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[mona_mcgill]

Date/Time: 'A Meeting of the Minds' / Wednesday, 28th Sept 2005 / 7:30 am
Location: Teacher's Lounge
Open To: Teachers
Involving: Mona

Comments

[dai_gwyn]

Dai wasn't expecting company when he strolled into the Teacher's Lounge first thing in the morning. He hadn't wanted it either, if he was truthful, but knew better than to walk straight back out. Snapping into Social!Dai mode, he strode over to Mona and, with a hint of a bow, held out his hand.

"Good morning," he said in his deep, Welsh accent, "I'm Dai, the new Arithmancy Professor." Despite his apparent ease with the situation, his brain was ticking off a mental checklist: Smile, bow, look her in the eye, charm, charm, charm! Having spent most of his school years trying to socialise with the elite, he well knew what was expected of him and how to deliver it. The practice, however, hadn't made him any more comfortable with such situations and as he waited for her response, his brain prepared to head off down one of the list's many subsections.

[mona_mcgill]

Mona heard someone enter the room and look up to find the Arithmancy Professor. She held out her hand, "I'm Mona, the Astronomy Professor. Welcome to Hogwarts." She gave him a slight smile, and went back to grading. Thinking it a bit rude to completely ignore Dai, she asked, "How is the school treating you?"

[dai_gwyn]

Dai shook her extended hand firmly - but not too firmly, no. There was an art to a good handshake and he felt sure he'd mastered it, though it had taken years of practice - and smiled. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mona. Astronomy, you say? An interesting subject indeed. I've always found the stars most intriguing." It wasn't a particularly true statement but he felt rather compelled to make it nonetheless.

And now small talk. Smile still in place, though it had begun to falter, he took a seat before responding. "The school is treating me wonderfully, although it does seem strange to return after so many years away. How long have you taught here?" As Mona returned to her grading, Dai retrieved the book he'd left earlier before looking back to her and awaiting her response.

[mona_mcgill]

Mona smiled. Someone she met was interested in Astronomy? That was a first. feeling that it would almost be rude to not reciprocate, she responded, "Arithmancy was one of my favorite classes when I was studying here. Not one of my best, but I thought it was fun."

How many years had she been teaching? She had started to teach right after graduating, so...
"Nine years," she responded, surprised that she had already been here for so log. "And yet it still feels like yesterday I was still a student."

Mona looked at her watch. She had study hall duty in about an hour, plenty of time to get to know Dai. She looked over at him, where he was seated, looking slightly nervous about something. "What did you do before you came back to Hogwarts?"