party poison | esther

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

this ain't a party

get off the dance floor

December 24, 2027
Esther Garnet

It was strange to see the Flobberworm and Lettuce full of staff and no students in sight. Such social events never bothered Archie. He rather enjoyed them. But he also never had an issue with so many people in the same place at once. Now that he thought about it, had he ever seen Blaise in the pub or any pub for that matter? For now, he’d keep the question to himself. No doubt some overconfident, smart-mouthed fifth-year had already asked him such a question and been met with a glare. But really, Archie was thinking about how quickly the year had gone by. Not six months ago, the school reopened with a new schedule and system.

The new way of teaching was much more work, far more challenging, and far more enjoyable. Obviously, he was one of the few people, perhaps, on the planet that enjoyed Arithmancy. Still, the other courses he taught were livelier, and thinking of creative ways to trip up the trainees was always fun. He alternated between both campuses since he was Head of Ravenclaw house. But he enjoyed speaking to the younger students as well. And then all the new faces. As one of the High Council, Archie had been of the first faces the newest staff saw. And fortunately, many familiar faces had returned. Archie had to admit he missed teaching Magical Theory but had been pleased with Ivy's return to staff.

Currently, it was a mix of the old and the new. Archie watched one of the MYSTIC teachers drink a glass of whiskey in one go. They taught year one. But a rowdy bunch from what he’d heard. Archie responded to quick greetings on his way to the bar and even stopped for a bit of small talk, but finally, he made it to a stool and waited for the bartender to finish with someone else—the Astronomy Professor at the other end of the bar. But he wasn’t in a hurry, so he turned to his left to survey that part of the room until he heard his name—his proper name from his right. Turning, he gave a quick grin to the culprit. Fortunately, it didn’t bother him, even if only his Aunt used his full name to get his attention. ”You made it.” Attendance at this event was not compulsory, but he was glad certain people were here.

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[Esther Garnet]

This would be Esther’s first work-related social gathering since her return to Hogwarts some short months ago. Before she had left, during her time in the old castle, it wasn’t unusual for her to partake in knock off drinks after work with her colleagues - mostly with former Herbology Professor Alfie, but there were other solid members of their little clique who traversed their little pub sprees joining them from time to time.

There were so many more people now - obviously - since professors and associated staff had to cover multiple campuses. She wondered whether some of the newer ones would even recognise her without her unsightly Matron uniform layered up with high collared undershirt, pinafore down to her ankles, apron, robes and long sleeves, hair pinned up all neatly. The icing on top being the awfully stifling bonnet she had to wear on account of tradition. Esther was currently sporting a much more casual and contemporary style; high waisted figure-hugging black jeans, a pearl coloured cropped satin top with a leather jacket over the top. Her long golden hair flowed freely outside of the constraints of the headgear they made her wear in the medical wing. Esther felt much more herself in this form.

Sauntering into the Flobberworm and Lettuce, the woman gave jovial nods to a few colleagues who managed to catch contact with her line of sight, but getting to the bar was her first assignment so she didn’t stop just yet for a chat. As she approached, she did clock a familiar figure with an empty stool beside him and so she sidled up next to him taking a seat for herself.

“Octavian” she declared, dragging out the ‘a’ sounds in his name, brows furrowed in a pretend serious fashion with a kind of mock ceremonious air to her. When he turned to greet her, Esther’s expression relaxed, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Of course I made it. I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else other than school grounds on Christmas Eve.” Esther’s tone was sarcastic, but her smile didn’t falter. She noticed that he was waiting for the bartender, and Esther wanted in on that, too. "What are you drinking tonight, Archie?" 


octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

this ain't a party

get off the dance floor

December 24, 2027
Esther Garnet

A lot had changed these past couple of years. But Archie’s life was a mixture of sudden twists and turns to where he was now. Nowhere in his mind as a teenager did he ever imagine himself back in the halls as Professor, let alone those halls not existing anymore. Though it was to the detriment of the students. Archie had been young once, and despite his Prefect status for Ravenclaw house, it did not stop him from the usual shenanigans of a teenage boy. Dating hadn’t been a priority, but nothing came to mind when he thought about his goals. He was supposed to achieve the best marks possible and enter a glorious career.

But the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree. Archie greatly resembled his late father, Octavian Sr., in appearance and in some personality. Nobody would ever say it to his face, however. Or nobody had until his very loving stepmother mentioned it candidly one day. The thought was horrid, if only because his father only ever used his charm to swindle people. His children, most of all. And that always lingered in the back of his mind. Archie was good with people. He enjoyed talking to them and mingling just as he did now at these social events for the staff. He’d like to think that his appointment as a Head of House was not only on merit but because of how easily he could interact with other staff members and the students.

But few rarely used his given first name unless they were meeting for the first time. It didn’t bother him, at least when most people said it. Not even Esther, but she never meant it maliciously. Although, it was a shame Alfie wasn’t there to join them since he’d stepped away from teaching after the fire. Now that he thought about it, Ivy hadn’t mentioned if she would stop by either. So, it was just the two of them, it seemed. ”Am I in trouble? People tend to use my given name when I’m in trouble.” By ‘people’ he meant his Aunt, who had raised him, or Professors in his youth. The sarcasm was noted in Esther’s tone. He supposed the entire staff would not appear tonight if they had other obligations. Archie had no plans until the next day to see his Aunt and sister. ”It’ll be the talk of the town.” There really wasn’t much trouble a room full of primary school teachers, the librarian, and a handful of LIFE Professors could really get up to.

The bartender still hadn’t returned to his side of the bar, but he wasn’t feeling impatient. ”I hadn’t decided yet.” Archie recognized him. The usual bartender who worked here, though Archie had not spoken to him all that much. A blonde boy who also studied here. ”I’ll have whatever you’re having.” Archie looked back at Esther. She was out of her usual uniform for the party. Not that the drab outfit ever stopped the seventh-year boys from gawking from time to time, or even some of the staff.

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[Esther Garnet]

”Am I in trouble?"

“Not yet” she replied with a wink. Not that Esther was actually expecting for it to be a big night, so the comment was more of a quip. Just because she didn’t have any family to spend Christmas with didn’t mean that the majority of others wouldn’t. She gave a chuckle at his comment about this night being the talk of the town. Unless the first year MYSTIC professor continued downing whiskeys at an alarming rate and started vivaciously dancing on a table she couldn’t imagine anything else overly eventful occurring. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t try…

“What about a couple firewhiskeys?” she asked playfully, a shoulder angling towards him. “Might as well make it count. And we deserve it after this term, don’t you agree?” The truth was they’d had worse… Especially Archie, but Esther was always looking to rationalise doing shots now that she was a grown ass woman with a respectable career. It probably wasn’t as cute as it sounded to some to be a single person with commitment issues in their mid thirties who went out to binge drink for fun regularly picking up strange men and acting silly, then coming back to crash on her best friend’s futon in his living room. She needed to actively remind herself of that sometimes.

The blonde barely waited for a response from her colleague before the bartender came over to serve them, and Esther put their order in with an air of confidence in the decision. Two firewhiskeys plus a beer each to chase them with. He poured their drinks and set them in front of the pair, and Esther reached for the shot glass and raised it from the bar and started to think of a good excuse for a cheers. “To Christmas, I guess?” she shrugged, lips pressing together a little in amusement, pausing in case he wanted to offer anything better.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

this ain't a party

get off the dance floor

December 24, 2027
Esther Garnet

Archie couldn’t help but let a slow smirk form on his face at her response. They’d been friends for some time, or at least since she first joined the staff at Hogwarts. And then Esther rejoined them as the new campus opened at the beginning of summer. Suffice it to say that the summer term was not nearly as hectic as the fall. The only students to worry about were the sixth and seventh years and whichever graduates were training for certain courses. Within the same week, he’d shown Esther around the new grounds he’d been back in the Hospital Wing escorting two trainee Cursebreakers who’d become a little too confident in one of the courses he taught. They’d learned their lesson on underestimating simple sand traps they might encounter in the field.

And that had not been the last incident, so Archie found himself there at least once a week or more over the summer and into the fall. Suffice it to say that they hadn’t exactly avoided trouble themselves, but at least they knew to be discrete and ensure it was after school hours. ”That sounds like a marvelous idea.” And Esther was speaking the truth. Archie enjoyed his work, teaching, and these new courses he’d taken to assist in training Cursebreakers and trainees in other fields. In his opinion, this system worked out a little better, even if not all the trainees were thrilled about sitting in a classroom again. But the downside was more work, more curriculums to manage, and homework to grade. More students to oversee as well. They might as well have added Hogwarts' eighth and ninth years.

The bartender finally noticed them, coincidentally just as Esther had arrived, but Archie wasn’t bothered. He raised his shot glass to her toast, thinking of what to add, if anything. ”And good company.” Jumping from career to career had taught Archie that it didn’t matter what one was doing, but the dynamic of everyone together did matter. He missed that about working for Gringotts. There was something unique and special about working side by side for days on end with people you trusted with your life. The museum had been far quieter, and now he was here teaching. Archie had friends all over the place, and he did miss the traveling. But it hadn’t left time for anything serious in his life aside from flings and those sorts of things. Fortunately, his Aunt pressured neither him nor his younger sister into finding a partner and settling down. Archie wasn’t looking for that just yet.

He poured the whiskey into his mouth, swallowing it before he could think otherwise. Whiskey had never been his drink, and he wasn’t accustomed to the burn down his throat, but it was Christmas Eve. So, without hesitation, he picked up his beer and drank heartily. That was more his drink if he had to choose one. In fact, Archie didn’t drink all that often, but he did enjoy a drink now and then. ”I think I’ll stick to beer.” He finally spoke as he set his beer down. The crowd had grown a small amount in the few minutes since he’d last looked, but Archie still wondered how long he might stay. He supposed it depended on who else arrived. ”Planning to stay long?” He asked Esther. Now that he thought about it this was the first time he’d seen her all week. But at the same time, he was curious what some of these staff members were like with a bit of whiskey in their systems.

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[Esther Garnet]

Drinking to good company sounded appropriate in this scenario, though Esther would accept any form of justification to down a couple of shots when the mood struck. She’d cheers to anything, really. House elves, which ever Quidditch team was in the World Cup finals, the mere fact that it was just another day - whatever worked.

Once her glass met his and made a clinking sound to affirm the toast, she threw back the firewhiskey effortlessly like it was as gentle on the throat as a toffee or something. Easily and with little adverse reaction. She did attempt to control her laughter at Archie as he swiftly grabbed for his beer chaser, covering her mouth with the back of her hand before wiping it. “There you go,” she commented offhandedly to certify that they were most certainly off to a good start!

The Arithmancy Professor asked if she had planned on staying for long, and Esther hadn’t really considered it, but as always it wouldn’t take much to convince her. She shrugged apathetically. “Not really. Unless you want to twist my arm?” she didn’t expect that from Archie, not only because he wasn’t much of a big drinker, but also she assumed he would have plans tomorrow. The kind of plans where being rudely hungover could be pretty painful.

In Esther’s case, she knew she could wake up feeling rusty and it’d just be her and Alfie and they’d probably just start drinking again. There was no pressure to be anywhere or act a certain way in the presence of people they felt like they might need to behave around. The two American orphans - Alfie because his family were back in the states, and Esther because she was quite literally without any family regardless of where she was residing.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

this ain't a party

get off the dance floor

December 24, 2027
Esther Garnet

There had been a unanimous thought among the Heads of Houses that the staff needed a break. The new structure and demands of the educational system would wear one out if they were not careful. Archie learned that quickly as he temporarily taught Magical Theory over the summer term and his other courses. But it was exciting all the same. Archie almost wished he was sixteen again, if only for the chance to study in this fashion. But for now, he enjoyed simply sitting down and having a drink. Socialize and not worry about all the tasks on his plate.

And he’d meant what he said. This was good company. Archie felt obligated to stay for a decent amount of time, which might have seemed daunting if he was more of an introvert. Thankfully, he was not. ”What if I said ‘please’?” If Esther chose to leave, Archie would not stop her. The majority of the staff was pretty tame. No theatrics or drama was expected tonight, or so he hoped. But the downside was limited conversations where people were content to simply talk about work. His plans the following day were not until later. He was sure his Aunt and Nova would work in the morning to prepare for the post-Christmas rush.

In any case, Archie would make due. There wasn’t the urge to drink himself past a buzz if he kept his own company. Not that drinking heavily was ever a goal for him, but it tended to sneak up on him when socially drinking. In fact, one might call the former Cursebreaker a bit of a lightweight in that regard.
”What if I said I required medical attention?” Archie followed up with a hypothetical question. She was the Head of the Head Healer. Perhaps she could be persuaded to stay for a while. A bit of a playful look crept onto his face. In general, he’d missed all these interactions, the fun and the serious, over the year he wasn’t teaching.

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[Esther Garnet]

As she settled into her seat at the bar, the fire whiskey settling into her stomach and beginning to travel through her blood stream, she began to feel more comfortable, at ease and in her element. There was nothing a good dose of liquid courage couldn’t do to get her into the zone, and Esther would be looking to hit her sweet spot by following up with another soon enough.

Archie asked her if she would stay for longer if he said ‘please’ and the blonde smirked, eyes darting up to fix on a random brick on the wall as her fingers tapped gently in a morse code rhythm atop the bar. She pretended to be in deep consideration of this proposition, and eventually she shrugged lightly, lips pursed into a sort of undetermined expression as if to imply that he could make a better offer than that.

”What if I said I required medical attention?”

“You’d be shit out of luck, Professor. I’m officially off the clock” she jabbed back, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow before taking an enthusiastic swig of her beer. “But look, since it’s Christmas Eve and all of that, I’d hate to leave you alone with this lot for the rest of the night,” she gave a quick nod over in the direction of where a larger crowd was now gathering inside of the pub. Truthfully there was nothing wrong with her colleagues - most of them were great aside from the odd dud but that could be said for any workplace, really. Really she was just looking to tease her friend because it was fun! “You’ll have to have another one of those fire whiskeys with me, though,” she told him, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

this ain't a party

get off the dance floor

December 24, 2027
Esther Garnet

Archie chuckled. If Esther truly did not want to stay, she probably would not have shown up at all. At least, that’s what he figured of the few staff members that were not present—at least those that had not already said they were busy. And he didn’t know what happened in moments like this. The flirting, the circling around one another. Not that he never flirted, but with some, it was easier. It simply flowed with the conversation. Naturally, if someone like Alfie was next to him, they would simply be laughing and joking, he was sure. But this was most certainly not him.

”How charitable of you.” Archie remarked, his eyes darting to the crowd that Esther referenced. It wasn’t a bad bunch. A few kept their professional distance. Although he was a Professor of a handful of courses, Archie was also a head of house and part of the group that made decisions for the school. He hardly considered himself anyone’s boss, however. Esther challenged him to another whiskey as a price, and he submitted to her demands. ”Fine.” Merlin, this was likely to hit him quick as he’d never developed that steel stomach for whiskey that many Cursebreakers did. ”Just one…” But Archie trailed off, eyeing her with a fake suspicion. ”You know, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to get me drunk Ms. Garnet.” He turned to catch the attention of the bartender for two more drinks.

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[Esther Garnet]

As the pair went back and forth, one quip after the other like a game of tennis, Esther settled into her spot at the bar next to Archie realising she was having more fun than she had anticipated before she’d popped in to make an appearance at the Christmas party. The Head of House was a good friend she had decided, and despite the fact that flirting so aggressively with a colleague could likely come across as a little unprofessional if their colleagues were to catch on, Esther didn’t see the harm in it if nobody was getting hurt.

The thing about Archie that she respected was his ability to have a bit of friendly flirty banter without getting the wrong idea. Esther couldn’t help it that a lot of men seemed to want more from her than she was willing to give, and she generally wasn't very willing to give anything that wasn't strictly physical or very serious. That was just in her DNA. She was a commitment-phobe at best and she didn’t want to get tied down. Usually they became infatuated with her and then it was just annoying so she’d have to find their flaws and move on to the next one. So the fact that Archie showed some restraint in that department wasn’t lost on her.

When he agreed to have another shot with her, she clenched her fist together and pumped it victoriously mid air mouthing yes! As if she’d just won a mini-battle against his better judgement. When he jokingly suggested that she might be trying to get him drunk, she angled her shoulder towards him feigning meekness and smirked “Aw. Not scared are you, Professor?”

The bartender delivered two more shots and set them in front of the duo and Esther took the one closest to her and held it out. “To good company,” she declared, before pressing her lips together briefly contemplating the toast “Or did we already do that?”


octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

this ain't a party

get off the dance floor

December 24, 2027
Esther Garnet

It was all good fun, wasn’t it? Archie told himself that often and always had since his years at Hogwarts. Never the troublemaker but still able to find fun during those years. The excitement and the thrill had made it hard to stay away. So going into Cursebreaking almost made sense for the young man. But nothing like a reality check to bring one back to Earth. Everybody seemed to mind their business for once, or maybe they’d already drunk enough that they only focused on what was in front of them. At least Archie was. As professional as he was, he was not blind.

This friendship was simple and fun. Esther had not indicated that she wanted anything more, and Archie was okay with that. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t have many models of a good relationships in his life. Archie shook his head slightly at her excitement. Drinking was not something he partook in often, but it was a special occasion, after all. Somewhere at home, he had some hangover potions for the next day. Dramatically he raised his eyebrows at the suggestion. ”Scared? Never.” A Cursebreaker former or current, was hardly scared.

Now that the challenge was issued, Archie took the shot and tried to think of something worthy of a toast. ”I think we did, but it's worth toasting to again.” Archie gave a sly smile before letting his shot glass tap hers. That burn from the tequila was not something he felt he’d ever grow accustomed to. Although that warm feeling that seemed to spread from his stomach to his fingertips felt nice, he didn’t even mind the slight fog in his brain.

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[Esther Garnet]

Esther was having fun with the Ravenclaw Head of House. Archie was a stand up guy and the toast they’d now comically repeated twice was more than appropriate given she truly did find him to be pretty good company. As she downed the second shot of tequila, the familiar face of a colleague in her peripheral caught her attention as they waved over at her from the other side of the room. Esther looked over at them and flashed a broad smile before setting her shot glass back down on the bar and she got up from her seat.

“I should go and say hello,” she told Archie as she picked up her beer. As she went to go and greet some others, she turned and told him slyly from over her shoulder “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

A couple of hours later…

… And a few wines later, people were beginning to say their goodbyes. Esther farewelled her workmates, wishing them a Merry Christmas, happy holidays and all that kind of stuff. She was feeling rather jovial in this moment, probably due to a combination of anticipation for a bit of a break from work, mixed with the alcohol that was coursing through her bloodstream delivering that hazy, floaty sensation.

Esther found her way back to the Arithmancy Professor and waited for a break in his conversation to address him alone again. “Might be time to call it a night,” she declared. Looking around them, half the crowd were beginning to spill out of the F&W while the more lively ones were still ordering their last drinks. She paused for a moment before making him a proposition, her shoulder shrugging loosely and brows arching in curiosity “Unless you wanna get out of here?”