[Staff Room] Headmaster's Office

[Prof. Darrow]

Seated in a stout wooden chair tucked neatly underneath his desk, Professor Darrow rested his hands before him, drumming them repeatedly upon the hard surface. His desk was in pristeen condition, the most important papers stacked neatly on the desk, whislt others lay in their respective cabinets situated in the staff room proper. Leafing through the documents steadily he read up on the various students he was dealing with, finding that most were troublesome and were simply being pushed on to him because other teachers didn't have the necessary skills to deal with them, or so they claimed, quite obviously trying to flatter him into dealing with them. More likely they just couldn't find time to deal satifactoraly with them.
Reaching for the next folder he opened it casually reading up on the various antics of one Ariane Winchester whom he was to meet with in precisely five minutes time. He did sorely hope she would arrive punctually so his busy schedule would not be compromised. He main fault seemed to be a rather energetic outburst with the infamous Professor Fagin, who seemed insistent upon sending as many pupils as humanely possible up the wall, quite literally in some cases as he desired them to be hung from the rafters. Something Professor Darrow would never relent to. Not matter how disruptive the pupil dealing with them nicely and cordially as equals was the way forward he believed.
The clock struck on the hour, already three past midday and he waited patiently for the arrival of Ariane Winchester. As the tell tale grinding of the gargoyle below sprang away, he arose from his seat going to greet her with due respect.

As a portrait muttered this could be a difficult one Darrow He silently agreed with a nod of his head. though he hoped and prayed the young girl would come to her senses and act more respectfully in front of teachers and students alike.

[Ariane Winchester]

Ariane stared, shocked at the letter in her hands. Sure, Ariane had been in trouble before but she had never been sent opt the Headmasters office. Ariane swallowed the rising bile in her thoat and marched to the office. She smiled kindlty at the gargoyle and tried to ignore the comment that she could almost hear. She stepped into the office and smiled at the Headmaster. "Good evening sir." she said, rubbing the ear that Fagin had grabbed so gruffily. 'I'm here..." she searched for the words "Because I eas sent here." sheoped that it didn't sound cheeky.

[Prof. Darrow]

The girl entered cautiously, he was glad to see she wasn't so rebellious as Fagin had remarked; an ugly brute hardly sumerised her. Darrow had known Fagin would utter such harsh lies to undermine the girl's confidence, to put it lightly the man's teaching methods were different, how he got through a Ministry inspection was quite unbelievable.

Regarding the young girl before him, he believed her to be not uncomminly nervous at the summoning. In the seriously difficult cases he had dealt remarkably well with break downs to tears and roars of rage hurled physically at him, a shoe been thrown had nearly ended in an unworthy intention, the girl had claiming her high heel had slipped off by accident was sheer brilliance and had enabled him to deal with her much more effectively.

"Ah Miss Winchester I presume?" shaking her hand warmly he declared, "a pleasure," and remarked "a fine evening it is indeed," his style of speech deliberated over each word, emphasising and articulating slowly.
"one much better suited to quidditch I deem, the light breeze aids the brooms I'm told, too strong and it damages them accordingly."
Talking in such a way enabled him to ease the pressure, he disliked a stressful encounter and wished his pupils to feel at ease in his company, truthfulness was vital in his opinion.

"Please do be seated," with a click of his fingers a comfortable chair, indeed luxurious in comparison to his own, appeared with a puff of a satisfyingly effective tendrail of smoke curling around the arms, sliding into his own stout chair he placed his hands lightly upon the table before him maintaining eye contact throughout the preceedings.

"Professor Fagin has sent a message detailing your disturbance in a class of his, I'd like to hear your account of the incident please, bearing in mind that I've received a number of complaints regarding your behaviour and Professor Fagin reliably informs me you uttered a guttural challenge of nobody has been able to crack me."

Studying her response he continued "If so I congratulate you, I hope it's the case that no teacher has ever had need to crack you." Smiling comfortingly he added "please divulge the truth of the incident, I'd like to assess both sides of the argument before I make my conclusion" he explained seriously.

[Ariane Winchester]

Ariane un knotted her hands from behind her and sat down in the chair " Uh, well sir you see what happened was I walked into the classroom and he immediatly began yelling at me. I hadn't done anything, and I had assumed he wanted quite so I siad nothing. He yelled at me because I was being... well I'm not quite sure what I was being." Ariane said. "He said he had been hungry, seeing as he had missed lunch so I gave him a muffin I had taken. He said thank you and then either my brother or a Slytherin walked in.... I can't remember which it was." she swallowed, sensing that the Headmaster wasn't an angry person.

"He asked a question I didn't know the answer to and then he called me stupid... I argued back that I wasn't and then we argued a bit more... not quite sure about what though sir." she said, flushing awkwardly. "And when I said that no teacher had been able ot crack me it wasn't ment for him to hear, more or less top boost my.... erm... moral so to say." She squinted thinking. "Oh, yes then he picked me up and threw me out of the room." she nodded "And that about sums it up... sir." she said.

[Prof. Darrow]

Believing every word the young lady spoke Darrow only half listened, having heard the same report from the infamous Fagin, who had taken great delight in tormenting the poor girl, and afterwards bragging about it; for which he had received a severe reproach.

Nodding his head he surmised that really it hadn't been her fault and Fagin had thrown her from the room without real reason; as he had guessed from the very start.
"Well what a to do," he sumerised with a faint smile scratching his beard thoughtfully, "I believe you when you say you've done nothing really wrong, yet still one can learn a valuable lesson; never antagonise that... testy man." Chuckling with mirth he added "a tall order for anybody, Professor Fagin has made it quite clear he doesn't wish your return to the class, but you must not allow him to put you off this invaluable subject. I shall recommend your immediate return to usual studies."
Darrow still kept his faith in his teaching staff, though Fagin especially was of due concern, Starsmore following closely behind; a werewolf cub in a lesson! Quite intolerable, though showing the realism was ultimately effective he did agreed.

"Now Miss Winchester, please keep your temper upon a shorter leash, commit more readily to your lessons, concentration and a hard slog are vital. Now is there anything else troubling you my dear?" He asked looking at her with curiousity, he knew for a fact there was another factor she had best confide in him; he knew of further dangerous goings on with her inclusion, a scuffle in the Great Hall came prominently to mind, but would she speak of it?

[Ariane Winchester]

Ariane's brow furrowed at Prof. Darrow's recomendation to re-join the class. Well, if he recomends it... and I can still hold my own against Fagin.... I guess I will. I think that maybe me and Fagin have more in commmen than we'd like to admit. Ariane grinned slightly "All right sir, I'lll return to MUggle Studies. BUt I can't garentee no trouble. We are both strong.... minded, to put it lightly."

Ariane listened carefully to Darrow's words and stored them in the back of her mind for when her parents asked " And what did you learn this year darling? she would answer testily and then storm up to her room, a slight grin grew on her face as she imagined her parents horrified faces.

Ariane zoned back in seconds later, her face paled as the question was asked. "Now is there anything else troubling you my dear?" Ariane swallowed slowly and regained the breath that had rushed out of her at the thought of Charles's frosty face, wand held up threateningly.

"Uh..." her voice seemed to have left her, and her mind raced with things that she couldn't even tell her brother. "A few things sir" her mind seemed to be controlling her mouth directly, she couldn't stop her self. Ariane closed her mouth feircly, furiois with herslef and seriously considering slapping her face.

Ariane! You don't show emotions to anybody! she could hear her father chiding angrily while her mothers dulcet tones agreed.

Ariane shook her head forcefully My life, my decisions, I should be able to tell someone I'm scared for my life without my parents interveining. she thought.

"But really, I shouldn't bother you with the petty problems of a thirteen year old who pretends she's thirty." Ariane attempted a joke, chuckleing awkwardly only to have it die in her throat. A large lump formed and she swallowed with trouble. Don't do it Airy! You cry and you'll disgrace the Winchester name! she shouted in her mind.

Tears burned the back of her eyes like acid and Ariane had to take several deep breaths to stop them bursting forward.

[Prof. Darrow]

Darrow watched with gentle amusement the clear quarrel she was having within. Her features displayed it clearly; crystal clear. He had known many a pupil be in such a situation, inner turmoil ensuing as to whether they should confide in a teacher, few realised they were indeed human like themselves.

Darrow himself had been in many a situation as difficult, knowing whether your confidante was trustworthy was nigh on impossible to judge, one could never really tell until they broke your confidence and let you down. Darrow knew this from painful experience. Once upon a time he had stored all his difficulties within, and slowly they had eaten away at him inside, slowly they had corrupted his judgement and changed his outward and inward behaviour. But he had conquered his fears and expressed his true feelings to people, they had aided him and given wise counsel and he had profitted, now he always retained a close group of family and friends whom he would confide in, no matter how small the problem, no matter how menial it might seem to himself, it was crucial to clear his conciense.

Smiling reassuringly at his pupil he gently coaxed her to divulge her secret, which he already knew, if his guess was correct. Who knew perhaps other things played upon her mind too; only time would tell.

"I've time to hear you out, problems must be told, no other way is there to dispell them." Chuckling he added "the problems of a young person would I gladly exhange for my own, the wide world is dangerous place, don't be too eager to grow up, I wasn't, perhaps I am still young at heart." He grinned, the happiness filling his features.

"Spill the beans then," he urged.

[Ariane Winchester]

Ariane's mouth opened and closed a few times "I- I really.. I shouldn't" she shut her mouth and sighed- annoyed wit herself and the stupid predicament that she was in. "Uh..." she took a deep breath " I'mkindofworriedaboutCharlesattackingmeandmenotebginabletodefndmyself" she siad in a quick, flowing rush.

She saw the professer frown, He doesn't speak gibberish you idiot! Speak properly! she snapped at herself. Ariane took another, calming breath "I'm kind of worried about Charles attacking me and me not being able to defend myself" she siad slowly and calmly. "He... saw me in the Great Hall and he seemed.. bent upon either killing me or having me back" her face flushed a bright crimson

Talking about social relationships! How dare you! her mother snapped inside her head and Ariane hoped the Professer didn't notice her flinch, with the expecancy of a hand flying through the air and coming in solid contact with her face. "I..." her voice stopped inside her throat. "Sir, I don't know what to do"

The fact that she had just admitted that outloud not only made her feel ashamed, but scared to the very core of her spirit