Open Looking To Help

[Juniper Veritas]

Juniper liked the house elves around the school. She thought they were hard working and when they'd grown pumpkins in Herbology instead of asking them to make something out of it for her she'd asked them to turn it into a meal for themselves. She liked helping around the kitchen back at home, whether it be to do the dishes or just help with cooking. She didn't mind. Having some free time the Hufflepuff had made her way to the kitchens of the castle, hoping she could be of help to the elves around there.

"Excuse me," she began looking around for anyone. Merlin she was nervous, but she wanted to help. "Sir or ma'am I'm sorry. I just wanted to see if I could maybe help?" She began speaking again. "I mean just like maybe with the dishes or something?" Maybe she should walk away.

 

[Naveen Khatri]

not a house elf and super late but couldn't resist haha

Naveen was no stranger to the kitchens. He often found his way down here when he was bored or stressed or felt particularly inspired. So far no one had complained about the section of the Wild Patch garden he had claimed for his own use to grow herbs and vegetables and a couple berry bushes. He had always loved gardening and growing things, but more recently he had been pushing his cooking skills. He hated not having full access to a kitchen when he was at school but he quickly realized the house elves in the school kitchens didn't mind his presence much as long as he was polite and cleaned up after himself. Thankfully not many other students had figured that out and he usually had the space to himself. Today he was trying to use up the last of the strawberries he had been able to harvest before the weather turned. He was in the middle of rolling out some pie crust when he heard a girl's voice. At first he thought he was he was hearing things until he finally spotted her. "Oh...hi." Naveen said a bit stiffly and raised his hand in her direction. "Are you looking for someone?" he asked curiously since it had sounded like it. He wanted to tell her he had some dishes for her if she was volunteering but he kept that to himself for now.

 

[Juniper Veritas]

Hehe all good it is open and just happy to get something for Juni! Apologies for her awkwardness

This had been a bad idea. No this had been the worst idea. She shouldn't have come, clearly they didn't need help from a silly first year least of all. They had magic, could do all sorts of cleaning charms and such probably why would they ever need Juniper's help? Feeling about ready to turn around and run back to the dorms crying Juni heard a voice from somewhere and suddenly her body became almost like a statue. Blinking once or twice the Hufflepuff slowly, very slowly rotated her whole body towards the voice. Sure just turning your head would have been less awkward, but her body wasn't really working with her currently more like against her. She blinked a few more times, with each blink her brown eyes widening further. She'd come down wanting to help someone, but now that she'd been acknowledged she was suddenly like a deer in the headlights. Opening her mouth a few times Juniper wanted to sink through the floor in shame, she felt like a fish on dry land.

"I uh-" She began stuttering out. "No, wasn't looking for anyone in particular." Juniper all but squawked out, yeah the floor swallowing her didn't sound like such a bad idea right now. "I like to help when I can," She explained, taking a few stiff steps towards the boy. "And I came down here in hopes the elves needed an extra set of hands... or anyone really?" Juni felt a tint of shame cover her face at the admission, but she just hated being idle for too long and she hated the idea that the elves did all the work. She could help! "I just really needed something to do..." Her voice grew quieter with the admission, hoping the boy wouldn't ridicule her for her, what would you even call this? Her wanting to help?

 

[Naveen Khatri]

Naveen watched as the girl seemed to feel like she had gotten caught in some kind of trap. He wasn't sure why she seemed so scared. He glanced down at his flour covered apron and didn't think he seemed particularly threatening. And when she explained herself she even sounded noble in her reasoning, which made him a little skeptical. He recognized her from Wild Patch and knew she was a first year. He let out a chuckle. "Are you bored already?" he joked. He'd hope for her sake the excitement of school hadn't worn off quite so quickly or it would be a long seven years. Naveen cleared his throat and glanced around and it seemed like most of the house elves were else where at the moment since it was a while before dinner. "Well usually the house elves don't really like help." he admitted. He had tried once when he had lingered a little too close to dinner time and they had shooed him away very insistently. "I could use some help I guess." he said with a halfhearted shrug. "You can use a knife, right?" he asked quickly before he made any kind of official request.

 

[Juniper Veritas]

Juniper wasn't the best at social interactions, she was awkward at best so whatever had compelled the first year to try her hand at socializing today was beyond her. She kept staring at the boy but averting her gaze every now and then everywhere else, just to maybe lessen the creepy behaviour. Juni shook her head, a bit too furiously at first. "No, not bored exactly, uhm I just like to feel useful?" She offered, sure there was studying to do but doing something to help others felt more useful than to do something for herself. The Hufflepuff felt her shoulders slumping down and her eagerness deflating as the boy she'd seen around the common room as well as the wild patch club told her the elves didn't usually like help. She was about to accept defeat when he spoke up again, raising her head where it had fallen to staring at the ground disappointed her eyes sparkled a little. "Yes, I can use a knife, responsibly too. If you need someone to peel your potatoes or something I can do that too!" The first year offered, her heart beating faster from nerves and the amount of talking she was doing right now. "Just tell me what to do and I'll do my best to help." She said with a soft smile walking so that she was now next to the boy.

 

[Naveen Khatri]

Naveen couldn't help but snort a little at her comment. He wasn't sure if someone from Hufflepuff could say anything more stereotypical for their house. But she seemed shy so he didn't mention it. No use scaring her off by accidentally insulting her if she took it the wrong way. "Well that's good." he said and cracked a smile at her use of the word 'responsibly'. He hadn't even considered she might wield the small paring knife he and pulled out recklessly. "Right." he said and nodded to the bowl of strawberries on the counter. "Just go ahead and cut off the tops and cut them into quarters." he said simply. "Got that?" he asked before he got back to the dough. She seemed smart enough but he didn't want to risk the last of the strawberries on someone who would ruin them. Not that he saw a way she could mess it up, but sometimes people were more creative than he gave them credit for.

 

[Juniper Veritas]

Juniper almost, almost, jumped at the snort but was able to catch herself before doing so. She needed to stop being such a scaredy cat honestly. She gave a nod of agreeing that it was good that she could use a knife responsibly, no idea why she had even said that but at least he thought it was good. "Got it." Juniper said a tad more seriously, going to wash her hands before returning to the knife and strawberries. Staring at the strawberries Juniper was determined to do her best work yet, not that cutting them was that difficult but she didn't want to disappoint the older boy and make him regret letting her help him. "If you don't mind me asking... what are you making?" Juni asked sheepishly, daring a glance at him in between meticulously cutting each of the berries as evenly as she could. The Hufflepuff really put her whole first year soul into it at this point.

 

[Naveen Khatri]

Naveen was quite pleased with himself. He hadn't expected the help, or even really needed it, but he was happy to have it all the same. He was content to work in silence before he realized he didn't even know her name. "Hey, what's your name by the way?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. Naveen shrugged when she had a question of her own. "A strawberry pie." he answered simply. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked before he said anything else.

 

[Juniper Veritas]

Juniper hadn't realized she'd forgotten to introduce herself to the boy or ask for his name until he asked for hers. "Oh it's Juniper, like the tree." She explained with a soft smile. "What's yours?" She asked in return, feeling a little bad for having been so rude not introducing herself in the first place. Juniper smiled as he told her he was making strawberry pie, sounded good. She ten gave a hesitant nod at the fact if she could keep a secret, there weren't many people she'd tell anyways. "I can, unless my mum asks about it anyways." She didn't like lying to her mum or anyone, but she wasn't expecting a confession to a crime in the moment so it should be easy enough to keep a small secret. If he did confessed to a crime, well Juni just hoped he wouldn't... For multiple reasons.

 

[Naveen Khatri]

Naveen smirked when she told him her name. "Well nice to meet you Juniper, like the tree." he said making a joke one of his dads would make. But she was easy to tease, in a playful way at least. "I'm Naveen like.....Naveen." he said trying to imitate her but there was nothing to compare his name to. With one last roll he carefully lifted the dough into the tin he had found in one of the lower cupboards. Carefully he shaped it neatly and started to crimp the edges. He couldn't help but laugh at her answer. "Well as long as your mom doesn't tattle on me I think I'll be ok." he said with some mock seriousness. "But I use part of the Wild Patch garden to grow some fruit and vegetables. No one seems to mind but I haven't exactly asked permission either." he explained and eyed her carefully to gage her reaction.

 

[Juniper Veritas]

Juniper turned away with a soft blush as he teased her, but she smiled. It wasn't the mean kind of teasing or at least it didn't feel mean so she even gave a soft laugh, especially when he introduced himself. "Well, nice to meet you too Naveen like Naveen." She spoke softly glancing his way. Juniper frowned for a second as Naveen said as long as her mum wouldn't tattle on him, it couldn't be that bad that it'd get him into trouble or that it would even raise any of her mum's flags. Her confusion cleared once the older Hufflepuff explained that he'd never asked for permission, but nobody seemed to mind either. "Well for what it's worth I think it's going into good use probably then?" She offered glancing at the pile of cut strawberries. Suddenly she saw them in a new light. "Oh, did you-" She began her question before looking at the boy again. "You grew these yourself?" Juniper asked.