You've Got To Be Kidding (-Avalon-)

[Sirius Black]

Well... thus far, the interviews had been abysmal.

With Professor Flitwick quitting without notice, it left the staff at Hogwarts in a bit of a rut. Sirius couldn't take it out on Filius though. He hadn't left to be vindictive and he hadn't planned on it. Some things just could not be helped, and often times, one's personal life conflicted with their career. But, damn, the pool of potentials was mediocre at best. Did nobody know anything... about Anything?

What's worse is that the Ancient Runes teacher had quit out of nowhere, too. So in addition to hiring for charms, he was seeking an Ancient Runes person AND a Head for Ravenclaw House. As if life wasn't difficult enough.

Well, at least it was almost over. One more interview for the day and then he could look forward to going home and spending time with his daughter. Standing up from his seat, he walked out to the hall where chairs had been lined up against the wall.

Looking down at the paper, he called out for, "Miss Avalon Yuciano." Then he looked up and fought the urge to curse right then and there. Here he had thought, rather hoped, he would never see this woman again. "I believe you're next. If you'd just come on in and take a seat."

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon had watched the person before her go into the office from down the hall where she had been pacing. It wasn't unusual for her to be nervous in these situations, on the contrary if she wasn't nervous than she would have been worried. Nerves were good, they reminded her of what was at stake and what was at stake was the opportunity to get away from her fiance and her mother by taking a job at Hogwarts. Holiday visits only when you taught at a wizarding boarding school -yay! Hearing her name, she raced down the steps of the balcony and came to a dead halt when she saw who it was. "Just when I thought this would be a golden opportunity." She said, none to gently. Taking a deep breath, she put on her best smile and came forward with her hand outstretched. "The past is the past, sir, and I hope you're professional enough to put your already obvious dislike for me aside long enough to view me as a potential candidate for the position."

Bad choice of words for someone who was looking to be hired by this giant. "That was uncalled for. I apologize." She smiled again then, "Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less than that from you. Viewing me professionally, that is." She opted for shutting up and walking past him into his office. This wasn't the type of setting she was used to, but she knew she could adjust. After all no one had truly believed she'd adjust to digging in the dirt after having been raised in a well to do family, but she had. And quite well. "Shall we begin? But first, your name." It wasn't a request. She wanted to know his name.

[Sirius Black]

Was she really lecturing him on professionalism. This woman who basically spat in the face of authority all because she couldn't be bothered to spare half an hour of her time? Interesting. He would have to be sure to jot down unprofessionalism next to the additional comments box. "Well, even if it was a golden opportunity, that couldn't have helped your odds," he said. But, despite his ever growing desire to kick her out, like he had said, the pool was crap and she might actually know a thing or two about her subject. So, yes... He was professional enough to overlook his personal opinions. After all... Had he not hired Severus Snape back?

He shook her hand firmly, standing back to let her in and then closed the door behind them. The past was the past... Yeah, no so much. Sirius was a hard believer in first impressions, and she'd certainly made a lasting one. How one treated strangers was often indicative of their character in the first place. "I think it's bold to assume I don't like you." Even if it was true. "But, if you really expect the past to stay where it is, you should probably stop talking about it."

He walked around the desk, paused, and said, "Apology accepted," before sitting down. She really liked to ramble. It would have been endearing if he wasn't so immensely tired already. He looked up, his brow rising at her forwardness. She was definitely something. What that something was, he wasn't sure. "Professor Sirius Black," he told her. "Now, Miss Yuciano, if we may begin? Why don't we start this with you telling me a bit about yourself?"

[Avalon Yuciano]

"Noted." She waited to be asked to sit down, but as the invitation never came, she continued to stand. After all it would have been rude to assume you were being offered a chair when you may not have been. Dropping her clutch into the chair she guessed would have been hers if he would have been kind enough to offer it to her, she paced the patch of space behind it. "Call me Avalon. As for little about myself..." She paused to think, "I graduated from Hogwarts. My education doesn't just stop there though. I've worked on several sites and have headed my own excavations through private funding. I've traveled to remote corners of the globe in search of lost artifacts. Some call me a grave robber, others a thief. Educated men use a more professional term. In short, Mr. Black, I'm an archeologist." She smiled over her shoulder at him and not for the first time noticed that she was standing in the presence of an incredibly attractive man.

She clasped her hands together and felt the familiar, if not nauseating, weight of her engagement ring. If she had anything to do with it, and Sirius too, her marriage would never need to come to pass. Sirius' part in this play? Employer. And that's all.

[Sirius Black]

He stared at her, seeing her obvious annoyance. Well... He supposed it was something to wait to be asked to sit, another to look bloody miserable about it. "Take a seat," he finally said, his amusement of that wearing off. "Miss Yuciano... If you would forgive me, if I am to look at you professionally and thus treat you professionally, then you will have to bear with the formal niceties that go with it. That said, I don't believe we are at a point where we can claim a first name basis."

He listened intently as she spoke, not exactly impressed by what she was telling him. It seemed cut, dry, and vague. "What house were you sorted into?" he asked. A relevant question for at least one of the positions. "So, why did you leave your last job?" he asked. That question was par for the course. If she didn't tell him, well, he'd just have to do some digging to find out on his own. Thank God for background checks.

[Avalon Yuciano]

"Do as you see fit. And I'll stand, thank you." She smiled demurely, dropping back against the wall. He was handsome, but she didn't like him. Not one bit and that was saying something. She wasn't usually the type that cared what the other person was like as long as the few hours that they shared were pleasant. Yes, it was saying something if she was evaluating him on hispersonality and not his physical qualities alone. "I was a Ravenclaw. Quidditch captain my last three years." She smiled at the memories that surfaced. "Pleasant years, those last few."

She glared at him for assuming such a thing, "I didn't leave my last job nor was I fired. Had you been paying attention to what I had just told you, you would have realized what I meant. I said that I led several excavations through private funding. I'm that private fund. It's my business to my parents horror. Digging in dirt, can you imagine." She laughed, "No, I didn't leave my last job. It's there and my people are still working. I came to England for personal reasons and I am looking for a job because I'm not one to sit idly by."

[Sirius Black]

((Decided to give you more to go off of. ))

Did she think to get far by being condescending? He set her resume down, his eyes narrowing at her. Where did a woman get so much hostility... He had at least tried to excuse their first encounter with the fact that she had, indeed, been taken hostage and had come quite close to losing her head, but that hardly held up now. No, she just had some blatant rage issues... That could be explosive when you threw her in the mix with prepubescent teenagers who could barely manage to find the right side of their wands. Of course, there could be the fact that maybe what wasn't syncing was just the two of them... But even so, if she was already speaking to her potential employer this way, she was in for a rude awakening. Perhaps in the past Sirius would have put up with it, but he was too old, too tired, and too stressed to babysit a member of his staff.

"Sounds fascinating," he said drolly, setting the resume on the desk. It wasn't that he wasn't paying attention. It's mostly that she hadn't made it clear. Did she really think her answers were... what was the word she used against him... professional?

"You know, this has been a very enjoyable interview. And by enjoyable, I mean it might have been better if you'd have just sent a letter. I am beginning to wonder if you've ever been through this process before. One of the key things to these little meetings is not to talk down to the interviewer. Now... I'm inclined to bring this to an end. I'm not entirely convinced that you would fit here... Or that you would get along with your bosses. If you think that I hire the staff and then have nothing to do with them, you're quite mistaken. If you can't stand me now, Miss Yuciano, you'll certainly be sick of me by the end of the year. Possibly even after your probationary period of ninety days.

"But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. Your credentials are impressive, and I have every confidence that you are qualified in this field... But teaching is more than just knowing your subject. So, I'll put it in your hands, Miss Yuciano. If this is really something that you want, take a seat and let's have a real interview. If not, then thank you for coming and you know your way out."

[Avalon Yuciano]

"I know how this works." She snapped. She hated his tone and the more time she spent in his presence, the more she loathed him. It was a wonder that she'd ever fantasized about him in her younger years. He was absolutely nothing like what her brother had described to her. She wrinkled her nose at the memories that surfaced of her girlhood dreams with the man that was standing in front of her. To think this was the man she'd cried over when she'd heard he'd been killed. Disgusting! "I'm sick of--probationary?" Did that mean...? No, it didn't. It only meant that he'd think about it if she chose to stay and conduct herself like the professional she was and not the depressed and irritable woman she'd been since her arrival.

"I choose to stay." She took her place across from him, placing her bag at her feet and clasping her hands in her lap and waiting for him to begin. Except she interrupted him before he could, "Palmer, Mr. Black, I'll soon be Mrs. Gregory Palmer. If you choose to hire me, I'll need to be addressed as Palmer." She didn't say it with the usual enthusiasm of a future bride nor did her expression resemble much more than bitter resignation to her fate. "We can begin now if you'd like."

[Sirius Black]

He nodded. Damn it... He already knew how this was going to end. She was going to be hired. She was a Ravenclaw, and she had the experience and know how that he needed. The rest... Well, she'd have to grow into it if this was what she really wanted. "Since you have no teaching experience of any kind, your probationary period will last the length of entire term. During this time, you can be fired with or without cause at the discretion of your employer. Your benefits will not come into effect until 90 days after your first day, and of course, you'll have random evaluations conducted by either myself or Professor McGonagall." Just so she knew what she was walking in to.

Ah. So she made the right choice. He waited for her to sit and was about to continue with the questions when she spoke again. Apparently she was confused by how this worked. "I will address you by your professional and legal name, Miss Yuciano. When you are recognized by the country as Mrs. Gregory Palmer, then and only then will I refer to you as such." It was absurd. That was like saying, 'my birthday is in a couple of months so bring me a gift now.' Perhaps a long time ago, he'd have caught the bitterness she spoke when she mentioned the wedding, but to him, bitter and marriage seemed to go hand in hand these days. He didn't even want to think about it.

"Why teaching, Miss Yuciano? What about the job appeals to you and what do you expect to get out of it?"

[Avalon Yuciano]

Outfit: click

"I only thought of the children. I'd hate to confuse them a few months into the term when they've just gotten accustomed to calling me Yuciano." She shrugged with a small smile. It had been Gregory's and her mother's idea to tell whoever interviewed her that she'd be Palmer soon. She expected it was just another way for them to take away what little freedom she had left before the wedding. Damn them. Crossing her legs at the ankles, she remained with her hands in her lap as he began the process of her interview. Ah, the first question. Why was it always along the same lines? Could no one think of an original question to begin an interview? "I expect you want an honest answer, Mr. Black."

This would take her a few minutes as she thought of the different things she could tell him. All of them lies. "I've absolutely no idea why I'd like to teach or even if I'd like to. The truth is I was informed of the position by some close friends who have always told me that I'd be a great teacher." A thought that she'd always found quite absurd since she had very little tolerance for children and their antics. Taking a deep breath, she told him the truth. "I don't know what appeals to me and I don't know whether I'll be a good teacher, but I'll do my best. Just like I've always done. I also don't know what I expect, but whatever it is, I know that I'll handle it and that I'll go about it with an open mind." Looking up, she looked him straight in the eyes without feeling ashamed for how she'd answered him. "That's the best answer I can give you, sir."

[Sirius Black]

"Well, contrary to what some in this castle believe, the children here are intelligent enough to make the adjustment. They managed to adjust through three name changes where my wife was concerned, so I think they'll be just fine doing that once with you. Trust me, Miss Yuciano... Our students will surprise you on how quickly they pick up on things here." And he had a feeling that the boys, the older boys in particular, would be rather attentive when it comes to her availability or lack thereof. He knew if this was twenty or so years ago, he'd be highly invested in a professor who looked like her. "Well, I would know if you were lying," he said... If honesty is what they were going for. "So the truth is always preferred."

Wow... That was a very honest answer. Honestly, it was the best answer he'd heard all day. Setting the papers down, he asked, "I think... hmm... I think that's all I need to hear." At first, it might have sounded like he was going to turn her down then and there. "When can you start?" He didn't look at her straight away after answering it. Instead, he grabbed his quill and an inkwell. "Oh... Another thing I should mention... We do currently have an opening as Head of Ravenclaw. Is that something you'd be interested in. It adds a bonus to your pay, pretty much guarantees tenure, and you get a bigger office with a better view."

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon closed her eyes and sighed heavily when he explained that that was all he needed. She wasn't completely surprised that she hadn't gotten the job. After all she had refused to follow orders when he'd told her she needed to go back to headquarters to be dealt with, she'd insulted him, and she'd acted as unprofessional as anyone could when looking for a job. "Wait..." Had she heard him correctly? Had he really just offered her the job? "You're kidding me, right? You can't possibly..." Why the hell was she arguing with him? "I'll take the job. The Head of Ravenclaw position as well as long as you're offering." She was excited. She'd be able to get away from her mother and her fiance. "I can start as soon as possible. Now, tomorrow...as soon as possible." She was very aware that she was trembling slightly with excitement. Freedom. This job would ensure her freedom until her marriage to Gregory.

"Thank you." She still loathed him, but now she loathed him a little less. Enough to consider his good looks at least and she made sure to take careful measure of how handsome he was as she beamed at him. He wasn't like she'd imagined him or how her brother had described -he was cold- but cold didn't always extend to the bedroom...or did it? She hadn't planned for her thoughts to stray to such a place, but now that her initial dislike had ebbed just a little, she didn't see why she couldn't consider him. "Do I have to sign anything?"

[Sirius Black]

"Well... I could give you a tour now. Show you where your classroom is, your office and your private chambers. Teachers are required by their contract to live on campus during the term. To request off for holidays, it would normally be first come first serve, but for heads of houses, I'd need to know three months in advance. Many students usually opt to stay over the Christmas holidays, so many professors choose to stay as well. You get your normal pay plus holiday bonuses for doing that. Trust me... It really looks beautiful when you get those paychecks.

"As for when you move in: As soon as possible. Classes start in a little less than..." he looked at his watch... "forty-eight hours. I understand that you probably don't have anything prepared, but the staff will be happy to help you out. Reminds me..." He stood up and walked over to one of his many filing cabinets. "I don't quite... remember..." He opened the top drawer first to sift through to find what he was looking for. "Oh... I'll need these," he said, pulling out a folder. "But... Not what I was looking for."

He bent to open the bottom drawer, made a sound that said he'd found it, and then stood to his full height, closing the drawer with his heel and returning to his seat. "Your class schedule. It looks like your first class is on a Tuesday teaching second years."

He looked back up at her. "Yes. That's what these are," he said, pointing the folder. He opened it up and began explaining the papers to her. The contract, the tax information, allowances to do a background check, and so on. "If you'll just sign all of these, I'll have them approved and filed. Then you'll officially be a staff member."

[Avalon Yuciano]

Avalon could have kissed him! She wouldn't have to go home to her family and any holidays she'd take would be nowhere near her home. Nodding at everything he said, she waited for him to hand her the paperwork. "I'm sure Hogwarts hasn't changed that much, but a tour would be great." She was already on her feet when he mentioned something he needed to get. While she waited, she found herself appraising the way he moved. And...yum! It took her a moment to compose her expression but thankfully that was all she needed before he turned around and came back to his seat. Pulling her chair closer to the desk so that she could sign the materials more comfortably with the use of his desk rather than her legs, she sat back down. "How long have you been teaching?" She asked as she leaned forward and took the papers from him and casually looking them over.

"My mother told me the Minister also teaches here, but I didn't believe her. How could someone whose so busy with the war effort find the time to teach?" She was beginning to talk too much and she knew it, but her excitement prevented her from raining it in. "Oh, and what class do you teach?"

[Sirius Black]

He watched as she went through the papers, his mind trailing off for a moment, but he was brought back by her question. "Oh... Four years... Roughly," he said. "Before then, it wasn't something that I'd necessarily wanted to do. But it was necessary in general." Mostly because the Ministry and the Order needed a proper foothold in every part of the magical world.

He nodded. "Your mother is correct. Minister Remus Lupin teaches History of Magic here. He's an excellent teacher, probably one of the best here." He stopped to consider her next question. "Well... many of us are heavily involved in the war effort. I don't know... I guess at times it seems like we've taken on a lot, but it's worth it in the end to know that we're able to protect the school in addition to everything else." He stood up to grab his jacket. He never left the office without it. "Me? I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."