House of Toads PV Group 3

Ruthie was very excited to build a house for toads out by the Herbology greenhouses. Ever since starting Frog Choir, she realized she would be spending more time with reptiles. As such, she may as well learn how to better take care of them. Jorah had signed up exclusively to look after the frogs and toads, but she didn't want to rely on him exclusively. That's not was a president did. A president was knowledgable, thoughtful, and careful. And so, she jumped at the newest errand as an opportunity to learn more about these four-legged creatures who would be playing a major part in her Hogwarts career from now on.

That morning, she wasted little time getting out to the Greenhouses, which had seen already a fair bit of adventure, if you could call it that, on her part. First thing in the term, she'd sought refuge there after burning her hand accidentally in the first errand waxing candles. And only the other week she'd passed there with Lark in the middle of the night, unknowingly headed to find her good friend, Shauna Starr, passed out by the great lake. It was unbeknownst to her if Herbology professor had seen them pass, but still the memory crept up on her upon her arrival. No one would know, but she would she would have sworn she felt hairs stand up at the back of her neck.

Once she was there, she listened to the Professor's instructions. Apparently, there was more than one way to properly construct a toad home. The first option--the toad cave--seemed miles easier. And if she finished quickly, she might have more time for decorating, which was truly intrigued her. After all, frogs had souls like anyone else so they deserved a nice, individual home with some personality. She imagined the patterns she might create with the stones, grouping them artistically by size or color. Perhaps even some flora and fauna might be involved.

Eagerly, she reached to find herself a clay pot. They were all pretty much the same, but still, she stood there for a few moments examining it. She didn't want any toad entering the home she would build to find cracks or holes in its new dwelling. That was simply not what new homeowners looked for, and Hogwarts, of all places, simply had to boast the best frog homes. What else was magic for, if not to bring cheer to the smallest of creatures? Once she had selected what she had determined as a good pot, she looked around for a good patch of grass on which to start her toad home construction.

WC: 439 | Open to Interactions

Word Count: 526 | Open to interactions! Interacting with @Ruthie Greer and @River Dewlight.

Interacting with @Ruthie Greer, @River Dewlight, and @Jennifer Rome

It was a beautiful day and Catriona was determined to make the most of it. She'd been cooped up in the Ravenclaw dormitories for a while and it was nice to get fresh air. Plus, she would be helping out the toads. Who didn't like helping out the toads? It was a bit of a stretch, but Catriona was happy to be outside anyway. She made her way down to the greenhouses and stepped inside, breathing in the air. It smelled a bit like petrichor, even though it hadn't rained.

Catriona's face fell a little when she realized she didn't know anyone in the group clustered around the Professor. She quickly joined them anyway, not wanting to be late for any instruction.

The toad cave seemed easiest, she mused, following the rest of the girls outside. She wanted to try the toad house, anyway. They looked rather small and Catriona found herself smiling a little at how cute they were.

She turned to the three girls surrounding her. "I'm Catriona, by the way," she said, accompanying the introduction with an awkward wave. "I think a heart might work if we space the houses far enough apart." She grabbed one of the pots and knelt onto the ground to begin filling the bottom half with dirt. "We can try building a little city too, if you want." She settled the half filled pot into the ground, patting it once for good measure (as if the action would stop it from rolling out of place). "What are your names?"

WC: 258

The pots weren't too heavy, but she wanted to carry that and a trowel to begin with. She could gather more decorative supplies later on. "Hey, River!" Ruthie said as she waved across the other Ravenclaw who was in her group. She had yet to have a sustained conversation with the dhampir, but she knew her from both the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team and the SWAG club, where she had come out victorious in Shuntbumps. If that was any indication, River was a great flyer and would no doubt do very well if they needed her in a match. Ruthie hoped that one day River might be able to get some match time. "Oh, probably the cave one. It seems quickest," she explained to her housemate as she followed across to the table, "I want to leave plenty of time to decorate. You know, make it really nice and cozy for the frogs. It is a home after all. You?" Perhaps it was a bit of an idealistic sentiment, but when it came to the natural world, Ruthie would spare no expense. To her, all creatures of the earth were precious.

The blonde looked across to River, glad to be more properly making her acquaintance. Her fingers around the ridge of her pot, she was still searching for a good patch of grass when she noticed another one of the girls in their group give them a wave. She looked friendly enough and young, perhaps a first year like herself. But Ruthie couldn't help but raise an eyebrow to her suggestion. It wasn't that she wasn't open to suggestions or working together--quite the contrary--but a heart? That was perhaps the most feminine shape they could come up with, save a daisy, and the Scottish tomboy couldn't help but mentally scoff at it. This was a suggestion for the wrong Greer; her younger sister would have been much more open to such a girly idea. Still, she didn't want to seem against the group.

She was about to acquiesce when thankfully another one of the girls spoke up. Catriona she introduced herself and Ruthie had a sneaking suspicion she had seen her the common room in passing. There were so many first years, it was a bit hard to keep track beyond the ones she regularly spoke with. From the girl's wave, she didn't seem the most comfortable in the group, but at least she was taking on somewhat silly query at hand and for that Ruthie was thankful. Catriona didn't veto the heart, but diplomatically suggested a city, which in Ru's mind seemed reasonable. How many frogs there were on the grounds, she didn't know, but it was a reasonable assumption that they should want some company. "A kind of toad village!" Ruthie interjected, a nod to her preference for the city concept. And with that, she knelt down not too far from Catriona, but far enough that if her home's dweller wanted some privacy, they would be able to achieve it with ease. "Ruth," she introduced herself, as she loosened the soil nearby with a trowel, "but most people call me 'Ruthie,' especially the team." She looked across to River. This seemed like a good group to work with so far. Together, they could come up with a nice little frog town, even if from far away, it looked vaguely heart-shaped.

WC: 439 + 561 = 1000 | Interacting with @River Dewlight, @Jennifer Rome & @Catriona Staverly

Moderation: Taking Phae's place will be @Snow Jones.

Word Count: 526 + 494 = 1,020 | Interacting with @Ruthie Greer, @Catriona Staverly, and @River Dewlight.