Ain't No Thing *Benjamin*

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Jagger was quite proud of himself. This had been the first time he had slept with a girl in the Forbidden Forest. He had found interesting and creative places all over the school and the grounds, but this had been the first time in the forest. They had been loud about it too, although he had been a little worried someone...or something...would creep up on them. The girl didn't stay long. She was older than he was, a seventh year actually. And though he had asked for a second date, she wasn't interested. It seemed that she had just gotten over a bad breakup, and he was the rebound. But he didn't mind that, as long as he got laid. Well...mostly he didn't mind, or at least, he tried to tell himself that he didn't mind. He lied to himself quite often about what he could and could not handle emotionally. He tried to stay closed-off and not care. If he didn't put his heart on the line again, it wouldn't get broken like before.

He pulled on his jeans and zipped them, then grabbed his shirt from a branch overhead. He smirked, thinking that this girl had been even more wild than he was. She had tossed their clothing every which way without a second thought! He pulled it on and began buttoning it as he made his way back towards the castle. He hoped she had gotten back okay, but she had made it clear that she wanted to leave on her own. He had shrugged and allowed it, but his protective nature was protesting.

He was close to being clear of the trees when he realized he wasn't alone. He pulled his wand and held it in front of him, ready for whatever it was.

"Alright, who's there?"

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Benjamin was in the forest for Merlin knows why. Perhaps there had been several reasons, he wanted to know if it could be used for any missions or something like that in the future. Or maybe that was just what he told himself. Because deep down he knew that he came here to escape all the stress and pressure he was in at the moment. While he didn’t want to admit it, he’d came to the forest to get some fresh air and get away from everything for even the smallest amount of time.

It could have been the wolf that he had pressed away deep in himself, every month, the potion would make sure that the beast could not win his body. Ever since he was bitten, Benjamin had only been wild twice. Both nights had resulted in him being badly injured because of the wolf’s anger. The best knew that he wasn’t wanted, the human hated it. Even when he acted like it didn’t exist, Ben could feel the presence and perhaps it were the animal instincts that drove him here. Thinking that maybe transforming in his office was a great risk and that he should try the forest once. For the wolf didn’t like to be locked up.

The Professor was shaken up out of his thoughts when he saw a girl passing by. Guessing it was a seventh year, he still wasn’t vivid enough to scold her. Though the confusion could be read from his face. What was a student doing here on her own? Once he got more attentive, he pulled his wand and walked a little further.

There he saw a rather familiar boy, who he knew as Marcus’ child. Marcus was the elder brother of Ben’s ex-wife and he wasn’t looking very forward to have a conversation with the boy even when he was the head of the boy’s house. Apparently the young Slytherin had noticed his presence because he got a wand pointed at him. Raising both his arms showing that he had his own wand in his right hand but wasn’t planning on using it he shook his head. “Easy boy, no one is here to harm you. By the way, it is very rude to point a wand at a teacher so I advise you to put yours back in your pocket, Mr. Shafiq.” He acted rather natural, as if the two weren’t related at all. Well in fact they weren’t family anymore so why would he?

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Jagger felt his heart rate slowly return back to normal when he saw who he had actually run into in the forest, though he wasn't too excited to see his once-uncle Benjamin. However, he was smart enough to put his wand away when he saw it was a teacher that he'd been pointing it at. He liked to push the envelope here and there, but not when it came to his professors. He did roll his eyes, though, showing that he was not afraid of the man. He had been his family once, hadn't he?

"Obviously I didn't know it was you, or I wouldn't have been pointing my wand at you, now would I?"

He finished buttoning up his shirt and reached for his uniform tie that had been tossed on a nearby bush, but he didn't bother tying it. He just draped it around his neck and waited. He was a little nervous about what Burke would say, only because he didn't want the information of his latest exploit being sent back to his parents right away. Obviously they would find out sooner or later that he was no angel, but he didn't want them knowing like this. And part of him wondered why his uncle had been out here in the first place. What sorts of secrets was he keeping here in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night? Certainly nothing as fun as what he had been doing.

"What do you say we leave each other to our own activities and call it a night," he said, in an attempt to leave the forest without any form of punishment or repercussion.

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Benjamin looked at the student. As the Slytherin put away his wand, he nodded in agreement. “Good, Although I cannot blame you for that. There are things in this forest, you should always keep an eye out.” He spoke calmly to the boy he once called his nephew. Not that he had seen him much ever since he was sent to Azkaban in 1988. There most of his memories were eaten, though he knew who the boy was. Mostly because it was quite a natural memory, not a happy one. Letting out a small sigh as he saw Shafiq roll his yes. “Something wrong here?” He asked in a stern voice. It were moments like this that Benjamin disliked being short. People didn’t strike him as intimidating or powerful. If they only knew…

“Of course you wouldn't. I won’t expect you to point your wand at any Professor or student. You are supposed to be a well raised boy after all. Or at least that is what I hope I can expect from people I once called my family.” This was his answer to Jagger’s statement, Benjamin shrugged, knowing that he had to punish the kid. Noticing that the boy was dressing himself, and knowing that he had seen a girl running out of here, he didn’t even wanted to ask what had happened here. For some reason, students started these things way too young these days. Benjamin remembered him being 18 the first time and back then he thought he was pretty young.

As Jagger attempted to get out of here without a punishment, the Potions Master could not help but laugh to himself. On the inside that was because for some reason showing joy and such things had become hard after his stay in prison. “That’s adorable, you honestly think I’m just letting you walk away. Now I was just about to harvest ingredients for my potions which only grow at night. Besides I am a teacher, you don’t even have the right to question me. No son, you at the other hand will get your punishment. I can’t let people think that I’ve grown soft.” He said as he guided the boy even further into the forest. “Actually you can harvest it, a fair punishment don’t you think? You wanted to be here, well I’m giving you that opportunity. Don’t worry I will come with you to keep you save. Only you do the work now.” He said as he threw a tool kit at the student.

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Jagger glared at the man. Every bloody teacher in Hogwarts thought that they owned the world and everyone in it. So he was out after hours, what was the big deal? He was a teenage kid, living life, experimenting with love. Was that really such a crime? Why couldn't they ever just leave him be? Especially this particular professor. Things were awkward with him because they were technically no longer related, but there was a history here. Why not leave well enough alone and Jagger could mind his own business, while Burke did the same? And his idea of a punishment was utterly ridiculous. Jagger did not enjoy hard labor, and he did not fancy taking it up anytime soon.

But he followed him anyway, because merely walking away would not be satisfying enough. No, he wanted to figure out what this guy's problem was. His hand shot out and easily grabbed the tool kit that was thrown to him but he stopped walking in an obvious attempt to defy the command he had been given.

"Look, I'm not going to play your little teacher game here. I was on my way out of the forest, I have no intention of going further in. Harvest your own ingredients....sir," he added the last word with a disdainful tone and tossed the tool kit back at him.

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Raising an eyebrow at the cheeky attitude of the student, Benjamin stopped walking to glare at the kid. What was the problem here? Jagger was violating one of the school rules and Ben was simply doing his job and punish him. Back in his days there were worse punishments by far s he didn’t see reason for the kid to complain. “Oh now you think you are a big boy, don’t you? I bet your parents would be really proud once they find out. I imagined you’d be smarter than this and just go with it. No instead you make a problem where there is none. Honestly I never was going to report this the headmistress or your parents. But you making it very very tempty...” There was no use in using his body languages to be intimidating, a short man like him never would be able to do such a thing. Instead he put up a fierce look, telling the boy to shut up or things could get worse.

Children these days lacked discipline. His father would have hit him if he found out that Ben was being disrespectful to a teacher or anyone superior than he was. “I’m afraid that little kids don’t have much of a choice. You have no intention to go further in? Well I have no intention to listen to you complaining. You were on your way out which means you were in, that is something I can’t just let go without a punishment. Yet this is quite a mild punishment don’t you think? Or is little prince Jagger not pleased?” With this he knew that he just lowered himself to the boy’s level. However he was quite done with his attitude so he decided to give the boy something of his own. In the past he would never have made a problem out of such a thing. Once he was a very calm, relaxed, laid back and easy going man who would be tolerant of such a thing. Perhaps that was the Benjamin who Jagger remembered but that man didn’t exist any more.