A First Year's Plea

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

Cavan made his way purposefully through the halls, his robes flowing around him, touching the stone steps he walked upon, promising a hard fall should he trip on them again. He reached the sixth floor where the Headmistress' office lay and with a deep breath he made his way further down the hall to the door that lead inside said office. He stared at the entrance way for sometime before he found his hand moving of it's own accord to knock on the door. He hadn't even figured out how he was going to word it yet and here he was begging an audience.

He only knew he'd been at Hogwarts for sometime and he just couldn't stand it any more, he had to ask. He didn't know how he'd managed so far and knew that if he didn't get permission, he was going to have a lot of trouble keeping out of the Forbidden Forest, and he intended to inform the Headmistress of this fact in his plea.

Nerves of his first meeting with Professor La Pointe he shifted from one leg to the other. His hands, which had so rudely knocked on the door before he'd been ready were now running through his hair, trying to get it out of his face and behind his ears. What would he do if she really said no? He didn't know, but he just had to ask and hope for the best.

[Caira LaPointe]

Caira looked up from her desk at the sound of a knock on the door. It seemed more and more students were coming to visit, of late. Perhaps that was a good thing, it meant they weren't afraid of her and perhaps that they even were starting to like and trust her. That was the sort of thing that normally took years to accomplish. She picked up her wand and aimed it at the door with a quietly cast spell, watching as it opened to reveal a much younger student than usual. It took a moment for her to think of his name. She had, of course, gone through all of the student profiles so she would know them as she met them.

"Cavan, right?" she asked with a smile upon her face. "Welcome. You look like you've got something very important to ask me. Come on in dear. We'll have a cup of tea and you can ask away." She gestured with her hand, indicated a pair of high-backed chairs facing each other in front of the fireplace. Between the chairs was a small, round table on which sat a silver tea service with porcelain cups decorated with the Hogwarts seal and a plate of various tarts: chocolate, lemon, rasberry, and creme.

She made her way over to one of the empty chairs and began pouring tea for each of them before waiting for them both to settle down. "Now then dear, what did you want to talk about?"

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"Cavan, right? Welcome. You look like you've got something very important to ask me. Come on in dear. We'll have a cup of tea and you can ask away."

Cavan nodded and smiled shyly to her, suddenly sure that she would at least hear him out before telling him his request was impossible. He stepped in, heading in the direction she has indicated with a nod. He stood beside one of the high-backed chairs facing each other in front of the fireplace. He'd been taught not to sit until the lady had, and so waited for her to move around her desk and join him. He glanced at the small, round table between the two chairs, on which sat a silver tea service with porcelain cups decorated with the Hogwarts seal and a plate of various tarts: chocolate, lemon, raspberry, and creme. Everything looked very delicious and it reminded him that he had skipped lunch to come up here.

He sat once she was seated and smiled as she poured the tea for each of them.

"Now then dear, what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm sorry to bother you Headmistress, but I have something very important to ask." He took up his tea, sipping it before he continued. "I know it's not a normal thing for first years to take Care of Magical Creatures, but I've been working with my dad with them for a while and I really miss it and I have a free period... Is there anyway you could let me take it? I promise I'll be careful, I might even be of help to the professor. Please Headmistress?" He'd gone from begin very mature about it to practically begging like the first year he was. Even being mature for his age, didn't change the fact that he was an eleven year old boy.

[Caira LaPointe]

Caira considered Cavan's question, her lips pursing thoughtfully. "We do have the age limit so students aren't overwhelmed in their first year at Hogwarts. I'd definitely be a bit worried about your safety, but mostly I'd worry that you were stretching your schedule too tightly, dear. I don't know how you've coped with the homework up to this point, but it does get heavier as the year goes on." She took a sip of her tea and helped herself to a rasberry tart.

She chewed slowly, thoughtfully, considering the idea in her head. It really wasn't an unreasonable request by any means, a student who wanted to learn more. Most teachers would have found it a pure delight, in fact. Caira was impressed by his determination--going as far as having an audience with her so that he might ask. "I have an idea." She smiled and winked. "Why don't we have you try it out on a trial basis? You can attend the class for a month, do the homework, see how you like it. YOu'll be in with older students... see what it's like to have to work with them. At the end of the month I want you to report back to me and let me know how things are going. If at any point your other grades start to suffer or you feel overwhelmed, we'll have to pull you back out. But as long as you're comfortable and able to do the work with the others, I don't think it should really be a problem."

She smiled, waiting to see what he would think of that idea. She could never have too many allies among the students. Who knew what might come of this small favor?

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

Cavan had taken a deep breath and another sip of his tea as he waited for her response. His fingers were crossed as he listened to her considering the idea.

"We do have the age limit so students aren't overwhelmed in their first year at Hogwarts. I'd definitely be a bit worried about your safety, but mostly I'd worry that you were stretching your schedule too tightly, dear. I don't know how you've coped with the homework up to this point, but it does get heavier as the year goes on."

He nodded understanding that she had no idea that his homework was done in between classes and that he always had free time upon free time for his languages and flying and then there were his weekends. He had so much time he didn't know what to do with it. He'd gotten so bored he'd considered volunteering to help the Herbology teacher with some of the plants, or offering to help in the infirmary. He nodded again, knowing that as headmistress she had to think of his safety and school work first. He could hope she would give him a chance.

"I have an idea. Why don't we have you try it out on a trial basis? You can attend the class for a month, do the homework, see how you like it. You'll be in with older students... see what it's like to have to work with them. At the end of the month I want you to report back to me and let me know how things are going. If at any point your other grades start to suffer or you feel overwhelmed, we'll have to pull you back out. But as long as you're comfortable and able to do the work with the others, I don't think it should really be a problem."

He finished his tea, giving himself time to calm down. His eyes widened as she told him he could have a trial period and he knew that he wouldn't have a problem with it. Calmly setting his cup and saucer down, he grinned from ear to ear. "That sounds reasonable Headmistress," His voice a lot calmer than his facial expression.

Calmly he stood from his chair and offered his hand, "Thank you very much Headmistress. You won't regret giving me this chance, I really appreciate it. Now if you will excuse me, I have to be getting to my next class as much lunch period is almost over." He took one raspberry and one lemon tart to eat on the way.

[Caira LaPointe]

Caira could clearly see Cavan's excitement, though his voice didn't reflect it. She could tell he was doing his very best to accept her offer graciously and with a maturity greater than that of most eleven year-olds. "You're welcome Cavan," she replied with a warm smile. "And how about, from now on, you just call me Caira? That's what I ask everyone else to do." She laughed happily. "Everyone around here seems to think my first name is Headmistress, but I've never been much of one for titles." She shook his hand firmly and smiled again.

"Yes, run along to class, dear. Don't forget to let me know how you're getting on with that class too." She watched him grab a couple of fortifications for the journey and smiled. "Why don't you take a few more? I'm sure you're hungry and I'd rather have someone eat them than have them sit here all day." She waved her wand and conjured a small drawstring bag, dropping several of the miniature tarts into it before handing it to him.

"That's much better. Now run along to class!" Her voice was cheerful and her smile was sunny as ever as she waited for him to head out, dreading the return to her own paperwork.

[Cavan Mikal Weiss]

"You're welcome Cavan. And how about, from now on, you just call me Caira? That's what I ask everyone else to do. Everyone around here seems to think my first name is Headmistress, but I've never been much of one for titles."

Cavan nodded, trying to wrap his head around calling the headmistress by her first name, not even professor. "Yes Headmistress, I mean Caira..." He blushed, it was going to be harder than he'd first anticipated to get used to thinking of her as not headmistress but Caira.

"Yes, run along to class, dear. Don't forget to let me know how you're getting on with that class too. Why don't you take a few more? I'm sure you're hungry and I'd rather have someone eat them than have them sit here all day."

Cavan found himself blushing again as she pointed out that he was probably hungry, he was famished, but he'd been so determined to be able to attend CMC that he'd skipped lunch even though he'd missed breakfast because he'd set his alarm charm wrong. If it hadn't been for his owl, he wouldn't have made it to class on time because he'd been up all night finishing his memorization of the Akkadian symbols.

He watched rather awed as she conjured the small drawstring bag, and bit his lip hungrily as he watched how many of the tarts she had given him. Taking the bag from her he nodded, slipping the two he'd taken into it as well. "Thank you again, Hea... Caira. And I will keep you up to to date with all my classes. Don't worry, I won't forget."

"That's much better. Now run along to class!"

"Thanks, Hea... Caira!" He waved to her as he took his things, and his snack and quickly left her office, speeding down the corridors, though he slowed and was more careful toward the flights of stairs, he'd nearly fallen enough without stairs adding to the problem.