Grading Papers *Flynn*

[flora clementine kendrick]

Flora watched as the last student rushed out of the room, her dismissal having fallen on deaf ears. Each student had already been prepared to bolt for the door, books hugged tightly to their chest as if it would help accelerate them further. She let out a long breath, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her forehead. It fell back in place, but Flora didn't mind, having styled her hair in that "purposely messy" style. She felt it gave her a more teacher-like appearance.

Truth be told, she was slightly grateful not student lingered behind the way some upperclassmen do. Younger students cared only for the endless feasts waiting floors beneath their feet, as if it wouldn't magically replenish. Willow had been awake all night, and the stress was etched in tiny dark lines traced closely to Flora's eyes. Luckily a babysitter was willing to put up with a sick and coughing little Willow when Flora couldn't.

This still wasn't the end of her day, though. One more class before she'd return home and hopefully the babysitter had miraculously found a spell to put colicky children to sleep. Flora would write such a spell, if Willow knew how to live without her in the room. Parenting books said this was a normal phase for five-year-olds, but said nothing about the worry that riddled Flora's stomach when she was away. She ran both hands through her thick hair, ensuring it fell back into place.

Willow's ailment had not taken a toll on Flora's outfit. Although teaching music made her little heart flutter, the chance to work the "business-chic" trend secretly made Flora giddy. That, and there was no chance she'd let something like too little sleep affect her job performance. She needed this job, her daughter acting like an acidic repellent to men. Flynn giving her the job was also motivation to work her hardest...

Flora hadn't missed the way she got looks when she joined the staff among many of her former peers. They remembered Flora clearly; party girl. Her working was laughable to most of them, and that set a fire under Flora that consumed her every time she got that look. She didn't want it to look like a handout from Flynn...or maybe she didn't want to think it was a handout.

With an abrupt shake of her head, Flora reached for her coffee, already stained with her peach lip gloss as she swallowed the last steaming half. He didn't have time to worry. She reached for the pile of exams, dropping them with a satisfying thud in front of her. Whisking out her quill quite gracefully, she took to the papers, glad to lose herself in the words of music.

[flynn dmitri grayson]

Flynn was worried sick about his behavior. He knew that he was crumbling under the stress of his new position, new that he was struggling beyond belief with keeping his head above the water. Still, Flynn found himself dangerously close to drowning in a storm of alcohol, drugs, and sex. None of those three things was bad in his mind, but he was beginning to lose all sense of reason by combining the three in massive quantities. It was only a matter of time before he slipped into some drug-induced coma and fell into a vegetative state.

Flynn didn't want to disappoint anyone, especially the previous Headmaster. While deceased, Flynn could feel the eyes of Professor Irvine on him everywhere he went. The man's painting hung above his desk in the large, Headmaster's office. Though the man in the painting was friendly and always watched over Flynn with happiness and respect, the new Headmaster was incredibly afraid of his true nature coming out. He couldn't bear the shame and guilt it would bring him if he fell out of the former Headmaster's favor. Of course, worrying about the dead wasn't a good move on his part.

People were looking up to him now. He'd stepped out of the shadows and become the leader everyone wanted overnight. It was all so sudden and surprising, but Flynn didn't want to let anyone down. Being held up on a pedestal gave a man a sort of image, even if that pedestal was something he in no way deserved. It was a terrifying prospect. Still, Flynn had managed to keep his destructive behavior away from everyone in Hogwarts and everyone in the Order. He stayed away from the famous haunts of every other professor. Flynn was incredibly good at keeping this from everyone around him. Everyone except Flora.

Flynn knew that Flora was suspecting something. They'd been such good friends for such a long time. Flynn was losing face with her, even if she herself didn't realize it yet. If anyone was going to be skilled enough to realize what Flynn was doing most every night, it would be Flora. Still, Flynn planned on keeping it a secret for as long as possible. Flora was the only person that was currently alive that he wanted to keep his secrets from for purely personal reasons.

Rubbing his eyes, Flynn made his way down the hallway, his dark, midnight blue robes flowing around his ankles. He didn't think his behavior was starting to show on his face, but one could never be sure. Flynn strode up to the music classroom, rapping his knuckles on the door frame. He smiled at Flora for a moment before saying, "Hi there, stranger."

[/color] He slowly entered the room, giving off the air of someone who was comfortable in a powerful position. Flynn had gotten quite good at it. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful Flora looked. Even after having a baby, she hadn't lost her figure. Still, Flynn knew he had no chance with someone like her, especially because of his bad behavior...[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[flora clementine kendrick]

Flora jumped slightly, the rap startling her. She looked up, her shoulders relaxing as she met Flynn's smile. It was the kind that could make anyone melt. Flynn had a face that Flora was sure could make it on a big screen, and recently his headmaster ways could to. He could have passed for some graceful God. But there was a difference between Headmaster Grayson and little Flynn.

There was a certain worry that Flynn had always carried with him in the school days, one that was nowhere to be seen when Flora watched him in the staff lounge or at the head of the Great Hall. But some days, in some lights, like the first glimpse he gave when he entered, Flora felt that same worry. Her own smile broke across her face as he appeared, perhaps smiling too broadly. That had always been a problem for Flora when it came to Flynn; her rehearsed and soft smile was always shattered by the way she grinned from ear to ear.

"Hey you," she pushed her chair back from the desk, standing. Flora's usually practiced walk with a soft, precise sway in the hips was gone when she circled her desk. There was no need for practice when Flynn was there. He was basically the anthem of her childhood, before Flora had fully created her performance. "I was starting to think you got swallowed in that dusty office of yours,"

[/color] she laughed lightly as she wrapped her arms around his section. Being 5'2", Flynn towered over her, and her head raised no further than his chest.

Inside something rose and fell....a breath that was held all morning. Maybe before that. Maybe since holding a feverish Willow...she was surprised her face hadn't burst with blue. But still when she hugged him, she could breathe.

"Let me be a little more hospitable..."[/color] She retreated back around her desk, reaching for the coffee that was far too light in her hand. She tipped it over, watching with a tilted head as nothing left. "I had no idea there was so much caffeine in me right now...[/color] She bit her lip thoughtfully before looking up with a giggle. "That was the fifth one. I'm kind of worried now," she set the cup down, flopping into her chair. "I could offer you something heavier,"[/b] the question hung in the air.

She almost regretted the offer of alcohol the moment it left her lips. She had heard the jokes about her past partying days...Some which weren't always in the past. For a split second, she wondered if Flynn would ever think of her in such a way. She highly doubted it...he'd seen her at her worst and had carried her home, but something about Flynn was...different.

[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify][/size]

[flynn dmitri grayson]

"Hey you. I was starting to think you got swallowed in that dusty office of yours."

Flynn grinned, entering the room as Flora giggled a little. They strode up to each other and enveloped her in a warm hug. He towered over her by a foot, but it was endearing to him. Something about shorter women made him happy. He found himself incredibly unattracted to the tall and lanky women that filled the various burlesque and strip clubs he frequented. The women that caught his eye were much shorter and curvier than the stereotypical beauty.

Of course, Flynn was partial to men as well. He just liked being around people. He'd slept with too many men and women to keep track of, and it was a bit terrifying. He was always incredibly safe, of course, but he loved the touch of another human being. He wondered what Flora would be like, both as a lover and a lifelong companion... shaking those thoughts free, he followed Flora over to her desk as she started to put things away. Flynn stole a quick glance at her entire being, not just her curves but her legs, arms, her face and hair. She really was lovely...

"Let me be a little bit more hospitable... I had no idea there was so much caffeine in me right now... That was the fifth one. I'm kind of worried, now. I could offer you something heavier."

Flynn smiled absently as she tipped the coffee cup over, watching her blush out of her embarrassment. Truthfully, he wasn't really listening. His attention picked up as she offered him alcohol. Flynn looked at Flora, feeling time stop. This was a test for him, it definitely was. He swallowed uncomfortably, hoping that Flora wasn't perceptive enough to notice the change in him at the mention of something stronger.

"Yes! ... erm..."

[/color] Flynn cleared his throat before continuing. "Yes, that would be nice. Thank you,"[/color] he replied, smiling at her, hoping he hadn't been too quick to respond. Mentally, Flynn was cursing himself. He wanted to get sober, he just couldn't bring himself to do so. His body needed the alcohol...[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[flora clementine kendrick]

"Yes! ... erm...Yes, that would be nice. Thank you"

Flora paused slightly, eyes taking in all of Flynn, as if she could find something wrong in the situation. There had never been anything wrong before...but something remained off. She let out a breath she hadn't realized has been trapped inside as she bent over, careful to guard the back of her dress as she unlocked her bottom drawer. With a quick tap of the wand the cork of the wine fell into the drawer as she stood back up.

She circled the desk, sliding gracefully back onto it's surface in front of Flynn. She reached out with a leg, hooking the closest desk around her ankle and pulling it close enough for Flynn to sit. It would be quite a sight, the tall and lean man in the desk of the students while she sat on her own desk.

"I apologize for my lack of glasses. Willow found them last month," she stopped herself quickly before going further. She shut her mouth with a large gulp of the wine, promising herself she could drink no more. She had another class in two hours. And then a sick child to care for. All night. By herself. She was amazed at how well caffeine could really make single parenthood possible. It was more magical than magic sometimes, especially with Willow coming into her powers. She tried hard not to speak too much of her daughter, although she found it hard. Especially with Flynn. Flynn was so good with Willow...but still she knew that reminders of her single parenthood weren't professional...or sexy.

She held the wine bottle out to Flynn, folding one leg over the other, her left hand carefully holding the hem of her dress in place at mid-thigh. She briefly considered letting it spring up. Would Flynn notice? She ran her tongue along the back of her teeth, the way she did when she was contemplating. It wasn't as if she had never imagined the entanglement of the pair, sprawled out carelessly on her desk. It would never happen...however. Flynn was her best friend....and she was his. That was all she would ever be.

Her desk hadn't been the only imaginary place for their sexual romps that took place in her mind. She'd always wondered, ever since her first disciplinary hearing with the headmaster her third year, what sex would be like on that desk in the barricaded chamber. Headmasters never seemed like the kind to have sex, but she knew for a fact Flynn was no virgin. She was shocked as her stomach spiked up in jealous rebellion at the thought of what other girls might be laying across Flynn's desk as he worked late into the evening.

She she swallowed, releasing the hem of her dress as she used her left hand to push her head to the side, stretching her aching neck. She highly doubted Flynn would notice, or care if her skirt was a few inches above dress code. She could see the way he was eyeing the wine, much more hungrily than he could eye her. She furrowed her eyebrows, unsure the last time she had seen him drink.

[flynn dmitri grayson]

Flynn watched as Flora contemplated his rather anxious response. He felt himself grow hot under the collar and he smiled brightly, hoping to distract from the faint pink tint that was flowing across his neck. It was a bit embarrassing, but he couldn't help himself. The prospect of alcohol was just too great, there wasn't a thing that he could do about it. It was amazing and exhilarating and the thought of drinking well into the night got him more excited than he would care to admit. It was an addiction. He knew that, but there wasn't anything that he found himself able to do about it. The first step in solving anything was admitting that one had a problem, but then he needed to take action.

That in and of itself was the problem. He was simply unable to take the first steps to recovering from the sex, drugs, and booze addiction that weighed heavily on his head. Flynn was in far too deep. If anyone was going to find out about it, it was going to be Flora. Feeling her eyes on him, somewhat knowingly, made him nervous. Flora would know about his addiction. He couldn't help but wish that she was apart of it, in some way, shape, or form... mostly for the sexual escapades he found himself getting into. Flora was far too attractive to be single, and the dirty thoughts that had been coursing through his mind since the day that they had met as students in Hogwarts he'd had those itching, compromising thoughts about the petite woman...

"I apologize for my lack of glasses. Willow found them last month."

Flynn smiled, sighing. He'd been so focused on the alcohol that he'd missed his opportunity to watch Flora bend over... Shaking the thoughts from his head, Flynn felt guilt rip through his gut. He shouldn't think of the single mother that way, especially since she was now someone who was under his care as a professor at the school. He took the bottle from Flora, sneaking a glance at the hand that was holding the hem of her skirt firmly to her thigh. He looked up at Flora as he tipped the entire bottle to his lips, taking a large swig. It would look a bit unprofessional to anyone passing by, but the door to the corridor was shut. They'd be fine.

Flynn eyed Flora as she cracked her neck, eyes flicking down to watch her skirt, now released from under her hand, bounce up a few inches on her thigh. He took another swig before handing off the bottle to Flora, smiling gently and trying not to keep the rich wine for too long, knowing how quickly he'd lose control if he didn't give the bottle away. "How is little Willow?" he asked, smiling softly. He missed the little girl, she was a carbon copy of her mother and was an utter delight to be around.

[flora clementine kendrick]

How is little Willow?

Flora winced slightly at the question. She was so unused to hearing other people ask her. Granted she bragged at any given opportunity she could find. Flora knew it was too much. It was as if she stepped out of her body, watching herself babble on and on about how amazing her small daughter is...refusing to let anyone ask any other questions. Most listened patiently to her ramblings, nodding, and by then she had answered any question they could have thought to ask. To this day she was proud that no one except her mother had questioned about the father or her money struggles. Even though Flora hadn't stepped on stage since before she had had Willow, she found herself putting on the mask of a loving mother. An independent mother. It was a mask, though. 

"She's wonderful. Her magic is coming in and she loves it" Flora grinned, watching as he presented her with the bottle again. Her tongue pressed up against the back of her teeth, her fingers twitching slightly. She would love another drink. At least with the alcohol she could blame the warm tingling sensation that spread through her on the wine, rather than Flynn's presence. Still, she had a class. "I have another class later. I'll definitely have to take a rain check on splitting another bottle sometime though," she offered, watching his reactions carefully. The pink sprinkled across his usually fair face matched what she felt swelling up in her own, although something was off about it. Flynn was much more tolerant...he was twice her size, and still perspiration dotted his hair line. 

You're being stupid, Flora the thoughts were harsh and strict, as if a mother had spoken them. Honestly, Flora couldn't discern between her stern voice and that of her mother. It was horrifying, to say the least. Flora liked to think herself a bit more sexy than her mother. She knew she was, but still she couldn't avoid seeing the bags under her eyes in the morning, or the occasional stress line.

"She certainly is feisty, though." Flora wasn't sure who she was talking to. It was as much for her own benefit of voicing a thought to give the others order as it was to make conversation with Flynn. Strangely, she didn't always find the need to talk with Flynn the way she had to always talk with other people. Flora could simply exist silently in his presence, and she could feel at home. "She actually tried to bite my last date," she let out a small chuckle. "Granted she was pretending she was the great squid. But still, I haven't heard from the bloke since," a slight grimace crossed her face. She wasn't regretful about it...it was only sad how men ran as if Hell's fire were at their back when they met Willow. Her sparse dates had slowly whither away into nothingness. Flora worried Willow would end like her; stomach roiling in disgust at the thought of a man to call father. Despite the hatred Flora had built up for male authority figures, it didn't block out the sorrow and mourning that came with wishing for a father.She wasn't sure she could watch herself put loving Willow through that. She eyed the wine bottle in Flynn's hand. 

Without a thought she reached out, plucking it smoothly from his grasp. She tipped her head back as the glass touched her lips, three gulps vanishing down the hatch, followed by a flooding wave of warmth. Despite her beset efforts, Flora giggled slightly, although she wasn't sure what was so funny. Maybe the tickling sensation inside...