Errand We Must Cultivate Our Garden PV S. Towers

Serena rubbed her nose with the back of her fingers roughly as stood there in the grounds, contemplating her next move. The Hufflepuff had decided to start taking more of an initiative in life. She would actively seek to do things that were good and avoid the things that were bad. She would be smart about this but also brave. After all, she was now thirteen years old and had big girl shoes to start filling. The Hufflepuff scooped up her long black hair and pulled it into a ponytail. Taking the hair tie from her wrist, she double knotted it around her thick hair. 

Dressed in a pair of shorts, a t-shirt and trainers, Serena opened up the cupboard that she had been standing by and looked inside. It took a few moments of rooting around but she managed to pull out a pair of gloves. It was recommended that they wore gloves whilst gardening but she knew every little more than that. Perhaps she ought to have asked Professor Davis before the term ended. That old Herbology teacher would have been able to tell her how to garden properly, right? Nonetheless, she had signed up for the task when she saw the errand and now... Kind of had to stick to her word.

Serena made her way over to the vegetable patches. "O- Oh, hi." She greeted as she saw another girl there. She frowned for a moment, trying to remember her face or name but nothing came to mind so she just continued, "Do you mind if I join you? I'm not uh quite sure how to do this but... I kinda just figured I'd give it a try, yanno?" She asked, feeling a little awkward. She forced herself to push past the shyness. Being Prefect for over a year had forced her to talk to people. She was really glad that she no longer did it but still, she had learned a few valuable lessons from it and it appeared of use from time to time.

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Angellica had been settled on her knees beside a bushel, pulling up beets to make sure they were ready before properly plucking them. Before accepting the offered task, she had of course read up on it as much as possible. It was dirtier than books, but it wasn't too complicated, at least the picking part. Her mind had been going over the pages she had found on the subject matter before leaving the castle for the summer when it was interrupted by a soft voice. There was something romantic about it, something fulfilling that she hadn't quite expected. Gardens were a bit self-gratifying from what she was understanding.

A bright smile creased the blondes eyes as she gave a gloved wave towards the other. "Hey," she responded easily. Perhaps she'd make a friend, though for the life of her, she couldn't recognize the dark haired girl before her. Perhaps they hadn't had class together, or maybe they weren't in the same year? She wasn't sure. Hogwarts was a big school after all. "Of course!" she said beckoning the other forward by tapping the ground beside her. "We can pick some fruits and vegetables. I'm checking the beets, making sure they're ready to pick, see?" she pulled towards the bottom and exposed the deep burgundy bottom of a slightly too small beet before letting it go and moving onto the next which was much better for the picking and settling it with the three others she'd found worthy of the wooden basket.

"I'm Angellica," the small blonde introduced. "I don't think I've seen you before, did you just finish first year too?" she babbled away, as she tended to do when nervous. While she spoke, she picked a couple more beets and adding them to the pile. They seemed the heaviest on the list, or at least among them, so they could deal with having lighter foods settled atop them.

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Serena smiled as the blonde girl responded, without instantly turning away from her. She was nervous, for some reason. Perhaps constantly being recognised and then judged for it does that to you. It may also have something to do with the words that her father had told her, not all that long ago. This girl's bright smiling face, however, put her mind at ease a little.

The Hufflepuff listened as the girl explained what she was doing. She stepped a little closer and peered under the beet to see the colours and try to understand what the girl meant. Serena could not help but be pleased that the girl was trying to actually help her, rather than judge her for her lack of knowledge. Perhaps she could make a new friend today. Nodding, "I see, thank you! I'll get started over there then!" She offered as she moved to the other side of the beets patch, after picking up another basket for herself. She was not very far away and could easily still talk to the girl but it made sense to conquer the task from both sides so it could be done a lot quicker.

Shaking her head, "No, I'm going into my third year now," Serena replied as Angellica introduced herself. She hesitated for a brief moment before deciding it was impolite not to introduce herself in return, "I'm Serena, by the way," She added with a bright smile over to the girl, secretly hoping that the girl did not recognise the name or anything associated with it. She purposefully felt off the Towers and hoped the girl did not ask, "So you just finished your first year? How did you find it?" Serena asked her as she lifted one of the beets and examined the bottom. Picking it, she carefully placed it into the wooden basket before moving to the next one.

Running WC: 654

OOC: Sorry for the delay in replying!

Gardens were beautiful places, and the blonde had always been found of beauty. Just like the niceties of life, they were also covered in dirt. Nothing came without a little work and getting ones hands dirty. There was no such thing as pristine, just the illusion of it. Still she smiled, the girl before her had nothing to do with her family or the things that plagued her mind.

"Sounds good," she responded gently as the other set to the other side, a bushel of her own to work with.

They were still close enough to discuss though which was nice. Having a partner made work easier, made the time go faster, and though this was enjoyable under the morning sun and gentle breeze, she welcomed the distraction.

"Ah, that explains it," she replied. "Though I spent most of my time in the library or studying somewhere, I haven't been the most social this first year." A hint of guilt tainting her words, the softest rose highlighting her pale cheeks. A heat she hoped the sun would appear to be the cause. "In any event it's nice to meet you," she added beaming.

At the question about how her first year had gone, she pondered as she settled beats into the bushel and shifted one row to the side to grab carrots of all colors around. "It was interesting," she chose to say. "I mean the castle is absolutely fantastic, and it took a while to truly get to know it…though does anyone truly know the castle?” she asked, before continuing her statement on her year at Hogwarts. ”Classes were fascinating, I ended with a strong O average, and I somehow made it onto the Quidditch team for Ravenclaw," she chuckled at the last part, settling purple, white, and orange carrots into the basket. Despite it though, it had been the most freeing experience of her life.

"How was your second year? Anything I should expect?" she asked. After all, she had a golden opportunity to do so given she was hanging out with a second year graduate, and her own experiences in life weren't exactly worth exalting in her opinion, or rather how her father would have put it.

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OOC no worries, real life always come first, and I can only imagine you have much on your plate as a professor.

Serena grinned and nodded, happy that she had a little bit of company today - especially one that was so helpful and seemed friendly enough. Of course, only time would tell. The Hufflepuff had made the mistake of trusting multiple people, thinking they were her bestfriend and this definitely made their betrayal all the worse. Yes, in her eyes at the very least, it was nothing short of a betrayal of her trust and friendship.

"Ah, well it's good to study." Serena replied, thinking that the girl was smart enough to realise that early. In Hogwarts, the more you knew, the better your chance of survival. This really was a game of 'the survival of the fittest'. "I spent most of the year in the common room so unless you're a Hufflepuff, chances are we wouldn't have met anyway," She continued as she noticed a slightly odd expression on Angellica's face - perhaps one of awkwardness or guilt. She couldn't really tell but the girl looked a little uncomfortable and that was enough for Serena to try and make things better for her.

The truth was, Serena had locked herself up in her dorm to try and study more - and stay out of trouble or danger. It was difficult but she attempted it, nonetheless. She really did hate studying though. Books were so dull to her. If anything, adventures taught her far more than books did. Serena was definitely a practical learner. This was evident by the fact that she had managed to pick a few more beets already. As she worked, she started to get faster at noticing what was ready for picking and what wasn't.

Serena chuckled a little as Angellica mentioned the neverending mission of trying to figure the castle out. "It's definitely a mysterious castle," She agreed, still sometimes getting confused by where she was meant to go when the stairs started to move or a door she swore was there, disappeared. It was such a pain, sometimes. "That's really good. What position do you play on the team? Second year is... kind of the same as first I think." The Hufflepuff paused in thought for a moment, not really seeing much of a difference, "Third year should be different. We get a few different subjects this year, which might be interesting..." In all honesty, she had no idea if any of the electives would be fun or interesting. She had not researched into them all that much. However, it made a change and who knows, some of them might be of interest.

"I think the Care of Magical Creatures might be a good one." Serena piped up after a few moments of silence. Her last experience with Professor Griffith was not the worst thing in the world, he might be decent as a teacher. And she did really enjoy working with animals, after all.

Running WC: 1135

Birds of a feather it seemed from what the blonde explained. They both had been fairly recluse, which explained why they hadn't crossed paths. At least they seemed to agree that studying was primordial. Honestly, with the things that happened at Hogwarts, it was a surprise that the body count wasn't higher than it had been since its opening - excluding the war that had taken place on the grounds.

It was nice to see the girl before her was a quick study. Not overthinking, and just doing. Angellica appreciated intelligence, she always had, though it took time for her to figure out there were different types of smart. In her case, emotional intelligence wasn't her strongest point, but books, hands on, the works she could handle.

"I'm a beater if you can believe it," she added with a chuckle. She hadn't expected it, but she had come to terms with it. Honestly, it was cathartic to beat balls with a bat. In the future, she'd most likely be a ball buster. It was disappointing to hear second year would be like first, and yet she had a hard time believing it. After all, there wasn't that insecurity of being incompetent, at least in her own case. She knew she could succeed, and thus far survive. "I'm not the strongest, but I'm working on it," she said once she had realized most of the carrots needed a bit more time and moving over to the various summer squashes and cucumbers.

Care of Magical Creatures sounded dangerous, but definitely interesting. "I'm personally excited for Ancient Runes and Arithmancy," she said. She'd read about all the classes Hogwarts had to offer. Of course she had also hoped for other classes that other schools had. Metaphysics, alchemy...There would be time after school though. At least she was in good company which was nice.

"What are you favorite classes so far?" she asked her companion. "Aren't you afraid of Care of Magical Creatures? I mean the chances of injury seem rather high," she added still ruminating the information that had previously been given to her.

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"Beaters seem like a fun position to play, to be fair," Serena admitted. She was definitely not the strongest of people but going around hitting bludgers with bats seemed like far more fun than any other position. Though, her noodle arms would probably struggle to even lift the bat. She decided to try for the team next year but had not actually picked a position yet. Perhaps chaser was more her speed. She looked over at Angellica and smiled as she put another beet into the basket, "I can help train with you if you want?" She offered, not really caring for the house rivalry that she was supposed to have. She personally wanted to get stronger anyway and it would be useful to practice with people. Especially if she got along with them.

She finished up her section, checking all of the beets there. Around a dozen made it into the basket but the rest required some more time to grow, it would appear. Rubbing her nose on the back of her glove, Serena looked up. It was sunny but there were no clouds out. She wondered if it would rain any time soon. They needed water, right? "I wonder if we should water these?" She asked Angellica, wondering if the girl knew when they had last been watered. They seemed a bit dry to her but then again, she was a total beginner at this. Her mother always told her to 'not play in the mud' because it was 'not ladylike'. So Serena's experience of gardening was highly limited.

"I honestly have no idea if Ancient Runes will be dull as hell or super interesting," She admitted, a bit unsure of what it actually was. If she was going to just have to translate stuff, she would get very bored very quickly. Arithmancy was... evil looking to her. "I like flying. Well Quidditch in general so flying lessons are always fun." She replied, deciding that was pretty sound logic. Serena paused for a moment, thinking about whether CoMC would be dangerous or not. She then shook her head, "No, I think we're not going to be approaching dragons on our first day and... I don't know... I get the impression that Griffith wouldn't want to hurt the animals so he would probably be carefully watching at all times..." Serena admitted. Her encounter with Professor Griffith was limited but having been forced to hang out with him, she decided that maybe, just maybe, he was not all that bad. He seemed a lot worse than he was. If nothing else, he seemed to really care about the animals. "Besides, animals seem to like me more than people sometimes so hopefully, it would be okay," Serena suddenly piped up after a few more moments, giving a light shrug.

Running WC: 1604

"I won't lie, being a beater is definitely fun," Angellica beamed. There was something about the crack of bludger against bat as it echoed through her entire frame that was just all so fulfilling. Quidditch hadn't been a first love, but between her father's appreciation for it, and the pleasant nature of unleashing her rage onto a small ball with a mind of its own, well, she had learned to enjoy it more than she cared to admit. It was what the other said next that truly peaked the blonde's interest. A training buddy? That actually sounded like a fantastic idea. Truthfully, there was nothing like having someone to share accountability with in order to succeed.

With a nod she looked over to the other. "I would love to have someone to train with. Are you considering trying out for your house team?" the young Ravenclaw asked. It was such a nice offer, and the more she got to know people at camp, the more she was appreciating having avoided staying at her family home in Czech Republic as they tended to holiday for Summer. Instead she'd skip the countryside and go straight to their London flat to enjoy the last of the summer before returning to Hogwarts.

"I think it might be a little too early to water the plants, plus we'd get all muddy," she pointed out to the Hufflepuff. If she had paid any attention to Herbology class and read up on gardening in general, it was that watering during the day might as well have been boiling the plants. It would be a shame to ruin the crop. So far it was quite yielding and she was rather impressed with the zucchinis that she found beneath large dark green leaves. They were pricklier than the grocery store type. Fuzzy even, and not in a pleasant manner. "But it might not be a bad idea to come back later and water them at dusk." That seemed like the more appropriate way to do it.

Angellica nodded at the response. Teachers could make or ruin a class, but from what she'd glanced over in books, she felt she could make the best of it in any event. Ancient Runes would be the foundation of understanding cursed locations, or complex magical objects. Things she wanted to learn, but had to postpone for the basics, which so far she did quite well in. "Flying is...freeing," she admitted. It was the only place where nothing truly took precedence in her mind. There were no questions, just trusting her own instincts. Just herself, a broom, and the skies for miles around. A thought that came to an abrupt end. "D-dragons? the young Ravenclaw paused in her fruit picking, though zucchini was often confused as a vegetable because of its savory applications. "On the first day?" worry tainted her words. Surely she would be discussing this with her mother, it was crazy. Firecrabs sure, but Dragons? The first day? Was this professor absolutely mad?

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Serena grinned as the girl admitted that being a beater was fun. She nodded, "Yeah, I think so. It's about time..." The Hufflepuff pondered for a moment. She had been a chaser in the former tryouts but never really pursued it properly. After everything she went through in her first year, she ended up dropping most - if not all - of her extra curricular activities. It was far too much responsibility, pressure and she had much better things to do: like survive. But the last year of Hogwarts was actually... quiet. They were so much safer now than they had been before. Things were actually getting better. Her first year might have been hell but in reality, her second year only sucked because of the bullies that spread fake rumours around about her. It sucked because she had let it.

Third year would be different. Things would be different. It was time to be stronger. Serena had decided that she would do the things she enjoyed doing this year, putting herself first and foremost. And more importantly, stand up to all of the darn bullies. She was done. Done with people treating others badly. Done with people blaming others for things that weren't their fault. She was no longer going to allow it or stand for it. "I'll try for it, yeah. I'm not sure if I'll stick to Chaser or try for something else though..." She explained, wondering if she ought to try for Keeper or Seeker instead. Beater was out because her noodle arms out probably break on her first attempt at hitting a bludger, so that made things a bit easier.

Serena looked at the sky and nodded, "I might do that later..." She replied, wondering if she ought to come back at dusk to water them. They probably could use some watering and she had nothing better to do anyway.

The Hufflepuff blinked as Angellica seemed thrown by the dragons, "Pretty sure we wouldn't cover dragons till like, I don't know, seventh year? If at all, that is." She replied. There was no way Griffith would introduce them to dragons when they were so young, right? Hell, she had no idea if dragons were ever covered in Hogwarts. Did she look like someone who looked at syllabuses? Then again, if the dragon was anything like the one she met in the Lock In then... Well, he was kind of super cute. Serena missed him. He was awesome. Dragons like that were definitely fine to meet. He was so small.

Running WC: 2029