Paperwork in the Garden (Lyn and George)

[Professor Lyn Collins]

"May be it's worse when your family is around, but being taught by a familiar isn't really what I recommend. They always try to make you better than they were and they really push you to your limits. Seriously, sometimes I prefer to have been taught at a school, like Hogwarts and get OWLs, like you did."

Lyn thought for a few moments about her harsh training she got from her grandfather. She wasn't mad at him for having pushed her that hard, but she also wished she had had a more lay back childhood. She couldn't hide her thinking and saddened face, but she quickly changed her expression into a happier one, not sure if George has noticed her previous expression.

"Yeah, I wonder why students would get an OWL from your class. Don't misunderstand me, it's just that learning how to fly on a broom doesn't really gives them space for jokes, nor time, for they surely will be too occupied with falling to the ground"

She smiled imagining that and then asked with surprise.

"You know Oliver Wood? I can't believe he got four OWLs and was accepted at Puddlemere United"

Now that were some news that Lyn never thought she'd hear about her favorite keeper.

[Professor George Weasley]

"He asked ME to help him study in third year. He needed all the help he could GET," George murmured, recalling just how jittery Oliver got about tests. Quills and parchment and time restrictions didn't work for him. "Yeah... he was captain of the Gryffindor team from my third year to my fifth year. I was a Beater. I think I was good... I think..."

George never really knew how good he was. Sure, his wife said he was really good at it, but... first she was a first year, then she was a good friend, then she was a Yule Ball date, then she was his girlfriend, his lover, his fiancee, his wife... She wasn't trustworthy when it came to compliments. She handed them out like party favors, anyway. A really nice girl.

"I'm hoping no one gets the idea to try jinx things from on their broom," George said honestly. "I think I can handle kids falling off... I had to catch Harry when he fell off his broom with the Dementors... Bloody HELL that was terrible... one of the worst days of my life..."

[Professor Lyn Collins]

Lyn listened interested about Oliver Wood. She loved Quidditch.

"I knew Oliver went to Hogwarts but seriously I never thought I'd meet a classmate of him around here. Can you get me an autograph?"

Alright, that was a little childish of her she thought afterwards and quickly added.

"Sorry, it just overcame me. I mean I may be adult but that doesn't hinder me to let my inner child out once in a while like it happened right now."

She grinned and then added, remembering George mentioning the jinxes.

"If you shall need help with the jinxes I'd be glad to help."

((Sorry for the late reply))

[Professor George Weasley]

George laughed at Lyn's inquiry about getting an autograph. "If you really want me to... haha, he wouldn't mind. He loves this place. He came with me when I turned in my job application. He wanted to see the renovated pitch. He preferred the old one, just like I thought he would... he's a bit too stuck in the past." George wrinkled his nose, realizing that he, too, was stuck in the past sometimes. So George and Oliver made a good match.

But George beamed when Lyn mentioned help with jinxes. "Well, let's see if the students behave themselves before we resort to cursing them. Somethign tells me that Headmaster Daylor wouldn't approve..." George thought of the Headmaster, and how he was a bit wary of him at the moment, but still managed a grin.

[Professor Lyn Collins]

"Yeah well, too stuck in the past has its good and bad things, just like everything."

Lyn said realizing she was also stuck in the past sometimes.

"But sure, I'd like to meet him. Thanks"

Lyn was wondering why George wanted to curse the students.

"Why curse them?"

Lyn asked smiling.

"We can always make other things that are also efficient rather than curses."

She said grinning.

[Professor George Weasley]

George burst out laughing, unable to control himself. "Other methods?! I wasn't really planning on... haha... oh my God, you're... wow... that was just..."

George took a few minutes to settle himself down, realizing that he looked a bit mad. Indeed, a third-year Gryffindor girl and a fourth-year Ravenclaw stared at him, clearly thinking he had a screw loose.

"...I was hoping Oliver would take the Arithmancy job, actually," George mused, changing the subject. Lyn seemed to like Oliver - and George knew Oliver needed someone in his life. He hadn't had a girlfriend since the Chaser on Puddlemere United turned out to be a bit of a tramp.

George couldn't believe he was thinking of setting up Lyn and Oliver.

"He was pretty good at it - almost as good as Hermione Granger," George recalled. "He spent so much time doing it, you'd've thought him mad."

George laughed at this memory. Indeed, the four OWLs he got were a bit... odd. Arithmancy - O, DADA - E, Potions - O, and Charms - E. The rest were Ps and Ds.

[Professor Lyn Collins]

Lyn didn't understand why George burst out laughing and then it was weirder when he suddenly changed the subject to Oliver again.

"Oh, you're that kind of guy who speaks and thinks afterwards?"

She said smiling.

"Sorry for this misunderstanding then."

She said, not really knowing how to act now.

"So, and why would a keeper like Oliver want to become a teacher at Hogwarts?"

Lyn wasn't sure why she had asked that; it was probably to go along with George and to leave that little misunderstanding as fast as possible behind... and may be even to know something more about Oliver.

[Professor George Weasley]

George couldn't help but feel he'd missed something. Something... important. If Lyn was ruminating on his personality - what was it she said? The kind of person who speaks first and thinks later? Something along those lines. George could only imagine what she was thinking in that head of hers...

He pulled a stray hair out of her face, compelled by a sudden surge of OCD.

"Why would Oliver want to teach?" George echoed with a smile. "He likes kids. Thinks they're the greatest little buggers in the world. I mean, I like kids, too, but Oliver, man... he's the kind of guy who wants to leave an impression on them, and wants them to remember him for X, Y and Z, I guess." George sighed. "But he just doesn't have the time. With Quidditch season and all."

[Professor Lyn Collins]

George pulled a stray hair out of Lyn's face and answered her question.

"Yeah, I thought he wouldn't have time because of Quidditch."

Lyn said smiling.

"So, and how did you become a teacher?"

[Professor George Weasley]

George knew that Lyn was expecting a very elaborate, amazing tale about sudden realizations of worthiness and self-duty when she asked about how he became a teacher. Unfortunately, his tale was NOTHING like that.

"Well, my wife Erica, she saw an advertisement for new teaching posts in the Daily Prophet," George explained rather blankly. The story was SO BORING. "And one of them was Broom Practice, so I went to Headmaster Daylor and asked if I could have the position. Seems Professor McGonagall left the school... retired, old age, you see. So I ended up being head of Gryffindor, too. How bizarre..."

George shrugged before smiling. "And what about you? How did you get to be here?"

[Professor Lyn Collins]

"I wanted to get out of my little town and pass down my skills to other young witches and wizards. I left and some days later found an announcement that Hogwarts was looking for a Dueling Magic teacher and I thought I'd try to apply. I mean, Hogwarts is Hogwarts and I'm sure I won't also be teaching but also learning something new. That is, if I can find those books they say are forbidden in the library."

Lyn said and grinned.

"Head of Gryffindor. Congrats George."

[Professor George Weasley]

"That's... pretty awesome," George nodded. He was amazed at how much prestige Hogwarts had amassed, even with homeschooled witches and wizards. Of course, there were all kinds of transfer students as well, coming from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. George liked them all.

Except the Malfoy kid.

"Thanks," George replied. "I really don't know why ANYONE would trust me as a Head of House... considering I had a whole filing cabinet of infractions when I was in school... but Headmaster Daylor is interesting like that."

George shrugged. "C'est la vie. Sometimes things happen for a reason."

[Professor Lyn Collins]

"Not only sometimes... but always."

Lyn said and it seemed to her that George wasn't really believing in himself. He needed something to make him realize he's worth being head of Gryffindor and also to take all his other doubts away. But how should Lyn begin that without making him going mad at her? She didn't know him enough yet to know what pisses George off and what not. But even so she had to try it. It was challenge after all.

"Why do you think like that about being head of house?"

She asked carefully.

[Professor George Weasley]

George blinked. What a frank question. Obviously Lyn had tried to phrase it nicely, but George, if anything, was embarrassed by the show of courtesy. If she'd just come out and said it, he might've been able to come up with a witty comeback. But when she put it so gently yet so forward... there was nothing to do but answer.

"...I guess you could call it an inferiority complex," George finally settled on. "I was so used to doing everything with Fred. It seems like anything I accomplish on my own... oh, it's stupid. I don't know how to put it."

George couldn't tell Lyn that, in all reality, he felt that Fred, had he lived, deserved most of the things he had currently. After all, they'd promised to be together in everything, with an Unbreakable Vow. He owed his dead twin a lot, in his view.

And George grew silent thinking about it.

[Professor Lyn Collins]

Lyn noticed she had touched a wound but didn't want to dig deeper in it. If George wanted to talk about what was bothering him she'd be there to listen. But she didn't want to make it look like she was forcing him to speak or even seem too curious.

"It's ok. I guess I got your point but allow me to say you have to believe in yourself if you want your students to look up and respect you."