Caroline stumbled through the portrait ever so gracefully... yeah right.

"Eeep!" she squeaked, teetering a bit. "Climbing," she answered, steadying herself on the wall. "Trees, rocks, walls. I was a climber as a child."

She was also a percher. Caroline would spend hours sitting on the roof of the Inn just looking, wherever. Down. Briony said it was because she thought she was better than everyone, she needed to be higher than them.

This from a professional Quidditch Player.

"Climbing." Ethan repeated. "I prefer caving." Hiding away in the dark recesses of the earth. "Or failing that, simply taking a book and reading it under a tree on a sunny day."

He eyed the table and the chairs surrounding it. "Should I sit? Will you sit with me?" He pulled out a chair... not for her, for himself, and he sat down with his legs stretched out in front of him.

From behind a nearby door, a little pointed ear can be seen, a sign that a creature of some sort is hanging our nearby. A few seconds later, two, big, bug-eyes appear, and Beezley the house elf stares at the man and woman who've entered the kitchens. Ohh, professors! The little elf glances slowwwly to the left, then glances slowwwly to the right. A second later, in one of those 'blink or else you'll miss it' moments, Beezley appears just in front of the man and woman. "Beezley loves being of servicees to master and mistress," she says, taking a small curtsey. "And how can Beezley help the master and the mistress?"

Caving made Cari a little claustrophobic, if she were completely honest. Instead, she said, "It's not my favourite thing. But I would read out of doors. On the roof. I used to get in trouble for that."

She entertained the thought of joining Ethan at the scrubbed wood table, but before she could decide either way -

Oh, female elves have high pitched voices. Caroline wanted to rub her ears but she was afraid it would be rude. "See?" she grinned at Ethan, "Told you, Hogwarts has the best Elves." So on the ball.

She knelt down, because almost 6 feet of human has got to be a lot for a House Elf. "Hi Beezley, I don't think we've met before, but I'm Caroline, the Nurse. And that gentleman back there is Professor Truebridge, who foolishly has not eaten anything today, and I'm a bit worried about him. Do you think you could find him something to eat so he doesn't faint on us?"

She grinned at Ethan over Beezley's head. If you don't eat and the Nurse finds out about it. Measures will be taken. Let it be known.

"Ethan. Zan... I..." He shifted in his seat and offered his hand quite formally to the little elf. "I take History of Magic. It's a pleasure to meet you, Beezley." He cocked his head, curious to know what the little elf thought would be appropriate food. Not that he felt at all like he was going to faint, and really, he thought Cari was being a tad ridiculous about it but it was nice of her. She was a good friend.

And he WAS hungry.

Argyle is busy baking pastries for tomorrow breakfast. Argyle gets out a pan of cinnamon sticky buns out of the oven. Argyle levitates the pan and walks to the main kitchen when she finds two adults talking to Breezy. Argyle lets to pan float to the table. Argyle then walks into the room. "Good evening, welcome to the kitchen. Did Mistress Ray-Braxton send you down here?" Argyle still can't get used to Mistress Ray-Braxton and her children being gone. Argyle really loved them all.

Beezley's little bug eyes grew wider and wider as the mistress knelt down to her level. She took a step back and knelt a little, as well. Beezley shouldn't be the same height as mistress. Beezley was a house elf, and house elves shouldn't equal to mistresses. Beezley's bug eyes relazed a little, but they popped widely back open when the mistress greeted her. "Ohh, Mistress Cari. Such an honor, such an honor. Beezley honored to serve you, Mistress Cari," she said.

When the lady directed the elf's attention to the man standing nearby, Beezley turned and looked in his direction. She gasped, completely beside herself that one of her masters had not eaten, then jumped back a few steps.

As soon as she was a good distance away from Mistress Cari, Beezley threw herself as Master Truebridge's feet. "Masterrrr Truebridgeee!" she wailed. "Oh, Beezley has failed Master Truebridge! Master, forgive Beezley!" With that, she jumped up off the ground and ran back to the door she'd popped out of as fast as her little wobbly legs could take her. Pots and pans and the such could all be heard clanging against one another. Some time later, Beezley arrived back in the room...only to run right back out again. She continued in this manner until Master Truebridge had an assortment of thirteen dishes to choose from. Steaks...chicken...pies...you name it. "Master Truebridge," Beezley said, curtseying again and motioning towards the dishes.

She had never been in the kitchens before but Clifford told her how to get in. Figures he would know how, and that thought gave her a tickle and she in turn tickled the pear. It giggled and the portrait swung open. She smells hit her and she had to stop as the smells brought memoirs of her dad and that made her home sick.

Missing dinner however wiped out the thoughts of her dad at home right now making dinner for the rest of the family and she walked in. She didn't know if she should touch something or flag down a house elf. She thought it best not to touch anything as house elves were particularly poky when you messed with their domain. Her stomach was rumbling as the smells swirled around her nose.

Ethan was good people. He treats House Elves nicely and humours her nutritional fanaticism. Now, if he only liked pie...

Cari bit back a laugh. Poor little elf. Confused just a bit.

She shook her head. "No..." hmmm to burst the little elf's bubble or not? That is the question. "We came for a bit of a snack, actually." Best not to upset the little thing. She'd let Professor Bontecou know when she saw him next. Or let Beezley explain it.

Uh oh...

"Oh Beezley!" Cari squeaked, alarmed that they had upset her, "You didn't fail at all. It's okay - wow!" House Elves can MOVE. Is that where Tobi learned to be so efficient in the kitchen?

"That's very - wow. Thank you Beezley."

"I... forgive you." Ethan stared at the various plates in front of him and turned to give Cari a 'you better help me eat all this because I don't want to hurt Beezley's feelings' look. He was a master at such looks.

"This is wonderful, Beezley. Amazing. More than amazing."

"Oh good." Ethan looked up as a student entered. "Paris, are you hungry? Beezley made..." He paused and counted them before continuing in a slightly faint voice, "thirteen different dishes..."

Ethan nodded as Cari addressed the other elf, "Cari felt it necessary to feed me... and err... Beezley has been... wow... most forthcoming." Ethan began to eat from the first dish. Mashed potato was safe.

Pietro had heard many things about the kitchens of Hogwarts. His cousin told him he had spent a little time in the kitchens when things were stressing him out. Pie wasn't stressed, though. Pie was just hungry! Leo had told him about the way to get into the kitchen. Something about tickling a fruit. He tickled three different fruits before he figured out that it was a pear he had to tickle.

The door finally opened and Pietro climbed into the kitchen. He was surprised to see that he was not the only person in the Kitchens. The smell of food immediately hit him in the face as he looked at the dishes on the table. Of course it would be Pietro's luck that two of the three people in the room were staff. "Are there cookies anywhere around here? I would love some homemade chocolate chip cookies!"

ooc: hope yall don't mind the intruder

She didn't even notice that there were professors in the kitchens. She almost jumped out of her skin when Professor Truebridge spoke to her. She was too hungry to turn tail and run out of the kitchens and the food was smelling so good. She looked at the tiny house elf. Well who was Paris calling tiny. She was a couple of inches taller than her. "Um thanks professor." She said uneasy as she looked at him.

Paris smiled at the house elf who looked positively nervous to be around so many people. "Thank you so much. It smells good." She nodded. "Paris Greenwood." She said holding out her hand for the elf to shake.

She was fixing a plate of roasted chicken and garlic mashed potatoes when she saw a house mate walk into the kitchen and started yelling about cookies. Has to be a first year, she thought to herself as she watched him. "I'm sure if you ask nicely. Beasley will be happy to find some cookies for you." She told him before he got the bright idea to start mistreating the elves.

Ethan pointed at a plate of cookies, his mouth full of mashed potato. He managed to swallow and offered a nod to the new arrival. "We are eating so that we do not faint. Cari here apparently believes that fainting is bad. I'll eat to that." Professor Truebridge picked up a hotwing and held it up as if making a toast before biting into it.

"I love the Hogwarts house elves." Ethan commented between bites, "I was just wondering how much of the excellent food they provide is due to their natural talents and how much is due to the facilities."

Pietro's eyes brightened when the plate of cookies was pointed out to him. He raced to the plate of cookies and started munching on them. "MMM there is nothing that completes life like a good plate of chocolate cookies! Thank you very much." Pietro looked at the house elves and gave them a cute thumbs up. Looking at the professor, he held a cookie up for him to grab. "Would you like a cookie?" He looked over at the girl and gestured for her to grab one too. "You can have one too if you'd like! My name's Pietro, but people have taken to calling me Pie for some reason."

When the mistress called out her name, Beezley sunk back into the shadows in shame. Beezley had disappointed the other one...the master. She would have to do better than this. No one, especially not her mistresses and master, would be forced to go hungry when Beezley was around. A few seconds later, though, when the mistress assured her she did not fail, Beezley slowly walked out of the shadows, her big, bug eyes even wider than before. "Beezley...did good? Master is okay? Ohhh, Beezley thanks you, mistress!" she exclaimed, her eyes dancing with happiness. "No need to thank Beezley. Beezley is happy to serve mistress and master!"

"Ohh, master!" Beezley exclaimed, once again throwing herself at the man's feet. She was grateful to him for forgiving her under such harsh circumstances. Even so, Beezley would never ever disappoint her master again. "Beezley is happy to make you happy, sir. Let Beezley know if she can do anything else, master."

"Cookies, young master? Beezley make cookies...and pies...and all sorts of meatses," she said, walking over to the piles of food and motioning towards them. "Young master is welcome to cookies. Young master is welcome to all food." As she did with the master and mistress earlier, Beezley curtseyed to the young master.

Beezley's big, bug eyes slowly opened when she became aware of a second studentsie, a girl this time, talking to her. Her formerly happy eyes now showed signs of fear as she took in the sight of the studentses' outstretched hand. "Oh, nooo! Oh, no, no, no," Beezley said, going to her knees in front of young mistress. "Beezley can not be equal to young mistress, but Beezley thanks you and hopes you enjoy the food she has brought."

She was eating rather fast as she was hungry, "Who's Cari?" she asked with a mouth full of potatoes. She didn't normally eat like that, but there was no one around she was trying to impress. So she was free to eat like a starving man. "All elves are naturally good at domestic things. Its part of the magical contract between them and wizards." Paris explained. Tweet's mother before she passed told Paris a lot of things about house elves. Some of it made Paris sad, but most of it was good.

She giggled as she watched the little boy race over to the cookies. "I wonder why they call you Pie," she mused. She grabbed one of the cookies and tucked it into her robes she would eat it later by the fire in the common room. "I'm Paris Greenwood. Quidditch captain," she told him.


She watched the elf's display and it broke her heart to see her acting this way. Tweet was an independent elf, and she truly was Paris friend, even scolding her when need be. And to see Beezley on her knees in front of her Paris couldn't take it. She shook her head. "You don't have to kneel for me Ms. Beezley." Paris told her. "You are a marvelous chef and Hogwarts is a better place for you being here feeding us." She nodded taking a bite of her chicken. She never met a elf that couldn't cook.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NicoT

Ethan pointed at a plate of cookies, his mouth full of mashed potato. He managed to swallow and offered a nod to the new arrival. "We are eating so that we do not faint. Cari here apparently believes that fainting is bad. I'll eat to that." Professor Truebridge picked up a hotwing and held it up as if making a toast before biting into it.



"I love the Hogwarts house elves." Ethan commented between bites, "I was just wondering how much of the excellent food they provide is due to their natural talents and how much is due to the facilities."

Cari rolled her eyes Ethan. Slicing herself a wedge of Lemon Meringue Pie. She'd eaten her supper, she could have dessert. "Fainting happens when not enough blood gets to your brain, which happens because your heart doesn't have the power or energy to take it there, so yes Ethan, I happen to think fainting is a negative thing."

Filling her fork with the first bite of lemony goodness, she waved it in front of his face. "Are you sure you don't like pie? I mean I'm sure that's some kind of anomaly."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Si

Pietro's eyes brightened when the plate of cookies was pointed out to him. He raced to the plate of cookies and started munching on them. "MMM there is nothing that completes life like a good plate of chocolate cookies! Thank you very much." Pietro looked at the house elves and gave them a cute thumbs up. Looking at the professor, he held a cookie up for him to grab. "Would you like a cookie?" He looked over at the girl and gestured for her to grab one too. "You can have one too if you'd like! My name's Pietro, but people have taken to calling me Pie for some reason."

Cari laughed, still teasing Ethan with the her own "Pie."

"It's a good name. Imagine if someone called you Tripe, or Sprouts, or Turnip. Pie is a much better name. I like it."

If you had to be called after a food, you might as well be called after a tasty one that everyone, or everyone who is normal (*cough* Ethan *cough*) likes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beezley

When the mistress called out her name, Beezley sunk back into the shadows in shame. Beezley had disappointed the other one...the master. She would have to do better than this. No one, especially not her mistresses and master, would be forced to go hungry when Beezley was around. A few seconds later, though, when the mistress assured her she did not fail, Beezley slowly walked out of the shadows, her big, bug eyes even wider than before. "Beezley...did good? Master is okay? Ohhh, Beezley thanks you, mistress!" she exclaimed, her eyes dancing with happiness. "No need to thank Beezley. Beezley is happy to serve mistress and master!"

Cari smiled at the elf. She was too sweet. Can you adopt elves? Probably not. "And you do it so well Beezley. You're a credit to the Kitchens. Well done." True, she'd rather that Beezley weren't quite so hard on herself, or quite so fond of kneeling, but to each their own. And she was really a very good little elf.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tomasina Riddle

She was eating rather fast as she was hungry, "Who's Cari?" she asked with a mouth full of potatoes. She didn't normally eat like that, but there was no one around she was trying to impress. So she was free to eat like a starving man. "All elves are naturally good at domestic things. Its part of the magical contract between them and wizards." Paris explained. Tweet's mother before she passed told Paris a lot of things about house elves. Some of it made Paris sad, but most of it was good.



She giggled as she watched the little boy race over to the cookies. "I wonder why they call you Pie," she mused. She grabbed one of the cookies and tucked it into her robes she would eat it later by the fire in the common room. "I'm Paris Greenwood. Quidditch captain," she told him.




She watched the elf's display and it broke her heart to see her acting this way. Tweet was an independent elf, and she truly was Paris friend, even scolding her when need be. And to see Beezley on her knees in front of her Paris couldn't take it. She shook her head. "You don't have to kneel for me Ms. Beezley." Paris told her. "You are a marvelous chef and Hogwarts is a better place for you being here feeding us." She nodded taking a bite of her chicken. She never met a elf that couldn't cook.

"I'm Cari," she introduced herself to the young girl. Hmmm about maybe... fourth or fifth year? Oh Quidditch Captain, probably fifth then. "Caroline Avalon, Intern Nurse."

She nodded and smiled at the woman and was about to extended her hand till she heard her last name. The smile slipped from her mouth, and she tried to keep herself from sneering at the woman.

Avalon wasn't a very common name, she she had to be related to Tobi, and anyone related to him was someone she didn't want to get to know. he had left a bad taste in her mouth and she was going to hold a grudge. "Hmm," was all she could manage while trying not to say anything bad. She went back to her food. If she opened her mouth again anything was liable to come out.

Cassadee had heard about this mythical place. A kitchen full of little house elves, working day and night, creating delicious things... Like a big plate of cookes, which as exactly what she needed after a long and dirty session of making sand castles with Seff. Even though teacher dude had said no sweets, one... nice... cookie wouldn't do any harm.

Right?

Anyways, after tickling the little pear, Cassadee skipped in, nose in the air, attempting to sniff out a peanut butter cookie from the massive cupboards somewhere. She needed a fix, and she needed it... Right about... Now.

"Any cookies?!" She flailed her arms, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "Peanut butter cookies?!" She whimpered, eyes darting around everywhere for just one cookie.

"It's nice to meet all of you!" Pietro said this munching on his cookies. There were so many cookies! He was in love with Hogwarts already. He knew how to interact with older people. He just had to act like a cute eleven year old. Not that he wasn't a cute eleven year old in the first place. "I've..never heard of anyone having a nickname like Turnip. Too bad my nickname's not pronounced like the food!" Pietro's nickname was pronounced kind of like plie but without the "l". "So what's it like to work here? I have a relative who used to teach here but I've never had the opportunity to ask her about it. She's always busy with her job now." More like putting hits out.

Blossom tickled the pear on the portrait of a bowl of fresh fruit and it giggled and gaggled when suddenly the portrait opened into a door. Blossom stepped through the door, ready for anything being a slayer and all. She smelt a fragrance of fresh fruit, freshly baked muffins and maybe even some sweet codswallop juice, yuck. She gracefully walked up to the first house elf she saw. Smiling she asked politely, "Can I please have a few pieces of cake and a few cookies? Also a flask of Pumpkin Juice please?" She then waited to see if the House Elf would give her any food. She hoped that the House Elf wasn't intimidated by how she acted around it.

"Nice to meet you... Pietro." Ethan nodded, pushing aside the plate he'd just cleared and eyeing up the others, trying to decide where to go next.

'Thank you, Beezley. You are a very good elf. I will take you up on that offer Beezley, most certainly I will."

"That isn't quite right, Paris, but you are on the right track." Ethan nodded, "I'm glad to know that you are kind to house elves. Besides there are different degrees of 'good' and Beezley here is most excellent."

"I'll try my best never to faint on your watch, unless you are actually the cause of it of course." Ethan blinked and gently pushed Cari's wrist away, "Pretty sure." It wasn't exactly the pie itself that caused him to take issue, more the connotations of pie and experiences directly relating to the sharing of pie.

He turned his head to look at Pietro and nodded thoughtfully. What was it like to work at Hogwarts?

"It's... eventful."

He helped himself to a cookie and bit into it decisively, still eyeing Cari's forkful of pie with a hint of nerves.

Tinka is mixing the ingredients for the next meal. Mix, mix, mix, mix, add some more flour, mix, mix, mix. Oh but where is the chocolate? She looks around the counter but she doesn't see it anywhere. Could Beezley have borrowed it? She puts her hands on her hips and starts walking to Beezley to ask her precious chocol - was that a young mistress?

"Cookies? Tinka has cookies for mis'ss!," She squeaks gladly and hurries to a huuuuuge pot full of peanut butter cookies. After almost falling on her feet thanks to the weight of the pot, she runs to the girl. "Does mis'ss want these cookies?," She asks beaming.
EEEP! Another studentsie! And oooh, the studentsie wanted many, many, MANY things. How could Tinka grab them all when she still had the gigantic pot of peanut butter cookies on her hands? Oh, right, right, the studentsie wanted cookies too, right? Maybe she wanted THOSE cookies! Tinka hoped so, indeedy!

"Does mis'ss want peanut butter cookies?," She tilts her head slightly.

Beezley continued to bow to the mistress until she became aware that the young lady was speaking to her. Oh, how Beezley loved Hogwarts! Everyone here had always been so very nice to her! How lucky she was to serve such an honorable group of people. Slowly, she pushed herself up off her knobbly, little knees and looked at the young mistress with widened eyes. "Mistress is so kind to Beezley. Beezley thanks you and is honored to serve you and the other studentsies," she said, nodding once in the young mistress' direction.

Beezley was quite fond of this mistress. When she smiled at her, the corners of Beezley's little elfish lips rose up into a smile. She nodded in the direction of this mistress, as well. "Please, Mistress. Let Beezley know if she can be of anymore services to you. Beezley likes Mistress very much," she said, her little mouth still forming a wide, toothless grin.

Ohh, to be so appreciated was a delight to Beezley. "Beezley thanks you for saying she is good elf. Beezley thinks Master is good master, too," she said, giving him the same, wide, toothless grin. She grew quiet when Master addressed young mistress. Elfsies do not speak when Master and Mistresses are speaking. Elfsies stay quiet. The last comment Master made did not escape Beezley, though. Beezley heard him say she was excellent. Beezley made a silent vow to always help Master when she could.