[Keeper of Dol Guldur]

When Faramir was younger, a lad, presumably, was when Gandalf came to Minas Tirith searching for lore and records left by Isildur, and anything else that could help him solve his dilemma in the Shire, or reinforce his hunch.

Anyway, Faramir, a young man of, say thirty, would have been ... 13 (I think that's right) ... Gandalf went to Minas Tirith 17 years before Frodo's Quest began.

And in those days, no doubt he was enamored of Gandalf and wanted to learn as much as possible, even as Boromir, who was only a few years older, was becoming a man (16 - 20 sort of age) and was learning the ways of the warrior.

Denethor was probably pretty absorbed in Boromir's becoming Chief Warden of the Tower, which is a pretty big deal. And since we know Denethor and Gandalf had a bit of a rivalry, and other than that were a lot alike in that they were wizened sorts of thinkers, it seems likely that Faramir as a kid would want somebody to teach him something, because Denethor was busy focusing on Boromir. And Gandalf seemed like a suitable teacher.

So, the fact is, he was probably very much the Wizard's pupil for a short while, and Denethor probably always begrudged both of them for it.

Wormtongue is less a pupil than an assistant, but you're absolutely right, about the love versus desire idea.

The difference is, Wormtongue was "bought" by Saruman, whereas people who chose to learn from Gandalf did it themselves, out of friendship or curiosity.

Even reading the Hobbit, you see right off the bat that while Bilbo feigned his sort of attitude of contentment and disinterest, he really did want to hear all these amazing things about the world (which is why he couldn't help but get interested and involved).

Faramir and Wormtongue ... that's kind of an interesting paradox.

They really are EXACT opposites.

Faramir is kind-hearted and wise, and doesn't desire power, and yet his counsels are totally disregarded by his lord.

Wormtongue is cold and calculating, and desires anything he can get, and his counsels very nearly took over Theoden's mind.

So really ... Eowyn may have warmed up because here was a man who was the exact opposite of Wormtongue, who she despised.

As for Aragorn ... he's inspiration. He inspired Faramir, he inspired Eowyn. He inspired Theoden, and Denethor may have complained about being supplanted, but recognized that here was a guy who was going to take control.

Even Boromir dug him.