Ford jumped when she entered, not because her presence startled him but rather because he hadn't expected the sudden noise. He had a flash of concern. This was supposed to be a routine check-in, just something to check the box, but if she was starting the meeting with a cry (even if it was just to stir the pot — she seemed to have recovered from whatever emotion was seizing her fairly quickly at the sight of the roast), this might prove more complicated.
"Oh, no, it's fine," Ford assured her, waving his hand as he put his pocket watch back in his coat. "I can't smell it. Spell," he explained, with a gesture to his nose. The smell was only one part of what made it unpleasant, of course, but now that Miss Bartlett had arrived, Ford didn't expect to spend much time having to look at it.
"Mr. Humphreys is out this week on personal business," Ford explained as he retrieved the paperwork for today's visit from his bag. The top form had a grease stain from where the roast had rubbed up against it, which someone would probably ask him about in a disapproving voice when he came back, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The restaurant he'd picked it up from hadn't packaged it very well for transport. He could have carried it in his hands (as he probably would have had it been intended for human consumption), but he thought he would have felt rather silly getting past the Hogwarts caretaker and wandering the halls of the castle while carrying a conspicuous roast. "So I'll be doing your interview today. I hope you don't mind. I'm Fortitude Greengrass. Spirit Division." This last was probably superfluous given the circumstances, but added out of habit.
"Oh, no, it's fine," Ford assured her, waving his hand as he put his pocket watch back in his coat. "I can't smell it. Spell," he explained, with a gesture to his nose. The smell was only one part of what made it unpleasant, of course, but now that Miss Bartlett had arrived, Ford didn't expect to spend much time having to look at it.
"Mr. Humphreys is out this week on personal business," Ford explained as he retrieved the paperwork for today's visit from his bag. The top form had a grease stain from where the roast had rubbed up against it, which someone would probably ask him about in a disapproving voice when he came back, but there was nothing to be done about it now. The restaurant he'd picked it up from hadn't packaged it very well for transport. He could have carried it in his hands (as he probably would have had it been intended for human consumption), but he thought he would have felt rather silly getting past the Hogwarts caretaker and wandering the halls of the castle while carrying a conspicuous roast. "So I'll be doing your interview today. I hope you don't mind. I'm Fortitude Greengrass. Spirit Division." This last was probably superfluous given the circumstances, but added out of habit.
Set by Lady!