#3 Taking the Slopes | Open

Rubes stepped out onto the lawn. There seemed to be a few more students around, so she assumed all the day's classes may have finished. As she wandered quietly along the large cultivated area of grass, she spied Genevieve talking to one of the older students, a boy that Rubes hadn't yet been introduced to. 

Approaching them, Ruby noticed the emblem on the boy's robes. He was a Hufflepuff, probably fourth or fifth year, and he appeared to be on the hunt for something in the grass.

"Hi there! What's up?"

 To Genevieve, the boy was rather tall, with this air of rugged handsomeness about him. Not that she would be about to blurt out to anyone that this fifth year was attractive. Such a thing whether said to him directly or not would be all round the school before she had time to blink. Gossip had a wonderful way of traveling fast. The young redhead noticed that he seemed someone caught off guard and uncertain of her offer of assistance, yet he did in the end agree that she could help him.


"Sure sounds great." Gen replied offering him a smile, potions was one of her better classes so it could not hurt to find the ingredients for another's potions work. Besides the fifth year had something about him which captivated the small third year.
"Two sets of eyes are better than one." Genevieve pointed out between the two of them it should be easier to find the desired ingredients, once she knew what they were of course. "What are you looking for?" She inquired, there would be no point in trying to help if she did not know that. Though even if she did not, she would be in a weird way hanging out with him as he looked for his ingreidents. So there was always that at the very least, though she may have preferred a more helpful option. 

Genevieve recognised the voice of Rubes the moment she spoke and much to her surprise, felt a flicker of what... Jealous? Annoyance? She pushed it aside, Rubes was her friend and there was no logical or understandable reason to feel defensive over talking with Quinn. Okay, she admitted to herself, maybe she had the beginnings of a crush on him, it might explain the flicker of jealousy twisting in her gut. She told herself there was nothing to feel jealous over, besides, this was the first time they had properly spoken. They were hardly going to be at the stage of declaring their eternal love for each other. Genevieve felt her cheeks warm slightly. "Hey Rubes, not much, you?" She replied, offering her friend a small slughtly nervous smile. 

"Oh... I was... Well it sound silly but I was enjoying the fresh air and wishing it was the Quidditch try outs already." The petite redhead felt her cheeks redden at this, she had no idea why she felt embarrassed, she hated how her cheeks warmed at it. 
 

It seemed the brittlebush continued to elude Quinn, as there weren't any around that had what he needed for an ingredient. There was an abundance of fluxygrass growing nearby, though not all of them at the right stage of growth for ingredients. If he wanted to pick some, he'd have to keep looking to find some healthier and darker ones than what he had on offer so far.

While he searched, and the students chatted, the clouds overhead shifted to briefly block the sun. It had been cloudy all afternoon, but there was a notable increase in the amount of clouds. The wind picked up a bit, decreasing the temperature and making leaves or grass sway.

The younger girl seemed to watch him carefully, studying Quinn with an open and earnest expression even as she smiled back at him, eager to respond in the affirmative to his stumbled and awkward attempt to answer her question. He nodded as she added that two sets of eyes were better than one, quick to concede to the point she was trying to make. "That's certainly true..." He murmured, verbally conceding to her point as he relaxed, silently relieved she seemed to not notice, or more likely, ignored his verbal awkwardness and stumbling.

As odd as it sounded, Quinn actually usually liked the younger years better just for that reason: they were more forgiving often, and kinder. Not always of course, lord knew he had dealt with some that made the nastiest 7th year slytherin look like a schoolyard bully, and had to deal with them when he was in their year, but often times they were more... innocent? Optimistic? He wasn't really sure what it was, but they seemed to retain a bit more of awe for magic, a bit more faith in kindness in relationships, and open-minded to new ideas, things, and people.

She asked what he was looking for, and Quinn shifted his hands, the one still free and clean reaching towards his robes even as he tucked the other one in closer to himself, his free hand hovering over the pocket with Snape's scroll. "Ah! Well, anything really, but fluxygrass and brittlebrush are what grow more commonly here. Do you know what both look like? I can show you if not, or describe them, both are pretty distinct once you know what you are looking for." Confident now, the distraction of talking about ingredients rather then himself seeming to take Quinn's mind off his anxiety, he cast his glance aside, already mentally picturing both plants again to make sure the image was clear in his mind to describe.

Potions was a class all years had, but Quinn wondered how far along the other years were now in any case... he couldn't remember what he had been doing in his third and fourth years, though he was sure he still had the notebooks from those classes somewhere. Ah, well, he wasn't looking for anything too complicated, and even if she hadn't used them before, neither was tricky to handle or hard to notice really, it should be fine...

The red-headed girl seemed to recognize the other, younger, girl almost immediately, greeting her with a small smile and an immediate name, though if Quinn had to guess, it was a nickname rather then the other girl's actual name. Rubes... Ruby perhaps? The older girl's enthusiasm and easy words seemed to falter slightly answering the question though, seeming to hesitate as she found her words before she managed to pick a response, claiming to be enjoying the air and wishing on Quidditch try outs.

Quinn blinked, slightly surprised, but curious at that, brows furrowing in question, though he was as well-meaning and warm as he could manage to be as he investigated into it further. "Ah, the Quidditch try-outs? Gryffindor is going to be one of the first competing teams, aren't they? Are you hoping for someone to get in, or are you trying out yourself?" It was an infamous sport, and one nearly the whole school involved themselves in. He had never been certain how he felt about it, though he was happy to support his house and all the athletes in general and watch. It seemed a bit... fast-paced for him when all was said and done.

Then again, if Quinn had heard right, a few of the other Huffles might be trying to get him more involved in it then he wanted to. Apparently, his own house was a little short on members, and lacking a captain as well with the recent step-down of the previous one. At least they had plenty of time, theirs was the second game, which meant months yet to come, and plenty of opportunity for others to take the positions needed.

Hopefully.

Rubes responded, her gaze seeming to shift to Quinn a moment, seeming to note his awkwardness where the red-head hadn't made any reaction to it. He grimaced slightly, chagrined and embarrassed, his smile turning wry. Having explained what drew her out here, she directed the conversation back towards Quinn as well, though stepping into familiar grounds as she began with an introduction, confirming for him that her name was Ruby, and her nickname was Rubes, as well as providing her last name and prompting him for his.

Nodding, Quinn acknowledged her and was quick to supply his own, managing to right his crooked and self-deprecating smile to one more warm and gentle. "A pleasure to meet you Ruby. My name is Quinn Reed..." There was no real nickname for his name he considered, after a moment, his voice drifting off as he considered what else she could call him a moment. Ah.. well, Quinn was plenty enough he supposed.

Ruby was also rather quick to provide herself as assistance to his search if he needed it, and Quinn chuckled a little, surprised and self-conscious at having so many friendly and eager younger years spring from nowhere. It was a pleasant surprise, to be sure, but not what he had expected of the afternoon by any means. "Well... ah, you certainly don't have to help me, but you are also welcome to join me if you want to? I'm not particular either way, it's uhm... not necessarily anything I can't do alone, but company won't hurt it any."

After all, it wasn't exactly like Quinn had managed to notice anything yet, though he hadn't been looking all that long. The thought seemed to prompt him to glance around again, there was no brittlebush around still, the plant seemingly determined to elude him, but azure eyes noticed a patch of fern-like grass. Ah... that was probably fluxygrass. Well, he would have to see if any of it was worth picking in a moment when it wouldn't be rude of him to duck down and investigate.

The vibrant green of the grassy slope darkening a bit distracted Quinn anyways, his eyes turning up to note the clouds moving over the sun, a breeze kicking up to rustle through the grass and tug at his sleeves. Hm. It was definitely starting to show it was late fall at least. Still, the sun wasn't setting yet, and he had some afternoon to go by, he would just have to keep closer watch of the time if the sun remained covered by the clouds.

Glancing back at the two younger class girls, Quinn's gaze flickered to Ruby, attracted by the movement of her hands as she seemed to wrap herself tighter up, chilled by the breeze he would imagine. A slight frown crossed his lips as he stepped slightly closer. "Are you sure you want to though? You seem cold, I imagine it's warmer inside... I don't know where these clouds are coming from, but knowing the weather, they might stay here. I uhm, wouldn't mind grabbing something from the dorms if you don't have anything warmer as well... I think my robes would be a little too awkward in size difference to be worth borrowing"

Well... maybe not, but studying her a moment, Quinn decided they would certainly be quite large on the much younger Hufflepuff. Damn... if only he had a scarf with him. It was a little chilly for him as well but... it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with for a bit longer. The sooner he got this done, the sooner he would be inside after all.

"I think so." Genevieve said after giving it some thoughts. But if she had any doubts, she could always ask Quinn if she were not certain. "But I am sure that we can find them." The small third year insisted with a grin. Potion class always happened to be a difficult one, but Genevieve was quite good at it. Not necessarily a high grade student all of the time, but skilled enough. 

There was nothing wrong with going for a walk before dinner. Genevieve wished that she had brought some warmer clothes, it was getting a bit too cold out here. She considered heading back into the warmth of the castle or at the very least to the Great Hall where there would be hot food. 

She ducked her head feeling her cheeks warm. "Yes, I am hoping to make the team again. I was the Seeker last year." Genevieve explained, remembering that glorious moment when the team made her their seeker. 

Unfortunately the cold proved to be too much for Ruby or rather Genevieve hoped it was the cold and not her flicker of jealousy earlier. Genevieve was torn between her desire to apologise and her embaressment as it would mean admitting that she had a crush on quinn. She was not quite ready to admit such a thing, not even to herself. 

"Let's find your ingredients and get out of here." She told him, tucking her hands inside her robes in an effort to keep out the biting chill. 

It took a while longer than expected, but eventually the pair spotted a fresher patch of fluxygrass over by some small rocks near the path going down the hill slope. Some of it was a bit dried out, but Quinn could easily pick at least two viable ingredients from the patch.