a swingin' safari ((open))

In a few months, she was going to finally embark on her quest to become an Animagi. Ishara wasn't quite sure what her form would end up being as she wasn't able to form a corporeal patronus, but she knew that it couldn't be anything puny. There was no way she'd be a rat; she didn't desire to be one either after the spike in human-to-rat transfigurations during term. However, she did wonder if the experience of being turned into such a creature by someone else was similar to changing at will. Was there a similar amount of sentience? Or did all human instincts just disappear?

She clutched her ear muffs close to her ears as she neared the Mandrake section of the greenhouses. All she had to do was get a leaf and preserve it, then she'd be good for the summer.

"C'mon, mandrakes, one of you ought to be generous..."

Looking for Professor Cross, Hector entered one of the greenhouses he knew to have housed matured mandrakes, so as a precaution he'd put in some earplugs. He never liked the way headbands sat across his head, so these were a lot more comfortable and practical than the earmuffs.

As he entered, however, he saw Lestrange moving closer to the mandrakes. He supposed she was collecting the root for some reason or another. This was the last greenhouse he had checked, so that meant Professor Cross was either inside of the castle or on some sort of errand. At least if he waited here, he'd be sheltered. And if any other student spoke to him, he could pretend that he couldn't hear them.

He kept quiet and occasionally glanced over at Ishara to check her advancement, picking up a copy of the Daily Prophet lying on a bench.

@Ishara Lestrange

She paced around the selection of mandrakes determining which one would be the best to use. Of course, just about any leaf would do, but she always had to try every option before settling on one. Biting her tongue, Ishara stopped in front of the side of one of the furthest tables and yanked out one of the Mandrakes. That thing began to screech either just as bad or worse than Bellona when she's in a ragey mood. Does Mandrake run on her mum's side?

"Pipe down. I just want a leaf!"

The plant was being held by its leaves and being slightly shaken as she failed to soothe it.

Her braids swung around as she went over to one of the benches, hoping to extract a leaf, only to see Hector.

"Burke boy, how do you always find me?"

It was annoying!

@Hector Burke

"It's a mere coincidence," he assured her flatly, raising his voice slightly over the noise coming from the mandrake.

What was she bloody trying to do, anyway? Annoyed that she was subjecting them to fatal cries by carrying the damned thing around, Hector took out his wand from his robe and demonstrated a freezing charm on it.

"What do you need mandrake root for?" he asked, folding the newspaper in half and placing it back onto the work bench.

@Ishara Lestrange

"A coincidence?" As if she was born yesterday!

She furrowed her eyebrows towards him as she felt the mandrake become still. Well, that did make getting the leaf easier, but was she going to bother doing that to each and every mandrake in the greenhouse? Nope.

"I don't want the root, Burke boy, I want the leaf. I'm going to become an Animagi, and I must find and pick the most comfortable leaf before the end of term."

If she wanted the root, she'd just buy it pre-prepared.

"What are you in here for?"

@Hector Burke

"I see. In that case, I wonder why you bothered taking it out from the pot. Just freeze and use a severing charm, that's what I would have done."

Leaves are at the top, roots are at the bottom. Herbology may not have been his strongest subject, but he failed to see why subjecting them to its screeching was at all warranted.

"I'm sheltering here until Professor Cross returns," he explained shortly, feeling his reasoning wasn't nearly as interesting as hers. "I hope the obvious inconvenience of having it in your mouth is all worth it. How long is it for, again?"

@Ishara Lestrange

"I believe it's more potent and effective to pluck it straight from the source."

Sort of like why lobsters are boiled alive. Doing the freezing and severing method also felt too easy; there were some things in life that just shouldn't be so simple.

She set the mandrake down and began to pull hard at one of the leaves until it tore off, albeit rather roughly.

"One month."

Ishara raised an eyebrow at him. "Why do you need to see Professor Cross? Eye candy?"

@Hector Burke

"Hmm... even if the severing charm is very precise?"

He smiled, hinting of his own ability to do very precise severing charms. The cut was always as though a straight-edge rule was used at a microscopic level. But it wasn't really his intention to boast to her, he accepted that her ideas came from better sources, if becoming an animagus was one of her goals.

"My, how burdensome. However should you hope to eat properly?"

He smiled slightly at her.

"I am unsure where you have gained this perception of me. I don't operate on those levels of indecency."

@Ishara Lestrange

She nodded; precision wasn't important as long as 1. it worked and 2. it sat in her mouth comfortably for the entire month. Ishara examined the leaf allowing her finger to tread lightly along the jagged edge; this one was already far too sharp. She discarded it before putting the mandrake back into pots pot and grabbing another one.

"I plan on foraging like our ancestors. How can I better understand creatures and animals if I don't know how to find food like one?"

Basically, she was going to live on the outer woodsy edge of the Lestrange estate. Ishara needed to have her relatives be able to find her in case something went awry.

"If you must know, Burke boy, it's because most of our men are sleazy. Being from one of the most traditional families doesn't mean you're not sleazy."

Maybe Bellona was right that she liked him a little, but she had no desire to be looked at through an exotic lens when she's lived in Britain her entire life. She didn't desire a more traditional relationship in general really. Why would she when her parents have displayed such a good example of not following the norms?

@Hector Burke

"Better you than I. I'm rather fond of tableware."

He always knew they had their differences.

All the same, he had been enchanted by her beautifully rich, sepia skin and long, braided hair: how the weight of it caused it to sweep, like pretty ropes, over and back over her shoulders. It seemed as though it would be arduous to maintain, but he appreciated the effort that went into it.

"Are you going to let me defend my corner or have you already made up your mind about that?" he asked, his lip curling at one side.

@Ishara Lestrange

"I know, Burke boy. I reckon you have your own monogrammed handkerchief that you never dare use during each meal in a single day."

He just seemed to be that sort of type; the Burkes were always all about their decorum and keeping up appearance. It perplexed her as many families in their community have calmed down on such practices with the years.

Looking at the mandrake, Ishara forced herself to immobilize the mandrake and pluck out two of its leaves. "If your defending is the same stuff I've heard, keep it to yourself."

"Unless you have something new to share which would shock me."

It was hilarious to see him get rejected by Miss Princess.

@Hector Burke

Well, of course, as handkerchiefs were used for discreetly and politely discarding mucus and napkins were used at the table. In his case, certainly cotton napkins should be used, held in a ring, at the center of a clean plate. He didn't feel much like correcting her, though.

"Ishara we are British, we should never encourage shock value."

He was sure that gasps were more prevalent over American dining tables.

"If the feeling of attraction was considered sleazy, then the gentleman of the past wouldn't have been able to marry to their choosing. I have been taught to be respectful towards women, so the adverse behavior is beyond me."

@Ishara Lestrange

"So, tell me, what are those respectful behaviors?"

Ishara stuck one of the leaves on the inside of her cheek before promptly spitting it out.

"As I don't think it involves stringing along multiple girls when you wanted to court Blondie!"

@Hector Burke

"I'm surprised you are so passionate about something that doesn't remotely concern you, and I do not believe for a second that you hold either of their feelings in high regard: considering the way you interfered yesterday. I expected being in such a large and diverse family, you could be more adept with socialisation and social cues. I was already explaining to her the exact matter of the situation: you were the one who made everything a lot harder to swallow. "

He wasn't prepared to be taught decency by her.

@Ishara Lestrange

"Then why make her and Blondie think you only had eyes on them, Burke boy? Your brother has less training than you, and he knows better than to play my sister like that!"

She placed her hands on her hips assertively.

"Lot harder to swallow? Puh-leaze. Miss Princess was being misled. I was helping a sister out!"

@Hector Burke

"Sounded like excuses to me, Burke boy."

Granted, she wasn't totally focused as she was whispering with her sisters and was in a mood to piss him off.

Ishara turned away from him and focused on the mandrakes instead; it made her blood pressure less likely to go up.

"Let's rewind a little, Burke boy. why did you need to see Professor Cross? I never got your answer to that."

@Hector Burke

"And yet you neglected to take into account what I said, and again when I repeated it."

He didn't answer her about Professor Cross. She was just parking her nose into where it didn't belong, he thought.

"I think it's probably about time that you referred to me as Hector. Or Burke, if you prefer. Not Burke boy."

@Ishara Lestrange

"Then prove to me that you ain't a boy, but a man. Once you can do that, it'll be Burke. Do you comprehend that?"

She pulled out another mandrake that made a piercing wail.

Noticing that it was coated in acne, Ishara set it back into the pot.

@Hector Burke

"Because you haven't proved you deserve one."

Instead of taking one of the mandrakes out of the pot, Ishara opted to yank off the leaves while they're in the pot. Maybe the soil would muffle their cries some.

"What's in it for me if I let you have one?"

@Hector Burke

"Anything?"

Smirking, she turned back to him. She might as well make use of his presence...

"Help me select a leaf from every single mandrake in here."

@Hector Burke

"That's it?"

He was fairly surprised, and a little disappointed.

"Very well."

He took out his wand to cast the severing charm, stepping forwards.

@Ishara Lestrange

"It would take forever if I did it by myself."

Ishara continued to pluck leaves off of the mandrakes that Hector wasn't getting to until there was a whole pile of them on the floor. She took his seat on the bench as she grabbed the first leaf off from the pile.

"With a catch: you must tell me what it's like to hold a leaf in your mouth for an entire month..."

@Hector Burke