Persephone Hurst

[persephonehurst-blog]

A Matter of Importance // Open-ish

Persephone had gone into the Hall with the idea of going into the lounge that most of the professors used. It was hard going. She wanted desperately to run there, but that was the surest way t get lost and frighten the children. So she had walked, and looked peculiar and stiff-legged. As she walked, she looked hard for anyone, even a medic, just some other adult to whom she could speak with. She tried to keep a calm face, but it was difficult when ones eyes ae screaming in panic. At last she caught up to someone, and nabbed them by their sleeves “ May I speak with you a moment?” she asked, her voice low but tight “It’s really quite important?”

[persephonehurst-blog]

Divine Fortune / Self-para

The door to the Great Hall was open and aside from a few students having a late lunch or study session, empty. Persephone gave a sigh of relief and set her bag down at end of the Hufflepuff table. She’d always enjoyed the way the sunlight hit this spot in the afternoons. She set her pile of work before her, charts to be examined, papers to be graded.

It had not been a good year for her. A few weeks into the start of term, she and the flying instructor had …had words, over the sort of flying the students should be learning and the precise sport they should practice. Then the was the incident with the squid. And while only a few students ever actually voiced anything, she could feel the blame from children and adults alike over the events surronding Ms. Eames. It was a Diviners fortune, her grandmother once wrote, to always be asked "Why didn’t you see that coming?" Persephone had heard the question a lot for everything from minor bullying to Daisy's break up with Bernard last spring. She thought she carried her fortune quite well. Until last Spring. Until the looks and whispered accusations began. She felt…not defeated as such, just, horribly beaten down. So she had taken to self-exile, doing her work away from the chattering of the professor’s lounge and their suspicious looks.

She circled mistakes in peoples charts.. The line of Fate crossing into the Will line, for example.

No,she realized, about ten papers in. There was something wrong. Something quite wrong. She was sure, she had taught them correctly. She took out her own notebook, a long suffering copy of her own painstakingly drawn notes , and checked. No, she quite right. Yet there were was an abnormality in the papers, repeated so often that she

She must have…

The scent caught her.

Owl feathers. Amaretto. Her mail. She waved her hand and the bird moved onto a pile of scrying essays with a long suffering look.

No, it was something else. A stronger, more surronding scent.

The smell of a storm. She blew the scent out through her nostrils. It resettled on her tongue. It tasted like copper and lightening. She didn’t like this. Not it all. But who could she tell? The other staff members, who had , it seemed, been silently judging her every sine last term (Divination did not work that way, and even if it had, how could she convinced anyone?)

She felt herself pale, her insides having that bubbling wrongness that Gastronimers warned of. She couldn’t just keep it a secret. She took out another notebook, her own journal and flipped through a few pages marked in green ribbon. “Oh no.” she muttered quietly. “ Oh nononononno.” And she wondered if maybe everyone else was right and Divination was too large a task fr someone so young. But she had to tell someone.

She moved from the table and rushed, as quickly as she dared, out into the Hall, leaving her papers and mail behind.

[atfirstlight-rpg]

Desire

Prompt - Desire

In 200 words or less, describe an item your character craves and something they desire emotionally. Be sure to delve into your character’s motives, and use your response to develop them further. This prompt is essential to the overall plot, so when you’re finished responding, be sure to like this post for a special task.

[persephonehurst-blog]

The thing that Persephone wants the most is a copy of Basil Stalls’ The Whispering Trees. It’s often derided as “just a children’s story” and that may very well be true, but to Persephone’s family it’s so much more. Her father’s grandmother had bought it when he was struck with the pox hex as a child and read to him whenever she visited. It quickly became his favorite book. When he discovered that Amelia Autenberg considered her paper on the literary merits of The Whispering Trees to be her favorite published piece, he immediately proposed ( three years later, she said yes). The family copy with its teethed-on cover and ink smudged pages was lost in a flood, and while it could be easily replaced, Persephone is determined to save and get the hand-stitched first edition signed by the author and illustrator

Emotionally, she wants love. It’s nothing immense as far as emotional needs go, but then her life has not been needy. She was raised by supportive, loving parents; people who have lived through war and losing their previous children and a struggling business and come out the stronger. That’s the sort of love she wants that for herself.

[persephonehurst-blog]

On the Train l Persephone & Lanthe

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Lanthe nodded a thank you and nibbled at her biscuit while Persephone spoke. “I didn’t know it existed until I got the letter,” she admitted. “Though I guess you guys want it that way. In which case you’re doing a great job of keeping it hush hush. Couldn’t find anything about it online or in any books.” There had been plenty of things similar to Hogwarts in the fantasy section of the library. But they all had eloquent names like Fairy’s Brooke or Scola Magica. Hogwarts sounded like a bad skin disease.

Lanthe nodded. Her teachers had said similar things in the past. How they chose their job for their love of spreading knowledge or because they loved young minds. Persephone’s statement somehow seemed more genuine though. Lanthe sipped her tea and smiled to herself, tasting the familiar dark, earthy taste of earl grey. 

Lanthe blinked when Persephone mentioned muggles. She set her cup down, “why do you think they would make you an outsider? I mean- there use to be witch burnings sure but times have changed. I know some people would be thrilled to know magic existed.” The tea she had just drank left a sudden bitter taste in her mouth. Muggles sounded like such a dirty word, like they were untouchable people. 

[persephonehurst-blog]

“ Well, that is just the thing. <i>some</i> people would be thrilled; most muggles would not. We mix, marry and start families with each other, but in the end there are fundamental differences between magical folk and muggle folk that make our two societies very different. They have been very different for so long that no one is really interested in changing things. You’ll learn about it in your history course, I’m sure. “

Persephone eyed the tea table again, picked a few of the lighter sandwiches and waved the trolley on. “ All this is means poor children like yourself don’t quite feel they belong. They know they’re vastly different from others and and are unable to quite explain why. It’s absolutely tragic really. It’s not as though they can help who their parents were, and what that makes them. Then get their letter and come to us and fit in, come into their own, and really feel like they belong.”

She said this with pride. She absolutely believed every word of what she had spoken. After all, all her muggle-born friends had enjoyed the friends they made in the wizarding world, even those that had otherwise hated Hogwarts or gone back to their little muggle lives.

“Oh I’m sure you’ll love it, there” She assured Lanthe “Hogwarts is a wonderful experience. I’m sure you’ll make loads of new friends no matter what House they put you in. Most people will tell you to avoid Slytherin or Hufflepuff Houses at all cost, but you shouldn’t listen to them. I’ve found that Slytherin boys in particular are--” she stopped herself again “ That is probably something we should talk about when you’re older.”

[persephonehurst-blog]

On the Train l Persephone & Lanthe

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Lanthe reached for Miss Hurst’s hand. “Lanthe Moore,” she declared. She tried to wrack her brain for what exactly divination was but was drawing a blank. Lanthe kept her mouth shut- and focused on the woman in front of her. “Have you been teaching there long? It must be very prestigious to teach magic at such an old school.” Perhaps the only school? She imagined there must be other places for wizards to learn- but nothing in her research had found anything. Then again, her research never mentioned Hogwarts either.

Just then there was a knock at the door. Lanthe leaned over and slid it open, reviling a cart with a teapot and teacups. She turned back to her future professor. 

[persephonehurst-blog]

Persephone took charge f the pouring and serving. Her wardrobe suggested middle upper class, but she served like someone born and bred a lady. “I’ve only been here for about a year and a half. Before that I worked in publishing and animal husbandry “ she leaned over and said in a stage whisper “ that’s what the grown-up world says to call working in animal shops and shelters nowadays. But Divination is a family talent, passed down from my grandmother and I‘ve always loved it. ” She offered Lanthe a biscuit, considered taking one herself, but didn’t.

“Hogwarts is a very prodigious school, yes. Then again, they all tend to be, don’t they. I don’t expect you’d heard of us before now? That’s how it was for most muggle-borns when I went to school and things haven’t changed that much since then.

“ It’s not all about teaching magic, you know. It’s about teaching magical children, like yourself. My friend David liked to compare it to the, musically talented. Schooling helps you feel like your part of a group, rather than an outcast. Which seems quite ridiculous, why would you ever be an outsider for being magical? But that’s muggles for you I expect. Oh.” She paused, mouth halfway through forming the next word before her eyes widened slightly and a slight pink flushed her cheeks. “Oh dear, that was quite a bit rude of me, isn’t it?. I’m sorry, dear. “

[persephonehurst-blog]

On the Train l Persephone & Lanthe

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Lanthe looked over the cards in awe. The detail in every face, every sliver of grass on the cards. Detail seemed to be big with wizards. The more she looked at her books or her wand, she started to notice little things. Gold threads and intricate carvings everywhere she looked.

She picked up a card with a shining sun with a young, plump child in the foreground. She blinked- and when her eyes opened again she swore something about the child’s expression had changed. She turned over the card in her hand, as if by studding it she could find its secrets.

She placed the card back as the woman started to explain her tools. Lanthe’s hand jumped to the part of her jacket where her wand was kept. It had seemed childish to her at first, but as it was explained to her at the wand shop, her wand was the only way to channel her powers. Very few could not use a wand, the clerk had explained.

Lanthe perked up, “oh! You’re a professor? What class?” She imagined it would be a class she’d never heard of it, but better to start learning now.

[persephonehurst-blog]

She watched the girl carefully. Studying clients was the other part of the job. How they reacted to the cards was as much a part of it as the tools themselves. Persephone had spent a lot of her school time trying to see the difference between those students who really wanted to learn, like her, and the ones just going for the grade; looking for those who were actually real Seers; those would be her main competitors. She could see the wheels turning in this first year’s mind as she began t realize just what she was getting in to. Persephone wondered how utterly overwhelming it must feel.

“You’re a professor? What class?”

Persephone waved her hand as though the title was something simple, rather than the dream job she had been preparing years for. She’d wanted to be a professor for a while, but actually saying the word, connecting her name to it, made her wonder if she was mentioning some auntie she’d never actually met.

“ Mostly I teach Divination, but I occasional help substituting other classes so I’m sure you’ll see me around. Professor Hurst. “ she held out a hand. Long fingered, delicate looking, but warm and strong. “ And you are?”

[persephonehurst-blog]

On the Train l Persephone & Lanthe

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Lanthe opened her mouth to speak but once the offer was put forth it seemed rude to decline. She seemed like a nice woman after all. Probably could answer some of the questions she had about Hogwarts. She sat down and straighten out her skirt. 

"Um… sort of…" She wore a purple skirt with a a loose white shirt tucked into the skirt’s high waist. The shirt had scribbled typography on it, mostly famous quotes about love and positivity. Covering her shoulders was her father’s old, worn leather jacket. It reminded her of home, and more importantly kept her warm. A pair of black stockings came up to her knee and her worn Chucks covered her feet.

"I suppose I did want to look nice for the train, since we have uniforms." It certainly made packing easier. Lanthe noticed the deck of cards hidden in her lap. She pointed at them, "are those some sort of magic thing? Like tarot cards?" She’d been reading up on magic since receiving her letter.

[persephonehurst-blog]

Persephone laughed, a delighted sound, as though the girl had made a wonderful little joke. “ Why, yes. Everything’s a sort of magic thing here. “ Her mind cut off her mouth before she could say Didn't you know that? She always felt a little strange, realizing that there were places in the world where magic didn't exist. It was the same world where they put clothes on mannequins that stood in odd positions. “The cards. Are ‘like Tarot cards’ only I wouldn't use the word ‘like’ to describe it. Would you like to see? “ she unwrapped the cards and spread the handkerchief on the air between their seats. The deep blue was offset with silver stars and embroidered animals along the edges. The center was a complex compass in shimmering thread. She lay the cards out. Each hand been hand drawn and varied between black and white line drawings and richly colored photo-realism. Persephone laid them out without regard to position. She wasn't doing a Reading, after all.

“ You can pick them up if you’d like. I know a lot of folk who insist that no one else should ever touch your cards. Usually those are the ones who wear turbans, put their fingers to their temples, or have ’more bangles than sense’ as they say. My grandmother was of the opinion that it’s the work you put into them that really affects them. That is why it is always best to make your own tools. Cards, stone, sticks. You’re the one using them, so make certain your comfortable with them. It's like your wand, once it's a part of you and it will never work quite as well for others. These took me years to make and they’ll never quite be finished. Your tools will always reflect you which means that they will change with you. Oh, listen to me, sounding like professor before we've even arrived.”

[persephonehurst-blog]

On the Train l Open

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Lanthe’s stomach had dropped the second she stepped onto the train. She was fine on the platform. It was like every other train platform she’d been on so long as you didn’t look too closely. Children were pushing big carts with stacks of large, old looking trunks. Some of them had owls chirping as they looked around at the commotion. Some had rats in cages and cats in carriers and- had she just seen a frog?

Lanthe looked up at her own pet, Crowley. The two were just acquaintances, having only owned him for a few days. But at the moment he was all she had. Her parents had been adamant about their ability to reach the platform without looking like fools or smashing in their faces. It was a fair fear, and so Lanthe stood alone in a sea of children and parents. It was exciting though, everyone was clearing exuberant. Electricity sparked in the air like a thunderstorm was about to brew.

Lanthe was one of the last on the train. She walked among the full or almost full carriages sheepishly. She suddenly felt like a kindergartner as opposed to a first year. Finally she found what looked to be an empty compartment and opened it, taken aback when she saw the woman sitting inside. “I’m sorry,” she told her, still processing the woman. She looked quite a bit older than most students. How long was the schooling at Hogwarts anyway?

[persephonehurst-blog]

The girl had that shocked look of a first year who hadn't seen much of the magical world. Persephone replaced her card. “Oh, no it’s okay. “ She said. Her own voice wasn't as chirpy as Daisy’s, but it was warm. It must be getting a bit crowded if you've needed to come all the way down here hasn't it? Would you like to sit down? Oh. Excuse me.”

She reached to the seat across from her and took a small knitted handbag off the seat handling that as though it were larger than it looked, along with the deep blue handkerchief that  concealed the rest of the cards. She set the handkerchief in her lap and set the bag next to her, where it settled with a series of clinks and clattering sounds.

“The tea will be around shortly. That’s a sweet little outfit, you have on. Did you pick it just for the trip?” 

[profnathanfoster]

Already There - Open

Impatiently, Nathan paced through his office, waiting for the time to pass. There were only a few things professors could do on this day, but the Great Hall was already decorated, his lesson plans prepared and the surprise for the first years arranged. Now all he had to do was wait.

Nathan was not good at waiting. Unable to stay inside his office for much longer, he left and walked through the still-empty corridors, looking for somebody to talk to. Most teachers had already arrived, or would arrive in the next hours, but they were hard to find.

Wandering aimlessly through the castle still helped him clear his head, even if he could not find anybody. There was no reason for him to be as impatient as he was, but Nathan couldn’t help it.

Lost in his thoughts he had not noticed the other person, further down the corridor. He smiled at them. “Finally I’m finding somebody, I thought I was all alone in this place.”

[persephonehurst-blog]

He was Blue. That is, through the view from the Stone Eye, he was blue. But so was everything around him. She tucked the Eye back into it's little drawstring bag and strode up to him, smiling, a bounce in her step. She was home again, and her other family was returning. "Nathan. " She shook her head " Professor Foster." she began again.Politely, she kissed both his cheeks by way of greeting " I swear, I'll never get used to that. Welcome back."

"I know what you mean though. You can really feel haunted in this place by yourself. We are haunted, but the lonely sort of haunted. Let me guess, you've come for a pre-term Reading? Or some tea and chatter?" 

[persephonehurst-blog]

On the Train l Open

Persephone took a moment to sigh with relief. She loved Daisy like a sister; good in small doses. Daisy preferred the crowds of the proper station to the platform, where she would surrounded by sweet-or-snot stained fingers. Persephone enjoyed it. Her coat had been created for form and functionality, so staining was nt a problem. And she’d get a first glance at the students. She recognized the ones who were homesick already, like she had been when the train first pulled from the station.

She smiled as she boarded and made her way to her seat. It wasn’t crowded and she was left alone right up until the gentle jolt that started the journey. Persephone relaxed and enjoyed the view. From her hand bag she pulled a deck of cards and shuffle them idly. Every so often she studied one card, compared it with the view out the window and returned it to the deck. She pulled up one. A lace fan, each rib a sword point . Five ribs. She tried again. A picture of Hogwarts Astronomy Tower. She titled it, trying to discern the details and found herself focusing on the racks in the stone work, the number of windows that were lit in a manner that didn’t signal magical light. She glanced out the window, measured how deeply grey they were and looked back at the Tower card. Persephone licked her lips, reshuffled and pulled again. The door to her carriage opened and she jumped and laughed .

“Oh! Oh, you startled me. “ she told the visitor.

[persephonehurst-blog]

The Station

Persephone clipped her bracelet onto her wrist just as the doorbell rang. Her flats didn’t click on the floor as she walked, a sign that the work year had truly begun. “ It’s not possible to be fashionably late for a train” she called over her shoulder to the bathroom.

“ I never realized train stations accounted for fashion. ” Bernard said as she opened the door. He held up a bag filled with warm bakery smells “Do they account for breakfast at least?”

Persephone stepped aside to let him in as Daisy called back “ We haven’t time for pastries, darling. And the trains always wait for a Llewellyn.”

“We do, however, have time for coffee while she decides on just the right earrings.” Persephone took one of the little Styrofoam cups from the holder he’d placed on the entryway table. “You’re looking very nice today. She’s not taking you shopping afterwards is she?”

“Do you think?” Bernard glanced down at his slacks, the shirt and blazer “ I don’t think my shoes are up to proper shopping shininess. ”

She laughed around a bite of pastry “ No, but the tie might be a bit much.”

“Well, I figured, if I’m going to drive you two to the station, I might as well look the park. ” He leaned a bit closer and she was caught again by the light green of his eyes. “Does the train station really wait for a Llewellyn?”

“ No. At least I don’t think so, but she does have remarkable timing. ”

“ That’s proper training.” Daisy said. She wore her newest dress with the latest heels and of course, the gold and black bracelet. The past hour had been dedicated to her blonde hair and it showed. “ Hello, darling “ she gave Bernard the kiss and smile that Persephone knew she reserved for an Eight. “Do you like this?”

“ Beautiful as ever.”

Daisy cooed, took one of the cups and clucked at how cute the little spiral designs on it were then swatted Bernard playfully “ You haven’t said one word about our dear Professor Hurst outfit.”

“ I --ehm.” Persephone was looking at him, now that the kitchen counter and Daisy were safely between them again. “ You look very…comfortable.”

“Oh shoot” Persephone sighed “ I was going for ‘strict’ “

He smiled “ I don’t think cardigans and wool gloves quite say that . Tell me again” he said later as he escorted the two into his car “Why you don’t just take a flight to this Special school of yours.”

“Tradition, darling. We took the same train when we were the size of pixies-”

“ Since Daisy was pixie sized. They views are absolutely amazing and you have all that free time that you just don’t get from the faster travel. It’s like having one more holiday before the start of term.”

“ The crowds are the same.” he murmured. He frowned. Daisy patted him lightly on the arm and he smile at her in response. Persephone had been glancing out the window; counting birds, scrutinizing the cloud shapes, keeping a wary eye on the cut and colors of peoples outfits. There were a few patterns here and there. A prominence of out of fashion teals. “What was that?”

“ Do you have this year predictions?” Daisy was saying .

“ And the lottery numbers” Bernard offered. Both women gave him a long-suffering look, though he noted Penelope - no, sorry, Persephone - tempered hers with an understanding twitch of the lips. “ Sorry.”

“ Nothing of prominence. ”

“You have to understand” Daisy continued as they walked to the train station, her arms wrapped around one of his. The way he frowned at the crowd, the sheer wariness in his gaze, with occasional glances at his watch, made Daisy feel like she had a bodyguard. It was one of the things that kept him at an Eight. “ Persephone has always been good at noticing the little things that tell us how the year’s going to go. This one time, she saw a rabbit crossing the road”

“Daisy! “ Persephone reddened.

Daisy waved her hand “ Oh, it’s been years sweetie, and what’s the point of having a boyfriend if I can’t tell him everything?” but she didn’t mention it again.

They stopped between platforms 9 and 10. “What about your luggage?” Persephone held up her handbag. “Everything else is sent on ahead. ” “And you will remember to write this time, sweetie. And send us drawings., she does the cutest drawings.”

“Daisy!”

“We’re all adults here.”

The two women spent what felt like five more hours saying goodbye and making plans for the entire year. Bernard tried hard to pay attention, but really there was only so much listening one could do, especially when he was on a time limit.

He was watching carefully when the Pene--Persephone, stepped from them into the crowd. A crowd that was already full excited children and their harried parents. He breathed a sigh of relief as Daisy lead him out of the station. The watch on his wrist made a buzzing little vibration as they stepped out of the station.

“I’m sorry dear, can we reschedule lunch. I have to go. “ Daisy gave him a little pouty look. It was cute, he noted, but a calculate sort of cute. “ I’m sorry. On call.”

She gave an exaggerated sigh. “ You’re lucky you’re good looking. “ “ and a life-saver?”

“And a life-saver.”

[persephonehurst-blog]

This is the Diner that Jack built

A squeal penetrated the air in Jack’s, causing one waitress to nearly drop her tray and a few of the regulars to glare sternly at the booth. 　 　　 “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” said one of the booth patrons, her face flushed and waving her hands in an excitable flutter “I just.. I got…I’m sorry really.” She turned back to her booth mates. 　　　 “Don’t get us kicked out of here.” Daisy said, trying not to giggle “No seriously don’t. I’ve just gotten used to the cuisine.” 　　　 David barely looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet. “It’s food. Can we just agree to call it food?” 　　　 “Don’t be a plebian.” 　　　 “Do you even know what that word means?” 　　　 “Do you?” 　　　 Persephone knew this argument and chose to ignore it. “I am sorry. It’s just…I got it.” 　　　 “ I told you not to pet that dog.” 　 　　 She reached over and smacked David with her spoon. “Not fleas. A job. I got the job.” She held out the letter in a shaky hand. It was all there. The crest in wax. The parchment that she had once memorized the scent of. The welcoming message. 　　　 “Oh sweetie. I’m so happy for you. “ Daisy cooed. Daisy cooed at everything- she’d cooed at how cute her eggs looked this morning-but this time she sounded like she especially meant it. “We need to celebrate. Wine, yes. Wine? Excuse me, Marcus?” 　　　 “They don’t serve our brand here.” David reminded her. 　　　 Daisy looked like a puppy who’d just realized it’s favorite bone had vanished. Said puppy then decided it preferred tennis balls anyway. “ Cappuccino then. Marcus, three cappuccinos - ”　 David cleared his throat “Two cappuccinos and a nettle tea. “ 　　　 “Bergamot.” 　　　 “Bergamot tea. Thank you, Marcus. ” 　 　　 Marcus, whose named tag read “Les” nodded and proceeded to ignore them. Daisy didn’t notice, her attention drawn to another of the patrons. “Ooo, and this day has just gotten better. Look whose here. ” 　　　 The others looked and the joy on Persephone’s face turned to nervousness. “Oh my god no. Give it here.” She reached for the Prophet, which David moved just out of her reach. “Give it, Davey. ” Dave shook his head and shook the paper, changing it effortlessly to the Times. 　　　 It was already too late. There he was, in the same brown coat and green scarf she’d first seen him in. He was a regular, coming in each Tuesday and Thursday, twice on the weekends.　 They never really spoke, save for a bit of small talk, but she knew his favorite beverage (apple cider with caramel, or milk), his favorite breakfast ( porridge that he mixed marmalade in), that sometimes his hair was extra curly in the morning or when the weather was exceptionally rainy, and that he didn’t smile often but when he did, oh wow . 　　　 “I couldn’t help but hear.” He began. “Good news, is it?” 　　　 Persephone felt her face go red. “I—ehm “ she looked at the others. “Yeah, some very good news actually. “ 　　　 “And that’s our cue. C’mon, David” Daisy stood, brushing off the imaginary crumbs from her newest spring skirt. 　　　 David sounded affronted “I’m not one with my paper.” 　 　　 “The answer to four down is ‘Taxidermy.’ It’s always ‘Taxidermy’ and that’s the only section you ever read. Now let’s go. You owe me new shoes anyway, from what that little beast of yours did to the last pair.” 　　　 David sighed, but followed her out the door, paper in his pocket. 　　　 “I didn’t mean to scare them away.” He said after a moment. 　 　　 “Oh, you didn’t.“ she assured him “He really does owe her the shoes. She’s quite picky about where and when on these matters.” 　　　 “Oh good. Do you mind?” 　　　 “No, please. “ 　 　　 He took the seat the others had vacated, carefully positioning his elbows away from the plate of runny eggs and hash leftovers. “So what’s this wonderful news that the whole place gets to know about?” 　　　 “You remember the job I told you about?” 　 　　 He squinted his eyes-she still hadn’t figured out what color they were- and tilted his head just a bit to the side. “The air traffic controller? Or the pig farmer?” He smiled. He had one of those contagious smiles and she laughed. 　　　 “The teaching position. ” 　　　 “Ah. The specialty school.” 　　　 “That’s it.” 　　　 “Congratulations. Does that man we’ll be seeing less of you around here?” 　 　　 She paused, mouth half-open to answer. Seconds ticked by. She realized how little she could say. She became increasingly aware of how embarrassing she must look right now. She figured any move she could make would just be more embarrassing. 　　　 Not-Marcus brought　the drinks, breaking the not-moment they were not-having. 　　　 “Are you okay?” 　　　 That managed to break Persephone out of it. “Yes. I just..” 　　　 “It was a really tough question. Entirely my fault, I should have warned you there’d be a test.”　　　 　　　 “No. No. I will still be here. Just, not as often. ” 　　　 “That’s a shame. I was just starting to get used to you. Maybe I could come visit.” 　 　　 “That won’t be possible. It’s a very, exclusive school, and has high security.” Why did that sound so much like she was avoiding giving him her personal owl’s name? “And it’s in Scotland” she added as an afterthought. 　　　 He had been poking at the remains of the runny eggs as though he thought they might move on their own. “ I thought you said you could come back. Scotland seems a bit far.” 　　　 “I am very good at traveling.” 　　　 “And that did not sound like a lie at all. Congratulations. You wouldn‘t happen to have the time would you?” 　　　 “Oh, yeah. Umm.. “ she dug in her purse for the watch with the broken strap “ almost 1.” 　 　　 “Which means I’m officially late. You’ll excuse me.” He stood from the booth, readjusted his coat “Before I go, how much longer are we going to be able to do …this?” 　　　 For the first time, she actually looked at the letter. She would have sworn she’d had it memorized. 　 　　 “ Another week. Maybe two. It depends on how quickly I can find a place to move to. Then there’s all the packing, and getting materials and just the general business.” 　　　 “Then I suggest you take your time. Make that week stretch as long as possible. I’m starting to miss you already Ms… I never did catch your name.” 　　　 “Persephone Hurst.” 　　　 “Persephone?” 　　　 “My parents were old-fashioned” she started to say, but he held up a hand. 　　　 “No explanations needed.　It’s a lovely name. Bernard Tarquin.” 　　　 “Tarquin.” 　 　　 “You see, there are worse family names. Goodbye for now, Ms. Hurst. I hope to see you again soon. If you‘ll allow me.” She made some noises to stop him, but he already had his wallet out. “When you get　 your first spectacular specialty school paycheck, you can buy my breakfast. Or perhaps dinner. ” 　　　 “ Fine. But only if you have something besides the marmalade porridge.” 　　　 “ Very well then. It’s a date.” 　　　 He had been gone for two whole minutes before his final words hit her and she spilled cappuccino over her letter.