Sabel blinked, shocked. He hadn't actually expected Tate to say yes. More of a raised-eyebrow of question or dismissal. But this, like the rest of their discussion, had been a rather pleasant surprise. An exciting one too. He knew there was a lot he could learn from the Headmaster still, and this was just one aspect. He could only hope the duel would be an honest assessment of his skills, even if he got whooped in the first five seconds. There was a lot to be learned simply from standing across from a partner in dueling. But he could think about such things later.

"Right. Of course, Sir." Pushing himself up from the chair, he couldn't help the smile that was starting to tug at the corners of his lips. He was starting to wonder why he had dreaded returning to Hogwarts this year. "Thank you, again." May as well be professional and extend the man a handshake before leaving.

"You're welcome, lad," Tate stood and took the proffered hand for a firm shake. "You'll do well, and if you have any concerns or thoughts, let me know. We could cover all your hoops and apply to the Auror office as well. No harm in that."

It would be a shame if the lad went through all this and then decided at the end of the year that he couldn't be away from his fourth year after all. For more than one reason, actually. But Tate decided to expect good things and see what happened. Positive thinking and all that.

"I will." He gave another nod and a firm shake to Tate's hand before returning both to his pocket. "And that sounds like a very good idea." Just in case his application to ITF didn't pan out; though he wasn't sure why the Auror's would hire someone that wasn't able to make it into ITF. "Extra safety measures and all that."

He gave a slight shrug of his shoulder and finally the excited smile was allowed onto his expression. He almost wished he had another year to go, so that he could remain and learn everything he was just starting to understand he still had to learn. There were a lot more questions floating about in his mind, but he decided that another day and another time was best. "I'll let Jake know he can come up. Thank you again, Headmaster." With a final grin and nod, he turned and made his way back down the stairs to the stone gargoyles.

Once he'd had the message to come up, Jake had given his subtle thanks and headed on up to the Headmasters office.

He saw the open door, and felt slightly nervous.

Doors made him almost as nervous as eye contact. Though closed ones did even more so.

Taking a steadying breath, Jake knocked on the wood of the open door, unable to avoid the compulsion to do so.

The young man raised up his hand, as though about to take off his glasses, then appeared to think better of it and ruffle his hair nervously instead.

"Enter," Tate called from behind his desk. It wasn't that he didn't know who was there, having passed the boy on the way up earlier, but he wanted Jake to sweat it a little after his behavior in the Great Hall.

"And sit."

Having been slowly and compulsively ruffling his hair until he was called in, Jake lowered his hand and probably looked like he'd come worse off in a pillow fight with an octopus.

The boy said nothing as he entered the room, before sitting before the man and looking anywhere else. He felt... like he was in trouble, now. And he wouldn't risk eye contact even from behind the safety of the shades.

"Sit," Tate repeated, gesturing again at the chair. "You look a bit stressed to my practiced eye, and I can't have you fainting in the middle of my office. I'll get a bad reputation."

And really, he didn't want to call on Lily to explain that he was harming her Hufflepuffs if he could avoid it.

"I'm not a fainter," Jake responded a little too quickly and bluntly. Well... he didn't want to be labelled with those kids who seemed to swoon and pass out all over the joint. No. He was Jake. Not a fainter.

"And I'm not stressed."

No. Not stressed. Nervous and anxious, maybe... but not all out stressed. Um. Right?

That window looked pretty interesting... yup.

"How about... you're stressing ME out by standing when I've asked you to sit? Does that work for you?" Tate raised an eyebrow and pointed one last time at the chair. The boy was stubborn about stupid things, which was good in some circumstances and bad in others. If he could channel that will, he'd go far in life.

"So... let's chat about the Feast."

...

...

JerkjerkjerkjerkJERK.

"Works just fine," Jake responded as civilly as he could, which, when the words came out, didn't sound too bad at all. It hadn't been difficult either; Jake had been expecting real attitude in his voice though he didn't intend it.

Jake sat down in the chair and panicked for a moment, feeling like an idiot however he sat. The young man shifted uncomfortably in his seat before finally settling on a slightly slumped position. He was feeling uncomfortable for some reason though he couldn't place it. Meh. It happened.

"The Feast? What about it?" Heh.

"Look, I don't know why you have a chip on your shoulders, and I don't feel like we have the relationship in place for us to play touchy-feely psychoanalysis as I try to get you to talk about your troubles with me," Tate studied the foe glass across the room rather than the boy in front of him.

"But that being said, you make it clear you feel like you have something to prove. You're confrontational and stubborn. While both of those can be good traits, you have to choose your battles a bit more wisely. Why in the world would accosting a man at dinner who hadn't done a thing to earn it strike you as a good idea?"

"A chip on my shoulders?" Jake repeated, a modicum of confusion in his voice.

Meh. Wasn't important.

"I didn't accost him, sir. I was asking questions that I wanted to hear the answers to. And Mr. Gevrik agreed that we should be able to ask. As for the points, I returned to my seat for the speeches, and came back to ask my questions," Jake explained.

As for his troubles… Jake didn't feel rightly comfortable TELLING the man about any such thing. He WANTED to be able to talk to him, but… well, that had never felt right.

"Seeking answers and asking questions is never wrong, my boy," Tate mused. "But the means you do so can be. I don't require you to kowtow to anyone here, but common respect? Yes. yes, we need that or the whole place will fall to pieces." But Tate wasn't confident the boy had any idea what he was talking about. How did you teach manners to someone without the slightest idea what they were?

...

Jake blinked behind his sunglasses, just staring straight at Tate.

What in the name of Merlin's pet spidermonkey was he on about?

"Right..." he said, without nodding. Well... he'd HEARD the man... that was enough surely. So... now he had to learn common respect... and what it was. "I'm not quite sure how I was in the wrong though, sir. At the feast."

Or did he just go over that?

... yeah, interesting window.

"Yeah, that's obvious," Tate gave the boy a rueful look. "But you lost points, and I've had my say... so. I think that's all I have right now."

Hmm? Did Jake have something to add?

"Well then I don't see any issue, to be perfectly honest," Jake said simply. "Except the haste of staff to take points or to conceal problem students. In favour of making some total new stranger feeling welcome."

Jake… was keeping his temper in check, and quite well, actually.

"I didn't really come here to talk about the feast. It's in the past and if there's one thing I've learnt, it's that you can't change the opinions of adults in this place."

Probably some accidental bitterness there.

"I don't know. I've been known to change my mind. Not as often as I change my socks, but it's been known to happen." He watched the boy with an impassive face before giving in with an internal shrug. Whatever. Let the boy be difficult.

"Then why are you here?"

Jake just... sat there for a moment, half in thought. He kind of had half a mind to tell the man it didn't matter and leave or, better yet, request another transfer back to homeschooling.

He was about to go on about something else, but when he opened his mouth, something else came out entirely.

"What does it mean when someone rolls their eyes at you?"

"I suppose it depends on the situation. It could mean they find you hard to believe. It could be a sign of a shared moment, that they're mocking themselves and the situation." And that was the strangest segue from one topic to another in a history of strange segues.

"Are you... here to complain about that? Someone rolled their eyes at you?"

Well… that didn't seem right. Lafay did not seem like one about to mock herself. And Jake had merely answered a question…

"No…" Jake said vaguely. "It just… well… it seems that she keeps rolling her eyes at me when I talk but she responds to everyone else," he 'explained', neglecting to realise that Tate had no idea what he was on about.

But anyway.

"No," Jake repeated with slightly more conviction. "Not here to complain yet."

Shifting ever so slightly in his seat, Jake went on. "I came to ensure you had recieved the paperwork that backs up the fact that I am up to date with school, roughly how the year was spent and who taught me."

Jake was thorough like that.

"I also have a request."

Yet? So he might be back to complain LATER?

Goody.

"I received the papers, and you're cleared to complete your seventh year. I sincerely doubt you've studied exactly what is expected, but because of the recent change to curriculum from the Ministry... well. You'll be in the same boat as everyone else," Tate studied his hands for a moment before making eye contact with the boy.

A request? Hmmm. "Requests are conditional. What is it you'd like?"

"Sweet," Jake replied. He was... kind of confused about the ministry thing, not being one to really focus on current events... at all. Therefore, when Tate mentioned something about being in a boat or whatever, Jake looked up at him. Luckily... the man wasn't looking at him, so his glance up didn't force them to make eye cont-

EEP!

Jake winced ever so slightly when they DID make eye contact, and quickly looked to the window.

"I would like to duel with you, sir. For instructive purposes, of course."

"I think that can be arranged. I'm dueling with Sabel Dakest later this term too, so perhaps I should just issue an open invitation to all seventh years to challenge me." And then get absolutely nothing done. That was a terrible idea.

"I would be happy to duel you sometime this term. You can let me know when you are available."

...

Without realising he was doing it, Jake flexed his fingers out and then back in, before resting his hands each into a kind of loose fist. His first mental respose was to say no. This was his idea, and not to go flaunting it around. It was bad enough that Sabel got here first and managed to say it. The young man didn't know it... but it was kind of... jealousy. Coming back to a place surrounded by other kids in need of attention after having at least one adult devoted to just you and your education was enough to turn a kid crazy.

But meh. He was part of the crowd now. Had to let it go.

Or try.

"Mmm," Jake responded, not really putting forth an opinion on that. Maybe it'd be fun to watch other students get ANNIHILATED in duelling as well as experiencing it himself. "Well. I don't have a very active social life, sir, so I'm free to duel whenever."

And if he lost, he'd work on his technique. Then try again. Maybe.

"Let's say... sometime after the first Defense class. I have added duties by taking on a class as well as the Head position, so I'm a bit swamped until then." He tapped his fingers lightly against the desk top.

If that was everything...?

"Anything else?" He glanced at the door pointedly. The line was backing up downstairs and he was keeping Jake from class, surely.