Detention- Trouble when She Walked In (Sorrow)

Subject: Detention- Trouble when She Walked In (Sorrow) Fri Aug 22, 2014 1:33 am

It was the wee hours of the morning. The sky had that rich, darkness to it because the sun hadn't crept over the off in the distant mountains quite yet. It seem so peaceful and quite as Eleanie passed every glass window Hogwart's had to offer, taking the scenic route to the Green Houses, where, of course, she got another detention. What was it? Her twenty fourth detention this year, maybe even her twenty fifth. Who knows. Eleanie had stop keeping count after the sixteenth or so. She was in no hurry to start this one though, seeing as how it is with the dreaded Professor Grace, so she took the many detours as possible to occupy her time.

Every hall she passed, she found something mundane that caught her attention, which wasted a few minutes of her time before moving on. First, it was the cobweb's intricate detail that caught her eye. Next, it was a man snoozing in his picture frame. God, how awful it must be to sleep on a hard, wooden chair day in and day out for eternity, or so Eleanie thought in her restless like state as she moved on. She could not help herself but stop and listen to the suite of armor moan every time it adjusted itself. Things of that nature that normally would not peak her interest, were prominent in the for front of her mind.

Finally on the first floor, she found Peeves, the poltergeist, dipping his feet in paint and walking on the ceiling near the front door of the grounds. Both Eleanie and Peeves had a mutual understanding with each other that they would leave each other alone to go about their vices without hindrance from the other. Eleanie even would go as far to say she admire Peeves for reeking so much havoc at Hogwarts. When she suggested that Peeve should go heckle Professor Grace for her, he laugh, saying, "Wittle Eleanie-wakon is not afraid of an itsy bitsy professor, is she?" He chuckled on more time, threw what was left of the the paint in the air, before zooming off down the hall. The paint, which was yellow, came down with a splat onto the Great Hall doors. Eleanie was the civilian casualty of Peeves paint war, seeing as how some paint got onto her clothes.

She didn't really care, seeing as she wore her short shorts and her grey tee that she sleeps in under her robes. Her hair was frizzy and untamed and she didn't even bother to take a shower before descending from the Gryffindor tower. What was a little paint going to do to ruin her already horrid day to come.

Outside, the sky was lightening up. The stars had pretty much vanish from sight and Eleanie could pretty much see the outline of the Greenhouses from the courtyard steps. The air was fresh and crisp, cool to the touch on her expose skin. A nice breeze wisp through grounds, trying to keep Eleanie from crawling back to bed and go back to sleep. There was no time like the present as she leisurely stroll through the grass towards the greenhouses. She could not help but yawn, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Why the fuck do I have to do detention this early in the morning, she thought to herself, regaining some of her spirit as time wore on.

She stood in front of the greenhouses. Just in the distance was the dark forest, swaying in the breeze. Even from her she could hear the rustling of leaves. It called her name, tempting her to forgo everything and dive deeper into the seductive darkness. She was very tempted, but before she could make her final decision of staying, or going out of nowhere came Professor Grace. "Sorry, I am late, professor." She did not sound at all to apologetic for her being almost an hour late for her detention.

The sky truly was the darkest before the dawn; and a time Sorrow often enjoyed in solitude, absorbing the absolute silence before the first creatures awoke with the sunrise. More often than not he took to work in the greenhouses, just a couple of hours before morning class. He took breakfast as his dinner and retreated to sleep as everyone else moved along to begin their day. Since the beginning of the year, he had expected help tending to the many plants ten times at least; at 5 am sharp, he welcomed Eleanie to the greenhouses.

She had arrived on time the first couple of detentions and then stopped bothering to stick to the schedule. Sorrow did not mind; there was plenty of time before her classes would begin, and if her tardiness meant she should skip breakfast to finish up her work, he expected it was punishment enough. He was sorry, however, that he had to keep distributing detentions at all; and no matter the hour, he always made her go back and eat before class.

Her detentions began with simple chores like cleaning; mopping the floors or scrubbing the dirt where it had no place to be. Quickly these tasks had advanced to weeding, watering and even fertilizing certain plants and mushrooms to better their growth. Sometimes during a detention, Sorrow instructed Eleanie by telling her the names of plants they were working with or guiding her through specific traits of a plant, revealing some of its uses. How much she remembered or if she listened at all he was uncertain, but her Herbology score did seem to improve slightly over the months.

Earlier in winter, and around 6 am in spring, Sorrow took care to give Eleanie some sort of task outside the greenhouses; something routine and dull that she needed not pay much attention to, because around that time the sun would rise and bath her in light of the new day. From the start Sorrow thought Eleanie needed not punishment, but guidance. With the amount of anger she held when he first met her, he expected she should have something else to focus on. With each sunrise he hoped to remind her that, despite all the dark that surrounded her only minutes before, a new day could be born and shine so bright it blinded her.

This morning she was late again, though no more than usual. Sorrow was in greenhouse one, picking nettles to set aside to dry and depositing a bunch of fresh leaves inside a basket that he would later leave in the dungeons for use in potions, along with other fresh or freshly dried plants and herbs that were needed. He noted Eleanie's approach in time to set a pair of secateurs aside, wipe his hands on a clean cloth and make his way outside to welcome the stubborn Gryffindor. “Good morning, Miss Carr,” he said, casting an eye over the dishevelled hair and smudges of yellow paint on her robes. Her appearance was never of concern to him, though each time he took careful note of it. Breakfast or no, her tardiness also depended on how much time she’d have to shower before class. Somehow, Sorrow did not think Eleanie cared for that either. It worried him, for it was not the only sign of depression she occasionally showed.

“No matter,” he said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand and said what he always did in reply. “There is plenty of time before your first class.” He glanced to the sky and found first rays of sunlight casting across. “Fetch two empty baskets for us; they are piled behind greenhouse two. We have work inside the forest today.” He let her remain in sunrise a while longer, turning to take his parasol where he left it in greenhouse one. The sun would not bother him quite yet, but he would need protection from it by the time they were done. He picked up another, smaller basket from his workstation. Exiting the greenhouse once more, he locked the doors behind him.

It had rained three days ago, but the air was still fresh with the scent of wet earth. Early and moist, and warm enough that no frost lingered behind, it was a perfect morning for mushroom gathering. Sorrow waited for Eleanie near an entrance between the trees. He procured a glass jar from his basket and carefully bent several leaves to gather dew into it. Dew and rainwater were oftentimes more precious and made for more potent potions; healing draughts especially.