Dawn in Autumn errand

•@Boniface Murtagh MacTavish•

Up at the crack of dawn, Sylvie's eyes threatened to lull closed as she got up to fix herself for an early start today. Through her groggy thoughts she noticed that, unlike her home back in Wales, she never flinched when her feet reached the cool floors on an Autumn morning- perhaps because she found nothing in the Gryffindor housing to be all that cold. Not even the floors. Everything was so full of warmth, like a blanket. It made her want to go back to sleep, but she wouldn't let herself do that. She couldn’t! And she made sure that she wouldn't by giving herself a few sharp slaps to the cheeks, telling herself to wake up. There was work to do this morning. Professor MacTavish had posted an errand, asking for help with the harvest of herbs from the gardens. Now, Sylvie had never done an errand before, at least not at Hogwarts, but she was still eager to help her teachers with random tasks! Just as she was always eager to help out in her previous muggle school. Her red hair was sloppily twin braided and tied with a golden ribbon to keep her hair out of her face. Doing her best to straighten the uniform she'd dressed herself in, she quietly took her scarf and hat from off of her bed where she'd set them the previous evening before bed, tiptoed down the stairs, and crept out the door just as curfew ended, trying not to wake those of her house-mates that were still fast asleep. Cranky Gryffindors were not the most charming to be around, she'd very quickly figured out during her time here. Her stomach grumbled loudly as she walked through the halls. Oops. Hopefully she'd be back in time for breakfast, but given how early it was, she had no doubt that would be the case. Maybe she would even finish her work sooner than expected!

November days in Scotland were brisk. That was a bit of an understatement. They were rather cold, and if the girl hadn't been awake before, opening the heavy doors of the castle and stepping out into the cool, crisp air of an early morning surely would. She pulled her robe around her a bit further, bundling herself up with a small smile on her face. Despite her love of homely warmth, she typically favored the cooler temperatures of the autumn and winter months. It made the aforementioned coziness of the Gryffindor common room even more cherished. Nothing's better than settling down in your favorite chair by the fireplace after freezing your toes off for a good while, right? Autumn just so happened to be her very favorite. Who could blame her? The leaves changing colors, the wonderful pumpkin treats and cinnamon tea on chilly afternoons, and the perfect time to wear her favorite scarf was more than enough to win her heart. Even if she tried taking her time getting to the Herbology grounds, wanting to enjoy the stillness of such an early morning, the young Gryffindor always found that she walked much too fast for her own good; Before she knew it, she'd made it to the greenhouse.

Sylvie walked into the greenhouse, beaming at Professor MacTavish with an air of cheerfulness. "Mornin', Professor," She spoke as she tugged on some gloves, picked up pruning shears, and even snagged a little basket for collection before heading out into the gardens where, presumably, the seasonal herbs were ready for picking! She'd watched her father work in the gardens of her family home before, and even helped when she could, although their gardens weren't nearly as splendid as the ones here. Her family had always been proficient in herbal medicines and magical healing, and plants had always had a considerable place in her life and in her heart. She enjoyed the feeling of getting her hands dirty and rarely shied away from such a task. She liked it and it relaxed her, if merely for a little while.

The rewards of house points and chocolate frogs excited her- especially the chocolate frogs. It gave her a little motivation and a treat to look forward to, though she would have offered her help regardless of the compensation for her efforts. The girl happily skipped about the gardens as she tried to decide which herb she’d go for first. There was a lot to choose from, but she eventually knelt down near the common sage and gentle snipped away at the plant, harvesting enough for at least four bundles. As the morning breeze blew, she shivered, readjusting her scarf as she moved onto a patch of thyme. The scent in the garden was lovely. Between the sweet smelling lavender to the rosemary, to the thyme she was currently harvesting, every section of the garden had a different fragrance, and yet they all mingled so well. It reminded her of home, almost made her feel a tad homesick, but instead of dwelling on that, she just moved on.

Eventually, she had filled up her basket. A long while had passed, though it only felt like an hour at most. She may have gotten into a bit of a zone. Thoroughly satisfied with her harvest, she went inside, not yet finished with her work. She still had to bundle everything up, and so she took off her gloves, put away the shears she’d borrowed, and picked up a ball of twine getting right down to it, starting with the thyme she’d gathered. Everything was neat and in its place at her work station. Despite the frequently messy state of her room back home, she couldn’t seem to work in a messy environment. She separated the bunch of herbs: sage, thyme, rosemary, lavender, and even some mint into around five bundles each. After she had finished, she wasn’t sure whether she should hang them to dry herself, or hand them in to the professor, so she left her station for a moment to go look around for him. “Professor MacTavish? Are you still here?” 

WC: 1011