As Sierra stepped out onto the grounds, she peered up into the sky and immediately made an observation--it was cloudy out. Really cloudy, too. Where in the name of Merlin was the sky anyway? Everything looked like a strange cloud covering the world. She nearly turned around and went back inside, but as she thought of the date, she realized she'd be behind on this assignment if she didn't act now.

She sighed and moved on, eventually finding herself at the vegetable garden. She set up her telescope just outside the garden, pulled out her quill and journal, then looked through the scope. Clouds. Everywhere. Her eyebrows creased inward in annoyance as she twisted the scope toward a different angle. Clouds. Again. Clouds, clouds, clouds. That was the extent to Sierra's observations this week.

She rolled her eyes, documented this, then packed up and headed back in.

Ella walked down to the vegetable patch, hoping some fresh air would lessen her worries a little. The first year was feeling completely foolish for sharing her interest in quidditch with the captain as well as the crazy talented seeker. Frown. Why had she done that? Now she'd have to follow through with tryouts-something that was far too frightening to think about at the moment. Her eyes grew wide at the mere thought of performing in front of people on a broom. Instead, she walked along the paths of veggies, thinking life must be incredibly simple for a vegetable...well except for the whole getting eaten thing. There weren't many people around, something Ella both liked and hated. She wasn't sure how she felt about company at the moment.

Laura had been really busy, she had no idea what she was going to do over the summer except build a boat with her fake brother and her daddy, she thought it would be great to go sailing on a boat she build but she wasn't sure if Aaron and her daddy would be good at building a boat.

The first year's thoughts about the empty vegetable patch were soon gone as she saw another student roaming the patch quite close to her. Squinting in the sunlight, Ella could just make out the form of her friend Laura. The badger smiled, walking over to her friend. "Hey there, what brings you to the vegetable patch?" Maybe Laura needed fresh air too? It was certainly a nice day for it.

Laura looked at Ella and giggled. "I just wanted some fresh air and to see what was happening with the vegital patch." Laura had no idea what to say next. "What about you?" Laura was still annoyed with Professor Dragon. "I'm a bit annoyed to tell you the truth, I lost points for no reason, and now I keep thinking of going and telling our head of house."

"Oh me, I'm just thinking." And worrying. Though Ella would rather not talk about that at the moment...Annoyed? Oh right, the lost points. "It was kind of mean. It wasn't like you said anything bad." At least not something that warranted loss of house points. "Though I don't think Hadley will be able to do much." Though Ella was sure the woman would go to bat for her puffs despite that fact. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, everyone who was there knows it wasn't fair. Try not to let it upset you. It's beautiful out, it's almost summer, and you should be having fun!"

Walking from the Duck Pond to the Vegetable garden wasnt a long walk. Ashton was still smilling from the little dramatic moment back at the Duck Pond. He didnt miss a beat as he came to stop at a big pumpkin just inches in front of him. Thinking for a second, he remembered a little song. "Bippity Boppity Boo." He muttered jumping his wand at the pumpkin. He couldnt really remember how to work the spell. It was supposed to grow vines as arms and legs and start walking like a human... or more like prancing. But that didnt happen. Instead a ghost like face appeared on the front of the pumpkin. Shaking his head, AShton kicked the pumpkin, sending it only a few inches over, and causing his big toe to throb.

Ella turned her attention away from Laura when she saw somebody else enter the vegetable garden. The first year watched the boy curiously as he walked towards a pumpkin, wand out. She was going to gesture for Laura to watch, eager to see what kind of magic this boy was going to do, when the boy suddenly kicked the pumkin. The young badger's eyebrows raised and she turned to face the boy head on. "Do you make it a habit of assaulting the things that grow here or did that pumpkin do something particularly mean to you?" As far as Ella could see, the pumpkin didn't really deserve the kick.

The pumpkins poor little face was smashed in now. Poor little pumpkin face. Pfftt not! Sighing, Ashton started to throw a pebble into the Vegetable patch when a girl came over asking such an odd question. Cocking an eyebrow at her, Ashton laughed. "The pumpkin did something particularly mean to me today. See..." Ashton pointed to the smashed up pumpkin, "The pumpkin isnt a pumpkin at all. Its a ghost." You could hardly see the ghost image on the front but it was there. "I dont like things that try and act like other things."

Of course this was all bull but this ickle little firstie didnt know that. And a Huffie at that. Since when did they have the nerve to come to a third year Slytherin putting on a front? Ashton woulda knocked her down a notch if it werent for her being a girl. Ashton didnt follow many rules but disrespecting a girl was against his rules. Well.... He gave the means ones one chance. But thats all they got.

Ella rolled her eyes at the boy. The pumpkin had done something mean? Honestly, how was that even possible? When the Slytherin pointed towards the smashed remains, Ella came closer to see what he was talking about. She actually did see the faint image of a ghost on the pumpkin but it hardly justified destroying the thing. And what was this about things trying to act like other things? "But surely pumpkins can't act...and besides, didn't you put the ghost on there?" She asked, tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "I saw you with your wand pointed at it. What were you trying to do?" Because clearly the ghost had not been the intended result. Plus she was kind of curious. She was never really bold enough to practice magic out on the grounds by herself.

The older boy didn't seemed all that pleased with Ella and to be quite honest, she didn't care. The first year hated seeing anyone act so violently against something so...well pitiful. It really put her wand in a knot. A pumpkin was a pumpkin not a soccer ball or a kick ball. Plain and simple.

Ashton looked at the pumpkin again and folded his arms across his chest. "Are pumpkins human? Can they feel? And what do you end up doing with them?" Giving a smug grin he looked at the firstie. "You end up eating them and in a sense... destroying them." She then asked about what he had been trying to do.

Smirking he laughed, "In all honesty, my spell didnt work. And not that its any of your business.. but.. " He cocked an eyebrow at the firstie debating on whether or not to tell her. Ickle firstie Huffie. "But I got it from somewhere to make the vines grow and have it dance around. An old trick my mom showed me when I was little."

Ella wasn't sure she liked this boy. Actually, she was pretty sure she didn't. Surprising since the first year generally liked everyone. Something about the way the boy grinned, though, made her feel annoyed. In a sense, she knew he was right about humans destroying pumpkins but for some reason she didn't want him to win that argument. "Even still, Mr. Murdoch probably had something planned for that pumpkin and now he won't be able to use it. That's all." Wasn't that something people learned when they were young? Not to mess with other people's things?

Ella frowned at the snake boy as he seemed to debate on telling her what his actual spell was intended to do to the pumpkin. She wondered if it was something bad. If so, she didn't want to know. Her face softened a bit when he decided to share, curiosity quickly out weighing her annoyance. "You can do that? Like in Cinderella?" Ella asked excitedly, looking from the boy to the pumpkin. But did this boy even know who Cinderella was? Ella wasn't sure. "That would have been quite cool, actually."

Laura was watching Ella and the Boy if the boy went to hurt Ella she would jump on the boy and attack him, even if she got into trouble, the boy was being mean and deserved to be kicked.

Mr Murdoch? Mr Murdoch? Seriously? Ashton could care less about Mr Murdoch and what he had in store for the pumpkins. "You have alot to learn." He sighed and shook his head. "Youll see once your not a firstie anymore." And she would.... maybe not as he had.. he was a bit of a troublemaker to begin with.

Cocking an eyebrow when the firstie mentioned a Cinderella, he tried to play it off like he didnt know who that was. In all honesty, his mom loved muggle movies and that was one of her favorites. But Slytherins didnt act like half-bloods like he was. Most of them were purebloods. "Umm.. sure... Cinderella??" He played it off like he didnt know. "Anyways, Im not sure what the spell was now that I try and do it."

Ella raised her eyebrows. Yes, maybe she did have a lot to learn as she was a first year but she didn't think she'd learn to enjoy doing destructive things. It wasn't in her nature. She shrugged it off, not wanting to argue any longer. It was making Ella's head ache and the first year massaged her temple softly with her right hand, looking at the ground.

So he didn't know Cinderella then? Pity. It was a nice story. One of Ella's favorites. "Yeah, Cinderella. It's about this girl and her evil step mother and step sisters and they try and make her a slave...but a fairy godmother helps her out. She enchants things in the garden like a pumpkin..." Cue Ella motioning sadly towards the smashed pumpkin sitting nearby. "...and well, it's a nice story. I thought you might have known about it." And then maybe they would have had something in common. Too bad about him not remembering the spell. Ella would have liked to learn it. "I'm sure you'll think of it eventually." She added reassuringly, unable to keep being cold towards the boy. She didn't like being mean to people. It wasted too much energy. "I'm Ella." She added suddenly, sticking out her hand.

Right Cinderella. "Right riighhhhhttt." He said and gave a chuckle. "But seriously yea itll come around. Hopefully. Itd be funny seeing a dancing pumpkin dancing across the paths of ickle firsties. He bet they wouldnt know what to do. The idea made him grin as he imagined it. Shaking his head he sighed and looked back at the girl with her hand out. Without shaking it he grinned a half grin. "Ashton."

Ella looked at the slytherin curiously. He sure did laugh and grin a lot. The first year really didn't get what was so amusing...or maybe he was laughing at her. Frown. Then there was the whole not shaking her hand thing. Ella hadn't expected that. She moved her arms so they were crossed against her chest and she mimicked his grin. "Well okay then, Ashton. I guess I'll just be going." Because Ashton was only making Ella feel like a joke at the moment. Plus she was a little offended he hadn't shaken her hand. It wasn't as if she had cooties!