"Apology accepted," replied Vindictus. "And I hope that this situation is never repeated again. Ever." That's when he noticed that there was a Bunbury in his office. "Tori - is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes sir!" Tori perked up, standing up straight when the Quidditch Professor noticed her at last. She turned away from his wildly distracting and winking and flexing portraits and flourished her parchment. "I am in need of some homework aid, sir, in regards to your totally awesome and interesting life story?"

Her eyebrows perked up in a hopeful expression. "Is there a biography on you, sir, that I can check out from the library? Or would you be so kind as to answer a few questions for me?"

PLEEEEEEEEEASE?!

"Let's go Prefect Flores..." She said. "You should be celebrating your win with your team." She paused and addressed the professors. "Professor Vindictus... Professor Hadley..." She said with a nod, and hoisting her beater's bat on her shoulder, she left the office.

Well, this was all just...anticlimactic. She could not believe Puff girl got away with this. Standing up straight though, she glanced over to Lafay, and just as she was leaving, Evelyn gave her own farewells. "Professor Vindictus. Professor Hadley." she said before following behind her Head of House. Yes, those were farewells. Though the puff girl did just get a semi-glare, while Tori recieved somewhat of a nod. Celebrating should lighten her mood some.

Once the others had left his office, Max turned his full attention to Tori and the dark mood he was in lifted immediately. "Well, Tori," he began and he leaned against the fireplace mantle, mimicking a pose that was in a framed portrait of himself on the wall. "I'm flattered that you ask! My autobiography comes out this summer. It's going to be bound in the most magnificent shade of royal blue - not too bright and not too dark - just perfect! And there will be color photographs!"

He stopped and flashed his winning smile. "But I digress. The best place to currently find information about me, besides the walls of this illustrious office, is the library."

Well, that was certainly a quick turn-around in moods. Tori had to fight all her natural urges not to start laughing the instant Professor Vindictus struck a pose. It was hilarious to see all the portraits behind him doing pretty much the exact same thing he was doing right there on the mantlepiece.

Heh.

"Oh how wonderful!" Tori clapped, for she really was the kind of Quidditch player who adored the greats like THE Maximus Vindictus. "I'll have to order an advance copy," she assured him, though she was slightly disappointed to hear that she would be spending a long night in the library now.

The redhead head for the door, then, so that she wouldn't take up any more of the Quidditch professor's precious time. "Thank you, sir, just one more question... is it safe to say that beautiful royal blue is your favorite color then?"

Just......... curious. Heh.

Max continued to smile. "Of course it is!" he exclaimed and all of his portraits nodded. "But I prefer to wear navy blue because it brings out the color of my eyes."

"Oh that it does sir, that it does," Tori agreed, because of course what else was she going to do?

"Thank you again!" the redhead chirped, pressing her papers to her chest as she headed out the door. "See you on the pitch sometime!" Hopefully. HOPEFULLY she'd get to play in the next match. "Bye professor!!!!!!!!!"

Kurumi had two reasons for wanting to see Professor Vindictus, but neither of them were really the pleasant sort of conversation. She had brought something to make the whole situation seem a bit...sweeter, but the weight of the wooden splinters in her bag caused her feet to drag and her mood to darken.

Setting it down on the ground in front of his office door, Kurumi hesitated for a moment before she knocked softly on it three times. Now taking a step back, Kurumi waited for a response.

"COME IN!!!!!!!" Vindictus called out in a sing-song voice and he continued to compare the blue swatches that were on his desk.

Wait...Had Professor Vindictus just...sung for her to come in? The hairs on Kurumi's neck stood on end as she slowly opened the door and bowed her head. "G-Good day, Professor Vindictus," Kurumi said with the slightest of stutters. Seemed like her renewed fear of flying was now being transferred onto the man himself.

Dragging her bag containing the the bits and splinters of her broom, Kurumi reached down and pulled out a small box to hand to him. The man had been very vocal about not receiving cookies. "Um...I suppose this is a small thank you for the term and the Quidditch season," she said with a faint smile.

"Thank you, Kurumi," Vindictus replied as he took the small box from her and opened it. Cookies! He could eat them later and placed the box on his desk. "This is very thoughtful of you. Please have a seat."

It was then that he noticed that she was dragging a bag containing something rather lumpy. "Not to be rude, but what's in the bag?"

Kurumi bowed her head again. It really was the least she could do, being that she sort of brought shame to the name of Quidditch and still called that one ball a Waffle from time to time. Selina probably needed to bring out her Beater's bat to pound that into the fourth year's head properly. Not that it really mattered now.

Kurumi then looked down at the back and sort of lifted it up off the ground, resting it on her lap as she unzipped it to show what had once been a broom. "My...broom, Professor," she said, her voice quivering a bit. "I was wondering if, perhaps, there was any chance of it being repaired." Not likely though. It would look better if the Whomping Willow had had a go at it. "It is really important to me...and was giving to me by Simon..." The part of the broom where he had signed it glistened in the light.

Yeah, sorry Simon. She had totally failed and broken her promises.

The sight of the destroyed broom made Vindictus gasp in horror. It was a definite goner. "Kurumi," he began softly. "I'm sorry - this broom is beyond repair."

But then she had to mention the sentimental aspect of the broom. Ack! Remember, girls have feelings and they cry at everything! "All that can be done is to piece it back together and affix it to a special plaque so that you can hang it up on the wall."

Blunt, but it was to the point. I could've told her that I'd burn the pieces for her, but that would result in tears. Lots and lots of tears.

Before Professor Vindictus had spoken Kurumi knew the answer to her question - his gasp had pretty much been a dead give away. "I...thought so..." she said with another frown and a slight quiver to her bottom lip...and something wet trickling down her cheeks.

Her eyes sort of went wide like an owl's at his next suggestion and now it was her turn to gasp. Hang it up on the wall? Like a constant reminder of her failure? No thank you, professor. Kurumi picked up the piece of the broom with Simon's signature on it and put it in her pocket. That was really the only piece that held real sentimental value to her. "That...I...that won't be necessary," she wibbled, patting her pocket where the large splinter was. She could have come up with some lame excuse like she didn't have enough room on her wall to display it, but that would be a lie. Kurumi liked to keep things clean and simple.

It was almost the end of term but it was the first time Beatrice has ever set foot outside their Head of House's Office. She wanted to give the man something. And there were some question that she needed to ask him.

She sucked in some air as she pulled the sling of her bag tighter into her right shoulder. Then she lightly placed the back of her closed hand on the door and with another inhale knocked twice. Now to wait if Professor Vindi's inside.

Ack! Why do females have to cry? WHY?

"Don't cry, Kurumi," Vindictus immediately replied in response to her tears. "This broom served you well, and I know it's hard to let go."

He was about to say something else when he was saved by a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called out and hoped that it wasn't another female student on the verge of tears.

If it was, he was going to make a new school rule - No crying in a male professor's office or classroom, including the offices of the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster, as well as inside the Quidditch Stadium.

Come in. She heard a voice say. Oh, goody..Their Deputy Headmaster it was.

Beatrice slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door. "Good--" She started; just about to greet their Head of House when she saw another person inside the office, and not just another person. It was Kurumi! And..and..she was crying. She blinked twice before reverting her attention to Professor Vindictus. With a bow and a hesitant voice she said, "Good..day..Professor." And of course with another small bow she turned to the Gryffindor Prefect, "Kurumi."

So, uhm..Did she sort of interrupt something?

"S-S-Sorry, professor," Kurumi said, swallowing hard and chewing on the inside of her cheek. "I'm...more upset that I broke my promise to serve that broom well and make its former owner proud." Yep, breaking promises all over the place. A broom was just a thing. An inanimate object as far as Kurumi was concerned. She really never felt that connection with the broom itself, unlike her teammates who really seemed to have become one with their brooms - which is probably why they were such brilliant flyers. Sure, she felt somewhat connected with the broom that was now in splinters, but she hadn't served it well. "I...I think I've let it down..."

She had opened her mouth to say more, but one of her favorite first year Ravenclaws entered the office and the words sort of escaped along with her next breath. "Beezus, hello," she smiled as she wiped her cheek. Hopefully the Ravenclaw didn't think that Professor Vindictus had made her cry. He was scary...and intimidating...and insane a good portion of the time...but he never tried to make a student cry on purpose. At least...not that she knew about.

"That...is really all I came to speak with you about," she said, returning her attention to Professor Vindictus now.