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!
Knocking on the door to the Muggle Studies classroom with his elbow as he held a couple of coffees in his hands, Jack could only hope that he would be able to catch Ms. Savage in time to have a little chat with her as he aimed to do with the rest of the new Professors.
In his mind, it was important to let them all know that so far, they had been doing a superb job teaching the students especially the... rowdier ones. This job was a challenging one and he wanted to ensure that they all felt supported by the existing staff, especially so by him as he was the newly appointed Deputy Head, a position he took quite seriously.
Finally, hearing a rustle inside the classroom, Jack attempted to knock once more with his elbow only this time, the liquid inside of one of the coffees he was holding splashed over the side of the mug and onto his brand new tie. "Bugger," he muttered to himself. That'd need to go into the wash.
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
The marking of today's work was only just over, thank the Good Lord in Heaven, and Zoe kicked off her heels as she slid out of her seat. With a perfect little charm, Zoe's tight pencil skirt transformed into a set of black yoga pants and her button-down into a loosely fitted tank. The windows were already open from class and there was a chill breeze in the cool autumn air that brought goosebumps to the teacher's flesh. The next step was to clear the classroom floor of desks and she was just about to do so when she heard a muffled knock on the door.
"Yellow?" she called playfully before she attempted to use wandless magic to open the door. No matter how she focused, though, the door did not budge and she groaned because there was a definite second knock. "Just a second!" Zoe bounded over bare-footed to the door to open it. "Jack! Oh you clumsy thing," she chuckled warmly as she noted the spilled coffee. "Here come inside before the kiddies see you're just as human as they are," Zoe motioned him inside her classroom.
"Any sign of weakness," the young woman said with a shake of her head as she moved back towards her desk and took a cross-legged seat upon it. "So what's the haps, ol' chap?"
Post by JACK O'CONNOR on May 11, 2019 11:02:17 GMT
When Ms. Savage's reply was a colour of all things, Jack was admittedly confused. Was 'yellow' how they greeted people in Australia? How bizarre. But then thankfully there was the sound of footsteps approaching and suddenly, the door was opened.
Immediately, Jack's eyes fell over the woman because that was definitely not the required uniform for teaching... and it was an, er, interesting mixture of both incredibly tight and loose clothes. But he made a point not to stare, instead clearing his throat as he met Ms. Savage's eyes. "Yes, I'm afraid it's a sign from the universe that I need to wind down now that the day's done," he said with a chuckle, walking into the room and carefully placing the coffees on a students desk. Then reaching up, he tugged at the knot of his tie until he was able to slide it off his neck and into his pocket.
"Oh, and trust me. These students... they're crafty. They see one thing they perceive as a weakness and then hone in on it. Once, I taught a class with my both of my shoes unlaced for a good half hour by mistake. This was the day before an in class examination... well, one of the less... uh, knowlegeable students delivered me a pair of shoes with velcro on them the next day hoping it'd bolster their grades. They genuinely thought I couldn't tie them," Jack said, breaking into laughter at the memory and shaking his head. "She was devastated when I broke the news to her." The poor girl had looked so dumbfounded, as though he'd just told her that you were supposed to add milk to green tea. Jack had to feign a few coughing fits to hide his laughter from the young student at the time.
When Zoe moved onto her desk, Jack grabbed one of the coffees to hand it to her before half-sitting, half-leaning against a students desk with his own coffee in his hands. Taking a sip, he said with amusement, "I'm not that much older than you, Ms. Savage. Only eight years, I believe." Still old enough to have taught her in school, however. "I just wanted to check in and see how you're plodding along with your classes?"
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
Zoe’s keen blue eyes watched as Jack fiddled with his tie and if her gaze could undress the man... umph Zoe had to chew the inside of her mouth to stop herself from voicing that which screamed from a hedonistic place deep within take it all off, Jack - here, let me help you. Instead, she gave her colleague and boss an easy laugh. ”And the universe brought you to my classroom to relax, hmm?” there was a playful twinkle in her eye and the dimples in her cheeks showed. ”You’re in luck - I was about to wind down with ashtanga yoga, which you’re welcome to join if you want - I’ll even take it easy on you, I promise.”
As Jack described his experience with his shoestudent, Zoe laughed again. ”Oh God, seriously? Honestly, it’s as if the kids think we had a labotomy when we graduated or something,” the woman shook her head in disbelief, chuckling as she reached out to the cup that Jack offered her. ”Just be thankful she thought you capable of using velcro and didn’t bypass the fastenings altogether... just give you slip-on loafers.” Zoe wriggled her bare toes, painted in a deep burgundy red and clearly well maintained. ”You do realise what you’re getting as a secret Santa gift now though, right?”
Glancing down at her cup of coffee, Zoe picked up her wand and performed a rather simple transfiguration spell that she’d perfected over the years of teaching. Her coffee magically became a mug of green tea and Zoe took in a deep whiff of the delicious liquid before she took a sip. ”Thank you very much, Jack, there’s nothing like a good drink with better company in the afternoon,” she paused for a second and tapped her chin in thought.
”During my first teaching practical - being only one year older than my eldest students, mind you, I shadowed the biology teacher at a muggle high school. One part of my assessment was to create and lead a mini-lesson and of course they were teaching sexual reproduction that week. That didn’t bother me - even then I could teach a lady of the night a thing or two -“ Zoe paused, took a long drink of her tea and took a moment to look her handsome Head of House in the eye as she drank before placing the mug back beside her and continuing with her story, ”but in the end I decided that the activity would be the labelling of the various parts of the human reproductive organs. All was going well until it came to the time where as a group we would go through the answers... and I realised I hadn’t made up a cheat sheet for myself. A master copy that had all those tiny, intricate parts of the penis ... and I had to admit to the classroom that I didn’t know the answers. It was definitely a lesson in humility for me.”
It was a truthful event, but the wily vixen had ulterior motives for sharing that particular story out of the many she had collected over her years of teaching. ”Eight years? Jack, please dont tell me you remember the ages of all your staff,” she said with a grin and wink, ”so that a girl can feel special for this afternoon at least”
Post by JACK O'CONNOR on May 20, 2019 10:11:45 GMT
If one was to ask him what he thought of the cheeky expression that crossed Ms. Savage's face right now, Jack would have told them that there was nothing more attractive than a playful, confident woman. But nobody asked, and so he firmly kept that thought to himself. "I suppose the universe did bring me here, though yoga certainly is not my forte. I'm afraid I have zero flexibility and I'd likely end up throwing my back out," Jack said, only half-joking before letting out an amused chuckle. When he next spoke, his words were light and playful. "Ms. Savage, do you know how to take it 'easy' on someone? Having met you, I'm not sure that you'd let me take it 'easy,' but would rather push me to succeed instead."
"If you ask some certain students or even adults, they appear to think that teaching doesn't require full brain function," Jack said with an easy shrug. It had been something he'd heard many times - if you can't do, teach. As though it was an easy profession. Jack could say with all confidence that it most certainly was not. Zoe's next words had him laughing, however, because he supposed he should have been 'thankful.' Velcro was much better than the alternatives. "Slip-on loafers sounds like something my 'pa would wear whilst waggling his finger at the kids to get off our farm." Grinning, Jack told Zoe, "Hope I get you then, Ms. Savage. Perhaps I'll gift you something equally as predictable."
As Zoe launched into a story about her own teaching experiences, it did not take long at all for Jack's eyebrows to raise because 'I could teach a lady of the night a thing or two' was a very, uh... interesting and personal concession, one that made his mind race especially as Zoe started taking a long sip from her tea and staring him dead in the eye as she did so. Holy shit. For a split second, Jack's poker face fell and his eyes dropped to her lips before he realised what he was doing. Clearing his throat, quite loudly, Jack only half-listened until she said the word 'penis' and he nearly choked on his own tongue because was that professional? Merlin's beard, probably not on his end. Yet still, he joked, "Well, I guess you couldn't teach a lady of the night the - how did you say it... 'tiny, intricate parts of the penis.'"
"Eight years, give or take," Jack said, a sheepish expression crossing his face because yes, he did know the exact ages of his fellow staff members. He knew their birthdays too - not because he was some creepy stalker, but because he wanted to make sure that they were celebrated. Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck for a moment, Jack soon returned to playfully teasing Zoe as he said, "does bringing you a coffee - although, perhaps next time I'll bring a tea instead - not make you feel special already?"
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
There were about five different scenarios that flashed through Zoe's mind when the Professor spoke of putting his back out. Spoiler: literally none of them had to do with yoga. "Oh, come now Jack, you can't tell me that the Head of Gryffindor's sense of adventure is outweighed by his fear of failure?" she challenged him, her brows raising and falling quickly in lieu of a wink. "But you're right. I would most definitely push you to succeed but I doubt you'd have it any other way," Zoe said as she rolled her shoulders back and sat straighter on the desk; her chest naturally puffed out a little more from the movement. "The teacher in you can surely appreciate that all you need is practice; maybe by Christmas I can have you doing the splits. Wouldn't that make for a great Christmas party trick?" she chuckled. Zoe wouldn't tell her Deputy that the idea of how rigid he could be made her heart race.
As Jack spoke of the general sentiment towards teachers, Zoe nodded and laughed, "but God forbid any of them actually teach their own kids simple things like manners or how to mentally calculate 30% off," Zoe said with a shake of her head. Back in Australia, amongst the muggles she had taught it was becoming more and more evident that parents had less time for raising their kids and that teachers were now expected to shoulder the responsibility. Zoe's whole face lit up though as Jack seemed pleased at her little gift idea, "I'm sure there's a charm to stack the odds in my favour. Though I challenge you to surprise me, Jack. It'll be hard, but I believe in you."
Zoe's story had the desired effect on her Deputy; she observed the way the man dropped his gaze and she took that moment to catch her lip with her teeth. As the poor man coughed, Zoe took a moment to run her fingers through her long fringe and tuck it behind her ear as he recovered himself. "I can now," she finally replied to his joke, pretending to chew on her thumb nail and smiling coyly behind it.
Zoe slowly dropped her hand from her face, letting it slide slowly down her body to eventually pick her mug up. "Give or take," she mimicked, nodding her head as if she totally believed him. To distract herself from the burning desire to slide off the desk and put her hands through the hair at the back of his neck like Jack was doing right now... to distract herself, Zoe lifted the mug to her lips and took another long sip. "It would have, yes, except that you just admitted that the universe brought you here. Not my pleasant company," Zoe teased as she placed the mug back down on the desk once more. Then she slid off the desk and stretched her hands up over head. "So Jack, which was it?" she asked, head tilted and within an arm's length from where he rested against one of her desks.
Post by JACK O'CONNOR on May 27, 2019 11:47:54 GMT
"Adventure is most definitely instilled in me and always will be, but these days my sense of adventure is trying to cook new food or going out for a hike. Not bending myself like a pretzel and making every single bone in my body crack and hurt for weeks," Jack returned easily, grinning as he shook his head. She should count herself lucky, being in her mid-20s. There was lot less of a chance of injury, not to mention... she looked incredibly limber, and Jack couldn't help but think... just how flexible was he? It was a shame that he wouldn't find out, that would be unprofessional, but surely there was no harm in imagining just how far her leg... nope. Clearing his throat, Jack's eyes tried their very best to stay level with Zoe's and not drift down to her chest, accentuated by her very commendable posture. "Yes, I'm sure Almir will appreciate seeing me split my pants at the Christmas get together, and the others will never let me live it down. That, or perhaps we can all do yoga together. Change the usual fuddy duddy party up a little." Merlin, wouldn't that be a sight to see?
The words that flowed from Zoe's mouth next had Jack nodding curtly because she was absolutely correct. "I don't think half of the first years realise it's just polite to raise your hand before speaking," Jack told her, nodding. Even the third, fourth and fifth years... "I got 'lectured' by half the students for their first Defense class of the year, Boggarts. Several tried to inform me of how to run my class despite the fact there were several precautions taken and I've ran the same class for fifteen years, several other students swore, and some ran out. I understand that they're afraid, but what happens if they encounter a Boggart out of a controlled environment? They seem to view me as the enemy when in reality, I'm the person trying to help them the most. It's not something their parents even consider teaching at home, and I've received several angry owls from them over the last few weeks regarding my teaching 'conduct' and 'content.'"
'Surprise me, Jack,' had the man's fingers reaching up to rub at his chin thoughtfully. He got the idea that Zoe... wasn't phased by much, and therefore surprising her would be a difficult task. "Well, Ms. Savage. If I do receive your name... I'll do my utmost," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "Are there any gifts I should avoid? Socks, perhaps? They're not the most titillating gifts to receive, nor will you get any fun out of them..."
After regaining his composure, Jack's eyes drifted over Zoe's once more, and he couldn't help but pick up on... something. With the way she was twiddling with her hair and biting her nail and damn near killing him with that look in her eyes, Jack couldn't help but wonder if this was her way of flirting with him? Even though he couldn't outright flirt back, two could play at that game, and he did have a competitive streak after all. "Is that so?" he murmured, brows raised as he nonchalantly reached up to undo the very top few buttons of his shirt, low enough to expose the base of his throat.
"You could have been my student, once upon a time if you completed your schooling in Britain," Jack said, taking a sip out of his own mug once more as he looked over her once more, considerably. "Though I'm not sure if I would have enjoyed having you in my class, were you a very well-behaved student?" Perhaps they would have spent more time in detention than they would have in class. "Can it not be both? Maybe the universe brought me here so I could enjoy your pleasant company." Then Zoe was hopping off her desk and raising her arms, and Jack's eyes dropped for a millisecond as he caught a flash of her bare skin from where her t-shirt rose up. Very pleasant company indeed, and Jack's eyes, a bit darker than usual, flicked up to reach hers once more, a look of amusement mixed with appreciation gracing his features.
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
There was hope yet for the old Head of House, it seemed, and the fact that Jack wanted to share that was not lost on Zoe. Her interest was piqued as Jack explained his sense of adventure and she nodded gently. "I just have to broaden your mind to expand your definition of 'sense of adventure' to include trying all new things, and not just recipes or hiking trails," Zoe replied with a devilish grin. This was a game of words and wit that she was playing against a worthy, sexy, smart, delicious man. She bit back the urge to offer him assistance with any bone issues he may have now... or in the near future.
"Hmmm, you're right, we'd better get you some new pants before the Christmas Party. Don't worry Jack, there's no chance in hell that the party'll be... fuddy duddy. Gosh, though, we're lucky we have heaps of time for the practicing," she said with a grin. "Okay, I'll let you off today," Zoe let her eyes wander over her colleague for a moment, "because I'd hate for you to rip those lovely pants of yours. I mean, you've already ruined your tie for me today... So I'll add yoga pants to your Secret Santa present too." Then Zoe circled back to Almir, the giant man (whom she did not know was part giant because it's not something she's ever asked about) and asked, rather innocently, "so … Runa's a lucky woman, with a man like Almir, eh?"
After Zoe shared her thoughts on the kids, she listened with slowly widening eyes as Jack recounted what had happened in his boggart class. "Oh you big, bad, meanie Jack," Zoe said with a chuckle and shake of her head. "Did the kids all get through it ok? I'm glad to see you did," she said with a soft smile because … well, this whole thing could be rough. Even rougher when you had the horrid parents to deal with.
The professor's smile widened slowly as Jack said that he would do his utmost to surprise her. It sent tingles down all the way down to her bare toes to think someone would try their best to impress her. "Oh hmmm, I mean a girl can always use new socks... and there's plenty of fun things to do with them than just put them on your feet..." Zoe wriggled her toes and chuckled at the memories of having to improvise more than once. "But you can do better than that. Something adventurous," she said as she sent the man a wink. For the love of all that is sexy on this planet... please say titillating again, Zoe thought. "... so, tell me, do I want you to be my Santa?"
Oh, hello, Zoe watched very intently as Jack's fingers deftly undid the buttons at his throat. Was that... Zoe realised a little too late that she was staring and her tongue had a mind of its own on her lips. She adored the fact that he seemed to be getting comfortable in her presence. "I'm sure there's still a lot I can be taught," Zoe said with a cheeky half smile that brought out the dimples in her cheek. "I was... well, I wasn't a bad girl," Zoe said with a shrug, "but I wasn't a good girl either. But like wine, I've gotten better with age. How about you, Professor O'Connor? I bet you were the bestest little boy in the whole wide world," she said with a chuckle.
With Jack's eyes on her body, Zoe's stretch took that little longer than really necessary. She enjoyed this little game. "Oh I do like that," she conceded. "I enjoy your company... and your tea," Zoe inched closer and slowly took the mug from Jack's hand. "See, I like both… and you've made me curious about how that cup of coffee might've tasted. May I try yours?"
"Oh do you now? Well, Ms. Savage, I'd certainly be interest in seeing what else you want me to try besides yoga," Jack said, a twinkle in his eye as he took another sip of his coffee, observing her expression. Shit, that grin she was flashing him was alluring, to the say the least. It was the type of grin she'd probably wear right before she decided to do something sin-worthy, something that Merlin definitely wouldn't approve of, and something that Jack would be all for. He had never claimed to be a saint, after all.
"Yoga pants, hmm? I don't think I could wear them quite as well as you do," Jack said off-handedly, mentally cringing at the visual of him wearing yoga pants. They were definitely not his style, although he more than enjoyed them on others. They definitely made a woman's behind look good, there was no denying that. "So you're buying me a pair of loafers and a pair of yoga pants for me. Hope you don't expect me to venture outside in either of those things. They sound like strictly inside-wear only." Then Zoe was talking about Almir and Runa and immediately, Jack was chuckling. Not cruelly, of course, but it was an assumption many reached. "Runa and Almir are best friends only, I assure you. Runa's fortunate to have a friend like Almir and vice versa too. Though how somebody who's a quarter giant befriends somebody quite as tiny as Runa, I'll never know. Some days I wonder how he fits in that tiny place of theirs... though I suppose back in the day, I shared a couple of very small flats and apartments with people. I guess you made do."
The way Zoe's eyes were widening were enough to make Jack shake his head, running his fingers through his hair. "It happens every year, a few traumatised students. That's why there's always a healer at the back of the class and counselling services offered afterwards," Jack explained, though he did crack a small smile at her 'big, bad, meanie Jack' comment. "From what I've heard, there's some who thing you're a 'big meanie' in class too, Ms. Savage?"
The words that flowed from Zoe's pretty little mouth next were enough to have Jack's lips twitching right before he let out a chuckle. "Socks have many uses, that's true... isn't it interesting, how many accessories are multi-purposeful? Socks, belts, ties... I imagine if I gave you any of those things, you'd come up with intriguing ways to use them," Jack said, eyes practically dancing because if she was going to give him visuals of how sexy she'd look with her hands bound, then damn straight he was going to pay her back in kind. Then Zoe was winking, and daring him to think of something better and he could think of many things to give her, none of which were appropriate for a Secret Santa exchange. 'Do I want you to be my Santa?' had Jack laughing yet again, however, and he said, "I don't think I'm quite old enough for that yet, Ms. Savage. I have no grey in my beard, and not a pot belly in sight either."
Jack's watchful eyes most certainly didn't miss the way Zoe's tongue darted out to sweep over her lips and shit, wasn't that a sight to behold? He could just imagine - no. No, he wasn't going to go there, although he had not so innocent thoughts of her just before. "Better with age, hm? Would you say you've grown to be a 'good' or a 'bad' woman?" he asked, amused. Then she had him laughing and shaking his head with her next statement. "Merlin, I was a good little Irish boy in my first few years, else I'd get my arse kicked by my da and a howler from my ma. But then I guess in sixth years, things took a turn. Being 'good' wasn't exactly something the Carrows enjoyed, y'know? And you didn't get anywhere being 'good' with them around anway, so I copped my fair share of punishments from then. You'd know if you saw my back." It was littered with scars, a friendly reminder from the war, along with the deep scar across his cheek that he only concealed sometimes.
It didn't take long for Jack to realise that Zoe was very much presenting her body to him, arching her back and showing some more of that tantalising stomach that made Jack just want to... and then she was moving forward, and Jack's brows raised as she daringly pinched the mug of coffee from him. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, because so am I," Jack admitted, before nodding his acquiescence, wondering what she was up to and too curious for his own good. "You may..."
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
A challenge? Zoe liked the way her Deputy Headmaster phrased his words so very carefully because the woman enjoyed the thrill of this particular chase. "Hmmm, I don't know Jackie boy, I've a feeling that you might turn down most of my suggestions," the woman's bright blue eyes never, even for a moment, left those of Jack. She was testing his resolve, though it was extremely thinly veiled because he was hot and the way he played back just made her want to straddle him on that desk right there. And she would. Job be damned.
"Don't sell yourself short. I happen to think you'd pull them off rather well,"and if you don't, I'll pull them off for you, she let her finger tips trace the rim of her cup as she let the unspoken words pass between the two of them. She laughed as Jack summarised her secret santa plan, "oh, I don't mind if you stay in with them. I will admit that I am partial to the idea of you getting comfy in front of a fire with my gift." She took a long sip of her tea as Jack chuckled; the sound of it like music to her ears, not to mention how easily Jack supplied the information regarding Runa and Almir. Best friends only, hmm? This was very good news because both of those teachers were delicious treats that she couldn't wait to sample. She just hoped her mouth was big enough to fit a certain something of the giant variety. "They don't appear to spend all that much time indoors so I imagine that helps somewhat," was her light hearted reply, keen not to dwell on the pair too much in favour of turning the conversation back onto Jack and his adventurous side.
Zoe chuckled when Jack told her that the students believed she was also a big, bad meanie. "Aw but the students here haven't seen me pull on my meanie pants though. Not yet," the woman said and then sighed heavily. She put on her most innocent, Bambi-eyed face as she tilted her head to one side. She lifted the finger that had been tracing the rim of her cup and pressing it into her cheek where her dimple was as she smiled and asked, "do you believe I'm a big, bad, meanie Jack?"
Delighting once again in Jack's chuckle, Zoe nodded enthusiastically as he listed off various items of clothing. He seemed to know very well where she was headed and appeared quite happy to play along. "Something tells me that you've got a few great ideas. But yes, I'm a very resourceful young woman, and when there aren't any of those available there's a whole myriad of charms just waiting to be explored,"like that one with the ropes. Only useful with magical partners, but gosh darn it was handy. Cheekily though, Zoe's jaw dropped a little as she suddenly 'realised' that she'd strayed from the topic at hand. "Oh, I digressed. Forgive me?" She laughed when he said he wasn't possibly able to be Santa, "ah wonderful - so you're not keeping a list of who's naughty or nice? Excellent." Her eager eyes travelled down his chest, from where his shirt had been unbuttoned enticingly earlier, to his stomach and she wondered... was there hair on that chest of his? To run across her fingertips?
"I can't tell you that Jack," Zoe replied in almost a whisper, "but I do invite you to find out." Her look darkened with concern as he spoke of the Carrows and the toll that being 'good' had taken on him. She was at a loss of what to say for once, chewing on her bottom lip because she couldn't even joke about punishments or how she'd very much enjoy seeing his back any time he wanted. "I'm sorry that you had to live through that. I count myself very lucky not to have had the same experience; the kids... they're so lucky too. Here. They're lucky their boggarts are the worst they'll face at school this year."
Standing before him as she was now, Zoe lifted Jack's mug to her lips when he gave her permission. She closed her eyes and took a sip, letting out the softest of pleased moans as the coffee slid over her tongue. "Mmm, thank you, Jack," she said as she opened her eyes once again with a smile. "Delicious," Zoe offered him back his mug. "Tell me, do you have any... plans, this afternoon? After our little visit, that is?"
Jack knew that he'd have a damn hard time turning down whatever Zoe put on offer especially if she was looking him dead in the eyes like that, as if daring him to look away. But Jack wasn't afraid of a powerful stare down from a beautiful woman and so he met her eyes with his own steel blue ones, brows raising as he said, "Well, Ms. Savage. Why don't share me some of your suggestions? Let me be the judge of that..." It would be... interesting, to hear what she had to say, and Jack was all ears.
"In front of a fire in a pair of yoga pants and loafers, hmm? And what will you be wearing?" Preferably nothing, though the prospect of her actually joining him in front of a fire in the first place was a stretch. It was definitely a pleasant thought though, one that spread a tiny smile across Jack's lips. He nodded as Zoe commented on how Runa and Almir spend a lot of time outside... it probably did help, come to think of it, but he'd heard some very funny stories of Almir getting stuck in small places or bumping his head. He could only imagine the quarter giant doing things like that in the tiny place he shared with Runa.
"That's not what I heard," Jack said teasingly, referring to her Muggle Studies class... that had sounded quite, uh... quite eventful to say the least. He had to say that in all his years of teaching, he'd never had that to happen to him. But then she was suddenly giving him great big eyes, putting a great big show of being angelic, and Jack was chuckling yet again. "Well, Miss Savage, I think I'd struggle to believe that you're the pinnacle of innocence. I'm sure there's a bad -" girl "- streak in you... not sure if there's a mean one, though. You seem pretty sweet to me."
Then Zoe was saying she was sure he'd had a few great ideas when it came to ties and the lot. Immediately, a tiny smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "I suppose it's just having enough... experience, to know that you can make lemonade from lemons so to speak... plus, I'm pretty good at thinking outside the box," he said, eyes shining with amusement. There were plenty of notable experiences in his past where he'd had to make do with what he had on hand. Some experiences that went incredibly well... and some that had not.
'Naughty or nice.' Despite how sweet she was, Zoe would definitely top the naughty list. He imagined she would have for the last 10 years running. "Guess you're not getting a present then," he teased easily, eyes following her bright blue ones as they dropped down to the v-line of his slightly unbuttoned shirt, his adam's apple bobbing. He supposed it was only fair, of course, seeing as he had oogled her not so subtly quite a few times this afternoon... and maybe in the hall, too, when she'd been walking ahead of him. Maybe when she'd picked up that quill she'd dropped that one time too.
The silence he got in reply to him sharing his experiences with the Carrows was to be expected... nobody ever knew what to say, not even some of the people who had fought through the war with him. "They wanted... Merlin, I'll never forget... back then, when the Carrows took over, they taught Muggle Studies. They wanted us all to believe that muggles were the root of all evil, that they were less than wizards, right? We were expected to take turns echoing this nonsense. Then one day, this Hufflepuff girl... she said no. She refused. Turns out even though she was a half-blood, her dad's second wife and family was a muggle. So they brought her up to the front of the class, and wanted us to take turns crucifying her. Me being... well, me, I told them that what they was doing was wrong. 'If you're such a martyr, Jack O'Connor, then come sacrifice yourself instead.' So... I went up, some of the students with less of a moral high ground took turns on me but I didn't make a sound, didn't scream as much as I wanted to. The Carrows, they didn't like that. So I got locked up for... for days. Tortured, made an example of. I don't even remember how long it was, really. Could have been a week... but it felt like forever. Then eventually, somehow, Pomfrey - she was the matron back then - came to check on me. She said my back was getting infected, and if they didn't let me go now then they'd have the death of a sixteen year old on their hands. I wasn't really with it... but she was the reason I even go out of there." It had been more than twenty years since it'd had happened, the torturing at the hands of those monsters, and with the help of healers years after the fact, Jack had mostly healed from it. But the passion he had for teaching his students to defend themselves from the Dark Arts, even if it was a hard subject for them to face, came a lot from that experience. He wanted them to protect themselves because who knew what the future brought? Who knew what was going to happen with how the ministry was being run at the moment?
Next thing he knew, Zoe was moaning of all things as she took a sip of his coffee, and Merlin, that did things to him. It made him want to discover other ways to make her sound like that. Eyes falling to her lips once more, Jack wanted to close the gap, to kiss her, to run his fingers through her dark locks of hair, but he knew he couldn't. It wasn't professional, not for someone of his stature. His only just barely grabbed his mug as she passed it back, and cleared his throat loudly. "Just marking some assignments, Ms. Savage, and you?"
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
”Hmm, I’ll start you off with a rather mild suggestion, shall I? We have a whole year to get more adventurous, after all,” Zoe said with a very sweet smile. ”Call me Zoe,” she said with a daring raise of her brows. Truthfully, as hot as her surname was in that Irish lilt of his, having her name pass his lips ... was a wonderful precursor to pleasures planned for the future.
”Oh if I’m invited to your fireside then...” Professor Savage tapped her plump bottom lip once as she looked up to the roof of her classroom, as if inspiration could be found there. ”Then I do declare that the host decides dress code. What would you have me wear?”
Goodness, Zoe loved to hear Jack teasing her. She was very lucky that she was not one of her teen boy students because otherwise Jack would have the upper hand in this whole conversation - her enjoyment would be hard to hide. ”Ah yes, Mavican Jones is a bit of a character. I mean, I’ve had the hots for many teachers - I understand her temptation here, trust me. But none of them ever knew about it when I was their student,” Zoe laughed because, ”I wasn’t too keen on detention after all. I had far better things to do with my time.”
Of course, when Jack said he didn’t believe she was an innocent creature, Zoe chuckled and nodded her agreement, ”guilty as charged,” and goodness she would be quite pleased if Jack shackled her up. She had to bite her lip to keep the ’and I should definitely be spanked’ response from escaping when he said she was probably a bit bad. JESUS that was close. ”Awwww, maybe I’m just sweet to you? Ever thought of that, Jack?” she teased.
”Eight year’s extra practice,” Zoe replied quickly, giving Jack a playful wink as he spoke of how helpful experience was with ties and socks. ”Or there abouts,” she said cheekily mimicking his attempt at pretending to not know their exact age difference. When he said she wasn’t getting a present, Zoe let out a little puff that sent her fringe flying up and she pouted. ”Aww, but Mr O’Connor isn’t there any way I can get you to reconsider? I’ll be a good girl I promise.” Thankfully her thoughts were her own though because in them he was already shirtless on that desk.
Zoe drank her green tea in silence as Jack recounted his horrible schooling experience. She was captivated - it was horrifying, truth be told. She couldn’t even imagine such cruelty and... her respect for the man only grew as he spoke. She hadn’t even noticed the fact that she’d placed her cup back down, so rapt in the recount. ”That is awful. Is it a hard memory to share? To relive it ..? If... one day, if it would be ok with you, I think it would be useful for our students to hear. About the discrimination of muggles and and just how... horrid it can get,” Zoe hoped that by having someone talk about it that the students knew.. it would bring it to life. Because his story struck Zoe to the core. She needed to recover and quick - thus why she moved right back to something she knew well. Baiting a man with her sexual prowess.
Zoe’s eyes were closed as Jack’d stared at her lips again, but it didn’t take a genius to anticipate that action and as she slowly opened her eyes she licked her lips ‘free’ of any residual coffee. His cough brought a devilish smirk to her lips as she let her fingertips graze his hand when Jack took his mug back. ”Yoga then dinner,” she replied simply, though the look she gave clearly conveyed though I’d rather be doing you.
The sweet as sugar smile that graced Zoe's lips definitely did things to him, made him want to do things to her, but Jack stayed rooted on the spot. He needed to stay professional, after all... or at least, outwardly. "Calling you by your first name? I suppose that would be alright, Zoe," Jack said, a chuckle escaping from him. He didn't like to address his colleagues by their first name unless they made it clear they were comfortable for him to do so.
What would he have her wear? 'Nothing,' was what Jack wanted to say, but instead he cleared his throat. "Well, I'd hate for you to be uncomfortable in front of my fireplace... so perhaps just whatever clothes you like to laze around in... maybe not those heels you wore to the staff gathering," Jack teased. Though they did make her long, never-ending legs look incredible, they probably wrecked havoc on her feet.
"Mavican Jones has been pretty... full-on over the last few years," Jack said, although he was unaware of the reasons why. He simply chalked it up to being a rowdy teenager. "Unfortunately, detention puts us out as much as it puts them out. I usually just make them clean the muggle way and I try to get work done... although sometimes the mix of kids make that impossible. Never put two people like Greyson Avery and Agnes Clearwater in the same room for detention. They're both stubborn as hell and refuse to back down. You'll wind up with a headache."
Zoe's next words had Jack grinning yet again, raking his fingers through his hair as he dished back just as much teasing as she had served, "Ah, I see. Preferential treatment, hmm? Some of our colleagues would be quite jealous if they caught wind of you being sweet to me and only me."
"Well, like they say. Practice makes perfect. I never stop learning though," Jack said, the words 'and I'm an eager student' left unsaid. He was certain she'd have a lot to teach him if she were up for the task. Then he nearly choked on his damn tongue because she was pouting and talking about being a 'good girl' and by Merlin, this was so... unprofessional, a thought he'd had quite a few times this afternoon. Yet still, he couldn't stop himself from saying, "I guess I'll have to see it to believe it."
"I was a sixth year, when that'd happened. So... when I came back to school the following year, to complete my studies... Merlin, that was hard. It was... I had what the muggles call 'PTSD,' according to the healers. I couldn't walk past the Muggle Studies classroom for months, couldn't even stomach going down into the dungeons. Most nights... I struggled to sleep, would wake up with nightmares," Jack explained, voice quiet. "That's really... well, that's only touching the surface of what happened. But it's been twenty years since... since that whole ordeal and although it was a long and very difficult road to healing, I've recovered from it for the most part. I'm happy to talk to your students about it, share my story, although without a shadow of a doubt some would find it very confronting. Especially those who had family who'd fought in the war."
Their game of flirting and innuendo was still very much playing out, and Jack nearly died on the damn spot as she licked her lips brazenly before suggesting 'yoga then dinner,' her eyes seemingly undressing him on the spot. "I could definitely do with some dinner, Zoe... perhaps you'd like to join me?" he suggested. It was a bad idea... and Merlin only knew if his resolve was strong enough to make through an entire meal without throwing her onto the table. But... he enjoyed her company and they could dine simply as colleagues, right? It would be the same as going out to dinner with Almir or Runa... no difference, or so he tried to tell himself.
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
Zoe. Oh yes, she enjoyed definitely enjoyed her name on those light lips hidden in that delicious stubble that would no doubt set her skin alight if she were to connect with him. "And so begins our adventure," she chuckled. On the desk, Zoe shook her head as Jack tried to avoid telling her the dress code to the fire. She'd have told him that she was most comfortable in her own skin, but she'd keep that for another time. Life was all the better with these little surprises, after all. "Well I look forward to this fireside tête-à-tête," Zoe said truthfully. "Avec heels."
The teacher inside of Zoe - no, not Jack, not yet, get your minds out of the gutter - was thankful to hear that she was not the only one that had found the particular student challenging already. "Right? It's quite hilarious watching those who have no muggle background do even the most simple of tasks without a charm. Especially the older students that have gotten so terribly used to scourgify, that when they have to do 'laundry' like muggles did before the wonderful invention of the washing machine... ohhhh the cries of torture. 'It's inhumane miss!'"
There was a delightful moment of Jack running his fingers through his hair and Zoe's finger tips itched to do the same. In fact, she gave in and mirrored his actions, jostling her long locks for a moment to satisfy the little urges within. "Best not tell them then, Jack," she gave him a playful wink, "our little secret." Besides, he was the one that had to be careful about showing preferential treatment - he was the boss, not her. She doubted very much if what she got up to was of any consequence really. At least one of her haughty colleagues made it a point to disassociate with the filthy muggleborn on staff.
"I .. I was never tortured, but I do understand trauma from .. my own first hand experience," a whole year of her life was a white-wash of robotic going through the motions but even now, the destruction of wild fire that had claimed her family haunted her dreams some nights. It was small things, like making sure that her rental home had electric ovens and stoves rather than gas... those things showed the real impact the entire ordeal had had on Zoe's subconscious. "I understand that it would be quite confronting... but we can only learn from the past if we hear of it. To paraphrase a quote from a personal hero of mine, Steve Irwin - who was talking about the conservation of wild animals, but it still works - if we can teach it, make them care, they'll do something about it."
Thank Merlin! Zoe thought as she was invited to join Jack for dinner. He was hungry and … and she was captivated by those devilishly handsome blue eyes that held their own against her feminine wiles. "I'm starving," Zoe said with a grin as she took a step back away from him. Then she turned quickly on her heels and picked up her robes from behind her desk. "See you at seven, then? The Great Hall? With ohhhh… roughly 280 rowdy teenagers and ten other staff?" Zoe was teasing, quite used to enjoying her meals amongst the school community. Goodness she'd enjoy more one-on-one time with this man. She definitely intended to stop by his private rooms earlier than that.
