SSRP: The Meeting

[hermionesclone]

After a few owls had been sent between the two recipients, this rather mundane spring day was now playing host to a meeting. The Defence Professor suggested this as a way of soothing out the worries of the father of one of his students as best as possible. After all, letters can only do so much, can't they?

The setting was his own, sleek looking office. The colours of orange and teal (yes, we know, it's a horrible combination) adorn the place. A desk sits towards the back of the room, directly opposite the door and behind which, Hirsch himself can be found seated. The desk, which usually contained a number of parchments, quills and letters, was now cleared somewhat thanks to the company he was about to have. Now, there were two mugs, a pot of water that was ready to boil and some teabags and coffee beans. Politeness, you see.

The man himself can be found seated behind the desk and looking slightly less relaxed and chill than he usually did. His eyes constantly flicked towards the clock sitting on his desk and then over at the door and then off into the distance again. It was nearly time...

Date:
March 2091

Characters:
- Ryden Reed - Stefan
- Roderik Hirsch - hermionesclone

[Stefan]

Correspondences were not enough for the former Ravenclaw, Ryden Reed. The worried and agitated father of two had to re-schedule everything from his busy work schedule to have a word with Jace’s Head of House. Of course, Ryden didn’t want to come empty-handed. He’d done his homework by doing a background check on this...Mister Roderick Nikolas Hirsch, and was even more upset with the fact that he’s a Defence professor too.

Ryden let out a sigh as he headed straight for the man’s office. He thought it would’ve been really nice if he could take a walk around Hogwarts again, but alas, there was a more pressing issue at hand that has to be resolved once and for all. The man could feel the weird stares he got from students as he passed by the moving mass of black robes, secretly hoping Jace is not one of them.

The man checked his clock, and was quite pleased that he was five minutes early. If he can be prompt in either local or international meetings, he can do the same in meeting his children’s teachers, only this time, he can’t bring himself to put a nice pleasant look on his face. His feathers had been ruffled, thanks to the lack of update from the school with his queries. What, are they keeping secrets from parents now?

Ryden raised his hand and gave the door three solid loud knocks. This Roderick person better be inside and ready to explain things to him. This man is not a happy Claw Daddy.

[hermionesclone]

How long had he been waiting like this? He wasn't sure. He'd long since tried to keep planning a future lesson but after only writing three sentences in the space of an hour, the plan had been discarded. It seemed that nothing was going to take his mind off of this little meeting that was about to take place.

The clock kept ticking and he kept staring off into space. See, he'd dealt with all kinds of students before, from the most mischievous to the ones that hated him to the bone. But a concerned parent was different. Much more different. And frankly, he'd rather be dealing with a rebellious teenager right about now, no matter how confusing and contradicting their thought processes were.

And then it came.

At the sound of the knock, Hirsch looked up at the door and just stared at it for a moment. There was a picture of Ariadne Grahn laughing at him - which he couldn't get rid of, thanks Airey Flamsteed - but with the way he was staring, it was almost as if he was trying to look through the wood itself and at the man that was standing on the other side. One Ryden Reed.

Deep breath.

"Come in!"

And will you look at that? He was early.

[Stefan]

A brow shot up all the way to his hairline when Ryden heard the professor’s voice. What? He’s not going to at least open the door for him? The 42 year old let out deep sigh as he looked at his feet and closed his eyes and tried his best to reign in his temper. For the record, he isn’t a fan of entitlements, however, he was sure that the man inside ought to give him the extra treatment. “Merlin, help me.” He murmured under his breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose and waited for his annoyance to die down a bit.

Just…a bit would do, really. The urge to break down Hirsch’s door was too real.

Ryden stood straighter, and harnessed all of his energy to look professional and calm. The gray three-piece suit was swell, so he ought to just work on his facial expression. Still, there wasn’t a trace of pleasantness on his face no matter how hard he tried. The DMIC Consultant turned the door knob a bit too harshly, and pushed the door open to finally see this Roderick person face to—

Oh. Ryden paused and was a bit taken aback by his office. It didn’t look like…the occupant was an alumnus of Durmstrang. Blue eyes then gazed at the man sitting behind a handsome desk, and the bitter taste in his mouth returned. “Mister Hirsch.” He said as he purposefully pushed the door behind him and allowed it to shut loudly. The father of two remained on his spot, blue eyes looking straight into the young professor’s spectacles.

He forgot how young this man was, good Merlin. Nonetheless, someone must explain everything to him in detail. Including the Merlin-forbidden wedding.

[hermionesclone]

To say that Hirsch was nervous was an understatement. The man was dreading this with every fibre of his being. In fact, if it wasn't because he cared for Jace and would rather settle this properly, he wouldn't have gone ahead with this meeting in the first place. He tried his hardest not to show this in his facial expression, however, instead opting for a look that, he hoped, told the guest that he was feeling calm.

And speaking of the guest, there he was.

The Ravenclaw Head looked up at the man in the suit, sitting up a little straighter as he did so. His first impression? This was a man who meant business, or seemed to dress like he did. He took in the attire first, and then the expression on the man's face and lastly, the words. That emphasis hadn't gone unnoticed, mind you, and it hardly phased him either. Nervous as he might be, he'd faced much worse in his lifetime than an angry parent.

Even so, he would be lying if he said that the emphasis didn't irk him slightly. Surely, there was no need for it? No need for such hostilities? They were on the same side, more or less, unless the man was under the elision that he was careless and would let these things happen without a care in the world. "Mister Reed, glad you could make it." Not that his face showed it too much, mind you. "Come and take a seat," he said, gesturing to the empty seat on the other side of the desk, "Would you like anything to drink in the meantime?"

[Stefan]

Ryden stood proudly, as he took his time standing in front of Jace’s teacher. The 42 year old had to bite his own tongue to prevent him from blurting out his frustration. If Jace were in Mahoutokoro, and he had an accident similar to what he endured in Hogwarts, he was sure that the Japanese school would have gone to great lengths to let them know that their son will be okay…coupled with endless apology. This school, his very own alma mater was nowhere close to that.

The Ministry Consultant never took his eyes off of the young professor before him and took a few sure steps to close in their gap. Ryden was not a mind reader nor that observant like a hit wizard, but he was sure that Professor Hirsch was judging him. He was dressed to impress, and was not at all daunted by the young man in front of him. Besides, he was the one who came in the office to judge, and not to be judged.

“I will not miss this for the world, Mister Hirsch. Not when the school took its time to entertain my request for an audience.” There was no change in his expression, as he walked in on him closer and took a seat in front of him and eyed the two mugs on the table. “In a moment, thank you.” He said holding up a hand. This man obviously meant business. “For the record, Mister Hirsch my son is not aware of this meeting.” He thought he should make that one clear. He didn’t want a disappointed Jace, thinking that this move was unnecessary. For a moment, his thoughts drifted towards his timid son, probably cooped up in the Library a few floors above them. “How is he?” Ryden asked, shifting his gaze from Hirsch’s desk to the man before him. “How is he doing at school?” he continued leaning back on his chair more comfortably wanting to hear everything directly from this man. That should be enough to loosen up the young professor, yes?

[hermionesclone]

............... Well then.

If Hirsch had thought that things were hostile before, they seemed to be much worse now. One sentence from the man had started out innocently enough but the second one was enough to leave a certain chill in the air. It was nothing short of passive aggressive and it left the Defence Professor with the impression that this was going to be anything but a friendly conversation between two adults who both cared about Jacen Reed.

While he had tried not to show any signs of the words affecting him, Hirsch couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly. "My apologies for the lateness, Mr Reed," he said, bowing his head slightly bit otherwise showing no other outwardly change, "Our priority was making sure that he was okay and had gotten some kind of diagnosis from the Healer first." Not go charging off without knowing the full story.

There would've been even more eyebrow raising action at the father's next few words but, for some reason, he didn't find it nearly as surprising as he had found his precious words to be. Instead, he eyed the hand beings held up to him for a moment or so before looking back up at the man. This meant business. And luckily for Hirsch, he'd faced far worse fates than having to sit through a parent-teacher meeting.

"Why have you not told Jace about this?" The question had slipped out without meaning to but, essentially, he was curious about the answer. Maybe he didn't want Jace to worry, something that the kid was prone to doing. Or maybe he wanted to keep this a secret until a further date when a conclusion had been reached.

How is he? That was something he could answer. "He's doing well. Very well, in fact. He had sustained an injury on his arm due to an unfortunate incident but the Healer was able to sort it out almost immediately. I went in a few times to see him and he was his normal self again, albeit slightly worried, especially about his training. She said that some extra rest could be needed and he certainly got that in the Hospital Wing." They had some good staff here. Just saying.

The school question was another question he could answer well. "He's doing tremendously. He's incredibly smart, always giving unique, intelligent answers and thinking outside of the box. I held a lesson where the students had to try and defeat Golems - large stone-like structures used for evil purposes - and he helped to come up with a solution that was beyond his years and, together, helped to take down the Golem." Could Mr Reed tell that he was proud of his Ravenclaws? "I don't have any concerns about him there." Whether this answered Mr Reed's question or not, Hirsch didn't know but it was his honest answer.

[Stefan]

This young man knows when he’s defeated, and Ryden was all up for a sincere applause if he didn’t have the foul mood. The older man silently regarded the professor, even if his apology may not seem to be that sincere. He thought that it was the best effort this school could offer to a distraught parent. For Fawke’s sake, what did he exactly expect from a Ministry funded school anyway?

Well, at least, they weren’t returning a dead child this time, and not his child-- thank Merlin.

“Apology accepted, Mr. Hirsch.” He said calmly as he interlaced his fingers together and placed his hands on top of his crossed lap. “I no longer have to point this one out, since this issue is already water under the bridge, however a regular update would’ve been…more reassuring, than waiting for something that might not even be good news.” This school does accept feedback, yes? “I am fully aware of the dangers of Hogwarts Mr. Hirsch, as I am an alumnus myself. I do hope you understand where I am coming from.” He’s a Defence Against The Dark Arts Professor so Ryden expects him to grasp the idea, loud and clear.

The next question lifted the side of Ryden’s mouth into an amused grin. “You’ve been around my son for quite some time now yes? You would’ve noticed that he doesn’t do well with verbal confrontations. However, this…” he said as he gave his leg a good solid poke with his index finger, “I cannot pass. As a concerned parent, I need clarifications, and Jace would never understand the purpose of it. As it is, he will overthink things, and you’ll find trouble in your hands, Housemaster.” He said relaxing his arms on the chair’s armrests. “I don’t need to assume, but I know that we both care for Jace’s welfare…and mindset. And for the sake of my son’s sanity, I suggest that you not mention any of this to him.” Ryden sat on his chair, and his head tilted ever so slightly on the side, bright blue eyes on the young man before him. “There are some things that must be kept from our children, Mr. Hirsch and just let them discover things in their own sweet time. I’m all about Jace learning things on his own, he’s most effective that way.” He continued talking while his mind…was somewhere else. “Take it as an advice too, Mr. Hirsch. You may need it once you have children of your own.” And for the first time, Ryden grinned at the young professor before him amused with the fact that he’s not married yet. This man must’ve driven women insane because of his relationship status.

Ah, the beauty of doing background check.

The 42 year old shook his head, and steepled his hands together as he listened to what the professor had to say. “I don’t believe that boy sometimes. He sustained those injuries and all he cared about was his training?” he said squinting his eyes, and closed it in agony. Kendo is good for him, Ryden will never deny him that sport but Jace is pushing himself too hard. “I’ve told him time and again that he shouldn’t strain himself. That kid will lose his balance sooner or later if he doesn’t stop obsessing over his Kendo promotion.” He said, letting out a loud sigh.

Perhaps, now is the time to have tea?

Oh, and golems? Those are still a thing? Ryden let his arms fall again on the armchairs and nodded along as the professor spoke. “He takes after his mother, always questioning things, going beyond the usual solutions. I am glad he is doing remarkably well in my former House...and the school in general.” Ryden puffed out his chest just a tad, and went on to fix his tie. A very proud father here, yes. “As a Ravenclaw, you need not worry about his studies. We do not need to be told twice to study hard.” He said, briefly eyeing the two mugs in between them. “I believe Jace needs to be more confident in himself. I have no news about him in his Duelling Activity, which leads me to assume that he discarded his approved form…again this term.” Ryden said, massaging the stubble on his chin.

[hermionesclone]

Apology accepted? Good. Because the alternative was repeating himself which was two steps away from begging and Hirsch certainly didn't want to go down that road. Too much hassle. It was much easier to simply move on from that and concentrate on Jace, instead.

............. Or not.

If it really was water under the bridge then why was it still an issue? Why was it being discussed? Unless the man was trying to prove a point here, in which case, he was doing a very good job of it. "We'll keep you updated as much as possible. We do like to maintain a strong parent-teacher relationship," For lack of better word. "About the students. Take this as a note that there'll be improvements." Not that he man was fully aware of how the other Heads dealt with parent-teacher meetings. "Yes, of course. You and I both know fully well that this school isn't free of drama." Not exactly surprising when you lock a bunch of teenagers up in one castle. "And you can't always protect them from it all, either."

While he may have noticed the grin, it didn't help to ease the tension one bit. To Hirsch, the atmosphere in the room still felt icy cold and he didn't want to let his defences down one bit. Constant vigilance, remember? "Since his very first year." He wasn't about to turn this into a nostalgic scene but the man remembered their meeting in the training room very clearly on that day two and a half years ago. "In that case, I understand. He'd probably be embarrassed if he had an inkling about this little meeting." Granted, he wasn't like your typical teenager but this was still a possibility. "What's said in this meeting will stay here but, like you said, you know Hogwarts. If someone's recognised you on the way here, you might not be able to keep this a secret from Jace any longer." It wasn't a threat but a precaution. News travels fast at Hogwarts, Mr Reed.

The Defence Professor was very much glad that Mr Reed hadn't gone and suggested that he didn't care about Jace. It was a fact that relived him all the way until the man went on to use 'our' pronouns in regards to the students and further suggested that he was going to have kids one day.

............... Er.

His features changed immediately. He might not have been as cool and collected thus far in this meeting but now, thanks to those few words, Hirsch's complexion reddened somewhat. His eyes couldn't help but flick over towards the picture of Ariadne laughing on the back of his office door for a split second. A feeling of awkwardness settled in but that didn't stop him from raising an eyebrow at the man sitting opposite him. "I take it you've done your research." He had nothing law-breaking on there so he wasn't about to complain but delving into his personal life? Ouch.

This was a question that amused him. Why? Because he was the exact same about any form of defensive magic and he understood exactly where Jace was coming from. "People do crazy things when it concerns something they're passionate about," he said, shrugging his shoulders, "Has he shown signs of cracking under the pressure while at home?" That last question was asked out of pure curiosity and because he knew what the boy was like at school but at home when he had only his Kendo to work on? Hirsch had no idea.

Oh, so it did answer the man's question? Good. Less cause for embarrassment over here. "The two of you must be very proud. I don't doubt that he'll do well in the future too." There was a fine line between pride and arrogance, did Mr Reed know that? If he didn't, Hirsch wasn't about to let him know either. This was about the man's son and it was something he could let slip. "I've noticed that as well. He seems to believe the worst of himself, as if he's failed someone if he makes a mistake of any kind. He thought he needed to apologise to me for making me worry." Something he still couldn't completely grasp the concept of. "I haven't seen or heard anything from him about the club. It's something that could help with his level of self-confidence and agility in casting spells quickly and efficiently." The last part wasn't a problem but a huge portion of good defence sat on the confidence in a person. Not arrogance, mind you.

[Stefan]

An apology was given right away, because he fully understood the risks of sending his son to Hogwarts. It was inevitable for his youngest not to experience something bizarre things, even some that threatened his life. But then again, there was that trust that Jace would come out of his third year as a wiser teenager, both in his academics, and as a person. At that point, there was no reason for any of them to dwell on the past, but simply move on and learn from it. Hopefully, Professor Hirsch would also learn from this…impromptu meeting.


Ryden simply nodded at the man, “It would be highly appreciated, Mr. Hirsch. Certainly.” Something was always, always up in this former school of his, and to be perfectly honest, Ryden somehow felt sorry for the young teacher having to oversee a good number of Ravenclaw students. Sadly, there will be events and happenings that he wouldn’t be able to attend to in time. “I imagine your dilemma, professor. But I assure you that you will have no problem whatsoever with my child.” And he was sure that Jace would agree to this as well.


The Consultant eased a bit in his chair, now that he was given assurance that he will be kept updated. Not just him, but the rest of the Ravenclaw parents and guardians. Ryden didn’t have any doubt that Hirsch will stick to his words, because if he doesn’t then the second encounter would be…more difficult. The forty something year old man, squinted his eyes and nodded in agreement at what the man said about Jace. He was rather…delighted however that he has been keeping an eye out on his youngest. “Wise decision, Mr. Hirsch. As you may have noticed, Jace does not do well with embarrassment. Although it will do him good in some way, now is not the time for it given his condition.” He said, nodding. “I understand, but I am confident that no one will recognize me. I haven’t met any of his friends yet.” That will change soon enough though. Jace had been mentioning about touring a friend in Japan. Ryden hid a grin by putting his index finger against his lips. Jakub would be thrilled.


The man let out a chuckle, and swayed his crossed leg a few times. “Always come in prepared, Mr. Hirsch. I have spent my years working for the Diplomatic Corps. Ambassadors, Envoys, Viceroys, VIPs…you name it. My job is to do a thorough background check on these people before I engage them.” A pregnant pause was given, and considered that he did pry on the young man too much. “Forgive me then,” he said inclining his head towards the man briefly. “The action was done from force of habit.” It was something that was hard to break, really.


Ryden tilted his head, his attention wavering from the man to the kettle that was due to be boiled. Maybe he should’ve brought his own flask of tea.


Anyway, back to Jace.


Ryden took a moment to do a recollection of memory, and the man blinked several times before making eye contact with Hirsch once more. “Ever since he was little, Jace was the…how do you put it…unresponsive type of kid. I thought my Japanese was that bad, not understanding what I was saying, but he doesn’t seem to react to things that disappoint him. It’s always…a shrug of his shoulders.” He said averting his eyes back to the window behind the young man before him. “When it comes to Kendo, however, he’s all worked up…even cried his eyes out at home when he didn’t get his Nidan belt.” Ryden realized that he should pay more attention about his son’s Kendo career. It was a good thing that he’s going to watch Jace’s second attempt on a promotion. “What is remarkable however, is his heart to continue despite the failure. I wish he was the same when dealing with the other ‘failures’ in his life.” Because through acceptance and moving on, Jace was left room to grow.


The Consultant simply grinned at the complement, realizing that he’s used to receiving such feedback for his youngest. His Japanese teachers were the same, and he too has no doubts that he will succeed later on in life. Maybe just a few tweaks and pieces of advice on some aspect would be good for him too. “Did he now? That’s…typical of Jace. Well, typical to most people who were born and raised in Japan. I believe it is something inherent to their culture.” And Jace has no problem showing this to everybody. “It does come off as surprising, even shocking to us, but once you understand where this extreme courtesy comes from, you would soon realize that it is something to be accepted as part of that person. I suggest countering it with words of reassurance. Kids like him need guarantee that they didn’t do anything wrong. My son likes to be constantly checked and corrected, especially by the elders…and senseis like you. Through it, he discovers life lessons.” If only Jace were born with a manual, he would have made Hirsch a copy so he’d know what to do, but then again, Ryden did not want to intervene with Jace and his teachers. The man has absolute respect about his sons’ student-teacher relationships. However…Jakub’s was another story altogether. That boy was something else entirely. Perhaps he should be blamed for Jakub’s good looks.

Ahem.

“Ah. Well. I suppose he did discard his permission form once again.” Ryden said shaking his head. “I agree with you there, Mr. Hirsch. Given Jace’s outlook in life, he doesn’t fancy doing ‘duels’ unless he has a real purpose of doing so. Apparently, he doesn’t see ‘duels’ as a form of exercise.” Ryden sighed at the news and looked down on his tie. “What would you suggest then so he’d come out and…play?”

[hermionesclone]

Highly appreciated. So there had been a reason behind his extra prodding into a subject that, Hirsch thought, had been dropped and was water under the bridge. Was Hirsch's answer the one he had been looking for all along? It looked like it but he wasn't about to say anything on the matter. Instead, the man gave him a nod in return and moved on. The idea of Jace giving him any kind of trouble was one that made Hirsch snort. Why? "He doesn't seem like the type to cause any kind of trouble and if he does, I'll start questioning whether he's the real Jacen Reed." True story. "Thank you for the reassurance."

While the squinted eye look did not help to ease Hirsch in the slightest, the agreement did, somewhat. "Understandable," he said, nodding his head in return, "Embarrassment would be the last thing he needs right now, considering." He wasn't sure how embarrassing the boy would do him any good but considering the fact that Mr Reed already had the upper hand here, the Defence Professor wasn't about to give him any more of a boost. "Key word: yet." Was that a smirk on Hirsch's face? Maybe.

He was laughing? Really? The Head of House failed to see what was so funny in this situation but he wasn't about to question it. The explanation was giving him enough interesting pieces of information, ones that explained Ryden's behaviour. Maybe this explained why he was so thorough with his information and so protective at the same time? Hm. "It's fine," It really wasn't. "Human nature. You have a child to protect."

Constant vigilance made him aware of the details: the slightest changes in expression, the shift in direction of a spell and, in this case, the shifting of a gaze. Hirsch's own gaze followed and, before long, he felt a sense of embarrassment settle in. How quickly had they dived into a conversation about the meeting without offering any drinks first? "Would you like anything to drink?" he asked, rather lamely.

While Mr Reed went on to explain Jace's behaviour, the man found himself furrowing his eyebrows slightly. Not react to things that disappoint him? That sounded very much like the Ravenclaw he knew. "Do you think it's a matter of passion, then? He's very passionate about Kendo and therefore, is likely to show more emotion towards it. If he's not as passionate about a subject, he could easily shrug it off, while still thinking of himself as a failure." This was his guesswork here and he was sure it wasn't point perfect. "I'm glad that he's not letting the pressure get to him, then."

Well, it looked like Hirsch had a lot to learn about Japanese culture. While he thought the over-politeness and constant need to apologise was something that Jace had been told to do, it now seemed like there was no changing it. There wasn't anything wrong with it at all but he needed to realise that not everything is his fault. That was why the Defence Professor nodded along to Mr Reed's words. "It sounds very much like he's been taught to look up to his elders." Something that made him happy, in fact. Problematic teenagers weren't his favourite, after all. "I understand that completely. Thank you for the insight." Really. "I'll take note of this in the future. He's been getting only reassurances from me, at least." Hopefully. Though now, thanks to these words, it was going to make Hirsch a little extra careful as to how and what he said to the young Ravenclaw.

And yes, a manual would have been great.

Duels weren't a form of exercise? What in the name of?! "They're the perfect form of exercise. Get your brain working, your blood pumping, your reflexes harnessed......" There was the chance of an injury but really, that added to the fun as well. What would he suggest? Hm. Hirsch reached up and rubbed at the small scruff on his chin in thought. "If it would help him......" Dramatic pause. "Maybe I could set him up with some extra help with another student? One who's more than capable of duelling and is far beyond her years, in fact. She could teach him some tricks and maybe, that would help him to gain some confidence about the sport." Or in general. Besides, he doubted whether Charlotte Kettleburn would mind.