Bored and Grumpy (Open)

Mycroft had to admit that the girls had out done themselves in the ball. Everything was bright and elegant, a mixture of muggle and magical, from the muggle music, to the classic magical culture's food. The professors really outdone themselves with helping. But looking around he realized that he had lost Teagan sometime after they entered together.

He knew that since she was the Headmistress she would take her sweet time greeting students, professors and so forth. He tried to do the same, briefly, that is, then went to the part that mattered. Some time away from so many students. He figured that the best part of the end of the year was three months of not seeing them. He just couldn't wait to lounge around for a week, and then go back to work at the ministry.

At the moment he couldn't even relax, with the looming plans, he felt jittery and in need of fresh air. He saw a man already at the balcony and saw him struggle with picking up the cane. He assumed he was a professor, and not in Hogwarts, rather Salem. Walking over he saw the man's disposition and knew he was frustrated.

"Evening" he greeted politely studying the man before him.

Mycroft studied the man curiously, and as he introduced himself, he stuck his own hand out to to shake the man's hand and forced himself to let out a polite smile. Apparently Teagan had forgotten to tell him that she had hired a new professor. Muggle Studies...he remembered his parents preventing him from letting him to even touch anything muggle, let alone classes.

"Pleasure, I'm Mycroft Holmes, Headmaster at Hogwarts and Potions Master of Salem." he introduced himself.

"I'm just glad to be back from the Muggle world. They can be such idiots sometimes." Greg said and shook his head.

Muggle World? It was no surprise then that the man was either a muggleborn or halfblood. No pureblood willingly went to the muggle world, unless it was business, or was those "progressives". He had only gone a handful of times, not the most comfortable around it, but Teagan liked the idea being a muggleborn herself.

"Never was fond of it to be honest" He drawled, "Too confident in technology to keep an open mind"

Mycroft's early years were the usual pureblood experience. Going to Hogwarts, getting into Slytherin, annoyed at the constant push for the Gryffindor agenda or Harry Potter's heroism. It was after the war, after he fought, he realized that he had done the right thing by fighting with Potter. The moment he walked into the career of choice, he began to read about the muggle world. He was always a sympathizer, but the older he got, the more curious he became of the muggle world. Only on missions did he enter that world, but Teagan had pushed for more.

"I used to work in the Muggle world as a Doctor. Those were some of the worst years of my life. You wouldn't believe some of the morons that I had to treat."

Doctors, he remembered it being the equivalent of a Healer. He nodded his way and smirked thinking about the way regular people acted about medicine, diseases etc. They were so typical, didn't understand it and it scared them.

"Medicine hm? Could never get into it, never had the patience. I barely have some when it comes to teaching. But I like when you get those handful of students that just...really try" he commented. "But the muggle world? The only good thing about it, as far as I remember was the painting, creativity and the arts. It's admirable"

Mycroft looked at the man and he tried to study him well enough. He was older than Mycroft, by a few years that much was clear, and from the maturity in his gaze it had been a hard one. Despite the light conversation he made, it had a feel of crassness, even in the gallantry.

He nodded, despite the way that people looked down on teaching, at least in the muggle community, he figured that if the man had the credential he should teach. He knew of people who taught Muggle classes in his time that knew nothing of the world except in a twisted discriminatory way.

"In my free time I play Muggle instruments, mostly Guitar and Piano. I think my guitar is in my office somewhere..." Greg trailed off.

"Hm" he made a noise, a music lover was rare at least music with taste. "I do enjoy playing instruments myself, the violin specifically. And while I do prefer classical, I do appreciate jazz from the muggle world. But I have to ask, why Salem?"

Mycroft nodded. The man was a strange one, but not in an unpleasant way. Like him, the man didn't do much talking, and he was a bit quiet but in a thoughtful sort of way. Nothing outwardly said that the man had a few screws loose, but he mulled over everything a lot. For some odd reason made him feel like he was forcing conversation, and he was never a talkative person.

When the man finally answered him Mycroft nodded. He wanted to teach Hogwarts for the same reason. He was raised in Hogwarts and had considered him a home away from home.

"I suppose that's why I chose Hogwarts at first. Except I don't have children of my own. One adopted, but she's sixteen" he chuckled. "I suppose I don't have the fatherhood thing down, but I figure I'm doing okay. Both her and my baby sister are at Hogwarts."

"I didn't know about my son until he was 10 years old. I guess I shouldn't of been screwing around with the Interns." Greg said and smirked but realized how that might sound bad. "I don't do that stuff anymore. I've already learnt my lesson." Greg

Mycroft's eyes widened, but he was thankful with the dim lighting that hid the surprise and confusion in his expression. The man was definitely full of surprises. He never put him as a cad, but in his smirk, perhaps it was a joke as to how much copulation occurred with him and his colleagues. He could never be like that, because he was a one woman kind of man, and that was easily enough Teagan. But as the man kept talking, he felt sympathy.

"His mother died in an accent about a year back." Greg looked down at his shoes. "I don't think I'll ever turn out to be a good father for him. He deserves better than me. I'm too screwed up and think he's afraid of me. Never brings up anything to me." Greg admitted. "I didn't have a good example for a father."

He couldn't imagine have a child out of no where, at least from his blood. Rhian had been a child that needed a home, a girl that had lost her family from a muggle attack. He didn't say that at first he had paternal instinct, not at all, but he treated her the way he would have treated Tess in every way shape and form. From then on an attachment form, that while she was not his, it'd been three years and he was glad to be as close to a father as he was getting for a while.

"I can't say fatherhood is the easiest thing in the world. I adopted my daughter at twenty-five? Barely turning twenty-five" he chuckled, "best decision of my life, but I can't say that anyone has had the prime example of a father. It's moving forward and become more...learning from the failures you saw."

By no means was any pureblood father a good one. Always cold, demanding, especially at a young age. It was either perfection or not bothering to show up, but that's how he found success in the world, by harsh teaching methods. But that was him, he knew that the way he was raised to succeed brought fear to Tess every time their father even approached her in the same way.

Never in his twenty-seven years of his life did he ever see a man come from a very sarcastic dry mood to becoming a traumatized boy in a matter of seconds. First came the jump, that surprised him too, making him make a pass for his wand in his tux. Then came the tumbling down of the man, who lost grip on the cane he pressed his weight on.

Slowly the man began to curl on the floor and Mycroft looked around surprised and frightened about what just happened. One moment talking about fatherhood, then right after he was on the floor. Mycroft immediately grabbed the cane and bent down, looking at the man to see if he had any injuries.

"I know father. I wont do it again Sir." Greg mumbled.

He gently, scared to even scare the man all the more, placed a hand on his shoulder. This was not normal, and he wondered how hit the man was to even teach in the institution. Perhaps he had caused a trigger?

"He's not here" he said softly. He'd seen cases like this.

Greg shoulder flinched when something touched it but he soon realized it wasn't the belt. He calmed slightly.

"He's not here"

Greg's mind slowly went back to reality. He realized he wasn't standing anymore. What had happened? Greg's leg was burning a bit more then usual but he could take something for that. Greg looked up to see Mycroft's face. Greg finally recalled what happened. Well there goes his job. "Oh crap!" Greg said and sat up suddenly. "I'm so sorry! That hasn't happened in decades." Greg said. His face now red. He was fired for sure. No chance of getting another job. He's too much of a jerk. He was still amazed that he got this job. Well that's gone now. "I'll just get out of your hair. I wont come back anytime soon" Greg said grabbed his cane to stand up.

Mycroft felt sympathy for the man who looked lost in his world. He had seen this before, when he was dealing with cases that dealt with psychological problems. But as he touched the man, did he begin to react and lifted his head. The man's blue eyes had a touch of confusion and he saw Mycroft. Soon enough, reality hit and the man looked horrified.

He felt some sympathy as he was already saying that he was going to get out of his hair and stopped the man from rambling. Handing him the cane he helped him up as best he could and hoped to get him to look back to normal.

"No need to apologize, it can't be helped and..." he took a deep breath "absolutely nothing happened."

Mycroft sighed for the man hadn't gotten the hint. He was not going to tell Teagan that the new professor had some major skeletons in their closet. And maybe Greg was embarrassed about all of it, so Mycroft didn't want to dwell on it. He was a kind of man who knew that the subject needed to be dropped when it got too heavy.

"What I mean to say is....I'm not telling the Headmistress what happened. You aren't going to lose anything over a lip up. What I do suggest is seeing a Healer, maybe to prescribe some calming draught" he explained softly.

His voice had lowered, trying to use the tone that would calm down his girls.
"I told you I'm not fit to be a father." Greg said and shook his head. "I'm pretty worthless eh? I should just stick to the Muggle World. Everything seemed to work out there."

He sighed.

"No one in the world is perfect. Everyone has baggage, some heavier than others but they can still move forward. And the Headmistresses never hires people that are worthless, and I don't tolerate people that are obviously carrying potential to think of themselves that way. Throughout my career I've seen people do extraordinary things, and you sir have a career, a heavy resume under your name no? As for fatherhood, there is no formula it-it's not a potion that you make sure you follow instruction. It's just a learning process. Try to learn"

He wasn't really good at giving advice, it wasn't really his forte, after all he was only twenty-seven and had barely had any real fatherhood experience. But he was trying.

Mycroft nodded and didn't look at the man, he wasn't good on how to react to being thanks. It was something he did not because he was fond of charity, or had a good heart, at least he didn't think so, it was because everyone had issues. Everyone had baggage, were broken, in one way or another.

"No need" he replied honestly, "Teaching muggle studies in no way is concurrent with your personal life. So long as you do not mix the two, there is nothing to tell Miss Finn about."

As the man took the pills, Mycroft said nothing, instead studied him, wondering why he was giving him a second chance. He had little authority in America anyways, he supposed he could let it go.

"Some people cursed my leg a while back. I'm lucky I could even keep the leg." Greg told Mycroft. Greg chuckled. "I always had trouble with defensive spells." Greg said.

As the man explained his past, he nodded understanding how a cursed leg, when untreated or treated too late would cause such a disturbance.

"While not much can be done about the leg, perhaps strengthen your defensive spells, especially tonight" he replied, hands behind his back.