Rushing to send a letter

[Evie Brennan]

It was about to rain, the clouds swirled dangerously above the retreating figure of Evie Brennan. Light sprinkles had already started falling, making wet spots onto her muggle outfit. She crammed the letter into her shirt not wanting it to soak through the cheap parchment and make the ink run. Of course, it was typical it would rain on the day she absolutely needed to go outside, but because of that fact she could not help but smiling and thoroughly enjoying the feel of light rain on her face.

She made it to the Owlery and entered, giggling with absolute glee. She couldn't wait to send the letter and not rush back to the castle. She walked up the long steps and waved hello to all the owls, feeling the familiar warmth she always got when she entered the Owlery. Evie loved animals and she sometimes wished she could afford to have her own Owl, but she would have to save all her wages instead of spending it on other trifles. Evie went over to a Snowy Owl and attached the letter to him. "For my parents, okay?"

As the Owl flew off, she remembered writing the letter. It had been last night in her office when her fear finally abated. It was time to start to correspond with them. Evie had heard nothing since she had left her home in the midst of the night and traveled to Hogwarts. She had not received a muggle paper, nor watched a News Report on Television to see if she was being searched for. It was to painful to see her parents suffer, and so she had blocked them out of her mind. But last night her thoughts remained on them. Evie wondered how they were doing and decided that a letter to let them know she was okay was in order.

She summoned all of her courage, and sat down at her desk and began to write:

Mother and Father,

I am okay. You know who this is. It's your daughter. I miss you, but what I did was the best decision I could have ever made. My purpose in life is to teach, and now I am able too. I love you both, and please do not worry. I am alive and doing well. I want to see you, and I hope that I will be able to one day.

Be safe. Do not fret.

Sincerely,
Evie

It was not the best written letter, but it would have to do. Her parents got the gist of it, and hopefully they would be comforted with the fact that their daughter was happy and alive.

Evie sighed, and watched the retreating owl. A smile formed upon her lips as she thought about the shock her mother and father would endure when they received a letter from their daughter by owl post. It was a comforting thought, and it amused her a great deal.
The deed was done, but Evie stood, and stared out the window, the owl disappearing over the rolling hills.

 

[Harry Thornton]

Harry had to admit that for his first week at Hogwarts New Zealand he was loving it already. The job that he had applied for during the winter months was one that he had never expected to see himself in some years ago when he was just a student himself and even more recently when he had owned the Weasley’s joke shop in Obsidian Harbour. Unfortunately the New Zealand branch didn’t seem to take off as well as the one in Scotland had so Harry had to sell it up. He missed the shop a lot some of the time, he got to spend the day around some of the Weasley’s greatest products and having admired the two men’s career path for many of his young years, owning the shop was a dream of him. Of course all good things had to come to an end and when the job for Care of Magical Creatures Professor came available at the school Harry had, originally, discarded it. Being a Professor was something that never had appealed to him for when he thought of a Professor he got mental images of his Professor’s when he was at Hogwarts himself – more specifically the likes of Professor Binns who would be able to go on and on and on about things that really very few to no one cared about and made him fall asleep on a number of occasions. Although the more Harry had thought about it the more the idea appealed to him for he was always a great lover of animals of all kinds and Care of Magical Creatures had always been the one subject that Harry had liked at school – and that was a hard thing to find for the young Gryffindor at the time. Although the biggest surprise after he had finally got himself talked into applying was of course when he had got selected for an interview and even more so when he actually got the job along with a young Professor who took the younger years of the course.

Needless to say Harry was glad that all of this had happened for he enjoyed his classes so far and the students were a lot better than he expected; then again all he had to go off was the memories of what he was like as a student – there was a reason why he never got anything like Prefect or Head Boy. Having spent most of his time outside, obviously, he decided that he needed to get to know the castle, inside as well as outside apart from the Great Hall. Roaming the corridors a bit he decided to walk to the very top to see what the view was like for he could see the towers from his office everyday but had yet to see what the view was like. Not overly sure where he was going he just kept going up and up and up and up until he heard the familiar noise of owls. Figuring he was near the Owlery he followed the sound and true enough he was soon surrounded by the feathered creatures and he could see the view in front of him spreading over the castle grounds. “The view is breathtaking isn’t it?” he said to the younger woman was standing in the room almost beside him. He recognised her slightly from the staff table at meal times but had yet to learn the names of any other Professors in the school apart from Professor Akaya Saito whom he split the Care of Magical Creatures course with and Professor Zhefarovich – the Headmistress.

 

[Evie Brennan]

Evie failed to hear the footfalls behind her, for her thoughts were focused on her parents and the owl that flew to deliver the letter to them. She had stood at the top of the tower for a few minutes now, enjoying the view, when a deep voice sounded directly beside her. She gave a little jump and turned to face the new Care of Magical Creatures Professor. Harry Thornton. He was the welcome new addition to the school, and with his tanned features and humorous demeanor, everyone had liked him at once. Including the young Muggle Studies Professor.

They had not spoken directly to one another, but she had witnessed his charm being used on other colleagues and studied his delectably handsome face many times at the staff table. She did not know him well enough to justify her interests as a crush, and hoped to wave away the fascination as soon as possible. "You gave me a fright." She spoke quietly, not making eye contact.

"But yes, It is breathtaking. I've been staring for several minutes..." Evie smiled at him, hoping to get rid of the bubbling shyness that so familiarly appeared whenever someone new stepped into her life. "I'm the Muggle Studies Professor, by the way. Evie Brennan."

 

[Harry Thornton]

Harry lifted eyes to look ahead of himself again to take in the views in front of him. He knew right now that he would be happy for however long he kept his job here at Hogwarts New Zealand. It all looked so calm and serene from this point of view and no matter how hard work got he knew that he would be able to come up here and just relax, then again he could go anywhere outside also as he knew that it was where he belonged. He knew that to other people he probably sounded a bit weird but he really didn’t care what people thought about him, he much preferred to be outside compared to being stuck in a classroom 24/7. He only hoped that his classes would agree with him for he was going to have most if not all of his classes outside for he didn’t feel that he needed much use for a classroom in Care of Magical Creatures because if you were learning about creatures it was much better to be outside in their natural habitat and observed them more closely – the best way to learn in his opinion.

When the younger woman expressed the fact that Harry had given her a fright he frowned slightly, “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean too.” he said with a smile to show that he really didn’t mean any harm. “I could stare at it for some time.” he told her, enjoying it a lot. Lowering his gaze once more to the young woman he listened to what she had to say. He was good with names so he knew that he probably wouldn’t forget it after today. “Harry Thornton, Care of Magical Creatures Professor.” he returned the formalities with a grin. “Well one of them anyway.” he added with a laugh, referring to the other Professor who he shared the course with. “Very nice to meet you Evie. So have you been teaching her for long?” he asked in attempt to keep up a conversation.

 

[Evie Brennan]

Evie's attentions had switched from the beautiful scenery of the Forbidden Forests and mountain tops into the beautiful scenery of the man, Harry Thornton standing beside her. "Oh, it's no biggie." It had only given her a minor scare, something easily shaken off when he flashed her that charming smile. "Me too. I've always loved the view of rolling tree tops." She had spent many hours playing outside at her parents mansion, leaving the servants scurrying around attempting to find the young girl. Her childhood had been spent mostly solitary, with the occasional maid joining her in a card game or two. Outside was another place to spend time without humans, a fact which she had never really enjoyed, but at least the random stray cat or dog would roam in through the woods and be a great source of company for a few weeks before they moved on with their travels.

It was one thing she did not miss. Evie did not regret leaving her parents house, for that reason, and many others. They had provided her with material goods, but emotional support was one thing that home had severely lacked. "It's wonderful to meet you, Harry." She hoped he didn't mind that she refer to him by his first name. At the teachers get together a few weeks ago, she had learned from Rais that many did not stick to the formal title of Professor when amongst themselves. "How many are there?" Many subjects had multiple teachers. So many, that she sometimes did not have a chance to get acquanted with them. "I've been teaching for about two years, actually." Two years. It had been such a long, and interesting time at Hogwarts.

 

[Harry Thornton]

Harry was glad that he hadn’t really scared the younger woman. He intended on teaching here for as long as possible as he had grown to love his job already and making an enemy or something similar in his first week wouldn’t be good for him. Harry very much had a kind soul, sometimes it was his downfall but it was who he was, and he would hate to have made someone dislike him in any way possible. He smiled softly as the woman shared his opinions on the views, it was always good to meet someone with similar views on things, at least it was a form of bonding at least. Having grown up in Scotland, Harry was not a stranger to the outside as he lived where the landscapes were breathtaking and he was never too far from rolling green fields or lakes and forests, he had a great childhood back home and while he doesn’t get there as often anymore he found New Zealand beautiful in its own right.

Smiling back at Evie as she expressed how it too was wonderful to meet him, he didn’t know about how good it was to know him but it was good which was better than bad, which Harry could live with. He really did need to meet more of his colleagues or his teaching time he would be a very lonely one indeed. Harry made a mental note for himself to spend some more time inside the school as very few Professors went near the grounds outside of classes, unless it was for patrol duty and he couldn’t very bother them during that time. “Just myself and Akaya Saito.” he said, finding a bit harder to remember but he eventually got there. “She teaches years three and four and I have five, six and seven.” he told, he much preferred the older years he had to admit. While any of the students taking Care of Magical Creatures were older than first years, he still had the oldest ones in the school which meant he had less hassle with them – well generally. “Two years! Wow!” he said in surprise. “You seem so young to have been teaching here for two years already.” he said, hoping she wouldn’t take offense or anything as he didn’t mean it to come across like that, far from it in fact.

 

[Evie Brennan]

"I haven't met Akaya quite yet. Is she new?" Evie had kept mostly to herself the past two years, having been the shy sort most of her life. Most of her childhood was spent at home away from other children, and it had an effect on her that she wished it didn't. "Three years to teach. Wow. I struggle with only two." Evie grinned. It wasn't exactly difficult to teach Sixth and Seventh especially since they were older and more mature than Prodan's bunch. She didn't envy him teaching third years.

Evie grin drooped a little when he commented on her youth. It was a quality she did not like about herself. Being young was a burden upon a person, for they were never taken as seriously as their older counterparts. She didn't think that Harry would demean her skill as a Professor because she was young, but it did mean that he saw her as not much older than a child. "I'm twenty, but I do look much younger." Most students could relate to her better because she was closer in age, but some older Professors did not see her as a typical colleague because of it. "And how old are you? Hmmm?" She teased, attempting to forget the annoyance she felt whenever someone commented on her youth.

 

[Harry Thornton]

Harry nodded his head in response to Evie’s question before adding, “Yes, we both came at the same time I believe.” Harry wondered what had happened the last Care of Magical Creatures Professor. He had certainly left a good job and Harry, had to admit but only to himself, that he was glad that the man had left or else wouldn’t have had this job and he did love it even though he’d only been here for a short time. When Evie commented on his workload he chuckled softly, “It isn’t as hard as you’d think. I have the older bunch so they are easy to control and it allows me to have more fun with their classes.” he said happily, having planned as many trips for them that he was allowed – he wondered if Professors had a limit of trips there were allowed to take in the year? He made a mental note to ask someone that in case he met his limit too soon – if they had one that was. “Besides, I have fifth and seventh years first semester and sixth years next semester so the work balances itself out nicely.” he added with a small smile. Not that he would have minded having more work. “What years do you teach?” he asked out of curiosity.

Harry noticed the change in her demeanour and hoped that he hadn’t said anything to hurt her feelings or offend her because it was not something he had intended to do. When she commented on her age he felt bad about making the comment because it did seem to have offended her somehow. “Well I admire you for going into the career at your age, it shows that you must have a passion for what you want to do. When I was your age I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had a part-time job in some dead-end shop and still lived with my parents.” he said shaking his head with slight embarrassment as he relived his younger years. When Evie questioned him on his age he rolled his eyes. “I’m only twenty nine. Plenty of life in the old dog yet.” he said with a laugh, he knew that he wasn’t that old and was still pretty young, not as young as twenty but good enough. “Do I look younger or older than you expected?” he asked in jest.

 

[Evie Brennan]

"Oh... that's good." Evie knew it had to be great when you had another soul to go through the brand new feeling after being hired. She had not had anyone to stick with during the first few awkward months and she had mostly stayed by herself, exploring the castle, attempting to learn all of its secrets. "That is true. I teach sixth and seventh years." She answered. "They are more likely to take the class seriously, more so than their younger counterparts." Harry had more of a work load than she herself did. "I teach Sixth years in the first semester and Seventh years in the second." It was an easy class and so Evie didn't have to worry much about trouble makers or an over filled work load.

Evie was not offended when he commented on her age, it simply disappointed her a little. Harry apparently noticed her sudden change and commented on it, making her bring a smile back to her previously expressionless face. "Thank you. I have always wanted to teach. Did you work in a muggle store, then?" She wondered if he had any experience with muggle related things, that being a primary part of her life. "Twenty nine isn't old at all. As a matter of fact I thought you to be a little younger than that." It was because Harry was such a cheerful soul, telling many jokes and living life to the fullest. His soul was young.

 

[Harry Thornton]

Out of Character:

Gah, I’m so sorry. Uni sucks >.<

Harry nodded in agreement with Evie. He couldn’t imagine not only being the new guy at the school but also being the new guy with no one else to share the experience with him. Akaya and himself had only talked a few times, comparing notes on lesson plans and just general ‘getting to know you’ sort of things, the two were going to be working together for as long as one of them left so he thought it was a pretty good idea for them to at least be on first name basis. Harry normally wouldn’t find any problems in befriending new people but ever since he moved to New Zealand he found it harder to get to know some of the people and after coming from Scotland where he was a popular man and having loads of friends it was a difficult transition for him. Harry smiled when he realised that he and Evie both had something in common; teaching the upper years. “Couldn’t agree more.” he said nod of his head.

Not that Harry was trying to save himself on his comment about Evie’s age but he felt that it should make any offence taken somewhat lightened, he really didn’t want to make an enemy out of the first person he had talked to outside of his own department. When she smiled once again Harry felt a lot more relaxed, it helped that she had a pretty smile. “No it was a Wizarding shop. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes actually. It’s how I got the job of running the shop over here until it had to get closed down. You’d think children these days would be more interested in joke products.” he said with a small laugh, remembering when he was their age. “Although it was more of a childhood fantasy which I’ve lived out now and I suppose I realised that I can’t be selling joke products for the rest of my life and decided it was time for a proper job and grow up I suppose.” he said with a shrug of his shoulders, the idea still didn’t sound appealing to him but he was happy of his decision so far. When Evie agreed that twenty nine was still young and that she thought he was younger he looked at her with a smirk on his face. “I’ll take that for the compliment that I assume it is because I’m not going to get many more of them.” he added with a chuckle.