Come What May...

[Annie Nightingale]

Location: Owlrey
Time/Date: 9.15.07
Private/Open: Open - she'd like to meet any of her students or fellow professors ^^

~*~*~*~

Dressed as she usually was when going outside on a weekend day - comfortable brown corduroys, sensible tennis shoes, a fitted purple sweater under her black trench - Professor Annie Nightingale entered the Owlrey, and immediately began searching the owls for hers.

"Ruby, c'mon down girl - I have something for you," called Annie's light, teasing voice. Her long-time friend (and mail carrier), Ruby the Barred Owl, gave a hoot of recognition from her perch near the top of the Owlrey, and gracefully flew down towards her. She landed with a soft thud on Annie's outstretched arm. Annie smiled, returning the affectionate "coo" sounding from the owl. And then it struck her - the letter. So this was it.

No, the trip through the chilly grounds to the Owlrey wasn't just to see her Ruby. Who would've thought that I would get so caught up in this, acting like one of my students, she chided herself. She walked, the owl swaying on her arm, to one of the many windows. Ruby hopped off when she set her elbows on the stone of the opening, content to stand in the window. Annie absently stroked her head with a gloved hand, her other hand fiddling with the small scroll of parchment in the inner pocket of her coat. She just needed a moment to think, and then would send off the letter...

She would. Come what may, she had to.

Charles, her boyfriend of two years, would just have to find someone else, someone with a more flexible schedule that could travel around with him. And he would, soon enough. Handsome and charming, he wasn't the one in the pair that needed worrying about. Here she was, teaching at a wizarding school for the majority of the year. She was young, and had been thought of as pretty, but - But who would come searching for a date here? she thought, a grim smile flitting upon her lips. That, of course, she wouldn't let bother her. She had enough to keep busy with: teaching her classes, planning for lessons...

Dark eyes came back into focus as she shook her head, clearing her mind. Ending it was for the best, for both of them. Annie cleared her throat, and called the wandering Ruby back to her. "Take this to Charles, then come right back, all right?" she whispered as she fastened the letter to Ruby's outstretched foot. Annie gave her one last pat on the head, and watched as she took off for the skies.

Over. It was over.

Feeling surprisingly elated and free at the thought, Annie smiled a small contented smile, and kept watching Ruby fly until she was out of sight.

[Soren Daein]

A very short sixth year quietly entered the Owlrey, it was a weekend so he was not dressed in his standard school uniform; instead, he wore: a fairly tight plain black sweater with a black and white stripped one underneath, it was a zipper sweater so he had it unzipped a fair amount. On his legs, he had black skinny jeans with his white and black checkerboard converse flats. His hair was styled as usually, it looked straightened, but with products that made it poofy. On his eyes, he had his usually make up on, a very small amount of eyeliner on top and on the bottom, with a bit of hot pink just above his top lid eyeliner.

Soren had that constant lonely, ethereal smile on himself, making him look quite "out of it" as he stumbled towards an owl. He didn't notice the Professor. The owl he came to was an owl with a black head, and black feathers but the rest of it was a white colour. The Wyrfeather boy whistled softly and the owl perched itself on his finger. He sighed with content, the smile never fading from his face as he stroked the owl lightly with his finger. "You're so pretty..." he cooed softly to it. The owl nipped him affectionately in return.

"Alright, Kyree. I need you to send this letter to mother, alright? Can you make it all the way back to Canada?" he widened his smile at the Owl and nuzzled her into a hug. The Owl, gratefully took the affection. Soren let go and clipped the letter to the Owl. Kyree took off immediately and Soren's smile vanished a bit, but still remained slightly, making him look very distracted and quite dazed. His mother wanted him to write at least three times a year, to make sure he was doing alright in school. It wasn't like he's grades -ever- dropped, he didn't see why she needed these letters. Then again, deep down he knew; and he hated why.

He finally glanced over at the Professor, noticing her. He debated with himself mentally before deciding to speak to her. He didn't come over, but instead spoke from where he was. His tone was soft and calm, but distant like his smile. "Hello, Professor. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, you must've slipped my gaze." he slowly walked over to her, and took a seat near her, about three feet away or so.

He frowned at her for only a moment, but quickly replaced the frown with a smile. "Is something wrong? You looked very content, but sad at the same time..." he paused for a minute and the looked away for a moment, then he returned his blue gaze to staring into her dark brown eyes. "But please, don't feel inclined to answer, I don't mean to press anything."

[Annie Nightingale]

"Hello, Professor. I'm sorry I didn't say anything before, you must've slipped my gaze. Is something wrong? You looked very content, but sad at the same time...But please, don't feel inclined to answer, I don't mean to press anything."

Mentally chiding herself for not noticing Soren before - too lost in thought, perhaps - Annie returned his smile. She recognized him from her sixth year Charms class; he was a Wyrfeather, if she recolled correctly, a nice boy. 'Professor,' he had called her. What a strange thing. She had never fancied herself a teacher, and here she was...It was strange, but just another thing to adjust to.

"How very perceptive you are, Mr. Daein," Annie replied, a half laugh only partly hidden within her voice. "You've got it perfectly," she admitted. "Content, yes, with a just a dash of sadness mixed in. Not supposed to discuss my personal life with students, you know," she said, the smile broadening, "so I'll just say that something's ending - for the better. This is the perfect place to begin anew..." She trailed off, unaware that an old habit, twisting her loose curls around a finger until they got tight, had returned.

After a beat she cleared her throat - back to the present. "Anyway, that's about it. But enough about me - how are you doing, Mr. Daein?"

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