Grounds: The Pumpkin Patch

[Wilber Winterbottom]

Graphic credit: FearlessLeader19

The Pumpkin Patch is situated within a fenced plot of land. Students are free to enter through the wooden gate and traverse carefully among the orange vegetables. The pumpkins are in varying stages of growth. They are well tended to by Professor Khanna but they have extended the invitation of the same to Hogwartians. This much is made clear by the neat sign perched on the outside of the Patch:

Quote:

Students and Professors are welcome to assist in the Pumpkin Patch. Clearing of weeds, removing dead leaves or withered pumpkins, watering and any other actions deemed fit are welcome!

[Kolyander]

A Pumpkin Patch!

Now this was something very different. Yet, Bryony liked it. It reminded her of being back at home when she was younger and they all went to pick out pumpkins together. Everyone would get to choose one and then when they got home they would either crave them or decorate them. Some years even Ary's family went with them and it was a whole big thing.. mess even for a lack of better words. A big crazy fun mess!

Those memories were what brought the small blonde into the pumpkin patch this first Friday after classes. Big bright blue eyes immediately wandered around taking in all the different pumpkins, some of them really looked like they could use some help!

[Chelliephone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

A Pumpkin Patch!

Now this was something very different. Yet, Bryony liked it. It reminded her of being back at home when she was younger and they all went to pick out pumpkins together. Everyone would get to choose one and then when they got home they would either crave them or decorate them. Some years even Ary's family went with them and it was a whole big thing.. mess even for a lack of better words. A big crazy fun mess!

Those memories were what brought the small blonde into the pumpkin patch this first Friday after classes. Big bright blue eyes immediately wandered around taking in all the different pumpkins, some of them really looked like they could use some help!

It was the sign encouraging students to help take care of the orange gourds that had drawn Drake's interest to this particular part of the grounds. He loved the greenhouses for the same reason, but they were far more crowded thus far - so when he was itching to get his hands in the dirt the 3rd year had grabbed some gloves and hadn't down here to the patch.

He hadn't been there for overly long when he heard feet crunching on some of the dried leaves on the ground, and the boys head (his hair hidden by a mopish hat) popped up over one of the largest squashes while he looked around for the noise. He has been expecting to see someone, but he was pleasantly surprised by the familiar blond. "Bryony! Are you down here to get dirty too??"

If so, he found the PERFECT patch of weeds he was about to tackle if she wanted to join!

[Kolyander]

Being in the center of the pumpkin patch surrounded by gourds of all sizes was much more fun than it sounded. It was like being in a sea of orange! Surely she had to stand out among everything out here in her bright pink overalls and stripped shirt.

The little blonde was spinning on the spot when she heard someone shouting her name. Someone she had grown to know quite a bit better over the summer while they hung out together when Ary wasn't around. "Drake! Hi!" Her fellow third year snake got a finger wiggle wave. "Not exactly.." She was down here for the memories and maybe to take a small pumpkin back to her dorm with her for decorating. However... "I never turn down an opportunity to get dirty. Whatcha doing?"

Bry headed towards him to get a better look of where in the patch he was and what he was planning on getting into. Were they clearing weeds away today or helping unhealthy pumpkins?

[Chelliephone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Being in the center of the pumpkin patch surrounded by gourds of all sizes was much more fun than it sounded. It was like being in a sea of orange! Surely she had to stand out among everything out here in her bright pink overalls and stripped shirt.

The little blonde was spinning on the spot when she heard someone shouting her name. Someone she had grown to know quite a bit better over the summer while they hung out together when Ary wasn't around. "Drake! Hi!" Her fellow third year snake got a finger wiggle wave. "Not exactly.." She was down here for the memories and maybe to take a small pumpkin back to her dorm with her for decorating. However... "I never turn down an opportunity to get dirty. Whatcha doing?"

Bry headed towards him to get a better look of where in the patch he was and what he was planning on getting into. Were they clearing weeds away today or helping unhealthy pumpkins?

Bryony was in fact very obvious in the sea of orange, with her likewise bright colors. Not that he would have noticed her if it weren't for the sound though, considering once he started working with plants - he wasn't very good about paying attention to anything else around him.

But he did notice her now, so he returned the wave before scooting over to make more space for her when she accepted his invitation to join him. "I knew there was a reason we got along!" He replied good naturedly a small laugh. It's true that was only a recent development but... still. "Weeding! It looks like Professor Khanna left us some stuff to do. I'm betting they did it so we could use this as meditation too." Because in Drake's opinion, there was nothing calmer than this. "There's probably some pumpkins that could use some pruning on the stems too if you prefer to do that though!"

[Kolyander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

Bryony was in fact very obvious in the sea of orange, with her likewise bright colors. Not that he would have noticed her if it weren't for the sound though, considering once he started working with plants - he wasn't very good about paying attention to anything else around him.

But he did notice her now, so he returned the wave before scooting over to make more space for her when she accepted his invitation to join him. "I knew there was a reason we got along!" He replied good naturedly a small laugh. It's true that was only a recent development but... still. "Weeding! It looks like Professor Khanna left us some stuff to do. I'm betting they did it so we could use this as meditation too." Because in Drake's opinion, there was nothing calmer than this. "There's probably some pumpkins that could use some pruning on the stems too if you prefer to do that though!"

Pink was a lovely color! And she looked amazing in it. Did he know? Well he probably didn't and that was alright cause he didn't need to notice things like that about her. Hmm, that's how she is with the creature! Totally loses herself among them. Okay, well that's actually true about many things for her. Keeping very busy was best for her.

"Cause we both like to get dirt?" Bry commented, laughing quietly as she looked around at where they were both standing. "Weeding, okay.. I can help with that." It was certainly an easy enough task that she didn't need magic for at all. "That's probably true, I hadn't thought about that but gardening can be very therapeutic... Just like working with creatures and my ninja training." Such excellent ways to relax and destress. "We can always get to that after we finish with the weeding.. and I planned on picking a little pumpkin to take back to the common room and decorate later if you want go do the same? We can get one for Ary too." Then they could all decorate them together.

[Chelliephone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Pink was a lovely color! And she looked amazing in it. Did he know? Well he probably didn't and that was alright cause he didn't need to notice things like that about her. Hmm, that's how she is with the creature! Totally loses herself among them. Okay, well that's actually true about many things for her. Keeping very busy was best for her.

"Cause we both like to get dirt?" Bry commented, laughing quietly as she looked around at where they were both standing. "Weeding, okay.. I can help with that." It was certainly an easy enough task that she didn't need magic for at all. "That's probably true, I hadn't thought about that but gardening can be very therapeutic... Just like working with creatures and my ninja training." Such excellent ways to relax and destress. "We can always get to that after we finish with the weeding.. and I planned on picking a little pumpkin to take back to the common room and decorate later if you want go do the same? We can get one for Ary too." Then they could all decorate them together.

While Drake didn't have strong opinions of the color pink one way or another, he still would have said his friend did look good so on that part he could have agreed. It was a bright and cheery color, and it matched her outgoing, bubbly personality. Wasn't it nice to have something they loved so much it made time pass by quickly?

"Well... it sounds especially silly when said outloud actually I guess. But I did mean we aren't afraid to get dirty, more like!" He giggled too, leaning back down among the unwanted foliage and reaching down at the base of a handful and pulling as hard as he could. It was a bit too big of a section, because when it finally came out with a soft pop he fell backwards a little bit. "I agree! Well... at least about gardening and caret aking. The ninja stuff seems like it takes a whole lot more concentration!" Although, he supposed not for her at this point, since she had been doing it for so long. Oooh, pumpkin decorating!? Drake perked a bit, looking over the patch to see if he spotted any good ones. "That sounds like a great idea! If we find some good ones, I might grab a few to decorate to give to our other dorm mates too." They could just spruce up both of the second year Slytherin dorms! "How are things in your dorm this year? Do you like all your dorm mates?"

[Kolyander]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

While Drake didn't have strong opinions of the color pink one way or another, he still would have said his friend did look good so on that part he could have agreed. It was a bright and cheery color, and it matched her outgoing, bubbly personality. Wasn't it nice to have something they loved so much it made time pass by quickly?

"Well... it sounds especially silly when said outloud actually I guess. But I did mean we aren't afraid to get dirty, more like!" He giggled too, leaning back down among the unwanted foliage and reaching down at the base of a handful and pulling as hard as he could. It was a bit too big of a section, because when it finally came out with a soft pop he fell backwards a little bit. "I agree! Well... at least about gardening and caret aking. The ninja stuff seems like it takes a whole lot more concentration!" Although, he supposed not for her at this point, since she had been doing it for so long. Oooh, pumpkin decorating!? Drake perked a bit, looking over the patch to see if he spotted any good ones. "That sounds like a great idea! If we find some good ones, I might grab a few to decorate to give to our other dorm mates too." They could just spruce up both of the second year Slytherin dorms! "How are things in your dorm this year? Do you like all your dorm mates?"

That's alright! When it comes to most colors, Bry liked them. Pink just happened to be her most favorite. Oh! Well.. erm, that was really nice of him to notice and think so. She was bubbly and outgoing, wasn't she? Yesssss! Loves having so many different things to fill her time and keep her busy.

"It's not silly.. it's the truth. Sometimes getting dirty is all a part of the adventure." It was fun. "Oh!" Bry, reached out to try to grab a hold of Drake before he could fall backwards. "That one was trying to take you down.. I saw it!' She laughed even more. "Umm, sometimes but when I'm really in the zone I'm not thinking about anything but completely the course." It was a lot of hard work though.

Bryony smiled brightly. "I bet there's some really great ones further back in the patch." There were so many they could choose from. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a few to bring back with them to help make their dorms more cheery. Reaching down , she wrapped her hands around the base of some not so well looking weeds and yanked. The handful came up relatively easily and she dropped them into a pile. "Yup! It's a lot of the same girls since first year so I know most of them pretty good." True she was closer with a few of them than others, but that happened sometimes.

[Chelliephone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

That's alright! When it comes to most colors, Bry liked them. Pink just happened to be her most favorite. Oh! Well.. erm, that was really nice of him to notice and think so. She was bubbly and outgoing, wasn't she? Yesssss! Loves having so many different things to fill her time and keep her busy.

"It's not silly.. it's the truth. Sometimes getting dirty is all a part of the adventure." It was fun. "Oh!" Bry, reached out to try to grab a hold of Drake before he could fall backwards. "That one was trying to take you down.. I saw it!' She laughed even more. "Umm, sometimes but when I'm really in the zone I'm not thinking about anything but completely the course." It was a lot of hard work though.

Bryony smiled brightly. "I bet there's some really great ones further back in the patch." There were so many they could choose from. It shouldn't be too difficult to find a few to bring back with them to help make their dorms more cheery. Reaching down , she wrapped her hands around the base of some not so well looking weeds and yanked. The handful came up relatively easily and she dropped them into a pile. "Yup! It's a lot of the same girls since first year so I know most of them pretty good." True she was closer with a few of them than others, but that happened sometimes.

She had a very good point, though he had never considered as such. Getting dirty could be part of the adventure, whether that adventure was just one of learning something new, learning what NOT to do (in the case of falling down) and was a far more literal adventure in the sense of learning to sneak into the Prefects bathroom to clean up (not that he would ever). He appreciated her attempt to stop him, and Drake grinned up at her to show as much as he re situated again to balance on his feet so he could grab more weeds. "I suppose I can't blame them if they fight back. We ARE literally uprooting them from their homes." But they picked the wrong spot for homes.

Though... truthfully with the way he said it, he was suddenly feeling a little guilty about the task at hand. Oops.

"Does thinking about the course mean though that you're like really strategizing and stuff on how to do each obstacle? Or does your body just kind of take over and it's muscle memory at this point?" His attention turned fully to her for a moment, not bothering to grab another handful of weeds while his head tilted and he waited for Bry's response. When conversation turned further to pumpkins, Drake glanced over at the rest of the patch, straining his eyes to see those waaaay on the outskirts. "I think you're probably right! We'll have the whole place looking cheery in no time. Great idea, Bryony!" Because he wasn't trying to take credit for her good idea. As for dormmates? He could certainly understand and appreciate knowing some better than others. Drake wouldn't say he disliked anyone in his dorm, but of course he had made far stronger attachment bonds to Aryan and then Jansher. "Do you have a favorite dormmate?" He asked, quietly of course so no one could overhear their conversation. He wouldn't blame her if she declined to answer, but he was merely curious.