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.

[Kolyander]

When one tried to run off and be alone, where did they go? This was the issue Bryony was having directly after her previous conversation with Ary while she was still all worked up. It wasn't very often at all that she had such big emotions that caused her to want to run off and hide from the world. Okay, maybe that wasn't true. She had been known to throw some pretty epic tantrums when she was younger and uhhh.. one a short bit ago but that one.. it was well deserved!

So there the small blonde was, running blindly, thanks to the tears that still calming flowing down her cheeks, towards anywhere her feet would take her. Which is how she ended up at bursting into one of the first of the domes she came across, already struggling to breathe, cheeks flushed and her blonde hair all a mess.

Not that she even cares about any of that right now. All that mattered to her in that moment was being alone.

[Zoe]

Logan knew plenty of places one could run to, though he had different purposes in mind when it came to such an activity. In fact, he was running himself, but for a very different reason than his little sister. He was living in blissful ignorance, thinking he could go a few more hours without thinking about studying for N.E.W.T.s. So, to preoccupy himself, a jog around the grounds was in order.

If it hadn't been for all the dramatics and the momentary commotion that resulted, the seventh year likely would not have noticed Bryony. He would have just carried on his way, passing the domes until he was at the lake or the forest's edge. His pace lessened as he gazed over, taking in the sight of his youngest sibling.

There was a moment of hesitation, during which he pondered whether he should find his mom or maybe Vera, but the Gryffindor found his way inching toward the door. This was either a really bad tantrum or something happened. Some brotherly instinct was kicking in, and he was not happy that his sister wasn't her usual self, as annoying as that could be most of the time.

"You okay, Bry?" he asked, peeking his head inside the dome. The answer was obvious, but he was feeling things out.

[Kolyander]

Typically when Bry ran somewhere it was with the intent to actually run or meet up with her friends. There was a very high chance she would be climbing and jumping off of things at some point too. So yeah, it made a lot more sense that Logan had more ideas than she did on this. Not to mention that perhaps if she hadn't been crying the way that she had, maybe she would've gotten further.

Needless to say, this domes or at least this particular one appeared to be empty when she had entered. Even so, Bry just stood there in the center of the room trying to catch her breath and wiping her sleeve across her cheeks every so often which did nothing at all for her.

The sound of the door opening went unnoticed by her but what she didn't miss was that voice. The one of her big brother asking if she was okay. For the briefest moment in time she wanted to snap at him and tell him to get out and leave her alone but this was Logan. He almost never checked in on her, especially when she was like this so for him to do so.. she needed to take advantage of it. Plus, she needed him right now.

Spinning around on her feet, without a word the small blonde ran at him and flung herself against him, hugging him tightly. Sorry if she was now crying all over his shirt.

[Zoe]

Logan was caught off guard by the intensity of Bryony's reaction. He expected screaming, not the sight of her tear-streaked face and disheveled hair. He did not anticipate her flinging herself at him like a cannonball. There was a moment when the boy lost his balance, but he managed to steady himself so they both didn't tumble to the floor.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he murmured softly, allowing the hug. An arm wrapped around her and the blond rested his chin on the top of her head. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew that right now, she needed comfort more than anything else.

For a few moments, he just held her, letting her cry it out. The seventh year gently rubbed her back, trying to soothe her, feeling a mix of worry and helplessness. Seeing Bryony like this was unsettling. He rarely saw his sister like this—usually, she was the storm, not the one caught in it.

"Do you want to talk about it? Is there someone I need to beat up?" he eventually asked. "Or do you just..." He knew better than to push her too hard for answers. If she wasn't ready to talk, that was okay too. He was here for her, no matter what.

[Kolyander]

Whatever she had expected to happen when she went barreling into Logan, this absolutely wasn't it. It wasn't like him to take on the role of their parents or even one of their big sisters and comfort her but she was ever so grateful. Even more so that she hadn't knocked them both to the ground.

Bryony melted right into the much taller blondes embrace, her small hands grasping at his shirt for all she was worth. The tears didn't seem to want to stop no matter how many times she tried to open her mouth and say something. So for the longest time, all she did was stand there and cling to him until she couldn't cry anymore, her breathes finally coming in small shaky gasps.

This storm was wrecked. Everything hurt. Her tummy ached and her head was all a mess. How she was still up on her feet she didn't even know. Maybe Logan was holding her up more than she thought. Did she want to talk? Honestly she didn't know if she did or not. Nothing made sense right now. And yet she found herself mumbling a single word.. or well a name. "Ary..."

[Zoe]

The embrace around Bryony didn't get any tighter, but it didn't lessen any either. He felt her small frame shake with each gasp for air, and his worry deepened. This wasn't just a tantrum—something had really upset her. Logan hated seeing her like this. He was more used to Bryony being a whirlwind of energy, living up to the title of Most Annoying Sister.

Despite all the tears and her tight grip on him, he continued to gently rub her back, offering silent support. A mix of emotions continued to come in waves. It was rare to see his sister this vulnerable. When she finally spoke, a single name slipping out, Logan's protective instincts instantly flared. Ary.

"What did he do?" He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself instead of going in full rage mode. The offer to beat someone up was still on the table though.

[Kolyander]

Now, had it not be for the serious distress that she was currently expressing she would've loudly made it clear to him that she was only annoying because he refused to give her the attention she so rightly deserved. It wasn't really her fault that as his little sister she looked up to him immensely and wanted to spend time with him, now was it? Honestly Logan, if anything he should be proud that she loved him the way that she did.

The gentle back rub was greatly appreciated even if she didn't say so. As was all of this. It wasn't their thing but what she needed more than anything else right now was her big brother. And no, she didn't want him going around beating anyone up. Especially not Ary! That would only break her into even more pieces. Didn't he know what that boy meant to her?!

There was the softest sniffle, her hand finally coming up to wipe at her eyes. Not that it even mattered, as her face was already all puffy and stained with tears. "..He- he likes someone else.." Did she fail to mention that Ary also liked her? Yes, she did. Just as she failed to mention in that very moment how he had kissed her before taking off and leaving her standing there alone and confused after she had yelled at him. But in her defense she would get to that.. at some point.

[Zoe]

Logan's heart sank at Bryony's words. He knew she had a crush on Ary (who didn't at this point), but he didn't realize just how deep her feelings went. The blond continued to hold his sister, trying to keep his anger in check. He took a deep breath, focusing on the present moment. "He likes someone else?" he repeated softly, his voice filled with a mix of confusion and anger. Those words hung in the air, heavier than he'd expected.

"Bry, I'm so sorry." His tone was gentle as he continued to comfort her. He didn't have the words to fix how she felt, but he hoped his presence might provide some comfort. He hated seeing her so upset. "That really sucks." At this point, he resisted the urge to dash off and make rash decisions. The protective brother in him wanted to go find Ary and send a curse his way demand answers, but he knew this wasn't the time for that.

Logan took a step back, looking down at her tear-streaked face. "Do you want to—" Start from the beginning? Spill everything that happened? Give any inkling that he should give Ary a stern talking to? "—go find something to blow up?" He offered a small, encouraging smile, hoping to see even the tiniest hint of a smile from her in return.

[Kolyander]

Logan didn't know?! How could he not know how deep her feelings went for Aryan? There had never been any secret that she adored that boy. For years now she had always stated that Ary was her boyfriend, she had lived in that blissful little dream for the longest time. Now her entire world was crash down upon her. At her big brother repeating what she had just said, all she nodded. There was no point in saying who right now, was there?

"Th-they like him back too. I-I just know it..." She mumbled. "This isn't fa-fair!" Ary had always been at her side. It was always meant to be them together. Anyone could see that. Nothing made sense anymore.

Bry sniffled and wiped at her face, successfully streaking her face with more tears and dirt. There was no denying she looked a wreck and didn't even care. Sad blue eyes looked up at Logan as he took a step away from her. The offer of blowing this up did sound very appealing, much more so than standing here and continuing to cry her eyes out and make herself feel nauseous. "C-can we? All the things?" And perhaps while said things were effectively going 'boom' around them, she would be able to tell him what had actually happened.

[Zoe]

The mix of emotions had not wavered. He wanted to fix this for her and make things right somehow, but he knew he couldn't. Not in the way she wanted. He couldn't make Ary like or not like someone, though perhaps there could be a bit of persuasion at wandpoint. But Logan knew he would never hear the end of it if he ever were to do such a thing to someone she cared about.

"Yeah, we'll make everything go 'boom'," he replied with that small smile still present, trying to lighten the mood. He knew Bryony well enough to know that sometimes doing something reckless or chaotic helped her feel better. A bit of controlled chaos could be just what she needed to let out her feelings. Plus, it might help distract her from the hurt, even if just for a little while.

Taking her hand, Logan led Bryony out of the dome and toward a path that led up to the castle. He knew the perfect place where they could blast things to pieces and, if she felt up to it, talk about what happened.

[Kolyander]

Had it been anyone else that they were speaking over, Bry may not have cared what Logan would've done. However, this was Ary. Anyone who even considered touching a hair on that boy's head would be in a world of hurt. It didn't matter how badly she herself was hurting over him, no one could ever do anything to Aryan. Nor say anything to either for that matter. Whatever was going to happen, needed to happen on its own.

There was another small sniffle and a hiccup as she continued to stare up at him. "Everything," she repeated after him quietly. A distraction was exactly what she needed right now and who better to help her with that than her big brother? No one. "Afters.. will you do ninja stuff with me?" How long had it been since she had asked him to do that?

Maybe almost as long as it had been since he had held her hand. This here, this was what actually earned the faintest hint of a smile from her but she didn't say anything about it as she let Logan lead the way.

[Lottiepot]

If there was ANY excuse to work alongside her best friend, Aurora was going to take it. Even more so when it involved co-parenting a (not so) living creature, their experience with a very much still existing Pygmy Puff was testament to their ability to work effectively together. What could possibly go wrong when they repeated that scenario with their dragon eggs?

Other than that Aurora had almost dropped her egg twice on the journey down from Ravenclaw tower to the grounds, once when the staircase had decided to change directions and she was caught unaware and the other when an over-excited first year went whizzing past her, knocked her elbow and she had to catch the egg as it was tossed up in the air. In hindsight it might have been a clever idea to have picked up one of those baby carriers but it was too late now. It had left her wondering what would happen if she accidentally cracked it open early but she wasn’t reckless enough to want to find out.

The rest of the journey to the domes was spent treading carefully until she settled into an empty dome and placed the egg gently onto a cushion to keep warm and cosy in the regulated air. She hadn’t actually chosen which type of dragon she preferred and was hoping that trying a mix of all hatching methods would result in one at random so that she wouldn’t be forced to make the decision herself. She was dressed in a sparkly jacket however, one that she and her sister had bejeweled themselves many years ago and of which Aurora miraculously still managed to squeeze her way into. She’d also brought along a wad of sheet music she’d found in the music classroom for her and Anna to attempt to sing, despite not being able to read music at all. Even if they weren’t entirely in tune, the lyrics would be correct.

To pass the short time it would hopefully take the Hufflepuff to arrival, she began humming a simple tune whilst flicking through her notes from the egg collection day.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Text Cut: the chosen sister

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

If there was ANY excuse to work alongside her best friend, Aurora was going to take it. Even more so when it involved co-parenting a (not so) living creature, their experience with a very much still existing Pygmy Puff was testament to their ability to work effectively together. What could possibly go wrong when they repeated that scenario with their dragon eggs?

Other than that Aurora had almost dropped her egg twice on the journey down from Ravenclaw tower to the grounds, once when the staircase had decided to change directions and she was caught unaware and the other when an over-excited first year went whizzing past her, knocked her elbow and she had to catch the egg as it was tossed up in the air. In hindsight it might have been a clever idea to have picked up one of those baby carriers but it was too late now. It had left her wondering what would happen if she accidentally cracked it open early but she wasn’t reckless enough to want to find out.

The rest of the journey to the domes was spent treading carefully until she settled into an empty dome and placed the egg gently onto a cushion to keep warm and cosy in the regulated air. She hadn’t actually chosen which type of dragon she preferred and was hoping that trying a mix of all hatching methods would result in one at random so that she wouldn’t be forced to make the decision herself. She was dressed in a sparkly jacket however, one that she and her sister had bejeweled themselves many years ago and of which Aurora miraculously still managed to squeeze her way into. She’d also brought along a wad of sheet music she’d found in the music classroom for her and Anna to attempt to sing, despite not being able to read music at all. Even if they weren’t entirely in tune, the lyrics would be correct.

To pass the short time it would hopefully take the Hufflepuff to arrival, she began humming a simple tune whilst flicking through her notes from the egg collection day.

Taking care of this dragon egg had turned out to be less of an exercise in dragon care and more additional therapy for her memory and its retainment. She had, at last, gotten into a proper journaling routine per the healer's instruction and there was nary a day she forgot to add an entry or two. With the additional responsibility of an egg in her care, Anna felt like she was doing a better job at recalling tasks and fine details. Not to say that she ever forgot to take care of Merryweather, because that had never happened, but there was something about the extra obligation was...helping? Maybe it was more about having short term goals since this egg care business was only for about a week's time so the goal was in sight before things even began. In any case, Anna could not wait for today's egg bonding session with Aurora and had come prepared with a couple of items in her satchel bag.

The Hufflepuffle also had not taken one of the carrier backpack things, she had forgotten in the warmth of the moment and had been too eager to get started, and thus when it wasn't kept wrapped up snuggly on her bed she walked around hugging the egg to her chest. Her memory may seemingly be getting better, but she still struggled to remember all the buzzwords, tis, and tricks that came with hatching them sooooooooo she had placed a piece of parchment to the front of her egg by way of a Permanent Sticking Charm (and that meant that it was only semi-permanent because Anna had been the one to perform it) with these and Anna usually read them or mouthed them to herself when walking the corridor with her egg.

Quote:

Antipodean Opaleye : SHINY
Chinese Fireball : FIRE
Common Welsh Green : MUSIC
Hebridean Black : SPACE
Hungarian Horntail : QUIDDITCH
Norwegian Ridgeback : WATER
Peruvian Vipertooth : RUN
Romanian Longhorn : MOUNTAINS
Swedish Short-Snout : BLUE
Ukrainian Ironbelly : BIG

The list had been helpful, for the most part, but results were bound to be skewed thanks to her unconscious incompetence. Humming a nursery rhyme of some sort (it was more of a combination of two or three but they still flowed together nicely enough for her not to notice, Anna made her way to the dome Aurora occupied and immediately dropped her egg while beginning to wave at her best friend.

*KLUNK*

"Waaaah! Oh gosh, I'm so sorry Sunny!" she squeaked as she scrambled to pick it back up and gingerly wiped it down with the hem of her shirt to remove any smudges that may have appeared. She didn't see any dents or cracks...but she was feeling rather panicked and did not entirely trust her judgement. "Do they look okay?" she asked Aurora, thrusting her egg towards the Ravenclaw for inspection.

[Lottiepot]

Apparently Aurora wasn’t the only one feeling particularly clumsy with her egg today. With a look of pure fear as she narrowly missed kicking over her own egg in an attempt to catch Anna’s of which she spectacularly failed in her efforts by a good few centimetres. There was a reason that Aurora didn’t take after her Ma in ballsports, she was a horrendous catcher.

She hesitated in inspecting the egg, not wanting to be responsible for dropping it herself but took a second to look over its exterior. “I can’t see any cracks” she chewed at her cheek. “And I imagine that some dragons aren’t that good at landing so they’re probably used to bouncing, right?” With their big bodies and long necks and tails and relatively short legs, they didn’t look like they’d be the best at landing anyway, like a giant goose. At least that was what she would be telling herself when the inevitable happened and she dropped her own.

“You’ve named your dragon already?” she enquired, turning her attention to her own ordinary egg whose name list was so ridiculously long that she had decided to not make the decision until it was hatched. The favourite was Fauna but she felt like it would have to have a certain look, the Welsh GREEN the most obviously fitting. Maybe if she kept singing ‘once upon a dream’ to it, that might happen but sadly the Ravenclaw was not the most tuneful and her singing might’ve sounded more like a Kneazle yowling to the egg than a siren’s call. “I can’t decide on a name. What if I call it something really cute and it turns out to be a Ukrainian Ironbelly? I can’t name them Daisy!” She could but she couldn’t help but think the dragon might get offended by her questionable decisions. Besides, she wouldn’t know whether they were a girl or a boy until they hatched.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Anyone seeing them with their eggs right now would wonder how their pygmy puff had survived their co-parenting efforts. Then again, comparing a dragon egg (and not even a real one) to an actual living pygmy puff wasn't exactly a fair comparison to be made. "No cracks is great," she laughed while accepting her egg back and giving it a small little kiss. "Really would have been disappointing to have ruined the project when we are SO close to finally hatching them." Which could even be today...if she was remembering dates correctly which she was pretty confident that she was thanks to journaling. "I'm pretty sure I've heard some phrase or another about even clabberts fall from trees, so I think you're right." And, honestly, they all were mere hatchlings themselves so it was a pretty big ask to expect them all to be perfect with handling these sorts of things unsupervised and all over the castle like they all were.

Settling in, Anna sat her egg between her legs and nodded almost sheepishly at Aurora. "Yeah...which is making me a little nervous that once they hatch they won't look like a Sunny and I will have been misnaming them all this time...but I felt odd calling them egg or my egg or it or just...I dunno. I felt like I ought to give them a name and where it rests on my bed a nightstand always greeted the day bathed in sunlight so...it felt right. Also, if it's not too...you know...sunny side up eggs are my favorite on the breakfast table." Anna looked down at her egg and lightly stroked the top of it as though it were Merryweather nestled in her lap instead. "There is a charm in ironic names too though. The Gringotts dragon is named Bunny, for example. And, well, any name will be special since its personal to you so I wouldn't worry too much maybe." She would be tickled if hers hatched and it was a Hebridean Black named Sunny. "So...I think you can call them Daisy if you want. Daisies and dragons are both beautiful parts of our world!"

And if Aurora didn't want to name her hatchling Daisy then she didn't have to do that either.

"Oh, I brought something for our eggs to start off our care session," she chirped, reaching for her bag at last and pulled out a simple little wooden music box that had been gifted to her last term. Anna wound the back several times so it would play through the medley more than a handful of times and set it between herself and Aurora. Opening it up, Anna smiled (her heart FULL) as a gentle guitar music began to play.

[Lottiepot]

Aurora would’ve liked to think that a prematurely cracked egg might have just encouraged the hatchling out earlier than expected rather than ruin the project as a whole. “Maybe if it had cracked, the dragon would’ve been born early and then might have been extra petite like us!” Which wasn’t a bad thing, it would be quite exciting to have a matching dragon to themselves and certainly more handleable. Whether that would've actually happened was another matter but sadly (or perhaps thankfully?) these were not real and she couldn’t be sure what charms Paton had placed on them to ensure nothing could go wrong. “I’ve fallen out of trees and I’ve never broken anything either.” Quite miraculous really that the Ravenclaw’s bones had all remained intact over the years, even through a decade of ice skating where falling over was inevitable.

“I like the name Sunny” she reassured her friend with a grin. “Anyway, dragons breathe fire and the sun is just a big ball of fire really so the name would make sense whatever colour your dragon comes out as.” And it was raised in the Hufflepuff Common Room which was ALSO associated with yellow and ergo in some convoluted roundabout way, Anna’s naming abilities were ingenious. Bunny was fabulously ironic and sounded like it had come from the mind of a five year old which she liked to believe was the lore behind the name. But then again.. “My cousin named her dog Froggo.” And she did NOT have the mind of a child, she was a Hit Witch. “I don’t really want to name it Daisy” she giggled, the thought of the name being associated with dairy cows and sweet little girls in bows and a DRAGON amusing her. “But I was thinking Fauna to round off the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty. We already have Merryweather and my owl is Flora and dragons are technically part of the fauna, right?” Creatures and animals were much the same in her opinion, wonderful and majestic and fascinating. Extra points if the dragon was red but the likelihood of that was not in her favour.

Anna had seemingly come equally prepared with t h i n g s for their eggs although the music box she had produced was far more exciting than the sparkly blanket that Aurora was planning on wrapping her egg in later should it get cold. “That’s so BEAUTIFUL!” she exclaimed, reaching out to stroke her fingers along the plain edges that concealed the prettiest (and familiar) of songs. “Did your long-haired drama friend get that for you?” she asked, recalling that they had been duet partners at some point. The former student, as princely and ethereal as he looked, had somewhat intimidated the fifth year into only the pleasantries and not her usual spiel of conversations that most students were subjected to. She was accepting boundaries, see?! “I only brought this blanket. I was really hoping it might have been possible to produce an Opaleye/Welsh Green hybrid. A shiny dragon that sings would’ve been my favourite.” Alas, fate would decide which of the two she would get although.. “Do you think the fact that my uniform is blue might have some influence on it? I might accidentally hatch a Swedish Short Snout.”

[sweetpinkpixie]

Anna couldn't resist the joy of anticipation in what Aurora was saying. It HAD already been a week since they had been given their eggs so the necessary timeframe for changes to take place had most certainly passed and everything baaaaasically ready. There was a certain temptation to treat their eggs like pinatas to help the process along - even birds and reptiles and those sorts of creatures required help during the hatching sometimes! But then there was this nagging feeling of not rushing nor pressuring things into existence, a certain nag that resonated a bit more profoundly than she wanted to admit currently and had her thoughts drifting towards icky feelings of peer pressure. "It would be nice if they were fun sized too," she agreed with a bright grin. "And even if they're not, they'll for suuuuuuure be besties just like us."

One-hundred percent guaranteed!

Thinking up names was rather fun and it made the Hufflepuffle wonder what sorts of conversations their own parents had had when picking out their names. Had it been mum or daddy who had decided on the name Anna? Why hadn't she ever thought to ask them...well...mum about this sort of thing? Perhaps she had, WAS, too afraid to ask since any sort of talk about her origins ended in conflict. "I think Fauna is a perfect name," she encouraged with a little sway and a nudge with her shoulder. "Wasn't she the one who gave the gift of song? I think that's what you told me anyway...and if it IS a Welsh Green then that is quite fitting too!"

The sixth year hummed along softly as the gentle melody continued to play, nodding eagerly and with a bright rouge to her cheeks when Aurora mentioned Joseph. "He did...that's him playing too," she chirped with a couple of giddy bounces where she sat. He had probably proposed to his boyfriend by now and was living happily ever after in luxury somewhere in London. She never received all that many details about such things in the occasional letters she received, but she did like to imagine it as such! "I didn't think that was an option!" she exclaimed, eyes wide and mouth agate. "I've mostly been trying for a Welsh Green!" But Aurora always did bring the sparkle with her so Sunny was sufficiently exposed to the razzle dazzle without Anna putting in too much extra effort. But what the blonde asked next had Anna thinking and pursing her lips while doing said thinking. "I think...it is more about intention? At least with this assignment and I don't think Professor Paton would set up enchantments to give any one house a default advantage over any other as to which dragon will hatch." At least that is what made sense to her. "So then yo----" The rest of Anna's validation would remain a mystery as there came a very VERY loud CRUNCH and CRACK from the egg nestled in her lap. "Oh...oh...OH OH OH OH! AURORA! Is this...is it...OHMYGOSH is IT happening?! I think it's HAPPENING!" she squealed with a shrill giddiness that surely only cruppies could hear by the last consonant.

[Lottiepot]

The fifth year was much on the same wavelength as the sixth year presently was. The anticipation or longing for the hatching to occur quicker than it was and the temptation to encourage said process kindly, mingled with the fear of ruining it by going too quickly. She had decided to practice patience for now but it was debatable how long that would last. “Obvioooously.” As if that was even a topic up for debate. “They are eggy soulmates. They’ve probably spent more time together than they have apart.”

Rora was quite sure that her parents had chosen Ariadne because of her associations with Greek mythology and her Mom’s connection to Athens. The other two likely slotted in because they liked the A theme and Aurora was born with thick blonde hair just like the Princess. As if she needed any further proof that Anna’s mind was simply brilliant?! “I didn’t even think about that” she gasped. Her fairytale loving heart was influencing her bestie’s brain, a proudest achievement. “Well now I’d better hope that my dragon IS a Welsh Green hadn’t I?” And if it was a male, she’d have a backup option in the name Elliot, although that one might take a little more explaining.

Intimidatingly handsome AND talented, rather like her own older friend who too brought a flush to the fifth year's cheeks. “That was so kind of him.” And it made her reflect on the graduates who had left her this past term, the Ravenclaw duo whose company she had kind of forced her way into whether they wanted it or not. Aurora would’ve been totally on board with any fairytale fantasy that Anna wanted to weave for her ethereal friend, love was the most WONDERFUL thing in the world. Back to Earth and more importantly this whole egg thing. “It’s not, Professor Paton said that hybrids wouldn’t be possible. I wish they were though and then I wouldn’t have to make a decision or be disappointed that it isn’t one or the other.” She would love the dragon all the same but she couldn’t help but feel she’d miss out on the opportunity to experience the other which is why as often as she had visited the music classroom when the school orchestra was rehearsing, she had been wearing her bedazzled jacket or searching for the shiniest pebble on the lake’s shoreline. She was leaving it all to a game of chance. “Ohhhh. That makes sense.” Anna ALWAYS made sense to Aurora even when she didn’t to others. It was this whole non-existent telepathy thing they had going on. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world had her uniform accidentally influenced the outcome but it would’ve been quite the surprise.

Anna’s exclamation combined with the audible crack had surprised the Ravenclaw so much that she slipped off the stool she was presently perched on and landed on the floor with a thump, narrowly missing her own egg being squished by her bottom. “WHAT? What’s happening?!” She swiveled onto her knees and crawled over to sit in front of Anna and expectedly stare at the egg. “Nooo. They need to wait for mine! They’re supposed to be twins.” Or soul siblings. Eggmates. She turned her head back to ogle her own egg in the hopes that telepathic willing might encourage it to hatch out. Perhaps she should give it a little tap and help it along the way?

[sweetpinkpixie]

"I think we need badges that say 'eggy soulmates' on them," Anna laughed. They could pin them to their bags somewhere (probably the front flap for herself) or maybe on to their ties for a subtle personal touch to their uniforms - especially if theirs were done in their individual house colors. It was giving Anna IDEAS for Aurora's next birthday or Christmas or...well...that final idea, one spurred by the very music box playing before them, was one the sixth year certainly did not wish to dwell on any earlier than life forced her to. Things were already emotionally taxing enough at the moment. "That means that once this assignment is over we have to make sure they stay together," the Hufflepuffle promised, though that promise extended well beyond this project. "I've been thinking...as much as I would absolutely adore having a life size plushie for myself...I might want to donate mine. I did some reading up on one of the dragon reservations, the Galloway Rehabilitation Reserve, and wrote to Mr. Derfael for some advice...and I think giving these soon-to-be baby dragon dolls ... feels right. They'll use them on the reserve to help grieving mother dragons who have had eggs that were unable to hatch or to help train some dragons in the art of fostering a hatchling not their own."

It seemed a bit sad to be thinking about the end before the second (the first beginning being receiving their egg) beginning even began, but with how messy decision making was for Anna these days ... it did feel like a good idea to start thinking about this outcome sooner than later. Even if their dragons hatched into different breeds, they could still be together at the same reserve and serving the same greater purpose...and that was really beautiful to think about. But, only if Aurora wanted to do that too - the blonde's opinion was SUPER important to take into consideration and Anna didn't want to force her in any direction...but she did also secretly hope that they were on the same page with this!

"Hybrid species must be possible out there, I would think," Anna gestured vaguely towards the grounds beyond their dome but what she REALLY meant was the world beyond the Hogwarts barrier. "Different dragon species finding a mate in another species...which could then create a NEW species of dragon." Then again, if that WAS the case then why were there not more variations on dragon species? "Wonder what dragonologists would call a new species brought into this world by Antipodean Opaleyes breeding with Welsh Greens...I always think of opals as being iridescent white...but...do you know if there are green opals?" So many things about this world she still did not know - it was wonderful.

Anna eyes were as wide as they could possibly be, not wanting to blink or else risk missing out on every new tiny crack that appeared in the shell of her egg. She wasn't imagining it if Aurora was seeing it as well, though it was also possible that they both were imagining things because they had such expansive imaginations BUT that was certainly not the case now. "Are you sure your egg isn't?" she asked with a wave of the hand in the direction that she hoped was Aurora's egg - she really couldn't afford to look away from hers! Especially now that a rather large chunk of the top portion had POPPED off, which gave Anna the opportunity to peer inside the egg...which she did. "OH...OH? I think I see an eye! An AMBER colored eye...I think..." But then it was gone as the hatchling inside shifted its position.

[Lottiepot]

Aurora was sadly not creative enough to be able to make badges but she did recall having one of those muggle badge making machines when she was younger and to her knowledge it hadn’t been discarded yet. “I’m not very good at drawing but I’ll try” she giggled too, her imagination running rampant of anthropomorphic smiling eggs holding hands just like their special socks did. The fifth year would absolutely refuse to think about what would be happening in a year's time so Anna keeping those thoughts to herself would be thoroughly appreciated. As for donating the plushies, Aurora was already on board. “I think that’s a great idea. I worry that I won’t have time to look after it all the time and then I’d feel guilty. And Mr Derfael always knows what’s best for every creature.” Which was why volunteering for him was practically the BEST thing she had ever done last summer, even with all the poop scooping.

Thankfully for the Hufflepuff, Aurora’s opinion often aligned with hers. It was like their brains shared the same chemistry or something but it was all too scientific for the Ravenclaw to figure out. “Do you think it matters what type of dragon receives what plushie? Could a Hebridean Black nurture a Chinese Fireball?” She imagined that there could be difficulties but she had heard stories of Mumma kneazles adopting tiny crups and vice versa so it was apparently not impossible.

Which led nicely onto their next conversation over dragon hybrids. “I’m sure it would be possible in the real world, like how kneazles and muggle cats can have kittens. I just mean that Professor Paton said during our egg collection that our eggs weren’t able to be hybrids.” Her bottom lip pouted out slightly in protest. “I think opals are a type of rock, aren’t they? I’ve definitely heard of black opals before and when they shine they kind of go rainbow-y.” However they could definitely do better than that. “Welshpodean Emeraldeye.” It didn’t quite roll off the tongue in the same way.

She certainly wasn’t imagining anything and whilst Aurora was excited for her best friend, there was a brief moment of sadness for herself that her own egg was taking its time. “I don’t think so” she responded, shuffling on her bottom to collect her egg and cradle it back to her position. She peered into the crack to squint at the dark shape curled up inside which she promptly showed to her egg as if it could see too and encourage the baby out. “LOOK! Your friend is going to have all the fun. You can’t miss out too—”

Then came an almighty crack which thanks to the curved walls of the dome echoed. “Was that yours or mine?!”

[sweetpinkpixie]

Anna wasn't particularly good at drawing and doodling either, which would only serve to add to the charm of such badges because they would be uniquely theirs. Maybe Anna could wear the one Aurora designed and Aurora the one she designed, so they were trading creative affection between each other while solidifying their sisterhood. Sharing all these thoughts, however, were overshadowed by the joy and relief the Hufflepuffle felt when her bestie shared that she too wanted to donate her dragon plushie upon completing their assignment. "Maybe we can ask Mr Derfael and Mrs Chloe to take us there together," she chirped, her curls suddenly seeming even more bouncy now. "Let's send him an owl together and ask?"

Amazing how one thing could make you so excited about term ending, wasn't it? A buzz that would likely pass as the day went on and she remembered other things that made term ending less appealing but for now everything was coming up happy honking daffodils!

"I think it might depend on the dragon," Anna mused with a thoughtful chin tap. "But also...more likely a smell association than a visual recognition? I am not really sure how exactly it works...but fostering and adopting a child to be your own isn't linked exclusively with appearances." That much she knew for certain thanks to her own experience with one Ivor Bowen who not only swept mum off her feet but managed to never be the reason Anna felt lonely or unwanted. A knot of guilt bubbled in her stomach and crawled upwards before settling in her throat, which she swallowed down quickly and thickly. "Maybe we can ask at the reserve! We ought to compile a list of questions because I am likely not going to remember all the things we are wondering about." Her memory and recollection tendencies WERE improving but there was still a loooooot of progress left to go.

Nodding as Aurora elaborated and shared her equally limited knowledge about opals. Maybe there was one for every color of the rainbow? There certainly were gemstones in every color but she wasn't sure about one specific type of gemstone that existed in every single color. "The name is a work in progress," she laughed. "Maybe we'll know what name is most befitting when we see one."

Kind of like how Aurora thought she would know what to name her dragon once it hatched...

Anna felt herself falling into an elated panic as the dragon within her egg continued to chip away at the shell around it, her hands flapping as if she were about to take flight. "Do...do you think I should help them?" she questioned Aurora while her flapping soared to new heights so that her bum lifted off the floor so she bounced a bit. "I saw Mr. Derfael help a hippogriff hatch from its egg because it was struggling...but that had been HOURS and HOURS of a hatching process before he stepped in...maybe even a whole day?" How long had it been since her egg had started to hatch? It sure felt like at LEAST three hours had passed but that could also, maybe, be the anticipation talking...

Another, much longer than any previously, shallow crack appeared along the side of the egg as if it were going to split in two. One solid kick from inside would be more than enough to accomplish this, surely, and Anna rolled forward to try and peer inside the hole on top of her egg to coach the dragon within. "Hmmm?" Anna hummed, her eyes looking over to Aurora and then over at Aurora's egg and then her own and round and round she went in search of the source of the sound the blonde had asked about. "OH! OH OH OH OH OOOOOOH! Aurora! Look! I think that was yours!"

[Lottiepot]

As long as Anna didn’t mind wearing something that was questionably drawn but that had all the charm of a painting brought home by a school child whose parents had proudly pinned it to the fridge, then Aurora would be more than happy to offer her creative services to her bestie. Perhaps it was something they could do over the summer whilst munching on their lunch at the sanctuary? At least there they might have extra inspiration when actually sitting amongst creatures and their eggs, not that an egg should be challenging but still. “Like a Creatures and Cwtches field trip? That would be fun.” And technically educational, not that the two weren’t interchangeable as Aurora often found schooling to be fun when in the right company. “Do you think they have all the breeds of dragons there or just the ones in Britain?” Just in case her dragon turned out to be say a Swedish Short Snout.

The end of term dawning upon them did not fill Aurora with dread or glee, she was rather nonplussed about it. She was undeniably looking forward to seeing her family but she was rather fond of Hogwarts and its people. Ironically, Aurora didn’t technically know anything about her dad either but she had never had the inclination to find anything out. She wasn’t even sure her Mums knew who he was either and that was a-okay with her.

“I suppose so..” the Ravenclaw responded, her thoughts consumed by images of mumma dragons chasing around reckless babies. “I guess it depends too on how big these plushies will get. Because a Peruvian Vipertooth might struggle with a fast growing Ukrainian Ironbelly.” She understood that their assignment was to hatch these babies but they hadn’t really been given much information on what was to come next other than that they could keep or donate the plushie. Would they remain in their teeny tiny form forever? Would there come a time when the enchantment ended and they stopped acting like dragons? The latter sounded devastating but then if she had chosen to keep it and it remained a baby forever then it would be positively exhausting to look after. “I have a notepad somewhere” she added helpfully, scattering through her bag to find the flower lined paper and sickeningly sweet scented pens at the bottom. They could use it to write to Derfael and Chloe too if Anna didn’t mind the letter looking mildly unprofessional. But then again after a summer of volunteering, the couple were surely used to eccentrics of this best friend duo.

Anna always had an air of positivity about her words that Aurora appreciated. It was always when and never if, a manifestation that things would happen and it rubbed off on the fifth year. “Maybe we’ll be the first to discover a crossbreed? I wouldn’t know where to start searching though, I never thought I’d be as interested in dragons.” It wasn’t because she didn’t like them but they were much larger, more dangerous and more complicated than the mundane creatures she was hoping to work with.

Which was why when the questions and pleas for advice came flying in her direction, Rora was having a flap for a different reason. “No? I mean maybe? I don’t know!” she chewed at the side of her cheek. “I figure there’s no harm in either way, unless Professor Paton has placed a charm on the egg so that it tells her if there was any intervention. But it’s not like the dragon will suffocate.. is it?” Surely not? It was a plushie. Patience however was not a virtue that these two practiced and the anticipation to see the baby was all too much.

With another almighty crack (which probably wasn’t all that almighty but it sure sounded like it in the confines of a dome) and the reassurance that her egg had decided it didn’t want to miss out on all the fun, Aurora swivelled around to lay on her stomach, chin resting on her forearms as a pearlescent white ear popped out through the smallest of cracks at the top of her egg. “Oh. OHHH.” Were all the words that the Ravenclaw would muster. “Oh no! I think Fauna is more of a Flour”

[sweetpinkpixie]

There would be absolutely no issue wearing anything that Aurora wore. She would know that her bestie had put her best foot forward with it and that was all that truly matter. Art was, after all, in the eye of the beholder and whatever her Ravenclaw princess created was a masterpiece. Also equally as coveted would be this Creatures and Cwtches field trip that they were planning for Mr Derfael and Mrs Chloe to take them on - it was all brilliant AND once they got there they would know the answer to yet another inquiry. "Maybe all but some are only temporarily housed and then returned to their native regions once the rehabilitation process has progressed to a certain stage?" She knew what it was like to feel sick and away from home, it happened here at Hogwarts from time to time, and then just how NICE it was to be back in your own bed for those final healing moments. Though, for Anna, the concept of 'home' was becoming confusing these days.

They were going to need a really big notepad with how quickly their eager minds were coming up with new scenarios and wonderings about dragons. It truly was only a matter of time before their curiosity branched off to other creatures and the list truly becoming infinite with possibility. It was already approaching that threshold as was and when speculation about hybrids was added to the mix it felt like the pair were pushing a snowball down a mountain. You know, gaining in size with each and every step. It was a great thing! "I think you're interested in life and all its wonders," she noted with a nod. "It just takes the right perspective and company to shed light on some aspects of it." Aurora just that sort of nurturing heart and Anna was excited to see what her best friend did with it because it was going to be amazing! Anna liked creatures, but could admit to her interest being kind of shallow. Mostly she wanted to make sure she knew how to co-exist with them and not tread on their liberties. And right now she reaaaaaaaaally wanted to know what was about to crawl out from her egg!

It was really hard to not think of their egg as an actual living and breathing creature, but Aurora did have a point in that even in a worst case scenario there would be no hatching suffocating. Considering Professor Paton had described the hatching process as just something that happened without any further elaboration, the Hufflepuffle decided that she was just being impatient. "Okay...okay okay okay...you can do it, Sunny! Just a little more," she cheered, clapping her hands for further encouragement to her dragon.

And then a little green snout popped out from the top of the egg and Anna squealed.

"Oh, Sunny! You're gorgeous!" she praised as the little dragon began to nudge the surrounding rim with its head and, as predicted, half of the remaining shell broke off and tumbled to the ground beside her foot. "Aurora! Sunny did it!" So excited was she about her own accomplishment that she nearly missed Aurora celebrating her own. "A flower? How so?" she asked while peaking up briefly, her hands beckoning Sunny out from the now toppled over on to its side egg. "Did Professor Paton give you a really big seed instead of an egg on accident?"

[Lottiepot]

“That makes sense.” Aurora’s head bobbed in agreement with the thoughts of rehabilitation back to their native lands. “It must be a long journey back to New Zealand for the Opaleyes though. Do you think they have to make a stop halfway there like planes do?” They’d been best friends for five years now and yet Aurora still forgot that Anna’s knowledge of the muggle world might not have been as broad as hers was. She might have clarified further if her mind wasn’t full of images of dragons perched on the top of the Great Pyramids.

No huge notebooks were required here, the fifth year had remarkably small handwriting that reflected her petite size. She would however try her hardest to stay on topic for today at least, they’d have plenty of opportunities to ask questions of the pair at a later date should they want to. How Chloe and Derfael were meant to get any work done when a duo of babbling girls were firing questions at them was a mystery. “That’s very kind of you to say” the blonde shuffled over to give her best friend a sort of side squish. “I hope that I can do the field of creature care justice. I haven’t got a back up plan otherwise.” Probably not the wisest of decisions but she had been concentrating on what she’d need to become a creature healer rather than thinking of anything else and even that had been a battle.

Aurora would argue that it was impossible for a baby creature to NOT be gorgeous, even baby acromantulas were cute in a creepy sort of way, but the way that the sunlight was shining through the glass roof and onto Sunny’s green scales was all kinds of magical. “See? All babies need is a sprinkle of patience and masses of encouragement.” Creature babies anyway, Rora didn’t have the slightest bit of knowledge of human baby care. She’d been at school for the first few months of her brother’s life and by the time she’d returned for the holidays, everyone else had it under control and she didn’t really have to do much.

Which could be a reflection on the lack of trust of Aurora with a baby but she wasn’t going to think like that right now, not when she was about to become a creature mum for the second time.

“Huh?” The Ravenclaw tore her attention away from the hatchling and towards the Hufflepuff with a rather puzzled expression. Was she implying that Aurora had accidentally grown wheat? “What do you mean— OH!” FLOWER. “I mean flour with a U, the baking stuff that goes everywhere when making cakes.” In their case it did anyway, containing mess was not a strong point for this pair. “I don’t think my dragon is a Welsh Green, not unless they come in a pearly white variation anyway.” She indicated to the snout which had managed to break free from the confines of its shell-y prison and was presently blowing hot air through its nostrils in their direction.

With all the excitement over the babies came a strangely pessimistic thought for one Aurora. She’d assumed that the time spent working on the project together would result in twins and yet the evidence before them contradicted her assumptions. “What if our dragons hate each other?” she chewed her bottom lip whilst gently removing cracked pieces of shell from the edges of the egg and allowing Fauna (the name she was sticking with because Flour was nowhere near as cute) to spread her wings.