[Staff Room] Stress Needs Relief

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree had noticed a growing tension among the teachers at Hogwarts as exams loomed closer. It was times like these when she was glad she did not have such stress. She had avoided to Staff Room for many days now but have found herself isolated and this did not sit well by her. So today, on a sunny afternoon, Bree ventured there.

She opened to door and walked in, smiling at everyone as she always did. She saw there weren't many there and her heart fell. The others were probably in their offices, stressing just as much as the students. She didn't understand this felicity, everyone needs a little break every now and then, she thought.

She went to the window sill and looked out over the beautiful grounds. The sun was warm, an odd thing but a pleasant one. She leaned one hand on the frame and looked out over the grounds as she soaked up the warm sunshine. What a beautiful day and everyone else is locked in their offices! she thought, smiling at all they were missing.

[Prof. Jonathan Starsmore]

Jonathan was leaning against one of the many disorganised and over-flowing filing cabinets, sipping a cup of tea and reading through his latest lesson plan, when Bree walked through the door, a fresh smile on her face. She deflated a little however as she looked upon the current crowd - the dreadfully boring and pinched face History of Magic dictator and that arrogant Ancient Runes woman - and wandered over to one of the broad windows, looking out longingly. She had obviously not seen Jonathan.

Setting down his tea and the lesson plan, Jonathan carefully snuck up behind her, grinning madly before grabbing her shoulders. 'GOOD MORNING, BREE!' He shouted cheerfully down her ear. The poor woman nearly rocketed out of her skin, caught completely off guard. Jonathan broke down into a fit of hearty, devilish laughter. 'Oh, why the long face? Summer soon - no more kids!' He put his arm round her encouragingly as he came to stand at her side.

Glancing over his shoulder he saw the two other teachers looking at him disagreeably, but he simply winked at them, looking back at the flying teacher...

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree smiled at a cloud the shape of Prof Darrow's head floated by, it was so distracting. Suddenly a pair of ice clod hands grabbed her shoulders and a shout echoed in her ears. Bree gasped and jumped a foot in the air, spinning around to see that it was only Starsmore.

She smiled wide and began laughing with him. "That was some scare you gave me," she jovially giggled, "good one." Then she turned back to the window, still smiling. Again an ice cold hand was on her arm but now he was standing next to her. She looked down at his hand, then out the window again. She sighed at the mention of the summer coming. "That's just it," she said, her smile shrinking substantially, "I'm going to miss the little tykes and everyone's so stressed. It's driving me insane!" She smiled at Jon with the last. "But I notice you're not?"

[Prof. Jonathan Starsmore]

Jonathan gave a brilliant, open-mouthed grin as Bree questioned him on his chipper approach to everything. She, as usual, was doing her best to smile despite the impending loneliness of the next six weeks, and he switched from one side of her to the other, his eyes shining as he gazed at the clouds.

'Ah, the ministries doing my head in, Bree. Decrees, rules, regulations, restrictions - I've had enough!' He sounded stupidly happy despite the negative subject. Bree was smirking at this, although her eyes were curious. Jonathan regarded her for a moment, their eyes meeting and unblinking for several long seconds before he sighed, matching her smirk. 'I suppose you should know. I'm getting out of here, m'dear. I'm going back to the ministry! Back to me crappy old desk job with only one rule - no leaving work early!' He said it all in a hush, excited whispered, holding Bree's shoulders with the most joyous expression, practically shaking her.

'This place is about to go crackers. You should get out with me well you still can.' He raised his eyebrows sagely, crossing his arms.

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

"Ah, the Ministry," Bree said, smiling for she had nothing better to do. It always came beck to the Ministry in all and every way. Now more so then ever she wished she could have her old job back. Touring the country, playing a game or three a week, nothing stressful, except which pair of lucky boots to wear to the game. That was the life she would so much love to have but this one where she was passing her knowledge on to others was more rewarding then winning The Quidditch World Cup.

Bree turned her head to face Jon's. He was not his usual drunk self. He was stone cold sober and Bree missed is drunken self. He at least was fun. This serious Jon was no fun at all. Her eyes went wide when she heard Jon speak about going back to his old job. How many times had Jon complained about his old job where nothing ever happened? Countless, she reminded herself, countless!

"What?" Bree shrieked, then glancing at the others she whispered, "what?" She could not believe what she had just heard. "What in Merlin's name would make you return to that way of life?" It made no sense that he would willingly choose such a life. He wouldn't, not the Jon she knew. He's got to be being coerced into it, that's the only explanation. She was resolute. "Who's making you do this?" she whispered, "because you know Darrow will help. You know he will. I can't believe you would want to go back to that!"

[Prof. Jonathan Starsmore]

Jonathan gave Bree a bewildered yet sightly amused expression. 'Alight, calm down!' He huffed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. 'No ones making me do anything, I don't see where you've got that idea from. Don't know if you've noticed, poppet, but we're on a loosing team here - this place is being torn apart by them because they want something they can't see, and they're looking at us like we know or something.'

He lowered his voice dangerously now, eyes full of scorn The muscles in his jaw becoming taunt and he gave Bree a rare austere stare.

'It's getting on my wick, love. There's less ministry twats at the actual Ministry then there are here!' He finished, having finally lost his temper slightly. It wasn't Bree's misconception that had clouted him. It was that thinking about the reasons for going always abraded him. It was why Jonathan chose to hardly think at all.

Bree was looking at him with a very complex stare, unable to make up her mind how to feel.

Jonathan sighed deeply, his expression softening as he placed a weary hand on Bree's cheek, her skin angrily hot. 'There's nothing worth fighting for anymore. Now, I'm not saying I've been a huge help, but from observation I've noticed the more any of us try to do anything, the more the students suffer. There's nothing we can't hide from them, and there's nothing left to protect them from. They're on their own too.'

The other teachers in the staffroom had all dropped their various tasks to stare at Bree and Jonathan with unashamed interest. One woman hadn't even noticed her teacup and tipped all of its contents into her lap.

Jonathan looked very bleak now. 'This place is a lost cause.'

[Prof Brianna O'Donnell]

Bree stared at the professor before her, scrutinise gaze pouring over him. She hadn't noticed the other professors in the room had turned to them and she would not have cared. Now she only had eyes for Jon. She was thinking hard. If he had not been forced to go back, she thought, then he is simply taking the easy way out. As he spoke, Bree was quiet, a feet for her and a danger to Jon, one which he didn't seem to notice. Never the less, Bree was no longer her warm, friendly self, for she was sicken by what she had concluded and by his words.

She pulled away from Jon's touch and after a long moment's silence, she spoke. "There is always something to fight for," she said in a barley audible whisper, "and as teachers our reason is to protect the students of this school. We cannot abandon them in their time of need. For many this is their home, Jon, their home. Can you have it on your conscious to leave people who depend on you and who will some day be in those positions of power that you covet so greedily? Don't be such a coward, Mr Starsmore, there is more here then just you and me. And much more then your own skin on the line."

She crossed her arms, frowning, an expression that made her look her age, and stared out the window. She couldn't stand cowardice people, protecting and caring for nothing more then their own hides. She turned back to him, cold gaze falling absently on him, and she was still frowning. "You leave, right," she began, "but then what happens to the rest of us? Are you just going to leave us here for ruin and destruction, without so much as the slightest hesitation? You are more of a coward then I had ever thought it possible for any on to be." She sighed, disappointed and angry.