Woodward and Sons had sent me a thick page-sized envelope — obviously more paperwork. I didn't bother to open it: I just dumped it on my bed and headed to detention.

I tried to remember the last time I'd gotten detention. It was last year, sometime. Before the marriage, I think. I could only really remember the one time, but I wasn't sure if that was the only one.

But it wasn't something that happened to me often. I did know where to go though.

The room was empty when I got there. Either I was before everyone else, or I was the only person in detention this week — not unlikely, actually, with my husband gone for most of the week. Potsdam would give detentions, but Hieronymus was definitely the stricter of the two.

He also was the one who had to watch detentions — so I was a bit surprised when the door opened and he wasn't the teacher who entered. "Headmaster! Um. Sorry, I'm a bit surprised to see you here."

"Forcing a young bride to spend a day alone with her husband isn't usually considered punishment, dear." She said with a grin. "Hieronymus is out scowling at the other students. At least, if he's following my instructions."

Ok, she had a point. I mean, it wasn't like I hadn't been looking forward to 'detention'… I blushed. "Point taken."

She waved it off, and looked around the room. "So, what usually goes on in here?"

"Uh… I haven't been here often, but Hieronymus usually gives some tedious task related to the offense or something, I think."

She 'humfed' and sat down. "Well, that won't do. You didn't actually do anything wrong, after all."

I shrugged. "Then the point is usually to bore the student, I think. You should ask Donald, if you want a student's perspective."

"Yes, he did work hard to get in here last year, didn't he?" She said, seeming to address the wall. After a moment, she refocused on me. "I had an unusual request from Hieronymus this week."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "He asked for time off. I can't recall the last time he took a vacation — usually he cloisters himself in his rooms even through the summer."

I bit my lip. "When did he want it?"

"Over spring break — said something about it being 'family business'." She was grinning openly now.

I sighed. "And you know that his family just died." I rolled my eyes. "Can he? I would like my parents to meet him."

"Of course, sapling. I wouldn't want to interfere with that. I take it you have told them something?"

That surprised me. "He hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?" She asked, honestly confused.

Ok, time for a deep breath. "Uh, Aloysius made a bit of a spectacle of us at his funeral: He had the terms of his will read out in front of everyone."

"Oh, I heard a bit about that. There was something about you inheriting, not Hieronymus?"

"Yeah. Anyway… Since he's nobility, and fairly rich as well, there was some press there. We didn't want them to surprise my parents with it, so we told them ourselves."

"Not about the manus, I assume."

"No — really I would have thought he went over this with you. We have a cover story; that his father and my grandfather made a promise to unite their families."

"Oh, that's what he was going on about. I thought he wanted me to help with it."

I closed my eyes to get under control. "Just in that the press will probably try to come here, to ask questions."

She nodded. "I see. Of course. Don't worry, you can count on Iris Academy to back up your story, whatever it is."

"Thanks. It's been…" I shook my head. "Sorry; the week is still catching up to me, I think. Dealing with the inheritance, planning for the future…" I didn't know what else to add.

She looked at me thoughtfully. "What are your plans for the future, Susan, if I may ask? I know normally students aren't worrying about that yet, but you are a special case."

I'd actually spent a fair amount of time thinking about it. I had ideas, but nothing really firm; I let it coalesce in my head a moment. "Um, well, for the first part, I'm obviously staying married. And neither of us sees a reason for Hieronymus to leave his job any time soon. So, after I graduate, I'll want something to do around here. I was thinking… Well, this is partly based on the response to my orientation sessions; you've built a good sized school here, but with only two teachers, you can't always give students the personal help they need. I was thinking — High school had a 'guidance counselor'; someone who the students could go to if they needed help with things, and could help them understand how the school works. I think Iris Academy could use one."

"Young witches need a chance to see for themselves what they can grow into." She criticized.

"No, that's not… A guidance counselor doesn't tell students what to do. They help if the student is having trouble understanding the options: Explain what things mean, help them understand what the advantages and disadvantages are, that sort of thing. The student still makes their own choice; the counselor just helps them think it through, if they need it. And, for Iris Academy, it would be someone who they could turn to when they need help dealing with living with magic, and with living away from home. Someone who isn't a student, who can do something if something needs to be done, but not someone who they have to face in class the next day, or has to worry about class schedules and lesson plans."

I think she was starting to get it. "So, you wouldn't have a class or anything. They'd come to you, if they wanted to."

"Exactly. I'd be there, and ready to help, and they'd know I was the person to help with that sort of thing, but I'm only help, and only if they need it."

She was coming around. "And what makes you think my school needs this?"

I shrugged. "Because I couldn't find someone, and because the freshmen came to me when I was willing to do some of it. Last year, when Minnie was having trouble with Kyo… She didn't have anyone to turn to. I wasn't sure who to take it to — Hieronymus listened, but only after I insisted it wasn't just normal teenage drama. There should be someone students can go to with 'normal teenage drama': They are away from home for the first time, dealing with magic for the first time, having roommates for the first time, sometimes even falling in love for the first time, all of that. Wildseeds can't call their parents and ask, and even born witches don't always want to go back to mommy and daddy when they are supposed to be learning to be adults. But they aren't adults yet."

"And you think you are the right person for this?"

Another shrug. "I'm doing ok at some of it, I think. I'll have a lot to learn before I can do all of it, but I think it is something I could do. And it would help."

She was nodding now. "I can see it might be useful; even a young tree needs stakes to support it, when transplanted. And we are transplanting them into a new life, aren't we?"

"We are."

"Very well; I'll think about it. Do you have any other plans?"

I blushed; there was one other question we were going to need to clarify eventually… "Well… Not really, but something to consider. What have you heard about the will?"

"Just that Hieronymus's father decided you should inherit instead of his son."

"Yeah, well, there was a condition… Never mind. It just means we started talking about something…" Time for a breath. "I know Iris has a policy on student pregnancies. Is that limited to students, or does it apply to faculty as well?"

I should have known she'd grin at that. "Thinking about kids already?"

"No, it's just… Hieronymus's father tied the inheritance to us producing an heir. We're not sure if we care, really, but it brought up the question, and I wondered if that rule was because it would distract students, or if the school is dangerous for a child. I could see it might be."

She paused a moment. "Honestly, the question has never come up before… The school is a dangerous place for young children, but not excessively. If the parents were here, I wouldn't want to prevent them from having a family."

"Thanks. Anyway, it's not something we want soon, but… it's something to we need to think about, for the future."

"It is something for married couples to think about." She agreed, still with a grin. Then she paused and went more serious. "Speaking of your inheritance, with you being more open about your marriage…"

"Yes?"

She actually looked a bit sheepish. "I'm afraid this is a bit rude to ask about: I have always set school fees based on what the parents can afford — and for someone like Ellen, who has separated from her parents, we waive them entirely."

"But even with magic, it still takes money to run a school like this." I added.

She nodded. "Yes. And you can now afford much higher school fees than your parents have been paying."

I waved it off. "Talk to my lawyer — I'll get you his address. They manage the trust. It shouldn't be a problem."

She relaxed. "I'll do that, Lady Montague." She added the last with a grin.

I groaned. "Not 'Ms Susan'?"

Potsdam laughed. "I think she just asked me to pay her to stay here."

I thought about that a moment, and then shrugged.

"You do seem to be accumulating identities, dearie. Susan, Ms Susan, Miss Rose, Lady Montague. I even heard that Hieronymus called you 'Ms Rose-Grabiner' in class yesterday."

"Um, yeah. We decided… Well, I asked really." I looked her in the eye. "I'm not 'Miss Rose'. Everyone knows I'm married. And it's not just because of the manus either — otherwise we would have divorced already. So, yes, we get along. And even my parents know we are married. I just… It didn't feel right anymore."

She patted me on the shoulder. "Then you should use the name that feels right for you, of course. Names are personal things."

"Thanks. I told Hieronymus… Well, that he was free to use 'Mrs. Grabiner' instead. He said I'd already claimed this one."

"You did. I'll remember to use it as well." Then she added with a grin: "When it's who you are being, of course."

I shook my head, not wanting to get into another discussion with the headmaster.

Author's Notes: Yes, I had this in mind when I started the orientation sessions. I hope I didn't disappoint with the 'unusual' detention... Potsdam has a point, after all. ;)

Thanks to Inuneechan and SlytherinGirl108. Inuneechan: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I thank you for the compliment on my pacing. It's something I'm proud of, and that I've worked on in this story. I do have a playthrough which I'm using as the basis for Susan's freshman year - although I have occasionally pulled in details that wouldn't have happened in that path. (Mostly Ellen's year - I'm basically assuming she did everything from her path, but that Susan wasn't part of it.) As I said, I can't take to much credit for the Communion Rings - they are mostly from Piers Anthony. (Though I deal with their consequences a bit more...)

SlytherinGirl108: I'm glad you are still enjoying it. ;) And I make a point of thanking everyone who commented in the author's note, as a not-so-subtle encouragement to comment more. ;)