Extract A bit important

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori didn’t bother knocking on his door these days because he usually had it slightly open, which helped so that she could see who was actually there. No other students were in the office, so now seemed as good of a time as any to discuss her plans with her head of house. She thought it was important to speak to him, even though she’d already discussed it and decided with her mum, but she might need a bit of extra help with it, and so she wanted to make sure he was aware so he knew why she wasn’t in the school when it started back next year. So she walked right in, and gently nudged the door closed behind her out of habit, “Professor, could I speak to you about something a bit important?”

@Professor James Cade ​

 

[Professor James Cade]

James’ office door seemed to be a bit of a revolving one lately with the number of students coming to him to discuss their future, career options and general life milestones. He hadn’t realised so much of his job as head of house would be discussing his students personal lives, it was like he was now the father of hundreds of kids rather than nine, which given recent years didn’t seem all that farfetched. James sat in his office in the armchair by the fire and looked up when he heard the door open, turning his head to see Tori walk in. “Of course, take a seat,” He held out his arm to offer a seat on the sofa across from him. “What’s on your mind?”

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori nodded and moved further into the room when James offered up the sofa across from him. She was familiar with it since she’d spent more time in here this year than she maybe had expected to. Last year too, really. Maybe this decision was a good thing? James would probably thrilled not to have to take points off of her next year. She couldn’t mess up if she wasn’t here to mess up, and if she could stay away from Demi for a semester, maybe that would be a good thing as well? Professor Edogawa had told her she should stay away from things that stressed her out and Demi was a major stressor in her life right now. She folded herself onto the couch, pulling her legs up in front of her as she was used to doing, only to drop them at the look and comment from him to drop her feet. She does so reluctantly, and then pauses for a moment to think about what she actually wants to say. “I’m leaving.” She said, just deciding to jump right into it. “I spoke to mum and she’s… mostly on board. The school, I mean. Transferring out.”​

 

[Professor James Cade]

James didn’t know what Tori was going to say, but he definitely wasn’t expecting her to announce she would be leaving the school and transferring out. “What do you mean you’re leaving?” His brain needed a moment to catch up on the information she had just given him. If Georgina had signed it off and it was what Tori wanted then he would be powerless to stop it. James looked across the room at the second year who had taken up residence on his sofa and smiled at her. “For good? Or are you doing some kind of exchange?” James was no stranger to students transferring in and out for short periods of time, his brother Ezra had joined HNZ for a couple of years before returning to Durmstrang, merlin he hoped that wasn’t where she was going. “Uhm, where are you transferring to?”

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori wasn’t sure what reaction she had been expecting, but he seemed a little more surprised about it than she had expected. Well she supposed he would be surprised, since she’d never really indicated she was going before. “Oh, no, not for good - just for like a semester. Six months? Probably,” she didn’t see how or why it would be longer than that. She just wanted to see a bit of the world. She wanted to get away from Demi too, a litle bit honestly and she knew that if she kept around Demi too much, she was going to hit her again, probably, and that wasn’t going to do her any favours, it definitely wasn’t going to help her situation. “I’m going to Durmstrang for a bit. It’s already been decided. It seemed like the most obvious option. Dad said once he’d always wondered if he should have gone there, and Uncle Lani has family there that I can probably approach too. Plus that’s where Fayre is. She’ll have graduated when I get there, but she said she’d set me up with a mentor, so that should be okay.” She didn’t know what kind of a mentor Fayre would offer, but she supposed she’d find out when she got there.​

 

[Professor James Cade]

It took everything James had not to sigh audibly when Tori confirmed she was going to Durmstrang. Of course she was, damn Felix and his taste in men. He was however relieved to hear that she wouldn’t be going for long, only a semester which would hopefully reduce the possible influence that horrible school would have on her. “I guess that’s not too bad, chance to experience something new,” She had family there, sort of. Tori’s blended family was complicated and hard to keep up with sometimes, a bit like his own for other people. “Well I can’t lie, I’m sad to see you go even if just for a semester, but I hope when you come back you’ll sit with me and tell me all about your adventure,”

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

Honestly Tori was a little surprised to hear Professor Cade tell her that he was sad to see her go. Frankly she rather thought he would have been thrilled he wouldn’t have to deal with her. She’d been realising a lot lately that her snap judgments of people and how they perceived her weren’t entirely accurate, but then, he wasn’t about to tell her good riddance, was he? “I think the language barrier will be my biggest challenge, but I’m looking forward to it.” She didn’t know what she was going to do there really, but she couldn’t wait to find out what the next semester had in store for her. “If you want I can come back and tell you, I don’t know how much I will have gotten done in only five months, but, I’m willing!”​

 

[Professor James Cade]

James never thought of the language barrier being a thing in Durmstrang, did that mean Ezra could speak Bulgarian? Or whatever language they spoke up there. He might have to ask one day, though small talk wasn’t his brothers strong suit. “I think you’re up for the challenge, you’re far more capable than you give yourself credit for,” He smiled at her. It was bittersweet, he was proud of Tori for doing something so brave at a young age, it could be a life changing experience for her if done right, but he would miss her. “I hope you do, I look forward to it,” A silence hung in the air between them for a few moments before James decided to break it. “I’m proud of you Tori,”

 

[Victoria de Lacey]

Tori blinked at Professor Cade, her brows knitting together in confusion slightly, she hadn’t really expected that. Not the words, certainly, but the way he’d said it too. It was weird hearing someone who wasn’t her mum say anything like that to her, maybe Rory on occasion. She didn’t get it very often at all. It made her chest feel tight and warm all at once, a feeling she wasn’t used to. Was it supposed to feel like this? “Oh,” she said, quietly at first, but then she coughed and looked away trying to fiddle with a bit of something hanging off her shirt as if it would take attention away from her. “Thanks. That’s… actually kind of nice to hear.” She paused again and chewed on her bottom lip a little. “I’m kind of scared,” she admitted, even though she hadn’t really planned on saying it out loud to anyone. “Not, like, scared-scared. I just… don’t know who I am without all the stuff I’ve been dealing with here, you know?” She frowned and looked down at her hands in her lap. “But maybe that’s the point. Maybe if I go, I’ll get a chance to figure it out. Like who I am when I’m not just reacting to everything all the time.” Maybe Professor Cade wouldn’t know what she was talking about since it wasn’t exactly a discussion she had with a lot of people, but even if he didn’t, maybe he’d get it. She twisted her fingers into her sleeve a little and then let it go. “Anyway. I’ll write or something, if you want. Maybe send you something weird from Durmstrang’s gift shop. Do they even have one? They should. ‘I survived a semester at Durmstrang and all I got was this cursed t-shirt.’”​