There was one place in the castle that hadn't changed in the slightest since Truebridge had first become a professor here. Probably it could do with an update but for now the man was pleased to find something a little steadier, a little more predictably mundane and unchanging. Not that he'd ever really spent much time here before, except when it was necessary or when there were meetings of some variety that he'd had to attend, but for now it was his destination.

He went inside (sunglasses free), found a chair and made it his, ensuring the angle it faced the door and the windows from was perfect. Ethan sat down, book in hand, and began to read.

In doing his research of the castle, Gevrik had found that the placement of the Staff Room on the Ground Floor was an interesting choice.

He had also found it interesting how two groups of students were allotted towers to live in while the two other groups of students were resigned to the bottom of the castle.

Hmm.

Feeling the need to sample this Staff Room for himself, Ikenna entered the room casually and quietly, already knowing that one professor was within. Ethan Truebridge was making no effort to hide himself away as he read and so Gevrik did the same, after pouring himself a cup of tea first.

He settled into a handsome, thick dark leather armchair and crossed his feet at the ankles on the matching ottoman, saying nothing at first as he merely sipped his tea.

Fleeing from the girls in his office Jeremy had decided it was now time for a cup of coffee and since he was feeling social and the Great Hall had been unusually empty he was now wandering into the Staff Room. There was bound to be SOMEBODY in here. Preferably somebody male. He really needed to get to know the male part of the Staff a little better.

And his wish was granted. If only life was always that easy. Though, it would probably be REALLY boring if it were. "Mister Gevrik. Professor Truebridge." Jeremy directed a smile at both the men currently occupying the room before moving to pour himself a cup of coffee. He had decided that even though this Ministry person just was a rather creepy bloke he wasn't going to show him any hostility until he gave him actual reason to.

Leaning back against the wall he let his hazel eyes wander around the staff room for a while, blowing on his coffee to get it to cool down a little.

"Won't you have a seat, Mr. Zookara?" Ikenna showed no reaction to the arrival of the Muggle Studies professor, save a warm gesture toward seating near his chair.

Ethan was rather absorbed in what he was reading, then. The man was a bibliophile, if Ikenna recalled his file correctly, so it came as no surprise that he was not the first to speak.

The tea was decent. That could be marked off Gevrik's check-list for the castle.

Ethan had not addressed Ikenna Gevrik simply because the man had not said a thing to him. Books were about on the same level as people anyway and so, right up until Professor Zookara spoke, his attention was mostly on the tome, though truthfully he was very aware of Gevrik and what the man was doing, and in general completely aware that he was no longer alone in the room.

That was to be expected.

After a beat he looked up and nodded a greeting. "Call me Ethan." Or Zan. He supposed it might be, at some point, worth pointing that nickname of his out. But not yet.

He looked towards Gevrik too.

Yes, he too had explicit permission to call him Ethan, if he wished.

Taking a hesitant sip of coffee to try if it was still too hot to be consumed, Jeremy waited for a reaction from either of the two men, where one was - it seemed - engrossed in a book, while the other was just generally...occupied with himself and his tea?

His hazel eyes flickered towards the seat Professor Truebridge occupied, his lips curling up into yet another smile. "Alright then, Ethan. I'm Jeremy." He informed the other man before moving his attention back to Gevrik. Who was...offering him a seat?!

Obviously not thanking him, since this wasn't his office or anything so he could choose a seat whenever HE felt like it, Jeremy complied with his request nonetheless. He took a seat at a chair slighlty to the right of the one Gevrik had gestured at, giving him a polite nod before settling back into the seat and taking another sip of his coffee.

Ikenna had not yet decided whether to let this man call him by solely his first name, last name, or neither. He returned the polite nod with a friendly smile, but remained quiet as the Muggle Studies professor took a seat.

Then Ethan looked his way and it seemed it was Ikenna's turn to address the room. Time to break the ice, was that the saying?

"Zan," the dark man spoke aloud, his eyes lighting on Ethan's. "I suppose that comes from your middle name, Alexander?"

He looked over the edge of this teacup with a mildly curious expression, waiting for a response from Truebridge before he turned his head toward Zookara. "What about you, Jeremy - if I may call you that. Any interesting...nicknames? I myself have several, but that is to be expected with a more...exotic name.

Naturally. The topic at hand was merely a conversation starter, not intended to ruffle anyone's feathers. Of course, it was not one of the usual dry topics most adults stuck to but Ikenna was not...usual.

"I'd welcome you, Jeremy, but it appears I am a term too late." Truebridge spoke in his usual modulated tones and watched the Muggle Studies professors sit down.

In many ways it felt like Ethan had never left but then there were so many changes...

He turned to meet Ikenna's eyes, quite calmly though the fact that he met the man's eyes so directly at all was indication that he was at least somewhat startled. Not many people were entirely aware of his nickname, even though there was record of it literally in every class; 'Zan was here' scrawled in at least one desk per room. And of course his middle name in the first place. Not that Ethan Truebridge was thinking about that right then. No, number one thing on his mind was whether or not there was any square food in the kitchens right then, number two was Anastasia Bunbury.

"Yes, from Alexander."

Ikenna Gevrik did his research apparently. What else did he know?

While settling in his seat, Jeremy met Ethan's gaze briefly and smiling at his comment, he shrugged before replying, "I guess so. Thank you nonetheless, though." Then, because yes, he had been doing some research since everybody had sort of known this Truebridge before the feast - even the students - he added, "So, I've heard you've come back to Hogwarts now. How come you left, if I may ask?"

Then they moved on to a different subject...nicknames. Following Gevrik's gaze which was fixed on Ethan, he assumed that this Zan-person was the latter even though he was quite surprised by where this had just come from. "Oh, so Zan is your nickname then?" He repeated with a small smile at the Ancient Runes professor, stating the obvious.

"You may." Did that mean he got to call him by his first name too then? Probably. His attention back on Gevrik, Jeremy took a sip of his coffee before shaking his head slowly after a few moments of contemplation. "Nah...not really. I mean, some of the students call me Professor Zoo, which wouldn't be that interesting if it weren't for the fact that I don't like animals." He explained with a rather half-hearted grin.

Then after a short pause he added, "What about you? Any special nicknames we should know about?" Well, he had started it.

Yes, why had Ethan come back to Hogwarts - or why had he left in the first place? Ikenna had done his research on all the staff members, naturally, but this man and his motivations in particular seemed more complex than most.

Or at least more...unique, than most.

Ikenna nodded at Truebridge's eye contact, finding it respectful even if the man had a look like a deer in headlights.

"Professor Zoo does not like the zoo..." Gevrik mused, chuckling softly as he brought his teacup to his lips. "That is from Zookara, yes? Do you have a sister who works at the Ministry, by chance?"

It wasn't a name like Smith; Ikenna was not being too creepy just because he remembered unusual names.

"Ah, perhaps." Ikenna raised a brow and set his cup on the small table beside his chair. "I am not so certain you should know about all of my nicknames, however." He chuckled to himself again and looked back to Zookara.

They needed a new topic. "How goes your classes, Jeremy? I have such an interest in Muggles, I was wondering if many students here shared my interest and enrolled in Muggle Studies."

It was currently still an elective, as Gevrik understood it.

When Ikenna Gevrik repeated his 'nickname' Jeremy nodded with a small smile playing around his lips. "Silly isn't it?" Not the part about him disliking animals, the nickname obviously. There WERE reasons for disliking animals, just look at them.

He regarded him for a moment, trying to keep his face free of emotions. How come he knew about Alysson? In the end he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and not be overly suspicious about it. Al WAS a very social person after all, it was possible that she had just randomly run into him. "Alysson, yes. Do you know her?" Everything about this man suggested to be cautious but Jeremy wasn't one to judge on first impressions so if he didn't give him any reason to dislike or mistrust him he wasn't going to.

Nice save. So he wasn't going to tell them about his nicknames? Well, he wasn't going to give up that easily. "Aw, c'mon. You don't have to tell us about all of them." He added a small grin before taking another sip of his coffee, watching Ikenna Gevrik over the top of his mug.

THAT came as quite a surprise. "Oh really?" And then he said something he wasn't so sure he wasn't going to regret later. "Why, you're always welcome to join my class if you want to." Because he was so interested and all. If people enrolled in his class. "Why yes, they are quite interested actually. I have a lot of kids in my class." Including those who only hoped to be allowed to crush another walnut with a baseball bat, i.e. Destiny.

"Mhmm..." Gevrik agreed entirely, as his smiled clearly showed. He sipped his tea and then set it carefully on the saucer. "Alysson works in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I believe that is how I know of her."

He moved the saucer to a nearby table and folded his hands behind his head. "Her Department Head and I go...back." Way back.

But that was all he was going to say about Bole.

"I couldn't tell you all my nicknames if I tried, Jeremy." He couldn't, actually, there were a few charms and curses securely preventing that. Ikenna turned his amused smile toward the other professor. "Alas. I'm sure the students have dubbed me with a few you may find amusing, however. Have you heard of a place named Ikea?"

Funny how Jeremy seemed as surprised by Ikenna's interest as the dark man was surprised in what he had said. So a large population of students were interested in Muggles....this could make things easier. "I would love to see what you are teaching them, and how." Ikenna removed his hands from his head and leaned forward a bit. "Which part of Muggle life are they most interested in? I'm sure your classes have had some meaningful discussions on wizard-Muggle relations...or at least on similarities and differences, that sort of thing..."

Yes, the discussions were better suited for Ethan's subject - former subject? Gevrik's eyes flicked toward the quiet professor briefly. From History of Magic to Defense Against the Dark Arts to Ancient Runes...hmm. Useful man. Quiet, but useful.

Why had he left?

"My time here has not been... a smooth ride." Truebridge offered, after some deliberate thought, again turning to look Gevrik in the eyes for a long moment before fixing his attention on Jeremy.

"I'm not sure what you know of my history, Jeremym but after Hecate took over as Head of House, there was less to keep me here." Less obligation at least. And of course it was the third time that the Ministry had.... allowed? Interfered? whatever you wanted to call it, in his career.

"And naturally, they offered me more money in Egypt."

And of course he'd only agreed to come back when Tate had promised that Ethan would return with more money than he had left with, despite no longer being Head of House. Really he'd come back out of friendship more than anything.

And maybe a little bit because Annie was somewhat sick of Egypt.

And truly he preferred it. All care and no responsibility. He did his best for the students, particularly the Slytherins, but he no longer had any obligation to them.

As for nicknames. "Yes. Zan." He paused. "Don't take too close of a look at the underside of the desks. I managed to leave my mark in every classroom while I attended as a student." Which had been up until his fourth year.

He listened as the conversation continued without him, quite content to simply listen and not participate, though his eyes did narrow somewhat at mention of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Though from what he knew, that particular department had become far more effective in recent times.

As for Wizard-Muggle relations, the Historian in Ethan perked up somewhat and he listened a little closer. It was always interesting to hear theories and the like from others.

Hecate walked in during a moment of silence and stopped. She looked up and saw the three men.

This room was usually empty.

She raised an eyebrow and after a smirk, she greeted them, "Gentlemen..." She went straight to the hot water and removed a bag out of her pocket, putting its contents into a cup, before pouring the water over it. A strong scent of liquorish followed.