late {open}

[benjamin]

Benjamin didn't often work late, especially once he and Katherine had ended their separation. He liked to be home for dinner, be able to help with the kids and get them to bed, but for whatever reason that day it seemed there was far too much work to be done. Of course, some of it might be his own fault- he had done a test for first through fourth years all on the same day, and he had assigned an essay to those in years five through seven with the same due date. Normally he was a lot better at staggering those sorts of things so he didn't have so many papers to grade, but for whatever reason his usual organization had left him.

And so, Benjamin was in his office well after dinner, likely well after his sons had been put to bed, still making marks on the essay questions of the test. The multiple-choice sections were easy, those could be corrected with a spell, but he had to read through the written responses himself. Benjamin hadn't even stopped for dinner- though Persephone, bless her heart, had sent up an elf from the kitchens with a tray of sandwiches, fruit, and a pot of coffee. He had absently picked through most of the food, and was instead focusing on his work.

Benjamin just wanted to get home at a decent hour, though when he finally finished the last of the third years' tests he gulped when he looked up at the clock to see it was already coming up on eleven at night. So much for "decent"... Deciding that he would at least attempt to be done by midnight, Benjamin picked up his quill once more before turning to the next stack of papers with a renewed sense of motivation. He hadn't gotten very far before he heard a knock on the door, he frowned, puzzled as to who would come at this time of night. "Come in," Benjamin said simply, not looking up from the paper he was grading.