First impressions are everything;

[Evan Troy]

Blue eyes looked upwards, once again expecting to see a high vaulted ceiling and once again being caught off guard by the image of a dreary gray sky that met him instead. He took a moment to inspect the clouds, they indicated rain on what could possibly be a lovely Sunday morning. Instead, however, it seemed that the day would be spent indoors.

' Out o' the way old man! '

Rude words reached the ears of the man and interrupted his thoughts. He turned shortly to face the person. Just as he suspected, a student lacking manners and respect for their elders. This place certainly had gone to the dogs...

" Oh, by all means. " He smirked slightly as he let this young man pass by, making a note to speak to his head of house about this encounter. Tut, tut.... Hogwarts didn't exactly give a good first impression. Once he had let the impolite adolescent walk past him Evan continued on towards the front of the Great Hall, receiving stares and curious looks from students on the way. He knew it was to be expected, it was after all only his second day at the wizarding school and the students didn't know who he was exactly. Not yet.

He took his place at the high table, noticing that only a few professors and staff members were seated and eating, some appeared to be missing. Interesting indeed...

[ Larson / open ]

[Sydney Larson]

Sydney had never been a morning person.

In fact, simply getting up in the morning was usually one of the hardest things she had to do in the day. She found it to be fine to deal with children, maintain the pitch and teach her class, but there was always something about dragging herself out of bed that bothered her, especially on a Sunday of all days.

She had to admit that she had missed her old work schedule before coming to Hogwarts - she'd usually get a few days off in the week, and consulting wasn't something that she had to do bright and early in the morning. At Hogwarts, it was every single day she had to be up and into the Great Hall for breakfast to help supervise even if she didn't have class until way later into the day. Even though she was still extremely new to the job, she had to admit that it was wearing on her already.

Merlin, she needed a large mug of black coffee. Pronto.

These thoughts cluttered the woman's head as she finished making her way down to the ground floor, proceeding to enter the Great Hall. As usual, despite the time of day, she looked as if she had been up for at least an hour getting herself ready. She wore her hair long and loose, and even appeared to look awake when in all actuality she didn't feel like it. Her eyes rested upon the staff table, still even to this day needing to remind herself not to trail over to the Slytherin table, and she walked off to the side and onto the platform, only noticing a few of her colleagues at the table. Well, if everyone else was allowed to skip out on this...she muttered silently to herself, taking a seat next to Evan.

Before she would do anything else, she reached over and took a mug from the table and proceeded to pour coffee into it. Sydney brought the mug to her lips, and slowly began to drink the hot liquid. She set it down carefully in front of her, before realizing there was actually someone else next to her - someone she didn't know. But then again, she was so new that she didn't know the majority of the professors yet.

"This coffee isn't half bad today," she said, proving once more to the world that she failed epically at making small talk. Sydney wasn't ever really a people-person - she was just always the one that kept to herself of a result of her own better-than-all attitude that usually accompanied her everywhere.

[Evan Troy]

The forty three year old cocked his head to the side just so, listening to a conversation coming from two passing students. He barely picked up what they were conversing about, only hearing something of the ' new professor. ' Himself, if he understood correctly. A slightly smug look appeared on the man's face. Getting people talking, that was what he was doing. Even unintentionally he had already started something. Being a realist he didn't flatter himself too much though, there was bound to be talking amongst the students whenever someone new showed up, whether they be a fellow student or a professor.

Now wasn't the time to get cocky, of course, Evan realize this, but he was pleased with his efforts already. Reform wouldn't be hard to bring about as long as he had the Ministry to back his ideas.

Another glance up to the clouded skies left Evan mesmerized slightly, blue eyes carefully watching the movement above him. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to seeing the outside skies upon the ceiling, it was too interesting. Distracting, really, a bit of a bother. He forced his eyes down to his plate, reminding him of his hunger. He scanned the surrounding area of the table for the ideal food. There were bowls of porridge, heaps of eggs, full plates of sausage, toast and pancakes. He couldn't say much for the school itself, but they certainly did know how to keep a man well fed.

He noticed a woman approaching and slip into the seat next to him, not speaking so much as a word. He offered a smile, unsure if the woman was friend or foe, and nodded politely to her remark.

" I've yet to try it myself, don't mind if I do. " With that he reached for the discarded pot of coffee and filled his mug, not bothering with the sugars and creamers as he took a shallow drink of the beverage. He set the mug down on the table and offered the woman his hand to shake, " I'm Evan Troy, recently taking on the position as Transfiguration Professor. "

[Sydney Larson]

The warm liquid felt so very nice on her sore throat. For a few moments, it was all she allowed herself to focus on. Sydney was still in the mental process of waking herself up, and she wasn't particularly fast in picking things up quickly just yet. One thing she did pick up, however, was the man that she had sat next to was offering her a smile. He looked polite.

This was new.

Another thing that was new was that she watched him reach across his plate, take the pot of coffee, pour himself a cup and drink it automatically, in the exact same fashion that she did. She looked quickly down into his cup then back up to him, pretty much kind of shocked. "A man that drinks his coffee black. What a rare find." Never, in her entire thirty six years of life, had she met anyone outside of the Larson family that didn't add in the ridiculous extras like creamer or sugar, which in her opinion totally messed up the drink.

Evan Troy, new Transfiguration professor is what he introduced himself as. Interesting. It would explain why she didn't know who he was, though really, she didn't know who 95% of the people at Hogwarts were these days. She took his hand in hers and shook it firmly (girly handshakes annoyed the living daylights out of her, after all). "Well, nice to finally actually meet somebody around here," she commented. "I'm new, started just this week, actually...I haven't left the pitch much, though. It has needed some serious cleaning up. Though the part about working with kids is really odd for me, I never in a million years thought I'd be back at Hogwarts of all places."

She took another sip of her drink, set it down on the table, and poured herself some more. Just five or six more cups, and she'd be golden.

[Evan Troy]

Evan looked at the full plate of food nearest to his own, topped with even more toast. A simple filling breakfast that would leave him content until lunch time. He motioned at the bread and levitated it onto his plate without much effort, allow for the food to sit for a moment as he took another drink from his mug. Strong coffee, that's what it was, quite enjoyable in the man's opinion. Evan drank the beverage despite it's scalding heat, smiling slightly at the woman's comment.

Not only was she excellent at small talk, she was witty, too.

" I find that if you fill your coffee with sugars and the like it ruins the whole point of the drink. However I'd say that it's much more rare to find a woman who enjoys black coffee. " He tipped his head in a small nod, showing admiration towards her actions. Generally he found that woman prefered sweeter tasting drinks, hence the addition of creamers and sugars into a perfectly good black coffee.

A strong handshake as well, quite interesting. Another thing he found about women was that they were afriad of men, it was easy to tell through the way they shook a man's hand. The more firm and forceful they were about it the harder it would be to sway them. " Pleasure to meet you as well... You must be Sydney Larson, the Quidditch Referee? " He knew who she was, yet posed the question still. " So you attended here? "

It was a shame really, but he would overlook the small fact.

[Sydney Larson]

For a few moments, a non-awkward silence lingered between the two of them. He busied himself with floating toast over to his plate (wasn't magic grand?) and she just continued to sip her coffee. More students and staff gradually seemed to be coming into the Great Hall, as the noise level slowly began to increase with them. Sydney watched him speak, still feeling a sense of fascination about his theory of black coffee, and couldn't help smiling a little in agreement.

"That is exactly what I have tried to tell people. It annoys me even more - or I should really say it just grosses me out - when people put more sugar and creme in their cup than there is coffee. It's not natural. But I do have to admit you're correct - I don't believe I've met another woman outside of my own family that will drink it properly."

Hmm, interesting - he knew her name. Was there some staff briefing she had missed where all the names and positions of staff members were named and she had overslept? She must have looked a little surprised for a moment or two before regaining her full composure. "So you've heard of me..." she teased, though really if the man had kept up with professional quidditch back in the day it wouldn't have been a surprise. "Why yes, yes I am. Quidditch is about the only thing I've ever done 100% correct in my life, you could say..."

She almost choked on her coffee when Evan accused Sydney of going to Howarts. She had technically implied it at first, but it was still a laughable concept - she wouldn't have been able to make it here for more than she was here for. "Dear Merlin no...I was a Beauxbatons girl forced to transfer here in my sixth year completely against my will," she began, setting her mug down. "And I had absolutely no problem letting anyone know it, even if they didn't ask. I truly loathed this place as a student."

"I...assume you didn't go here either?"

[Evan Troy]

" Women, I have found, are particularly prone to the sweeter types of coffees. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but I prefer something a bit stronger. " He lifted his own coffee mug to his lips, taking yet another drink of the hot drink.

Unless Evan was incorrect - which he doubted he was - then Syndey was related to Charles Larson, reknowned business man. Evan was certain that he had attended several social gatherings with the Larsons, making this woman someone to be taken into consideration. Perhaps she would share the same ideals and principles... it was hard to tell from a simple conversation about coffee. He nodded his head with a slight smile, he had indeed heard of her. " Of your family as well. So what did you do before taking the position here? "

A sly smile lifted the man's lips as Sydney recoiled at the mere thought of having attended Hogwarts school. " Ah, I see. Not so much as a Professor, though? " He had never gone to Hogwarts himself, but from what he heard from his son Emeric the place wasn't too bad. Evan couldn't quite form an unbiased opinion on that matter, but as a student at Durmstrang it had been common to look down upon the school.

" Me? No, of course not. I attended Durmstrang Institute. "

[Sydney Larson]

"I assume you're correct that women are particularly prone to sweeter coffees, however, I still get all grossed out thinking about it."

Sydney rested her back against the chair for the first time over the entire course of the conversation. She was practically forcing herself to stay awake at this point. It was almost an unthinkable concept that she had to stay up for a large chunk of the day - if only Laurisa had known the job she had started, she would have laughed in her face. Unfortunately, she hadn't seen the girl in sixth months due to another one of her random trips with other random friends - shame, really.

She couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and turn her attention back towards Evan when the mention of her family came up. As far as she was concerned, Laurisa Daniels was all the family she both had and needed - there was a reason she was living in England and not France, after all. She always felt a little apprehensive around people when they mentioned knowing the Larsons - and it was probably showing on her face just a bit whether she meant it to or not. As far as she was concerned, her father forced her through law school and made her life hell and the only thing she gets involved with was if one of her younger sisters were having issues with daddy dearest. She couldn't stand to go back to the Larson estate, not with her father's girlfriend of the week and random half siblings she didn't even know she had. Just another headache in her book.

She pushed all thoughts of France out of her head.

"I was a consultant and recruiter for the IAQ (International Association of Quidditch) for the past five or so years. Most of my work before that was with the Holyhead Harpies, though. They'll always be my team..." of course, she was referring to the best six years of her life before she had been forced through law school. It was sad, really, she had spent the majority of her life working in amazing sought-after positions, yet still to this day she felt at times she'd rather just go back to playing. "What about you, though? What kind of work were you doing before coming here?"

She sipped her coffee as he then mentioned Durmstrang. "Really now? I used to work there...I helped reorganize and boost their Quidditch program back to life some years ago. Truthfully, it was the first job I could get at the time because I was about to jump off a broom if I had to endure one more day at my father's law firm." She just realized what she had said - some years ago.

Since when was thirty-six years of age so old?

[Evan Troy]

Evan nodded, still impressed.

" A fine woman you must be, then. " He was set on attempting to get this woman on his side, but of course, compliments didn't hurt the situation at all. He finished off his own cup of coffee and refilled the cup with a small motion of his hand, the pot of coffee levitated and poured itself into the cup. With another light movement the pot landed gently on the table to its former place. Evan glanced to the Slytherin table and spotted his son idly chatting with a few friends, he nodded once or twice in the youth's direction should he look up and spot his father chatting with the woman.

He noticed the way that she simply dropped the topic of her family, and he didn't mind, merely made a mental note to not bring it up again. He tuned in to what she said, paying attention and listening.

" Holyhead Harpies, eh? What brought you to stop your job there if you loved it so much? " Evan knew lifestyles changed and brought about different occupations, so he figured it was just that. " I worked at the Ministry, actually. I was Head of the International Magic Cooperation before I came here. " It had been quite an incredible change for Evan, everchanging of course.

Ah, that's what it was he had known her family from. Her father, Charles Larson, was a lawyer. " You worked at the Quidditch department, eh? That's quite interesting. Durmstrang is a fine place, of course. "