Valkyrie Missile

[Jon Phillips]

Jonathon didn't want to admit it, but he rather enjoyed coffee. There was something oddly therapeutic about holding a steaming hot cup of it between his cold hands in the morning, sipping from it slowly as he stared out of the window into the forest around his house and woke up to face the responsibilities of the day. It was no surprise to Jon that coffee had grown on him through the years when being a responsible adult, and a professor at that kept him waking up early in the morning. Even before Sam moved in Jon had already purchased a muggle coffee machine and knew how to operate it as well as he knew the back of his hand which described his love for coffee more than words ever could. He was an introvert with more or less a one track mind, an old dog that could not learn new tricks that didn't involve things he needed to teach in a lesson and that fact spoke for itself. He was antisocial at the best of times and having coffee in the comfort of his home was a luxury he had grown far too accustomed to. He could brew whatever kind of coffee he wanted, when he wanted so it was a rare, and even an unusual sight to see Jon leave the house to buy a cup of coffee in a cafe of all places. But he had a mission that day, to catch up with an old friend from school and introduce them to the puppy he was gifted from Samuel. Firstly, so he had hope of training the puppy with help from his friend's strict personality and secondly so he could see the priceless look on her face at the sight of his new furry friend.

Margaux Martin was of course, a neat freak. It reminded Jonathon of Samuel and was probably the reason he and Margaux moved from being acquaintances to friends outside of the confines of school and the reason he was not nervous by any means and was instead excited to catch up with her. A small smile appeared on Jon's face as he sat down at one of his favourite cafe's outside tables and tugged the leash with his puppy on the other end closer to him so he didn't disturb anybody walking past. Bongo was a Newfoundland puppy, relaxed and not near as excitable as most other breeds of dog in their puppy stage and Jon was endlessly thankful for that as the puppy obediently sat next to him and Jon gave him a scratch behind the ears while they both waited for Margaux to arrive.

 

[Margaux Martin]

Margaux's new responsibility was important, to be sure, but she was glad for the days when she was able to use the nanny and tutor to have time for herself. As much as she cared for her sister, there was really nothing quite like going to get a really exceptional cup of coffee with a friend. She knew that her friendship with Jonathan made absolutely no sense both on paper and in reality. She was a much better match with his older brother truthfully but somehow they had ended up being closer friends within the last few years despite the differences in their activities. As the socialite arrived at the cafe, she saw her friend and it took her a brief second to see that he was petting a dog beside him. Approaching Jonathan with a new found hesitance, Margaux watched him and hoped to death that some stranger has asked him to watch their dog while they got coffee for themselves but couldn't see anyone coming. As she finally approached him, the first thing she said rather than a greeting was, "Please tell me this beast isn't yours." She looked down at the black thing that was panting and shedding and was so thankful that she wasn't Samuel, now more than ever. If someone had come into her home with a dog, she would practically die because of all the dirt they bring and exude. While she wasn't a germaphobe, Margaux liked things neat and orderly and without slobber.

 

[Jon Phillips]

In waiting for Margaux to arrive, Jon quickly detoured inside the cafe to order himself a cappuccino and returned to his seat with the takeaway cup in his hands. While he was not taking the cup away from the cafe he was concerned about his new furry friend's reaction to being in a new environment with unpredictable crowds of people so it seemed logical in comparison to a regular coffee cup that could easily be spilled or broken on the concrete with a sudden jolt of the table. It was sipping from the searing hot cappuccino that Jon finally caught a glance of his long time friend. He smiled and waved at her from his spot outside so she could see him though the smile faded as she called his furry BFF a beast. He gasped and moved his hands to cover Bongo's floppy ears and stated "Don't let him hear that!" In a mock distraught tone. Dogs clearly could not understand English and merely the tone in which they were spoken to and quite frankly the tone wasn't the nicest so he was attempting to make light of the situation. He was pretending to be offended on his puppy's behalf so he picked Bongo from the ground and held him firmly in his lap, putting his face next to Bongo's as he said "How could you call this sweet little face a beast?" in his accentuated pet voice while pouting. He knew Margaux as a person and didn't expect her to take kindly to having a puppy in her presence but he did need her help to train said puppy and that in addition to catching up on each other's lives was the point to this meeting.

 

[Margaux Martin]

With suspicions confirmed, Margaux cringed looking at the black animal the strange man had now put in his lap as if it were a child. How he could do that was disgusting, especially as this was a place where people ate and drank. A dog barely belonged at the foot of a table so to have it sitting there with it's tongue out made the woman feel ill. "You should be so lucky that I do not call you one," she said, clearly offended that her closest friend had made such a terrible life choice and was flaunting it before her. How Samuel would handle this was beyond her because it was simply wrong. If he struggled to keep their home clean before she worried for him now. The fur that must come off of the puppy would be astounding and it was for this reason that she was glad that Noelle had never had such a thought in her mind. No, her sister would most certainly never have a dog so long as she was living under Margaux's roof. "At the very least, put it back on the ground. I can't respect you while it looks at me," she said. There was no way she could convince a person like Jonathan that owning a beast like a dog was akin to owning a Thestral. Completely and totally vile as well as equally as pointless. Margaux only had an owl for communication and still detested having to clean up droppings but was lucky enough that the bird was smart enough to leave her be for the most part. Dogs were hardly smart animals.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Jon pouted once more in protest to Margaux insulting his dog before he gave in to her whims. Changing his stubborn friend's mind would be as excruciating as watching paint dry and furthermore frustrating so there was nothing more he could do besides accept that she wouldn't be pleased with his furry friend this early on. Margaux loving Bongo as much as he did would require dedication so he sighed as he returned Bongo to the ground and bid the puppy adieu with another short scratch behind his ears. He then looked up to Margaux and wrapped his hand around his coffee, nodding to the chair across from him because in between hearing insults directed to his dog, Jon did realize that Margaux was yet to sit down. It was clearly because of the dog now sniffing the ground at his feet but now that Bongo wasn't near the table top he figured his friend could not find another excuse to avoid sitting with him and catching up on their lives. The professor gladly took the lead and asked his friend "So, how's life?" in the most casual way he could though it admittedly sounded a little awkward.

 

[Margaux Martin]

Margaux smiled graciously as Jon put his dog down on the floor although a more impolite person would have rolled their eyes at how dramatized this exchange between owner and dog truly was. Perhaps if there was a long journey Jon was going on to some remote destination for years she could warrant it but the puppy was just going by his feet. It really need not be so tear felt. To the woman, nothing should be like that. Even her goodbye to her little sister wouldn’t be that sensitive. Feeling comfortable now the witch relaxed into her seat and smiled. “Busy as ever. Noelle will be starting at Hogwarts soon so I have to prepare her as best as I can,” she answered. While Jon had met her little sister a small handful of times this was an entirely different circumstance for Margaux because she had a hard time seeing her youthful friend as a Professor as someone who demanded a lot of respect. Love him as she did, Margaux knew that if he had been her professor it would not have worked very well for either of them. She only hoped he held a certain level of distance between himself and his students because a familiar professor was a pathetic professor. “How about yourself?” she asked, genuinely curious about her friend’s life.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Jon's eyebrows raised in surprise when Margaux said her sister Noelle was due to attend Hogwarts soon. He had met the musical girl a handful of times, but did not realize how soon she was due to start learning at the school he worked at. A proper sense of time was clearly lost on the professor because it seemed like only a day ago that Margaux said her sister was due to begin school in a year. He chuckled to himself at his own stupidity and sipped at his coffee, savoring the taste and shooting a quick glance to Bongo who was still sniffing at the ground. "I totally thought she was starting in another year." He admitted with blatant honesty, sipping from his coffee again before asking "Are the preparations or whatever, going well?" out of curiosity. Jon knew first hand how difficult it was to move countries at a young age so he had a sense of sympathy for the girl. "My life is pretty much the same. The only thing that's new is my little doggie friend here." He answered her question, swirling the coffee cup slightly in his hand and wishing he could direct the conversation back to Margaux because there was truly nothing important in his life that he could talk about. He still had the same old, daily routine and though he loved the stability of teaching Muggle Studies full time it never made for interesting conversation.

 

[Margaux Martin]

Margaux smiled at her friend who often seemed to lose track of time. Yes it had somehow been eleven years since her sister was born and since Margaux herself had begun at Beauxbatons. Much had changed since then thankfully. “Actually, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind just keeping an eye out for her,” she requested. This was not because of her lack of trust - instead because she knew her sister was a little more nervous than some of her classmates might be and wanted to do all she could even in their distance. It would hardly hurt to have a friendly face to talk to anyway and Jon was friendly. Far friendlier than Margaux was so despite all the thoughts she had over his insanity for his dog he was someone she trusted. When the subject had changed the young woman had paused only to order herself a cappuccino when a waitress had come outside where the two friends were sat and then said, “Can I please introduce you to some of my acquaintances, Jonathon?” she asked, despite having asked him this a fair few times before. “I don’t expect you’ll get along with them but your life will be a bit more interesting. Perhaps you’ll meet someone respectable.” Margaux didn’t want to say that if Jon met someone she would approve of that there was a possibility that he could become closer to the person one would expect her to be friends with.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Jon sipped from his coffee again and nodded when Margaux asked him to keep an eye out for her sister. "You bet I will." He said confidently to confirm he would look after Noelle. He still felt sympathy for girl and it seemed implied that he would keep an eye out for her regardless if Margaux asked. Being in a new country was scary no matter if your family lived nearby or if there were kind professors to guide you, and Jon was glad to be of assistance. When he was young, anxious and suddenly thrown into a foreign country he needed someone to assist him. He was glad to be able to help someone in ways he was never helped and it further made him eager to begin the new school year. It was currently looming but not yet at the starting line and in a way the Professor just wanted classes to begin already so he could return to his routine. He shook his head as Margaux said she should introduce him to her friends. If they were as particular as Margaux and Samuel were about everything to the tiniest detail he didn't want to meet them. Jon loved Margaux and Samuel dearly but he did not need another pretentious, neat freak in his life. Two was more than enough for him to handle. "I think the friends I do have are respectable enough." Jon said in response.

 

[Margaux Martin]

Margaux smiled appreciatively, even going so far as to reach for Jon’s hand and give it a small squeeze before putting her hand back in her lap. “Thank you.” She knew officially it was his job but she was never so grateful to have him be her friend than now because her little sister was the most important person or thing in her life and it would be difficult for the child to separate herself more than it had been for Margaux. She had always been more independent and had an easier time making friends and always had more confidence than she knew what to do with which tended to make certain things easier. The only thing that had ever held her back was that she didn’t look like the typical Beauxbatons student but even that was minimal due to their mother’s reputation as a strong business woman within the wizarding world. Somehow though she’d ended up with a best friend who was her polar opposite. “I meant a respectable young woman,” she said, her intonation making it clear that she wished for him to meet a romantic partner who might cause Jon’s class to rise to her expectations. If anyone could teach an old dog some new tricks it might be a person he was seeing and if Margaux was able to hand pick the teacher it would be even better.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Jon nearly choked on his coffee when Margaux said that introducing him to a young woman was her intention. Being set up certainly was not his first thought, and quite frankly the last thing he expected. He knew more than anyone how non existent his love life was, but it had always been that way and not once did he ever think Margaux of all people would offer to set him up. After fighting to swallow the coffee in his mouth, Jon began to laugh both at his reaction and what his friend was implying. "I still think I'm happy with the way my life is now." He said with a husky voice because his throat was still irritated from choking on his coffee. Jon was a full time professor, now a humble dog owner on top of that. The life he was leading seemed to be perfect the way it was and changing anything would only risk ruining what he had. It was a safe bet to continue his walk in life the way it was going and let the pieces fall into place on their own. He coughed before saying "You don't need to worry about me." as he wanted to believe Margaux was offering to set him up from the kindness of her own heart. Though he knew her all too well to be able to assume there was more to it and was some sort of catch to setting him up that would also benefit her.

 

[Margaux Martin]

Margaux never scowled. Respectable witches don’t scowl and she was just that. However if she ever were to scowl her expression as Jon started to choke would be as near to that as one could get. She took a sip of her cappuccino which had arrived as he was having his fit. “You cannot continue to have roommates or live with Samuel,” she said pointedly. While he could very well point out that she was also living with her half-sibling it was not at all similar as Noelle was hardly fit to live on her own and Margaux had decided for a change of pace from Paris to this quiet little country. She would also help with her sister’s education whilst here but this living arrangement wouldn’t be indefinite as her closest friend’s seemed to be. Perhaps if he met a woman who he could adore, that she approved of, Jon might return the dog and get a lovely house of his own. A place where they could meet for tea and where he might choose to grow up just a tad more than he already had because it was really high time that he had. “This isn’t a proposal, Jon. I’m not requesting a dowry for this,” she said with a small smile that showed she was making a joke on her otherwise expressionless face. “Let me introduce you to someone at least?” Margaux offered hoping to play match maker for her friend although it was mostly for her benefit of improved association like she were in a production of the droll muggle play Pygmalion.

 

[Jon Phillips]

It became all too clear that Margaux was not going to give up so easily and it caused Jon to slouch in his chair and hold a hand to his forehead. He was awkward enough with social interaction but especially so when there were romantic pretenses involved. It was all too much stress for him and he would rather continue being antisocial with the exception of his coffee meet ups with Margaux because it fit well inside the boundaries of his comfort zone. Being set up was the opposite of that and even considering it caused Jon to cringe and an pink flush to appear on his cheeks from something embarrassing he would surely do on a 'date' or even being introduced to someone to possibly go on a date with. He sighed before moving his hand from his face, returning it to hold his cup of coffee as he stared at Bongo longingly. "You're lucky you'll never have to go on a date, bud." He muttered to the black, fuzzy puppy at is feet. He frowned to himself in momentary thought before giving in and saying "Fine. I'll let you introduce me. Just make sure they're not too much like Sam, alright?" with his tone of voice clearly annoyed. Like many of his first impressions on people, Jon had a feeling that one initiated by Margaux would be just as excruciating as the rest, with his awkward mannerisms and inability to hold a conversation ruining his chances of getting something close to a date. But he hoped that at least trying to meet someone would be enough to appease his socialite friend.

 

[Margaux Martin]

Margaux nearly squealed with excitement as Jon told her that she could set him up with one of her friends. It would be perfect, she just had to find the right one as she had so many that could improve his social standing and thereby her own because as it was he lowered her own just with his delightful quirks. She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek from excitement but hardly lingered on because she could tell what he had done the night before. She would be sure to pick him up some cologne before introducing the pair because first impressions mattered in dating, business and with all in-between. "Thank you, you won't regret it," she assured her friend with a smile, perhaps one that he might consider to be a little menacing but with all the best intentions. She would have to find someone respectable but fun enough that it wouldn't be over before it even started because then she had used this opportunity for absolutely nothing.

 

[Jon Phillips]

Margaux was clearly pleased with Jon's agreement to be introduced to someone she knew, but that did not affect Jon's mood in the slightest. Instead it caused him to feel more apprehensive and worried of the situation that might unfold when he eventually went through with what Margaux was planning. He slouched further into his chair as Margaux pecked him on the cheek and then returned his hand to his forehead, unable to deal with the stress of it all. The stress of what might happen when he was introduced to someone and the stress of being introduced to someone to begin with. Surely, it would be a disaster and that fact caused Jon to sigh as he moved to run his hand through his hair. Only after a few moments of silence did Jon finally speak. "I have a feeling I will regret it." He said. "because I'll probably let you down." This would not be the first time Jon allowed himself to be forced into socializing but luckily it was by someone who thought of him as an equal enough not to humiliate him intentionally out of spite or use his lack of social skills as a means to take advantage of him. He had fortunately overcome that hurdle in his life but it did not make times where he was still disdainfully agreeing to be social any easier to handle. Regardless of it all, Jon was glad Margaux's pestering was put to rest so they could finally talk about training his dog as that subject seemed to have been lost in the midst of everything else.