Um, what day is it, again?
Characters: Dean Thomas, NPC Jackson Bingley
Location: the law offices of Thompson, Bingley, and Drake
Date/Time: February 4th, around 8pm
Rating: G
Dean took a last glance at the parchment spread out before him before picking up his quill and making a note in the ledger next to him. Double-checking to make sure he'd spelled everything correctly, he set down the quill for a moment, rolling the parchment up before retrieving the quill to mark the date in the ledger. After he'd written it almost automatically, Dean blinked at the date, the numbers seeming to daze him for a moment.
February? How on earth is it February already?
As has been happening lately, the days had just been flying away from Dean, and he was rather surprised at the realization that January was over and done with. Sighing and shaking his head, Dean pushed his chair back from the desk, stretching his arms up above his head and glancing out the window.
It was dark- not a big surprise, these days, as most of the time he seemed to arrive in the office while the light was still dim, and didn't leave until long past sunset. He looked around the office he shared with the two other legal assistants at the firm- Calliope and James, both of whom had left the office quite a while ago. Again, this was not surprising- Calliope was 20, James only 19- they were both fresh out of Hogwarts, and as much time as they put into their work, they spent equally as much time out trying to enjoy themselves. Dean couldn't blame them- he'd been much the same, at least until his parents had died. Now, though, he'd felt the need to prove himself- that, since he was older, he needed to show the partners that he could handle more work. It didn't help that he had continued to work with Bingley on research into Werewolf rights, a task which usually kept him in the office for a good 2-3 hours longer than the other assistants. Especially after Mandy's execution, though, Dean had been loath to give up any of that time. Add to that the fact that he was studying for his legal exams and still doing the same duties as the other legal assistants, it was no wonder he hadn't seen the sun in what seemed like months.
Dean thought back to the last time he had felt like this- it had been just over a year ago, when he had still been living as a Muggle, working at his dad's firm. He'd been running almost automatically back then, to- just doing his job, day in and day out, barely noticing things like dates- let alone taking some time to just relax and do something that he enjoyed.
Catching a glimpse of motion out of the corner of his eye, Dean swiveled his chair back towards the door, finding one of his bosses, Jackson Bingley, standing in the doorway.
"Good evening, sir," Dean said quickly, moving to stand- at least until he saw Bingley shaking his head and motioning for Dean to remain seated.
"You're still here," Bingley said, a hint of amusement in his voice as he conjured up a chair on the opposite side of Dean's desk and sat down. "As a matter of fact, you are here every night. I don't think you've left before 8:30 since before Christmas."
Dean wasn't quite sure what to say, so he just nodded, waiting for Bingley to continue.
"And after you leave here, you're going to go to Finnigan's- not for a drink, but to go upstairs and do more work-" Bingley smiled at the amazed look on Dean's face, chuckling a little to himself. "Don't look so surprised, Mr. Thomas- I have connections all over Diagon Alley."
After pausing for a moment, Bingley continued, his voice a bit more serious now.
"Your exams are at the beginning of April, correct?"
Dean nodded, glancing at the pile of notes and books- all for his exams- that were currently occupying one corner of his desk.
"It is of my opinion- and the other partners as well, by the way," Bingley continued, nodding at Dean, "That you are working entirely too hard. We have all been extremely impressed with the amount of dedication you have shown this past year, not to mention the amount that you have learned. However, there comes a point when you can burn yourself out, and we're all a bit concerned that you are going to reach it rather quickly."
Dean listened carefully as Bingley spoke, trying hard not to gape at all the things that were being said about him. It was amazing (and more than a little reassuring) to hear such praise coming from a partner at one of the top law firms in Diagon Alley. He was a bit confused, though, at what Bingley was getting at.
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't-" Dean began, but he was cut off, again, by a wave of Bingley's hand.
"We are going to have some changes to your schedule, Dean," Bingley said, looking at him sternly. "For your own good. You are not to arrive in the office before 8:30 in the morning, and you are to leave promptly at 4:30pm every day." Bingley paused for a moment, smiling at the confused look on Dean's face. "Also, you are not to come in on Saturdays- at all- until after your exams are over. In addition, you are not to work longer than 2 hours a day over at Finnigan's- Mr. Finnigan has agreed to this, by the way- he is also concerned about you," Bingley said, his voice a bit kinder now. "Dean, you are dedicated and extremely smart. However, we are all afraid that if you don't get out of this office once in a while, that you are going to drive yourself mad." Bingley smiled, nodding as he stood up. "Get out and enjoy yourself a bit, lad. This will all be here in the morning, I promise."
Dean could do little but stare as Bingley exited the office, everything he'd said swimming through Dean's head. As the words sunk in, a grin appeared on Dean's face. Grabbing his coat, he stood up, leaving his books and notes exactly where they were as he headed out the door-
After all, they would still be here tomorrow.
Location: the law offices of Thompson, Bingley, and Drake
Date/Time: February 4th, around 8pm
Rating: G
Dean took a last glance at the parchment spread out before him before picking up his quill and making a note in the ledger next to him. Double-checking to make sure he'd spelled everything correctly, he set down the quill for a moment, rolling the parchment up before retrieving the quill to mark the date in the ledger. After he'd written it almost automatically, Dean blinked at the date, the numbers seeming to daze him for a moment.
February? How on earth is it February already?
As has been happening lately, the days had just been flying away from Dean, and he was rather surprised at the realization that January was over and done with. Sighing and shaking his head, Dean pushed his chair back from the desk, stretching his arms up above his head and glancing out the window.
It was dark- not a big surprise, these days, as most of the time he seemed to arrive in the office while the light was still dim, and didn't leave until long past sunset. He looked around the office he shared with the two other legal assistants at the firm- Calliope and James, both of whom had left the office quite a while ago. Again, this was not surprising- Calliope was 20, James only 19- they were both fresh out of Hogwarts, and as much time as they put into their work, they spent equally as much time out trying to enjoy themselves. Dean couldn't blame them- he'd been much the same, at least until his parents had died. Now, though, he'd felt the need to prove himself- that, since he was older, he needed to show the partners that he could handle more work. It didn't help that he had continued to work with Bingley on research into Werewolf rights, a task which usually kept him in the office for a good 2-3 hours longer than the other assistants. Especially after Mandy's execution, though, Dean had been loath to give up any of that time. Add to that the fact that he was studying for his legal exams and still doing the same duties as the other legal assistants, it was no wonder he hadn't seen the sun in what seemed like months.
Dean thought back to the last time he had felt like this- it had been just over a year ago, when he had still been living as a Muggle, working at his dad's firm. He'd been running almost automatically back then, to- just doing his job, day in and day out, barely noticing things like dates- let alone taking some time to just relax and do something that he enjoyed.
Catching a glimpse of motion out of the corner of his eye, Dean swiveled his chair back towards the door, finding one of his bosses, Jackson Bingley, standing in the doorway.
"Good evening, sir," Dean said quickly, moving to stand- at least until he saw Bingley shaking his head and motioning for Dean to remain seated.
"You're still here," Bingley said, a hint of amusement in his voice as he conjured up a chair on the opposite side of Dean's desk and sat down. "As a matter of fact, you are here every night. I don't think you've left before 8:30 since before Christmas."
Dean wasn't quite sure what to say, so he just nodded, waiting for Bingley to continue.
"And after you leave here, you're going to go to Finnigan's- not for a drink, but to go upstairs and do more work-" Bingley smiled at the amazed look on Dean's face, chuckling a little to himself. "Don't look so surprised, Mr. Thomas- I have connections all over Diagon Alley."
After pausing for a moment, Bingley continued, his voice a bit more serious now.
"Your exams are at the beginning of April, correct?"
Dean nodded, glancing at the pile of notes and books- all for his exams- that were currently occupying one corner of his desk.
"It is of my opinion- and the other partners as well, by the way," Bingley continued, nodding at Dean, "That you are working entirely too hard. We have all been extremely impressed with the amount of dedication you have shown this past year, not to mention the amount that you have learned. However, there comes a point when you can burn yourself out, and we're all a bit concerned that you are going to reach it rather quickly."
Dean listened carefully as Bingley spoke, trying hard not to gape at all the things that were being said about him. It was amazing (and more than a little reassuring) to hear such praise coming from a partner at one of the top law firms in Diagon Alley. He was a bit confused, though, at what Bingley was getting at.
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't-" Dean began, but he was cut off, again, by a wave of Bingley's hand.
"We are going to have some changes to your schedule, Dean," Bingley said, looking at him sternly. "For your own good. You are not to arrive in the office before 8:30 in the morning, and you are to leave promptly at 4:30pm every day." Bingley paused for a moment, smiling at the confused look on Dean's face. "Also, you are not to come in on Saturdays- at all- until after your exams are over. In addition, you are not to work longer than 2 hours a day over at Finnigan's- Mr. Finnigan has agreed to this, by the way- he is also concerned about you," Bingley said, his voice a bit kinder now. "Dean, you are dedicated and extremely smart. However, we are all afraid that if you don't get out of this office once in a while, that you are going to drive yourself mad." Bingley smiled, nodding as he stood up. "Get out and enjoy yourself a bit, lad. This will all be here in the morning, I promise."
Dean could do little but stare as Bingley exited the office, everything he'd said swimming through Dean's head. As the words sunk in, a grin appeared on Dean's face. Grabbing his coat, he stood up, leaving his books and notes exactly where they were as he headed out the door-
After all, they would still be here tomorrow.