On the second floor of Hogwarts was a small room. It would have been perfectly square had it not been for the majestic fireplace that protruded from the left wall. The room had a rich red carpet and dark, bare stone walls. There were many cobwebs in the room - it had lay unoccupied for years, as the last potions masters of Hogwarts favoured the dungeons.
The only door to the room - a small wooden one which now bore a small plaque -
Professor Eric Stavrig
Potions Master
opened with a creak and a tall, slim man with messy brown hair and dark eyes entered backwards, pulling a heavy and very tatty suitcase. Once it was inside, he fell back against the door and looked around the room. It was a bit too light for Eric's liking. With a wave of his wand, curtains appeared on all the windows to match the carpet and candles were lit around the room. It was the prefect size for Eric. He didn't have much. He set about unpacking and poured himself some mead.

Ten minutes had passed and Charles approached the door giving it a rather faint knock. It was hard to bring in professors these days; so he was especially fond of Stavrig jumping on board. With a small smile on his face, he pushed the door open slightly and eyed the familiar room. He hadn't stepped foot in the room in almost twenty years; how time flied. Stepping inside he placed his hands inside the pockets of his cloak and looked around. "Professor may I have a word?"

Stavrig looked around suddenly, not having heard anyone come in. A smile broke his face as he recognised his new...well, boss.
"Of course you can!" He gestured to a seat in front of his desk kindly. "Would you care for some mead? And do please call me Eric!" He sat behind his desk in his posh new chair, which he had recently brought in honour of his new-found poshness.
"I'm not in trouble already am I?" He said, with a smile that lit up his eyes. They were usually full of the loneliness he had spent his life in. He brushed his hair back from his face and offered Monroe a glass, a bottle in his other hand.

Charles nodded his head a thank you, and took a seat in front of the professor. "Oh no, not at all Eric, I just need to clarify some things over with you," He grinned slightly. "Well, I am going to be blunt here; there are rumors inside the ministry that the groups of renegade Death Eaters have made their way back to England. This alone is call of concern" His smile faded and his voice died down. "You need to understand that this new era of Hogwarts will be one of great risk and experimentation. As you may well know, the school has been closed for almost twenty years."

Pausing he wiped his brow slightly, and looked back to Eric. "I need to know that you will do the very best in case of any, er.. well Crisis," His blue eyes dulled slightly giving off the impression he knew much more than he had let on.

Charles eyed him carefully, his blue eyes beaming like fire. He kept quiet as the professor talked and nodded his head towards the end. "Well Eric, I would hope that is where your allegiance lies, for the best of us both"The headmaster eyed Eric subtly as if reading him over. His last words were more of a truce than a threat. He had known of Eric for sometime, and though he was never sure; he had heard of his last name thrown about amongst followers. Though he doubted Eric would ever have any involvement.

He looked to the professor once more, "Times are becoming dark my friend, it is up to us to prepare and be wise. Now how about a glass of mead if you wouldn't mind?" Charles broke the darkness with a smile.

It was a pregnant pause, but not an uncomfortable one. "Of course," Eric said with a small smile when at last Monroe spoke. He pushed a glass across the table to him, watching him carefully through the hair that fell across his eyes. "What's of utmost important now is that we know who we can trust." said Eric pointedly, almost as if he was challenging the man across the desk.
He refilled his glass and held the bottle out to Monroe. "Do you care for what I've done with the place?" He said casually.

Charles eyed his remark harshly and brought his class to the mead bottle, watching it fill and than he stopped the professor with a raise of his hand. "Oh yes, looks much different than Snape had it, much different. It used to be so dark and gloomy down here," He spoke with a laugh and than brought his eyes around the room again. It was a lot more cozy, the way he liked it.

Eric smiled politely again. "I was never too fond of Severus Snape." He pondered for a moment. "He never taught me, of course; after my time; but I met him in person once or twice before..." His voice trailed off. No one needed reminding that Snape was one of Voldemort's many victims.
On the other hand, Snape had been most popular with the rest of his family. Memories of when Eric and his brothers had heard of Dumbledore's death floated back into his mind. 'Severus Snape killed Albus Dumbledore?' He recalled Ivris saying incredulously. 'What a hero!'
Eric shook his head as if to shake away the memories of his family..a family he was determined to be so different from..but sometimes when he saw muggleborn with a wand..he almost felt...cheated..
"Well, Charles - if I may call you that," he said, forcing himself not to think of such things. He bowed his head slightly to show he meant no offence. "I must see how you've styled the headmaster's room sometime. I can't say I cared for the way Dumbledore had it. Too bright for my liking." He grimaced and ran a long finger down his half-full glass. "How do you like Swedish mead? Quite stronger than the-" He managed to stop himself from being rude. "stuff you have here." He didn't think for a second he had fooled Monroe.

Charles grinned slightly, taking another swig of the alcohol. He rarely drank these days, though the occasional splash was good for the soul. "Stuff?" He murmured. "Do you mean the garbage they pass out to the teachers? Yes, I dare say this is much stronger!" The headmaster laughed lowly and finished his drink, placing it down on the table. "I usually end up getting some whine directly from the Hogs Head, you wouldn't believe it but they have quite the selection. Hogwarts has never had the good supply, not even in my youth," Grinning to himself he remembered the days with his friends searching the kitchens for alcohol, and finding some cheap wine.

Eric laughed quietly along with Monroe. He always spoke and laughed in a quiet voice, only ever raising his voice when he was furious. "Tut tut, Headmaster!" He said jokingly.
"The Hog's Head?" He smiled reminiscently. "Do you know I haven't been there since I was a student? I never had the chance, what with -" He stopped short. Eric wasn't keen to share how he had spent the time after Hogwarts with anyone, least of all Monroe. He coughed. "Yes, we must pay it a visit sometime, the pub I mean."

"Of course we do, not much of a drinker any more though. I might have a glass of brandy or some nice ale, anything else is too much," He announced and pushed his chair away getting to his feet. "Well professor, It certainly was a pleasure to talk to you, I'm hoping to take you up on that bargain at the pub, bring some fun to these early school days," Charles spoke and smiled. "I shall be seeing you Eric," Was his last words with a sudden glare, and he left the class room gently closing the door behind him.