Over-due meeting

[Connor Manning]

The idea to visit his Head of House had been there since before the History of Magic incident. He had never really talked to the woman and figured he might as well. She appeared to be a keeper, unlike the many other head’s of houses that Hogwart’s seemed to go through all the time now. As Connor wandered up the two flights of stairs, he began to think about why Hogwarts went through so many Professors. Did the students scare them off? Or perhaps it was Raynor’s inability to hire adequate Professors in the first place. Connor pushed that thought away, what did he know of Raynor and her choosing of Professors? Close to nothing.

Connor stopped on the stair and removed his cloak, stuffing it into his bag. While he wanted to be formal when going to Professor van Aller’s office, he found robes to be tiring and a little uncomfortable. So he readjusted both his green tie and his prefect’s badge and continued on his way.

Finally after a moment or two of standing in front of the woman’s office door, Connor knocked on the door several times. He was nervous, but knew he shouldn’t be. Surely this woman wouldn’t chastise him for something he didn’t do? While he had walked out of the classroom, he had had a good reason for it. There was just something about the man that had put Connor off guard, and he wasn’t used to that. Sure, the History of Magic class had happened weeks ago, but it still weighed heavy on the sixth years mind. He hoped Professor van Aller would understand why he was coming to her, a little late perhaps, but just to tell her and maybe even ask for help.

Connor took his role as Slytherin Prefect rather seriously and didn’t want it to be compromised just because he had lost his temper in class once. He tapped his foot lightly on the ground as he waited, hoping the woman wasn’t in. Maybe he could just owl her and apologize for his behavior? That could work.

[viola]

It had been one of those weeks. Between Xander and her speaking in the owlery, the fact that she could tell he wanted her more than just the friend line she had laid out, and then all of her classes just in general, Annemarie was finding herself tiring quickly… and highly irritated at times. At thirty-two, one wouldn’t think someone would have so many mood swings, but Annemarie had never been one for normality’s or swinging with a crowd. Hogwarts had been different when she was a student, and the only person she had ever been with was Xander and his friends… she hated reminiscing, and yet couldn’t help herself when he was around her. Of course, it didn’t help that he loved to bring the memories up.

It was why that day her door was closed and she sat behind her desk, her head in her hand and a cup of hot tea on her desk in front of her. She gently moaned as a headache threatened to take her mood to an even lower level, and then the rapping at the door came. Her eyes were the only ones to look up, as she couldn’t believe that she had someone at her door. Who ever came to see her…well, other than Xander, and David had once or twice. Sighing, she figured that Xander wouldn’t leave until he found that she wasn’t in her room for certain, and if it was in fact someone else, not answering the door could look really bad. Not that anything she usually did, didn’t make her look really bad most of the time any ways.

Standing up slowly, her head was light and she shook it slightly to force the room to stop spinning. Annemarie set herself up, primping her hair and straitening out her clothes without even knowing that she was doing it before she got to the door. Opening it, her eyes were looking slightly higher than they should have been, and whom she found was a definite surprise. The smile on her face that she had didn’t fade, in fact it only grew as she noticed that the boy standing in front of her was one of her house Prefects.

“Well, Mr. Manning,” she said, somewhat in awe, her headache pulsating just slightly. “What a pleasant surprise. Please, do come in?” she said in the manner of a question, more than a statement. She moved out of the way and gestured toward her desk. “What did I do to deserve the honor?’ she asked, slightly laughing.

[Connor Manning]

Connor willed his leg to stop tapping on the ground, the sound reflecting back to him was both annoying and sounded rather loud in the empty hallway. He had almost given up when he saw the door open.

The sixth year quickly situated a smile upon his face as he saw the face of his Head of House looking back at him. Much to his own surprise, there was a smile on the woman's features. His hands unconsciously reached their way up to his tie and tightened it before dropping back to their former position at his sides. He reajusted his bag on his shoulder and nodded his head shortly, walking into the room as the woman suggested it. His hands slid back into his pockets as he walked into the office.
" Good afternoon, professor. " He greated her with another smile.

The office was cozy, and from what Connor knew, it reflected the woman's personality. His eyes scanned the room before turning back to Professor van Aller. She looked tired, more tired than he remembered seeing her before.

He was at a loss for words at first. How should he explain his predicament? Connor wasn't sure how to start, so he just launched in. " I just wanted to ask for some advice. " Advice, that was a good word for it. He looked to the desk situated underneath a cross on the wall, thinking he should probably sit down.
" Would you mind if I.. ? " He trailed off, nodding in the direction of a chair across from the desk.

[viola]

Like the normal expressions Annemarie usually got from students, Connor Manning smiled politely and lead his way in after she invited him. And, again like many whom usually took the time to visit her, it seemed as if the boy was distressed in some way. Being a professor from a previous school before, she had gotten used to being only needed when the student was in distress. Coming to Hogwarts, the door had been opened up to professors as well who were lost and in need of trying to find their way. Of course, in Xander's case there was past that had to be sorted through, and feelings that were in need of being squashed, or developed further... Annemarie wasn't too sure of either was healthy.

"Advice?" she asked. "Certainly. That's what I'm here for," she smiled again, wishing her headache would stop pounding. The boy needed help, and she was in half her best state to give it. Would you mind if I...? Connor gestured toward the seat and Annemarie couldn't believe where her manners had gone. "Oh, no. Please, do sit. Would you like some tea? I have some already brewed." And it was true, she had had some already brewed for herself, but she felt odd drinking it in front of another without offering.

Walking around her desk, she took a seat and waved her wand to bring the tea pot to the desk. If he wanted some or not, that was up to him, but Annemarie knew she would need some more with how badly her head continued to remind her of it's presence upon her shoulders. "What's troubling you, Mr. Manning?" Annemaire cooed softly, leaning back in her chair (without slouching) and taking another sip of her tea.

[Connor Manning]

Connor was able to calm the nervousness in himself as he sat down in the chair across from the woman's desk. Afterall, this woman was his head of house, he should at least be able to feel comfortable with her. Not only that, but he was a Prefect. That surely stood for something. " Tea sounds fine, thank you, Professor. " Connor answered with a small nod of his head. He hadn't been sure what to say and was glad for Professor van Aller's interjection.

The sixth year dropped his bag to the right of the chair and his hazel eyes looked back up to Professor van Aller. As the woman asked what was troubling him, he couldn't help but be curious about what was troubling her. Connor couldn't say too much about Professor van Aller. He only knew her as his head of house and the muggle studies professor, a subject he didn't take. He wasn't really sure of anything about her. Connor didn't know how old she was, where she was from or even if she had attended Hogwarts before coming to teach there. His curiousity got the best of him and he sat in silence for a few long seconds before speaking.

" I had a bit of a problem with a Professor some time ago and I was wondering what I should do about it. " Connor wasn't too positive that the woman even knew much about Griffiths, but it was good to talk about these sort of things. He didn't want to insult the man if she was close to him, but then again she was his head of house, and was there for many reasons. An important reason she was there was for advice, so she could be someone the students trusted and could rely on. He hoped Professor van Aller would understand or at least be able to help out with his problem.

[viola]

Annemarie flicked her wand and poured the tea magically as she looked behind her to grab a file that she kept on all of her Slytherin students and what they had been up to during the ongoing terms. Placing it on her desk she smiled, not really thinking anything horrible of any of her snakes. Xander had complimented her on them multiple times, and though she knew more of them then not would have rather another as their head, she was more or so optimistic about the house over all. When she opened the folder on her desk, she looked at Connor's name and then looked up at him while he spoke, not yet reading what her folder told her of him.

I had a bit of a problem with a Professor some time ago and I was wondering what I should do about it.

Looking at Connor a bit confused, she looked back to her folder to see what her Prefect was talking about. "What kind of problem did you have with a professor?" she asked, then seeing the incident reported as it was. Not only did she see the incident, however, she saw the name of the professor and sighed deeply. Somehow, Alexander Griffiths popping up in her notes when it came to problems didn't really surprise her. What did, though, was that her folder was saying that Connor walked out of his class right at the beginning after a bit of an incident with the Head Boy, and the Gryffindor Prefect, Felicity Hjort. Those two names didn't surprise her in the least bit... Annemarie looked up at Connor waiting for the details she was hoping he would give her.

"Please, do tell me about the incident and what exactly happened so that I can more properly address the situation." She smiled as warmly as she possibly could with her massive headache, and leaned back slightly in her chair. Something told her this was going to be a meeting that would end rather sticky... she just hoped that what she was thinking, was wrong.

[Connor Manning]

Connor helped himself to the cup of tea that van Aller had filled for it. It was nice and hot, just the way he preferred to have tea. None of that luke-warm tea nonsense that some people preferred. The tea helped calm him even further as he noticed Professor van Aller pull a folder out. About him? He wasn't sure, but he was a bit worried about what it said if it was about him. Would the incident with Griffiths be in a report of sorts? He hoped it wouldn't go on his dicipline records. ' Please, do tell me about the incident and what exactly happened so that I can more properly address the situation. '

Connor nodded his head once again as he set his cup of tea down on the edge of the woman's desk in front of him. He wasn't exactly sure where to being in telling the story of what happened, but decided it was best to just tell the woman all of what had happened. If anything, it could only help Connor in the long run.

" Well, Professor... " Despite Connor's efforts to just launch into the story, he was still hesitant to go on. " We were in History of Magic class and Professor Griffiths insisted that we change our robes, something about being realistic with ancient Rome. Felicity asked why, arguing with the man and so on. Drew jumped in as well on Felicity's behalf. When Professor Griffiths began to address the entire group again, he automatically assumed I would oppose him. I didn't say anything, really, against the man or any of his rules. " Connor had the feeling that he was rambling on so he made a feeble attempt to slow his speech down.

" I walked out of the class, Professor van Aller. It was a stupid thing to do. " His forehead creased slightly with the small frown that appeared on Connor's face. He didn't like admitting he was wrong, but he knew it to be true on this occassion.

[viola]

His story didn't surprise van Aller as much as she first thought it would. She cocked her head and wrote with the quill that was on her desk in the folder, adding details that her notes had left out prior. An argument with Xander, Hjort, Thornton.... walking out... Annemarie nodded her head, dotting a period and then sighing as she took the quill she held and set it down on her desk. She looked up at Connor and gave him a disappointed smile, and yet, it was still a smile. She knew that as of late, Alexander Griffiths had something about all thinking or opposing him, and Connor seemed to be brought right into the middle of his paranoia. The two professors by this time had already spoken about what had gone down, and it was then where she got some of her information on what had gone down. However, she'd heard other things about the class that did disturb her, but all were just rumors... or so she hoped.

"And," Annemarie said, slightly sighing. "Professor Griffiths disciplined you and the others it seemed..." Annemarie knew of the points deducted as well, but it wasn't as much as Gryffindor and Ravenclaw so she wasn't too concerned. Nor was she concerned about Griffiths, but why was Connor coming to her and telling her about it now? It had happened months prior, so what was really the reason for the young Prefect's coming to her. Again, she smiled, but this time it was suspicious. "But that's not all... is it? My dear boy, please... what is it that's been bothering you then? I mean, you've been attending his classes since then, have you not?" An arched eyebrow would tell him that he knew that Connor probably had been, for Xander said her house was a good house... why would he lie to her?