Macmillan, Trowa

Frank sat in his office, wondering how he went from Auror to a career counselor. Now he was working both jobs, but he was actually pretty excited about this. He liked dealing with people and also loved to help them, so this was sort of a win-win situation. He was feeling very optimistic about everything, especially this new internship program.

He reviewed his file on Trowa Macmillan. The boy seemed to be bright and innovative from what his file reflected about his personality. There was also a note that several professors had noticed he was into making clothes. Frank wondered why the boy was pursuing an internship in wandmaking, then. He was sure he would find out soon.

He looked up at Trowa who was sitting across from him on the other side of the desk. Frank smiled and said, "Hello, Trowa. I'm very glad to see you here. Before we really get started with things though, I just need some information. First, what classes are you currently taking? Also, what makes you want to become a wandmaker? And if you have any questions, please do ask now."

It hadn’t been Trowa’s idea to sign up for a career-thing. In fact, it had been his father’s. He wanted his son to man up and stop playing with bits of fabric. He admired him somewhat, but only because he got to look up girl’s skirts all day. Trowa didn’t dare mention that he wasn’t really interested in what lay under the skirt. He preferred doing his job. He didn’t have a petty grope because he could. He was a lot more decent; or at least he liked to think he was.

As far as Trowa knew, his parents had been arguing over which career he should choose for a couple of weeks now and it was only a few days before that he’d managed to send out that he would be doing wandmaking. He hadn’t been crazy about the idea at first but if that was his alternative then he would be happy to do it. It took a lot of skill and Trowa hoped he’d be able to have that skill by the end of his time with his mentor. He didn’t know the man but Trowa assumed he was nice enough. Or rather, he hoped he was nice enough.

He’d been waiting out in the hallway for some time before he’d been called in. Trowa felt rather uncomfortable under the man’s gaze and he wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to say. Thankfully though, the man, Frank Longbottom who couldn’t have been much older than Trowa, did all the talking for him and prompted Trowa to answer by asking questions.

“I take Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Defence against the Dark Arts,” Trowa supplied shyly, keeping his eyes fixed on the piece of thread in his trousers that he was playing with. He’d need to re-sew the hem when he got back to the tower. It didn’t look very good at all. Trowa frowned a little and rubbed his feet across the floor, wiggling his toes inside his shoes. He bit his lip and lifted his eyes to meet the counsellor’s gaze. “I like...wands?” Trowa suggested dumbly. He bit his lip and looked around the room before adding, “I don’t know...it seemed like a good idea at the time. My parents prefer that. Their first option was me becoming an Auror. I’m more likely to get snogged by Doyle than that happening.” Trowa grinned a little at the idea and shook his head. “So...wandmaking was my best bet.”

At this point, Frank paused. He had been writing down the information he needed in his own file for Trowa, but something about the situation sort of bothered Frank's sensitive nature. He picked up on things, and once he picked up on those things, he had a dreadful job of trying to forget them or put them aside. He simply had to try and make everything fair.

"This internship is based soley on the students," he said. "I do not like to think that parents are deciding for their children, since it is you that will have to do the work and the job. The only reports parents get on this internship is that you are completing the qualifications. Are you certain you want to carry forward as a wandmaker's apprentice?"

Trowa wasn’t entirely sure what he was supposed to say to that. He knew that primarily it was his choice but he didn’t know what he wanted to do with himself. He was a dress-maker for heaven’s sake! It wasn’t as if he put much thought into more sensible careers. Well, wand making was hardly sensible and it would most likely get him killed but he figured it could be a lot like making dresses. You had to have the right cut, the right fabric, the right colours and certainly a compound that worked. If something didn’t compliment something else then it wasn’t worth the fabric it was made out of. Wands, Trowa assumed, were the same thing. Plus, it was a learning curve. He didn’t know if this was setting him up for life or not. It was something he was interested in. He’d read a fair amount about it and he was fairly excited, if not slightly apprehensive, to start. He knew it was a good idea, even if it wasn’t necessarily his idea.

“N-no...they’re not. Besides, this stuff is interesting and I’d like to give it a go. I’ve been reading up and I found it...enthralling I suppose. Someone has to do it. I think I can put as much care into making wands as I do making dresses. Who knows, maybe I could even set up a duel business in Diagon Alley or somewhere and sell wands that match dresses and vice versa.” Trowa smiled. “I actually...really like that idea. Um..yeah, I’d like to continue if you think it’s a good idea.”

Frank listened to Trowa, nodding kindly, and letting the ghost of a smile fall onto his lips. Good, so the boy was at least interested in the subject. Frank had worried that some parents would take the advantage of the internship to force their children into certain careers. He had been wondering how he had would handle such a situation, but it seemed fine now.

"Okay," Frank said. "Just checking. So let me explain the process. I will put you in touch with your mentor and you will have a day where you shadow them on the job. Then you report back here and we discuss the progress you've made, what you've learned, talk about anything you might need help in to be successful in the wandmaking field. And if at any time you decide you do not want to pursue this field, you just let me know."

"Any questions so far?"

Trowa cleared his throat awkwardly and drummed his fingers against his thighs. Nibbling on his bottom lip, Trowa returned his eyes to the blonde behind the desk. He released his lip and swallowed before sitting forward a little. He nodded, wondering exactly what the following process entailed. He didn’t want to completely overwhelm his mentor. He shook his head when Frank asked if he had any questions and smiled what he hoped was in reassurance. Trowa ran a hand through his hair and looked about the room, not exactly sure what he was supposed to do with himself now. “W-who...is my mentor?” He questioned, finally thinking of something to say.

The only question Trowa had was about his mentor, which Frank had been about to tell him in his next little bit of this first opening meeting. He had found himself saying the same words in each meeting but he knew that soon the conversations would begin to deviate from the 'default' once each student had had their first meeting with their mentor.

Frank opened the file to pick up a piece of paper on which his mentor's information was scrawled. "Your mentor is James Manson. He owns Ollivander's, which, I'm sure you know, is the best place around to get wands. This has his name and all the information about your first meeting with him- where, when, etcetera. I'm sure you will learn a lot. And if you have any questions, know that my door is always open."

((I will post the thread in your Info once it is made))