Viper's Office

Professor Viper stood in the middle of her office with her wand drawn, attempting to add a personal touch to her office. She made a few movements with her wrist, transfiguring her desk and the rest of the cherry wood furniture into black granite and marble furniture, with black leather seating. With her finger she lightly tapped the yellow drapes (the previous office owner had been a Hufflepuff, Viper noted with disdain) and transformed it into black satin drapes. The final outcome was a lovely Gothic Styled office, much like her previous one she occupied while working at the Ministry.

Viper sighed to herself and sat down in her newly transfigured black leather sofa, conjuring a small goblet of red wine. She sighed as she felt the cool, dry liquid swish around her mouth before filling her with a warm sensation inside as she swallowed it.

Professor DeLanquar had hurriedly picked the class schedule up and gripped her cane. Instead of running down the hallways though she walked slower, intent of arriving without looking like she had competed in the muggle Olympics.
Raising a pale hand above her head, she knocked softly on the Professor Viper's office door and waited to be asked in.

Viper stiffened when she heard a knock at the door, glaring as she thought of her evening interrupted. Briefly, she considered not answering and pretending to not be in. She quickly realized how foolish the idea was, for the light from the fireplace and beacons were clearly visible outside.

Sighing, she rose from her comfortable position to answer the door, praying that it wasn't a student.

Her first impression of Professor Viper was that the woman was annoyed and her second impression was sadly that she had caused her to be annoyed.

Eglantine meekly offered the potions professor the class schedule from the doorway and made no effort to enter the room.

Viper raised an eyebrow in suprise as the older woman meekly handed her the class schedule. She wondered why she was looking at her so oddly before realizing that the transfiguration mistress could probably sense her annoyance. Viper immediately straightened out, adding a small smile to grace her face. Amaranth Viper may be a cold hearted woman, but it is always within reason.

"Good evening Professor. Please, do come in." she said, stepping aside to allow the older woman through.

"Thank you." Eglantine said, entering the office. The theme of the office appeared to be black and it startled her slightly, until she took into account the age of the woman.
"I trust you are enjoying your day?" she ventured.

Viper smirked as she noticed the older woman's startled reaction to her newly renovated office. Clearly both women had very different tastes in styles.

"As much as can be, I suppose. What about you, Professor DeLanquar?"

"I am fine, thank you." her cane began to tap against the floor. It was a habit she had picked up when her cane had first come into her possession. It signified she was acutely uncomfortable.
"Are you looking forward to beginning your classes?"

Viper raised an eyebrow at the older woman's cane tapping, which she found to be quite annoying. However she felt a twinge of pity when she realized that the Professor was probably quite nervous. The corners of Viper's mouth twitched. She wasn't suprised, she was a very intimidating woman.

She leaned back unto the black sofa with her legs curled up underneath her, picking up her goblet and taking a sip. "No, not particularly. To be honest, I'm praying to Merlin that I'll have enough patience to deal with them all."

Shocked by the woman's frankness, Eglantine spoke immeadiatly without thinking.
"Deal with who?"

"Why the students of course! The older ones I'm sure I'll have no problem, aside from the occassional teenage boy looking down my top, but I'll probably have a few problems from the younger ones. The first years in particular."

Eglantine nearly dropped her cane. She had known this woman for all of five minutes and she was already beginning to dislike her.
"I see. Well, perhaps if you dressed decently you would not have to worry about the students!" It was a cruel thing to say, but when shocked, flustered or nervous, Professor DeLanquar often said the first thing on her mind.

The small charity smile Viper had provided for the older Professor immediately faded, instead to be replaced with a smirk as she laughed softly. "Oh my dear Professor, perhaps you are too old to recall the small delights the young tend to indulge in. I'm sure that had you been but a decade or two younger, you would put more thought unto your clothing."

She let her eyes wander over Eglantine's wardrobe, the disdain over the other Professor's choice of wardrobe barely concealed.

Her cheeks paled greatly, and her hands, which often betrayed her, began to tremble slightly. But her voice was surprisingly calm.
"Perhaps. But than again, I am not too old to not remember the pains that come with indulgences. We are here to teach, not to become as the students." She took a deep breath, anxious to calm her trembling hands.
"I apologize for my rudeness. Your attire is your own and I should not have said anything about it."

Viper's eyes narrowed as her arms folded across her chest. "Well you should be. It was completely uncalled for."

Nervousness morphed into annoyance as her fellow professor refused to accept her apology. But she refused to become more angry.
"It was and with your permission, I will ask for forgiveness." Professor Viper was already reminding her, strangely enough of another certain potions master.

Viper stared at the moment before sighing. "Very well. I suppose I can let this first offense go." She said as she took a sip of her goblet.

DeLanquar's voice was slightly demeaning. "How kind of you." She finally stopped tapping the cane, and moved her right hand into her robe's pocket to hide its trembling. The left hand remained on her cane to keep her steady.
"Where you once a student of Hogwarts?"

Viper nodded, sipping at her goblet more. "Yes, I graduated 4 years ago."

She nodded, not finding the information odd or unexpected. "You must have a great amount of patience and control to teach potions." It was a test, as it was obvious that Professor Viper's patience did not fully extend to her students.

Viper raised an eyebrow at the compliment. Clearly the other Professor was testing her. Well two could play at that game.

"Any idiot can teach potions, or any subject for that matter. It's merely a question of whether or not they know themselves exactly what they are teaching." She sipped at her goblet once more, this drink longer than the others. "I'm not like you my dear Professor. This," she gestured to their surroundings "Was not my dream. This is most certainly not what I live for."

"How true." Eglantine replied. "Teaching is only the passing on of knowledge or wisdom." She paused, suddenly remembering who had first told her that. Swallowing, she sighed.
"I think you and I might have more in common than you think. This was not my dream either."

Viper bit back a laugh. "What was your dream, then? Scullering around a kitchen, keeping up with babies and tots?"

Instead of answering Professor Viper, Eglantine turned to look out the window.
After a brief moment to allow self-control to reassert itself, she stated.
"Unfortunately my husband and I were never able to have children. And as for my dream...I had it until death took it from me."

Viper nodded sympathetically. "Oh dear, I suppose that's what comes from marrying so late in life. Did he die from the dragonpox epidemic?" Viper had spent a her trainee years developing various medicinal potions for the fatal disease.