Mason had a feeling he knew where this was headed and he wasn't so sure he was the best qualified to handle it. Rumors could ruin lives, that he knew for sure, but hopefully Prince was being smart enough to steer clear, especially so early in his teaching career. Mason went so far out of his way to avoid these things that he'd practically become a hermit to the greenhouses for the first half of his tenure.

"I'm sure you can imagine what I'm going to say," Mason had grown somewhat straightforward in his old age, especially as one of the more seasoned professors. His colleagues, most of them much younger than himself, were still learning the ropes, not only of the job itself, but the added responsibilities of their occupation. "No matter how innocent the conversation, she is a young lady, a student, and you should protect both yourself and any of them, by never speaking one-on-one. This is why we have matrons for each house." Mason either always had them in a small group or with another adult present, he wasn't about to jeopardize his livelihood on the whims of teenagers. Being written about in Miss Farley's journal had been bad enough, but he would have lived in blissful ignorance had it not gotten spread about.

"Their education and their wellbeing are our top priority." Mason added after a moment. "You obviously see how it could affect her, so you should tread carefully." Perhaps he should speak to his fellow heads about arranging prefects to move in pairs instead of solo, especially in the evenings.