A memo in the shape of a paper plane glides gracefully through the crack beneath the door, before exercising a smooth landing on the Professor's desk.

Ay, what was this?

Lolita unfolded the paper that had landed in front of her. From Bentley? Ah yes, more discipline. That was something Lolita could get behind. Sure thing, vice-boss lady.

So Sophie had technically already been told she could come to the office, but that still didn't mean she could just barge on in. She COULD, but something told her she didn't want to be on the receiving end of the angriness it might cause the professor.

She she knocked.

...and then she waited. Was the professor even here from Arithmancy class just yet?

Sauntering down the hallway, the Latina came into view. Ah, Miss Newell was already there. "Hola, Miss Newell. Please come in." Lolita tapped the door to unlock it and pushed it open. She quickly made her way to the nearest mirror and checked herself. "Perfecto." As if there really was any question.

"Have a seat if you'd like," she said as she gestured to a chair in front of her desk. She elected to stand near the mirrors herself. "What can I do for you, Miss Newell?"

Sophie sort of stood awkwardly by the door as she waited for the professor. Finally, she heard the sound of footsteps coming down the corridor and turned to see the professor. Err... "Hola," she said, deciding to take the Spanish approach. It seemed somewhat appropriate considering Sophie was here to ask this woman a favor.

As she entered the office, she took note of the fact that the professor complimented her own appearance. Heh. Sophie took the seat in front of the desk and put her book bag on the floor beside her. after all, they'd just come from Arithmancy class. "So I'm here to ask a favor," she said. "I...umm..."

Yeah--that went well.

She decided to just say it...no hesitations. "I was wondering if you could give me some hair and make up advice," she said. "There's...these...boys...and..." She trailed off on that last note.

Lolita adjusted her toga from class and took off her hair piece. She checked the mirror once more and was again pleased. "Spit it out, dear." Mind over matter.

Ay, beauty advice. She knew this would happen eventually. "Muchachos... more than one?" She lifted her eyebrow with interest. This one had at least two young men after her? She was going to explain that part before Lolita would get into her request. ¡Excitante!

Sophie watched as the woman checked her appearance yet again. Was that what it took to have amazing hair and makeup? A look in the mirror every time you moved? If so, Sophie wasn't so sure she wanted THAT great of a hairdo. She blinked and looked at the professor once again. More than--...oh! "No, I...I don't have more than one boyfriend," she said. "I don't even have one boyfriend. There's just..."

SIGH.

"I'm about to be fourteen-years-old, and there's a few cute boys I've noticed, and...I can't believe I'm talking about this to my professor," she said. Forget that talk about boys. "I was just wondering how to have really awesome hair." Why was this woman a professor? She should work at that salon in Hogsmeade.

Oh, so she didn't have multiple boys. Yet. "No chico especial, you say?" That was quite surprising to Lolita. The girl obviously was fairly bright, if the class that just concluded was any indication. And she wasn't ugly, which helped.

"No need to sigh, muchacha. I would not expect too many young ladies to have a boyfriend already at your age." Just because she had had at least three by that age herself did not mean anything. Unrealistic standard and all that. "Awesome hair, as you say, is really just to get their attention. You have to draw them in with your alluring personality." Which Miss Newell may or may not have. It was too early to tell. "But attention is necessary as a first step, so I suppose a few tips couldn't hurt."

Lolita crossed to her desk and grabbed a spare bit of parchment and quill. "I only clean my hair a few times a week," she began as she scribbled away. "Only brush it a bit after washing it, no more than a few combings throughout the rest of the day. Also, don't use a Hot Air Charm on it, just let it dry naturally." Yes, that meant getting up earlier in the morning. "And of course, smile a lot. It lights up the face and, by extension, the gorgeous hair that surrounds it." There, that should be a good list to be getting on with. There was more, but she couldn't give away ALL her secrets, now could she?

Sophie squinted her eyes as she tried to translate the Spanish. No...special...boy. She shook her head. "I don't plan for it to stay that way, though," she clarified. Which was one of the reason why she was here. She saw how nearly every boy at Hogwarts swooned over this new professor and her head full of hair.

"At my age?" she asked. How old did she think she was--nine?! "But I'm about to have my fourteenth birthday." Wasn't that old enough to date? Surely she didn't have to wait until she was of age. She quietened down when the hair tips began. The professor was writing them down, so Sophie just listened carefully and nodded along. "Right. I think I can do that. Thanks, Professor," she said. She paused then hesitantly added, "Do you think it'll work?"

She also had another question. "¿De dónde es usted?" she asked. "Did I say that the right way? My mom's side of the family is Spanish, so I know a few of the basics."

She said what she said. "Yes, chica, at your age. See you have a boyfriend there has to be a boy." Clearly. "And if you haven't noticed yet, the other gender tends to mature much later than we do. So getting a boy that you're fond of AND that isn't a complete dunderhead? It's rare." Which is why most often it didn't happen until the middle teenage years.

"Of course you can do that. You seem reasonably intelligent." Striding over to the Slytherin, she presented the parchment to her. "And I see no reason why it should not work. You do not appear to be otherwise unhealthy or having a lack of hygiene. Give it a few weeks and you'll see."

As for her other question, close enough. "That is good enough to be getting on with, yes. I presume you mean before Hogwarts?" Since they were currently in her office and all that, it would be ridiculous to be inquiring as to its location. "Doing field work all over the world mostly. In Peru most recently, as I would guess that you have heard already." She did run in to several Hogwarts students on their summer field trip there, after all. "But prior teaching experience takes me back to South Africa with your own Professor Hadley."

So what this woman was saying was basically Sophie should either find an older boy or wait a few years before trying to find a boyfriend. Sophie wasn't exactly desperate, so she could see herself going either way. She just didn't want to blow through her teenage years doing things like going single to all the school dances. She imagined that'd be very boring.

Sophie nodded as she accepted the parchment. "Thanks, Professor," she said. "I just..." She trailed off and left that thought. She was about to say she wished it was as easy for her as it was for the professor. Sophie had noticed that the moment all the boys saw their new Arithmancy professor, they were automatically admiring her. Then again, she guessed that's what she should expect from a woman who checked her appearance every five seconds.

Again, she nodded. "Right, before Hogwarts," because Sophie knew what the woman was doing nowadays. Hmm...so Sophie guessed this woman was legit. "What made you want to come here to teach?" She seemed to have had an exciting life--why Hogwarts?

Just what? Lolita did not like it when people did not finish their sentences. Nor did she have any particular desire to fish for teenage drama. And so it was that she let the subject change to her previous employment history.

Students were not likely to understand adult decisions and motivations, but this girl seemed savvy. "Simply put, I had been out studying in the field for quite enough time and I missed the steady features of teaching." Like warm showers and large pay checks. "Hogwarts had a position and I took it. It helps that I already knew Professor Hadley from my previous teaching post." Fina had been a good friend in South Africa.

It seemed that their conversation on hair and boys and other drama Sophie had suddenly encountered had now wrapped itself up. Sophie looked down at the parchment she now had in her hands. She had what she'd come for and had even introduced herself to the new professor, so her work here was done. Professor Domingo probably had a million other things to do anyway.

"Well, welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "I enjoyed your first class." She stood up and nodded toward the parchment. "Thanks again. I should get going. Homework and all." Three subjects of it to be exact.

"Gracias, chica." A far more welcoming welcome than the one she didn't receive from the Headmistress. "Y de nada. Good luck on your work." She crossed and opened the door for Sophie. "¡Adios!"

Sophie thought she understood all that. There was a thank you, then a 'you're welcome'. Finally, there was a goodbye. Yup, she got all that. "Thanks. Good luck on your teaching," she said. "...and your hair." Since she seemed to want to check on that every ten or so minutes. "¡Adios!"

With that, she left out the opened door and made her way down to the dungeons.

Arista skipped her way over to the easier office out of the two Professors. With card in hand it didn't take long for her to make it to the Arithmancy Professor's office. She was kind of nervous about the card she didn't really know if Professor Domingo liked her or not and also if she was nice or not.

But she would deliver it with an adorable smile on her face anyways.

The Gryffindor gave a light knock and waited for the Professor to answer the door.

Lolita had just finished performing her hourly Hot Air Charm that was so critical lately when she thought she heard a knock on her door. "¡Entrar!" she said somewhat tentatively, not really sure if anyone was there to hear her. She needed one of those Muggle cameras that let you see if someone was approaching. Too bad Fina couldn't extend her magical interference-free area a bit further.

Jasmine arrived at Professor Domingo's office with card in hand. Now that she was here, she was a little nervous. Pausing a moment, she thought about why she had chosen the Professor as the recipient of her card. Even though she could be a tad scary, Jasmine had respect for her. There was something to be said for a women who did not take foolishness from anyone and was a major fashionista at the same time. Besides, she knew her numbers and Jasmine was determined to learn all she could about Arithmancy.......if it killed her.

Taking a deep breath, Jasmine knocked on the door. She waited for a response, hoping that the Professor was in her office and not busy. After waiting a bit and getting no response, Jasmine figured that Professor Domingo was elsewhere. Either that or she didn't want to be bothered with students. Anyway, she decided that her best course of action would be to slip the card under the door. Bending down, Jasmine carefully pushed the Valentine's Day card under the door. Mission accomplished, sort of. Straightening up, Jasmine turned and headed back to her Common Room.

Well, that had been a successful lesson. Of course, anything where she got to show off her new fashion-wise winter wear was bound to be successful, naturally. Lolita came to her door but did not open it. One of her security charms had been triggered. Some one had tampered with her door.

Wand at the ready, she cautiously opened the door. Nothing happened, but she did notice a card. Relaxing, she picked it up and closed the door behind her. Upon reading it, she smiled. Well, who would NOT want to wish their most fabulous professor Valentine's greetings?

Since the owls were gone, she scribbled a note on a piece of parchment and then folded it into an easy rectangle. With a simple spell, she sent it zooming off. There. That made TWO good deeds for the day.