In need of someone to talk to

Elizabeth was at a loss, she didn't know who was who and what to do. Her mind was reeling from the lack of sleep, her ability to adjust to timezones was putting a strain on her small body and the fact no one had shown her around the school was giving her a migraine. America and England, or were they in Scotland? Had very different timezones indeed. Though she was petite, her knowledge base and fighting ability was extensive. At her old school, her Headmaster was always welcoming to his students and made time to speak to them if something was troubling them but here she didn't know if she could do that let alone find his office. After once again trying to use her map that was given to her, Elizabeth decided to wander around and follow groups of people to where she needed to be. Finding the head of her house's office, she knocked on the door and awaited an answer.

Feeling nervous but in need of speaking to someone, she danced from foot to foot.

There was a knock at his door, a soft and nervous sound, just as Richard was finishing his marking of the third years' transfiguration homework. He glanced at his watch and noticed that he didn't have any appointments at this time so it must be a student with some problem. With a casual wave of his wand the door swung open,

"Come in..." he paused as he noticed that it was the newest Slytherin girl, "Miss Darcy. What brings you to my office? No problems in our house I hope?"

As the door swung open, Elizabeth jumped and a startled look overcame her features. Quickly composing herself she entered Professor Romain's office. She stood in front of his desk, shifting from foot to foot once more as she responded to him.

"No, there are no issues. In fact, I don't know anyone to report about so who ever was snogging in the broom closet has gotten away with it this time." she said as her eyes glanced around the room as she chewed on her bottom lip in nervousness. Only one friend was all she needed, someone she could trust to handle her worries in the correct manner.

"I just," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. "This is the first time I've been so far away from my normal surroundings, my parents forced me to move here and my lack of social skills has affected my first lesson track record." dipping her eyes down, away from the Professor she fiddled with her finger nails.

"It's silly, I know... but in the handbook it clearly stated that not all Slytherin Head of Houses were like Serverus Snape, unapproachable and absolutely terrifying..." she tried a joke, to settle more of her own nerves than anything.

"And, I-" she hung her head. "Don't know anyone else who could possibly give me the comfort that I don't know what I need... or....is this homesickness? I can't sleep, I feel like I'm going to pass out in my classes and sleeping potions don't really work all that much." she finished, meeting his eyes as she realized she was rambling. Ooops.

Richard chuckled a little at the comment about the couple in the broom closet. Such practices only happened on certain teacher's shifts now. People had learnt that Professors Romain and Smith could tell where you were and who you were with just a sniff of the air,

"Oh I shouldn't worry about them." he assured her with a smirk, "It's Professor Smith's night for patrol. They'll be caught and have points taken soon enough, don't you worry."

He nodded a little as he listened to her problem,

"Well it sounds like home sickness to me. And no, I'm nothing like Snape." he smirked a little, jokingly, "For one, I'm german and therefore better. As for your problem I think you just need to come out of your shell a bit more, try talking to some of the other girls in your house. Or outside of it, the barriers have relaxed a great deal recently."

Reaching into a drawer, he pulled out a clean glass and poured some water into it from his wand tip, offering it to her as he thought a little,

"Perhaps you can join a club or something?"

Elzabeth'shead whipped around at the mentioning of her DADA teacher. Her rib was still broken from her first lesson with him, she was in agony but refused to show him weakness and see the school's healer.

"Professor Smith is a cruel man with terrible teaching tactics. I wonder if he gets a personal pleasure out of beating up twelve year old girls and throwing them across classrooms." she said, accepting the glass of water with a soft thanks.

"Great way to be welcomed to the school, your Professor makes himself invisible.. Claims you saw him coming and whacks you straight in the stomach. He picks out his victim with eeny, meany miny mo...!" she gasped, tears filled her eyes. "And if he was approached he'd obliviate our minds and decline our allegations..." Elizabeth wiped her cheek with the back ofher hand.

"I'm overly shy, sir. I can't do that! Put me in a life or death situation and I'll rise up to defend but... Other than that people scare me..." her eyes went to the glass she was holding.

Seeing her very open reaction to Cobalt, Richard chuckled a little bit and tilted his head to the side with a small grin,

"I see he's made quite the impression on you. In fact..." he frowned as he tilted his head this way and that before nodding, "An impression on your broken rib. Second one down. Left side. Others on that side are bruised. As for Cobalt... well he's a harsh man to be sure. But there's usually some method in his madness. If there's not then I'll have to smack him down."

Richard frowned a little bit before shrugging,

"No matter how bad Cobalt is he wouldn't obliviate you." he paused before continuing, "I believe his code is... 'leave the mind fucks to the child molesters like snape'. I think he has anger management issues to say the least."

Richard laughed a little,

"Come on Liz... can I call you Liz?" he smiled, "This is Hogwarts. Something life threatening happens about once a year."

Elizabeth frowned at first and then agreed to the nickname. "You may call me Liz..." she said, her hand going to her sore ribs and she nibbled on her bottom lip. She resisted the urge to growl at the continual mentioning of Smith's name.

"Then why didn't he explain anything? All he did was keep pushing us, sir I understand the real world is much more nastier but really... in a class room of twelve year olds? Don't you think that's a little low?" she asked, feeling herself getting riled up again. Before she grinned evilly.

"Yeah, lucky it always happens to the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher..." she mused, a sly look overcoming her features.

"Apparently, my dueling skills aren't what they're supposed to be here at school. I doubt a private lesson with him would help me at all, what's the likelihood of getting private tutoring?" she asked, looking at the Professor straight in the eyes.

"I want to show him up, I don't know... I feel extremely challenged and I want to overcome it. I feel the need to impress him." she shrugged, visibly wincing from the pain in her side.

"And I'm not going to the hospital wing.." she said as an off thought.

Richard smiled a little bit at being allowed to call her Liz. To be honest he was just as likely to use it regardless of what she'd said, he liked to seem familiar with all his students after all,

"Great." he smiled a little, "If I can call you Liz then you can call my Rich. Or Dick, I suppose."

He shrugged a little at the suggestion that Cobalt was being too harsh. As the leader of an group dedicated to stopping the muggles before they could declare war on the now exposed magical world,

"Well I'm sure that's what the next lesson is for." he frowned, "If it isn't then Cobalt and I shall have a... chat."

Richard raised an eyebrow cooly,

"Miss Darcy, I hope I didn't hear you wishing that the curse on the DADA position held up it's record and caused death or serious injury to Professor Smith." he remarked coldly, "Because like him or not he is a professor and he deserves your respect."

He chuckled a little and shook his head,

"You're more likely to get private lessons with my wife than me I'm afraid." he shrugged, looking away, "My training methods are abstract. And hard. Harder than you can sustain and that is not an insult to you."

Richard sipped at a glass of water,

"Ever think that's the point?" he asked with a small smile, "As for the hospital wing... you're going. Or you'll lose Slytherin 200 points. March young lady."

Liz listened as her professor spoke, she wasn't a nasty sort of person but she really didn't like being shown up. As a professor, Mister Smith should've given a running audio commentary on what they were doing wrong and how to improve.

"Ricky?" she mused, smirking and running a hand through her hair before pulling it up into a bun.

"No, Professor." she said quickly, the smirk still on her lips. "Just stating that history seems to repeat itself, after all it clearly did during the Era of Harry Potter. Am I not correct? I'm just saying, who knows....I respect him as my Defense Mentor and Professor, though I guess it sort of works both ways. What's the likelihood of your wife tutoring me?" she asked, quite curious to learn that he had a missus.

"My father always said that from a young age, I wanted to prove to the world that I could do more than what they thought. His training methods were hard too, could I possibly have a trial?" she asked innocently, she blinked a few times and wondered if he'd actually consider it. She was a hard worker, she researched more than she should have of an evening and had even accidentally borrowed without permission... a 5th year's text book.

"I-" She started, chewing on her lip in thought. "I know he wants us to push ourselves, a little praise wouldn't go astray either. Just so we know we're on the right track.... I'll visit, though whether or not I accept medical treatment is a different matter." she smirked, taking a sip of her water before deciding to finish it.

"Thank you, Professor. It means a lot to know I can come talk to you about things..." she said with a small smile, standing and waiting to be dismissed.