Gaston smiled, chuckling a little to himself as Daisy’s reply brought back memories of quidditch matches during his time at Beaubatons. ”I was never that much of a quidditch fan myself, but I did have a friend who was. He kept trying to convince me I'd make a good Seeker,” he said. He never could imagine why… he was completely useless at flying! ”I wish you all the best in your tryouts!”

He was still smiling, though his head bowed over the music box as it continued to play. If he kept his eyes firmly locked on the box, maybe she wouldn't notice the tears he was fighting back. He didn't want her to think she'd done anything wrong; acts of kindness just did that to him.

Daisy's next words came as a bit of a shock and caused his head to jerk up. He had no idea how she found out Rose was expecting - he'd only told a few people - but in a way, he was glad she did. ”Thank you, Daisy! It's one of the best gifts anyone's ever given me,” he said, beaming. ”I love it, and I'm sure my daughter will too!” He could already imagine using the music box to lull her to sleep. Wherever did you get it?”



Gaston raised an eyebrow. So Shera’s mother was French? He wondered if he knew her. ”Oh? Did your mother go to Beaubatons?” he asked. Maybe their paths had crossed at some point?

He beamed back at her when she thanked him for the chocolate. ”You're very welcome, Shera,” he replied. He was glad she enjoyed it, especially because he knew there were some students who refused to take treats from professors. ”This chocolate is French, too. My mother sends me more sweets than I-” Before he could finish, Phantom made her appearance. She sauntered right up to Shera, sniffed her hand for a moment, then flopped over on her back with a meow, as if to say “Pet me, smol hooman!”

Gaston laughed a little, but his expression turned serious as he listened to the reason for the girl's visit. That question was… unexpected. He thought for a moment. ”I suppose the simplest way to do what you're describing is to use an Illusion Charm,” he said. ”That would project an image of dress robes to hide your jeans. Is that something you'd be interested in learning?”

Blink, blink. Did she just say tongue-tying curse? How did that happen? she also mentioned nonverbal magic, and his face fell. It would be difficult and require a lot of practice, especially for one so young. He'd never seen a student perform nonverbal spells before third year, but he didn't want to discourage her. There was always a first time for everything! ”My advice would be to start small. Pick a spell that you're already good at casting verbally to work with,” he said, ”and don't get frustrated if you don't succeed at first. Nonverbal magic takes a lot of time and concentration to learn. we can try it now, if you like. What's a spell you feel confident casting?”



For a brief moment, Gaston was worried he'd hurt Olivia’s feelings with his joke - or, what was supposed to be a joke anyway. He was relieved to hear her laugh, but his heart sank at her words. He couldn't imagine not seeing her around the school, but he didn't want to didn't want to think about that. He couldn't think about that or he'd turn into a blubbering mess, and that was the last thing he needed right now! He was grateful for the distraction when she accepted the offer for chocolate and managed a small smile.

Then the conversation took a more academic turn, and he nodded in reply to her question. ”Oh, yes. There's always need for people to invent new charms and perfect existing ones,” he said. ”Or if that career path isn't your cup of tea, there's the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad - that job requires a lot of skill with charms.” He smiled. ”I think that's a great idea - if not over the winter break, surely you could find an internship in -” He started to say “in the summer” but that brought back the sad realization that she wouldn't be his student much longer. ”- in time. I can send a letter of recommendation to the Ministry and a few other places.”

Gaston still didn't think he deserved any thank you gift just for being kind, but he hadn't the heart to refuse her generosity. He beamed as she spoke; the mention of his wife caught him slightly off guard and his eyes darkened. "She's doing well. She's at home taking care of family," he replied. "It just feels so strange to be here without her..." Whoops! Did he just say that out loud? "Never mind," he added quickly, "I'll get used to it in time."

OOC: I am SO sorry for the ridiculously long delay! I've been trying to reply here for over a week, but things kept getting pushed back because if RL matters (new cat + longer work hours)