Daisy entered the office with a smile. "I had a really great Summer. My parents gave me money for my 13th birthday to buy a new broomstick and items to help my chances in tryouts. How are you and your lovely wife?"

She then sat down and gave Professor Marchand the box which was wrapped in gold gift wrapping adorned with a red bow. "This is a present for you."

ooc: Check your VM for information.

And she had barely sat down and the door had opened up to reveal her Head of House standing there with a warm, friendly smile. Vi couldn't help but return his smile with the same amount of warmth. "Hello Professor Marchand," she said as she stood up and then took a few steps into his office. His comment about practicing spells made her chuckle. "Ah can't I come see my favourite Head of House every now and then?" she said with a teasing grin. It wasn't all about business. Okay maybe 50-50?

Besides, she had to come ask about Rose of course too. And to see Phantom. She placed her bag on the nearest chair to her so that she could dig out the present she had. "Learning more spells is partially the nature of my visit but there's more to it. I need some advice on pursuing a career in charms too." What careers awaited her with a passion for Charms and Divination? It was hard to tell! "But since you mentioned spells..." Vi reached into her bag and pulled out the small bottle of hot chocolate from La Maison Angelina. "This is a thank you for your help for the past two plus years. I really do appreciate the help and advice you've offered to me with the pursuit of non-verbal and wandless magic. So thank you!"

"Bonjour Professor Gaston," she greeted flawlessly. The benefits of having a French mother. Not that that was really the most important thing as she flashed the Charms professor as wide grin.

"Hogwarts is amazing, all of the classes are really interesting..." except maybe Divination but Shera wouldn't say that out loud in fear of insulting the divination Professor who she actually liked a lot. "How are you going professor?"

Because it was nice to be courteous.

Gaston returned Daisy's smile with one of his own as he listened to her talk about her summer. "Oh, so you like quidditch?" he said. That was something he didn't know about her! "Good luck in the tryouts! Which position do you play?" He'd never been a huge quidditch fan himself, but he'd seen enough matches in his time at Beaubatons to know the basics.

His expression darkened ever so slightly at the mention of his wife. It got a bit lonely not seeing her around the school every day, but he'd survive. At least she was still nearby. “I’m fine, thank you for asking,” he replied. Well, maybe not fine just yet, but he was getting there. “Prof- I mean, Mrs. Marchand is doing well too. I’ll tell her you asked about her.”

He followed Daisy into the office, gently closing the door behind them. Phantom, the black and white Persian cat, looked at the girl from her perch on the cat condo and gave an inquisitive meow. He took his seat in the large black leather chair behind the desk, but before he could inquire as to the reason for her visit… Blink, blink. A present? For him? He was touched. It was rare that he received gifts from his students.

He smiled, noting the bow and gift wrap in the Gryffindor colors, as he carefully unwrapped the package. Inside he found a beautiful box shaped like a rose. The bloom opened, and it began to play a familiar lullaby. For a few moments, all he could do was stare at it, at a loss for words. He blinked several times and suddenly had to press a hand to his eyes. "I-It's beautiful..." he stammered when he finally found his voice.



Gaston couldn't help but laugh a little. "Well, okay, but only every now and then," he joked with a grin of his own. He was only kidding, of course. She knew that, right? She was always welcome in his office! He followed Olivia into the office and gestured toward the candy dish on the desk. "Chocolate?" he offered.

His expression turned serious upon hearing the reason for the prefect's visit. He thought for a minute. "Well, charms developers are always in high demand," he said. "The Ministry has programs, or if you'd prefer something elsewhere-" And he could completely relate if that were the case; Ministry life wasn't for everyone! "-you can find something through a private company."

The subject changed to spells, and Gaston expected Olivia to ask for another list of spells to practice... or perhaps demonstrate her progress, but that didn't happen. Instead he watched as she reached into her bag for something. Good Godric Gryffindor! More presents? These kids were going to spoil him! His blue eyes widened in surprise, but he was smiling as he took the bottle. La Maison Angelina... now that brought back some fond memories! "I love it - and I know Mrs. Marchand will too!" he said. "Thank you, Olivia!"

He was slightly taken aback by the girl's next words. "There's no need to thank me," he said. "I only did what any decent teacher would do."



Gaston smiled, opening the door wide to let the girl into his office. The greeting in French came as a bit of a surprise to him, though. "Oh?" he said, eyes widening slightly. "Parlez-vous francais?" The answer to his earlier question had him smiling again. "I'm so glad to hear that!" He always worried a little about the firsties adjusting to Hogwarts life. "I'm doing well, thank you for asking."

he resumed his place in the large leather chair and gestured toward the two smaller chairs on the other side of his desk. "Please, sit down. Would you like a chocolate?" he offered, gently sliding a glass candy dish toward her. "so what can I do for you today?"

Before anything else could happen, the little black and white cat on the condo behind the professor jumped down and approached Shera with a meow. Gaston laughed. "This is Phantom," he said, jerking his head toward the cat. "I think she's saying hi to you."

Daisy smiled and nodded. "I'm a huge Quidditch fan. I hoping to be a Chaser or Keeper."

When Professor Marchand opened the gift, Daisy had given him, the young witch noticed him blink several times. "Consider it a little gift congratulating you and your lovely wife on the expecting on your first child."

"Oui... ma mère est française," she figured it deserved an explanation, considering most Hogwarts students didn't exactly speak French. Not that it really mattered...

"That's great, and thanks professor!" she beamed at him, accepting a pit of chocolate from the professor. Because if you offered her any kind of snack there was no way that Shera would be able to refuse. Unless she was already eating something. Before she could go into why she had gone to him, a cat had jumped down onto his desk. She'd flinched back, not expecting the animal to suddenly be there. She then smiled at it before holding her hand out to let it sniff her to see if it wanted cuddles.

Because if it did, who was she to say no? "Hello Phantom," she cooed, before finally redirecting her attention to the Professor. Although, now she was going to have to visit him just to cuddle his cat.

"Well... I've got a question actually... well two, although I'm not sure if you're the right Professor to talk to about it," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders lightly. "I was wondering if... hypothetically you were in a formal situation but didn't want to wear dress robes, is there any kind of a charm that could be used to make it look like you were when you're just wearing jeans?"

It was definitely not a hypothetical question. It also may or may not have been directed to wearing school pants instead of a skirt. But he didn't need to know that.

"And I was also wondering if you could give me any advice on starting to learn non verbal magic... my wand is good with charms so I figured it would be a good place to start. Especially after I got hit with a tongue tying curse in defence against the dark arts recently..." she still glowered at the memory of that class. Her pride had definitely taken a hit.

Only every now and then?! Thank MERLIN, he was joking. Vi laughed. "Well after this year, you'll be rid of me," she teased with a smile before realizing what she had said and then her smile dropped. Wow. A year to go... This was... Well a few months... She brushed those dark thoughts away from her. Vi didn't want to think about that. Well she did want to think about what she was going to be doing for a future but leaving Hogwarts and all of this....? That tugged at her heartstrings. Thankfully Marchand had offered chocolate which Vi had tried to resist before but knowing how good it was and how she was feeling, she accepted. "Mais oui!"

"Are they?" she asked. She hadn't the faintest idea what a charm developer did. Vi assumed that they developed charms and whatnot but for the ministry. What kind of career could she pursue? "A charms developer.... That sounds fancy. Do you think that I could possibly try for an internship over winter break?" Maybe she should start emailing out to the Ministry and private companies now. She'd get coffee if they could show her what a charms developer did exactly.

Of course she had to bring him a gift! He was... really kind to her. Seriously. He had always been kind to her-- even back at Beauxbatons and it was lovely to have a familiar face that reminded her of the good in that school. Vi couldn't have gotten through that school without him or Ophelia at times. And then he moved away!!! "Of course, it's the least I can do. How is Professor --- I mean- -- Mrs. Marchand?" It was still so bizarre not having Rose here. Vi had looked up to her immensely over the years and had gotten to know her well or felt like she was finally getting to know her.

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)

"I have a feeling that tryouts will be very popular." When Professor Marchand thanked Daisy for the gift, she gave him a smile and said, "I guess I must be good at Divination regarding guessing that your lovely wife is expecting. My father made the structure and I used my Charms skills to bewitch it."

Why did professor Marchand's face look like double trouble awaited him?

Well, he wasn't sure about Night, but he knew he wasn't the most skilled wizard of his age, though he was working on improving by spending nights of extra reading and practice whenever he found an empty classroom or suitable place. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his Head of House.

"Hello, professor!" he said cheerfully, waiting for Night to step in first before walking into the office. "Of course not," he answered when the professor mentioned them minding working together. Turning to smile at Night, he said, "We were just planning on practicing together. Thank you for taking the time to teach us!" Because going by the papers on his desk, he must've been busy, so he truly appreciated it.

As soon as he stepped inside the office, his eyes fell on the heart shaped flowers that were suspended in the air, and he couldn't help but smile at them. "They remind me of my grandparents' home," he found himself muttering under his breath, suddenly missing his home back in Korea, where his grandmother had the same flowers.

"Yes, she went to Beauxbatons," she thought for a moment, wondering when that would have been. But mental mathematics were not exactly her strong point and she was basing most of this around her mother's age at the time she was born and the fact students usually started at 11 years old. "I think she started in 2068... It would have been around then at least, her name was Alice Verlaine at the time."

If Professor Gaston knew her, it would be under that name. It had been years after leaving France that she had gotten married and changed her last name.

Shera was listening to the Professor explaining it was French chocolate which explained why it was so good, and she was struggling to resist the temptation to eat more, when the cat had flopped in front of her. Her lips twitched up, though she refused the urge to giggle. The Ravenclaw's hand did involuntarily move up to start petting the cat though.

Because like, everyone knew that humans were well trained by their pets and no one could resist such an obvious invitation to cuddle an animal. Particularly when it came to cats. Their tendency to swing between wanting nothing to do with humans and occasionally coming up for cuddles meant that when an opportunity arose, you had to take it.

Illusion charm? She brightened immediately as she thought that it was in fact possible. "Yes, that's definitely something I'd like to learn!" Was that too enthusiastic? Maybe a little bit.... "Is it a spell that wears off over time? And how often would it need to be recast if it does?"

Shera may have occasionally appeared oblivious to everything in her general enthusiasm for everything, but she had noticed his face drop. She wasn't surprised by that response, she knew that it would be difficult. In fact the only student she currently knew could definitely perform non-verbal spells happened to be Jessa. Not that it was that important to her, there were only a few that she desperately wanted to work on perfecting.

She just needed to figure out how to start. The spell that she could do with the most ease? "Um.... I'd say Lumos or maybe Accio?" those were the ones that had seemed more useful than the others.

It seemed it didn't take long at all before the door opened and really she regretted pouring herself the tea because now she would have to awkwardly try to interpret the most appropriate times take a sip while talking to him. See, stressing! Which really there was no need for that because of who's company she was with, but yea, what could she say?

"Hello, Professor, Thank you," she said, when he welcomed her into his office. Although instead of making her way over to the seat first, her eyes brought her to the bookshelf and she smiled at the classic French novels lining his shelf. And then on the desk, there was music coming out of the little speaker thing and Skylar really wished she had developed more of a taste for music. She had been in the music shop in Diagon Alley only once and was more intrigued by the posters there than the actual music. But regardless, she found herself moving just a little, because who didn't bop their head around, even one had never heard the song before.

[textuct= Daisy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginevra

"I have a feeling that tryouts will be very popular." When Professor Marchand thanked Daisy for the gift, she gave him a smile and said, "I guess I must be good at Divination regarding guessing that your lovely wife is expecting. My father made the structure and I used my Charms skills to bewitch it."

[/textcut]

Gaston nodded in reply to Daisy's words. "I think so too," he said. If Hogwarts was anything like Beaubatons. "popular" was going to be a huge understatement! He wasn't exactly sure why Hogwarts did away with quidditch in the first place, but he was glad it was back for the students' sake.

He stared at the rose music box, at a complete loss for words, until it stopped playing its song, and the unexpected silence jerked him out of his thoughts. He gently stroked one of its delicate petals as he looked back at Daisy. He returned her smile, but that smile turned into a slight laugh at her next words. "Of course. How else would you have guessed?" he said with a wink. Either that or she'd overheard him talking about it...

His eyes widened at what was said next. "R-really?" he stammered. He had just assumed she bought it somewhere, but learning it was handmade made him love it even more, if that was possible! "That's amazing! It's clear that talent runs in your family," he said, beaming. "I'll send this home; it's much too valuable to keep in my office!" After so many dorms and offices being ransacked last term, he wasn't taking chances! She would understand, right? "I'll be writing your father a thank you note..." And probably a small gift, too. It seemed the least he could do! "And I'm giving three points to Hufflepuff for your generosity and outstanding charmwork!"

Text Cut: Daniel & mentions of Night

Quote:

Originally Posted by debpetrisor

Why did professor Marchand's face look like double trouble awaited him?

Well, he wasn't sure about Night, but he knew he wasn't the most skilled wizard of his age, though he was working on improving by spending nights of extra reading and practice whenever he found an empty classroom or suitable place. The last thing he wanted was to disappoint his Head of House.

"Hello, professor!" he said cheerfully, waiting for Night to step in first before walking into the office. "Of course not," he answered when the professor mentioned them minding working together. Turning to smile at Night, he said, "We were just planning on practicing together. Thank you for taking the time to teach us!" Because going by the papers on his desk, he must've been busy, so he truly appreciated it.

As soon as he stepped inside the office, his eyes fell on the heart shaped flowers that were suspended in the air, and he couldn't help but smile at them. "They remind me of my grandparents' home," he found himself muttering under his breath, suddenly missing his home back in Korea, where his grandmother had the same flowers.

Gaston smiled as Daniel returned his greeting, and his smile grew even wider when he said that he and Night were planning on working together anyway. That was just the kind of attitude he liked to see! He was a little taken aback by what he said next. Why did he think he needed to thank him? His eyes fell to the papers on his desk and flicked his wand at them; they stacked themselves neatly in one corner. "No thanks necessary," he said, following the pair into the office. "It's my job to help you any way I can." He was never too busy to help a student!

He couldn't help but notice the boy looking at the potted flowers , and he thought he heard him mumble something about his grandparents. "You like those flowers?" he asked as he took his place in the large black leather chair behind the desk. "You're welcome to have one if you want." Oh, and that reminded him! "Would either of you like a chocolate before we start?" he offered, tilting the glass candy dish toward them.

Text Cut: Shera

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pucki

"Yes, she went to Beauxbatons," she thought for a moment, wondering when that would have been. But mental mathematics were not exactly her strong point and she was basing most of this around her mother's age at the time she was born and the fact students usually started at 11 years old. "I think she started in 2068... It would have been around then at least, her name was Alice Verlaine at the time."

If Professor Gaston knew her, it would be under that name. It had been years after leaving France that she had gotten married and changed her last name.

Shera was listening to the Professor explaining it was French chocolate which explained why it was so good, and she was struggling to resist the temptation to eat more, when the cat had flopped in front of her. Her lips twitched up, though she refused the urge to giggle. The Ravenclaw's hand did involuntarily move up to start petting the cat though.

Because like, everyone knew that humans were well trained by their pets and no one could resist such an obvious invitation to cuddle an animal. Particularly when it came to cats. Their tendency to swing between wanting nothing to do with humans and occasionally coming up for cuddles meant that when an opportunity arose, you had to take it.

Illusion charm? She brightened immediately as she thought that it was in fact possible. "Yes, that's definitely something I'd like to learn!" Was that too enthusiastic? Maybe a little bit.... "Is it a spell that wears off over time? And how often would it need to be recast if it does?"

Shera may have occasionally appeared oblivious to everything in her general enthusiasm for everything, but she had noticed his face drop. She wasn't surprised by that response, she knew that it would be difficult. In fact the only student she currently knew could definitely perform non-verbal spells happened to be Jessa. Not that it was that important to her, there were only a few that she desperately wanted to work on perfecting.

She just needed to figure out how to start. The spell that she could do with the most ease? "Um.... I'd say Lumos or maybe Accio?" those were the ones that had seemed more useful than the others.

Somehow Gaston had an idea Mrs. Ben-Ari had attended Beaubatons. but his eyes widened slightly when Shera told him about when it was. "She would've been in my year then," he said. Alice Verlaine... that name sounded incredibly familiar, but he couldn't put a face with the name. "I'm sure our paths crossed at some point; we would've had classes together if nothing else." Now it was going to drive him crazy trying to remember her! Were they in the same house? Perhaps she was one of the students he tutored in charms? She wasn't one of those girls who made fun of him, was she?

Oh well, no time to think about it now. Phantom was demanding attention. He watched the little black and white Persian flop in front of Shera. She wrapped her front paws around the girl's arm and began purring wildly, clearly loving every minute of the petting she got. He could tell she was trying not to giggle; he wondered why. She didn't have to hide her laughter from him, especially when Phantom was being such a ham! He chuckled a little at the cat's antics. Maybe seeing him laughing would show her that it was okay for her to laugh too.

The subject turned to spells, and seeing the way Shera brightened at the mention of the illusion charm made Gaston smile. Her enthusiasm was contagious. "It is," he said, nodding in reply to her question. "The spell can last up to six hours, but it takes a lot of practice to get it to last that long. I'd say recast it every two hours while you're just starting out, then gradually increase the time between recasting as you feel more confident."

He was a bit worried he'd discouraged her by saying nonverbal spells were difficult, but that fear went away when she told him which spells she ws best at. He thought for a minute. "Of those spells, I'd think Lumos would be easier to do nonverbally," he said. "So which would you like to try first: the illusion charm or a nonvebal spell?"

[textcut = Skylar (nope, she wouldn't know. Gaston tried to keep it under wraps)]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

It seemed it didn't take long at all before the door opened and really she regretted pouring herself the tea because now she would have to awkwardly try to interpret the most appropriate times take a sip while talking to him. See, stressing! Which really there was no need for that because of who's company she was with, but yea, what could she say?

"Hello, Professor, Thank you," she said, when he welcomed her into his office. Although instead of making her way over to the seat first, her eyes brought her to the bookshelf and she smiled at the classic French novels lining his shelf. And then on the desk, there was music coming out of the little speaker thing and Skylar really wished she had developed more of a taste for music. She had been in the music shop in Diagon Alley only once and was more intrigued by the posters there than the actual music. But regardless, she found herself moving just a little, because who didn't bop their head around, even one had never heard the song before.

[/textcut]

Gaston had to stifle a yawn as he returned from the coffee bar, a large mug of coffee in hand as Phantom sauntered along at his heels. He closed the door behind him and all but slumped into his chair. After a quick sip or two of the beverage, he started to feel a little more alert... or at least a little less tired. "You're very welcome, Skylar," he replied. It was only then that he noticed her looking at the books, and he smiled a little.

He was about to offer her a chocolate, but the head bopping distracted him. Merlin, he'd completely forgotten he left his enchanted ipod turned on! One of the pitfalls of being an overworked new dad... "Is the music too loud?" he asked, drawing his wand to turn the volume down. "I can turn it off..." Or he could leave it on if she preferred, either way was fine with him. "So what can I do for you?"

He looked tired; not as tired as she'd seen him either last term or was it the year before, but Skylar definitely noticed he was tired. And it almost made her feel guilty about going to him with her woes rather than her own head of house. But no offense to Laurel Vance, but Charms was a much more practical subject in the eyes of the sixth year and she felt comfortable enough around Gaston Marchand to approach him.

She shook her head, smiling, "No, it's okay... It's fine." Lying maybe a little bit, but she didn't want him to have to accommodate just her. All because she couldn't appreciate a little rock music. She even smiled a little bit just to show she was fine; it wasn't like she couldn't hear him, so all was well. "Um, soo, this maybe sounds weird to be asking you this, but I trust your opinion, and I was just wondering... how does one measure success? Like ideally it would be in winning, but you don't have to win to be successful, right? There's other ways to be successful. Isn't there?" Yes, she was only not even a year into being captain and doubting her abilities already. She bit her lip, eyes shifting between up at him and down at her tea cup.

He was about to thank professor Marchand again, his lips parted to do so- but instead he just nodded gratefully.

At professor Marchand's question, he nodded enthusiastically, but there was no way he could accept one of those beauties. "I wouldn't want to kill it, though... In between all classes, I'm neglecting my owl enough as it is." But by neglecting, he meant that instead of spending twenty four hours a day with her, he spent twenty four hours minus all the classes where he couldn't bring her. Which was a shame, because she's a sweetheart that would stay quiet and help him concentrate better...

... concentrate better on petting or feeding her treats instead of focusing in class. But those were just details.

The chocolate, however, he could not refuse. "Thank you!" he said, picking a caramel at random and popping it in his mouth, and the wrapping safely in his pocket to throw away later.

"Well, I am thrilled you love it, sir. I am also flattered by such kind words. Dad would be so happy with the thank you note and gift. He is used to Owl Post. He loves crafting things in his Muggle way." Daisy replied with a tearful smile.

She got up from the chair. "I have to be going now, sir."

Shera somehow wasn't surprised that the Professor didn't recall her mother. She was certain that her mother didn't stay in contact with anyone from school, especially after marrying her father when they began moving around a lot. Besides, it was a long time ago. She briefly wondered whether or not she would be able to remember all the people she knew now in a few decades. She nodded understandingly, "It was a long time ago."

And there was a cat wrapped around her arm. She giggled lightly, fingers continuing to run over the cat in what she hoped was a soothing motion for it. It was still clinging to her arm so she assumed Phantom was liking it at the very least.

How good were her chances at stealing the cat?

Shera assumed that she wouldn't get far, especially considering the Professor was right in front of her. But the kitty was too cute!

Every six hours once she had it down? That was worth investing a lot of time into to make sure she could do that. She briefly wondered if she could eventually get good enough to make it last longer, that wasn't the most important thing now though.

"Um... starting with the illusion charm would be great!" because at this point this was her priority. Non verbal would still be useful. Especially in case of another tongue tying curse. But as the professor had said it would take time... and clearly he thought that the illusion charm would be more achievable anyway.

Gaston shook his head, hoping to clear away some of the sleep-deprived haze that fogged his mind. He took another sip of coffee and looked back at Skylar with an encouraging smile. "Sorry about all this," he said. He didn't want her to think he was too tired to help her! "I just..." Should he tell her? The students were bound to find out about his daughter sooner or later, but he didn't want to burden her with his family troubles. He was supposed to listen to the students' troubles, not the other way around! "... have a lot going on in my family life right now."

He nodded in reply, lowering his wand when the girl said the music was fine. He had a slight suspicion she was lying about it being fine, but he wasn't going to press the issue. His expression changed upon hearing the reason for her visit. He blinked dumbly, unsure what was more surprising to hear: the question itself or her saying she trusted his opinion!

He smiled, too touched to speak, but his smile wobbled as he felt a pang of guilt for not telling her about his daughter. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his rising emotions as he considered the question. He wasn't sure if he was the right person to answer - his definition of success was very different than normal - but he was certainly going to try. "i think there's no one definitive way to measure success because success means different things to different people," he said. "For some - probably most, it means winning, but for others, like myself, success is measured in the amount of hard work you put into something or the number of people who care about you." Goodness, that was a sappy answer, wasn't it? "What does success mean to you?"



Gaston half-expected Daniel to say something when he saw his lips part, but whatever was on his mind, he must've thought better of voicing it. The enthusiastic nodding made him smile. He was poised to remove one of the flowers and give it to the boy, but what he said next stopped him. Now that was unexpected! He couldn't imagine Daniel killing a plant - he was too kind to harm any living being! - but it all made sense when he mentioned the owl. "That's alright, I understand," he replied, his face falling slightly. "I'd offer to help take care of your owl, but I don't think Phantom would like that."

As if on cue, the little black and white Persian cat looked up from her spot on the cat condo and meowed, but Gaston was too distracted to pay her any mind. This line of conversation was a harsh reminder of his own neglectfulness. The image of his baby Desiree crying for a father who was never home to comfort her suddenly popped into his mind, and his heart shattered. Daniel's voice jerked him violently out of his thoughts, and he was able to give him a small, forced smile as he accepted the offer for chocolate.

Gaston gave Daniel - and Night, too, if she wanted some - some time to enjoy the chocolate before changing the subject. "Whenever you two are ready, we can get started," he said. "I'm going to teach you two spells today; we'll start with the one I used to animate the mice in class today. This one isn't permanent but gives greater control of the animated object's behavior. This spell would be useful for the dogs Night mentioned."

"You can use these for practice to start out..." He picked up a box of toy mice left over from the lesson and set it in front of him. No sooner than he had, Phantom hopped onto the desk and stuck a paw inside the box. "Phantom... those aren't for you." The cat gave a pitiful meow, and Gaston's expression softened. "oh, alright - but just one!" He tossed a toy mouse toward the wall, and Phantom shot after it.

Then he turned his attention back to the students. "To cast, concentrate hard on what you want the target to do, point your wand, and say the incantation piertotem locomotor." He drew his wand and demonstrated on one of the mice; it poked its head out of the box and twitched its nose.



Gaston smiled warmly. "I do love it," he replied. "I'll treasure it forever!" The words seemed inadequate praise, but there were no words to express how much that gift meant to him. His expression changed slightly at what Daisy said next. So Mr. Swann was a muggle apparently. "That's good to know; I wouldn't want it to come as a shock when an owl turns up with a package for him!" He chuckled a little. "Between you and me, my father still isn't used to Owl Post, and he's had over twenty-five years to adjust!"

His laughter quickly turned to concern as he noticed Daisy's expression. He'd worn enough tearful smiles in his life to know one when he saw it! He wondered what was wrong... Had he said something that upset her? Before he could ask her about it, she was getting up. Now he was positive he'd done something wrong! "Oh, alright then." He rose from his chair and opened the door for her. "Take care, Daisy - and please don't hesitate to come to me if you need anything!"



Gaston returned Shera's nod with a slight smile. She was right; it was a long time ago, but it was still bugging him that he couldn't remember her mother. He wracked his brains. Wait, he vaguely recalled sitting behind a girl named Alice in Herbology for several terms. Was that her? Probably not... there were a lot of girls named Alice when he was at Beaubatons. He was definitely going to have to look through his old yearbook later!

He couldn't help but giggle a little along with her as she continued petting Phantom - though if he had any idea that she was contemplating stealing his cat, he probably would've laughed out loud! Unfortunately, he wasn't a legilimens, so he remained blissfully unaware as he he watched the little Persian continue to purr and nuzzle against Shera's hand.

Oh, okay. So it seemed they were doing the Illusion Charm first. Fair enough. Gaston smiled, nodding in reply. "Very well, the Illusion Charm it is!" he said. "Keep in mind that this is a complicated spell, so don't get discouraged if it takes several tries to get it right." He paused for a moment before drawing his wand. "Concentrate on the illusion you want to project - this part is very important! Then move your wand in a sort of backwards E-shape over the area you want the image to appear, and say the incantation, Allucinatio. Here, I'll show you..."

He aimed his wand at the opposite wall, making the correct wand movement as he repeated the incantation. The image of a small yellow bird hovering just overhead appeared. Phantom's eyes widened at the sight, and she began pawing at the air where she saw the bird. Gaston laughed. "As you can see, this spell is quite useful in entertaining cats. Would you like to try it now?"

How nice was professor Marchand to want to help take care of his owl? His eyes soon scanned the surroundings when he'd mentioned someone called Phantom, and right on cue, a gorgeous cat graced them with her presence. "So beautiful!" he said, his hands automatically reaching out to welcome the cat in his embrace. It's been so long since he'd snuggled his own kittens back home, and he missed having a ball of fluff curl up on his lap and purr his worries away.

Phantom, however, cared more about the mice than the love he would have offered. But it was fair enough, because if cats taught him anything, it was that cats owned humans, not the other way around.

Focusing back on professor Marchand, he thought he'd seen the man's thoughts drift someplace else for a second, but he wasn't sure if he was supposed to say anything or not - would it have made the professor uncomfortable? Daehyun's social skills seriously lacked to make such a decision.

But the spells. Right.

He had to purse his lips to keep himself from giggling at Phantom's antics - and professor Marchand's, too - before picking out a blue mouse, and watching the demonstration closely. Piertotem locomotor, piertotem locomotor. Right. He needed to repeat the incantation a couple of times in his head to remember it and, mouse in the palm of his hand, he concentrated on getting the mouse to come to life, he pointed his wand at it and said, "Piertotem locomotor!"

The mouse twitched a bit and let out a squeak, and he couldn't help the excited "Oh!" he'd let out, before the mouse fell silent and unmoving again, to which he visibly deflated. Sigh.

Skylar could never be completely upset about Gaston's appearance. Not unless he was lying to her, but then again, she was doing the same to him, so .... Really, she had little reason to be peeved with him. And yet, there was something in his expression, the way he said, with his family life, that had the sixth year concerned. Did he forget that her brother had a baby like two years ago? Actually, he probably didn't know. Hirsch knew, no doubts there, because Hirsch was Noah's head of house, but it wasn't like it was terribly known except by those it was necessary. Concern though took over the sixth year as she inched forward in her seat. "Is... Ro... Prof... Mrs Marchand, she's okay, right? You two... you're both okay?" Wait, they were still together, right? She had no idea why Rosalyn Marchand left her post.

But then the topic shifted back to her own troubles, because that was why she was hear and she listened to his answer and honestly, there wasn't a better answer for the Slytherin Captain to hear. "I think, for a long time, I've had the impression that I need to win to be successful." Skylar admitted, biting her lip. "But well, then I lost. And well, it wasn't my first time losing a Quidditch Match, but it was my first time losing where I was captain, and honestly, I felt like I failed as a captain. And sure, the term is barely half over and there's still more games, but somehow my spirits got crushed. And I just ... needed to re-think about success. And if losing really meant failure in my role, but I think that sometimes in order to be successful, we have to lose. And that maybe, it's ... more than just winning. It's more than just that gleaming trophy. It's the battle. It's the mountain to climb. It's the struggles." Okay, his sappiness rubbed off, maybe? Or it was just the time since her loss that had her thinking reflectively.

It was only when Daniel spoke that Gaston was jerked out of his worries for his daughter long enough to notice that Phantom had appeared. The cat drew herself up proudly and meowed, almost as if she knew she was being complimented, and Gaston smiled. "She's saying 'thank you'," he said. The smile turned into a laugh as Phantom darted across the room after the mouse he tossed her and began batting it around.

While the cat was sufficiently distracted, he turned his attention back to his student. He watched intently as Daniel attempted the spell, not entirely expecting it to work the first time... not that he didn't have faith in the boy, of course. It was just a difficult spell to master. The sudden exclamation startled him, and he looked, just in time to see the mouse twitch and squeak - and apparently Phantom noticed too. The black and white persian grew bored of the inanimate mouse she'd been swatting around and approached with an inquisitive meow.

Just as quickly as it came to life, the mouse fell still and silent again. Gaston immediately noticed the boy's disappointment and gave him an encouraging smile. "That was an excellent first attempt, Daniel!" he said. "It's a complicated spell to learn, and the fact that you made progress on your first try is amazing." He thought for a minute, tryign to determine what exactly went wrong. He had the incantation and wand work down, so it must've been the concentration. "Just keep practicing - and don't forget to concentrate."



Gaston's mind was so foggy from lack of sleep that it took him a moment to notice Skylar's concern. He was simultaneously touched to know she cared that much about him and guilt-ridden to have worried her. Nice job, professor, he silently berated himself. You're supposed to be concerned for her, not the other way around!

He took a sip of coffee to give him a moment to calm his conflicting emotions before speaking. "Yes, of course. We're both fine," he replied. He smiled reassuringly, though his smile didn't extend to his eyes. Sure, Rose was fine physically, but he worried about the emotional toll his absence was taking on her. "I just haven't been sleeping much since..." His voice trailed off as he debated the best way to tell her the news. He picked up a framed photo of a dark-haired blue-eyed baby girl and handed it to her. "...since my daughter was born."

That was enough of his home life problems! He was here to listen to Skylar's troubles, not the other way around. He wasn't sure what effect (if any) his opinions about success would have on her; all he could do was hope it helped her in some way. He listened carefully as she spoke, nodding in places. Somehow he had an idea that was what happened, but hearing her explain made it make more sense. "I understand," he said, looking at her sympathetically. "Well, not necessarily about a quidditch match - I can't play to save my life - but I do know what it's like to feel like a failure." He felt that practically every day of his life... His eyes darkened slightly, but he smiled at what she said next. "I couldn't have said it better myself! It's not avoiding failure that means success; the important thing is what you do with that failure."

Sigh.

The smallest smile appeared on his face at professor Marchand's encouraging words, gratefully nodding at his comments. He'd wanted to do a good job, but charms had never been his forte - he was good with living things, creatures, and recently plants, too. But his spellwork needed improvements, it always had. And there was only that much that you could learn from a textbook.

... and then he'd said it. The one thing that had bothered him lately.

Focusing again on his task, on making the toy mouse come to life, he pointed his wand at it and said, "Piertotem locomotor," but the mouse didn't even twitch this time around. Because of his concentration. Maybe this time at fault was also the fact that he'd wanted and expected the spell to work on his first try.

Sighing, he put the mouse back on the desk and fell back against his seat, puffing his cheeks in annoyance. "I have trouble focusing on more challenging spells." The basics he could do, but if there was something that required his full attention... Maybe professor Marchand could help him with that instead?

Both fine. Yes, very good and honestly, Skylar might have been okay with that answer, but then he added about ... well, he handed her a photo and Skylar felt all sorts of emotions welling up inside. Hate and anger at herself, for being obtuse and not realizing it before, because of course, it made sense now why Roselyn had left last year. But also anger at both Gaston and Roselyn, for not entrusting her with that knowledge. Of course, she was merely just a student, but she'd had Rose for three years? Gaston for three or four years? She trusted them both and somehow, it felt now like the trust had been violated. And yet, as she stared at the blue-eyed baby girl, tears started to form in her eyes and all those feelings of hatred and anger just seemed to fade to the background. "I had ..." Swallow, breathe. "No ... Idea... She's beautiful. Congratulations. What's her name?" And suddenly she felt scared that he too would leave her to be with his daughter, like many professors before had done. Scared, and yet, wouldn't be surprised. She had one more year of this school, she could handle it.

Besides, she wasn't here to gush over his daughter or beg him to stay with her for one more year. And slowly, she moved the framed photo to her face and pressed her lips to where the baby's forehead was, giving it a kiss. Because it was all she had to offer at the time. And then handed him back the frame as the topic re-routed back onto her reason for her visit.

Yes, she suspected that he wasn't a player. Actually, she had no idea, but then again, she didn't even know her own head of house played. Which reminded her, she should probably pay Vance a visit and ask her if she had any tips from her days on the team. "That, makes sense... and look at you now." Married, a baby, an amazing teacher. Really, he'd certainly done something with his failure. "Anyway, I should be going, but thank you for that sound advice. And the tea."

Gaston eagerly returned Daniel's smile with one of his own. He knew he could get this spell right if he kept trying. It was just going to take practice. He watched in anticipation as the boy attempted the spell again, mentally crossing his fingers that this would be the time he got it right. Come on, Daniel. You can do it, he thought.

His blue eyes flicked toward the mouse, and... nothing happened. His heart sank; he really thought he had it that time! All he could do was watch as the boy sighed and fell back against his chair. He offered him a sympathetic look, but before he could say anything, Phantom appeared and hopped into Daniel's lap with a meow. Gaston chuckled at his cat's antics, wondering whether she was trying to comfort the boy or if she just wanted the mouse he was practicing on. Knowing the way the black and white Persian acted when he was sad, he suspected it was the former.

Understanding dawned in his eyes at the boy's next words. "I understand," he said, nodding. "It's a hard spell to learn; even wizards much older than you struggle with it. When you're having trouble focusing, just think how amazing it'll be to see that mouse come to life." He gave him a small encouraging smile. "Sometimes, taking a break helps you focus too. Would you like to stop for a while?"



Gaston watched apprehensively, unsure how Skylar would react to the news. Would she be angry at him for not telling her before? He had wanted to tell her - he wanted to tell everyone - but he doubted Hawthorne would've approved of him distracting the students with details of his personal life. As he looked at her, he was pretty sure he saw tears in her eyes, and he felt horrible for causing them. "I'm sorry for not telling you, Skylar," he said. "I didn't tell any of the students, except for the Gryffindor leaders- and that was only because they'd need to know how to reach me if something happened while I was visiting home." He sighed sadly, running a hand through his dark hair. "I should've said something sooner. I just... didn't want to create gossip and distraction." That sounded like a lame excuse when he said it out loud!

He was prepared for a barrage of angry words to come, but that didn't happen... far from it. "No, I didn't expect you would," he said with a reassuring smile, but her next words made him beam with fatherly pride. "Thank you. Her name's Desiree... Desiree Yvette Marchand."

He watched, tears now welling in his eyes, as Skylar kiss the photograph of Desiree. He didn't know what was more surprising, the gesture itself or the fact that he didn't even try to hide how much it affected him. There was no way it couldn't! Acts of love and kindness toward anyone touched his heart, but an act of kindness toward his child was even more special. His smile wobbled slightly but never went away as he took the frame back, and he merely nodded in reply to what she said next, his throat too tight to even try to speak.

Then the girl excused herself, and his expression turned slightly confused. He wondered why the sudden departure. Had he done something to upset her? With a ragged sigh and an apologetic look, he rose and opened the door for her. "I-I understand," he said. "No thanks necessary; that's what I'm here for."