He managed to catch Cece's grin and it went a looOOOOOOooooong way in making Kale feel better. After the tragedy of his bezoar answer. Cece was like the nicest, kindest and sweetest person he knew. For her, he quirked a smile and shrugged lamely, as if to say, "I'm okay, don't worry."

He didn't want to make his friends worry after all.

But now they were on to the next thing and he was in need of a partner. He glanced at Cece and raised his eyebrow. Partners?

Did Kale know he was saving her with a simple eyebrow raise? Because he TOTALLY was. This meant she wouldn't be responsible for Emmerson, who she was convinced had some sort of death wish. NOT going to be dealing with that one today, not this lesson, no WAY.

"Hey Emm? I'm going to work with Kale, okay? You should totally try and work with that Aboli girl or one of the other prefects. Bet they'll be super impressed with your poisonous plant skills and give you special treatment or something for it." Was she making that up? ...Yeah. It wasn't exactly how she'd wanted to ensure Emm find a partner who'd make sure she didn't EAT the wolfsbane, but desperate times...

Pulling on her dragon-hide gloves, she slipped off her seat and moved over to her fellow Gryffindor. "Hey Kale, you ready?" She wiggled her fingers at him and grinned. "You can pick the greenhouse and everything. I trust you."

The professor LOVED her questions and answers SO MUCH that she was inviting Bernie to meet her after class?! "OKAY," the Gryffindor agreed with a big, proud grin. She listened attentively to the other questions and answers, and then got up for the big activity.

Bernie thought, she STRONGLY THOUGHT, that maybe she ought to look out for the little Gryffindor known as Emmerson. Like maybe even be her partner. Kinsay worried her sometimes too, and she was a sassy little thing who looked like she had snitchin' lips, but she was Phoebe's problem. Emmerson, on the other hand, was kind of a baby. Wasn't this the same little girl who'd ruined all that merch at WWW and then grabbed Bernie's leg like she was a tree about to be chopped down and Emz was a hippe?

Anyway, she looked around for the girl, but didn't spot her right away. Bernie had already started walking to Greenhouse Y and was right behind Aboli now. "Do you hafta wear gloves over your other gloves?" the lion inquired with a small snicker, slipping on her own dragonhide gloves before she went in.

Also... "You're my partner," Bernie declared. "Don't worry, I won't make you taste test the plants, even though I SHOULD get you back for that Defense class..." You know the one, the one where Bernie's brain had been fried by Aboli and then resulted in her going to detention? That was the one.

ACTIVITY TIME.

To go inside and find a wolfsbane, sounded simple enough. Valentina jumped up, looking around to check if anyone needed a partner.. aaaaand yeah, no. That prefect wasn’t very nice, moving on. Her gaze landed on an older boy who seemed to be looking for a partner as well?? perfect.

“Hi!” She walked over to him, beaming. “Ready to do this??”

FINDING WOLFSBANE. That would be fun, right? Mamie dug her dragon hide gloves out of her bag and put them on, then turned around to look at the two greenhouse options. Neither had any particular distinguishing qualities to her undiscerning eye, so she headed toward Greenhouse X.

She spotted another student walking in the same direction alone, so Mamie hurried to catch up and cleared her throat - loudly - to get the student's attention. "Hi, I'm Mamie, do you want to be partners?" she asked as
they walked.

The announcement that they were both discussing wolfsbane and being directed to actually find said rather toxic plant hadn’t entirely taken Carys by surprise. Having a stock of wolfsbane potions wasn’t a bad idea, considering the things Hogwarts like throwing at them every term. There was every possibility there could be a pack of werewolves in the forest along with the acromantulas, centaurs, unicorns and other creatures, after all. Not that she knew of the potions professor wanting to stockpile said potions. It was just an idle thought she’d had, as she’d set about slipping her dragonhide gloves on along with casting a bubblehead charm on herself before even thinking about choosing a greenhouse to explore.

Once she was set, she took a moment to determine which greenhouse looked the most promising. It seemed as if slightly more people were heading toward Greenhouse X, so the Hufflepuff prefect turned toward Greenhouse Y. Perhaps she’d pick up a partner on the way, or she just have to resign herself to working on her own.

Hopefully "finding woflsbane" only involved searching for it with your eyes. Avalon did not want to pick such a poisonous plant up, even if she was wearing protective equipment. She just didn't trust it enough. Wearing dragonhide gloves around the Venonomous Tentacula didn't prevent against its bite, so who was to say that they protected against wolfsbane? After jotting down a few notes, Avalon headed over to Minjae, who was about to enter Greenhouse X. "Hope you don't mind if I join you?" she said as she pulled on her gloves. She was not about to go on this wolfsbane quest on her own. A partner would make things a bit more bearable.

Phoebe pulled together her things, but she didn't hurry to find a partner. Not immediately, not when everything felt so tender. She spotted an older girl making her way alone toward the greenhouses, and Phoebe fell into step beside her. They were partners now, did she see? Or was it one of those things that had to be said.

"Hi, I'm Phoebe. I'm your... want to be partners?" Yeah, much better. Much less bossy than just telling her that they were partners. But like, they were partners.

Undigested clumps of matter inside the goat’s stomach? Uh, ew. Kinsay crinkled her nose the way that Phoebe sometimes crinkled her nose. She was glad she asked though. This stuff was important to know. Especially if the undigested clumps could rescue her from poison one day. In other words, Kizzy had taken mental notes!

She also tried to take mental notes of all the stuff on the chalkboard, but it wasn’t as interesting as the activity was so she didn’t linger on it for too long. Instead, she shot straight up into the air. She was going to greenhouse Y because Kizz-y. Assuming that Emm would probably partner with Cece, Kiz tried to make eye contact with Fifi instead so tha—

Oh. Fifi was leaving.

Now who’d she partner with!? This was a TRAVESTY.

She stood in all her loneliness wearing a deep frown, before realizing that there was a better strategy to put into action: being cute. So she focused her energy on being the cutest instead. Surely someone would want to be her partner now! Someone good because she wasn’t about to partner with just anyone.

Fiona wrote down some notes regarding Wolfsbane in her notebook before she got up from her seat and began to look for someone to work with. Soon, she spotted a Gryffindor first-year on her own.

"Hey there. Do you want to be my partner?" Fiona asked her as she pulled on her dragon-hide gloves.

"Me, too!" Same page as the professor. They both liked her when she was alive. Her mum did, too. Turns out a lot of people did.

Emm hopped up from her stool, ready to partner up with Cece when she WENT AND CHOSE KALE INSTEAD. Emm stared at her, mouth agape and all the dramatics that came with sudden shock for the 11 year old. They'd been sitting so close together. She just....assumed they'd work together, too.

"I don't wanna work with Aboli, she can rot." Emm declared, turning instead to find herself another partner. Only....she didn't anticipate nearly everyone being gone already. Even KIZZY had gone and partnered off with someone else.

What was a girl to do when she didn't hav--

"PHOEBE!"

Emm hurried to catch up with the older girl and the Hufflepuff prefect, not wanting to be left behind if no one else was working alone. "I'm here, too!" She declared, hoping her tone left little room for debate. It was a delicate balance of sounding just lost enough and just hopeless enough that maybe older kids took pity on you.

If that failed, well...she wouldn't think about that.

She had liked his answer. THAT brought a bit of a broad smile to the sixth year's features as he slouched just a little less and tried to take careful notes as the lesson progressed. Which basically came out as him chanting to himself about purple flowers with green leaves and long stems. Turns out that was a good thing since the activity was now to venture into the green houses and try and identify the plant.

Surely he could manage that much. After all...how many purple flowering plants could there be?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waddles

FINDING WOLFSBANE. That would be fun, right? Mamie dug her dragon hide gloves out of her bag and put them on, then turned around to look at the two greenhouse options. Neither had any particular distinguishing qualities to her undiscerning eye, so she headed toward Greenhouse X.

She spotted another student walking in the same direction alone, so Mamie hurried to catch up and cleared her throat - loudly - to get the student's attention. "Hi, I'm Mamie, do you want to be partners?" she asked as
they walked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadAlice

Wolfsbane?!? Was the professor serious?!? That didn't seem quite safe for a lot of dumb kids who didn't know what they were doing. Just her luck to get poisoned in her second year. And even worse, another partner exercise; she hated having to try to find a partner in class, she was so out of touch after her year away that she felt she hardly knew anybody.

Violet looked up at the professor's list again and made sure she had copied the list of precautions correctly, and then looked around to see if anyone likely was still looking for a partner. If all else failed, she would do it alone.

X marks the spot, so she figured she'd head for Greenhouse X, looking for a partner on her way.

But being a little slow on the partnering up, Josh took notice of two younger classmates pairing up aaaaaaaaaaaand considering how dangerously poisonous this plant was...it seemed like a good reason for the older and probably not more knowledgeable student to join them and, er, supervise.

Or something.

"Hey. Room for three?" he asked with a bit of a toothy smile while laying on a bit of the quidditch captain charm out of habit. All summer on the U-17 circuit still hadn't totally faded away yet. Yes, he was an embarrassment to himself. "I'm Josh, by the way," he continued while he slipped his dragonhide gloves on. "I can cast the Bubble Head Charm on you both."

He wasn't sure how the curriculum here worked out and just when the Bubble Head Charm was a THING, but he wasn't so sure that it was first and second year level stuff.

Naya continued to listen to everyone’s answers and take notes. She checked the board to make sure that she hadn’t missed anything. Of course she had, and she proceeded to add the important details to her notes. Now though, it was time for the main activity. They were going to have to find a wolfsbane plant. Well this was going to be interesting.

When they were instructed to partner up, Naya sighed. She kind of wanted to go it alone this time. For that reason, she was not terribly disappointed to see that most of her classmates had already found partners of formed groups. That was totally fine with her. She was going to be a group of one today. All she had to do now was choose a greenhouse. After thinking about it for a minute, she decided to choose greenhouse x......for no particular reason really. It just seemed like the right choice at that moment in time. So now, the seventh year just waited to hear what they should do next.

Did the Slytherin girl want the truth? Because Kizzy's answer was no.

But because she didn't have much of a choice (seeing as everyone she DID want to be partners with was already gone), she slowly nodded her head. Beggars can't be choosers.

"Okay," she replied quietly, looking around. "Can we go to greenhouse Y?" She was already leading the way.

Fiona could sense the hesitation and that infuriated her. She was trying to be nice and yet here was another Gryffindor being a pain. Fiona thought bitterly to herself. "If you don't want to work with me which I can sense you don't then I'll work by myself." As the lioness quietly and reluctantly agreed, Fiona stared daggers at her as she lead the way to Greenhouse Y.

"Are you able to perform the Bubble Head Charm?" the Slytherin asked.

"Ummm...." Kinsay didn't know any spells except for the basics. It was only the second month of school and she was still just a first year. It was still a little embarrassing to admit to though, so she hesitated a little bit. She reached for the door to the greenhouse and stepped inside. "Maybe if you teach me." She was really smart. Her daddy said so all the time.

But her voice faltered a bit as she turned to look at the girl and noticed the way she was staring. Um. Why was the older girl looking at her like that? ... Had Kiz done something wrong? She was being scary.

Mamie looked over as an older, taller student joined them. "Welcome Josh, I'm Mamie!" she greeted him, waving with her gloved hand. "Yes please to the Bubble Head Charm." She had definitely not learned that one yet.

She hadn’t gotten far at all before someone had fallen into step beside her, and, likely due to the bubblehead charm she’d just cast on herself, Carys had needed to turn her head to see who it was. Phoebe. Which caused a moment of amusement as she’d let herself wonder if the fourth year Lion had mistaken her for her sister. Not that she had any issue with working with Gryffindors. Considering she considered Lucas a friend, and Cole was basically a cousin. And she was fairly sure she knew more as well. It was just a whimsical thought, and she’d been about to answer her when they’d been joined by yet another baby Lion.

Okay. She could do this. As long as Emm didn’t try to eat the wolfsbane once they’d found it. “Either of you need help suiting up before we head inside?,” she said, including the first year. She could handle this. Maybe it would even help her case with convincing the professor she knew the subject. If not, she’d just apply to her former professors for a recommendation if uni applications needed it.

After two terms with Professor Rainwater, Heath thought he had learned to expect the unexpected in herbology, but the extra points for his answer came as a surprise - a pleasant one, but a surprise nonetheless. ”Thank you, Professor,” he said quietly, smiling slightly. He copied down the list that appeared on the chalkboard, listening to the professor as he did. So they were supposed to pick a greenhouse and find a wolfsbane plant? That sounded… deceptively easy. What was the catch?

Getting up from his seat, Heath inspected his dragonhide gloves for holes or rips before putting them on, Better safe than sorry, right? Then he cast a quick bubble head charm on himself. Merlin, he hoped that held! He was still mastering the spell, and he did not intend to go the way of Romeo today! He looked around at the other students, debating whether or not he wanted a partner. He would prefer not to be alone, should something go wrong, but there weren’t many here that he would trust not to throw him under the bus at the first sign of chaos.

His eyes flicked from one greenhouse to the other. Which one would it be? PIcking one at random, he headed for greenhouse X.

As you enter Greenhouse X, you immediately feel the temperature is lower than it was outside. Not cold enough to make you run for your sweaters, but enough to send a shiver or two down your spine. Also was that fog all around?? Was that on purpose? Or could this just be a wild chase? Three long tables sit in front of you, as you go in - your eyes can see only a sea of green - not only on the tables but also on the floors, walls and more, especially different vines which have made their home on the floor as well as the walls - but blink and you'll miss a hint of purple in at least three places.


You step into Greenhouse Y, and definitely would wonder if it just got warmer in the next moment - because it definitely was warmer than outside. It is DARKER inside too. Maybe it's on purpose? Maybe Professor June just forgot students needed some light to see. Green, green, green, everywhere - but is that something purple in THAT corner? Also, was it you or did you just see something running away here and THERE???

June was definitely excited about this part of the lesson. Theory was good and all, but challenging the kids to think and work on their feet interested her more. As the clouds yet again rumbled, June watched who partnered up with who. Mainly concerned about who the first years were pairing up with. It needed repeating, Gryffindor first years scared her. Speaking of, she frowned when she heard a certain first year loin, "That is not how we speak of our prefects, Miss Cambridge. Or anyone. Do better" she scolded the young lady.

Disappointed but not losing her spirit yet, she clasped her hands at the back, and turned to the rest of the class, "Remember everybody - precaution is everything" she repeated, "Please wear your dragon-hide gloves. If you forgot your pair - grab one from the box at the entrance. And make use of your brain" Because common sense was right in there, hopefully they knew that by now.

Violet turned to see who had spoken to her and saw a likely looking girl, already putting on dragonhide gloves. That was good, she wanted to partner with someone who had some sense, and who didn't have a death wish. Sure, that would be great. I see you have your dragonhide gloves out--great minds think alike, eh?" she replied, holding up her own dragonhide glove-covered hands.

"I wasn't expecting to have to handle something as dangerous as wolfsbane in my second year," she continued.

He didn’t know!! But he would’ve been pleased as punch to learn he had basically been Cece’s hero. After all, heroes were, like, leading men and that was who Kale was trying to be. Or the funny best friend. Or, he conceded, just background. What was that his mother was always reminding him? Oh yeah. There were no small parts, only small actors.

”Hey back,” Kale said as he playfully snatched her wiggly fingers. He shook their joined hands before releasing them, and decided, “Let’s go to that greenhouse.” He had a good feeling about the vibes on that place.

Which were entirely misplaced. Abort! It was chilly in here, Kale thought as he stepped into the misty greenhouse with Cece. Like chilly enough that he was concerned he lead her astray. Okay. That’s it! Next time Cece had to make the decision. Kale was obviously a terrible decision maker.

“It’s cold, right?” The fourth year shivered.

Violet looked at the boy who had joined them. She was not impressed by the hard sell on the charm--it reminded her too much of her father when he wanted to sell somebody something--but the guy could cast the Bubble Head charm (or said he could, anyway). She had been worried about that, because she didn't know how to and was not confident that her makeshift mask from the trip to New York would be much good against Wolfsbane. She glanced over at Mamie as she responded, "It's okay with me, if it's okay with her." But Mamie had already welcomed Josh to their group, so Violet saw that they were a trio now.

Claudine slipped on her gloves after stashing her notebook in her robe pocket. Should her notes be needed, it would be retrieved. Ignoring everyone else in that particular Greenhouse, she took about two more steps into it before realising that the temperature had dropped. But it was a workable temperature which was a relief. She neither wanted to be freezing nor sweating; any of those would be distracting. As if the fog wasn’t already… how was she to see properly?

Claudine took a few more steps, squinting in the general direction ahead of her. Were those tables? Yes, they seemed to be. Gosh. Look at all the green. The girl blinked rapidly, trying to get her eyes to adapt to the mistiness and the green. It was as though she had stepped into an Irish store…. minus the fog, of course.

Oh. Was that purple she spotted over there on the table closest?

The Snakette bustled carefully over to the said table. Didn’t want to trip over the vines on the floor, did she?

"I don't mind" Minjae waited for a moment while Avalon was putting on her own gloves and once he saw that she was done he pushed open the door. A chill went through his spine the moment he had entered and he wrapped his robe a bit tighter around himself. The fog was a nice touch though. Very mysterious and the Hufflepuff loved mysteries. "This is like an RPG quest, isn't it?" he asked as he arrived at the tables, seeing only green , green and more...wait was that purple he saw? "I saw something purple somewhere over there" he said as he pointed to the direction he had seen it a second ago but couldn't see it anymore thanks to the fog. "Do you think those vines will attack us if we come closer to the flower?" or was it a plant? Mweh he probably should have paid more attention. But did it matter though?