A dull Wednesday ¦ Esther

[Alora Veda Astor]

It was a rare Wednesday where Alora had no classes scheduled, nor did she have to cover any of the students supervised study sessions. Usually she volunteered to cover them as she didn't have much else to do, and it meant she would do her corrections in a more efficient manner. She hadn't quite cracked the art of grading homework pieces and the likes yet in the best way and she often found it difficult for it to keep her attention. It was a good time to force both the students and herself to do some work.

Except today some other Slytherin Professor already had it covered.

Instead Alora had come down to the village as a way to get out of the Greenhouses. Get away from the same thought that had been nagging at her in the back of her mind; that face. As she sipped at her overly large café mocha, she glanced around the coffee shop. There was enough students milling around the village, some coming and going from here. They must have had an afternoon pass from school, she thought. Though a lot of them were likely LIFE students who were allowed come and go as they pleased anyway. Either way, they didn't bother Alora and she didn't bother with them. The arrangement suited her fine. She didn't have any serious work with her to be concentrating on, but the Herbology journal that held her attention was interesting enough to not want to be distracted from.

Setting down the wide rimmed mug, she dabbed a napkin at her red painted lips to daub away any of her lipstick that may be smudged and returned her gaze downward to the glossy pages. Although she wasn't fully taking in what was written on the pages of the journal, the only thing occupying her mind was a certain someone that she would have to send an Owl to later and either enclose the journal itself or at the very least ask him his thoughts on the matter and offer to send on the magazine.

Esther Garnet

[Esther Garnet]

The days were busy at L.I.F.E. - much busier than she ever remembered Hogwarts being. That was likely attributed to the fact that there were now student placements in the medical department. Esther was often called on for mentoring, showing trainees how to approach certain issues and organising the course participants to align with the school’s overarching curriculum. Before she’d left Hogwarts a couple of years ago, her daily tasks generally involved fixing scraped knees, attending to students who had been affected by Mandrake cries and cauldron explosions. Then of course there was the aftermath of pranks being pulled amongst the students. Things like sleeping draughts and ton-tongue toffees. They never got old!

One of the nurses had expressed a desire for an afternoon coffee, and Esther took the opportunity for a bit of an errand outside of the campus grounds. It was a chance to break up the daily grind, remove the gaudy robe that was part of her uniform as Head Healer and grab some of that fresh air.

Entering the Spellbucks with a spring in her step, she strolled up to the front counter and flashed the young barista a playful smile, greeting them before ordering a round of caffeinated beverages for her colleagues. She was handed a cardboard tray for ease of carrying, handed over a handful of sickles and thanked them politely. She pulled out the tall long black from the order - that was her’s - and took a sip from it as she turned to leave, but in the corner of her eye she clocked a woman sitting alone whom she knew she recognised.

Esther’s eyes narrowed in on her, and a knowing smirk formed on the realisation of who this person was. Of course there was reason for Esther to be intrigued as to who the new Herbology Professor was. Who had replaced Alfie while she’d been gone. Sauntering up to the woman, she stood before her, paused and pointed a curious but spirited finger in her direction. “Hey!” she exclaimed to grab her attention. “You’re the Herbology Professor, right?” She’d forgotten the woman’s name, but she could never forget a bold lip colour like that!

Alora Veda Astor

[Alora Veda Astor]

In the warm and cosy interior of the coffee shop, it had been easy to let her mind slip away and let herself become engrossed in the article on the optimum conditions to breed Mercurialis annua, and then the best was to in turn to harvest your spoils. The account had covered three different methods for each and then the results of them. Alora's brow had been furrowed as she realised that while her harvesting was the best yes, the way she cultivated probably was subpar. Making a mental note to try the method chronicled, she wondered would it yield better results for her as well. As her mind was so preoccupied in her musing's she hadn't noticed Esther approach her.

Glancing up, she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, hello." she was still half distracted as she let her amber eyes rake over the form standing over her. Did she know this woman? Was she supposed to? With a small frown again, she realised that her face was familiar yes. But it was another case of difficult placement. It was likely she knew her from up at the school she had seen her, but in the last few weeks she'd met so many people and spent so much time getting used to everything that everyone's faces had melded into a blur. Which, honestly, was actually mildly infuriating to her. She was usually good with names and faces, her Grandmother had schooled her well growing up, too bad she had just put too much work into concentrating on the students. Her accent was a different one. Similar to Sam's female friends from New York, but not utterly the same. Perhaps she was better travelled and it had dulled slightly.

"I'm Alora. Alora Astor" With a slow nod, she closed her magazine and slid it to the table. Another polite gesture invited Esther to sit down across from her. Even if she wasn't quite sure what she was getting herself into, she hadn't forgotten her manners and frankly the way Esther was standing and she was not made her slightly uncomfortable. "Yes, I am. The new Professor. You work at the school too." It was a statement but the tone held something of a question, as if she was waiting for Esther to volunteer more information. Even calling it the school felt a bit ridiculous for the size it had grown to. She could honestly work in any department, bar Herbology, and Alora would be none the wiser.

Pausing to take a sip of her drink, she clasped her pale, perfectly manicured hands around the cup and left a silence she hoped Esther would fill.

Esther Garnet

[Esther Garnet]

“Alora Astor…” Esther nodded, repeating the name back to herself out loud, slowly and carefully which was a technique of her’s for committing something to memory. She clocked the fact that the woman in front of her didn’t seem to have the same level of recognition that she did of her, but that was alright considering she knew the professor was new. Esther had only just returned after a period of being away, but many of her colleagues remained the same and so there were less faces and names for her to learn. Most of her focus was adapting to the new ways in which the school was now operating.

The red head gestured for her to sit, and Esther knew she probably couldn’t stick around and chat for long on account of having to deliver the hot beverages to her busy colleagues. That being said, a few minutes couldn’t hurt, so she placed the cardboard carry tray down on the table and proceeded to take a seat opposite her. “Yeah, I’m in the medical department,” she informed the woman confirming her comment before sticking a hand out to her offering a formal introduction. “Esther Garnet.”

“Are you settling in alright?”

[Alora Veda Astor]

Hearing her name repeated back to her, Alora nodded slowly. She recognised the aid to memory, not one she practiced herself, but she had known others to. With a careful gaze, she watched Esther. Then looked down to the tray of drinks she had. "They've a warming charm set on them. The cups I mean, until they're opened and people start to drink them. It's not like they'll get cold until then." It was meant to set the other woman at ease, but she wasn't quite sure it came off that way. Just on case, she attempted a small smile and shrug. "It's handy to remember for the walk back to the Castle sometimes"

Letting her voice trail off, she sat in a slightly less comfortable silence and took another sip of her seemingly never ending drink, leaving the ball in Esther's court.

As Esther then did in fact take her prompt and slide into the seat across from her, her smile softened and grew somewhat. Slightly less on edge now, Alora shifted to sit back in her chair and fully take in her counterpart. With more information she laughed quietly. "Ah, always useful to have contacts there then. I'm sure I've sent more than a few students your way Esther" Contemplating her question, she paused just slightly. Putting her finger on an answer proved slightly more difficult. Ruffling at her red locks she shrugged slightly. "I mean, to a degree yes. Getting into the routine of things has been sort of nice I suppose. But getting a handle on some of the students, and biging myself up has been a little more difficult" With a quiet laugh into her coffee cup she shrugged slightly again , and rolled her eyes "I'm sure by Christmas though I might have it down. What about you? How do you like it?"

Esther Garnet

[Esther Garnet]

As Esther sat down, she smiled warmly at the woman opposite her, noting that she seemed to become more comfortable with her presence once she’d realised they were colleagues. The blonde tended to have a way of easing people with her extroverted and affable nature - whether that was the case or not in this exact situation. Settling into her seat, she pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and laughed at Alora’s comment about probably sending a fair few students to the hospital wing.

She nodded as the red head explained that getting into a routine had been a positive - Esther could certainly relate to that - then she gave a kind of lopsided grin that indicated a hint of sympathy that there had been some struggles. It was common for a lot of women to wrestle with imposter syndrome. Not everyone could easily master the art of self promotion.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” she assured her. “It’s still early days.” She gave an encouraging smile and took another sip of her coffee.

“It’s been rough coming back to work after such a long break” she admitted, answering the witch’s question, “But I like what they’ve done with the campus. I’m sure it’ll just take a little getting used to.” Esther shrugged nonchalantly. She didn’t have the same emotional nostalgia for the old castle like many of her colleagues did, not having spent her youth there as a student. It was impressive what they had built in the face of adversity, and she liked the new direction. Plus it felt like a brand new job which probably aided in her not feeling like she was coming back to exactly the same old life, with her tail in between her legs. 

Alora Veda Astor

[Alora Veda Astor]

Although at times Alora may come off as cold and distant, described by others as a total a stuck up bitch; she was really quite the opposite. Yes it was easier to portray an outward demeanour like that, but it was just a façade. Years of training under her Grandmothers wing had given her the sort of armour she now used to her advantage. Once you were even a slight bit closer to her, she usually warmed to you quickly enough, and her true awkward self was uncovered. With another sip of coffee, she felt jittery at the fact Esther had actually accepted to sit down with her for a moment. Now it was such; she hadn't much idea of what to do with herself.

Awkwardly she watched Esther, working at figuring her out. Well she knew with her accent she was some sort of American, so not a local by any stretch. Listening intently, she was acutely aware of trying not to stare at Esther, a habit she was keenly aware of, and no matter how hard she tried to combat, sometimes she couldn't help.

Alora had been nodding along with Esther had been saying, taking it in piece by piece and dissecting the information as needed. It was only when she said about her being back did Alora's attention heighten "Back? You're been here before?" Tilting her head to the side, her mind puzzled as she tried to work it out. A break. Wheere had she gone to? Although she hadn't entirely assumed anything, she thought the majority of the staff now at LIFE & MYSTIC were new, assuming the staff wouldn't want to come back after such a traumatic event. Certainly that was the vibe she had gotten from @alife anyway. As her mind whirred away, she smiled anyway and found her mouth moving in almost automatic response. "It's very different from the old castle where I went to school. It's very modern. Nice in a way but I admit I fee like some of the charm has been lost."

Esther Garnet

[Esther Garnet]

"Back? You're been here before?"

She nodded and paused for a second while the span of the past two years of time seemed to flash in her mind in the form of a distorted memory. When Esther had left, it was an attempt to run away from her problems which were a myriad of things. A combination of being bored at work, the situation that had caused a breakdown in her relationship with her best friend Alfie, and a yearning to do something more with her life in general. To shake things up, catch a break and get some perspective. What she didn’t anticipate was a series of events that would mean this place would never be the same again, and to be away from the people she cared about while they went through scenarios that would surely be nothing short of traumatic.

“I worked at Hogwarts a couple of years ago in the Hospital Wing” she confirmed. The truth was that if it hadn’t been for travel restrictions, she might have come back a lot sooner. At least that’s what she’d told herself, possibly to save her some of the guilt of not being around when the school had been destroyed. “I’m probably lucky that they were eager to take me back. After a couple years of travelling, I kinda ran out of money.” Esther’s lips formed a straight line to signal a sort of mock awkwardness though her general demeanour was anything but. It was true that she needed to get back to work and earn a living, but it wasn’t the only thing that called her back to the UK.

Esther nodded in agreement with the woman as she explained the changes in the school, and how it’d lost some of its charm. Hogwarts was iconic for more than just its extraordinary structure. There was also the immense history that lived inside its halls. That was all gone now, in brick and mortar form anyway. “It must have been fun going to school there. I hope you’re doing okay with everything that’s happened the past couple years…” Esther extended some sympathy to her, not really knowing how it might have affected her, whether she had been around for it at all or managed to avoid it like she had. Regardless, she figured there must be a feeling of loss knowing that the place where so many witches and wizards experienced significant life changing events and held certain kind of nostalgia was gone.

Alora Veda Astor

[Alora Veda Astor]

Listening to Esther explain, she paused and slowly nodded "Oh that's nice then, to be back I mean". With a quiet laugh she sat down the wide-brimmed mug and grinned at her. "Always an issue having no money. It's unfortunate we have to work in life, or it would be so much more fun otherwise."

Quietly she contemplated Esther's next few words and found herself nodding again. "It was, yeah I suppose." despite the near-torturous bullying she suffered in her school years. Biting her lip she thought on it some more and processed. She should have let it go by now, or at least learned to somewhat. But it had been difficult, not to find herself dwelling on it. She supposed that was the reason she had found herself where she was now, working at Hogwarts and out of her childhood home. In an utterly different setting from where she had been six months ago; a hermit drinking herself to an early grave.

"Thank you, but I was away when all that happened really. I was distanced from it all I suppose. I was in New York and didn't hear about it all that much I guess. Just read about parts of it in the papers. Sort of good in a way I guess" By choice she had removed herself from the UK and her previous ties here. No family bar some distant cousins. Next to no friends. Ready to build her new life in the states with Samuel, until that had all gone to pot. She let herself lapse into an awkward sort of silence before she shrugged, brushing it off and deciding to shut that part of the conversation down. "But anyway. I'm back now. Picking up the pieces somewhat and settling into a new life." Way to open the door to more curiosities on Esther's part you dumb witch. Pursing her lips together, she started to shuffle some of the papers on the table in front of her together absentmindedly. "I think I should get moving back to the castle actually. I have a meeting with the Head of the junior school in a while..." she didn't of course, but she now felt the need to extract herself from this social situation quite quickly.

Esther Garnet

[Esther Garnet]

Alora elicited a mental image of never having to work and money not being an issue in response to the blonde, and Esther nodded with a stern but comical arch of her brow. “Ain’t that the truth!” she commented like it was an affirmation of sorts.

She picked up on the tone that the woman put down commenting on going to Hogwarts, even though she said she supposed it was fun, it was pretty obvious she felt quite the opposite. Interesting. But Esther wasn’t going to ask her to elaborate, not when she’d just met her - that would just be much too nosey of her!

She listened while Alora explained her absence during all of the chaos that had ensued at the school. She was grateful for having been away too, but it certainly brought on pangs of guilt around not being there for her friends, colleagues and students. She was just about to comment on Alora’s mentioning of being in New York at the time. Where Esther was born and bred! Her eyes lit up and she lifted a finger from its resting place on the table as if to start a whole new discussion around which borough she resided in, where did she go shopping, what were her favourite bars??

But before she could, the witch before her started gathering her things and announced her need for departure. “Oh, right. Of course.” she said, nodding in agreement despite feeling vaguely whiplashed. That was strange, like someone holding out a candy bar in front of you then pulling it away as you go to take it from them. Except in this situation the candy bar was the divulging of information followed by an abrupt ending. “No worries, I’m sure I’ll see you around the castle, then. It was nice to meet you, Alora.” Esther smiled at the red head to hopefully alleviate any of the awkward tension that she thought might be radiating around them. But she’d wait a little bit for her to leave before she did the same, just to be sure to not make it worse!

Alora Veda Astor