In normal situations Gabriella steered clear of Aileen Reid and the Ancient Runes classroom unless she had a class. She had decided at the beginning of her fifth year that she wasn’t going to like the new Ancient Runes professor. Hearing about her being yet another ditzy blonde witch to go on a date and sleep with her dad had decided that for her. The professor obviously had no common decency and owned too much magical bleach to be a decent witch.

Now Gabby had never been out rightly rude to or troublesome for Professor Reid. Yet she hadn’t been friendly and helpful either. She sat at the back of classes ignoring questions, did the bare minimum of work and never dreamed of greeting the blonde witch in the corridor if their paths crossed. Teenage maturity had always told her it was much better to very quietly cough the words ‘tart’ amongst a somewhat unconvincing fit on her way past.

But this evening, for a reason Gabby wasn’t really sure of herself, she found herself outside the professor’s office in her habitually unkempt and untidy uniform. A tanned hand was lifted to the door and she banged on it before pushing some bushy dark hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

The witch’s snobby voice came from within the office and Gabby twisted the doorknob slowly and pushed the door open. She stepped scruffy boot into the office and pushed the door closed behind her, not letting her eyes settle on her professor until the door was firmly closed.

When Gabby did look at Reid the witch was gesturing her to a chair. No greetings, no small talk, just the chair. Dagon obeyed, pulling her school bag off over her head and dropping it to the floor at her feet with a heavy clunk.

“Miss Reid.” A smile was pushed onto the young Gryffindor’s lips as she dropped herself into the chair. “I trust you had a pleasant time in Egypt.” Felix hadn’t let his daughter go.

Aileen glanced up, set her papers aside, and raised her eyebrows at Miss Dagon standing in her rumpled uniform. With a quickness perfected by students weighed down by too many books, the girl let her backpack fall to the floor. Aileen couldn't blame her entirely. The school year had begun with an abundance of schoolwork, and Aileen already had a stack of papers to decorate with red ink.

"Professor Reid," Aileen corrected her mildly. Summer sometimes fried students' brains. "I did have a pleasant time, thank you."

She leaned back a bit in her chair and gave the Gryffindor her full attention. "I rarely see you in my office this early in the school year." In fact, she couldn't recall Gabriella Dagon ever paying her a visit outside of class before. Miss Dagon only answered questions if called on, often seemed plagued by allergies in the corridors, and sometimes Aileen nearly forgot the student was taking Runes. She knew her better by the name scrawled atop her essays and assignments than she did by her participation in class. Not impressive. But perhaps Miss Dagon had interest in another subject - for her sake, Aileen hoped so.

"What's the occasion?" Aileen offered her a polite smile.

To say that Gabby rarely visited this particular professor was certainly an understatement. Gabby wasn’t sure she had ever actually set muddy boot into this office in all of her five full years at Hogwarts. Yet one wouldn’t guess with the lack of interest she paid her surroundings. It wasn’t as if she didn’t have an interest in Ancient Runes. On the contrary, despite her attitude in classes she was always keenly listening, her interest hiding behind an expression of perplexed boredom. The effort was put into essays that always came back with decent marks and her assignments rarely disappointed. Gabby just didn’t want to deal with this particular professor, not when every time she looked at her she saw her smarmy dad grinning back.

"What's the occasion?" questioned the blonde professor with a pleasant smile. This was obviously after she had corrected Gabriella on the form of address she had used. Gabby fancied commenting that in reality in the privacy of the office she should call her Aileen, just as her Dad obviously had while she tarted herself around with him.

Yet Gabby didn’t much fancy being given a detention or losing house points quite so early in the year.

“Well Miss Reid,” Dagon could still wind the witch up a little. “Auntie Ana-Headmistress Snark was with you in Egypt wasn’t she?” In the warmth of the office Gabby started to roll up her robe sleeves, she would be here a while to make this professor uncomfortable if she had anything to do about it.

Before Reid could respond, Gabby took an intake of breath as if realising something. “Oh! Sorry Miss Reid, I should explain. I’m the new president for the Howler. We think our readers would love to hear some opinions of what happened to the Headmistress.”

It soon became clear that Gabriella Dagon was not here about Runes. Disappointing. But not surprising.

Of course, Aileen knew about the girl's mother, that she'd lost her at a young age, and how close Kayleigh had been to Analiza while they'd gone to school. The mention of Auntie Ana reminded her of that. She glanced at the stack of papers she'd set aside, annoyed that the student was wasting her time, and tempted to tell her to pester other professors with her questions.

'Auntie Ana' could stay stuck in a tomb for eternity, and Aileen would not miss her.

Instead, Aileen tilted her head and looked at the student quizzically. Despite Miss Dagon's lack of interest in Runes, her assignments and marks were fine, and she'd never displayed the tendency to be thick. Aileen could only imagine her sudden onset of forgetfulness was brought on by the teenage need to 'stick it to the professors'. Still, that was no excuse.

"The new president of the Hogwarts Howler should understand how to address her sources, shouldn't she." Aileen said it as a statement, not a question. "Especially if you intend to quote anyone."

Letting out a small sigh, she sent her a stern glance. "I have little to tell you, but if you expect to hear anything at all, I'd appreciate that you show me the proper respect, Miss Dagon."

Reid didn’t like Gabby’s recent refusal to call her ‘Professor’ but it didn’t really put the young witch off. Gabby didn’t like Reid herself, let alone her need to be called the correct name to simply make herself feel better and more important. Aileen Reid was definitely her dad’s type, Gabby noted as she stared across the desk at her professor, not allowing any form of glare knit her brows. Reid would probably like getting one up on the girl that wasn’t being as polite as she perhaps should be.

"Especially if you intend to quote anyone." Gabby didn’t want to tell the blonde professor that she had no intention of quoting her. The Hogwarts Howler was a guise to attempt an inquisition on the peroxide blonde.

Respect was what Reid demanded and Gabby’s eyes widened ever so slightly as she considered the idea of showing this particular witch, who was senseless enough to tart it up for her dad, respect. Gabby was usually polite to her professor in class but that was as far as it stretched. Perhaps a little harsh as she barely knew Reid personally, but Gabby was fairly confident she knew her enough. She’d seen enough Reid’s pass through her father’s life to be sick of her.

“Miss Dagon...” Gabby grinned and sat back comfortably in the chair. “You know who my dad is don’t you, Professor? I bet he never called you ‘Professor Reid’ or ‘Miss Reid’. More like ‘Aileen’. Or was it Ally? He refers to me as Gabby. Well, except when he’s lying to his constant stream of blonde tar-women.” Gabriella managed to stop herself, knowing that calling Reid a tart was a sure path to trouble. “Then he doesn’t have a daughter.”

Aileen blinked at the girl, unable to keep the surprise off her face. Was that what this was about? The fling with the girl's father last year, if she could call it that, had fizzled out after a few dates, as they were prone to do (not that Aileen would admit to a pattern).

She could guess all too well at what the Gryffindor had been about to call her. Her eyes narrowed. She'd made a stupid mistake while she'd been married to Oz, and it followed her still, no matter how wary and distant she tried to be with men now. Aging mothers to sixteen year old girls thought they had the right to judge her.

Shaking her head slightly, she recrossed her legs and raised her eyebrows at the impudent student across from her. For a moment, she was at a loss. Aileen did not want to play counselor to a teenager with a grudge against her father and the several women he dated. At some point, maybe years ago, she would have insulted her and moved on, but the immature statement that he 'didn't have a daughter' gave away how young Miss Dagon was. As Aileen was trying to make clear to this girl, she was the adult here, the professor. And there was something about the title that made an impact on her.

"Miss Dagon," Aileen said again, and paused. "I shouldn't have to remind you that adults may call each other whatever they like. You, a student, do not have that privilege. You've had plenty of time to get used to it, and there's absolutely no reason for you to pretend to be confused now."

Aileen met her eyes with a direct, no nonsense look. "I highly suggest you do whatever you need to do to look past your father's dalliances and behave maturely, inside and outside of class. Otherwise, I'm afraid you're going to have a very tough time making it in my classroom. Because I won't put up with it, Miss Dagon.

"Is that understood?"

Ever so quickly the roles of professor and student were firmly reinforced with a typical stern teacher stare and a few threatening teachers’ words to swiftly blast Gabby Dagon into her place. The tiny win had been the surprised expression temporarily gracing the pretty blonde professor’s expression before she had lost this round to the ‘I can torture you in class’ card. Gabriella reckoned this teacher pulled that card quite often with anyone that so much as considered questioning her authority.

The young witch looked positively irritated as Reid responded to her, informing her that she didn’t have to privilege to call her what she wished. Well Gabby was fairly positive there wasn’t a rule about calling Reid what she liked when out of sight...Then Reid would be another of the tarts her dad cast away like used snotty tissues.

The snotty reference to her father’s behaviour as ‘dalliances’ caused Gabby to suddenly frown, her dark brown eyes glued to the blue ones staring back unrelentingly. The young Miss Dagon found herself very glad that Professor Reid hadn’t found a place in Felix’s heart if her own was as cold as those icy blue eyes and her tone of voice told Gabby.

By the end of Reid’s words, Gabriella looked every bit a teenager having just been reprimanded. She was leaning back in the chair, arms crossed over her chest and scowling across the desk at the older witch. The witch that like every other ‘adult’, demanded respect before even trying to earn it.

“As much as a Slytherin understands Thurisaz, Professor.”  The Gryffindor muttered, making reference to the rune best known for chaos, evil and temptation. Now the questions she’d prepared in her mind seemed so pointless. Reid would likely refuse to answer a thing.

The girl slouched in her seat, scowling and defeated. Aileen had won this battle. She ignored Miss Dagon's biting comment about the Slytherin house, and settled back in her chair, confident the student had gotten the message.

She didn't enjoy laying down the law, especially when it wasn't even during a class lesson. It was tiring and annoying, and she had to deal with enough of one teenager's rebellious antics at home.

"Alright then, Miss Dagon," she glanced pointedly at the door.

"Unless you wish to discuss something pertaining to Runes, or the school paper," Aileen sighed, making no effort to mask her exasperation. "We're done here."

The meeting had certainly not gone to plan, not that Gabby even knew how she had hoped or expected it to turn out. She had just come on a whim to ask some questions about her mother’s best friend, hoping to make the witch uncomfortable and instead of that working Gabby had ended up being the uncomfortable one sulking in the chair on the opposite side of the desk to the pretty, snooty professor while she got reprimanded.

Reid glanced pointedly at the door and in slightly politer words, told the young Gryffindor witch to get out. Gabriella gritted her teeth and pushed herself up in the chair, sitting straight once more. No adult ever seemed interested in talking to her, especially those that had experienced their authority being questioned. Reid was among the rest of the grown up population that simply expected the youth to bow down to them without really deserving it.

Yet there was a polite suggestion of leaving and the rude one that the ruffled professor gave and it sparked something in Gabby that made her watch Reid very carefully, sitting forwards now, boots firmly planted on the floor.

“You don’t actually like students do you, Professor? You’re the human incarnation of Isa[1].” Dagon blurted out as she tucked some stray hairs behind her ear.

“I really do wonder what happened to the poor Headmistress under your watch, Miss.”  The young girl pushed herself up from her chair as she mumbled something about Reid’s dislike for Snark.

1.	The ice rune

Gabriella Dagon couldn't resist taking a parting shot. Aileen pursed her lips and gave her a look that showed her just how icy she could be. She was not going to continue this conversation, or admit that a sixteen-year old's accusations bothered her. This wasn't the first time she'd been called uncaring.

Aileen had a vague inkling of the student's problems: she was upset about her father, upset about her missing 'aunt', and she didn't feel heard, or liked, or respected. But Aileen was her professor, not a mother or a Healer. This girl couldn't walk in here, into her own office, and pass such open, critical judgment on her life, or blame her for events beyond her control.

"That's enough," she told her in a low voice, taking the stack of parchment into her hands and focusing her attention on it.

"I'll see you in class, Miss Dagon."

The heavy school bag had been picked up and thrown over her shoulder roughly when Reid informed her that she would see her in class. It sounded to Gabriella to be more of a threat than a statement and it made her very suddenly wish she’d dropped ancient runes so she didn’t have to face this witch again. But you couldn’t avoid a class just because the teacher was a heartless blonde witch that had no doubt bedded your father. You had to face them and show that it didn’t bother you.

But it bothered Gabriella more than she cared to mention. Her father’s antics always bothered Gabby.

“Fine.” Scruffy boots padded to the door and a hand was placed on the handle before Gabby turned back to the cold professor whose attention was already back on her no doubt boring and unimportant paperwork.

“So you have no idea about the disappearance, Professor?” She questioned quietly with a tone of voice that attempted the respect Reid remanded. “Off the record.” Arms were crossed over her chest, hugging the baggy robes to her short slim body. “It would be nice to know she’s at least alive, Professor.” Snark had been Gabby’s mum’s best friend after all. Gabby owed her a bit of worry.

Aileen stared down at her papers without really seeing them, irritation radiating off of her in waves. Her lips disappeared into an even thinner line when the girl spoke, and she glanced up sharply.

"No. I haven't heard a thing."

Aileen stared at Miss Dagon in her ridiculous robes, her expression stony, before a sigh escaped her and her features softened for the briefest moment. Someone's evil headmistress was always someone else's mother or aunt, and the student standing before her clearly didn't have too many people in her life to worry over, if her attitude towards her father was any indication.

"This is what I know," she continued in a calmer voice. "She went on the trip with us when it started on June 20th, but we saw very little of her, and it was left to the other professors to run things." Not that Aileen had minded at all.

"She must have been off working on her own or meeting people in Egypt. I didn't pay much attention. I was there to look after the students, not question the activities of the other staff," she reminded her.

"She went missing around the 26th, while we were in Cairo. She didn't inform anyone of her whereabouts or what she was planning to do. I've not seen her since."

Aileen smoothed out her already smooth hair and regarded the Gryffindor, not one to give her false hope, but feeling like she should offer a hint of reassurance. "I am sure the proper authorities are doing everything they can to find her."

Truth be told Gabriella was surprised that Reid actually answered honestly and didn’t once more order her to leave the office. Nothing new was said by the professor, nothing to make Gabby feel any more confident about the situation or feel like she’d done a good job in trying to find information. She’d let her own dislike for Reid ruin her chances of being told anything helpful or Reid willingly answering any questions.

Gabby knew that now and she also knew that the next year of Ancient Runes classes might very well be even more awkward. She wouldn’t be returning to this office in a hurry, that was for certain. Professor Reid positively exuded an icy aura and rather obviously wasn’t a natural professor. Hogwarts professors were supposed to care about the young witches and wizards they taught, not their parents and their stupid reputations.

“I hope so.” Dagon muttered before reaching a hand out to take the door knob. “Thank you Professor.” Her voice was now quieter, less challenging in tone as it was obvious she had given up here. Another quick look was spared for Reid and she putted the heavy door open and wondered out, letting it slam loudly in her wake.