There is Nothing New in Art Except Talent open

Mac nearly jumped out of his skin when the man approached him, having been deep in his own head as he stared into one of the many paintings adorning the walls. He looked up at him, eyes narrowed for a moment, before his words finally sank in. "Oh! Yes, professor!" The boy said with barely contained excitement. "Oh, it's very nice to meet you! I'm Mac. Mac Murphy." He held his hand out for a brief moment, then quickly let it fall back to his side.

He was all nerves, jittery and huffy as he walked down the small hall, gesturing for the man to follow. He was surprised that the man had asked him, of all people, to show him around the castle, but he was hardly going to turn down the opportunity to meet the new professor. When the news came that Professor Davis would step down, many of the students were disheartened. She was a kind old woman, and ever patient with her class. But just like all tides of change, the promise of something new and exciting was quick to accompany the bittersweet sting that came with it.

"Well... this room we're in right now is the Small Hall," he said, gesturing all around him as he looked back over his shoulder at the Scotsman. The walls were lined with beautifully rendered paintings, all depicting prominent figures in Hogwarts' history. Some were new, while others were so old that you could practically see the history in the cracked canvas. The fire from the hearth cast a dim, amber glow across the room, casting shadows on the cobblestone.

"Some of these paintings move. Bonkers, ain't it?" He snorted, then quickly looked down at his feet once he remembered who he was talking to, an embarrassed blush coloring his features. "U-Um, sir. If you go a bit further, it'll lead straight into the Great Hall, which is kinda like a cafeteria, but a whole lot fancier. Did you go to school here?" Little Mac was all over the place, clearly eager to play the part of the tour guide for their new professor of herbology. "I only just finished my first year here, but the whole castle is just... breathtaking."

The poor lad looked scared half to death as Boniface greeted him. Was his voice too loud? Had he forgotten to shave this morning? He couldn't tell. Perhaps it was just the fact that a strange, rather large Scot was approaching him so suddenly. Boniface, however, being the man he was, tried to play it off. "Halò, Mac. Professor MacTavish, at your service." Boniface shook his hand, smiling.

The young boy seemed determined and sure of himself as he gestured for Boniface to follow. Here he was, 32 years on this earth, following such a casual child down the hall. He actually preferred it this way. Had the child been extravagant in any manner, Boniface might have shrunk down into himself and crawled back to Dunardry that instant.

As Mac Murphy spoke, explaining the once familiar layout to the man, Boniface nodded along carefully. It was all flooding back to him, which made him quite happy. In a sense, while he was definitely nervous, he was glad to be back. The feeling was refreshing. Though he would miss the comfort and quiet of his own home dearly, this enthusiastic young man made him think twice. He recalled the days when he himself was entering into his second year, and he was sad to say that he was very different in comparison to this student.

"Aye, the moving portraits! Those fascinated me when I was a lad." He nodded along enthusiastically. "I did go to school here. A long time ago, in fact." The constant questions made him happy, to say the least. He wanted easy communication. That was the best way to start off. And, most of all, he was glad that he wasn't being warmly welcomed so far.

The walls were practically screaming at him. Memories poured out from them left and right. Though, he never had many friends. That was the sad part about his schooling. He wasn't entirely upset about it, as Boniface would be the first to inform you that her preferred solitude above all else. However, he realized upon his graduation that he was left alone in the world once more. Sometimes that was his greatest ally, the loneliness. Sometimes it saddened him to no end. He would have liked to take at least one good thing from his shool days other than a few plants, but he would have to make due.

Make due no more, he would. Now, he was surrounded with people. Students. Colleagues. Talking portraits. It was all so familiar.

"Tell me, Mac. How big are the shoes I must fill? I know not of y'er old Professor. I need to know what I've gotten myself into." He chuckled a bit there at the end, the skin around his eyes crinkling as he did. It was an honest question, however funny. He knew very little about the expectations that would be set for him. Perhaps it was so that he wasn't the most "professional" by nature. He grew up on a farm, formalities weren't very existent to him. Especially not after living alone for so long. So perhaps he was the "runt", so to speak.

Professor MacTavish. He made a mental note not to forget that name. Compared to the petite older woman who taught Herbology before him, MacTavish was quite the change. He was a tall man _{(though just about everyone was tall in comparison to Mac)} who cut quite an imposing figure, but you wouldn't think that from just talking to him. From what little they'd spoken about so far, Mac thought he was quite easygoing for a Professor. A pleasant surprise, surely, as he'd expected someone much more straight-laced.

"Oh, she was real sweet, Professor Bryony. Reminds me of my mam, a bit," he said as he continued down the small hall, before stopping at the foot of the hearth, which was burning just as brightly as ever. "She could be scary too though, don't get me wrong," he huffed out a nervous little laugh as he wrung his hands, turning his head to look into the fire. "Don't worry, though! You'll get on just fine, I'm sure of it." He looked back at the Scot with a reassuring grin. "I don't think the other kids are too picky about who teaches them about man-eating plants, anyway."

If he was being honest, Herbology wasn't one of his favorite subjects. As someone who'd grown up toiling away on a farm for most of his life, he'd had quite enough of plants already. That being said, however, as an endlessly curious eleven year old boy, there were certain things that piqued his interest. Like the Whomping Willow, for example. They even had one on the school grounds, but he wasn't sure if he'd ever risk going anywhere near it. He wondered if MacTavish would be willing to talk to him about topics like this, once he was fully settled into Hogwarts. Now wouldn't be the best time to ask, however, and the last thing he wanted was to bother the poor man before he even had time to adjust to his new position.

"Oh!" he gasped as he remembered where he was and what he was doing. The Ravenclaw's head was always in the clouds, and some days he swore that it wasn't filled with anything but hot air. "I- ah, Hogwarts is a big place, so there's quite a bit o' ground to cover. We're on the ground floor right now, and I think there's..." he trailed off for a moment before continuing. "... six floors, including this one. Then there's three towers, to boot, so it's a pretty big place. The greenhouses are out on the Grounds outside; I can show you there, if you want. Um- Professor."

Today was the day, right? A new teacher would appear on the scene... Lately alot of new people joined the staff at school. New faces galore... She still got nervous by that idea. Meeting new people, especially professors. They were a whole new level of scary. Or... a challenge, more likely.

Swiftly, Nico shuffled through the Great Hall to the Small Hall where students had been peeking in to get a glimpse of the new Professor of Herbology. Carefully, she looked in and saw a tall figure with a student by his side. Someone was already showing him around, it seemed. That was fine. Nico was a tad dissapointed because she wasn't the one to get here first to guide him. But she was relieved too... The student was a Ravenclaw, she could barely make out his uniform in the rather dark poorly lit room. The Slytherin was glad that he didn't end up alone and got lost in the Castle. Someone found him just in time. He was in good hands. What chaos would it be if a Professor would get lost in Hogwarts. Anything could happen.

Unless,... He's been a student here... Most of the Professors were, apparantly. Nico found it fascinating how life worked. Students graduated and left, they live life and then eventually end up here again. Alot wiser, alot... taller.

She swallowed. Maybe she should introduce herself. But what if it would be too much? Would it be too crowded for him? He just got here and surely more kids would like to meet him... Wouldn't it be bothersome if she showed up and interupted the Ravenclaw tour guide? But... she's a Prefect. And since no other Slytherin Prefect is around yet, she could maybe... go in their stead?

She shook her head wildly, trying to shake of her doubts. Just go for it and try... Just... try. What's the worst that can happen, right? He.. could yell at her... He could.. ignore her... He could.. Another spiral of negative thoughts slipped inside the redheads brain. Just do it.

She took a deep breath and straightened her back the best way she could. She felt like she wanted to run, she wanted to flee. She was scared but she wouldn't give up just yet. Slowely and carefully, the Slytherin approached the duo. She stopped a few meters away from them and coughed softly into her fist.

'E-Excuse me. Are...Are you perhaps the new Professor I heard of? I-I'm Nico Shymane, sir. E-Ehm Prefect of Slytherin. N-Nice to meet you.' Her knees felt wobbly. They had already given up and wanted to drop the girl to the ground. Nico didn't give in though. Just a little bit longer. She bowed politely as she greeted the new Professor of Herbology.

Boniface nodded slowly, listening as Mac spoke about Professor Davis. She appeared well liked, which was good for her. However, for Boniface, he was worried that she held a spot in the heart of students in which he could not easily fill. Well, there never was anything good that someone got without working for it. He smiled still, not wanting to raise any suspicions. Boniface wasn't one to share his emotions freely.

"Sounds like a good professor." He commented, nodding once more. "I appreciate the encouragement. I'm sure those 'man-eating plants' will also be happy to see me." Boniface had to admit, he was a little more accustomed to plants that... Well, weren't magical. Feverfew, Gingko, Ginseng, Milk Thistle, you name it! Boniface had them all growing in his garden back at Dunardry. Of course with his share of magical plants, too. He had a very nice Wiggentree that he was extremely proud of. But it wasn't every day that he went around dealing with things such as a Venomous Tentacula or plants of the like. Still, he had experience with them, so it was fine.

His eyes lit up. "Greenhouses..." He whispered under his breath. No, he hadn't forgotten the very place that he spent almost near every day during his school days. He just simply forgot the joy that it brought him.

Before he could agree, however, a rather shy Slytherin approached him. "E-Excuse me. Are...Are you perhaps the new Professor I heard of? I-I'm Nico Shymane, sir. E-Ehm Prefect of Slytherin. N-Nice to meet you." He watched as she bowed for him, greeting herself. She certainly was a trainwreck if he'd every seen one.

"Boniface MacTavish, Professor of Herbology. Nice to meet you, Nico." The added on "Prefect of Slytherin" almost felt unnecessary to him. Did she need to announce her title? When he was in school, he never did like the Prefects much. Nevertheless, he smiled kindly at her. "Mr. Murphy over here was just showing me around the castle. Would ye care to join us Miss... Shymane?" Shymane. What an odd name. Then again, so was Nico. Oh well, that wasn't his business. The girl seemed nice enough, even if a bit un-Slytherin (at least in his opinion).

He was happy, at least, to be meeting more students. This was a good start to his first day. At the very least, there was an interest in either him or his subject. He was mostly sure that people were just focused on the excitement of a new professor, and not so much thrilled at the idea of learning about plants. That truth saddened him, as he wished that everyone could see the same beauty in his plants that he saw in them. But alas, Herbology prooved to not be for everyone. He learned that very quickly in his school days. Why that was, he could never understand.

As he laughed at MacTavish's remark about the man-eating plants, the boy decided that he liked this professor. He wasn't uppity or stiff, that was for sure. Something about him reminded him of his eldest brother, causing a brief, but nonetheless bitter feeling of homesickness swell up in his chest. Just as he was about to reply to the Scot, he heard someone announce their presence with a sharp cough, which echoed quietly through the Small Hall. This was the universal signal for 'turn around and look at me', which is exactly what Mac did.

He blinked as the Slytherin introduced herself. Naturally, her hair was what immediately stood out to him. It was... blindingly pink, almost red in this lighting. The second thing he noticed was how nervous the poor girl was _{(and here Mac thought that he was anxious)}. The girl, who had just introduced herself as Nico, stuttered as she spoke. On top of that, her legs appeared to be shaking, as if they were in danger of giving out beneath her. Certainly not what he would expect from a Slytherin prefect, so naturally, he assumed that something must have been wrong. "Are you alright, miss...?" he asked with gentle concern lacing his voice. He looked up at MacTavish as he spoke, and slowly nodded along when he suggested that she join them.

"Oh, that's right," he said, before laughing softly in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm holdin' our new Professor here captive, so if you wanna help me escort him to the greenhouses, you're more than welcome to join us."

As the new professor spoke surprisingly kind, a huge weight fell off her shoulders. He seemed kind. Maybe she wasn't the only one who was nervous to meet new people.

As she felt slightly more comfortable about the fact that her presence was acknowledged and accepted Nico smiled softly. She could almost cry... Don't.

Professor MacTavish invited her to join them. She didn't immediately wanted to take over or... interrupt their dialogue together but... Well, since she was a Prefect she couldn't just refuse, right? The Ravenclaw boy had noticed her anxiety. Dangit... It was still noticable. But he was kind. He made her feel more at ease. He was worried even though he had never met her before. She was glad to see that there were still kind, earnest people on this school.

"Oh, that's right, I'm holdin' our new Professor here captive, so if you wanna help me escort him to the greenhouses, you're more than welcome to join us."

If only Boniface had invited her, she'd have probably refused politely. But the student made her feel quite welcome to join their tour. It filled her with warmth that she rarely experienced.

'Ah-W-Well..' She softly cleared her throat, her face turning kinda red. 'If.. you really don't mind, I'd.. like to accompany you.' She rested her hand on her elbow and nodded lightly at the Ravenclaw. 'Thank you.. for worrying. I'm sorry. I-I can get kinda nervous with new..faces.' She nervously glanced at the Professor and then back at the student. 'It's.. still a work in progress..' What a Prefect she was. 'I-I.. just wanted to make that clear.. If I seem agitated.. Which I probably do.. But that's why. Heh.' And rambling on she did. A habit she hadn't quite gotten rid of. It's a horrible thing, or that's atleast what she thought.

She straightened her back once more when she noticed she started to slowely hide again. Looking over at the Ravenclaw she kindly asked with a soft smile. 'So.. I'm not sure but I don't think I know you..'

She took some steps closer and walked by the students side.

*So sorry for the delay! I have been focusing on lesson-writing.

This had surely been going better than he had hoped. "The more the merrier, then!" He cheered on, smiling. Though this 'Nico' child was strange, he was happy, at the very least, to have students excited to meet him. It was a reassuring feeling. It definitely helped calm down his first-day jitters. It surprised him; Boniface was not typically a nervous man. However, in this specific instance, he was nervous. Years of being something similar to a hermit really changed him. That and age. At the age of 32, he was suddenly realizing that he missed his time to be 'cool'.

He remembered it well. Anytime he received a new professor, if they were younger, then they all thought that they were cool. It was their natural instinct to believe that. Between the ages of 23 to about 27, that was their ages to be absolutely stunning in the eyes of a student. Stunning as in idolized. Young professors quickly became something like 'mini-celebrities'. He remembered all of that very well.

And here he was, at 32, no longer cool. He had wasted his youth away in the name of healing. That was alright, he supposed. It is what any decent Herbologist would do. The health of others was to come first.

Looking down at Nico, he raised his eyebrows. "No need to feel nervous, lass. I won't bite ye. Though, my plants might." A simple joke. One to lighten the mood. These two students... Well, they certainly did contrast. He was surprised at how different they were, in fact. Outside of their houses, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, they were different in terms of attitude. He supposed that was to be suspected, as no two kids were ever the same. He was quite the odd lad himself, so he wasn't here to judge too hard. However, the famed rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor put him in a weird position.

"Right, the greenhouses! Oh, how nice it would be to see those again. I do hope they're in good shape." The way he remembered them, at first, they were still sort of picking up the pieces of the war. He had joined Hogwarts at an odd time in history. He had seen what they had become. The aftermath. But in his 7th year, he recalled them as beautiful and flourishing. Beaming with plants. He remembered that fondly, and he hoped that they would be the same now as they were then.

*As a side note, did we want to end this thread and continue one in the greenhouses, or did we just want to end altogether and not bother picking up? Totally up to you two!