To new beginnings - Annaliese

[Chase Alderman]

This was it, his first real day. The students had arrived yesterday, been sorted and had their start of term feast. The headmistress had been in excellent form, she just made everything seem so very easy. Of course, she had been doing this for awhile but it gave him something to aspire to, he would love to be able to stand up in front of so many people, to look so confidant and address everybody with importance. Even more, to have them really listen to him. He hoped that it was a skill that he would be able to learn in time. Whenever she had gone around the table, introducing the new wave of teachers he had originally been surprised at how many new faces were showing up this year. Whenever she had gotten to him, he had hardly managed to stand up straight in his chair before making a horrible squeaking noise and sitting back down to his pumpkin juice. Luckily, nobody had laughed at him. He just felt like he was the only one nervous out of the lot. Everybody else had just made it seem so easy. Confidently rising to their feet and addressing the student body. He needed to get over whatever it was that made him act so very foolishly.

His fingertips ran down the length of the staff table. The place where he would be eating the majority of his meals from now on. At least, he hoped that he would. He didn't want to be the man who was stuck in his office grading papers all of the time, forced to eat at his desk. It sounded too depressing for him. It seemed like only yesterday that he was sitting on the other side of the room. Talking to his house mates about how his potions professor was being a stick in the mud about their abundance of homework, or that he was super excited about the Quidditch game coming up over the weekend. How things had changed since then. He pulled his dark black staff robes over his shoulders and settled into the chair that was reserved specifically for him. Had it really been nine whole years since he had sat in this hall for a meal? Yesterday was an exception, he had been such a bundle of nerves that he hadn't even taken the time to really allow the excitement to sink in. His first class wasn't until tomorrow, and he had finished setting up his office/room only this morning. While he ought to be setting up his classroom, checking the sign ups or even really getting ready his first lesson, he couldn't make himself calm down enough to really focus on it. He knew that he was going to need to address his house later this evening, since all of the real classes were going to start tomorrow, and he wanted to stress the importance of winning house points by attendance, and how much faith he had in each and every one of them. He was hoping, that the fact that they were all Ravenclaws was going to outweigh the fact that they were also teenagers and would help them to take his message to heart.

Even with all of the things that were going on in the world outside of the school, he felt like he was at home here. Like he, belonged here. It was just about the only place that he could think of that he was going to be able to make a good impression on anybody. The only place that he was going to do good. That was of course, assuming that he didn't just flop on his face and stutter all the way through his first lesson. Shame they didn't really permit liquor during school hours. Might have calmed his nerves a little. His arms reached out to span the space in front of him. The student tables had been broken down into smaller versions since there were no meals due to happen for a few hours now. He could hear mostly excited chatter coming from the entry hall. It was enthralling, the soft voices talking about classes, and the latest gossip coming in through the open doors on the opposite side of the room. He could hear the prefects shouting to the first years about where their classes were, and advice on which teachers were nice and which ones that they needed to avoid. Sadly, he didn't hear his own name mentioned once. He pegged it as nobody really knew what to think about him. Most of the staff was new this year, since the teachers of last year hadn't decided to come back in light of recent gossip. As much as everybody thought that it was, he just had a gut feeling that the Dark Lord wasn't going to attack the school, he had to have something better in mind. Besides, with the Auror's posted in every single entrance and on every floor, they would have to see him coming a mile away. Leaning back into the soft backing of his chair he folded his hands across his lap, just taking everything in. He didn't want it to show, but he was more than happy to be here.

[Annaliese Kraylons]

Truthfully, Annaliese had never had a problem with being at Hogwarts Galaxia when she was a student. Aside from the teenage thoughts of wanting to break free from the chains of the school to go and do her own thing upon graduation, Galaxia had been her home when nothing else was. Some of the best times of her life had been had there with her trio of friends in Slytherin. So many of life’s important lessons had been taught to her here. More often than not, whenever she thought back to previous times in her life, Galaxia always had a way of weaving itself back into her memories, like Jackson always appearing at just the right time to ask for galleons for him and Damien to go waste on a night of drunken tomfoolery. Some things just never changed. Although some progression in life was healthy, Annaliese wouldn’t have it any other way. Her times at Galaxia had helped mold her into the person she was today. She was smart, confident, level-headed and most importantly, independent. The school had helped guide her in the right direction of shaking off Jackson’s excessive neediness, putting Damien in his place whenever he was or wasn’t sober and be a better friend to Keara. Of course all of that had been endangered when she had run off with Jack for those long years, but Annaliese was thankful that things seemed to pick up right where they had been left upon returning. The boys were still the idiot drunks they were. Kea was still the same gorgeous vampire with a big heart. And while she had grown mentally, she was still the same tough, but loveable Annaliese picking up the occasional shift at one of the local bars to keep money in her pocket.

That was until she had been flipping through the Timestopper back in September. The edition was full of articles about her former Head of House, Darren Morgan. He had revealed himself to be the Dark Lord at a huge fight between the Ministry and the Dark side at Gringotts the previous month. Annaliese had been keeping up with the happenings of Austria throughout their temporary leave of the country. Since the battle, she had been picking up editions of the Timestopper every day to find out the progress being made in capturing him. As she turned to the Classifieds section, a large and bold advertisement stuck out among all others. Her old school was in desperate need for new faculty as every single one of the previous members had been fired from their jobs as a way of starting the school anew. Apparently the school had been shut down for a good year or two after the Masquerade and rumors starting circulating about the Dark Lord recruiting from Slytherin. This year, however, it was reopening and all interested applicants were urged to contact Headmistress LeGrand, the only remaining staff of Galaxia. Every single position was open and Annaliese couldn’t help but to find herself stunned. Things had changed so much since she and Jackson had fled the country. She wondered if this was a sign of positive change in the wizarding world or the calm before the storm. Either way, she was left with the article sitting heavily on her mind for the next few days. She was looking for something permanent. She always been wise beyond her years and felt like she was slowly ebbing away from working the bar circuit for too much longer. She had no sort of expertise in any of the subjects though. What was there that would really suit her as well as allow her to accurately education children?

Then it hit her like a ton of bricks. Muggle Studies. Annaliese had been raised to hate the people. Only magical blood was allowed to live in the world and all others needed to be exterminated. Growing up, her views on the matter changed. As long as she was left alone, she saw no issue with intruding on other people’s business. It was when she had been living from sleazy motel room to sleazy motel room with Jackson that she had began to experience the life of a muggle. Certain things once able to do with the flick of a wand were banished out of fear that they would be detected and word would be given back to Jackson’s father that the two had been spotted. She had been forced to partake in daily muggle activities like washing their clothes or cooking dinner without any form of magical help. It had been difficult to get used to, but after awhile, she did. Annaliese had gotten so acquainted with the muggle way of life that she had even kept her wand zipped up in one of the compartments of her luggage. This was the perfect subject to teach. If there weren’t any sort of degree or certificate needed to teach the subject, this could be her way of giving back to the school that had done so much for her. After setting an appointment for a job interview with LeGrand, she spent the next two days locked up in the Alzubra Alley library reading as much as she could on muggles to give herself that much more of an advantage in her talk with her former Headmistress. By the time the day had arrived, Annaliese felt confident that she was knowledgeable enough to set off a good impression with the woman.

Stepping on the grounds again brought back an array of emotions to Annaliese. Careful to remain professional, she did her best to keep down the memories as she stepped through the doors and was escorted by two Aurors up to the Headmistress’ office. Although she knew the route, the Ministry was no longer taking any chances and had their presence sorted around the school. The meeting itself had went great. LeGrand was delighted to see her and highly impressed with her tales of muggle living and knowledge. Somehow, she had gotten the job. She had to submit to a thorough background check since she had been a Slytherin, but everything had cleared and she was formally offered the position. The following week, Annaliese went on a shopping frenzy buying things for her class and to decorate her office and classroom. She spent the entire week before the start of the term decorating things to her liking and continuing to read on the muggle ways of life. The days seemed to pass by with every bat of an eyelash and before she knew it, it was the day for students to arrive. She had taken her seat nervously at the Staff table, smiling and nodding her head at her new co-workers who looked equally anxious. When the students started filing in, an emotion she couldn’t quite place came over her, but one thing was for sure. She was back at home. Once the sorting was over and the introductions were made, she recognized a few faces that had aged since her time here. The same feeling was reflected as her name was announced and several of the Slytherin 7th years clapped for her. It was nice knowing she wasn’t forgotten about.

The feast continued and students and faculty were sent back to their respective Houses or offices. Annaliese stayed overnight in her office making sure she had everything prepared for her first class the following afternoon. Upon awakening, she was filled with a sense of giddiness. She was still nervous, but ready to get the ball rolling. There were a few more hours until her first class and nothing else to be done. Her stomach was grumbling, though from hunger or anxiety she wasn’t sure. Either way, she decided to head down to the Great Hall and get something light to snack on. Breakfast had only been a few hours ago and she was still somewhat full from the extensive platters that had been made available to them. Fortunately, her office wasn’t too far away from the Hall and she entered within ten minutes. The room was mostly empty with a few straggling students here and there. The staff table had two faces from the previous night though both sat on opposite ends. As she approached, she saw a man on one side and the strange looking Divination professor on the right. Annaliese figured she was better off with the man. Giving him a small smile as she walked behind the table, she stopped when she was a foot away from him. “Is this seat taken?”

[Chase Alderman]

The place settings were ornate. Each decorative plate golden with red flecks. It was perfect for the autumn weather. The ceiling was enchanted to mimic birds singing in soft harmonies but not so loudly as to disturb the few random conversations that were taking place within the four walls of this room. It was more than relaxing. There wasn't any food on the table, but he was sure that all it would take would be a snap of his fingers to have something delectably mouth watering in front of him. He could go for a rather large mug of pumpkin juice right about now but didn't want to trouble the elves if he didn't have to. No doubt they were toiling away as fast as they could just to get the massive feast ready for dinner like they did every night. He couldn't even imagine cooking for hundreds of students every single night and yet the did it daily and without even a hint of complaint. They certainly were troopers. As horrible as it was to think, he certainly was fortunate that he had been born a wizard and not an ordinary man nor a house elf. He liked to think that if he were to come back to earth as another creature in another life, that he would like to be a hippogriff. At least then he would have a whole new set of experiences to have. Rather than come back as a muggle business man. That was his own personal form of hell. Chase allowed his arms to stretch out in front of his body, spanning a good amount of the table in his arms with ease. He felt the easy smile come to his lips. He enjoyed teaching, but never in his wildest, well maybe in his wildest, dreams would he have been lucky enough to have such a prized slot in the teaching positions in this school. He could remember going to school here...all of the years he had spent at the other table. This was an informal rite of passage to him, the sign saying that he had made it. While all of the other students might had disregarded the professors or thought that they weren't anything to admire...Chase had always been a little bit different.

He could remember looking up at the regal professors robes, they always seemed to float around them like they were weightless. He had admired that about them and now he had a set of his own. His hands moved to the lapel of his robes, smoothing them down his long torso with a smile. His fingers nimbly moved to his spoon that was already set next to his decorative gold plate. This was his, for as long as the students were willing to learn and he was able to teach satisfactorily, this was his spoon. This was all his. It filled him with a sense of pride just knowing that he was going to make a real mark on this school. That if he took the time, and made the proper effort that he was going to make a difference to the students here. Exhaling slowly, he eased into the chair, allowing his arms to fall down to the arms of the chair , his fingers gripping into the soft fabric and wood there as well. It was surreal. He turned his attention to the rest of the great hall with a smile still plastered to his face. No doubt it looked fairly odd to a third party. Students were filing in and wandering about. A group of first years were staring up at the enchanted ceiling and gawking, one was even going so far as to follow one of the magical birds around the room as it hopped from rafter to rafter. A rather studious looking Gryffindor was sitting alone at his table with the contents of his book bag scattered about the table around him, Chase made a mental note to keep a look out for him in his classes. Then a woman entered, making sure to avoid the group of younger students. He could tell from her outfit that she too, was a professor and her appealing face made her look familiar, but he couldn't remember her name. Obviously they had to of met the other night, but he had met so many people. He had been forced to put up his start of term notices, set up the common room passwords for the next twelve weeks as well as set up ground rules with his prefects and attempt to memorize their names. Not to mention all of the other professors and the meetings that Le Grand had been organizing to keep them all up to speed.

It would have been overwhelming if Chase had attempted to keep any semblance of a life, but he hadn't. He had thrown himself into his work, and was more than determined to learn everybody’s names and at least two facts about them. He knew the older students would be more easy since he might have run into them at some other place in his life, or gone to school with their older siblings. Families were always the easiest because they usually had enough things in common to spot them. “Is this seat taken?” He had been watching her approach, but hadn't realized the actual distance between them as it dwindled. His eyes focused and his reflexes kicked in. Standing up from his chair a slight scraping noise came from the wood as it was forced back due to his speed. Motioning with his hand to the chair next to him he shook his head once “Not at all, have a seat” he found it a little odd that she hadn't claimed her own personal chair, but then again she might just not have wanted to sit alone. Maybe she was actually just being social. He was always so horrible at recognizing clues to social situations. Some habits never die. “Having a good day?” He inquired while waiting for her to take her seat before he returned to his own, and then pulled the chair back up to the proper place.

[Annaliese Kraylons]

Annaliese was sure that it looked weird. Here she was, asking to sit next to a man she couldn’t remember meeting with the chaos of last night, when there were more than enough chairs for her to sit at alone. There just wasn’t anything wrong with sitting with an attractive man. She wasn’t afraid to sit alone. She was always good at finding something to do to amuse herself when the occasion called for it. If she remembered correctly, they kept editions of the Timestopper behind the table for the professors to read if they weren’t eating or grading papers. The newspapers would no doubt have sale pages for her to look over and inevitably use to hunt down a great deal. She could always do something that involved shopping. However, being alone left her open to attack. The professors and students that she had met so far had all been lovely. There were a few here and there that made Annaliese raise an eyebrow but nothing so bad as to fear for her life. Yet she didn’t want to risk it. Who knew if that strange Divination professor would see her and mosey on down the row of chairs for a chat? She didn’t know enough about the subject to engage in a lengthy conversation with someone who did. Especially someone who looked like that. She never tried to judge people by appearance but there was just something about the woman that made her unwilling to get to know her any further than staff meetings. She continued to look down at the man, smiling broader in hope her invitation wouldn’t be rejected.

It took a little bit longer, but finally there was some movement. The man stood up and indicated towards the chair next to him. “Not at all, have a seat.” Annaliese nodded once in thanks as she maneuvered her way into the small space between the two chairs. Taking the seat he motioned towards she scooted in her chair all the way to the table before he started to do the same. “Having a good day?” His question was a good seat. He could have just been being polite but the fact that he was speaking to her without her initiating anything was a plus. There had been countless times when she had tried to talk to Jackson simply to talk but was ignored because he was too busy drinking back pints with Damien or uninterested in what she had to say. Annaliese found she really hated being brushed off. It was even better than the man had been respectful enough to stand while she took her seat. It was refreshing to see that there was still chivalry nowadays. The most Jackson ever did was let her have the last sip of his beer before asking her to buy him another one. “Yes, it’s been very uneventful but enjoyable nonetheless,” she finally responded. “I hope the same can be said for you?” Once he had finished answering, her mind began to roam. She needed to figure out what she wanted to eat. Various images went through her mind as she thought about what would satisfy her light appetite. After several seconds, she looked down to her bowl and envisioned a steaming helping of broccoli and cheese soup with some saltines on the side. Sure enough, after blinking once, the aroma of fresh soup drifted into her nostrils.

Smiling, Annaliese reached forward to grab some pepper from the edge of the table. Sprinkling it lightly over the soup, she set it back down once she was finished and picked up her spoon instead. She placed the utensil in the yellow and green-speckled matter and slowly swirled it around, making sure the layer of pepper she had added was thoroughly mixed into the soup. Once satisfied, she dipped her spoon in and brought it back out. Her mouth formed into a small o as she blew on the scalding liquid. The steam dissipated enough for her to bring it to her mouth and allow the soup to flow down her throat. Instantly, she was happy. She had always loved the broccoli and cheese since she had started attending Galaxia. She didn’t know what secret ingredient the house-elves added to it but it enhanced the flavor in a way that she had never had the meal before. Turning her head to face the man after she had swallowed the spoonful, Annaliese waved the spoon over the bowl. “Have you ever had the broccoli and cheese soup?” she asked. “It’s delightful. I used to have it all the time when I was younger here. It didn’t matter how full I was, I always found a way to have at least two helpings of it.” She chuckled to herself. Then, realizing she had yet to introduce herself, she dropped her spoon into her bowl and held out her hand. “I’m so sorry. I’m Annaliese by the way. Annaliese Kraylons. I figured it might be a good idea for you to know who you’re sitting next to.”

[Chase Alderman]

This was the time to make a good impression. He had no idea if she had more or less experience teaching than he did, and he couldn't quiet remember her from his own school days, but of course anything was possible. He hadn't exactly been social back then so he might have just missed her. She certainly did seem to be more at ease than he was, or at least not still in shock. He was still attempting to wrap his head around the fact that he was going to be teaching at one of the best schools he knew of. He couldn't apologize for being excited about what he did for a living. She was probably just being friendly after all, and he couldn't fault her for that. He wasn't in a position to be antisocial Smiling nervously as she took her seat right next to him, he took the liberty of scooting his chair over just a fraction of an inch to give her more room. He angled his hips and knees in her direction just a little to seem more inviting. He remembered reading something about body language and how it could put people at ease if you seemed more inviting. He picked up the spoon that was at his place setting, and stood it up, twirling it around in a very small circle against the wood of the great table. He felt strange since he wasn't doing anything, she might think him odd. He had enough of that during his school years, he didn't need to have to deal with it in a professional setting. Most of all since he had to live with these people, at least with normal jobs then he would be able to get away to a home of his own for a little while though. Of course, the free room and board was nice. Left him with a decent amount of disposable income.

“Yes, it’s been very uneventful but enjoyable nonetheless, I hope the same can be said for you?” He nodded, allowing the spoon to fall back into place next to his empty plate. He wasn't terribly hungry, but knew that if she ordered something to eat, he was going to have to do the same so he didn't feel uncomfortable. “Enjoyable yes, but I can't say uneventful...I must confess I'm still a little bit overwhelmed by this whole thing” he gushed, knowing how it must sound. He was just so impressed, the inner bookworm in him was just thrilled to be sitting on this side of the table. He had hardly finished speaking whenever the smell of soup met his nose. It was heavenly, but slightly worrisome. Was she thinking about what to eat instead of listening to him talk? It made him feel like a bore, which was a title he was familiar with but wanting to shed in hopes of a better nick name. “Have you ever had the broccoli and cheese soup?” Chase shook his head and smiled with closed lips. He didn't want to distract from her meal. Most of his time here, he had been so preoccupied with whatever else he was doing to really stop and enjoy his food. Whether it was his studies or the morning mail, or simply anticipation over his lessons for the day. The only thing he could remember with clarity were the feasts there were always just so many options, and everything was always perfect. His fingers drummed against the table top, wondering if it would be possible to get a plate with just a small sampling of all of the foods that he loved from those feasts. Certainly it had to be possible, just one or two bites for flavor, yet enough to leave him feeling stuffed if he managed to finish the entire plate.

“It’s delightful. I used to have it all the time when I was younger here. It didn’t matter how full I was, I always found a way to have at least two helpings of it.” Pulling himself from his thoughts he turned his head to look at her “Hum? Oh yes, it smells wonderful” Without realizing it, a plate full of food appeared in front of him, with no more than two bites of each kind of food available on the dinner plate. Way too much food for him to eat in one sitting, most of all since he wasn't even hungry. If it weren't for the smell, he would have put his elbow right into the two bites of sweet potatoes. Recoiling he scooted back further into his chair so that he wouldn't have another close call like that again. “I’m so sorry. I’m Annaliese by the way. Annaliese Kraylons. I figured it might be a good idea for you to know who you’re sitting next to.”Lifting the sleeve of his robes away from his hand he grasped her hand in his own and shook it firmly. “Ah, yes, Muggle Studies right? I remember now. Chase, Alderman” He concluded and let go of her hand, lowering his to grasp his fork, and started to poke at his food. He hadn't really wanted it, just apparently had been thinking about it too hard to not waste the food. “Have you taught anywhere before here?” He inquired, hoping that it was innocent enough. Scooping up some of his food he took his first small bite, and his taste buds were more than happy with the result. He could feel the extra saliva filling his mouth as the food dissipated. Apparently he was more hungry then he had realized before. Lifting his napkin to dab at his mouth, not aware that he had been salivating. “Well, that' embarrassing”

[Annaliese Kraylons]

Five years ago, using soup as a way to initiate further conversation would have resulted in a mortified Annaliese. The topic of soup was one used by those rendered scatterbrained by an attractive member of the opposite sex or who lacked social skills. It was also one that would sufficiently mortify the conversation starter. As the years went on, things became less embarrassing for her. She attributed having Jackson and Damien as friends as reasoning for that. With all the times they had called her out for saying something they found hilarious or finding a way to make fun of her for anything she said, she had gotten used to it. Her comfort level had gotten way better, which made socializing easier, despite never really having a huge issue with interacting with people. It helped Annaliese make the best of any talking points. Of course, there were times when she overstepped her boundaries (she also gave the boys credit for that one with their crude language), but overall she was proud of her skills. Not everyone could say that they could talk about anything. Smirking to herself, she helped herself to another spoonful from the bowl. Hopefully she had found someone who could do the same. The man she had sat next to seemed nice enough, but she wasn’t a fan of awkward conversation. Nothing he had said so far had indicated too much otherwise, which was certainly a good start. Annaliese had every intention of responding to the question he had asked, she merely wanted to see how he would react. If he would think she was stupid or not.

“Hum? Oh yes, it smells wonderful.” Chuckling, Annaliese swirled her spoon around in the bowl. At least he had acknowledged it. She hadn’t given him much else to say. “Ah, yes, Muggle Studies right? I remember now. Chase, Alderman.” She nodded. “Muggle studies indeed. It’s a pleasure to meet you Chase.” She did her best to recall the introductions from the previous night’s feast. She remembered the Arithmancy and Potions instructions, and naturally the crazy Divination woman, but his face was one she couldn’t place. She brought her lips together and forced them to the right as she thought to herself. The last thing she wanted was to seem rude since he had clearly remembered her subject of supposed expertise. Nor did she want to make him feel uncomfortable by making him think he was too observant. Alderman…Alderman. This shouldn’t have been so damn difficult. Out of all the years she had spent drinking with her beloved trio of friends, her memory had remained sharp as ever. Annaliese knew she had remembered hearing that name. Then it hit her. It had been after a Professor Talbott. Charms. He taught Charms. Rewarding herself with another sip of soup from her spoon, she looked towards him. “And you teach Charms. I certainly hope you’re better than that old geezer that had been teaching here throughout my years here. That man was ghastly.” She wasn’t insulting Chase by any means, just lightly jabbing at him. Truthfully though, for the sake of the students in his class, she hoped he actually knew that Wingardium Leviosa was the levitating spell, not the unlocking charm as his processor had wrongly demonstrated on a former Hufflepuff during her time that had a deathly fear of heights.

LeGrand had to have gotten sensible in the years Annaliese had been absent from the school though. The Headmistress was a respectable woman who had a good head on her shoulders. That and she genuinely cared about the well-being of the students. She couldn’t possibly see the woman hiring someone who couldn’t properly educate the future generation of witches and wizards. “Have you taught anywhere before here?” Bringing her napkin up to her mouth, she daintily wiped at it as she shook her head no. “This is my first year. It’s funny because I didn’t even know I had any interest in teaching until this summer. When the opportunity came up, I just sort of…took it. Does that sound bad?” She should have been weary confessing to her lack of inexperience to such a stranger, but she was confident in her abilities to teach the subject. After living amongst muggles for so long with Jackson, she truly felt she was knowledgeable in the ways of the non-magical. Naturally, Annaliese knew that she would have to continue studying to be fully educated, but she had enough knowledge to inform the students of what they needed for these points in their lives. “But I’ve taken all the tests and have had Headmistress LeGrand thoroughly examine my knowledge and background, so I suppose that counts for something right?” In her mind it did. She was proud of the plethora of information in her head and even prouder that someone had trusted her enough to give her a job sharing what she knew.

Before Chase got the chance to respond, Annaliese noticed him quickly dab at his own mouth with a napkin. Some soup must have escaped from his lips. “Well, that' embarrassing.” Without realizing it, she began to laugh. It wasn’t excessively loud or rude, just amused. “I told you it was good,” she teased. “I wouldn’t let that bother you though. I’ve seen way worse in my life. I have two friends that frequently have liquor running out of the sides of their mouths while their sober like children. You are the tamest, I assure you.” Still, he might have felt unrefined around her or something. Also being experienced in that, she did her best to change the subject. “So you said you felt overwhelmed earlier, is it safe to assume this is your first year teaching as well? Or at least teaching here?”

[Chase Alderman]

While Chase hadn't ever exactly been ridiculed for his looks, he had always managed to be a few years behind on all of the fashions. He hadn't exactly had the best of luck with the opposite sex, in fact his good looks were just about all that he had going for him, given his tenacity for using awkward anecdotes and stumbling over his words more often than not. So far, he was managing to hold a decent conversation with the woman next to him, he hadn't clammed up yet, but it was still early. He was bound to over think things sooner or later. Yet, Annaliese didn't seem like she scared easy, which meant there was a very big possibility that he might actually make a friend here, which would be very beneficial if he wanted to have a second year here at school. He had no delusions about Headmistress LeGrand evaluating everybody on a temporary basis given the fact that there was a large attack made only weeks ago, something he could hardly wrap his head around. He hadn't even been there, one thing interesting, er, bad that happened here and he had missed it, wouldn't have even known anything had happened if it weren't for the fact that it was all over the papers and news reports the following morning. And every morning thereafter, not to mention all the rest of the fallout that occurred. “Muggle studies indeed. It’s a pleasure to meet you Chase.” “Likewise” poking at the small bits of green beans on his plate he speared one carefully but didn't eat it. “And you teach Charms. I certainly hope you’re better than that old geezer that had been teaching here throughout my years here. That man was ghastly.” he smiled and nodded passively, he could remember that man, he was the worst by all standards. He spoke too slowly, and he whistled whenever he pronounced his S' not to mention all of the other crazy strange things that he tended to do. He always gave the worst, most tedious homework and gaze quizzes on chapters of the text that they had never covered before. Then there were the charms that he infamously always got wrong. Yes, he certainly hoped that he was much better than that professor, assuming that nerves didn't get the best of him. Lifting his fork halfway to his face he chuckled “Yes well. I guess time will tell on that one won't it?” Why people like that were allowed to continue teaching he would never know, it had to be tenure. There was no other excuse for it.

Taking the bite on his fork which had grown a little cold in it's time in the air was surprising, but it still had more than enough flavor in it. Brown sugar and bacon, he thought. “This is my first year. It’s funny because I didn’t even know I had any interest in teaching until this summer. When the opportunity came up, I just sort of…took it. Does that sound bad?” Turning his face toward her he swallowed, that was interesting. He had known that he wanted to be a teacher in some capacity since he was a very young boy, she must have a very strong sense of drive considering she had just seen an opening and taken it. It took a special sort of person for that, it was a little intimidating if he was being honest. He shook his head to answer her question “No” he stated a little dry, getting the rest of the food from his mouth. “It's impressive” which was the truth, he wished that he had the way of saying things other than what he had just been thinking, it would make things easier for him, might make him a little more eloquent...but he wasn't that far yet. “But I’ve taken all the tests and have had Headmistress LeGrand thoroughly examine my knowledge and background, so I suppose that counts for something right?” Once again she was right, it sounded like she had a far easier time getting this position than he did, it couldn't just be because of the fact she seemed to be more at ease around people that she didn't know than he was. He had gone through more than one interview before being given the position, she must have something that he didn't, or he just wasn't trying hard enough.

“I told you it was good, I wouldn’t let that bother you though. I’ve seen way worse in my life. I have two friends that frequently have liquor running out of the sides of their mouths while their sober like children. You are the tamest, I assure you.” His curiosity piqued and he smiled in return to her laugh. At least she wasn't chastising him for his behaviors or accidents. He did want to know what she meant by him being tame, while it was fitting to describe him that way, how outlandish could her friends really be? He did like being referred to as a friend, not many people called him that. “So you said you felt overwhelmed earlier, is it safe to assume this is your first year teaching as well? Or at least teaching here?” Chase felt his head nodding on his behalf “Yes to both questions” It was his first year teaching, something that he was certain was something that was more than obvious. “I took some extra courses after graduation from Galaxia, mostly private courses so that I could feel more versed in my teachings” he shrugged, hoping that it came off the way that he wanted it to. “If you don't mind me asking, but why such a controversial field?” he personally had no issues with muggles, he had grown up among them, his grandparents were muggles, was it the same for her? She couldn't help but wonder as to her qualifications, usually that position was difficult to fill. “I just mean, did you have family that were muggles?”