Staff Table

[Katia Medina]

The light in the Great Hall hurt Katia's eyes this morning. She hadn't been sleeping well. Rather than her usual vibrant outgoing, perhaps a tad gauche self, or the self she'd been representing for the past months, she was instead, perfectly made up and a bit withdrawn. What she had not expected was to see Reina. Friends they were, but with very specifically drawn lines.

Reina had what Katia wanted, and flaunted it in small ways Katia was sure were meant as tiny digs. Society she thought, the intention was a vacation before her life sentence. Granted she had fallen in ways she had not hoped, after all Eros intrigued her, there was an enigma there she wanted to explore, but that enigma was wrapped in tighter society rules than even Spaniards adhered to.

Unfortunately with Reina here, the adherence to Spaniard cultural rules must now be adhered to. Who knows what reports might be sent back to Spain, and it might seem odd to anyone else, but strict rules were enforced in socializing with Reina. Self-imposed she was sure. but Reina was the wilder one, while Katia sat back in her presence acting the part she was born to play. Freedom seemed even more elusive even thought it was sitting right in front of her.

So this morning, rather than donning the items that made her feel comfortable and independent in her own skin, Katia had dressed a bit more conservatively. Every inch of her designed to show off her assets, but hide independence from view. She guaranteed that the teachers she'd been associating with for the last few months would question, but Reina would be comfortable if she sat down next to her.

[Dahlia Alexander]

Dahlia swept down the center aisle of the great hall, staff robes open and billowing behind her, exposing her well-fitted skirt and long-sleeved silk blouse. Her heels clicked on the stone floor, and to all appearances, she paid no attention to the students on either side of her. That is, until she passed a group attempting to hide contraband dungbombs. She evanesco'd them from the students' hands, arched her eyebrows, drawing sheepish and guilty looks, then continued on her way. It wasn't worth docking house points for that.

When she reached the staff table, she gave a cursory glance down its length. It seemed like it had been deserted lately, but there was someone here today. One of the newer members of the faculty, and one who actually left her office now and then. Dahlia arched one straight brow at her, and the corner of her lips curved just a bit.

"Special occasion?" she asked, arranging her robes as she sat.

[Katia Medina]

Katia glanced up from the bowl she had made herself but had not actually touched. Dahlia, she thought, grateful that Eros or Reina, or that cute sappy couple...the laSalle's had not been the first here this morning. She glanced around to make sure that Reina was not in earshot, or visual range, that way nothing she said could possibly get back to her family. She had no desire for the plug of independence to be pulled any faster than positively necessary.

"Funeral actually." She pushed her bowl aside, and ran a hand against the nape of her neck, unused to restraining the mass of late. "My freedom met it's demise a few days ago." And that was why she had not been sleeping, although the artful placement of makeup hid the dark circles that were etched around her eyes. Perfect porcelain doll she thought, full of thoughts and ideas, but something in the eyes was off.

[Dahlia Alexander]

Dahlia made a small sound something between disgust and commiseration as she waited for her plate and goblet to fill themselves. "A letter from your father?" she guessed. She couldn't very well criticize Katia for running off to another country to live a little, could she? Though her own circumstances were likely quite different, there were inescapable similarities. It was all part and parcel of the lot they were born into.

[Katia Medina]

Gods no, Katia thought. Rather none outside of the ordinary, the usual tales of home, veiled threats of the future, and not so veiled insistence. "Worse. The new mythology professor is an old friend. From home." If that did not say enough she was not sure what would. Enforced behavior, almost like a free watchdog for her father, all in the package of a loving friend she had known for years. Well, loving and rivalry went hand in hand she supposed, but there were still some secrets even Reina did not know.

[Dahlia Alexander]

Dahlia looked aside at Katia as she raised her goblet. "That does rather defeat the purpose of leaving, doesn't it?" she commented. She could easily see the problem there; misbehavior of even the smallest sort was unacceptable. Unless there was no one in the vicinity who might send word home, or worse, into Society. "There have been times I've thanked God that the French prefer Beauxbatons. I don't suppose your friend is the tight-lipped sort?" Right. Society wasn't at all known for its silence when it came to gossip.

[Katia Medina]

Katia poured herself a glass of pumpkin juice, rather wishing for something to spike it with. The Spanish understood the need for good alcohol at every meal, eat eased the nerves, tensions, and that undefinable thing that since coming to England she might define as a stick up the bottom. "Let us just say that our friendship has ever been founded on rivalries." Their family was of some less standing, which allowed Reina the freedom Katia desired. Where Reina might envy Katia a bit, it was clear that Reina had the better hand in Katia's opinion.

[Dahlia Alexander]

"I despise catty, two-faced women. They're as likely to accio the rug from under you as they are to call you friend." And they were difficult competition. Dahlia despised competition. And she enjoyed this moment of amusement from very nearly describing herself. "Are you debating skipping off to Italy yet?" Dahlia quite enjoyed her place at Hogwarts. Father hadn't any interest in keeping track of her here, and there were very few people she truly needed to behave in front of. What more could she want?

[Katia Medina]

Katia shook her head, "Italy is beautiful, and placid." She had thought about it, but there were many reasons that her father was agreeing to her place in Hogwarts. "Besides, teaching or nursing at Hogwarts lends an air of purpose and respect to the family name. Father would agree to this, only because he could spin it in a good way." Otherwise, her past might find a way into society, even after three to four years. It was always about the press when you were in society, how to spin a bad thing in a good way.

[Dahlia Alexander]

"Ah, yes, the illustrious and entirely misplaced reputation of Hogwarts School of Dueling and Teenage Lust," Dahlia said. "I've been here so long now that I'd nearly forgotten how hallowed these halls used to be." In her time at the school, she'd seen everything from Death Eater attacks to a gay wedding. She couldn't possibly imagine what would be next.

[Katia Medina]

Katia could not help but chuckle at that, she had noticed these things in her time here, but supposed that all schools were filled with teenage desires and needs. "I suppose that my time here has been limited, as has the publicity to other countries. All Spain can talk about is the illustrious Potter and Dumbledore, to be a part of this school they feel, imparts greatness." And if they chose to think that, she was not going to tell them otherwise.

[Dahlia Alexander]

"The Headmistress is Dumbledore's granddaughter," Dahlia said by-the-by. "Of course, you likely know that, but it does make one wonder why the white tomb hasn't crumbled with his disapproval." If anyone but Katia had been near enough to overhear, she never would have said as much, but she didn't truly mean it as criticism against the Headmistress so much as wonderment at how vastly the school had changed from one Dumbledore to the next.

[Katia Medina]

Katia looked around again, desperately clinging to what time she had around another constricted pure-blood society woman that was more open to the possibilities than most. "Well the old man is simply to stubborn to admit that the times are changing. Plus the image of a cracked tomb, and the world might have more of a reason to think of Dumbledore as a God." Not that she didn't admire the old man, tenacity was something very attractive, but his status was close to that of godliness, no wizard reaching near him during the zenith of his career.