New Robes

[quinntyler]

Quinn Tyler was in desperate need of new robes. The uniform consisted of a plain white buttoned shirt, a house tie with thin blue and bronze stripes, charcoal grey skirt (around knee-length, which she would clearly be hemming), and black tights and stockings. She would add her impressive black boots to the combo to make it more her own. She also gathered up an open black robe, one of the better ones with shimmering navy blue lining, with a silver fastening and a bronze and blue Ravenclaw emblem.

For a moment Quinn stared down at the eagle and smiled. She really did enjoy learning, even if she did have a problem with authority. She was a true Ravenclaw, valuing knowledge, and wit. It would be her last and final year at Hogwarts and she was really very excited, and yet she still had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She figured by now she should know what path to take, but honestly she hadn’t a clue.

((oo: Anyone want to join?))

[Professor Carlyle]

((ooc: I couldn't resist. And cos I find it utterly weird to see teachers outside of school/dressing casually, let's say he looks like that, sadly minus Freema and the Dalek!))

David was looking after his younger brother Greg's oldest kid, which mostly meant chasing the hyperactive 11 year old around Diagon Alley, trying not to lose him and/or exasperatedly call him a cheeky little bugger too loudly, whilst ticking off some of the shopping list of stuff little Toby needed to start Hogwarts next month. He'd offered to take the boy to Diagon Alley for the supplies mostly because Greg and his wife looked like they needed some serious relaxation time - if anything else just to get the house cleaned up without having Toby mess a room up just as they'd finished it - and, what could he say, he loved kids. A little good deed never went amiss either. "Oy, robes, come on, to Madam Malkin's with you, you little rascal, before I take back that offer of ice cream for dinner," he threatened with a vaguely stern look at his nephew though the soft smirk of amusement might have ruined the warning just a little bit. Still, the boy allowed himself to be shepherded out of the sun-soaked street and through the door of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, the bell above it tinkling to announce a customer, before he soon skipped off to bother the eponymous shopkeeper to get him some robes for Hogwarts.

The man smiled sympathetically at Madam Malkin, "It'll be his first set of robes, he's just really excited about Hogwarts, I can't apologise enough for how he is," he apologised as the boy quickly monopolised the lady's attention and starting chatting away confidently to her as she patiently got to work on fitting a standard robe for the boy. "Patient of a saint, thank you," David shot over to her gratefully, moving to browse casually as he waited for Toby. Only then did he realise he recognised the other patron of the shop, "Miss Tyler!" he greeted her in surprise but enthusiastically as he smiled in a friendly way down at his student. "Shopping for the new year? You've had a good summer then, yeah? You look well..." he enthused before backtracking quickly, "Well you look... healthy, not that you ever don't, not that I look at you like obsessively or notice anything but..." he blabbered on before sighing heavily at himself, "I'm gonna stop before I well and truly put my foot in it and start over. Hello, Miss Tyler, what a pleasant surprise to see you here! How has your summer been?" he asked, correcting himself and speaking in a formal, what he deemed as an 'appropriate teacher-student tone'.

[quinntyler]

Her heart leapt into her throat ’be cool Tyler, be cool’ she told herself as she heard Professor Carlyle’s voice before turning her head sideways to gaze at him. “Yep,” she replied, her smile growing as his did. She held up her finds to show him. “I am thinking about getting the fancy robe,” she told him holding the robe up to herself to show him, “What do you think, is shimmering Navy blue lining really me?” she deadpanned and then smiled.

As he began babbling about how she looked nice, and something about healthy, she held back a laugh, “Thanks Prof Carlyle,” she laughed as he started over, and nodded, as if it were a good idea. “Hello Prof Carlyle,” she shook his hand as if they just hadn’t said hello. Looking at his shirt she nodded, “Nice tee Mr Carlyle, The Fratellis, I’m impressed.” At his question about her summer she squinted and made a face as she thought about it for a second, “Good, busy, rambunctious, I have seven siblings so it’s always busy.” She sighed, “I will be glad to be back at school for some peace and quiet,” she told him with a smile, not to mention she would get to see him every day.

((ooc: Oh, and not that it matters but Quinn is wearing something like this.))

[Professor Carlyle]

Looking down at the robe she held up to her body he nodded, "Well, it looks uh... nice in my opinion, but I'm not exactly a fashion guru so I'd get a different second opinion," David admitted with a carefree grin, "Very Ravenclaw though, from one Claw to another, nice show of house pride," he enthused with a sure nod of his head at this. Taking the offered hand he shook Quinn's then and smiled awkwardly, "Hello indeed, sorry, trying to be more professional seems to be my goal every single year without fail. Hmmm. You think the handshake thing is maybe just a wee step too far?" he suggested, becoming very aware of the fact he was touching a student's hand and abruptly letting hers go while trying to play it cool and casual about the whole thing.

He reflexively glanced down at his own t-shirt as she mentioned it and then chuckled, "Oh, thanks! But hey, there's no need to sound so surprised that a grown-up knows who The Fratellis are," he joked with her. Turning away to spy on Toby at the back of the shop, just to check the boy hadn't somehow caused mayhem in the minute he'd been back there, David nodded along distractedly to Quinn's answer until she mentioned siblings and then his gaze met hers instantly. "Oh, Merlin, don't I know that feeling!" he cried, adding in explanation, "You're looking at one of six Carlyle bairns, I know the feeling of needing to get away from the chaos and thanking the lord for Hogwarts. And now most of my siblings have chosen to procreate, it's even more hectic in the ol' family household when it comes round to Christmas and Easter."

[quinntyler]

“Wow, you were a Ravenclaw too?” Quinn’s eyes lit up, perhaps a little too much at the idea. “Cool,” she nodded nonchalantly at them being in the same house. “Nah, the handshake is good. Tells a person you mean business… or whatever,” she shrugged. They seemed to be shaking hands for a bit longer than necessary she noticed, but then he released her hand.

“God, I hope none of my siblings have children,” she responded in a dry tone, “Especially Renee, but with my luck she will be the only one to actually have children. Or Lip, he’s Phillip, the boy a year younger than me. The one always mouthing off and getting into trouble, that’s my brother. If you can’t tell him apart from the other delinquents he is the small skinny one that wears leather jackets and thinks that he’s really tough, and probably has a pack of commandeered ciggies stashed in his pocket.” She glanced around. “So, is that your kid or are you watching it for someone else?” she asked about the boy who came in with him. “By the way, if you need a hand I can help, I have two little brothers who are both of them terrors.”

[Professor Carlyle]

"Aye, I was, have I never mentioned that? Clearly I need to Ravenclaw-up my classroom... or would that be wrong 'cause I'd be showing a bias to one house?" David wondered aloud and then shrugged with a carefree smile - he'd probably do it anyway. "You think? Alright, the handshake stays then," he nodded surely, all too aware that that particular handshake had lasted way too long. He really wished he would stop getting himself into awkward situations like this with his students. He'd been more careful since that night Joe had happened across him and Mackenzie - he'd also worked extremely hard to blank that kiss, peck even, from his memory - and he really hoped he'd become a little better at 'the whole student-teacher professional boundary thing'.

He shook his head then, "Don't hope they don't, inevitably they'll be pregnant within the year if you say that," he commented lightly. "Yessss, I have came across Phillip. Actually I think I had to confiscate a packet from him once," he recalled, "That was one of my actual genuine disciplinarian moments, they're few and far between." Looking between Toby and Quinn he couldn't help but let out a laugh, "Oh god, no he's not mine, that would imply a woman deemed me mature enough to have a child with!" he joked. "He's my nephew, my younger brother Greg is finding him a little... trying today so I offered to take little Toby here for his Hogwarts stuff so his mum and dad could have a little peace and quiet for once. You know when you offer to do something out of the goodness of your heart but then instantly regret being nice? This is one of those times," he continued with a weary smile but soon brightened and perked up again, "He's just like I was at his age... and still am to be honest if you get enough sugar in me quick enough. So I can handle him, I know how to get him to behave, I'm buying him off with the promise of ice cream later."

[quinntyler]

“Being biased myself I’m not sure I’m the one to ask, but personally I’d say go for it,” Quinn smiled at him. Her smile lingered on him as their hands fell away from one another.

“Great,” she sighed, Quinn couldn’t handle her already neurotic sister being pregnant. Thank goodness Renee lived at least 45 minutes away. “Yeah, a lot of people do,” she nodded about Phillip. Quinn’s lips tightened and she nodded in agreement, “Yeah that usually happens with kids, agreeing to take care of them, agreeing to have them, it a whole circle of regret, why bother?” she deadpanned with a shrug and then laughed. “Mmm, now there is where you are going a bit wrong. Sugar will only make him more energetic and let’s face it, annoying, you have to have a talk with him about… boundaries first… want me to do it? I’m really good at it, again, two little heathens,” she said. Really Quinn’s tactic was scaring the shit out of them with whatever she said so that they would mind their parents (or parent equivalent) and then rewarding their good behaviour with the inevitable ice cream, which once more made them happy but no longer a tiny ball of chaos.

[Professor Carlyle]

((ooc: Sorry this is a bit bleh, David wouldn't cooperate but I wanted to post something!))

"Any encouragement will do," David pointed out with a grin as she told him to go for it with the show of loyalty to Ravenclaw, "Hey, some professors get to be heads of houses and while I applaud whoever said I couldn't be trusted with that kind of responsibility, I do think it's no fun for the rest of us profs when it comes to house loyalty. Right, I've decided. Come September my classroom will be covered in blue and silver."

David shrugged with a kind smile, "Cheer up, might not happen. Who am I to preach on pregnancy and kids? I mean... everyone thought I'd be the one to want a kid first out of my siblings and here I am, nearly 40 and childless. Wow, that's a depressing thought... and whilst I am plenty childish enough, I don't think a kid is on the horizon anytime in the future. So, my point... though I digress... is that I know nothing and don't take any notice of me," he concluded - it wasn't what he'd been going for when he started speaking but all too often he started a sentence and it got away from him very quickly.

He looked thoughtfully down at Quinn as she talked of sugar, "You know... you're absolutely right, I don't know why I didn't see that before, if I give him any sugary substance he'll be unbearable when I drop him back off at my brother's," he mused. Then, his eyes widened, his eyebrows raising in joking fear at her suggestion, "Cheers for the offer but uh I suspect your tactics in said 'talks' probably involve showing them who's boss so that they are scared silly into behaving well for their parents, or hapless babysitters. Am I close?" he asked light heartedly with a chuckle.