These paws were made for walking. (Callisto)

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

"It's a useless skill." "You're wasting your time." "Why would anyone want to do that, what's the point?" All things Shawn heard during his training to become an Animagus. People didn't see the need for it, why turn into an animal when you could just apparate to disappear quickly. Why change form when you could learn a real skill. Being Animagus wasn't about just having a disguise available or a way to quickly hide as something else. To Shawn it was proof of being skilled in the art of Transfiguration among many other things. Also right now it was about walking down Hogsmeade as a German shepherd enjoying the inside smirk he had at the attention he got. It was always enjoying to see how most people lit up when they saw an animal, far more than when they saw a random person.

The only thing that was different between his form and a normal German shepherd was the numerous black lines of fur that lined his from legs, which took the place of the scars he had on his arms. If there was anything about being in Animagus form he disliked it was those marks but he was used to them, both on his arms and as a dog. His stroll down Hogsmeade followed doing random tricks for people and the odd head pat. For anyone else this might have seemed demeaning but Shawn got a kick out of it. People were happy and he was having fun, in general it was a win win.

Shawn had just about enough being a dog for awhile, if he spent too long as a dog he found he it took him a little bit to get used to two legs once more. It wasn't anything that stopped him from walking but it was like getting off a boat after being on one for awhile, just didn't feel right till he adjusted again. He ran past a group of people quickly as it was time for his favorite part before ducking into a nearby alley out of sight from the group and reverting back into back into a human. He walked out at a brisk pace to the group and asked them, one woman in particular. "Have you seen my dog go by? I've been looking everywhere for him." Shawn asked in an almost fake panicked tone of voice.

@callisto

[Deleted]

Callisto was in Hogsmead today, having agreed to do a home visit for a patient there. She had just finished and didn't HAVE to be back at Mungos for another hour. She was planning on heading straight back anyway, since there was a lot of work she could get dog. Done. Dog? A dog had just run past her, breaking her train of thought. Callisto lived with a dog, well -- more than one depending how you thought about it. She didn't mind them, but she wasn't the most affectionate person either. The only being that she was regularly affectionate toward was her nephew Sebastian.

Only a few moments later, a guy came frantically down the street, asking if anyone had seen in dog. Wait... She had seen this before. She stopped, placing both hands on her hips and cocking her head to the side. "Shawn," she acknowledged him flatly.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

The woman Shawn had directed his question to said his name but he hadn't really noticed, he had prepared and used this joke on so many people it was almost ingrained in his mind and came out automatically. It was one of the first pranks or just a joke he pulled off as an Animagus way back in his Seventh year. "Yes he's a German shep..." Shawn paused what he was saying as it finally hit him that she had said his name. Shawn was calm on the outside but his mind began to race wondering how she knew his name while he looked at her with her arms placed on her hips. She wasn't an ex of any sort as he would have remembered them, she wasn't a professor or someone who worked at the school either. By now Shawn was confident he knew everyone who worked at the school. Still something about Hogwarts seemed to fit while he looked at her, the expression on her face and the flat tone of voice as well.

"Wait..." Shawn paused it was starting to hit him, he didn't blame himself much as this memory was buried way back from years ago. "Callisto? Like little Ravenclaw Callisto?" Shawn repeated her name, both to help jog his memory and out of a slight shock that he had ran into her. While there had been a six year difference between the two of them he still remembered her as someone who didn't care for his antics when he involved Callisto in them just like he had now. He was certain he had even tried to pull this very same thing on her back in Hogwarts as well, probably how she knew it was him after all this time. "You've certainly changed."

@callisto

[Deleted]

Shawn was about to describe the dog when he seemed to realize that she had said his name. She just stood there, arms folded, letting him figure it out. He said her name and 'little Ravenclaw Callisto' which made her grimace. He said she had changed and she rolled her eyes, "obviously." She raised one eyebrow high, "how long has it been? And I can't believe you're still doing that," she shook her head. This guy had always been a joker and prankster of sorts. Callisto only had to deal with him for one year, but she remembered that year very vividly. He was always doing things like that, especially this particular little joke.

Still, she was impressed with the fact that he had an animagus form. That was pretty hard magic and he had to be a LITTLE disciplined to have achieved it. Somewhere under all that goof was a very skilled wizard, and she appreciated that. Still, his silly attitude had never really been her thing. He was nice enough, though, so she wasn't totally rude toward him... usually.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

Just from her expression when he said her name Shawn was sure that it was her before she even said obviously. It was the same expression he had gotten any other time he had been doing something goofy with her around only on a much older body more attractive body. Still the body might have changed but it seemed the personality didn't. Which was part of the reason he did things like that with her. Shawn just wanted to see if he could get her to laugh back then. Castillo was such a serious person for a first year and that didn't change with time it would seem so far. She asked how long it had been before commenting that it was still pulling the same things and Shawn just laughed slightly thinking for a second.

"At least ten years. Also why fix something that isn't broken." Shawn explained with a laugh again as he was just having fun and no one ever got hurt so he didn't see a need to stop on all these years. It was one of the first things he did once he became a full fledged Animagus. Besides get detention for being out past curfew. "So how have you been besides still not laughing at great jokes." Shawn said with a slight smirk still just surprised to have run into her.

@callisto

[Deleted]

He was right, of course. It had been at least ten years. At his laughter and comment about nkt fixing something that was broken she rolled her eyes. "I suppose I can agree with the sentiment," she said, her tone and face still seemingly unamused and almost even uninterested.

Then he asked how she had been, aside from not laughing at jokes. "Ha. Ha," she said in a flat voice. "I've been busy. I'm a healer now. Worked at the ministry for a while," she answered, her tone still pretty matter-of-fact. He hadn't asked what she'd been DOING necessarily, but Callisto didn't really feel much, she just did what she came to do and that was generally to be the best. So, her answer felt right to her. She also wasn't one to really talk much about how she was feeling... She realized that even more so with Brandon and Claire.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

Shawn just smiled as Callisto commented and agreed about him still pulling the same stuff. "Well at least on most people it does work. You don't happen to be most people in this case." Shawn replied as she never did fall for his goofy acts it seemed. Still that was always just part of the reason he tried to include her in them. The attempt to try and get an honest laugh out of her.

As Callisto gave a fake laugh that he was used to as well she explained how she was a healer now. Shawn was only mildly surprised but that was mostly because he wouldn't have figured her as someone who wanted to be a healer. Something with cold facts and research sure but not trying to make people better but Shawn also didn't really know much about her. Both back at Hogwarts nor now, they never were close. "Yeah who said laughter was the best medicine." Shawn said with a small laugh as he assumed she kept her normal personality then when working so there wouldn't be any room for laughs. Just the same matter of fact tone. "I'm currently a professional dog with a dog walking business. It's hard work but someone has to get walked." He knew she wouldn't laugh but he did find it as something funny to say and was willing to still try and get her to laugh honestly just once. "No, actually they let me back into Hogwarts as a professor, surprising I know."

@callisto

[Deleted]

Shawn pointed out that his little trick didn't work on her, which she obviously knew. "Well I'm sure most people would prefer if you assured them the dog was safe afterward," she suggested. That was one of the reasons she didn't approve of the joke. Animal lovers would be worrying for days if he had ever found his lost puppy. Not that she really cared about their feelings, but it did seem... Courteous to say he found the dog at least.

He made a comment about laughter being the best medicine and she rolled her eyes, "that just makes no sense," she countered. Medicine was factual. It was science. It wasn't some fairytale. His whole comment about being a dog walker proved that he still was living in a fairytale of this own. In a small way Callisto was jealous of that. But she was too much of a realist.

He said he really was a professor and then she let out a light laugh. "Now that is hard to believe. What do you teach? Class Clown 101?" yes, Callisto actually made a joke.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

"I suppose you have a point." Shawn replied as he normally did let the person in on the joke at some point but till then they were possibly worried about where the dog might be. Leave it to someone like Callisto to take something fun he had been doing for quite sometime and make him feel just a little bad. Not enough to regret doing it but still if people were worried it would be on him. "I typically do after all. Normally by letting them figure out it was me, at which point they either get mad or embarrassed, both of which are funny."

Shawn smiled for a second as Callisto laughed but for a second as Shawn told her he was a professor. She even made a joke, both of which he hadn't ever heard her do before, granted he only knew her for one year and they didn't really see each other much then. "Possibly, I was going to say you should in roll but it seems to can actually make a joke and laugh now. My work is done here after all." Shawn said laughing as he hadn't expected either from her. "No, Transfiguration actually but I'll have to see about them starting a class clown subject for next year now."

@callisto

[Deleted]

Shawn said he typically did let them know the dog was safe by telling them he was the dog himself. Of course people got mad or embarrassed. It was a stupid joke and he was a grown man. She rolled her eyes, "Does no one find it amusing, then?" she guessed. She was sure there were people who did. People with the same goofy sense of humor that Shawn had. There had to be more people in the world than just him who found the joke funny.

She rolled her eyes yet again as he made the comment about her enrolling, but then said that she can make a joke so 'his work was done'. He added that it was Transfiguration, which she guessed made some sense. "Well, if you start that class clown subject let me know. I'm not very good at it yet," she said, attempting for another joke. She sighed, "let me buy you a drink. You can tell me all about Transfiguration and how much the students are driving you crazy," what? She had time for one drink. Plus, Shawn was annoying but... amusing.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

"Depends on the person, most just get a little annoyed that I wasted their time." Shawn answered her with a small laugh as that really didn't bug him much. You couldn't go though life worrying too much about the people with no sense of humor. "Still occasionally I'll find the person who gets a kick out of it and that makes it all worth it." Possibly or he just did it for himself maybe it was both really but he did have fun with the joke if no one else did.

Callisto commented about if he ever did start a class clown course to let her know and the reason why. "I wasn't going to say anything," Shawn replied with a slight smirk about her not being good at making jokes yet. "Still you're much better than before and that only took ten years or so. I can only imagine what another ten years will do to that sense of humor." Shawn added with a slight laugh as if it only took her ten years to start making jokes with him she'd be amazing in ten more he mused. He hadn't been expecting her to offer to buy him a drink but he wasn't about to turn her down, he had all day after all. "A drink sounds perfect, I am a cheap date after all." Shawn said with a slight smirk followed by laughing a little as he was just messing with her a little. "You think the students are driving me crazy? honestly I'd assume you'd have thought I was driving them crazy instead."

@callisto

[Deleted]

Most get annoyed? And yet he still did it? She rolled her eyes. This guy was an idiot. A downright, somehow adorable in his own right, idiot. Then he said that he occasionally found someone who made it worth it and she sighed, "I guess making one person in a hundred smile makes it all worth it, if you say so," she agreed. Sort of.

He said he wasn't going to say anything about her being bad at 'clowning' and she smirked too, shaking her head again, her arms tightly folded. He said she was better than before, ten years later and she scoffed, looking away from him for a moment. "So, we can safely assume that every ten years or so I'll be a little bit more fun?" she concluded. Well, that seemed fair to her. She was okay with not being fun.

He agreed to a drink, saying he was a 'cheap date', and she laughed shortly. "I didn't want to say anything," she said, in reference to her thinking he drove his students crazy.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

Callisto agreed with him about at least making one person smile would be worth it. While he had a feeling she was either just saying that or only agreed partly he wasn't totally sure. Still it was how he felt, as long as no one got hurt it was all in good fun and trying to brighten someone's day. There had been enough bad days not just in his life but in many people's lives, the world needed more good ones. "I like to think I have a better average than that of making people smile."

"What are you talking about?" Shawn said with a slight smirk as she talked about being more fun every ten years. "You've always been fun. The fun was just normally on my end when I tried to get you to actually smile." Sure it had only been one year and while he was in seventh year and Callisto in first but he wouldn't have remembered her if he didn't have fun himself. Still he also was obsessed with showing off he was an Animagus in general too back then. "Now you actually make jokes and laugh. Ten years from now you'll be funnier than me and that's when I'll be scared."

"I don't believe that for a second." Shawn said with a laugh at her comment of not wanting to say he was the one driving students crazy. "So what's a healer doing in Hogsmeade, Day off? Or did they decided to send the cheeriest healer on house calls today?" Shawn asked both making a joke and a little curious what she was up to.

@callisto

[Deleted]

He said that he'd like to think that he had a better average than that of making people smile, and she knew that to be true, but she didn't warrant his comment with a response. He asked what she was talking about in terms of being more fun every ten years and she shook her head a little. "Hey I-" she started harshly, but then softened, "actually smiled. A few times," the truth was she really didn't, not while at Hogwarts. She was too busy, too focused to smile. She didn't have time to smile. Who did. "It's a shame you only had one year at school to try," she added. Since Brandon... well, she learned that positive people, however annoying, could be a very good thing for her... maybe spending some time with Shawn the clown wouldn't be that bad.

She chuckled when he said ten years from now she'd be funnier than him. "Don't bet on that. Not unless I have consistent lessons," she countered. Then, he said he didn't believe that she wasn't going to say anything. She shook her head again, and instead decided to answer his next question. "Yes,house calls," she emphasized. "I was visiting with one patient. But I have... about an hour," she explained, slowly starting to lead the way toward the pub.

shawn lesley ashcroft

[shawn lesley ashcroft]

Shawn would have liked to believe that what Callisto said that she had smiled before. It'd have been proof he hadn't just been annoying her the whole time. Yet if he had made her smile Shawn had never seen it. "Well that's incredibly mean if you did. There I was going through all the trouble have having fun trying to get you to smile just once and you kept them all to yourself." Shawn said laughing slightly, still not sure if she was just saying that but he felt she was. Callisto commented about it was a shame he only had one year to try. "I'm sorry, you should have told me how you felt about me and I might have contemplated being held back a year." No, Shawn wouldn't have but he so no stranger to making comments just for a laugh or a smile at the least.

Callisto laughed once more and he couldn't remember hearing her laugh this much let alone smile before now. He enjoyed it, it made up a little for all his failed attempts ten years ago. "Well I am a professor now, lessons are my specialty." Not like he had much of a lesson plan for being able to laugh and make jokes. These things just came naturally for him since he was a student in Hogwarts. Shawn proceeded to follow Callisto as she lead the way to what he assumed was the pub. For a moment he was about to ask what was wrong with the person she had to visit but that would have been rude and against whatever code healers had he presumed. "An hour? I'll keep that in mind, I don't need some ministry official coming after me for taking up the time of their best healer." Shawn said with another laugh, he wasn't sure how skilled she was at being a healer. He had just found out today she was one but he could only imagine she was good at it.

@callisto