Emmylou walked into the office and took a seat. "That sounds like a really awesome play." Or was it a musical? She said that they sing so that means it was a musical. "I mean musical! Awesome musical." The sixth year nodded to her. The blonde shrugged as she looked around the office. "I've asked Professor Cassie and Professor Turner so far but I want to know everyone's opinions." Or just a select few opinions.

Emmylou only cared about two professors opinions really and here she was in one of their offices. "I want to be a teacher..." She started off. She was just going explain everything first. That would be a lot easier. "I mean I've always wanted to be a teacher but I'm a sixth year now and most of my friends already have plans and back up plans and I don't. I only have one plan and that is be a teacher." She wasn't really feeling like she was getting anywhere right now. "I just don't know what my back up plan should be or what to expect if I don't make it in teaching." The more she thought about it the more it felt like she was going to be horrible at the job.

Nessa followed Emmylou into her office and reached for her tin of cookies, opening it and setting it on the coffee table. "Please, help yourself." She smiled wider as the girl asked more about the musical and she set about getting the tea ready. "Yes, musical," she nodded happily, reflecting a bit on the memories. "It really was so much fun. Do you have any interest in the performing arts? Might be something to think about for next summer.." It did surprise her that out of all the young witches and wizards, they got very few from Hogwarts for the camp, especially considering that there was a lack of the arts here. Though maybe that was the reason for few students there...

Nessa set the tray of tea down on the table next to the cookies and readied herself a cup as she thought over the teenaged girl's question. "You still have plenty of time to think about what you want to do for the rest of your life even with graduation coming closer," she said, taking a seat at her desk. Though Emmylou did seem to know what she wanted to do by the sounds of it and that was great. "Not everyone has a backup plan though because not everyone needs one. Sometimes people just know what they want to do because they feel such a passion for it deep in their soul. They know they were meant for that."

She took a sip of her tea, then sat it down on the saucer, noticing the chips in her nail polish. Oh, ew.. that would not do. "Personally, I don't think you need one. Some people think that if you have something to fall back on.. well, you will fall back on it and not work as hard for the one thing that you want," she said as she pulled out a bottle of sparkly purple nail polish from a drawer in her desk. "I didn't have a backup plan. I always wanted to be an actress since I was a little girl. And, while I might not be an actress in the strictest sense, I still am doing what I love. I get to tell stories while putting my own creative spin on things." At least that was her interpretation on teaching History of Magic, and she loved it.

Nessa touched up the chips in her polish with a fresh coat then glanced up with a smile. "Life has a way of working out for us and showing us the paths we need to take. I think you will make a marvelous teacher and, if that's what you want to do, I think that is where you should focus your energies." She capped the bottle and shook it a little. "Would you like me to paint your nails? I have a lot of different colors.." And manicures always put her in a good mood, she was sure it would do the same for Emmylou!

Once she and the boys had returned the classroom supplies to the Wizarding Suite and put them all away, Nessa led them to her office and opened the door, allowing them entrance first. "Come on in. I have snacks and I was hoping to have a little chat with you both." It would be much easier now that they had the little bit of work out of the way, were free from other distractions, and could sit with some refreshments. Nessa was sure there was some sort of tiff the friends had, but she was also sure it could be worked out.

She gestured for them to each have a seat on her sofa, then set about getting some snacks ready. Nessa opened a tin of cookies then set it on the coffee table for them to help themselves. She didn't have visitors that regularly, but she did lately make it a habit of asking the elves to bake cookies for her to have on hand. Never knew when company would drop by so it was best to be prepared!

Tea was next and she set the kettle and service down next to the cookies, soon preparing her own cup. Tea cup in one hand and cookie in the other, Nessa took a seat at her desk, turning to face the two boys. "Please help yourself." She took a sip of her tea and waited till they were somewhat situated. "Now.. I noticed a lot of things during class today, an awful lot of tension especially, and some unkind words." She'd much rather help them work through this rather than punish anyone with loss of points or anything else. "One at a time, I'd like you each to tell me what might be going on here.."

Adi was the first to enter the Office after being ushered into it by Glendower. He smiled his thanks to her and proceeded to look around. It was the first time he had been here. But whuat caght his eyes was the Fwooper. He bounded over to the creature. "Hi!'' Hehe. Fwoopers were cool. Yup.

The Puffer turned his attention back to Glendower just as she gestured to her sofa. Adi sat on one side, hoping that Benny would take the faaaaaar end. Or better yet, somewhere else. He didn't really want to talk about anything. He was quite fine and being offered cookies and tea made him feel even better. "Thanks, Professor!'' He wasted no time in making a very sweet cup of tea and grabbing a cookie. Seeeee? This entire situation was not even bothering him so it wasn't like he couldn't eat.

Uh oh. There went the History lady coming straight to the point. Adi remained silent for a while, pretending to be focused on dunking his cookie in the tea. Actually, he was waiting for Benny to open his mouth to say something. But when Adi had done chewing and still not one word came from him, he spoke up in a carefree tone. "A certain EX best friend is jealous of Henric because he and I hang out a lot and thinks he has been replaced, Professor.'' Dunk, nom, swallow. "I tried explaining to him that he wasn't but said EX best friend did not believe me.'' That was a nice way to sum it up, yes?

Ben was relatively fine while they were handling the supplies, the group understandably quiet as they worked to put everything away. However the Gryffindor dreaded as they actually headed to the professor's office, not because it was her office, but because what he suspected was her motive for asking them there. He didn't want to talk about things, he just wanted to escape to his dormroom and maybe have a nice scream.

He wasn't going to get the chance though, reluctantly falling into step behind both Professor Glendower and Adi and following them into the room. Ben noticed the offering of the couch for the two of them and how the Hufflepuff took up a spot on one end of the piece of furniture. The Gryffindor in turn obeyed, taking the other side for his own seat figuring not to make things worse by taking one of the chairs instead.

As for the snacks, cookies were out. He was upset and couldn't bring himself to even think about eating anything. Something that clearly wasn't bothering the boy beside him as Ben caught his movements out of the corner of his eye. Deciding not to be rude, the sixth year opted to take a cup of tea though, tentatively taking a sip to cover up the fact that he had no desire to talk. Adi had no trouble doing that either causing the slightly younger boy to look down at his cup sadly as it was brought down and rested on his lap.

Nessa watched the boys closely as they made choices in where to sit and what, if anything, they chose to eat and drink. She found it rather interesting how different each demeanor was to the other, with Benjamin appearing much more distressed. It was nice that Ophelia was cooperating today, she noticed as she watched Adi interact with the bird a moment before. She did have the tendency to be fussy,especially with a crowd.

Dunking her cookie into her cup of tea, she waited patiently for one of the boys to speak, her brown eyes looking between them, then landing on Adi as he was the first to offer his side of the story. Her soft smile grew tight, however, as he spoke. He might have used a light tone, but there was a lot of blame and judgement behind his words, though it was rather telling as to why there was so much tension between them both.

"I see," she said simply, then looked to Benjamin who wasn't so forthcoming. And it really saddened her to see the melancholy written all over the boys face. "Let's try this again." She turned to the prefect again. "Adi, try not to speak for anyone else but yourself. When you use statements like that, it implies blame and assumes the feelings of another person. It's important to express opinions and feelings without blaming others for making us feel the way we do." Hmm. She should get out the puppets.

She dug around in one of the bigger, bottom drawers in her desk. There they were.. She pulled out a turtle puppet and a crow puppet, setting them both on the couch between them. "I'd like us to try a couple exercises. Choose a puppet and I'd like you each to speak to the other's puppet. This is sometimes good for projecting our emotions as the puppets represent a person without actually being a person." Make sense? It did to her, plus she thought it was fun.

"Now, instead of being accusatory or judgemental, try using "I-statements". Use this model - 'I feel blank when you blank because blank.'"

"Professor, you don't mind if I eat more cookies, do you?'' Adi always had an appetite for food, yes but cookies? It seemed he had an ENDLESS space in his stomach for that and all other sweet stuff. In the meanwhile, he snagged another cookie to dunk in the tea. He side eyed Benny. Of course he wasn't talking. That was the boy's problem. He never wanted to talk. Adi had gotten used to it by now but it certainly hadn't help that he had to practically prod every word out from the Lion about what he was so upset about days ago.

Adi paused after polishing off the second cookie to listen to Glendower. Try it again? Without blaming anyone? Well, he WAS blaming Benny. If he hadn't been so jealous and not understanding... Hmph. "I'll try,'' he replied half heartedly though he brightened up even more at the puppets the woman brought out. "The crow!'' Hehe. The crow puppet just seem to speak to him, you know? Plus it was yellow and black. Puff Pride!

Anyway. That meant Benny was left with Mr Turtle. He waited- while taking a healthy swig of tea- for the Gryffindor to take the turtle. When he had, Adi said to the puppet, "I am NOT a liar.'' There. Simple and to the point with the use of 'I'. He flopped the crow about as though trying to make it fly.

Apparently the professor didn't get the fact that he didn't want to talk. He felt too down in the gutter to do so and it would likely only make things worse. Ben barely registered the fact that Glendower had corrected Adi and his negative words towards him...or the digging in the desk drawer. The Gryffindor only lifted his gaze when the two puppets were placed before them on the couch, their purpose explained moments later.

She wanted them to talk with the puppets...to talk THROUGH the puppets.

Ben sighed, not sure what to say. He listened to her instructions and the examples given to try and keep the comments productive. Adi took the crow and with some hesitation, the sixth year lion exchanged the tea cup for the turtle one. Fitting...giving he wished he could retreat into a shell right now. Taking a deep breath as he formulated his words in response to the Hufflepuff's turn.

"I feel...that...actions speak louder than words." He could try and defend himself all he could but Adi had done somethings in class that didn't back up his statement about Benny being his best friend.

Emmy took a few cookies and started to eat them. "I have some interest in the performing arts." It seemed like something new and fun to do. She shook her head. "I don't know if I would be able to do that. I think it sounds like a lot of fun but I can't sing to save my life or even act for that matter." Her dancing was also off but she wasn't going to say anything about that. She felt that being taught how to dance would be easier to do than acting and singing. "It just don't want to wait until the last minute to think of what I want to do and what not." That made some sense? It did in her head but not when she said it out loud.

The blonde turned her head to the side. "Why do a lot of adults and some professors always say that students need a back up plan for when they are about to graduate?" She was slightly confuse right now. Listening to Professor Glendower, the sixth year nodded. She had a good point but she didn't know what that would work out with her that well.

The blonde nodded. "It's the only thing that I've wanted to do when I'm done with school." Emmylou's eyes lit up. Paint her nails?! YES! "Do you have a light purple?Or a shimmery purple?" Purple this, purple that! Everything had to be purple with Emmylou, it's her favorite color and no color could compare to it in her dark blue eyes.

SPOILER!!: Adi and Benny

Quote:

Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19

"Professor, you don't mind if I eat more cookies, do you?'' Adi always had an appetite for food, yes but cookies? It seemed he had an ENDLESS space in his stomach for that and all other sweet stuff. In the meanwhile, he snagged another cookie to dunk in the tea. He side eyed Benny. Of course he wasn't talking. That was the boy's problem. He never wanted to talk. Adi had gotten used to it by now but it certainly hadn't help that he had to practically prod every word out from the Lion about what he was so upset about days ago.

Adi paused after polishing off the second cookie to listen to Glendower. Try it again? Without blaming anyone? Well, he WAS blaming Benny. If he hadn't been so jealous and not understanding... Hmph. "I'll try,'' he replied half heartedly though he brightened up even more at the puppets the woman brought out. "The crow!'' Hehe. The crow puppet just seem to speak to him, you know? Plus it was yellow and black. Puff Pride!

Anyway. That meant Benny was left with Mr Turtle. He waited- while taking a healthy swig of tea- for the Gryffindor to take the turtle. When he had, Adi said to the puppet, "I am NOT a liar.'' There. Simple and to the point with the use of 'I'. He flopped the crow about as though trying to make it fly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Holmesian Feline

Apparently the professor didn't get the fact that he didn't want to talk. He felt too down in the gutter to do so and it would likely only make things worse. Ben barely registered the fact that Glendower had corrected Adi and his negative words towards him...or the digging in the desk drawer. The Gryffindor only lifted his gaze when the two puppets were placed before them on the couch, their purpose explained moments later.

She wanted them to talk with the puppets...to talk THROUGH the puppets.

Ben sighed, not sure what to say. He listened to her instructions and the examples given to try and keep the comments productive. Adi took the crow and with some hesitation, the sixth year lion exchanged the tea cup for the turtle one. Fitting...giving he wished he could retreat into a shell right now. Taking a deep breath as he formulated his words in response to the Hufflepuff's turn.

"I feel...that...actions speak louder than words." He could try and defend himself all he could but Adi had done somethings in class that didn't back up his statement about Benny being his best friend.

"Have as many as you like," Nessa smiled at Adi but meant that for Benjamin too. They could help themselves to as much tea and cookies as they wanted while they were here. She took a sip of her own tea as she watched them consider the puppets and each choose one. Well, she was glad that they were at least open to trying this exercise. She thought it might be helpful in working out their feelings and whatever tension was between them.

Nessa watched and listened as they got started, though neither of them really followed the model she had demonstrated for them. "Hmm.. better.." she said once they seemed to be done for the moment. It wasn't quite as judgmental and blaming, and Benjamin was starting to open up, but she could tell they had quite a ways to go. "Alright, Adi, I'm sensing that you feel like Benjamin may have doubted your friendship.. is that true?" She looked at the prefect, not trying to put words in the Gryffindor's mouth, but that was what it sounded like Adi was not so nicely trying to convey.

"I want you to try that I-sentence model again - I feel blank when you doubt our friendship because blank. Please speak on how you feel without enunciating words or drawing blame. Please use a calm, conversational voice. These are your feelings that are perfectly normal to have, but you also need to be responsible for them."

She then turned to Benjamin as she thought over his cryptic words and tried her best to decipher them. "Now, I am sensing that Adi may have done something specific, whether it was intentional or not, to cause you to doubt something in your friendship. I want you to talk about how you feel. We are talking emotions, not opinions. Think about something specific that has happened and say how you felt when that happened. Please try the same I-statement - I feel blank when you blank because blank. Fill in those blanks - the first should be your emotion, the second is the action that caused that emotion and then why." Same instructions, using a conversational voice and no judgmental tones. She nodded for them to continue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DinosaursOnASpaceship

Emmy took a few cookies and started to eat them. "I have some interest in the performing arts." It seemed like something new and fun to do. She shook her head. "I don't know if I would be able to do that. I think it sounds like a lot of fun but I can't sing to save my life or even act for that matter." Her dancing was also off but she wasn't going to say anything about that. She felt that being taught how to dance would be easier to do than acting and singing. "It just don't want to wait until the last minute to think of what I want to do and what not." That made some sense? It did in her head but not when she said it out loud.

The blonde turned her head to the side. "Why do a lot of adults and some professors always say that students need a back up plan for when they are about to graduate?" She was slightly confuse right now. Listening to Professor Glendower, the sixth year nodded. She had a good point but she didn't know what that would work out with her that well.

The blonde nodded. "It's the only thing that I've wanted to do when I'm done with school." Emmylou's eyes lit up. Paint her nails?! YES! "Do you have a light purple?Or a shimmery purple?" Purple this, purple that! Everything had to be purple with Emmylou, it's her favorite color and no color could compare to it in her dark blue eyes.

Oh how very wonderful! Nessa loved to hear when young people expressed an interest in the arts, especially if she may have had a hand in influencing that. "Oh, but I think you are much more talented than you give yourself credit for!" she exclaimed with a smile. "I can tell when we do some of the dramatic exercises in class.. plus the camp is really more about having fun and further developing those skills."

She thought over Emmylou's words a moment as she put the last finishing touches on her nails. "I understand, especially as the future can be a little scary since it is yet unknown, but it sounds to me that you already know what you want to do." If she was that passionate about teaching that she wanted to do that and nothing else, then that was very telling to Nessa. "Well," she said after a moment's thought. "Perhaps some are just being practical, to make sure if it doesn't work out that you won't be stuck. But I say if you are passionate enough about something, you will find a way to make it work, even if it doesn't happen right away." Maybe she had a different perspective on things, but she felt rather strongly about it. And it seemed that Emmylou was that passionate about what she wanted to do.

She beamed brightly as the girl agreed to have her nails painted and she grabbed the perfect bottle of nail polish before sliding onto the couch next to her. "I have a light AND shimmery purple!" She held up the bottle before shaking it up a bit and opening the top. Gently lifting Emmylou's hand toward her, she began painting her nails, starting with her pinky, a light, shimmery shade of lilac. "I just love having my nails done, don't you?" It always put her in a great mood.

More cookies! Awesomeee! But right now Adi would set aside the treat and tea for now because he was too busy wiggling the crow around so that it seemed as though it were dancing while he frowned at Benny. What actions EXACTLY? Did he mean Henric and him hanging out so often? What's wrong with that? He hang out with a lot of persons. Practically the entire school. It wasn't his fault that his craziness was liked and accepted.

He threw Benny a shake of the head before turning to Glendower. "Yes, Professor. I thought he would have known better. He's supposed to be the sane, secure person in this friendship. Er... ex friendship?'' Whereas Adi was the crazy, insecure one so they balanced each other well. Or was supposed to.

He nodded at the Profssor's next suggestion then stopped wiggling Mr Crow. "I feel... felt hurt, sad and angry that you doubted our brotherho... friendship because I thought you knew that you're not replaceable even though I said you were.'' Adi kept his eyes focus on the turtle because he was not going to look at Benny lest he decided to upturn the cup of tea on his head or pelt him with bits of cookies.

Again there was a silence after they had both spoken. Ben couldn't think of anything else to say and Adi appeared not to be willing to remark on his own response. The Gryffindor wondered if that was a good or bad thing. Professor Glendower certainly hit the nail on the head as she tried to clarify with his friend....ex-friend. Doubted his friendship...yep...and Adi in turn only cemented it.

His gaze downcast as the woman started them off again, he listened as she further explained what she wanted out of them. All about feelings which was certainly not something Benny was used to talking about. Even was he was more in the mood to talk. He was more than willing to allow Adi to go first and he listened reluctantly to what was said and being more than a little confused.

Him the sane one...him the clearer head? The Hufflepuff realised that he himself was the one who had it all together while Benny was the shy quiet backwards one...right?

All too soon it was his turn and all Ben could do was stare at the crow in the other boy's grasp, the faux creature that flapped at his fri-ex-friend's will. "I feel...lost and confused," he started out as he tried to gather his words the way the professor wanted them to speak. "...when I think I hear you calling me by the nickname you gave me that's grown on me over the years...and its for him instead." Ben didn't have to explain that Henny and Benny really did sound so similar....right?

"I feel...out of place when you both manage to beat me to class...coming from the same common room...and there's no space for me around." Sure he had dealt with sharing Adi with the school all the time, the Hufflepuff really was one of if not the most popular person in Hogwarts. And AJ was a given with their relationship status. But lately is seemed it was alway Henric there beside him...working with him.

And Adi did a good job of rubbing it in his face earlier in class.

Didn't help that professors tended to always pit the badgers against the lions.
Absently playing with the turtle puppet on his hand, Ben sighed softly as he thought of one final remark. "I feel hurt...and jealous...whenever you talk directly to Henric all about dragons..." Brief look away from both Adi and the crow. "And the only time you're interested in the creatures around me is when you talk out turning me into one. You don't even use the other nickname anymore."

There was more tea sipping as Nessa watched the two boys carefully, hoping that their little exercise was helping to work things out between them. But she furrowed her brow a bit as Adi answered the question she had posed to him. "But making assumptions like that places too much of the responsibility on one person, and that is hardly fair. We should never tell someone what they are supposed to be, instead we accept them who they uniquely are." She frowned when he said 'ex-friend'. "I dearly hope that that is not the case. Friendships are far too precious to simply disregard them without at least trying to solve any issues that inevitably come up. Even the best of friends don't always see eye to eye, but that does not mean they cannot be friends."

She waited for them to begin again, hopefully following her model a little more closely. Adi went first again. She listened and nodded as he spoke through and to the puppets. Yes, that was better. And then she turned and watched Benjamin as he took his turn next. Oh my, there really was a lot going on here. Many hurt feelings and what she was sure were misunderstandings. But wasn't that nearly always the case when friends came at odds?

"Okay.. thank you so much for sharing your feelings," she said to them both, smiling very compassionately. "I know that can be a difficult thing sometimes, but it's important to see how each other is feeling and to begin to understand why." She looked to both, still softly smiling and tried to expand on what they already said. "Adi, you say that you felt all those upsetting feelings because you felt that Benjamin doubted your friendship, even after you assured him that he was irreplaceable. And those are very valid feelings. It is not a good feeling to have someone loose faith in you. But can you see why Benjamin could have those doubts? His feelings are valid also."

She looked at the Gryffindor and gave him a small smile. Nessa would not discount either of the boys' feelings, but it appeared to her that Benjamin was really taking the brunt of this row. "Even though you say that Benjamin could not be replaced by another friend, Adi, I'm hearing him say that some of the things you have done felt very much like that to him, whether you intended that or not. It's often difficult to watch a new friendship blossom and feel like you are watching from the sidelines. It's easy to feel left out. Can you try to understand why he might feel that way?" It was one thing to expect someone to take you at your word, but if the actions didn't reflect that, it made it even more difficult.

"I want each of you to take a minute to really hear what the other has said. Reflect for a moment how the other person said they felt and try to understand what they felt like. Oftentimes we might say or do things without really thinking about how another person might be affected, but it's important to know that our actions have consequences and own up to them." She'd let them think on that a moment before moving on.

Adi frowned again. Nickname? What nicname? Was it 'Dragon'? He had never called Henric that... but wait. Benny had said the one that had grown on him. The only nickname he had disliked was 'Benny'. Realisation dawned on Adi. Benny and Henny sounded alike! He hadn't even noticed that earlier. Well, uh. This was awkward.

"I hadn't noticed the two names sounded similar,'' Adi told the turtle honestly. No space? NO SPACE?! Right there and then the sixth year wanted to upend the teacup on Benny's head and it took him all his self control to stop himself. "There was always space for you,'' he said warily but then perked up again. "That's NOT true! You take that back, Benjamin. What about all our talks of me getting you a dragon? Or us owning this huge land with a ton of creatures?" He clutched his crow with one hand and with the other, crammed a cookie into his mouth. Thank the Hippogriffs for sweets! They went a long way in keeping him calm.
....................

"I'm not telling him what he's supposed to be, Professor. I know what he his and insecure and jealous is not him. That's me.'' Adi wasn't afraid to admit his flaws. His own insecurity was something he battled with everyday. He nodded at Glendower. Him talking about how he felt was not something difficult for him to do but he knew it was for Benny. Then he nodded again as the woman went on. "I don't get why he didn't tell me before, Professor.'' Yeah, he had tried to make Benny see reason when he found out what the trouble was but nope. He was still thought of as a liar.

Adi flapped the crow again. "Yes, I do. It's because I treated Henric the same way I treat him. I think Benny thinks since him and Henric have that much in common, it would be easy for me to replace him to someone who is more like me... outgoing.'' Benny was reserved as they all know. But right now he shot the boy a fierce look before focusing on Glendower again. "If I had wanted a best friend who is more like me, I would have found one a really long time ago.'' Honestly, he had no trouble making friends but none of them would put up as well with the silly pranks and constant teasing as Benny did.

Yeah, he was reflecting on how Benny felt. The Puffer could understand because a few years ago, he had felt the same way when Angel had come along. Hmph. Friendships were so complicated sometimes.