Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 9, 2008 20:30:01 GMT -5
Layla couldn't wash away the worried look on her face. She hadn't been ready to meet a Professor, especially at an event that was supposed to give her a breath of fresh air, a chance to relax and keep her mind off the things a Professor represented. "Oh no Professor, I wouldn't skip class... well I have before... but... well not to the point where a Professor doesn't recognize me."
She was able to take a breath when she paused to take in the fact that the woman had just complimented her. Her face drew a blank that bordered on confusion and he offered a timid, "Oh... thank you... I will be in your class this year."
Though the woman seemed harmless, and very pleasant before this little bit of information, Layla's mounting tension towards all things academic had already gripped her and transformed the woman into an intimidating figure. She saw the woman offer her hand and Layla looked up shyly and shook it. "Nice you meet you, Professor Tapia. I'm Layla Jimenez, 7th year Ravenclaw." Before she thought the older woman would think the girl was strange she quickly let go her her grip from the handshake and tried to smile politely.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 11, 2008 0:17:42 GMT -5
It was almost funny to the woman to see someone squirm under her vision. Here they'd been carrying on a rather pleasant conversation and Desideria had to blow it by telling the young woman she was a professor. Should've just kept her mouth shut and let the surprise hit at the start of the term feast in a month's time. However, that option just seemed not right, especially when they were talking potions. How could the woman lie to another? Even by omission when speaking of potions? It was almost like a lie of identity to do so.
"I 'ope so," the Potions Professor repeated. "I'd like another eye like yours in my classroom. It might do some good for a few others who're slacking." Besides, the Cronon boy was slipping every chance he got from her grip, but he would have a new problem to face soon. He didn't quite yet know she was a Hufflepuff as a student, or that she'd been promoted to the Head of House position. What a surprise that was going to be on that boy's face.
"Desideria dear," the woman told her. "We didn't meet at the castle under the terms of student and Professor, nor is the term in session." At the moment, they were comrades and companions in the potions market. They were not student and professor, nor would they be until September first. "Probably another few seconds..." the woman continued, indicating the potion after taking her hand back. They had to wait for the right moment, hopefully soon as it'd been a bit of time. Just a little puff of smoke and the solution would be ready to paint. "What year will you be in dear?"
This would tell her a bit more about the girl. Hopefully.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 13, 2008 17:07:18 GMT -5
Layla exhaled softly when the woman repeated the compliment. Ok, so it hadn't been born of her imagination. But it was still a bit odd sounding and only held her nerves in place. And now the woman said she could call her by her first name. "Oh yes, Prof- er, I mean Desideria. I hope I actually do as well as you expect," she told her shyly. "I can do well out of a book, but my practical performance is a bit... well, rusty, as you can see. I'm not sure I'd be any good at helping someone else." She smirked a bit and nodded towards the potion the older woman was making to hide the proof of Layla losing her touch. "I'll be a 7th year," she replied, not looking at the woman again. She had been surprised when she received her schedule to her N.E.W.T.S classes. It was natural, because she was now a 7th year, but Layla couldn't shake the feeling of being unprepared.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 15, 2008 18:45:10 GMT -5
"A theorist, eh?" the older woman asked with a chuckle. Though, with some the prices on things nowadays, she wouldn't be surprised if in a couple of years all the students would be able to do was study from books. The price of Beetle Eyes jumped a whole knut for a scoop and that was nothing compared to the price of powdered Bicorn Horn. "Ah, spilling a bit on you isn't going to 'urt a thing. But you may want to be sure you're not spilling too much, prices are steadily rising and nothing's getting cheaper."
Just a bit of advice from an old woman who knew the prices jumped, but just the last month or so had been something else on the market.
"Well now, I think your mixture is ready dear," Desideria continued. "It's just a bit of paste, you let it set in a minute or two and everything'll wash right out." Capping the potion, she handed it over to the young woman.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 16, 2008 13:49:11 GMT -5
"I guess 'theorist' is appropriate," she told her. "I haven't had much of a choice, though." She wasn't sure how much she was going to tell the Professor, but she knew that she's tell her eventually as she had planned to tell her Professors. "I was pulled out of Hogwarts and had to study from home," she told her with a small shrug. "All I could really do is learn theory." The girl listened to Tapia mention ingredient prices, and it completely made sense. "You know... I didn't really notice that until you just mentioned it. I had just come back to Diagon Alley and went out to buy some supplies to practice up before school started.. and you're right. I mean, it's been almost two years since I bought potions ingredients but once you said it, yes, the prices did seem to be a bit on the higher side." The girl had never really had a concern about money before. But since she'd left home, she had no source of income. She relied whatever was left in Gringotts since the last time her parents made a deposit, which was plenty, and she wasn't expecting her parents to fund her anymore... and she certainly wasn't going to ask.
Temporarily forgetting that the woman was her Professor, Layla smiled gratefully and took the potion from her. "Thank you so much. This will be enough to get out a few stains I've accumulated," she told her with a giggle. It was only a split second afterwards that she realized the position she was in. "How much, Desideria?" She put on a straight face and tried her best to not seem awkward that she was paying a Professor for a service, no matter how normal it actually seemed from the outside. She quickly fumbled into her small purse that hung from her wrist by a thin leather strap.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 17, 2008 1:20:53 GMT -5
Curiosity was a strange thing, but Desideria knew enough to keep it to herself for now. She could be loud, obnoxious, perposterous, but in the end, it was best in certain settings to keep one's mouth shut on certain matters. Matters such as being pulled from a magical school was one definitely not for passing ears. And if the girl was going to be at Hogwarts this upcoming term, it'd give her a chance to get to know the blooming potions-theorist a bit better.
"But you are studying, putting forth whatever effort possible is still putting forth effort, deary," she commented. "You're showing your true colors by still working at the things you were taken from." A hushed voice and nothing more. No need for passersby to hear what was not meant for social ears.
"They climb a bit every year, it's true," she answered with a nod. "But this year is something else, they've jumped a good price. I'm 'oping it's not anything too out of the ordinary. Most things are staying where they belong, but there's a few ingredients 'ere and there that've gone 'igher than expected. A few journals didn't even predeict the small jumps that've 'appened."
"'Ow much?" she repeated Layla's question, sounding as though she were seriously weighing the options. "'Ow about this? You take this on this 'ouse, and in return, do your best in my class this year? Save your money for something a bit more important, eh?" Perhaps a book or a bit of extra ingredients here or there. Something. There was no reason to be taking her money, it wasn't a potion that actually cost her much to make. And there were better ways to getting a kind of payment, extra attention in her class and a good amount of effort was the best.
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on Apr 18, 2008 0:49:43 GMT -5
Layla listened quietly and wide-eyed to the woman. She sounded like what she was saying was very important but couldn't find a way to stress it enough. Layla found that the words were ones that she needed to hear... and the more she heard them there was a little piece of her that felt better. She heard it just a few days prior from Drew, and she was the second person to tell her that what she was doing was right for her. She nodded solemnly, taking the woman's words in.
She lingered a bit on the higher prices that the two of them had noticed, and wondered if the trend would continue. Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized that the Professor was letting her take the potion without charge. "Oh... nononono," she said quickly, taking out a number of coins for purse. "Of course I'm going to try my best, Professor, I always do." What she wouldn't admit to her right away was that Potions has always been her favorite subject. She didn't want her to think she was trying to appeal to her.
"No, please Professor, I insist. I couldn't just take it," she pleaded with her, trying to her her deepening blush.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on Apr 19, 2008 23:31:20 GMT -5
Someone who was willing to fight on the price of the potion. Free or costly. Most would've taken the route of free, but it showed true spirit and character she was putting up a fuss about it. Really, Desideria didn't need her students money. Having made a living off of selling potions a good chunk of her life, she knew how to work a deal unlike a large number of others. The trick was, knowing how badly someone needed the potion you were selling, and to what lengths they were willing to go to buy it. A little trick of the trade she'd picked up after a fews of working the potions market.
"Deary," the older woman began, "there are a number of other things you could spend your money on, don't waste on something when someone is willing to give it for free. If you show you're willing to pay, even after someone says it's free, they're going to jack the price up on you. It's noble that you want to pay, but don't take it for granted if they don't give you a price after telling you it's free and you fight them, they'll make it as pricey as they can."
Another tip for the young woman to not be unwise with her choices. It was noble to pay, but if someone was giving it for free, a person should take it. If they're willing to let it go for free, then there's a reason for it, whether or not one or the other knew that reason.
"I insist you find a better way to spend your money."
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Layla Jimenez
Witch
Healer-In-Training
[on:*le pounce*][of:...in hiding]
Posts: 529
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Post by Layla Jimenez on May 1, 2008 22:10:01 GMT -5
Layla felt her cheeks flush with warmth as the woman turned down her payment. It shouldn't have been a big deal, it was a simple salve and Desideria could treat her customers any way she'd like, but Layla found herself incredible awkward at the moment. She did, however, understand the logic behind the woman's reasoning. It made her think about how she presented herself to others. Was it easy to take advantage of her?
Layla nodded gratefully and pocketed her money again. "Thank you, Desideria. And, like I said," she told her brightening up a bit," I am going to try my best in class. I've got a bit to catch up on, but I do try." Layla cleared her throat and stopped herself before she started sounding like a saleswoman herself. She wanted to sound eager, but not so much as to sound like she was trying too hard.
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Desideria Tapia
Hogwarts Staff
LOA Hufflepuff Head of House Professor Potions
Posts: 225
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Post by Desideria Tapia on May 3, 2008 2:37:37 GMT -5
The color to the girl's cheeks was nothing abnormal. After all, if Desideria pointed out something that the girl found to be an embarassing truth, then all the better for her to realize it now rather than later. Having someone walk around that looked like they could use an extra hand (and really, what student couldn't?) wasn't hard to take advantage of. And refusing something free and asking for a price? Not the best of choices.
"I'll 'old you to it," she promised the young woman. Desideria was serious about potions, they were her life and she wasn't about to let talent get out of anything. Passion enough to know what things were with a glance, even if it was from theoretical learning, was passion all the same. A keen enough eye to know was a keen enough eye to bother with.
"Your best is all I require in my class, and putting your best foot forward with keep a lot of opportunities open for you in the end of things," she continued with a warm smile. Trying was all that was needed as long as someone had another to help them along. Yes, this young woman was going to have an eye over her, and hopefully she'd turn out well enough.
"Now run along and enjoy the shows, I'm looking forward to seeing you at work this term." Turning away from Layla, Desideria started shouting about her potions again, gaining a number of interested looks when she added a listing of more...curious and lesser-approved of potions for the benefit of a rowdier looking crowd. Anything to gain attention, get information, and sell for a pretty knut.
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