From the main window of his study on the third floor, Sasha had been able to watch Headmistress Snark's progression down the long drive to the house.  She was wearing ... well, it was safe to say no one had ever been seen wearing something like that in the Schlagenweit house before.  With, perhaps, the sole exception of Jacoba, on those few occasions she'd managed to sneak something like that in. 

Sasha had no idea what to expect from this meeting.  He'd been home little over a month but, as far as Sasha knew, all the legal questions had been straightened away.  The Ministry no longer had any suspicions about his involvement with Ava's murder.  He'd been keeping up with his work and, as far as he could tell, there wasn't anything in the rules against his Professors helping him keep stride with his classmates.  He certainly couldn't be accused of loafing during his time off.  Between his internships, his tutoring, show schedule and his class schedule, he hardly could be called lazy. 

Maybe, she was inviting him back to school early.  Or, maybe, she was just there to talk about the situation.  Ever since Sasha had received the notice from Snark, a long sting of options had scrolled through his head.  None of them were any more or less plausible than the others. 

Regardless of the reason, Sasha was determined to maintain some sense of control over the interaction.  If there was anything he'd learned from his stepfather, it was how to conduct himself in business settings.  For years, he'd watched Gerhard entertain business associates in this very house.  His stepfather had dragged him to his share of high powered parties and soirees.  He didn't have the slightest clue how to socialize with his classmates but he knew how to play this game.

Wilhelm, probably still dressed in his work wear, was downstairs waiting to answer the door - probably watching a football match as he waited.  From his third story room, if Sasha left just as Snark knocked, he'd likely reach the solar[1] moments after Wilhelm and Snark did. 

Sasha knew he wouldn't be able to hear the door from this far up but that was why he'd brought Baldur in the room with him.  Moments after the Headmistress disappeared under the front doorway's alcove, the dog lifted his head and hopped off his chair, trotting over to the door.  Sasha followed, pausing in his bathroom just long enough to take a peak at his appearance[2] in the mirror before descending the stairs to the first floor and, eventually, the ground floor.  Wilhelm was just switching the television off and stowing the remote away when Sasha caught up with the two in the solar. 

"Ma'am," Sasha offered with a slight duck of his head.  A light spring rain had picked back up though the light raindrops could barely be heard as the dripped on the solar's glass ceiling.  "Can I offer you anything to drink?  Coffee?  Tea?"  Hopefully, neither.  Sasha was really hoping this meeting would be brief.

1.	Residence
2.	Outfit

Parent-teacher meetings were hardly Analiza's cup of tea, for more reasons then she could count. She would much rather be at the school, holed away in her office, planning the Tetrawizard Tournament or evaluating the professors progress. Hell, she would rather be using a lethifold as a sleeping bag! Anything but having to meet with some brats overly proud parent, forced to drink a cup of cheap tea as they proceeded to brag about their spawn's mediocrity like the best thing they had ever done in life was squeeze one out. Or they would be those wealthy, career-minded parents who expected everything to be done their way so that their child could get the best education for the least amount of work and she had better do it or they would pull their funding out from under her. She was beginning to understand why so many professors had dreaded meeting with her when she was a parent.

But this situation was a bit... different. Not just because the child in question was now orphaned, and thus didn't have those pesky little things called parents to deal with, but because of his long standing animosity with Madame Snark herself. Ever since he tried to undermine her at the closing feast a year ago, he had been in and out of her good graces. Mainly more out than in. Actually, she couldn't recall a time where he had been 'in', except before she knew him. He was, in fact, such a thorn in her side that she had privately begin to use his name for any number of distasteful people, actions or adjectives (Like "He really sashaed that one" or "That kid is a real Sasha" etc). When she had heard he was pulling out of school after Ava's murder, she had barely been able to control her glee. All she needed was a few withdrawal papers signed and he was out of her hair forever. It was for this reason alone that she didn't push it off on Declan and was currently strolling up the winding driveway to Sasha's home.

As she neared the palatial mansion, she admired her surroundings. The elegance of the home was quite familiar to her. Her own home was like that, beautiful but imposing with room for many yet elegantly abandoned. Sure the grounds were in perfect shape, but there were no signs that anyone really walked through them to enjoy them. The windows were spotlessly clean, framed by delicate curtains, but they were dark and lonely. She was almost sure there was a music room in there and she bet that it generally left silent. It left her with a familiar feeling that she struggled to push down. At first she thought it might be sympathy, having lived in such a home herself, but as she approached the house, she realized there was something else there as well. The emotionless beauty of the house reminded her of the day she came home from her fathers funeral and how she felt walking up the stairs to an empty house. Sasha's parents had been killed there, she remembered now, and she felt ashamed of herself for the previous thought of how lucky she was to not have to deal with his parents. It was an alien feeling, this sympathy for Sasha, but there was a smidgen there. She tried to ignore it.

As she knocked firmly on the heavy door, she tried to listen to see if it echoed. She couldn't tell, but she bet it did. It always did. She didn't get a chance to try again because the door promptly opened, by a servant or butler, as was expected. What wasn't expected was the butlers getup. She knew better then to expect a houseelf, since this was a muggle home aterall, but she at least expected an old man in a suit or something with a little decorum. Instead she got a ruggedly handsome man in a dirty t-shirt and jeans who looked like he was more there to paint the place then to answer the door. "Good morning, is Mr. Schlagenweit or a Mr. Schröder here? I believe we have an appointment..." She said, glancing over his shoulder to see if anyone was in the sitting room.

He didn't say anything, which she expected from a typical stoic German. Instead he just nodded and ushered her in. She followed behind him, the clicks of her 6 inch heels echoing just as her knocks must have done. They entered a sitting room and Analiza took a seat as the butler turned off the football game playing on the telly. She was expecting him to offer a tea or coffee while she waited for Sasha, but the television had barely gone silent when Sasha appeared in the entryway.

"Ma'am,"

Analiza looked up at the tall youth, casually dressed in expensive slacks and a blazer, and gave him a nod in greeting of her her own. "Sasha." She said evenly, her previous sympathy for him artfully hidden. Outside, as if on cue, a light spring rain begin to fall softly on the glass roof overhead.

"Can I offer you anything to drink?  Coffee?  Tea?"

"That would be excellent. Earl Grey, two sugars..." She glanced around, having not realized yet that the man who ushered her in was Sasha's guardian "Where is Mr. Schröder? He is planning on joining us, right?"

The shepherd remained at Sasha's heels as the boy continued standing in the doorway.  The purpose of this meeting still eluded Sasha and, thus far, nothing about Snark's demeanor offered any clues.  As far as he could tell, she seemed impassive - neither outwardly hostile or disapproving nor friendly. 

The later didn't surprise Sasha.  It was no secret that Snark disdained him.  He'd always managed to maintain a decent if not excellent reputation with most of his professors.  He was generally polite, reserved, courteous and hard-working to a fault.  In fact, Sasha had managed to earn a half-way decent reputation even with the professors Snark had hired - despite their ample opportunities to hear any number of rumors that had made their rounds over the course of the year.  But, with Snark, things had started out on bad footing back in June and he'd never managed to recover.  He was hoping this meeting would change things though he was cautious about being too optimistic. 

He was careful not to let the disappointment show when Snark took him up on the offer for tea but he, admittedly, wasn't thrilled to hear this meeting was at least long enough to warrant beverages.  Sasha nodded and started to turn to fetch the requested tea Wilhelm cleared his throat.  "Ich hab's" Wilhelm offered, moving past Sasha towards the kitchen.  Sasha nodded and crossed the room to one of the couches opposite Snark and took a seat.  Baldur followed closely and settled himself at Sasha's feet. 

"Oh-"  Confusion flickered across Sasha's face as he glanced after WIlhelm.  On second thought, he wasn't surprised Wilhelm hadn't actually formally introduced himself.  Given what Sasha had told him about his past dealings with Snark, Wilhelm's perception was already tainted.  And, the man wasn't normally talkative even with those he was on friendly terms. 

"That was Wilhelm Schröder," Sasha offered, glancing to the door the man had passed through.  "He'd been out mowing the back pasture this morning and he'll be doing that again this afternoon when we're done so it didn't make sense for him to change.  Since the cows were sold, it was starting to get overgrown."  All which was probably more information than Snark was looking for.  Nor did Sasha really need to defend Wilhelm's current attire, he reminded himself.  "It's just the two of us."  Where once there'd been six.  Seven if you counted back to the days when Jacoba was still there.  Sasha shook his head to clear his mind before looking back at the woman. 

"He'll be back with the tea but, just so you know, I've already told him everything I know.  So,..."  Sasha hesitated a moment.  Which, he knew, was a mistake.  This was definitely where everything Professor Ignan had said about complete sentences and not apologizing was especially important.  He took a deep breath.  "He knows everything up to whatever this is about.  He'll be here since that's what's required but he has already agreed to follow my lead.  So, whatever this discussion is about - or whatever the reason is for you being here, the conversation is with me, not him." 

Legally, yes.  Wilhelm was the adult in the house and the guardian.  But, in practical terms, that wasn't exactly how things were bound to work out.  Before this realignment of roles, Wilhelm had been the family's employee but had also been the most accessible member of the household during Sasha's upbringing.  He'd been more of an emotional father figure than Gerhard had ever been.  But, he'd still been an employee.  While Gerhard had been the ultimate decision maker of the house, Sasha had been the heir.  In the last couple years, Gerhard had put Sasha in the position of decision maker whenever things involved the horses, stable or showing.  Before recent events, their relationship had been more one of coworkers. 

"May I ask what this is about?" 

"That was Wilhelm Schröder, He'd been out mowing the back pasture this morning and he'll be doing that again this afternoon when we're done so it didn't make sense for him to change.  Since the cows were sold, it was starting to get overgrown. It's just the two of us." 

"Hm..." was all Analiza mustered, her brief response contrasting sharply with Sasha's unnecessarily wordy reply. She didn't feel the need to apologize since, well... it wasn't her fault that the man was dressed like a farm hand and hadn't had enough manners to introduce himself. Why should she feel bad when it was he who hadn't been taught etiquette when he was younger. She considered pointing this out to Sasha, but decided against it when he added the 'it's just the two of us'. Criticizing the closest thing he had to family, gameskeeper or not, was lower than even she would stoop. After all, if anyone had ever insulted Tulpin, she would have turned her wand on them before they even got a chance to finish speaking.

"He'll be back with the tea but, just so you know, I've already told him everything I know.  So,...He knows everything up to whatever this is about.  He'll be here since that's what's required but he has already agreed to follow my lead.  So, whatever this discussion is about - or whatever the reason is for you being here, the conversation is with me, not him." 

Analiza's right eyebrow arched in amusement as she quipped lightly "Has he now... All of it?" She replied in a tone so smooth that it was clear she felt that the information supplied to Mr. Schroder was one-sided and perhaps a bit biased. She wondered what Sasha had told him. More then likely it was about how horrible and nasty she was to him and about how he had never done anything to deserve it. She had barely been headmistress for a year and she had already witnessed this a dozen times or so. Parents always came in thinking their perfect little cherub had been wronged and left with plans to write a couple of howlers, once they learned the truth. The corner of her mouth threatened to curl into a self-satisfied smirk at the thought.

"May I ask what this is about?"

Ah finally, down to business. No more awkward beating about the bush and pretending to be civil. "Simple, dear, I am here about your withdrawal from Hogwarts..." Her tone was far too pleasant to be real and her smile just added to the feeling that she was planning dastardly deeds in that pretty little head of hers. Without giving him a chance to interject or disagree, she pulled out a roll of parchment and unfurled it, laying on the table "... I am under the impression that you have chosen to withdrawal after the recent... unpleasantness... and I am here to get it in writing. Merely a formality really... I just want to assure that I won't be accused of kicking you out of school when it was voluntary..." She smiled a bright, unnatural smile and tapped the paper with her quill in an impatient manner "So... Sign away, Mr. Schlagenweit... And we will never bother each other again..."

"Has he now... All of it?"

Sasha could hear the suspicion and doubt in the Headmistress' voice though he wasn't quite sure what made her question the thoroughness of his explanation.  Was she wondering to what extent Wilhelm was aware of Hogwarts and what, exactly, Sasha was learning there?  Or, whether his explanation had been, indeed, thorough and fair by her standards as well as his.  But, he doubted the distinction was all that important so he didn't bother answering.  The question was very likely rhetorical, after all. 

"My what?"  His withdrawal?  From Hogwarts?  Sasha's eyebrows hitched together in confusion as he stared back at the grin on the woman's face.  "How ... how did you know?"  Sasha asked, perplexed.  It was true that, on a few occasions in the past month, Sasha had considered withdrawing from Hogwarts.  He actually found himself enjoying interning with the Department of International Magical Cooperation immensely.  Spending the next year continuing to work there was, no doubt, a much more welcoming prospect than returning to the weight of trying to keep out of Snark's way all the time.  And, he was more than a little anxious about reintegrating with his classmates. 

But, he didn't recall having spoken with anyone about his thoughts.  He certainly hadn't told anyone he'd chosen to withdrawal.  Had she still somehow found out?  Or was this her wishful thinking?  "I'd considered it," he admitted.  At this point, he saw no reason to deny that fact.  "I'm not exactly looking forward to returning to someplace I'm not really welcome."  As tempting as never having to deal with Headmistress Snark was, the bigger reality was still there. 

"I need to earn my OWLs," Sasha answered, firmly, shaking his head.  "And my NEWTs.  What's it going to look like when I go to apply for jobs and I have this past year lingering as my end of my Hogwarts career?  I ... I know you don't like me but, I'm sorry, that's not worth abandoning my studies for."  And, besides, Kronos insisted that Hogwarts was where Sasha should be.  He'd be disappointed if Sasha refused to return.

"My what? How ... how did you know?"

Analiza's smile dimmed slightly as her eyes narrowed. Did he think she was so inept at her job that she had no idea when one of her students were withdrawing? Of course she knew! It was insulting on his part to think otherwise! However, she managed to keep the smile going despite the fact that he was still talking and not signing. She nudged the paper expectantly towards him, her cheeks aching as she just wished he would do them both a favor and shut up. But he didn't. No, instead he went on, citing the need to finish his OWLS and NEWTS. As it dawned on her, Ana felt that diehard smile slowly faltering. That meant... he wasn't withdrawing. Great. She had come all that way and embarrassed herself in front of some... glorified gardner... for nothing. The smile immediately disappeared and she sat back in the chair with a sigh of disgust.

"I ... I know you don't like me but, I'm sorry, that's not worth abandoning my studies for."

This caught Analiza a bit by surprise. Not because it wasn't true... just that she didn't consider his withdrawal her fault. She hadn't taken the first blow, afterall. All of her reactions were based on his actions, so logically that made any hard feelings between them his blame to bear. Her brow furrowed slightly and she crossed her arms, suddenly feeling defensive "... As much as I am glad to hear that you think my opinion of you can affect your life so drastically, I believe you are mistaken in the assumption that this is all some personal vendetta against you..." She tried her best to look self-righteous and succeeded "... I have done nothing to you that wasn't in response to something you did or were part of... and while I might be happy for a bit of a reprieve from the drama you so graciously heap upon me, I am not here to ruin anyones life for my own amusement...."

Thinking about her own feelings of isolation, Analiza found it difficult not to feel some emotion building up. She wasn't a ribbit... or robat... or whatever muggles call those fake metal people. "... And for your information, I know better than anyone how it feels to be surrounded by people who hate you and don't want you around... I deal with it every day from students like you and your little SAWS friends..." She bit the last part out hatefully, despite her best efforts to keep her emotions under control, before adding "... From the moment I stepped in the Great Hall, I was treated like some kind of monster coming to steal your dreams...." Her eyes focused back on him, the accusation flowing through them barely concealing the pain underneath "... You should know... you were the first one to do it..."

As much as I am glad to hear that you think my opinion of you can affect your life so drastically, I believe you are mistaken in the assumption that this is all some personal vendetta against you.

"I don't know what is," Sasha admitted.  No.  He didn't think he was important enough in the grand scheme of things to have earned a full personal vendetta from the woman.  After all, that wasn't the balance of power here, was it?  His position in her world was pretty minimal, after all.  The reverse wasn't the same.  It wasn't by choice that her opinion of him affected his life so drastically but that was still the reality of it.  She had the power to suspend him or expel him.  The only real ally he had on his side was Wilhelm and, in the grand scheme of things, that didn't amount to much. 

And, yes, he had a hard time believing she didn't find some amusement or, at least, vindication in the current balance of power. "Than what are you here for?  You could have sent those papers by owl.  I still wouldn't have signed them." 

He knew it was improper and he knew it wasn't going to help much but he couldn't help snorting derisively at the assumption he held some loyalty to these 'little SAWS friends.'  How very off the mark she was there.  "I'm not a member of SAWS.  I went the first day not knowing what it was but I walked out as soon as the agenda was evident.  I'm-"  Sasha shook his head.  "I'm sure they hate me almost as much.  I'm the one that contacted the Ministry about my suspicions regarding Fauna.  I was ... I was attacked by Foley; I'm glad you expelled her.  I never supported SAWS and I have no desire to."  There were probably few people who supported Snark's anti-werewolf efforts at the school." 

"I don't hate you," Sasha admitted, then hesitated a moment.  Slowly, he shook his head, glancing up at the grey sky through the glass ceiling of the solar.  It was a strange thought but it seemed to Sasha Snark was, for once, being entirely open and honest with him.  He saw no reason not to do the same.  After all, now was the time he was trying to decide whether it was worth it to return to school.  "I've wanted to respect you but, more than anything, I'm afraid of you.  But - I didn't know who you were at the closing feast last year.  None of us did.  I respect- well, I used to respect Professor Greyfriar immensely.  And - if the roles had been reversed - if someone had walked in on you and spoken to you the way you'd spoken to Professor Greyfriar, I'd have done the same thing." 

"Than what are you here for?  You could have sent those papers by owl.  I still wouldn't have signed them."

He had her there. She didn't need to be there to have him sign the papers... she didn't even need to have the papers signed. When the school governors chose to pull a student out of school, they didn't need her or the students signature. She had just wanted to have a written and signed agreement that he wasn't going to be a problem any more. However, she didn't plan on informing him of this fact. Instead, she deigned to his logic and put the papers away, apparently defeated.

What he went on to say, however, caught her completely off guard. She had gotten so used to hearing scathing criticism from students and teachers alike that she almost didn't believe what she was hearing. Surely he was just joking with her... right? How could the first child who had ever pulled a wand on her, who had ever embarrassed her like that, actually be one of her very few supporters? As he finished with a blow that all but destroyed the delicate wall of self-preservation that she had built around herself, it left her with an unfamiliar wave of uncertainty and guilt.

What Sasha would witness next was an unusual sight for those who did not know her well, which was most people. For a brief moment, which was long enough, she looked flustered and confused. To make it even worse, she was caught speechless. Covering it up with a quick sip of her tea, Ana managed to regain her composure and cleared her throat, "Well I appreciate you sharing that with me, Mr. Schlagenweit. It isn't... common for me to admit... I was wrong..." Her tone, though even, was obviously uncomfortable with admitting guilt or blame, hence the difficulty she had in speaking. She couldn't even look at him, the emotion in her eyes would have given her away "... But I was. Wrong about you, I mean. I apologize for any animosity on my part and... I am glad to hear you will be returning to Hogwarts." The last part was actually genuine, which even surprised her, and she felt the desperate need to just run from the room. The silence fell between them like a shroud and Ana sipped on her tea nervously.

Sash had hoped to try to convey that he wasn't out to get her or anything of the sort.  He liked structure.  He managed just fine with rules.  He'd find a way to make it through even if he had to keep looking over his shoulder or second-guessing his every move.  But, he didn't want to be anyone's enemy.  Not if he could help it.  Between his over-packed schedule of classes, prefect duties and everything else, he didn't  need the added stress or complications. 

Madame Snark's change of demeanor came as a complete surprise.  The emotions that crossed Snark's features were so out of place, so unexpected that Sasha just sat, watching the woman with an uneasy fascination. 

It wasn't until she spoke that he realized he was staring and he dutifully dropped his gaze to his lap.  He listened carefully to the woman's apology, shifting uncertainly.  Of all the directions he'd expected this conversation to take, this had not registered as an option.  He'd tried to brainstorm arguments and explanations, tried to arm himself for whatever verbal battle he might be heading into.  But, he hadn't prepared himself for this.  For several minutes, the silence seemed to deepen until the only sounds in the room were the soft whisper of the light rain against the ceiling. 

Sasha reached a hand out and ran it over the shepherd's head and, somehow in doing so, found his words, again.  "Thank you."  He stroked the dog, again.  "I want to come back.  I want to sit my exams and I want to do well.  Assuming Foley's attack didn't ... you know."  His nose wrinkled as, for a moment, his own composure faltered.  The notion that he'd been cursed was simply unfathomable.  "They're fairly certain I'm not.  We won't know until, you know, the next full moon.  I want to come back but you weren't the only reason I wasn't sure if I would.  Or, if I'll go back after OWLs."

Again, Snark's honesty seemed to give him the courage to be honest himself.  "I'm worried Hogwarts will limit me, academically.  I want to do more than just what Hogwarts offers."  That was partly true but it was really a very secondary concern in the grand scheme of things.  It was really just the explanation that seemed more respectable and more acceptable than his real hesitation.  Again, though, now was the time to be honest. 

"I'm terrified of going back alone," he admitted, quietly.  He nodded down to the dog.  "He's saved my life twice, now.  If he hadn't dragged Foley off of me,-  I still have nightmares of ... you know ... last Christmas and that and ... I can't sleep without him.  I know it sounds stupid and doesn't make sense and, for some reason, cats are allowed and not dogs but I don't know if I can go back without him."  He grew quiet, again, watching the dog, fully expecting some curt dismissal of such a ridiculous notion.  Or, even for her to laugh. 

"Thank you. I want to come back.  I want to sit my exams and I want to do well.  Assuming Foley's attack didn't ... you know."

"Hm..." Ana nodded, wincing as she swallowed the tea past the lump that had formed in her throat. She let him continue, choosing to sit in silence as she sipped her tea, her golden eyes locked on him as he spoke. This was strange considering she had no qualms about speaking over others normally. Part of it was this newfound, fledgling respect she had for the boy, the other part was simply because she feared that if she spoke her voice would give away her emotions. She was amazed how much his simple comment affected her, and in truth it kinda scared her. Was she so desperate for praise that she wanted to bawl at the first sign that someone might actually like her? She hoped not.

She tried not to think about her own emotional issues as she listened to his. Coming back wouldn't be an issue, provided he was completely cleared by the ministry and the school governors.  She had no idea what he meant by furthering his academics. If he intended to learn dark magic... well she couldn't condone that IN the school at least, but what he did on his own time was his call. As for the dog, well that was the hard part. As an unspoken rule most familiars needed to be small and portable, which the stately German Shepard at his feet was most definitely not. Yet hearing him talk about the nightmares and the fear he felt forced her to remember Middernacht, the beautiful black cat she had when she was his age. That cat had been her only friend for years, comforting her when her parents divorced, when Alex's father abandoned her and when her own father died. Then she died herself a couple years later. Ana had been devastated and had yet to take home another pet since. Somehow she felt like she couldn't do that to Sasha.

"Well..." She said slowly, finally able to find her voice, "There is no problem with you returning after the next full moon. Considering the recent events, I can't let anyone return who hasn't been checked thoroughly. I am sure you understand..." Merlin, that was nice to say for once. "... I will have someone owl you the homework and notes until then, so you can keep up on your studies... As for the dog..."

She paused, considering how to approach this. She couldn't just let him bring a dog in, especially such a big one. It would result in everyone wanting a dog, and she had a feeling that very few would be responsible enough to clean up after them. How could she spin this so that it was restricted to just him? Furthermore, and this was the old Ana talking, what could it do to benefit her? Taking a sip of her tea, she pondered her options for a moment before speaking "... I think it can be arranged, provided we put it down as him being a service dog for... Psychological trauma. Might be a bit 'muggle' for the governors, but I think I can spin it..." She smirked slightly at this, glad for the feeling of confidence that the thought brought.

"But we have to have compromise and have an understanding: You must clean up after him every time and make sure that he doesn't exhibit any destructive or aggressive behavior... Considering allergies and phobias, we will also have to make sure that your dorm mates are alright with the arrangement... And I don't want you bringing the dog to class or to the Great Hall, there is too much of a chance that there will be an issue with the other students..." She didn't add that she also abhorred the idea of dog hair in her food, since she didn't want to ruin this rare heart to heart. " But you can have him in the dorms and out on the grounds when you are not in class or eating dinner. I expect you to provide his food, the school can't afford dog food on top of all the other expenses..."

Sasha nodded without hesitation.  He hated this waiting though the hate stemmed from being in a position where the waiting was necessary.  He understood the reasonings entirely.  If he were in her shoes, he'd demand the same.  With all these rumors of these direwolves and abnormal werewolf transformations, it seemed the only reasonable course of action.    "I'm alright waiting here," he confirmed with another nod. 

"I've got to report to the Ministry in April for the full moon.  The Governors don't want me returning until the first of May so it should work out.  I'm alright with waiting until May."  He'd been devastated when he'd first been directed to leave school.  Leaving Hogwarts had seemed like he'd lost yet another important part of his life.  But, he'd adjusted to being away; he'd managed to return home and face the demons that had been haunting him.  In the process of finding a way to settle back home and adjust to this new phase of life, he'd measurably grown up.  Now that he'd settled into this new version of normal, he really wasn't in a hurry to go through another upheaval. 

All in all, waiting for May was quite alright.  "The break has been good.  I've been interning at the Ministry of Magic - Department of International Magical Cooperation.  And, several of my professors have been helping me - sending me work and some have even been meeting with me in person.  I think I've been able to catch up faster on my own with everything I missed from the, you know, the suspension and everything.  I haven't gotten material from everyone, though.  I would...if you're serious about having someone send me what's missing, I'd appreciate it." 

This change of dynamic had been unexpected; the offer to make sure he got all his school materials seemed unbelievable.  What came next trumped both of those.  Now convinced this had to be some joke - that she was enjoying mocking his gullibility, Sasha stared at Madame Snark, expecting her to break out into laughter at any moment.  But, she didn't laugh.  As far as he could tell, she was being serious.  "You'd ... you'd do that for me?  Of - of course."  That there was a compromise to be had at all was more of an allowance than Sasha would have ever expected.  "I ... that's all perfectly reasonable.  And, more than fair.  I can, of course, supply dog food.  And, he's very well behaved.  He won't cause any trouble, I swear." 

"You'd ... you'd do that for me?  Of - of course. I ... that's all perfectly reasonable.  And, more than fair.  I can, of course, supply dog food.  And, he's very well behaved.  He won't cause any trouble, I swear."

Ana's face contorted slightly in confusion, unsure how to feel about that comment. She could, or probably should, have felt insulted by how put off he was by her kindness, as though he were inferring that she was incapable of it. However, Ana knew better then anyone how hard it was for her to be 'nice' so, instead of being upset, the surprise and excitement on Sasha's face gave her a strange swell of pleasure. It actually felt pretty good to be nice for once, though she had no intention to do it more then that. People stepped all over you when you were nice, and she learned too well how far she could get on sheer ambition and ruthlessness to stop now. So, against her normal judgement, Analiza managed a brief smile. Though small and quick, it was a rare genuine smile reserved for very few lucky souls.

"I will take that as a promise and expect updates on the positive effects of his presence, or else my excuse of it being a psychological study won't hold much water." She said stiffly, trying not to let the smile grow too broadly. She didn't need him thinking she was all soft and gooey inside. It would completely ruin her credibility. " Don't look so surprised, Sasha, I am not the monster everyone seems to think I am..." She said softly, her tone almost regretful, as she pushed herself to her feet. "I must be going, there is a lot of work left for me to do. I will see you in my office after the full moon tests are completed. We will discuss things in more depth once I know there is no chance of infection."

Gathering her bag, Ana gave him a slight bow of her head as she started towards the door, "Please let Mr. Schroder know that the tea was delicious."


((You can godmod her leaving if you would like, and call this finished ))

Sasha's face grew scarlet and he felt the compulsive, familiar urge to apologize though he was well aware he wasn't exactly sure what he was apologizing for.  Her kindness towards him had taken him by surprise but it had everything to do with her perceptions of him - not her behavior towards people in general.  He was fairly confident there were those she showed kindness towards but, until this moment, it had never been towards him. 

"I - yes, ma'am," Sasha offered without hesitation.  He'd be more than willing to provide the headmistress with updates - written or in person or by singing elf telegram if that's what it took.  (Luckily, Madam Snark didn't seem the type to lean towards the later.) 

Again, he felt the urge to apologize though, this time, Madam Snark had spelled out why.  There wasn't much more he could do than shrug, helplessly.  He couldn't deny what she said; 'monster' wasn't far off from how most of the people he knew referred to the Headmistress.  But, in most cases, people hadn't just snatched that perspective out of thin air.  She'd played an active role in helping to get that reputation established and, until today, Sasha had always assumed that was the reputation she'd wanted.  The upside of that was obvious, though.  She had just as much control in where her reputation went from here. 

"I don't think you're a monster.  I just ... I don't know.  I think you just got the wrong impression of me."  A case of bad luck, it seemed.  Bad luck that had followed him throughout the year.  He nodded as Madam Snark excused herself and pushed himself to his feet.  "I ... yes.  I'll be there to meet with you.  And, thank you."  He showed Madam Snark to the door and watched until she'd disappeared from the front drive.  Then, with a surprised chuckle, he glanced down at the shepherd.  The dog was going to Hogwarts. 

This could be interesting.