The Potion Lab

The potions lab, Helga had just finished setting it up,

She had charmed a window and Sunlight to come through it so was wasn't entirely dark and damp looking.

"Looks more inviting.."

She had a few plants floating near the ceiling all were to be used as ingredaints and lesson she would go into about haresting ingrediants.

To make things interesting for her first class, she want to have demo potions for some student so they would have point of reference. So she started to prepare a simple cough relief potion.

Steffen meandered the dungeon labyrinths with much fascination. Truth be told, they reminded him somewhat of the basement of Frost Manor... or even the crypts below that. Only there were no caskets lined up against the walls. It was just as well, for it would cast too much suspicion. The wizard shook the thoughts from his mind, though they were only completely obliterated by the open door ahead. Curiosity peaked not unlike what would happen if one were to dump oil over a flame.

Leaning this way and that in hopes to get a good look at the room, Steffen couldn’t help but notice even at this distance it looked fairly inviting despite the natural lighting that did not seem to exist in the corridors. The wizard considered that a good thing, though, for his eyes although able to tolerate sun did not exactly appreciate overly-brightened areas. Reaching the archway for the door, Steffen glanced upward at the floating plants. ’Interesting...’ he mused, watching the woman within the lab preparing ingredients. Cautiously, the wizard/vampire pushed the toe of one of his shoes into the room to test whether he would need to gain permission or not.

Mentally cursing his vampiric heritage as he felt a strangely unpleasant tingling race from his toes throughout his body, as though he were perhaps just struck by lightning, Steffen withdrew the ‘offending’ foot and leaned against the wall to watch for just a few more moments. It didn’t take long for him to become bored. Before deciding to interrupt the woman and a little uncertain about asking a semi-stranger for assistance on such a delicate matter as he had come for, Steffen reached into his pocket for a small hip flask and took a sip from it.

The nasty aftertaste he had had to put up with for years now was more than enough motivation to make Steffen knock upon the wooden-and-stone archway. Fearing the echo of the knock would be lost on the busy witch, he also rather loudly cleared his throat. In an instant Steffen regretted it, for it made the almost unbearable aftertaste even more pronounced.

One would think he’d just been force-fed a rancid lemon.

Helga didn't noticed she had a visitor until he cleared his throat, so focused on her potion she was. She looked at him and was slightly startled by the look on his face, wondering if perhaps her potion smelt something horrid though at this stage it should not have any odor.

She smelt her potion for a second, not smelling anything offending she turned her attention back to her guest.

"Ah sir I am sorry I had not noticed you, I tend to get carried away with potion making sometimes. Is there anything I can help you with?" she asked. Before adding one more ingrediant to her potion. Crushed Rose Root, then set it simmer for a few minutes so she would have time to talk with her new guest.

"There now, I have a few spare moments. Is something wrong?" she asked curious of the look on the mans face when he came in.

"Oh I am Helga Hufflepuff by the way" she said curtseing. " I don't believe we have properly met yet?"

The vampire in him could smell her sudden jump from relaxed to alert. It was a faint aroma of fear, urging him to pay no heed to the invisible barrier between hall and room and enter. But he ignored it. Steffen had already had a sip of his potion and thus there was no need for such things.Besides, she was most likely one of the four witches and wizards hiring him. There would be a black mark on his record if he didn’t behave. That was, of course,assuming Rowena had not warned her colleagues beforehand of what was supposed to be a well-kept secret... thus making them already wary of his presence.

As the witch seemed interested in the scent of her potion,Steffen discreetly slid the flask back into his pocket.

“Birds of a feather, then... I’m often deeply immersed in my work. Think nothing of it,” Steffen replied, glancing at the witch’s immediate surroundings and trying his best to school his face into something a bit more friendly. He watched the precise manner in how she had added the ingredient –some sort of root – to her brew, whatever it was. The wizard did not bring up anything further to ensure he did not distract her into spoiling the potion. Steffen had no way of telling if it was a work in progress of five minutes or five hours...and after being married twice knew better than to be a distraction when a lady was before a cauldron.

"There now, I have a few spare moments. Is something wrong?

"Oh I am Helga Hufflepuff by the way ... I don't believe we have properly met yet?"

Seeing as she had enough courtesy to offer a formal gesture,so too did Steffen provide a bow. “Steffen Frost, at your service, Lady Hufflepuff,” he replied while his head remained lowered, face curtained by the ong lengths of untidily-kept (though relatively clean-looking) hair. Returning his gaze to her, the wizard shook his head. “I doubt that as well. I would remember a face despite the many I’ve seen, and I do not recall ever meeting yours. Your name, however... entirely different matter.

“I am here in hopes that, despite my initial skepticism... as I’m sure Rowena will surely tell you... you and your associates might consider the likes of me to teach about the Muggle Realm. I also have experience in the caretaking of a place if you are in need of a caretaker,” he answered calmly, yet still standing in the doorway.

“I... also seek your expertise in the realm of potions, if you would be so generous as to assist me?” At the word ‘potions’ Steffen performed the same grimacing expression he had been caught making, only to a lesser degree. “If I am to follow my Healer’s orders, something absolutely must be done about the horrible taste! Yet an answer that does not void the potion seems to elude them...”