Professor Flitwick sat at the piano he had maneuvered into his office, his spidery fingers occasionally applying pressure to the responsive keys, improvising melodies and sometimes the odd chord. He stared not at the piano, but at the huge crystal ball on his desk. It was a real crystal ball, but he did not understand divination and couldn't use it himself; he liked keeping the beautiful thing around. It had belonged to his mother, once, and he had stolen it from her when he moved back to England. He always had been a mild kleptomaniac. It was simply a compulsion to steal, it was more to take something which contained a memory. Rings or bracelets from old girlfriends, keys, muggle money: he kept it all in a chest in the corner of the room; his magpie's nest. Sometimes, if he felt world-weary, he would open the chest and reminisce over the memories contained in there. His dark eyes stared deeper into the depths of the crystal ball. It was a puzzle. However much it irritated him, he would never throw it out. It was so beautiful; so perfectly spherical, and the swirling mist inside never ever stood still. He sighed, turning his attention on the chest again. There was bound to be something in there of tremendous value amongst those rings and lockets...

Sephy was casually walking along a corridor when she heard the sounds of a piano being played in a room she had never entered in all her years at hogwarts. She looked around the door and saw professor Flitwick sitting at a piano and looking into a crystal ball infront of him.
"oh hello professor i didnt relise that this was your office " Sephy said slightly surprised that it was flitwick playing the piano, she would have never guessed hgim to be a piano player she always saw him to be more like a bass or electric guitar player.

"No, no, do come in," he said, his reverie broken by the voice of a pretty looking student. "My door is always open to all of my students." His voice was low and soft, like treacle, and just as dangerous to get stuck in. He smiled his mysterious, crooked smile at her and stood up, unfolding his tall, thin frame, and crossed to his desk in two quick strides. "Can I offer you a drink, Miss...?" He thought for a moment, pouring himself a glass of a blood red liquid. "My apologies; your name appears to have slipped my mind. I do recognise you, though. Seventh year, Gryffindor. Good performance but sadly quiet in class. You should speak up more; you have a delightful voice." His English was well pronounced and sounded very upper class, despite his French origins. He realised he was talking off topic, so he quietened and looked up at her, smiling before taking a sip of his drink. It left a slightly red stain on his lips, but nothing to mar his half-veela beauty.

"yes please a drink sounds nice" she smiled to the professor "it's Sephy McGregor sir, and thank you but i perfer to stay un-noticed its eayer that way" she was refering to the comment about her voice, she perfered to stay un-noticed as it she got to close -emtioanly- her bad side would push them away.

"Well what would you like?" he asked, gesturing to his desk, where there were suddenly huge bottles and decanters full of any kind of drink - mostly alcoholic - which had certainly not been there before. "And please, take a seat." A chair appeared on the opposite side of his desk; a soft, deep armchair of blue velvet. It looked as if one would sink in it if it was sat on. "Of course, Miss McGregor, how could I forget? Excellent OWL results, or so I am told by my grandfather. He speaks highly of you - I think." He took another look at her, his sharp, dark eyes darting quickly across her body, like an expert jeweller checking the value of a diamond. He seemed satisfied with what he saw. "Yes; yes, it must have been you he meant."

Sephy gestured to a bottle of seemingly clear liquid that she guessed was a type of white wine befor sinking into the soft armchair "thank you" she said sweety, "yes my results were quite high" she said in a matter-of-fact way but she never allowed her self to become big-headed "i beleave i am the only Persephone in the school -it is quite and unusuall name, but he might have been refering to my older sister who left three years ago although she was in Slytherin" She stoped suddinly feeling she was saying too much. Sephy had always been the cleverest of her syblings but she never liked to rubb-it-in.

"Definitely you," he nodded as he poured her a large glass of what was in fact a bizarre cocktail of vodka and grape juice. He had no qualms about giving his students alcohol; they invariably got at it anyway. "Yes. Now, was there anything particular you came to inquire after?" He took another sip of his drink, then flicked his fringe from his face in a rather youthful way, making him seem more as though he was in his late teens again than his mid twenties.

Sephy nodded in thanks as she took the glass and she took a sip, it had quite and exotic tast that was rather sweet yet very nice all the same. She never realy noticed quiet how young the professor looked, she had of corse noticed it, but he looked younger than ever with the drink in hand.
"Yes, there was acctually" she had just remebered that she came looking for his office to enquire about the homework "I was wondering if these are correct" she said pulling her compeated, perfectly writen homework out of her jeans back pocket.

He took the paper and ran his eyes over her writing quickly. "Yes, this all seems to be in order. Do you wish me to keep it now, or were there any additions you wanted to make before our next class?" He sat down slowly and pushed his chair away from the desk, resting his feet on the wood with his legs crossed at the ankles. Again he blew some hair from his eyes - troublesome fringe, but oh so attractive - and finished his drink, placing the glass very neatly in the exact centre of a coaster which was identically shaped. It was true; he was a perfectionist, and he was a magpie.

"no i think it is finished, keep it." Sephy took another drink as she was unsure what to say. "That was some very nice piano playing earlier" Sephy commented sweetly.

"Thank you, Miss McGregor," he replied, taking the paper and folding it into a neat origami swan with his quick fingers, then perching it on the edge of his desk. He nodded to it. "It makes marking so much more enjoyable," he explained, smiling indulgently at the girl. He wondered briefly what she thought of him - he knew that plenty of the female students found him attractive, and many of the male students did too, but refused to admit this, and consequently found him 'creepy' - as he wondered about everyone he met. His vanity would be his downfall, his father had said. If you are beautiful, you have the right to be vain, his mother had said. He was torn between the two.

She smiled attractively at the professor she loved that look in his eyes when he was just thinking. "Please call me Sephy" she hated things that tied her to her syblings they were pure evil, they were exactily like the Malfoys.

"If you insist...Sephy." As he relaxed, a small amount of veela magic began to leave his body; he could almost see it swirling through the air in golden strands, although he knew no one else would. "But if we are to be on first name terms, you must call me Nicholas." There was a larger hint of a French accent in his voice as he spoke his own name, but he still retained his English restraint and composure of language.

She felt oddly giddy all of a sudden, it was common knowlage in the older studants thet professor Flitwick was part veela, this must be him letting off some of his veela magic. Sephy felt, as she had about her old lover whome she had pushed away, full of love that she felt she must give.
"if you wish... Nicholas" it felt incredibly odd to call a professor by first name.
She smiled sweetly agin

"Good," he said, as if he had taught her to do something new. Well, really, Nicholas: isn't it time you had a bit of fun with the students again? You've been punishing yourself but you haven't committed a crime. Come now, enjoy yourself a little... He agreed with his indulgent side and released more magic into the room. "Now we are equals," he stated, although it was quite clear that he was in control of the situation.

Sephy couldnt help but smile as she took another sip of her drink, she felt light and free of everything. She sank back into the chair. "Nicholas, have i ever mentioned how lovely your hair is" she siad giggling sightly. She felt ...drunk... it was the only way to put it, although she knew in the back of her mind it was his veela magic.

"Why, thank you, Sephy," he responded in an almost patronising tone. He knew it was cruel to play with the poor girl like this, but it was really too much fun, and there was no one else in the room. "Have I ever mentioned what a beautiful young lady you are?" He smiled and poured her another drink, finally feeling that he was enjoying himself for the first time since Shae had left.

She took the drink and took a long deep drink from it.
"thank you" she said smiling attractively trying to keep controle of her self.

"You're very welcome." He stood up and moved to stand behind her chair, whispering softly in her ear, "Be quite honest...Sephy...did you truly only come here for your homework?" He was tempted to reach out and touch her hair, which seemed so soft in this light, but he restrained himself; he wanted her to be the first to break the physical barrier. Standing so close, his magic ought to be impossible to resist. Grown women had thrown themselves on him at less.

Sephy smiled slightly girlishly and relising her feelings for Nicholas had strengthened from a little crush.
Sephy turned round to face him and stroked the back of her finger over his cheek.
She was usually quite strong willed and her 'other side' helped increase that, but now all that feeling of need for self dignity had vanished and she felt she could just let go of herself and be who she realy was in front of Nicholas.