[Head of House's Office] Who is our HoH anyway? on Pecari Commons

Saul Pierce

August 17, 2009 9:46 AM

[Head of House's Office] Who is our HoH anyway? by Saul Pierce

Professor Baer had been the Pecari HoH at the beginning of the year. The Transfiguration teacher had left not long after, and Saul had since then referred most of his minor issues to his cousin and the few occassions he'd needed an HoH in an official Prefect or Quidditch Captain capacity, he'd gone to Professor O'Leary since he'd been the Pecari HoH the previous year.

He'd left the room that he mostly still associated with Professor Connell alone. In truth, he suspected it stood empty. If there had been an official announcement about a new or temporary Pecari HoH, he hadn't been listening that day.

But now he need an HoH. Not as a Prefect, but as a student. Simon wasn't going to cut it, and he wasn't sure his girlfriend's father was the best person to go to about it, either.

He looked around the Commons, appearing unusually furtive and nervous. He knocked uncharacteristically quietly on the Head's door. Even if somebody was in there, they probably would have had a hard time hearing it.

He wasn't even sure he wanted to ask anyway. He'd been thinking about for half a year and this was the closest he'd come to making a decision in all that time, but here he was, knocking on a door he wasn't even sure was used anymore with a rapping sound that Saul himself only heard because he was the one making it.

With a sudden burst of insight into his own ridiculousness, along with an equally sudden burst of bravado, Saul came to the conclusion that the room was empty after all and knocking like he meant it wasn't going to change that. So he did. He knocked on the Head's door and called out, "Hello? Anyone in there?"

If any of the other Pecaris asked, he could always say he was just testing to see if they'd been given a new HoH yet.

1 Saul Pierce [Head of House's Office] Who is our HoH anyway? 82 Saul Pierce 1 5

Simon Tellerman

August 18, 2009 9:15 AM

That would be me. by Simon Tellerman

He'd never made a big deal about it, and he'd certainly never mentioned it to his family, but Paul Simon Tellerman had been acting as Pecari's Head of House since shortly after the position had been vacated by Professor Baer. It was temporary and he was merely filling in until a qualified teaching staff member could be appointed more formally at the beginning of next year.

There was no need, no need at all, to advertise that the groundskeeper was filling it. He thought it might be mildly embarrassing for the school, but he didn't mind the low profile at all. It was bad enough Saul had been made Prefect. If it got out that Simon was a Head of House, even temporarily, the family might start getting the reputation of actually being somewhat responsible and respectable and he didn't want to be the cause of that. They really would revoke his voting privileges.

But if a Pecari student did need their Head, they could go to the Head's door in their common room and find him. He had, in fact, spoken to several Pecaris this way already. The House had not been abandoned and, reputation aside, Simon was taking this responsibility seriously. He had two cousins in Pecari and suspected it would have been his own House if he'd ever gone to Sonora as a student. Plus, with the Gardens right outside, they were quick and easy to get to for him.

He was overseeing the replanting of a small bush where some student had trampled over it during midterm and examining what looked like a puzzle piece that had been lying in the dirt nearby when he heard his proximity ward go off on the Pecari Head's door.

Putting Scurry in charge of the First Order of Janitors for the time being, he sprinted back to the other entrance into the Head's Office. He got in just in time to hear Saul's voice ask if anyone was in. Simon took a few deep breaths and exerted firm control over his voice so as not to sound as out of breath as he was. "Just a minute!"

He checked the mirror he had installed for just this purpose and used two spells - a tidying charm and an outfit transfiguration - so he didn't look like he'd just run five hundred yards through the Gardens after working for four solid hours on topiary. With one more deep breath more to center himself into his new role than to catch his breath like before, he threw the door open, to find the confused countenance of his favorite cousin.

"Come on in, Saul. What can I do for you?"

1 Simon Tellerman That would be me. 14 Simon Tellerman 0 5

Saul

August 18, 2009 9:24 AM

But you're you. by Saul

Wait. Saul knew that voice, and it wasn't one of his professors. This room was supposed to be empty. Or if it was filled, it should have been Fawcett or someone like that. Fawcett was adaptable like a Pecari. He'd taught nearly every subject in the couple of years he'd been subbing here, and now he was subbing for Baer. But that wasn't Fawcett's voice.

The door swung open, revealing the last person Saul expected to see on the other side of a Head of House's door. There'd been some warning, by his voice, but it was still a shock.

"Simon?"

He was invited in, and Saul did, still a bit dazed and confused. The door closed behind him, giving them privacy, and Saul sat down in the same chair he'd briefly occupied before he'd been named Assistant Captain of the Quidditch Team. This time though, he didn't expect he'd be jumping up in joyful excitement in about thirty seconds and hugging his Head of House (though, to be fair, he hadn't thought so that time either).

"Since when have you been my Head of House?" was the first and most important question that came to him.

1 Saul But you're you. 82 Saul 0 5

Simon (and a touch of Saul)

August 18, 2009 9:42 AM

And now that you know my secret, I shall have to kill you by Simon (and a touch of Saul)

He supposed he shouldn't have found it surprising that Saul wanted to talk about him and what he was doing in this office rather than whatever had brought him there. They'd get to that, no doubt.

"Since Headmistress Powell asked me to step in and keep an eye on the Pecaris until the end of the year." He smirked a bit at his cousin. "Figured you already knew." Which wasn't true at all. Saul had been completely in the dark until just now, and he'd known it. "You were already coming to me for help whenever you seemed to need it."

"Because you're my cousin!"

Simon nodded, serious. He did understand the difference. Saul was not above using his relation on the staff to get what he wanted. Simon had realized that very early in Saul's student career. Saul had come to him for materials to build a swing, transfiguration tutoring, advice and assistance on his concert production, and everything in between. But whatever had brought him here today was different. Whatever had brought him here was official and not a family favor. "So what do you need a Head of House for now that your cousin couldn't help with?"

1 Simon (and a touch of Saul) And now that you know my secret, I shall have to kill you 14 Simon (and a touch of Saul) 0 5

Saul

August 18, 2009 9:51 AM

Ok, but you better use some complicated Bond villian scheme by Saul

Saul sighed heavily and slumped down into his chair. Simon had brought the conversation back to what he had nearly convinced himself he wasn't actually going to have to talk about. He looked down at his hands, which were currently twisting together, an obvious sign of nervous discomfort.

He wasn't sure he could actually do this. Not officially. Thinking it was one thing. Talking about it with Elly could still be passed off as a joke. Asking Simon, who wasn't just a Head of House he might not ever see again in a few months, but someone he'd know for the rest of his life, was something else entirely.

"Promise you won't say anything to anyone at home unless I tell them first?" Saul raised his troubled eyes to look directly at Simon.

1 Saul Ok, but you better use some complicated Bond villian scheme 82 Saul 0 5

Simon

August 18, 2009 10:30 AM

So when this huge cauldron of water starts boiling.... by Simon

Whatever was bothering Saul was something big. He had no idea what. Usually Saul couldn't keep a secret to save his life, but obviously, he'd been holding his tongue about something. Simon hadn't realized anything was wrong with his normally chatty and cheerful cousin.

A handful of dire possibilities passed through Simon's mind, including, but not limited to Saul's impending fatherhood, an elopement, an accepted college application, a flaky business scheme to open a pizza joint with Roni as his assistant manager, or an admission that he was thinking of leaving the family to become a high priest of a religion that worshiped pepperoni.

Simon kept his trepidation from his face. He was Saul's cousin, and probably more of a role model to the kid than Bo Pierce ever was. He was Saul's Head of House. He had to be supportive. And whatever this was about, he was glad it was him that was going to help Saul with it. He doubted any of the other staff would understand where Saul was coming from and they might give entirely the wrong advice.

"I promise," he vowed, meaning it.

It occurred to him, as he looked back at Saul with as much reassurance as he could muster, that sometime over the last seven years, he'd stopped seeing the boy as just his younger cousin. Somewhere between all the transfiguration tutoring, and the chats they had two or three times a week, Saul had become some strange mix of cousin, nephew, brother, son, and friend.

"Saul, whatever's bothering you, I will do everything I can to help."

1 Simon So when this huge cauldron of water starts boiling.... 14 Simon 0 5

Saul

August 18, 2009 10:54 AM

The rising vapor will make the ceiling fan begin to turn? by Saul

Saul realized by the excessive amount of reassurance in his cousin's face and vow to help him that Simon was jumping to conclusions of doom. Saul grinned and laughed a little, dispelling the tension slightly. "I just want to know what happens if I fail all my RATS."

He looked around, as if checking to see that his professors or the Headmistress weren't peeking in and eavesdropping. If his Head of House had been anyone else, he wouldn't be saying this, but for Simon, he lowered his voice, and admitted in a whisper, "I'm thinking of throwing my exams so maybe I can come back next year. Would that work?"

He twisted his hands together again and bounded up to his feet to pace in nervous energy. "See, Elly's almost all by herself now. Echo left, and now Meredith, too, and really, what difference does it make to me if I finish school this year or next? I'm already living in the Sixth Year dorms. Matt would be left all by himself, too, and I know how hard that is. And really? I don't know if I'm ready to be a grown up, you know? They said they want me to work with Maria in the booking office."

He ran his hands through his hair as he continued to pace agitatedly. "I never should have run for Head Boy. Now, they think I'm responsible. They want me to do grown up stuff when I'm done here. Mom asked me if I was going to marry Briony." He turned to face Simon, distress showing on his face. He like Briony, he did. A lot. But not marriage. He was not thinking about marriage. At all.

"I'm seventeen years old. I just want to stay in school for one more year. I don't want to deal with all that stuff yet. If I fail everything, I can stay, can't I?" he asked hopefully. Desperately, really.

1 Saul The rising vapor will make the ceiling fan begin to turn? 82 Saul 0 5

Simon

August 21, 2009 3:57 PM

Which will pull the string and start the dominos... by Simon

Simon perched down on the edge of the desk facing Saul and shook his head apologetically as the kid ran down. "Sorry, but you're going to graduate regardless of how well you do on your RATS. You can take those again in December, but you can't keep going to Sonora. At the end of the year, you're done here, Saul."

The boy slumped down into his seat, as if Simon had just cut a puppet's strings. "You could go to college," he offered as an alternative. "Sapienti does have a performing arts major, and I hear Annie's in charge of it."

Saul looked up, baffled and distracted. "Annie? Who's Annie?"

"Annie, your cousin Annie," Simon prompted, surprised Saul didn't remember her, but then, Saul had been pretty little when she went East with her husband. "With the cap gun and gun tricks?"

Saul's eyes widened in understanding and recognition. "Oh! Her! Right. She's teaching? I thought she was doing retail."

"She got a new job this year. Got a letter from her a few weeks ago." Annie wasn't disowned, precisely, but she was largely considered married-out-of-the-family and not a true California Pierce anymore. As one who was toeing that line himself, but without the excuse of a spouse, Annie stayed in touch with Simon more than any of the others. Plus they were nearly the same age, and she'd been as close as a sister to him when they'd been growing up.

"If you went to college," Simon pushed his original idea, "then you wouldn't have to immediately take up any adult responsibilities at home. You could have four years to get used to the idea of growing up. That's why I went to Cal State." And to be perfectly honest with himself, it was why he was still working as a groundskeeper here at Sonora, and why he'd never actually gotten around to asking Kiva out on a date.

1 Simon Which will pull the string and start the dominos... 14 Simon 0 5

Saul

August 21, 2009 4:26 PM

Dominos? Dude, is this a fatal trap or a way to brew tea? by Saul

College? Saul looked at Simon dubiously. It was just about the last thing he would have expected someone to suggest as a serious course of action for him to take. "I'm not going to college," he denied. "I don't have the grades to get into college, even if I wanted to go to one. Which I don't. College is hard." Or so he'd heard. From Simon, mostly; Simon being the only person he knew who'd gone to one.

He stood up again and resumed his anxious pacing. "I don't like school. They only reason I want to stay in this one is because I'd already know the class stuff." More or less. "I'm not going to four more years of it."

"You could get a job outside the family," Simon suggested then.

"No!" Saul's refusal was fast and automatic. "I want to work with the family! I just don't want to work in the booking office or talk about getting married! I want to stay a Cousin, not be an Uncle."

Simon nodded, and Saul bet he understood perfectly. Simon had been avoiding becoming an Uncle for as long as Saul could remember.

"I'll talk to Auntie Gina, Uncle Joshua, and Maria. How's that? No more talk about failing all your RATS?"

"Right," Saul granted, mostly because it wouldn't help him anyway. And maybe now that he knew it just wasn't possible to stay at Sonora for another year, he could start getting used to the idea that this really was his last year here.

"Saul, you'll be eighteen by the end of June. You are going to be an adult soon."

Saul made a face. "Yeah, but I don't have to like it any more than you do."

Simon laughed. "Growing old is inevitable ... Growing up is optional." Saul grinned back.

1 Saul Dominos? Dude, is this a fatal trap or a way to brew tea? 82 Saul 0 5