“I’ve just gone and gotten my second psychology degree because there wasn’t enough debt the first time apparently,” Emma joked as she took a sip of the tea Alaric had provided. She eyed the logo on the side of the cup. The Salvatore School was proving to be a strange place so far - and not just because of the supernatural students it housed. “And before that, I spent eight years conseling at a human boarding school.” She laughed painfully. “And I am totally revealing my age right now.”

“That’s good,” Alaric said reassuringly. “Experience is exactly what we’re looking for to fill this position.” He leaned back in his seat, looking down at his hands. “We find that a lot of our faculty aren’t … prepared for the requirements of the job.” He sighed and decided to be honest. Sugar-coating things in interviews was exactly how professors like Pennyfeather ended up quitting instead of just not starting. “And that’s just a really gentle way to say it’s hard to work here.”

Emma laughed again, setting down her cup. “I spent eight years working with spoiled rich kids with absent, neglectful, or dead parents. There’s nothing you can throw at me that I can’t handle.”

Alaric took that as a challenge. “We did have one of our longest tenured professors quit this morning after a werewolf student bit them.”

“Schools for magic aren’t the only schools where students almost kill their teachers. At least here I can use magic to defend myself. Besides -” Emma crossed her legs and looked around the office. “- your school is my top choice.”

“It is?” Alaric tried not to sound surprised.

“Of course. You’re the only school for all three factions. That’s quite … magical, if you’ll pardon my pun.” 

“I didn’t know it was held in such … high esteem,” Alaric said honestly. 

“Oh, it is. You’re the first of your kind - in trial and success. The work you have done here is admirable, to say the least. Inspiring, even.” Emma’s smile reached her eyes as she gushed about the Salvatore School, and Alaric found himself returning the gesture.

It was rare to hear someone pleased with the school’s format. Most staff were uncomfortable with the integration of the factions at best and fearful at worst. It wasn’t easy, but it was something he and Caroline had firmly believed in, even at the very beginning. He wasn’t going to let go of the idea easily, no matter how many professors quit or how many parents yanked their kids from the school.