Class Materials @Vans

Despite his promises to himself to try and socialize more, the moment Daniel had come back to their Charms classroom, Riley had been sliding out the door to "gather class materials." In his defense, Daniel had a mean streak of teasing him, plus the other professor was a Slytherin. Not a choice Riley would have ever picked if he'd chosen the other professor. And he actually needed to gather up some Verusus roots for his first class. So he was actually doing his job.

He slid into the greenhouses quietly, feeling like he wasn't supposed to be there. Although he was a teacher and it was okay. Still felt like a rule breaker.

Either way, he slid in to the rows upon rows of plants, pulling a book out of his satchel. He flipped open to the page on Verusus roots. Professor Mallery had told him he was supposed to be looking in this greenhouse to find the root, so he should be in the right place, but he wasn't actually sure which ones they were. Or how to clip off the roots. Hopefully they wouldn't be like Mandrakes. He shuddered.

Vanessa had been looking for a chance at getting her hands on something to bother the students with. She especially fancied the idea of something itchy. She couldn't remember much of her Herbology lessons from when she was a student, but knew enough, she suspected, to get by, and get something to abuse the children with. She spent enough time drifting through here, dropping scraps of meat into the Venomous Tentaculars mouth and throwing Mandrake Roots at Mrs. Norris. That was one of her favourite pastimes. However, she had seen Riley enter the greenhouses and decided to see what he was up to: the scrawny man did not look like somebody who was confident with lively plants, and judging by the quite apparent nervous expression on her face, Vanessa predicted that she was right in her deduction. So, what was the Charms professor up to?

"Why are you sneaking around in here, then? Bit out of your element." She decided being blunt was the best option, since Riley tended to be a bashful, awkward idiot. Getting to the point was the only way forward.

"Oh, Vanessa!" Riley jumped at the ghost, but quickly settled down with a little smile flicking across his face. "Ahm, I'm just looking for some Verusus roots." He turned the book to the side once he found the picture, showing off the plant. "Not so sure which one it is though," he admitted, gesturing to the pots of vegetation that all looked the same to him. "Anyway, what're you doing out here? Haven't seen you since last year. Didn't get into too much trouble over the summer, did you?"

She raised an eyebrow at him when he jumped. "Are you even sure you're in the right greenhouse...?" She glanced at the picture in his book, and then at the surrounding plants. None of them matched the picture in his book. In fact, she could not remember ever seeing such a plant like that before at all, nor had she ever heard the name before. But, even if she did know what he was talking about, she would likely not help him. It was fun to watch him struggle, after all.

"I was looking for something, preferably itchy, although biting will do me just fine, to put in the students beds. The Gryffindors, of course. And no, you wouldn't have seen me since last year, since you weren't here. Obviously." She said, dully, picking at her sleeve. He was stating the obvious, because of course they had not seen each other for a while: it was the summer holidays. Idiot. "And trouble? Me? What are you implying?" She stared at him, the corners of her lips curling upwards. "If getting threatened to be 'slain in battle' by Sir Cadogan counts as trouble, then yes." She stated, proudly. And then she realised just how pitiful her existence sounded and wanted to hit herself. Being threatened by a portrait was not, in any way, something to be proud of.

"Well, Professor Mallery said they were in here." Even as a professor he sounded like a student. Blowing a few strands of hair out of his eyes, Riley leaned over another pot, trying to identify the plants without touching them. He really should have just had Professor Mallery point him to the right pot and maybe even clip the roots for him.

At the sound of itchy plants and biting Gryffindors, Riley frowned. "'Nessa, you shouldn't torment them like that. It's just...not very productive," he murmured. Though once you're dead, does productivity really matter anymore? "Some of them may even like being or friend, or something..." He really shouldn't be trying to lecture her on friendship. Not only was he sorely lacking in that department, but he was liable to have his first class of the year ruined if he made her too angry.

Ah, Sir Cadogan. Riley had always enjoyed that particular painting, at least when the knight wasn't challenging him to a duel. As much as he was assured the man couldn't leap out of his portrait and run the boy through, he'd always felt a overwhelmed by the small man's personality, but he was certainly an entertaining character. And boisterous, too! "Well, I'm glad you had at least one friend around the castle. Wouldn't do to be bored over the summer holidays."

Vanessa sniggered. "You are hopeless." She folded her legs underneath herself and began plaiting her hair. From the way he was bending over, she could so easily snatch up a plant and he wouldn't notice, meaning she could lob it at his head easily. But she wouldn't. She kind of owed him, and she didn't particularly feel like giving him amnesia today (because she did not doubt sometime during the year she'd end up needing him, because she got in trouble far too easily and she needed at least one teacher that she could turn to), so she instead glanced once more around the room and tried to identify the plants. "The picture in the book has a plant with pretty waxy looking leaves. You might want to check over in the right corner. They have waxier leaves over there. But I don't actually know much about Herbology."

She raised an eyebrow as he reprimanded her. He was gentle in his ways, but it still irked her that he was trying to stop her, although she understood why. That did not mean she would listen though. "I can hardly be productive when I... well, I'm dead, so I can't progress at all. I'm stuck. Might as well entertain myself if I cannot achieve anything. And don't worry, I'm not forsaking any potential friendships. Nobody wants to be friends with dead people. We don't make good company. Furthermore, you can't make stop me, and I don't understand why you would try because one: it is futile, and two: why would my apparent need for friendship concern you?" She frowned. She hated it when people told her what to do. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched him, considering all that she'd just said. She sighed. "Sorry, I guess. I just don't like getting reprimanded..." She blushed in embarrassment.

"And Sir Cadogan is hardly a friend? More like a target for verbal abuse when I feel bored." She mumbled.

Riley glanced up and followed her finger to the far corner where the plants were certainly waxier. "Right. Thanks," he murmured, already distracted by the pots. His eyes raked over the leaves, looking for some sign that they were the plants he wanted. Orange speckles on the roots was what he was looking for, but he couldn't check the roots without yanking the plants out of their pots. Something he'd rather avoid in case a few Mandrakes were hidden in their ranks. He should have brought some ear muffs with him.

When Vanessa spoke about friends, Riley winced, a little frown flicking across his face. He turned around, concern evident on his face. "Don't say that. Plenty of people won't mind that you're dead." He couldn't name many off the top of his head, but it didn't help that Vanessa had a tendency to hold people at arm's length. "Sorry, I'm not trying to lecture you." He blushed and shrugged. "It doesn't exactly concern me, I just want you to be happy, Vanessa. If you are going to live forever as a ghost, you might as well enjoy it." As the words sunk in, he frowned. "Sorry, that doesn't sound very good, does it?" He wasn't quite sure what he meant anymore.

Riley's eyes drifted out of focus, imagining the knight in a verbal sparring match with Vanessa. "Poor Sir. You weren't too mean to him I hope? I'm not sure he realizes he's just a picture." It was usually better to let Sir Cadogan believe that--should he want to--he could leap out of his portrait at any time and fight off whatever blaggard was irritating him.

"Oh, don't worry about me being happy. I'm positively ecstatic." She said, dully. "Although I appreciate the concern." She followed him as he moved, although she was careful to not get too close, for if he suddenly moved he could easily go through her, for there was not much free space in the greenhouses. "And I hope you're aware how awful that sounded. But I won't run off screaming, or attack you, or anything - I get you. You're more awkward then I remember, why? What's been going on in your life during the holidays?" She tried to get in front of him without being in the way, but she felt ignored when she hovered by his side. He looked so distant and pre-occupied that she had no idea if he was really bothered about her being there at all. She hoped he was, at least a little bit.

"I'm not entirely sure if he is aware or not that he is just a painting, but I'd like to think I wasn't too harsh. He'll scream at anyone so it's hard to tell when you genuinely upset him..."

"Yeah, he does yell a lot," Riley murmured, momentarily ignoring her question. He didn't exactly know how to go about telling people he was engaged. Alliss didn't seem to have any problem with it, but she was always the more outgoing of the two of them. And this was Vanessa. If she didn't take the news well, she'd probably torment him for weeks. (And though he couldn't think of a reason why she wouldn't take it well, he was rather sure she wouldn't.)

Sighing, he set the Herbology book aside and leaned back against the table of pots behind him. One hand jumped to the nape of his neck, rubbing the short hairs there in nervousness. "Well, yeah, it's been a pretty interesting summer. Ahm, where to start..." He shifted a little, chin dropping to his chest and eyes peeking out from under his eyebrows, exuding sheepishness. "I, ahm--I got engaged. With Alliss--to Alliss! We're--we're engaged. Planning a wedding for the summer and all that." He shut his mouth and forced out a little smile, waiting for the ghost's response. He may end up having to duck under the table for cover.

Vanessa blinked. "How did you manage to pull her?" She said, incredulously. She felt surprised, mostly, and a little impressed, but also worried: because this meant change and moving on and distance and she'd lose somebody else. But she mostly felt surprised. "And why would you get married? You didn't seem the type to, y'know, interact with people. And the idea of you marrying someone seems quite ridiculous." She scoffed, before smacking him. It wasn't a hard hit, but he was so feeble she wouldn't be surprised if he cried. "And getting married is boring! How dare you be boring, Riley! Now you're going to go and be all romantic and grown-up and average and leave me and it's just not right." She couldn't really explain why she felt so bitter. She supposed it came down to the fact that he could do something that she wouldn't ever be able to do. In a way, it felt like betrayal. She wanted to hit him lots of times, until he got a concussion. So she smacked him again, huffing grumpily. "It's not fair!" She scowled.

"I didn't--!" Riley blushed, his hand roving higher and tugging at his hair harder. Alliss had practically proposed to him, actually. He'd been far too slow on the uptake, but he'd managed it eventually. "I didn't pull her," he muttered, stiffening as Vanessa pointed out his inability to socialize. She punched him and he winced. "I--I can socialize!" It sounded as about assured in his ears as he felt. None at all. Alliss had been able to decide who her bridesmaid would be within just a couple days of the initial engagement. He'd been thinking about it for nearly two months now and he still didn't have anyone in mind. Riley had never before wanted a brother as much as he did right now.

Vanessa smacked him again and Riley winced, forcing himself not to rub the offended area. And here was the anger he'd been worried about. His head cocked to the side as she fumed, leaving him confused and lost. "Vanessa, I'm not going anywhere. I mean, I'll still be working here. It's not like I've got the skills to do much of anything else. And Alliss is still working here. We're not going anywhere."

"But you'll change!" She whined. "People who get married always change. They grow up, and become boring. You won't be my awkward little punching-bag anymore - which I'm sure you will be delighted by." Vanessa did not doubt that Riley could not wait to get her our of his hair. Because she would leave him alone then, once he put the ring on and could call Alliss his. She'd have to no reason to talk to him and he already had no reason to listen to her. He never really had in the first place. She wasn't even entirely sure where their 'friendship' stood as it was. A part of her was seething with jealousy for he could go on, move on to the next stage of life, and he was ready to do it: meanwhile she had to remain with her little infantile body and face and mind and do nothing about it. For a while, he had been stuck in a stand-still moment of life, he was just a teacher, just average. Barely an adult and he had no relationship with anyone and he had just been a teacher, and she liked that he was still so young and had not gone too far yet. Now he was moving on and she was being left behind. Again. "You'll change." She sighed, deciding that regardless of how jealous she was, she still did want him to be a little happy and knew that she couldn't stop the wedding: nor did she really have any interest in doing so. Weddings were vile occasions, she thought, they made her want to gag. "I've seen it happen before, people going away to get hitched and coming back as different people. But I guess I can cope. I'll still have John, so it'll be okay. And you'll finally get rid of me. But if you have kids I swear I'll kill you."

She noticed he was wincing as she hit him and she rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Forgot what a softie you are. And, no, you really can't socialise. You're spending your free period in a greenhouse, instead of seeing your beloved, or seeing friends. Do you even have friends? ...Which makes me wonder how you ever got the nerve to ask somebody out - let alone ask to marry them. She probably wears the pants in your relationship."

Riley shrugged at the punching bad comment. He'd actually be rather grateful to keep his shoulders bruise free. A summer with Alliss had spoiled him and Vanessa's punches felt like they stung more this year then they had last year. Though she'd also never been properly mad at him before like she seemed to be now.

As Vanessa calmed down, face still full of turmoil, but voice filling with dreaded acceptance, Riley reached out, trying to clasp her hand in his. He'd forgotten how difficult that was with a ghost and his hands passed through hers a few times before he managed it. "I won't change. I mean, at least I'll try not to," he quickly amended. He'd never been married before. He couldn't exactly predict what it would do to his life. "If I do, you're more than welcome to smack me across the head a few times until I'm back to normal."

The John comment made him smile and he nodded. The kids comment made him blushed a deep hard red and he lost his concentration, hands falling through Vanessa's. What was with everyone and kids these days!? "No no no! It's way too early to be talking about kids!" he squawked, voice cracking. He could barely manage to keep his own head on, he'd probably lose a kid in days if they ever had one. He was so caught up on the kids comment he completely missed the bit about Alliss wearing the pants in their relationship. (Though he would have whole-heartedly agreed with Vanessa on that one.)

Vanessa stared at his hands covering hers. What was he up to? She had no idea exactly what he was trying to do, but she assumed it was an attempt to comfort her. She could feel the heat flowing from his flesh, and feel the slight pulsating feeling of his heartbeat. He seemed nervous. Or, perhaps, nervous was not the best term: but he was a little unsettled. She rolled her eyes at his futile attempt at contradicting her. "Yes you will. You can't make a promise like that: unless you've been in a marriage before, which I highly doubt. Of course you will change. But don't worry, I'll definitely take you up on your offer to smack you for doing so."

Vanessa smirked as he nearly choked on his own saliva. What a baby. She felt a little surge of disappointment when his hands fell through hers, but mostly a sense of relief. She still was not used to people trying to touch her. "It's hardly too early. You're marrying the woman. I don't know her that well - she annoys me, she's too... cheerful - but I reckon she's the kind of want lots of kids. Then you'll have to be a daddy. Imagine when they get to their teenage years." She watched him splutter, and waited for him to stumble into a plant and injure himself. She was honestly surprised that he hadn't started twitching, nor had he turned blue from a lack of oxygen: at least he was breathing properly. "Again; have children and I will hunt you down for bringing more of those vile things into existence, and also because then you'll get even more responsible, and good lord you do not need that."

Riley dropped his hands into his lap, face falling as Vanessa waved off his promise. Logically, she was right, getting married would probably change things he couldn't anticipate, but...he'd like to think he'd still keep his priorities in order. The corner of his mouth twitched at the threat. "I expect it, Miss Corvus. Just maybe try not to...you know, be too hard," he tacked on at the end, already anticipating being smacked by the ghost. Once was more than enough.

At the father comments, he shook his head more vigorously. "No no no, I would not make a good father," he murmured, remembering his failed attempts at simply controlling his own classroom. "I can't even get a group of kids to settle down and work on their lesson for an hour. And watching a teenager 24/7?" His head shook again with a surprisingly disappointed frown on his face. "No, I don't think you'll have to worry about that. At least not for long while."

[MUST. RESIST. URGE. TO MAKE. SARCASTIC. REMARK. -bites arm-]

"I won't promise that: we'll have to see how much of an annoying git you become. Well, how much more of an annoying git." Vanessa's eyebrow twitched slightly and she smirked. It felt a bit like a grimace. She watch Riley shake his head, looking nervous. "I never said you should have kids, I said that you most likely would: I have no doubts that you would be a terrible father."

She sighed, and floated a little away from the Charms professor. She wondered if she could get away with smashing a plant pot over his head now, and if she did: how would his fiance respond? She was quite tempted to find out. She seized locks of her hair and fiddled with them once more, to distract her from doing something she'd probably regret later. She was also tempted to leave: for they were surely done here, what more was there to do or say? But she stayed, anyway. She did not have any idea why.

((SORRY! Finals and...whatnot. *still deaded*))

"Ah, yeah, right," Riley murmured, rather agreeing with Vanessa. He was not cut out to be a father. Not now--probably not ever. He sighed. Was it possible to get cold feet nearly a year before the wedding?

Riley leaned up against the table, book abandoned at his side. Once his weight was steady on the table, he pulled his legs up, knees catching under his chin, arms wrapping about his shins. "Terrible, huh? Right. Probably awful really." He glanced up, eyes catching Vanessa's though not clouded with the fear he should be feeling. "Nobody knows how to be a parent, right? They just go in and...figure it out."

[well chessie, that's my plan screwed.]
[[also, have an exam today and should be revising. kou you will always be my scapegoat.]]
[[[aaaallwaaayyysss.]]]

Vanessa stared at him. She hadn't expected him to do that: to curl up on a stool looking like that. She wanted to slap that look off his face, but suspected doing so would make things worse. He looked miserable. But she had never seen him get effected by the things she said before. Was she supposed to comfort him?

"Uh... sorry." She grunted, voice low. She wasn't entirely sure what she had said that might have made his mood change so suddenly. She assumed she must have sounded harsher than she intended, because nothing she had said before seemed that bad. She floated closer to him, watching him for any tell-tale signs as to what was going through his head. She reached over, and patted his head, not sure of how else to comfort him. "You'd probably be a good father, you know..." she mumbled, wondering if she should hug him. "You're good at lots of things-" (things that Vanessa could not name but she went on, feeling thoroughly embarrassed) "-although perhaps Herbology is not one of those things." She glanced at the abandoned book.

Apologising and comforting felt like she was biting her own tongue but she supposed it was better than Riley moping. She sighed and tried to wrap her arms around him, only to pass through him as she went. She tried again.

((...I'd apologize but I'm not even sorry.))

((Well, I am sorry for screwing up your plan--but I'm not sorry. Actually. At all.))

((...well this is awkward.))

Riley laughed, very willing to agree that his Herbology skills were sub-par at best. Still, his grin stopped short, mind still focused on the father-thing. He didn't exactly have a father around that he could turn to when he inevitably screwed up the whole parenting thing. His mother wasn't there to give him advice or walk him through the steps of changing a nappy. He'd never had any siblings or cousins or anything to take care of. He'd never even been a babysitter before. How was he ever expected to manage a child 24/7?

Vanessa leaned in to hug him and the distraction was welcome. After a moment, he wrapped a hand around her arm, not exactly sure how to return a hug in their current position. A light smile flickered across his face and was gone again. "Thanks, 'Nessa. Sorry, I'm just getting worried over nothing. I--sorry," he murmured, burying his nose into her translucent arm. "Thank you."

[jack, you fiend, you.]

Vanessa watched him as he laughed, only for his smile to quickly fade. It hurt, like a icy knife being thrust into her chest, to see him like that, and she hated to think it was her fault. "I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling horribly guilty. If it were any other person she'd laugh and tease them, but it was Riley, and it was Riley curled up on a stool looking thoroughly miserable, and she couldn't bear to not offer him comfort, despite not knowing what to do. "I didn't mean to upset you. Please don't be sad." She thought she sounded like a lost child, pleading with him like that, but there was little else she could think to do.

Last time they'd been in a situation like this, it had been her who'd needed comfort - not the other way around. It wasn't right, this way round. He was supposed to the brave one. He was supposed to be okay. But she held onto him regardless, not entirely sure what to do in this situation. She owed him this, anyway. But she wasn't doing it just because she had a dept to pay: in fact that barely crossed her mind as she had wrapped her translucent arms around him. No, she had latched onto him because she wanted to help him. She did like Riley, after all. He was her first friend since her passing. If friend was the right word. His hand wrapped around her arm, startlingly warm compared to the cool feel of her whole person. She noticed a smile flicker across his features, before it faded away. This was decidedly unnatural, she thought; her, a ghost of a fifteen year old student, comforting a young professor. The fact that she could hold him at all was strange. She had grown unused to being touched and it almost repulsed her. Almost. Still, it was something she had missed - something she had craved: touching. She felt him bury his face into her arm, and she did not pull away, despite the fact that it made her jump and feel unsettled. Instead she focused on not passing through him. She wondered if it was to hide tears, or just for comfort. She did not ask. She did not think he would appreciate her asking.

Her heart broke, seeing him like this. She was silently thrilled at hearing herself be referred to as 'Nessa' once again, she just wished the circumstances were better. "It's okay." She mumbled, not sure how else to accept his thanks. "If it's worth anything, I think you are wonderful." She kissed his cheek, before laying her head on his shoulder and listening to his breathing. She wouldn't let go of him for anything, not whilst he needed her.

[and along came john -shot-]

[Do you ever just sit and cry because you miss Jack so much? Oh, okay then. Just me. FINE THEN.]