With the capture of Verandi Farley and several high-ranking Trossach members, the British wizarding world has finally caught a break. The rate of rogue werewolf attacks have started dropping at a steady rate and, hopefully, things will stay that way. The Ministry is starting to loosen some restrictions, like not arresting werewolves standing on the street for loitering, however there’s still an obvious power imbalance between wizardfolk and werewolves.
The Cotswolds pack are continuing to advocate for the rights of werewolves and petitioning to change the legislation that has been set in motion by the current Minister for Magic, whilst the remaining Trossachs members are trying to stay out of the spotlight and keep a low profile… for now.
Whilst the British wizarding world seems to have calmed down, the same cannot be said for over in Northern Europe where a rebellion of magical creatures has risen. The state of things has gotten so bad that the European Ministry has enacted protocols to protect those under eighteen whilst their adult witches and wizards fight to keep control of their countries.
Students from Durmstrang have been sent to Hogwarts to keep them safe and those not old enough to attend school have been sent to live with relatives or designated British Ministry officials outside of Europe for the time being.
Will the low rates of werewolf attacks in Britain continue? How long will Durmstrang students stay at Hogwarts? Will the creatures usurp the wizardfolk in Northern Europe? Only time will tell.
SEPTEMBER 2019 It's been a very long, eventful summer in the wizarding world. A baby was stolen, several high ranking Trossach members were imprisoned, and werewolf attacks have drastically dropped as a result. What will happen now school has returned?
MAY 2019 An attempt to capture the beta of the Trossachs has been launched. Were the Aurors successful in their mission? Go read more here!
After a long day out of the Hogwarts Castle, having a personal day off to attend meetings with the adoption agency in regards to young Alexander, Zoe had had her fill of paperwork and legal speak. Her return to the castle was, for once, a big weight off of the teacher's shoulders. She would find the young Ravenclaw tomorrow morning for breakfast so that she could update him on the progress - so far so good - but tonight Zoe needed to relieve some serious... tension.
Freshly showered, Zoe smiled as one of the kitchen elves came up with a brew of coffee. "Thank you so much, Noory, you are a legend. Did you bring the cream? Oh - you guys are just perfect, honestly," Zoe grinned and the house elf's wrinkly face lit up with the praise. He toddled off back to the kitchens and Zoe tucked her wet hair behind her ears, fixed her robe and grabbed the tray to take to Jack's suite.
"Knock knock," Zoe called through the door. "I come bearing the gift... of coffee," she hoped that the Deputy had time for a chat and more if she was lucky. ”I might make you work for it but I promise you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.”
It had been yet another long, tiresome day with a lot of students knocking on Jack's office door again with a word or two to say about Ms. Grimblehawk. But no student had left with a smile on their face as Jack told them after listening to their complaints that 'there's nothing I can do.' It was the truth, Jack was completely powerless over her presence, as was McGonagall, and as much as the students disliked having Ms. Grimblehawk here because they felt she diminished their rights... a lot of parents were happy, they felt she was there to keep them safe like the Ministry had said she would. They felt comforted knowing that on top of the ban to Hogsmeade, there was a trained Auror in the building with their children's safety being at the forefront of her mind... allegedly.
Massaging his temples yet again, trying to save off the headache that he knew was coming his way by the time it was supper, Jack looked up at a 'knock knock' at his door. But it wasn't an actual know, it was a voice he had become very familiar with saying those words instead. He'd already gotten out of his seat, heading towards the door to open it when she said the magic word: coffee. "Have I ever complained about the things you make me work for in the past, Ms. Savage?" he asked as the door swung open. He reached out, taking the tray out of her hands and placing it on the desk behind him. "I just hope you're talking about work in... the non-work sense. I've had to do quite a bit of paperwork recently which reminds me that I definitely need to go for that eye check."
Taking a step backwards, Jack let Zoe into his office before leaning on the edge of his desk. "How have you been?"
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
Never had one woman hated a tray of coffee so damned thoroughly before in their LIFE. As Jack swung the door open with that devastatingly handsome mug with that permanent crease from stress and worry on his brow that almost disappeared whenever he saw her.... Jesus, Zoe, you're going on a tangent. Get back on track. As Jack swung the door open, Zoe internally cursed the existence of the coffee tray because it prevented her from jumping straight onto that gorgeous man and devouring him with ... off track again, Zoe. Focus.
"Y'know, I don't think you ever have. Except that one time when..." she trailed off and chewed her bottom lip, her eyes dancing with mischeif as she watched the coffee get put to the side. All of his attention back on Zoe, she continued, "I tried to convince you that I could teach even you how to down-ward-dog... welll... until I showed you, that is." the woman took a step or two into the room and the door closed magically behind her. And locked. Damn, Zoe was getting better at this wandless, wordless stuff just being around such skilled witches and wizards as that Dumbledoresque-prodigy, Miss Tyrell.
"Oh well shit - there goes my evening plans," Zoe laughed as Jack told her exactly what he didn't want to do this evening. "I... well, I didn't even come with a back-up plan, I thought you'd totally be up for doing more paper work with me," she leant against the door, as if defeated for a moment and ran a finger through her wet locks.
"I've had a long day of... paper work and questions. Have you ever tried to explain to muggles that you are gainfully employed by a private school ... without any of them being able to... look it up? Honestly, the day we invented smart phones and Google, hiding magic became that much more of a headache," Zoe rubbed the back of her neck for a moment as she pushed herself off of the door to stand in front of Jack. "I have a confession to make, Jack. I'm going to become... a mother."
Post by JACK O'CONNOR on Oct 13, 2019 11:05:57 GMT
Finally, with everything he had to say out of the way, Jack breathed Zoe's appearance in. Her hair was damp, rung out from... a shower, perhaps? It wasn't raining outside, and Merlin didn't the thought of Zoe in a wet and soaking in a shower pique his interest. If he wasn't so distracted by the way she chewed her bottom lip a moment later, he would have asked her why didn't wait for him to join her. Saving water and all that. "Ah. Well, you can't blame my complaining about that. I thought I was going to do my back in, Zoe, and then where would we be?" Jack said, eyes dancing with amusement. "Was I complaining after I saw you assume the position? I don't believe I was." He definitely hadn't been complaining about all the other positions she'd shown him the remainder of the night.
Leaning back to grab the coffee she'd so kindly brought him, Jack poured a mug for himself, and then one for her even though tea was more of her preference, something he'd learned over the course of knowing her. "Making excuses to see me then, Zoe?" he said, voice teasing as she mentioned not having a back-up plan.
As Zoe launched into an explanation about her day, Jack lifted his mug to his lips, sipping at it slowly as he listened. Paperwork, questions, muggles and... "What on earth is a Google? Is that some sort of muggle contraption?" He'd grown up with a muggleborn mother, working on a farm with sheeps and cows and an assortment of animals, but he hadn't had much of a connection to the muggle world itself. "Phones are those things you speak into, right? A quicker way of talking to one another than owls and patronuses?"
Zoe moved forward suddenly, a serious expression written across her face, and Jack had only just taken a sip from his mug when she said the words, I'm going to become... a mother. Choking, Jack coughed until the coffee moved from his throat and into his stomach to stare at her. A... mother? She'd make a damn good one and he had never envisioned himself being a father quite this soon, but still, he stepped forward with an earnest look taking over his face. Reaching out, he lightly grasped his hands in her. "You're going to be the best mother, Zoe, and... Merlin, in all honesty, I never expected that I'd become a father before I turned forty but... if you want to raise this baby with me, I'll do my very best to be a good da to this - to our baby."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
"That's true, I am quite a fan of what you can do with that back of yours," Zoe conceded, a small smile playing on her lips as she stopped chewing the bottom one. "I don't remember a lot of talking directly following the yoga discussion. I think it was a lot more... along the physical show of appreciation," her smile was growing wider, because Zoe really enjoyed that evening. Especially that look on Jack's face. Made warmth tickle down the length of her spine and it took everything she had not to drop her robe so he could look even more. "Unless I misinterpreted those groans?"
Zoe moved forward to graciously accept the offered mug of coffee, which let her robe slip off one bare shoulder with the movement. "I will have you know, Mr O'Connor, that I don't spend all of my thinking about you," she replied, her face that of an innocent babe with her smile bringing the dimples in her cheeks out. "Or... I meant... thinking about excuses to see you," she corrected herself and sipped at the coffee to give her lips something to do other than betray things. Ugh. Coffee. It was a mouthful of horrible. Zoe's face scrunched as she forced her sip down.
"A Google," Zoe tried not to laugh as she put the mug of coffee down onto the desk as she resisted the urge to Muggle Studies Professor her sexy superior. "Is an internet search engine that muggles use to find out information. And porn. A whole lotta porn. Honestly, if you're not careful how you phrase something you'll definitely find something pornographic relating to the subject." She paused and ran a hand through her wet hair when he got stuck on what a phone was. "Yes... yes phones are how muggles communicate across long distances instantly. The... right remind me sometime to take you out into the muggle world so we can enjoy the internet together some time."
When poor Jack almost choked on the coffee, Zoe was in a state of horrified and amused shock. It was a reaction to the news that she expected from most people, really, as no one really saw Zoe in a very responsible role despite being a teacher with the duty of care of forty students every hour... so she hitched her robe up to cover her shoulder as she waited because all of a sudden she felt naked. "Are... a..." she was about to ask if he was ok when he swept forward and began his speech. He thought she'd make a great mother? Zoe's ovaries quivered, she was sure of it, as her blood flushed her cheeks. Zoe reached out to to take Jack's hands in her own (for support, as her ovaries were making her knees weak the more he spoke).
"Jack... Jack, stop," she muttered, a lone tear trailing down her cheek because she felt awful and amazing at the same time. "You are such an amazing man, honestly. You almost make me wish.... but I'm not pregnant. We're not pregnant. I'm... I'm sorry," she breathed heavily and held him tightly. "I'm adopting an orphan... a muggleborn student here. The paperwork... the reason why I was away today... it's because of the adoption," Zoe's eyes desperately searched Jack's hopeful that he didn't hate her now.
"I'm glad you're my back's number one fan, although I can't say the same in return. There's quite a few of your body parts that rank above your back," Jack said, a smile quirking the corners of his lips. He'd go into detail but perhaps the conversation about everything he adored about Zoe's body was better reserved for a place other than the staff room where anybody could just walk in. Zoe had him letting out a chuckle as she brought up the conversation after her yoga demonstration being non happening because she was absolutely correct. "What's that saying... let my fingers do the talking? I think it holds true in this case."
Zoe was magnetic, it appeared, because one slip of her robe had Jack's eyes pulled to her bare shoulder immediately and Merlin, didn't that make his imagination grow wild? All he could do was think about all the things he wanted to do with her unclothed. But then Zoe was announcing she didn't spend all his time thinking about him and he was laughing, shaking his head. "I wasn't under that assumption," he said before nodding at the mug in her hands. "Don't drink the bloody coffee if you hate it. I do keep tea in here, you know? I'm happy to make you a cup." With a simple glance at the kettle he kept in the corner, it started to boil water - a perk of wandless and wordless magic.
A Google was for porn was the main conclusion Jack drew from this conversation and he took a sip of his coffee once more, trying to hide his cheeky smile but to no avail. Setting his coffee down on the platter, he said, "Muggles are inventive, I'll give them that. I suppose most witches and wizards are stuck flipping through books and dirty magazines until they find a picture that suits their fancy." Enjoy the internet together had Jack moving closer to Zoe, his arms circling her waist and pulling her towards him. "Here I was, thinking that we could just exchange old stories and our wealth of knowledge about bedroom activities instead of relying on some technology to do it for us... shame, I have quite a few good tales up my sleeve. Guess they'll just have to remain private." Jack's stormy blue eyes were twinkling with mischief as he let her go, taking a step back once more so he could reach his coffee.
Much to his dismay, Zoe was crying with a tear dripping down her face and immediately, Jack dropped one of her hands in favour of brushing away her tear with his thumb. He hadn't meant to make her upset, not in the slightest. "I've stopped," he said, growing quiet as he listened to her launch into an explanation. They weren't... he wasn't going to be a father? Something akin to disappointment pinged in Jack's heart, but Zoe just looked so... sorry she'd misspoken that he wasn't about to admit that out loud. He knew logically anyway that they were in no place to have a child - they weren't even together officially, after all. "You don't have to be sorry, Zoe. It's amazing thing, what you're doing. Not many are selfless enough to devote their life to raise someone who's been orphaned." Trying to lighten the mood away from this... deep, meaningful atmosphere they'd stumbled across, Jack joked, "I've never officially adopted a teenager but I've caught a few across the years calling me Daddy Jack."
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3
"Mmm, is your hearing failing you already Jack? I like what you can do with that back of yours. I’ll admit I’m torn between several places, if I had to rank my favourite on you,” Zoe replied, pausing a moment to let her hungry gaze rake over the man’s body appreciatively. With a very straight face, Zoe shared her conclusion; ”probably your big toe, left foot.” Slowly the cheeky smile crept over her face because she was definitely joking. How could it not be those beautiful eyes of his that shone with the spark of that incredible mind?
Why aren’t your fingers doing the talking right now, Jack? Zoe couldn’t stop the thought that flashed through her mind. Goodness, it’s as if his loving was crack and she needed another fix. His laugh was infectious and she pulled a face at his un-assuming ways, ”though when I do enjoy coming up with new ways to convince you to do yoga with,” she conceded, glancing up from her cup of coffee through heavy lashes as if her eyes alone could convey she was definitely not talking about yoga.
”I’ve ... gotten more of a taste for coffee... since,”I’ve spent a decent amount of time kissing a coffee addict”... it reminds me of you,”oh Jesus Zoe did you really just ...? don’t be such a sap. ”But I’d definitely prefer a cup of tea. I’m almost out of the ones I got for Christmas,” Zoe said with a smile as she put the cup of coffee back down on the desk that Jack was rested against, mindful of her robe slipping again and just how close he was.
Of course she caught his attempt to hide his smile behind his cup as she spoke so highly of Google’s ability to provide adult entertainment. ”They definitely are; especially because their dirty magazines don’t have moving pictures,” Zoe laughed and paused breathlessly as Jack wrapped his arms around her waist. Oh yes hello, Zoe looked up at him and grinned at the prospect of sharing experiences. Quickly though he was gone again and Zoe gave his pectoral muscle a fair tap as he said he’d keep them private. ”You underestimate my ability to be very convincing. But that’s fine. You can keep your stories and I’ll just work on giving you new ones,” she shrugged and the robe dropped off both shoulders, the water from her wet hair dripping down the exposed skin of her chest. Don’t worry, Zoe had caught the robe just before Jack could see just how little clothing was on her body right now.
Then of course, Jack was wiping away her tear because he was just ... he was a good man. Zoe glanced up to the ceiling to stop any more water leaking from her and when she smiled at him, the last of tears that had welled were forced over her plump cheeks. ”I... thank you, Jack,” she said quietly, lifting her hand up to his jaw, her fingers circling in the hair there for a moment. ”He’s such a beautiful soul, my heart broke when I read the notes in his file... I’m an orphan, but I’m lucky that ... happened... just days after I was a legal adult. I can’t imagine growing up in homes, without someone to love or lean on...” Zoe continued to explain her reasons. She wasn’t selfless. ”You know there were children in Romanian orphanages that didn’t learn to speak or walk or connect with people because they were just ... left in their cots? In the Women’s Factory in Tasmania the convicts weren’t allowed to talk more than a whisper and the babies they had ... they were considered dumb and... it’s because people need to be loved, nurtured and safe.”
Zoe frowned at herself because, ”that’s not to say that I think Alex is dumb or incapable of connection... he’s actually incredibly smart and sensitive.” Zoe gave a small laugh at the idea of Daddy Jack, ”I think after McGonnagal you’re the most beloved teacher here Jack. You look after so many people here ... but if you ever catch me calling you Daddy please check for a poly juice impersonator, Mmmk? Password: knock, knock.”
Zoe pushed Jack gently back to sit down on the closest surface so she could straddle him and sit on his lap, her robe parting easily to allow her legs to encompass his. ”I’m expecting the documents in the mail some time soon. If ... if I can borrow you for a day excursion some time... would you consider visiting my apartment? Give me some kind of idea what to get for a teenage boy bedroom?” she asked, her fingertips tracing a lazy line down Jack’s jaw from his ear to his chin, before using it to guide his lips to hers for a kiss.
Post by JACK O'CONNOR on Nov 15, 2019 23:37:26 GMT
When Zoe's lust-filled gaze scanned over her body, Jack spread his arms out with a cheeky twitch of his mouth, as if to say 'you like what you see, huh?' and then she was complimenting his big toe on his left toe and he started laughing immediately, hands dropping back down. "In contrast to my big toe on my right foot, I see," he said with a playful shake of his head "Well, if I had to tell you my favourite places on you..." Jack took a step forward, his fingers pushing back some of that wet hair behind her ears. "I'd be unable to choose. I find every single part of you ravishing, including your elbow. A favourite of mine. Especially when you fall asleep and hit me with it so you can have more blanket." He said the words with the utmost seriousness, but the corners of his eyes crinkled, betraying the fact that he was only teasing her. She did have very pointy elbows though, like once upon a time someone had whittled them down for elbowing pursposes.
The admission that Zoe had started getting a taste of coffee because it reminded her of him was enough to make Jack's heart swell. There were so many things that reminded him of her - the clicking of heels against the ground, the tea that sat beside his kettle, and his very own grandpa slippers. "One day I'll convert you into a full-blown coffee addict," Jack promised, not-so-subtly hinting at the fact that he fully intended on spending more time with her, getting her more accustomed to the taste of coffee as the clock ticked on. As the kettle finished boiling, Jack made quick work of making Zoe a cup of tea before levitating it over. "I'll have to buy you some more tea then. Perhaps I can even take you to the shop I purchased it from over the Easter break? Maybe grab a fresh cup in the process." A date, was what he meant without saying so out loud.
"Exactly. They would have had to use their imagination quite vividly, though I can't imagine a young Zoe would have trouble doing that," Jack said, eyeing her robe as it slipped off her shoulder once more. Honestly, what was she wearing under that? Jack's goal of the night was to find out at some point, peel it down her shoulders and hopefully into a pile on his floor. Merlin, he really did hope the answer was absolutely nothing when he took it off her. The grin Zoe gave him at suggesting he could share his stories was nothing less than gorgeous and cheeky, and he wanted to press his lips against hers desperately in that moment. But then she was suggesting that she could give him new stories instead and an amused glint met his eyes. "Not interested in hearing about me and past lovers? I see how it is. I'll have to keep the story about Derek and I in the alleyway outside of the Leaky Cauldron all to myself." That was one of his fonder memories of their time together, without a doubt. A memory he had no intention of replacing either. It didn't escape his attention a second later that Zoe's robe was dropping again and Jack couldn't help but tease, "Do I need to buy you a belt for your birthday, Zoe? It's one of those things that can be utilised in a lot of ways, including tying your..." Hands.. Jack paused on purpose, this time his eyes skimming over her body, letting her know that his thoughts weren't purely innocent before he finished his sentence, "... robe."
Jack was well-acquainted with Alexander Greenaway's past, and it was quite tragic as was Zoe's from what he'd gathered. "It's good that you can fuel your empathy into such a selfless act, Zoe," he said genuinely, leaning in to press a soft kiss against the temple of her hair. As she leaped into an explanation of old orphanages and factories, Jack's lips pulled into a frown because history really was horrible a lot of the time, wasn't it? Hearing about such events made his heart hurt especially since they were regarding innocent children. "You're going to provide all of that love, nurturing, safety and more to Alex. I know you will. It's in your nature, Zoe, the way you just... care for others and it's a part of why we're so lucky to have you in Hogwarts. Well - in fact, it's a part of why I'm so lucky to have you in my life as well."
The thought of him being so beloved had an objection on Jack's lips. "There's plenty of students who dislike me. Just look at my first few classes of the year and you'll find plenty willing to even say so out loud," Jack told her with a shake of his head. Her next words had him laughing however. "Trust me, if you ever call me Daddy, I'd be hightailing it out of their so fast you'd think I'd magically acquired a broom. I can't say being called that does it for me... at all." Definitely wasn't a name he'd be interested being called in bed.
Zoe's hands were on his shoulders in a blink of an eye and Jack willingly went with her urge to push him back because... why would he object when he had such a gorgeous woman sitting on him all of a sudden? He was barely paying attention when she suggested that he could help her organise a bedroom, nodding and sounding distracted as he said, "I'll do my best, but it's been twenty plus years since I was a teenage boy." But then the conversation about that died as her lips were brought to his and Jack's fingers curled into the wet hair that dripped down Zoe's back, his mouth eagerly moving against hers.
6'0". IRISH. BIG HEART. LOYAL. BRAVE. WORKAHOLIC. BISEXUAL. SINGLE. distinguishing features: a big scar runs across jack's left cheek credit for award goes to ollie! <3