an opening walk ... open

[Ric Tender]

[[ This is a starter post I modified to post here. The original was set in the winter holidays and Ric was the Transfiguration Professor. I tried to make sure I changed everything to suit his place here, but if I missed something, just so you know this is a regurgitated starter post So the names I dropped in are actually characters from TEC that Ric interacts with I just don't have the time to write a fresh post for him, but I wanted to get him moving a bit on here.]]

Ric’s morning routine had not really changed much despite the fact he was now back at his old school. The Charms Professor, usually started the morning with a quick dueling practice either out on the grounds or in some open space that would be private. His opponent was usually one that the man had conjured magically. However, sometimes he had a teaching assistant, Alec Baird, who would join him for the morning duel. During those mornings, it had not been uncommon to see the men dueling one another. Ric had been helping the younger man to work on his dueling techniques, as the younger was far more interested transfiguring or charming items to life to do his fighting rather than using more offensive or defensive magics. It was a weakness that the Alec had noticed, and Ric had agreed to help the youth in. Alec had not merely been the man’s teaching assistant, but a sort of friend, and one that the man watched out for. At times their relationship could almost be called brotherly. They were definitely a pair that had got along well with one another. Ric missed the presence of his teaching assistant, but both had moved out into the world and outside the walls of the Magical Academy they both had dwelt in for a few years. Ric still kept up a correspondence with the younger man.

That morning, Ric had not had Alec’s or any others presence but instead dueled against a magically provided opponent. Ric often focused on one style of dueling during his morning practices. He often either worked on defense or offense. However, that morning the man had worked on a combination of both, allowing his magical opponent to throw whatever it wanted at him. Ric had sought for a more natural duel rather than a mere practice one. It had been rough on the man, as he had chosen a level above what he was used to dueling at. However, Ric certainly did not regret the action, nor over the fact he had not won that particular duel. In truth, the man had received a few bruises from the duel and a cut across his right cheek, however they went primarily unnoticed by the Charms Professor. Instead, he had returned to his quarters to clean up, only bothering to clean the blood from the cut instead of healing it before he headed down to the Great Hall for a quick breakfast.

The Great Hall was quiet, what with the morning still early for many of the castle's occupants. The Halls were often deserted in the early morning hours, which had not changed at Hogwarts, which was when the man had visited the dwelling. He ate a light breakfast before he left and moved towards the exit of the school to finish with his morning routine. Unless the weather was completely unbearable, Ric usually ended his morning with a walk around the grounds. Most of time Ric was alone on these walks, however occasionally a student or fellow staff member accompanied him on his walk. Before he had left the Academy, Fitzmulder had been the staff member to accompany him. Since their confrontation in the Entrance Hall some time ago, she had warmed up a little bit to him. Certainly not that much, but there was a respect that wasn’t there before. Ric wasn’t about to complain, considering he was probably one of the few people to tolerate the woman’s presence willingly. Ric was tempted to start a correspondence with her, if only to annoy her. He wasn't positive if the woman would welcome any letters from him. Their relationship was sketchy at the best of times.

Choosing a path, Ric slipped his hands into his pockets as he looked at the quaint little scene the school grounds made with the newly green grass and fresh leaves dotting the branches of trees. There was a light breeze in the air and it carried the sent of some flowering plant to his nose. A light smile touched the man's lips. He rather enjoyed his morning walks, however this one took an extra reason being that the man was reacquainting himself with his old school. He did not think it changed much since the years of his graduation. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did so before he opened them and continued down the path. However, the man was aware that there was something different about the school. There was something darker lurking around, or so it felt. He wasn't sure if he felt it himself or he was channeling things he had heard recently about the school. Either way, Ric was interested in pulling up the pieces of what this suppose darkness was.