Míngzhū Fei

“I’m going to hold you to it now, only because it’s such a good idea,” Elena beamed, nudging her coworker lightly. “Yeah I can’t recall one either. I always felt so cheated that we didn’t have a yearbook or anything, that would’ve been so cool to have an easy way to look back on memories like that. Why doesn’t Hogwarts do that?”

“Well I’m glad to know that when I have ideas, there is someone who will put value in them.” Pearl joked, knowing Elena to be one of the most supportive people she’d ever met. “Perhaps it’s because there is no one willing to put the time into that. Professors already have so much going on, it seems like it would be another thing that would be a weight on their shoulders.”

“I’ll probably have to move when I’m old and grey then. Gotta warm those old bones and all that jazz,” Elias chuckled. Now that he thought about it, moving away even now was not such a bad idea. At least he would put some distance between himself and all that mess. “Well, I’m sure each one of them would be interested in my personality,” he replied drily. 

“You’re really anticipating this old age thing. Are you feeling the fear of it already, Elias?” Pearl questioned sounding amused. She’d come to terms with the fact it was going to happen some time ago. Pearl was just trying to embrace it. “I’m certain they would.” 

“There is absolutely no way I am doing that again,” Seb replied, collapsing in a heap on the grass. He spoke as if he were out of breath, because he was, and tried his best to catch it, “Listen, I consider myself to be in good shape but that was just… excruciating. How do people work out like that every day?”

“I’m assuming your work out partner has run off on you because I’m fairly certain I’m not the one that question was intended for.” Pearl found herself saying as she sipped on her drink and raised an eyebrow at her past student.

“What an absolutely lovely and thoughtful idea, Pearl!” she admitted with a smile as she imagined the faces of all the students reminiscing on their past years of laughs at Hogwarts. “You’re absolutely right about that! We’ve had some pretty iconic pranksters pass through our classrooms too. I’m sure they’d love the spotlight cast on them for one last hoorah,” Elena agreed with a soft laugh.

“We have and I am sure plenty of people would be more than happy to share their stories. It’s something we can maybe work on for next year.” Pearl suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. I know for me it’s always nice to remember those iconic moments... I can’t ever remember having one myself though when I was back in school.”

“You’re not wrong about that,” Elena had to agree, smiling to herself at all the memories. “Do you think it’d be worth asking some of our coworkers for any of their stories? We could easily gain a few pages from that alone,” she suggested with a lighthearted wiggle of her eyebrows. “Neither do I. Merlin am I glad you’re the other Charms teacher and not somebody I don’t get along with. You’re one of my favorite people to pick each other’s brains with,” she admitted, laughing softly at the way she had worded things but the sentiment was genuine.

“You know, even if we’re not making a whole book over them, it could be a really nice addition to the leaving assembly for the students heading out into the real world each year. I mean, by all accounts, no one will ever not think of the portable swamp left by Fred and George Weasley as anything but a wonderful funny memory.” Because it was still discussed to this day.

“Because you’re far easier to teach then a bunch of snotty nosed kids, that and you actually listen to what I say most of the time.” Joshua pointed out, because he was sure most of his lessons went in one ear of the student and then out the other more or less straight afterwards. “Peachy.” He commented, with a small smile. “Or well, more like slightly irritable, but that happens. It’ll wear off in a couple of days.”

“A bunch of snotty nosed kids hm?” Pearl had to laugh at that description. Sometimes Joshua made it sound like he couldn’t stand his job or the children but she knew that wasn’t true. “Peachy hm? Well better than you were doing for you to say that at least. You know, if you need anything that I can help with you can throw me a message and I’m happy to support. Even if it means picking you up some dinner.”

“Do you really think it’d sell that well?” she wondered with a laugh. “We’d have to figure out a way for our students to not get a hold of it though. Or at least change things up to be rather anonymous, right?” Elena added in amusement. “They do, but probably because they know we can take it. We’ve always been a force to be reckoned with.”

“I don’t see why not. We sit there in stitches over things they have said or some of the pictures and writing they have handed in before now. You know how it is, there is always something genuinely hilarious about the innocence in their words.” Pearl didn’t think she necessarily had the patience to pack them all up into a book though. Perhaps they would just always remain fun little memories to drag up when conversing with people who understood what it was like to work in a school. “Yes, we have. And I don’t intend to change that any time soon.”

Jamie jumped when he heard a voice so close behind him. “Oh my God,” he said, “warn a guy, huh?” He turned to look at the other. “Can you just repeat what you said? You startled me that I did not pay attention to what you just asked.”

“Well ‘warning a guy’ was what I was trying to do but it seems you won’t listening Mr Highmore.” Pearl answered though she didn’t seem upset. if anything she seemed amused by the situation. “But I was saying that if you’re not careful you’re going to elbow that glass vase off the shelf and then you’ll end up having to pay for it.”

“Exactly,” Elena agreed. “And it can be a struggle when I do try and strip back my teacher status to try and be more approachable or relatable in a situation where they’ve come to me for support or advice,” she mentioned, having done so in the past before. “Because you do that once or twice and then they think they can get away with anything. I guess it’s all about finding a balance,” she shrugged slightly. “I’m sure they have. We are both fantastic professors, Pearl.”

“I mean, we should put together a book of all the things we have heard. I’m fairly sure between the two of us it would be a best seller.” She said with a little laugh, resting her chin on her hand as she thought of their children. “I believe that too though. We are fantastic professors but sometimes they like to test that.”

“I think I was born in a wrong country then. I’d rather be on a beach or a piazza, sipping margaritas, and observing people. And I can’t say I spend a lot of time on my hair, but it would be nice not to worry it may get all messy after a sudden rainstorm,” Elias chuckled. 

“A piazza hm?” Pearl couldn’t help but laugh at that. “I’m afraid to say that I would probably agree; you likely were born in the wrong country. We’re not really known for that after all. As for your hair, I’m fairly certain that you could look as bedraggled as you liked and you’d still have a swarm of admirers following you.”

“I guess if we all wanted a part in helping out in a more physical way then we’d all have become Aurors.” Joshua told the other. “We were doing our part by helping out here and keeping the kids safe, that’s a big part of helping out even if it doesn’t seem like it at the time.” He continued. “I wish I could tell you my life is exciting, but it’s not. I’m currently winding down from the full moon after all, still finding twigs in my hair and what not.”

“Why do I feel like you are teaching me sometimes too?” Pearl questioned, amusement playing over her lips as she smiled at the man. “But yes, I know we are. It’s just hard to watch them being upset and concerned about their families wellbeing and not being able to do something about it. No amount of telling them that they will be okay fixes that.” She explained, giving a sigh and a soft shrug. “How are you feeling?” Knowing that sometimes the others situation could take its toll.

“I know what you mean,” Elena nodded with a little laugh of her own. “But of course we can’t let on that we find them funny from time to time. That’ll only encourage them and then the remarks will be less funny and more of a nuisance,” she pointed out, but the amused smile was still on her lips. “I wish I could get a glimpse into their lives once they’re out there in the real world, you know? While a bit annoying in some cases during my classes, I hope they keep that spunk in the outside world since you never know when you might need a thicker skin.”

“Of course not, because then chaos would ensue. As much as we want good relationships with them, we are, at the end of the day, their teachers and not their friends.” And she had found that occasionally pupils found it difficult to find the fine line between the two. “Sometimes we do when we find out what they’ve been up to but I guess we just have to hope that they’ve learned the important stuff from us.”

Elias took the phone and while the photo wasn’t showing something that would make him laugh, he could definitely see the appeal. “Well, we do have a lot of rainy days in this country, so I do hope this does its job,” he replied, smiling softly as he handed Pearl her phone back.

“If we’re talking about actual rainy days, I don’t mind those so much. There is something so refreshing about being stuck out in a rainstorm or watching it bounce off the window and like you said, we get plenty of it here.”

“That’s true. I’m definitely the type to be too caught up in the moment to remember to snap a pic,” Cyrus admitted. “Absolutely. I guess there’s pros and cons to either side like with most things,” he then shrugged with a laugh. 

“I envy that about you. Maybe I should be a little more like that myself. Taking a photo is great, but not if it means I am not making the most of the moment myself.” Pearl admitted, sliding her phone into her pocket. 

“Whichever you identify as, I think the most important thing is not letting it completely take over your life– right? Some optimists can be so blind to red flags and vice versa,” Elena shrugged slightly.

A small smile was Pearl’s answer. If she were being completely honest, she knew there were parts of her life she allowed it to rule far more than she ought to but for now that was what she needed to protect herself. Maybe in the future, with the right person it might change but she was happy at least. “Well you can’t say I am blind to red flags. Not these days anyway.” She answered with a laugh.