Out of the Castle

[Cyndi Kingsley]

It was too nice of a day to be cooped up inside. The professor had just returned from the forest where she had been examining the trees to make sure they were going to be ready for her lesson in the forest with her class. She'd primarily worked with her hands, choosing to use as little magic as possible. But that meant as she set her blanket down on the ground facing the lake, she did have to turn to magic to clean her filthy hands.

Magic made quick work of that, and she continued to unpack her small picnic. Reaching for the sandwich the house elves had pushed into her hands, Cyndi unwrapped it and took a bite. Looking out at the lake, Cyndi admired the view that looked so very much the same as it had decades ago. Even as the world behind them changed, the lake was a near constant.

 

[Sarah Harrington]

Sarah walked along the grounds surprised how much of the castle and grounds reminded her of Hogwarts Scotland. The castle was different and so were the grounds, but it felt familiar to her, though it had been years since she'd last been at her old school. She loved being here and seeing the school she hoped her daughters would be attending in the coming years. She did miss them a lot but she knew her husband was doing a wonderful job getting them to muggle school every day and caring for them. Walking along, she noticed Cyndi, the Head of House for Gryffindor and a fellow Professor sitting on the grounds enjoying a picnic to herself.

Unlike her niece, Sarah never had a problem approaching people and she made her way towards the Professor hoping she'd make a few friends during her stay as a temporary Professor at the school. It would come in handy to have a few friends among the Professors who could keep her updated on her silly girls when they came to the school if she wasn't at the school teaching when they were at the school. "Cyndi! Hello! How are you?" She asked as she got closer to the Professor.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Turning her head, Professor Kingsley brightened as she saw who was calling out to her. The woman hadn't befriended many of her colleagues in the wake of her best friend leaving the castle. She occasionally spoke to Kalif and Monty, but she didn't typically delve into personal matters eith either man. Kahurangi was really the closest to a friend that she had here, which was fine with her. The Gryffindors and keeping an eye on her son kept her busy enough.

Still, Cyndi would be lying if she said she wasn't interested in developing a closer relationship with her colleagues, especially when so many of them were former alums. She didn't believe Sarah fit into that specific category, but she did seem friendlier than most of her colleagues. "Hi, Sarah. Just enjoying the view. It's always been one of my favorites " she explained with a smile. "How are you settling in?" she asked, figuring it must be difficult to take on a temporary position.

 

[Sarah Harrington]

Sarah was grateful so many of the other Professors seemed to welcome her so warmly. Being from New Zealand herself, the South island, Professor Kingsley intrigued her greatly. The woman seemed to have been a Professor for many years at the school while raising her own children. She wondered how Cyndi managed it all. Working at the muggle school had allowed her to be home for her growing girls, whereas here she was required to be away from them now. She missed their bright faces and giggles greatly but Sarah had to admit it was nice to have a break from mothering for awhile.

"Oh yes, Hogwarts New Zealand is just as beautiful as my niece has always painted it to me since she started. I attended Hogwarts Scotland of course, not that many years a part from Monty as well," Sarah said not being the type to be ashamed of her age. She smiled as the woman questioned her about settling in, it was different than she had imagined but the students were wonderful to teach. "I'm enjoying it greatly. I find the lesson plans left by the usual Professor very handy, though I would have to admit some of the students obviously weren't paying attention previously. Mostly 5th years, I would have thought Star Charts would be second nature to them by now," Sarah said with a light sigh but there was a hint of a laugh in her tone, it was nothing to do with the other Professors of course.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

"Oh, who's your niece?" she asked, eager to know. Professor Kingsley had a few relatives, nieces and a nephew of her own in the castle as well as her son. It was nice to be able to see them more than what would likely have happened had they not attended the school. She continued to listen, the smile remaining on her face as Sarah spoke. She gave a small chuckle as the woman finished. "Maybe they need to just warm back up to being back in the castle. I know I do" she said with a small laugh. The woman loved teaching more than she had ever expected to. It wasn't the career she'd planned for herself upon graduation, but life had a funny way of putting you on the path you needed to be on, not the path you tried to force on yourself.

"Care to join me? I asked the house elves for one sandwich, and they gave me enough food to feed an army. I think they expected me to get lost in the forest" she mused, hoping that the woman would take her up on her offer, if only to help her eat all of the food that the house elves had given to her.

 

[Sarah Harrington]

Sarah was happy to talk about her niece, she loved the girl as much as she loved her own children. "November Albertson, my sister had this weird thing about naming all her children after months and all in a row," Sarah said with a wave of her hand. She never understood why Rebekka did such a thing but it gave the kids unique names that was for sure. "Do you have her in, sorry I don't actually remember which subject you're teaching," Sarah said with a slight frown. They had a lot of fellow teachers and it was hard for Sarah to try to remember all of them. She hoped it didn't offend Cyndi, she had after all remember the women's name that was something important to remember. She laughed at Cyndi's statement and nodded in agreement, they were all stuck on break still that was for certain.

"That would be lovely! Thank you," Sarah said sitting down. She thought this was much nicer from when she was at Hogwarts. Back then all the girls would try to up one another and play mean games, being here it felt like she could actually be friends with the other teachers, there wasn't a competition to it all. "I was thinking of you actually. I was wondering how you've managed it all? Your husband is minister and you're teaching here and raising your children?" Sarah asked curious about the women's life, she seemed so loving and caring of a person it must be hard with growing children and a husband busy at the ministry. "I hope I'm not stepping in on things you'd rather not discuss," Sarah added hoping she didn't offend the women.

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

The name sounded vaguely familiar. She was sure that she'd seen it on her attendance sheet for the fourth year course. Listening with a smile, Cyndi thought it was cute that the children were named after months. She'd always been partial to the name April. It had almost been Eleanor's name before she and Cam had finally come to an agreement on their daughter's name. "Ancient Runes" she replied easily. "I think so, but I haven't quite committed my student's names to memory just yet. Shhh" she put a hand over her lip, imploring the woman to keep her secret.

Glad when the woman joined her, Cyndi made some additional room now that she had company. She gestured to the bag in between them, hoping the woman would dig in. She was just about to verbally give her the go ahead when Sarah spoke, surprising her. She was taken aback, having done the thing for so long, it wasn't anything special to Cyndi. It just was. "No, it's fine. I just don't know what to say" she gave an embarrassed laugh. "I had a lot of help early on, my parents, Cam's. But that was before he became Minister. Now, we just try to do the best we can, and we forgive each other a lot." Professor Kingsley could only hope that the effect on their children was minimal. "I try to get home in time to get the kids tucked into bed most nights and then shoot back here once they're down. Do you have children?" she asked, figuring the answer was yes.

Out of Character:

I'm so so sorry for the delay on this.

 

[Sarah Harrington]

Sarah smiled towards the other Professor. She was sure November would be in her class the moment she mentioned Ancient Runes. Sarah had convinced the girl to take those classes. But she didn't want to seem know-it-all or anything like that. She wondered herself how she'd be able to keep up with the 5th and 7th year names this semester. Although, after the semester she wouldn't likely be seeing them again so committing their names to memory did not seem as important of a task. She already knew a few, the ones who slept through the lesson.

Sarah listened to the woman explain how she managed things so well through the years. A lot must have been trust with her husband, they both were in demanding jobs. Currently her own husband was taking up the role of getting their young girls to primary schools and home and after lessons she'd do the same pop home and see them have a little time so they know she still cares for them. It was easier when she was a teacher at a muggle school, the girls didn't go to the same school but they'd all get home right around the same time, she missed those moments. Now her girls were growing too fast and becoming more and more independant. "I do, two little girls. Although I suppose not too little, the first will be starting wizardry school this year, we are still waiting to see which one will invite her, although it'll probably be here that she'll come. Older cousin is here, mommy taught here, just the coolest school to attend," Sarah said wondering if she'd be around in September as well, or if she'd end her term here and go home and take care of her youngest during her last two years before school.
​

 

[Cyndi Kingsley]

Cyndi smiled. She had just one little girl, her youngest, and it was such a different experience to raising her boys. Eleanor was much more girly than Cyndi ever recalled herself being, enjoying tea parties and princess dresses. The woman put that to her spending a great deal of time with her Aunt Kiera. "Oh! My Jakey is starting next year as well. Noah is already here so we are hoping he ends up here as well. It would be easier all around" she admitted as she ate some fruit.

"What's her name? I'll tell my son to look out for her on sorting day" she added, knowing she would have felt more at ease had she known someone so early on. There was no guarantee they'd be in the same house, of course, but maybe they would be and would become friends. Sarah seemed nice enough and Cyndi assumed her children were as well.

 

[Sarah Harrington]

Sarah smiled towards the woman interested in hearing how her song would coming in the next year as well. For Sarah it would be her first child to go and attend school, made her nervous but she'd rather not homeschool, nor would her husband. They both preferred the methods schools had for teaching young witches and wizards. "Really? That'll be nice, her name is Maggy Harrington. Not short for anything we just named her Maggy," Sarah said with a smile adding the extra detail as she knew some Maggy's were Margarets. "I think she'll be happy here, I'm interested in hearing what house she'll get placed into, I was a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts Scotland, long before this school even existed, such a weird thought to think about. Monty was actually just two years above me I believe, such a nice man he's turned into," she said with a laugh remembering the good old days of being in school with friends.
​