Eden would not be breaking school rules today. Erm, technically, at least. She would not be putting more than one toe into the very much FORBIDDEN Forest, even though she had recently matured into teenagerhood and could likely handle her own just fine.

As the school year had wore on into November, Eden had distanced herself more and more. Interacting with her peers was more difficult than it had been last term, or even over the summer. The smallest things grated incessantly at her nerves - exchanging pleasantries, spilt pumpkin juice, somebody sitting on her freshly made bed. She'd sent a lot of letters home to Elijah, at least. It was a luxury she wouldn't soon take for granted after how pear-shaped first year had went.

She'd filled the long hours of solitude in a variety of ways, but none so enjoyable as potions. A while back, when she'd still been living as a muggle, a therapist had encouraged Eden to take up "flow" activities. Potions was exactly that.

Her favorite "flow" activity also spoke to the reason she was approaching The Official Hogwarts No-No Zone at 8am on a Sunday. There was a healthy patch of silverweed about five yards from the forest's loosely defined edge. So she wouldn't have to actually enter it at all, see. Eden's eyes looked around for any onlookers. Hopefully she could get this done quickly. Maybe look around for anything else useful.

8 AM was not the usual time for Quinn to be out and about. Today, however, after a long night of doing work and not sleeping, he was up bright and early. He stumbled out of the boy's dorm to get some food in his system that would hopefully wake him up for the day, but on his way out he saw Eden leaving the common room. Eden had been acting pretty strange since the start of the term, but so had he, to be fair, so he didn't question it too much. That didn't stop his curiosity from being piqued when he saw his friend shiftily sneaking out so early this morning, and he followed behind her so as not to be seen.

When she finally came to this patch of silverweed, he was a little confused. He had noticed she was taking up Potions recently, and he was glad she found something she enjoyed, but.... couldn't she get ingredients from the Potions room? And why was she acting so shady about it? He made his way over to Eden, still rubbing sleep from his heavily-bagged eyes. "Why are you out picking silverweed so early?" he asked, yawning.

"Quinn," Eden spoke in an even yet clearly irritated tone, eyes narrowing at her friend. She sighed - of COURSE today she would be followed, and of course it would be Quinn who she really couldn't be angry with, of course of course OF COURSE. "I read in a book that potions ingredients are of higher quality when freshly harvested by the potioneer. Now, why are you here?"

Seems like she'd mistakenly thought they were minding their own business this term. Or at least pretending, as was her case.

Eden finished with her task, poking several glass jars back into her trusty bigger-on-the-inside fanny pack. She wanted Quinn to go away so she could explore a little, but she was not very optimistic about that actually happening.

Quinn narrowed his eyes a bit. "Well... you easily could've picked them later, but you choose now, while no one else would be up to see you? I know you, Eden, and that's not a coincidence." Your bluntness wouldn't scare him off. He might not look it, but he wasn't one to be intimidated by friends. "I'm here because I want to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Because that's usually what happens whenever you're being shady." He crossed his arms stubbornly. "So. What else were you planning on doing this morning?"

Truthfully, Eden had been up for quite some time, as was the norm for her. She liked the peace and quiet of early mornings. She also liked a lot of time do her own self-care uninterrupted - looking put together was a must. Quinn was perfectly aware of this, so why did he think she was being shady?

It was almost as if she'd developed some kind of reputation for being slippery.

"I feel like following someone all the way across the grounds is actually what's shady, so," Eden shrugged. "Maybe I didn't want anybody thinking I'm about to go on a suicide mission into the forest when I just would like some higher quality potions ingredients." Eden gave a little pout frown. "I'm hurt you think so little of me." That was a lie, of course, and quite a transparent one at that.

Quinn scoffed and shook his head. "Oh, yeah, how shocking that I think you would go off and do something stupid and reckless. Sounds nothing like you at all, does it?" he asked sarcastically, shaking his head. "Is that what you were planning on doing? Slinking off into the Forbidden Forest? Wanted to see some acromantulas? Need their venom for a potion?" Honestly, Quinn didn't think Eden would be that reckless. Unless she thought she had a plan... but Quinn would be here to make sure she didn't get herself killed. He felt like putting the kibosh on Eden's half-baked ideas was somewhat of his job at this point. If only he could get paid for it...

Okay, now that was actually kind of offensive, Quinn. Acromantulas? Really? That sounded like a day filled with dirt and screaming professors. Plus, why would she go looking for acromantulas after collecting other ingredients? What if they were damaged in the running-for-her-life bit? "Did you hit your head on the way down here, Kingsley?" Eden squinted at him. "How many instances of collecting venom from a live, five-x-classified, people-eating spider have you heard of? It's in the claws!" Claws wasn't the right word, but it would have to do.

"I'm just looking around. Not even going in." Definitely not dragging Quinn in. Morgana knew he was being annoying following her like this, but she didn't want another incident that resulted in months without him.

Quinn giggled at how angry she got. "Jeez, of course I don't think you're that daft, calm down. But d'you mean their fangs, Eden?" He giggled even more. "But, still, if anyone were to try and get acromantula venom..." he trailed off, letting Eden fill the rest in herself.

Now it was his turn to narrow his eyes at her. "Hmph. Well, I'm gonna stick around and make sure you don't get snatched up by a boggart or something." And to make sure she actually didn't go in. He felt like that part could've been a little fib. He sat down on the grass a bit away from the edge of the forest. "Hope you don't mind."

Eden resisted the urge to tug at her braids in frustration. "No, not fangs, the little, yknow," she made pinching motions with her hands. "Agh."

Was he really just going to sit there with his back to the forest like that? What if she needed to walk around and couldn't watch out for something coming from behind him? "You're impossible. Whatever. Did you at least bring snacks?"
Probably the most common question to come out of her mouth.

"Pincers? The pincers," Quinn finished half-questioningly. Those were different from the actual teeth, right? Did they actually have the venom in there? Quinn wasn't sure on that one, actually.

Quinn sighed as he parked himself on the ground. "Eden. It's eight in the morning. Neither of us have been to the dining hall. Why would I have snacks?" Her question seemed like a non-question because there was no reason for him to have snacks. Quinn almost never had snacks and yet Eden still managed to ask him very often. Where would he even keep his snacks? There wasn't very much space in these pockets.

"YES," Eden sighed in relief. "The pincers. Yes."

And now it was her time to give Quinn A Look, because what a silly, ridiculous, dumb, backwards, unnecessary question. Instead of giving an initial verbal answer, the girl unzipped her fanny pack and pulled out a tupperware of roast chicken and bread rolls from the night before. She'd affixed a handy dandy freezing charm on it and defrosted it this morning in her dorm. She gave it a little shake in Quinn's direction. "Bet you'll be asking to share."

Quinn watched as Eden pulled out the fanny pack roast chicken and made a face. "Um... no. I'm quite alright, thanks. I don't think chicken that's been sitting in your fanny pack will be much good. But if you wanna eat it..." he trailed off, waving his hand dismissively. He would just sit right here and wait until Eden made a dash for the forest or got sick from the poultry that sat in her bag. "Why did you ask me if I had snacks if you had that with you anyway?"

Eden shrugged and made a mini sandwich from the perfectly fine chicken in her fanny pack and a delicious perfectly fine roll. She then took a large bite of said sandwich and walked away from Quinn and closer to the border of the forest, looking around for anything interesting.

Gross, were those slugs? Eden sniffed and her eyes lit up at the familiar petrol stench she recognized from the Herbology greenhouses. She walked closer for further inspection.

"Bubotubers!" The second year whispered gleefully to herself, stuffing the rest of the sandwich into her mouth in order to free up her hands. She quickly pulled her gloves on before turning around to look for Quinn. He was a plant nerd and would like this, right?