cuppa?

rubeus hagrid a' yer service, got plenty ter be gettin' on with so please have out with it -- gotta get up ter the castle an' chat with a few folks before dark. yer'd be surprised what small things come in big packages.

[trnsfiguration]

“Many things happening these days seem to be for the books,” she remarked almost gloomily, and she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from saying more: this was not the time and place for her pessimism (although there never really was one). “I doubt, however, that this prank gone wrong won’t be the biggest thing happening this decade. Unfortunately.”

Her lips quivered then, and she let them curl into a smile. “Cheers indeed,” she said, raising her glass with the nod of her head, before taking a sip. “And I don’t feel like much a lady here, so don’t worry about that too much.” A chuckle followed those words, before she fell quiet for a moment. Another sip was taken and she found herself shrugging — a gesture she disliked in her students so very much. “It was, yes,” she confessed and the honesty of her words felt good in the presence of Hagrid: with others, she might not admit to that, after all. “But I do think that we all handled it quite well — we’ve got a good bunch of prefects and Head Students, thank Merlin for that. I do hope things calm down a little, and that the only ruckus will be about Quidditch.”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

Gloom and doom might be the doing of the venue, but Rubeus didn’t catch on to the quiet in her voice. As unfortunate as the situation seemed, he remained as ever, the go-for-broke character that Dumbledore seemed to have hired for that express purpose. 

“We’ve a fine bunch o‘ student’s, seen nothin’ like ‘em, tha’s fer sure. Scamperin’ here an’ there, an’ sometimes if there’s summat injured, they’ll ring my bell.” It was the best praise he could do for a bunch of students recently under investigation for poisoning.  

[nickelsandbells]

Nicodemus laughed along and shook his head. “Sorry, I just got out of class and it seems my brain’s still in professor mode. Those kids think thirty is old,” he mocked hurt and put a hand over his heart before shrugging his shoulders at Rubeus’ question. “I can hardly remember anymore. I think he got to clean up a Potions cupboard or something equally riveting.”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

Rubeus cracked a smile, it wasn’t as if the years had been hard on him, and all in all he enjoyed the experience of time. “Kids?” he asked with a barrel laugh that just resisted shaking nearby tables and chairs. “I’ll be fifty next year, or year after nex’. An’ won’ have much ter show fer it.” He offered it as a joke, meaning that while he appreciated his life, he recognized nearly no one else would see his lifestyle as ‘adult’. “Well yeh’ve go' makin’ copies, don’ think scrubbin’s much better.” 

[deanalton]

Dean blinked confusedly before realizing that he hadn’t actually specified who he was talking about. “Oh! No, not Narcissa. I think the Earth would stop turning before she gave me a gift.” He liked Narcissa, thought she deserved better than what she got. He understood Hagrid’s warning to be careful– Narcissa’s sister Bellatrix was beautiful, but deadly– but he’d never seen any examples of that in Narcissa. Still, even he knew that Narcissa wasn’t going to be sending him gifts anytime soon. But that only furthered his question. Why had Olivia? “No, er, I was talking about my tutor. Olivia King? I think I’ve mentioned her, right?” He grinned at the offer of food. He liked Hagrid’s cooking. “I wouldn’t say no.”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

Hagrid had only a professional knowledge of the Black sisters, and when it came right down to it, couldn’t tell them apart. He’d heard the name Narcissa thrown out a few times in the staff room, and knew it’d be more than his job’s worth to get involved in anything to do with that family. 

“Pardon me, I didn’, erh, well then.” Hagrid regrouped, sticking his hands in the over large pockets of his embroidered apron. “I’ve met Miss King, no' like I know yeh, but I’m familiar.” He grinned, a smile that effortlessly spread from ear to ear. “I’ve got an assortment o’ cakes today. An’ some new teas. Been ter Russia this summer.”

[delilahxcarrow]

Alecto frowned when he spoke. “Yeah, I’d rather not get wet,” she said, not understanding why anyone would go into the lake, it was cold out. She saw it as her way out, and she was honestly so glad that she didn’t seem to be in any trouble that she knew that she had to take advantage and get out. “Good luck with…whatever it is you’re doing.”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

“M’ waterin’ the pumpkins.” Hagrid took out his bright pink umbrella and stuck the tip in the water. Tendrils of water shot out of the lake, branching over them, in an arch toward Hagrid’s pumpkin patch. Large drops of lake water fell over the pair of them. 

[nickelsandbells]

“Sorry,” he laughed awkwardly not sure if he was really upset or not. He didn’t think he’d mind him teasing him for something like that; figured it was common knowledge. “I actually had a friend ask me to write him a detention back in my prefect days after he heard about someone else getting to go into the forbidden forest with you. It did seem a bit daft to me; there was such a small chance of that actually being the result. In any case your detention does sound more eventful than mine.”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

It wasn’t that Rubeus minded. It was that if he’d ever prove himself a worthy member of staff, even make it to the rank of professor, he’d have to adhere to things like ‘making detention look like a chore’, and other things they paid professors for. Rubeus desperately wanted to be taken seriously, but in actual practice tended to follow the most interesting trail. 

“Back in yer day?” Rubeus gave a hearty laugh that jostled a nearby bowl of apples and oranges. “An wha’ did he end up havin’ ter do?” he asked, knowing the outcome couldn’t have been enjoyable. When it came down to the tasks he himself had to do, the Forbidden Forest wasn’t enjoyable either. And he kept several extra student-sized trousers in his cabin because of it. 

[oliviakings]

Olivia sipped at the surprisingly dainty tea cup she’d been given, adjusting the peter pan collar of her shirt. “No, no, believe me-” she placed the cup back in its saucer, “-Dean truly does not want anything to do with magic. It’s quite the travesty. He’d be quite good at it. Though, I imagine you’d know more about his talents than I?” Olivia pried.

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

Hagrid eyed the pot tea, nothing seemed to settle students like a hot brew, but Miss King kept up the ever bubbly stream of sentences. “I’ve known Dean fer quite a time now, he’s one o’ the good ones.” As a somewhat reclusive grounds-person, not many students sought out his opinion and Hagrid was both proud and confused. “An’ yeh’ve hardly touched yer rock cake. Maybe I won’ do the sugar strands nex' time, makes ‘em look too festive. Wha’ yeh think?” 

[fanonical]

little did they know that rubeus hagrid was actually seven 11 year olds in a trenchcoat the whole time

[rocktheholygrail]

[elenawoodrxw-blog]

Besides myself, no. She thought internally. “No, no one in particular. Sorry Hagrid. Any reason you ask?”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

“There’s been student’s out after dark, s’why. S’no makin’ me life any easier, wha' with all tha’s been goin’ on. How’ve yeh been, Miss Elena?” 

[hogwartsandrec]

(x)

[trnsfiguration]

While Minerva had never been a person who needed much sleep, she was positively exhausted that day. On the night of the ball, she had not slept, and the days after that had been filled with work and as she walked into the Hog’s Head, she realised that it was the first moment that she wasn’t working in almost a week. “As am I,” she said, a sigh leaving slightly parted lips as she sat down next to Rubeus. The Hog’s Head was far from her usual scene, but Minerva wanted a glass of strong mead and a good conversation, and she supposed she could find those in the seat next to Rubeus’. After ordering her drink, she turned to Rubeus, “Quite a week it’s been, huh?”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

“Wha’ a week,” he nodded in an agreement doubled as an understatement. Rubeus was young by wizard standards, old by muggle standards, and right at the cusp of knowing what the hell was going on. “S’one fer the books, an’ a book I’m not plannin’ on rereadin’ anytime soon.” 

And if he’d, as gamekeeper, felt stressed, Minerva must be tens times as tense. Her drink came quickly and Rubeus was relieved not to be drinking alone, as usual. “Mead’ll do yeh nicely,” he said with a chuckle. “Yeh deserve it, anyhow. M’not sure if yer suppos’d ter say tha’ ter a lady, but cheers all the same, right? Ye’ve done good at the castle, ball an’ all tha’.” He appreciated her friendship in part for her patience with his rambling speeches. “Must’ve been ‘ard.”

[delilahxcarrow]

“It sure sounded like you were,” she replied. Maybe it was petty, but she was in such a bad mood that she couldn’t help it. She  had been here first, so who was he to make her get up and move to a new spot? It made no sense. But then she reminded herself that she was already one step away from detention so she shot him a look and gathered her stuff. “Fine. I’ll find somewhere else to sit.” She snapped.

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

Now Hagrid had confused himself into a chain of circular thinking, and was thoroughly confused. Move or stay, he thought he’d attempted to do her a favor. “Right then, ‘cause if yer wanted ter stay I’d offer yeh a poncho. S’bout ter get, a bit wet.” His boots on properly, Hagrid waded into the water up to his knees. 

[nickelsandbells]

Nicodemus swallowed uncomfortably. He knew Rubeus was a good man, but that didn’t make talking about his past any easier. He brightened at his troll comment. “That’d be an adventure alright,” he agreed with an amused smile. “Is this why kids are purposefully trying to get detention with you?” 

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

“Kids er doin’ wha?” Rubeus groaned loudly, wondering how widely Dean Alton had announced his detention. “Nah,” he covered. “I’ve 'ad instructions from Dumbledore ter take students on rou'ine tasks tha' need doin’ around the grounds. Trolls need takin’ care of...”  

[elenawoodrxw-blog]

“Sorry Sir?” Elena asked quietly. “I’m not sure what you are referring to?”

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

“Didn’ mean ter bother yeh,” Hagrid grabbed a muffin from off the breakfast spread of the Ravenclaw table. “Lookin fer Filius. Yeh know anythin' about students out after dark, Miss Woodrow?” 

[hogwartsandrec]

(x)

[meabhd]

”‘Could I- could I say goodbye to him, sir?’ asked Hagrid.

He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy,whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.”

                                    -Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, page 17

[keeperofkeysandgrounds-blog1]

Another day, the end of another bottle. Rubeus hunched over his stool, resting his weight on the beer-soaked bar. He hadn’t expected Minerva to meet him at the Hog’s Head, Professors seemed to like the Three Broomsticks and its squeaky clean atmosphere over anywhere else. “M’ glad yeh made it,” he squinted in her direction as who he thought was Minerva sat next to him. “One more,” he blinked into his bottle, hoping he had Aberforth’s attention. 

@trnsfiguration