Gardening Buddies PV Siobhan McCarty

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Stats: sta 6 ⊹ eva 8 ⊹ str 7 ⊹ wis 7 ⊹ arc 7 ⊹ acc 7 | Time: A Sunny Afternoon | CC:#2E8B57
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Siobhan hummed to herself and Toaster, as the two of them found their way to the familiar dirt path that led to her most favorited place of all places that she had ever explored. The Greenhouses.

Siobhan's feet guided her across the grounds in a way that she was thankful for since the blindness had gotten worse in the last few months. Had she not known the pathways so well, she knew she would have fallen into a depressive cycle with being barred from visiting the warm huts filled with life and creation. With more responsibility as a third year, Siobhan had been excitedly waiting to go and tend to the Greenhouses with Professor Sarai.

Siobhan had been so excited and very nervous to hear about the twins' birth as she knew that it became harder on a mother's body for any extra babies besides one. To be helpful, Siobhan had decided to take it upon herself to help with the upkeep of the Greenhouses she was allowed to be in, and tutor some of the younger students who needed a hand with learning how to take care of magical plants.

She knew some people, like her friend Astra Norrick, who was just awful with plants. Even plastic ones. But somehow her friend had killed those too.

Either way, Siobhan was excited to enter the Greenhouse for a few hours of solitude. Plus the new litter of Chinese Chomping Cabbages needed some exercise and her Honking Daffodil patch in her dorm room needed some more of the potent fertilizer.

She kicked the door open, unaware of the other student who was already working with their own patch of daffodils. It was crazy how loud they where in the morning.

"My goodness! You bulbs sure are excited to see someone. It must be difficult without a familiar face but not to fear because your plant-"

Slam

Siobhan tripped over something and slammed her face on the floor as she let out a loud yelp. Thankfully it wasn't a hard fall and she didn't really hurt herself. It was just shocking. From what she could feel against her legs, it was a backpack or bookbag of some sorts. Canvas, buttons, pockets, and zippers brushed against her legs as she stood up and brushed herself off. Her steely gaze (of nearly milk white eyes) peered around the greenhouse looking for the culprit (owner) of the bag on the floor.

"Hello? Please don't leave your bag on the floor of the Greenhouse. I'm a blind student and this is really dangerous to me-" Siobhan spoke as the focus of a familiar form came into view.

It looked like Kaitlyn, the Slytherin girl she had shared a compartment with on the train back to school.

"Kaitlyn! Oh sorry- I didn't mean to get snippy. You'd be surprised how little regard some people have for the floors and grounds here." Siobhan said with a bright smile. Toaster meowed as he hopped up to his usual spot in the window near one of the bouncing bulbs groups.

"Toaster she didn't mean it, don't be rude. Sorry- He's been a little snooty all day." Siobhan giggled as she started moving towards the Chinese Chomping Cabbage food. "I haven't seen... I haven't noticed you in the Greenhouses before! We must have only existed in passing together." Siobhan spoke softly as she threw some carrots to the baby cabbages.


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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Kaitlyn Connor|
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Interacting with: @Siobhan McCarty

Date: 9/12/25, Afternoon

Speech: #3CB371 | Thoughts: italics

Outfit: Slytherin uniform with low heels, pigtail braids (Outfit)

Being in a magical greenhouse naturally had safety issues. Kaitlyn was well aware of that. Yet, she was also a touchy-feely plant lover. If she could, she’d gladly cuddle and tickle every plant she could get her dainty fingers on. Some were certainly easier than others. It was part of her desire to show plants love and care, other than just watering and fertilizing. Only after all her loving was done, would she attempt any harvesting … which would be done with the utmost care! No plant would be injured on her watch!

Tending to the muggle plants and gardens at home was far easier for Kaitlyn. Sure, they had intricate needs. But, it wasn’t potentially hazardous to be amongst those plants. Her tender loving care, however, didn’t change based on the type of plant she was trying to care for. She viewed all plants as sacred. That was one of the reasons why she studied Herbology so hard!

Her blue eyes glowed as her fingertips grazed the leaves of the daffodils. They honked at Kaitlyn, making her giggle even more. ‘I love this so much. No matter what I choose to do eventually in the future … I want to still work with plants … or at least grow plants where I live. These are bright rays of sunshine to me. I know many magical plants can be very dangerous … but I feel like, as I show my love to them while being mindful of the dangers … I should be perfectly fine.’

The door to the greenhouse opened, and Kaitlyn didn’t immediately look up, as she was still tickling the daffodils. It wasn’t until she heard a familiar voice … that of Siobhan, when she finally looked up. Before she could utter a word, she saw the Gryffindor girl fall over her bag. Her cheeks burned bright red, and she yelped at the sight of it. Thankfully, it appeared that Siobhan wasn’t hurt, as she stood back on her feet right afterward.

That didn’t stop Kaitlyn from feeling bad. She wasn’t used to receiving snippy comments, but she knew it was well deserved here. She needed to be more careful. She rushed to Siobhan’s side, however, just in case. “Oh, my! I’m so sorry! I think it’s become a habit … a very bad and impolite habit … to drop my bag on the ground like that. I hope you’re alright. If you feel any pain at all, please don’t hesitate to say something,” she replied, an embarrassed smile on her face with worry etched in her voice.

After that train ride, Kaitlyn was aware that Siobhan was blind. Despite that fact, it seemed that the Gryffindor girl was still able to do most things at Hogwarts, which was great to see! She glanced at Siobhan’s cute cat, Toaster, who meowed. Kaitlyn giggled and shook her head gently. “No, no, it’s fine. Toaster’s looking out for you,” she smiled, as she glanced back at the cute cat. Despite not really knowing much, she could tell that Toaster was dear to Siobhan … especially without her sight.

Kaitlyn wasn’t aware of where Siobhan was going, so she slowly followed the Gryffindor toward what looked like cabbages. She nervously played with one of her pigtails. “I haven’t noticed you, either. I’m glad we’re here together now, though. It’s nice to see someone else my age who is also interested in Herbology,” she smiled with a quiet giggle. While she was always pretty shy, she found it easier to talk to Siobhan. Her eyes grew wide as the Gryffindor tossed carrots at the cabbages … and she started to see movement. “Wh- … how … huh … uh,” she stammered, as the cabbages began to move. It had been a while since the last time she stammered like that … from her first year. It was rarely this bad where she couldn't even talk.

Seeing cabbages move though … was surprising … and fascinating … and honestly pretty awesome. “They’re so cute!” She squeaked, jumping up and down like she was on a sugar high. She turned to Siobhan in a flurry of excitement. “Are those cabbages the huggable type?” She asked, as if it was normal to hug the plants in Herbology. To her, it was. Every plant she tended received a loving hug from her.

Word Count: 728 words

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Stats: sta 6 ⊹ eva 8 ⊹ str 7 ⊹ wis 7 ⊹ arc 7 ⊹ acc 7 | Time: A Sunny Afternoon | CC:#2E8B57
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The cacophany of Honking Daffodils mildly distracted Siobhan from the chomping cabbages and she yelped as one of them seized hold of her ankle as though it was a flavorful treat. Siobhan turned in the direction of Kaitlyn's voice as she shook her head.

"They're cute now, but they're a little feisty. I wouldn't hug them until you're sure that they are full from their snacks and feeding." Siobhan spoke as she hissed and knelt down to dislodge the cabbage from her ankle and prevent it from doing any damage with its nubby yet sharp teeth. It was only a baby, so not too much damage could be done but a grown cabbage could tear the skin off someone's leg if one found themselves in such a predicament.

Patting the ground for another carrot that had fallen from the bucket, she shoved the vegetable in between the sentient vegetable and her ankle. Thankfully the cabbage took to the treat and let go of her ankle. But the pain was still there and she found herself hobbling away from the cabbage pen to sit and talk to Kaitlyn. Toaster meowed softly as he played with the daffodils and the soft sounds of snuffling cabbage were really the only other sounds in the greenhouse.

It was such a wonderful sound to listen to. It could fill her ears all day for the rest of her life if she was lucky.

"I didn't realize you also had a green thumb Kaitlyn. If you mentioned it and I forgot, I apologize. It's been a very interesting begin to the semester." Siobhan smiled as she rummaged through her shoulder bag for a snack. Pulling out a small pouch of trailmix, she offered some to Kaitlyn. It was homemade, nut-free since she still hadn't managed to magic away her allergy, and filled with good snack foods. If the cabbages were eating, she figured she could also have a snack before one of the cabbages started trying to either eat another one or chew on something belonging to Professor Sarai.

Magical plants were equally funny and equally dangerous. They could save lives with their maturity or devastate ones with their poisons. With the lack of her sight soon to take place, Siobhan felt a pained tug in her heart as she remembered for the millionth time it seemed that she was going to one day lose sight of all the plants in her life for good. Though this period of time seemed to vary with every trip to St. Mungos. Right before the Summer Camp event, Siobhan had been able to gain at least 1 percentage of her sight back but it was only due to some cellular clean up that the mediwitches and healers were doing.

Though the fireworks she had seen over the summer seemed too vivid for her to think about the eventual darkness that would cover her.

"How has your first couple days been since we last spoke? Classes well?" Siobhan asked as she remembered that the other girl was still within her proximity.

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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Kaitlyn Connor|
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Interacting with: @Siobhan McCarty

Date: 9/12/25, Afternoon

Speech: #3CB371 | Thoughts: italics

Outfit: Slytherin uniform with low heels, pigtail braids (Outfit)

Seeing the cabbage chomp on Siobhan’s ankle, Kaitlyn yelped in surprise. Although it really shouldn’t be too surprising. The whole name of a chomping cabbage made sense. It was perfectly reasonable for it to chomp. Although she didn’t think the Gryffindor was close enough to be seen as a snack, it basically underscored the warning given to her.

“Understood … at least until I can see if I can get them to like me enough to not chomp on me,” Kaitlyn replied quietly. “I’ve been so tempted to come in here wearing sandals … my preference whenever I have the chance to change … pretending that I’m frolicking through a garden … at least in my own mind. But, ah, I understand the need for protection. I’d rather not have my toes chomped. Besides, we are still learning,” she observed, making sure to stay close to Siobhan, as she removed the offending cabbage from her ankle.

“That looked painful,” Kaitlyn squeaked, playing with her pigtail. “If there’s anything I can do to ease the pain for you, please let me know,” she continued, sympathy in her voice. She didn’t like to see others get injured, especially when she was nearby. It was one of the reasons why she decided to sign back up for the Hospital Wing internship. While she had no idea if healing was for her, she wanted to help people. Healing was a good way to do so.

Kaitlyn took a seat next to Siobhan and smiled kindly, quickly shaking her head. “No worries. With the start of our third year … we’ve been both bound to get busy. I’m trying in that regard. I have some honking daffodils in my dorm … along with a few muggle plants. Tulips and roses. I love them so much!” She giggled at her excitement. Her blue eyes glanced at Toaster, as he was playing with some daffodils. “Do you also have plants that you’re growing?” She asked.

While she was curious about the other girl’s blindness, Kaitlyn was far too polite to bring it up. It was none of her business, after all. The only thing that mattered was that Siobhan was still able to get around and function at the castle. Eyesight or not. It did, however, remind Kaitlyn of just how fragile and precious life really could be, even for a witch. Magic or no magic, things happened.

Looking at the trail mix, Kaitlyn took a small amount of what was offered to her. “Thank you,” she smiled. Popping a piece into her mouth, she was aware of the lack of nuts, but didn’t think too much about it. It wasn’t her place to do so, at any rate. She chewed softly, the food crunching against her teeth, before she looked back at Siobhan. Her hands nervously played with her pigtail some more.

“Yes, they’re going well so far. Herbology … I love it! I lalso ike the new classes we have. Divination and Ancient Runes sound very interesting to me. My best friend from Ilvermorny practically talked my head off about Divination. I didn’t mind, though. She gets animated very quickly. I like the energy she gives off,” Kaitlyn giggled. “And I’m interested in learning about magical creatures. The few I saw at the summer camp looked cool. I like learning in general,” she nodded, glancing at her heels. “How about you? How have the last few days been? Have you been adjusting well to the new year?” She asked, quietly, still playing with her hair.

While she was certainly concerned for Siobhan’s well-being as a prefect, Kaitlyn also wanted to be a friend to her. She was well aware that she needed to be more friendly to her classmates.

Word Count: 624 words

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Stats: sta 7 ⊹ eva 9 ⊹ str 7 ⊹ wis 9 ⊹ arc 8 ⊹ acc 7 | Date: 10/30/25 | Time: The Golden Hour | CC:#2E8B57
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Siobhan was happy that she and Kaitlyn where able to converse so well after only having just met. It was easy to connect with those when there was something in common such as plants and gardening. Kaitlyn was sweet and had clearly been given the right responsibility of Prefect. Siobhan plced the trail mix back in between the two of them so that they could continue to munch on the snack as they took care of the plants for the day as a help to Professor Sarai.

"I'm glad everything is going well for you. What's it like being a Prefect? I don't know if I could ever have been one but is it quite hard? What is it like balancing the responsibilities along with classwork? How where you picked to be one?" Siobhan mused. Only one other person she knew had been a Prefect- and that had been Prat.

Siobhan had thought about it. What it would be like to have the responsibility to the Gryffindor House. But she wasn't sure if she was able to do such a thing with her disability. It was a miracle that she was able to duel for the house team and even complete her homework. But she had to admit, when she first started at Hogwarts, she had seen herself being promoted into the position. For now, she just wanted to focus on herself and not worry about having to take care of other students.

Of course that didn't mean she wouldn't offer help to those in need. Astra Norrick was a great example. The poor girl was downright awful with Herbology work and more often than not needed Siobhan's help to fix whatever it was she had botched for their lesson or for their homework in order to keep her grades up. It never hurt to help her in this case and Siobhan quite liked it.

"I think the Magical Creatures class would be fun. I'm not really sure how I can participate with much of it. Especially with anything that breathes fire- what if it burns me? Or something sharp pokes me??" Siobhan asked nervously. It was a thought that occured to her while she had attended her first class the other day. They had only been discussing winged horses, but Siobhan knew well enough that any animal could be dangerous if one did not know how to care for it or take care around it. Horses, if spooked, could easily kick and maim an individual by causing some sort of internal bleeding or head contusion.

Nevermind something that was capable of magical abilities.

Siobhan shuddered lightly but focused up as Kaitlyn asked her how her time in the beginning of the year had been going. It hadn't been hard so far- aside from potions. She was still learning to navigate the classroom and the meticulousness that the subject required of the practicioner through her clock station pattern. Everything was set to be asjusted as though her hands where the hands of a clock and the items around her, the numbers of such. The cauldron would always remain at 12 while her ladle would be at 1, her ingredients in order of when to be added at 2, 3, 4 and so on. It was stressful and often she did need help. Heavy was the head and heart that held the need to ask for help.

She often felt like a burden to those who were paired up with her during class. Always having to ask for reassurance or guidance.

Though she shook her head and answered Kaitlyn with an honest truth. "I'm enjoying the year so far. It's wonderful to be back where I feel most free. I love my home in Ireland, but there's only so much magic I can do around my family, dooyrtoo? I also missed the castle. And I am enjoying the new lessons with Divination too even if Professor Nenovsky is a little... water brained?" Siobhan laughed as she lightly poked fun at their mermaid obsessed Divination Professor. It was funny to see such a whimsical woman be so attuned with the wonders of mermaids, something muggle children like Siobhan herself at one point, were overly fascinated with. "O neaughyn, I can't understand half of her accent!
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| Manx Translations: Dooyrtoo?: You know? O neaughyn: Oh Heavens,| 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Kaitlyn Connor
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Interacting with: @Siobhan McCarty

Date: 9/12/25, Afternoon

Speech: #3CB371 | Thoughts: italics

Outfit: Slytherin uniform with low heels, pigtail braids (Outfit)

At Siobhan’s question, Kaitlyn quietly chewed in thought. She rarely, if ever, acted without thinking through her response. Naturally quiet and contemplative, she’d rather make sure she gave her best thoughts rather than rush to respond. Now was no different. It stemmed from her muggle education at St. Ann’s. It wasn’t as if she minded, anyway. She’d rather be prepared than caught off guard.

A quiet laugh escaped her lips. “I’m not sure I’m the best prefect Hogwarts has to offer. But, I think it’s pretty good,” Kaitlyn shrugged. “I’m honestly less of a prefect who cares about assigning detentions for every infraction … I instead use my position to help others, at least to the best of my ability.” Was it wise to admit to that? She hadn’t a clue. Then again, she was hoping to be Siobhan’s friend, and she’d assume that it would be ok to admit to.

“I wouldn’t call it hard … different, yes. But, not exactly hard. Then again, that may just be because I’m shy,” Kaitlyn attempted to explain, popping another piece of trail mix into her mouth. A smile crossed her lips at the mention of balancing being a prefect with her classwork. “Honestly, I don’t find that difficult … I’ve always studied a lot. If anything, between being a prefect and broom racing, it has mostly changed the time I study. It has caused some adjustment for me to be effective, but I haven’t suffered from a lack of time management, yet.”

Not to mention, there was also the prefect bathroom. Sometimes, when Kaitlyn went there to relax, she would also bring some schoolwork to complete while waiting for the water or when taking an actual bath. Thankfully, she had been careful so far in keeping her work dry. Hopefully, that stretch of good luck would continue.

A light blush bloomed on Kaitlyn’s cheeks, even though she knew that Siobhan wouldn’t see it. Why exactly was she picked for Slytherin prefect? She hadn’t a clue. Had she done something special to have earned it? Not to her knowledge. Was she the best epitome of Slytherin house pride? Honestly, she probably wasn’t. So, then, why her? Why was she chosen out of the big pool of Slytherin students? It wasn’t a rabbit hole she was willing to attempt to explore, as she knew that there were no good answers to that question.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Kaitlyn replied quietly, letting her fingertips gently play with her pigtail braids. If there was one thing she tried to maintain, it was her honesty. While she could learn to play a role, she knew that she needed to be honest with herself and those around her. After a few moments of her nervous energy, she decided to continue. “When thinking about Slytherin house, I very much doubt that I’m the type of student that you would think would best represent Slytherin,” she acknowledged. She looked at Siobhan. “I’d like to think it’s because I want to try my best to help others.” Her fingertips continued to play with her hair nervously. The better question would probably be, what do other people see in her that led them to think she could handle responsibility? But, she didn’t want to put the Gryffindor on the spot.

At Siobhan’s worry about Care of Magical Creatures, Kaitlyn nodded along. She was frankly scared of those same things. It must have been even worse for Siobhan, with her disability. “That is a concern,” Kaitlyn acknowledged quietly. “But, I think there has to be a way for you to do so, safely, even if it isn’t directly during class,” her mind continued to play with the thought. “I feel like it would probably be easiest for you to encounter the magical creatures with a group of friends you can trust to keep you safe … or maybe even with the Care of Magical Creatures professor?” She tried to offer potential solutions.

Even with her shyness, Kaitlyn knew the first option was likely the superior choice. While she wasn’t well-versed in Siobhan’s thoughts about her disability, Kaitlyn knew that if she had anything like that, the last thing she’d want was special treatment. While the disability would likely be well-known, she knew that the actions of others could make or break the experience … and trust, for that matter. For that matter … if Siobhan could work with dangerous magical plants, there had to be a safe way for her to work with magical creatures.

Would Kaitlyn love to offer her services? Sure! But she was far too polite to impose herself and cause a burden for Siobhan. While her self-confidence was slowly improving from her first year, she still sometimes believed that she was a burden for her fellow students, which was also why she tended to keep to herself … even while being a prefect. She’d rather be asked than assume anything.

Hearing Siobhan’s response to how the school year was going, Kaitlyn nodded her head. “That’s understandable. I miss my home in London too, and I am also unable to use magic at home,” she continued, her voice still quiet. She quietly snorted at the comment about Professor Nenovsky. “I find the decorations in her room to be pretty, and I’m enjoying her class, too.” A giggle danced on her lips at the mention of the professor’s accent. “Ah, yes, I definitely agree with that!”

Word Count: 906 words

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Stats: sta 6 ⊹ eva 8 ⊹ str 7 ⊹ wis 7 ⊹ arc 7 ⊹ acc 7 | Time: A Sunny Afternoon | CC:#2E8B57
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When Kaitlyn brought up speaking to the Professor who presided over the Care of Magical Creatures about how it was she could safely and effectively participate in the class, Siobhan realized exactly how kind the girl's mind was. The empathetical solutions that she offered and the sweet words that accompanied it made Kaitlyn come across as someone that Siobhan knew would be a dear friend if she actively made an effort to keep up with her and didn't fall apart from her because of time, school, or lack of effort on Siobhan's own part. Siobhan was glad that they could share a laugh over their divination professors kookiness as well. It was very funny to watch the mermaid obsessed woman preside over their class and talk about Divination in ways that always seemed peculiar even for a subject such as the Sight.

Kaitlyn was trying to make conversation but Siobhan could tell that between the both of them there was a heavy air of shyness and quietness that kept them from both outwardly enforcing the confidence that they likely both had deep down somewhere in their chests. Siobhan truly did appreciate it. She found that it was easier to reciprocate the energies of other people when they talked to her. It helped her find a voice of her own, but she didn't want to be just another mimic in the flock.

Siobhan often thought about her confidence, or apparent lack-there-of when she lay awake at night with a fat lump on her chest who whined for treats in her face. Keeping your head up and out of sight of others was one thing but truly having a show of confidence was another. She often wondered if people viewed what she pretended to have as something that was real. She wished it was, but the facade was easiest to keep up when everyone else played along.

The growl of a cabbage and a hiss from Toaster had Siobhan turning her head in the direction of the problem. Toaster had gotten into a bad habit of fighting with the cabbage babies whenever Siobhan let them out of their pen to run around for a bit of exercise and it often resulted in the two fusspots squaring up with one another. Siobhan leaned down to grab her cat to stop it from trying to tear the cabbage baby to shreds. The batch of chomping cabbages was supposed to be her project that she was working on for the semester. Toaster destroying it because it was trying to fight him was not something she needed.

"Toaster no!" Siobhan chastised lightly as she fumbled with the heavy body of her cat as he tried in vain to attack the spitting cabbage that hopped off to the safety of it's brethren. Siobhan plonked Toaster on the table where she and Kaitlyn where sitting.

"You have a pet- Demeter right? Your bunny? Is she like this? A handful?" Siobhan asked gesturing to Toaster who was flopped on his face and throwing a tantrum at not being allowed to attack the prey he wanted. Siobhan loved rabbits. There was a clutch of them that liked to nibble at her mother's cooking garden back in Ireland but Siobhan loved when the mother rabbits would bring their babies to come sit with her and her sisters in the garden. Her own sister, also named Kaitlyn, loved bunnies.

"I don't know if I've mentioned this to you, but my little sister's name is Kaitlyn. She loves rabbits and named all the ones in the fluffle that live in our garden. You remind me so much of both my sisters actually and it's so comforting... I hope thats not... weird to say?" Siobhan stated after a moment of reminicing about her siblings.

It was hard to be separated from your family for months on end when there was no one like you at a school where you were one in a thousand other faces. Siobhan often wondered to herself where her placement really was when she went home and she was supposed to be out of school for the holidays. Letters where hard to keep up with all the news and announcements that seemed to be happening. Such as Cillian's college going to Nationals. Or Declan self-producing his first original single. Kaitlyn had gotten a scholarship to a dance studio and Eoghan had proposed to his girlfriend, Abigail who Siobhan had very much come to see as a sister already.

It was weird to be so out of the loop. And so without her family. But Kaitlyn's demeanor and kindness reminded her so much of her family that it was why she found herself wanting to be better friends with the Slytherin girl.

"I really am glad we have such things as Herbology in common Kaitlyn. Its enjoyable to converse with someone I have things in commmon with." Siobhan said as she gave Toaster a few extra pets. "Missing home can get so tiring after a while but finding peace with those who also miss their homes helps to alleviate the feeling. Would you agree?"
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| 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉: | 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈: @Kaitlyn Connor|
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Interacting with: @Siobhan McCarty

Date: 9/12/25, Afternoon

Speech: #3CB371 | Thoughts: italics

Outfit: Slytherin uniform with low heels, pigtail braids (Outfit)

While Kaitlyn tried her best not to show it, she had to admit that there were times she was jealous of seeing other students behaving confidently around Hogwarts. It made her painfully aware of her own shortcomings. Yes, she had improved since her first year at the magical castle, but that didn’t mean she was the epitome of a confident teenage girl. She was not yet at that level. Of course, she also didn’t want to lie to herself, either.

To her, confidence wasn’t a static behavior that she either exhibited or didn't. No. It appeared to come in waves. Like with her school work, or even with painting or writing poetry. Some things she did, she felt pretty confident about. Herbology was one of the subjects at Hogwarts that she was pretty consistently confident with. Other than that, however, her confidence ebbed and flowed like waves. How much of that her classmates could tell, she had no idea. And, frankly, she had no interest in asking. If she was already skidish about herself, why give other students the go-ahead to judge her confidence? It didn’t make much sense to her.

As much as she would love to be more confident, Kaitlyn was more worried about being true to herself. She didn’t want to try to behave more confidently than she was, just for the sake of outward appearances. Frankly, she didn’t care at all how the other students saw her. Er, that wasn’t completely true. She wanted to be liked, yes, but she didn’t want to be fake. Being authentic was very much more important to her. Well, that and letting her personality shine. She had no problem being a quirky and weird teenage girl, and wouldn’t change that aspect about herself at all.

Before Kaitlyn could continue thinking, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye just as Siobhan chastised her cat, Toaster. She gave a sympathetic smile at Toaster and then at Siobhan. As much as she adored pets, and she certainly adored them very much, she knew that they could be a handful … especially with something enticing around. Were cabbages enticing for animals? She had no idea, yet made a mental note not to bring Demeter around chomping cabbages anytime soon. Of course, the cabbages were enticing to her … and she successfully resisted the temptation to scoop up the cabbage Toaster tried to attack. As cute as the cabbages looked, she wanted to learn how to treat them before attempting to hug one. Er, more likely, she wanted to read up about them, so she could touch them during her visits to the greenhouse. That way, she could hug other plants, other than the honking daffodils.

At Siobhan’s question, Kaitlyn snorted and nodded. “Yes, Demeter. She’s a handful, yes. She likes to run off on me a lot. Last year, she ran into the Forbidden Forest on me,” she shook her head at the memory. It scared her a lot! Not even because of her own safety. Rather, she was very concerned about Demeter’s safety. Then again, she originally found Demeter near the Forbidden Forest, as a first-year. “I love her, though. She’s a Mist Hopper. So small and cute! I sometimes think she tries to push me to be more friendly to others,” she admitted with a shrug. “Has Toaster been a handful?” She asked, as her eyes looked back at Siobhan’s cute cat. She chose not to comment on the current incident, as it was not her place to judge.

Listening to Siobhan talk about her sisters, Kaitlyn smiled. A quiet giggle escaped her lips at the mention that one of Siobhan’s sisters is also named Kaitlyn. An interesting development! She honestly had no idea how popular a name Kaitlyn actually was, but it was cool to see others sharing her name. “I don’t recall off the top of my head … But, no, it’s not weird. I think it’s actually kind of nice that I remind you of your sisters. I’m glad to hear that it’s comforting for you,” she smiled. “Rabbits are definitely very cute! My family never had rabbits living near our home,” she recalled with a shrug.

To be fair, Kaitlyn knew all too well just how difficult it was to be away from family for long periods of time. Her previous muggle school was an all-girls boarding school, after all. She already had years of experience with leaving her family. The difference was that St. Ann’s was relatively close by if she wanted to visit her parents. Hogwarts was not. Hearing other students mention that they miss their families sparked that familiar lonely ache in her heart. It wasn’t an unwelcome thought, just one that she often pushed to the back of her mind.

A bright smile formed on Kaitlyn’s lips at Siobhan’s next words and nodded in agreement, even though Siobhan was unlikely to see it. “I’m glad, as well. It makes me happy to find others who also share many of my interests,” she agreed. Due to her muggle education, she had a long list of interests. That only made the chance of genuine connections more likely, thankfully. “I understand that feeling. We’re so young that it can get lonely to think about. I think it helps to find classmates who share missing home, too. It won’t make it better … but it’s helpful to have company that feels the same way.”

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