Wake up sunshine {Open}

[Amina Krane]

Running up the stairs frantically, Amina finally made her way out of the rain and into the cover of the owlery. She didn’t mind the rain, in fact she used to dream of it raining when she lived in Florida. There was a difference between the rain you would get in the Florida Keys and the rain in Austria. For one, when it rained in Florida, it rained. Not a little drizzle, but a downpour. If it was going to rain, she wanted to get drenched to her skin, not just teased with dots spotting her clothes. Austria seemed to be more of a light rain country. On top of that, the temperature in Florida was much warmer and the rain was more refreshing than that in Austria. For some reason, even though she was just lightly spotted with rain, she was nearly shivering. Her rain coat, jeans, and rain boots did not seem to help keep out the cold despite having a layer under each part of her body. The temperature was just something that was going to be impossible to get used to. That was going to be the hardest part about the transition between Florida and Austria and she wasn’t sure how quickly she was going to get used to it.

As she stepped through the door, she pulled off the hood to her coat and shook her hair to fluff up her curls that were tucked inside her jacket for the entire jaunt from the school to the tower. Her feet began to crunch on the mix of hay and twine covering the floor of the tower and in with that crunch, the soggy feeling of droppings from the owls ahead. The shiver worsened for a moment, not because of the cold but because of the disgusting thought of what she was stepping through and what could potentially land on top of her head. Though she wasn’t a diva by any means, the thought of washing out owl droppings from her hair over the next week did not sound the least bit appealing. Luckily, as she looked above her, the amount of owls seemed to be minimal. She assumed most of them had been out on a run to gather the mail for the students when they got caught in the rain. From what she knew, mail owls didn’t fly in the rain in order to protect the packages they were carrying. The good thing was that meant she was able to find a place to stand where there were no owls above her as she picked out one to deliver her message back to the states.

Amina’s eyes roamed over the selection of owls overhead as she continued through towards the center of the owlery where they were less plentiful. Honestly, any owl would do but with the distance that had to be travelled to deliver the message, she wanted to be sure to choose one that was healthy and strong looking to ensure her letter would arrive without complications. When her eyes fell upon a large brown barn owl at the edge of the tower, curled up inside his own wing, she smiled. He was nearly the largest of the entire collection of owls but unlike the other large ones, it wasn’t extra weight. He looked slimmer than the others which meant he had to be more fit. The small owls tended not to have the stamina it took for a trip to Florida but the larger one’s usually had no problems making it in a decent amount of time with the least amount of stops. Now she had to get its attention and from the looks of it, it was pretty fast asleep. Sighing, she walked closer to the owl, being sure to weave a path around the owls above her. A soft whistle escaped her puckered lips when she stopped a foot away from where the owl was napping. It didn’t get his attention. Some of the owls around looked at her expectantly, apparently hoping she would change her mind on her choice of owls. When her whistle got a little louder, she still did not get get a reaction. “Oh c’mon. I know you can hear me,” she said in a frustrated tone as she crossed her arms, the rubber of her rain coat squeaking a bit as they rubbed together. She was going to get this bird to head to Florida even if it required she throw something at it.

[Juliet Delia]

The day was positively dreary, and although Juliet had been known to have a certain fondness for rain, this was not one of those times. She was quite finished with the wet and cold and wind of winter, and more than ready for the warm spring and summer weather to appear, sunshiney and bright. Instead of being light of step, she found herself slogging toward the Owlery with a handful of letters for friends, family, and several of her colleagues. Juliet had been trying to put off going to the Owlery for at least a week now, hoping for better weather for her letters and owls, not to mention herself, but to no avail. These letters needed to be delivered soon and if she waited much longer, if the weather had its way, her letters would never be delivered in her lifetime. Or so it seemed. She definitely had a case of the winter blues. Even in her charmed robes and boots, she still felt damp and clammy.

The combined smell of hay, twine, and bird droppings hit Juliet like a 200 pound Bludger and she shook her head in revolt. Never would it ever be pleasant to her, no matter how many times she visited or how many letters she sent. It would always make her feel as though she was going to lose her last meal at any given moment. However, her stomach quickly settled as her nose adjusted to the smell, and she set to the task of weather-proofing all of her letters. If the rain kept up like it had been for over a week now, her letters would arrive safely but completely illegible. That would be most unfortunate, since she was sure that she had already annoyed several people with her delay, and another 3 days wait was not what they wanted to hear.

As she fastened the letters to a large, rather sturdy Great Grey owl, one of her students walked into the Owlery. She continued to tie the last letter on as she watched the girl, Amina, attempt to gain the attention of one of the owls near her. It was quite set on ignoring her whistles and pleas, so it seemed. But then again, it wasn't getting anything in return from her at this point, and several of these owls were notoriously stubborn when it came to being asked to do things. Unfortunate when you picked the wrong owl on the wrong day. Juliet pulled a small hunk of meat out of a bag in her pocket and handed it to her owl, who promptly hooted and nipped her hand in affection before flying off through an open window. At least that was finally done and her letters were on their way to the people they were directed to. Another thing to check off her list.

When she saw that Amina was still having issues with her owl, she walked over and smiled as she chuckled. "Some of these boys are a little stubborn," she said, reaching up and scratching the owl on the side of the head. As she scratched his head affectionately, she pulled another bit of meat out of her pocket and held it up to the owl. He immediately opened his large eyes and positively twittered with joy as he tore at it with his beak. "They do respond well to bribery though."

[[Sorry the reply took so long! Between school, exams, and the start of work, I've been lacking in muse.]]

[Amina Krane]

Sighing softly, Amina uncrossed her arms and placed her hands upon her hips. This owl was being just as stubborn as she was when she found someone who didn’t like her right away. She wasn’t sure why it wouldn’t respond to her, but it was mean for it to do so. Looking around at the other owls, Amina realized that the only ones who seemed to care that she needed an owl were the small ones whom she was pretty sure would not be able to make the trip all the way to the Florida Keys. She definitely enjoyed their enthusiasm, however. If only it were the large barn owl overhead, then she would have been fine. Bending down, she picked up the only pebble not covered in droppings and debated on throwing it up to the owl. She quickly decided against it when she realized it wasn’t going to do her any good. If anything, it was probably going to make the situation worse. The owl wouldn’t be fond of being hit with a pebble and would turn all of the other owls against her and then she would never get her letter to her friend back in the Keys. She let out another sigh as she allowed the pebble to roll out from her hand and back down on to the ground. “C’mon, man. When you get there they’ll treat you well,” she enticed, holding up her hands in a pleading method. When the owl turned away, she let out a groan as her hands dropped back to her side and she hung her head.

"Some of these boys are a little stubborn." Amina nearly jumped out of her skin as she heard the voice from the other side of the owlery. She hadn’t noticed Professor Delia in here when she had arrived and hadn’t noticed any one come in after she had arrived. Apparently she was missing something during the time where she had been convincing the owl to come down. “No kidding,” she replied as she watched the woman reach up to the owl and scratch it while offering a small bit of food. That was one thing she hadn’t even though of bringing. Why would she? All she brought was her letter to send off, not food to feed the thing. "They do respond well to bribery though." Amina chuckled softly and shrugged. “Apparently I have to learn the ways of the owls. I’m used to more tropical birds. Parrots are my family’s choice of bird back home,” she said, watching as the owl so eagerly ate at the food put in front of it. “They’re a lot easier to please.” When the food was gone, the owl hopped down to the lowest peg near Amina’s height and hooted softly. “Bout time,” she muttered as she slipped the letter out of her rain jacket. For a second, the owl hooted and she was sure it was about to fly away at her comment but instead, it held out its leg in her direction.

She let out a soft sigh, afraid she had just ruined her only chance. Before she could do so, she slipped the letter around the owls’ leg and gave it a soft scratch on the side of the head. It didn’t seem to care about her pleasantries and instead took off through the opening at the top of the owlery. “Thanks for that.” She turned next to her and looked at her Professor. It was strange to see her outside of class but she was just like her, only a few years older. Literally. She so willingly provided her age during their first lesson. No doubt it was to make the room feel comfortable talking to her but I don’t think she would have had a problem with that. She had already come off as a good person just walking in the door. “I probably would have been standing here all day waiting for one of them to come down if you hadn’t been here. I hadn’t even noticed you were here whenever I came in. Shows how attentive I am,” she added with a laugh. Amina heard the squeak of her rain boots as she moved to the side, out from under an owl who had just came in overhead and was now dripping water and who knew what else to the ground where she had just been standing.

She was not quite sure what else to say. There were rare few times she talked with Professor’s out of class, and usually it was about her homework. At this point, she really didn’t have anything to discuss homework wise considering she was caught up on the course. But looking outside at the pouring rain, she didn’t really want to go out there. She didn’t mind running in the rain, but that was when she needed to get something out of her system. When she was emotional, it was the best way to calm her down because it was the only way she could get emotional without others seeing. Running in daylight still provided the vision people needed. The rain was a perfect cover. But today she wasn’t emotional nor did she feel the need to go sprinting across campus so the rain? It was not something she wanted to be in right now. “So, is this your first year teaching? If so, you’re great at it. I’m definitely enjoying your class.”

[Juliet Delia]

Juliet watched as the owl devoured the morsel she had presented it with. The way he nipped at it almost had a sense of glee to it. It was humorous to watch. The bird shifted his feet side to side as he finished his meal, anxious to see if there was anything else for him. Typical Galaxia owl, always a little bit of a kiss-ass. Juliet shook her head at it and patted her pocket. "It's all gone, you ate the last bit. You know what to do next." The owl ruffled his feathers and gave an indignant hoot as he looked at the grey skies and rain out of the window. “Apparently I have to learn the ways of the owls. I’m used to more tropical birds. Parrots are my family’s choice of bird back home. They’re a lot easier to please.” Juliet laughed and nodded as she reached out and scratched the owl's head affectionately. "So I've heard. These guys aren't so bad once you know how to work them. A little food, a nice head rub," As if on cue, the owl shuttered in delight against her hand, cooing softly. "And they'll do whatever you ask them to. Simple, sweet creatures. And they do such a good job of delivering our letters." She directed the last sentence to the owl, who perked up and puffed his chest out.

The owl held its leg out to Amina, and once the letter was fastened to its leg, it left the building quickly. Best for him to go now anyways; it seemed that the rain was letting up a little bit. “Thanks for that. I probably would have been standing here all day waiting for one of them to come down if you hadn’t been here. I hadn’t even noticed you were here whenever I came in. Shows how attentive I am. Juliet waved her hand in front of her face in dismissal of the admission. "It's nothing, my dear. I'm more than happy to help out a student. I don't blame you for not seeing me when I walked in. That owl was a stubborn one." She laughed, the melodic sound echoing lightly off the walls of the Owlry. A few of the owls cooed back in response to the sound, some pleased by the sound, some rather cranky that she had woken them from their nap. Biting her lower lip to stifle any further giggles, she turned to Amina, who had just narrowly dodged the wet drippings of an owl that had just arrived.

Her stomach rumbled, and she looked at her watch. She had forgotten breakfast, it seemed. Juliet looked out at the rain and cocked her head. It was absolutely miserable outside still, and she didn't feel much like getting wet. Evidently, neither did Amina, as she too was looking outside with what looked to be much apprehension. She couldn't blame her one bit. She looked around the room until her eyes fell on two brooms that were sitting in the corner. A flick of her wand and a scourging charm uttered and suddenly the brooms were sparkling. "Lovely," she said, walking over to them and picking them up. She handed one to Amina - "Hold this dear," - and tapped it with her wand. As if made of water, the broom flowed and transfigured into an umbrella. Doing the same to her broom, she tested it out and opened it. "Lovely," she repeated, a smile on her lips. "Much better than getting soaked out there, wouldn't you agree?" Juliet looked around the Owlry and wrinkled her nose as she caught a particularly unpleasant whiff of owl droppings. "Shall we?"

As she stepped out into the rain, the umbrella held its own and did its job; nary a single raindrop touched her head. "So, is this your first year teaching? If so, you’re great at it. I’m definitely enjoying your class." Juliet grinned and blushed deeply. "What a wonderful compliment!" she squeaked. "Thank you so much!" Her stomach growled at her again, and when they reached the bottom of the stairs, she paused for a moment. "I seem to have forgotten to eat this morning. Join me for a snack?" As they continued to walk, Juliet answered her question. "This is my first time teaching, yeah. Before this, I worked at St. Everdines as a healer, and then before that I was a bartender. So I'm definitely glad to hear that I'm doing a good job of teaching you guys. I love Transfiguration, so I jumped at the chance to teach it."

The rain pattered on her umbrella. The sound had always soothed her. One of her favourite places to sleep during a rain was on her covered porch. Nothing but the enchanted glass between her and the rain. The sound was glorious, and nearly always put her to sleep in under five minutes. "It's also helpful to have such bright students," she said, smiling at Amina. "I mean, my job as a teacher can only go so far. Students have to want to learn to understand the subject, and almost everyone certainly seems to. My office hours always seem to be full of students," she noted. "What's more surprising to me is that I'm getting girls and boys at my office hours. A pleasant surprise though. Everyone seems keen to learn." Her stomach grumbled again and she sighed, shaking her head to ignore it. "What are you liking about class right now, Amina?"

[Amina Krane]

Was there some sort of language needed to speak with owls? It seemed like Amina had missed something when she had moved here because she was never told you had to do something special for the owls. The parrots, they didn’t care what you did. They were there to move letters and if they got something in return, it was a bonus for them. Granted, they were in a more appealing climate and normally didn’t have to travel too far, but they never bickered about it. These owls seemed like so much more maintenance. "It's nothing, my dear. I'm more than happy to help out a student. I don't blame you for not seeing me when I walked in. That owl was a stubborn one." “I’d say. Are they all like that? If so, I’ll have to remember to stop by the Great Hall before making my way here.” The thought of bringing around fresh meat to feed an owl just for it to send her letter sounded strange, but if it was what it would take, she would do it. As the sound of owls above her rang out, her eyes roamed the ones above. They were all waking up with the sound of the women talking in their home, and she wasn’t excited to see what they would do if they stuck around too much longer, but looking outside at the rain, Amina didn’t really want to venture into the brewing storm. The rain wasn’t letting up and she was sure standing here for much longer wasn’t going to change that, but what else was there to do?

Her eyes looked over at her Professor, wondering if she was thinking about braving the storm. Amina didn’t mind the rain but only if she was running in it or not planning on going elsewhere after being out in it. This moment did not fall under either occasion. But, apparently she wasn’t the only one thinking she did not want to be in the weather because a moment later, Professor Delia’s wand was out and pointed at a set of brooms in the corner. Amina raised an eyebrow quizzically as she wondered what she was planning on doing with them. Amina had no interest in flying out of the building and didn’t think she even really could if she wanted to, considering she had never flown before. But the professor had other ideas because the brooms came to life a moment later. They danced in the air for a moment as the dirt was scoured off of them, resulting in sparkling clean broomsticks. Okay, so they were clean. Now what? "Lovely." Yes, they were clean. What was Amina missing? Was her professor just planning on cleaning the owlery while they were here? Maybe she had no intentions on getting them out of here without the rain drowning them like rats?

Just when she started to believe her professor just was going to clean up the place, the woman began to make her way over to the two brooms. She picked them up and turned back towards Amina. "Hold this dear." Amina quirked her other eyebrow but did as she was asked. With a tap of a wand, the broom changed, blossomed, into an umbrella right in her hand. Right. Transfiguration professor. Amina chuckled softly, feeling stupid for not remembering that much. Amina opened the umbrella and moved it to her shoulder, resting it there as her professor did her own. "Much better than getting soaked out there, wouldn't you agree?" With a nod, Amina agreed. “So much better. Somehow I don’t think I would have thought of that before just going out and enduring the weather, so thank you again. Seems like you keep saving me today.” Twirling the umbrella against her shoulder, she moved it up above her head as she took her professor’s lead and made her way out into the rain. It was coming down rather hard, but the smell it was providing with the air was fantastic.

"What a wonderful compliment! Thank you so much!" Amina shrugged, smiling in the direction of her professor. The woman was definitely happy-go-lucky and was so much easier to talk to than many other people in the school, even those who were students. “I only speak the truth,” she responded as they continued through the rain and found themselves at the base of the stairs of the Owlery. The walk down seemed so much easier than the walk up without the rain pounding overhead. "I seem to have forgotten to eat this morning. Join me for a snack?" As Amina came up beside her, she nodded. “Absolutely. I could always use some more food.” Running did that to her. Her metabolism was a thing of pure beauty. She could eat practically anything she wanted and still would end up being skinny as a rail. The amount of workout she did to obtain this body was nothing to sneeze at, though. It just meant she wouldn’t have to work so hard in the future to maintain a good weight. “I wonder what they’ll be serving at this time. I must admit, sometimes I dream of the food they serve,” she added, nearly drooling as she remembered the beef stew they had served the other night. It had been to die for. If she could eat that for the rest of her life, she was sure she would be set. Oh, and cheesecake. Plenty of cheesecake.

"This is my first time teaching, yeah. Before this, I worked at St. Everdine’s as a healer, and then before that I was a bartender. So I'm definitely glad to hear that I'm doing a good job of teaching you guys. I love Transfiguration, so I jumped at the chance to teach it." There was really only one way to respond to that, wow, but Amina didn’t find it appropriate. So many different jobs in such a short time span. Amina couldn’t imagine. Her parents forbid her from getting a job during the summer of school but she had imagined she would do it anyways to earn some extra cash but this whole time she had wondered what kind of job she would go after. It could be something that would flourish into a career when she graduated but nothing had ever come to mind. “What’s your favorite of them all?” Amina asked, intrigued that she was speaking with someone who had followed three different paths. If she could get some insight as to the type of jobs this woman had enjoyed, maybe it would give her some inspiration on where she would go in her life. Although, she couldn’t quite imagine teaching to be the direction she would go. For some reason, that was never something she would see herself doing, but there was always time.

"It's also helpful to have such bright students. I mean, my job as a teacher can only go so far. Students have to want to learn to understand the subject, and almost everyone certainly seems to. My office hours always seem to be full of students. What's more surprising to me is that I'm getting girls and boys at my office hours. A pleasant surprise though. Everyone seems keen to learn." Learning was definitely something students enjoyed doing at this school so far as Amina had noticed. She was enjoying it at this school, but she had to admit that there were some classes she could live without. Potions for one. Merlin, how terrible was she at that class? There were no words to describe it. "What are you liking about class right now, Amina?" The question caused her to have to think. Her eyes roamed up to the umbrella as she cocked her head to the side. “It’s kind of hard to choose one thing,” she said, biting on the inside of her lip until she could compile her thoughts. “Transfiguration was always one of my favorite subjects so I guess just delving into it and learning more advanced magic is probably the best part,” she finally replied, looking over at Professor Delia with a smile. “Not to mention getting to know all of the great people. You can’t ever deny that it is fun to meet people.”

[Juliet Delia]

“I’d say. Are they all like that? If so, I’ll have to remember to stop by the Great Hall before making my way here.” The girl’s voice was genuinely curious, and she liked that. It seemed to her that so few of her students were interested in what she had to say about much past Transfiguration. Mind you, that wasn’t all so shocking, really. It was her job, after all. It would be ridiculous of her to expect that all of her students would want to hear about things like owl bribery. Which was why it was so wonderfully refreshing that Amina seemed interested in learning what she could about the sassy tendencies of the school’s resident owls. “Not all of them,” she shook her head, looking around. “It really depends on how far you want to send them. I feed any of the owls that are going to be going a long way for me, just for good measure.” Her eyes still roamed the owlry, and she squinted into a few of the more shadowy corners. She pointed up into the rafters at a small, tawny coloured owl. “That one there, you see him? The little one? If you want shorter distances, he’s very sweet. Requires no bribery but a nice head scratch.”

As she set to the task of cleaning the broomsticks she found in the corner, she was well aware that Amina was likely looking at her like she was absolutely out of her mind. The quirk of her eyebrow was soon replaced, however, by a low peal of laughter when the broom bloomed into an umbrella. Opening her umbrella, she smiled warmly at Amina’s pleased and relieved appearance. “So much better. Somehow I don’t think I would have thought of that before just going out and enduring the weather, so thank you again. Seems like you keep saving me today.” It was Juliet’s turn to chuckle, and she waved her hand dismissively in front of her face. “It’s really nothing. I wouldn’t send a student out to get absolutely soaked to the bone. Catching a cold right before school finishes would be miserable.” She knew from first hand experience, doing it herself once or twice. Not particularly enjoyable to write exams with a pile of tissues in your lap for anyone.

“I only speak the truth,” Juliet could feel blood rushing to her face, and her lips pressed together in a very pleased smile. “I’m so glad you feel that way. With it being my first year teaching and all, I was really nervous, to be honest.” Juliet remembered the feeling that had grown in the pit of her stomach the days before she’d had her first lesson. She might be a generally easy-going person, but when she was anxious, she took the word to an entirely new level and meaning. Though she had learned long ago to keep it essentially under control, sometimes it got the best of her in the days leading up to something new.

She smiled and nodded when Amina agreed to go with her to get something to eat. As if on cue, her stomach grumbled noisily yet again. It was getting to be like a disease. “I wonder what they’ll be serving at this time. I must admit, sometimes I dream of the food they serve.” Juliet chuckled and nodded in agreement. “I’ve been a lot of places in the last few years, but Galaxia still has the best food I’ve ever tasted. And as for what they’ll be serving,” she said, reaching over to grab Amina’s tap gently to turn her around. She had been headed in the direction of the Great Hall, and although there was little doubt in her mind that there would be food there, she had somewhere with more selection than that in mind. “I’m sure that the elves in the kitchens will be more than happy to whip it up for you. Come on, I’ll show you.” She suddenly felt like a teenager in school again, sneaking off to somewhere that she wasn’t technically supposed to be. The only difference was that now she wasn’t breaking the rules.

As they walked, they continued to talk, moving onto the subject of her recent mess of a career life. “What’s your favorite of them all?” Juliet pursed her lips in thought. Which had she liked best? “I suppose they all had their merits in their own right,” she said slowly, tipping her head to one side as she pondered. “I would have to say teaching though. I get to help people, but I get to pass on what I know to other people, and that’s probably one of the things I like best about it.” She smiled when Amina mentioned her love of Transfiguration. It pleased her to no end to know that at least one of her students was serious in their interest in the subject. She nodded fervently when she mentioned meeting new people. “Also one of my favourite things. I love getting to know people! Just another reason that being a Professor is so wonderful.”

They turned the next corner and stopped in front of one of the portraits. She tapped several parts of the picture with her wand, causing it to swing open and reveal a short tunnel. Immediately, the rich scent of all the things the elves were cooking spilled out of the room. With the warmth and the light (not to mention the food), it was just a comforting place to be. She turned to Amina and gestured to the tunnel, “After you, dear,” she said, smiling brightly. She followed her through, closing the portrait behind her. As they came through into what was the main part of the Kitchen, several elves darted up to greet her and their new guest, bringing two chairs and a small table. “Have a seat, Amina. Order anything you’d like.” Juliet sat and accepted a cup of tea from one of the elves, enjoying the warmth of the mug between her cold hands. She was very much looking forward to this meal.

[Amina Krane]

As the two walked into the school, Amina pulled down the umbrella, shook it off, and folded it back into place. She had to admit, the idea was brilliant. “It’s really nothing. I wouldn’t send a student out to get absolutely soaked to the bone. Catching a cold right before school finishes would be miserable.” Chuckling, Amina put the umbrella against her shoulder, allowing it to rest right at the base of her neck on her coat. It was a rather light and sturdy thing. Her transfiguration skills were good, but never this good. She couldn’t wait until the day when her objects stood up to normal wear and tear.
I must admit, taking finals when sick is never my idea of fun,” she replied as they moved away from the large doors that shut tight behind them, sealing out the rain once again. “I’m so glad you feel that way. With it being my first year teaching and all, I was really nervous, to be honest.” Amina grinned. A teacher, nervous? It was great to hear one finally admit it. So many more times than not, they played it off as if they had been teaching their entire life, like it was nothing new. More times than not, Amina knew it was a lie. There had just never been any instances where one of her professors had actually announced their nerves in her presence. She was sure they announced it before and after, either in the solitude of their study or in confidence to their family and friends. She almost felt honored to hear it. Honored enough only to smile in Juliet’s direction instead of actually respond.

“I’ve been a lot of places in the last few years, but Galaxia still has the best food I’ve ever tasted. And as for what they’ll be serving.” Amina had been headed in the direction of the Great Hall after the food Juliet had been talking about when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking back at her Professor, she quirked an eyebrow. “I thought you wanted food?” she asked, her fingers holding the umbrella handle tracing the ribbings. “I’m sure that the elves in the kitchens will be more than happy to whip it up for you. Come on, I’ll show you.” Elves? Kitchens? What was she talking about? The food was in the Great Hall. Did she know something Amina didn’t? It wasn’t an odd possibility considering she had just moved here from Florida months ago. There were still far too many things she had to learn about this school and she was sure, even after a full year of being here, she wouldn’t know half of the secrets the school had to offer. She would walk out after graduation and wonder what she hadn’t learned about the structure and its secrets. It was almost enough to make her consider teaching, but not quite. Even Juliet admitting that her favorite job had been Transfiguration Professor didn’t convince her of such. Teaching was not her strong suit. She was patient, but it took a special kind of person to teach. Amina didn’t have the right qualities in the slightest to be a good teacher so she was smart enough to learn from the start to avoid the career entirely. Nothing anyone says could change her mind; at least she didn’t think so. “I admire your ability to be a professor. I don’t think I could do it. I think I’m more for putting my skills into practice rather than teaching others how to put them into practice.”

As they walked down the first floor and turned the corner, they started down a hallway Amina had never seen before. Her eyes wandered around as she wondered where exactly she was being taken. There were so many rooms located down here, but most of the doors looked like they hadn’t been opened in ages. She wondered what they were originally for and if they were in working order still. No doubt students tried to use them for their own devious purposes. If they didn’t it would be a miracle. She was sure plenty of them would be useful for school purposes, having private places to practice spells and incantations. Plenty of them were probably covered in potion experiments gone wrong. She even wondered if one of them might be large enough for her to practice gymnastics inside. Something told her she wouldn’t be able to get up enough speed inside one of them let alone complete any sort of stunt. But that was alright, she could use outside for that if need be. At this point, she just really had to keep up her cardio and work on her strength training. If she could keep that up, she would be golden for when nationals came around.

When they turned another corner, Amina’s eyes fell upon a large portrait of food. It was a four course meal, laid out on a grand cherry wood table, looking real enough to actually pull out the string bean on the plate and crunch down into it. Her mouth was already beginning to water and she wasn’t even sure where she was going. Her confusion was answered a moment later when Juliet pulled out her wand and tapped a few spots on the portrait. It began to open, leaving a large hole in the wall that led into a tunnel. Amina was slightly taken aback. Even though her house was hidden behind a portrait, she didn’t imagine there were other places in the school hidden in the same ways. Apparently she was wrong. And she really needed to change that idea because the moment the smell of food hit her nose, she realized she needed to rethink the hidden places she went looking for. How did that pattern go again? “After you, dear.” Amina turned to Juliet and smiled before climbing into the tunnel, following the light at the end of the tunnel. Behind her, the professor followed, shutting the portrait behind them. They were sealed in and, almost as if it had created a vacuum effect, the smell of the food got even stronger. Merlin, had she just entered into a dream?

After a short walk, they wound up in a silver lined kitchen. And in front of those stainless steel appliances, piles of elves, hurrying away at pots and pans, cutting boards full of food, knives chopping up vegetables. Her eyes followed one of them back and forth as it chopped up vegetables and placed them into a large stock pot which she was sure was full of a lovely vegetable soup they were serving later tonight. “Oh. My. God.” She closed her mouth which had been slightly agape and swallowed the excess saliva building up in her mouth. As two elves ran forward with chairs in hand and two others with a small table, Amina smiled at them. Another one came up and nearly stole the umbrella from her hand before she was able to put it against the corner of the tunnel. “Have a seat, Amina. Order anything you’d like.” With a slight chuckle, Amina took a seat and looked over. “Professor, are you serious? Anything?” she asked as she looked around at the elves again. Two were standing there at either female, waiting to take their order. “Umm.” Amina reached up and scratched the crown of her head before bringing her hands back down to the seam of her jacket, unzipping it and pulling it off of her body. Another elf ran up and stole it from her before she could even hang it on the back of the chair. They were fast.

“Thanks…” she muttered as it placed the coat on a coat rack in the corner. The elf standing in front of her waiting for an order stood up a little straighter as her eyes fell to it. “Well, I guess I could start off with a small garden salad, Italian dressing.” The elf didn’t budge. Apparently it wanted a full order. Merlin, she had just been expecting to pick food up off the table, not place full on order. What did she really want? Then it came to her. Snapping her fingers. “How about some of that fantastic spaghetti with Italian sausage you guys made? Oh, and maybe some cheesecake for dessert? Any kind. Doesn’t matter to me.” The elf smiled the widest smile she had ever seen, bowed, and took off deeper into the kitchen. She waited for the professor to place her own order, turning around to look at the rest of the kitchen and turning around as the elf scattered off in the same manner. Shaking her head in disbelief, she crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward. “Merlin, I didn’t even comprehend how large the kitchens had to be to feed this many students,” she said, looking around at the number of elves again.

[Juliet Delia]

Juliet grinned as they turned yet another corner. “I admire your ability to be a professor. I don’t think I could do it. I think I’m more for putting my skills into practice rather than teaching others how to put them into practice.” She shrugged, pursing her lips as she thought. If someone had of told her at Amina's age that she was going to one day be a Professor at Galaxia, she probably would have laughed in their face until her sides and cheeks were sore. This was never anything she had really planned for, anything she had ever thought she would have wanted at any point. It was funny how things worked out like that. Realistically, it shouldn't have surprised her all that much. She had always been good at explaining things to other people, tutoring several friends through her years at Galaxia. She'd always had a way with academic words, able to trim principles down into the simplest of terms so that someone could understand the basic theory properly. You could never expect someone to run before they could walk, which was something she felt that some Professors did, unfairly. "You might surprise yourself, Amina," she said, a small smile on her lips. "I never really expected to be at the school, and yet, here I am. If you're anything like me, it'll take a few tries to get it right. Sometimes passions change. Sometimes things happen that force you to stop wanting something, rather abruptly." She frowned at a statue ahead of them, pulling her wand from her pocket and sending a jet of purple mist at it. The glasses with a moustache and nose, no doubt from the Somerset, and bowler hat turned into strings of delicate posies, wrapping gently around the statue. "Besides," she grinned, flicking her wand in that general direction. "It's not all teaching. I do a lot of work around the castle, for other professors... If I had to stop putting my own skills into practice, challenging myself, I'd probably not be here."

The look that developed on Amina's face from the time Juliet opened the portrait to the point when they actually walked into the kitchen was borderline priceless. It was so full of wonder and shock, which pleased Juliet immensely. Her eyebrow raised as Amina looked around, the words "Oh. My. God." making it out of her shocked mouth. Juliet was quite curious about what it was, exactly, that was shocking the girl so much. She was aware that she was a new student, only having transferred in at the beginning of the semester from somewhere in the United States. Could her school have been all so different from Galaxia? It was a question that had never occurred to her, but was frankly quite interesting. She didn't know much about other magical schools, and had, up until now, assumed that they were similar in several aspects, such as having hidden passages behind portraits and statues, moving staircases and the like. Curious, she made a mental note that she'd have to ask Amina about it. It was certainly somewhere that Amina could teach her a thing or two, instead of it being the other way around.

Juliet settled back into her seat, rather pleased with how comfortable it was. Although it didn't happen often at this school, it was never a pleasant surprise when you ended up in a particularly hard chair. She sipped the tea that she had just accepted, observing Amina from over her teacup. "Professor, are you serious? Anything?" Juliet nodded, taking another sip from her tea before placing it back on it's plate and onto the table. She crossed her ankles, smiling as she adjusted herself. "Yes Amina," she laughed, her hand gesturing to the busy kitchen setting. She paused for a moment, suppressing a grin as Amina gave her jacket to one of the elves. The poor girl looked bewildered. "Absolutely anything at all. I've eaten Galaxia food for a very long time, including special orders such as ours now. I've never eaten anything that was poor of quality." Juliet shrugged out of her own cloak, handing it to the elf waiting nearby. "Thank you, darling," she smiled sweetly at the tiny being. He squeaked happily, returning her smile before dashing off to hang her coat up. The elves that were employed here really were the sweetest things. So considerate and gentle. At least to her. She could imagine them being a little more feisty around people that treated them less well than herself.

The elf skittered back a moment later, looking up at her with wide, expectant eyes. Time to order. "Oh, um, how about a nice bowl of minestrone with a fresh bun to start. And one of those lovely pizzas I had last time, the one with the thin crust and the fresh mozzarella? I've very much been craving one of those since the wonderful job you did last time." The small elf's cheeks reddened, and he waved his hand bashfully at her. "Crème brûlée for dessert, I think? If you have what you need for it. That's it for me, I think!" The elf bowed deeply before darting off into the kitchens to prepare her meal. The smell of the food they were preparing for dinner that night was causing her mouth to water. Her stomach grumbles as if to accent the fact that everything smelled and looked so appetizing. She very much regretted skipping breakfast now, though she knew that the meal she was about to eat was going to satisfy that hunger and then some. These elves made sure that you were positively stuffed by the time you had finished eating in the kitchens with them. A blessing and a curse, at least to her waistline.

“Merlin, I didn’t even comprehend how large the kitchens had to be to feed this many students.” Juliet picked up the spoon beside her teacup and stirred the warm liquid slowly as she nodded in agreement. The kitchens really were quite fantastical when you finally saw them, both in size, number, and appearance. They were decorated in the same lavish but comfortable manner as the rest of the castle was: burgundy with gold and black trims today. It always seemed to change whenever she visited, but it never stopped being so inviting. "It's something else, isn't it?" She ran a hand through her hair, untangling the knots with her fingers. "The last time I checked, there were around three hundred elves in the kitchens alone. There are a lot of mouths to feed at this school, but they never seem to have any trouble pulling it off. They're very well prepared. I believe the menus are planned a week in advance so that everything is ready to cook when they need it." Juliet took another sip of her tea, the liquid warming her from the inside out. "They're very good at what they do."

Juliet turned to Amina, observing the girl sitting across from her. She seemed to still be full of wonder at the sight of the kitchens. She couldn't blame her - they shocked the hell out of everyone who stepped into them for the first time. Hell, she had been coming here for years and it still took her breath away. "So Amina," she said, folding her hands on the table. "You went to school in the States, previously? Tell me about that. And how are you liking Galaxia so far?"

[Amina Krane]

The orders were in and the elves didn’t seem like they could get any happier. The menu for that night’s dinner was already going on some of the stoves but she watched as they began working on the new, personalized orders on an unused stove. Amina’s eyes wandered about the kitchen, wondering how they all got this done. For one, they were so short in comparison to the regular sized appliances. And there was just so much to be done. Then her questions were answered. It seemed like that always seemed to happen at this school. As if on cue, an elf slid a small ladder out from behind a counter that had been blocking Amina’s view and right in front of the stove where they had begun work. So that was their trick. And, in addition to that, she realized there were small hints of elves hiding behind the same counters, small bits of ears and heads bobbing above the surface every few seconds to indicate they were there, just unable to be seen. There had to be over twenty elves that she could see, and she couldn’t imagine how many more hiding out of view. It made much more sense. To feed such a large school, they needed such a large kitchen and kitchen staff. How she had not realized that before, she wasn’t sure, but now she would be able to admire the meals she ate to the fullest extent. When she realized the elves were looking back at her, she blushed slightly and turned her attention back to her professor. She was watching them which she was sure was either awkward for them, or they were beginning to wonder if she needed anything else. Knowing the habit of the house elves, it was most likely the latter.

"It's something else, isn't it?" Amina nodded with a smile. "The last time I checked, there were around three hundred elves in the kitchens alone. There are a lot of mouths to feed at this school, but they never seem to have any trouble pulling it off. They're very well prepared. I believe the menus are planned a week in advance so that everything is ready to cook when they need it." At the count of the elves, Amina’s eyes widened slightly. That was a lot larger of a number than Amina had expected. “Three hundred? Merlin,” she muttered glancing around again and realizing, there were plenty of places the elves could be that she couldn’t see, including not even in the kitchen. They were probably at their slowest time of the day right now, just doing prep work for later, so she couldn’t imagine they had everyone in the kitchen. There was probably a good group of them in another room, just relaxing and waiting. If they did that. She wasn’t sure a house elf knew how to relax. Or maybe they were working in other parts of the castle. After all, someone had to do the laundry and clean the castle. Amina sure as hell knew she wasn’t able to do it. When she had first arrived, she had actually gone looking for a washing machine until she was informed they had someone to do it for them. There were definitely perks about being in a boarding school that she didn’t receive while at home. "They're very good at what they do." “Agreed.”

"So Amina. You went to school in the States, previously? Tell me about that. And how are you liking Galaxia so far?" The mention of her old life nearly made her cringe, but she only showed a soft smile. She missed living in Florida and everything about her old life. She had only been in Austria for a month and it was already difficult not to travel back to her childhood home on the weekends. “Yeah, I did. It was a small private school in Florida strictly for witches and wizards.” Her hands met in her lap as she began picking at her cuticles from under the table. It wasn’t that she was nervous, but she had to do something with her hands at this point or she was going to get up and go running to find a way home, even if it mean just tracking down her brother so she could have a small piece of her old life back. “It was a fantastic school, but probably the best part was getting to go home every weekend. Mostly they allowed it since we lived so close, but also because a lot of us had hobbies to keep up. And, without time off, I can’t imagine I would have been able to keep mine going for much longer.

“As far as Galaxia goes, though, it’s been great so far. It’s not as great as Florida, but the people are great and the school is grand. I have a feeling I’m going to get used to it very quickly,” she added with a smile, hoping she didn’t make any bad remarks towards the school. Comparing the two was a no brainer, but she imagined one day, they would be a lot closer in line with one another. Maybe. Amina tucked a piece of hair behind her ear just as she heard the clearing of a throat. Quirking an eyebrow, she looked next to her to see a small elf standing there with a bowl in hand. It was filled with leafy greens and lightly covered in Italian dressing. It looked fantastic. Grinning, she watched as the elf slid the bowl into place, another elf sliding the bowl of soup in front of her companion. Picking up her fork, Amina stabbed it into one of the top leaves and directed it right into her mouth. The dressing was perfect. It wasn’t light, but it also wasn’t so heavily coated that the salad was unrecognizable. Letting out a small sound of satisfaction, Amina shoveled another forkful of salad into her mouth and happily crunched down. “Merlin, best salad I have had in such a long time. Thank you,” she said, speaking the last two words a little louder as she looked towards the elves who had already retreated away from the table back towards the kitchen. “How’s the soup?” she asked as she looked back across the table and took another mouthful of salad.