Kurumi's gloved hands were wrapped around the green leaves on top of the plant when she head a familiar voice whisper her name and she nearly jumped out of her robes. Instead, she ended up tugging on the plant with more force than she had intended and nearly pulled the plant out of the ground prematurely, which most likely would have resulted in the ruddy thing bouncing all over the greenhouse and her chasing after it.

"J-J-Jonathan!" she chirped as she tucked some loose strands of greyish-blue hair behind her ears. Yeah...there was no sense in trying to hide her unusual hair color now. Her hood would only get in the way of the task at hand.

She winced a bit at the nerd comment - not that she hadn't been called meaner things before - but she was in an unusually fragile state and words were affecting her more than usual now.

"I've been....better," she said meekly as she looked back at the plant. She was going to need to dig a bit more around the base to be able to remove it from the ground and she knelt down to do so. "I was just about to try and replant this Bouncing Bulb since it looks as though it has outgrown its planter. H-How about you?" She wasn't sure if he had read the most recent Aparecium, but that one had stung her much more than the first.

Kurumi knelt down to the planter and began loosening the dirt around the base of the plant so that she could pull it out easier.

Jonathan looked at her as she carefully tucked her hair back. "What's up with your hair?" Jonathan asked her. Could be a wrong do? Or a bad hair day perhaps?

Girls... They always have something to hide. Oh well, whatever it is, it's best to leave it.

Calling her a nerd was just a tease. Jonathan didn't know it would make her upset about that. He didn't mean too. "I'm joking!" he smiled at her with his hands on her shoulders. She shouldn't be taking that one harshly and besides the nerd comment is more of a compliment rather than an insult. Jonathan finds Kurumi very smart and she deserves it. She's very hard working and happy.

Speaking of which, she doesn't seem too happy at all. Like the Kurumi Jonathan saw at her the first time they met. Probably she's still sad about what happened. Jonathan heard a lot of stories but he doesn't believe in rumors like those. Mostly people already exaggerated the story a little bit. Not even worth listening to. If Jonathan wants to know, it's best if he asked Kurumi.

"You don't sound like you've been better" he said while fixing his gloves and got himself a shovel. He sat on the ground and looked at what she was doing. Jonathan doesn't know what to do with his herbology homework yet. So frustrating. This summer his learning herbology from his cousin. He could help him with all he needs to know about the basic stuffs.

Irregardless of what she just said to him, Jonathan knew she could use someone to talk to. He just stared at her for awhile. He couldn't bring himself to ask her anything. Besides, they're not that close to be talking about something this serious. But still...

"You sure you're okay?" he asked her again.

Hmm…what to do? What to do?, Gwen kept asking herself while walking towards the lake. She suddenly remembered she still had to do something for her Herbology homework. Yeah…taking care of two plants in the greenhouses. At least I already planted the others in the student garden, so it's not that much left to do…, the ravvie thought. She immediately turned around and went towards the greenhouses.

When she got there, Gwen started looking around, hoping that she would spot a plant that doesn’t need plenty of water, sunlight, fertilizer and whatsoever. Quite slim chances to find that…

Luna was looking around when she saw Gwen one of her friends ''Hi Gwen'' Luna smiled the first time in ages and it wasn't ''Are you doing Herbology homework?'' Luna was going to grow a puffapod she read about it and thought it would be best choice ''What are you going to grow?

Right. Of course. Practice, that was why she was here. As Bentley explained plant needs, Presley suddenly had a revelation. Of course all of her plants wouldn't survive if she was treating them the same way. They were different, and therefore had different needs!
Presley held the pouch of seeds she'd been handed. "Well, my first thought is, are the seeds fanged, or just the plants? Then you have to decide how deep to plant them, and with what kind of fertilizer, right? How much water they need, or if they need something other than water, and which season they're typically planted in. Did I get it?" Presley knew to consider these things, the problem was, she didn't know the answer to a single question she'd just asked. Except she was fairly sure the seeds weren't fanged.

Seren beamed. The girl wasn't a lost cause.. she just needed a little tweaking.
"No, only the plants have fangs, and yes all very good points. But you also need to consider whether the plant would suit indoor or outdoor conditions best, and also whether they are best suited in pots, hangers or in the actual ground intself." After pausing briefly Seren continued. "You also need to consider how much sunlight they will require, full sun, full shade, or partial. If your ever uncertain always go with partial, because that way its sort of a happy medium."

Now to start.
"So can you have a guess at what sort of level of sunlight fanged geraniums might require? and also where would you consider planting them?"
Hopefully this wasn't too overwhelming, figuring things out for yourself was always the best way to learn.

Presley nodded at each of the professors additions to Presley's words. Things she should have thought of. "Well, fangs seem like sort of a defensive weapon, so I would geuss that they grow outside for sure, and maybe in a darker sort of place, where things are more likely to attack them, so they need fangs?" It sounded like a logical conclusion to Presley. In fact, hadn't she seen fanged geraniums when she peered into the forest, never daring to take a step inside it? Maybe not. It really was too dark in there to see much.

Pleased with Presleys response Seren showed her pleasure and excitement by clapping. "Yes! asolutely right. In their natural habitat they do rely on their fangs to defend themselves as well as digest their food. They are mildly omnivorous, so while they will leach nutrients from the soil and fertiliser they will also seek it from insects and even animals. Though of course their bites don't do much harm, and they don't have particularly large appetites." It was one of the reasons she found them so fascinating.
"Today you can also find them growing in pots indoors, I myself have some in my office, they're very agreeable and highly adaptable. But you will be planting these ones outside... well in here." Seren gestured to the greehouse. It was too muddy outside for fanged geraniums, right now at least.

"Now how deep do you think they'll need to be planted?" she asked, "Keep in mind the average size of the mature plant."

As Gwen kept looking for some easy plant for which she should care, she heard a voice nearby and she immediately recognized it. It was Luna! ‘Hi!’, she waved back, waiting for Luna to come closer to the place where she was standing. ‘Yeah, a part of it’, she started saying, and made a short break, to let the other ravvie talk. ‘Oh, no… I already grew Asphodel and Abyssinia Shrivelfig in the student garden. But you know, I still have to care for two plants in the greenhouse, so that’s what I’m doing right now.’

‘Well, actually I’m just looking around now…trying to pick those two plants. Join me?’, she said.

Luna looked at Gwen ''Yes I do i've picked mine but didn't actully exactly plant them yet'' Luna smiled ''Of course i'll join you. I'm doing bouncing bulbs and a puffapod Luna thought that these were quite diffrent but she thought they were unique and unique to her was REALLY COOL! ''What are you thinking of growing Gwen?''

Presley beamed. She'd been right! Wait, if they ate animals, then how come thier bites didn't do much harm? Presley shook the thought away. It didn't really matter. Besides, Bentley had moved on.
How deep to plant them....On this score, Presley had no idea. "Two to three inches deep?" she made a wild guess. "The roots will gorw in deeper." In her experience, plants weren't put too deep in the soil to begin with, so she crossed her fingers, and hoped she was semi-correct at least.

“Oh…um…it changes color with my emotions at times,” she said shyly, tugging on her pony tail a bit. Jonathan was smart, he could probably figure out what that meant. “I…I lost control of my ability to control it recently.” Due to a serious shock to her little system – several really, but one in particular was the main catalyst. “I…I am not sure how to regain control, but the color has faded a little. It was much brighter a yesterday.” Meaning that it would probably take a few weeks for it to finally revert back to black. Maybe she should write her father and ask for that black spray paint she had used as a child? “I…I told someone that I liked them…really liked them…but…they couldn’t return those feelings,” she managed to squeak out as she attempted to hide the wateryness in her eyes – tears that were threatening to come out once more. “I should have known…there is no way someone as amazing as then would chose me.”

She paused and looked up at the Slytherin boy for a few moments, blinking away the tears. “I’ll be alright…I’ve been rejected all my life. This one just…really hurt.”

She sighed, her hand still on the plant’s green leafy top. Her mind somewhere else, Kurumi began to walk away from the spot – perhaps to double check a few things in her herbology book – and pulled the Bouncing Bulb out of its planter. The purple thing immediately sprung to life like a rabbit and thrashed around so much in her hands that she dropped it.

Not good!

O_____________________________o

The bulb began jumping all over the place and in every which direction. On the table. On her foot. Knocking into Jonathan. Smacking against the greenhouse glass. Stomping on some seedlings. It was utter chaos.

“HOLY CRICKET!” she exclaimed flailing her arms around. “Jonathan! Help me catch it!” Preferably before it destroys the entire contents of the greenhouse.

Sierra yawned as she made her way into the greenhouses. It was a Sunday morning, and she'd realized that she'd waited until the last blasted minute to start her Herbology homework. Why, Bentley, whyyy!? Why must homework after homework after homework constantly be assigned?! She grumbled to herself as she walked around and around, looking for a plant in need of care. She wondered if Bentley would notice if she just didn't do this part and just said she did?! It wasn't like Bentley would ever know. With all the plants in here being cared for at this very moment, how would Bentley know Sierra didn't tend to one of them?!

Blahh...

Evelyn was having a rather peaceful sleep for once, having only a minor weird dream, but that was until that stupid snargaluff plant showed up in her dream again that she remembered the herbology homework. Of course, it was the last minute she was doing this, so jumping out of bed, she threw on some clothes, not caring if they matched or not, and hurried down to the greenhouses.

If anyone commented about her bumblebee look right now (dark jeans with a yellow shirt that she was now thinking was Destiny's), she will hex them. Evelyn was not a morning person. Nor could she see properly apparently...seeing as she nearly ran into someone. When did THEY get there!? They weren't standing there before!

Hmph. Meh. Person.

Sierra yawned again as she continued her walk around the greenhouse. She'd just absentmindedly circled the place twice, but she was really too tired to care. See if she ever waited until the last minute to get something done. She'd just rounded the corner when she came face to face--literally--with another student.

Dear Merlin! She was being attacked by a Hufflepuff!

She knew she was doomed the second she walked into the greenhouses! This whole homework assignment was turning out to be a disaster, and she hadn't even started. She drew her wand and pointed it right at the face of the Huffleuff. ... "Evelyn?" she asked, then she lowered her wand and rubbed her eyes. ...

"What are you doing out of bed so early?" she asked. What was she doing out of bed so early herself?! She stopped by a flutterby bush, a rather unruly looking flutterby bush and rummaged through her bad for her gloves and goggles.

Hmph...meep...

Eying the wand, it didn't really process in her mind that there was in fact a WAND being pointed at her, but when it did...she was too tired to do anything about it. Besides, after a few more seconds, she realized it was Sierra. Huh. She looked different in the morning. Or at least on Sunday morning.

Morning...

Hmm what? "Forgot herbology homework." she muttered, still standing in place and watching her Slytherin friend move around to look at, whatever that plant was. She couldn't remember. "Why are you up so early?" Didn't the younger students have the homework done the first day after it was assigned?

"Forgot Herbology homework," Sierra mumbled, echoing Evelyn's reply. "As in, I haven't even started yet, and we're supposed to have two plants tended to and another two grown." She frowned as she said this, thinking maybe she'd not end up finishing in time, and then she'd just get half credit. She put on her goggles and then adjusted them to fit her face. She looked at Evelyn through them. Her friend looked like a fish with extra large eyes or something.

"Goggles, gloves, and wand," she said. "Is there anything I need? I can't think this early in the morning." Besides that, what was the spell she needed to use again? Diffindo? Just to test things out, Sierra waved her wand about in all the right motions and did a quick, "Diffindo!" A branch fell off the bush and landed in a heap on the floor at Evelyn's feet. "Oh, yeah. That's the spell..." Good thing she hadn't tested Incendio or something.

Yeeaaa...that was pretty much it. "I already have two growing..." Just, putting that out there. Wait, did she have two plants growing already? Or did she dream that. Heck, she dreamed that she had this homework DONE but...apparently that wasn't the case.

Once Sierra started naming off things she needed, Evelyn sighed deeply and rubbed her face before running her hands through her slightly messy hair. She forgot her goggles and gloves, which meant, she had to use the SCHOOL'S. *shudder* "A brain." she commented, snickering quietly as she made her way over to one of the cupboards that held the protective gear. She could still joke early in the mornings, thank Merlin.

Squeaking quietly and jumping away from the branch that fell near her feet, the Slytherin eyed it for a moment before scowling at Sierra. WHAT was THAT for!? "Make sure you trim the plant. I still need my feet." Meh. "Are you going to be trimming that one there too?"

The one right next to where you were working.

The ravvie kept looking around at the plants while listening to Luna talk. Hmm? Shall I repeat?, Gwen asked herself. Ah, well, I guess I took out all my anger today on that annoying first year Gryffindor, so… I don’t need to be mean to Luna.

‘I already planted Asphodel and Abyssinia Shrivelfig’, she said calmly. There… Unlike others, I do my homework in time, she wanted to add, but didn’t. Just don’t be rude to her, Gwen told herself.

‘But, you know… there is the second part of the homework… taking care of two plants in the Greenhouses? That’s what I’m doing right now’, she said looking at some plant however, she spotted something next to it. Something that looked like… a blade of grass? I can take care of grass, the girl thought, walking towards it. After a while she realized it was Flitterbloom! That’s right… The flitterbloom starts off as a blade of grass. t resembles to Devil's Snare. However, it is not, the ravvie tried remembering all she had read about this plant. All right… I could pick this one.

So it changes color everytime her mood or emotions changes. That's really awesome but at the same time odd. So that means if she's sad it would turn into blue? When angry red? When happy orange or yellow? Frankly speaking, even as a pureblood this would be THE first time Jonathan encounter something like this. It's so peculiar which made him even more interested. Hair that changes color... that's really amazing.

"greyish-blue" Jonathan smiled "What does that emotion tell me then?" he tried to make the conversation a little bit interesting. He does want to know a little bit of info about the apericium. But you know, if Kurumi doesn't want to say then he's obviously not going to force her. Worth a try.

And it fades as well?! That's totally AWESOME-r. Jonathan is now wishing to have one of those. That would be so cool walking to school with different hair colors without painting it or use a charming spell. He looked at her hair and got closer to it. He kinda wants to touch it. OHHHH! Touch! Touch it!

------------NAH!!! Kurumi might get mad and literally kick him.

And then it started. Will she cry? Jonathan pitied her... A LOT. He doesn't want this side of Kurumi, gloomy and sad. She was always this bubbly little girl that loves to give out cookies. Jonathan listened to her, it seems that some parts of the rumors were right. She did like Treyen but Treyen likes Ellie. So he chooses her.

"Don't be like that" he said to her. Trying to make her smile and tapping her arm lightly. "Don't be so hard on yourself." yeah she should be. She's an amazing girl. "I'm sure there are PLENTY of those fellows out there that is much more than him." him referring to Treyen obviously. For once Jonathan actually gave an advice. Normally, he doesn't like listening to people's problem because surely he must give an advice and giving out an advice was never a forte of his. But this time was different i guess.

As Kurumi walked to read her book, Jonathan sat at the green grass. This is nice. But then....

GULP!

What's happening? Jonathan panicked and looked at Kurumi. HELP! "Should i use a spell to petrify it?" he asked her while taking his wand out. Well, he wasn't too sure about putting a spell on plants. It might not be appropriate. Seriously, Jonathan needs to learn Herbology.

He ran after one and caught it with his hand. Hah! He caught the easiest one to catch. He handed it to Kurumi and saw his hands. EWWWW! Now he has to clean them. UGH! Jonathan is still the OCD person that he is.

Even though he tried to pull a calm look, deep inside he was panicking about catching these jumping plants.

"It means my heart has been broken," she said softly looking down at the ground. "It's turned this color once before..." And she was pretty sure Jonathan remembered that conversation. She really didn't want to go back into it.

Thankfully, for her spirits if nothing else, she didn't hear his other comment about there being someone better suited for her. She probably would have argued with him or put herself down more saying that he had it backwards and it was her that clearly wasn't worthy of Treyen...but there was a small army of bouncing purple bulbs to deal with.

Kurumi followed Jonathan as he chased them around. Kurumi thought that she managed to corner one and was just about to pounce on it when...
*SMACK*
The blasted thing smacked her right in the face and smushed her nose. Her eyes instantly watered - like always happens when one gets smacked really hard in the nose - and she temporarily lost track of the bouncing object she was chasing. That is...until there came a loud crashing noise from the plant bouncing into a table holding a bunch of clay pots that then went crashing to the greenhouse floor.

She would...erm...cast Reparo on those afterwards...

Cast...OF COURSE!

Kurumi pulled her wand from her robes and took careful aim. "Flipendo!" Kurumi commanded as she built up power in her wand until the spell turned a redish-purple. She then released the spell towards the bouncing menace. Her spell hit, and the purple bulb was flung backwards and... remained perfectly still.

THANK MERLIN FOR THAT!

"Flipendo! Flipendo! Flipendo!"

Kurumi cast the spell at anything purple that was moving until all the bouncing stopped and there were no more crashing noises. "Jonathan, we need to hurry before these guys become unstung," she laughed as she wiped some sweat from her brow. "Over there in that open area next to the Umbrella Flowers."

Jonathan looked at a different direction. That was an obvious question and answer. Why does he have to ask her that silly question in the first place when he heard the news circling around like wildfire. "Ohh" he mumbled. "That's a nice color though" head desk* WRONG COMPLIMENT. Seriously, Jonathan needs to stop talking right now...

Seeing as Kurumi struggled and well, was smacked by one of those bouncing plants--- that's not very nice. "Kurumi are you okay?" he ran down to her and looked at her. Is she okay?

He took out his wand "Arresto Momentum!" he shouted and repeated the spell. Wait! That spell just slows these things up. Well, at least they could now target them easily and could petrify them easily. STOP BOUNCIIIING!!!

Jonathan can't stand these things anymore he waved his wand "IMMOBULUS!" did he get them all? Did they all turn immobile after the spell. Jonathan can see most of them staying still and finally not bouncing.

Such a relief.

He went to kurumi "Are you okay?" touching her face and looking for broken bones or something.

Kurumi scooped up two of the bulbs in her arms and turned around just in time to have Jonathan appear with a concerned look on his face. She really needed to start not being so clumsy or getting herself hurt. Still, how was she supposed to know that this THING was going to attack her face?

Well, it HAD been written in her Herbology book that Bouncing Bulbs can be agressive when they feel threatened and that they will jump towards the possible attacker and try to hit it...which it had succeeded in doing. Kurumi rubbed her nose, which was still stinging a little but was feeling much better, and then flushed when Jonathan's hands found her face. "I-I-I-I'm alright," she stammered.

Even friendly gestures like this always made her flustered. Physical contact was still something she was getting used to. It had taken her all of her first term to finally accept hugs after all.

Kurumi then looked down at the bulbs in her hand and over towards the dirt. Time to start digging.

Grabbing a handheld shovel, Kurumi dug two holes that were about three times the size of the purple mass and set them down. She rushed over to the supply area and grabbed a small bucket of mooncalf dung to sprinkle into the hole and made a thin shell of sorts around the part that would be under the ground. After having done so, Kurumi filled both holes with dirt and patted things down. Yep. these two looked MUCH more comfortable in this big space than they had in their small and cramped little planter on the other side of the greenhouse.

"Job well done," Kurumi smiled. Hey, neither of them had lost a limb, yeah?

"When they're teething they're particularly snappy, but they'll only draw a bit of blood. They don't eat flesh, or at least not very much, they mostly enjoy the taste of the blood." She should have made that clear before, she forgot that not everyone knew about fanged geraniums, just because they were one of her favourites it didn't mean they were everybody's favourite. Seren smiled to herself, she would need to attend to her own lovelies when she returned to her office.

"Mmm close enough, generally three to four inches will suffice, if you're planting bulbs they you'll generally need between six to ten, depending on the size of the bulb."

Next phase, fertilizer.
"Now considering that we're planting seeds, which type of fertilizer do you think we should use? Both in the soil and to finish."

Okay.

Is she really okay? Or is she just embarrassed to tell Jonathan about it? Jonathan would be glad enough to bring her to the healer. She could be badly hurt by that bloody plant.

Thankfully that's taken care of. Jonathan will never deal of this ever again. Running after those bouncing things just made him tired. Really, really tired. He hasn't done any good exercise since the DADA project. Speaking of which, he hasn't done the second homework that Lord Borr wants them to do...

Sigh.

Kurumi did almost the work in digging up and putting those plants to the ground--- where they belong. Jonathan is a very OCD person. Mud or anything dusty doesn't go well with him. He hates dirt and gravel very much. It makes him dizzy and sometimes it makes him twitch. But that's a secret.

heehee,

"Job well done indeed Kurumi" he patted her head and fumbled her hair a little bit. Clearly, she doesn't need to hide those hair or feelings anymore. She looks better with this hair. Just ssoooo cool!