Closed 'Charm'ing First Impressions! PV - Kit Paine

Isaac wasn't sure whether it was a good or bad thing that the door opened without so much as a squeak. If it hadn't, he might not have gotten the chance to bear witness such a bizarre but unique, once-in-a-lifetime concert. On the other hand, if it had...perhaps he wouldn't have had cause to start doubting his sanity.

The green-haired young man stared, lips slightly parted in speechless shock, at the full-blown production put on by the professor's many...performers each playing their parts. In the midst of it all was the professor herself, waving her wand for all the world like a conductor's baton as she directed the skeleton dancers and singers. Eventually, she must have deemed their parts were learned sufficiently without need for her continued instruction because her conductor's baton was soon transformed into an imaginary microphone as she sang into it.

There was little more Isaac could do than watch and listen to the passionate presentation, seeing it through to its natural end. He felt as though he had been held captive by his stupefaction, unable to move so much as a muscle or utter even the smallest noise until the song's final conclusion. Even after that, it was a good minute or two before Isaac found himself able to form fully coherent thoughts once more.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, Zo - I mean, Professor Fresnel," he began, forcing himself to continue despite his mind starting to stall. "Are you...uh...busy?" A pause.

"Actually...please pardon the intrusion." He turned around, unable to meet her eye. "I'll, um...I'll come back another time when you're less...occupied."

@Zoë Fresnel

@Kit Paine

Dramatically concluding her song, Zoë was seconds away from starting her next hit single when her heart skipped a beat as she heard an unfamiliar voice breaking the silence. Her back turned toward the young man Zoë had no idea how long he had been standing there or rather how quickly he could spread this around the school.

Stumbling on the chair, Zoë felt her legs give out slightly as she wobbled trying to regain her balance clumsily reaching down to grip the arm of the chair as she made her way to the ground finally turning to see a young Slytherin student looking down as he appeared to not want to make eye contact.

“I--uhhhm busy? No I’m not uhh busy.” She stuttered quickly swishing her wand behind her as simultaneously all of the keychains fell down, her eyes wide with embarrassment. Before she could try to remedy the situation the boy abruptly turned around making his way to the door.

“NO!” Zoë yelled quickly realizing her volume as she could feel her heart pounding in her chest making the silence even more unbearable. “I um mean uh please stay uhm you are not intruding on anything I was uh uh--” Zoë frantically searched her mind for an explanation but knew it was just her being herself in all of her weirdness. “I was just bored and uh playing around. Anyyywhoooo uh hi I’m Professor Fresnel--which you already knew from uh when you said it earlier--right.

So hi again are you here for office hours or just have a passion for Charms?” She inquired trying to improve what she knew was a rough first impression. “Please have a seat.” She instructed gently as she flicked her wand forcing the guest chair to slide closer to the front of her desk.

“Would you like some tea, or juice or uh water?”

When the professor exclaimed at him, the boy froze in his tracks, slowly turning his head to look behind him at where she had come down from the chair. He was silent and remained unmoving as she continued with stammers and false starts, as unsteady with her words as she had been on her perch. Yellow eyes watched her calculatingly until he finally chose to turn back around all the way to face her.

"Bored, are you?" he repeated slowly, as if tasting the words because they didn't seem right to him. His expression depicted as much. He glanced at her desk. "I suppose even professors must get bored of their work sometimes. And, of course, find some sort of entertainment to amuse themselves."

Gaze darting to the skeleton keychains that had clattered to the ground earlier, he stared at them a moment or two before finally refocusing his attention on the Charms professor. "...But, if that's the case, perhaps I may be able to provide a bit of a break from your more menial tasks."

When she told him hi again and asked if he was there for office hours or if he 'just had a passion for Charms', he verbally said nothing, but his unimpressed countenance spoke volumes. The boy's half-lidded stare was not even spared for the seat she politely asked he take and her question about if he wanted a beverage was turned down with a simple shake of his head.

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Isaac assured her. "However, as I began to mention earlier, there's something else that I require your assistance for as soon as possible." He nodded toward the hallway outside her door.

"You see, there's a desk that's been clattering in an unused classroom that I discovered on accident. I would have investigated it myself, but I thought that perhaps it might have been best to have a staff member check it out first." He lifted a single, dubious brow. "Though...if you prefer I find someone else, I'm sure I can continue my search elsewhere."

@Zoë Fresnel

@Kit Paine

Zoë’s attempts at having the boy stay seemed to be failing as he quickly dismissed a seat and a beverage, something she personally could never do but just as she was about to word vomit more options or ideas she felt the boys gaze fasten itself on her once dancing skeletons that now laid limp on the floor and desk.

Part of her wondered if there was a way she could convince him not to let this show be known throughout the school but as she found her nervous mind wandering to worst-case scenarios, Zoë quickly thought that if students knew she was a bit bizarre and eccentric maybe they would want to come and join in on her concerts and then she could get to know her students outside of them nervously casting spells around her classroom.

The young woman found her eyebrow gently raising as the boy insinuated a way to fix her boredom. He didn’t seem like he was here to practice spells or discuss the best pastries for each mood so her interest was quickly piqued as she wondered why he had stumbled into her office to begin with.

He was forthright about why he come and she could feel her face gently contorting as the boy discussed a clattering desk. The Slytherin in her considered it to be a prank to either a, get her out of her class so that others could mess it up, or b, get her caught doing something embarrassing but she tried to dissipate those notions from her mind.

“Sure,” Zoë replied calmly. “I would be happy to check it out for you but first I believe I am owed an introduction before I set off on this daring and dangerous task for you.” Her words were riddled with danger but her face remained soft and calm as she tried her best to not giggle.

“First off, you clearly know my name so you are in one of my classes I am assuming?” She inquired immediately feeling lousy for not recognizing his distinctive looks. “I do apologize if you are as I am still new here, clearly and uh still trying to master the immense amount of students I have.

Could you tell me your name once more, I promise to not forget it.” She inquired this time feeling a small smile tug at her lips.

“And lastly before we begin this mission, why me? I like to think everything happens for a reason be it large or small and you decided that for this mission you would ask the new Charms professor. I just wanted to know the reason for your decision.”

Hoping to pull some information from the three questions she asked, at least if things were to go awry she would have some information on the student in question. Gently brushing the sides of her suede maroon skirt, Zoë waited patiently for the boy to answer without giving off an interrogation vibe.

When the adult finally seemed to recompose herself, she told him she believed she was owed an introduction before she set out on the 'daring and dangerous task' for him. He wasn't sure what was particularly daring or dangerous about going to investigate a rattling desk, though. In fact, he was only asking her because he thought a teacher would have wanted to be told about it rather than a student going to investigate it by themselves.

Nevertheless, he raised his chin and offered her a pretentiously polite smile. "Certainly. I hope you'll please pardon my lack of manners; I was caught off-guard by your stunning performance. Isaac Pincus, Fourth Year Slytherin."

She went on to mention how she assumed that because he knew her name, he was in one of his classes. At that, his smile became somewhat pitying. "Actually, I know your name from when you were introduced to the school as the new Charms professor, but Charms is a required class for all years," Isaac pointed out, sounding mildly amused at her attempted deductive reasoning. "However, it's true; I'm still somewhat new myself." He knew she was thinking about his hair at the very least. Almost everyone had to wonder how they could miss his spring green hair in a crowd or class.

"Why you?" he repeated, blinking. "Because your office was closest. If you prefer, however, I could do as I suggested before and find another staff member to deal with it. I'm sure I could go seek out the caretaker or the Care of Magical Creatures Professor." He shrugged. "I simply believed your range of talents would have been more than sufficient to investigate and deal with this little curiosity." Yellow eyes met hers. "Was I mistaken?"

@Zoë Fresnel

At the boy’s comment on her performance, Zoë playfully rolled her eyes as she knew that while she was here there were probably going to be more embarrassing things to catch her doing besides singing for animated skeletons.

His subtle snark accompanying his comment on her class being a required class for all years did not go unnoticed but she decided to let it slide as he let her know he was still new to the school. Zoë knew there was more to unpack there but if he was not lying about the clattering desk it was best that she take care of that first before getting to know the young boy more.

It was his final playful jab that caused a fire to spark in her eyes as she hated being challenged. She had spent her whole life trying to rebuild people’s trust in her when they usually shut her down just by hearing her last name. She of course was nothing like the notable Fresnels that had stained first impressions of her but still it heated her when people second-guessed her abilities.

“No you were not mistaken.” She said calmly containing the arrogance in her voice as she rolled her wand between her fingers. “By all means lead the way Mr. Pincus and I will do my best to help the poor desk.” Turning her head, Zoë took one more look at her room and desk as if trying to remember where everything had been placed in case someone would try to take advantage of her absence.

Subconsciously raising her eyebrow once more, Zoë gracefully turned on her heel as she followed the boy out of her room elegantly swishing her wand as she locked her room with far more than an Alohomora charm could break.

The boy assessed the professor cooly when he noticed the change in her demeanor, thinking of what he might have said to provoke such a change. After a moment, he nodded in response to her agreement, then turned back toward the door in order to lead her to the classroom and the clattering desk in question.

He glanced back once after stepping out of her office, noticing how she carefully locked her door while waiting for her to finish. Once they were ready, he set off again at a brisk but even pace. In almost no time at all, they were at their destination where a desk rattled steadily from within. Isaac discreetly peered inside.

"Here it is," he told her, taking a step back and gesturing so that she could see for herself. "I thought it might be interesting to practice a spell on, but if it was something like a fairy, which could get dangerous when angered, or even something like a lethifold, which are just dangerous in general, I'm sure I would have regretted it."

Isaac peered at Professor Fresnel. "Thus, I thought it best to swallow my pride and come to an adult for assistance. It would have been foolishly arrogant of me to do otherwise, I'm sure."

@Zoë Fresnel

@Kit Paine

The sounds of their shoes sounded throughout the otherwise silent hallway as Isaac led Zoë to the classroom. There was still a part of her that thought she was being pranked or challenged but she assumed that had less to do with the student and more to do with her past. Gently pulling on her grey sweater, Zoë picked her chin up as she silently inhaled deeply relaxing her muscles as they finally made it to the door.

Oddly it had been left slightly ajar which was unusual for the myriad of rooms in Hogwarts. Most doors were locked to stop curious students or at the very least closed unless a class was ongoing. Had Isaac already opened the door earlier before deciding to come and get her or did he hear the suspected desk because the door was already left open tantalizing his curiosity.

Isaac briefly peered inside the class before stepping aside as he once again explained his rationale for not blindly casting spells on the desk as she followed suit peering into the class, her eyes immediately being drawn to the rattling desk.

Cocking her head in response, Zoë’s eyes squinted. Her first educated guess was that some sort of creature had gotten lost in the school and got stuck in this desk as she twirled her wand in her fingertips taking a slow and steady step into the classroom to not prematurely alert the creature.

Stopping a safe distance away from the desk, she could feel Isaac just behind her as she hoped if the creature was aggressive it would see her first thus protecting the boy while she quickly immobilized it and got it to safety.

Eyeing down the desk, Zoë effortless flicked her wand as the top of the desk pushed open but from inside a creature did not emerge but rather a large gust of wind as Zoë instinctively outstretched her arm behind her to protect the boy and keep him out of sight from the Boggart as she turned her head back to the desk a weight landing over her body freezing her in place.

Her jaw open and clenched, Zoë could already feel tears escaping her eyes as she looked over at her father’s corpse lying just in front of her. There he was like no time had passed, yet his face was covered in blood and dirt and cuts. The veins on his arms were protruded signifying he had been in immense pain that he had only been released from when the killing curse took hold not a moment before.

Zoë’s skin felt clammy and hollow as she tried to look away but her eyes couldn’t leave her father’s. There he was incredibly close and yet gone in more ways than one. His eyes saw deep into hers as if he was trying to reach out to her through all this time. There was nothing she could do to change what happened to him but she wanted to. She knew she could now. She just couldn’t when she was eleven. She hadn’t even known he was out on a mission before it was too late.

Tears flooded her eyes as she felt them cascade off her cheek, the rage building inside of her as she felt goosebumps coat her arms. Make this go away Zoë. There is a kid here. He doesn’t need to see this. You can do this. It’s just a stupid Boggart. Your father isn’t here Zoë. Don’t let him see you this way. She thought to herself as her face scrunched in pain using every ounce of effort she had to not audibly sob in front of her student.

When Zoë stepped in front of him, Isaac's brows narrowed slightly. He knew boggarts were weaker when they were faced with more than one person, split between two deepest fears, but did the Charms professor intend to take this one on all on her own? He supposed she was more than qualified to, though, so he made no sound nor move to stop her; only watched.

Only her back faced him as she approached the desk, but it did not take long for the green-haired boy to recognize a problem. Once the creature had been released, it rapidly took the form of a newly-deceased man lying lifelessly on the ground. Immediately in response, Zoë froze in place. She was regarding the man intimately, studying him as if she could figure out how to restore him back to life. Even from the back, Isaac could see the lines of her body tense, her jaw tight, and began to fear the worst.

The man was doubtlessly someone important to her. Unfortunately for the professor, she seemed to be transfixed by the mere sight of him and Isaac was fairly certain she wasn't having a good time of it. Taking a deep breath himself, he took several steps forward until he could alert the boggart to his presence. It began to change, but as it did so, he pulled out his wand and aimed it at the roiling mass that had become part man, part something else.

"Immobulus," he spoke, concentrating on the spell and the effect he meant it to have on the boggart. It suddenly stopped, caught up in its awkward, partially-formed body. Satisfied, Isaac turned to Zoë and reached out to delicately touch her arm.

"...Professor Fresnel?" he uttered softly. "Are you alright?"

@Zoë Fresnel