Rosalyn's understanding of French had increased dramatically and as such she was thinking that it would be a good idea for her to try a hand at reading some French literature. Instead of looking in the library, where she didn't think she would find much of anything, she instead headed to Gaston's office. He surely wouldn't mind her looking through his selection, and he would probably give a few recommendations to her. Not like there were a HUGE amount to choose from anyway.

Entering his office, she looked around it before making a beeline towards the bookshelf. A lot of the selections were related to Charms - no surprise there - and she had a thought that maybe those could be a big help to her at some point despite the fact that she was rather good at spellwork.

The black and white cat sleeping on the cat condo jerked awake upon sensing human presence in the room. She glared at Rosalyn as if to say. 'You're not supposed to be in here!', but she didn't hiss at her. She blinked, stretched, and gave a low meow as she repositioned herself on the cat condo.

Only moments later. Gaston re-entered the office after taking a quick break for a snack at the bistro, a coffee in one hand and a plate of cake in the other. His bright blue eyes lit up as he saw his wife looking through his bookshelf. He set the dishes on his desk and sidled over to her. "Hello, ma belle," he said, hugging her from behind. "See anything interesting?"

Hearing the door open, she smiled knowing that Gaston was back. And her smile only grew when he hugged her from behind. "Mmm, I thought I would have a look at your selection of French novels." At this point she wanted to try reading one because her French had improved drastically with all the lessons he had been giving her. "I know there aren't a lot here, but do you have any recommendations for me?" Since he'd read them all and at least one, she was sure that he would have a good idea of what she'd like - and what she could handle on her own.

Looking away from the books momentarily her eyes landed on Phantom. "I don't think that cat will ever like me." Clearly she felt resentment over 'stealing' Gaston away and was still bitter about it. Only plus was that Rosalyn hadn't been scratched or bitten, as had been the case with Marshmallow. At least not yet.

Miranda smiled and entered her professor's office and had a quick glance around the room... Oh how wonderful.. All the lovely books and things to look at...
Those were nifty little cars all lined up.. Hmmm.. Eclectic hobbies indeed.

Her eyes were also drawn to the rather fluffy cat tat lounged up in it's tree... Miranda couldn't help but think that her Black ragdoll Eragon would love a cat tree like that in her dorm..

" Well.. I was wondering if perhaps there were any extra lessons I might be able to complete for you... to sort of make up for the class time I missed last term when I had to leave school..", She asked hopefully.

Seeing Rose smiling at him warmed Gaston's heart, and there was no way he could not smile back at her; that smile was contagious! He gave her a little kiss on the cheek as he released her from the hug. He chuckled a little when she mentioned his books. Spoken like a true Ravenclaw! "I might've guessed," he said. His eyes scanned the titles on the shelf, searching for something he thought Rose would enjoy. Most of them were tragic romances that would probably make her sad, and a lot of them were long with complicated words. Rose had improved tremendously in the time he'd been teaching her, but it might be a little much for her.

Aha! He had it! After a few moments of staring at the shelf, he picked up a battered copy of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera) that had once belonged to his mother.He knew that as soon as Rose saw the author's name on the front cover, she'd understand why he chose that one; it seemed only fitting that he share the book that gave him his name! "What about this one?" he said, smiling as he handed the book to her. "It's not very long, and the words should be fairly simple to translate."

His eyes darted to his own little Phantom perched atop the cat condo when Rose mentioned the feisty feline. She instantly perked up and greeted him with a meow; he laughed. "Well, maybe not, but she's adjusting to you," he said. Well, sort of anyway... "I don't think she'll ever be completely okay with sharing me; she had me all to herself for years!" His expression changed slightly as he thought of the odd circumstances that brought Phantom into his life, and he gave her a little scratch behind her ear. She began purring wildly and nuzzled into his hand. "At least she's stopped hissing at you..."

Phantom suddenly became interested in the slice of opera cake sitting on the desk, which Gaston had forgotten all about until that moment! He mentally kicked himself for not having an extra piece for Rose... though he hadn't been expecting her. Thinking quickly, he sliced the cake in half with his wand. "Would you like some?" he asked. "There's coffee and tea in the area..." Phantom meowed and jumped up on the desk, staring at the cake. "I know you want some," he said with a laugh as he removed some of the cream from one of the cake halves and allowed the Persian to lick it off his finger.

Gaston followed Miss Blaze into the office and shut the door behind them. As he took his place in the larger leather chair behind the desk, he noticed Miss Blaze looking around the room and smiled. Phantom seemed to notice as well. The Persian cat looked up, turning the white "masked" half of her face toward the Hufflepuff, and greeted her with an inquisitive meow. The professor chuckled a bit. "I think Phantom is saying hi to you," he said.

It was only then that he realized that he hadn't yet offered Miss Blaze a chocolate and mentally berated himself for not being a gracious host. "Would you like a chocolate?" he offered, carefully sliding the glass candy dish closer to her.

Gaston wasn't exactly sure what Miss Blaze wanted, but when she explained the reason for her visit, he couldn't help but beam. "Well, I must say I'm impressed, Miss Blaze," he said. "I'm giving 5 points to Hufflepuff for your initiative." He thought for a moment. "I'm sure we can work something out." Then he got an idea. "I have an idea for something you can practice now, if you're up for it..."

Miranda smiled as Professor Marchand told her his cat's name. " Well, You are a handsome one aren't you, Phantom..",
She said to the fluff ball. " My Eragon would love having a tree like that in my dorm.. Oh no thank you... I just had some of my own.. I make them myself.." , she added.


Oh thank Merlin... He was cool with giving her a bit of help AND he was offering to show her something right now!... Internally she was wiggling with glee AND she had earned extra points just for asking to help out! Cue the cabbage patch.

" Oh my gosh.. I'd love to learn something now... If you've the time..", Miranda beamed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Seeing Rose smiling at him warmed Gaston's heart, and there was no way he could not smile back at her; that smile was contagious! He gave her a little kiss on the cheek as he released her from the hug. He chuckled a little when she mentioned his books. Spoken like a true Ravenclaw! "I might've guessed," he said. His eyes scanned the titles on the shelf, searching for something he thought Rose would enjoy. Most of them were tragic romances that would probably make her sad, and a lot of them were long with complicated words. Rose had improved tremendously in the time he'd been teaching her, but it might be a little much for her.

Aha! He had it! After a few moments of staring at the shelf, he picked up a battered copy of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra (The Phantom of the Opera) that had once belonged to his mother.He knew that as soon as Rose saw the author's name on the front cover, she'd understand why he chose that one; it seemed only fitting that he share the book that gave him his name! "What about this one?" he said, smiling as he handed the book to her. "It's not very long, and the words should be fairly simple to translate."

His eyes darted to his own little Phantom perched atop the cat condo when Rose mentioned the feisty feline. She instantly perked up and greeted him with a meow; he laughed. "Well, maybe not, but she's adjusting to you," he said. Well, sort of anyway... "I don't think she'll ever be completely okay with sharing me; she had me all to herself for years!" His expression changed slightly as he thought of the odd circumstances that brought Phantom into his life, and he gave her a little scratch behind her ear. She began purring wildly and nuzzled into his hand. "At least she's stopped hissing at you..."

Phantom suddenly became interested in the slice of opera cake sitting on the desk, which Gaston had forgotten all about until that moment! He mentally kicked himself for not having an extra piece for Rose... though he hadn't been expecting her. Thinking quickly, he sliced the cake in half with his wand. "Would you like some?" he asked. "There's coffee and tea in the area..." Phantom meowed and jumped up on the desk, staring at the cake. "I know you want some," he said with a laugh as he removed some of the cream from one of the cake halves and allowed the Persian to lick it off his finger.

Rosalyn's smile grew as her husband kissed her cheek, though it did tickle a bit as he did so; facial hair really could be something interest to deal with at times, though she certainly thought he looked very handsome with it - of course he was ALWAYS handsome. "Of course. I am the very definition of a Ravenclaw." She laughed, knowing that it wasn't really true that people had to fit precisely into the House qualities... but it WAS true though that she loved to read.

A book was being handed to her, and she glanced down at the title before smiling all over again. "The book that gave you your name. And I had thought you were named after the Disney character!" Gaston hadn't corrected her on it either; only later had she realised that he had actually been named for an author. "Perfect choice! Thank you." Of course she would get through it as quick as possible and hopefully without having to constantly ask him for help. Obviously he would always be happy to give it to her, but she wanted to get though the book all on her own and without needing things to be explained. It was the perfect way for her to put the lessons to use beyond speaking in French.

Her eyes wandered over to Phantom as they discussed her, and Rosalyn shook her head, though mostly in amusement. "I think she's going to have to get used to it. I'm not going anywhere." But yes, it was wonderful not to be hissed at anymore. "Some cake would be lovely. You will have more than enough still?" Rosalyn didn't want to take any from him if he was hungry; she could easily get some of her own. "I think I will have some coffee." As she spoke, she reached her hand out towards Phantom, wondering if she would allow some petting. It was worth a shot.

Gaston smiled as Miss Blaze complimented his cat, and Phantom seemed pleased about it too. She drew herself up proudly and meowed. "She says 'thank you'," he said, laughing. The little black and white Persian hopped down from the cat condo and sauntered over to the girl; she flopped onto her back, looking up expectantly. The professor's expression changed slightly when Miss Blaze mentioned the cat condo. She just gave him an idea! "I'm sure a lot of students - and cats - would like those. I'll speak with the other Heads of House about it; maybe we can have some cat condos added to all the school dorms."

Blink, blink. So she made her own chocolate? That was unexpected! "I must say I'm impressed!" he said, beaming. Maybe he could have a sample sometime? "So you like cooking? You're welcome to use the kitchen area of the bistro any time." She probably would've loved the lesson on cooking with magic last year... well, except for the butter disaster. Merlin, that had been stressful!

Miss Blaze's enthusiasm at learning a new spell made Gaston smile. That was the kind of attitude he liked to see! "That's the spirit, Miss Blaze!" he said, rummaging in one of his desk drawers for a few pieces of parchment. "For one of last term's lessons, we used a Folding Charm to make origami. It's a fairly simple spell. Just move your wand in the direction you want the fold to go and use the incantation Plico." He demonstrated by waving his wand in a diagonal line as he said the spell, and a corresponding fold appeared across the parchment in front of him.

"Now, you try it," he said, sliding a piece of parchment across the desk toward her.


Gaston didn't think it was possible for him to smile any wider than he already was until he saw Rose laughing. He laughed along with her. Merlin, he loved her so much, he felt his heart would burst! He was so lost in her eyes that for a moment, he completely forgot what he was going to say... until her voice jerked him back to reality. "You are the very definition of adorable," he said, giggling a little as he kissed her hand.

But the giggles turned into all-out laughter at what she said next. "You're quite welcome. And you wouldn't be the first to think so," he said. "That name gave me a lot of trouble in school..." His mind wandered back to the endless bullying and - No, he wasn't going to allow himself to think about that right now! Luckily Phantom meowed loudly, distracting him before he could become too lost in thought. "Yes, that book gave you your name too," he said, picking up the little black and white furball as she strutted over to him. "My mother named her," he said, turning his attention back to Rose. "She was a gift from my parents so I wouldn't be alone after Ellie..." His voice trailed off as memories of the dragon attack haunted him.

He instinctively petted Phantom. Thinking of that day made him sad, but her reminded himself that it was all behind him now. He had his Rose now, and Phantom, of course! And Rose was right; she wasn't going anywhere. "Yes, I think she knows that now," he replied before turning back to the cat. "Sorry, Phantom. You're just going to have to share..." Then he turned his attention back to the cake on his desk. "Of course, help yourself," he said. Phantom was already doing just that, but he didn't mind. He was glad to share his cake with both or his girls!

" Oh.. ", Miranda answered with an embarrassed little giggle,
" Sorry... You're very pretty, Phantom.. Eri would find you fetching indeed..".

Awww! she wanted some lovins'!.. Randa could help her out her as she watched the cat flop onto her back and looked up waiting. So, of course she began to pet Phantom and scratch behind her ears as her professor continued to speak.. Her eyes shot up at hearing him say he'd look into getting cat trees for all the dorms!!!! Miranda for once was speechless... As in she had NOTHING to say ... All she could manage for a moment were a few wide-eyed blinks. " That.... Would be the most brilliant thing ever, Professor! "... Yup.. That said it all..

" Mhm.. I love to cook... I learned how to make chocolates from my aunt... I could always make you a little box of assorted chocolates if you like?... As a matter of fact my best friend Rian makes perfumes ... Maybe you'd be interested in getting something from her holiday line for your new bride for Christmas... "
Yes, she was shamelessly advertising her bestie's business... After all, her chocolates were usually included in holiday sale packages. And honestly... What better way to advertise than by word of mouth.. " Oh.. That would be great... I do most of my cooking in the kitchens.."



Ooooh! A folding charm... Nifty! She watched as he moved to his drawer and got out a piece of parchment and started to show her and explain to her the wand movements,
which as he had told her were quite simple as was the incantation... Plico.." Oh neat... This will help with when I gotta fold laundry when I'm older.. ", she said with a smile before practicing the spell a few times before trying to attempt it herself.

" Plico..", with the simple wand movement over the parchment diagonally...
And so it went over on itself in a crisply folded triangular fashion.. Always one for praise for a job well done... However simple the task.. She looked up with a smile.. " You're a brilliant teacher, Professor Marchand.. Truly.. "

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Gaston didn't think it was possible for him to smile any wider than he already was until he saw Rose laughing. He laughed along with her. Merlin, he loved her so much, he felt his heart would burst! He was so lost in her eyes that for a moment, he completely forgot what he was going to say... until her voice jerked him back to reality. "You are the very definition of adorable," he said, giggling a little as he kissed her hand.

But the giggles turned into all-out laughter at what she said next. "You're quite welcome. And you wouldn't be the first to think so," he said. "That name gave me a lot of trouble in school..." His mind wandered back to the endless bullying and - No, he wasn't going to allow himself to think about that right now! Luckily Phantom meowed loudly, distracting him before he could become too lost in thought. "Yes, that book gave you your name too," he said, picking up the little black and white furball as she strutted over to him. "My mother named her," he said, turning his attention back to Rose. "She was a gift from my parents so I wouldn't be alone after Ellie..." His voice trailed off as memories of the dragon attack haunted him.

He instinctively petted Phantom. Thinking of that day made him sad, but her reminded himself that it was all behind him now. He had his Rose now, and Phantom, of course! And Rose was right; she wasn't going anywhere. "Yes, I think she knows that now," he replied before turning back to the cat. "Sorry, Phantom. You're just going to have to share..." Then he turned his attention back to the cake on his desk. "Of course, help yourself," he said. Phantom was already doing just that, but he didn't mind. He was glad to share his cake with both or his girls!

Oh goodness! Gaston was just the most amazing husband ever and Rosalyn loved him very much. The kiss on her hand and comment about being adorable caused her to turn slightly red, but it was out of pleasure and not embarrassment. Who didn't enjoy compliments like these from time to time? She certainly didn't even though she could be a little hard on herself at times - most people were that way. "Well, I have to say that you are very adorable yourself, so we can BOTH be the definition of it." He could disagree with her all he wanted to, she was not going to change her mind on the issue.

It was always amazing to make Gaston laugh, and now Rosalyn was positively BEAMING. "I'm sure that EVERYONE thinks that at initially at least. I can imagine it being quite vexing, but you can still have some fun with it." As he did with his plaque and the fact that he had dressed up as the character for the Tacoween party a few years ago. "Oh. I was wondering if her name came from that." It was a pretty obvious conclusion to make even though she had yet to read the novel; not too many other places where it could of came from to her knowledge. The mention of Ellie was sad, but it was something that she wasn't sure she could talk about, not out of lack of caring... it was more out of not being sure WHAT to say. Knowing how much it had pained him and continued to pain him to this day, she wished that there was some way that she could help him feel better about things. It was impossible to completely get over something like that, but it would be enough for it to not hurt as much. "I'm glad that you had her for when you needed someone to be there." Animals really were great in that way. The best of companions.

Quite unsure, Rosalyn petted Phantom, unsure of whether or not the cat would be okay with it. "I'd like to be friends with her if she isn't opposed to it. I guess her knowing is a step in the right direction." Or was it just wishful thinking? Nodding, she helped herself to one of the pieces of cake. "I just love your bistro." Especially now that there was cooking involved with it!

Phantom answered the compliment with a meow before Gaston had a chance to speak, and he smiled. The little cat began purring wildly and wrapped her front paws around Miss Blaze's hand, clearly loving every minute of the petting she got. That turned his smile into an all-out laugh. That cat was such a ham sometimes! And speaking of cats...

Gaston was a bit surprised by the girl's reaction when he said he'd look into getting cat condos for the dorms. Really, he didn't think he was doing anything special! "I can't make any promises, but I will talk to the other Heads of House about it," he said. He hoped he wasn't getting her hopes up for nothing!

He listened, nodding along in places as she went on about how much she loved to cook. Then she would've loved the cooking lesson he taught last term... well, except for the butter incident. Merlin, that was a disaster! Then she was offering to make chocolates for him... well, that was unexpected! "I must admit, that sounds pretty tempting," he said. Well, as long as her brother didn't get a hold of the chocolates first anyway.

Blink, blink. Then the conversation took a strange turn. He wasn't sure what to think when Miss Blaze suggested buying perfume from her friend. It was a good idea, but somehow he didn't think that would be an appropriate teacher/student interaction. "That's an idea; I'll have to think about that," he said.

Then the actual spellwork began. Gaston nodded as Miss Blaze mentioned using the spell to fold laundry. "Exactly!" he said. He would've been lost without that spell; he couldn't fold laundry to save his life! He watched intently as the girl practiced the spell a few times before trying it on the parchment. It folded into a triangle, and he beamed back at her. He should've guessed she'd do it perfectly on the first try! "Well done, Miss Blaze!" he congratulated her. "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of paper-folding materials here, but there are plenty of supplies in the practice room if you'd like to continue practicing on your own time. i do have a book that might be able to help you..." He aimed his wand at the bookshelf, and one of the books flew off the shelf into his waiting hand. "Here's a book of origami patterns if you're interested."

He blushed a little when she called him brilliant. "Thank you, Miss Blaze," he said with a slightly sheepish smile. He didn't think he deserved the praise; he was only doing his job!

Gaston couldn't help but giggle as he saw Rose blushing a little. It was so cute! But what she said next had him blushing too! He didn't think he was that adorable, but he knew it was useless to argue with her. "Only because I have you to set an example," he replied with a laugh. "That sounds like a plan!" He ran a hand through his black hair, causing it to stick up, as his mind ran out of words, and all he could do was gaze into her eyes for a moment. Merlin, what did he do to deserve a woman like her?

Then Rose's voice jerked him out of his thoughts. "You have no idea..." he said with a halfhearted chuckle. "If I had a knut for every time I had to hear that song..." His expression changed as his mind wandered back to the day he was expelled from muggle school ... the day that led to years of isolation... the bully on the playground taunting him with that song, and... He shook his head. As traumatic as that had been, his life would've taken a completely different direction had it not happened. He never would've learned he was a wizard, never would've become a professor, never would've met the love of his life...

Then the conversation turned to Phantom, and the black and white Persian meowed loudly. Gaston laughed. "Yes, we're talking about you," he said, petting her. Then he turned his attention back to Rose. "She named her because half of her face is white like the Phantom's mask... or at least some versions of it." As if on cue, the cat tilted her head so that the white half of her face showed.Then the subject changed, and Gaston couldn't help but notice that Rose had suddenly gone quiet. He felt horrible for bringing that up and making her sad! He gently set Phantom on his desk and squeezed his wife's hand. "I'm glad I had her too," he replied with a small smile. "And now I have you..."

Phantom just sort of stared at Rose as she pet her. She didn't hiss or pull away, but she wasn't purring either. She was too distracted by the cream she was licking to show much reaction! "I think she'll eventually open up to that idea," Gaston said. Then he beamed as rose complimented his bistro. "Thank you." he picked up a plastic fork with the hand that wasn't feeding Phantom. Now that his girls had their cake, he could eat too!

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Gaston couldn't help but giggle as he saw Rose blushing a little. It was so cute! But what she said next had him blushing too! He didn't think he was that adorable, but he knew it was useless to argue with her. "Only because I have you to set an example," he replied with a laugh. "That sounds like a plan!" He ran a hand through his black hair, causing it to stick up, as his mind ran out of words, and all he could do was gaze into her eyes for a moment. Merlin, what did he do to deserve a woman like her?

Then Rose's voice jerked him out of his thoughts. "You have no idea..." he said with a halfhearted chuckle. "If I had a knut for every time I had to hear that song..." His expression changed as his mind wandered back to the day he was expelled from muggle school ... the day that led to years of isolation... the bully on the playground taunting him with that song, and... He shook his head. As traumatic as that had been, his life would've taken a completely different direction had it not happened. He never would've learned he was a wizard, never would've become a professor, never would've met the love of his life...

Then the conversation turned to Phantom, and the black and white Persian meowed loudly. Gaston laughed. "Yes, we're talking about you," he said, petting her. Then he turned his attention back to Rose. "She named her because half of her face is white like the Phantom's mask... or at least some versions of it." As if on cue, the cat tilted her head so that the white half of her face showed.Then the subject changed, and Gaston couldn't help but notice that Rose had suddenly gone quiet. He felt horrible for bringing that up and making her sad! He gently set Phantom on his desk and squeezed his wife's hand. "I'm glad I had her too," he replied with a small smile. "And now I have you..."

Phantom just sort of stared at Rose as she pet her. She didn't hiss or pull away, but she wasn't purring either. She was too distracted by the cream she was licking to show much reaction! "I think she'll eventually open up to that idea," Gaston said. Then he beamed as rose complimented his bistro. "Thank you." he picked up a plastic fork with the hand that wasn't feeding Phantom. Now that his girls had their cake, he could eat too!

Was it just her, or was Gaston blushing? How endearing! Of course Rosalyn had seen it before, but it never stopped being sweet. "Hardly. You are in your own right." He could disagree with her all he wanted to, but she was going to stay firm on the matter. "Good. I'm glad that we came to an agreement, because I wouldn't back down." Hehe. She was going to be persistent about this ALWAYS. Smiling at him, she thought about how lucky she was to have him.

"We would be millionaires, I am sure." Not that she would want all of that money; Rosalyn wasn't one for extravagance. For her, she'd want to spend a lot of it on traveling. That was one of the things that she loved to do the most, especially when it came to visiting historical sites. "At least you don't get teased like that anymore." Well, Jordan might have said something about it at some point or another, but he was quite the joker. And he was missed... Hopefully he was having a lot of fun working at the Ministry and she would have to go and see him when it was possible to. "I thought that was why she had that name, as I thought it looked like she was wearing a mask the first time I saw her." It was always nice when pets had names that described them, though that didn't always happen; her own cat was named after Coco Chanel because why not. "You have the both of us, and we have you." That was NOT going to change; nothing was going to happen to the either of them. Thinking about that, she continued to pet Phantom. "At least she's not backing away or trying to scratch me. Maybe she's starting to like me a little." Okay, that was wishful thinking.

Nodding, Rosalyn took her portion of the cake and started eating it. "It's so interesting cooking and baking with magic." In some ways it was better than the muggle methods, and in others she thought that the muggle methods were better.

Miranda giggled as Phantom wrapped around her hand and started purring wildly.. She may have even been distracted for a moment.. Cats were her joy and kindred spirits. She did fully understand that the condo idea was just a mere possibility.. Sure she had hopes,
but she was always a realistic one. So, no worries if it didn't happen. "
My mum always says,' You don't get something if you don't ask', We wouldn't be in worse shape if the other Heads of house don't agree.. So.. No worries, ya know? " , she said with a smile.

Really Randa just liked making people smile and her chocolates usually had that effect... Like who doesn't like chocolates?... Well, except for the people that weren't allowed it..As for the perfume .. It was simply Miranda advertising for her best friend and business partner.. She didn't see where it'd be an inapproriate exchange, but she was 15 and and he was probably right , but eh... It was worth a shot... " Well, if you happen to remember,
she has great holiday packages and custom scents..", shamelessly still advertising.

Miranda beamed back up at himat the praise, though he knew charms was one of her strengths and she never really struggled in this class. She definitely took after her mother. " Brilliant... I'll be spending loads of time in there this term anyhow, Professor... I've started Animagus training and that along with OWLs I'll be quite busy..", she admitted.
She listened and grinned as he summoned a book from his bookcase and handed it to her... Her true love was the written word and really all that she learned of life had come from them.. " Thanks!... I'll give it a read and have it back to you..."

He was a brilliant teacher and he DID deserve the compliment. He wasn't an ordinary humdrum teacher. He cared about his students and fed their interests as best he could to help them reach their individual potentials..
That in and of itself was a miracle...

Gaston's face had turned a vibrant shade of Gryffindor scarlet. What could he say? Rose's sweet words never failed to have that effect on him! He chuckled sheepishly. He knew she wouldn't back down, no matter how he protested her compliments. His Rose was too strong for that! "I know better to fight a battle I can't win," he said, only half joking.

He laughed out loud at what she said next. "No, actually I think we'd be billionaires," he replied with a roguish wink. His expression changed as he became lost in thought for a moment. Money didn't matter much to him, but it would be nice to be able to give anything money could buy. He knew she'd never ask it, but still he wished he could make it happen. "True, though I'd gladly put up with more teasing if someone was giving me money for it," he said with a laugh. "Then I could spoil you as much as you deserve..."

He took her hand in both of his own, but Phantom suddenly meowed , interrupting the moment. He turned to the black and white Persian with a half-amused, half-annoyed expression. "Yes, we're talking about you," he said, and the cat flicked her tail back and forth in reply. Rose's next words distracted him from Phantom, and he felt his heart would burst. For a few moments, he could only smile, giving her a look of pure adoration. To think that in just a few short years, he'd gone from believing he'd never find love to being happier than he'd ever been! Phantom punctuated Rose's words with a loud meow, and Gaston laughed. "It looks like we've finally found something both my girls agree on!" he said.

He kept a watchful eye on Phantom as Rose petted her, lest the relative calm between them didn't last long, but the little cat was too distracted by the cream she was licking off his finger to want to scratch or bite. "Maybe not 'like', but at least she tolerates you now," he said. "That has to be a good sign..." His eyes darted from the cat back to his wife as he too started to nibble on his cake. He nodded in agreement to what she said. "It is interesting," he said, "and useful too, especially for someone like me." And by that he meant someone terrified of fire. "If I didn't learn to cook with a wand, I probably would've starved!"

Gaston shook his head, chuckling to himself as he watched Phantom continue to ham it up for their guest. The little purring Persian kept her paws wrapped around the girl's arm and nuzzled into her hand. She clearly had no intention of giving up the attention she was getting any time soon! He was so absorbed in the cat's antics that it took him a moment to register that Miss Blaze was speaking to him. He smiled, impressed by the girl's maturity. "Your mother is right," he said, nodding in agreement. "That's a good way of looking at things."

He had to admit, Miss Blaze had a talent for persuasion. Had she considered a career in advertising? If she hadn't, she should... she'd be amazing at it! So it seemed she wasn't giving up on selling him perfume just yet. He had to admire her tenacity. He hated to say no to the idea, so he gave the only answer he could. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." And that was the truth; he would consider it, even if he didn't end up buying anything.

Seeing Miss Blaze beam made Gaston smile and beam back at her. He knew she was skilled at charms, but he was never one to withhold praise for a new spell mastered, no matter how simple. He wasn't sure how she would react to the offer for a book and more practice, but her enthusiasm made his face light up. His eyes widened at what she said next. "Animagus training already? Wow, I'm impressed!" he exclaimed. The the conversation turned to OWLs, and that reminded him of his own days as a student taking exams. He remembered all too well how stressful it was! "Just be careful not to overwork yourself."

His smile grew as she thanked him for the book; he had no doubt she'd return it to him in a timely manner. "Why don't you see what you can make and show me what you come up with?" he said. "Then i can teach you another spell if you like.."

First there was a kind of eerie silence and then suddenly the entire room was filled with such brightness. An Abraxan patronus had burst right from the wall-- because it can, also it doesnt understand puny doors and cramped hallways-- and was fly-leaping about excitedly "Go get Professor Marchand we need him in the dorms!" an echo-y voice of the Gryffindor Prefect emanated from the luminous projection. Clearly Ace needed some work on sending messages.

Gaston sat at his desk, his head bowed over the assignments he was grading. He was so absorbed I. his work that he hadn't noticed the sudden brightness in the room. It was only when Phantom meowed loudly that his head jerked up, and he saw a silvery Abraxan floating in front of him. He blinked confusedly. He thought he knew the patronuses of all his colleagues, and none of them was an Abraxan. It was only when he heard the echo-ey voice that he recognized the owner of the patronus.

Wait, what? Needed in the dorms? His heart dropped as a million scenarios, each one worse than the last, ran through his mind. He slammed his quill down and was immediately out the door.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iMurderedMalfoy

Gaston's face had turned a vibrant shade of Gryffindor scarlet. What could he say? Rose's sweet words never failed to have that effect on him! He chuckled sheepishly. He knew she wouldn't back down, no matter how he protested her compliments. His Rose was too strong for that! "I know better to fight a battle I can't win," he said, only half joking.

He laughed out loud at what she said next. "No, actually I think we'd be billionaires," he replied with a roguish wink. His expression changed as he became lost in thought for a moment. Money didn't matter much to him, but it would be nice to be able to give anything money could buy. He knew she'd never ask it, but still he wished he could make it happen. "True, though I'd gladly put up with more teasing if someone was giving me money for it," he said with a laugh. "Then I could spoil you as much as you deserve..."

He took her hand in both of his own, but Phantom suddenly meowed , interrupting the moment. He turned to the black and white Persian with a half-amused, half-annoyed expression. "Yes, we're talking about you," he said, and the cat flicked her tail back and forth in reply. Rose's next words distracted him from Phantom, and he felt his heart would burst. For a few moments, he could only smile, giving her a look of pure adoration. To think that in just a few short years, he'd gone from believing he'd never find love to being happier than he'd ever been! Phantom punctuated Rose's words with a loud meow, and Gaston laughed. "It looks like we've finally found something both my girls agree on!" he said.

He kept a watchful eye on Phantom as Rose petted her, lest the relative calm between them didn't last long, but the little cat was too distracted by the cream she was licking off his finger to want to scratch or bite. "Maybe not 'like', but at least she tolerates you now," he said. "That has to be a good sign..." His eyes darted from the cat back to his wife as he too started to nibble on his cake. He nodded in agreement to what she said. "It is interesting," he said, "and useful too, especially for someone like me." And by that he meant someone terrified of fire. "If I didn't learn to cook with a wand, I probably would've starved!"

Haha, wow. Rosalyn's husband's face had gone a shade of red that couldn't be more fitting for Gryffindor. It was both amusing and endearing at the same time, though she was refraining from saying anything on the matter as it would only make Gaston blush further. At least he knew just how much she loved and appreciated him, which was all she wanted. "You are a very wise man. I think that's a bit of Ravenclaw in you... Good thing that none of your students can hear this." Just a joke, obviously. On top of the fact that people could have qualities from multiple Houses, he hadn't even attended Hogwarts so he hadn't been sorted into any of them. In her mind she always saw him as a Hufflepuff though, due to his kindness, loyalty, and hardworking nature.

"Ooh, if we were billionaires we could live in a castle of our own." And fill it with children... though she wasn't going to voice that aloud. Yet. This was a conversation that hadn't occurred, though it would at some point or another. Fact of the matter was that they wanted to start a family at some point, though for the moment their focus was purely on teaching. Smiling at the thought of children, Rosalyn placed the book in her purse so that it would be kept safe even though Gaston's office was only a few floors away from her own. "But you already spoil me... more than I think I deserve." Though she knew that he would disagree with her on that.

It was always amazing when he held her hand in his own, though of course Phantom had to ruin the moment for them. Now she was laughing. "Still doesn't like sharing your attention even though she has to because I won't give you up for anything." Sorry Phantom, that was just the way that things were going to be for the rest of time because Rosalyn never wanted to be away from him. "Well, I am glad of that because it is true. We will always be there for you." Er... well, Phantom would be for as long as she was alive, but that was a rather morbid thought and she hated to think of Gaston without his cat; it always was SO hard to lose a pet because they were constant companions and family.

"Tolerating me is a step in the right direction. I still remember the first time she saw me. Daggers in her eyes." Not the best encounter, though it had gone off better than it could have. Shaking her head in amusement, she finished off her bit of cake before starting on getting a cup of coffee. "Oh, I know but that's not a problem anymore since you have me to cook for you the muggle way." Sooo basically if they ever went camping they were covered.

Gaston bowed his head to try to hide the blush burning his cheeks, but somehow he didn't think that would do much good. He looked back at Rose, his blue eyes shining with joy and adoration. He remained silent for a few moments; he was sure he'd start giggling like a fool if he tried to speak. Not at Rose of course - no, never at her! - but because he still couldn't believe his good fortune. Rose's words jerked him out of is thoughts, and he allowed himself a chuckle at her joke. "Let them hear," he said. "I think everybody already knows I don't fit the Gryffindor mold." He was only half joking about that.

He couldn't help but smile when Rose mentioned having their own castle. "I like the sound of that!" he said. If only it were possible... Then they could be like the brave knight and lady fair in the storybooks he read when he was a child. "Well, I guess we'll just have to be king and queen of our own fairytale without the castle." He shook his head at what she said next. "That's impossible!" He could never spoil her more than she deserved because she deserved so much more than he could ever give!

Between hearing Rose laugh and Phantom's antics, ti was impossible for Gaston not to laugh as well. His expression changed at Rose's next words, betraying just how deeply she'd moved him. It looked like he would be used to hearing sweet words by now, but its still touched his heart just as much as it always had. "I know," he whispered, "I won't give you up for anything either." Just the thought made him sad! Suddenly at a loss for words, he kissed her.

Phantom was yowling and pawing at his arm, leaving him no choice but to break the kiss and turn his attention back to the black and white Persian. He petted her, murmuring in French, and she purred contentedly. He laughed at the memory of her first encounter with Rose. "I think she was trying to keep us apart by embarrassing me!" he chuckled. He finished eating his cake, and Phantom looked at him expectantly, as if awaiting more cream to lick. "Sorry, girl, that's all for now!"

Then Rose changed the subject, and that made him laugh again. "Yes, how would I ever survive without you?" he said, and it was no joke! The mention of cooking reminded him of something, and he pulled a small box from one of his desk drawers. "That reminds me..." He lifted the lid off the box to reveal several rows of fancy French chocolates. "My mother keeps giving me these, but I can never finish them. Help yourself if you're still hungry..."

Miranda continued to love on Phantom.. Not at all minding the kitty's obvious need to be front and center.. Oh how similar to her Eri was she.. She listened as professor Marchand offered her time to look through the book and find a folding pattern she liked.. As she looked through the book a thought popped into her head.. " Professor?... Now.. For each fold do I need to repeat the incantation?.. Or would I if I continuously move my wand in te pattern of the folds will the charm hold?" .. Yeah. Randa wasn't one to just try a series of wand movements without proper knowledge that she wouldn't screw something up..

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Gaston bowed his head to try to hide the blush burning his cheeks, but somehow he didn't think that would do much good. He looked back at Rose, his blue eyes shining with joy and adoration. He remained silent for a few moments; he was sure he'd start giggling like a fool if he tried to speak. Not at Rose of course - no, never at her! - but because he still couldn't believe his good fortune. Rose's words jerked him out of is thoughts, and he allowed himself a chuckle at her joke. "Let them hear," he said. "I think everybody already knows I don't fit the Gryffindor mold." He was only half joking about that.

He couldn't help but smile when Rose mentioned having their own castle. "I like the sound of that!" he said. If only it were possible... Then they could be like the brave knight and lady fair in the storybooks he read when he was a child. "Well, I guess we'll just have to be king and queen of our own fairytale without the castle." He shook his head at what she said next. "That's impossible!" He could never spoil her more than she deserved because she deserved so much more than he could ever give!

Between hearing Rose laugh and Phantom's antics, ti was impossible for Gaston not to laugh as well. His expression changed at Rose's next words, betraying just how deeply she'd moved him. It looked like he would be used to hearing sweet words by now, but its still touched his heart just as much as it always had. "I know," he whispered, "I won't give you up for anything either." Just the thought made him sad! Suddenly at a loss for words, he kissed her.

Phantom was yowling and pawing at his arm, leaving him no choice but to break the kiss and turn his attention back to the black and white Persian. He petted her, murmuring in French, and she purred contentedly. He laughed at the memory of her first encounter with Rose. "I think she was trying to keep us apart by embarrassing me!" he chuckled. He finished eating his cake, and Phantom looked at him expectantly, as if awaiting more cream to lick. "Sorry, girl, that's all for now!"

Then Rose changed the subject, and that made him laugh again. "Yes, how would I ever survive without you?" he said, and it was no joke! The mention of cooking reminded him of something, and he pulled a small box from one of his desk drawers. "That reminds me..." He lifted the lid off the box to reveal several rows of fancy French chocolates. "My mother keeps giving me these, but I can never finish them. Help yourself if you're still hungry..."

Even though Rosalyn knew that Gaston was only partly serious with what he said, she shook her head at him. Still, there was a smile on her face. "You're brave enough for me." The important thing really was that he did not tend to be reckless - though he DID look back on things and wish that he had been. Recklessness was NOT a good thing though; it was foolish to jump into dangerous situations without thinking and realising the consequences of said actions. And even if he WASN'T a total Gryffindor, he was still an amazing Head of House. "That sounds like a plan," she added with a laugh at what he said next. "For now Hogwarts can be our fairytale castle." While it wasn't exactly ideal what with all the crazy things that tended to happen, this had become their home. Well, their home besides the house they had in Hogsmeade... "Gosh. It's a good thing that I don't get a big head from all the spoiling." Grin. While it wasn't necessary for her, she did enjoy it and more importantly it made him happy.

"I know," Rosalyn seconded as Gaston told her that he wouldn't give her up for anything. But before she could add anything else, he kissed her. While she did kiss him back, she was still unsure about Phantom. The cat would probably hold on to a bit of the resentment for the rest of her life, but at least there was an improvement. "Do you think she knew that I was in the treehouse then?" Or was it something else? There were times where she really did feel that cats were smarter and more perceptive than people tended to give them credit for. "We did do a good job of capturing her though." So that was one good thing that came out of the whole situation.

Rosalyn found herself blushing again with what he said next. "I don't deserve all of that flattery." But she did know what he meant and she felt the same way. Nodding, she started helping herself to a few of the French chocolates. "These are so good." Like wow.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

On the other side of the door, Gaston sat at his desk, staring sadly at the objects in his hand. A battered Albus Dumbledore card from a chocolate frog and a little paper wolf that once sang a message... pointless trinkets to some, but he held on to them all this time as a reminder of someone who showed him kindness. Never in a million years would he have imagined that the same boy who gave him these would lay a hand on him!

Sudden knocking jerked him out of his thoughts, and he rose with a heavy sigh. That must be him now... "Thank you for being so prompt, Mr. Ashbury-Hawthorne," he said in a rigidly polite tone as he opened the door. Normally he would offer visitors to his office a smile upon arrival, but today he didn't even try to hide his sadness. "Please come in, sit down."

OOC: You can post in the office whenever you're ready.

The professor sorta looked like a kicked cruppy to be entirely honest, which only fueled his THEORY about THINGS...but he was going to keep all that to himself because discussing wolfbane and moon phases was just not the sort of thing one did when a professor had summoned you to their office. Although Derf was kinda confused why the serious face over something so small as, um, his color issue.

"...okay," he nodded as he stepped into the office and gave things a look around. The third year did not really make it a THING to visit many professors, even before he had his issues and this term seemed to be a pretty big exception to this. He had taken hippogriff dung to Professor Myers, visited Professor Wayland LOADS because of fire salamander things, stopped by the Headmistress' office with a letter, and now he was here. Yes, busy term for one Derfael Mitchell Ashburry-Hawthorne.

OF COURSE his eyes fell on the cat in the office. Sitting? Nah. He had better things to do! Like fishing out a small handful of kibble from his enchanted pocket. He had loads of things tucked away in here since, well, you never knew what creature you were going to run into, you know? Moving slooooowly over towards the cat, Derf left a few pieces on the floor and then backed away to give the creature room to sniff out the treats or ignore them entirely as it saw fit...and then he sat on the floor.

What? He HAD sat down as asked.

Gaston watched as Miss Blaze showered Phantom with attention. The little black and white Persian was purring and nuzzling and just acting like a ham in general, and it made him laugh a little. He thought they were almost done here when the girl asked him a question. His eyes widened slightly. Had he forgotten to cover that? Good job, Gaston, he inwardly berated himself. He nodded in reply to her question… or at least the first half of it anyway. ”Yes, you should repeat the incantation for every fold,” he said.

His eyes remained on her for a moment as she looked through the book. ”You're welcome to take that book with you and practice some patterns on your own time,” he said, giving her a small smile. ”Unless you have more questions, of course.”



Gaston's expression changed slightly when Rose shook her head, but he knew better than to try to argue with her. He didn't feel brave enough… or anything even close to it. Bad memories of his past failures threatened, but he tried to push them out of his mind. Now wasn't the time to get lost in those thoughts, and besides, he didn't want to worry Rose! ”I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree on that,” he said with a small smile, and he couldn't help but laugh along with her at what was said next. They were on the same page as far as that was concerned! [B[“Of course. I wouldn't have it any other way!”[/B] As chaotic as things got at Hogwarts, the place had started to feel like home to him, though he was sure he could find home anywhere, as long as his beloved wife was at his side.

He had no idea what Rose was going to say next, as he'd kissed her before she could speak. He couldn't help it. He was so overwhelmed that mere words couldn't express what he was feeling, so he told her with his kiss instead. The display of affection didn't last long; Phantom saw to that with her yowling and pawing!

Gaston shook his head, chuckling a little as he picked up the little fluffball. ”Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you, silly girl!” Phantom purred contentedly and shot Rose a smug look, clearly pleased that she was the one in his arms right now. He considered Rose's question for a moment. ”It wouldn't surprise me at all if she did!” he replied, laughing a little at the memory of Phantom’s little jaunt in the treehouse. ”She's always had a talent for picking up on people’s emotions. I think she saw me acting strangely and somehow knew you were the cause of it…” Phantom suddenly meowed, as if confirming his theory.

Seeing Rose blush was so adorable! He couldn't help but giggle a little, nodding at her words. ”You're right, you don't…” he said. ”You deserve even more than this…” He smiled, taking a couple of chocolates after Rose had helped herself, change which was rare for him. Usually he gave his candy to his students instead. But Rose was right; these were good! He smiled. ”I'll be sure to tell her you like them.” Knowing his mother, she'd probably start sending Rose chocolates too!



Gaston dejectedly followed Mr Ashbury-Hawthorne into the office, quietly closing the door behind him. He watched the boy looking around the office and almost smiled. ”I'd offer you a chocolate,” he said, inclining his head toward the glass candy dish on the desk, ”but I know you don't like taking food from professors.” The thought crossed his mind to tell him these chocolates weren't made in the castle but in a small muggle shop in France, but somehow he didn't think that would tempt him.

Perhaps he'd rather pet Phantom instead? He was about to offer, but the boy was already setting a handful of treats on the floor for her. The black and white Persian looked at him, her eyes darting from Derfael to Gaston and back again. She hopped down from her cat condo and cautiously approached the treats. After sniffing them for a moment, she took a nibble or two.

Gaston started to make his way to the large leather chair behind the desk but stopped suddenly upon seeing Mr Ashbury-Hawthorne sitting on the floor. Blink, blink. Well, this wasn't exactly what he had in mind when he invited him to sit down, but if the boy was more comfortable there, he could work with it. He took a seat in one of the smaller chairs on the other side of the desk instead. ”You're probably wondering why I asked you here, Mr. Ashbury-Hawthorne,” he said. He took a deep breath; no more beating around the bush. ”And the reason is…” He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. ”I'd like to discuss your actions in the Room of Requirement.” Did he even want to know how the boy was going to react to what he just said? Probably not, but he had a feeling he was going to find out soon anyway.