Post by Iris Foss on Jul 10, 2009 13:33:25 GMT -5
MORE THAN FAIRY TALE GIRLS
WE ARE COLORS SO BRIGHT !
WE ARE COLORS SO BRIGHT !
One year ago, Iris had discovered that there was a whole world of magic she had never known about. She had realized that she had brought her favorite tomato plant back to life after bugs had ruined it because she was magic. It was kind of nice to be the only one of the Foss siblings to be magical, she had to admit. She loved her siblings, sure, but it was nice to have one thing for herself. One thing she could show to the world to prove that she mattered. When she first arrived at Hogwarts, she had been nervous about interacting with students that had known about magic their whole lives. They had a big head start on the culture, but being at Hogwarts had more than made up for that. Her favorite spot in the entire place, castle or grounds, was definitely the greenhouses. She loved plants of all shapes and sizes, and in the steamy greenhouses where Herbology classes were held, that definition was stretched to the limit. She didn't know the names of most of the plants, but she was eager to learn.
She left the ground floor Hufflepuff common room, waving to one of her housemates, wearing corduroy overalls and a thick hand-knitted sweater that had once been Judy's. The other night, she'd had a really bad dream. Probably a reaction to being on her own again. Compared to her tiny house, the castle was a maze. An empty maze. That was all it was really. Still, it had left her feeling rather unsettled, uncomfortable in a way she couldn't exactly explained. Her solution was to visit the greenhouses with her free time, observe the plants until she felt better. It always worked. She wasn't necessarily a whiz at Herbology, because there was memorization just like every other class, but she was still good with a garden, and gardens responded well to her. They were sure as heck much nicer than a lot of the people at Hogwarts, that felt the need to go on about her parents being muggles. So what? She was here because she was a witch, just like them.
Once outside, she found she was quite glad she was wearing a warm sweater. Morning dew still clung to the grass, and a fall chill hung in the air. It had rained the other day. Iris had watched the rain fall for a while from a library window when she found herself unable to focus on her schoolwork. It had meant going outside would leave one soaking wet, so she didn't appreciate it, but she appreciated the necessity of it. Plants needed water to live even if curly hair needed water like a soldier needed World War 1. (Jacob Foss was always complaining about the war and the year he'd spent fighting in it.)
Luckily the inside of the greenhouse was as warm as ever. She wasn't sure if she was technically allowed to be in here in her free time, but so far no one had stopped her. Better to ask forgiveness and all that jazz. She would take off her faded brown shoes and enjoy a chance to walk barefoot, but she was afraid of stepping on something in here. With all of the various thorny and poisonous plants around, it was better to protect her feet until she knew what she was facing. After she prised a door open and slipped in, wandering through rows of greenery until she came across a plant with bright yellow petals. It looked like a daffodil, but it was probably some super magical version of the normal flower. They wouldn't keep ordinary flowers in the greenhouses. She was bending to get a better look at the petals when she heard squeaking, like someone else was already in the greenhouse. Was she not the only one that had decided this was cheaper therapy than purchasing couch time with the magical equivalent of a head shrinker? Daddy's bills were often an issue, after all.
Better take a look. Iris pushed her hair back with the casual ease of a child, not yet worried about her physical appearance beyond being clean and having her hair tangle-free. Now there was another sound, a distinctly human one. She wandered towards it with her hands in her pockets, wondering if someone had already had the same idea about going out to the greenhouses. Her curls bounced as she turned corners, but she couldn't spot anyone. Huh. Must be nothing. She turned to one of the honking daffodils in pots along the greenhouse wall, observing its growth since she had last seen it.
notes: well, it's open.
