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[wavesofjade]

There Has Been An Alarming Rise In The Number Of Patients I Am Seeing Who Have Gained Injuries Thanks To Venturing Too Close To The Forest.
May I Please Remind You, My Dears, That It Is Given The Title Of 'Forbidden' For A Reason.
I Would Hate To See Anyone Severely Hurt.

With That Said I Would Like To Ask A Favour Of Any Herbology Students Willing To Give Me A Little Of Their Spare Time.
I Am In The Process Of Cultivating Several Cuttings From A Flitterbloom And Would Appreciate Any Assistance As It Is Not Something That I Have Attempted Before.
Any Professors Are Also Very Welcome But I Think That You All Have Quite Enough Work!

As Ever The Hospital Wing Is Open To All Of You.
You Do Not Need To Be On Deaths Door In Order To Come And Speak With Me.

Comments

[wavesofjade]

[She watches him carefully, an amused expression on her face.]

I believe he's climbing onto your hat. Try not to move.

[Of course, she'll remove him if he gets too freaked out.]

[plushaeusrumpified]

But why my hat? [He's not super freaked out right now, just. very, very cautious. He does have the potential to freak out though.] It ain't like I got treats up there! It's not gonna eat my hair, is it? 'Cuz I've heard that some bats eat hair and if he does, then...

[VAGUE AND EMPTY THREAT.]

[wavesofjade]

If he does then I will gently remove him, I will fix your hair, and you will do nothing.

[Her voice is soft, but stern - she won't tolerate anyone inflicting harm on her pets, even theoretically. The little thing doesn't eat his hair, though, but creeps up onto his hat and seems quite content to just.. sit on top of his head, the tiny claws on his wings hooked against the fabric.]

... I can, of course, get him down if you would prefer it. I wouldn't like you to be uncomfortable.

[plushaeusrumpified]

...Right.

[As if he would ever have it in him to hurt one of her pets anyway, even if it gave him a bald spot or something hideous like that. He just waits for it to do... whatever it is it's doing, and then when it gets on top of his hat and doesn't move, he relaxes sort of.

When Dolores speaks, he just shrugs a little hesitantly.]

Uh, no. I mean... if he isn't doing anything up there, I guess he can chillax for a while? Unless he's eating it. If he's eating it, then get him off. But otherwise no, he's fine, I guess.

[Rambling. Rambliiiing. Because having such a delicate creature on him is a little nerve wracking.]

[wavesofjade]

He isn't eating it.

[She smiles and touches his shoulder, oh so gently steering him to sit down. She's not worried about the bat - they can fly if they fall - but more thinking of him. And they do have the plant to deal with.

It's sitting on the coffee table near the sofa, not a very large thing but certainly big enough to be good for pruning, and the tentacle-like plant is swaying slightly. When approached, it has the (perhaps disturbing) tendency to lean towards the person coming near it.]

Are you still willing to help me with this, master gardener?

[plushaeusrumpified]

[It takes a fair bit of control not to breath a sigh of relief at that. Honestly, he's being ridiculous. It's just a little bat. It's not like it's going to hurt him, right? Right. Though honestly the woman seems like such a mama bear sometimes that he wouldn't put it past her to train it into some sort of attack bat. So what if he accidentally does something to set it off?

He lets her guide him over to the table and he sits down, eying the plant as he does so.]

'course I am. I'll whip this thing into shape. Or, y'know. Prune it, I guess.

[There's a pause, as he decides to voice his earlier concern.]

Uh. If he sees me with something even vaguely resembling a weapon, he isn't gonna go into attack mode or something, is he?

[wavesofjade]

[She can't quite help but laugh at that, one hand covering her mouth as she looks between his face and the small mammal on his cap.]

Strider, my dear boy, he's a bat, not a police dog.

[plushaeusrumpified]

Yeah, well... good.

[He isn't sure what more to say on that. He feels relieved, but also embarrassed because he realizes he's being a bit silly. And she laughed.]

You keep talkin' like you're older than me, y'know. You're what, 29? No need to make yourself so old. Give yourself a little credit, you're still young!

[He's coping by swaying the conversation to her.]

[wavesofjade]

[Dolores just smiles, picking a pair of secateurs up from the coffee table. She leans forwards to the flitterbloom and chuckles softly when it shies away from the tool.

When she speaks, it's soft, and she's trusting him with this not because she has wanted eventually tell all of the professors, but because she cares about him and he deserves to know the truth now.]

.. I'm fifty-six.

[plushaeusrumpified]

[When Dolores speaks, Bro honestly can't help but let out a snort that's probably loud enough to startle the bat on his shoulder. Honestly, the thought is ridiculous and he doesn't believe it for a second. At all.]

I've heard about shaving off a few years to try and make yourself sound young, I ain't ever heard adding them. Let alone... what, 20? 25? There's no way. Nope. You're being silly, but I gotta admit it's kinda hilarious.

[wavesofjade]

Twenty five years.

[Ah, she should have known he wouldn't just believe her. Who would? Dolores draws her hands back into her lap, clasping the secateurs between them and watching him seriously.]

I was born on September 8th, 1956.

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Bro leans back in the chair, his arms folded across his chest and a stupid, amused smie plastered across his face. He just finds this whole thing so amusing. Really. She's being so serious and everything she's saying is so ridiculous.]

This seriously gets more funny the more you talk. There's no way you're 56 years old. It's just not possible. I mean, unless you've found the fountain of youth, in which case you need to share.

[wavesofjade]

[Okay, that gets a smile, but only because she's going to burst his bubble of amusement with what she says next. If he believes her, that is.]

Vampirism, young man, is not something I would be willing to share with anyone.

[plushaeusrumpified]

I-

[That... actually makes him pause, the smile fading from his lips slowly. Of course he's a little skeptical, but right now the surprise of the statement is a little overwhelming. He knows Vampirism is a serious thing for Wizards, so... she wouldn't joke about that, would she?

And what's more... is that the more he thinks about it, the more it kind of makes sense- not her being a vampire, but. Her being older. The way she's spoken, the... the air of authority- or at least that's what he's taken to calling it. Because he doesn't know how else to describe it. And it would also explain why she talks as if she's older than everyone, as if it comes naturally to her.

But... it doesn't make much sense. Vampires are kind of a big deal, so. Why would Dumbledore hire one? Admittedly he's ignorant on a lot of the ins and outs of Wizarding taboos, so he really just doesn't know.]

You're... serious, aren't you?

[wavesofjade]

[She nods once, then lets out a soft sigh, and sets the secateurs down. One finger hooks over her collar and pulls it down, and there, pale against the olive skin, are two scars from puncture marks on her neck. Her smile this time is small, apologetic, and she drops her hands back to her lap again.]

I am sure that Salvador has mentioned that he grew up with me. What he may not have mentioned was that I was already thirty-one years old when we met.

[plushaeusrumpified]

[He's kind of speechless for a while. Seeing the bite marks is pretty much all of the confirmation he needs. It's all so much to take in... he never expected this, of all things. He isn't sure what to think. He's never really met a vampire before. Not personally, and not like this.]

Heh... yeah, he kinda forgot to mention that part.

[He trails off quietly, losing himself in his thoughts. He's confused, surprised, a little overwhelmed... But in all of his emotions, anger isn't among them. How could he be angry with her? After all she's done for Dirk, and by extension him. She's clearly not a danger, and considering the nature of it, he isn't surprised that she kept it from him. So he can't fault her for that, either.

When he finally speaks, it's with a small smile.]

It doesn't change anything, though.

[wavesofjade]

I haven't mentioned this to him. I believe that he knows.. but he has yet to approach me about it.

[She sighs. He has to know by now, but she can't place blame on him for not wanting to bring it up. When he speaks again, she looks up, her expression breaking into a relieved smile. She can't help but reach for his hand and clasp cool fingers tightly around his.]

I'm so glad to hear you say that, Strider.. You have no idea what it means to me.