Lips red as the rose} open -END-

After the staff ball, Gwyneira had made the annoying and long trip up to the Divination's classroom. She had kept her red heels off, carrying them as she climbed the ever changing staircases. It had been quite a long night involving quite a lot of alcohol. She had drank a few glasses of punch at the ball, not too much though, and then had gotten herself some to drink at the staff party. She was a little tipsy now, her vision cloudy - not in the normal sense where she was about to black out and get a vision either. Though, she had met someone she could easily get along with, Miranda.

Neira sighed as she finally reached her classroom. Sleep was beckoning to her, but she'd wait a little longer. She entered her classroom and looked around it. There were about twenty circular tables crammed in with arm chairs surrounding them. It was incredibly dark, all the curtains closed to keep out the light - even that of the moon - and the lamps were draped with red scarves, giving off a warm atmosphere. This was helped by the fire that was lit when she walked in, thanks to the house elves. A large copper kettle was over the fire, emitting a perfume that spread throughout the room.

There were shelves all around the circular room with feathers, candle stubs, playing cards, and many, many silvery crystal balls and teacups. Neira moved over to her desk, going to behind it to the small table where she kept a few alcohol bottles - charmed to keep away those under seventeen. She opened the whiskey bottle and poured herself a small glass. She walked back to one of the armchairs and plopped down, propping her feet up on the chair in front of her. She nursed her drink, closing her eyes as she did so. The room was so familiar and it felt good to be somewhere with that feeling for once. She had been in so many strange places while being on the run that she feared she'd never feel like this again.

Classes would start soon, and that did worry Gwyn a little bit. How would her students think of her? She was young, so maybe she'd get along with them easier. Though, most thought that Divinations was a useless class and they might think she was the same, but she wouldn't tolerate rude behavior, so they'd be in for a surprise.

Gwyneira brought the glass to her lips once more, taking a long sip and cringing slightly. She pulled it away, the smallest trace of her dark red lipstick on the side.

Miranda hiked up the stairs up to the divination teacher's office carrying a tray of sweets. She knew how stressful a first day of teaching could be. And she wanted to offer as much encouragement as possible for the new teacher. Her own first few days had been terribly frightening and she had had no one there to ask questions. So many questions and no one to ask.

She knocked lightly and poked her head into the room.
"Hello?" she called, stepping gracefully into the room. "Adela? It's Miranda."

The woman had looked so familiar, but Miranda just couldn't quite place it. Maybe she could ask her now. They looked about the same age. Maybe they had gone to school together.

Gwyneira was a little shocked by the new voice. Had it not been for the fact that she was the only other person in the room, she might not have responded to her alias - which was a problem she realized in the back of her clouded mind. Gwyn sat up in her chair, looking at the door to see Miranda holding a tray of sweets. "Oh," Gwyneira gave a light smile, "hello again." Her bare feet landed on the cool, stone floor and she stood up. She looked around for a moment before placing her glass of whiskey on a table and straightening her dress out a little bit.

"What brings you up here? Most don't come willingly," Gwyn gave a light chuckle as she walked over to the other teacher. "Would you, uh, would you like something to drink?" Gwyn asked. She had alcohol, that was apparent, but she also had some tea that she wouldn't mind brewing.

Miranda nearly jumped as she noticed movement. She chuckled softly at herself, shaking her head.

"Hello," she said smiling as Adela straightened her gown. "I thought you might be getting some nerves about your first few days back." She proffered the tray of sweets. "No better cure than chocolate and company, right?"

Her smile wavered slightly. It wasn't like her to seek out company. But she had found something....comfortable...with Adela, maybe something familiar.
She glanced at the whiskey at the offer of a drink before saying, "I'm ok, thanks. Maybe later.-----So, nerves got you tied up in knots yet?"

Gwyneira smiled, that was awfully kind of her. She was getting a bit nervous, the butterflies in her stomach just at the thought of getting in front of the students. She knew she'd be able to handle it - she had gone through much, much worse - but there was still a bit of her that feared the unknown of teaching.

"Chocolate and company sounds absolutely divine," Neira kept her smile. "Here..." She rearranged some of the furniture so that two armchairs were positioned behind a table. "Please, make yourself comfortable." She offered her one of the seats. Gwyn sat down in one of the armchairs, grabbing her drink to take another sip.

"M'kay, just tell me if you change your mind," Gwyn nodded, her Welsh accent growing a bit more defined with the influence of alcohol. It would definitely be hard for her to try and convince that she had gone to Beauxbatons - maybe she should just say she was home schooled or something - seeing as she didn't have a French accent and she hardly knew any French.

"Yes, you could say that," Gwyn chuckled. "Suppose I haven't really thought of teaching being a nerve wracking job, but alas, there are the butterflies flitting about inside my stomach."

Miranda sat daintily in one of the armchairs and sat the tray down on a nearby table.
"I've got some chocolate frogs. and licorice wands, and some eclairs." she said, pointing out the different treats"

She heard a hint of a different accent in Adela's voice. But she nevver was great at identifying different accents so she thought nothing of it.

"The first few days of any term are always nerve-wracking unfortunately. There's none more judgmental than a group of teenagers," she winced slightly, remembering her own school-days." She laughed at the butterflies comment. "Unfortunately, there's nothign I can do about THOSE butterflies!" her eyes twinkled with humor. "What did you have planned for your first day?"

"Oh, chocolate frogs, those are my favorites," Gwyneira smiled as she reached forward to grab one. She was curious as to what card she'd get - she had collected quite a lot in her youth, but they were all in her Step Mother's possession, so she didn't have any anymore. Though, they were childish now that she was twenty-six years old. Still, it was familiar and she liked familiar.

As she fumbled with wrapper, she turned to look at Miranda. "Yeah, I can imagine," She nodded. Gwyn paused for a moment. Judgmental teenagers. She had had enough of them back during her school days. She was relatively well liked most of her years; chaser on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, super kind to everyone, loved to laugh, top grades, always willing to help, but then her sixth year came around and she began to have visions. It made her a freak in the eyes of people who used to claim to be her friends. Those were some difficult years.

Finally, Gwyn opened the chocolate frog, quickly grabbing it and taking a bite. She let out a snort. "Yes, well, I doubt anyone can take them away." She paused for another moment. "I dunno. I was thinking either Tessomancy - reading tea leaves - or Crystal Gazing. They're simple enough, so most can do it. The latter is more interesting, I suppose, so maybe I'll do that. It's actually pretty hard to get the kids interested, so I'm hoping to spice it up a little bit." Gwyn shrugged.

Miranda smiled at the Adela's enthusiasm. She herself had been an avid collector growing up. Her and her father had gone on long excursions to find the rarest cards. She narrowed her eyes. There was something in the way the other teacher's demeanor changed when she remembered judgmental teenagers. Something familiar in that brooding face.

She laughed, tucking the information away. "No, the only cure for those is to get through day 1, which I'm sure you will." She listened to Adela's choices for the first day. "In my experience, it's always good to start with something simple yet interactive. The students are all still on vacation mode, so I usually do something to ease them back into term. One year, I started with cornish pixies." She shuddered at the memory. "Definitely not the best idea I've ever had. Two students ended up in the hospital wing. Sitka chewed me out for weeks!!"

She paused to take a bite out of an eclair. "So, were you a student here? Well I suppose not. We're about the same age, so we would have known each other. But I don't remember an Adela Sinclair..." she bit her lip thoughtfully.

Gwyn smiled as she looked back over at Miranda. "Aw, well, I do hope so," She chuckled, finishing her chocolate frog before grabbing her small glass and taking another sip of whiskey. She nodded in agreement. Something simple, but interactive. It would get them a bit more interested too, as well as easing them into the school year. "Cornish pixies?" Gwyneira questioned, her brown eyes wide as she tried to hold back a laugh. "Well, I definitely will avoid cornish pixies." She couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

Gwyneira brought her drink back up to her lips, taking a long sip as Miranda asked about whether or not she was a student. "Uhm... I, uh, I did go here for a little bit... but then I was home schooled," She smiled, shrugging slightly. A partial lie was probably better than a whole lie. This way, she would be able to explain her knowledge of the school, but at the same time avoid the fact that she was not Adela Sinclair. "I dunno. I was in Ravenclaw, didn't really interact with many kids outside of my house." That was another lie. She had gotten along with most other houses - even the occasional Slytherin. "Yeah, kept to myself. Wasn't really well known or anything. Doubt anyone remembers me. Then, uh, in my fourth year... I got... pulled out for, uh, some personal reasons and yeah..." It was amazing how she was able to make the story up on the spot, especially in her drunken state.

[Sry! I wasn't sure if I could post during the challenge!]

Miranda smiled appreciatively. "Well, what's the craziest thing that could happen in divination? Nothing that can send students to the hospital wing right?" She chuckled. "Though...if you ever need anything there, just tell Sitka I sent you." She winked.

Miranda picked up another chocolate frog and broke it in half. She slipped out the card. Morgana. She had about a million of those. She listened attentively to Adela's story. "Huh." Miranda bit her lip, thinking hard.

"That's odd. I thought I knew everyone around my age. And Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws generally had several classes together. But then again I kept to myself too. Though, the quiet ones are usually the most observant. Even if everyone didn't know me, I knew them." She screwed up her face, still trying to remember. She made a sympathetic expression as she talked about being pulled out. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I hope everything turned out alright."

[Should Miranda recognize her now? Or do you want that to happen in a more public setting to make it more dramatic?]

[it's no problem~ :3]

"I could predict someone's death," Gwyneira let out a snort. Professor Trelawney used to predict at least one student's death every year. She had been a little eccentric, but Gwyn had loved her all the same. She had used to go and talk to her for hours after she found out about her gift. She was one of the few people who had understood what she had gone through.

Gwyneira raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Sitka? And who is this?" She teased lightheartedly before finishing up her whiskey. She pouted down at the glass before standing up. "You sure you don't want a drink?" She asked before walking over behind her desk. She still listened to what Miranda was saying as she poured her glass.

Neira glanced over her shoulder. Miranda had looked awfully familiar to her. Was it possible that they had known each other? She dearly hoped not. Not only could that blow her cover, but that could put the poor woman into much danger. Gwyn reached down to pick up the top to the whiskey bottle. She froze, taking in a deep breath. Her eyes turned white for a second. The wind was in her hair. She just wanted to keep flying, but the lake looked so inviting. Maybe she should go down there, but there was someone already down there... a young girl with blonde hair... Gwyn coughed, covering up what she knew had been a vision, but not one of the future like normal. She put the cap on. She suddenly remembered that day... Miranda... they had quite a nice chat, both feeling alone in a school full of people.

"I hope everything turned out alright." Gwyn was brought out of her thoughts. She raised her glass to her lips and took a long, long sip before turning around with a smile. "Oh, yes, everything was fine," she lied before walking back to the table and sitting down in the chair. Gwyn placed her drink on the table, keeping her smile up, but she was obviously thinking back to that day by the lake.

[Hmn. I thought of a few different scenarios... if you wanna have her recognize her now, that's fine by me. Gwyn's a bit drunk, so she'll probably act the same as if there were people in the room (and she'd be fearful that, like, a house elf would hear her or something). So, whatever you wanna do. <3]

Miranda chuckled. "You'd definitely have their attention! Though...you'll probably win the award for most dramatic teacher of the year..." She hadn't really payed attention in her own divination class...finding it pretty dull to be honest. She never 'saw' anything.

"To be honest, I didn't pay much mind to my own Divination classes. Well, until I actually met a friend of mine who had the gift." Her eyes lit up. "She was a Ravenclaw too! Our age. Her name was Gwyneira Baines. Do you remember her?"

She waved a hand airily as she noticed the teasing note in her voice. "Sitka's just an old friend. We've been close friends since I was first year. He was a second year who kinda took me underneath his wing.---and I'm ok, thanks. Not much of a drinker myself."

Miranda noted the young woman grow slightly stiff for a moment, then cough. She frowned. "Are you alright?" she asked concernedly.
As Adela sat, Miranda immediately noticed her reply was tight and guarded. She was obviously lost in a different world. Miranda had spent many days by the lake with a similiar expression, she was sure.

[Wana PM me the scenarios you had in mind? ]

Gwyn laughed. "Yeah, and I'm sure all the other teachers would love me. I remember Mcgonagall sighing when a student told her that Trelawney had predicted another death. Apparently she did it every year. They'll probably just think I'm a loon or something," she shrugged her shoulders.

Neira smiled; not many people had. Actually, she remembered a few people dozing off during class; she definitely wouldn't allow that in her classroom. She'd drop something loud or do something similar to jolt them awake. Gwyneira was pulled from her thoughts when she heard her name - not her alias, her actual name.

"Huh? Oh, uhm..." Neira trailed off, as if she were thinking. She was actually just trying not to panic at the moment. "Uhm. No, I dunno. Possibly." She reached up, mindlessly pulling at her earlobe. "She was, uh, on the quiddtich team, right? I might have seen her play a few games before leaving." She shrugged, passing it off as nothing really. "Didn't, uh, know she had the gift to. Wish I would have, might have been nice to meet someone else..."

Gwyn let out a small snort. "Uh-huh. I"m sure he is; I'd definitely like to meet him one of these days," Gwyn smiled at her. Glad that she was able to tease someone lightly about things like this. It had been a long, long while since she had been able to do so.

"Oh, yes, yes, I'm okay. Probably just had a little too much to drink; might be a bit more than tipsy," Gwyneira let out a small laugh. She really should have been more on her toes. She just hadn't expected something like this happening and it had caught her off guard just a little bit. What were the chances, really, that she would run into someone from her past?

[oh, they're nothing all to special haha. To be honest, I forgot some of them already, and the others didn't really work out. They were just simple what would she do if they were here and she recognized her and what would she do if they were in public. That was really it. xD]

Miranda laughed. "The students always find something to criticize us about."

"huh.." she responded, thoughtfully, biting her lip. "I'm surprised. But then again, she didn't really advertise she had the gift. She always felt so alone...It would have been nice if the two of you had found one another. Maybe she wouldn't have felt so alienated from the rest of the world." She sighed sadly.
People could be so cruel. She had done everything she could to befriend the Ravenclaw, but....there was only so much you could do when you were set apart.
"I tried to make her life easier while she was at school but...there's only so much you can do, ya know?"

She barely noticed the nervous fidgeting that Adela was doing. But it was probably just nerves for tomorrow. She ignored it.

She blushed as Adela continued her teasing tone. "I'm sure he'd like that. Just be warned he flirts with just about every woman he meets!" except me... she thought. She went quiet and gazed at the floor. But she didn't REALLY have feeling for him? did she?

Miranda laughed. "Nerves can do that...Just make sure to drink some tea in the morning so you're clear-headed for class. That headache will only get worse. BELIEVE me." Her eyes twinkled.

Gwyneira felt as if her heart was being squeezed and now she really cursed having had so much alcohol. She put her glass down on the table and vowed not to have any more tonight. Still, though, she was completely glad that someone had remembered her. Glad that someone had cared enough after the gift made itself known to want to make her feel better and make her life easier.

"Uh, yes," Gwyn sort of jerked herself out of it and nodded slowly. "Yes, I suppose that's true, but, uhm, I'm sure if she were to... see you today, she'd probably thank you. I, uh, doubt many people even tried. People are quick to change their attitudes when something happens... even if it's something like the gift. People don't often call it a gift because of the ridicule. I'm just guessing, but I can just bet that she is very, very grateful to have had someone like you in her life." Gwyn smiled over at her. She was turning mushy, but she couldn't help it. She really needed to pull herself together.


Gwyn snorted a bit and subtly touched the place where she used to keep her ring. "Ah, well, I'll tell him that I'm not the girl for him... and that... perhaps there is another right under his nose," she gave Miranda a small wink. The playful banter was much better than the mushiness she had been experiencing.

"Oh, I think I'm definitely going to have to do something like that. I think I had quiet enough to drink," Neira chuckled, holding her hands up defensively.

[so, wasn't sure what she could say that would make Miranda recognize her, but we can just say that maybe Gwyn had said something similar to her when thanking her at the lake those many years ago? haha]

"Ah, well, I'll tell him that I'm not the girl for him... and that... perhaps there is another right under his nose,"
Her blush merely deepened, and she sighed. "He'll never notice..." she mumbled under her breath.

Miranda suddenly sat up abruptly, staring Adela in the eye. Those words...they were the same, the same words Neira had told her all those years ago. As she smiled, something clicked into place. A clear memory surfaced. They were sitting on the edge of the lake, laughing together. They had found such solace in each other's company, two young girls isolated from the rest of the world because of their passions.

"Merlin's beard," she whispered, fingertips flying to her mouth. "IT'S YOU!! NEIRA...Gwneira Bains!!! Oh my goodness!"

She leapt to her feet, eyes still wide. It was her. There was no doubt. After all their late night talks, and lonely afternoons by the lake. They had been such good friends. How could she not have noticed earlier?

"Oh, that can't be true. Surely he will; maybe not now, but soon," Gwyneira reassured her with a soft smile. She was about to reach her hand out to comfort her by placing it on her shoulder when Miranda sat up abruptly. Gwyneira moved her head slightly to look at her with a confused stare. Miranda smiled and Gwyn feared that something was wrong.

Gwyn's brown eyes widened when Miranda uttered her name. Gwyn hurriedly got to her feet as well, trying not to sway from the alcohol. "No, no, no, no, no, no," Neira uttered quickly, shaking her head and her hand at the same time. The only word she could think of at that moment was Shit. Gwyneira quickly rushed forward and placed her hand over Miranda's mouth.

"Shh, Miranda," Gwyn hissed slightly, putting a finger from her free hand up to her own lips. "No." Her shoulder's slumped slightly, though she tried to keep a stern face - and she definitely kept her hand over Miranda's mouth. She searched the young woman's face before letting out a sigh. There was no use hiding it from her, not now. She was recognized, there was no going back. Damn that alcohol.

"Miranda, no one can know," Gwyn whispered slowly. She glanced around the room, paranoid that someone, anyone could hear them. What if a house elf heard and was working for someone that knew her step-mother. "Do you understand? Can I trust you enough to take my hand away?" She questioned. There was a small amount of fear in her light brown eyes.

Miranda's eyes nearly popped from her skull as Neira slapped a hand over her mouth. What the heck was going on? Why was she going by Adela Sinclair? Her entire body was tense, though she barely kept from pushing Neira away herself. There was such pain and such fear in her friend's eyes. She looked truly terrified. Something was very wrong. She nodded slowly as Neira asked if she could trust her. She slowly pulled her hand away.

"Of course you can trust me, Neira," she hissed under her breath. "That hasn't changed since we were kids." She glanced around the dim room before adding, "It IS good to see you though."

She smiled brightly. Something may be up, but Miranda was merely thrilled to be reunited with a long lost friend. She sat back down slowly, her eyes never leaving Neira. She suddenly seemed jumpier than a cat.

"You going to tell me what's going on?" she demanded.

Gwyneira took in a deep breath, dropping her arm down to her side. Well, she was good that hadn't changed. So many people she knew had changed and she never knew when or if it would happen. It always seemed to take her by surprise. She looked back up at Miranda, noticing a bright smile. Gwyn let out a small snort and offered a small smile in return. "Yes, I must agree. It's nice to see a familiar, friendly face. It's been quite a long time."

Gwyn reached up and rubbed at her temples. How would she ever explain this? She supposed it was relatively easy enough, but it had consumed so much of her life that it was difficult to think it that way. "I guess I don't have much of a choice, now, do I?" She let out a sigh before sitting back down. She needed to sit for this. She put her head in her hands, closing her eyes.

"Remember when my dad died?" She asked, her voice very, very quiet. She still had no idea if anyone could be listening. "That was my first vision... anyway, my stepmother was... she was very comforting..." Gwyn let out a bitter snort and sat up straight, shaking her head. "I found out a year later... she was the one who killed him. I'm not even sure why she did it. Maybe he was too soft for her or something.

"It wasn't long before she tried to poison me. That I understood; I'm a half blood, and she was embarrassed by me. The last nine years of my life I have been running and hiding. She's still out there... she's still looking," Gwyn looked up at her old friend. "This is why you cannot tell anyone who I am. I tried to change my looks as best I could... I changed my name... I... the only other one who knows who I really am is Dumbledore. If it gets out... I don't know what the hell she may do... she's insane."

Miranda was glad that Neira was finally relaxing, if only a little bit. She couldn't believe Neira didn't trust her! Or didn't know she could...The had been friends when they had left school...or so she had thought. But then again, she herself had cut everyone out of her own life not long after leaving school as well.
Neira looked so tired, so stressed. What weight did she bear on her young shoulders?

"You always have a choice, Niera," She said softly. "I had just hoped our friendship meant something to you..."

She watched her friend carefully, watching every little movement. Her agitation was clear.

"Of course I remember," she sad, her face saddening. "It broke my heart seeing you in such a state." It had been pretty awful, if she remembered correctly. IT'S always hard seeing those you love breaking from the pain of loss and not be able to do anything about it.

"Oh," Miranda gasped, her fingertips once again flying to her mouth in shock. "I'm so sorry. That's terrible!"
She reached out a hand towards Neira, taking her hand tightly in her own.
"I promise. You're secret is safe with me." her eyes twinkled, trying to make the seriousness of the situation a bit lighter. "It's not like this is the first secret we've shared now is it?" She chuckled.

She squeezed her hand tighter. "You'll be safe here. Hogwarts is the best place for you to be." She tried to smile encouragingly.

[Ironic words considering what's going on atm....]

Gwyneira looked up at Miranda and sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I didn't mean it like that... It's just... it would probably have been safer had you not known any of it." Gwyn's eyes slowly drew to the fire, entranced for a moment by the calm crackle that it produced. When brought back to reality, she turned herself back to Miranda.

Gwyn gave a small, sympathetic smile up to Miranda. She had been very helpful through all her problems. She had been one of the few people she could really trust, and in this day, that was definitely something. Gwyn really only trusted a handful of people. Dumbledore, Miranda, and James just to name a few.

Gwyneira smiled as Miranda took her hand. She really was a great friend. "Yes," her voice was quiet, barely a whisper before Miranda brought up secrets. Gwyn snorted and nodded. "Oh, yes, I suppose you're right." She chuckled as well.

"Thank you," Gwyn said, truly meaning it. "I sure hope so..."

[/snort. I know right? People getting killed and cursed all over the place. Yes Hogwarts, you surely are the safest place to be~ xDD]

Miranda tugged her friend tightly, wishing she could take away all her fear. But she knew from experience, that that fear never truly went away.

"They always say two are better than one right? Well, now at least you know that you don't have to fight this battle alone. If you ever even have a suspicion, or a little hint that something's wrong. You know you can send for me...A simple patronus, or just tell any of the creatures on the grounds that you need me. It may not seem like it, but they all know where to find me at any time." She smiled encouragingly. "It was the first thing I instilled in them when I came here a few years ago."

She paused thoughtfully. Perhaps, if she introduced Neira to some of them, they might be able to keep an eye on the divinations professor for her...It was worth a shot anyways... After a moment, Miranda rose and took her seat across from her friend.
"So..." she said airily, trying to shift the subject. "What else have you been up to since we left school?"
She grinned wryly, a desperate attempt but hey...

"Yes, I suppose that is the saying..." It didn't make Gwyn feel any better. She'd rather not pull anyone else into this mess. She had made that mistake once, and left before anything bad could happen. She wouldn't let this get out of control. Gwyn looked back up at Miranda and gave her a small smile. Oh, if anything happened to her, Gwyn would never forgive herself.

Gwyneira then let out a small laugh. "I should have expected as much," She gave her a grin. Miranda and her animals; it was rather cute, when she thought about it. It was one of her most endearing qualities. "Well, I am glad I will always have some way of contacting you." It was reassuring. Sometimes messages couldn't get there fast enough, but with the animal's help or even the possible patronus, it could be easier and quicker.

Gwyneira let out a small sigh, running her hand through her short, short hair - she was still trying to get used to it, in all honesty. She missed her long black hair just a little bit. But it would have made her even more recognizable. "Nothing," she said in a rather depressed tone. She had been on the run since then. Nine years of running. "I ran and I hid and I picked up odd jobs here and there, but the cycle would just keep repeating. What a fantastic life I've led, huh? Twenty-six and nothing to show for it," She gave a small pout. It wasn't as if it was her fault, but still, it was a depressing thought. The closest to anything out of the norm she had done was start her relationship with James - she instinctively went to rub the finger that had once held the ring (which was currently safe in her jewel box in her room at the moment) - but it was almost too hard to bring up.

"But what about you?" Gwyn turned to her friend. She desperately hoped that she had led a much better life than she had.

Miranda smiled encouragingly. "It's going to be alright. I promise."

She grinned guiltily. And half-shrugged. "What can I say...I haven't changed THAT much." Even in school, she could most often be found outside surrounded by some animals or other. It had made her the object of much teasing and ridicule. Which was why she loved animals so much. So long as you loved them, they loved you, no matter how odd you were.

"It's never too late to start," Miranda said softly, with a grim smile. "Whether you're here for twenty-years or one, you WILL make a difference in even a single life. I have no doubt."

She noticed Neira rub her ring finger absent-mindedly. Miranda stared at the motion and bit her lip. She still did the same thing. she couldn't help but always be subconsciously aware of the absence of her engagement ring. She wanted to ask, but asking that question would open up doors she didn't want to walk through.

Neira's question seemed to jerk her out of her dreary thoughts. She flinched slightly as her mind flashed back for the past few years.
"Well..." she began hesitantly. "After my seventh year, I moved our of my father's house and into the muggle world. I took a job as a...well essentially an animal healer for several years."
Her hands twisted in her lap. This was where things got complicated. She glanced sideways, pointedly avoiding Neira's eyes.
"Dumbledore found me about four years ago and....encouraged....me to take the position here..."

Gwyneira chuckled. No, she supposed Miranda hadn't, but then, neither had she in all honesty. She was pretty much the same person, maybe just a bit more paranoid and cynical. She didn't look on the bright side of life anymore, but she still had most of her traits and qualities. She was the same old Gwyneira Baines, just a little more wiser of the world.

Gwyn smiled. Miranda always knew what to say, that was for sure. Yes, she hoped that she'd be able to make a difference in someone's life. Perhaps not as a teacher, for not many would want to be helped by someone who was potentially crazy - as most Divination professors were - but at least maybe as a friend. She'd help anyone in need, that was most definitely in her nature and that would never change.

Gwyneira glanced over and was highly aware of the flinch. She had taken to watching people, studying them, and noticing subtle things like such. She bit the inside of her cheek, wondering what she had thought of that had made her flinch. "Oh, well, that sounds good and quite enjoyable," Gwyn smiled at her softly. She had actually done something with her life, and that was more than enough to impress Neira.

"I see..." Gwyn trailed off, still watching her friend's every movement. When she seemed to be avoiding eye contact, she knew something was definitely off. Gwyneira was like Miranda, curious as to why the other was doing such subtle actions, but unlike Miranda, Gwyneira wasn't afraid to ask. Yes, it may drudge up things that she may not want to talk about, but Gwyn was a great listener... and if Miranda didn't want to talk about it, then she wouldn't push her.

"And what happened before those four years?" Gwyn asked softly.