Gracie stared at him, eyes wide and more than a little incredulous. He reminded them that they were children, yet he only proved Raine’s point by throwing another tantrum at them—proving just how little he understood. It wasn’t caring too much that made him a child, but projecting what seemed to be his sob story onto them, and resenting it when it wasn’t appreciated. Didn’t understand why no one seemed to, and lashing out when he thought he did.

All this yelling about ‘alpha’ and ‘omega’ (-which, ha ha, no)… Why didn’t he just beat his chest while he was it, too?

Gracie didn’t want to know what NEWTs classes he’d been attending all this time, if he was playing the martyr right here; it wasn’t as though dealing with him and his craziness hadn’t been a walk in the park. If there had been anything resembling those ‘baked goods’ at all, figuratively or otherwise, well—at least some of them deserved a more literal definition of the phrase right now, for putting up with him this long. No one had asked for his concern, or needed it, and now he was making them all pay for it.

Everyone was entitled to their own feelings– but that, the Slytherin felt, didn’t mean they were always justified.

“Come on, Raine,” Gracie murmured, tugging at the other girl’s hand. “Maybe the house elves will make us those baked goods he mentioned.” She looked to where Alex stood, just in time to catch Theo leave her side for Ji-Hyun’s. The Ravenclaw looked like she could use some tea. Or firewhisky.

She didn’t bother gracing the silly man before them with even a glance. He was no better than Sandusky.

A curious silence fell over Raine and she continued, for a moment, to glower at their professor.

Frosty little crystals had set into her blonde braid but they were melting now. He had brought Zel into it... then the war, and endless recriminations of selflessness, which stepped on so many sets of toes that one could hardly blame him for dismissing the entire class. Worst of it all: he had given her detention. The Gryffindor bit back her response; she didn't swallow.

"Yes, sir." The inflection, cold and hard, aspired to a much ruder meaning.

Raine felt Gracie's hand - notably cooler than her own feverish form - and responded to it with a quick, sensible nod. She tore the glare away from Kesali to let it fall more gently on Zel. "Sorry." her lips mouthed quietly; he had looked perfectly miserable throughout all their yelling.

Not wanting to stay out in the cold for any longer, the pair turned back towards the Castle doors.[1]

1.

Exeunt!

"I'm confused and torn, because on any given night I have a student crying on my shoulder, one with shoes that do not fit him, and the other screaming in my face that I have no right to do anything."

This, combined with all the alpha-beta talk—was downright insulting. Zel left the ‘turtle-mode’ and watched, grim-faced, as Gale and Raine threw their respective temper tantrums.
Kesali was acting like a child.

And Raine could’ve had better control over her temper.

Bran Blackwell? It seemed that guy was trying to make things worse.

He was mortified, to say the least. Not the usual ‘Zel did something awkward’ sort of mortified, but the kind that came when something big happened. He was more horrifyingly embarrassed now, than he ever had been in his life. He wanted to stay hidden under his cloak forever.

Gale shouldn’t have pulled the ‘war at my school when I was your age’ card. There were other staff members who were young enough to  have been there at the Battle of Hogwarts. Ones who had been suffering when the school was not run by people who cared about the happiness of the students and the quality of their education. When the school was taken over by the Dark Lord, the people there suffered. If it weren’t for everybody fighting back, and Harry Potter defeating Voldemort—yeah, things would have sucked hardcore.

But it was no excuse to throw a tantrum. To guilt trip your students. Your past trauma shouldn’t influence your teaching. Your emotions shouldn’t get in the way of your education.

Zel didn’t learn anything academic today.

He couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t showed up to class, if Raine wouldn’t have freaked out at Gale.
It was too close to the full moon. Zel felt like he couldn’t think clearly in the first place. He probably never should have shown up. By the end of it all, his hands were shaking and his face was paler than ever. He couldn’t tell if it was because of the events that had transpired, or because of the cold.

Raine had apologized, quietly.  All he could manage in response was a stiff nod. It was time for him to go back to his dorm room and hide out for the rest of the day. He wasn’t feeling good, and Zel would much rather have preferred it was because the full moon was  near.


Zel exits

The unexpected rush of flame caught Ji-Hyun’s hand, slow to move as she stood staring at the arguing student and professor, and then there was pain. Instead of releasing it, instinct had her hand clenching around the rope, the flames scorching hot against her palm as she stumbled backwards in a futile attempt to let go, her fingers only opening when she almost fell over a classmate, stumbling but managing to stay upright.

She realised vaguely that Professor Kesali was talking, but she didn’t care, her hand hurt too much for her to bother with him and she gripped the wrist uselessly with her other hand, holding it facing towards her although it did nothing to stop the continuing feeling of blistering heat, which hadn’t ebbed at all.

After a moment, she forced herself to let go of her wrist, her hand fumbling in her pocket to reach her wand, careful to keep her other outstretched. She doubtless looked ridiculous, one arm reaching around to the wrong pocket with her other palm lifted skywards, but with a sound of relief, she finally managed to pick up her wand, holding it over her burnt palm and trying to remember the spell for ice. No, water, ice was bad for burns, she needed cold running water. There were no taps here, of course, but she could make water. She could.

“Agua,” she got out, but stopped, trying not to cry. It was silly to cry. She was fine. She would be fine. All she had to do was make a little bit of water. “Aguamenti,” but all that came out were a few pathetic drops, not helping to ease the pain at all.

Fingers wrapped around her wrist, and she rubbed a sleeve across her face hastily. “Oh, um, I’m – I’m sorry, Theo, I. I’m okay, really, I just need to go to the hospital hut, please don’t,” her words petered out, and she inclined her head at his admonishment. She knew it wasn’t her fault, not really, but she didn’t want to be a burden to other people, least of all Theo.

Once it was apparent Raine and Kesali devolved into a shouting match, Theo and Alex exchanged an identical look of disbelief. Despite its complete lack of actual expression, it spoke volumes.

And then a slight, stooped form caught Theo’s eye, and a subtle shift crept onto his face, hardening until that grim expression looked like it had been carved from marble. Catching Alex’s eye, he dipped his head, his features briefly shadowed. “Excuse me,” he muttered, and strode away.

She didn’t appear to notice him, not until he was gently pulling her hand away from her chest, long fingers curling around her wrist. That was how much pain she was in. “Let me see,” he said, and something inside went dangerously quiet as her fingers unfurled, showing him the extent of the damage.

It wasn’t dire, as it turned out, but it was hardly minor, either. Her injuries now bared, he could see the blistered skin– both ruptured and intact –and the angry, feverish hue that surrounded them, peeling in places. As burns were wont to look, they looked open and shiny as they snaked across her palm and fingers, and only slimier from Ji-Hyun’s attempts.

However, they weren’t quite as bad as her apologies, which had Theo pausing, looking up from her hand to give her a hard-eyed stare. His eyes– normally so blue and open, even when he was cruel –were like chips of ice, though his hands never stopped moving, and as they did they remained as careful as ever—swift, decisive, yet gentle in their care. “Why are you apologizing?” he asked, his tone deceptively even.

It wasn’t a question so much as a commentary on their professor’s inability to teach. If anyone was so clearly undeserving of such a title, it was he; no one so unstable should have ever been granted a teaching position, when it was obvious he was unqualified– and only continued to demonstrate as much with every unproductive farce his classes became. Just thinking about it…

Well, this Slytherin wouldn’t. Not until Ji-Hyun was safely removed from Gale’s incapable hands, her burns seen to as they should have been. Immediately. The prefect wondered how addled a person must be to come to Nightingale Kesali for help or comfort, if his claims of such nights were actually true. Theo was inclined to think not, as the man seemed given to inappropriate, unhelpful demonstrations.

As Gale ranted – going so far as to ignore everything else while he enjoyed his soapbox – Theo took a slow, calming breath and drew his wand. “Ji-Hyun,” he murmured quietly, and it was the only warning she’d get before cool jet of water rushed over her hand, tilted at an angle so as not to hit the burns directly. “Tell me when it stops burning.”

She did. The water abruptly slowed to a trickle. Impatiently, Theo flung out his wand before setting the tip at her hand, resting it against the heel of her palm. “Lenio dolor doleo subvenio,” he said, watching her expression carefully. The spell would provide only temporary relief, but it should be enough until they reached the healing hut.

Almost instantly, her expression eased. Good.

Critically, Theo eyed his handiwork. There wasn’t much left he could do now, since he hadn’t thought he’d require anything to treat burn wounds in a Charms class. But he could dress them, at least. “Obligo,” he tapped her hand, and then bandages were snaking around it, wrapping until it was fully swathed.

Only then did he lower her hand—letting go to rest his own at the small of back, as he led her up to Gale.

“A fine speech, sir,” Theo smiled down at him, his tone breezy and conversational. “Very… moving. Although, perhaps next time save the soliloquies until everyone has already been to the healing hut, yes? Instead of making them wait?”

And without waiting for an answer, Theo escorted Ji-Hyun away, his hand lightly resting between her shoulders, about to walk off.

---

Jordyn was not pleased.

People had to really learn how to grow up: all of them!  First with Professor Kesali making them walk on a rope, and then her classmates unable to even handle that.  It didn’t really matter that they didn’t agree with what he was doing, they just had to deal with it and go where they needed to go and learn something.

Jordyn liked learning charms, and it was such a shame that everyone else had to ruin it – starting with the feet nonsense, and then Raine burning the rope – which, Jordyn didn’t realize until flames had licked her hand, lighting her glove, and burning at the leather which burned through (she could have cried – they were her favorite!) and ripped the glove off her hand before it left a sore on her hand – or at least more.

There was a bit of a burn from the hot edges of the leather and Jordyn had to stop herself from crying, evne though a few stray tears did escape despite herself.  THEN, class was dismissed after some juvenile effort at showing off on both parties, calling each other out – when there was supposed to be learning happening.  She didn’t even want to be part of it when Bran got involved.  Loyalty be damned, her hand hurt and class was ruined. 

Jordyn couldn’t believe it.  A total disaster of a day, and she had to go to the hospital corridor.  Casting a glance around, she hoped no one had really seen her crying and slunk back toward the castle, nursing her slightly burnt hand in the remnant of her remaining glove.  She hope she’d be able to get a replacement. 

JORDYN EXITS

The knot of a dozen students dissipated quickly and all that was left was a few stragglers and a winding ashen mark of charred cord.  At first, Figaro had found the Professor's outburst funny in that laugh-at-the-awkward-expression-of-truth way, but the outburst turned out to be neither funny or short and Figaro watched the grass as much as he could, hand scratching at the back of his neck.

He'd glanced up when overt references were made to the argument Zel had reported the night before.  To Raine as Kesali shouted about past hurts and injustices he'd survived.  How fun times were over.  Figaro winced as it all ended, beginning to regret the unkind things they'd joked about concerning their strange new teacher who'd been nothing if not passionate.  He was eccentric.  Maybe they should have just let him be.

But there was more going on than that, right? Raine didn't set things on fire in other classes... Uh...

Most of the students were gone and Figaro stood and watched Professor Kesali at a safe distance.  Shite, was he going to get sacked?  Word was going to get around.

Horrified did not even begin to cover just how completely what even Bran was about the fact that Kesali had completely broke the hell down and started spilling his sob story at the lot of them. But what truly topped the thing, was the fact that the bloody lunatic had just silenced him. The little bitch... Oh, it was on. If the creeper wanted to have his nervous breakdown he should take it to his boyfriend. On second thought, however, who the hell would even tolerate the complete mess Kesali was?

With the little bit of wandless magic he knew, eventually he managed to shake the Silencio off just as Kesali was dismissing the class. The fan this shit had hit was of industrial sizes. "First of all nobody asked you to care, we have friends and families for that, secondly no one is attempting to bring you down, we have much better things to do." Holy mother of all things glittery, crazy? Okay. But paranoid? Jesus H Christ someone needed to give Kesali the medical help he needed ASAP. "And thirdly, Professor" he almost spat at the man, raising his hands away from his body and turning around slowly, pointing at his classmates, "NOBODY CARES!"

"We don't go snooping into your life, neither should you meddle with ours. You're here to teach us, which frankly, you haven't really been doing. And now you bring your issues to your job and lash out at your own students? Nuh-uh, I didn't sign up for this" he continued with a hand on his hip, and the other hand waving an accusing index finger. "And with that—" he mimicked grabbing an imaginary hat off his head and gave an overly flourished bow, 'tipping' his hat to his soon-to-be-former Professor. "I offer you my formal withdrawal from your class" he turned on his heels and walked a few steps, spreading his hands as if to say passing through, make way. "I'm way too fabulous for this sort of crazy" he muttered, as he strutted back towards the castle.

Bran's exit

"I'm sorry I wasn't listening? What did you say? You'll see me in detention as well?" He looked at Bran and Theo both, and before they left assigned them both detention.

"And it's just a burn Theo, you all will live. If you think that's the only thing you will ever get from this school than, you might want to think about dropping out." And with that he made sure they all got to where they needed to go.

---

OOC: The little outbursts and walking away isn't going to fly guys, if you want to go back and change posts feel free. There is NO way, Gale would allow that.

Grateful for the assistance, Ji-Hyun was careful to remain still as Theo tended to her hand, slowly relaxing as the pain ebbed and her breathing returned to normal. “It’s okay now,” she said eventually, when the pain was at a manageable level. It still ached a little, and her heart was beating more rapidly than normal, but she felt far better than she had before, and she smiled at him. “Thank you,” she said when the bandages were in place, “you, um, didn’t have to, but I’m glad you did!”

It wasn’t that she thought the Slytherin was incompetent, of course not, he’d bandaged her and removed the pain, but he was still a student and the spell would wear off eventually. Preparing to follow him to the hospital hut, she was shocked to hear the announcement that Theo was being given detention. He’d helped her, been nothing but nice – why on earth had their Professor decided that merited detention, just because he expressed concern about the way the lesson was run? It was so unfair. And wrong.

She'd been patched up well enough that going to the hospital hut could be put off for a while, and Ji-Hyun turned on her heel, walking over to the professor rather than yelling across at him.

“But Sir, Theo’s right,” Ji-Hyun protested, “as a teacher, you’re supposed to look after your students, and that means making sure they’re okay if they get hurt,” she drew in a breath, then added far more quietly, “and it’s unkind to belittle the pain of others.” She knew that she wasn’t about to die from a little burn on her hand, and that it was hardly an important problem, but – it wasn’t right to say something like that. Just because something wouldn’t kill you didn’t mean it wasn’t important, or worthy of attention.

Except Gale hadn’t—made sure they all got to where they needed to, that is, because Bran had stormed off before he could. And Theo…

Gale couldn’t make sure Theo and Ji-Hyun went where they needed to, because at that moment Theo had changed his mind. They wouldn’t be going to the healing hut, as previously assumed, and Gale– for all he behaved as though he possessed any accurate insight at all –wasn’t, in fact, a mind reader.

His back still turned to the professor, Theo stilled—his pause, and the slight tilt of his head, the only signs he’d even heard at all. He wasn’t quite looking back just yet, that it was impossible to see what he was looking at the ground for, and the curl to his mouth was merely a dimple from Gale’s point of view, but—the angel-faced boy had always been slightly different from his peers, even his housemates, in that amusement was so often his first reaction, when theirs would have been shock or outrage.

But then, why shouldn’t it be? So many things were but a farce, when it came right down to it, and this– the situation, this class, this man –was but one more thing to laugh at, to scorn, to pity. And indeed, as Theo slowly turned to face him, expression cast in a curious look, he was very nearly tempted towards the latter.

Nightingale Kesali was such a sad man, he realized now—and only now, for the enormity of this truth was just beginning to set in, as he looked at the man’s face, the splotches of color in his cheeks so violent it spread across them like a rash. It had been obvious from the start that he’d come to Hogwarts with some sort of baggage, that it rendered him as some parody of a Byronic figure and left him incapable of forming any sort of relationship based on mutual respect with nearly everyone in the castle– incapable of understanding where anyone was coming from –and his time here hadn’t gotten any easier, from what the prefect could observe; the only ones who seemed to hold him in any esteem appeared to be entirely comprised of the youngest years– if only because they were too young to know better, or at least be subjected to the inanities their superiors had to endure. As for them, the general consensus appeared to be tolerance—whether from a genuine, saintly fondness for the man, or simply necessity.

There was, Theo couldn’t help but notice, a distinct lack of respect.

Of course, credit should be given where credit was due, and one couldn’t deny that the man was certainly trying—at least, if his new attitude was anything to go by; his newfound wrath was, quite noticeably, rather new, as was all that talk of lupine hierarchy (which was, admittedly, rather funny). Still, after all was said and done, a failure was a failure, still a failure, and, one could safely assume, would always be a failure.

After all, the proof was standing right there before them, glaring at them impotently like an agitated kneazle.

His hand sliding onto her shoulder, it was a light touch, equal to the soft smile he slanted her way. It was also a warning. “Ji-Hyun,” he said, gentle.

Although… she was right.

“Detention?” Theo echoed, head tilted to the side as he surveyed the man, expression containing nothing but polite bemusement. In both height and frame, Gale was a much smaller figure; in contrast, he was positively washed out next to Theo and his golden, angelic curls. Save for the righteous anger coloring his cheeks (another odd contrast, to Theo’s calm, cold ones), there was nothing about the professor that was even remotely commanding, worthy of the respect he loudly demanded. It was, the Slytherin decided, not unlike watching a mouse howl at the moon—a fitting and tragic comparison, in retrospect. “What for, professor? A compliment?” He flashed a smile, small, sweet, and vaguely perplexed. “Expressing concern for my classmates?”

---

"It's a minor burn, Ji-Hyun, and apparently not a very bad one considering you are still standing here when I suggested you go to the hut," He folded his hands before him, "I think we all suffered worse when we learning that very charm. It is not the first time a student was hurt, and certainly not the last." With that he moved his attention to Theo.

"I shouldn't have to answer this, Whitman. But I am going to anyway," He corrected his stance and stood there as if he were in fact looking down on the boy,

"You are getting detention along with Mister Blackwell for talking back to your superior. As much as it might pain you to admit, you are still a student here, and I'm a Professor. Your opinion was not asked for nor wanted. If you have a complaint then you can either take it up with the Headmistress, or cry home to Mommy and Daddy for it. Until then, you are under my care, and you will show respect. Especially if you wish to keep that little badge of yours." With a step forward he looked at them both,

"Now, I dismissed class.  I suggest you turn and walk away."

Ji-Hyun gaped at the professor. How could he be so mean? “I don’t need to go to the hut right now because Theo healed me!” she exclaimed before she could stop herself, “He helped me, professor, when everybody else just stood there.” She’d been burnt practicing, certainly, but it hadn’t been as big as this burn, or as severe, and she found it hard to believe that the ever empathetic professor was dismissing her injury as inconsequential.

She stayed silent for the rest of his explanation, Theo’s hand a warning that he didn’t want her to speak on his behalf, and since her last attempt had only made things worse, she stayed quiet. Put like that, she could see why Kesali had taken action, but it still wasn’t fair. Theo hadn’t been disrespectful, not really, and he’d helped more than enough to make up for it – didn’t that matter?

When the rant was over, she turned to look up at Theo. She wanted to protest, but it was Theo who had the detention – a detention she couldn’t help but think was her fault. If she hadn’t been injured, then he wouldn’t have said anything to their professor, so he wouldn’t have the stupid detention. She had tried to help, but it hadn't done anything, just made Professor Kesali even more cross.

“My opinion was not an opinion; it is fact. And it may not have been asked for, but it was necessary,” Theo said, unperturbed. Gale’s resistance to reason hardly came as a surprise at this point. “You say we are in your care, but quite frankly it has been terrible care. And now you show even less disregard when someone is, quite literally, right before you with proof.”

“This isn’t a wolf pack, professor,” he said quietly, his hand entwined with Ji-Hyun’s uninjured one as he stepped back. His hand dwarfed hers easily; his gaze, as he looked at Gale, was unforgivably kind. “You aren’t an alpha, you are our teacher; your job is not to order us about as though we are docile sheep, but to help us understand. You say that you would lay down your life for us? That you want us to feel safe and adored? You won’t even hear a word when we try to meet you halfway.”

The man even persisted in stooping to childish colloquialisms. Raine was right; if there were any children around here, it was he.

But it was obvious that nothing Theo has said was getting through. He wasn’t about to touch that mention of his badge, as he was quite certain that explaining why, exactly, Gale had only slightly more say in his prefect status than the common slugworm, would be one more fruitless endeavor. Nevertheless, it was a charming thought.

“Very well, professor,” Theo bowed, the movement deep, respectful, and flawlessly graceful. He would have smirked as he straightened, except this man was not even worth his contempt—only amusement, of which Theo possessed in abundant supply. “Give me detention for my honesty, which clearly no one else has seen fit to give you. I’ll try to clear my schedule for it– but you’ll be wanting to see Professor Di Luca then, I think. You’ll have to arrange the time with her, since she has me occupied from dinner to curfew.”

And he turned around again, hand in hand with Ji-Hyun and an air of dismissal, and he did not look back.



Theo and Ji-Hyun, exeunt.

Give me detention for my honesty, which clearly no one else has seen fit to give you. I’ll try to clear my schedule for it– but you’ll be wanting to see Professor Di Luca then, I think. You’ll have to arrange the time with her, since she has me occupied from dinner to curfew.”


"Wow...really? Theo, I'm not going to anyone to clear anything for your detention, and now the second one you are earning by standing here. That is your responsibility. We will set it for tomorrow after dinner, and if you miss something important--then that must really suck for you. This is how much pity I have," He turned his palm up, but moved his attention to the other student.

"You could have just as easily healed yourself. It's a burn, not a missing limb. Worse things have happened, and not just in my class.'

"I'll be taking five points from every house that has a student talk back. Slytherin just lost 10.  Hufflepuff is down 5 now. Would anyone else like to volunteer their houses points?"