Thankfully, the Professor's finger was not really stuck in the dirt, and by the time the first of the students started to arrive in the pasture, her jar was a quarter of the way filled with worms. Not that she really needed the jar filled, and not that she even needed worms, but she was out there, waiting for the students to arrive. She would not want to do it later.

She was excited. And nervous. But mostly excited.

And the first one to arrive was a Slytherin. Good job. "Hello!" She should have made them wear name tags.

Another worm in the jar, another student. "Hello." Girl. Who was talking to the Slytherin boy. Whose name was Theo. She would remember that.

She really did not like that she didn't know any of the student's names. Well, she did know them, she did have a list after all, but she didn't know what name went with what face. That was why Vanora kind of, sort of liked animals better than people. Animals wouldn't get offended if she simply called them animals. What they were. "Hi there." she managed to pull out another worm and dropped it in the jar. "Just collecting them. You know, before they attract gnomes." Those pesky little potato heads.

Always ruining things.

Vanora had to pull her hand out of the dirt to stare at this one. She really didn't know what that was supposed to mean, but she supposed she would just wait until Kurumi arrived. Did she do some kind of special greeting? Hmm. "Okay then." she stuck her hand right back into the dirt. "Hello, too."

"Hello, Mister Hutchinson!" And she was so excited that she actually knew the boy's name, since he was a Prefect and all, she may have missed his mopeyness.

At least the Head Girl was sitting with him, right? "Hello, Ms. Carter." Another name known. She was good.

Then suddenly, the light from the sun that she was using to help her with looking for worms was gone, and Vanora tilted her head to look for the cause. And even though she knew it had to be a student, since all the creatures were safely inside the barn, she checked then double checked, she was still just a little surprised when she saw him standing there. At least he hadn't stepped on her, right? "Hi!" she smiled up at him. "And thank you very much. Welcome to Care of Magical Creatures!"

Well.. she almost got away with almost not being trampled on. But it was okay, really. Because the trampler was only Kurumi and Vanora glanced up at her, waiting to see what kind of greeting she was going to give. Like that girl had mentioned. And well, when it happened, it was slightly disappointing. No confetti. No balloons. At least she mentioned Grise!

"Hello, Kurumi! Grise is doing just fine." Having the run of the hut now that she was inside of it alone. Probably playing with socks again.

"Good day to you." Vanora greeted as another worm went right into the jar. No gnomes in this pasture!

Ahh!

She was wondering when someone was going to mention the cages! For a second there, she was afraid no one had spotted them. Which would have been difficult, seeing as there were quite a few laying around. "Hello!" she greeted, before taking a glance at the nearest cage and smiling. "You'll see as soon as the lesson starts. And the creatures inside of them are much, much cooler than a baby dragon." Or were they hotter?

It was decided.

The kids at Hogwarts were weird. Why were they all more concerned about what she was doing in the dirt rather than what were in the cages? Sure, it was really difficult to look in the cages, but they were there. All over the grounds. If she would have known they would have been more interested in worms, she would have done a lesson on them! She'd save that idea for later. "Hello. And I'm just collecting some worms." she eyed the jar before looking back at the girl. "Don't want any gnomes around."

"Good morning to you." she smiled, watching as the girl took a seat on the grass before turning to..

.. Captain Obvious.

At least she didn't seem put off by the dirt digging. Or the worm wrangling. "Hello. And yes I am." Since she didn't ask why, that was the only answer she was giving.

"Good day to you as well." And it was a good day.

Oh, there was Ella!

Vanora paused in her worm collecting to grin at the girl, more than happy to hear that she was excited. "Hello, Ella! Grise is doing good." It was a shame she hadn't thought to bring the coati along with her. But with the creatures they were going to be working with.. she knew that would have been a bad idea.

She wasn't.. scary, was she?

Oh, Merlin, she hoped not. Why else would there be pauses like that in a greeting, right? Did she have dirt on her face? Vanora used the clean sleeve of her sweater to wipe at it before smiling at the girl. Who seemed to be awfully close to that other one. The one who was curious about the dirt. "He--llo." She sounded like a robot.

Another excited student!

She just hoped all their excitement would still be around when they saw what they were going to be working with. Vanora knew she would still be. "Good day to you."

"Good morning!" Vanora beamed, because it was just that; a good morning. "I am great."

And another who seemed to be wondering about her health. Was it because she was playing in the dirt? Because that is normal behavior. "Hello! I am doing well."

It was Sarah! One of the girls who had been helping out in the barn. Vanora grinned and even pulled her hand out from the dirt to give her a wave. "Hello, Sarah!"

Oh..?

Vanora actually sat up, just a little to see why the Ravenclaw would think that laying in dirt was uncomfortable. It wasn't like she was laying on a hill of fire ants, that would be uncomfortable, but not dirt. Besides, there was still a little bit of grass around. The creatures hadn't eaten all of it.. yet. "It's not uncomfortable." she shrugged before laying back down. "You should try it."

Vanora stared.

Then stared some more. She didn't even have even a little chance of greeting the Hufflepuff Captain before she went all.. crazy. There was nothing EWW about a worm! It was just a worm! It hardly did anything! And she was back to thinking about that lesson on worms. She would be amused, that's for sure. "Hello to you, too."

She would have wiggled a worm in the girl's face, but that would have been mean.

Was she another one who was worried about the dirt?

If it wasn't so amusing, she would have told the all that they didn't have to worry. That they wouldn't be doing anything that involved worms. Dirt, she couldn't be so sure about. "Hello!"

"Hi!" Vanora greeted back with a smile. So many excited kids. It was helping with her own nervousness.

Sort of.

There was a moper. A moper that had nothing to do with the dirt she was laying in. Thank Merlin. "Good day!"

"Hello." she smiled. She sure hoped the lesson would be great.

"Good morning to you, Ms. Lecium." Vanora beamed, glad that she knew another name. Sure, it was mostly the Prefects and Captains, but those names were better than no names, right? Right. "I'm doing well. And I'm not doing anything to the worms yet." Or at all really.

Just putting them in a jar.


Well, would you look at that?

The first quiet one out of all the students. And he was the Slytherin Captain. Vanora grinned anyway, and wiggled her fingers in his direction. She saw him.

Vanora was really, really amused. Now there were students worrying about her clothes getting mucky. And not that she would say anything yet, but her clothes weren't going to be the only ones that were mucky at the end of the lesson. Hehe. "Hi to you." she grinned, waving her hand dismissively about her clothes. "They'll be easy to clean."