Cookies and Misplaced Homework Assignment
Note: Posting this again with a different storyline direction, like we talked about.
Jane hadn’t had time to react before the event, that lead her to wandering the halls on a Tuesday evening, happened. The stressed first year had simply placed their homework in her hands and ran. She hadn’t even caught their name, only their initials stood on the homework assignment that she was now holding. Thank Merlin that they scribbled the subject topic on the parchment paper, otherwise she may have never found out who this assignment was intended for and the clueless first year would have failed their astronomy assignment.
The Professor of Ancient Runes didn’t teach first years, so she wasn’t entirely sure why the child had thought she was the right address for their assignment. Then again, they were only the second month into the school year so mix ups were bound to happen. Although Jane certainly didn’t look like the Astronomy Professor, she had yet to make proper instructions with.
Professor Gargamel Starwise was a bit older than Jane, a good amount, and had a rather friendly appearance in her opinion. That was about as much as she knew about him, plus the fact he was really tall. Since her time at Hogwarts, she had truthfully had some trouble making friends, or rather talking to her fellow Professors about more than the dinner they were having. While Jane had used to pride herself on the ability of being an open, friendly and chatty person, she wasn’t like that anymore. At least not most of the time. Now she could almost be assumed to be shy sometimes.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to make friends or that she couldn’t find a topic to talk about with her fellow colleagues, it was rather the fact that she was scared they would ask about her life before she came to Hogwarts to teach. She could talk about her training or how she slipped into the subject of Runes but everything surrounding that was filled with painful memories of the man she used to love. The man she still loved. Håkon was everywhere, in everything and it was too painful to talk about, so Jane tried to avoid any mention of who she was before she came here. She still wore their engagement ring, her own on her finger and Håkon’s on a necklace close to her heart.
Today though, the air didn’t feel heavy because of Jane wallowing in her past. No. Today Jane was filled by a storm of sadness and nausea, a nasty mix with anger fuelling the cracks between. What had happened in Hogsmeade the day before this, filled the entire school and wizarding world like a giant dark cloud. It clung to the cold stone walls and the people that were there. Oh Merlin how they must be feeling. So many innocent souls had died, simply because someone decided to fill a peaceful event with hate. Children. And all because love wasn’t enough in a world of greed, no acceptance and respect. Only hatred.
Rounding the corner and creeping up the last couple steps, Jane found herself in front of Professor Starwise‘s office. It was just after Dinner, so she hoped he would be in. She softly lifted her right hand and knocked, careful not to punch her wand against the wooden door. The homework assignment in her left hand along with a jar of cookies she had been levitating alongside her. Perhaps Professor Starwise could be the first person she talked to about more than what’s for dinner. And perhaps this would distract her from feeling like their world was falling apart a bit every day, without her being able to do anything.
“The ones who love us never really leave us, you can always find them in here.”…
Cookies and Misplaced Homework Assignment
Date: 15th October, 2024
Once upon a time...
There was a girl running with the wind, a girl that believed that the world was imbued with love, with people that solely cared for each other. There was a girl who dreamed, which heart was full of hope. Her thoughts were enveloped with stories about heroes that with bravery and through justice would always extinguish darkness and its perpetrators. She used to fall asleep at the sound of her father's voice, telling her bedtime stories about princesses and princes, about kings and queens that ruled a flawless kingdom. She should have wondered, back then, why those kingdoms always had a name she couldn't find on a map. Why the names of those heroes were not written in her father's history books. She should have wondered...but it was also a small mercy, that life let her be a child, that she could held to the innocent thoughts that love would heal everything, that love was something that would always live in everyone's heart. She would have known how lucky she was...she hated to known, how far from the truth her hopes and dreams had been.
Children...they were just children, ready to embrace the world with hopes and dreams as she once had, and life took it all away from them in the most cruelest of ways. It shouldn't be allowed...
Melisande look at the sparkling night sky. When she was younger, she used to spend a lot of her time looking at the stars, wondering what could be out there. Even if separated by a distance that time itself could not travel, she wonderer if someone out there was also looking back at her. Would they share her thoughts? Her struggles? What kind of stories do they tell to their children? What are their hopes? Do they also have dreams? Or...or there is no one looking back...and we are ultimately alone, loving, hating and learning with our mistakes until we all become one of those little spots of light in the sky? She did not possessed the answers to those questions, however, her aching heart found itself wanting to believe all those things again.
She hadn't been there, when it all happened, she had been with her students, telling them about past events that changed and shaped History. Many of her lessons were about conflicts, about how over time there have always been differences and prejudices that harmed some more than others. Because there are always the others...and we never learn how to be just us. They called it a utopia, the simple belief that could exist an us. And then...then we have to helplessly witness things like the event that happened the day before in Hogsmeade. That, sadly, was not a utopia, they called it humanity instead. And wasn't this such a foul concept?
Meli's thoughts got interrupted, as she heard someone knocking. She let out a heavy sigh, that didn't eased the grip of sorrow in her heart, and made herself walk towards the door. "Jane," She said, when she saw the young Study of Ancient Runes professor. The few interactions they had during meals in the Great Hall told Meli that Jane, despite being quiet, always brought with her a warm and calming presence, and Melisande found herself liking to be in her company. "What brought you here tonight? Also a fan of stars?" Meli asked with a smile, "I hope professor Gargamel doesn't give us both a detention for trespassing into his tower!" She lightly joked, but her blue sapphire eyes did not shown their usual glow. It was like she had muted that part of her, dulled by the true sentiments that were wrapped around her heart.
@Gargamel Starwise & @Jane Audley
Cookies and Misplaced Homework Assignment
The cookies were in her hands, the homework assignment securely balanced on top, her wand between her fingers, a subtle smile on her lips. That however slowly slipped off, when Jane was met by the lovely features of Melisande Lennox, the History of Magic Professor. Not because she wasn’t equally brilliant and nice to see, but because Jane had not expected to see her in the Astronomy Tower. And where was Professor Starwise? Questions started popping up, that could only be answered if Jane stopped staring like a surprised Niffler and started speaking.
Catching herself, the Study of Ancient Runes Professor forced the subtle smile back onto her lips, appearing as she always did. Melisande had asked her something and she was perhaps taking a heartbeat too long for her answer. Clearing her throat, Jane‘s smile deepened with Melisande‘s joking tone, even though she didn’t seem to be in a joking mood. „No.. I was- I mean, yes, I am also a fan of Stars and the Night Sky, but I am actually here to return a falsely turned in assignment, that I assume is for one of Professor Starwise‘s first year classes. A young, very stressed Student dropped it in my hands this morning.“ Jane spoke softly.
She awkwardly stood before the History of Magic Professor. Jane usually had no problem interacting, nor did she normally appear dislikable and could therefore not reason her current awkwardness. Her conversations with Melisande had been limited so far, but pleasant nonetheless and there was no doubt they would continue to be pleasant. Jane just had to stop staring at her fellow Professor and return to her normal self. Only that was hard, when her thoughts were swirling all around the place, since the incident in Hogsmeade.
Clearing her throat again, Jane hoped that not too many silent moments had passed, in which she had not paid attention whether anything else was said. „May I ask whether you know where Gargamel is, so I can return this to him?“ She asked, wiggling with the parchment, before having a better idea. „Or perhaps, since you are already here and watching the Stars, if you have nothing against it, I could join you and wait for him to come back? Hopefully without thinking we are Students, trespassing his quarters. I brought Cookies?“ The Young Professor lifted the glass jar up a little, trying to keep her tone light hearted, hoping Melisande wouldn’t decline. After all, company and a warm baked good could help in healing a little of the soul and creating bonds past dinner conversations.
“The ones who love us never really leave us, you can always find them in here.”…