A Brief Moment of Relaxation

[Justin Cliffeton]

Professor Justin Cliffeton didn't have a lot to do during Semester 2 in the way of lessons, but as Deputy Headmaster and now Ravenclaw Head of House, there was always a lot that he would have to do around the school and a reason for him to be around. He spent a lot of time in his office, and he would have to spend a lot more in the Ravenclaw Common Room now. There was a lot to do in keeping the school running correctly, and as he was also the acting Headmaster he had to be on call quite a few hours of the day. Every now and then, though, Justin would take a small leave from the school so that he could spend even a small amount of time with his wife and his child. He loved the work, and he loved that he was able to teach the bright minds of the school after he had been Head Boy in his own time, but nothing beat the feeling of spending time with his family.

Sitting in the Professors Common Room, Justin had a smile on his face. He would be getting ready for his first house meeting as the Head of House, soon, and it was an exciting prospect. Ravenclaw was a house that had always suited him, and so he really enjoyed being able to look after and be there for all of his house. In a way, he had just married into the biggest family one could have. He was interrupted from his thoughts when another professor entered the room, and he gave them a smile. "Hey there!" He said, genuinely happy to see another professor around after having spend the last little while on his own sorting out things for the return of the students who had left over the holidays.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Semester two was always more work for Jon despite only having a timetable to teach sixth years. This was because he not only needed to teach the sixth years, but also prepare for their exam and of course OWL and NEWT exams at the end of the semester. In theory the sixth year exam did not hold as much weight as the others, though Jon thought of it as a stepping stone between years and treated it with equal importance to any other exam he held. It therefore required just as much work and preparation on top of everything else he needed to do and caused just as much stress. As if he wasn't already stressed enough outside of his impending workload and in the middle of an identity crisis, at that.

The mere thought of the semester ahead was enough to cause his heart to palpitate nervously and his mind wonder how on earth he would handle it. He had organized and handled everything well in previous years however the fear of messing something up, ruining the students' futures and his own future at that wasn't lost on him and always caused him to worry regardless of how successful he had been in the past. His nerves usually lessened gradually during the semester when he began to plan everything and settle back into a proper teaching routine, though it was still too early on in the semester for this to happen. Jon was instead steering away from drinking caffeine and drinking herbal teas in the meantime so he wouldn't grow more nervous over his workload. He arrived to the professor's common room that day to make himself a cup of herbal tea, and was about to begin the task when the deputy headmaster, now Ravenclaw head of house greeted him. "Oh, hello." He greeted in return, walking over to the refreshment table and choosing a clean mug, then a green tea bag. "How's everything with you?" He asked as he poured hot water in the mug. While he waited for an answer from the other professor, he turned around to lean back against the table, smiling politely while stirring the tea bag with the small string and cardboard tab attached to it.​