Closed All grown up

[Mhairi Olaf]

Now that the weather was turning, it was much too cold for many of the plants to survive. Mhairi would have to wait until spring to grow the chilli seeds, but that didn’t stop her popping into the greenhouses to see what winter shrubbery would be able to make it. The Hufflepuff was increasingly worried about her brother, who seemed to be more stressed than the last time she laid eyes on him, but unable to get an answer as to why out of him, there wasn’t much more that Mhairi could do than remind him that she was there on the sidelines. She was wrapped up warm, complete with hat and scarf that she’s knitted a few years ago, as she went to check the greenhouse before the holidays. She opened the doors and walked through into the area full of various plants that were used all around the school, each one she could list off their names in her head. It wouldn’t be long until she was graduating, and she hoped more than anything that she’d be able to grow her own crops that would be able to help others. ​

 

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson was never one for plants and things of that, he did enjoy being outside but now that it was cold he had made his way into the Greenhouses hoping the sunlight that barely glowed in the sky had warmed up the building. He hadn't been back to his usual hiding spots since Vivian dumped him, which now seemed a long time ago but also like it was yesterday. He had put forward so much to the guy only to be rejected and used. Love didn't seem fair to Hudson who now barely thought about giving love a second chance. He just wanted to finish school and return to England and start working for his Uncle or something of that nature.

Hudson didn't have many friends to turn to in times like these, when the semester was coming to an end and he could be studying with people. Mostly he always kept to himself, he did know a few of the people in his year by name and was always nice to them, but he wasn't ever one to really try to reach out to people, especially the older he got. So it shocked him when he entered the greenhouse only to see one of the people in his year he knew but hadn't really talked to in a long time. She was one of the first people he had met at the school. He always thought it'd be nice if he could have a magic pen to write his thoughts like she had, though for her it was necessary. He wasn't sure how to greet himself since Mhairi's back was turned to him and he didn't want to scare her. "Hi, oh right you can't hear me, uhh," Hudson said as he moved around the plants to tap her shoulder. A smile on his face.

 

[Mhairi Olaf]

Mhairi was in her own quiet world, admiring the snapping plants that were waving gently on their own accord. It was strange how different magical plants could be to those in the muggle world, but back at her parents home in Bulgaria they had both sorts, which pleased the Hufflepuff. She hadn’t wanted her siblings to think it was favouritism, but their mum insisted that the plants were purely for the house benefits rather than Mhairis, which she didn’t believe but it made the guilt pass. The sixth year was distracted from her thoughts by someone tapping her shoulder, which never ceased to make her jump, not that she could blame anybody. “Hi,” her voice was barely more than a monotone whisper as her eyes laid on Hudson, a shy Ravenclaw she’d first met back in their first year. He always seemed like a sweet boy, but they’d never really had a chance to get to know one another. “How are you?” She asked, her hands signing the words in case her pronounciation wasn’t perfect, she could never be quite sure. Mhairi was hoping that after she turned 17, she’d be able to progress with her hearing being investigated fully for the first time, but for now the girl had to lip read, and she had become an expert at that.​

 

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson felt bad when she seemed a bit surprised by him coming up behind her. He didn't really mean to frighten his classmate. Though he probably looked more surprised to hear her talking to him. It sounded a little off but of course maybe it meant she could partially hear now? He wasn't sure as she also signed things for him, though he didn't know any of the sign language himself he did know each country even the English speaking ones had their own sign languages so even if he knew some it would likely be different than what she knows. "I'm good, good," he said looking around hoping she hadn't been aware of his love and heartbreak over the past two years. Their sixth year was about to end and he wondered what she was planning on doing, they didn't share many of the same classes anymore, now that everything was down to choice and grades. He wondered if he should have just let her be. He didn't want to bother her, didn't want to bother anyone really. "Are you busy? I can..uh..go. I just came to find a new place for next year to get away from the castle and yeah," he said not really looking at her in the face but mostly still facing her, just shy and quiet. Though if he was quiet it wouldn't matter much to her, she couldn't hear how loud he was or not which made him chuckle slightly for a moment, nervous about talking to a girl who couldn't even hear what he said, how silly of him.

 

[Mhairi Olaf]

Mhairi used to wonder whether others only kept their conversation to small talk when around her, for fear of making things too complicated for the Hufflepuff to understand. Mhairi didn’t have a lot of friends, and it would have been a lie to say it was probably partly because most just didn’t know how to talk to her. Of course she also wasn’t the most social person, sometimes preferring the company of plants completely over her classmates, but there were a few exceptions. “Not really,” her signs actually said “Not especially” to anyone who could read it, but Mhairi wasn’t confident enough yet in her speech given she’d never heard her own voice. She didn’t always Hudson to go, it was nice to have someone interested about the greenhouse and besides she was curious to see how much they’d changed. “You can.. stay..” her arms opening out as she peered around the room in a smile. Of course it wasn’t her greenhouse to dictate the rules, but she was more than happy for the Ravenclaw to stay in there with her. “You like?” She asked, timidly lifting one of the flowers of the plants. Perhaps if they had Herbology in common, they’d be able to spend more time together.​

 

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson smiled looking around at the plants, really he used to spend a lot of his time on the grounds outside. But nowadays he was often inside studying looking outside the windows wishing to be anywhere but Hogwarts. "Oh right," he said to Mhairi saying he could stay. He still wasn't the surest on how to pronounce her name and he wasn't too sure if the Professors were either. But if she couldn't hear it then what would it matter? He looked down at the plant that she was holding up in front of him. And shrugged his shoulders a little, he didn't really know much about plants, having stopped taking Herbology when he got to 5th year. "It's nice looking, what is it?" He said looking back up towards Mhairi's face. He wasn't too sure if he should say anything about her deafness or ability now to speak, since he really hadn't talked to her since well, first year.

 

[Mhairi Olaf]

The Hufflepuff was watching his lips meticulously as he spoke, making sure to catch what he was saying. Maybe he had only run into her accidentally, and was actually looking for a reason to leave, giving her polite interest instead, but that didn't stop the sixth year making the most of the company. When Hudson asked what the plant was, a smile formed on her lips. It wasn't like she knew the word for the plant, only that it looked interesting and she knew what it's abilities were. The blonde reached out her hand, taking his for a moment and pulling him gently towards another section of the greenhouse, releasing him once they'd reached what it was she was looking for. On one of the walls there was a chart of the most common ingredients that were used in potions. Sometimes they came chopped up though, and on occasion it was rare to see the plants in their natural state before they were processed for manufacture. Mhairi reached across to point at the Alihotsy. It was one that hopefully he'd recognise from his potions class if nothing else. Taking her wand from her pocket, she raised it in the air, the words appearing in fire between them, "The leaves are used in the laughing potion. I think the colours are really beautiful, and laughing is never a bad thing" she smiled to Hudson, hoping he would agree, and that he didn't regret coming down to the greenhouses just yet. "What are you studying?" she wrote, intrigued to why he was looking for a place to work. ​

 

[Hudson Worth]

Hudson wasn't much for talking to his classmates but he didn't mind the quietness of the Greenhouse and Mhairi, he didn't mind her so much. She had her own quietness about her that was almost peaceful to be in her presence. She reminded him of his mother, who was long gone from the world, but the way Mhairi grabbed his hand and walked him through the Greenhouse stirred up memories of his mother. He hadn't spent much time thinking about his parents over the past few year. Having focused on a guy and crushes and school instead. He looked up at what she was pointing to and then read the words she spelled out into the air. The heat from the little flaming words was nice and he wondered if she'd ever caught anything on fire accidentally. "Oh I see," he said looking up at the chart and back at the girl in front of him. "Laughing isn't terrible, supposed to have healing properties in just the action." Hudson had to think about what he was studying, it was still all the basic classes really. "History of Magic, Charms, DaDA, Astronomy, the plan is for me to go back to England when I graduate next year and work for my uncle- who is also my adoptive father, long story, but the family business is not really that interesting but I'll be able to save money living at home for awhile and make good money," Hudson said not realizing he went on for a long time.