It was mid-afternoon on the third day of classes, and Kayla was staring down a tree. It hadn't taken her long to find the thing - she'd started roaming the grounds the very first day, eager to get familiar with her new setting, and quickly stumbled upon this magnificent specimen of a willow. Bespelled or inherantly magical, she wasn't sure, but it was absolutely fascinating all the same.

Unfortunately, it seemed to be highly homicidal. Kayla wanted very badly to go up to it, to touch its gnarled limbs, to climb and explore and coo, but so far every attempt forward had ended with the tree violently slamming down a branch on the ground. In warning, obviously, although she couldn't understand why it was being so difficult. She certainly wasn't going to hurt it. If she could just get close enough to stroke the bark, close enough to cast an empathy charm - although if this tree was magical, she didn't even need that really - if she could just get close enough to connect, she didn't think there would be any problems.

So for the past half hour she and the tree had been engaged in an intricate dance of dart forward, lash out, dart back. Kayla wasn't winded but her uniform was a little dirty from where she'd had to throw herself to one side to avoid a particularly unfriendly smack. The tree'd gotten a good scolding for that one, albeit at a safe distance.

He had just finished a CoMC class and Elijah was walking back to the castle now, when in the distance he saw a girl near the Whomping Willow. Sighing, being annoyed by some peoples oblivion, he recognized the girl as a student from Salem, an international student. Wondering why someone would ever come so close to that tree Elijah moved towards the girl, intending to warn the girl for its aggressive character when he saw the girl actually moving closer to the tree! He saw her diving to avoid the tree as he quickened his pace. Were all these international students this stupid to move so close to the homicidal tree?!

"Better not get to close!"  He shouted at her, even though he doubted she could hear him, while forgetting his own shyness, the girls safety was more important than his insecurity. He changed his pace to a running one now, hoping to reach her in time. The sun reflected in his prefect badge which were pinned on his uniform and his Hufflepuff emblem seemed lightened up as well, as if the yellow got more energy from the sunbeams.  Wiping some sweat from his forehead, he approached the girl. “Get out of the way!” He screamed again, hoping she would hear him this time. Why?! Why would someone voluntarily get so close to that damned tree?!

Almost reaching the girl he slowed down his pace, not wanting to crash into the bloody tree himself. Halting in place now Elijah looked at the girl, who was covered in dirt from diving towards the ground. He saw she was at a safe distance, but the tree still lingered, looking dangerous. “Why, may I ask, are you even getting near that bloody tree?!” He asked, irritation noticeable in his voice.

It was only now, a little away from the tree, that her mind registered earlier shouts. At the time, Kayla had dismissed them as less important. She looked about, chipper as a prairie dog with the sudden straightening of her spine and her alert, curious gaze. Quickly she zeroed in on a boy she vaguely remembered from her previous class, running towards her with his face all twisted in a scowl.

“Why, may I ask, are you even getting near that bloody tree?!”

Jesus these Brits were high-strung. Rude. Kayla sniffed.

"Why are you so snippy about it?" she wanted to know, eyeing Elijah as if he'd were crazy. "It hasn't got me yet."

In the space just after her words the Willow creaked, a long, ominous sound, as if to remind them that it was there. Kayla whirled on it with the air of one who wasn't gonna put up with this shit.

"You're being ridiculous, you know!" she shouted in its direction, stomping her foot. The Willow made no reply, but its leaves rustled despite the lack of breeze.... in irritation, perhaps. "I just want to sit in you! That's not so much to ask!" She sniffed again. "Awful unfriendly, your flora," she told Elijah. "What species is it, d'you know?"

This girl must have been mad. There was no other explanation for her strange behavior. There could be no other explanation. Elijah put his hand through his hair, unable to come up with the answers she requested from him, unable to respond to her weird behavior. He was snippy?! The tree was being ridiculous?! Elijah sighed aloud when he threw his hands in the air. If all the foreigners were as strange as this one it was going to be an interesting year.

"The bloody tree, for some reason does not want people to get near it, don't you get it? It is not like difficult runes or anything!" He said to the girl, now recognizing her from his last Care of Magical Creatures class. People had gotten seriously injured trying to get near that tree. What did it matter why it behaved so curious, you just knew you had to stay away from it. And above all not bloody climb it to sit in it!

"I guess it is a willow. Why are you so interested?" He replied to her question, maybe that information would satisfy her enough to walk away from that freak of nature. Elijah looked at the girl, fiercely hoping she would move away from the big thing when he suddenly realized he had almost forgotten how shy he normally was! He had been yelling, screaming, not flushing red in his cheeks. It was kind of strange how this all could be. Maybe this prefect thing really was a good thing for him!

Kayla shifted on her feet, eyes sliding from the tree back to the boy's face. She didn't look pleased, but she did look a little uncertain. She didn't actually enjoy people shouting at her very much. But a short reprimand hadn't done the trick, and he was still all... angry. It made her want to slink away, faced with a too-stubborn tree and a guy who wouldn't stop yelling; after all, the tree would still be there later, but the boy was making her uncomfortable.

Suddenly conscious of his irritation, she wilted like a flower in heat. "Most trees don't mind me," she tried, wetting her lips with her tongue. Her eyes flicked away again. A willow. Okay. "I'm just interested, is all. Magical trees are really rare; there aren't any like this at home."