Lesson One: Sixth Years

Emery growled as he stalked into the room, arms outstretched as the windows slammed open. The ceiling, charmed to show what emotion he was feeling, silently thundered as his eyes darkened in annoyance. His cloak billowed around him, intent on intimidating the lot until they’ve proven themselves. Herbology was, in no way, the ‘safest’ class.

“All right.” He growled out lowly, keen eyes glaring into the surrounding students. “Mine name eez Emery Keitstock. And I am your Herbology Teacher for ze school year.” His wand flew out the class was enveloped in a cool sensation of something watching them down. "What I did waz clean off all ze foreign dirt-" He spit out the word like it was a curse. "Off your skin. I do not want all ze disgusting teenage hormonal germz contaminating mine plants." He glared at the class and watched for their reactions.

"Zis class will be dangerous." Some children in the background coughed, making silvery green eyes narrow in on them in deadly intent. Many students paled. "Oh, so yoo zink zis iz funny, do ye not?" His voice deepened to a slight purr. "Yoo will find eet funny when ze vines wrap around your throat and slowly strangle all life from ze body until not a zound will be 'eard from you. Ze plant will zen use zour body as eets new 'ome. Killing all your family for your one stupid mistake... Zat would be funny, would it not? Hein?" His tone was innocent, watching in amusement as the boys and girls turned a light green.

"Anywayz. I 'ave a class to teach. Any questions, hein?" Emery's eyes scanned the crowd for any questioning faces, crossing his arms and waiting.

Raoul had jumped about a meter into the air when their new Professor had stalked into the classroom, so obviously angry that it scared even he, and he usually wasn't as intimidated by teachers, or anybody else for that matter. Not that he thought he was better than everybody else, but he just wasn't one to get scared a lot when nothing happened, and it was just the mood of a Professor. His threat made him gulp and sink lower into his chair, only briefly glancing at Emery, before he let his eyes wander across the many familiar students' faces. It was better than being glared at. If looks could kill, every single kid would be dropping dead right now.

A few students' hands shot up in the air as the Professor asked whether there were any questions, but he stayed put and, any questions he may have had about the teacher or about the class, he shut up and let the others ask theirs. He sucked in a sharp breath when one asked what had made him so angry. Angry enough to take it all out on them. Oh this really couldn't be good.

Raoul himself just stared at the plants, trying to not remind himself about what that powerful breeze of 'cleaning off foreign dirt' felt like, and how he never really wanted to feel it again. This teacher, was definitely a scary one. He just hoped that he wasn't always like this, or he'd even be scared to look him in the eye. Catching sight of his new friend, he gave her only a half-smile, not daring to give her a 'he's kinda scary...' look, in case he caught on and took it the wrong way. Although, for some odd reason, Raoul did not think that Emery would be really bothered about students claiming he was frightening. Perhaps he wanted to give off that 'I can't stand you' vibe. Of course that was not meant in an offensive way.

As the class continued after questions had been answered, he hadn't realised that he was zoning out.

Emery twitched once, then twice at the absurdity of it all. Some of these students were the most- his thoughts turned dark and most of the class flinched as thunder rumbled above head, the silencing Charm around the ceiling not stopping the teens from seeing how violent the storm was getting. Finally, one idiotic student made his temper snap. You could almost hear the broken rubber band.

"Vhy are yoo 'o mad?" Said idiot student's mouth was immediately zippered... literally.

"Enough." He snarled, his voice echoing in the large enclosed space. "Yoo are wonzering vhy I am like zis, hein?" He received timid nods from some brave ones... idiots. "Eet eez none of zour business." He hissed in response, making the more shyer ones flinch. The brave ones holding their grounds. They received a small approving look from him. "Eef yoo must know. Zere were people-" His sneer made it clear that he thought them imbeciles. "Waz outzide mine class burning zome of ze plantz. Now- eef zis was a different class, I wouldn't 'ave 'ared much. But zis ees 'erbology. Whoo ees stupeed enough to do zat?" He asked, not actually expecting an answer.

"Eet waz ze zame people that are missing from zis class." His unusually sharp teeth gleamed in the slight darkness, deadly satisfaction a glaring sign. "Now. Do keep up. Are we mizzing anyone else?" He gave a short sigh when no one answered, waiting for someone to speak up... the idiots.

It figures, Stella would be late to her first class of the new school year. She had waited all year long for this class, and yet she had somehow allowed herself to be distracted and lose track of time. Again.
Still, even though she knew she was late and though she desperately wanted to get to class, Stella still walked with danceresque movements, humming softly with a smile. She was dreaming again, as always, even as she sat in the back of the classroom, unaware of her professors intimidating speech or the storm clouds that were charmed on the ceiling.

When he asked if anyone else was missing, she lifted her head and gave him a bright, airy smile, obviously unaware that he was probably going to yell at her. "I em sorry pour my tardiness, professeur." she said with her sing-song soprano voice. "I can assure you it will not 'appen again." She said with a happy grin.

Her light personality, or rather her complete inability to realize that the professor was not happy with her, caused the remainder of the class to glance back at her with looks of shock and almost fear. Was he going to kick her out of the class? Would he yell at her? Stella didn't seem to mind either way as she washed her hands with a airy smile on her lips and far-off look in her eyes.

Raoul sighed. This lesson would be interesting. Especially what with the guys that often asked stupid questions, and now Stella, who arrived late and it was obvious that it would just piss the teacher off even more. Oh, if only he could crouch down and slowly sneak out of the classroom...Just a wish though. Not like he would really get away with it. A boy on his right nudged him so he turned, making sure the Professor wasn't watching him, and he took the note he gave him to pass it on to the other guy it was intended to. He just hoped he wouldn't get caught for that one. He'd do his best to not act like a total scardy-cat in front of everyone. Like I said, he usually wasn't but, with this Professor, only time will tell.

"Vat waz eet?" He found himself hissing to the guy he'd taken the note from, curiosity obvious in both his voice and his eyes. The other boy quickly answered before his eyes snapped back up to the front of the classroom and he tried not to flinch as the teacher's mood only darkened. Raoul looked up also, hoping it wasn't them that he'd caught talking, and he tried to focus hard on thinking what it was they would be concentrating on today, the first lesson.

Something...to do with plants. Obviously. Hopefully they would not yet be dealing with carnivore plants, or otherwise around half the class would be engulfed by one by the end of class.

Emery withheld a smirk and kept the irritable scowl on his face as he glared at the rather... airy Ms. Jeaneaus. Now, he's heard about her from all his 'coworkers'. He heard from the Herbology teacher from last year she was somewhat talented at this, but that was yet to be determined. Being late to class was one reason she hadn't made a good first impression.

His scowl morphed into a smirk, pale green eyes lighting up in delight... something that made the rest of the class shiver. "Vell Mz. Jeaneaus. Zince yoo are late, yoo can clean up vat ees left after zis class." The way he said it was not comforting, not comforting at all. Since it seemed they were going to learn something dangerous, most felt bad for Stella, as she was getting the short end of the stick here.

Emery just grinned ferally, not even bothering to stop the note exchange somewhere near the back. All he did was send them a glare that would make a lesser man wet himself. He nodded in satisfaction when he received feelings of startled fear from his students.

"Today." He purred in a slightly loving voice, thin hands trailing over pots and soil. "Ve are 'oing 'oo learn about one of ze most deadliest plantz I 'ave een 'ere. Eet ees called-" He paused and stopped at deceptively cute looking plant, eyes darkening. "Venomous Tentacula." He finished with relish, hands petting the leaves of the thing as if it were a dog. And it might as well been for all pleasure it seemed to be showing.

Students that had heard about it gasped in horror and fear, their eyes widening when the venomous plant allowed their Herbology teacher to stroke it.

"I 'eard zat eet bitez zour 'and off." One of them muttered.

"C'est impossible!"

"Mon dieu! Comment est-il cela?" My god? How is he doing that?

"Zis ees a plant zat can and vill protect 'imself." As if to emphasize that statement, the leaves turned sharp and looked kinda like teeth. Emery just cooed at the damned thing, the plant making a purring noise. "Ze teeth ees toxique- poisonous. Zo eef yoo get bitten, pleez don't 'esitate to come and ask me for ze antidote."

He grinned, something not very comforting. Emery's hands gently lifted a vine- tentacle and showed them the blue liquid secreting from the tips. "Zis ees also toxique. Zo try and not to get 'it. Vat yoo are going to do, ees get ze seeds of ze plant toxique VITHOUT getting poisoned..." He flicked his hair over his shoulder and smiled. "Ze first person to do zis vill receive a box of ze finest chocolatez from ze Délicieux Bonbons." He narrowed his eyes, his mood finally seeming to lighten. "Eef yoo do not accept ze chocolatez, I vill feed yoo to mine plants."

And with that pleasant thought, he sent the students off to word.

Stella tilted her head a little, seeming distracted by the plants that were scattered around the classroom. Some she recognized and some she didn't. Either way, they intrigued her. The way they seemed to twist and form into beautiful shapes and bright colors entranced her. Her attention was only snapped back when the professor said she would be cleaning up after the class.

Stella, regardless of the pitied looks some of her classmates, smiled at the professor brightly as though she were more than willing to clean up. "Mais oui~" She said. "Of course."

Stella watched as he touched the plant, tilting her head curiously as he went on about the poison. She smiled, thinking the strange looking plant was rather adorable. Sure it was poisonous, but it didn't stop it from being absolutely adorable! She looked rather excited to try and get the seeds from the plant, even if it was highly poisonous.

"Alright you~" She cooed to the plant "let's see now." She hummed, gently reaching towards the plant. The leaves immediately spiked up, and Stella merely rose an eyebrow at the plant. "now, is that any way to behave?" She said, going back to cooing to the plant softly as she had seen the professor do before her. Eventually the plant calmed itself down again, purring as the professors had. She smiled, her bright eyes watching the plant with curiosity. "Look at you, purring like un petit chat." She giggled. "Now zen, where are the seeds..." She hummed, stroking the plants leaves softly.

Emery cocked his head to the side, slightly surprised at how well the girl had handled one of the most dangerous plants in his greenhouse. Sure this was a school greenhouse and he had even more venomous and territorial plants, but for a beginner, how she treated the Tentacula was worthy of one of his Seventh Years. Hm... she looked as if she needed help with the seeds.

The ceiling above them calmed, if only for a bit, before turning to a more eerie time of day. Twilight. Yellow filtered through darkened clouds as it continued to mime rain and thunder. How that was, showed how confusing Professor Emery's emotions were.

Making his way through the foliage, and yes- he called the students foliage- stopping beside the Jean girl and observing what she was doing with critical eyes. Slowly, but surely, a minute smile appeared on his face- the difference between his smile and usual scowl obvious as he stroked a leaf. Maybe this girl had more talent then he had thought.

"Zis plant." Emery began, elegant fingers easily sifting through the leaves... as if they weren't venomous and very deadly. "Ees very... Temperamental." He murmured, sharp ears listening for the sound of rattling and hands gently cradling the case the seeds were held in.

"Yoo must be very careful an' gentile eef yoo wish to get away from zis azzignment vith ze bare minimum amount of ze... wounds." And, with a small flick, small greenish colored seeds appeared in his hand. "Zis ees ze vay to get ze zeeds. Pleaze reframe from keeling mine plants..." And, with the last word, he made his way back to the middle of the class, intent on making sure the rest of the class did not kill anyone.