13 May 2025, 06:50
A Puff Goes Planting
date: may 13th, 2025
word count: 423
Magnolia's boots hit the grass below her softly, one hand keeping her straw hat on her head and the other holding a basket full of sprouting native wildflowers that were reaching their leaves and buds towards the sunlight that bathed the day in a warm, comfy glow. A small breeze was kicking up, the fabric of the yellow shirt underneath her jean overalls fluttering softly.
Her nose twitched before she sniffed, fighting her slight pollen allergy to carry out the task set before her; earlier that month, Deputy Headmistress Jensen and Professor Toussaint had worked hard together and had what seemed like an endless supply of sprouting local flora ready to be planted in order to recover the ecosystem. And if there was any way that Magnolia could help, she would be there. And so here she was, treading across the grounds of Hogwarts with what felt like her third basket of sprouts that day, dirt splotched over her overalls and a bit on her face. Despite the dirt and the sweat, Magnolia also wore the brightest smile that seemed like it wanted to compete with the sun.
The longer Magnolia stayed at Hogwarts, the more she felt at home. Which was a strange thing to say, considering how she felt so lost and unsure of herself when she originally arrived at Hogwarts. But now, even though she did not grow a single inch, Magnolia stood a little taller, her back a bit straighter. The people at Hogwarts had been extremely welcoming, especially on the days she felt homesick. And of course, learning everything about the brand-new magical world was extremely stressful, but the professors had been nothing less than helpful in that regard. She was still struggling, of course, but she had a bit more confidence in herself concerning the future.
And the immediate future concerned the basket in her hand. Magnolia arrived at a patch of trees, plopping it down while taking a trowel out from her back pocket. Wiping sweat with the back of her hand, she knelt down, driving it into the dirt and making small holes for her sprouts to snuggle into. Arranging the sprouts had to be a careful process, almost like forming a flower arrangement. Of course, it was functionally important that all of the sprouts just end up in the ground at some point, but making them visually beautiful was an important art in itself.
Magnolia hummed softly as she looked through the basket, trying to decide which of the wildflowers would group together well.
13 May 2025, 22:40
A Puff Goes Planting
May 13th, 2025
Word count | 414
Mentions | @Magnolia Laurellion
The typical anxious buzz of students filled the school grounds. Springtime was a spectacular season even in the very wet Highlands they were situated in. Even the professors were aware that the dreary weather was getting to everyone and attempted to make an effort to bring a pop of color to Hogwarts, in the form of flowers or so she heard. Excited whispers met her ears as she gathered a basket with tools for planting. The scents of the flora wafted up to her as she slowly wove her way outside to the designated areas for planting. Of course, in a few months no less, the flowers would spread, but starting in certain areas was important so the wildflowers and vegetation wouldn't get trampled by careless students.
Making her way down the slopes, she'd hear the scuffle of digging, or more specifically the mechanical scoop and dump. Giving her basket a last squeeze, she'd set it down to not startle the other green-thumb student. Annie would plop down on her knees, the white tights covering her legs immediately gathering a wet spot of which the soil clung to.
"Hey there! The name's Annie, mind if I join you in your gardening?"
She offered a small smile in the direction of the noise that had seemed to falter. Annie's confidence was getting better, with meeting new people at least. Alas, it was her last year at the castle, she shouldn't seclude herself up in the castle just because of the dreaded fear of having to become an "adult". She would wait for pleasantries to be exchanged before continuing with the task at hand.
"You mind if I continue digging the spots for the sprouts? I know the depth should be up to your first knuckle for seeds, but well these are a little older and I don't want to crush them. If we split the tasks evenly, we could be pretty efficient. I think you have good taste in plants anywho, I came a bit late so got whatever was left."
She would shrug her shoulders and let an amused hum escape her lips, not at all bothered with having the leftovers. They smelled good and probably looked equally nice, and they were giving back to the grounds which was great for the environment. Her mind drifted to planting flowers in the garden with her mother, except she could barely wrap her hand around a trowel. A hearty sigh left her at the memories.
♡ Life is just a trip, don't let it trip you up - Cash Campbell
27 May 2025, 05:39
A Puff Goes Planting
word count: 377
mentions: @Annie Morgan
Maggie was only slightly startled at the sudden recognition that she was not alone, but still noticed how the other student took care in being gentle. It was sweet and comforting, seeing how much smaller the First Year was compared to her older peer. She offered a small smile of her own, steeling herself for social interaction.
"Hello..! I don't mind at all... the more flowers we get planted around, th-the better..!"
Her voice was small, and it shook, but it was hers. Which was a win in Mag's books, and she had to take her wins where she could get them. She glanced at the basket that Annie had brought, and then noticed how she was wearing white tights, which were quickly getting stained a mixture of green and brown from kneeling. A part of Magnolia wanted to say something, that perhaps further staining could be prevented by wearing overalls like Maggie was. But she remembered that her moms said it wasn't polite to comment on things like that, so she just shrugged it off. Maybe Annie liked the visual sign that good work got done, so to each their own.
She listened to what the older Hufflepuff said and nodded. It was certainly smart to give the plants space for their roots and to divide up the work between the two. She looked at the holes she had already dug, and put her fist into them to measure properly and hummed approvingly. "Th-Thank you! I think the ones you brought are nice too... we're going to make it really pretty over here. Maybe in a couple of months this will be a cool spot to hang out!"
Magnolia grinned, thinking about how much this patch would flourish in the coming months, and was giddy at the thought of setting up a picnic here during her second year, admiring the view and taking pleasure in the fact that she helped out. She readjusted her grip on her trowel, about to dig more holes beside Annie, before coming to a socialization realization. She never introduced herself. Her eyes widened at her blunder, before speaking up, almost a bit too high-pitched.
"I'm Magnolia, by the way! Or Mags, or Maggie. I'm a first-year Hufflepuff here! What about you?"
Reducio
sorry for such a late reply, annie! also, don't forget to put your rp post in the Nurture Your Nature Errand thread!