This is where both character meet each other for the first time. From Rupert Giles perspective more than Persephone's! I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 3
Arriving at Hogwarts had been a blur. Being hugged and comforted by his aunt had also been a blur. Telling them what had happened and pouring out his pain and sorrow... that had been embarrassing but he had needed it. He had a week or so to relax and pull himself back together before the students arrived. He spent hours pouring over books, making lesson plans and often forgetting to eat. He had gotten his wand back off his aunt who had been keeping it safe for him, not that he needed a wand to perform magic. By the time the start of term feast came, Rupert was thinner than usual, he had black bags under his eyes from lack of sleep and his shoulders sagged tiredly as he made his way to the teachers table. He sat down and gave Albus a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He was wearing dark green robes that matched his emerald eyes.
He was on the right hand side of his aunts chair which was empty at the moment as she would be leading the first years into the hall and commencing the sorting. He watched the older students enter the great hall first, filling up the house table and chattering loudly. The enchanted ceiling was full of stars and dotted with clouds. He gazed up and almost lost himself for a moment, it was truly beautiful. He took a steady breath and looked back around the hall as the students settled down. His eyes rested on the Ravinclaw table and he frowned as he felt himself drawn to a blond student. He averted his gaze when he realized he was staring and he looked at the doors when they opened and in marched his aunt with the first years.
He watched the sorting half heartedly, his emerald eyes wandering around the hall. Once the sorting finished and the food appeared in front of them, his aunt began to pile his plate up with food. He began to eat taking the hint and drained his glass of pumpkin juice. He suddenly began to feel drowsy and calm for the first time since Buffy's death. He waited for the hall to empty before saying goodnight to his aunt and making his way to his rooms. "Password" asked the portrait of a man playing poker with a dog. The dog in the portrait wagged its tale and barked. "Sunnydale" said Rupert feeling a pang in his heart as he spoke it. He stepped through and stumbled to bed, nightmares plaguing him once more.
The next morning Rupert woke and skipped breakfast, choosing to go straight to his classroom to prepare. His first advanced class was to be Ravinclaw. The classes were only small given that he was teaching higher grade material. He flicked through a book at his desk and heard the door to his classroom open and close. He listened to the sound of gentle footsteps move to the front of the room. The owner to the footsteps sounded very graceful, almost as if they had glided across the room. Rupert continued to flick through his book, his eyes not looking up until he sensed the student had settled.
He finally lifted his gaze and his breath caught in his throat when he saw her sat at the front row. She was short and thin. She had blond hair and beautiful silver eyes, hidden behind glasses he doubted she needed. She was breath taking. He sensed something about her that made his hair stand on end and he frowned a little. He watched her read and noticed how hard she was trying to act as if he were not there, to be invisible. He set his book down with a soft thump and cleared his throat. "Your here considerably early miss?" he stated leaving his question hanging in the air so she could introduce herself.
"Aliraven sir" she answered, looking away from the book for a second to look at him before averting her gaze back to the book. Her voice came out as barely a whisper, gentle and ethereal. He was conscious of how much he was staring at her and he quickly moved his gaze to the back wall of the classroom. He was always awkward around people. He had gotten so use to everyone back in Sunnydale, to be in a crowded school again with wizards and witches, it was very overwhelming. "I am Professor Giles, your new Defense against the dark arts professor. Do you have any notes on your classes next year as your predecessor doesn't seem to of left anything for me to see what you were doing" he stated, his emerald eyes flicking back to the young woman at the desk.
Persephone rifled through her bag and he was amazed at how many books were inside it. He smiled as she pulled out a leather bound journal with a symbol of a Celtic wolf on the front. She held it out to him without a word and he took it off her with an awkward smile. He moved back to his desk and carefully looked through the book. She had notes dating right back to her first year in the subject. Her understanding of the dark arts was beyond impressive and he could see why she was in his class. He had to admit he was having more and more in common with this young woman with every second. He glanced up from the book and frowned. The student seemed so closed off and guarded. He could tell she wanted to be left alone, that she would prefer to sink into the shadows than deal with people. He imagined that was why she was early to class, to avoid the crowded corridor.
He finished reading through it and closed it over, getting out from behind his desk and approaching where she sat. He handed her the book back. "You have beautiful handwriting" he commented honestly. "I take it you enjoy reading" he added trying to get her engaged in conversation. He imagined that with her intellect he would very much enjoy discussions with her. He did however, have to break down that gigantic wall she had obviously built around herself. He wasn't stupid enough to believe he could accomplish this goal in one conversation yet he had to start somewhere with her. She took the book without looking at him and placed it back in her bag. He heard the mutter of "Yes" as she did so and he sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.
Rupert was good at reading people, by their actions and such but he was no good with emotions. He couldn't read people that way. More than once he had been called an idiot because he hadn't realized that a woman was flirting with him or that he hurt people's feeling with his blunt responses. He sighed as the rest of the class filtered in and he watched their interaction with her. More than once he had to tell some of the Ravenclaws to behave and stop their childish behavior. He didn't want the class teasing Persephone of being teachers pet so he tried his best to shout at them for talking and being childish rather than confront them directly about her. He didn't want her to think that he thought her weak as he could tell she was stronger than she looked, and that she could handle herself.
At the end of class he watched everyone leave, his emerald eyes watching Persephone closely. He didn't understand what his fascination with her was... she stood out from the crowd to him... maybe it was because he saw similar traits in her as he had himself. A fellow student bumped into Persephone and used their wand to split her bag open. He moved forward as her bag split, he didn't know a student had done it. He bent down to help pick everything up when he noticed her tears. He frowned, he wasnt good at this sort of thing, usually he made things worse. "Are you ok?" he asked tenderly, his emerald eyes full of concern. "I know you don't know me well enough at the moment... but I am an exceptionally good listener..." he said softly, his hand reaching out to wipe the tear from her cheek but then he pulled back before he did it. He didn't want to over step his boundaries, she was his student after all.
He frowned that she had flinched at his movement, as if she was scared he might strike her. He felt angry at whoever had made her so scared of human contact. He was amazed at how much he seemed to care about this student already. "I have to go to class" she stated quickly, practically running from the room. Rupert stood frozen in his classroom, his mouth hanging open slightly. He was deeply confused about what had just happened but not as confused as the student. She had felt confused as to why she had been crying and even more confused as to why she had felt so disappointed that the professor hadn't wiped her tears away. She was so confused she had fled the room, taking the cowardly way out.