Eat, You'll Feel Better. PV R.Jemari

River Jemari was lucky enough to have arrived just after the supposed disaster that was the ball. That wasn't to say that Hogwarts was in good condition though- the headmaster was gone and there was an air of morbidness to the castle and its inhabitants. Even a newcomer like him didn't actually need the various horrors that had taken place described to him to realize that things were very wrong. Unfortunately, the man wasn't really sure how to help, and so he decided to first do his best to do his job well and refamiliarize himself with the castle. Needless to say, the task was taking him some time.

That day's attraction was an area that River had never actually gotten the opportunity to see as a student, yet one that he was probably going to visit a lot more then he would like to admit for midnight snacks. As the man entered the kitchen and took it all in for what may have been the first time, he noticed one of his coworkers already there. "Kateri." He said, after taking a few moments to remember the woman's name. The woman had her hair pulled back into a braided bun and seemed to be preparing to make something. "I didn't expect to find any of the professors here."

Still humming to herself, Kateri tipped the bowl a little further to get the last bit of batter into the pan. It was some sort of No-Maj, 'edges only' pan contraption she had purchased and still had yet to use until now. Just a--little----further----"Ayeaah!" Kat jolted and scrambled to grab the bowl as a man's voice spoke up, scaring the daylights out of her. Gripping the bowl against her, she peered up to see the new flying professor looking at her. "O-Oh! H-hello!" Her words tumbled over one another as she set the bowl down, her heart lowering from her throat. She knew the elves were popping in and out but she had not expected anyone else to wander into the kitchens. Smoothing her apron out Kat grinned and looked down nervously almost feeling like a child caught in the act. "I could say the same to you." Placing her hands on the table, she leaned forward and looked him up and down. She hadn't had any proper interactions with the man in front of her, or any of the other professors for that matter. Nothing outside of work or duties that is. The lack of interaction had started to make her a little homesick, though she wouldn't admit to it.

"So, River right? What brings you down to the kitchens this late?" Her mind wandered thinking of all the things he could possibly be doing. Sure, a small paranoid part of her wondered a deeper darker reason... but that was expected with Hogwarts, wasn't it? Especially with the Headmaster still M.I.A. Giving him a quizzical look she waited for his response. He didn't seem like he was up to no good. Maybe just raiding the pantry for a snack? She couldn't blame him, she tended to sneak down here from the tower in between office hours.

River winced slightly as he realized that he had scared the professor. "Sorry." He quickly said, making a mental note to figure out better ways to announce his presence. It didn't really matter now though, and so the man decided to not let his mind wander. Kateri definitely had a point- why would it be expected for one of them to be there and not for the other? "I'm just getting to know the castle again. Haven't been here in a while, after all." Now that that was settled, River returned to his attempt at figuring out what she was doing there.

"What are you making?" He asked, before noticing the pan. "Oh. Brownies?" The dish was a plain giveaway, as River's familiarity with the muggle world had ensured that he was very familiar with things such as a baker's edge pan. "Or... Lasagna." It was probably one of the two since according to his (admittedly few) encounters with the utensil, those were what it was meant for. "Probably brownies." River finally said, concluding that making Lasagna out of the blue was a bit... random for a professor at Hogwarts. If it really was brownies, the professor of flying wanted in.

So, the man hadn't been here in awhile? Hogwart's Alum then, that wasn't as obvious right off just looking at him. Though as a student, Kateri wondered if he had snuck into the kitchens before. She gave the man a quick once over. He seemed well kept, not someone who would appear to have caused trouble in his youth or at least not the one jumping head first into it but perhaps following a fellow friend. Kateri grinned at the thought of her colleagues as students here and how they must have been before graduating and starting life.

"L-lasagna..?" Not sure if he was pulling her leg or not, she blinked her eyes several times as if trying to process his..joke? Was this a British thing? Was Lasagna even a British... thing that they ate? Kateri felt a bit out of her depth suddenly and nervously wiped her hands on her apron. "H-heh. Brownies would be correct! Though I guess I sort of... well," She gave a glance around the room and realized how messy the sink, table and cabinet area had gotten. Even a bit of batter had managed to find its way onto her shoe. "Somewhat carried away. I just wanted to do something for the ki-students tomorrow. They've been through a lot recently and I figured why not chocolate?" Again however... she had gone overboard. A little too enthusiastic with the frosting options, sprinkles, and amount of goodies in general. A thought crossed the professor's mind making a wide smile spread across her face.

"Since you're up," If she was ever going to finish then she might just need an accomplice. Smirking, Kateri gave a small hop and rounded the table where River was standing, walking over to a couple of aprons hanging on some hooks. "Want to join in?" Playfully she tossed the apron in his direction and returned to her bowl of batter.

If River had known what Kateri's first impression of him was, he would have been impressed. She had somehow managed to assess his life as a student perfectly: never the one to start the trouble, but not afraid to follow others into it. That was far in the past though, and over the years the professor of flight had learned something about self-control and responsibility. Unfortunately, River... didn't have a first impression of his coworker. If there was one thing that he was terrible at, it was reading people he didn't know. Oh well. That's why staff bonding exercises exist.

"Yes, Lasagna." River said softly. Kateri seemed so bewildered by his question that it almost seemed like she didn't know what the dish was. "It's like... Pasta... but- Ah, nevermind." The man listened as the professor of Astronomy's intentions were explained. It was a sweet thought (no pun intended). Sweet enough that it actually could work- raise their spirits that is, if only for a bit. "Sure. I'll help out. Just... tell me what to do." He said, approaching the assorted ingredients. River wasn't exactly a chef, as Kateri seemed to be. Even with the most precise and professional advice possible, he was still bound to mess something up. Still, he was always up for a good challenge.

Looking to her baking companion she grinned and glanced at the chocolate chaos in front of her. He seemed eager to help which was refreshing. She wasn't at all sure how anyone would have taken to finding her down here so late messing about let alone her colleagues. Since she had been hired she hadn't really interacted with anyone beyond work and classes. It felt nice to have

"Well," Kateri drew the word out on her tongue as her eyes danced from one bowl to the next. "If you wouldn't mind just cracking another egg into that batter then giving it a good mix before pouring it into a tray that would be helpful! I just want to use up whatever is left before cleaning." The young woman wasn't sure how far to go into the process of brownie making. He didn't seem like someone who baked a lot nor did he read as a man who spent more of his time engaged in.. well.. "manly" activities and left these sorts of thing to women. Sort of like her ex-husband... Immediately pushing the thoughts from her mind, Kateri plucked an egg from the only carton left that hadn't been emptied and tossed haphazardly on the table. She leaned towards the flying instructor and gently placed the egg next to the bowl. "There's a small hand mixer to your left you can use." She nodded her chin in the direction of a hand crank mixer. Folding over the batter in front of her once more, Kateri began to pour it into one of the empty greased up trays.

She wasn't quite sure if it was because her lack of socializing since arriving at Hogwarts with the other adults or having this be her first time meeting River but she found herself almost at a loss for words. Did he enjoy the silence? Was he someone who preferred to just work quietly...? Was the silence a little too awkward? How long had she been quiet for? Kateri's mouth went dry as she pressed her lips together in thought. "Are you all settled in finally? It seemed to take me awhile to get my office set up just right. Though you must have a pretty familiar sense of where everything is in the castle, assuming you were a student here?" Maybe some small talk would be good... It did feel nice having another person to talk with and felt a lot less lonely in the kitchens. The elves were good company but not all of them were... pleasant. Especially when they had seen the mess.