Erica made her way down to the Greenhouse after getting her assignment in a state of high apprehension. Soon after putting her name in the box, perhaps right after, she started getting feelings of regret. She didn't enjoy spending time with Virohsa at all, the Herbology session were bad enough. She figured she must've had a slight mental relapse at that moment and now she was stuck with doing the work. Just concentrate, she thought. I'm here for the house points. I'm here for the experience.

She entered the Greenhouse and saw both Nadia and Virohsa waiting for the rest of the students. She gave a polite nod to both of them and immersed herself in the nearest cluster of plants.

Professor Virohsa nodded. "Ah, and it is a good thing I saw you. I forgot to ask whether or not you were interested in that NEWT training. If you are, let me know and I shall give you the name of the book we will need. You will need a permission slip since it is a book in the restricted section", she explained.

After a few seconds, Professor Virohsa heard some footsteps coming towards her.. turning around, she saw a familiar hufflepuff, who decided to hide in between the plants. "Ah!! No! Not that way", she said coldly as she pulled Erica away from the closet hiding one of the biting plants. After all, it had been Alex that had discovered that some of the biting plants had moved their residence there.

Erica only had time to register the fact that Virohsa was talking to her when she felt herself being pulled away from the plants she was looking at. It would've been seen as a very teacherly like gesture if Virohsa hadn't aimed for the neck of the robes and nearly strangled her student in the process of dragging her away. Erica was a bit more concerned with the fact that she couldn't breathe, waving her arms and trying her best to get the professor's attention as her face started turning a light shade of blue. And the entire time, she was screaming to herself in her head. You know, in Arithmancy, puzzles don't bite! Numbers won't kill you on sight! What were you thinking?!?

After moving Erica, she turned her attention to the closet. She checked the latch.. to make sure the smaller biting plants were inside the closet and not trying to bite students. After all, the more teenager-like of the biting plants think all students like to be bitten.

After a few seconds, she turns around to find Erica gasping for breath... "Are you allright? Are you suffering from a breathing problem? Allergies?", she asked with a hint of curiosity.. wondering why a healthy girl would be gasping for air.

"Yes, you have indeed mentioned something about extra training, in fact. On the Career advise meeting, um, but I didn't know there was a a required text book, and was hoping I could ask you about the meetings. When are they held?"

She paused while Virohsa barked instructions to Erica, then returned her attention to her. She stood stright, waiting for an answer.

Alex walked through Greenhouse 17, nodding shortly at both Erica and Nadia. Her gaze turned on Professor Virohsa as she spoke.

"Professor, I'm going to get that book. I'll be back in no time."

With that, she exited in Greenhouse and headed straight for the Library.

Erica clutched her neck with one hand as she waved Virohsa off with the other. She managed, after several gasping breaths, to squeak out a response.

"No,...no Professor, I'm...I'm fine. Just a little...winded."

Several moments passed, in which Alex both came and left, and Erica was able to finally breathe properly. Not even five minutes had passed in the Greenhouse and she was nearly eaten and strangled.

Perfect. This was gonna be just perfect.

Professor Virohsa nodded and turned her attention back to Nadia. "Very well, dear", she replied as she looked for something in her pocket. After a few seconds, she pulled out a small piece of parchment and gave it to Nadia. It read,
Professor Virohsa watched as Alex left and as Erica's breathing was resuming. Guessing it was no more than allergies, she decided to keep a close eye on her.

Nadia turned to Alex, watching her leave and then made sense of it when Virohsa handed her down a note for a text book in the restrcted section. "Oh." Shaking her head, Nadia stared after Alex, then turned to the professor. "If we are starting right away, I should be gettting that book too - ah, I'll be right back, professor."

She dropped her bag with her stuff where they wouldn't be a bother and then turned to leave, to get that book and be back for when the professor posted up the list of duties to fullfill.

Erica watched Nadia go off to the Library with the strongest wish that she was right behind the Slytherin student. Instead, Nadia's departure left her and Virohsa alone together in the Greenhouse. Erica grew more and more uncomfortable as she shot furtive glances in the professor's direction every now and then. Was it her imagination or was Virohsa seemingly staring at her with the utmost attentiveness all of a sudden?

Not being able to stand the ensuing silence between them any longer, Erica decided to try and make do with some conversation while they waited for the others to show.

"So, what is it exactly that you'll want us to be doing today, Professor?"

Laurasia entered the Greenhouse & looked around. She was surprised to only find Professor Virohsa & another student here. Nadia had always beaten her here before. She shrugged her shoulders & came nearer to the others. "Good day, Professor," she said with a nod. She looked at the Hufflepuff student & extended her hand. "Good day. Laurasia Malfoy - 2nd Year Slytherin."

She searched for a place to set her things before working & it was then that she noticed Nadia's bag. Her brow furrowed slightly. She sat her things down & turned back towards the other two. "I noticed that some of the others students have already been here. Where did they disappear to? We haven't started already have we?"

Erica turned as she heard someone walking down to the Greenhouse. Thinking it was either Alex or Nadia, she briefly wondered what kind of training they would be receiving from Virohsa. Pulling herself from that train of thought, her eyes rested on the new visitor. It wasn't Alex or Nadia, but a much younger girl from Slytherin House. Erica accepted the handshake and smiled. The girl, Laurasia, seemed nice enough and had the air of experience in the Greenhouse. Erica could probably guess that this wasn't Laurasia's first trip into Virohsa's territory.

"Hi, there. Erica Arbon, third year Hufflepuff. No, we haven't started just yet, though Nadia and Alex were both here earlier. They just stepped out for a moment to get something from the Library and should be back shortly. So, you a regular in the Greenhouse? I mean, you've been here before?"

Zekke appeared in the Greenhouse a little later than he would usually run. He had to stop by the dorm to drop off his books; he didn't quite trust himself to banish his books to the appropriate spot yet.

With earmuffs wrapped around his neck like a scarf, a bag of winter clothes in one hand, his wand in the other, and dragon hide gloves cleaving to his fingers, he headed over to where Laurasia and Erica were standing and waved.

"Hey guys," he grinned and inclined his head. "Zekke de Barticot, seventh year Slytherin," he said, remembering his manners. "Just us here so far?"

Professor Virohsa looked at Erica quizically. She seemed.. a little bit on edge. Perhaps, it would be better if Erica stayed away from the pollen. Yes, she will have to send Erica to the cold sections away from the pollen.

It was then when she saw Laurasia approaching.. followed by Zekke. She nodded as they said their hellos. "Ah well.. as I was about to tell Erica, we will divide the roles as always.. Hoping to get much done. As always, a Greenhouse requires a lot of work..", she explained. "I will wait for a couple of you to show up before handing out the jobs", she added.

Erica nodded out of politeness with a small smile as yet another student entered the Greenhouse, a much older looking Slytherin. She guessed that Herbology must be a Slytherin speciality since all the students she'd seen so far had come from that house. Then, of course, Virohsa was head of Slytherin House. Perhaps she just pushed her students a bit harder than the rest.

"Hello, there. Erica Arbon, third year Hufflepuff. Nice to meet you, Zekke and yeah, Alex and Nadia will be here soon. They just ran up to the Library for something."

Erica then turned her head slightly to find Virohsa staring at her again. Quickly, she turned her head away, but wasn't sure if she was fast enough to avoid detection by the professor. Only thing was, Erica reasoned to herself, when a professor is staring at you, it's usually for a very good reason. She involuntarily gulped destracted herself from imagining her doom by fiddling with her robes.

As they waited for more students to show, Zekke wandered about the sections that had the more... non-harmful and less aggressive plants in them... and reviewed his Herbology identification.

With his Herbology handbook in hand, he slowly wandered the aisles, mumbling to himself about his observations and his guesses and then checking his answers with the book and the tags on the pots.

(ooc- Er, so let's make we had the books, lol ) Nadia walked back into the Greenhouse panting slightly, something huge and leatherly under her arm. She put the books away in her bag and then her coat. Then she rubbed her hands together, ready to work. Though she wondered if extra class would be first or would it be the regular house work?

As she walked forwards with a happy beam, and a little cold, she spotted a couple of other known faces. She nodded and greeted, "Zekke, Erica, Laurasia, how are you doing?"

Laurasia smiled as Erica introduced herself. "Oh yes, I've been volunteering in the Greenhouse since my first year." She suddenly noticed Zekke approach with quite a wardrobe. She couldn't help but laugh. "Hey Zekke. Boy you decided to come prepared this time huh?" She jiggled the earmuffs around his neck. "You just watch, now that you brought all of that stuff you won't even be needed in the cold area."

Over his shoulder she noticed Nadia coming back into the greenhouse, just as he was walking away with his Herbology book. "Hi Nadia! Pretty good, and how are you? Professor Virohsa wants to wait for a few more students to arrive before we actually start, so we're just chatting for the time being."

"So I can see," Nadia said, chuckling and looking around. "I'm guessing it will be a couple of us more but -" Nadia's chuckle turned to a smirk on realizing what Zekke was doing. Well, good to see he was taking it on himself to get himself on shape - "we could sure come up with somethings to do while we wait.

"Tell, how's your studing going?" she was addressing Laurasia but raised her head to Erica too to let her know the question was also directed to her.

"I've been rather happy with my performance this term. Though there is always room for improvement I suppose," she said with a small giggle. "And how have you been doing with your academics? This is a big term for you. You're graduating. Any plans for after graduation?"

Professor Virohsa pulled a roll of a long parchment and was reviewing it as she waited a bit more. Adding some roles in a couple of places.. scratching some other ones..

Professor Virohsa looked up as she noticed that Erica.. for some reason. .was avoiding her. Perhaps, she was getting sicker and didn't want her to know. Ah, well.. children were children and perhaps she would just have to follow Erica around.

It was then when her focus veered towards Nadia and Laurasia. That reminded her that she should finish polishing their work while they waited a couple more minutes.

OOC- I'll post the roles later today

Patrick entered the greenhouse. He had been ill and unable to come before today. He saw the professor and approached her.

"Hello, professor I am here to work. What would like for me to do today?" he asked as he slipped on his dragon gloves. He was really to work.

"Studies? As well as can be expected with all that other stuff that's going on. I didn't realize how busy I'd be this term. And yourself? Gotta be getting ready for the outside world now, I'd expect."

Erica smiled and shrugged offhandedly as she reflected on the term so far. It was the longest one in which things were going "normal" and it felt much more different than years past. It was almost a relief to be concentrating on studying instead of watching professor blow chunks and nifflers in class. All she had to do was keep herself in line, and away from Virohsa for the time being, and everything would be fine. She took off the bag that was hanging from her shoulder all the time and set it down next to the rest of the students and was surprised to see Patrick walk into the Greenhouse ready to work. She hadn't recalled seeing his name on the Announcement Board.

"Hey, Patrick! What's up? Are you here to work, too?"

Zekke chuckled and waved hello to Nadia with his notebook in hand. To Laurasia, he said, "Don't want to be caught without my winter gear, not after last time."

He continued to murmur to himself as he scanned over the plants, brightening when he got the names right and grumbling when he got the IDs wrong more than once.

"Hey, yep I am here to work. I was in the hospital wing so the professor let me sign up a day late." He replied as he started to shovel the dragon dung into a wheelbarriow.