Emma van Elst
wildflower and barley β year one
πmma was stressed.
TIMESTAMP ; april 6, 2026 . afternoon MENTION ;@Malaika Omenuko
After finishing all of the other assignments that her teachers had given her class (quite soon after she got them, mind you), she was having a lot of trouble with the Herbology homework.
And if there is one thing that can send Emma into a bit of a fit, its not understanding something.
Sometimes she wondered why she wasn't placed in Ravenclaw for how seriously she took her studies, but maybe she figured it was simply a product of her upbringing. She couldn't imagine how disappointed her parents, (who were not only heads of their respective houses, but also competing top students in their days at school), would be if she got anything lower than an E in any of her classes, much less fail an entire class.
And to Emma, failing a class was exactly where she was headed, because for the life of her, she really couldn't understand Herbology.
Was she being dramatic, most certainly. She would obviously read the books assigned and take notes in class, but there's a certain frustration in not being able to retain the information properly that really aggravated her. And final exams were right around the corner.
Where she could normally spit out facts from any class like a walking encyclopedia, she had finally met her match.
She didn't really think plants were all that great, really. She would much rather leave all of the discoveries and researchers to learn what they have to learn and leave her be. But she knew if she wanted to become a famous potieneer, she would have to actually focus. Experimenting with plants that you barely know about would not go well in the non-cushioned, out-of-school world.
But none of this was ever going to happen, because she couldn't even do her homework.
So, with a roll of her eyes and a frustrated huff, she gathered her things, stuffed it in her arms, and headed up to the greenhouses. If she was going to get help, she might as well get it from the source.
Besides, she really loved Professor Omenuko. She was secretly starting to think of her as her favorite teacher, no matter the aggravating subject she taught. She felt like someone you could go to for a cup of tea and a rant-- not that she was going down to her office for anything of the sort, this trip would be purely academic, obviously. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized she really wanted someone to talk to. She had gotten close with a couple others over her first year of school, but none that she knew she would want to confide in. Her driven nature didn't lend much time for friendships, but Merlin, did she wish she had a friend to talk to right now.
In her thought spiral, she barely noticed that she had made it to the office door, baring a plate saying, 'M. OMENUKO, PROFESSOR OF HERBOLOGY'.
She gave the door a couple precise raps with her free hand, and waited outside patiently. Watching AsdrΓΊbal, who was donning a pretty flower crown, snore.
Last edited by Emma van Elst on 13 Jul 2026, 16:04, edited 1 time in total.
wildflower and barley β year one
date ; 6th of april, 2026
Soft rays reflected on the patterns of her fur, chocolate brown spots β the exact color of her eyes β shifting on a creamy yellow mane, the gentle warmth of the sun deepening both hues. Her eyes were closed, chin resting on her crossed paws, deep breath lifting her chest as the air coursed throughout her lungs, fueling her body. The ocelot was perched on a high branch of her favourite tree, tail curling in the void, taking a duly earned nap. The wind caressed her, the ever shifting temperature of the greenhouses warming her bones.
Knock knock.
A deep grunt shook her out of her slumber, the noise making one of her ears shift towards its source. Yawning, lips curled around her fangs as the tall cat stretched, claws digging into the bark of the tree. Malaika always had issues with waking up, and it took her a few seconds to stabilize her neurons and remember where she was β almost falling off her branch in the process.
Golden brown eyes shifting down, the ocelot noticed a student was waiting by the door, fingers clenched around her bag as though it would suddenly gain wings and take flight. Curious, Malaika leaned back and jumped down, paws arriving softly on the ground with a thud. Her animagus form was a second nature to her. She often spent hours on end under the shape of a feline, and yet none of the warning issued by her professors about 'losing her human side and becoming more animalistic' had ever occurred. The congolese continued to laugh, love and enjoy her life, simply under the form of a beautiful wild cat.
It did had secondary effect, however, like often forgetting she was not under her human appearance, and instead wearing the traits of what some might call a predator. Or, at least, to younger students, a very scary cat. The fact she was under her animagus form slipping past her mind, Malaika approached the student lingering by the door, tail slowly curling in the air, eyes alert and curious.
mentions ; @emma van elst
| β ππ¨ π₯π¨π―π ππ§π π₯π¨π¬π ππ§π π¬ππ’π₯π₯ ππ π€π’π§π. β β½ PC ; α΄Κα΄Ι΄α΄ Κα΄κ±α΄α΄α΄ΚΚ α΄Κα΄Κα΄ |
Emma van Elst
wildflower and barley β year one
TIMESTAMP ; april 6, 2026 . afternoon MENTION ;@Malaika Omenuko
πfter waiting a couple moments, Emma became a bit nervous. She had never gone after class for help on an assignment before, it felt very unlike her, and therefore, awkward. She knew that Professor Omenuko would be nothing but helpful, but Emma's brain was prone to overthinking. Should I just go?She thought as she looked down at her mary-janes nervously.
She didn't even hear the Professor coming-- maybe she wasn't in her office currently. That would be embarrassing.
She decided to wait another minute, and if the Professor hadn't shown up by then, she would leave.
She had also thought about waking the stone gargoyle beside her to ask if she was in her office, but he looked like he was resting so peacefully she didn't want to disturb him.
Thud.
Emma heard something hit the ground, and seeing as she was all alone in the area, currently, she felt a bit frightened. She clenched her bag tighter than she already was (if that was even possible), and backed up as she tried to find the source of the noise.
But when her eyes met the ground, or more specifically, the thing that was approaching her, her eyes went as wide as saucers, and she let out a gasp.
A large cat was eyeing her with interest, its tail curled-- no, this wasn't just any cat. It was an ocelot. She had read about ocelots before, and knew they came from North and South America, so what one was doing in the Hogwarts greenhouses was beyond her, but nonetheless very frightening, because she had also read up on their diet, and she knew they were carnivorous.
"Get away from me!" she yelled.
Was that the best reaction to a predatory animal stalking you while you were all alone with no wand to protect yourself with? Most certainly not. But it was Emma's natural reaction.
She hadn't really been face to face with something like this before, obviously, so she didn't really have much experience in the matter.
"Professor Omenuko!! Help!"
Last edited by Emma van Elst on 13 Jul 2026, 16:04, edited 1 time in total.
wildflower and barley β year one
date ; 6th of april, 2026
Frightening, scary, intimidating β there was a time where someone using any of those words to describe her would have filled her with glee. Her years in Uagadou had been marked with an iron will to carve her path through the world the way she intended to, no matter any concerns that might have arisen before her. One of Uagadou's beaters in the late 2000s, Malaika had become used to people tensing whenever she flew by them, armed with her bat and the brightest smile ever sparked, about to send them straight to the Hospital Wing.
However, where on the terrain she was gladly knighted as a living nightmare, outside of it her classmate knew her as a reliable, friendly and caring figure, and if you were not someone to pick on others you would never have to face her wrath β and fists. So, when upon approaching in the objective to greet this new student with all of the warmth she possessed, she was absolutely stunned when said student began screaming with terror at the mere sight of her.
If she was within the pages of a cartoon, Malaika would have tiny interrogation marks floating above her head at the exact moment, while she stared at the student in shock. Opening her mouth to ask further questions about this sudden access of sheer fear, she felt her fangs slide against her lips and suddenly it clicked together β Oh. Merlin, stars and everyone above, she had completely forgotten she was not in her human form, and instead under the appearance of a β rather cute, if she may β ocelot. The student's eyes widened in terror, and she spun around, calling for her (Malaika) help, to save her (the student) from herself (Malaika again). A true headache.
Gathering her spirits, she willed herself out of her animagus form. In a few seconds, the ocelot had distorted itself and regained the traits of a worried Professor of Herbology, eyebrows frowned, an emerald dress flowing around her limbs, golden bangles clanking on her wrists, tiger's eye earrings and beaded necklaces around her neck, black biker boots strapped to her feet. "Are you alright, darling?"
The scared young girl had long, flowy blonde hair and inquisitive eyes β Malaika had the distinctive vision of a kitten perched on her front door. A shivering, absolutely traumatised kitten. Stars above. Approaching gently, Malaika clasped her hands together, head tilting to one side. "I am truly sorry about your fright, I had forgotten students are not exactly used to seeing ocelots roam around the school." Her sentence ended on a soft laughter. A few steps to her right, and she pushed open the door to her office, expecting the blonde-haired girl to follow her.
"Please, come in. How can I make up for the shock I've caused you? Luckily, her past self must have had a prophetic vision, for freshly baked muffins were resting on the counter, still warm from the rays of the sun. Pivoting, she grabbed the raspberry-looking pot of tea, two fun teacups β a flower, and a pomegranate β and two plates before settling everything on the coffee table, and plumping herself on one of the couches. "Here, dear, help yourself. Now, can I ask you the reason of your visit before you were unjustifiably terrorised by my animagus form?"
mentions ; @emma van elst
| β ππ¨ π₯π¨π―π ππ§π π₯π¨π¬π ππ§π π¬ππ’π₯π₯ ππ π€π’π§π. β β½ PC ; α΄Κα΄Ι΄α΄ Κα΄κ±α΄α΄α΄ΚΚ α΄Κα΄Κα΄ |