The sound of click-clacking heels echoed down the corridor as Lexi Carlton made her way from her office to the staff room. She paused mid-step, frowned at her heels, and cast a silencing charm on them before walking forward again. In no time, she was gently pushing open the door to the staff room and making her way inside. She'd come to the school to drop off a few boxes of office necessities. She didn't want to get stuck carrying too many things with her when she made the final move from her home in Sevenoaks, Kent back to the castle.

...and that was when she was it. Yes, it. Whatever it was. It was sitting in a chair, and the only part of it Lexi could see was it's large, furry head of hair poofed out just above the top of the chair. Wondering what in Merlin's name could have gotten into the staff room over the break, Lexi rounded the chair, proceeding with caution as she eyed the...thing. She paused and took in a deep breath, reminding herself that she shouldn't be worried over something she could likely charm to pieces with her wand.

With one more step, she was standing face to face with...Oh, dear Merlin! "Hecate?" she asked, making sure the person she was seeing was actually the Potions mistress and not some...well, nevermind. She wouldn't act rudely. No, this could easily be a new hairstyle the woman was trying out, and Lexi didn't want it to seem as if she was making fun of it. So instead, she focused on something safe...a general question...instead. "So, how was your summer?"

Sweet Circe, even in the summer people were here? She recognized the charms professor and seemed more at ease. "Good afternoon Alexia," she said waving her wand and summoning another cup and saucer, then pouring the newly brewed tea to both of them. "It's actually Cantonese Catnip... calms the nerves, and after the morning I had, I needed this."

She looked at the woman, whose eyes seemed fixed on Hecate's head... Oh Right... "Yeah... summer's been... less than totally successful." She told her touching the new dew. "And yours?"

In response to Hecate's greeting, Lexi opened her mouth to say something, changed her mind, then closed her mouth once again. She was going to tell Hecate that she should call her Lexi rather than Alexia, but then Lexi remembered that she'd already said that to the Potions mistress. Figuring that Hecate was just really big on using a person's given name instead of their nickname, Lexi said nothing of the matter and just smiled at her co-worker.

"Good afternoon to you, too," she said, accepting the tea and taking a nearby seat. Cantonese Catnip? Lexi had never heard of that drink before, and to be quite honest, it sounded like something an animal would drink. She still wasn't quite sure that it wasn't. Besides, wasn't this the woman who'd burned people and then given them a potion to make their hair fall out?

...but Lexi was the type to always see for herself the true nature of people. She wouldn't judge Hecate by what she'd heard, and besides, Hecate was having a cup of the drink, as well. "Thanks for the drink," she said, lifting her cup and taking a sip. It tasted alright, at least. Not wanting to be rude, Lexi took her attention off Hecate's hair and instead focused on answering her question. "Oh, I had a really nice summer. I didn't go too many places, but that was by choice. I spent the summer with my brother and twin sister. It was good to see them."

"Twin?" Hecate asked her curiosity peaked. "Are you two identical twins?"

There was something inherently magical about identical twins... the way they knew what the other was feeling, or what the other was thinking... Hecate had always wanted to test the blood of twins in a potion she'd been working on, off and on, for the past two years. She wondered if the woman would consider donating a pint of blood... for science... or course...

Lexi (and Allie, come to think about it) always got a rather shocked reaction when she mentioned to someone that she had a twin sister. She was pretty used to it by now, so when Hecate questioned her, she just nonchalantly smiled and nodded. "Yup we're identical twins. Well, Allie's hair is naturally darker than mine, and she has a different eye color, but other than that, we're just the same," she answered, smiling at the very thought of her sister.

"Al and I used to live and work together, too...in America. Now-a-days, though, she's the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic here in Great Britain, and I work here at Hogwarts, of course," she said. "We don't see one another quite as often as we used to, but we did get to catch up over the summer."

Hmmm... That was odd... how could they be identical twins if they had different eye color? That meant their DNA was not identical and therefor would not work in her potion... Oh well... "Senior Undersecretary... I take it she was a Slytherin when she was in school?" Generally wizards and witches in that position were... "It's nice you got to catch up with her." She said as an afterthought, not as interested in the conversation as she had been.

"What are you doing at the school?" She asked worried the woman was going to be staying there... not that it would be a huge problem. She mostly kept to the dungeons, and Miss Carlton here didn't seem like... the dungeon type, but she enjoyed being the only one at the school...

Lexi paused for a moment as she thought about the description she'd just given of she and Al. She guessed, now that she thought about it, that they weren't exactly identical, but they'd just always looked so much alike that it was hard to think of their differences.

She glanced back up at Hecate just as the woman was asking a question " Lexi said, thinking about how true of a Gryffindor her sister was. "She's too Gryffindor to be a Slytherin. I was the twin who came here hoping to be a Slytherin, but I'm a lion, too," she admitted. Lexi liked to believe that the sorting hat almost put her into Slytherin house, but she honestly couldn't be sure. It had yelled out Gryffindor faster than she could get and comfortable on that stool.

"I'm just here dropping off a few boxes of supplies I purchased over the break. I have so much to bring here that I was afraid I'd accidentally leave something behind if I tried for all of them at once," she said. "I'll probably only be here another hour or so."

"Oh... I hope you didn't think I was kicking you out." She said, then took a sip of the cat nip tea. Wow... that really soothed her. "It's funny... I seem to attract Gryffindors. All three of my husbands were Gryffindors, may they rest in peace." She said and then added. "The man I'm currently involved with... He was a Gryffindor as well... Strange... for a Slytherin I mean." She smiled.

"Kicking me out? Oh, no...that didn't even cross my mind," Lexi said, waving her hand dismissively. She took a few sips of her tea then absentmindedly glanced around the staff room. It really did seem sort of weird to think about how empty the castle really was. Lexi, being the sociable person she was, wouldn't be to stand it here all by herself. She'd have to end up summoning a ghost or something to chat with...

"Oh? Well, my boyfriend for most of my Hogwarts years was this Slytherin boy who sat next to me in Herbology class. I thought I'd end up marrying that boy. Funny how things have a way of changing in time," she commented. She sort of smiled when Hecate mentioned being involved with a Gryffindor man. "What's his name? I might know him..."

She smirked. "You do know him... but if you don't mind, I think I'll keep his name to myself for now. Things are going really well, and I wouldn't want to curse a good thing. You know?" She said with a vicious smile. She had no problem divulging Sage's name to the woman, but the herbology professor may have not wanted to have her know. "Would you care to share your boyfriend's name?" She asked curiously.

Lexi just smiled and nodded once in reply to what Hecate had said. She had a feeling she knew who Hecate's secret man was, but she wasn't going to jump to any conclusions when pretty much anyone she could think of would just be one wild guess. Except one. Sage. Lexi had found out through a very trustworthy source that Sage and Hecate had set up a date with one another...all while Sage was out on a date with Lexi. Sigh.

"Oh, uhh...yeah, sure. I completely understand," she said, realizing she'd been silent for a minutes while she was lost in thought. The talk soon turned to Lexi's boyfriend---or, the one she currently didn't have, that is. "I actually don't have a boyfriend. I mean, I have in the recent past, but right now, I don't."

"I'm not one to care about relationships... I never had a boyfriend in school. My first boyfriend was my first husband... after he died, it took a while before I started seeing my second boyfriend... who became my second husband. Finally, my third husband, who was my third boyfriend, he kept wooing me and wooing me..." She waved her hand as to wave the sillyness of that off. "After he died I thought I would never date anyone else. But then he came." Hecate smirked thinking of Sage... "He was sweet, shy and adorable." Which wasn't really her type... "He had someone else tell me he wanted to dance with me... And then he was so bad at dancing it was deplorable. But then, I realized, he just wanted to get me alone... So he could ask me out. We had a nice first date... I even agreed to a second date... but, you know how it is with finals and all... I just got too busy." And there was always time to go to the greenhouse. He'd given her free reign on it... sort of.

Lexi had just raised her cup to her lips once again when Hecate mentioned the death of first husband.

...and second husband.

...and her third husband.

The Charms professor lowered her cup and gave her co-worker a look that was a mixture between sympathy and horror. What in Merlin's name? she wanted to ask. She didn't, though. She kept quiet, partly because she didn't want to sound rude and intruding, and partly because she was suddenly sort of leery of Hecate. The woman either had really bad luck when it came to love, or...

Nevermind. She wouldn't finish that thought. Not right now, at least. She really did need to say something, though. "I...ummm, I'm sorry to hear about the death of your...husbands," she said. Lexi raised her cup to her lips and took another sip of her drink...

...only to spew it right back out a second later. Sage had been the one to get that dance started? Now she was really...sort of...upset with him. Ugh. She hated being upset with him, too, but...they really needed to talk. "I'm sure he'll be...great at dancing one day," she said, feeling the need to take up for Sage one good time before plopping moodily onto a nearby chair.

"Thank you," she said genuinely. "I miss them," she added, "in different ways..." She watched her spit her tea back into her cup. Weird woman. If it was too hot, why hadn't she just charmed it cooler, or done the muggle thing and blown on it.

At the thought of Sage being a better dancer she laughed. "He might, but I'm not one for balls and dancing. My second husband was... He forced me to take lessons with him, so we could attend parties... I wanted to remain in my lab perfecting the potion that could have saved him..." She remembered her husband coming into her lab and wanting to dance with her, IN HER LAB, one day when she was working... She shooed him away and told him she didn't have time... He died the next morning.

She shook her head trying to get that memory out of her brain.

"So. Yes. If I need him to dance, I can always charm his feet to move." She said smiling. "He'll be none the wiser."

Sage being the paranoid freak he was, had apparated back to the castle mid-summer to check up on the gardens and make sure all the watering charms were in place. The last thing he wanted was to return to school to DEAD PLANTS.

The very thought alone was enough to send a shudder down his spine.

That shudder would be nothing compared to the one he received when he stepped into the staff room.

Intending on making himself a cup of coffee before his trip back to Yorkshire, the Herbology professor had made his way to the staff room ... and stopped abruptly in his tracks, when he saw who was in here.

Lexi and Hectate.

He opened his mouth... and closed it again. Then he opened it... and then he closed it. He looked like a scared fish out of water.

Maybe he should just turn and run while he had the chance..

Still in a rather weird mood, Lexi sat up a little straighter and tried to sound as reassuring as she could. "Oh, I bet you do miss them. I can't even imagine how their deaths must have affected you," she commented. Hecate seemed to have moved on, though, so Lexi didn't feel the need to dwell on the subject too much more. There were surely more pleasant things to talk about.

Lexi glanced down at her shirt and frowned. She'd spewed a bit of her drink on it, and now there were tiny drops of whatever this catnip stuff was all over her. Ugh. With her wand, the Charms professor quickly cleaned up the mess before going back to the conversation.

Hecate was saying something about her second husband and dancing, but Lexi just nodded once in reply to show that she was still listening. She didn't say anything, though, mainly because the talk turned back to Sage a second later. Hecate talking about charming Sage's feet to move made Lexi think about the time she'd charmed his pants legs a little longer. He'd been none the wiser then either. "He may be able to dance on his own, you know. You may have to show him where to put his hands and tell him which direction to move, but he can dance...," she replied.

Lexi thought she may have heard the door open...or at least some sort of shuffling near the door, but she assumed it was just Hecate moving about. "So..., uhhh," she mumbled, suddenly not sure what to say. Truth be told, her focus was still on Hecate's poor, deceased husbands. She took a sip of her drink then whirled around in her chair, her eyes meeting Sage as soon as she did so.

...oh. Of course he was here to see Hecate. The two were apparently dating now. "Sage, hey. I didn't hear you come in," she greeted, giving him a little smile. She'd caught up with Sage a week or so ago at some fountain in Diagon Alley. It was nice to see him again, though.

Hecate who had been sipping on her tea, looked up at Lexi. Did she know who 'he' was? She seemed to... She narrowed her eyes at the woman... but then 'he' walked in. Sage had come to see her. Obviously. The boy had bad timing. Oh... and look at his face. He looked so disappointed that Lexi was here. He probably wanted some time alone to woo her without the charms professor in the room... maybe he wanted a snog... you sly dog you! Hecate couldn't help but smile.

"Sage, please come in. I've brewed some Cantonese cat nip tea... Let me get you a cup?" She said raising her wand. "Or is coffee your poison..." Wait... that may have not been the right word to use...

This wasn't good.

No, this was simply AWFUL.

He did NOT want to be in the same room as both Hectate and Lexi. Yes, he was a giant wimp. But ARGH. Scary. Some Gryffindor HE was.. he was even too scared to turn around and do a runner.

He just stood there. Frozen on the spot.

Adams apple bobbing up and down as he gulped nervously, Sage offered Lexi a tentative little smile before turning to Hectate. That woman ... SHIVER. He flinched slightly when she raised her wand... or was he flinching because she'd mentioned POISON...?

"Uh... coffee.." the grown man squeaked like a baby mouse and shuffled a little further into the room. Not too close though..

Oh.

Lovely.

Now Lexi felt sort of awkward. Since Sage had walked in, all the conversation had been between he and Hecate. Maybe she should make a...little exit, hmm? She placed her cup on a little table and stood from her chair, trying to find the best way to announce her leave.

...and that was when Lexi heard it---mention of poison! With all the talk of dead husbands, Lexi was only left to assume the worst. She wasn't leaving now, nope. Poor Sage wouldn't even live long enough to see the next potato grow from his garden if she left now!

So despite how awkward she suddenly felt, Lexi decided that she wouldn't--couldn't--leave Sage and Hecate alone. She stepped away from the chair and moved to an area closer to where Sage and Hecate were. Why hadn't Sage even replied to her hello yet? Was he really that into Hecate?

Hecate looked over to Lexi. She was leaving... She didn't have to leave, but this confirmed her suspicions that the woman knew Sage was the man she was seeing. Well... the girls, Destiny and Rose, they could have told her. No matter... but it was strange, as soon as Hecate was about to tell her not to go, Lexi... didn't leave.

She poured the coffee with her wand and smiled at the man. "I'm sorry to say the house elves brewed the coffee... it's not really up to my standards, but I'm sure it's alright... One lump or two?" She asked pointing to the sugar...

Sage's expression turned into one of pure horror when Lexi stood up, apparently about to leave. He wanted to shake his head and tell her 'NOOOO, please don't leave me,' but he couldn't do that without Hectate catching him..

He wasn't sure what made her change her mind and decide to stick around, but he would be eternally grateful that she had. He didn't particularly want to be left alone with the Potions Mistress.

"Oh.. I'm.. I'm sure it'll be fine," Sage muttered, trying to avoid eye contact with Hectate, "two lumps, please." That WAS coffee she'd just poured, wasn't it..?

Clearing his throat, he then turned Lexi.. he hadn't seen her since they'd bumped into Diagon Alley a few days ago. She was acting a little more awkward than she had been then though.. "Still not travelling then?" He asked with a teeny tiny smile.

Hmmm.

He smiled at Lexi.

Again.

This was the second time, and he did not so much as give her a second look. What was wrong with this picture? She dropped two lumps of sugar in the cup and she looked at him...

Was he... toying with her? If he was... he would find out why hell hath no fury like a woman scorned...

She tried to figure him out... and then it dawned on her.

He didn't want the others knowing about his attraction to her. OF COURSE! That wouldn't be at all that professional. That's why he wasn't looking her way... Lexi would know for sure then he was wooing Hecate. There really was no other explanation. Very well... she'd play along. For now.

"Cream?" She asked, her wand still raised, the cream pitcher dangling above his cup.

Lexi glanced back and forth between Hecate and the coffee she was currently pouring for Sage. As the seconds ticked on, Lexi started to mentally scold herself for being so antsy around the Potions mistress. Really, Hecate was being very nice to both Lexi and Sage, and there was really no actual proof that she shouldn't be trusted. Sure, she'd been really...really...unfortunate in the love field, but that didn't mean Lexi should assume the worst about the death of her husbands.

Then Lexi caught the expression of horror on Sage's face and decided that maybe, after all, she should keep just a small eye on Hecate. For now, though, she'd try her hardest to focus on the positive and leave the negative for later. She gave both Hecate and Sage a small smile then sat down in a different chair, one closer to her coworkers, so that she could at least participate in the conversation.

"...just back and forth from home to Hogwarts," she answered. With the school year so close to starting, Lexi had given up on any thoughts of traveling days ago. "Maybe during the Christmas holidays, though. So how's things at home? Did you get everything taken care of on the farm?" She remembered that Sage had said something about spending the summer helping out on the family farm.

Hectate was making him feel terribly uncomfortable. But then again, when DIDN'T she? The woman just had this ... aura about her. A menaing aura. How in the world was he supposed to get out of that dinner date she'd planned for them without her cursing him?

"No.. no cream thank you, ma'am.. I mean, Hectate.." Sage stumbled over his words AND his feet as he edged forward to take the coffee of her of.. trying his hardest not to brush his hand against hers. "Thank you."



At least he wasn't completely ALONE with Professor Lafay though, and clearing his dry throat a little more, Sage perched on the chair beside Lexi's. "Oh yes, there's just small odd jobs to do around there.. I came back to the school to check up on the plants here," he explained, looking from one woman to the other. "If you don't mind my asking.. What are the both of you doing here?"

Was it normal for Professor's to pay numerous visits to the school during holidays? Perhaps they were just checking up on things as he was.