A Little Extra Help

Professor Mallory Grayveson

Soft- Shy- Searching- Charms 1-4
 
Messages
771
OOC First Name
Jess S
Blood Status
Mixed Blood
Relationship Status
Married
Sexual Orientation
Hetero
Wand
8 inch sturdy Ivy wand with Fairy wing core
Age
2/24/2031 (30)
Mallory had noticed a few of her first years struggling through class. Wanting to help, she had written up a few notes, sending the first one out to Aine. The young one had shown some promise, but Mallory could see that Aine was struggling a bit and Mallory would like to try and help. She had already put on the tea and she had bought some sweets from Honeydukes, setting the treat basket on the edge of the desk. Mallory was going over lesson notes while she waited, thinking of ways she could help her students this year.
 
Panic.

All Aine could think was to panic when she got a note asking her to come to the professor's office. Teachers didn't generally want anything to do with her unless she was late in handing in assignments. Which, as far as she knew, she hadn't reached that point. Yet.

Maybe she noticed that I'm not really magical and she's going to tell me she's going to make me leave.

Aine swallowed, nervously, knocking on the door and peering in, hoping she was on time. "Um, Professor? You wanted to see me?"
 
Mallory looked up when she heard a knock on the door, smiling warmly at the girl. "Ms. Thompson, hello. Please, come in," Mallory motioned to the seat in front of her. "Would you like some tea?" Mallory asked, standing and moving to her tea tray. She fixed herself a cup and began fixing one for Aine as well.
 
Aine felt her blood running cold. Something bad was going to happen, she knew. The whole thing reeked of a 'we need to talk' kind of situation, and Aine didn't at all feel confident about how she'd react.

"Uh. Sure, I guess - I mean, yes please. Just Aine is fine, though. The Ms Thompsons are my sisters, and the other Thompsons here I'm not related to, or anything like that, its just weird coincidence. You know, like the fact that I got accepted here which was probably a mistake." She blathered on, clearly nervous. "That's why I'm here, right?"
 
Mallory moved back to sit at her desk, setting the cup of tea in front of the young girl. Mallory looked surprised at the girls words, sitting up straighter. "What? Oh, goodness, no!" She was quick to reassure Aine. "That's not- oh, dorogoy, you think you don't belong here?" Mallory reached out, offering a hand to the girl. "Aine, sweetheart. I asked you here because I noticed you struggled with your magic in charms. I wanted to offer you extra lessons."

Mallory tried to reassure the young girl, giving her a tender smile. "Sweetheart, students struggle with their magic all the time. My brother struggled with it growing up, and he's a strong wizard now. I have several students- in several years, all of them coming in for extra tutoring."
 
Aine blinked once. Twice. Three times. She felt a little lost for words, opening and closing her mouth as though she was about to say something, and then stopped each time while she tried to process.

"You...you want to help me?" She said, perhaps a little too bluntly and possibly rudely. She was simply, genuinely stunned. Surprised (pleasantly, though she was having trouble reconciling that) but stunned. Especially learning that there were other students struggling - she'd kind of built the assumption that wizards would just naturally take to magic like a duck to water, and her not being able to do so meant she wasn't a wizard, simple as that.

"Isn't that too time-consuming?"
 
Mallory gave the girl time to process, quickly offering out both hands. "No, my sweet, no. That's why I took this job. I want to watch you grow, strive, succeed in life. I will always have time for you. My extra lessons aren't only in Charms. I'll help you with any subject you want." She reassured the young girl, smiling warmly. "I truly want to help you, darling. Anytime. We can start this semester, next semester, whenever you want. And we can continue on with your lessons as long as you would like."
 
Aine was flabbergasted. She simply stared for a moment, blinking a few times in confusion. It was like she was having a computational error, so stunned was she by the very idea that someone would actually want to help her. As far as she was concerned teachers usually seemed to take the job because they thought they got more holidays. Or they only wanted to work with nice, good natured children, the ones who were well-off and likeable, not difficult girls like Aine.

"I just..." she started, faltering a little. "I just don't know why I don't get it. I understand what I'm supposed to do, but it doesn't really work when I try. And then sometimes I have to concentrate really hard? I'm not very good at that. My brain kinda starts running all over the place." She didn't really know how to explain it any better than that.
 
Mallory waited patiently, letting the young girl process everything, smiling warmly the entire time. She listened to what Aine said, considering it very carefully. "It's alright, darling. Not everyone just masters magic. We'll just have to find the best way for you to learn. We'll work together." Mallory smiled gently. "First of all, can you tell me about your wand?" She asked, pulling out a small notebook. "And tell me, Aine dear, what is it that you're struggling with? You say that you understand the spell, but that concentrating is hard. Is that correct?" Mallory asked.
 
The professor was so nice Aine almost wanted to cry, but she could hold it all in. After all, a part of her was suspicious and guarded, waiting for the penny to drop as it usually did.

"My wand? It's..." she started, her memory failing when put on the spot. "It's pine, I...I think? And meteorite dust. I remember that bit cause it took all the money I had," she explained, sheepishly. She had a tendency to run her mouth when she was nervous. Which was frequently.

"Sometimes I forget things when I'm on the spot. And I've never been good at concentrating. I can kind of make things float? But then I can't keep them in the air for more than a few seconds."
 
Mallory nodded as the girl spoke, scribbling down a few notes. Trouble concentrating, well, she could work with that. Annika and Dimitri had been the same way. Scribbling down a few notes about the type of wand, Mallory waved a hand and one of the books from her shelf drifted down to her. She opened it and looked to Aine with a gentle smile. "May I see your wand please?" She asked, turning it over once it was in her hands. She scribbled a few things down, looking to her book for reference, before speaking to Aine about what was going on. "Well, this wand is thirteen inches. A strange length for a wand and a number that symbolizes misfortune,"

Mallory turned the wand a bit in her hands, continuing. "But it was carefully crafted, a beautiful piece. Great care was put into making this. Now, Pine wands are often found in the hands of the 'loner', they do not protest creative and new uses of magic and this is perhaps why they seem to be the wands most successfully used with non-verbal magic." Mallory read that section out of her book, looking up to Aine.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong, dear, but I feel like this actually suits you. We are going to get creative, you and I, and we will find a way to make your magic work for you." Mallory chose not to comment on the 'loner' or 'non-verbal' aspects of the pine wood just yet. "Now the meteorite dust tends to produce wands that do well in divination, and works well for those who can adapt to their surroundings while still remaining true to themselves."

Mallory smiled warmly. "I feel like this will work well for you. As far as I can see, you're working well to stay who you are, trying to find where you fit in without trying to redefine yourself." Mallory offered out her hand to the girl. "Aine, sweet, I am proud of you. Coming here can be a very scary thing, and you are such a strong, wonderful girl. I am ready to do whatever it takes to help you succeed here."

Mallory smiled. "There is one last aspect. It is rigid, which means it is difficult to control. It can be broken sometimes, but it is exceptionally powerful. Do you know what this means?" Mallory gave the girl her warmest smile. "Aine, you have a unique, beautiful wand, one that is powerful, difficult to control, working well for the creative and the stubborn. This amazing wand chose you, it saw a strong, beautiful young girl that could handle its power and rise up to the challenge of wielding it."
 
Aine blinked once, twice, raising her hands to wipe away the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Of course her wand was unlucky and difficult. Why, if that didn't just sum her up perfectly, she didn't know what would.

It was very easy for her to focus on the negatives, as the compliments sounded so foreign to her. Almost unbelievable, really. She was hardly strong and certainly not beautiful by any means, at least in her own estimation.

It didn't help she was at an age where things felt overblown and uncomfortable.

"What...do I do?" She managed to practically whimper, ashamed at how pathetic she likely sounded. "Everyone seems to just get it right away, but I'm not from magic. I dunno if I've missed a lot or something."
 
Mallory's heart ached for the young girl in front of her. Mallory stood, walking over and getting down on her knees next to Aine. She offered out one of her hands. "Aine, sweetness, let me tell you something." She smiled warmly. "There was this boy I knew. Dimitri Korrinov. He was the heir to his fathers vast wealth, an empire of businesses. Dimitri was a prince. He lived in a castle. His father was a powerful wizard, his mother a beautiful witch." Mallory smiled. "He lived in a fairy tale. Servants to wait on him. Two beautiful younger sisters that adored him."

Mallory sighed softly. "But the prince, he was not happy. Despite his heritage, his blood, Dimitri struggled with his magic. All the private tutors and all of his fathers money could not help him to be a strong wizard." Mallory smiled warmly. "Do you know what happened to Dimitri? His little sister stayed up with him every night and helped him. After a while, he found a way to make his magic his own, and he grew strong in his own unique way. He grew into a wonderful man. He is in love with a kind hearted wizard, and they live happily." Mallory smiled warmly. "If my elder brother could find his way, I'm sure you can as well, my dear."
 
Aine stared a little blankly at that, taking in the Professor's story and letting everything rattle around in her head for a moment. Everything was a lot to take in, considering even now she was still struggling with the idea of being a witch. Aine never thought she was meant to be special. She was an accident.

"Jeez," she ended up blurting out, realizing she probably need to say something. "Well no wonder you're so pretty and nice if you're a princess," she cringed as the words left her mouth. That was not the part to focus on, she knew, but brains never seemed to work the way they were meant to. At least, Aine's didn't.

"Ahh...um...I mean. Okay. If I am supposedly a witch then I guess there's gotta be something we can do. I...guess?" She didn't feel especially confident, but she owed it to the Professor to at least try, if she was going to put faith in her.
 
Mallory let out a quiet giggle at Aine's words. "Not anymore, my sweet. We ran away from the castle." She stood and moved back to her seat. "Alright, sweetie, I'm going to study more about your wand." Remembering something she'd done with Rune, Mallory pulled out some pages and scribbled out two copies of questions. "I'm going to let you go for today, but can you fill this out for me before you come to see me again?" She asked. "I'll fill out the same thing and we can talk it over when you get back, alright?" Mallory asked, before sliding the page across her desk to the young girl.

1. What is your favorite color?
2. Where did you grow up?
3. What's your favorite thing to drink?
4. Do you like the winter or the summer?
5. What do you like to do in your spare time?
6. What do you like to do when you're with your friends?
7. What do you miss the most about your home?
8. When you're trying a new spell, what's going through your mind?
9. What was the nicest gift ever given to you?
10. Who would you say is your best friend here at school?
 

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