?"

"Obviously not," Steph says, giggling. She shifts back to sit cross-legged on her desk, grinning happily to herself while her papers continue to shuffle themselves. "It seems some of us can be neither."

But she thinks she's going to enjoy working with him anyway. He's funny.

And totally brilliant, it's just really hard to tell outside of his class.

"I won't judge you for it either," Sokka promises, chuckles to join in with her giggles. "But I'll leave you be, if you were doing more with those papers than shuffling. Just thought I'd say hello less formal-like after the feast introductions."

"I appreciate it," Steph says, grinning up at him. "Pleasure to meet you. This castle's a big place, and I sure don't plan on heading down to the dungeons any time soon. Especially now that I know I should wear explosion-proof armour."

She is short and sweet-faced and laughing, and all, but when she lifts a hand to wave goodbye, her sleeve falls back to reveal the edge of a dark, twisting line of cursed scar tissue disappearing into her robes. Not a simple wound, not to leave a mark like that.

If his eyes catch on it, his smile doesn't fade. Not in the slightest. And there's no hitch in his returned wave either, friendly and open.

Making a note of the scar, of her face. Reminding himself to make a trip to the pub soon.

"Good to meet you, too. And you're welcome any time, if you suddenly get brave."

"Or stupid." Steph beams at him. "I've been known to be that, too ... See you 'round!"

Edited 2011-09-21 12:12 (UTC)

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