First Night Watch of the Year (Open) [Done]

When his father suggested he became a teacher, he didn't mention this. Not even during the application process or the staff meetings, no casual mention had been made, it hadn't been alluded to. He had been lied to. Nobody had ever told him that he would have to walk the halls all night, looking for children out of bed! It was torture; let the kids get in to whatever trouble they liked.

Well if there were students out past cerfew, they had better hoped that they wouldn't meet him; his leg hurt and he was tired, haviung been spoiled by months able to do nothing but stay in bed. If he met anyone they would pay dearly for the mistake, he had decided a new rule - what happens during night watch stays in night watch. He could do whatever he wanted, for once.

He took out his wand and muttered "Lumos,", continuing his stalk through the hallways with his little band of light to help him along. It would warn the students he was coming if they were stupid enough to get caught when he had a light on, marking where he was, then well, they deserved his punishment. Perhaps it would teach them to be more careful next time.

Aldrich could hear somebody in the corridor and he turned towards the sound, excited for a moment of interest in this dull night, even though he knew it was probably just a mouse or another teacher. He walked towards the source of the noise and - look at his luck! - it actually way a student this time.

"What are you doing out so late?" He asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He hadn't seen this student in his classes so he was probably a sixth or seventh year, and he knew from experience that they loved bending the rules, believing that they were old enough to do as they pleased, paticularily if they were of age. The student looked somewhat familiar however; dark brown hair and hazel eyes, and the shape of his jawline. Perhaps he did had seen him around the school, it was possible. Then it hit him; this was one of Romulus's grandsons; Romulus had mentioned that they went to the school. Did he mention their names? Aldrich was sure he had... L... or... S...? Something. It didn't really matter.

Aldrich let go of the boy's shoulder after a moment, now he had his attention. After all, he didn't really like touching anyone too long and he could probably get in trouble for manhandling a child, not that the teen was really a child, he must be about 17; when wizards come of age. "I should hope so." He said sharply. "What's your name?" He asked, curious more than anything, but also needing to make a note of it.

He had a feeling that he wouldn't be able to actually punish the boy - his grandfather was a teacher after all, and it wasn't really that far past curfew. It was a shame, he wanted to punish someone, so they had to suffer as much as he had to suffer, being out here all night.

He couldn't torture the kid but he wasn't going to make it easy for him, "And where are you coming from?"

He nodded when the boy said his name; Lovino, that was it. He was the older one, if he remembered rightly, "So you are Romulus's grandson." He said, looking him over. They did look very similar; the picture of each other, albeit it, Lovino's surly face would not belong on Romulus's, they must be very different in personality. By the way he was leaning away, he probably had the same aversion to touch that Aldrich has, and he wondered if they both squirmed in the same way when Romulus tried to hug them. But he was digressing; Lovino's relationship with his granfather was no bussiness or care of his own.

"Oh really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow, "Why were you in his office, particularily this late?" He asked, "Did he give you a note?" He added, "Or didn't Romu think of that?" He was probably being a little harsh, but he didn't care. He didn't even care that he had called Romulus, 'Romu' which was the sort of affectionate name that he only really used when there weren't many, if any other, people around. For some reason, Romulus liked being in his company a lot.

"Come, I'll walk you to the common room." He said, "Don't want you sneaking away again," He said dryly.

Ah yes, that did very much sound like Romulus. He shook his head, "I'll talk to him," He said, "At the very least, I can ask him to give you a note at the end of it." He added, "I don't think I could convince him to stop abusing his powers as a teacher though, if it annoys you. He's a bit to stubborn to stop seeing his grandson." He shook his head slightly affectionately; Romulus was a strange, silly man.

Aldrich wasn't sure why he sometimes said what he said, but certainly, he often regretted it. When he was nervous - in an attempt to sound more strict and authoritative – he often said the first thing that came to mind, a frustratingly Gryffindor trait that he certainly didn’t envy, though he did realise he should be over this childish house rivalry and type casting. However, it seemed that he wasn't as grown-up as he had hoped, even now he was 29. Awkwardly, in an attempt to make up for his blunder and hopefully keep some respect in the boy's eyes, if he even had any, he said, "It's part of my duty after all." He started to walk towards the dungeons, "Besides, I'm curious, I haven't been to the Slytherin common room yet and I want to see if it's changed at all." He doubted it; Hogwarts was trapped in time.

"Oh, and Mr Vargas, I know you were with a teacher, but I have to give you a detention, since you don't have a note. I don't want to," He said regretfully, "But I can't show special treatment, paticularily since you're the grandson of a teacher." He was paticularily hard on his nephews, well, he was hard on Gilbert - Ludwig was never in trouble, as far as he knew.

He shook his head; Romulus was a strange and occasionally, rather annoying, man. Aldrich wan't sure how he coiuld be a good teacher but surely he must; he hadn't been fired yet, despite how unprofessional he was around the other teachers and, it seemed (fairly enough), his family. He looked at Lovino and how old he was; it was utterly mad that he would have a grandson who was as old as Lovino, and still be as young as he was. He shook off the thought before he got too distracted.

He listened to their footsteps echoing on the ground, still keeping an ear out for any other students who might be awake and out of bed. He snorted, "I think the last change that Hogwarts put in was showers, or perhaps flushing toilets." He said, "It is frustrating." He pursed his lips in thought, "My room is positively ancient; even more than the dorm rooms I think. I feel like I'm sleeping in a museum piece." He had always been slightly confused by the way the wizarding world refused change in a feircely luddite fashion. When he had been a child yes, he had thought it normal, paticularily amongst the elves, who didn't associate themselves with humans at all. But after he moved out he lived more amongst muggles and began to admire their technology - some of it was very useful, even things as simple as pens! Why didn't they have pens? He let out a little annoyed noise by accident.

"Yes, it will be with me." He said, "Eight o clock tommorow, come to my office." He wasn't sure what he would make him do but he would would think of something, probably cleaning desks.

"I don't think I disagree." He said, "Wizards, it seems, are mad, as a people. It is strange, seeing them live among muggles and refuse to intergrate past clocks and flushing toilets." He shook his head. "All of them muggle inventions, yet there are some wizards who believe we are above muggles." He wrinkled his nose. "My people stay away from all other groups, they evolve differently, unlike wizards, who believe that they are above the stupid muggles and hide." He paused, realising he had said a bit too much, but knowing that speaking more to refute it would simply bring it up.

He trailed his hand lazily across the wall, "My office is on the fifth floor, next to the painting of the castle. The one where the canon goes off every hour on the hour." He shuddered and his lip curled, "I hate that canon. Though I always know the time."

He frowned thoughtfully, trying to think of a good punishment. What had he done when he had been in trouble at school? "I need some worksheets for my third year lesson, I'll probably get you to do that, but I'm not certian yet." he nodded. That seemed like a good enough idea.

Aldrich wrinkled his nose. "I could always have him relocated to your house. See if you enjoy having an accurate clock when it's accurate at three in the morning," He said offhandedly, as if it he wasn't insulting him. Perhaps he was being a little passive agressive, but it didn't really worry him. He didn't like the moving portraits particularily. The walls really did have ears when they were around and it unnerved him a bit. He believed he hadn't liked them ever since he came to school here and a portrait caught him kissing his boyfriend at the time. The leer on her face had been horrific. He shuddered at the memory.

"They're third year worksheets, it's not terribly difficult. You must have taken it when you were in third year." He explained, "Besides, you won't be making the worksheet, just making copies and sorting them. That sort of thing." A worksheet made by someone who didn't understand the work would probably be terrible. "But only maybe... I'll give you your task on the day. It won't be anything particularily taxing. You won't be cleaning out cauldrons or anything like that." He had hated that punishment as a youth.

"Which nephew?" He asked, somewhat jokingly,"I have two," he supposed that Lovino meant Gilbert, who was in Lovino's dormitory, but he was curious to know if Lovino knew his other nephew as well, who was also in Slytherin. "I'm sure they wouldn't like it, no."To be honest, if he could get it off the wall, he wouldn't move it, he would just burn it in cold blood. "If Gilbert is awake, nobody will get any sleep. So I wouldn't perhaps be so cruel."

Finally, Lovino appeared to understand what he was getting at. Although... his expression was oddly stiff when he mentioned cleaning cauldrons. It was odd, perhaps he really hated cleaning cauldrons or perhaps he enjoyed it. But... no way, surely nobody enjoyed that. "Good."He nodded.

Finally, they reached the dungeons, which seemed to have taken an age, "Alright then... I'll see you tommorow for your detention then."He said the password, "Next time, get Romu to write you a note." He gave a tiny smile.

He snorted, "Does he still talk in his sleep or is it the snoring?" He asked, a small smirk on hsi face. He loved Gilbert but he did enjoy teasing his nephew and he knew he was a schadenfroh. Besides, it wouldn't hurt the self proclaimed Prussian if he was knocked down a peg or two. "He used to sleep walk as a kid, sometimes, I heard. He's stopped though, it seems, but he snores very loudly and swears in his sleep." He remembered that from his time visiting him; being a light sleeper it had been very hard for him to get to sleep first.

"20h sharp, please," he said, automatically in the European 24 hour setup. "See you then."

(( Timeskip maybe? Should we start it as a new thread or just continue here? ))

Lovino rolled his eyes, enjoying this new information he was getting about this man's nephew. It was always nice to have blackmail on other people, especially in this house. "Snoring and sleep mumbling. We haven't heard any coherent words as of yet." Shrugging, he stored away the fact about his roommate sleep walking. It would probably be useful at some point in the future.

He nodded firmly. "Yes sir. I will see you then." He had that awkward moment when you end a conversation on a strange note before simply nodding at him and going into the common room, shutting the entrance door behind him quietly.

(( Ald. When we switch locations, it is always a new thread. Which you will be starting. ))