A/N: Thank you once again for your very kind reviews! And, if I haven't properly responded to your reviews, rest assured I will be soon!

Furthermore, in response to a particularly touching guest review - I certainly understand and agree with that. And, I'm quite lucky to say I came across a professor like Mrs. Hughes. Had she not been so awesome, I probably wouldn't be writing this story.

In any case, here's to another chapter! This time, we've got more interaction with practically the entire ensemble and a reference to series 3. Enjoy!

_._

"Now how did you manage to get into Mixed Chorus on your first audition?" Jimmy was sharp in his approach, clearly too frustrated with the situation to be try a smoother method. And, seeing as how it'd been more than a week since classes started, his original curiosity had only grown into an impatient fascination.

"As I said before," John Bates was also losing his patience - not that he had much for Jimmy in the first place. "I auditioned for Mr. Carson this summer and he told me to register for Advanced Mixed Choir."

"But, you normally have to go Beginner Men's Ensemble first."

"Yeah," Daisy recalled her own experience, much to her frustration. "And no girls ever make it past Beginner in their first year, no matter how good they are."

"So, you must be a good singer then." Alfred chimed in, unable to help himself.

Anna remained quiet throughout all of this, just watching their reactions.

"I cannot confess to being good. I can only say that Mr. Carson told me to register for Mixed Choir."

This irritated them, this blatant evasion. All he had to do was demonstrate for them, prove how good he was, and they'd leave him be. But, John seemed insistent on downplaying all of it - to the point where he wouldn't even sing for them.

But she didn't mind. She caught a hint of his voice when she accidentally overheard Mr. Carson voicing the guys. She already knew that he had the musical knowledge and the voice for Advanced Mixed.

Besides, as they had discovered last week, they didn't live all that far from each other. So, both Anna and John already had had the pleasure of talking on the walk back home.

_._

"So, how does it feel to be at Downton Academy, Elsie? Different than what you anticipated?"

"Beryl, I've hardly been here for more than two weeks! But, I suppose, it's been nice. Certainly more successful than I anticipated." The band director waited for any further elaboration. But seeing none after half a minute,

"Yes, I remember what you'd said the night before you started - I'd definitely say you've done well for yourself, and far better than you anticipated. But, 'nice'? Elsie, a treacle tart is nice,"

"Not when I attempt it-"

"Surely you've felt something more than just 'nice'?"

Elsie fixed her friend another look, sighing and thinking the whole thing over once again as she did so.

"Well, the students are lovely. There's a few impertinent ones who I know don't really want to be there, of course, but many are eager to learn. And a fair amount of them are far more interested in learning than we were at their age."

"They certainly are, aren't they?"

"Absolutely."

"So, how does teaching choirs compare to the life of being a soloist and everything that comes with that?"

"Knocks it all that out of the water. Something I only had an inkling of all those years ago, but it's true nevertheless."

"And only the students are nice?" Beryl's question was too cheeky for Elsie's liking.

"While I don't necessarily care for your impertinent tone," Beryl snorted at this, "I will say that it's been a long time since I've worked so closely with anyone quite like Mr. Carson."

"Of that I'm sure. But, the real question is: is that a compliment?"

Another look was thrown in the direction of her friend, a vexed look that was still belied by a smile.

"You know as well as I do that it's a compliment of the highest degree."

_._

"Tell me: what's new at Downton Academy?" Mr. Mason sat down at the old table with great energy, quite interested in what Daisy and William had to report.

"Well, as you know, we've got a new choir teacher." William said over his cup of tea.

"And, from what I've heard from my friends in the other choirs, she's absolutely brilliant. Showed them a video that even Mary Crawley couldn't stop talking about." William smiled, pleased that even though Daisy was in Bel Canto this year - instead of the Mixed Choir with everyone else - nobody left her out of the experience. "And, it really is a cool video when you watch it - they showed me at lunch."

"Oh? Care to share this 'cool video'?" Mr. Mason asked lightly, a twinkle of mirth appearing in his eyes.

"Of course!" "We wouldn't dream of anything else."

_._

"What do you think of choir? Of Mrs. Hughes and all that?" Sybil looked at her friend with something that had started as a smirk but quickly shifted into a full-blown smile. After all, she now she got to share a walk with Tom. Without her sisters anywhere nearby, to boot.

So, quite simply, Sybil felt the whole situation called for outright happiness.

"You already know what I think, Tom: the direction we're going in now is positively delightful!" He nodded at this.

"Agreed." Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to talk about the subject for much longer: their paths were going to split in a few minutes. And, even though he wanted to keep the conversation going, he didn't want to possibly interact with her family today. "So, what does your family think?"

Sybil cringed, stopping their walk back to their respective homes for a moment.

"I think I'll be hearing all about it this evening. Granny and Cousin Isobel intend to dine with us." He snickered at this, causing her to demand "What's so funny?"

"You sound so posh when you say stuff like that - I just can't take you seriously" At her glare, he re-enacted a terribly high pitched version of, "'Granny and Cousin Isobel intend to dine with us' this evening, and I even have a new frock for the occasion!'"

Sybil frowned for a solid minute, before the tremors of glee overtook her lips and she busted up into snickers and snorts herself. She then drew herself up as tall as she could, through the laughter that is, and continued to speak in an overly dramatic tone.

"I am Lady Sybil Crawley, Daughter of Lord and Lady Grantham," She declared to Tom, who could hardly contain his laughter. "And I-"

"Sybil, what on Earth are you doing?" As luck would have it, Mary and Edith were beginning to catch up to the pair. Though Sybil and Tom hardly minded - they were too caught up in enjoying themselves to really care.

"Nothing, Mary," The youngest Crawley sister managed to get out after most of the giggles had left. "Nothing at all."

_._

It had been the second or third time he'd try to have this conversation with her. He honestly wanted to know her opinion on everything he could, something that was quite obvious in his questions. And still she was insistent on the idea that, "I can hardly have an opinion on all the changes, Joseph, I'm only in the Bel Canto - not Advanced Mixed."

"Well, you're certainly going to be in Mixed next year, Phyllis. And, besides, the choir you're in does not make your opinion any less worthy."

She smiled softly at this, as they continued to walk home.

"I appreciate that, Joseph."

"And I," He paused, wondering if it would be too forward. But upon catching her curious gaze, he decided he could sweep this next statement under a platonic sentiment if anything. "I appreciate you, Phyllis."

Her smile grew at this, and he found the idea of being platonic was becoming overrated in this moment.

But, only in this moment. Give him another moment, the teen thought in a self-deprecating manner, and he'd be sure to want to go right back to just being friends. After all, why would someone like Phyllis like someone like him?

And, furthermore why did he have to go and like his best friend like that in the first place?

_._

"Oh, Mr. Carson!" She had managed to catch him as he was leaving the building. "Do you have a minute?"

He looked a little frazzled, leading to a brief, "One minute, yes, Mrs. Bird."

"Only, I know that there's been quite a change for choirs this semester, and I was wondering if there is anything I could do to help?" She kept a particularly beady eye on his expression, masking her attentiveness under simple inquisition.

"Oh, there's hardly a need for that Mrs. Bird." She bit back a smirk at the hasty response, letting him continue, "Mrs. Hughes and I have it quite well in hand."

"Are you quite sure?"

"Quite sure, Mrs. Bird." He paused, his hands flittering about before they stilled themselves with a simple, "Good day to you, Mrs. Bird."

That is when Mr. Carson took his leave and continued out the door. She herself started heading out towards the exit after a minute, quite pleased with the brief conversation.

See, having known the choir director for almost the last decade, she knew his typical mannerisms. That meant she knew what he really meant when he pretended to hide behind his stuffy propriety and traditions.

Moreover, that also meant she knew when his gruffness came from professional pride and when it came from being flustered.

And, in this case, May Bird was tickled to say it was the latter that was currently driving her colleague. Furthermore, whether her fellow teacher knew it or not, this was obviously a flustered reaction that was absolutely brought on by one Elsie Hughes.

"I'm sure you and Mrs. Hughes do have it well in hand, Mr. Carson. I'm sure you do."

Just wait till she told Beryl about this little conversation.

_._

Without a large dinner table to give everyone the space they deserved, dinner with Granny, and Isobel was a little strained.

However, it wasn't just the spatial aspects that made the dinner a little tense.

"Cora, Robert, did you get a chance to meet the new voice teacher, Elsie Hughes?"

"Oh, honestly, Isobel,"

"I'm afraid I've not had the pleasure." "And I'm afraid my work with the hospital has been unusually busy as of late."

"I completely understand. Well, what do you think of your new choir teacher, ladies?" Isobel turned to the younger women, curious.

Now, Mary, of course, would have been the first to speak. However, Sybil was a bit more passionate about the conversation. Thus, she got the first word in.

"Mrs. Hughes is quite brilliant."

"Oh really?" Violet Crawley primly raised an eyebrow at this, if only mildly intrigued.

"Sybil has a point, Granny; Mrs. Hughes is rather effective at her craft."

"And she's certainly more than a match for Mr. Carson." Edith chimed in, encouraged by her sisters's remarks.

"Well, isn't that a relief." Since the remark was slightly less sarcastic than normal, Sybil considered it to be quite the win.

"Indeed, it is a relief. Honestly, I'm quite grateful we found her, all things considered."

"Yes, well, seeing as how you were the one who found her, I'm sure you are."

"And, just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Merely that," Sybil internally groaned at the start of more bickering between the two women. Edith merely focused on her food, smile fading faster than the sunlight. Mary chose not to roll her eyes at this, while Robert and Cora seemed as though they'd rather not have had either women over for dinner.

All in all, quite a normal weekly family dinner for the Crawley family.