As you approach the large mahogany wooden door, you notice a faint smell of fresh roses as well as an engraved name reading:

As you start to push the door open, you soon become aware of mystical and soft aromas drifting in the ait. Unable to pin the specific aromas, you feel your body relax as you start to step inside this office. You feel yourself floating and perhaps, you feel filled with energy and spark.

Nevertheless, after you enter and your mind begins to unfog, you then begin to notice your surroundings. There seems to be a high quantity of books all around, which are beautifully accompanied by exotic flowers and plants as well as awards for service to the Ministry.

And at the end of the room, there is a marble desk and a 40-yr old woman pouring water on top of some of her plants. The professor is an average-size, small frame woman. Her soft black hair and green eyes give no warning to her strict personality. Her robes are always presentable and clean (they look almost always new), which is amazing for she spends most of her time taking care for plants. Her face is soft and unwrinkled, yet her stare is strict and cold.

The woman appears to be deep in thought as she turns to her desk and starts scribbling on a parchment. "Yes?", she says sharply as she notices you standing by the door. Her voice seemed a bit too aloof and cold, perhaps due to the fact that her eyes never lifted from the parchment nor her hand stopped moving.

She walks in and said "hi professor my name is Lilly I cant wait for class"

Professor Virohsa lifted her eyes slowly as she was greeted by an energetic student. "Welcome dear", she responds with an inquisitive tone. "Would you care to step inside and sit down?", she asked courteously.

Laurasia approached Professor Virohsa's office door. Before knocking she notices voices coming from inside & realizes that she is speaking with someone else. Deciding to wait until the professor is available to talk, she pulls out a potions book from her bag & begins to quietly read as she leans against a wall.

"that would be lovely professor but I have to go to the libary but its nice to see you" she slowly walked out the room

Professor Virohsa nodded as the student walked out. She went back towards her pitcher and started pouring a bit of water on them. After all, they needed to be constantly hydrated.

Sarah knocked lightly on the door and stood in the doorway, "Hello Professor, I just thought I'd come and say hello." She smiled lightly as her eyes swept around the room. "Professor, whats that plant called?" She asked pointing to one near the back of the room, "I don't think I've seen one like it before."

Professor Virohsa turned her head as someone knocked on her door. She was about to say come in, when the child opened it. However, she was still standing by the opened door. From her corner, Professor Virohsa could see students walking outside with a rush, as well as hear excited students talking about their brooms and pets. Professor Virohsa noted her behavior and returned her eyes to the plant she was tending.

"This is a Chinese Oleander", she replied briefly. "Very dangerous to one who has not tended them before", she grinned slightly. "Unfortunately, we will not examine this plant in class this year. Perhaps the next", she nodded as she turned her attention to Sarah. "But you will certainly enjoy this year's classes, I'm sure", she gave her a small smile.

Laurasia was so focused on her potions book that she hadn't noticed the younger Slytherin student leave. It was only until she heard the Hufflepuff student knock on the door that she realized she could have knocked.

She noticed Professor Virohsa looking over the students shoulder to scan the hallway outside of her office & she offered a small smile & a wave. She couldn't help but blush a little at the fact that she had missed her first chance to talk with the professor.

Professor Virohsa noticed a familiar face waiting outside. Smiling at her, she nodded to show that she had seen her waiting. She turned her attention to the Hufflepuff girl by the door. Waiting to see if she would come in or not.

Kristen knocks lightly on the door, waiting for the professor to answer. Nervously, she smoothes her robes over her small frame.

Noticing a familar face come up to the professors' door, Laurasia smiled.

"Hello Kristen. I didn't get to see you on the bus here. I hope that you're doing well. Professor Virohsa is in with one of the Hufflepuffs right now."

Ashlie approached the Office of Virosha, before ceasing. People were actually gathering around her office? No one liked Virosha! It seemed that only Ashlie herself did. Who were all these people gathering around the Office when she needed to go in and see her? She stood afar, across the hall, figeting nervously.

"It looks interesting," Sarah nodded, glancing behind her, "I might see if there are any books about them in the Library. I think I should go, you've got a queue outside your office." Sarah waved her hand vaguly behind her, "I might come back when you're not as busy. Bye Professor." She gave a small wave and turned to leave.

Laurasia noticed the Hufflepuff student leaving the office & smiled at Kristen. "Well, I guess it's my turn. I won't be too long, I promise." She winked at Kristen before heading into the office.

She knocked lightly & smiled at Professor Virohsa as she entered the room. "Good afternoon Professor Virohsa. I can't tell you how good it is to see you again. I'm simply ecstatic that you're the new Slytherin Head of House. I hope that your summer was good. I've been working with my mother, as usual."

She admired the beautiful plant that the professor was tending to. "I am also looking forward to helping out in the greenhouse again this term. If that is okay with you that is." She smiled brightly.

"Oh! And thank you for setting up the Slytherin study hall as well. I will be making some good use of it. I also never got the chance to say thank you last term for all of your help, with everything that happened. I'm very grateful. I'm afraid that I may have accidently offended the new Potions Master. I mentioned to him about all of the extra work we did together last term & I think that he may have taken it as me saying something about his abilities. I really didn't mean it in such a way, it's just that I'm rather anxious about the new professors." She shrugged slightly.

"Well, I had better let you talk to the rest of the students waiting outside. You really do seem to have quite a fan club building up out there." She giggled slightly. "It was really good to see you again & I'm definately looking forward to the first Herbology class. Have a good day Professor." With that, Laurasia left the office & headed back to her common room.

Professor Virohsa nodded as the Hufflepuff girl made her leave. Still watering the same plant, she turned around to see a very familiar Slytherin girl.

"Of course, dear. The Greenhouse will still be open this term", she said in her usual aloof voice. She let her speak and nodded courteously as Laurasia thanked her for the Study Area in the Common Room.

She turned her attention with a tad more interest when she mentioned the new Potions Professor. She hadn't met him yet, and wondered about him. "Well, don't worry too much about it. I think you will do just fine as long as you apply yourself in his class", she told her re-assuringly.. As well as praise him for his teachings, she thought. Catching her thoughts, Professor Virohsa smiled subtly. "I'm sure he will be a wonderful teacher", she added.

"See you in class, dear. I posted the date of our next class in the Bulletin Board outside", she said as Laurasia was leaving.

Putting down the pitcher, she walked over to her desk and sat down quietly. Waiting for the next student to enter.

Cami walked through the rather large wooden door and stared down at the ground, she knew she ought to greet the teacher "He..ll....lo.." she stammered "Prof..f..fes..sor Vir..rohs..sa" She had gone bright red now and made her way out to the library

Ashlie stared blankly as the Hufflepuff walked into the office, as Ashlie herself was ready to. Eighteen year old Prefect here and she just walks in to the office as if she's too blind to see her there. Ashlie rolled her eyes, glaring as the girl came back out of the office.

Great. Ashlie gave herself a weak smile and took the oppurtunity to leap into the office.

"Hello there, Virosha," Ashlie said, closing the doors behind her. "I... I wanted to come in and talk, for a little while, if you don't mind. Just... you know... have someone to talk to once again..."

Professor Virohsa nodded as the girl came in to introduce herself. She was a bit confused about her running out of her office though. The girl left so quickly, she had no time of saying hello back.

A few seconds after, Ashlie walked inside. Grinning, Professor Virohsa rose from her seat and nodded. "Of course, of course. Come in and have a seat", she smiled. "Would you care for anything? Tea? Biscuits?", she said as she sat back on her chair.

"Maybe a little tea," Ashlie said politely. She didn't feel that hungry right now. She hadn't for a long time. But that was another story of her life. "I... I need someone to talk to. I guess I feel like I'm in one of those places where you're so trapped that you can't get out or breathe or...."

One day, Ashlie had woke up in the middle of night, having had some horrible dream. There she sat, in the shabby Leaky Cauldron room she'd rented for the summer, unable to breath, heart pounding quickly. Pressing her head between her knees, sobbing unconciously, she found herself slowly coming back to her senses. She'd looked it up, revealing herself to have had a panic attack.

Now she was not only crying at night and sleeping during the day, and freaking out about life in general, she was having panic attacks.

"You were an Auror, right? How... how did you know that that was what you wanted to do? I mean... did you just know all along that you wanted to do that? Did you always see that? Or... Were you ever lost and unable to breathe and drowning in your own body?"

Now you sound morbid, Ashlie.....

Xavier hadn't talked to Virohsha yet this term, so he had decided to make a quick side trip to her office. As he approaches he hears her deep in conversation with a voice that Xavier knew quite well.

After a moment, it dawned on him that it was Ashlie. Deciding it would be better not to disturb a prefect while talking to a teacher, he turns around, telling himself he would visit Virosha later.

Professor Virohsa nodded as she took out her wand from her robes and waved it. A tea kettle and two cups immediately appeared on her desk. The tea, was known for its sweet delish and exquisite flavor as well for its ability to help people relax. She served the tea on the tea cups, and immediately started sipping hers as she listened to Ashlie's question.

"Well, dear. When I was a student at Hogwarts, I never knew what I wanted to do. And yes, I did feel the nauseating response everytime I thought about how close graduation was. I did not know back then, what I am about to tell you. If I did, I think, I would have felt better about making a decision", she nodded.

"You don't have to commit to a particular job. You can change and move around", she said right before she took two more sips. "Truthfully, I became an Auror because my father was an Auror. But, that changed after a few years. I realized slowly that my passion resided in research of dangerous plants. And that is one of the many things that I did as an Unspeakable. And even then, as you can tell, I have been slowly moving into the Teacher's role. So, as you can tell, there is no right or wrong answer", she nodded. "You are allowed to change your mind now, tomorrow, and in 12 years", she grinned.

"Given that, if you would like, we can talk about what interests you have?", she asked Ashlie. She knew very well what she was going through, since she had been on that same position back in the day.

Ashlie sipped her drink slowly. Thinking on what Virosha said.

"Interests?" she asked. "Hah.... I hardly know anymore. The one thing I've done here that I enjoyed was Journalism, but we've no longer got the Quill. And I loved being a Prefect but now... its gotten to where its this hassle.... Everyone is careful and cautious around Ashlie. They always are. Ashlie has such a short temper. Be careful, she might blow up and go off on you. I know what they've said about me, think about me. I know they think I'm a nut case.

But... what if I am. How many people wake up at night unable to breathe? How many people look forward to crying because its the only way they remember they're still alive? I've gotten so lost, I don't know when. Somewhere along the parents and their many forms of abuse and the inability to live up to so many expectations and the perfect siblings and the desire to do so well, but failing anyway, and losing touch with people and putting so much in front of friendship, I got lost. Not just lost. So lost that I can't see what's right in front of my eyes. I feel sick all the time because I don't even know who I am.

"I have all these friends now who are already figuring out what they're going to do. My Muggle friends have jobs, some are married already, being that we're eighteen and older and all that. And here I am. Still in school. Still being degraded by family. I dont much talk to the Muggles anymore, since I moved. And during the summer... you know how you think you're alone but you know there's always some one there? I didn't even have that. I feared school as it was. "

She took a shakey, quivery breath. Yes. She came to her senses.

She was one messed up kid.

Professor Virohsa, masking her concern, looked at Ashlie as she sipped her tea and started to speak. She nodded and waited for Ashlie to take a deep breath. "First of all, it is okay to cry and to feel confused. It is perfectly a normal reaction and emotion", she said. "It is ok. And in case you were wondering, it is not a signal for strength or weakness. In fact, it is a signal you are human. Being human is very complicated and complex due to all of the emotions we go through. And it is perfectly ok to experience those emotions", she told Ashlie as she watched her.

"Poor child, I can see that you are suffering from the uncertainty that comes from growing up. But the good news is that everyone your age goes through the same thing. We all have mood swings and we all have no idea what it is that we are supposed to do", she explained. "So feeling inadequate, emotional, angry, or doubtful is perfectly normal", she said reassuringly.

"I do think there are a couple of things that are important to think about. One is the self, the second is about your love for journalism", she said briefly as she placed some more tea on Ashlie's cup.

"About the first relating to self, I think that you need to consider the expectations you have of yourself, people have of you, and the expectations you think others have of yourself. Most of the times, the expectations that push you are your own. So when you feel like you are at your limit of stress, it is best to reconsider the standard you have placed on yourself. There is nothing wrong about changing your mind and allowing yourself to have time for yourself, dear. Maybe by having some time where you are not bugged with things to do, you can begin to re-examine what is important for you, which values you are guided with. And then, make a decision to whether you want to be with certain people or meet new friends later on. In all likelihood, you will meet new people as soon as you start working. There is no rush to have a group of friends, those are very inconsequential", she said slowly. "And as I stated before, it is perfectly ok to feel that you are not quite ready to make a decision. The good news is that you get to go through at your own pace", she said reassuringly.

"The second thing that is important to talk about is going to be your love for journalism. That is a very good path to go in. For instance, my sister was schooled in writing and she loves every second of it. Perhaps, you can consider continuining such passion after school?", she asked.

marvolo knocks on the door with a sad look on his face.