Mind is out to trick you (Open)

Hades grabbed a glass and filled it to the brim with firewhiskey, another hour of teaching finished only to be replaced by another. He fell back into the chair by the fire and just sat watching the flames, them reminding him of his son.

He gritted his teeth he hated him doing his job, he was Arsen's father not Rich and every minute Arsen spent with him just made him want to kill Rich even more. By his own hands this time and he wouldn't fail like Cobalt had. If you needed a job doing you had to do it yourself. He knocked back his drink in one and slowly poured himself a new one.

Willow walked through the corridors of Hogwarts, having never attended the school or any magical school in fact she was overwhelmed by the size of the magnificent building, a downside to this was the fact that this was the third time that she had gotten lost in it and there was no Sam or friendly face to help her out this time. Continuing to walk down the stone corridor Willow found a door marked Staff Room with a triumphant cry she opened it.

Sitting inside on his own was Hades, Willow had always found the man rather forboding but maybe that was because she had never really spoken to him, rapping on the door then popping her head around Willow smiled softly at him.

"Would you mind if I joined you Headmaster?"

He turned to look at the door, someone was coming this way and he was pretty sure it was a professor and a pure one at that. He frowned there were not many people with a soul as pure as that even the good killed nowadays.

He briefly shook his head. "Of course not i could use the company." He said turning to look back at the fire. "Your mind can play all sorts of trick when let alone to think for too long." He said pouring himself another drink before offering to pour her one.

Willow smiled wider and slipped into the staff room shutting the door carefully behind her and wandering over to where Hades was stood looking at the firewhiskey but thinking better of it and pouring some tea instead, with happy eyes she noticed the muffins and picked one up.

"I don't like being left alone for too long too, there's something about silence that just makes me sad, I have no reason why."

She grinned and sat down on a comfy armchair.

"I've never been in here before...it's really nice."

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he continued to face the flames. Even she had been around Arsen he could sense it she made him happy and for that he was grateful. Since he couldn't do that himself.

He nodded in agreement although he did love silence sometimes it did get awfully tiresome when being in it's presence for too long. He smiled briefly. "Well we do try to keep it to all the staff's tastes and needs. We like to keep you all happy." He said turning to look at her. He narrowed his eyes before asking the question he was burning to ask.

"So how's Arsen?" He asked not sure if she knew he knew they hung out some times.

Willow grinned and picked a peice off the muffin she was holding and popped it into her mouth making herself feel automatically relaxed around Hades, the wonders of blueberry muffins. Sipping at her tea she thought that the fact that they kept the staff room stocked like this was very kind of him.

"It's a wonderful room! Really toasty."

She smiled and unzipped her army jacket throwing over the back of the armchair that she was sat in.

"Arsen?"

Willow frowned she didn't know if she should be truthful or not, deciding the truth is always best Willow smiled a small smile before continuing.

"I've seen him better, but then again I've seen him worse, I think he's a little bit at a loss for what to do with himself, he's not exactly a happy bunny with you."

"Thanks if there is anything you should require during your stay here just let one of the house elves know and they will get it for you." He said swirling the liquid in his glass.

He looked up meeting her eyes for the first time at the mention of Arsen's name. "Yeah." He said he'd do anything to win his son back but right now he was more stubborn than he himself was at his age.

He nodded he expected that. "Thanks i hate not being able to help him." He moaned. "I know he's been avoiding me ever since that day when he... well the day he was kidnapped." He said he couldn't bring himself to say the day he died cause it hurt more than anything to see your son's neck broken right before your eyes no parent should out live their child.

"You'll take care of him for me wont you? Just until he can find it in his heart to forgive me." He asked pleading with her. "I'm trying my best to do it from afar but i can't help him with his problems like you can."

Willow smiled sadly at Hades, there was nothing worse than seeing someone upset, even if that person didn't want you to feel sad for them, she couldn't help it, and seeing Hades so down like this when the man she had known had been so strong made Willow all the more sad.

"Yes, I think he has been, he doesn't know what to do anymore, he feels just a little betrayed but then I can see it from both sides, mostly because I know that you couldn't have known that you two were related until that time and since then you've been trying you honestly have..."

She frowned a little and ran her hands through her hair.

"I will look out for Arsen even when you two make it up together, I know he thinks of me as a mother, and that is the greatest honour that anyone could give me."

"I know i just need a chance to explain but he just doesn't seem to want me to." He shrugged. "I'm sure he will forgive me if i can just explained but he's more stubborn than i was at his age." He smiled. "He's so like me at times i'm not sure if i should be happy about that or not."

He shook his head. "I was told he had died." He frowned turning to look back at the fire again. "I've already lost him twice i can't allow that to happen again."

"Thank you that will help him more than you can imagine. His mother was a coward she stood by and let that idiot batter him for being different." He spat his face screwing up in disgust. "I've seen his mind he honestly believed he was evil after he drilled it into his head day and night. Luckily he met Fang who changed all that." He said.

Willow nodded and pulled another bit off her muffin and ate it slowly she felt like this was going to be quite an emotional conversation so she thought that she best save her muffin in case she needed a sugar boost to get her through it.

"He will forgive you, given his own time, he doesn't seem to like you sending him messages in his head to come back to him, at least thats what he told me. But I try to steer him away from talking about you, it only upsets him."

She smiled again and Willow understood the loss that Hades was going through, or had gone through, she just hoped that no more ill will be settled upon their family after what had happened.

"There is nothing that disgusts me more than the mistreatment of children, I wont stand by and let it happen, I assure you that Arsen will have no troubles like that from me, and even though I'll probably loose epically if anyone hurt him, I'd try my best to stop it."

"I know." He frowned. "I havent been communicating with him." He said not sure how she had come to that. "The last time i spoke to him was the day he disappeared unless..." He said maybe he was doing it subconsciously. "No... that can't happen." He said hoping he was right if he started speaking to people without him knowing that could be bad.

"Thanks i know he values you more than most and i respect that." He smiled before letting a little chuckle escape his lips. "Don't worry i'm tuned to his mind to know if he's in trouble i'll be there within seconds. If not then Aspen will Arsen is well protected now after what happened." He smiled.

"So how's teaching?" He asked.

Willow smiled, she was sure that the two of them would be able to work their issues out she wanted them too because they both deserve to be happy, the two of them had had a really bad family life already and they should have no more heartache where it hurts the most.

"What can't happen?"

She tilted her head to one side before taking another sip of her tea, placing the saucer back onto the table and folding her hands over her knees.

"Teaching? It is the most wonderful thing! I am enjoying it so much! You know the reason I moved from my home is Russia was for this position you could only imagine my horror when I found out it was filled!"

He shook his head downing the glass in one before yet again filling it up. "Don't worry about it i was thinking aloud. With great power comes great problems as well responsibilities." He said massaging his temple with his hand whilst the other clung onto his glass.

He smiled. "Good im glad you enjoy it. There arent many people out there that enjoy their job. But with you it shows the kids seem to love you already." He said looking down into his glass. "Most people just do it for the money but there is nothing better than seeing a kid pass their exams with flying colours."

"Well i'm glad you applied the school has benefited from it greatly."

Willow smiled and nodded that probably meant that Hades didn't want to tell her what he was thinking and she was cool with that after all it wasn't like they were the best of friends this was the first time that they had ever had a proper conversation.

"You think so? I think they're in love with their new brooms not me personally but thank you very much."

Picking another bit of muffin off Willow popped it into her mouth and chewed it happily.

"I know right! I'm giving people extra tuition too if they want it, or they can book me out to help their Quidditch teams train, I'll help those guys with anything."

Willow grinned and traced the pattern on the chair.

"How are your classes?"

He smiled weakly. "Maybe so but it's the professor that makes the lessons fun not the instruments." He said rubbing his tired eyes.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well i'm pleased our last flying professor dropped out i don't think Hogwarts has ever had such an enthusiastic professor and it will show in how well the students perform they tend to do better when they have a professor they like." He said downing his drink and refilling it again.

He sighed. "Slow, very slow. I don't think they realise how hard it is to clear your mind. I think most people took the subject thinking it would be a walk in the park but they are now finding out that is far from the truth." He smirked taking a sip.

Willow tilted her head to one side and she took in tha fact that Hades seemed very tired and lethargic maybe he wasn't sleeping? Since he was also Jamie's 'brother' maybe it was something that came along with the deals that they made, the lack of sleep, it was an area that Willow decided not to mess in, it was private and sensitive.

"Thank you for the compliment! I always try to put 100% into all my work...oh...forgive me I must sound a little peppy and silly right about now, you seem tired so I'll keep the motivational flying talk for another time."

Smiling at Hades she nodded her head understandingly.

"Occlumency is a really hard disipline to teach, even at the end of the school in year 7 some students may not be able to do it is that right?"