Moira eased open the door and made her way inside the room. She felt far from well enough to go through with this session of detention, but it was Saturday... and if she simply didn't show up it was most likely that Professor Storm would be most displeased with her nonattendance. So, feverish and weak, the fourth year prepared herself for what was to come as best as she could under the circumstances.

Ambrose had been with her shortly before and Moira had lost him only because he had things to do and she had promised she would get in bed after taking a bath. She didn't lie, Moira planned on bathing then sleeping, but she had to get this requirement out of the way first. Then she could rest that night and all of Sunday.

Swallowing so her voice wouldn't be as scratchy and croaky as it was earlier she approached the man standing at his desk, "Ah'm here, Professor." Now all she could hope for was that the lesson was short... and painless.

There were less interesting things to do on a Saturday evening than throw curses at a teenage student, Ignan had thought to himself as he had headed back to his classroom earlier to be present ahead of Moira's arrival. The desks had scratched and scraped their way across the floor to either side, piling up along the edges of the space to give them room.

The candles bathed the room in a pale yellow glow, which brightened as he raised his wand, more wicks popping into life, and a mouse scurried for cover in the shadows. Pity it had gone to ground so quickly, he'd have gladly tossed it into one of the tanks to feed one of the ghastly looking creatures that Hogwarts owned.

"McBoid." The Professor greeted directly, turning away from his desk which he had been tidying while waiting the last minute or so before her arrival. Moira was punctual, amongst other things. Though she didn't look thoroughly enthusiastic. Not that surprising in honesty.

"Footwork tonight. It was letting you down last time, far too easy for me to take your feet out from beneath you." He walked out a little way into the classroom floor and gestured for Moira to come forth.

"Now, the on guard position we adopt before more spellwork allows for better balance, easier change of direction, and less vertical disturbance of your centre of gravity. Movement of your feet should be fluid, and uninterrupted." He demonstrated, his own wand raised, and half advanced forward with his leading foot, and then back again.

"So, on guard position, McBoid."

Footwork. Well nothing was as easy as that with the Professor, but such a thing shouldn't be too difficult to learn compared to some other lessons.

Tugging her wand out after observing him, she moved to where he indicated and mimicked his stance. It was strange at first, but after a few moments she found her balance, though still shaky, and settled.

Normally the DADA classroom always had a kind of chill to it, one she wasn't unaccustomed to due to living in the highlands, but that evening it felt more than a little warm. Not that such a thing surprised her any.

Blinking to try and stay focused she lifted her wand only for it to dip down again as she looked to the professor. This could be worse than she originally thought.

"Concentrate McBoid!" The Professor snapped as her wand dropped in angle. "We're not hexing shoes here." He used the end of his wand to raise hers with a sharp movement.

"Now, half advance, and back, again, keep your shoulders down, the weight-."

He paused in what he was saying for a moment because he saw Moira's eyelids drop a moment like she was about to fall asleep. Odd. She was looking rather tired, but about time she worked hard.

Irritated, he snapped his fingers before her face. Had it been in a class of people, he'd have been tempted to hex her feet to make her jump but that seemed not worth the effort with one student.

"Did you leave your attention somewhere else, McBoid? On guard and half advance. Come along now."

All of his near yelling at her, his frustration and impatience, wasn't helping her situation any. Of course she couldn't blame him, even though she did.

A slight flash of temper surfaced through her weary eyes but faded again quickly enough. She was trying her best under the circumstances. She showed up after all.

Taking a slow deep breath she began to follow his instructions. On her way back, however, a wave of heat seemed to hit her from everywhere and she fell backwards as blackness engulfed her.

Well, that was a new one. Footwork didn't usually make students faint, well not unless he'd drilled it for an hour or more without a break.

He'd not quite managed to snap his wand back to her in time to slow things down, so unfortunately McBoid had crumpled to the floor as fast as gravity dictated.

"McBoid." He called, stepping over to stand beside her body on the floor, peering down at her.

"Moira?" He didn't usually use a student's forename, and it felt a little odd to.

He nudged her with his boot very gently to see if she'd stir. Nothing. Not a peep.

With a quiet rumple of material, he crouched beside her, looking for anything obvious, and then held the back of his hand just above her nose and mouth, content she was at least still breathing. She felt a bit warm if anything.

"Moira McBoid, what are you doing on my classroom floor?" He asked, seizing her firmly by the shoulders and giving her a bit of a shake - nothing violent, just in an attempt to rouse her.

Nothing. Glancing to the door, just hoping that nobody decided to drop in at that moment, he gingerly put a hand to her forehead and frowned. Girl must have taken sick. She hadn't seemed quite herself.

Well, he couldn't leave her there.

"Rennervate!" He uttered firmly, wand drawn, to bring Moira to.

"McBoid, I didn't give you permission to take a nap on my classroom floor."

To say Moira ever thought she'd wake up on the floor with Professor Storm crouched over her would be a blatant lie. As such, the young Hufflepuff was rather surprised to find such a thing had happened.

While she peered up at him what he said finally sunk in. "Ah'm sorry, Professor. Ah din-nae mean ta." She stayed where she was until he moved away and she could get up without it being more awkward than it already was.

A quick glance around the floor as she began to rise notified her of her wands location, and she retrieved it before standing fully once more.

If she had passed out from being ill during a simple footwork lesson - in Storm's classroom of all places! - she really was worse off than she thought. Still, she was determined until he sent her on her way. "It will-nae happen again, Sir."

She looked surprised - rightly so, and uttered apologies.

"Hm." The Professor replied, deciding not to draw conclusions at that moment, and acknowledged the mutual uncomfortable feeling of them being in such positions, and stepped back, and stood up again properly to give her space, thinking twice about offering her a hand to get up - more curious as to whether she would make it back to her feet.

"It will-nae happen again, Sir."

"No, it won't." The Professor uttered quietly, staring at McBoid, which would only add to her anxiety at waking up on his floor.

He didn't continue with the footwork, despite what Moira appeared to be anticipating, but folded his arms and frowned a little.

"I don't appreciate students putting in less than their best efforts, especially when they are studying by themselves under my instruction," he told Moira, expression anything but sympathetic. He stepped away, dropping his arms to his side, wand in hand still, and turned away. The quiet but firm tone, the look all recognisable to his students as not a moment to interrupt as he considered their fate.

"You're dismissed." He told Moira, and anticipating her confusion, turned back, face to face with her this time, and lowered his head ever so slightly to meet her gaze better.

"McBoid it's quite clear you're unwell. You shall not waste my time any more this evening. Either find your way to Nagde's hut, or to bed." He gestured with his left hand, wand still held in the other, for her to leave.

"Try not to wilt on the corridor floor on your way."

Moira stared at his back when she was informed of her dismissal. Was he giving up on her then? She'd done everything he'd asked up to that point. One bad session and....

Her thoughts froze in place when he turned to face her and continued to speak. Slightly relieved, though she didn't show it, she gave a bit of a nod, surprisingly glad it was just a dismissal for the day and not the rest of their sessions. Why she was glad she would still have to endure his sometimes excruciating lessons was beyond her, but she was.

"Aye, Professor. Ah won't." Tucking her wand away she turned and made her way out of the classroom and down her common room where she would get a bath and then go to bed, for sure.



End