Drown Me Out

[Kennedy Pratt]

The beginning of the school year always started off with such full force and energy, Kennedy still had trouble keeping up with a new round of classes, especially since she was currently adjusting some outdated practices in her lesson plans. There wasn't much of her time that didn't involve paperwork, so when the Divination teacher finally had a day off, she decided to take advantage and make the most of it. She took a trip over to her neighoring tower and decided to visit the Astronomy professor, picnic basket in hand. The basket was mostly for show as there was nothing in it but a bottle of wine and two wine glasses, but she couldn't walk around the castle in front of students with that, so she needed a cover. It was a clever one in her opinion, but even if it fooled no one, she just needed to make it to the next tower and that took no time at all, so she was already at Eduardo's door, knocking lightly.​

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[Eduardo Orbon]

Eduardo was just preparing to finish his office hours for the day and go home when there was a knock at his door. Expecting it to be a student looking to discuss something about their latest class or perhaps Jon he didn't even attempt to tidy his office. It was nearly always in an organised mess anyway and would've taken far more effort than worthwhile so he stood, straightening his tie and buttoning his jacket while walking to the door which he opened with a smile. He was pleasantly surprised to see his neighbour at the door but did regret not cleaning up slightly because his office was a little unsightly so as he said, "Kennedy, hello" he waved his hand behind him and charmed the room to clean itself up at top speed. He only hoped she wouldn't notice it while they spoke. "How are you?" They hadn't gotten much chance to catch up since the school year had begun much to his displeasure so he stood back and held the door for her so she could enter just as the spell was doing its finishing touches. Of course, later he would be ever so confused as to where everything was but such was life for the Cuban man.

 

[Kennedy Pratt]

Kennedy was relieved that the Astronomy professor was actually in his office, because she hadn't considered the thought that he might be out until she was already standing at the door. She smiled pleasantly at the sight of him and said, "Hey! I hope you're not busy?" Her answer was sort of answered as he stepped aside to let her in and Kennedy could see a few of his things tidying themselves or tucking themselves into drawers which made her chuckle but she didn't say anything. "I've been pretty good, just busy with the start of school, you know how that is," she said with a small shrug, turning around to face him. "So I thought we could use a break," she said, pulling out the win bottle and waving it in question.​

 

[Eduardo Orbon]

Eduardo smiled and shook his head at Kennedy's question. She was really in luck or rather he was the lucky one to be joined by her. "I was just about to finish my office hours for the day," he said. With only sixth years to teach this semester and it being a very straight forward year in Astronomy his office hours often meant he could preoccupy himself with either marking or other personal interests or passion projects. At the moment he was enjoying Kennedy's company too much already to think of such mediocrities so he nodded empathetically but his face contorted when the blonde pulled out a bottle of wine. His eyebrows raised and he said, "Oh my... In the castle?" He had not knowingly drunk while at work so her suggestion threw him for a bit of a loop.

 

[Kennedy Pratt]

Kennedy actually laughed at the Astronomy professor's reaction and gave him an 'Oh honey' type of look. "What, it's not like we haven't done it before," she said, referring to last year's Yule Ball festivities. "You don't remember?" she asked, slowly recollecting that Eduardo had assumed it was just sugar from the drinks that made him so festive that night. She settled into the armchairs by his desk and got comfortable quite easily in his office, as if she had been here many times before, but hoped she was not overstepping her boundaries. "We could always just save this for the next Yule Ball though," she added with a chuckle, clueing him in to the night she was referring to. ​

 

[Eduardo Orbon]

Kennedy's response surprised him. He had never drunk at work. Not once in his career had he ever forgotten his duties to his pupils with drink. He closed the door behind the blonde and sat at his desk, listening to her hinting at something he was sure never happened. "What do you mean?" he asked, hoping she was not accusing him of impropriety because such a thing would be a stain on his career which would give him immense shame. "The Yule Ball?" Eduardo paused, thinking back on the evening. "Oh I wasn't drunk. We had a lot of sugary drinks," he laughed, shaking his head at her joke. The sugar high had surely made him a little stranger than normal nothing more than that.

 

[Kennedy Pratt]

This time Kennedy really did say, "Oh honey," out loud. She couldn't help but laugh but tried to stifle it behind a hand, to be polite. "What are we, kids?" she said sarcastically, as she chuckled again. "I don't think sugar gets us that giddy." She tilted her head to the side in thought as she recalled the events of the night. "We didn't put a lot in the drinks so the taste might not have been obvious, but we did consume a lot of drinks," she said thoughtfully, trying to explain how he might not have noticed right away. "And we didn't even get caught," she added triumphantly.​

 

[Eduardo Orbon]

Eduardo thought Kennedy was a peculiar woman, this much he was sure. Peculiar but that didn't make her any less exciting so he shook his head at her in amusement until one of her later claims. "You're kidding, right?" he asked, feeling guiltier with every passing moment. "I thought it was just sugar," he said to himself more than anything because he couldn't comprehend how he had been so wrong. The Astronomy professor put his head in his hands out of shame and shook his head. This was not his proudest moment as an educator.

 

[Kennedy Pratt]

"You really didn't know?" the Divination professor wondererd. At Eduardo's reaction Kennedy was beginning to feel a little guilty. She hadn't thought anything of the events of the night because they hadn't gotten caught, but it was only now starting to hit her just what would've happened if they had gotten caught. She knew Eduardo took his position as a professor seriously, but to Kennedy this was just a filler position until she moved on to what she really wanted to do in her life. That's why she hadn't thought of the consequences to their actions, though they were pretty harmless. She hadn't meant to put his and Jon's positions in jeopardy. Kennedy gave him one more smile, chuckling half-heartedly and said, "Not just sugar, I'm afraid." Kennedy decided to put the bottle of wine away, back in the basket she had brought. "I'll tell you what, the next time we have drinks, it'll be somewhere nice, somewhere off campus grounds," she said, smiling at him expectantly. ​

 

[Eduardo Orbon]

Eduardo bashfully smiled at Kennedy as she suggested they go out another time instead. He knew her intentions were purely friendly so he felt that it wouldn't make things uncomfortable at work so he nodded and said, "That sounds like a better idea." He loved his career, his students and the sense of fulfilment he got from teaching and if he had been caught his career would be for nought as they were there to keep the students safe as well as educated. He did want to be Headmaster of a school one day, after all. "I do have tea or coffee?" he said, trying to change the subject but that was when it occurred to them that they were both done for the day so he added, "Unless you'd like to go out now?" Admittedly the man would happily have a drink today but the company was what he was happy for especially lately.

 

[Kennedy Pratt]

Kennedy smiled when Eduardo said her counteroffer sounded like a good idea. Truthfully she wasn't sure whether or not she meant it as just friends or something more, but she was glad it wasn't an issue they had to address yet. Regardless, Kennedy appreciated Eduardo's companionship ever since she moved to New Zealand so that was more than enough for now. She hummed in thought as she weighed out the options he presented. She wouldn't mind grabbing a drink elsewhere even if it wasn't alcoholic, but she also didn't want to impose on Eduardo's time since she had come over to his office unannounced. "Tea is fine," she decided, smiling at him appreciatively. "I just wanted to get out of my office for a bit," she said with a shrug. "Unless you'd like to do the same?" she hadn't considered he wouldn't want to hang out in here either since this was where he worked. It could be hard to socialize in the same space where you worked. ​