Penny had found the first day of classes to be just as she had remembered: Stressful. So very, very stressful! So after having slipped Benji a note to meet her at the Butterfly Garden she had rushed to her dorm and got changed into some more comfortable clothes and headed out there. She had wanted to have a picnic, but in her haste... she had forgotten all food and drinks. But she had brought a blanket to set on the ground for them to sit on.

What a loser.

Spreading out said sad blanket she plopped down and started truly taking in her surroundings. THIS WAS AWESOME! Watching the butterflies flit about was probably the most relaxing thing that had happened to her in... quite sometime. How sad was that. A small smile touched the Hufflepuffs lips as she tilted her head up toward the sky, eyes following a particularly beautiful butterfly. It was amazing to her that they could all survive here like this. Not that she was an expert on butterflies or anything, but maybe this was going to be cause for her to do some research.

And she was sure that this place was her new favorite. Second favorite, actually. Second only to the Hufflepuff garden. THAT was her place.

Now where was Benji?

It had been a loooooong first day of classes, that much was for sure. It had been made a little easier with Penny's note, though -- he had something to look forward to when it was over! And he actually hadn't been to the Butterfly Garden before. Should be cool. Butterflies were... You know. Pretty bugs. Which could be interesting, he guessed. Okay, he didn't care about the butterflies. He would have met Penny anywhere. He would have gone to the bottom of the Great Lake if that's where she wanted to meet him. The location didn't matter. It was all about the company. And Penny was his absolute favorite company in the world.

After his last class, he ran up to his dorm, and thanking Merlin that they were allowed to change out of robes once more, threw on some jeans and a hoodie before beginning to make his way down to the Butterfly Garden to meet his girlfriend. Nearing the ground floor of the castle, he suddenly remembered another rule that didn't exist anymore: FOOD!! They could have it outside the Great Hall again! A grin broke out across his face with the reminder of freedom, and he made a quick pit stop in the kitchen for some snacks before heading out. The house elves hooked him up with some fruit and, of course, cookies, which he carried awkwardly in a napkin. He made his way out to the grounds, trying to hold the napkin closed and not spill anything while simultaneously trying to hurry. It was safe to say that he was pretty eager for this meeting.

"Hey!" he called upon seeing Penny sitting on a cozy blanket. He sped up his pace, half-jogging to meet her. "Perfect, you've got the blanket, I've got the snacks." He flopped down beside her and opened the napkin carefully, trying not to let crumbs fly everywhere from the freshly-baked cookies. "I didn't bring anything to drink, though... Probably should have thought of that." He shrugged, a smile passing across his face, before draping his left arm over Penny's shoulders and, ignoring the fruit, picking up a cookie and devouring it rapidly. "Want one?" he mumbled through a mouthful of chocolatey goodness.

She had been tracking a particularly beautiful butterfly when Benji's voice cut through her reverie like a knife. Or something less... obnoxious than that, really. Something pleasant and very much welcomed. Shifting slightly so as to be able to look up at him, Penny offered a megawatt smile before giggling softly.

As soon as he settled in beside her she felt all of the tension melt away. He was magical that way. "I meant to bring a picnic, but... ye..." She trailed off, a giggle following. "Are those chocolate?" she asked, her eyes going to the fruit instead. Yes. Fruit was better. Plucking up the apple seemed a better option.

"How were ye classes?" she asked before biting into the delicious granny smith apple. Her favorite!

Kaira was immersed in her book. It was a fascinating muggle novel. So fascinating that she walked through the butterfly garden without taking her eyes off the book. And that's just when..

'OH MERLIN!!!!,' she had stepped on a fruit! And there were a boy and a girl there,who looked like a couple to her. They were camping and having some alone time, what had she done?!? 'I'm so sorry..I didn't see..my bad..,' she stuttered to the pair of them, clearly embarassed.

Benji smiled as Penny picked up an apple and bit into it. He was glad she was pleased — and that they’d apparently been on the same page about food. He was glad she was enjoying the Granny Smith Apple, but... Another cookie for him, of course. Swallowing hastily, he answered her question, ”Long. Not bad. But it’s always hard getting back into routine after the summer...” He quickly kissed her cheek. ”Especially when your summer was as good as mine was, you know.”

He was just getting ready to say something else mushy when there was suddenly a mushiness of a different sort — a squashed banana and a small girl appeared seemingly out of nowhere, holding a book.

”Uh...” Benji looked up, his brain unable to process what had just happened for a few moments. Shaking his head a bit to recover his thoughts, he quickly realized he was staring at the poor girl and continued, ”It’s alright. Just... Maybe look up while you’re walking, yeah?” His tone was gentle — he didn’t want to freak her out. ”I’ve only got this cloth napkin, the house elves might not like if you use that, but... You could... I don’t know... Wipe your foot off in the grass, I guess?”

Oh boy, she had interrupted what clearly was a date. And the guy was STARING at her.
'I'm so so sorry..it's okay..I've got this..,' she said and cleaned her shoes with 'Scourgify'.

She looked guiltily at the couple. 'I'm sorry..will you take these?,' she said, offering them two double chocolate chip cookies that she was carrying around in her pocket. They were from her ma's 'care package' that she had packed for her. She used to do that every year for her elder sister Laila, and now the tradition continued with her.

Just as Penny was about to turn her face and have a proper kiss a small Ravenclaw appeared and stepped directly on the banana she had silently claimed as her own. She didn't like chocolate so the fruit was hers... and this child had just mushed it. How rude.

But just as Penny's mouth opened to speak Benji beat her to it. And he was being gentle and kind. Not that she wasn't those things, just sometimes she didn't know how to act in social situations...

But she could always follow someone else's lead. "S'alright, yeah. Happens, dunnit?" she added, her eyes softening just a tad as she realized the kid was likely a first year. How stressful was THAT?! Penny Lane Goodman knew just how horrible that was. And she commiserated silently with the girl.

"M'Penny, wha's yer name?" Might as well introduce themselves, right? Benji should do the same... and then she started talking again. Clearly stressing about what had happened. It made Penny smile just a tad. It was cute. But then she offered chocolate... more chocolate. "Thanks, but I don't fancy chocolate. Mebbe Benji wants it. though..."

'Oh I also have candied fruit cookies.,' she said, searching her pockets for one. She found one. 'There...,' she said, grinning from ear to ear and that's when it dawned on her how stupid she looked to them. She looked like some kind of a sales representative selling cookies.

She blushed a little.'Sorry to come across as a cookie monster..my ma sent me lots of cookies..so yeah,' she said, embarrassed. Penny was a nice name. Name of a character in a very old TV show her dad loved.

'Hi Penny.. I'm Kaira..first year..,' offering her one of her lopsided smiles.

Benji looked over at Penny quickly. ”Oh yeah! The chocolate thing... I forgot about that...” What a BAD BOYFRIEND he was!! He hadn’t even checked what the house elves had given him. Or even thought about it. What a jerk!!!! He hoped she would forgive him. At least there was fruit...?

”I’m never weirded out by someone offering cookies,” he shrugged with a grin, taking the cookie that Penny hadn’t wanted. ”I’m Benji. Nice to meet you, Kaira. Want to join us? There’s plenty of room.”

Kaira smiled. He was nice. The girl seemed distant but nice as well.
'Oh well..,' she said, awkwardly. She had crashed a DATE! Of course, he was being polite. She found it gracious to decline the offer. 'Oh..umm.. it's okay..I'd rather not disturb you two..,' she said.

She didn't know how she'd ended up in the small garden, but her mind had been on other things. See, she was hurrying along in search of her rock and stick so she'd get back to class before they moved along and that didn't leave her too much time to take in her surroundings. Luckily, it seemed this spot had one of the things she'd been looking for.

Right by one of the wooden benches, there were little rocks here and there. She couldn't be sure if they'd been placed there on purpose or kicked up as kids came upon this place, but one of the flat ones was being claimed for class.

The sixth year tucked it safely in her pocket and then continued on. She needed to find a stick next.

Eamon needed to breathe. To relax. Why was everything stressing him out so much lately? Maybe it was some sort of seventh year slump where everything just liked to come raining down to remind you that you were about to be an adult and quite frankly, more on your own that you ever have been. Well... technically, he was considered an adult now. An of age wizard and that. But his birthday was in summer. So he was only just starting to feel that, to feel his age, months later.

So after a much needed jog he found himself sat down at a bench in the butterfly garden, watching the tinier world function as the cool air blew across his hair, gently tousling it. Relaxed and trying hard to stay that way, his still figure was touched by a butterfly landing on his knee.

He held his breath, afraid to move or scare it away.

As much as Harri tried to explore the entirety of the school castle and grounds, she still found herself surprised every single time she would come across a place she had never been to before. Today, she ended up following a bright orange butterfly after she got bored reading 'Hogwarts, A History'. It flapped its wings right in her face as if to say 'Harri, come, let's play!' so of course the first year Gryffindor jumped to her feet and traipsed after it, absently scratching at an itch on her arm.

....until it landed on...a knee?

She knew that knee! Or at least the person who said knee belonged to. "EAMOOON!" She all but exclaimed, skipping on the last few steps before throwing herself at the older student for a big big hug. "Hi! It's me Harri!" He remembered her, right?

Studying the small creature, he had been too preoccupied to see the arrival of the smaller student. But luckily, she announced her presence, and moved fast, jarring him from his little trance as the butterfly flittered away.

Bye little buddy.

But then arms were around him and there was yelling in his ear, a smile spreading across his face as his eyes found her. "Hi, Harri." His arms instinctively went around her too in a good tight hug. "You scared the butterfly away, you know."

AAHHHHH.

He remembered her! Because he was hugging her back. Yay! It made her a happy Harri. And it was a tight hug too. Kind of like Owen's, her brother's hugs. She liked them a lot.

Oh, but what? She scared the butterfly away? Oh no. Brushing her messy hair away from her face, she extricated herself from the older student. "I did? ...I did. I'm sorry, Eamon." Looking around, she grinned back at him though. "But look, there are lotsa other butterflies around!" They were at the butterfly garden after all.

Also, "I'm a Gryffindor!" In case the robes she wore didn't show it enough. Rawr.

”Oh,” Benji said, a bit surprised. ”Okay, no problem.” He shrugged, trying to act casual, but inside wondering if he had done something wrong to make the younger girl say no. Had he seemed like the offer wasn’t sincere? Or like she was a nuisance? Had he hurt her feelings?! Ahhhhhh he did not understand girls, that much was for sure. What did she want????!!!!!

And Penny was being awfully quiet, too. Yep, he had definitely upset her with the chocolate thing. How could he have forgotten that? It was official. Girls were confusing and also he was a JERK who was probably about to get dumped. And then laughed at by a first-year. Merlin.

With all of the crazy going on around him, it helped his heart to see Harri so young and happy and bright. Where had his own happy gone? With his mother, perhaps.

Watching her move her hair away and grin at him, his smile staying firmly in place, he waved his hand. "Nahhh, don't worry. It's not like it was going to stay there forever. And you're right, another could come hangout too." Because there were like a billion of them. Well not actually but.... definitely a lot. "Do you have a favorite one?"

"A Gryffindor? Was that what your brother was?" The one she couldn't find. He remembered! "Was that what you wanted to be?"

The school year was nearly halfway over, and Torii still hadn't managed to find a steady group of friends. Everyone had been really nice to her, but she found herself hanging out alone more often than not. She was still hoping that by some miracle, she could move back to Ilvermorny. The odds of that happening, though, were zero in a billion.

In that words, she was graduating from Hogwarts.

In the back of her mind, she was slowly starting to like it here. She'd grown really fond of Slytherin house and had found a true home there. Hogwarts was...growing on her. She suddenly paused, realizing she'd been lost in her thoughts and had wandered up on a place she'd only heard about but never visited.

Whoa. This place was actually...really beautiful.

The butterfly garden was one of the most beautiful places at Hogwarts, even in the winter. The butterflies weren't active in the cold, but there were wings to scavenge. That sounded a little dire... the butterflies that had perished during the year often lost wings that could be picked up later. They were beautiful, and Chloe wanted to find some for a project she was working on.

And she wasn't alone. Who else would be crazy enough to hang in the garden in winter? Hi, friend. "Torii, right? How are you?"

A favorite one? A favorite butterfly? Well, gee. That was a HARD one. "Uhm..." Very hard that she started to scrunch up her face in deep concentration as she looked around. There were TOO many butterflies around and for the life of her, this first year Gryffindor couldn't choose. A thought that she had to voice out to the older boy. "Uhm, I can't choose. There are so many pretty ones!" She said, back to grinning now and skipping to where a group of the winged creatures were gathered and twiiiiiiiirled.

Butterfly twirl! "Do you???" Have a favorite one? She asked him in return.

Before she could answer his next question though, Harri stopped moving because from all her twirling glory, a butterfly with brownish-purple wings had settled on her elbow. She suddenly had the urge to scratch there. Eeee! "Sorry, Eamon. What was your question?" She got a tad bit distracted, you see.

April 26 was the last of the three days scheduled for the astronomy assignment, and Tina had nearly forgotten about it! She'd spent most of the day in the library studying for her upcoming OWLs and completely lost track of time. It was nearly dinner time when she remembered she still had to do her assignment. Crud! She was going to get such a bad grade if she didn't finish this on time!

After a quick trip to her dorm to grab her sundial, Tina wondered the grounds, searching for a place to work that wasn't too loud or crowded. If she was going to get this done before curfew, she couldn't afford any distractions! She eventually came to the butterfly garden, smiling slightly as she watched the butterflies flutter from flower to flower. This seemed like a nice, peaceful place to do the final part of her assignment... and maybe unwind a bit while she was here! She set her sundial on the ground, taking extra care not to disturb the flowers or the butterflies, and consulted her compass. Once she'd turned her sundial so that the pin pointed north, she was ready to go.

Tina studied the position of the shadow; it was oddly-shaped and spanned across several hour marks. Uh... that couldn't be right! When she looked again, she saw a butterfly perched atop her sundial. She laughed to herself. Well, that explained the weird shadow! She waited until the butterfly flew away and tried again. This time the shadow was exactly on the 6 o'clock mark. That was easy! Tina recorded the time in her notes, then adjusted for a more exact time according to her calculations. When she finished that, she checked her watch for comparison; she was only one minute off. Wow, that was her most accurate reading yet! She smiled to herself as she finished her notes, then took a few minutes to sit back and enjoy the scenery before going back inside.

Text Cut: Tina's observations

Saturday, 26 April 2098
Location: Butterfly garden

Center longitude of timezone (GMT): 0
Current location longitude: approx. 3.13 W
3.13 x 4 = 12.52 (rounds up to 13 minutes behind actual time)

Time as displayed on sundial: 6: 00 PM
Time adjusted for accuracy: 6:00 + 13 = 6:13 PM
Time as displayed on watch (for comparison): 6:14 PM

Notes
Today was another clear, sunny day for sundial reading. My first attempt at reading was interrupted by a butterfly landing on my sundial, but my second was successful. The time according to the sundial was 6:00 PM, 6:13 PM when adjusted for distance between this location to the center longitude of the timezone and time it takes the sun to travel 1 degree of longitude. When compared to the time shown on my watch, it was only one minute off. This was my most accurate reading yet!