l a t e {open}

[maks]

Curfew for the students had passed about an hour ago, yet Maks hadn't left his classroom to wander the school as he usually did during the night- he'd been grading papers, specifically the first test that he had given to the fourth years, though he'd been finding it an increasingly difficult task to focus on correcting them. Gosh they were a thick lot this year, it seemed the summer had effectively refurbished their brains- tossing out months' worth of information. Hell, Maks might expect the average second year to be able to answer some of the questions that this group was missing. It was pathetic.

Though at least in the NEWT-level class he had only students who were serious about the subject, he required an Outstanding on the Potions OWL for anyone to continue. It was advanced potion-making, he was not going to slow down the best students simply because an average or sub-standard one didn't make par. Crinkling his nose at the irritation of this particular class, Maks exhaled heavily- he was going to have to go back and repeat old information, putting them drastically off-schedule- they were supposed to be starting Sleeping Draughts before Christmas!

Maks didn't think he could push them any faster, otherwise he risked grading more exams like this one. As if sensing his irritation, from the corner of his desk Anastasiya gave a soft mew. Maks sighed lightly, reaching forward and stroking her silky fur. She purred quietly, even Maks with his keen vampiric senses could hardly hear it, but he could feel the rumbling from her core as his fingers slid along his spine. "Oh Anastasiya, what am I to do with these imbeciles?" Maks sighed in his native tongue, as if he were expecting a response from the albino cat, who simply laid there and continued to purr.

Surprisingly, given the time, there came a knock from the door. Maks recoiled slightly, he hadn't been paying attention, normally he heard footsteps from well down the corridor before they reached his classroom. Lightly shaking his head at himself, he laid down his quill before announcing, "come in."