Post by hipsdontlie on Jan 10, 2007 11:20:26 GMT -5
[[OOC: If I read it properly, I believe that you asked us to have a teaching license from Diagon Alley. However, when I looked, I do not recall seeing a Diagon Alley. And then it said that we could also post a student sorting application? I am not quite sure. I did not want to post the student application and then be a student and not a professor. If I need to fill the student application out, however, let me know, and I will.]]
Name: Maria Sanchez
Age: 49
Bloodline: Half-Blood
Position Wanted: Charms Professor
Experience:
OOC: I have taught on almost every site that I have been on, mostly Charms though. I have been on a lot of sites, so that should say something ïŠ
IC: Maria previously taught at a school in Spain for a few years, but once her daughter was born, she no longer did. She hopes to regain the remembrance of her teaching skills and such by teaching at Hogwarts and helping to educate the students.
Lesson Ideas: Charms Lesson Ideas
Lesson One: Introductions
--Simple Greeting
--A Wand and Its Contents: Why does it matter?
--Five Necessities for Performing Spells
Lesson Two: Conjuring A Spell
--Your Wand Hand
--Proper Wand Techniques
--What Spells?
Lesson Three: Performing Spells
--Review of Lessons 1-2
--Practice Techniques
--Learn About the Spell(s)
--Perform the Spell
Appearance: Though Maria stands at a mere 5'2" and weighs 129 with a medium-sized waist, her appearance is overall stunning for that of a forty-nine-year old woman. She has brown hair that tends to look as if it is black, depending on the lighting and the season. Her eyes are also dark brown to black, thought the sunlight changes them from time to time, making them a fairly hawk-like yellowish color. Her skin tone is very white, which makes her look quite ghostly against her hair and eyes. She tries to wear minimal make-up, though sometimes she feels the need to, which is quite stupid of her.
Maria has a very nice posture about her body. She walks up straight for the most part with her shoulders back and a confidence about her. When she is seated, she is usually the same way unless she is really tired or feeling sick from a cold or something of the kind. Her face usually has a content expression, though she will wear a smile if she is pleased or happy with something. And, if she is upset or angry, it is obvious. She wears a heavy frown, though it can easily be lifted and turned upside down.
Maria's wears robes almost all the time. Her robes are usually black or of dark coloring, though she will sometimes get into colors if she is going to a more formal event. The color that she would wear to an event like that would be white or red, though she tries to remain in black. It is not that she is some sort of person that fears colors or anything, but she thinks that black is more elegant and slimming, not to mention professional. When she is in a bright or cheerful mood, she will wear color. However, when elegance and being professional is necessary (a large gathering, etc.), she will wear jewelry. She prefers not to wear anything other than her wedding ring, especially since bracelets get caught on things and they wrap about her wrist and annoy her. She does not particularly like earring either. They tangle in her hair and make her ears feel weighed down.
For the most part, Maria does not care what others think of her appearance. She tries to maintain a decent posture and appearance, though there are times when she does not care. On those days, she expects to be made fun of, and she also expects to hear whispers and comments about her, but she does not care. Whatever people think of her is their business, and she pays no attention to it.
Personality: Coming from an older family and having children of her own, Maria has morals and ways in which she expects to be treated as well as ways that people should treat each other. She believes in respect for anyone and everyone, especially adults and people that are older. She thinks that people should be able to help themselves before asking another person for help. There is a limit and restriction that she has placed upon herself, and she rarely crossed that boundary at any point in time. Instead, she remains inside of it and prefers to do so in order to set an example for her children, people that she does not even know as well as herself.
Maria has always been kind a respectful to her elders, even those she does not know or those that give her minimal respect. She tries her best to educate others of that sort of thing. Respect is something that she holds high in her life, and if someone fails to show respect towards she or another person, she will correct such behavior, usually irregardless of who it is. When the person she is trying to teach respect to becomes hostile, Maria tends to become hostile as well, and that is not always the best thing. Though Maria seems a sweet as sugar and as kind as can be, she will get an attitude with them.
She is very intelligent in almost everything she does, and she is always willing to give out random information, even if she is not asked for it. She has a lot of useful information on the inside of her head that she will give to anyone who asks or she thinks deserves to know the information. She is often times quiet and preserved from others so that she can think about things or read or write.
Though she seems laid-back and cool to some, she takes he job seriously and does not play around. She will correct people in the most polite manner, though if things are too out of hand, she will raise her voice and things along those lines. She dislikes doing it, but she does what has to be done in order to maintain a decent learning environment.
THE BELOW IS A PARTIAL CONTINUATION OF HER PERSONALITY.
Likes/Hobbies: Maria likes to spend time with family and friends as well as educate others of the things she knows. She enjoys drawing little sketches and things like that in order to keep her occupied.
Bad Habits: Maria’s worst habit is when she is sitting by herself and starts daydreaming or thinking about the past. She often times trails off for a while and is unable to come out of the trance that she is placed under. Distractions bring her to reality, though it does not always help. She also has the tendency to crack her knuckles, which causes her to have minimal pains in her hands.
Dislikes: Maria cannot stand people that show little respect for them self and others. She does not like people that do not try to help themselves and ask for help from others. It just annoys her. She does her best to ignore it, but it does not really work. Another thing that annoys her is when people in the magical world wear Muggle clothes. She thinks that Muggles should wear their own attire and magical folk wear their robes, unless they are trying to blend with Muggles, of course.
Fears: Maria is scared to lose her husband and children. And, though she and her sister have been on the outs since her father's death, she is worried for her as well.
Strengths: Maria has a way with kids for the most part. She likes being around them and working with them, and she tries to assist them in any way possible. Maria is also very good with her wand.
Weakness/Flaws: Maria cannot always stick to one thing. She will go from one thing to another and often time tends to wander in her thoughts and has a hard time trying to come back into reality.
Family History: [[OOC: Not the best as I redid a lot of it, but I tried]]
It had been a fairly rainy day in Havana, Cuba when a little girl was brought into the world. She was born to Jose and Maria Sanchez, life-long residents of the area. However, due to complications in birth, Maria Sanchez passed, leaving her husband, five-year-old daughter and newborn alone in the world. In honor of her, Jose named his newborn daughter after his wife, hence Maria's name.
Her father never remarried on behalf of his two daughters. He did not want to change his life anymore than it had been, and he did not want anyone else replacing his deceased wife's place in his heart or that of his children. He cared for his children; they were his life. And, for that reason, he worked day in and day out to provide to them.
Soon after Maria had turned two years old, Jose decided to move away from the communist government they were living in. Castro only made things worse, which was why the economy was going downhill. So, they fled the country and managed to make it all the way to England, where they currently live. After moving, Jose provided a home for his daughters.
Maria was left at home with her older sister a maid that he had hired for just that reason. The maid was one of the few that knew their secret of being magical and of the wizardry world. She told no one, for she knew of the consequences of their exposure. She cared for the family very much, especially Jose, who she had hoped to befriend in more ways than one. However, he had never allowed it.
When Becky turned eleven, she received her letter to Hogwarts. She went and was put into the house of Gryffindor due to her mischievous ways of acting as well as her bravery towards almost anything. She was also quite outspoken and very attracted to the color gold. She spent a good eleven years there. In her fifth year, however, Maria entered her first. She was sorted into Ravenclaw unlike her sister, who rarely spoke to her or made an effort to comfort her when she needed it. The family bonds were not as strong, which is one reason why Maria feels the need to remain close to her own family and friends.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Becky went to work at the Ministry of Magic in the Auror department. She had gotten top marks in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and she was automatically suggested to the Ministry. She, being the person that she was, accepted the job. Maria remained at school as she was supposed to. She learned various ways of magic as well as various ways in which to do things. She also made some friends including her very first and only boyfriend and husband for twenty-eight years and counting.
She and her future husband, Emilio, had met when Maria entered her first year at Hogwarts. They were both in the same house, Ravenclaw, but they were five years apart. However, even after he had graduated from Hogwarts, Maria and Emilio managed to keep close contact with one another, and they even saw each other over holidays since they lived somewhat close to one another. During the time that Maria was still in Hogwarts, Emilio had gone off to get extra training at a special magical university there in England. He managed to complete his further studies within the next few years and was done even before Maria had graduated from Hogwarts.
Soon after leaving Hogwarts, Maria went to live with her friend of many years, and they started dating. She worked on her studies since she had aspired to become a professor of Charms. Emilio supported her every step of the way. Three years after they had dated, they got married. And then, two years after that, Maria gave birth to their son, Nayib. This did not, however, stop her from working hard enough as to obtain the degree to teach Charms.
Finally, after five years of learning as much as she could about teaching and about Charms, she took a break and allowed herself to feel relaxed by spending time with her son, five at the time, and her husband. They decided to travel to Spain for a while, where they ended up living for a few years. And, there, Maria managed to get a decent job teaching Charms to magical folk there. A nanny was hired to watch over Nayib until he was old enough to start school and Maria could watch over him while working.
Nayib was fourteen at the time when Maria announced she was pregnant with a second child. When she told her son, he picked her up and spun her around in a circle out of happiness. The whole family was happy about the event and could not wait for the next eight months to pass. They did, but no quickly. And, on December fifth, Emily was born into the family. Maria then decided to take a break from her teaching to be home for her daughter as well as to spend more time with her husband. She allowed her son to continue his schooling there in Spain for the next three years. After graduating, Nayib had decided to go into Muggle Studies and working at the Ministry of Magic in the Muggle Department. Maria was not against, but she did not particularly like the idea of her son turning into a Muggle, in a matter of speaking.
Over the next few years, Maria moved back to England with her daughter and husband. At that time, her daughter had been about nine or ten. Maria and Emilio had wanted Emily to attend Hogwarts, which was their main reason for going back ‘home’. When the girl was eleven, she was sent to Hogwarts where she was sorted into Ravenclaw. Her daughter is now in her second year at Hogwarts, and Maria is applying for a job of Charms professor there.
Sample Role Play: [[OOC: Taken from another site]]
Title: Ticking Memories
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
The clock rang out across the grounds and through the castle twelve times, signaling the time. It was noon, and lunch was being served in the Great Hall. The students scurried about the halls as they tried to be the first ones there. The behavior of the students was chaotic, and the question that most professors thought about around the same time each day was: Why are they rushing to eat? It was true. Why did they rush about? There was plenty of food to eat and enough space for seating. They were all heading to the same place. If anything, one would think that the students would take their time and try to be the last one there. The food was going no where, unless, of course, someone arrived after the meal had been served. Even then, they could always head down to the kitchens for a quick snack without being caught, or, better yet, wait until the third and final meal of the day. But, no, the insisted upon rushing to the same place at the same time.
Maria was walking up the steps towards the old clock tour. This was nothing new for her, especially when she returned for another year as a professor at Hogwarts. It was her tenth year there as a professor, though she usually went unnoticed as a return professor. She could understand that though, seeing as she was calm and collected and rarely got close to anyone there. If she did, she would end up crying her eyes out when the graduated from the school, not to mention the fact that she would probably leave to. A place like Hogwarts was filled with so many memories that lingered about for years after years. It was amazing enough that she had returned to teach, seeing as she was a student there in the past.
The steps to the clock tour seemed as if they would never end. She had aged since the previous year, and that walk was not the same for her. When she was student, she would journey up there each day if she would have had the time, and her legs would not be tired. However, since she had come back and taught there at the school, that same walk killed her legs, and she had to take breaks quite often to regain her breath and strength. She wasn't as young as she once was, and she doubted that she would ever be again. This she could understand; she understood many things. Aging was something that she was used to as she did it every day of her life, each second that passed.
She breathed outwardly as she paused for a moment and rested against the side wall. She grasped the rail as several students went running down the stairs, almost knocking her over in doing so even though they had not bumped into her that hard. She maintained her balance after that and merely shook her head as they had finished passing. Some things would just never change. Students, especially teens, were always hungry and prepared for lunch; mostly because it marked that the school day was almost over. Today, however, was a nice Sunday, and yet they were still rushing? It was a shame, but then again, Maria remembered her own years there and how she, too, had rushed down the same steps from the common room to get to lunch.
After catching her breath and letting the students passed, Maria grasped a bundle of her black robes in her hands and walked up the staircase slowly before reaching the top. When she did, she saw the large gears twisting the clock about so that the minute hand would move around when the second hand hit the twelve each time. She loved its noise, for it brought back memories of hours she would spend sitting there. The loud ticking noise took her to another place--somewhere that was not even on earth. Some called it "La-La Land" while others called it "the past". Maria was one of those that called it nothing in particular, for sometimes she would trail off into the past while other times she would daydream of nothing in particular. And, when it came down to it, she even thought of the future and what would happen if she died within the next few moments. If one were to see the thoughts she had about the future, they might suggest some mental help as it was not something that a person would usually think about.
There was a sigh that could not be heard due to the loud ticking of the clock. Maria stepped into the small opening beneath the clock where she often times stood to watch the grounds and see their beauty. Today, there was snow on the ground. Three or four students were out there throwing snowballs at each other, seemingly oblivious to the fact that lunchtime was upon them. She closed her eyes for a few moments, remembering having snowball fights around the same time on the weekend when there was nothing better to do. She often times teamed up with the person she had never expected would be her husband. They were throwing snowballs at one another in her memory, often times missing due to poor aim. It was either that or the bit where the ball of snow was not packed tightly enough to maintain its shape. The older woman's eyes opened and looked back out at the grounds as the people crowded towards each other and started walking towards the main door of the school. They were wiping snow off themselves and each other upon entering, and Maria followed their steps until she could no longer see them.
She laughed to herself and breathed outward as she shook her head at the thought. Her arms crossed over her chest lightly as the sun shined through the window of the clock tower, illuminating her hair, which caused it to appear a lighter brown than usual. Her head turned upwards to look towards the sky, but not at the sun. However, its bright light reached into her eyes and reflected a light yellowish color, which made her eyes look hawk-like. And, just like before, all was seemingly silent and calm. The ticking of the large clock was somewhat content and peaceful and calmed her enormously. Her mind then wandered into the past when she and her present husband stood here and just talked. They had known each other forever, but never dated until after school. It was like they were destined to be together forever, no matter what happened. And, as it turned out, they married and were still together with two children.
Those thoughts made Maria's previous content and calm face appear with a smile. Her lips, covered in fairly bright red lipstick that matched her well, curved delicately as she thought about everything. She loved thinking about the past; it made her feel accomplished in some way, and it made her thoughts travel from one thing to another, usually from past, to present, to future. Her mind never actually remained on one thing, but instead, it roamed, which was something that she liked. She never tried to control her brain, for she thought of it as an impossible thing to even try and do or think about. So, she let her mind wander until something distracted her from her thoughts. She had not even notice that the person had been approaching her until they came right up to her and she finally managed to notice them.
Name: Maria Sanchez
Age: 49
Bloodline: Half-Blood
Position Wanted: Charms Professor
Experience:
OOC: I have taught on almost every site that I have been on, mostly Charms though. I have been on a lot of sites, so that should say something ïŠ
IC: Maria previously taught at a school in Spain for a few years, but once her daughter was born, she no longer did. She hopes to regain the remembrance of her teaching skills and such by teaching at Hogwarts and helping to educate the students.
Lesson Ideas: Charms Lesson Ideas
Lesson One: Introductions
--Simple Greeting
--A Wand and Its Contents: Why does it matter?
--Five Necessities for Performing Spells
Lesson Two: Conjuring A Spell
--Your Wand Hand
--Proper Wand Techniques
--What Spells?
Lesson Three: Performing Spells
--Review of Lessons 1-2
--Practice Techniques
--Learn About the Spell(s)
--Perform the Spell
Appearance: Though Maria stands at a mere 5'2" and weighs 129 with a medium-sized waist, her appearance is overall stunning for that of a forty-nine-year old woman. She has brown hair that tends to look as if it is black, depending on the lighting and the season. Her eyes are also dark brown to black, thought the sunlight changes them from time to time, making them a fairly hawk-like yellowish color. Her skin tone is very white, which makes her look quite ghostly against her hair and eyes. She tries to wear minimal make-up, though sometimes she feels the need to, which is quite stupid of her.
Maria has a very nice posture about her body. She walks up straight for the most part with her shoulders back and a confidence about her. When she is seated, she is usually the same way unless she is really tired or feeling sick from a cold or something of the kind. Her face usually has a content expression, though she will wear a smile if she is pleased or happy with something. And, if she is upset or angry, it is obvious. She wears a heavy frown, though it can easily be lifted and turned upside down.
Maria's wears robes almost all the time. Her robes are usually black or of dark coloring, though she will sometimes get into colors if she is going to a more formal event. The color that she would wear to an event like that would be white or red, though she tries to remain in black. It is not that she is some sort of person that fears colors or anything, but she thinks that black is more elegant and slimming, not to mention professional. When she is in a bright or cheerful mood, she will wear color. However, when elegance and being professional is necessary (a large gathering, etc.), she will wear jewelry. She prefers not to wear anything other than her wedding ring, especially since bracelets get caught on things and they wrap about her wrist and annoy her. She does not particularly like earring either. They tangle in her hair and make her ears feel weighed down.
For the most part, Maria does not care what others think of her appearance. She tries to maintain a decent posture and appearance, though there are times when she does not care. On those days, she expects to be made fun of, and she also expects to hear whispers and comments about her, but she does not care. Whatever people think of her is their business, and she pays no attention to it.
Personality: Coming from an older family and having children of her own, Maria has morals and ways in which she expects to be treated as well as ways that people should treat each other. She believes in respect for anyone and everyone, especially adults and people that are older. She thinks that people should be able to help themselves before asking another person for help. There is a limit and restriction that she has placed upon herself, and she rarely crossed that boundary at any point in time. Instead, she remains inside of it and prefers to do so in order to set an example for her children, people that she does not even know as well as herself.
Maria has always been kind a respectful to her elders, even those she does not know or those that give her minimal respect. She tries her best to educate others of that sort of thing. Respect is something that she holds high in her life, and if someone fails to show respect towards she or another person, she will correct such behavior, usually irregardless of who it is. When the person she is trying to teach respect to becomes hostile, Maria tends to become hostile as well, and that is not always the best thing. Though Maria seems a sweet as sugar and as kind as can be, she will get an attitude with them.
She is very intelligent in almost everything she does, and she is always willing to give out random information, even if she is not asked for it. She has a lot of useful information on the inside of her head that she will give to anyone who asks or she thinks deserves to know the information. She is often times quiet and preserved from others so that she can think about things or read or write.
Though she seems laid-back and cool to some, she takes he job seriously and does not play around. She will correct people in the most polite manner, though if things are too out of hand, she will raise her voice and things along those lines. She dislikes doing it, but she does what has to be done in order to maintain a decent learning environment.
THE BELOW IS A PARTIAL CONTINUATION OF HER PERSONALITY.
Likes/Hobbies: Maria likes to spend time with family and friends as well as educate others of the things she knows. She enjoys drawing little sketches and things like that in order to keep her occupied.
Bad Habits: Maria’s worst habit is when she is sitting by herself and starts daydreaming or thinking about the past. She often times trails off for a while and is unable to come out of the trance that she is placed under. Distractions bring her to reality, though it does not always help. She also has the tendency to crack her knuckles, which causes her to have minimal pains in her hands.
Dislikes: Maria cannot stand people that show little respect for them self and others. She does not like people that do not try to help themselves and ask for help from others. It just annoys her. She does her best to ignore it, but it does not really work. Another thing that annoys her is when people in the magical world wear Muggle clothes. She thinks that Muggles should wear their own attire and magical folk wear their robes, unless they are trying to blend with Muggles, of course.
Fears: Maria is scared to lose her husband and children. And, though she and her sister have been on the outs since her father's death, she is worried for her as well.
Strengths: Maria has a way with kids for the most part. She likes being around them and working with them, and she tries to assist them in any way possible. Maria is also very good with her wand.
Weakness/Flaws: Maria cannot always stick to one thing. She will go from one thing to another and often time tends to wander in her thoughts and has a hard time trying to come back into reality.
Family History: [[OOC: Not the best as I redid a lot of it, but I tried]]
It had been a fairly rainy day in Havana, Cuba when a little girl was brought into the world. She was born to Jose and Maria Sanchez, life-long residents of the area. However, due to complications in birth, Maria Sanchez passed, leaving her husband, five-year-old daughter and newborn alone in the world. In honor of her, Jose named his newborn daughter after his wife, hence Maria's name.
Her father never remarried on behalf of his two daughters. He did not want to change his life anymore than it had been, and he did not want anyone else replacing his deceased wife's place in his heart or that of his children. He cared for his children; they were his life. And, for that reason, he worked day in and day out to provide to them.
Soon after Maria had turned two years old, Jose decided to move away from the communist government they were living in. Castro only made things worse, which was why the economy was going downhill. So, they fled the country and managed to make it all the way to England, where they currently live. After moving, Jose provided a home for his daughters.
Maria was left at home with her older sister a maid that he had hired for just that reason. The maid was one of the few that knew their secret of being magical and of the wizardry world. She told no one, for she knew of the consequences of their exposure. She cared for the family very much, especially Jose, who she had hoped to befriend in more ways than one. However, he had never allowed it.
When Becky turned eleven, she received her letter to Hogwarts. She went and was put into the house of Gryffindor due to her mischievous ways of acting as well as her bravery towards almost anything. She was also quite outspoken and very attracted to the color gold. She spent a good eleven years there. In her fifth year, however, Maria entered her first. She was sorted into Ravenclaw unlike her sister, who rarely spoke to her or made an effort to comfort her when she needed it. The family bonds were not as strong, which is one reason why Maria feels the need to remain close to her own family and friends.
After graduating from Hogwarts, Becky went to work at the Ministry of Magic in the Auror department. She had gotten top marks in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and she was automatically suggested to the Ministry. She, being the person that she was, accepted the job. Maria remained at school as she was supposed to. She learned various ways of magic as well as various ways in which to do things. She also made some friends including her very first and only boyfriend and husband for twenty-eight years and counting.
She and her future husband, Emilio, had met when Maria entered her first year at Hogwarts. They were both in the same house, Ravenclaw, but they were five years apart. However, even after he had graduated from Hogwarts, Maria and Emilio managed to keep close contact with one another, and they even saw each other over holidays since they lived somewhat close to one another. During the time that Maria was still in Hogwarts, Emilio had gone off to get extra training at a special magical university there in England. He managed to complete his further studies within the next few years and was done even before Maria had graduated from Hogwarts.
Soon after leaving Hogwarts, Maria went to live with her friend of many years, and they started dating. She worked on her studies since she had aspired to become a professor of Charms. Emilio supported her every step of the way. Three years after they had dated, they got married. And then, two years after that, Maria gave birth to their son, Nayib. This did not, however, stop her from working hard enough as to obtain the degree to teach Charms.
Finally, after five years of learning as much as she could about teaching and about Charms, she took a break and allowed herself to feel relaxed by spending time with her son, five at the time, and her husband. They decided to travel to Spain for a while, where they ended up living for a few years. And, there, Maria managed to get a decent job teaching Charms to magical folk there. A nanny was hired to watch over Nayib until he was old enough to start school and Maria could watch over him while working.
Nayib was fourteen at the time when Maria announced she was pregnant with a second child. When she told her son, he picked her up and spun her around in a circle out of happiness. The whole family was happy about the event and could not wait for the next eight months to pass. They did, but no quickly. And, on December fifth, Emily was born into the family. Maria then decided to take a break from her teaching to be home for her daughter as well as to spend more time with her husband. She allowed her son to continue his schooling there in Spain for the next three years. After graduating, Nayib had decided to go into Muggle Studies and working at the Ministry of Magic in the Muggle Department. Maria was not against, but she did not particularly like the idea of her son turning into a Muggle, in a matter of speaking.
Over the next few years, Maria moved back to England with her daughter and husband. At that time, her daughter had been about nine or ten. Maria and Emilio had wanted Emily to attend Hogwarts, which was their main reason for going back ‘home’. When the girl was eleven, she was sent to Hogwarts where she was sorted into Ravenclaw. Her daughter is now in her second year at Hogwarts, and Maria is applying for a job of Charms professor there.
Sample Role Play: [[OOC: Taken from another site]]
Title: Ticking Memories
Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!
The clock rang out across the grounds and through the castle twelve times, signaling the time. It was noon, and lunch was being served in the Great Hall. The students scurried about the halls as they tried to be the first ones there. The behavior of the students was chaotic, and the question that most professors thought about around the same time each day was: Why are they rushing to eat? It was true. Why did they rush about? There was plenty of food to eat and enough space for seating. They were all heading to the same place. If anything, one would think that the students would take their time and try to be the last one there. The food was going no where, unless, of course, someone arrived after the meal had been served. Even then, they could always head down to the kitchens for a quick snack without being caught, or, better yet, wait until the third and final meal of the day. But, no, the insisted upon rushing to the same place at the same time.
Maria was walking up the steps towards the old clock tour. This was nothing new for her, especially when she returned for another year as a professor at Hogwarts. It was her tenth year there as a professor, though she usually went unnoticed as a return professor. She could understand that though, seeing as she was calm and collected and rarely got close to anyone there. If she did, she would end up crying her eyes out when the graduated from the school, not to mention the fact that she would probably leave to. A place like Hogwarts was filled with so many memories that lingered about for years after years. It was amazing enough that she had returned to teach, seeing as she was a student there in the past.
The steps to the clock tour seemed as if they would never end. She had aged since the previous year, and that walk was not the same for her. When she was student, she would journey up there each day if she would have had the time, and her legs would not be tired. However, since she had come back and taught there at the school, that same walk killed her legs, and she had to take breaks quite often to regain her breath and strength. She wasn't as young as she once was, and she doubted that she would ever be again. This she could understand; she understood many things. Aging was something that she was used to as she did it every day of her life, each second that passed.
She breathed outwardly as she paused for a moment and rested against the side wall. She grasped the rail as several students went running down the stairs, almost knocking her over in doing so even though they had not bumped into her that hard. She maintained her balance after that and merely shook her head as they had finished passing. Some things would just never change. Students, especially teens, were always hungry and prepared for lunch; mostly because it marked that the school day was almost over. Today, however, was a nice Sunday, and yet they were still rushing? It was a shame, but then again, Maria remembered her own years there and how she, too, had rushed down the same steps from the common room to get to lunch.
After catching her breath and letting the students passed, Maria grasped a bundle of her black robes in her hands and walked up the staircase slowly before reaching the top. When she did, she saw the large gears twisting the clock about so that the minute hand would move around when the second hand hit the twelve each time. She loved its noise, for it brought back memories of hours she would spend sitting there. The loud ticking noise took her to another place--somewhere that was not even on earth. Some called it "La-La Land" while others called it "the past". Maria was one of those that called it nothing in particular, for sometimes she would trail off into the past while other times she would daydream of nothing in particular. And, when it came down to it, she even thought of the future and what would happen if she died within the next few moments. If one were to see the thoughts she had about the future, they might suggest some mental help as it was not something that a person would usually think about.
There was a sigh that could not be heard due to the loud ticking of the clock. Maria stepped into the small opening beneath the clock where she often times stood to watch the grounds and see their beauty. Today, there was snow on the ground. Three or four students were out there throwing snowballs at each other, seemingly oblivious to the fact that lunchtime was upon them. She closed her eyes for a few moments, remembering having snowball fights around the same time on the weekend when there was nothing better to do. She often times teamed up with the person she had never expected would be her husband. They were throwing snowballs at one another in her memory, often times missing due to poor aim. It was either that or the bit where the ball of snow was not packed tightly enough to maintain its shape. The older woman's eyes opened and looked back out at the grounds as the people crowded towards each other and started walking towards the main door of the school. They were wiping snow off themselves and each other upon entering, and Maria followed their steps until she could no longer see them.
She laughed to herself and breathed outward as she shook her head at the thought. Her arms crossed over her chest lightly as the sun shined through the window of the clock tower, illuminating her hair, which caused it to appear a lighter brown than usual. Her head turned upwards to look towards the sky, but not at the sun. However, its bright light reached into her eyes and reflected a light yellowish color, which made her eyes look hawk-like. And, just like before, all was seemingly silent and calm. The ticking of the large clock was somewhat content and peaceful and calmed her enormously. Her mind then wandered into the past when she and her present husband stood here and just talked. They had known each other forever, but never dated until after school. It was like they were destined to be together forever, no matter what happened. And, as it turned out, they married and were still together with two children.
Those thoughts made Maria's previous content and calm face appear with a smile. Her lips, covered in fairly bright red lipstick that matched her well, curved delicately as she thought about everything. She loved thinking about the past; it made her feel accomplished in some way, and it made her thoughts travel from one thing to another, usually from past, to present, to future. Her mind never actually remained on one thing, but instead, it roamed, which was something that she liked. She never tried to control her brain, for she thought of it as an impossible thing to even try and do or think about. So, she let her mind wander until something distracted her from her thoughts. She had not even notice that the person had been approaching her until they came right up to her and she finally managed to notice them.