SSRP: trepidation

[sweetpinkpixie]

In aftermath of the events of the opening feast and letters home, a formal request was made by the parents of Blaise Bellaire and Bentley Moore of Airey Flamsteed, Gryffindor Head of House, to discuss matters further in a private meeting in the professor's office at Hogwarts. Merlin forbid, were their children already too far gone down the Dark path to be saved?! Or is their light at the end of the tunnel for these two Gryffindor boys?

CAST
Airey Flamsteed - sweetpinkpixie
Grace Bellaire - DaniDiNardo
Blaise Bellaire - DaniDiNardo
Rhea Bellaire-Moore - Davvy_Wavvy
Dylan Moore - noodles
Bentley Moore - Davvy_Wavvy

[sweetpinkpixie]

To say he was looking forward to this would be the same as saying he was looking forward to watching "Spock's Brain" on repeat for an entire day. Which, in layman's terms, meant he was not looking forward to it at all.

Having adjusted his tie and made sure that his office had enough comfortable chairs out - even taking the time to prepare some tea should there be the need - the Gryffindor Head of House made his way over to his office's door and pressed his ear against the wood. Were they out there? He checked his sundial watch for the fifteenth time the past ten minutes and sighed. If they weren't there now then they would be soon, so he may as well open the door and either greet or wait.

The first one. Definitely the first one.

"Good day," he greeted small crowd seated in his waiting area. "Please, come in."

[Davvy_Wavvy]

Bentley was sat between his parents with his head down. He couldn't believe that Airey had called his parents in for a little food fight, and he was sure the man didn't care about the consequences of his actions. Did he know that he had lost his camera? Did he know that he was about to be grounded for life? As head of house did he not feel any sort of remorse for the can of worms that he had just opened on them?!

Ugh...old people...

He lifted his eyes to try and make contact with Blaise. Did his cousin want to make a run for it as badly as he did?

Rhea had a stern look on her face as she sat next to her twelve year old son. Her lips were pursed to a line and she was looking very much like her mother in that moment.. Not once had she ever gotten in trouble, in all her seven years as a HufflePuff at Hogwarts. In fact she was a darling to everyone and anyone. Bentley was raised better, he knew better. This was so embarrassing and now she had to find some way of keeping this incident a secret from her mother. She sighed and looked over to her husband briefly. The young Gryffindor sitting between them was almost the exact replica of his father, green eyes, Gryffindor and all.

Rhea looked up and stood when the Head of House came out to welcome them in. No Sir, it was not a good day, you were accusing her son and her little cousin of being bullies. There was nothing good about the day.

"Grace, after you." Yeah because she wasn't looking forward to this.

[DaniDiNardo]

He missed his quill. It was hard to explain just how much and even harder falling asleep without being able to read through the days events--considering his notepads were taken too--and now he was going to have to sit through this. So lucky his Dad had work. He could only take one furious parent at a time.

Occasionally he glanced over at his cousin but the little boy didn't utter a peep. Oh no, he was far too busy thinking about how horrible--more horrible than he already did--his head of House would make him sound and he could imagine how much angrier his mother would be.

When the door opened his gaze didn't rise, it stayed fixed on his hands, even as they all got up to go inside.

What in Merlin's beard was going on with her son? He hadn't given a single problem back at Wizarding Prep. Sure his quill sometimes got away with him but bullying? Grace thought the worst of it had come with his refusal to try magic. That, she and his father were working on but they could only tackle so many things at a time and now they were getting an owl about all this? She'd ASKED him to not cause trouble this year and what does he do? Ruin the first night. Grace was beyond herself. It was a miracle she managed a smile at the Professor's greeting.

A very pleasant but otherwise non-commital smile. She placed a hand on Blaise's back and gestured for him to go as well.

A part of her was dreading this. If this was what he was up to, she didn't wanna KNOW anymore.

[noodles]

Dylan should have been sombre, feeding off the vibes of those around him, and, of course he was annoyed with Bentley for causing trouble at the start of term feast... but he was back in Hogwarts. Not able to make the reunion a few years back, here he was sitting outside the office of what used to belong to one of his professors. The former Gryffindor had a small (and well contained) bubble of excitement in his stomach. Food fight, right? Surely causing just a little bit of trouble was all part of being a member of the Pride. The thing that bothered him though, was the wording of Mr Flamsteed's letter. 'Bulling', it had said. It had sent a shiver of horror up Dylan's spine. How, in Merlin's name, could their precious firstborn possibly be a BULLY. Weren't he and Rhea good parents?

He caught a glimpse of his wife, and for one awful second saw the face of Sophia Bellaire looking back at him. He covered it well, sitting up and straightening his tie (yes, Dylan had made an effort to look professional and smart for the occasion), and offered her a small, tight lipped smile which didn't touch his eyes.

At last the door opened and he stood reaching out a hand to shake Professor Flamsteed's. “Dylan Moore. Bentley's father.” He introduced. “This is Grace, and this is my wife, Rhea.” He gestured at the two ladies.

He then ushered in behind the small group into the office.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Holding the door open as each member of the not-so-motley crew filed in, Airey noted the unnatural amount of perspiration that his palm had left on the handle. Stellar start to this meeting right there. Not that the hours leading up to this moment had indicated any other outcome.

His instincts were to say 'pleasure to meet you,' but given the circumstances AND some of the looks he had received after going with the standard 'good day' - something he had been scrutinizing over for at least an hour - it did not seem appropriate. But that then left the man wondering what would be the socially acceptable words for this situation.

"Thank you for coming," he opted, bowing his head to Bentley's father and then to the two women. "I regret the circumstances of our meeting, but I assure you all that things are not as bleak as my initial letter made things seem."

Somewhat. Airey would stand firm on the reason, even if it was an isolated incident. At least for now.

"Please, have a seat," he continued, gesturing towards the chairs opposite his desk.

Did he offer them tea? Opening remarks? Jump right into things? Er...

"I am sure you have some concerns, but let me begin by saying that this was an isolated incident and the behavior exhibited at the feast is not a reflection of their overall time at Hogwarts."

There. That sounded professional, right?

[Davvy_Wavvy]

Rhea followed behind Grace into the office. She did not take a seat, instead she stood directly in front of the Head of House's desk and waited for everyone else to get settled.

Her eyebrows raised slowly when the man began to speak. Things were not as bleak as his original letter made it seem?Did he know that she cried herself to sleep every night since he sent that letter home because she thought that she failed as a parent? She blinked rapidly at the man.

"What?"

Because clearly she didn't hear him correctly. She looked at her husband, then at her son, then Grace and Blaise.

"So what exactly are you saying?" Was he confirming what she already knew? That he sweet baby would never behave in any negative behaviour and he had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Happy days.

Bentley took the slowest steps he could take into Airey's office. This was it...the beginning of the end for them. His life was over and he hadn't even began to live his life yet.

;________________________________________________;

Bentley sighed and sat heavily into the seat, making sure to have the saddest, most pitiful looks he could muster on his face....

.....until.....huh? Head of house said what? He whipped around to look at his cousin. Did he hear that?