Grounds: The Domes

[Wilber Winterbottom]

Graphic credit: Felixir

A little way off the path between the castle and the lake stand several half-sphere outdoor shelters, known as the domes. Made from a sturdy and clear, charmed material that keeps the temperature inside relatively comfortable, and the air fresh, the main purpose of the domes is a location to hang out, alone or with a few friends. They also serve as impromptu shelters during sudden downpours, cool relief from the summer heat, or a place to warm benumbed fingers and toes during bitingly cold winters. Each is accessible by a simple door made of the same material. No need to reserve them - just make sure no one is already there before entering!

The domes are near to each other, but not clustered too close together. They are completely transparent; those outside can see in, and those inside can see out. Occupied domes will light up - though the light has no obvious source - useful and downright cosy on overcast or gloomy days. The groundskeeper, and any staff member looking out of the windows on this side of the castle, will be able to see the domes if they're lit up after dark, so unless you want to light the 'hey, look at me, I'm out after curfew' beacon, best not to come this way after hours. Tapio would rather not have to take House Points from rulebreakers (but he will).

Each dome contains five comfortable chairs, and can comfortably hold as many students, maybe a couple more if you don't mind a tight squeeze. Try to refrain from seeing how many students can fit inside one of these things at once. Getting a score of kids hopelessly stuck will not have a good outcome for anyone, but it's up to you if you want to test that theory out for yourself.

[sweetpinkpixie]

The Hufflepuffle needed to take a moment to consider Aurora's question, specifically the element of planes because she had never considered any sort of transcontinental travel outside of portkey. Wizards and witches traveled with creatures by portkey, didn't they? Not that she would know if there were any wizarding laws against such a thing since she had never thought to read about it and if it had popped up during a History of Magic lesson then she had most certainly not been paying attention. "I suppose that too would depend on the manner of the travel...though I wouldn't think the Ministry would approve of traveling with such a creature by muggle means," she pondered with a thoughtful tap tap tap upon her cheek. "You'd probably have to make multiple stops if you went by floo...and I imagine that would be rather impractical." Maybe they would get luck and Mr. Derfael would just so happen to be returning a creature to somewhere across the ocean and they could accompany him to see the process first hand!

A duo of girls could dream.

Anna KNEW that Aurora would do it justice, or it seemed obvious to her that the Ravenclaw would. With such a compassion heart as she carried there really was no other logical outcome. "OH! You'll be of the right age for one of those Diagon Alley positions this summer! Maybe you can get a position at the Menagerie!" Where they had adopted Merriweather and therefore it all coming into full circle. Anna probably should be looking into such things, especially with her questionable spending tendencies, but the thought had not crossed her mind at all. Didn't help that she truly had no solid idea of where he ambitions lay other than making people smile...but you could do that in an infinite number of ways.

Patience was certainly something that came selectively with this particular duo. In their heart of hearts, they both were very patient with people and less patient with themselves, but Anna for one was already grateful to Sunny for teaching her a bit more of that AND to trust the process of life more as well - the latter in particular being a hard pill to swallow these days. Anna ended up blushing to to the prolonged pause that came in trying to remember how the word flower and flour were spelled, a hiccup that would have been a little embarrassing if she were not so excited about the hatching of their two GORGEOUS dragons. "There are albino breeds of practically every creature on earth, right?" Like that one girl who worked in the plant shop in Diagon Alley and who Anna was CONVINCED was actually a unicorn in human form. No one looked that graceful and had pale violet eyes without being mystical! Anna's was certainly not the sort though and she squealed as the Welsh Green completed its crawl out of the eggs and right into the sixth year's lap. Squealing even louder, Anna rummaged through her bag for an old toothbrush that she then immediately took to the hatchling and began to tenderly scrubbed its scales and spikey bits which seemed to shine and sparkly even more beautifully after she was done.

"Huh? why would they hate each other?" Anna asked with her head tilted so far to the side she resembled an owl, her efforts in polishing and grooming her hatchling put on temporary pause. Come to think of it, had Aurora been a little cloudy compared to her more sunlit and encouraging personality - she was allowed to be this, of course, but it was just a little jarring to experience. "Because they look different and are a difference species from one another? I wouldn't think so, not with us for parents and how we raised them while they were in their eggs. I mean...they listened and shared music together and I've been told that is one of the more intimate things you can do with another person....or dragon in this case."

[Lottiepot]

If her friendship telepathy skills were functioning in the way that she hoped that they would, she would agree that some creatures traveled with their handlers via portkey. “I don’t mean that the dragons would be traveling ON the planes” she giggled, the image of a plane with its seats occupied by pairs of magical creatures like a flying metal ark greatly amusing her. “But I thought that maybe a large creature that was capable of flying would be able to take themselves overseas but might have to stop for food and drink on the way.” Like a plane would sometimes have to refuel halfway through a long journey. “That would have to be a very large fireplace to fit a dragon in it.” Huge in fact, larger than any she had ever seen in her life. “I’ve never really thought much about Floo travel though, it’s always made me a bit nauseous. Does your whole body have to be in the fireplace or can you stick an arm in and it will transport your whole self? So if a dragon stuck just its talon in the fireplace it would still work?” These were important questions that would need to be answered.. for now if she didn’t forget about it in ten seconds time.

This was why they had to write everything down. At least inquisitiveness made her feel closer to being a Ravenclaw.

She hadn’t considered taking paid employment over the summer because she had enjoyed her experience at Creatures and Cwtches so much she didn’t want to monopolise her time. She was also concerned that she might not do so well on her impending exams and would have to spend some of her summer brushing up her knowledge to catch up with her peers or that the staff at the Menagerie might not WANT to employ her because of her poor grades. “Maybe..” she pondered. “But I imagine there is a lot of competition for those positions and that I might not be the number one choice.” Which was fine, she totally understood so perhaps avoiding the potential disappointment was the best course of action.

Aurora hadn’t even thought of the possibility that her dragon could be an albino variation but any hopes that her dragon was a Welsh Green was swiftly diminished the second a pearlescent eye blinked its way open at her. Not that she was that disappointed considering that she had purposefully presented a plethora of shiny objects like a courting magpie at the egg as she had always thought Opaleyes to be the most physically beautiful of the species. “Yes but Fauna definitely isn’t one” she commented, her own eyes fixated on the gleaming dragon as if she was being hypnotised by its beauty. She might’ve been stuck in her trance had she not spotted Anna and the toothbrush out the corner of her eye, suddenly concerned that there was some rule about immediately brushing the hatchlings teeth that she had missed in the assignment instructions.

“I don’t know but some species don’t always get along do they? And they don’t always seem to have a reason to either.” Just because this pair were overly friendly and accepting didn’t mean that everyone else was too. Perhaps Professor Fergersnout’s lessons on conflicts were rubbing off on her. Her concerns needn’t be valid as the newly emerged Fauna flapped her outstretched wings and clumsily waddled her way over to her fellow hatchling to give them a good sniff. Eyes welling with a combination of pride and relief, Aurora bum shuffled over to her best friend to link their arms together.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Well, Anna certainly felt silly for getting her ingredients all mixed up and brewed something Aurora was not brewing. On the plus side, she did have a rather hilarious but adorable visuals of a dragon nestled in one of those dog basket carrier things on a seat or just sitting in a seat by themselves on an airplane being served by a cabin attendant. "Ooooooooooh...so like...a dragon post service instead of an owl post service?" Because she couldn't think of any flying creature larger than a dragon that could carry heavy things. "Or...maybe something like what Beauxbatons uses to escort students to and from school?" Would probably take a while but it was something special to get to ride in a flying carriage! Not an opportunity she had ever been presented with yet so if it was an option for transporting their baby plushie dragons to their new forever homes then she was all for it! "Just thinking about floo makes you feel gross? Wonder why that is..." Give Anna a minute and she would manufacture some very colorful suggestions. "It hasn't been so bad the few times I've used it with family...but you're whole body has to be in it. Probably something like what happens when you don't apparate properly...floo splinching."

Anna blinked a couple of times and her brow twitched at Aurora's words - not about her not thinking about employment (because Circe knew she hadn't) but the doubt she had and the reluctance her friend had to grab the abraxan by the reins. It was another little tick on Anna's 'hmmmmm' list she was subconsciously putting together. "A hundred percent of snitch grabs not taken are never caught," she hummed with a little playful nudge and encouraging smile. "I've been thinking about applying for something myself...I can fill out an application with you if you'd like. Probably the sweets shop though...or maybe the bookshop...or beauty potions and makeup?" Probably sweets so she could finish her work day smelling sweet!

Anna had moved her toothbrush grooming technique down towards the tail scales and, though she wasn't sure they actually did this, Sunny sounded like she was purring. Was that it? Were dragons really just like big scaly kneazles? Smiling, Anna tucked the toothbrush away and began stroking Sunny's snout with her index finger - that WAS purring, right? "Albino or true Antipodean Opaleye, Fauna is gorgeous!" Sunny's eyes, which had been closed thanks to Anna's tender caress, slowly opened and let out a gentle snort before shifting the front half of their plushie body off Anna's lap and towards Aurora's dragon for a little nuzzle. "I mean...true...but these aren't actual dragons and the magic is attached to us and the biggest ingredient for magic is intent," the Hufflepuffle nodded sagely and confidently. That WAS the big sort of confusing thing about these dragon eggs...they hadn't needed to tend to them like actual dragon eggs (no heat) and then the care now wasn't really...actual dragon care either. Maybe the point was just to teach them all responsibility and having something completely dependent on you for its development AND being monitored by the professor was certainly one way to do that!

But, for now, Anna was not holding her breath that Sunny and Fauna wouldn't be besties too!

And TADA! Look at that! The moment Sunny had made a move - or maybe it had been after Fauna had made the first grand gesture...Anna had been thinking and therefore not entirely paying attention to the plushie dragons' movement - Fauna was coming over to say hello and Sunny was getting that nuzzle while flapping their own wings. "See!" she chirped with a big grin. "Now...do you think they flapped their wings to wave at one another because dragons do that to greet one another OR did they do that because we do that whenever we see each other from across some distance or another?" she asked while leaning her head against Aurora's while their arms linked together.