Making her way into the staff room, Renée couldn't help but look around for a moment as she had the realization that she hadn't come in here at all before now. She'd been practically everywhere else in the castle and the grounds, but not in here. Oddly, it wasn't what she'd expected it to look like, remembering theories from way back when she was a student at Hogwarts and stories she'd read during her trips to the library. Either way, she'd decided not to go to the kitchens or the Great Hall, so she'd come here now, so she was going to make herself comfortable.

Of course, it seemed she was alone, but that didn't stop her from heading over to put on a pot of tea, twisting her hair up off her neck again and pinning it up with the red rose that had appeared in her office that morning. The hairstyle reminded her a little bit of Maya, but she hadn't known the former CoMC professor that well so it didn't bother her overly much. And once her tea was ready, she made her way over to the table and sat down, wrapping her hands around the teacup for a moment to savor the heat before taking a sip, losing herself in thought for a moment. At least her personal Tarot readings had cleared up again, although there were still certain subjects that were eliciting curious responses.

Gemma hurried into the staff room just needing a break from the students. She was pretty sure that some of them had gone mad and it seemed a little early for them to be acting...welll...so strange...she remembered everyone going bonkers during finals, and NEWT, and OWL time not in March!

She walked in and was happy to see another staffer in the room already. She always felt so awkward coming into the room and just sitting there by herself...it was peaceful but still a little creepy being in the staff room by herself. She had noticed thought that not many of the staffers came here. Maybe next term they would need to have a monthly luncheon or something...she pushed that thought to the back of her mind and smiled at the other professor before having a seat across from her.

"How are things going for you today Renee?" she asked kindly with a smile and then she noticed the pretty rose in the woman's hair, "Wow that is just lovely and it looks fresh..." she said with a motion towards the rose. Gemma loved loved loved flowers, but they didn't love her they always died even when she charmed them not to...she had not gotten the 'green' thumb that her mother and grandmother had.

Looking up as the door to the room opened again, Renée took in the figure of the new History of Magic professor and gave her a smile. "There's tea if you'd like some. Or we could probably scavenge something else if we looked," she commented, gesturing a hand toward the teapot she'd made earlier before Gemma had decided to take a seat across from her. Well, that could always wait, and besides, if she wasn't mistaken it seemed like the other woman had merely been looking for an escape from everything else anyhow. In a way, like she had done, in fact. Of course, up in her tower she'd managed to stay away from much more than just the reports of what had occurred in the Great Hall and elsewhere, but that didn't mean she was wanting to get involved quite yet. She didn't need her cards to know that it was almost inevitable, however, just the knowledge of her curiosity that she was keeping at bay.

But first, the conversation, and she smiled again. "I'm doing about as well as anyone here at the school right now. I'd imagine you're aware of the goings-on," she replied, idly, taking another sip from the teacup in her hands as she sat back. Only to have her vague smile grow a bit more amused at the comment about the flower in her hair. "Thank you. It was a gift, or at least I'm assuming it was," she said, before laughing a little. "Roses appearing in one's office would generally appear to be a gift, I'd imagine." Not that she really was uncertain about the matter at all, and she was just as sure that the likelihood of said roses not continuing to look fresh for as long as she liked or until they were replaced was high.

Gemma glanced over at the tea and with a flick of her wand a cup came over to her and after it landed in front of her she took a small sip. Yes she was being lazy not getting up to fetch it herself but o well....

"Well that's good to hear Renee...I guess I'm the same way just putting one foot in front of the other, especially with all the chaos going on..." she paused and blew on her cup in her hand..."I'm telling you there is some crazy shinanagans going on in the castle this year....I think some of the students have taken the ship and my pirate lesson a little bit too seriously.." secretly she hoped her lesson wasn't to blame for all this craziness...she glanced at the rose again..."OOOO..that sounds like someone might have a secret admirer!" she said with a little wink.

After doing her usual walk of the garden and greenhouses Seren decided she'd venture up to the castle. It still seemed strange for her to be back at the school after having graduated so long ago. And even now, she rarely stepped inside. Instead of making her way to the Great Hall-- which is what she usually did when she came up, she decided to check out the staff room. She had only been in there on a couple of occasions, and as a professor, she figured she ought to be there more often.

Upon entering she couldn't help but feel relieved. It was generally empty, but this time there were people! "Hello Renee, Gemma," she said greeting both of her colleagues with a cheerful nod.
"How have we been recently?" she asked as she joined them at the table.

It made Renée relax a bit more as Gemma finally decided to take her up on the offer of tea. Even as the way the other professor retrieved it made her grin a little behind her own teacup. It seemed Gemma was more focused on the conversation than anything else, and didn't want to move to get her tea the Muggle way. She didn't really have a problem with that, as at least it kept her from going back to her internal thoughts.

"I'd imagine everyone gets by putting one foot in front of the other. Not the most exciting way of going about things, but here at Hogwarts, excitement isn't exactly hard to get by," she replied, nodding at the mention of piracy. Something told her the History of Magic lesson definitely didn't have anything to do with the activity going on around them. "The ship, I agree with. I think your lesson probably is just a coincidence. Timing, that sort of thing. To be honest, I'd been trying almost all term to investigate my own way, and I'm pretty sure your lesson plans wouldn't have much effect on Tarot cards," she added, sending her another smile. But then her expression changed subtly as Gemma clung to the discussion of her hair accessory, as she raised an eyebrow at the barely veiled excitement. "Perhaps," she said vaguely, leaning back in her chair again. It wasn't much of a secret, to her, but she was fine with everyone else around thinking that.

Renée's evasion of the attempts at gossip seemed to be destined to be made easier as she heard the door to the staff room open yet again and looked over to see Seren walking in. At least, she hoped that would make things easier on her, or at least distract Gemma from things. Either way, she returned Seren's cheerful nod with a smile as she took another sip of tea. "Hello Seren. Tea?," she replied once the teacup was lowered again. She may as well offer.

As the question reappeared as to their well-being, upon the Herbology professor's arrival at the table, she grinned. "We'd just been discussing that. How things here have been so chaotic, although I have to admit I've managed to stay away from a lot of the pirate madness." Going back to the rumors that had filtered up to her in the tower, though, it seemed Seren herself hadn't been as lucky. "Have you been managing to do alright?"

Did she just hear tea? Oh yes she did! Seren's mood lifted-- as if it could get any higher. "Oh yes please," she said replied, resisting the urge to clap her hands together in excitement. She could never refuse a cup of tea... and if she did, she was probably seriously ill.

Seren rolled her eyes, pirate nonsense again. "Honestly I don't understand how it's gotten so out of control." Sure it had been fun to begin with what with the ship appearing on the lake and all, it was just fascinating. But all the pirate talk and sword fights was growing old now.
"And if it isn't bad enough that the students have lost the plot, Max's behaviour hasn't been any better. He's been encouraging them to fight and search for treasure." And acting bizarre himself. Humph, if he EVER called her a wench again, then he would get more than a light slap on the face. Perhaps she'd take a leaf out of Master Blunt's book and introduce him to her snargaluff.

Gemma glanced up as the door opened and another staffer came in. It was nice to see them all needing a break. She smiled at Seren as she said her hellos.


"Well things are great just a little bit chaotic..." she said taking a sip of her drink. She didn't elaborate because she knew they'd end up talking about the going ons as a group.

She glanced at Renee with a smile deciding that with another person in the room she wouldn't pick on her too much about the lovely flower but Gemma did it find it interesting that the woman had been given such a lovely rose. Now in Gemma's mind she would've just put it in a vase and would've never thought of wearing it in her hair, but she loved the idea. It just gave refreshing air to the woman.

She listened to the two women talk for minute and she chimed in, "Yes, this pirate business has just seemed to overwhelm some of the students...and...well...I'm pretty sure Max is having too much fun playing along with them..." she paused as a thought came to her mind, "I don't remember him being like this when I was here...I mean he was just always the old teddy bear gripey type not the let's join in on this craziness type..." she said cocking her left eybrow up.

As Seren responded positively to the offer of tea, Renée glanced toward the teapot she'd already brewed, but chose to not say anything to that end. The offer had been made, but she wasn't about to assume the type of tea her colleague drank even if she very easily could have. Other discussions were taking precedence. And, thankfully, they didn't involve her rose and speculation as to who might have given it to her. She wasn't entirely certain why she was keeping it secret, but then it seemed gossip hadn't picked up on it all yet, so she wasn't about to cause any problems unless they were necessary. All this pirate business was much more intriguing and mysterious, anyhow.

She listened calmly to the theories passing between the other two women, sipping her tea as she analysed it all in her head. Other things that she'd been contemplating earlier seemed to be coming clearer finally. "I'm not so sure the students, and Max, are entirely just play-acting or losing their sanity," she finally mused aloud. "I agree that Max never acted like this back when, but something else is going on here. My Tarot readings keep getting all tangled up in the past, and I'm pretty sure that's not just distraction on my part. Everything all just seems so coincidental, too much so. And reacting negatively obviously hasn't gotten us anywhere." Stories she remembered from library exploration when she was young kept trying to push their way back to the surface, but she merely took another sip of her tea. Staying calm would get her further than anything else would.