The infamous Professor Kingsley needed a band-aid. Of all the ridiculous things to happen she had to have toyed with a cursed object... And the paper cut received was not one she could magically fix. A nuisance at best, but the pureblood professor was hardly used to doing things the "muggle way". Would the hospital wing even have a non magical bandage?

The rhythmic clicking of her stilettos echoed through the hallway as the young teacher made her way forth. She was nearly there, her hand already outstretched for the door handle when it swung open on its own. Kingsley bit her lip to contain herself as the door caught one of her perfectly lacquered nails bending it backward and chipping it nearly in half. Her already irritable mood darkened as a student literally bumped into her after having ruined her manicure.

Instantly her eyes were seething, anger bubbling over her entire body. She tensed for a brief moment, though she caught herself before the instinctive reaction could take over... Had this been the old Kingsley she might have transfigured this wretched child into a cockroach to step on. But she was at work. It wouldn't be wise.

After a slow three count in her mind the icy smooth exterior calm had returned and Kingsley looked as cruel as ever. "Ah. Stark."

The woman saw that this child had been injured. Not only this he seemed quite agitated, much as she had been. Placing a stern hand upon the boy's shoulder she kept him in place."In a hurry, are we? You don't look entirely well. Perhaps you should come with m..."

In the midst of her sentence a peculiar smell wafted through into the corridor. Something was on fire...smoke billowed from beneath the doors. Immediately Kingsley's expression changed, her brows furrowed in alarm. She shoved the boy out of harm's way and proceeded past him in a hurry...

...on second thought... she pivoted on her heel, swinging her wand up in the same instant that she shouted, "Petrificus Totalus!"

The spell shot toward the boy. An extremely harassed-looking Professor Kingsley then proceeded through the doors to see the entire room progressively catching ablaze. Raising a bare arm to cover her mouth she leveled her wand at the heart of the fire, though it took a moment for her to cease coughing before she could shout, "Aguamenti!"

A steady stream of water shot from the end of the Professor's wand. She frantically pointed all about the room until the blaze was under control. Once the fire was out Kingsley paused for a moment, surveying the damage. It seemed she had all but caught the student outside in the act. Things hadn't grown out of control, no one had been present or harmed by the prank... Pity.

Drawing a very slow breath the woman tried to decide the best course of action. Quirking a brow she raised her wand and quite calmly stated, "Accio bandage." A roll of white cloth flew eagerly from a drawer by the wall, soaring neatly into Kingsley's outstretched hand. She ripped a small section off to wrap it carefully around her cursed finger. A moment later she had set the bandages on a charred looking hospital cot before slipping coolly back out into the corridor.

When she emerged the woman looked as she always did: cold, calm, in control. Her eyes fell upon the petrified boy. She silently cast a levicorpus spell, raising him into the air...he might have been standing of his own accord had he not been suspended about half an inch from the ground. Kingsley stared him down, a glint of malicious humor in her eyes. "You realize, of course, that I could have you expelled."

The woman lowered Stark to the ground, silently releasing him from the full body bind curse. He could move freely...for the moment. "What could you possibly have meant by all this? Was the service just a bit too slow for Mr. Stark? Temper temper, dear child..."

Folding her arms across her ample chest, Kingsley frowned mockingly. She shook her head, tsking loudly as disappointed mother might do. "Frankly I'm surprised... And perhaps a bit disappointed. I could have seen O'connor pulling a stunt like this, but you, Stark? I could have sworn you'd be a bit more intelligent..."

Swinging open the hospital door the woman gestured for him to enter. "You realize, of course, that you could have harmed someone? You could have caught the entire school ablaze..." Without missing a beat the lovely professor gave the boy a rather meaningful look to emphasize her next point. "More importantly...you could have been CAUGHT."

Shifting her gaze to the ruined bedclothes nearest by Kingsley pointed her wand and stated clearly, "Reparo." The holes and scorch marks mended themselves neatly. Next she cast scourgify, cleaning the soot and ash from the general area. "Your turn. But first..."

She grabbed the boy's wrist and jerked him toward her. Raising her wand in a threatening motion he might have thought she was going to harm him if her next word had not been "Episkey." Each time she cast the spell another of his wounds instantly began to heal properly, not just scabbing over as they seemed to have already done.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Kingsley glanced at him impatiently, then curled her fingers together, holding them up to survey her nails. She scrunched her brow as if barely concentrating. The drop of blood disappeared as her broken nail not only repared itself but the polish as well. Perfect. She hadn't even needed a wand for that little bit of magic...

Kingsley indeed stood by and watched as this little kiddy set about covering his a...mateur temper tantrum. Obviously the boy wasn't grasping the moral of this little lesson. He turned on the Professor, venting his childish frustrations in yet another display of moody adolescence. At the end of it all she continued to stare him down as though he had said nothing at all. In fact she raised a hand to cover a yawn, appearing quite non-plussed. After a long pause Kingsley heaved a sigh then began to speak.

"Finished...?" The female professor pursed her lips looking thoughtful. Heaving another sigh, she started over. "First of all, Stark, I am fully capable of handling a situation such as this one without the Headmaster's help. If you'll take notice, I believe that I just did." She shifted her weight casually to one side, intentionally giving him a moment to take this in. This meant they were not going straight to the Headmaster's office.

"And I'm sure amidst the massive volumes of things that I couldn't care any less about the reason behind your little temper tantrum ranks near the bottom of the list. But as you've felt the need to burden me with your troubles none the less, I just have to ask... How long have you been here, Stark? A matter of weeks, I take it? Do you realize that a fully trained wizard leaves this establishment in a matter of seven long terms? This place continues to let you down... I'll give you that the lack of hospital staff is more than a little disturbing, but when a student misses the first lesson of a teacher's term and finds the nerve to complain about the education that he is missing, well... I find it difficult to sympathize."

Kingsley dropped her hands to clasp them at her back, wand still at the ready should there be a need. She turned her back on the student as if to continue to pontificate off on her own. She slowly meandered about the room without any real destination in mind. "Perhaps the next time that you decide to take on a spell that you have not been properly instructed to cast you'll think twice. I don't believe it is the Institute's fault that you have a considerable lack of natural talent. Learning is an arduous process, Stark. Patience, control...discipline. All things that a GOOD student masters quickly. What good will a powerful spell do you if you cannot control it?

So you're bored. If you feel undereducated it certainly can't be on my shoulders. I believe that you know where my office door is located. You certainly have been there before. Why didn't you come to me?"

She paused in her ambling, her back to the boy. He couldn't see the slow smirk that spread across her features. Kingsley knew exactly why a student wouldn't approach her for anything. It was ironic, only a few short years ago she would have been in the same situation. But she took advantage of her Professors, no matter how hard their exterior or how they felt about her. As a girl she had pressed them for every trick, every tip... every last ounce of knowledge that would eventually lead her to the power that she had ultimately obtained.

"My abrasive exterior is absolutely no excuse. You have to learn the difference between people who are approachable but have little to offer and those who could benefit you beyond your imagination."

Kingsley's eyebrow quirked as a new student entered the hospital wing, though her back was to the door. Facing the windows, she was closed off to the majority of the room but she heard the door open and the girl greet her quite clearly. Without turning, she spoke to the newest arrival,

"Hello there. In need of assistance, are we?"

The professor pivoted on a stiletto clad heel, her steely gaze falling upon the girl. A polite smile was plastered to her face, though as ever her eyes remained quite cold. Was this her best attempt at friendly or did she always mean to be so off-putting?

Without another word to the girl, Kingsley watched her and waited. If she needed something that she felt a professor could handle she would say so. Otherwise she would simply be on her way. This teacher wouldn't mind either. She was quite capable of handling anything.