There's no cake without Hugh PV Closed

The young scot had been silently sketching his surroundings down in the small hall. Although mostly used as a hall to meet up with friends, in a place where students could converse in open conversation without a librarian breathing down their neck or being confined to their houses. Hugh however, came here to observe.

People, were... odd. At least to Hugh's mind they were. The boy's eyes carefully wandered about the hall, taking his time as he inspected each person present. Manierisms, ticks, stereotypes,.. these were always there. And the young boy took delight in figuring them out one by one. Like how the Ravenclaw boy by the door rubbed his left ear every time he gave the girl to his right a compliment. Or how one girl at the back wiggled her nose each time she turned a new page in her book. It were the little things that caught Hugh's interest. Especially when he was set out to try and draw them.

There was one person that seemed in deep thought though. His head tilted a tad as his eyes grew curious. The slender lady with her white mane and clear eyes was certainly beautiful. Almost elven-like, Hugh would have sworn. He established her as a teacher when he faintly remembered her passing by the Gryffindor table during an incident between two other first years. Not that he recalled what had been the issue then, he sat too far away to see or hear anything that had happened then.

She seemed absent in her presence though. Her mind adrift in thought. He noticed the lady taking out some box that his father used for leftovers in the kitchen back home. Tupperwhere? Was that it? He wasn't quite sure. His curiosity got the better of him though as he could not see what the box contained from his position. He pursed his lips together as he tried stretching his neck, but it was all for nought. As no one seemed to really pay attention to others in this hall anyway, the boy rose up and grabbed his books. Seemingly making ready to leave.

He softly shuffled along the table as he neared the professor's position. His eyebrows perking up as his neck and face stretched themselves to pass a look over her shoulders. Cake. It was cake. A loud grumble immediately kicked up in Hugh's stomach as his eyes had set on the delicious looking baking. The sudden sound however made Hugh awefully suspicious of himself being heard. He realised to his own pain that he had been standing quietly behind the professor whilst sneakingly peeking over her shoulder for some time now. Whether his breath down her neck of the rumble of his tummy... this was about to go wrong. He quickly eyed the exit. Could he make it? He slowly tried to innocently continue hisearlier shuffle, clenching his teeth in the process.

As a former Auror, Hjørdis was rather used to looking over her shoulder and being aware of her surroundings. Their jobs did entail a certain level of danger to it and knowing what was around you often helped. Observation was a key skill for a Ministry Worker. It helped keep you, your colleagues and the general public safer. It also helped in matters where you had to spy on someone or obtain information on something. Even the smallest details, like their body language, could give away a secret. It was always important to be aware. That was something she had learnt very well. It was not even just her Ministry training that had taught her that. It was also her father and what he had taught her before he left. Her dad was an army man, through and through. He was strict, disciplined and hardworking. He taught her the important life lessons, including the importance of exercise and how to keep yourself safe and healthy. Hjørdis was, after all, his little princess. But she was not a damsel in distress sort of princess, oh no. Her father made sure of that. She was the sort of princess that would pick up the sword and lead the army to victory. After all, the meaning of the name that he gave her meant 'Sword Goddess' after all.

As such, Hjørdis knew that a young boy was lurking behind her before she heard the sound of his stomach grumbling. She paid him no mind, deciding that if he wanted to ask her something then he could. It was not until his stomach growled that Hjørdis quirked an eyebrow, "Can I help you, Mister...?" She asked the boy, who was acting very oddly behind her. She did not know his name, he had not given her one and she did not recognise him. From the colour of his robes, he was not a Slytherin but she had not turned to see him properly. Rather, she was observing his presence from the corner of her eye and using her peripheral vision to talk to him. Even in his silence, the boy's stomach spoke a lot for him, however. It said that he was hungry, at the very least. There was some time until the next meal of the day, judging by the time.

Silently, she picked up the knife and cut out a few pieces of the cake. Taking one slice, she put it onto a small plate that she had brought with her. Without actually saying anything, she added a small spoon into the plate and slid it over. She did not put it in front of the boy, but she did slide the cake over towards his direction, towards an empty chair. There was a clear implication that if he wanted to, he could have some cake. "I assume you're not allergic to anything that might be in there and you eat eggs?" She asked the boy, unsure of whether or not children were smart enough to know to check these things beforehand. She would like to assume that if a child had an allergy or any sort of dietary requirement, their parents would make sure they knew to check before consumption of anything. However, since she did not trust the parents' abilities to look after their children - simply because she had met far too many intolerable, rude and worrying children in this school already -  Hjørdis decided to clarify it herself. If he did not pick up on her hint before, this was a pretty clear indication that she was offering him the cake now.

Hjørdis took another slice of the cake and put it onto a second plate. She had luckily brought a couple of plates and spoons, in the hopes that a fellow professor would join her and make this task far more pleasant and bearable. However, it seemed like they were in class or attending to other work at this time. A pity, really. She would have enjoyed spending some time with a colleague. It certainly made things a little better than having to deal with such strange children alone. Everyone here appeared to be so engrossed in flirting from such a young age that Hjørdis just thought it was weird for her to sit here and work. She closed the Tupperware box, sealing it shut before she picked up another spoon and scooped a little bit of the cake onto it. Without even looking at the student, she started to eat her own slice of cake.

The female professor pulled the book that she had been reading back towards her as she moved the cake away from her a little so that it was out of the way. It was not out of rudeness or anything. If the student wanted to join her, she would permit it. She had, after all, moved the cake to an empty spot where he could sit and eat it. However, she simply decided to continue to read whilst she waited for him to make a decision on what he wanted to do. The Slytherin could, after all, multitask.

"Uhm... Lowe, miss." He dipped his head in shame of being caught. Like a knight accused of violating his own code. His honor in question. "Hugh Lowe, Gryffindor." A warm red tone welled up on his cheeks. "I- I did not mean to stare or spy my lady... eh.. Miss, I mean." He rapidly closed his eyes as if to prevent himself from causing or saying anything more embarassing than he already had. His heart racing inside as his mind was trying to slow his thinking down. Worrying helped nothing, he had to assume the teacher would at the very least be a decent person and perhaps he could get away with a slight scolding for having a long nose.

All that flushed away with the sound of a small plate sliding over the table. His eyes opened up towards the gesture and for a second the scene had set an invitation. Would that be correct? She was actually telling him to sit? After a few words from her he needed no more confirmation and quietly took his seat next to the silver haired lady.

"I apologise for my lurking appearance, my la.. professor." He cringed as he had slipped again. She was a very beautiful lady though, one like the princesses or heroines his father used to describe when telling the stories of old. With her white strands of hair, she had to be very wise. This meant he had to present himself best he could. He straightened his back and graciously bowed his head in gratitude for the offering of cake. "Thank you kindly for this kind gesture." He added whilst plunging his spoon into the cake and slowly chopping it down piece by piece.

His lingering eyes soon grew curious and noticed the fair lady occupying herself with her book. Perhaps she expected him to present her with a nice subject of dialogue? Or did she just not want to talk? He felt like an annoying kid to her. Well he was a kid, but he certainly never aimed to be a nuisance. With shivering voice he spoke softly. "Are you sure I'm fine to sit here, professor?" His eyes searching for an answer to his worrying mind.

Hjørdis sat quietly, eating her own slice of cake as she listened to the Gryffindor boy speak. She quirked her eyebrow ever so slightly as he referred to her as 'my lady' for the second time. She was not sure what she expected from the young child but that was not on the list. Truth be told, she could not think of many people who would refer to someone in such a way but it amused her slightly. The boy seemed rather shy and unsure of himself. Almost like he had gotten caught doing something awful.

This was not awful. All he appeared to do was be curious about what she was eating or doing. It was not the worst thing in the world and it really did not bother the professor in the slightest. Curiosity in a child was something she always thought was important. It was their curious nature that would encourage them to learn or study harder. Of course, at times it could be dangerous but that was where the adults stepped in. To explain when things were too dangerous to be curious about - like wandering into the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night out of 'curiosity'.

The female professor did not need to look at him to know he was embarrassed at being caught. That was evident in his tone of voice and choice of words. Nonetheless, he sat down at the table. "Are you apologising for the behaviour or for getting caught?" Hjørdis asked, simply out of curiosity. "If you were intending to spy without being caught, you have much to learn, young padawan." Hjørdis continued, quoting from a muggle movie that she quite enjoyed. She had watched the original Star Wars films as a child with her grandfather, who enjoyed them. But they were out a long time ago and she was not actually sure if children these days would even be aware that she was quoting Star Wars. Though, they did recently create a few new films so there was a chance some of them might have seen it. Her eyes flickered to the Gryffindor for a moment. Hm... On second thoughts, this particular one might be too young to get it. Nonetheless, she had tried.

Hjørdis nodded as he thanked her, in perhaps one of the most polite ways she had ever heard from a student. Normally, her nod would had sufficed. However, his politeness forced her to verbalised her response. It would be rude of her not to after he went to the effort. "You're very welcome, Mister Lowe."

She turned her attention back to the book as silence fell onto the table. There was no need for her to force the student to talk if he felt uncomfortable to do so. Many students seemed to be afraid of her. In all honesty, she was kind of used to it and did not actually care so much what people thought of her. If they wanted to believe she was a terrifying monster that would make their lives miserable if they stepped out of line then, at the very least, they would be obedient and avoid breaking the rules. If fear kept them safe, that would be enough.

The Gryffindor student's question hit her ears. But more than that, the uncertainty in his voice hit her harder. "Of course. I would not have offered you a seat if you were not welcome to stay. If you wish to be elsewhere, you're welcome to take the cake. Just please return the dish and cutlery to the kitchens afterwards." She paused for a moment, wondering if she was meant to provide him with something to do, "I don't have another book if you wanted to read... but if you're interested in alchemy, you may read this one. It may be a bit too advanced for you, however. I believe it's more seventh year material." She continued, making a guess that the boy was no older than a second or third year by his timid posture and young looking face.

Without forcing the conversation too much, she tried her very best to be a little more open to him. He was likely still scared of her but this was her attempt at trying. He seemed far more sensible than all of the other students in the room but that was not saying much. She thought very little of everyone else in the room, simply because they were making too much noise and none of it was about studying or anything beneficial.