Rat Race

Keith stood in the grand hall of his old school and chewed on the fingernail of his right thumb.

It was a terrible habit. Terrible. But he had picked it up during one of his more stressful bouts in America and it seemed like it was here to stay. He just needed to make sure he didn't do it during the interview (If there was actually an interview). Keith had never had an interview before, but he figured chewing your nails during one wasn't exactly doing yourself a favor.

It had been so long since he had been here. Two years since he had last stood in this hall, and his last stint as a Hogwarts student hadn't exactly lasted a long time. The school hadn't changed at all. Or maybe it had, and he just didn't want to admit it. Admitting the school had changed, after all, would be almost like admitting he had changed.

Keith was dressed in a nice robe, coupled with a nice tie Jack had lent him for the occasion. You had to dress presentably when applying for a job, after all, even he knew that. And as desperate for work as he was at the moment, he couldn't really afford to look anything less than his best. Jack had offered him an employment opportunity, and he would take it, but Keith had his pride - he would feel a lot better about the whole arrangement if he could find a job himself. Hogwarts was practically always hiring, since the teacher death rate was so high, and it even gave you a place to sleep. So, bonus.

Of course, he couldn't apply for a position if he couldn't actually find the office he was looking for. (What office was he looking for?) His return to his old stomping grounds had rattled him more than he thought, and he found himself quite suddenly completely unsure of where to go.

"Oh Merlin," he muttered under his breath, "I'm actually freaking lost."

Selwyn's classes tended to be scheduled early in the day, probably with the presumption that students who were alert at that time of day wouldn't get themselves mauled by some of the more interesting creatures. Or the professor.

So he was not hurrying. Walking briskly toward the semi-secret shortcut down to the dungeons from the Great Hall when he was stopped in his tracks. Later, he'd tell people it was a familiar figure that had stopped him, but really it was just the robes and vibe. This person was completely out of their element.

Without really thinking, he changed course to find himself face-to-face with

"Keith?"

If Selwyn had been prepared for this, he might have been more angry. Or more happy. As it was, he just sounded bewildered.

"Selwyn?"

For a moment, Keith felt like he was back in school. Here he was, standing in the Great Hall, face to face with one of his old acquaintances. Selwyn had been older, and had run in somewhat more sophisticated circles, but Keith had always known of him. Everyone had known of Selwyn Thorfinn

"You're not a student," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "And what are the odds we're both here because we're desperate for work?" He chuckled, weakly. Maybe self-deprecating wasn't the best attitude to take when looking for a job. "I mean, what are the chances that we're both here to show off our vast resumes to potential employers?"

Hm. Maybe pompous wasn't much better than self-deprecating. He was really out of his element here.

Selwyn raised an eyebrow.  Where had Keith been, and what had it done to him?

"Don't worry, I'm not your competition," he said.  "You're looking at the Head of Slytherin, believe it or not."

It wasn't that he liked boasting.  Well, he did, but that was a secondary consideration.  It was more like he still couldn't believe he'd been given the position.  Selwyn was eager to hear Keith's no doubt sarcastic reaction.

"What are you doing down here, though?  Rookwood's not holding your interview in the Great Hall, is he?" he asked.

Keith had a reputation among people who'd been at Hogwarts with him.  Selwyn didn't know if any of the teachers had picked up on his shenanigans as well.  But if Theodore had decided to see him in the Great Hall, that didn't seem to bode well for Keith's prospects.