It's Nine in the Afternoon

[Violet MacFusty]

Violet stood before the great iron gate; pale freckled hands clutched at the letter she'd received from the Headmaster. He'd accepted her request for an appearance at a particular date and time. She'd tried to study up on the subject she'd chosen to speak to him about, but now that she was headed to the interview everything had slipped away. It was like trying to catch one's papers once a great wind had blown them away - twisting and twirling and flying up into the air, nearing just enough to touch... only to slip away again.

The day itself was windy. It tugged at her lavender colored skirts and threatened to whip away the lacy umbrella she held tightly to. It was meant to protect her already badly freckled face from gaining even more freckles brought upon her by the sun, but the only purpose it served now was something to wrestle in the wind with. With an inaudible sigh, Violet gave up and clasped the umbrella closed. It hadn't been doing her any good at all, anyway.

She hadn't told her father that she had an interview with the Headmaster at Hogwarts. He wouldn't have approved of it, though he didn't offer any other suggestions in regards to her employment (or lack there of.) The Governess job had quite failed her, or rather, she'd failed it. No one had wanted her. She suspected it was because she was much too ugly for it - she was too thin, her red hair was much too bright, and her body lacked any kind of womanly curves at all. Years ago, she'd given up hope of a husband. Violet had then been encouraged by her father (for once) to try her hand at becoming a Governess. Unfortunately, that had turned out poorly. She'd failed interview after interview.

Now, Hogwarts was her last hope. She wanted to fill one of the empty teaching positions, though she was skeptical of whether her request would be granted. Violet was young to become a teacher, only twenty one, but her days at Hogwarts had not been spent making friends or spending time with her classmates. She'd been much too shy to truly talk to anyone. Her freckled nose had been buried in a textbook most of the time. Other than that, she slept. Her grades were nearly perfect - a fact that she hoped would persuade the Headmaster to allow her try to teach.

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> <br /> It was already daytime, but something about the air made it feel like morning. Sebastian Havisham walked as if he had no purpose towards the gates of Hogwarts. Granted, he had quite a bit of purpose considering he was being paid to come here. One of his duties as a translator for the ministry was occasionally attending the meetings of other ministry offices in order provide his services. Sebastian, admittedly, hadn't really bothered to pay attention to what this meeting was about, but his impression was such that the meeting would involve some French officials interested in the Hogwarts education program. Sebastian was not very good at being organized when it came to things he was not driven to work for. He, instead, spent his time enjoying life for it's pleasures which he waited to stumble across more purposeful work and more purposeful relationships. <br /> <br /> Sebastian had on a pair of burgundy pants, a pressed white shirt, and a golden necktie. His vest was a dark brown, as was his jacket. His hair was quite unkept, but the dapper state of his clothing at the charming gleam in his eyes always seemed to give everyone good enough reason to excuse his messy hair, which was not combed back nor cut short enough as the latest fashions deemed appropriate. This was fine with Sebastian, for someone as vain as he was, he didn't care much about his hair or his own physical well being. He did care quite a great deal for his clothing was quite particular about what he was willing to wear. Being rather wealthy meant that he could afford the nicest clothes around - and he excersized that ability without hesitance and often. <br /> <br /> It was funny to look at Hogwarts again, a school that he had graduated from seven years ago. It was about time that Sebastian campaign to get a better job, or at least try for one, but Sebastian felt himself too preoccupied with living life to it's fullest, and knew quite well that certain lifestyle changes would be in order if he were to be considered for a higher position. Sebastian was quite adamant that he did not want to change his current way of being. That way of being that he frequented social occasions across the class gaps, going from Coming Out parties, to high society balls, to run down pubs, to underground wrestling matches. Sebastian's antics were whispered about in the social rounds, but never publicly addressed. He was still quite popular despite his shortcomings. Probably, though, he would not be considered an appropriate husband unless he did put those lower ranks of life behind him. <br /> <br /> Happy-go-lucky Sebastian Havisham was early to his meeting for once, but that didn't mean he would make it on time. He was busy admiring the red and gold leaves that littered the ground. A bit of a romantic, Havisham didn't have any care in the world in that moment. Of course, he probably should have been paying attention because he looked up to see a red haired woman standing no more than a foot and a half away from him. "I beg your pardon, Madame," he said, with a bow, eyes gleaming. He was a people person, and the chance to talk to someone made him immensely happy. "I hadn't meant to walk into you in such a way." <br />

  

[Violet MacFusty]

A sudden motion at the edge of her vision immediately brought her attention from the letter she clutched to the man next to her. He was quite close - too close for comfort for the modestly shy young woman. Her grey-blue gaze flicked to meet his eyes for a quick moment. His were a warm brown, framed by dark lashes and set into a handsomely chiseled face. Violet's cheeks warmed hotly and she glanced away, toward the ground. His polite apology was accepted with a soft but clear, "Oh, it's quite alright, Sir. I shouldn't be standing here anyway. It's in the way of the gate."

The image of his handsome face (Had she ever seen one so attractive? She thought not) was burned into her mind. The ground she focused her gaze upon was covered in frozen autumn leaves, but these she did not notice. Her eyes traveled to his shoes - which were in immaculate condition and well made, not to mention fashionable. His burgundy slacks were neatly pressed. She hadn't noticed what shirt he wore, for her embarrassed gaze had traveled much too quickly, but she was certain that they were just as attractive and fashionable as the rest of him.

Violet was convinced that the temperature of her cheeks could have boiled a pot of water. Her blushes weren't pretty either - instead of a faint twinge of pink, her cheeks looked as if they'd caught on fire. They were bright red, nearly as red as her hair, while her freckles seemed to multiply tenfold. She willed herself to stop blushing, but doing so embarrassed her even further. It was then that she realized she had yet to move away from him and her cheeks became even more blotchy and inflamed.

She stepped to the side in order to place a proper distance between them, for they didn't know each other. It was inappropriate to be so near a man that she didn't even know the name of. The letter in her hand began to tick, a noise reminiscent of a clock. She needed to head to her interview if she wanted to arrive in a timely manner. Violet tried to stick it in the pocket of her dress, but a sudden gust of wind whipped it away from her and up and over her fiery red head. "Oh!" She cried as she tried to reach for it, but as if it were a game, the letter flitted toward the gate.

In only a moment her left-hand slid her wand out of her pocket and pointed it at the envelope, "Accio letter!" It changed its course, but flew past her again as another burst of wind slid through the gate. It fluttered in the opposite direction - toward the man - and Violet froze. It would be a great insult to point her wand in his direction... but she needed that letter! She couldn't run and catch it either, how unladylike it would be! What was she to do?

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> Sebastian rarely got embarrassed, and it always surprised him when others did. Of course, because a certain amount of embarrassment was considered the proper response to many of today's gestures of kindness, it seems that he was more and more surprised at the way people reacted to him. So, when the red head, who was more than half a foot smaller than him, bent her head, it made him curious. He was an open personality, and it sparked his interest when people didn't act in the same way. <br /> <br /> It was hard to miss this young woman simply due to the fact that her hair was such a bright, lovely color. Face hidden, he admired the color of her hair against the color of her lavender dress for a single moment before regaining his composure. It was most certainly not appropriate to stare and it wasn't as if Sebastian wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. He had a penchant for color, which was evident by his wardrobe and his choice of furnishings in his home. "It is quite my fault," Sebastian said without a second thought. <br /> <br /> "My name is Sebastian Ha-," he was cut off because he was watching her letter float away. It was quite rude not to present one's full name upon meeting someone. Had Sebastian had time to finish his thought he would have introduced himself in full, then perhaps learn her name and escorted her into the school where he assumed she was headed. But, the letter had left all cause for propriety on the ground as it made its way from them. <br /> <br /> His eyes followed the letter quickly as it jerked away from the field of her wand and towards him instead. A dilemma. Sebastian couldn't help but smile then, and that probably gave it away that he was not quite up to par with the expectations of gentle society. He laughed at such things, because when facing it, it was a rather funny situation. Pulling out his wand, he pointed it at the letter only to watch the slip of paper then fly upwards away from him. He made a jump at the letter, which only succeeded in evading him by flying just out of reach of his hand, and then spinning down towards the young woman's feet. <br /> <br /> Indeed it seemed like the letter was playing a game. Sebastian felt the compulsion to dive for the letter but quickly stepped back in realization that diving at a woman's skirts was probably not the best way to introduce oneself, nor did he then want to counter her polite refrain from pointing her wand at him by pointing his wand at her. He then realized that he was looking at the letter around her ankles and that was probably just as rude. It was now his turn to be embarrassed - which wasn't something he was used to at all - by his lack of composure and he looked at her with a glint in his eye before averting his gaze. <br />

  

[Violet MacFusty]

Violet caught half of his introduction - Sebastian something. She couldn't call him by his first name however, for it would be incredibly improper. Not only had they just met, but they were in public. It was entirely inappropriate to speak without formality when one wasn't inside their own home. Her attentions were quickly torn away from the subject as her letter zoomed toward him. His own attempts to catch the letter failed just as much as her own had. It finally landed upon the ground near her shoes. Violet took the opportunity and promptly placed her shoe over it so that it couldn't blow away again. She glanced toward him, triumphant. His eyes flicked upward from her ankles to her face - she looked away at the same time as he. How forward he was! Staring at her ankles! Violet shifted her bustled skirts to more fully cover her feet. She needn't be attracting that sort of attention from a man! She was no harlot!

After the adjustment, cheeks ablaze once more - this time from his impropriety, she bent down to retrieve the letter. Luckily, it did not blow away this time. With a firm grasp, she tucked it safely away into the folds of her dress. Her wand was smoothly returned to the pocket on her left side. After a moment of silence on her part, she reminded herself that she ought to remain polite.

Violet daintily cleared her throat before she spoke. "Thank you for your assistance Sir. The wind seems to not be on either of our sides today. I hadn't been able to catch your name, earlier - the wind interrupted you," She began and braved a glance at his handsome face once more as she introduced herself, "I am Violet Ollivander." She extended her gloved hand, as was the polite thing to do, so that he might gently shake it. The woman willed her hand not to tremble. Not only was she anxious about her interview, but it was chilly out - especially with the wind gusts. She'd dressed warmly - with a cream colored woolen coat, but even it did not keep all of the cold air out.

The ticks from the letter grew louder inside her pocket- her time to reach the castle had begun to run short. "I'm terribly sorry Sir, but I have an appointment at the school that is extremely important - I don't want to appear impolite but I must get going if I am to make it in time," She told him. It was rather rude for her to be quite so abrupt about it, but she could see no other way to express the urgency of her situation.

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> Sebastian felt quite mortified in this situation, but also roped into it. He made a mental note that the next time he attempted to win back a flying letter for a young lady he came across he would not follow it's path down to her ankles. Not that he assumed this was a situation he would find himself in often. Sebastian might have had the reputation around Hogsmeade high society as something of a romantic but nobody would ever accuse him of objectifying a woman or looking where he shouldn't. He did not give out that type of attention in an indecent manner, nor did he bestow it on strangers in public. He was quite aware that was not the correct way to behave, and now felt rather ill at ease about how to proceed in this situation. She was undoubtedly offended by him, he guessed, and he had no way as a stranger to redeem himself. <br /> <br /> She removed him from his shame with a clear but thin voice that threatened to run away with the wind. Brown eyes looking directly into her grey-blue ones. He hoped to make it clearer that he did not plan on glancing over her physique in the slightest and that he didn't have any ill intentions towards her. His glove took hers in a firm, but gentle handshake. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Ollivander. My name is Sebastian Havisham," he said with his usual smile. He released her hand, still feeling quite ashamed of the awkwardness from the moment just a few minutes. Sebastian of course recognized the name Ollivander for the shop in Hogsmeade, and was struck by the fact that he hadn't met her before. Sebastian had gotten his own wand at Ollivander's and it was a fond memory from his childhood. <br /> <br /> Sebastian nodded in understanding, the letter was ticking away, breaking the crispness of the air with it's incessant striking. "Not to worry, I understand completely," he said. "As a matter of fact I have a meeting at Hogwarts as well. Might I escort you inside?" Sebastian offered his right arm to her, half expecting her not to accept it considering his conduct. Should the situation be reversed he would probably have left some time ago, but he was not very mature, and Miss Ollivander seemed quite proper in comparison to him. <br /> <br /> Sebastian didn't know how people managed to follow the rules of society so strictly when there were so many fun pockets of life elsewhere. He loved dressing down and attending pubs where the drinks all costed less than a glass of water at a restaurant, listening to a fiddle play, and meeting interesting people with rich life stories. The working class had it harder than he ever did, but for some reason he identified with the people he met. He liked that he could stop worrying about what others thought. He could drink a little bit too much, he could join in on a fight... and that suited him. He was a quite brash, upfront young fellow, and that meant being improper sometimes. He was always respectful of women, but he wasn't good at facing authority and he certainly didn't like behaving like a gentleman 24/7.

  

[Violet MacFusty]

Sebastian Havisham. Violet recognized the name as much as she had recognized his face - not at all. It seemed fitting, however. She could easily judge by the way he dressed that he belonged to the Upper Class society. Not even her father could have afforded clothes such as Mr. Havisham. He couldn't have looked nearly as sharp in them either. Violet silently scolded herself for thinking such things. He had already struck out with her once for his boldness. Curse his charming good looks! It would have been much easier to deny his request to accompany her to the school. Granted, it would have been entirely and obvious rude to reject him. They were headed in the same direction. How awkward it would be to walk side by side, silent - if she were to forsake him!

"That is quite kind of you," She replied with a modest smile and another peek in his direction. Violet took his arm politely - offering only the minimal amount of contact. Her gloved hand rested softly upon his achromatic sleeve. She had half expected him to mention that he'd received his wand at her father's shop. It wouldn't have surprised her - nearly everyone she met offered this information up to her, as if she hadn't already known. Most wizards received their wands from Ollivander's. Her father - despite the level of indifference she felt for him - was the best wandmaker around. Most wizarding families preferred to send their first years to him. Not once had he ever misjudged a wand. All Violet ever heard about him was good things. Of course, most of society only knew that he had two sons. He never spoke of his daughter and thus, to most people, she did not exist.

Had she been prettier and more social, it would have been easy to make herself known. If only she had spent more time with her classmates in school rather than with her books - if she had truly taken the time to fix her affections upon a possible husband, she would have been much more recognizable than she was currently. It was much too late to regret the opportunities that she had wasted. She had one more chance at the station of purpose and usefulness before she would have to resign to becoming an old maid dependent upon her father forever. It was a depressing thought, and Violet pushed it aside. She needed to think positively for an interview that would, without a doubt, decide the course of her future.

Upon their decision to enter, the gate swung peacefully open. As they strode through, Violet could feel the slight mist that hung around the edges of the school grounds. The letter stopped its ticking as they broke through the mist - a slight ting could be heard instead. It rang once to acknowledge her presence and then fell silent once more. She tried to run over in her mind the speech she had planned to give the Headmaster, but with the distraction of a rather handsome man touch her, she could come up with nothing. Being a woman who disliked flying by the seat of her pants, she was overtook with a great sense of nervousness. Her brow furrowed and her lithe body began to tremble as she caught sight of the castle.

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> Sebastian grinned as she took his arm. She was not the typical beauty. Her frame was a great deal more slender than the modern woman and the freckles across her face were not in fashion, still Sebastian found her looks intriguing. Sebastian was particularly drawn to the brilliant color of her hair, and he found her eyes rather stunning when she found the courage to look at him. She was not typical, but that was okay. Sebastian's taste in women had never been confined to one particular breed of female. There were the obvious standards of what beauty looked like, and those were all well and good but they had thus far done nothing for him. There were certainly qualities in a woman that he was not attracted to, but he had a hard time finding out what he was attracted to, and so his experience in the realm of romance was rather skewed. At age 24, he was not convinced he needed a wife, but pressure from his father and pressure from many of the eligible ladies in society reminded him constantly of his status as a single man. It was rather annoying really that he had to deal with that nonsense. Sebastian often wondered if he would ever get married, and perhaps he would just always be a bachelor forever. <br /> <br /> Marriage seemed to be the theme of life in one's twenties. Everywhere he went, everywhere he looked, someone was talking about marriage. All around him, his friends from Hogwarts were finding their own women and settling down, and here he was getting himself into even worse antics than he used to in school. One could say he was a failure, but he thought it was useless to settle down with someone incompatible. Since the loss of his mother two and a half years ago, Sebastian had the time to think about his own life growing up, and how much it mean to him to have his mother's support. His mother was a unique woman, and while he didn't want a carbon copy of her in the slightest, he thought that it was ideal to have someone who wasn't cookie cutter. Propriety tended to make everyone the same. <br /> <br /> Sebastian looked down at the young woman. He assumed she was a few years his junior and guessed that is why he hadn't known her in Hogwarts. (Assuming she went to Hogwarts.) Sebastian had been a social butterfly back in school. "Might I be so bold, Miss Ollivander, to ask what brings you to Hogwarts this afternoon?" Sebastian didn't know anything about her besides the family attachment he saw in her name. Admittedly, he hadn't been to Ollivander's in years and doubted that she had been working there when last he visited. Sebastian was a person who, spending most of his free time doing as such, frequented middle class and lower class areas. While he wasn't dressed the part at the moment, he was someone who made it a goal to make people comfortable. He rarely treated people as strangers. <br /> <br /> A bell chimed in the distance as they departed from the misty air. Sebastian was quite at ease for his appointment, which was due in roughly twenty minutes, because his only task was to relay language between people which required very little intellectualism on his part (part of the reason he was not happy with his job in the first place). So, when he felt the quiver of her hand against his arm his smile faded slightly into a worried expression. "Miss Ollivander, are you quite alright?" He asked. "Would you care for my jacket?" Sebastian had made the mistake of believing her to be cold, nervousness being the last thing to cross his mind. <br />

  

[Violet MacFusty]

Even if Violet had expressed interest in wandlore, her father wouldn't have allowed it. He didn't believe that a woman's place was to work with her hands - it was to protect her, she knew, as well as shut her out of yet another area of his life. Her father's hands were callused and scarred from decades of hard work. Choosing the wood, shaping it and working magic into it often showed its wear and tear upon the wand creator. If she were to find a husband - which had been her father's hopes when she'd attended Hogwarts - she needed to have the soft porcelain hands of a lady. Admittedly, she'd been curious about it. Violet had overheard her brothers and father discussing such things over dinner on more than one occasion. All of the questions that she brought up however, had gone completely ignored. She'd learn to simply listen, but there were so many words she did not know and techniques she had no knowledge of that it was nearly pointless.

His question was polite and she detected a sincere curiosity in his voice. She supposed it was to be expected - after all, what would a woman like her be doing returning to Hogwarts? She was supposed to be married, or a successful Governess at the least. She shouldn't have had any need at all to return to school.

"I have an appointment with the Headmaster. I'm inquiring about the open teaching position for Arithmancy," She explained somewhat stoically. Violet couldn't help but feel guarded about the subject. She felt as if she had failed miserably in society. It would only be more awkward for the two of them if he knew of it and would then have to pretend that it was not a big deal and that he did not pity her. It was a common occurrence when she spoke of it. She disliked being pitied above many things. Thus, she avoided that part of the conversation as best she could. "I might ask you the very same?" She asked and braved another curious glance at his chiseled features.

The Ollivander girl hadn't been aware of her physical ailment until he spoke up. She thought it quite chivalrous of him to offer her his jacket. Despite the fact that she had no need of it - for though she was chilly, she did not quake from the cold - she accepted it with a shy smile, "I would, thank you Mr. Havisham. You are much too kind. I fear as if I haven't dressed warm enough for the occasion. It seemed like it would be a warm day when I stepped out." Perhaps she'd pushed the matter a little too much; she had tried to be convincing. She didn't want to admit to him of her anxiousness for it would only prove that she had failed at all the other aspects of her life. Confidence, she reminded herself, she needed to exude confidence.

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> <br /> Sebastian's family had made it's fortune through owning and trading big companies and stock, and had gained it's acclaim by persisting as members of the Ministry of Magic, most preferably as members of the Wizengamot. Sebastian was expected to follow in his family business of owning things he knew nothing about and judging things he knew nothing about. Until he was a little bit older, Sebastian was making the most of his life. He wanted to stay the in the Department for International Magical Cooperation, as he was a people person and it was the most perfect profession to learn about people, but doubted his father would look kindly upon that. He also doubted he could win a position as Department head with the reputation he had. It was tough to live in the shadow of a parent, and Sebastian's only way to respond was to hold on to his own stubborn ideals and perpetuate problems between he and his father by acting as he had done for years and years. Eventually his father would understand that he wasn't about to change. <br /> <br /> Her response certainly triggered a reaction from him, but not one of surprise because she was applying for such a position, nor because he felt this was socially unacceptable. Rather, he couldn't help but cringe a little bit at the word Arithmancy. "I don't believe I could convey to you how horrid I was at learning Arthmancy," Sebastian remarked. "You must be quite intelligent." Sebastian was good at learning in general, but his ability in that class was less than brilliant, and he had dropped the elective after one year. He was impressed that she had grasped the material so well as to teach it, which was quite noble. Sebastian doubted he had the capacity or the patience to teach at all, and thought it brilliant that she had such an ability. Sebastian had been quite excellent in history, in defense against the dark arts, and in potions. He grinned, "I am currently working as a translator for the Ministry of Magic, there is a meeting this afternoon with some French officials here - something about education reform I believe." <br /> <br /> Brown eyes glowing against the hazy air, Sebastian gently removed his arm from her in order to take off his jacket. "It would certainly not suit you well to catch a cold right before your meeting," he replied genuinely. The coat was brown and perhaps boring on the outside save for the very nice buttons across the front. It was lined with a brilliant, soft burgundy fabric embroidered very beautifully with red phoenixes. He gently placed the coat over her shoulders, which was expectedly too large for her considering how petite she was in comparison to his tall frame. Sebastian then offered her his arm once more as they were almost there and the last thing he would want was to make her late. "Shall we?" <br /> <br />

  

[Violet MacFusty]

Violet would have been surprised if he had been fond of the subject of Arithmancy. She herself wasn't all that attached to it - however, she'd scored perfect marks in it every year that she took it. She hoped it would be enough to convince the Headmaster that despite her young age, she truly could teach it. She understood all of the concepts and theories. Before her interview, she had read through each of her texts in case the Headmaster wished to quiz her on her knowledge of the subject. His reaction was quite flattering - she'd never been told by a man that wasn't a Professor of how intelligent he thought her to be. It hadn't been as complimenting when her educators had done it. Theirs had been more like a double edged sword - she was smart and she didn't need to study nearly as much as she did. She should spend time with her classmates and enjoy herself once in a while. Violet of course, had been too shy to listen. By that point in time, everyone was so used to her denying their request for her company that they had stopped asking her all together.

"Mr. Havisham!" She exclaimed as her cheeks burned a bright red. A full smile crossed her lips before she was able to repress it to a more modest size, "I can assure you that you think much too highly of me, Sir. I only know what I was taught in class - and even then it is fairly easy to follow. It is concepts and theories... everything can be found in the books." Intelligence was a subjective matter. Most would agree that women were not near as intelligent as men. She knew nothing of running a business like her father and brothers. The only thing Violet knew were things that came from books - for she loved to read. The girl lacked any street smarts whatsoever.

He told her of his own cause. He worked for the Ministry as a Translator. It was an entry level job for the most part, but at least he worked for the Ministry, which was respectable in itself. "That is an interesting line of work, I am sure. Do you often need to come to Hogwarts for it?" She wouldn't mind seeing him again. Despite the awkward initial meeting, the walk had begun to prove itself as quite pleasant. He had proved himself skilled in the art of conversation, for the long walk had seemed to go by rather quickly. Already, they were nearing the castle.

The jacket was placed gently upon her shoulders. It was much too large for her, as he was a half of a foot taller than her, not to mention broader. It was warm however, and nicely made. The buttons were shaped expertly into red phoenixes. So detailed they were! She could almost see them moving if she stared closely. It would be rude to examine his coat so thoroughly however, and she allowed her gaze to flick up to his face once again. The re-offer of his arm was taken gladly, as she had begun to feel more comfortable with him. While she hadn't had need of the coat, she certainly felt much warmer than before.

In only a matter of time the castle door loomed before them. Violet's heart beat rapidly, not unlike the wings of a hummingbird. She felt her palms begin to sweat and was thankful that she wore gloves. Mr. Havisham needn't know that she was nervous enough to sweat in his presence! How awful it would be. He'd think her disgusting rather than a perfectly modest lady. "Here we are," She breathed in an attempt to mask her anxiety.

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> Sebastian had yet to see an unabashed emotion from her until now, and the smile across her face for that split moment before she tamed it was refreshing. Sebastian liked when things were kinetic. So often that wasn't the case out in public. Things were so subdued, always resting at what might happen but what would most probably just stay the same. Sebastian was quite sure, in fact, that he wasn't thinking of her too highly as she probably had grasped the material far more easily and far ore completely than he ever had. But, he supposed that was not what people generally said. It was funny to him how people just didn't say things. Sebastian was quite good at saying things he felt, but it was not in the public nature to be blunt. If Sebastian weren't rich he would probably not garner the respect he did simply because he did speak his mind just a bit too much. But, wealth coupled with masculinity made it possible for him to continue on as he was, without fear of any retribution. He was given a luxury on that matter that he only sometimes acknowledged. It was hard to remember that immense amount privilege he had, but despite his vanity he liked being humbled and found comfort in understanding that he wasn't always the better just for his money and for his sex. Life didn't work like that, and that was a lesson Sebastian enjoyed learning over and over again. <br /> <br /> He smiled widely, "Miss Ollivander!" he said, mimicking her a little bit through a warm and gentle voice. "I assure that I mean quite everything I say. It speaks wonders about your character that you maintain such information so well as to teach it. Not to mention that you have the patience to teach." he said. Whatever she claimed, he hadn't been able to get such concepts or theories at all, and he was impressed by her that she was able to best him on that front. Sebastian was not proud of his occupation, but it was socially acceptable for being such a young man, and did enjoy the ability to meet such interesting people. One day he would have to advance to reach expectation, but he had a year or two left in this occupation it seemed. "It is an interesting line of work," he agreed. "I am fortunate to be in such an important Department... I generally do not come to Hogwarts, though it is all relatively really. Being a translator requires quite a bit of movement between venues," he admitted. For such a kinetic person, an occupation that required movement was quite perfect actually. He didn't think he would do well in a job that meant sitting in a stuffy room for hours on end. If he ever was able to advance to the position of Department head, he would still be able to travel and meet many people, which is part of he reason he so desperately wanted to stay within the International sector. <br /> <br /> Sebastian quite enjoyed meeting Ollivander. He couldn't quite figure out, as it seemed there were many things she had hidden behind her vision of a proper, humble self. Nevertheless he could tell that she was an interesting character. He rarely met women devoted to intellectual pursuits, which was intriguing. Her life story was most likely unique. She was all around mysterious. Even her appearance made one wonder about her - she looked almost nymph-like with her slender frame and ethereal visage. She was not the typical woman in this sense either, but she was intriguing, and who didn't like to be intrigued? There was nothing interesting about a readable character -it was far more interesting to meet someone complex. <br /> <br /> Sebastian looked up at the giant oak doors of Hogwarts, which creaked open - undoubtedly expecting Miss Ollivander's arrival in any minute. "Indeed here we are," he agreed, a gentle smile across his face, not that it would surprise her by now as she probably had caught on to the fact that he always smiled. "Miss Ollivander it has been a joy making your acquaintance, I wish you all the best with your meeting this afternoon," he said politely, eyes catching her grey ones. <br /> <br />

  

[Violet MacFusty]

One more post from you to wrap it up? :]

Had she been more of an uptight woman - and perhaps if he had not been so handsome or charming - she might have took offense at his teasing mockery of her. Fortunately, neither were true and she was able to smile appreciatively. It was nice to meet a man who had a sense of humor. While hers could be considered to be lacking on some occasions, she was able to laugh at herself, at the very least. Most of the men that she had been forced to consider marrying (there weren't many to be honest) had lacked any sense of a humor at all. She hadn't even seen them crack a smile. How horrid it would be to marry a man with ill humor - her life would be dreadfully boring and depressing, to never see her husband smile. Mr. Havisham's face lit up with a smile nearly every time he spoke. It proved to her that he was quite good-natured. It almost made her wish that he were a bit older and more well off in his station, he would have made a wonderful husband. But alas, she had failed down that path and by the time he was ready for a wife she would be much too old to become a bride.

The thought made her blush. How could she be considering such a thing of a man she'd only just met - only because she liked how often he smiled! It had to have been her nerves. She wouldn't allow herself to think such inappropriate things normally. "You flatter me, Mr. Havisham," She replied with reddened cheeks.

Violet found herself oddly disappointed that he did not visit Hogwarts often. She could easily run into him in Hogsmeade. After all, she knew where he worked. There she was again - imagining seeing him again, as if they were courting! She was certain he would forget all about her once she left his sight. Most did. There was nothing interesting about her aside from her odd appearance. It sounded as if he traveled quite often, which sounded rather entertaining. If Violet had been a man, she would have liked to travel and see things. Of course, if she were a man her situation would be completely different than it was.

The Ollivander girl gently slipped his jacket off of her shoulders and offered it to him, "Thank you Mr. Havisham. It was wonderful to meet you." She slipped him a graceful curtsy while a dip of her head was given. Their eyes met for a moment and a bashful smile crept about her lips before she turned and headed inside to discover what fate would bring her.

  

[Sebastian Havisham]

S E B A S T I A N H A V I S H A M

<br /> Sebastian rarely thought anymore about the fact that he might be offensive. He got by with his good attitude almost all of the time, and his teasing was almost made with the kindest of intent. Sebastian was quite good at getting the response he wanted out of people, and luckily for everyone he didn't have much of a malicious side so there was no danger of him using such a skill for bad. Sebastian rarely thought about marriage anymore. In a year or so he would give up his happy go lucky lifestyle and begin courting some young society darling. He would apply for the position of Department head, and with the right endorsement from his father and his father's friends he would probably get the position - considering that he received such good reviews in his current position and the only thing holding him back was his lifestyle. When said girl who he courted became of marrying age, they would wed. He would probably be bored of her and would also be rather bored of his life from then on, until they had children who he could spoil and play with to his hearts content. Sebastian had a very clear sense of where his life was headed, and though he was disillusioned with it he was quite intent on making the best of things before his life really had to begin. <br /> <br /> "I do no such thing, Miss Ollivander, I make a habit not to flatter people," he said, trying his best to maintain a straight face. Her blush was endearing, and admittedly it was awfully flattering to make a woman blush, even if there was nothing to be done about it. It reminded him that he wasn't a waste of space to women, which was probably the only thing that kept him from stopping considering courting all together. <br /> <br /> She was more humble than he could ever hope to be. One of Sebastian's biggest faults was his own vanity. He took more care with his appearance than any man he knew, and he hated to look like a fool. For someone who didn't like the constrictions of social life very much, he cared too much about what other people thought of his person. He could deal with people disliking his actions, but when people disliked his character he was horribly unhappy. It was rather childish of him, admittedly, but he was a rather childish man. Twenty-four, in his opinion, was not so old. <br /> <br /> Sebastian took the jacket and draped it over his arm. He removed his hat before bowing to her, his thick brown hair falling past his ear. "Good afternoon." Standing, he watched as she headed further into the depths of the castle to the Headmaster's office. He was going the opposite room towards a meeting room on the first floor. Glancing at his pocket-watch, he strolled easily towards his destination, stopping to make conversation with a painting along the way. <br /> <br />

The end!