welcome to chimera!

[Barbra Crawford]

Bunny Crawford had a secret. A terrible, terrible secret.

She had purposefully denied that she was going to Hogsmeade that weekend when asked, saying she had too much homework to do that weekend. But a couple of hours after most had gone to Hogwarts, Bunny snuck out of the castle and down to the village. She took the long way around, rather than crossing directly down the main road. She was being cautious, as she always was about her secret, so she had even gone so far as to tuck her knotted hair into her cap and was wearing her bulkiest coat.

Bunny paused outside a shop, glancing around. The street was mostly empty, which was a relief. She pushed the door to the shop open and slipped through the door. She breathed a sigh of relief as the warmth of the shop hit her, flushing her face ever so slightly. The tips of her fingers tingled, and the smell of fresh wet earth filled her nostrils. Glancing around the shop, her eyes lit up, a smile firmly placed on her face.

Yes, Bunny had a dirty little secret. She loved flowers.

It was perhaps the girliest about her, and she would get so much shit if any of her male friends ever found out about this. But every once and a while, Bunny had to surround herself in what she loved. She had stumbled upon this florist during her third year, and because it was so out of the way, she had yet to be discovered in there. She gave a small wave to the owner, who recognized her. She wasn't sure that he particularly liked her, since she could never buy anything at risk of being seen with the flowers. But he did know her.

She started near the back of the shop, examining each and every bouquet with an appraising eye, occasionally sniffing or feeling the petals. She was so engrossed in her admiration of nature's beauty that she didn't notice the door swing open.

[Miriam Strout]

Miriam wasn't one for flowers in the traditional manner. She didn't enjoy their beauty so much as she did their diversity. The amazing variety nature had been able to conceive enthralled her, the fact that is was just one faction of plants was almost unbelievable, especially when factoring in the thought that each individual specie could produce different reactions with other substances. It was fascinating. She, of course, didn't mind how pretty they could be or how good they could smell, especially when she was surrounded by them. She just felt so in tune when among them. They were providers of the world in some ways, and she could appreciate that.

The greenhouses at school weren't anywhere near as supplied as she might have liked to have seen them be. There were plenty flowers, but they were all of the same, really, and their purpose was so focused. There weren't even as many varieties as the number she could find home as she ran in the fields.

It was Hogsmeade weekend and all her friends seemed to have plans without her. Granted, Violet and Marjorie had offered that she come look at clothes with them, they were preparing for the colder season, but she'd rejected their offer. Shopping was terribly boring and she didn't have the money - and she certainly would not allow them to buy her something, which they always tried to impose upon her. Instead, she went off to Hogsmeade by her lonesome, making sure that everyone was agreed they'd meet up later in the afternoon for a butterbeer. There wasn't so many places Miriam could go that would actually occupy her attention until then. There was Honeydukes, but she'd prefer to go there later, right before she met up with the rest so she could have something to satisfy her sweet tooth then.

Instead, she wandered off. She knew of a flower shop that she could go to, though, she didn't ever go with her friends, they'd just get bored as she examined the different sort of flora present. In any case, it wasn't as much an experience as going into an emporium for herbologist's as she had once. There wasn't as much knowledge available, if the shopkeeper had any. But Miriam didn't have that resource in Hogsmeade, so she settled for the quaint business. Entering the building, she was delighted by the fragrance of the conglomeration of flowers.

Miriam gave a small smile to the shopkeeper and hoped they wouldn't mind. She wasn't here too frequently, so hopefully they either didn't mind her too much or didn't remember she never bought anything. Being booted out would be quite the damper on her day. Dawdling about, she appraised the buds that were currently in season and what exotic plants were present. Finding herself being drawn to the back, away from the eye of the person at the counter, she was surprised to see that there was someone familiar more intent on the flowers, a bit reminiscent of her own self when she was actually focused. It was also the most surprising of people it could have been.

Clearing her throat, Miriam didn't know whether she wanted to bring attention to herself or perhaps sidle away from Bunny and not acknowledge this common interest. She liked Bunny alright, same amount she liked Dawlish, perhaps a little more. She frequently assumed that if she weren't such close friends with Dawlish, she'd probably be among her group of friends. But whatever divine force was out there had not intended for that to happen.

"Hello, Bunny," she said politely, keeping to the flowers she had been examining and trying to look nonchalant about seeing her. Perhaps she shouldn't have been surprised. She didn't know the girl very well, after all. But it seemed like such a contrast to the personality she was affronted with.