RP: Decisions to Make

[rar_minerva]

Date: 10 July 1998
Characters: Minerva McGonagall, Septima Vector and Other Professors, Andromeda Tonks, Edward Clarke [NPC], Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Mandy Brocklehurst, Lavender Brown, Millicent Bulstrode, Sasha Capper, Michael Corner, Seamus Finnigan, Anthony Goldstein, Greg Goyle, Hermione Granger, Daphne Greengrass, Neville

Comments

[rar_dean]

Dean was surprised to see Mrs. T- Andy, she had said to call her- sitting with the teachers along with two people he did not recognise. He and Seamus found their seats and waited for the meeting to begin. There was a good turn out. He was surprised to hear of andy's role, but from Ted's stories he suspected she would be good at it. He was intrigued by Mr. Clarke, but McGonagall would surely reveal all in good time. He listened to McGonagall speak, glad to hear that staying as normal was simply an option

[rar_seamus]

"What d'ya reckon?" Seamus asked quietly as the old man wrapped things up about the housing. It was a lot to take in, everything that McGonagall had said. Things were about to change. Again.

At least Dean was going to be with him this time.

"I don't like not being able to see the old stomping grounds occasionally," he whispered, his head almost touching Dean's. "But getting out of the castle. It'll be a bit of all right, yeah? 's what we're doing, isn't it? Getting a place together and coming part time?"

[rar_dean]

Dean smiled when Seamus spoke. "That's what I was thinking. We won't even be able to visit the couch, but otherwise it's good. Yeah, that's what we're doing." It felt good to know that things still worked liked that between them. They did things together.

Dean listened to Andy speak her piece, they whispered to Seamus, "Hey, maybe that's something that'll help you. You should go for it." He smiled as Hermione raised her hand. It somehow made the world seem right again.

[rar_seamus]

Seamus grabbed his arm. "We're. Not. Going. To. Leave. The. Couch," he said through his teeth. "I get visiting rights or I'm taking it with me. Damnit."

He sat back in his seat and nodded. "Yeah. Might be right there. There'll be loads of different fields at the Ministry. 's just hard to want to do it after seeing what the Ministry did the last few years. It's different now though, inn'it?" He watched the people around him start to ask questions. "I guess if I fuck it up, it won't be the end of the world, yeah?"

[rar_npc]

Edward had brought a file with him, thick with the applications he'd put together in preparation for today, along with a small piece of parchment on top with the different points he'd need to cover. Margaret had added that despite his protestations -- as if he couldn't remember everything he needed to say

[rar_andromeda]

Minerva explained things very well. It was concise and to the point, which was the right way to handle the meeting. The students respected her enough to listen and only talked during lulls in the speech. Mr. Clarke spoke about housing, which was intriguing. It was certainly a sign of the current times that such offers would be made to these young people. Andy only hoped that they appreciated the efforts being made and didn't simply expect that this sort of thing was common

[rar_greg]

Greg shifted slightly as he listened to McGonagall's speech. This seemed a bit too good to be true, at least, it was far more than he expected to hear. It sounded like they'd not have to repeat the year, which was a relief. They'd be able to have their own lives, and jobs, and to move on. Having a place to stay, provided he could actually find a job to pay for it, sounded fantastic as well. A direction, instead of wondering where he was going next. But even hearing it, it seemed impossibly far away. He couldn't try for NEWTs, could he? No matter what McGonagall had suggested.

He leaned forward, not inclined to ask any questions but listening closely to the ones that others asked.

[rar_draco]

Draco had been putting it off, but eventually he went to find Greg, who seemed to be doing much the same as he, keeping out of the way and listening. He stepped up beside him, careful to let himself be seen rather than to surprise him, then lifted up the sheet of paper he'd acquired from Clarke.

"I'll need someone to stay with, it says, and I'm sure I am not alone in the desire not to be 'assigned a housemate', as it suggests below." He waved the piece of paper. "Although I suppose, if you weren't interested, I could try to make someone up. I don't profess to being easy to live with..."

[rar_greg]

Greg glanced up as Draco moved into his line of sight, not speaking right away. It had been some time since they'd talked, though he supposed they hadn't had much chance to be in the same place before now.

Without preamble, Draco suggested that they be roommates -- well, he'd not actually suggested anything plainly, but he'd made himself clear all the same. It was a moment before Greg spoke. Being roommates with Draco again... He wanted very badly to move past the sort of person he'd become while trailing Draco around Hogwarts, and he wasn't sure he'd done that yet.

Now, though, he thought maybe it hadn't had much to do with Draco specifically.

Greg shrugged and held up his own application. "Well, I sort of need a roommate, too," he said, not really fancying the idea of a random matchup with someone who hated him on sight, "and you're not easy to live with, no. But I don't want to be assigned anyone and, well. Least we're used to each other." He tried a wry sort of half-smile.

[rar_draco]

"So," he said, wearily, "I need you and you need me." He looked away, not prepared to admit how embarassed he was to be standing here, saying these things. The truth was that housing in Hogsmeade had been impossible to find, and the possibility of it all being opened up, but only for students willing to share... It wasn't really a Malfoy thing. But it was the only option. And Greg was the only option. As much as he got on with Nott, or Zabini, it would simply not work; whereas he knew that he could at least get on with Greg - or had - on a semi-permanent basis. Besides, the idea of begging them to share a room with him simply did not go down well.

"We'll hardly be in the same place at the same time, I imagine," he said, drolly. "I mean - it's highly unlikely. If that' a problem. I'd understand if it was."

[rar_hermione]

They were going to be able to take their NEWTs without attending a full year of school. The news should have left Hermione excited and elated, but she couldn't quite muster excitement right now. Instead, she listened closely and took notes while McGonagall spoke and read over her notes when the housing was discussed and paid attention again when the Ministry was mentioned

[rar_harry]

Harry didn't know what he'd been expecting before coming here tonight, but he knew that it hadn't been this. When he'd mentioned idly to Dean that he'd like to be able to get his NEWTs without having to go back for his seventh year, he'd not expected it to actually happen; it had seemed like more of a pipe dream. But this ... this was fantastic. He smiled a bit as Andy mentioned that there would even be internships at the Ministry offered while people took their NEWTs. Maybe it wasn't a guarantee that this meant he could possibly be an Auror, but it seemed a hell of a lot closer than it had been this morning.

As soon as Andy had finished, Hermione raised her hand at once, which wasn't surprising but for the fact that she'd been so out of sorts for the past week or so. It was good to see her in her element. And the questions were ones he sort of wanted to know too, now that she'd brought them up. He listened intently for McGonagall's and Andy's answers; depending on what they said, he might have a question or two, as well.

[rar_minerva]

Minerva had wondered who might be first to open the questions. She had left a few key points for the end, not wanting to give them too much to process at once. She was pleased to see Hermione Granger pick up on two of them

[rar_andromeda]

When Minerva had finished answering the girl's questions, Andy stood up. "The minimum hours required to participate in the program will be twelve, with a maximum of thirty."

She thought back to the other question and considered the answer before she spoke. "You will be paid a wage if you are accepted into the internship program. During your time with the Ministry, you would be considered an employee, complete with holidays and sick days. However, your attendance will be monitored, and those records will be taken into consideration if you apply to the Ministry for a specific position after your NEWTs are taken."