Closed These Meals Inbetween Studies

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie didn't have a lot of time currently, well, free time. Every moment was dedicated to classes, revision or sleeping. She was in the final stretch of her schooling and nothing was going to get in the way of it. It just meant she didn't have an awful lot of time for Eric, and she felt bad for it. She knew he'd understand, but she couldn't just not make the effort to see him. So she tried, whenever she remember to get a meal to see if he was there. Their conversation at the valentines dance was still in her head. Neither of them had plans it seemed for the next step, nothing concrete and though that was something she'd focus on after, part of her was keen to just talk about it with him. It helped too that she just missed spending time with him. To help maximise the chances of them getting dinner that night, Minnie had sent a note, telling him when she'd be there and was of course ahead of time, sat near the end of the Gryffindor table just waiting for him. She of course had a book out, she wasn't going to wait around twiddling her thumbs. Minnie knew he'd be there soon enough. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric had been busy studying, which was pretty unlike him. He knew that if he wanted to get halfway-decent NEWTs, he had to put in some work now. He was mostly doing it for Minnie's sake, he didn't want to be a burden to her. Though he very much doubted he would get a good job with his grades, even if he studied day and night now. Eric headed to the Gryffindor table for dinner, his head hurting a bit from the reading he had been doing. He hadn't brought his notes to the meal, he wasn't that much like Minnie yet. He smiled when he saw her sit at the Gryffindor table, clearly waiting for him. He sat down next to her, putting a hand on her arm and leaning over to kiss her. "Hey, you." He murmured.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie glanced up from her book as the person she'd been waiting for sat down beside her. She closed it over and put it to one side, out of the way so that she could lean into his kiss. She appreciated the time they could spend together in these brief moments. "Hey," she said, she leaned into him slightly, sitting closer to him than she would with anyone else. She liked being around him, "How are you?" she asked, before deciding to just launch into what she had wanted to talk about, they both had limited time anyway. "I was thinking about what we were talking about at the valentines dance," she started.."About our future...is your mum okay with me staying with you again for a little while?" this was to Minnie, a slightly different ask than the last holiday, given that neither of them would be coming back. "I'm happy to give her some rent money or something?" ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric smiled slightly when Minnie leaned into him, feeling the urge to kiss her again. But Minnie asked him a question and he figured just kissing her in return was a little rude. He decided to pull her a bit closer instead, putting an arm around her. "I'm alright." He said with a shrug. But then Minnie said what clearly had really been on her mind, and Eric tensed a bit. It was too early in the morning to talk about heavy things. But Minnie clearly didn't agree with that. He hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, sure. I'm sure my mum would be delighted. She wouldn't want you to pay rent, though." He told her, feeling sure of that. "You know, I'm... sorry for assuming you had plans. I just thought I was the only one kind of lost." He admitted. "I have no idea what I'm going to do. I mean, you at least have the grades to pick whatever you want." He told her with a small shrug.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie knew this topic wasn't what most wanted to talk about first thing, but eventually they were going to need to. Minnie shrugged a little, she didn't quite know what she would do, she knew she or would have a lot of options as soon as she passed her NEWTs, but it was the what of it all. "It was all planned out...but it isn't any more. I'll maybe pick up some leaflets for the ministry and try to find a department by the end of winter, maybe the international confederation of wizards, I do speak spanish," she said, her tone was uncertain, she knew that was the right path, the correct path but she wasn't certain about it. "We can live off that income until you decide what you want to do," Minnie assured him, there was no room in tone to be lying. She wanted Eric to achieve his dreams, whatever they were. If he knew them or not. "What did you want to be when you grew up when your were little?" Minnie asked, curious as to if younger Eric had had lofty dreams.​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric nodded when Minnie said it had been planned out but now it wasn't. "It's good that you're no longer doing what your parents want." He told her softly. "You can find something you really like, something amazing." He told her, gently taking her hand. "You're the smartest person I know, possibly the smartest person ever. You can do anything you want to." He told her. But her frowned when Minnie said they could live off her income until he decided what he wanted to do. He shook his head. "No, I'll find something." He said, a little defensive. "It might not be something like the international confederation of whatever, but I'll find something." He told her, crossing his arms. "You're the one who should focus on finding the perfect thing you want to do, I'm the one who should be providing." He told her. "It doesn't matter what I wanted to do, Minnie. It's not like it's a possibility anymore. I'll find a job at some bar or club, I don't care. I want to support you."

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie smiled softly, she nodded in agreement, at the very least she wouldn't have to do exactly what her parents had wanted to, and if she ended up not liking it she wouldn't be stuck. The ravenclaw squeezed his hand and nodded, the compliment was sweet but she wasn't sure. "Anything is a possibility when I put my mind to it," she told him but she also just nodded, knowing that she didn't need to push, they'd find their way, find whatever path. "You know we get asked pretty young what we want to do with our lives, but we could change our minds whenever, forge new paths to what we want," She was leaning into him as she said it. Perhaps it was just the fact that she wasn't sure what she wanted to do anymore and didn't want either of them to be tied down. "I could talk to my boss, see if there's any jobs going at the Hogs head, or something?" Minnie offered. ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric nodded at Minnie's words. "Exactly, that's true for you." He told her. "You can do anything." He shrugged at her words, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. He would kind of miss it after graduating. "I don't think I have a path, I'm just going to do whatever I can." He told her. His pride was a little hurt by how she had been talking about providing for him, but he tried not to snap. He knew what she meant, whatever job Minnie got would pay at least double of whatever Eric could find. He frowned a bit though, when she mentioned asking her boss. "I can do it myself." He told her with a slight huff.

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie wanted it to be true for him too, that she could use her brains to ensure that he too was able to do what he wanted and didn't just have to do whatever, but she was listening to him and figuring perhaps creating a path or forcing a plan wasn't the best thing. It hadn't worked for her and perhaps though she was nervous about the future perhaps her lack of a plan or path or certainty made her want to help Eric with his. She just nodded, "Okay," she replied with a nod, she wouldn't force it. "I'm sorry, I've never been good with uncertainty," she said softly. "Do you think there's a book for how to be an adult?"​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric glanced at Minnie, taking her in for a moment. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry, too." He mumbled. "I guess I'm kind of mad at myself for not trying harder, I wish I had more options." He admitted, which was something he wouldn't admit to anyone but Minnie. "I just... don't want to hold you back." He added quietly. "I don't want to be a bad influence on you like everyone already thinks." He said softly, taking her hand. "I'm not sure." He added when she asked about a book. "Maybe you should write it."

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie didn't think options would be out of reach for Eric and she wished in that moment that he might've said what his dream was, since she felt that he could have it. There had to be things in reach to help him, if only he said it, but she couldn't really fault him for not wanting to. if a dream felt out of reach what was the point in looking at it. She shook her head at him. "You are a good influence on me, and I'm the only one who can say that with certainty," she said. She did consider the idea of a book. it was what she had wanted to when she'd been younger, but it probably wasn't a good bet when she needed to be sure they could get money. So she could get money. "Maybe once we're forty, I'll write it," ​

 

[Eric Holland]

Eric was glad Minnie didn't placate him by telling him he'd figure things out and find his dream job. He was more realistic than that, and so was she. He smiled slightly when she said he was a good influence on her. "I don't think anyone believes that." He told her, he didn't really think he believed that. But it was nice to hear. He smiled a bit. "If I look at my mum, I'm not so sure we'll have figured it out at forty." He told her. "I'm pretty sure adults just pretend to know how to be adults."

 

[Professor Minnie Calida]

Minnie smiled fondly at him and gave a little shrug, "I don't need them to," she replied, but she knew it was probably difficult to see, though she'd never be able to prove it, but he was the reason that she felt so comfortable in moving into this next stage of her life. "Well, I guess we'll be pretty set then...if no one else has any of it figured out either," Minnie gave a little laugh. "Maybe we'll be the ones to crack it...," ​