Finley's Office Hours Closed

november 28, 2022.

xxxFor all her confidence and big voice, Maggie spent little to no time even thinking about the Hogwarts professors. Sure, they existed. They were there, with their big rules and long legs, walking over the heads of the students like unattainable goods, just beyond reach. A testament to who you could be when you grew up, a testament to what you could achieve. Nothing Maggie found particularly interesting, considering she had no interest in pursuing education in any capacity beyond graduation. Why would she bother to get personally involved in the lives or interests of any professors if she really didn't care to (aside from the effervescent and wonderful Professor Horne, that was)?

At least, that's what she thought.

Relative newcomer (maybe new was outdated, Miss Greer had been in office since August) Finley Greer had always been a point of interest for the young Slytherin. How could she not, with her cool demeanor and the way that she walked, talked, carried herself? Something about the woman seemed to beg for others to know that she wasn't boring, wasn't lame, wasn't in the business of disciplining students for being less than perfect. Miss Greer (Professor? Maggie wasn't sure--a caretaker wasn't a professor) just exuded interest. And maybe it was that little inkling in her chest that she was missing something, maybe she was just trying to come to terms with the little tidbit of information she'd found out about her stepfather and her alleged relationship with Aurelia Notresvace, maybe it was a desire to latch onto any older figure that wasn't hiding something from her, but Maggie just needed to get a word in.

The door to the caretaker's office was wide open. Maggie couldn't hear any voices inside that might indicate that Miss Greer was busy with another student for whatever reason, and she was relatively certain that she was well within the Monday office hours. Running her hands through her hair, which had grown rather long without the use of a haircut, Maggie stepped inside. Then, with an inkling of politeness running through her mind, she knocked on the doorframe as she entered, as if that did any good at all. The office was nicely decorated, with photographs strewn periodically throughout. With a gentle smile, Maggie wordlessly noted the muggle camera equipment that the caretaker kept in her possession. How nice to see someone who appreciated muggle culture in any capacity, someone who didn't try and get rid of it under the guise of wizarding world, wizarding rules. "Uh, hi, Miss Greer," was it Miss? Or was the caretaker married? Maggie couldn't quite remember. "I just wanted to say hi. You seemed lonely."

And maybe that wasn't a complete lie. Miss Greer looked after the castle, the physical building, so Maggie didn't figure that very many students came to make her acquaintance. Nobody was asking for homework help or coming for help with an injury like they would with Nurse Frogge. Maybe Maggie felt bad, or maybe she was just as lonely. Too many maybes.

mentioning @Finley Greer.

Finley took a deep breath as she leaned over her desk, looking at the list of what she needed to do before the new year came. The hexwizard tournament certainly was exciting, but it brought more students, and more students meant more teenagers making gross messes or breaking things. Fin picked up her pen (not a quill, mind you) and crossed off the latest task she'd completed, fixing a jammed lock in one of the girls' lavatories that kept getting stuck. Perhaps it was time to just bite the bullet and replace the thing...

A knock at the front of her office drew the caretaker's attention. A young student with long blonde hair had just stepped through the open door. A Hogwarts student, a Slytherin. Finley smiled, students aren't exactly keen to make their way all the way to the North tower for any reason, let alone to speak to her. And this girl had seemingly come all the way here just to say a friendly "hello hi".

"Well then, hi!" Finley folded her list and slipped it into her pocket. "That's very kind of you to come all the way here just to see me. Want a hot cocoa or something?" She pulled out her wand, "Accio."

Two clay mugs flew from the back of one of the bookshelves across the room into Finley's hand. "I wouldn't call it lonely, but I guess I've felt a bit disconnected from students since I've gotten here." Not that she had been spending much time around them, anyways. Most free days were spent hiking or spending time with Farron. Finley jokingly raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin girl. "Right, did you really climb all those stairs just to see little ol' me, Miss...?"

november 28, 2022.

xxxIt seemed a little bit dismal, being the caretaker. Doing all that work around the castle and hardly speaking to a student for it. Maggie did feel bad, truly, she did. Plus, Miss Greer looked like she had more fun in her left pinky than some of the more intimidating professors. Not that the professors were, like, lame or something. Maggie liked them. Just felt quite terrified to speak to any.

"Cocoa? Oh, yeah, please. Got marshmallows?" Was it polite to ask for something else when you were generously getting an offer of hot chocolate? From a teacher, no less? "I dunno. I guess I just felt bad that you kinda spend all your time here and you don't get to talk to students. You don't have the funnest job," she squinted, "most fun?"

Maggie shifted and took a seat, resting her chin in the cusp of her palm and watching the professor close. "Oh, it's Maggie. Hawkins, if you need to know that," she nodded once, twice, thrice. "And I was trying to do exercise climbing the stairs, miss!" She wasn't, but she really hoped that her joking tone came through. "No, I just... I dunno. Things are kinda weird right now. I didn't know who to talk to. I dunno why I chose to bring my problems to a professor. Maybe this place should have, like, a counselor."

mentioning @Finley Greer.

The caretaker smiled as she began to fill the two mugs with piping hot cocoa. "Marshmallows? Hmm, I think I saw some in one of these drawers..." Finley topped up the second mug before opening the middle drawer of her desk, rummaging around for a while. Honestly, it wouldn't be a surprise if the thing was enchanted to have drawers bigger than they seemed, as Finley was convinced she found new junk in them every time she looked through them. One of these days she'd finally sort through and organize the damn thing, but today was not that day. "Aha!" Fin pulled out an old, crumpled bag with two pink marshmallows sitting inside, a relic from a caretaker long ago. She picked up the mugs and walked over to the fireplace where the girl had taken a seat.

Finley shrugged as she handed the bag of marshmallows and a mug to the student. "Funnest, most fun, most funnest, I don't know. I wasn't exactly an English major." She sat opposite the girl as she introduced herself. "Well then, Maggie Hawkins, pleasure to meet you." Finley let out a laugh at Maggie's ridiculous reasoning for venturing up so high. She blew on her cocoa as a look of concern briefly crossed her face, quickly smoothed over by her normal demeanor. "Things are... 'weird'? That doesn't sound very fun." She took a sip from her mug, nodding as Maggie (like many others) pointed out the lack of any form of counselor at Hogwarts. "There probably should be a therapist or something like that here. Back in my day I went to the nurse with a lot of my problems. But I'm happy to listen to whatever's on your mind, if that helps." Finley sat down her mug on the small table between the two, crossing her legs and sitting upright. "Alright, lay it on me."

november 28, 2022.

xxxWell, Maggie realistically knew that there were only so many people who wanted to teach at Hogwarts. After all, there were other schools to teach at, and an entire catalog of professions to go into that didn't follow the format of teaching at a school for what could only be described as little brats. A counselor might be hard to find. Maybe. Just a little bit.

Maggie took the mug of hot chocolate and the bag of marshmallows gratefully, dunking the two pillowy bombs of sugar into her drink. A perfect way to end an imperfect day.

"Well, yeah, they're weird. Not bad weird, just strange weird, you know? Like... I don't know how to describe, weird," she didn't expect the professor to understand. Not that Finley was dumb or something, she just wasn't a teenage girl. Which just made Maggie feel more dumb for thinking because hey, she had been a teenage girl at one point, who's to say she didn't understand? Maggie was really, really hoping that Miss Greer couldn't read minds. "I've got this friend. Right? She's my best friend, you could say. Wait, no, that sounds stupid. She is my best friend, there's really not a debate about that. But I think I like her more than a friend? If that's possible?"

Of course it was possible. Girls liked girls sometimes, and that was completely fine.

mentioning @Finley Greer.

Due to OOC circumstances, Maggie has left the office.
It is once again OPEN for interaction.

Interacting with-@Finley Greer

Outfit-A cute sweatshirt-jean combo and hair in a loose braid

Date-March 5th 11:00

Quinn didn't really know why her feet were making their way up to the caretakers office. She had just seemed so nice every time Quinn had interacted with her. She had saved students on the boats, helped with some errands, and she just seemed like a nice person. Quinn did make a friend out of when she made some... interesting decisions and submerged herself in a freezing cold lake before the afternoon. Quinn smiled at the memory. It had been a while since she had seen her friend. Quinn shook her head to clear it as she neared the office. It was fairly close to the ravenclaw tower so Quinn had felt her feet moving towards the office before lunch. Quinn checked her watch. It was 11:00. Quinn steeled herself before tugging on her hair and closing the distance between the office and her. The door was open which felt like a good sign. More welcoming then if the door was closed. Quinn let go of her hair and told her feet to walk forward. You wanted to go down here in the first place-move. She thought to herself-well rather her feet. Relizing how silly she was being she bit her lip the peeked inside the doorframe.
"P-Professor Greer?" Quinn stuttered.