The Story of a Lifetime! PV Alexx Séverin Closed

Alexx was nosey. To be fair, she was a Prefect! The job description practically screamed, "poke your face into everyone's business"! Though, she doubted that expanded to adults... Her brothers always taught her that it was rude to eavesdrop. However, with the Newspaper being one of her many focuses these days, she simply couldn't help but chase a story. She knew a headline when she saw one, and Professor gossip was hot right now. Well, it always was. She remembered back when Slytherin wrote a conspiracy about Lear being a father, but now ether was an actual child in the picture! This was great! She could imagine the praise that she would get for this headline- it would be like no other!

But then he came. He opened his office door, looking down at her. "Can I help you?" He asked. Alexx gulped, her eyes peering up at him in fear. Professor Seaborne was never this menacing! The more days that passed, the more she missed the Professors that left their position. It was like breaking off a part of your daily routine. Actually, that's exactly what it was. It was a lot like grieving, really. She was angry with this new Professor for taking Seaborne's position to begin with. Angry at him for existing.

Shaking herself back into reality, she attempted to play it off. "Ah- I was just about to knock!" She assured him in a tone that was not at all convincing. She smiled sheepishly, pulling out a quill and pad. "So sorry to bother you on this fine day, but it appears you're all the rage, and an aspiring editor-in-chief has to do what an aspiring editor-in-chief has to do. Surely, you catch my drift. Anyways, puis-je entrer?" She asked, nodding towards the door.

The Slytherin Prefect was many things. She spoke a lot, had enough energy to power a lightbulb, was charismatic, cunning, charming, and just about everything in between. However, she was also overly-persistent, egotistic, and impatient. With her good qualities came her bad. Her brother always said it was because she was a Leo. Mikey liked astrology and stuff like that- apparently, her zodiac sign said a lot about her behavior. She doubted it, but she wasn't one to argue with her siblings. Bigger. Older. Wiser. No, Alexx stayed in her lane, and she did so peacefully.

As she made an attempt to peer around the office door, she thought to herself, who in their right mind brings a little kid to Hogwarts? That would make for a better headline than the one about the kid itself. New higher a total nutjob. Petition to bring Seaborne back. Now that was something that kids would read! Well, she'd get some negative feedback, but that was the way of a journalist, was it not? She jotted it down, not really caring if he saw. A definite good idea. An attention grabber. A little tweaking of the title, a nice cover, a good story... Everything would fall into place nicely.

She looked back to the Professor, who looked almost at wit's end. "I'm sure you're worn to the bone, so I'll make this quick. Oh yeah- Je m'appelle Alexx Séverin. Prefect of Slytherin. Perhaps you've heard? Well, maybe not, but who cares? Je ne cherche pas l'opinion d'un professeur. Anyways, I'm here for the paper. Article and stuff. You're hot news like I said. So, I just need an interview and then I'll leave you to it." She wasn't asking. There was not a question mark in sight- the man, who she knew to be Artemis Vernatis based on her snooping into a conversation between some Professors in the hall, was left with either accepting it for what it was or kicking her out. She was rude mannered, definitely. But the girl knew how to get what she wanted. She had delegation skills like no other.

Taking a few notes regarding his general appearance, she spoke again, not bothering to give him time to reply. "Has anyone told you about the Hogwarts Headliner? Well, maybe not. Or maybe you saw our latest issue being tossed into a bin. I don't know what you look at. Anyways, I work for them. Bellamy Landon let's say... Inspired me to become Editor-in-Chief. Or, try to, at least. Not sure yet. But you could be my golden ticked! I had to hunt you down before Delilah did. She did Professor interviews last time, and Professor Ethel never answered my owls, likely enjoying her residency in Hogsmeade, I'd say. Anyways, yeah. That's why I'm here. Vous suivez jusqu'ici?" A part of her hoped the French threw him off. People didn't tend to like when she switched back and forth all the time. It made them anxious and confused.

Finally sighing a looking back up at him, she raised her eyebrows, smiling innocently. Oh, she intended to make him hate her to the nth degree. She was annoying as could be, but a part of her knew not to play with too much fire. She did still need this article done.

translations:
puis-je entrer? - can I come in?
Je ne cherche pas l'opinion d'un professeur. - I'm not looking for a Professor's opinion.
Vous suivez jusqu'ici? - You follow so far?

Damn! He knows French! This put Alexx at a dilemma. How else could she confuse him? People only listen if they don't know what you're saying! It's not half as fun to have someone who is entirely caught up with you. Still, she produced a grim smile, which only lasted for no more than a half of a second. "Magnifique." She said bleakly, narrowing her eyes. She jotted another note down. Professor is a hardass. Merely an opinion, nothing more. He couldn't sue her for having an opinion, after all. And it certainly did appear as such. Professor Seaborne was always so kind and gentle, a smile on her face at all times. The room felt warm and inviting when she was around. Now it was cold and unfamiliar.

Leaning against a wall, she spoke again. "You think too little of me, Professor. I am but a sponge, absorbing the drama around me. Besides, I don't want to get sacked if my article sucks. So! That puts you and me in the same room, and you answering some questions." Her tone was left dry, without much emotion. She wanted this over with as quickly as he did, and she did not make any attempts to hide that. "First question: how are you settling in so far? And do be honest. It will be much more interesting if you actually hate it." She looked up at him, holding her nose high.

Watching as the chairs stacked themselves, she tried not to look too impressed. She wouldn't give in to this guy. He would receive no smile or gentle tone- not the one that she would give to any other Professor. "Intrusion is the only way to produce a decent article, Professor. And trust me, when you read this, nothing will make you look better. I'm a good journalist." Alexx wasn't a humble soul. She would brag. There were bragging rights to be found in her work in her own personal opinion, and no one was going to stop her from saying so. "Perhaps you should find some school spirit and read it yourself once it's out," Alexx suggested, cocking her head to the side and raising her eyebrows in a mocking manner.

There was really no reason to dislike him. He seemed alright. A bit stressed, but weren't all adults? But Alexx was stubborn. She wanted her beloved Professor Seaborne back. Now, she did lie just a bit. Her reviews on him likely weren't going to be pretty, unless he changed her views within the next thirty minutes or so. But she doubted that would be the case. There wasn't much that could make her like anyone if she had already decided that they weren't worth her time. Like Aurelia. Nothing could ever make her like that girl.

She tapped her quill against the side of her notepad in anticipation, wondering what his next move would be. He didn't seem to like her little game at all. It disappointed her because Alexx was the type to mess with people. Still, this made her upset, but she recognized that he was an adult and likely didn't have time for a petty and bitter child who was trying to run him off. "I'm sure everyone is dying to know who replaced our dear Professor Seaborne and if he can fill those shoes." She mumbled, shaking her head to herself. They were big shoes to fill. Once that he wouldn't soon fit into. At least that was her opinion. She was sure there were students who simply adored him, but she did not fall into that category.

"You think too little of me, Professor. I am but a sponge, absorbing the drama around me. Besides, I don't want to get sacked if my article sucks. So! That puts you and me in the same room, and you answering some questions."

"First question: how are you settling in so far? And do be honest. It will be much more interesting if you actually hate it. Intrusion is the only way to produce a decent article, Professor. And trust me, when you read this, nothing will make you look better. I'm a good journalist."

A better idea? No ideas were better than Alexx's. And besides, she was a confidential little girl, so she didn't want to give up her precious secrets to this strange man. However, she knew that she wasn't supposed to argue with him. What if he went to Professor Jensen and got her in trouble for backtalking? She wasn't in any mood to get herself in trouble today. Besides, if this is what it took to get things done, then so be it. A journalist has to do what a journalist has to do.

So she nodded. She had no other choice. Making a little note on her notepad, which she had set down on a table near her, she jotted down Ilvermorny, unique students, working around quirks, settling in fine. She would just have to remember the full sentences, which shouldn't be too hard. Nodding again, she caught the ball that was tossed at her.

"My turn to ask, your turn to answer. This year is almost over and you will be a third year in September. So, how has your time as a second year been?" She blinked at him a few times. It was a question that she really had to think about. This year was better than last year, she supposed. She was making new friends and getting new opportunities. There was nothing to complain about. However, this new year brought a new wave of Professors, and that scared her a bit. It took time to readjust to people.

She hummed, thinking. "It's been alright. Different from last year. New Professors, new friends, new lessons..." She lifted up her badge which was attached to her clothes. "New position. Just a bunch of new stuff." It was a lackluster response. The truth was, for someone who was so good at talking about others, she was dreadful when it came to talking about herself. She wasn't humble, but it was more of the fact that she didn't know what to say. She wouldn't go on a ten-hour rant talking about how much she adored her new friends, how she couldn't wait to spend her summer with Scott and Ami, or how cute she though Bellamy Landon was. She didn't really feel like talking about how scary she though Professor Lydursdattir was, or that her biggest fear was being handed another A in History of Magic. And she certainly, under no circumstances, would say to his face how much she missed Professor Seaborne. She was that stubborn. "I've enjoyed it, to say the least."

Tossing the ball back to him, she glanced at the list of questions she had pre-written. "Your turn. What made you want to become a professor?" This one was always her favorite question. Some people looked like they would be professors. They gave the impression that they lived and breathed their job. It was certainly strange to her. But then there were professors who looked like they would be suited for just about any other position. Professor Vernatis looked... well... not like a professor. At least- not like a charms professor. He looked like he could probably pass for astronomy or Defense Against the Dark Arts, but charms seemed like the exact opposite of what his passion would be. Perhaps this is the question that would get him caught in his own words, and boy, Alexx couldn't wait for that.

"It's been alright. Different from last year. New Professors, new friends, new lessons...new position. Just a bunch of new stuff."

"Your turn. What made you want to become a professor?"

Her eyebrows lifted, and she frantically reached for her notepad in order to jot down his response. Never wanted to be a professor? Now, this was a rich history. Something that would get people talking for damn sure. That was all she wanted- she wanted for people to react to whatever she wrote. She wanted a response. She wanted her name branded on every damn conversation that was about these new professors. They would say his name, and then recall what she wrote. That was the end game here. That was the mission. Above all else, she would be known for something. Deep down, it was the attention that she sought most of all.

"Wow," she muttered under her breath, taking careful notes of what he said. A story was calling her for sure. Even though she was supposed to despise the guy, she had to give him credit. He was giving her a damn good story. She could even probably take some liberties here and make some... minor interpretations. Maybe others would call it half-truths, but she would call it art.

Catching the ball, her attention became split. On one hand, a cheer. On another, the question. But it wasn't her turn to be asking, so she stayed silent. "Which new thing about this past year is your favorite?" He asked, which snapped her attention back. He was prying. Though she was too, so this was a fair game. Even if it bothered her a little bit. But what could she say? What would satisfy him? She could lie. Make some boring, lackluster story up on the spot and then carry on as if that were what happened. Or she could lie and say that a basic story from this year was her favorite thing ever. There were a few options, naturally.

Sighing, she gripped the ball and thought. "All of the friends I've made. I made more than last year. It makes school bearable." It might have been hard to believe that this pesky, nosey, cocky little girl had any friends at all. She certainly wouldn't blame him if that was that he was thinking. She didn't act outwardly as someone who might have so easily made friends. But she wasn't always this cold and hard. At one point, she was a soft-spoken, shy, blushing little girl who tripped over her words in a conversation with Reid Kovacs over the sound of Alicia's guitar. At one point, she was the fumbling child who was introducing herself to Professor Jensen. At one point, she was the girl who was too afraid to interact with Elena Jones thanks to a few girls spreading rumors that she was a veela. But at the same time, she was also the girl who sent a punch in the direction of a Gryffindor in the library. She was the girl who stood up to Aurelia and gave her a detention when it was deserved. She was a paradox.

That was the most of what she would tell him. She wasn't going to say more unless he asked. It was just too difficult to think of anything truly interesting about herself. Maybe that was really why she was writing these outlandish stories. She wanted to give people depth because she had none. And that might also be why she acted the way she did. There was no drama in her life, so she made it herself. There was no big mystery, so she acted like there was. Alexx was pretty damn average. She hated being ordinary. She was the third heir- wouldn't inherit shit. She was from a family of Voldemort loving ex-death eaters. She had three siblings who annoyed her but she loved dearly. She was talented, but only to an extent. There was nothing amazing about her. She wasn't a great witch or a perfect writer. She wasn't head Prefect or anything like that. She was just Alexx. But that wasn't enough.

She sighed once more and tossed the ball back at him, plastering another fake smile to her face. "Not many more left, I swear it." She turned to the notepad that she had flopped back on the table, skimming through a few pages until she found her notes again. "Right. What are you liking the most about the position?" Her eyebrows raised and she looked up at him again with curiosity. Her cold, dead, angry features were dying down, and she was beginning to look sort of soft. Like a child should, instead of like some evil villain who was only here to harass the poor professor.

Elaine Seaborne had been a sweety. A kind professor who brightened up the room. She made the class that much more enjoyable and left Alexx wanting to come back. It could be said that Professor Seaborne was definitely a favorite of hers. Alexx liked most of her professors, truth be told. She could not think of one, aside from Artemis, that she disliked. And her disliking for the professor who she was currently interviewing was definitely unjust, no one was denying that. There was Professor Ryker, who she always thought was a bit weird, but that didn't exactly define him. And Professor Griffith, who was also weird. But hell, most people were weird, right? Professor Vernatis just happened to be the unlucky soul who took over the class for her favorite professor.

Turning back to the other subject, the one left unspoken about, Alexx piped up. "Is it against the rules to ask about the kid, or am I just supposed to pretend that he doesn't exist?" She asked, nodding in the direction of the cheer. She had been listening in on his conversation beforehand, and naturally, she was pretty curious. "I mean, all due respect, but isn't it a bit insane to have a kid here? I know of a guy getting beat up by with Whomping Willow. And then there's the squid... I'm just saying, this is out of the ordinary. I'm only curious." The question could have been reserved until later, but she had to get an article written. She would definitely be using this against him when it was all printed and published; every student in Hogwarts would know of his little secret. If the kid even was a secret, that is. Surely she wasn't the only one who noticed. Unless she was going crazy, which very well could be the case. But when she thought back to how she convinced herself that Bloom Silverton was God talking to her, but it ended up just being a Ravenclaw who chased a lizard up a tree... Yeah, she wasn't that worried about her sanity.

It was really just odd. No one would bring a kid here- absolutely no one. Not even Professor Lear was that insane. He might be a senile old man, rotting away in his suit of armor, slowly deteriorating under the pressure of overseeing a school of magic, sure. But there were no strange kids wandering around his office. At least... she hoped. Alexx had admittedly never been in. She hoped that she wouldn't have to, either. The thought terrified her.

She should have expected this. "Merde." She swore under her breath, shaking her head. Professor Vernatis was stubborn. It was a question! One damn question! "Alright, alright. I get you." She assured, shaking her head. Humming, she took in his answer. How... ordinary. It was what people wanted to hear. Everyone wanted to be special, didn't they? They wanted people to think that their quirks were loved and appreciated and that their deepest insecurities didn't matter in the eyes of others. Professor Vernatis was delivering by popular demand. After all, Alexx knew better than anyone that when it came to an interview, you wanted to appeal to the reader most of all. The school were merely consumers.

"You've had at least two or three Charms professors before I arrived. Quite honestly I'm beginning to think that this position is cursed just as the DADA position was cursed years ago. So my question now is this. Violet Henley or Elaine Seaborne. Which teacher did you favor more and why?" The question she dreaded most. The question that he should not have asked. Alexx bit her cheek, trying to hold back the words she truly wished to speak to him. She looked at him with narrowed eyes, holding off on glaring, but her demeanor dropped.

Holding her breath for a short moment, she maintained eye contact as she thought about how to answer this without getting a detention. What she wanted to say was not polite. "Seaborne." She answered in short, keeping her head held high. "Because... I just felt like I knew her better. She was interactive. Nice. She guided me. All of us. Seaborne was like our mother in a sense. Someone who... she was just a really good professor." She said it all as if she were angry. Well, she was. Maybe angry was too strong of a word. In fact, it likely was. She was just... upset. "The turnover rate kills me. I wish I... I wish I had said goodbye first." It was a small, very small confession.

But her attitude couldn't remain like this. Not with the child in the room. Alexx wouldn't be rude. She was going to answer Professor Vernatis' question regardless. Then, she turned to the child- no, Yuya- and smiled. "Hi! I'm Yuya and I'm eight! What's your name? Do you know Alan? He's so cool! He's my friend now. Do you want to be friends too?" The energetic boy was so sweet, Alexx couldn't help but smile.

She bent down, meeting his level. Though, admittedly, that wasn't hard. Alexx stood at 4'11", which was really short for her age anyway. "I do know Alan. He's a good friend of mine. I would be delighted to be your friend, Yuya. My name is Alexx." She smiled sweetly at him, tilting her head to the side. Just because she despised his father, that didn't mean that she had to despise him too.

Alexx had a younger sister. Emmaline. Alexx was the third sibling of the four, so she never had much experience with younger ones. However, she remembered how her brothers had treated her. How they still did. She liked the attention that they gave her, too. Her parents didn't ever treat her like she was the apple of their eye. They treated Mikey that way. The golden child. But Mikey was an adult now. And Alexx was still a little girl. A little, lonely, sad, attention-deprived girl.

Looking back up at Professor Vernatis, she decided the interview could wait. "Alright. You know I'm going to ask." She nodded towards Yuya, eyebrows raising, not breaking eye contact once again. "What's uh... I mean... why is there an eight-year-old here? Not that he isn't a cutie." She smiled at Yuya as she said "cutie", flashing her white teeth at him, and then the smile fell a bit when she looked back at the Charms Professor. This was much better than the real interview questions. Much juicier. This was a hit.