Around 5:00 in the afternoon.

Aileen had been sitting in her office for at least a few minutes, staring down at the class roster and shaking her head. Two names kept jumping out at her, but not for a good reason. Pennyapple and Sellaphix. What was she going to do about them?

To her dismay, very few students in her class actually seemed serious about Ancient Runes. She didn’t know what she’d expected. They were teenagers. Most of them cared more about what was going to be served for supper and who was going to go with who to the Halloween Ball. Still, it came as a bit of a disappointment when she realized she would have to think of another way to get their attention. She couldn’t treat them like colleagues, yet she couldn’t treat them like children either. Ah, adolescents. How frustrating.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, stretching. Until she’d arrived here, she couldn’t be sure how she’d feel about the house rivalries and the various students she’d meet. Aileen was trying to be fair, she really was. It annoyed her to no end that she’d had to order a Slytherin out of her classroom today, but honestly, she expected more from her old house. It baffled her to see students show up late and then throw a fit at being disciplined for bad behavior.

Had she been that bad as a teen? Wait- yes, yes, she had. She’d just been sneaky about it, like all Slytherins should be.

Then there was Figaro. Good Merlin, the kid would have been on her bad list had he been born in her generation. He attracted trouble and didn’t seem to have any clue about what he was doing. It would probably be less of a hassle for her if she kicked him out now. Yet, she was curious to hear more about his background first and why he’d Trolled out of Runes. If he was truly willing to make an effort, as his professor, she couldn’t exactly turn him away. These were students. This was different from a regular job. She couldn’t fire troublemakers, slug-vomiters, or late arrivals. Aileen had to find a way to work with them.

Sighing again, she rubbed at her temples and then looked up when she heard a knock on her door.
“Come in,” she said coolly, fixing a neutral expression on her face.

Figaro had been in the Hospital Wing with the kindly Tulojow Nagde for the past half an hour, and by now had made his way back up to Professor Reid's second floor office.

As he entered the room, some of his energy was visibly depleted and he looked rarely a little sheepish.  Not timid, really, just subdued.  He knew he was in trouble.

Trouble on the very first day was not a good sign.  Of course it wasn't his fault, but that never seemed to be a factor in whether he spent an evening in a detention, or whether his dad chewed him out for being a slack-off.

He stook just inside Professor Reid's office door with a petulant wince and some spots of crusted slime on his shirt.

Still wincing, he asked, "So does this mean I'm out of Runes? I mean, please don't.  I was going to present my rune but that shithead Attitus hexed me.  If I could have managed not to cover myself in slug sick, ma'am, I probably wouldn't have.  It's important I try for that O.W.L."

Aileen was caught between laughter and an exasperated eye-roll when Figaro said shithead and ma’am in the same sentence. It sounded like the same sentence, anyway. He talked so fast!

“Language,” she chided indifferently, feeling the need to say something because she was the adult in the room. Aileen shook her head and gestured towards one of the chairs. “Sit. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” Mainly, she was glad that he wouldn’t vomit all over her office.

She paused and glanced at her watch, wondering if she should even expect the older Slytherin to show up. It would be worse for him if he didn’t. Aileen glanced at the anxious boy in front of her.

“Well, until Mr. Pennyapple decides to grace us with his presence,” she said wryly, “we can either sit and stare at each other, or you can tell me what has given you such trouble with Runes in the past. Is it the tests? The translations themselves? Be specific, if you can.”

She kept her voice polite, hoping it would encourage him to give her an honest picture. Handing out detentions could wait a bit longer. Right now, she needed to know if he was prepared and willing to handle the work.

Figaro sat down as he was told.  He noticed that Atticus wasn't there even though he remembered they were both to report after class.  Frankly, Figaro was glad Atticus hadn't shown up.  All the worse for that Slytherin loser and Fig didn't have to face him again today.

He could tell the pretty blonde professor was impatient - she seemed ... like she was trying to talk to a person somewhat younger than he was.  Figaro got the impression that she might not be used to kids.  The phrase, 'be specific' was intimidating.  He just wasn't all that sure what it was about Runes that made him Troll out last year.

"It's a lot of... reading," he offered, with a shrug.  "And writing.  Memorizing all the different runes and what they stand for.  There's all the history as well.  Just a big muddle - and you do it all just seated in a desk.  Doesn't seem like magic when you look at it.  Seems like some great maths puzzle or something.  That and I think last year it was right before lunch so I was always really hungry by that time and ready for a break."

He shrugged again.  He was feeling the pressure to give a good answer, but he knew at the end of the meeting he'd have to still be in Runes class or his dad would be royally disappointed.

Aileen listened carefully to his answer. Ancient Runes wasn’t for everyone. The memorization and problem solving was difficult, especially for students who weren’t used to sitting still and studying, like she suspected Figaro was. Perhaps he would do better if he worked on a few problems at a time, took a break, and then got back to work again. Either way, he would have to be willing to put in the extra effort.

She glanced again at the door. Mr. Pennyapple was late, which annoyed her. If he skipped out on the meeting entirely, she’d definitely have to give him a few detentions. Mr. Sellaphix was here, though, and at least he was being honest with her. She’d try to work out a solution with him.

Aileen nodded at him. “I can see why it would be difficult. Especially for someone who might not be all that interested in the subject,” she raised her eyebrows at him, wondering if she was right. She wouldn’t be offended if he didn’t like Runes, but he’d have a more difficult time succeeding in her class if he hated it. Then again, perhaps he didn’t enjoy it partly because he was failing.

She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand. “I know your father wants you to continue Runes. Would he be completely opposed to the idea of switching subjects, perhaps taking something you might like better?”

Figaro waited to see how his Runes professor would take his confession that he didn't think using Runes was really magic at all.  He sighed and relaxed a little when she seemed to take it just fine.  In fact, despite all the mayhem today, she hadn't ever lost her cool.  This perplexed young Figaro, and he wouldn't deny that wouldn't be considered a challenge another day hence.

But his face fell when he mentioned his dad, a severe old apothecary down in London.

"No!" he leaned forward in his chair, over her desk and gesticulated as he begged.  "Don't drop me out, please! I can do this.  I like Runes, I really do.  It's just hard for me, that's all.  I'll work harder and I'll keep away from that sod Atticus!"

At this point he'd say anything to keep in Runes.  He really needed Runes to go on to being a successful apothecary and take over the shop.  His dad said he used Runes all the time. Helps store some things for ages, help ripen other things quick.  And the spells he's got on the doors and safe in the shop - all Runes! After last term, his father had shown him each and every part of the business where he used Runes.  The elder Sellaphix even kept his books in some ancient language that defied meddling and bad arithmetic.

"Give me another chance, Professor.  I can do it.  Please!"

She opened her mouth and shut it again when he insisted that he’d work hard in the class. His exclamation surprised her, even made her feel a tad sorry for him. Aileen wasn’t used to or very comfortable with teenagers and their particular brand of… exuberance.

Whether Figaro wanted to continue Runes to please his father, or if he actually had an interest in the subject, was no longer her concern. She’d heard what she needed to from him. He seemed serious about, well, taking Runes seriously.

She sighed, glancing away from him as she considered her options. It was easier to think without the puppy-dog look staring her in the face. Letting him continue the class would mean more work for her, and she’d probably have to keep Figaro and Atticus separated, at least as long as they had combined classes.

Aileen made her decision and looked back at him, smirking slightly. “There’s still the matter of your conduct in class today. Like you said, I expect you and Mr. Pennyapple to leave each other alone from now on,” she told him, taking a moment to casually flip open her planner, as if he wasn’t about to pee himself waiting to hear if he could continue the course.

“Friday evening. 7:00. Meet me here. For your detention, we’ll start going over anything you might have had trouble with in the past few years. If we have to start from your third-year course material,” she shrugged one shoulder. “So be it.”

She glanced up at him. “And yes, that means I’m letting you stay in Runes.”

Obviously, the 'detention' was more of a study session. No one else but she and Figaro needed to know that, though.

The subtlety was lost on Figaro, who's face fell even further.  He threw himself back to slump in the chair.  His head dangled over the back  of the chair and he groaned loudly.

"Augh! Detention? I can't believe this! I get punished for some other kid firing hexes in class! If I would have had the ability, I wouldn't have barfed slugs everywhere.  Wasn't my first choice, was it?"  He sat up abruptly and ran his hands through his sandy hair.

"Fine.  Fine.  Well, see you in class."  He rolled his eyes and picked up his bookbag.  It wasn't even dinner time yet and he'd already been to the hospital wing and had earned a detention. 

He stood there, thoroughly drained, regarding the well-kept and unflustered new professor.  "Well. Can I go?"

Well, that was not the reaction she expected. Aileen narrowed her eyes at him. She would have to be more direct.

“Listen. I’m doing you a favor. I don’t have to let you take Runes again. I don’t have to offer to help you with your studies. There are worse things you could be doing during detention than catching up on course work.” Mr Pennyapple would get to experience that.

“I may be new, but I’m still your professor. Show some respect,” she gave him a warning look, and then looked back at the papers on her desk. “You may go now.”

Ugh. Teenagers! If an Egyptian curse didn’t kill her off, surely the fifth and seventh years of Hogwarts would.

Figaro literally bit his lip and lowered his eyes.  He'd almost done it again - yammered his way into trouble.  He hadn't meant to mouth off to Professor Reid.  When she said it like that, it made sense.  She was just calling it detention.  She was letting him take Runes and was going to give him extra help and he had to go and shout at her like a big baby.

He sighed and looking a little bit contrite, he turned and left her office. 

As he trotted down the stairs, he ran into a group of his friends on their way to dinner, and immediately his troubles were forgotten. 


Fin