charisma never looked so silly }{ prof valter

[effie teagan wilde]

The silence around her was deafening. Effie longed for someone to stray into the library, even if they were only sleep-walking. It was 11 at night and Effie sat behind her towering librarian desk sipping from a steaming mug of tea. Her own breathing was her only companion in terms of sound. Being there by herself left her somewhat fidgety and paranoid. Perhaps it was because this was the first time she'd been back since the years when she was a student at Hogwarts. It was her first time doing a night shift as the new school librarian. It was her first time spying for someone as well. Her first time eavesdropping on conversations and acting inconspicuous. Effie didn't like it.

She couldn't remain still so she got up from her chair began to wander about the towering shelves of books. The lights were out. Effie raised her wand gently and murmured "Lumos." in a kind of purr of a voice. She had been so quiet the past few hours that she wasn't used to hearing the sound of her words. She moved slowly, pushing a book into place every now and then as she went. Her feet were a graceful little shuffle along the stone floors. Finally, when she felt satisfied that nothing was out of place, she came back to her desk. Effie glanced at her now cold mug of tea. It was half empty. She sneered at it slightly.

"Look at you. A disappointment. That's all you are. Aren't you?" Effie asked the mug. She knew she sounded ridiculous. Thank goodness no one was around because they'd surely find her to be completely mad had they heard her speaking to inanimate objects like that! Effie grinned to herself. Perhaps she had a right to be slightly mad what with everything that had happened recently. It sounded perfectly plausible to her.

Satisfied that she had scolded her cold tea sufficiently, Effie found a new target of amusement. She eyed an old gramophone sitting on a shelf where it was gathering dust. A few records lay in their cases beside it. Effie shuffled them about, finding her fingertips entirely dusted, and chose Bach from a genre of classical favorites. She gently placed the record in its home and set the needle to set free a beautiful sound from the device. Effie stepped back and then began to twirl round and round on her tip toes. She closed her eyes and spun and spun. She knew that library far too well. She knew the exact placement of the shelves and desks even with her eyes closed and the room twirling around her.

Effie felt safe. She felt at home in the twirling mess of circles she was spinning. Her life was so out of control. This, at least, she could take charge of. She could choose, at any moment, to stop or move faster. So, she kept going. Her head began to lighten and she felt dizzy. Her stomach was doing somersaults and there was potential vomit in her near future but she couldn't stop. No, she couldn't. She had to keep spinning. She had be lost in that chaotic, twirling madness without her eyes open. She was led only by faint memories and other senses to guide her feet about the room. Effie was ridiculous and she loved it. Nothing could interrupt this moment of freedom. This was her's to keep.

[professor philip valter]

When the sun went down, Philip went out. The clouds were shoved away, his wand poking a the last stragglers out of view, and he was able to view the stars clearly and happily. He taught his students how to calculate the many ways of the stars, the futures told in them, and the way that far out world really worked. And yet, he could still go for a stroll each evening and gaze at the sky, never once losing sight of its wonders. Students passed in on the lawns, darted into doors, quickly escaping the harsh voices of McGonagall and Sprout. Philip nodded to his colleagues and just for fun, held a student back once in a while to see their worried face before letting them go just in time. He'd wink slyly at Minerva, knowing she approved, and keep walking.

Nightfall was rhythmic to Philip. It was a daily routine that unwound him from the long days and mindless office work. His figure could always be seen circling the grounds twice each night. He'd stop in all of his favorite places, just beside the lake, just close enough to the whomping willow to appreciate it and far enough away to live until tomorrow, and the best location just under the overhang of the Gryffindor tower. At the end of his circle, Philip always wished upon the closest star, and he never told a soul.

This night, Philip returned to the castle on a mission. The newest staff member, a young alumni, was getting acquainted with the night shift at the library. As resident busy body and head of the welcome committee, which no doubt only consisted of himself, he was going to be sure to greet her properly and promptly. No students would be lingering, save a few more serious studiers, and he was sure that he'd find her biting her nails in boredom. It was then a strange surprise to not find her at the desk. Following the sound of orchestra, Philip turned to see a young lady dancing about. With his own classical quirks, like poetry and literature, Philip couldn't help but smile. She did look quite beautiful in that silly way she twirled, because she wasn't holding back. His sister had been like her in that way, always unafraid of the world around her.

He let her dance for moments longer, studying her brown hair and slender but curvy frame. Her eyes were closed gently, the lids barely stretched across dark eyes. He imagined them to be dark, like her tone. She effortlessly moved, avoiding any obstacles, like she could sense them through the music and the vibrations in the shelves. It was a while before Philip, entranced, startled himself out of it. She'd memorized him, like no other woman at Hogwarts had done.

He straightened his tie, pulled his suit jacket down and flat, and ran a quick hand through his barely curly blonde hair. In a second he was sure he looked neat, and he mumbled a cough to announce himself, in hopefully a subtle way. His lips were curved up in a smile, baring his teeth slightly as he spoke. "Forgive me for interrupting, but I wanted to welcome you to our staff." Some part of him wished he hadn't said a word, some part of him wanted to watch her dance.

[effie teagan wilde]

Round and round and round. And then, Effie heard the sound that nearly gave her a heart attack. A cough. A single, quiet, subtly interrupting cough. That was what had taken her from her trance and suddenly, Effie was frozen. She realized how silly she must have looked! How could she have been so silly? It was as though she was a school girl again. But she wasn’t. No, she was a grown woman who was now in charge of running this library and she did not look her age the way she’d been acting! She shook slightly in an attempt to ward off that frozen-like quality she’d suddenly taken on. She turned to confront her spy.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t a student up after hours like she had thought. It wasn’t the headmaster either, much to her relief. Instead, it was a man Effie only vaguely remembered. She’d never had any direct contact with him in her life. As a matter of fact, this was very likely the first time she’d ever spoken to him at all. Yet, she knew his name. There was something familiar and comforting about his face. Effie wondered how that could possibly be when she didn’t really know him. It was some sort of illusion she had let herself be drawn in by.

Effie felt suddenly short of breath. She could feel her cheeks flushing red and she felt this sudden desire to hide under her desk. What was all of this? She was an adult, she needed to act like one. So, she met his eyes and tried to hide her blush. ”Oh, uhm, sorry. You’re not interrupting anything. I was just… Ya know. I don’t know. I think I’m having a minor lapse in sanity. Forgive me.” Effie mumbled foolishly. All she could think was, ”Look how handsome he is! Listen to how stupid I sound! What’s wrong with me?” ”I’m Effie, by the way. Effie Wilde. I just started. But, you probably know that, or else you’d not be here.” Effie winced slightly on that last part, knowing she sounded more and more idiotic by the second. Everything about her seemed so awkwardly presented. She was capable of being charming and graceful with her words. What spell was she under now?

”Nice to meet you… I didn’t catch your name.” Effie said, chocking slightly. Of course she knew his name. She couldn’t admit that though. She had no idea why his name had stuck with her so long when she didn’t really know him. Effie was having quite the night.

[professor philip valter]

She stopped twirling just as gracefully as she had started, and her voice, though it stumbled over the words to explain herself, was as beautiful as the music that filled the room. In his handful of years teaching, and months spent arguing with his mother about marriage, Philip never thought he'd be so lucky. It smacked him right upside his blond curls and knocked the dignity right out of him. He stared, he would admit it, he stared as she fumbled with reasons and sentences. It wasn't exactly the best way to start out, his eyes locked on her form like a hormone induced teenager, his mouth slightly agape with awe at his unusual luck that night. There was nothing in the stars about this... He thought to himself, his heart thumping a little like it had when he was a third year and he thought the head girl fancied him.

It took him a moment, but soon he closed up his mouth, swallowed that lump that had been forming, and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I'm Philip. Uhm..professor of astronomy." He nodded, pleased with himself that he had in fact spoken something. It was like all of his charm had escaped him, but in a flash of dashing chivalry, Philip perked up and smiled kindly on Effie. A unique name... His thoughts were bursting the seems of his brain, a waterfall of all the cheesy, romantic things he could possible tell her now. "You are quite the dancer, confident." He leaned over, a chuckle on his lips. "Remind me to practice my tango before we meet again." He laughed at himself, awkwardly swaying back onto his heels. It would be quite the thing to be able to dance with her, alone at the library, it was what his mother always dreamed of and what he suddenly wanted too.

"I hope you're getting acquainted with things around here easily, but I am always available if you need anything. It's nice to meet you, truly a pleasure." With a jolt of embarrassment, his right hand flew out of his pocket like a thunderbolt broom and he stuck it right towards her for the pleasantries of meeting someone new, no matter if they were gorgeous or you fat uncle Bernie.

[effie teagan wilde]

Effie couldn’t help it. She felt so young and so… Alive. Effie couldn’t explain it, but she felt more alive in the presence of this man than she’d felt all week or month or even all year if she were to be entirely honest. And Effie was a woman of lively experiences. She loved to dance and sing and laugh and breathe deeply. She loved life when it gave her a reason to love it. With everything that had happened to her mother, her jobs, her new role in society… Effie didn’t have many reasons to light up. But here, Philip had managed to light a single match that left her feeling warmer than ever. It was a flickering promise that things would be alright. It was a promise she was certain he didn’t know he’d just made. It was unfair to leave that kind of impact on a single person, but Effie couldn’t help it.

And then, he was as staggering an idiot as her. She listened to his words as they came wandering into her ears like lost first-years. Effie felt her smile brighten and she stared at his hand as he extended it to her. For a moment, she could only stare at it, dumbfounded and ridiculous. It was as if she’d suddenly lost all remembrance of basic social etiquette. She was as good as a rock at a tea party in that moment and she knew it. And then, she did something spontaneous and silly and completely out there. Effie took his hand and pulled herself closer to him. She extended their gently clasped hands to the side and then placed her other hand upon his shoulder. She intended to dance with him.

”The pleasure’s all mine.” Effie murmured. It wasn’t in a tone that suggested seduction or stalker-like tendencies. She was merely inviting and gentle. She was quiet and somewhat charming. She had a way of making something that was quite obviously out of the ordinary into something that everyone should have seen coming. The music was still playing and his hand felt warm in her own. Effie felt an electric shiver go through her body. It was as if she’d been searching for something for a very long time and she’d found it right when she’d just given up. There was excitement and mystery and a kind of subtle elegance to the moment that Effie knew she’d not ever forget.

[professor philip valter]

As Philip was pulled into a slight embrace, his voice escaped him. He couldn't do anything but move his body in what he thought was a smooth form of flattery on the libraries makeshift dance floor and look at her with those starry eyes of his. His lips wouldn't even change expression, and so their first few steps into this swirling new relationship were filled with his cliched grin. Philip let her guide him at first, intoxicated by her forwardness to flirt and her pretty charms. It was as if Philip was as fixed as the constellations he studied, only moving when the one who was really in charge directed him to do so, and always in that slow circular motion.

Their dance lasted a few long moments before Philip gulped down the realization that he must seem to be a young boy at his first school dance. He looked down, a flash of embarrassment catching up with the usually so romantic Professor Valter, and his voice wavered at his first attempt to make small talk. "Surely, you're mistaken..." He began loud and clear, full of the confidence he had just tried to muster up, but his voice trailed off into nothing has his mouth still moved with the words. "...I couldn't have any greater a pleasure." He mumbled the last, so quiet amongst the music and the slight shuffling of their feet on the stone.

Philip's hand rested gently on her waist, his other gently grasped her own. The music was playing off in the distance it seemed, but it was slowly and steadily getting louder. With his comments drifting into nothingness and his confidence now shattered, Philip tried to win himself over again. He watched their feet, his eyes flickering from stone to Effie and back to stone again in an attempt to fix himself right again and lead the dance that she seemed to be controlling. His muscles in the hand around her waist clenched in nervousness as his feet started shuffling in the exact opposite direction they were supposed to. "Uhm." It slipped out just as his whole body seemed to now slip towards her. He got really close for a moment, over corrected himself and kicked a polished black shoe in the wrong direction, headed directly for her petite feet.

[effie teagan wilde]

Effie couldn’t help but feel… Enchanted. That was the only word for it. She was completely and utterly enchanted, captivated by this fumbling dancer of a man! She felt her cheeks flushed and she couldn’t get that playful smile to leave her expression. She wanted only to be there, in that moment, experiencing him, Philip. Every part of her wished beyond wishes that this was the start of something lovely, something amazing. Effie was a firm believer that life could change in a mere second. This few minutes was a change she desired so very much.

As he spoke the words, Effie felt her stomach flutter gently. Butterflies. She had butterflies. She was a grown woman in a mess of a life and here she was, blessed with butterflies from what was surely an angel. A bit dramatic, yes, and he was much too old for her, but she was thankful for him. That someone could make her feel so happy without doing much was beautiful. Effie didn’t want the dancing to end. And she could tell this was new to him. The way he moved, letting her guide but not meaning to. The way he looked down at their feet as Effie danced the way she had all her life. And she was more than happy to oblige. She was content. She was entranced. And she almost missed it as he moved closer to her. His closeness made her the tiniest bit dizzier and she could feel her cheeks growing rosy. She wanted to live inside that rushing emotion of his closeness forever.

That was when he nearly stepped on her. Effie had been stepped on about a million times in her life. She’d danced with people who had no idea what they were before. And, in the past couple of years, Effie had grown quicker and sharper. And, with the things that had changed her life, she’d adapted to faster reflexes. So, as Philip’s foot began what would surely cause her need of an ice pack, Effie did an abrupt back step and spun out, away, in a ballet pirouette. She stopped herself gracefully, her arms about her like an image frozen in movement. Her eyes locked on his, her smile still playing about her lips. ”So, am I a good teacher, Professor?” Effie spoke teasingly, but beneath that, there was this whole other level. She wanted to keep talking to him.