Transfiguration Class

[tartan-pussy.livejournal.com]

Minerva knew that students rarely made it to class on time these days (if at all) and so she left the following instructions on the board:


Today we will be turning straw into cheese straws. Please take a handful of straw from the table back to your work space.

A wand is required for this class. If you do not own one, see me. I have loaner wands you may use for this class.

Once you have all your supplies in order, you may begin with the lesson. Take a single straw and set it on your desk away from anything else. Point your wand at it and say the incantation "Caseum verto" while envisioning the straw turning into cheese. Do NO say "CaseUS verto" lest you turn part of yourself into cheese.

Once you have succesfully tranfigured three straws, call for me to come inspect your work. Do not eat your materials until I have inspected them!

If you require additional assistant, raise your hand and I will come help you.

Comments

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

John's eyes narrowed. Greg seemed completely unconcerned that he was here. And unconcerned that he, a grown man, had just got himself a detention.

"Congratulations," said John flatly. He eyed the pill bottle on Greg's desk. "Are you high?" That would explain the nonchalance. Or maybe Greg was just being Greg. John's jaw clenched in irritation. That woman - Lily Potter - had obviously been wrong and he felt angry at himself now for giving her words any thought. Greg wasn't afraid of him at all, he just didn't care. About anything.

[canes-can-kill.livejournal.com]

And just like that, House's tenuous good mood vanished instantly. It was remarkable, really, that John held such sway over him. Then again, it wasn't like John's magic good-mood-evaporating-powers were anything new. Maybe it was just that House hadn't seen him in a while, and he'd never seen him this many times in such a short time.

"What makes you think I'm high?" House scowled, trying not to appear too affected. "I have pain medication to make me neutral so that I can function. I'm not a junkie." Thanks for your faith in me, Dad, House added silently in his mind, bitterly sarcastic.

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

John raised his eyebrows skeptically, his mouth set in a stern line.

"Function? That's what you call this? Class has barely started and already you've got yourself a detention." He glared down at his son, who was still seated. "You're a grown man, Greg! How can you be so disrespectful? Do you honestly just not care about anything?"

He shook his head, disgusted. "Excuse me if you functioning neutrally resembles normal people's behavior when they're high."

[canes-can-kill.livejournal.com]

House was actually a little surprised that John accused him of his normal behaviour seeming like he was high. For a moment, he just blinked at him, completely stumped. He didn't... did he? House knew that he had a tendency to be apparently hyperactive sometimes, with his constant need for external activity to keep himself from getting bored. Huh.

Furrowing his eyebrows in irritation, House turned away and directed his attention back to the Vicodin pill on his desk. "She was asking for it," he frowned. "I give my respect to those who deserve it."

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

"Right," he said. "Greg, you signed up for this class, you came and sat in her classroom -- that means you've agreed to give her your attention and respect. This is her class and her subject. She knows it -- you don't. And if you do know it, then you shouldn't have signed up."

He glowered at Greg, and then followed his gaze to the pill on Greg's desk. He snorted and looked back at Greg, waiting to see what he'd say.

[canes-can-kill.livejournal.com]

"Attention, respect and honor. Just like a good little Marine, huh?" House commented, entirely unable to keep the edge of mockery and bitterness out of his voice. "I bet I'll get top marks in this class anyway. Happened with the rest of my classes during school."

Briefly, House slanted a glance towards his father, as if to say 'Not that you ever cared when I got A's'.

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

"Doesn't mean you can do whatever you want," said John slowly, his eyes narrowed darkly. "Doesn't mean you get to just disregard the people around you. Disregard the rules."

He shook his head almost imperceptibly. A part of him knew that his son was right -- he would in all likelihood be able to do well in this subject with ease. He would face no consequences. He'd never had to. Not really. He got to not try and get away with it.

"One set of rules for the world, another for you. That's how it's always worked, huh?" John snorted. The sight of Greg, lounging lazily in his chair, his dirty shoes up on the desk, was making John feel sick and angry. This was his son. "Get out of here," he snapped. "Obviously you're not taking this a bit seriously, so just, get out of here."

[canes-can-kill.livejournal.com]

House wasn't even going to reply to John's first comment about disregarding rules; there was no use trying to explain to his father that he loathed social niceties, and any idea of giving respect to figures of authority had flown out the window decades ago. John wouldn't understand that. He wouldn't want to understand that. (Then again, neither did most of society.)

He couldn't help the disarmed look that flashed over his face, though, when John ordered him to leave the classroom. Anger took residence, and House didn't bother with trying to restrain himself anymore. He'd been trying not to create too much scene, because he really didn't need everybody in the room hearing what was going on.

"You're the one that fucked me up," he hissed, louder than he expected to. "And now you think you have the right to complain? That's rich!"

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

John's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. Words failed him for a few seconds as he stared at his son in disbelief.

Finally, the shock gave way to anger and he clenched his teeth, his eyes still wide. "Excuse me?" he hissed. "I did not --"

He paused and glanced about himself, not wanting to call more attention to their argument. He gripped the back of Greg's chair and leaned down toward him, continuing just above a whisper. "I did not fuck you up. How dare you say that? I'm the one that paid for your food every day of your life when you were growing up, that paid for your college tuition -- until you got yourself kicked out because you can't bring yourself to be a fucking human being."

He let go of Greg's chair and stood upright, breathing deeply. "Take some responsibility for once in your life, Greg. Don't blame me for your shortcomings."

[canes-can-kill.livejournal.com]

Unconsciously hunching his shoulders when John towered over him, House clenched the handle of his cane until his knuckles went white. He didn't want to turn around and glare at his father, not when he was that close, so House just glared furiously at the desk, wondering when it became okay for fathers to treat their 47 year old sons like they were five. (Although, really, that was the best way to deal with House normally.)

"Funny, that's just what I was about to tell you," he snapped in return, now completely uncaring of the classroom at large. Let them hear. He turned to face John once his father had let go of his chair. "You're so convinced that I screwed my life up all on my own, that you had nothing to do with it."

He lowered his voice for the next part, quietly enough so that only John would hear, but he was no less angry. "It's pretty hard for a ten year old to lock himself out of the house because he talked back to a teacher!" Momentarily taken aback by what he'd just said, House fell silent, the anger falling from his face as he looked away uncomfortably. Christ, he'd never actually said anything about that to his fathers face. Maybe he should leave.

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

John blinked and leaned back, surprised by Greg's directness. He glanced around them again. A few people were staring at them warily. John let a heavy breath out through his nose and turned back to his son.

"You've been talking to that redhead teacher," he muttered, wetting his lower lip with his tongue nervously. He met Greg's eyes and said seriously, gritting his teeth somewhat, "Greg. I think you and I need to have a talk. But I don't think this is the place for it."

[canes-can-kill.livejournal.com]

Even though John's anger had faded, House's only grew. He seriously expected that House would just agree to have a nice little chat, after attempting to order him out of a classroom where he had no authority? As if.

Letting out a sharp bark of laughter, House swung his feet from the desk and pushed his chair back with a loud screech of wood on stone. He didn't even bother to reply, just pushed himself to his feet with a quiet grunt.

With a last unreadable look at John, House was already limping out of the classroom as fast as he could go.

[semper-fi-house.livejournal.com]

John stared helplessly after Greg as he exited the classroom.

God, that had gone all wrong. He couldn't think about any of this anymore, sick of the pulling between his regret and his anger. He couldn't stop feeling angry every time he looked at Greg, couldn't help thinking that Greg had brought everything upon himself... And yet...

He looked around the room. He couldn't just go back to class now, could he?

Expressionless, John made his way to the door of the classroom. He didn't know where he'd go. He supposed he'd just take a walk. Go to the bathroom. back to his room maybe. Perhaps he'd come back to the class later, after he'd cleared his head...