Even though it had not gotten off to the best of starts for him, Jared still found himself glad for the change in season. There seemed to be something beautifully bright and fresh about it, and it took his mind off less pleasant things, including damaged books and a certain detention. Hands in the lower pockets of his black robes, he inclined his head a little to avoid the branches of a rather short tree, as he followed one of the paths that twisted like a ribbon across the Hogwarts grounds.

Then he heard a rustle of leaves and the sound of something scampering and, almost extra-cautious as he had become since the incident in his office, might have frowned if he had not spotted a crup at just that moment and, behind the crup, a certain professor.

"Renée," he greeted.

At the sound of more rustling ahead, Renée quickly had identified it as someone walking but Bowie did not. It probably wouldn't have made much differnce to the puppy even if he had, as it was pretty much a well known fact that he liked people about as much as he liked squirrels and anything else that could be out here. That was one reason she'd always tried to keep him away from the Care of Magical Creatures domain. Her poor cup would die of excitement at so many animals and the possibility of people to play with. Either way, at the sound of the walking, the puppy had torn off ahead of her. "Bowie . . .," she called out, only halfway reprimanding. At least it ought to make whoever was about to be greeted by hyper crup puppy some warning, although she couldn't say she was positive everyone knew her pet's name.

At the sound of his name, however, the puppy in question paused at a curve in the pathway and turned back to look at her. Invisible tail wagging madly, she assumed. Continuing to walk, as he went back to bouncing down the pathway, she grinned a little as she saw who it was. Definitely not the worst person to accidentally have met by her cruppy, as he kept on his forward momentum until said puppy was sitting right at the Charms professor's feet looking up at him hopefully. "Jared," she returned the greeting, still smiling. "You're lucky you didn't end up tackled by ten pounds of crup," she added, dark eyes glancing downward at her baby. Or one of them, but Anastasia was out hunting at the moment.

Know what? The crup looked rather adorable, sitting there like that. Jared looked down at the energetic-looking thing, and was surprised [though not unpleasantly] to find the pet looking back up at him, his gaze rather hopeful.

"Hi, there," he grinned down at the crup, reaching out a gloved hand to scratch him behind the ear, before looking up again at Renée, as she spoke.

"The way I am these days, it's probably a good thing the ten pounds of crup didn't decide to tackle me," he said, a smile lurking around his mouth. He might have stunned all ten pounds of the poor thing.

"It really depends on what you call stalking." Cass said sneakily. "Besides, we're Slytherins. We're an exception to the stalking rule. We call it...obtaining information."

"And don't worry, since we are Slytherins, we're sneaky. Our parents wouldn't find out we're crushing on non-purebloods, much less Gryffindors!" She added to reassure the young girl.

She could already see Lyra's reaction to the news...much more her mum.

"Oh, yeah." She reassured him, "There were some pebbles or something that felt like pressure points. I think I got most of them." She thought about the second question, "I really like Potions, I think after school I'd like to do something with potions and maybe medicine," She was getting excited as she thought more about this, "...or I would ultimately like to be the next potions teach if the position ever opens. What about you? Are you in any clubs?"

Happily walking down the pathways TJ loved the smell of spring. She also loved being able to wear something other then those heavy winter boots, so she had a nice pair of her red slippers on. Turning as she thought she heard her name called, she didn't really pay much attention to where she was going and felt her foot squish down into something really, well gross!

Gasping as she felt the squishy stuff go up into her slipper and all cold and wet and well, gooey she shrieked. Pulling her up with her foot as hard as she could she couldn't get it out, trying to balance pretty much on one foot with her shoe now stuck in the mud.

Ivan was sitting on a bench by the pathway getting that fresh air that Mia so often told him he needed when he saw a familiar figure walking toward him and not paying any attention to where she was walking. Sure enough she landed in mud and a smirk came to his lips. And she said it was him not paying attention.

Watching her struggle for a bit with amusement he finally stood up and walked over beside her. "Need a hand there?" he asked with a smirk and held out his hand toward her.

Wobbling as she tried to get her foot back into her slipper at least, she heard a voice asking if she needed help. "Just a little more." she almost got her foot in when her other foot slid backward a bit as she tried to stay upright. "Woah!" grabbing his hand, she tried to stay upright still.

Ballet dancing? It sure felt like she was. And all she'd wanted was to go for a walk! Looking up as she realized who's hand she'd grabbed her eyes widened. "Ivan!"

Watching in amusement as he watched TJ try and get her foot out of the mud. As she slid back toward him he grabbed on to her with a laugh making sure she didn't fall. "Well don't look so shocked, TJ. I'm not a complete jerk," he teased as he helped her up with a smile.

Smirking he looked own at her shoe and frowned, "Well looks like you need to get yet another pair of shoes. You really should watch where you're going," he teased.

" Glad you are ok now" Rex told Witsy." Potions, a very good class" Rex said to Witsy." Potions, medicine, professor, very commendale" Rex explained to Witsy." No clubs, but I do take care of a baby Knarl for Professor Saylen and named him "Speedy Gonzalez" as he is very fast and of course, I teach dancing in school when anyone asks me" Rex smiled.

Renée wasn't exactly sure how Jared would respond to her puppy looking up at him like that. Given their previous discussions, although those had had nothing to do with innocent animals, but she smiled softly as he looked down and actually greeted the cruppy with a scratch. Bowie definitely liked it, and was about two seconds away from rolling over to show his belly for another scratch when Jared had turned his attention back to herself. Seemed the pets were over for now, and Bowie went back to exploring. The crup puppy didn't go far, but he still was nosing around in the bushes. It didn't seem to bother her overly much.

She raised an eyebrow slightly at his comment, though the faint smile stayed on her face. "More difficulties with certain students?," she asked, making the leap that that in fact was what was bothering him. She could have tried to verify that by other means, but it would be more amusing if he just told her. "I'm fairly certain you're aware what could have happened if things had gone badly with my puppy," she continued in a teasing voice, letting him take the pause to decide how he wanted to respond. His smile, even half-hiding as it had been, had told her he wouldn't have intentionally done anything to Bowie, at least.

The crup did not seem displeased about being scratched behind the ear, so Jared decided he either had a loving nature, or had been in a good mood. Both seemed quite possible too, at the moment, but Jared let that leave his mind as he heard the crup bounding off, and a glance told him the little thing had taken to nosing around in a clump of bushes.

"I suppose you've been told he's adorable, before?" He asked, his smile light.

"Does the mademoiselle even need to ask to know?" The question, accompanied, by a grin, was asked in apparent good fun, since Jared doubted Renée resorted to her abilities that often, and at every other thing. Her next statement caused the grin to stay for a several moments longer.

"I might need to be on the run for my life till the end of time?" He suggested, amused. He knew Renée cared for both of her pets and, even though he doubted things could have gotten so serious as to result in his being on the run, his tones certainly seemed to say otherwise.

It became fairly obvious to Renée after not that much time that she wasn't going to have to really keep an eye on Bowie while she was talking to Jared. The crup puppy didn't seem that inclined on truly wandering too far off anyhow, and adorably kept coming back with random branches and rocks that would get dropped at her feet. Lightly kicking one of the rocks, she sent him bounding after it playfully while she smiled at the comment about her pet. "In fact, yes. It occasionally comes up in conversation," she said just as lightly. At least one student had commented along those lines, at least, but she knew that was Bowie's advantage. Being cute. All crup puppies seemed to be, but hers had it down to an art form.

And, after glancing over to see that it seemed said crup puppy had located his new rock toy again, she laughed as Jared responded to her question cryptically. She should have expected that as well. "Mademoiselle did not, but she decided to be a bit more polite than usual," she replied, grinning almost more at the random use of third person than what she'd actually said. She knew he knew she was careful.

Another laugh escaped her at his last response, however. It might not have been that drastic, but it was an amusing thought. "Possibly. We'll never know, though," she replied, once she'd calmed down a little. he hadn't retaliated against her pet, and so there was definitely no danger from her. And definitely not because of accidental stunning. She wasn't exactly unskilled with her wand, so the whole idea was amusing. Odds were she would have blocked any spells aimed at Bowie, even coming from Jared. And then she still would have asked him what was up.

He could imagine. Jared smiled, giving a light nod as his gaze followed Renée's for a moment, and saw the little crup again. It seemed he had decided to chase rocks and branches and the like, and that made Jared's smile linger. Renée seemed to have quite a cheerful little companion to brighten up her office. Thinking of offices reminded him of one office in particular, though, so he dropped that thought almost at once.

"I'm honoured," he grinned. "And in response to the mademoiselle's earlier question, she might be amused to know that it is the opinion of a certain student, that my hair probably smells like candy." Speaking of it to Renée, it did sound amusing. Surprising, because it certainly hadn't made him crack even the faintest of smiles, during that detention. It made him crack a faint one now, though. The things students could think. Honestly.

"Now that's just disappointing." Jared shook his head, feigned disappointment in his tones and gaze as she said they'd never know. "It might have given me something to write home about." Dear mother, since having taken up a post at Hogwarts, I'm quite safe and on the run. Something along those lines.

The years living in New York had made Renée quite adept at keeping her eye on multiple things at once. It just needed rather good peripheral vision, really. In any case, while she'd been glancing at Bowie, she'd also seen Jared turn to glance in the same direction, and his faint smile as he'd watched the crup puppy with her. That didn't seem to last too long, though, and she hid concern as he seemed to have been thinking about something less pleasant, then pushed it to the back of his mind. She didn't need to try to get in his head to know when he was trying to ignore something.

The look faded into another smile, however, as he spoke. "Politeness is a virtue," she said randomly, and still lightly, before the smile grew into more of a grin as he'd continued speaking. "Something tells me it wouldn't be too hard to determine who that certain student was," she said, amused. Most likely it was the same one who had seemed adamant that Renée had interrupted her conversation with him at the feast,even during the first Divination lesson, when technically it had been the other way around. It wasn't worth dwelling on that, though. "I'd have to say, I wouldn't think candy when it came to you," she added with a little laugh. "Not very creative." Or accurate, but then that went back to the idea that she'd learned more about him than even Rae would have. Of course, that was far from coming anywhere close to her having ever thought about what anyone's hair smelled like, let alone Jared's. She didn't blame him for being a little unnerved by the idea. It was rather odd.

A wry grin appeared on her face at his response to the fact they'd never know what would have happened if he'd attacked her crup, reading past the feigned disappointment rather easily. "Well, I'd hate to be responsible for depriving your family of an exciting missive," she replied facetiously. Still oddly amused by the very idea of him on the run from herself. She imagined the idea had to have some sort of amusement for him as well.

It seemed Renée had continued to keep an eye on her little crup, though if it had been Jared, he had a feeling he'd just have let the crup escape his field of vision. Of course, the crup, if it had been anything like him, might have landed into some sort of disastrous situation that way, but if a crup could land into a disastrous situation, a crup could get out of it. Yes?

Reason number two he did not have one - probably not.

"Wasn't that patience?" he asked, returning her grin. And ah yes. Rae hadn't exactly made her admiration secret. Jared supposed he ought to have understood the Slytherin's intentions in hanging around his office after turning it into a pile of chaos, sooner. "Your Inner Eye?" he teased all the same, in reference to "something" telling her. It seemed it was impossible to escape the Divination aspect to their conversations, altogether. Her next remark caused him to give her a semi-rueful smile. "I'd be less concerned about creativity, and more concerned about the thought itself." He hadn't heard of people thinking about how other people's hair smelled, at random. Not people in general, at least.

The only member of his immediate family that such a missive might excite had to be his mother, and Jared sincerely doubted it might excite her in a good way. He grinned the usual lazy grin at her remark, though. "You do know that not depriving them of such a missive could mean Hogwarts being deprived of two professors, don't you?" He asked. Since he doubted people on the run, and people that caused people to be on the run, had much time to devote to year-round teaching.

Why did Kita raised her eybrows?What did the blonde say?Huuh?"Okay good we are both amazing!,she giggled,"but you are more amazing."Kita had to admit it,after all Fee was only 13 and Kita was 16.See who was cooler? But tigether they were the best anyway.No one could compare to the loyal badger and the creative snake.Hehe.

That was a logical explanation."You should be a ravenclaw for that",the girl giggled,"totally makes sense."But the people around them couldnt see because they were normal and for them it was normal to be normal.Wow,did that make any sense?!In her head it did actually."I couldnt imagine my life without our crazyness.It makes my day",the Slytherin giggled.Being sane was so boooring. Ohhh shopping with Kita? That was always soo amazing."Oh yees i clearly remember the last time we went there together",she nodded,"the shopkeeper should watch out."These two girls would so take over the sop.Hehe.

"True some people just need to see that they are no fun first",the girl agreed,"leeets make it our new mission."That would be such a cool mission even if it took them ages to make all these people cool. But than again it would be better for the world.Suuuuch good girls.Hehe.

Putting her foot down gingerly on well somewhat dry ground, she turned back looking at her shoe that was still stuck in the mud letting go of his hand. Her eyes moving to Ivan's she looked at him quizzically. "Shocked? I just didn't expect...well for someone to be right here to help."

Her eyes going back to mudpuddle a frown on her face, "Thought I'd be face first in the mud next!" Wrinkling her nose she nodded, "Just wish it wasn't my favorite ones!" Lifting her eyebrow again she heard the last comment, "Well maybe I had someone on my mind." Someone? Yep of course, someone...A smirk on her face she reached for her wand, 'cause she certainly wasn't about to try to retrieve the muddy shoe and find herself stuck again.

Ivan shrugged and stuck his hands back in his pockets. "Well I wasn't going to let you get all muddy." No matter how much it would have amused him. Following her gaze back to the puddle he raised an eyebrow at her. "Bet you can't chew and walk at the same time either," he teased.

Looking at her as she pulled out her wand as he knew she would he studied her carefully. "So who were you thinking about that made you not focus on where you were going?" he asked trying to keep up conversation and get a little information at the same time.

The young teen did a bit of hair tucking behind her ears before running her hand the the rest to let it fall back on her shoulders as they continued down the pathways. "We can study together in the library. And where ever else in the castle we can focus." She giggled. There weren't many places they could properly focus.

All this OWL talk was starting to make her a bit nervous about them again. Even though Sabel had said she's ace them, it didn't stop her from worrying about them.

Leaning against the nearest tree, she crossed her twirled a loose strand of hair while giggling at Ivory. "I sure could use that gift. It would tell me what career I'll have after graduation so I can know what OWLs and NEWTs to take. And to keep away from all the craziness going on around here." She waved her hand wildly before looping her arm through Ivory's and continuing their walk.

"Well I thank you for that." she replied lifting her eyes away from the puddle back to him. A small smile appearing she shook her head, "Hmmmm haven't tried, don't like gum and I usually sit down to eat." Biting back a giggle, she tried to snap out of it, teasing wasn't bad, why was she defensive?

Summoning the shoe she heard the squelch when it finally popped free of the mud, she caught it in her finger tips holding it gingerly. Trying to siphon off the mud she looked up as he asked who she was thinking about. Darn... She'd been hoping he wouldn't ask that one. "Erm, well." Thinking fast she remembered that kid in the teacup that insisted on spinning unbelieveably fast. "I was trying to think of what this kids name was that I rode in the teacups with." Yeah, that's it!

Ivan smiled and gave her a nod, "You're welcome." Hearing her response to his teasing he laughed, "Not even to snack? Guess you need to learn. Wouldn't advise drinking and walking though. That gets messy." He smirked and watched as the shoe became free of the mud.

"Hope it was worth the ruining of that shoe," he said with a smirk as he watched her. Brushing off his jacket sleeve he wandered off back to the bench and sat down. "I've never seen any one ruin as many pairs of shoes before..."

Didn't they have a conversation similar to this before? She could have sworn it too. "Maybe I just need a good teac..." AHHHHH No, don't say that! she thought amazed at what she was about to say. What was she trying to do, embarrass herself more then she already was. Her now soggy brownish shoe at least mostly free of mud, she dropped onto the ground slipping her now soggy wet sock covered foot into it.

"Not particularly." she said making a face, looking up at his last words as he wandered over to a bench she raised an eyebrow. "I ruined?" Pshhh, uh huh, didn't he already owe her a pair of shoes?

Ivan's smirk grew even more as he heard the start of her unfinished sentence. "A good teacher?" he asked trying to get her to finish it. "I can be a good teacher." Hehe. Walk into that one why don't you.

"Yes you ruined. As in you, the one not paying attention, ruining her shoes. Twice now I do believe, at least in my presence." Forget the minor details like him not paying attention that first time as well.

"I didn't say that." she said quickly especially when she saw the smirk grow. "I mean, mean it like that. Didn't you already tell me you were going to teach me something during the summer holidays?" Raising her eyebrow a smirk growing, "Good teachers follow through."

Ah ha caught ya!

"I did not! I was standing outside a shop looking in the window when someone stepped on the side of my shoe." Not to mention eating that fabulous smelling pretzel she sooooo wanted and never did find.