This girl might have been a Ravenclaw, but she was one that loved to explore. It was courage she needed more of, though. She wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the place she was to call home for seven years, but she didn't know where to start, and she wanted someone to explore with. Things, she thought, were often more fun when enjoyed with someone else.

When she was in the middle of a little explore, she found herself... outside on a bridge. But she was on the first floor... not the ground floor. Yet here she was, seeing the sunlight, and feeling the new autumn air. She went to the edge of the bridge and looked down and out, taking in the sights.

Finally! The time had arrived for Aaron to start exploring the castle! He had seven years to explore every area. And by every area, he had meant EVERY, area. Every last nook, cranny, secret room, even the forbidden forest. All of these the boy wanted to have adventures in. And all of these places the boy WOULD have adventures in. But now it seemed as if he came across a dilemma....

....he was missing a partner in crime right now to explore with.

Walking through some random door in the first floor corridor, Aaron had found himself on a beautiful bridge that overlooked a gorgeous view. And it appeared as if there was someone else here already! But wait a second...it was one of the girls he had met on the train! Hanna!!!

"HAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAA!" He said running towards the girl. "Do you wanna be my adventure buddy today?" The boy had asked the other first year, eager for her response.

Hanna was just wondering whether anyone had tried doing bungee jumping, when she heard someone YELLING her name.

She turned, and spotted Aaron! A big grin appeared on her face as she remembered, firstly meeting him on the train, and secondly seeing him being sorted into Slytherin. "Aaron!" she said excitedly. "How are you?" because she was caring.

But nothing could have prepared her EXCITEMENT for his question. Her eyes widened. She started getting into her excited mode. Her hands flapped and she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "Really? You want me to be your adventure buddy today?" Her grin was SO BIG her eyes were almost closed. "I REALLY do want to!"

The instant she smiled and got all happy and hyped up, Aaron gave a huge smile back towards her. This was so flawless and splendid! What could possibly go wrong with today's adventures!? Aaron had a plan as to where they could go first. It was a bit daring, especially considering the fact that the two were first years, but, what's an adventure without a little bit of danger in the mix?

"Ok, don't freak out when I ask you this...but..." Aaron looked around to make sure no one was watching or there at the current moment. Also, the pause was added for a somewhat dramatic effect. Leave Hanna in a bit of suspense, that sort of thing, to add to their levels of excitement (if they could go up anymore that is). "...do you wanna explore the Forbidden Forest? Or at least the edge of it. We wouldn't go in it, obviously."

The boy was adventurous, but he wasn't stupid. He knew what was off limits even when it was exploring time, and the Forbidden Forest and two first years did not entirely make a great mix.

Reading Aaron's body language, when he looked around... presumably to look out for any listening ears, Hanna leaned in closer. Just in case. It seemed TOP SECRET. Or... just a little bit mischievous.

Her heart was hammering away in suspense.

OUT WITH IT AARON, her head was screaming, as her eyes grew bigger.

Hanna felt a bit anxious at the thought of exploring THE Forbidden Forest. She chewed the inside of her mouth and knotted her hands together. "W-well," she said. "I guess the EDGE of the Forest. I don't think we should be going into it." Even though she wasn't a Gryffindor, she wanted to be brave. She wanted to appear much braver than she was right at that moment.

But when it appeared that Aaron KNEW they wouldn't (or shouldn't), she felt herself relax. "Well..." she made up her mind, and nodded. "Yes, we should DEFINITELY do it!"

Although Hanna had stated yes to the question initially, Aaron could still tell she was a bit tense at the thought of their soon-to-be-exploration/adventure of the Forest. In a tone that was meant to reassure the other first year, he said "Don't worry, we'll be fine. We won't go in, or if we do it will be like up to the first tree." Dark and mysterious, but still somewhat hypnotizing eyes loomed at Hanna. "After all, we are only first years so we wouldn't be able to handle going any deeper than that. Maybe if we had like, a huge army of us, but..." They didn't have that, so, it was out of the question.

Tightening the straps on his backpack, Aaron had asked "Are you all set to go then? Or do you still need a few things?" And upon saying that Aaron realized there was one thing that they should grab before heading out...FOOD! The boy was starving, and adventures only made him hungrier! The thought of the feast the other night, on top of that, it felt like Aaron could eat an entire cow right now!

"Before heading out though, let's sneak into the kitchen to grab some food for our trip." Aaron stated with a smile on his face.

Hanna knew she shouldn't worry. Aaron was... well, he WAS her friend now, wasn't he? So, friends didn't LIE. That meant she really didn't need to worry, with helped her relax. "Okay, at MOST... just up to the first tree." What would be so harmful that would lurk within the forest near the entrance? Hanna doubted anything harmful was that close to the entrance. Surely not. She let out a laugh as an image of a first year army approaching the forest popped into her mind. "That would be pretty cool though. I think we'd be able to go RIGHT into the middle of the forest. A big army of us..." but that was wishful thinking. The number of first years they would need to have to face the CREATURES in the forest, because surely some of them were XXXXXXXXXXX rated or something, would be HUGE.

Hanna watched as Aaron tightened his backpack straps and realised she didn't have anything with her. "Oh... well... what do you have in there?" She wasn't thirsty at the moment, but perhaps she would be soon. And maybe she should get a piece of parchment and a quill to write some things down. To remember. "I have my wand!" She pulled it out of her holster and showed him.

But food was a great idea. "Yes! I've heard all about the elves, and how helpful they are too." They would give them lots of food.

Kalen decided that some fresh air was needed and so on his way up from the kitchen, he stopped by the door to the stone bridge and stepped out on it and looked around.

The weather was still lovely, and it really was a good place to look out at the lake, and in his personal opinion a lot safer than the wooden bridge on the grounds. But he of course didn’t say that out loud.

He took a sip of tea from his ever present blue patterned tea cup and then took a bite of chocolate croissant that he had snagged from the kitchen. Ahhh, this was perfect. The light breeze ruffled his dark hair and he brushed it out of his eyes. He had a few more minutes until he needed to be back, and this break was just what he needed. Peace and quiet and tea and chocolate.

Was there anything better?

Okay so....

Farah may have been looking for something that she wasn't... technically supposed to have. And now.... she'd lost it. Or rather... that thing jumped out of her hand and RAN away. But plants don't run. Well...... this one did! Well.. it looked like a plant but Farah wasn't exactly sure what it was. All she knew was she had to find that plant bowtruckle before she got into major trouble.

'Excuuuuse meeeee" She said extra sweetly as she passed an older boy (because she wasn't really paying attention and didn't realize he was a professor) drinking tea. Odd place to drink tea really but who was she to judge? She was currently peering under and over all the places because she could have sworn that darn plant had walked .. or ran this way.

Kalen turned his head as he saw a young Hufflepuff make her way out onto the bridge and began to look around. His head tilted a little as he regarded her actions for a moment, and he took a bite of his croissant as he watched her peer under things..

Though there wasn’t much out here to hide behind, so clearly she wasn’t looking for a person..

“Is everything all right Miss Dubey?” He asked curiously as he swallowed the bite of his pastry. Manners and all, wasn’t polite to speak with ones mouth full, especially when one was a professor.

“Have you lost something?” He asked again as he pushed up off the wall and started looking around as well, though he wasn’t sure what he was looking for, maybe a necklace or some earrings?

Okay you walking plant. This was NOT funny. You were going to get her in MAJOR trouble if you didn't appear RIGHT MEOW! Farah grumbled nervously as she stopped to peer under a bench. Maybe it was hiding. Did plants hide?

Wait...
Someone just called her Miss Dubey. Like... when a professor usually called her name out in class. Not a student... or an older boy. A professor.

Standing up coyly, she gave him a small grin, totally trying to hide that she was going to be in trouble. She just grinned as big as she could to hide whatever her face wasn't shielding. "Me? What? Oh no... just.... out for a walk." She said. Blink. blink.

"It's just... you know..." She cleared her throat and pointed out. "Just so nice out. See/ You're enjoying some tea and a croissant. Which looks mighty tasty! Did you make that in the café?" Diversion. Oh. Good. her eyes shifted to see if she saw a green leafy plant walking around. Wait...

Was that it??

Kalen arched an eyebrow as she seemed to realize who he was and stopped looking around for... whatever it was she was looking around for, which due to her attempt to distract him, was probably something she wasn’t supposed to have.

He sighed inwardly, but decided he would play along, at least for now. “It is a beautiful day for a walk, best get some fresh air in before it gets too cold to do so.” He said with a smile.

“Indeed I am enjoying some tea, I usually have it with me, but the croissant is new.” He explained as he watched her eyes shift and tried to follow her gaze while remaining nonchalant about the whole thing. “No, I didn’t make them, well I made the tea, the croissant came from the kitchen.” He explained as he caught something out of the corner of his eye..

Merlin’s left big toe.. was that a..

Noooo.. was it?

Exactly! The professor knew what she was talking about! "yes! Yes! The fresh air. I mean.. I love the outdoors. It does get way cold here, way fast." Not like America or New Delhi. "But I don't mind the snow. It's a bea-" She stopped short when she saw it.

THE WALKING PLANT!

Farah made a dash to grab it. Only it slipped away. She was on her belly, reaching for something. Obviously the professor knew what was up by now.

.................................


"So that croissant... think I could have a piece of it to lure a walking plant out?" Did walking plants even eat bread? Who knew? She knew that she had to try something. Getting up off her belly, she straightened her clothes before turning to the professor with a bright smile. "So... hi."

“I don’t mind the snow either, I find it very cal..” Kalen trailed off as Farah suddenly stopped and then dove down to the ground and reached for something.. Huh.. so perhaps that he had caught out of the corner of his eyes was indeed what he thought it was..

A bowtruckle.

“Well you can certainly try, I’m not so sure bowtruckles fancy bread though. ” He said as he tore off a piece and moved to crouch down next to her. he handed her the bit of pastry and tried to rack his brain to figure out what they ate. Though at the moment he was coming up blank. This was why he was not the Creatures Professor.

“Maybe they like tea?” He asked almost to himself and then dismissed the notion as absurd. Plants didn’t like tea.. did they?

He pushed back up to his feet as Farah rose and he smiled at her in amusement. “I’m going to assume that bowtruckle is not yours? And that you need help catching it?” He asked as he looked around. “I can help, but we should get the little thing back down to Tristan.” For as far as he knew, they weren’t supposed to leave the barn.

Farah was waiting for the red face, the popping veins, and angry tone from the professor. She almost bowed her head in shame too. ...... But then he was actually trying to help. AND... he wasn't yelling at her. Farah could kiss his cheeks! Were all professors like this? I mean... she didn't encounter them outside of class, one on one basis like this usually. Especially doing something she wasn't supposed to.

"Let's try the croissant first? Maybe?" Of course she had no idea what walking plants ate. Tea?? That didn't sound right though. She got back on her knees, looking around, trying to find that thing.

He still wasn't yelling. Was he about to become her favorite professor ever?? Probably so. Except Myers. That man was brilliant. Plus he handled the play and Farah had to get on his good side. "Yea... It's not mine. I mean... I'd love a walking plant. How awesome are they? This one almost jumped on me. I thought a branch had caught my sleeve at first but nope. This little booger.. THERE HE IS!" Farah said excitedly, cutting off her sentence to grab for the plant.

SHE GOT IT!

Farah cupped her hands, being careful not to harm it. "There you are! I got you! Lets.... get you back." She looked at the professor. "Thank you sir." She said again and bowed her head in gratitude. "I think I owe you a croissant." Maybe the next class she'd bring him one?

Kalen bent down next to Farah as she got back down on her knees to look for the creature. He held out a small piece of croissant to her and looked around as well, trying to see if he could locate the small bowtruckle. “Well lets hope this works.” Last thing he wanted was for Trisket to get upset due to a lost magical living plant.

“It would be awesome to have one, I’ve often thought they were pretty cool. ” He said as he leaned back on his heels for a moment before the young Hufflepuff darted forward and grabbed it!

He rose to his feet and dusted off his pants and shook his head. “No problem at all Miss Dubey, there is a little known rule here in Hogwarts about lost bowtruckles, should one be lost, everyone needs to stop and find it. No getting mad allowed.” He said with a soft chuckle, also this wasn’t his jurisdiction, he would let Tristan handle this, but he didn’t think his friend would come down hard on the girl.

“Yes, lets get this little thing back.” He said with a smile. “And no need really, it went to a good cause. ”