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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 27, 2011 16:23:39 GMT -5
Keith had an easy day today, with his N.E.W.T. level class and a couple of first year classes the only work he truly needed to do. Still, he had spent the majority of the day in the moist warmth of the beginner level greenhouse with heavy music playing from a wizard's wireless from the front. The lower levels of students tended to ruin more plants than they helped, and so there was plenty for him to go through and try to salvage in his free time.
He was dressed in thick cargo pants and a tank top, his robes hung up by the door. He had on gloves and had heavy-duty earmuffs around his neck for when and if he needed to deal with any Mandrakes, his wand was tucked behind his ear and both ends peaked out through his hair.
The weekend excursion with Rowan had left Keith in a good mood and he had sent out a letter to his friends back home the day after, and he was still in a good mood today. He hadn't let himself examine any of the contact they had had, it had mostly been accidental, anyway, there was nothing to examine. It didn't take long working for any thoughts of it to disappear, replaced by things that were actually of some kind of importance.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 27, 2011 17:20:45 GMT -5
Rowan had been buoyed on his night out, no matter how little he let himself think of it. He was back to work, back to trying to keep the students' attention without letting them hurt themselves, forcing himself to make small talk at the staff table, and working through stacks of homework. He hadn't even thought of Keith at first, beyond a slight lift of spirits seeing him in the Great Hall or the corridors. A raise of his hand in greeting was more than enough for him.
He'd decided to go look for Keith anyway. He wouldn't go on a castle-wide manhunt, but it wouldn't throw off his schedule too much to walk by the greenhouses. Besides, the castle was chilly today, and the greenhouses were bound to be warm, if more humid than he preferred.
"Is there anyone here?" he called, poking his head into one at random. The volume of music certainly implied so, but it wasn't until he stepped in that he saw the robes hanging nearby. His glasses were already beginning to fog, and so he unbuttoned the top two of his robes, then took his glasses off to wipe them clean.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 27, 2011 17:25:46 GMT -5
"Yeah," Keith called from the other end of the greenhouse, and a few moments later he stood to see who it was. He smiled when he saw Rowan. "Hey." He dusted his hands off on his pants, the knees of which now had dirty spots on the knees interrupting the khaki color, before reaching for his wand to turn the music down a little. "What's up?" he asked as he started toward him.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 27, 2011 17:53:58 GMT -5
"Not much," Rowan said, though it looked like Keith had certainly been busy. "Just thought I'd take my free period somewhere besides my office today." The students could hold their begging and excuses long enough for him to get some air. He raised his glasses to put them back on, but as expected they were fogging again, so he gave them up for lost and tucked them away. "Doing anything important?" he asked.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 27, 2011 17:57:20 GMT -5
Keith had the vague thought that there was probably some spell somewhere that would keep glasses safe, but it had never been an issue for him. "Not really," he said, brushing off a creeping vine that snaked across his chest as he came to the end of the long table in the middle of the building. He leaned back against it and rested his palms against the edge. "Just saving some plants from first years that don't understand that many plants actually do need leaves."
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 27, 2011 20:10:47 GMT -5
"Ah," Rowan said. His gaze trailed around the greenhouse to umbrella-sized flowers, and flora both deadly and harmless. "Does it take long to clean up after them?" He felt suddenly lucky that a swish and flick took care of most cleanup in his classroom, and that normally he had little to take care of but the occasional reminder and the rare nurse's call.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 27, 2011 20:17:58 GMT -5
Keith shrugged, "It depends on whether or not the Gryffindors are in here." They tended to be more rowdy and less plants managed to make it out intact. "I don't mind it, though, it's relaxing, fun. I always liked hanging out in the greenhouses." He had helped the Herbology professor at his old school and taking over from him had been natural.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 27, 2011 22:05:55 GMT -5
Rowan gave a noncommittal hm. He'd never really liked the moist air in the greenhouses, and never really gotten into the subject, either. Charms were straightforward, predictable, controllable, and clean.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 27, 2011 22:11:24 GMT -5
"Don't like it in here?" Keith asked with a small smile. He brushed off another attempted advance of the creeping vine. A stern glance toward it and it slunk away, as though it knew what the glare meant. "We could go outside if you wanted, it's just a little too...open for my tastes." He honestly couldn't see Rowan being much of an outdoorsy person, either.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 27, 2011 22:22:38 GMT -5
Rowan shook his head. "No and no," he said. "Humidity without purposeful exertion isn't my thing, but I'm ready for spring and avoiding the grounds." It was cold outside, and he was as tired of it as anyone else, so the sticky warmth of the greenhouse was preferable to his other options.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 27, 2011 22:26:16 GMT -5
"I hear you on that," Keith said. "It's not so bad in here when you're not wearing robes. Being used to it's good, too." He half turned to make sure nothing was in his way, then pulled himself up to sit on the table, letting his legs swing gently beneath him. "You can sit, too, if you want," he offered. The greenhouses weren't exactly fit for comfortable chairs, but they could make do.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 28, 2011 3:30:22 GMT -5
"No thank you," Rowan said. He'd just feel like he was stagnating if he sat somewhere, and at least this way he could move, and there was some airflow. He did consider whether or not to take off his robes, but it felt unprofessional, whether there were students in view or not, and there was always the chance of one walking in. "You don't have to entertain me," he said.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 28, 2011 10:37:59 GMT -5
"Well, you're my guest," Keith said. "I could just ignore you and fight with the wandering vine over there," he gestured to the vine that was still sulking in its place from his earlier rebuke. It wouldn't be long before it decided it was safe for it to continue going after him. "I'd rather not, though." No, that would just be rude, especially with the short length of time they'd known each other.
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Post by Rowan Trace on Mar 28, 2011 14:31:28 GMT -5
Rowan inclined his head slightly in thanks. "So what were you doing before I came in?" he asked. "Repottting, or do you use charms to heal the plants?" He knew many minor healing charms, but off the top of his head couldn't think of any to grow back leaves.
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Post by Keith Evans on Mar 28, 2011 15:09:10 GMT -5
Keith glanced over his shoulder to where he had been working. "Depends on the plant. Some of them respond to a couple of spells, but mostly I get in there with my hands. I don't know that spells work as well, I can't be as precise as I need to be sometimes." He enjoyed the work, and some of the more magical plants could be sensitive. There were a few long moments of silence before he spoke again. "So were you always into charms?" He knew herbology had been an immediate love for him, but he knew it was different for others.
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