Peyton jogged to catch up with his two dorm mates. Since they were allowed to work in groups of four he figured running off with Sasha and Percy was a lot safer than anyone else that was available to work with. Although he wouldn't mind working with Allie or Bella, the boys were just an easier choice for him, afterall they all got along well with each other and he knew that both were hard workers. It wasn't that Peyton was a slacker he was just easily distracted and needed to stay around focused people to help him stay focused in return.

When he caught up with the two Ravenclaws they had pretty much made it to where Bombay had instructed. After hearing Sasha's question he handed the taller German a handkerchief. He shook his head at Percy with a friendly smile, "How is your head not bigger? Seriously Perce if I knew as much as you do I swear my head would be the size of a goal hoop."

He trudged farther into the forest with them keeping an eye out for anything that might attack them. After the last class they had in the forest with O Morain sicking a yeti on them he was a little weary about the forest's natural inhabitants. Afterall it was forbidden for a reason right?

Billie listened to Professor Bombay with her head cocked to the side. Herbology was one of the few subjects she was actually good at, mostly because it rarely if ever required the use of her wand. It was just gardening and surely there wasn't anything difficult about gardening. Going into the forbidden forest however was a little more intimidating than entering into one of Bombay's crazy green houses and so the little dancing queen was nervous about doing it on her own. Thankfully she was allowed to go with a group.

She watched as all the students began to pair up. Callum and Xavier had gone off together with Bridget, the Ravenclaw trio had absorbed Arielle and Bellatrix was going off on her own. With a bounce in her step and a smile on her face Billie came up alongside Bella. Her gold pink and blue hair was loose today and her long cloak was covering the amount of jewelry and buttons she was wearing. For once Billie actually looked normal.

"So wanna go find that plant?" She gave the Slytherin girl a smile, happy to be working with anyone despite their attitude or house placement. Afterall everyone deserved a friend and Billie was more than willing to be that friend.

Figaro was slogging.  Slogging.  He was like a congested inferus, full of snot and whining.  He was desperately missing the days before Hogwarts when mothers could baby their little boys with soup and backrubs and warm blankets and lovely deep sleep. 

But it was a little tricker to be sick at Hogwarts.  You had to track down an adult and convince them you were legitimately ill, and then you either got to drool in your dormitory pillow, or drool into one of Madam Nagde's pillows.

He'd made it through Creatures, but barely.  And when he found the note that Herbology was even more outside than usual, Figaro was on the brink of some pretty heavy duty complaining.

He slogged up to the short, beardy, angry old Bombay, and tugged on his sleeve.

"I'm ill.  Can I go?"

Percy lowered his head sheepishly with a flattered smile that he tried to fight back.  Percy never could take a compliment, but it was his competency in the classroom that made him enjoy being in such an environment.  Peyton didn't know what it meant to be bragged on by someone other than his mother for a change.

"Thanks Peyton.  Hopefully I won't tip over any time soon!"

Percy made an attempt at a joke, and made certain that all his charms were bound to himself, Peyton, and Sasha.  Percy then readjusted the pot in his grasp as their little trio of Ravenclaws ventured further into the Forbidden Forest.

She was approached by one of the more estranged Gryffindors, Miss Kennedy. Bellatrix didn't pay a lot of attention to other people, but since she nowadays spent less time jinxing and more time paying attention in class, it was becoming harder for her to not notice several characters that were in her year. Miss Kennedy was one of them she had noticed mostly because she looked like a copycat of Lil Bee and herself with golden-blond hair, one blue streak, and one pink streak. Of course, after realizing she was there, Bellatrix had become slightly enraged and decided to watch her: she didn't pose as either of them at all. Therefore, she had become okay in Bella's book.

A partner was a partner and seeing as how no one else seemed fit to join the darker Dark twin, the Slytherin girl was satisfied with the option. At least she could finally talk to Miss Kennedy about her hair.

"So wanna go find that plant?"

"Sure. We need two more members, though," she pointed out. "The Professor said four."

Bellatrix considered the instructions for transferring the plant carefully, knelt down with her bag, and dumped her contents out near Professor Bombay. She immediately started packing the two pots, spades, a little extra fertilizer, and passed a pair of gloves and goggles to Billie, also grabbing her own before she stood back up. She strapped her goggles on top of her head, pulled her gloves on, and lifted her bag back onto her shoulder.

"I figure we can move faster if one of us carries the stuff, three are on the look-out for dangerous stuff, and I can hold a light up for us while we walk."

Wow. She was actually putting forth effort in class. Bellatrix shook her head to get this thought out of her mind and stood on her tip-toes trying to look for her pink-haired twin.

"C'mon, Lil' Bee," she muttered, "where are you?"

Billie smiled at the other girl and graciously took the provisions she offered. While Bella packed her bag Billie pulled on her goggles, positioning them at the top of her head and then proceeded with her gloves. She looked around at the other students and waited for two more to join their group before turning her attention back to Bella. She gave the blue haired Slytherin a little 'oh' face when she said three of them should be on the look out for dangerous creatures while one of them should carry the bag.

"If you don't mind, think I could carry the bag of stuff? It's just I really suck at actually casting spells and if we ever did run into anything dangerous I'd pretty much be useless." She spoke with a smile as if her own magical inadequacies had no bearing on her. Truth be told Billie was completely unbothered by her lack of magical talent. She was muggleborn after all and had no family expectations of her. If she came home from Hogwarts without a job in the magical world her parents wouldn't mind, she had a wonderful career as a dancer and as long as she didn't lose a limb while at school she could easily go back to performing when school was done.

Sasha’s voices caught her attention drawing it from her new colour of nail polish and the internal debate of whether it was good enough or not. She was a tad nervous about getting all dirty with his assignment, but she supposed if she was going to have any hope of doing dissent on her examinations for this class then she best put some effort forth.

“Yeah sure, why not.” Arielle said hoping she had enough of a smile to appear a tad bit excited about the fact she was going to have to get ‘dirty’ so to speak. Arielle was not your hands on sort. She grabbed her gloves and got them on. At least she could save her newly painted nails.

“I don’t know how much help I am going to be,” she said with a shrug to Percy and Sasha. “I wouldn’t say it is that surprising I am not the hands on sort when it comes to this course.” She awkwardly laughed, “but I will help out the best that I can.” She flashed Percy a smile. At least she wasn’t working with Xavier and that had to count for something. “So just tell me what you need me to do.”

Sasha ignored Tawse's invitation to Dark that served a secondary task of insulting him and ... Arielle Snark?  The former was so common place as to be cliche at this point.  The later ... Sasha had never known the Slytherins to have a problem with the Gryffindor prefect.  He cast a sympathetic and apologetic grimace over his shoulder in Arielle's direction before continuing on their way. 

"Oh? That's clever-" if a little greasy. Sasha admitted as the potion ... coated his skin.  He knew it'd be better than getting the full brunt of envenomation from a geranium but it still felt a lot like getting dunked in greasy suntan lotion.  Despite the uncomfortable feeling, he grinned and nodded in agreement to Peyton's compliment as the group of four made their way through the forest. 

So, Arielle was going to be, self-admittedly, hands off.  Likewise, Percy was preferring to stay out of the line of the fire.  Sasha cast a curious, questioning glance in Peyton's direction but, while distracted, stumbled right over a wriggling geranium branch.  He just managed to hop over the slithering plant at the last minute.

The patch of geraniums wasn't exactly large - only about three feet across and, at most, four feet long.  But, it was certainly much too big to fit into one pot en masse and what it lacked in size, it made up for in density.  Layer upon layer of spiky green lily-like leaves covered the patch almost moss like.  Easily as many as three dozen needle-teeth-adorned red flowers reached out towards anything that moved.  Getting a single specimen out safely (for all involved - plant and human) was going to be real challenge. 

"Alright," Sasha said though he really didn't have anything to add after that.  He set his bag on the ground and gathered his gloves and pulled out a towel.  "So...Percy - you've got the pot?  And..." He glanced awkwardly at the group before shrugging.  It wasn't like he was the self-appointed leader or anything and he hoped no one got annoyed with him.  "Peyton - do you want to dig out the roots while I restrain it?  And, Arielle-"  He considered the possibilities.  "You ... um ... can keep watch for any forest creatures?  Or ... if that works for, you know, everyone?" 

Whatever embarrassment Percy experienced from a simple compliment that Peyton had tossed his way...was magnified abundantly by the sparkling smile that Arielle Snark sent his way.  He sheepishly grinned and averted his eyes before trying to think what he should do in this situation...It actually took a thoughtful process before he looked back to Arielle and returned her smile, attempting to be low key in the process.

Wait-hadn't Sasha just said something?  He heard something about "the pot"...which cued Percy to lift the pot he was holding, hoping that this would provide the correct response.  Hopefully.  However...Percy didn't know much to say at this point of uncertainty...so he simply smiled again, keeping quiet.

As soon as the young Hufflepuff sidled up to Graham, he rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.  "Go...," he moaned, waving the Sellaphix boy away. At least there was one guarantee of less trouble.  And while it meant he'd have to save the jibs about Sellaphix Apothecary for next class, it mean he wouldn't have to tolerate the boy's insipid comments throughout the hour.

*forty-five minutes pass*

"Alright," he called out, "Now that you have your samples...and your fingers, more or less," he paused, looking directly at one particular student, "Make your way back to the Greenhouse.  We'll finish up the lesson there.  And don't think to get lost along the way, either."