Of Birds and Crowns

[Reuben Pendleton]

Yet again, Rudolf was busy studying. Reuben, who, despite pledging to improve the frankly abysmal grades he'd received last year, still had yet to set foot in the library, was bored out of his mind. He'd depleted his entire stash of stink pellets laying an ingenious trap in one of the school's hidden passageways, and he couldn't even find Vex to tell him all about it. The Hufflepuff sighed. He couldn't even get a poltergeist to be his friend. There was really no hope for him at all.

After a while, Reuben tired of staring at the ceiling of his dormitory and swung out of bed to find a change of scenery. He missed home already, though he'd never have admitted it. As far as his family was concerned, Reuben was having a wonderful time at Hogwarts, and he didn't intend on shattering this illusion any time soon. The Hufflepuff shrugged on a jacket and stepped into his trainers before heading out of the common room and down to the grounds. Nobody so much as glanced his way as he crossed the lawn and passed the lake, which he wasn't sure was such a bad thing any more. Going unnoticed made it easier to be miserable.

Reuben slowed to a halt next to the rosebush, where he and Rudolf had once pretended to duel with sticks. The sight of the blooming flowers brought an easy smile to the young boy's lips. They reminded him of home. He reached out and cupped the curved petals in his hand, watching a cold droplet of dew roll down his finger. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he gently plucked the flower a little way down its stem. He still had the flower crown he'd been given at the Wild Patch party last year, but it was dead and squashed at the bottom of his trunk somewhere. Now he could make a new one. The Hufflepuff set to work, twining long stems together and doing his best to replicate the details. He worked with such fierce concentration that he didn't even realise he was no longer alone.

 

[Bleaire Ayres]

Bleaire had never been in this part of the lawn before. But she finished her lessons and was hoping to unwind for the day. She was strolling by the edges of the lake when she noticed a Hufflepuff by the rosebush. It looks like the puff was picking up roses and twining them together. "Is it okay to pick flowers here without permission?" She wondered aloud. Darn! Why did i say that? she thought...

The puff seemed to be concentrating on his work since he didn't seem to hear her. She sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted was to startle someone or, worse, get herself beat up for interfering with others' business.

Bleaire was about to walk away when she noticed that the puff was smiling while entwining the roses together. Maybe he is going to give it to someone special! How admirable. she thought. She can't seem to look away at the intricate way the roses were being entwined, so she sat down and watched hoping to see the result of the process, as if she was watching a movie..

 

[Archie Renner]

Archie loved spending time with Orwell at the wild patch. He was proud that Orwell appointed him as deputy leader and he wanted to be the best deputy leader he could be. But going to the wild patch day after day for the repetitive task of taking care of the plants became all too grueling and caused him to eventually wander off and find entertainment elsewhere. This particular day Archie managed to wander far enough to reach the rosebush which was a place he admittedly had not visited since his second year when his spare time was taken up exploring the castle and the grounds to discover secrets like the many hidden passageways instead of taking care of plants as per his duties as deputy leader of a club.

Archie raised an eyebrow when he was met with the sight of two younger students. One of them looked like they were attempting to make a flower crown so he did not hesitate to approach them once he realized he could continue his duties as deputy leader away from the wild patch meetings and use the flower crown making expertise he believed he had to help the boy. "Is that a flower crown?" He queried, pointing to the flowers. He then sat down with the two students and smiled as he offered them help. "I'm really good at making flower crowns, you know. I could totally help you if you want." He said. ​

 

[Bleaire Ayres]

"Is that a flower crown?"

This woke Bleaire from her focus on the flower process. She sat wide with shock as an older student approached, afraid that she would get punished for coinciding with someone picking flowers without permission, and as the person picking flowers turned to the sound, her heart filled with panic knowing she had watched without letting the person know. What have I gotten myself to? She thought.

But the older student smiled and said "I'm really good at making flower crowns, you know. I could totally help you if you want." and the person making a 'flower crown' looked at her with a look she couldn't explain. She couldn't blame him, she invaded space. She just put on her award winning smile while her eyes conveyed apology, hoping she won't get an enemy because of her curiosity.

She then stood up and said "I'm sorry... Uhmm, I have to go." then started to turn away.