The Office of Professor Primeaux
 

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Professor Julien Primeaux has everything in order from the sign on his door that says to knock and wait to be allowed to enter to his office being in the most organized neat fashion. Not one thing will ever be out of place. His desk has a few papers usually on it for grading and note taking, but most of his prize possessions sit behind him in the tall book cases. He has two windows in the castle that have been extended to be longer and looking out onto the grounds. Plenty of natural light to come into the room.

The student and staff visiting are welcome to sit in one of the two leather chairs that are charmed to be extra comfortable. Julien's chair sits right behind his desk and he will make sure that no one other than himself will be sitting in it. There are a few pictures hung in his office of his wife and daughters and one of his son in his Magpie Robes.


Please remember to post here first and wait until the professor gives you permission to come in.

*has OOC permission to barge right in*
 

Julien wasn't new to students with behavior issues, no he was quite use to them. His teaching career was spread out. So when Daxton came through the door without knocking Julien did not bat an eye at it. He kept his facial expression the same as he had every other meeting with the boy. "Good day Daxton, I hope your summer was well." He moved some books he had for research on Daxton off a chair and motioned for him to sit. Moving to his own seat he moved his wand for the tea to start.

Looking at the boy he studied him a bit, thought about the things he read and the experiences he had in the past. "You missed many things in class last term, I do hope you are able to catch up on those. I do expect you to be at lessons this term. We have some great things to learn as well as a challenge going on." Did Daxton like being challenged?

"I'm not going to small talk you Daxton, I brought you in here, because I think you have potential to be a good wizard, but you don't put effort into it. Not in front of professors a least. I think you do try alone." He wouldn't have gotten this far if he hadn't. "So I want to set up some goals for you. I've heard you like to draw around the school. You like drawing?" He had to figure out what could motivate the child so he knew how to go about what he wanted to try.

"Good afternoon, Professor." She stood up casually and slipped past him into the office. If he brought up the feast and her being out of uniform, she'd explain, but if he wasn't going to mention it, she was more than content to just ignore it. Besides, that wasn't the purpose of her visit.

The office hadn't changed much since last term, although, it was tidier and with a lot less glitter, and Peeves. "The office cleans up nicely," she said, taking a seat. Merlin-in-mustard these chairs were always insanely comfortable. One of these days she was going to visit just ask him about the charms he put on the chairs because there was no way any chair could be this comfortable without magic. "Oh," she suddenly realized she'd zoned out a bit in the comfy chair. "Uh, I was just wondering about the permanent sticking charm. Is it something a second year would be able to cast?"

Naturally, Daxton did not respond to the niceties, nor take part in them whatsoever, failing to even acknowledge the comment about his summer. Instead, he took his time in inspecting the office, staying where he was and scanning his environment closely, eventually tiptoeing across the room and claiming the empty seat.

Sliding down slightly in the chair, Daxton took another look around the room from this new perspective, and fiddled with the sleeve of his school shirt, the sleeve up which he kept his wand. He wore no school robes, due to the fact that he did not own a set this year, and the rest of his uniform was as tatty and well-worn as it ever was, despite being acquired only over the most recent summer. Daxton had tried to squeeze into his school shirt and trousers from the previous year, but found them far too small and horribly uncomfortable. Rather than buy a new uniform, his mother had come home from work one day with the old school clothes of a workmate's just-graduated son, and though Daxton had been reluctant to accept any sort of handout, he did eventually take what he needed. Better that than spend any of the money he had managed to save up for more important things. His boots - only a year old - still fit too, more or less, though currently, Daxton wore nothing on his feet at all.

Though his eyes wandered about the room, Daxton was still listening to Primeaux. It seemed to him to be a waste of time and effort to turn up here and then not listen at all. But even so, the fact that he was listening did not necessarily lead to his providing a response. Privately, though, Daxton was already making plans for skipping Charms class; probably with Blaise Bellaire, with whom he often shared that particular delinquent tendency.

Primeaux had it wrong, though. Daxton did not have the potential to be a good wizard; he had the potential to be a great wizard, something he knew just from thinking back to his pre-Hogwarts years. It was the school, in fact, that had blunted his talent, attempting to teach him to use a magic wand when he had been able to control his magic just fine without one. As for the theory that he practiced magic alone... well, Daxton gave no indication whether or not that was an accurate guess, preferring to keep any details of his face perfectly private.

The mention of drawing, however, drew him up short. Daxton stopped mid-way through inspecting the office, and instantly turned his head to look at Primeaux. He stared, then blinked... and eventually the corner of his mouth was tugged into what was a very subtle yet unmistakeable smirk. So, Primeaux knew about that? It suddenly occurred to Daxton that he had no way of knowing just how much anyone in this place had heard about him, whether it was truth or mere rumour (and if it was, whether it was one of Daxton's own rumours). He considered the man carefully.

At last, now openly acknowledging the professor, he gave a single nod of the head.

He walked over to his desk chair and took a seat. Crossing a leg over the other he leaned back in his chair and watched the child. Motioning for her to sit in one of the student chairs he chuckled about the office. "My office is always organized. Last term was an exception because of Peeves." It better not get that way again.

Looking at Callie with interest he listened to her request. Could a second year pull that charm off? He didn't answer right away, "It's not the age that is the question. It is the determination of the student and if they want to learn the charm or not." He felt that even though some spells could not be learned by a first and second years other ones with practice could be obtained. "The sticking charm is one of those charms that any age can do with practice and ambition."

He didn't expect any words. No, he knew he wouldn't get any. It was fine, he was use to it. He just sat there staring at the boy in front of him. Taking in his clothing and his shoeless feet. "You do know there are rules about attire in this school Daxton." He had taken points for a uniform and was going to take more if he needed, but something about his clothes made him hold off. "If you can't afford the uniforms you can always get assistance." Not every wizard was rich so he understood that some were having harder times. "It does not show weakness by asking for help. It truly shows bravery to extend a hand of need and receive what is needed." He hoped if Daxton did need clothes or shoes that he would come and ask so they could help out. He wondered if anyone had ever done a home visit and spoke to his mother. Pulling a quill he wrote to ask about this and maybe set up an appointment with her.

As he sat waiting for anything he was impressed to see a twitch of the lip and attention seeming to be focused now. He didn't mind the unfocused before. He had learned a bit last term that Daxton looking or not seemed to always be paying attention to his surroundings. "I've heard your art work might not be appropriate for school is very good. If you haven't gotten to know Professor Finch, but he is a great artiest and has an art room. It might be a place for you to check out if you can be respectful towards it." He didn't need to be steering any child towards Ansley's room that would destroy it.

"Daxton I'd like to propose we work on a few things this term. I want you to focus on your nonverbal as much as possible. I can help you, you can do it here if you'd like. This I think is going to be your ticket to your success. Until then we are going to have to work on trying to at least mouth the words or a whisper so that we can get the charms going." He was well aware Daxton would not go for this, but he hoped after he heard the rewards. "If you can conquer the whispering or even the nonverbal I would like to you to design and draw something school appropriate of course on my classroom wall. It would be there for all students to see, but you have to give me a solid effort this term and conquer at least two charms by the end of term." Pausing to allow that to sink in. What better attention to give someone then their very own artwork shown to every student that would walk into a charms lesson.

"Well," she shrugged, "It was the only time I saw your office. It's look a lot nicer this way." Very neat, orderly and exact like Primeaux was. The complete opposite of what Hadley was. But, to each their own.

The second year teen nodded along as she listened. Good. It was a spell she could do. Believe it or not, when Hads wanted to learn something, she had no issues practicing. And ambition wasn't something she typically lacked. She was ambitious, it just wasn't exactly one of her defining traits. Which is why she wasn't in Slytherin. "Practice and ambition," she agreed. "Can you teach me the Permanent Sticking Charm?" Now that she knew she had a hope of casting it, with practice, she was back to the original reason for her visit. Learning the charm.

Any hint of a smile or smirk that might have appeared was very quickly wiped from Daxton's features. By this point, his hands had moved to each arm of the chair he sat in, and he gripped them very tightly, digging his fingers in. He kept his face expressionless, and his eyes fixed on a point just past the professor's head, though beneath a mostly calm exterior, a storm was raging.

The mention of rules had not bothered him, just as they had never bothered him in the past and would likely never bother him in the future. It was Primeaux so openly remarking on the theory that Daxton could not afford something that had really struck a chord. It was hearing the words 'weakness', 'asking for help', and 'need', words which then seemed to echo within Daxton's own mind, and he suddenly felt certain that Primeaux must have boomed them out with the kind of force that everyone in the castle, grounds, and surrounding villages had likely heard him. Daxton gritted his teeth, dug his fingers in a little harder so that his knuckles started to go white, and offered no response.

Primeaux was still talking, and talking, and talking, and Daxton was by now only half paying attention, his mind still occupied by the fact that anyone might think him in need of help - which was a weakness in his mind - of any form. He resolved that if the matter was pressed any further, he would simply declare that actually he had plenty of money, and that would soon shut everyone up.

Daxton continued to stare at a point just past the professor, listening to what he was proposing - which just happened to include imposing a reward for something that Daxton was going to do anyway. Though, in all honesty, he could not be sure whether it truly was a reward. Sounded an awful lot like a set-up to him. And then there was that horrible word again: 'help'. I can help you. It had him seething.

With his expression bored but his eyes stormy, Daxton gave a simple shrug of his shoulders, the resumed looking around the room, casual as could be.

"I hope you never see it again like that. I do not work well with Chaos and disorganization. I think you have found that out by now." If students from last term hadn't then they were not paying enough attention. He glanced around his office pleased at how it was set up and organized. He knew exactly where everything was and could tell if something was out of place.

He looked at her curiously, he was young once so his imagination could be working through why she would need such a spell right now. "Why do you wish to learn the charm?" Not that she'd tell him if it was for something bad, but he was going to expect an answer before he taught her anything. Once he knew the answer he'd possibly either help her or send her on her way.

He leaned back in his chair watching Daxton. He wanted to see if he hit a nerve with his words on the asking for help. Teenagers were the worst thinking it was a pride thing, though he knew plenty of adults that were the same way. It was so hard to swallow the pride and just ask for help. He had been there a time or two. Never for money, but other things. He wouldn't comment any further but his mind was thinking, he was thinking of ways to help Daxton without Daxton realizing.


Not surprised he said nothing to anything that Julien had said, Julien pulled his wand out. Turned it a few times as if thinking about what he was going to do with it and then summomed blank paper and picked up his parchment. He drew a house that was too boxy and lopsided, three stick figures that looked as if they would fall over if placed at the right angle, and then a sun because every picture should have that. He slid it over to be in front of Daxton. "This is the best I can do. I'm not an artist, I dont know how to do any of it. So if you could help me by dong these few tings as well as panting the wall I would greatly appreciate it. " Maybe a different angle was the best way.

He was not giving up.

Even out of the corner of his eye, Daxton noticed the unmistakable motion of a wand being drawn. He tensed up immediately, hand twitching and ready to go for his own wand despite knowing it would be useless, purely out of a reflex to defend himself. But, as was often (but not always) the case, this was not necessary.

For a moment, Daxton could not decide whether he wanted to continue pointedly ignoring the professor, or to watch what he was doing. Ultimately, he looked towards Primeaux right as the drawing was slid over to him.

Daxton blinked, trying to process what he was looking at and just what the professor was playing. A sceptical look on his face, he glanced up at Primeaux, then back at the parchment. In a moment, he had retrieved his pen from the pocket within which he also kept his notebook, and written out a single sentence over the drawing where the 'sky' was supposed to be.

'Why are you attempting to patronise me?'

After pushing the parchment back towards Primeaux, Daxton sat back in his own chair, turning the pen over in his fingers and looking utterly unamused. Whether or not what he had written was actually the case, he was totally convinced of it, and it was one thing he could not abide.

Folding his hands he watched Daxton look at the parchment, he assumed the child would think he did poorly on purpose in which case he'd be very mistaken. Julien could not draw to save his skin and that was actually on the better side. "My nine year old reminds me she can do better artwork then I can." He commented to just break some of the silence. Julien Primeaux didn't mind quiet, but at times when Daxton was around he felt the need to not let it sit to long.

A brow raised as Daxton wrote on the parchment he he watched as the child slide it back. He read the words and then looked at him. "I can assure you I am not. Not everyone you come in contact with is out to get you or make you feel bad. I am a teacher who loves to teach. I have always enjoyed my job, it challenges me when I have behavior students or students that need a different type of learning. We don't all learn the same nor do we all act the same. That is something teachers know very well and we try to bring that to our classrooms." He kept his eyes on Daxton as he continued. "I push you and keep trying because I have faith in you. Whether you want to believe that or not. You learn differently, you work differently that is not a bad thing at all. I am just trying to help guide you as I do all my students to learn to the best of your abilities and knowledge, to challenge you to succeed and grow as a wizard. There is no greater feeling then watching a student achieve goals that might have been out of reach at the beginning of term."

Daxton could do whatever he wanted with those words, Julien knew his reasonings behind why he was trying to help the young man. "You can hate me or not, but I'm not going away. I want to challenge you, push you, and if you will let me do my help you learn charms and be great at them. My offer still stands and I hope you at least think about it. My door is always open when you decide that I am not the bad guy here, I only have good intentions of doing my job and watching you succeed the way I know you could." He wouldn't push too hard for now.

Primeaux sat there quietly as she talked and his brows were raised with amusement. Did she think he was that out of touch with things. He was a young Ravenclaw once. "A favorite childhood toy?" The toy seemed very used and he knew it had seen better days. He would be happy to help her with this, but he was still cautious of what else she could do. "I will teach you this spell, but if I find you have used it in anyway that gets you into trouble it will be 50 points from your house and a detention from me even if you had received points loss and/or a detention from someone else." So yes Haddie think about it. Double the point loss and possibly two detentions, was it worth it?


Pulling his wand he took a piece of parchment and got up. Moving towards the wall he placed the parchment against it. "diutirnus affigo." Letting go of the parchment it stayed on the wall. He turned back towards the student and moved back to sit in his chair, "Easy enough if you know all the steps." He would teach her just as he said if she agreed to his conditions.

"A favorite childhood friend," she corrected. "My very best friend." That had been what she'd called him for over a year before he had a proper name. "Mr. Poppy." Hadley hugged the rabbit and rested her chin on his head as she listened to his conditions. Her expression remained as blank and unreadable as she could successfully make it.

She could think of several things that would be worth it. And the common theme among them was a certain Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Just saying. Not that she said any of that. Not here in front of Primeaux. "I understand, sir." They liked it when you called them sir, even if it felt fake to Haddie. Not just when she said it, but when anyone else said it, or gave other culturally accepted signs of respect. How many of those people actually meant it, and how many were just performing what was expected. She'd put most in the latter. Nope, Hadley preferred to show genuine respect her own way. Except that people always thought she was being disrespectful.

And she was hoping to learn the spell. So sir it was. "Do you have a favorite childhood toy or friend, Professor?" Genuine curiosity here. And the answer would reveal something about Primeaux, so, yes, curious and interested.

The second year rocked back and forth on her feet as she waited. After few minutes she was almost sure that Professor Primeaux was not in his office. Oh. no the bad thought that maybe it was too late. He needed a body guard like five minutes ago. Oppps timing was everything.

When she heard his voice she felt relived. He was fine and possibly still in need of a body guard. SEE timing was everything. "Hello Professor Primeaux, Actually I was wondering if I could help you with something."

Katerina grinned. 'Sure. It shouldn't be long though." She watched him open the door, that was so cool she couldn't wait to be able to do magic outside of school and on her own more. She skipped and followed him into his office.

Julien had children so he understood the attachment. He nodded as she said about it being her friend though he hoped it wasn't her best friend anymore. She had real friends here at school, he hoped. "I had one when I was younger." It was a dragon, if he remembered correctly his mother still had it somewhere.

Her agreeing still didn't make him fully believe that she wouldn't use it wrongly, but his terms were there and she'd pay the price if she was caught. "Alright, what you will want to do is make sure the seem is together and the wand movement is a small flick and point touching the object you would like to stick." He pointed to the parchment he had just stuck. "The words are diutirnus affigo" It really wasn't a hard spell but being permanent it could be a dangerous one with young students. "You won't get it at first, but with some practice you will have him patched up." He could offer to do it, but then there was no reason to teach her the charm if he did.



He raised a brow at her words, "Help me? I wasn't aware I needed help with something." Was this a prank? He didn't do well with pranks and the ones involved could land in detention. Not that he didn't have a sense of humor, he just didn't have a good one. Gesturing for her to head into the office he followed behind.

Flicking his wand he saw the tea pot come to life and his tea started to sent the room. "Now why don't you have a seat and let me know exactly what you are here for Katerina." The young Hufflepuff was acting a bit strange from what he remembered of her. Was something up with the puffs this term? His nephew acting a bit odd all the time, maybe he was rubbing off on them.

"Diutirnus affigo. Diutirnus affigo. Diutirnus affigo." She practiced wrapping her mouth around the words, which were by far some of the trickiest yet. "Diutirnus affigo. Diutirnus affigo." Hadley had it down, she thought. So it was time to practice the whole charm. A small flick and touching the threads with her wand point, "Diutirnus affigo!"

Naturally the threads binding Mr. Poppy's scarred face didn't look any different, nor were they stuck together. Which was already expected. She would have to practice it. Heck, when she did get it down, she might be able to bind his face without thread and make him good as new. But first she had to get there. "Thanks, Professor Primeaux. That's all I needed for now, but if I need more help with it, I'll come see you again. See you in class."

Oh.... so was or might have been a bad idea. But she as going to go on with it. "I'm sure you'll accept my offer." She grinned she couldn't help it. She was pretty excited to take on this job, even if it wasn't official yet or anything. She cleared her throat, before sitting down.

"Thank you." Now down to business. She'd heard from her mom how interviews where conducted, and this was basically a interview. She was treating it as so. "I'm here to inquire about working for you as a body guard." The second year didn't even crack a smile. She was that serious about this. This was no joke, no prank, just pure seriousness.

yikes. i am sorry he's so stubborn >.>
 

Not everyone you come in contact with is out to get you or make you feel bad.

Uh-huh.

Sure.

That was, quite simply, a lie. Once Primeaux had said that, Daxton immediately wrote him off, and his level of caring took a nose dive. He had heard similar spiels from people in the past, usually teachers or learning assistants, who genuinely seemed to think that he cared. About his potential, about their lives, about their goals, their feelings, about his future. About anything.

Up until now, it had not bothered Daxton so much that Primeaux seemed to be on his case all the time. It was easy enough to avoid him, and easy to tune him out. But now it occurred to Daxton that, if he did soon manage to master spellwork on his own, Primeaux would either somehow take the credit, or think that he had some kind of hand in helping the process, when Daxton had been working on magic in his own way for as long as he could remember. The thought - impossible to shake, once there - bothered Daxton, angered him (perhaps as much as it bothered him that Primeaux was talking as though he knew what was going on in Daxton's mind, when it was clear that he did not), enough that he began to consider withholding all of his effort in the subject of practical magic, even in private. He would not have anyone thinking he needed help, that he benefited from it, not when he could succeed perfectly fine on his own. He did not care that it would take longer; he was willingly sacrificing precious time for the sake keeping his sense of independence.

Why could nobody get that? Why did nobody understand the concept of leaving well enough alone? Daxton knew exactly what he was doing, he could be great on his own, and he certainly did not need any help.

He gripped the arms of the chair tightly once more, because there was that word again. It was enough to make him want to jump to his feet and rant about how he was not useless - despite the fact that Primeaux had said nothing of the sort... at least, not in so many words - that he knew what he was doing, that he did not need any help, and also that Primeaux's door was not always open. Daxton himself had had to open that very door upon arriving for this meeting, which only proved that nothing everything else that had been said could just as easily have been a lie.

But he did none of that. He could not yell and rant, and trying would only end in angry, unintelligible noises, and that would only make him angrier, and then Daxton might end up having an outburst of accidental magic. It would only end badly and he was still calm enough to think it through logically, and to hold back.

So instead, Daxton simply pushed himself up out of the chair and got to his feet, ready to leave, not knowing or caring whether or not he had been 'officially' dismissed. He was not sure he would quit magic purely to spite Primeaux - though it was very tempting - because he had his own very important reasons for succeeding. But nothing was stopping him from succeeding alone, and not allowing Primeaux to be a part of it, or to influence him either way. That, Daxton thought, was how he could ensure victory. He took another look around the office, committing his surroundings to memory, before starting for the door, never once leaving his back exposed.

He watched as Haddie as she practiced the spell and nodded knowing it wouldn't work. "Those are good tries, if you keep working on it I know you will get it in know time. You have been very bright in charms since last term. So anything you put your mind to you can do." He had faith in Haddie, she was bright, just needed guidance and maturity to happen.

"You do that Haddie you are always welcome here."

Did she just say she was here to be his bodyguard? He eyed the second year up and down a bit. She had to be joking? This was a staff prank, right? "My bodyguard? What might I need a bodyguard from?" There was that fact too. What did he need protection from. Was there something going on in the castle Julien didn't know about?

"Also, what would you be able to do as my bodyguard. You have to still attend classes." This was kind of amusing the man and if it was a prank he was going to show that he had a sense of humor. He didn't see any of the staff really pranking him though, could it have been a student?


Sigh

Sigh


Sigh


Why was Daxton getting upset? Why did the tension in the room seem to spike? What did Julien say that would have set the boy off. He was good at reading body language, but this kid was a closed book with no help. It was just rough and he wasn't going to give up that easily. "Wait a minute young man." He got up and went to the door sot hat Daxton couldn't leave.

"You can be successful and if it is the last thing I do here I am going to figure out a way to get you to trust me so that I can do my job and you can be a great wizard." It was an honest though that he didn't care how Daxton took it. He stepped out of the way to let the boy pass.

"I will see you in class."

As he rounded to grab the cat he was startled to find Haddie, "What were you doing scratching at my door?" When she didn't answer or even stop to look at him he furrowed his brow, "Young lady unless you want to find yourself in detention you will stop and speak to me right now." The girl was going to find herself in detention if she didn't address him and show him respect.


WHAT? WHAT WAS SHE.....


"HADDIE" His eyes almost popped out of his head as the book hit the floor. "You of all students know my office is an organized chaos free zone. You will not disturb that." She was there when Peeves did this last term so why was she doing it now?

SHE WAS THROWING HIS BOOKS ON THE FLOOR. Okay so maybe not throwing, but dropping. IT WAS STILL THE SAME THINGS PEOPLE. Veins were popping, yes they were. Could she see them? "Haddie please put down the books." He was trying to be calm, but inside he was freaking out. His office was a mess. He hated unorganized spaces.


Hearing a knock he was about to say hold on, but the door was open and in came a prefect. Yes he had a meeting with her now didn't he. "This might actually not be a good time." Though he needed to speak to her about the portraits and discuss a punishment for not following directions and putting a charm on a portrait.

"Haddie no more books." If he had hair he'd be pulling it out right now.