stubborn as bindweed (open)

[lukejordan]

Trent whistled as he worked, artists hands weaving their way through the grasping stems of a large patch of bindweed to trim away the old growth and prune the plant into shape. Winter was the best time for cutting back on dead stems, after all, the following Spring ensuring that the plant sprung back with a vengeance. And given how quickly one could normally be completely entangled by even a small clump of bindweed, the unusual sluggishness caused by the cold weather was a great advantage in trying to deal with the plant without being grappled by it.

Taking a last few dead stems and cutting them short with his pruning knife, Trent turned his attention towards harvesting a few of the hardier shoots. Bindweed as fresh and active as this particular plant usually was would be far more effective in Potions than anything bought in the Apothecary at Diagon Alley. And if he could convince Professor Slughorn, there might well be a tidy profit in it for Trent as well.

A footstep from the door startled him as Trent was just about to make the first incision, and he narrowly avoided cutting himself with the knife. Putting his supplies down on the table, he turned in his seat towards the entrance. "Good morning." He called out, giving a wave of greeting to the person standing in the doorway.

[Chase Connors]

Chase headed down to the Greenhouses in search of something to do. He’d been wandering around bored for a while and no matter where he looked he couldn’t seem to find anyone. Emily was studying… Lachie had apparently vanished with some girl... Was no one else equally as bored as he was today? As he’d been heading back down the stairs he’d bumped into someone who mentioned seeing Trent heading outside earlier on, and the first place that came to Chase’s mind was ‘He’s gone to herbology’.

Making his way down, something caught his ear and he listened intently. The close he got the louder the sound got. Whistling. That was definitely Trent alright. Grinning, Chase knew that, finally, he’d found someone who’d entertain him for a while. Even if he didn’t realize that he was doing it, he would.

”Good morning, buddy.” Chase grinned as he leaned again the door frame of the greenhouse, looking around at all the plants that were in there. Some nice, some not so nice. The plant he could see in front of Trent at that moment? Definitely not so nice. ”Bindweed, mate? You’re kidding right? That stuff is a b*tch to work with.”

[lukejordan]

Chase Connors. Of all the people who could have come barging into his Greenhouse of tranquility and relaxation, it had to be the loudest and most distracting of all his friends. But Chase was entertaining, to say the least, and Trent had largely come outside to prune the bindweed because he was bored (Lachie having abandoned him as a result of his all-too successful plan to set his friend up with Tay). Thank Merlin he was practically finished; with Chase around there would be no getting work done for at least the next hour.

"Morning Chase," Trent gave a wry smile, "Was no one else available that you had to lower yourself to consort with me?" He chuckled, gesturing to the chair at the table beside him. "I promise the bindweed will behave itself - this weather we've been having has made it sluggish as anything."

[Chase Connors]

Chase headed in when Trent gestured to the chair beside him. "Well Lachie's got himself a bit l'amoured with a certain Ravenclaw these days from what I've seen so, I'm afraid that's one friend less to consort with." He grinned as he flopped down in the seat. He was friends with Trent just as much as he was with Lachie, but recently he'd been spending so much time with Emily that he hadn't spent very much time with either of them... Then Lachie was off with Tay... And Trent? Well... Chase needed to talk to him more if he wanted to keep on top of the latest gossip.

"Sluggish Bindweed... I find that hard to believe..." He prodded the plant in question and frowned when it only lamely stretched towards him, instead of the usual lunges the plant usually made.

"So what have I been missing these days, anyway? What've you been doing with yourself?"

[lukejordan]

Trent smiled and slapped the table with his hand triumphantly. "Lachie got his act together then? Excellent!" His smile turned into a bit of a wry smile. "Although, I thought the two of them would be good together and I set them up and what thanks do I get? Lachie can't even be bothered telling me if it worked or not."

Trent smiled at Chase, his expression softening the mocking tone of his words. "Even though you're as bad as Lachie for letting your girlfriend take over your life, at least you had the common courtesy to let me know why. For Merlin's sake Chase, he sleeps right next to me! You live halfway across the room and still managed to find the time." Trent's lips twitched as he suddenly realized the ridiculousness of his last statement, and he gave a soft chuckle, turning back to taking some live sprouts from the bindweed.

Trent blew out a gusty breath as he considered the question. "What have I been doing with myself? Nothing, to be honest. The usual studying and writing and gardening. I ran into Rosie down at the Whomping Willow the other morning looking for an essay that had been stolen by Nargles." He shrugged exaggeratedly and pulled a mock-wounded expression. "Ever since I was cruelly abandoned by my best friends for the joys of the fairer sex there hasn't been too much to do."

[Chase Connors]

Chase threw his head back and laughed. "So we should be calling you Mr. Matchmaker these days?" So Trent was the reason that Lachie had a girlfriend these days. He knew the girl by name, but that was about it. "So... What made you think they'd be a good match?" They obviously were, but Chase didn't know enough about her to know why.

Chase gave Trent a look of shock and held a hand over his heart. "Me? Letting my life be taken over by a girl? Hardly!" He grinned. So... maybe he did spend a little too long with Emily sometimes... Maybe they should start planning days when the guys all met up and brought the girls with them that way... At least then they could spend time with everyone they wanted to... "We need to find you a girl." Chase said a little absentmindedly, not even realizing he was speaking out loud.

"Ah, Rosie..." Chase grinned as he remembered a some what drunken night not so long ago that involved three Gryffindors, himself, and Rosie... What a night that had been... He grinned despite himself. That was one night he still hadn't mentioned to Emily. He didn't think it would go down all that well to tell her he'd seen her room mate naked... among others.

Chase thought back to what Trent had just said and frowned. "What the hell is a nargle?"

[lukejordan]

Trent assumed the snooty posture and voice usually affected by Lucius Malfoy, "Yes you should. You may." He dropped the act and sniggered briefly. "Why them? I knew Lachie had noticed her in passing, and Tay had the hugest crush on him - though she'd never admit it, especially to me - and I thought it was worth a try." Trent shrugged and grinned. "And it worked."

Trent chuckled at Chase's denial, then it developed into a full-blown chortle at the infatuated expression that crossed his friend's face as Chase's eyes went vacant. And he only laughed louder at Chase's absent-minded comment. "Must it be a girl? And really, where will you find someone willing to put up with me." Getting his mirth under control, Trent smiled at his friend and continued: "So thank you for the offer, but no, Chase. Knowing you I'd probably end up with one of those dreadful girls you used to squire around before Em straightened you out."

"As for the Nargles..." Trent held his hands up helplessly as if to disclaim responsibility. "I've no idea. All I know is that they steal things and hide them in the Willow so they can't be retrieved and they help Rosie with her essays in a roundabout kind of way."

[Chase Connors]

”Must it be a girl?”

Chase raised an eyebrow and looked at Trent. ”Well I suppose we could find a guy to put up with you if that’s what you’re looking for, mate.” He shook his head a little to get his head around that. Was he saying what he thought he was saying? Oh, well. Each to their own. Chase personally didn’t really see the whole appeal, but then, he was straight and loved the ladies a little too much for that. But if someone he knew swung the other way or something, then Chase would support them and he sure wouldn’t ditch them as friends.

”There was nothing wrong with those girls anyway. And you don’t know if you like something until you try it. Remember last year, that girl who’s now it sixth year? The blonde. Mate… honestly… endless BJ’s. The gal had no holdups.” Chase grinned and winked at Trent. Trent was a bit too on the straight and narrow but Chase still had to bring it up… Damn that girl could-

Chase shook his head and pushed the thought away. Now was not the time to be remembering that.

”I've no idea. All I know is that they steal things and hide them in the Willow so they can't be retrieved and they help Rosie with her essays in a roundabout kind of way."

”Huh…” He shook his head. Rosie was really weird sometimes… Like… really weird. ”I can totally see how the ‘the nargles stole my homework’ line would work with McGonagall. Totally.”

[lukejordan]

Trent grinned at the confused expression on Chase's face. "I'm not saying one way or the other. Just think its best to keep an open mind; self-imposed restrictions are the best way to miss out on important things." He was glad that his friend hadn't freaked out, though after the incident with Lachlan at the Halloween Ball he wouldn't have been surprised. Lachlan's reaction to that whole affair was, to be honest, a large part of the reason Trent hadn't mentioned this possibility to his best friend.

Trent rolled his eyes as soon as his friend mentioned BJ's. Sometimes Chase was terrifyingly predictable, and the way that his brain fixated on sex as soon as relationships were mentioned was one of those ways. "Well, I'm glad that you enjoyed your time with her but I think I'll pass. I'm equally or more interested in the relationship than the sex, and your sloppy seconds honestly aren't too appealing." He gave Chase a snarky grin.

Trent chuckled. "Not as an excuse to avoid handing things in. Apparently if they aren't satisfied with the quality of Rosie's work the Nargles steal it and make her do it over again." He shrugged. "Apparently in the long run it improves the quality of her work." Trent snipped a last cutting from the bindweed and began packing his tools back into his bag. "Speaking of relationship, how're you and Emily? Didn't I hear a whisper of some kind of parental trouble over Christmas?"

[Chase Connors]

He saw Trent's grin and couldn't help but grin back himself. Keeping an open mind... That was one way to word it. Where was Trent at Halloween? He could've stood where Chase had been standing when Lachie drank that potion and he could have been on the receiving end of the mid-party snog fest. But still, this was news to him, and he gave it a minute to let the words sink in. "Huh." Why hadn't Trent mentioned this 'possibility' or whatever before now?

Chase was typical Chase and no matter whether he had a girlfriend or not, his basic nature probably wasn't going to change all too quickly. He'd made a 'way' for himself and he liked to keep his mind at least a little on that track, regardless. And if consistently bringing up things to do with sex was the way to do that, Chase was more than happy to host those conversations. He shrugged. "Think relationship, fine, but mate? You gotta get yourself laid too, ya know?"

Trent had never really been one to talk about relationships and stuff, and he was always strangely mute on that topic. It had always been Chase and Lachie who talked constantly about girls and sex and all those kinds of things, especially in the dorms on a night. That wasn't really possible now, even when they were all there early enough to be able to talk about it. Lachie wouldn't want to hear anything that involved Emily in that way for starters.

Chase couldn't get his head around this whole idea of nargles or whatever, and from what he'd seen and read, he couldn't recall their name in any book, whether it be Care of Magical Creatures books or Defense Against the Dark Arts or any of them... "Do such things even exist? And seriously, if some impy thing started stealing my essays I wouldn't be considering it 'helpful' at all. The damned things would find their insides boiled in a cauldron in less time than they could say the word 'essay'!" If such things did exist, which he doubted, they do best to stay well away from him. Quality wasn't exactly an issue for him, so long as the stupid work was done.

He watched as Trent finished what he was doing and started backing up.

"Speaking of relationship, how're you and Emily? Didn't I hear a whisper of some kind of parental trouble over Christmas?"

"Oh God!" Chase winced and shook his head. "How the hell did you even hear about that?" They were the most pleasant of memories, that was for sure, but at least everything had worked out alright in the end.

[lukejordan]

Trent chuckled in response to his friend's comment about getting laid. "My dear Chase," He assumed a deadpan expression and looked as sincere as possible, "Isn't that why God invented masturbation?" Unable to keep up the facade any longer, Trent gave a wicked grin at the look on Chase's face.

"I'm not even going to try and guess." Trent smiled, "When it comes to Rosie, who even knows?" He burst out laughing in response to Chase's cauldron comment, bent over double as he struggled to get his laughter under control, holding up his finger to ask for a moment. Once his mirth was under control, Trent pointed at Chase. "And that kind of an attitude in why you'll never go into a career in Magical Creatures."

Seeing Chase wince at the reminder of the 'Christmas Incident', as Trent had privately dubbed it, he patted his friend on the shoulder. "How do you think?" He shook his head, chuckling, "Your mother sent me an owl asking for me to keep an eye on you because 'the poor dear is so new to being committed and he'll need someone to keep an eye on him, and you're so responsible Trent dear...' and so she told me everything."

Giving Chase a serious look, Trent dropped the act of lighthearted prankster. "I haven't told anyone and I don't intend to unless I have everyone involved's permission." Trent shrugged and gave a mocking grin, "Additionally I know a Privacy charm that you might find useful in future."

[Chase Connors]

He wasn't expecting that! And, without a doubt, his surprise showed on his face, turning quickly into a somewhat incredulous sort of laugh. He raised one hand and reached to fist-bump Trent. "Respect." He grinned. That wasn't the kind of comment he expected to hear from Trent of all people, but bloody hell that had been brilliant. Chase couldn't help but laugh. "So... now we know why you spend forever in the bathroom every morning, huh?" He grinned wickedly.

Chase let the words Trent had just said play over in his mind and his expression became somewhat distant. "Was it an invention, or just a discovery by the lonely guy on the sidelines?" Chase shook his head and forced himself to stop over thinking such a stupid thing. He wasn't much one for deep philosophical thinking or whatever, and he wasn't about to start now.

Chase watched as Trent keeled over with laughter. It was contagious, and Chase quickly found himself struggling not to laugh right alongside Trent. Boiling nargles was a funnier topic that one might think. "It's just as well I don't want to have a career involving CMC then." More often than not that class just annoyed him. He always seemed to get stuck with the example creature with the worst attitude of them all... The number of weird looks he got for grumbling and talking back to the creatures...

Chase was sure his jaw hit the floor. His mum had told Trent? "Oh bloody hell!" He let his head hit off the edge of the table in front of him and groaned. "Pleaseeee tell me you're joking?" He couldn't believe she'd actually do something like that. She actually told his room mate what had happened? "So... by 'everything' you mean...?" Hopefully 'everything' didn't quite mean everything.

Rolling his eyes, Chase turned gave Trent a deadpan look on his own. "Privacy wouldn't have been an issue if my parents actually came home when they said they would and not several hours before." It really hadn't been his fault for what had happened. His parents had made it clear that they would be out for most of the day and would be back late afternoon, in time for dinner that night.

"I take in then, that your holiday was a little less eventful than mine..."

[lukejordan]

Trent chuckled as he returned Chase's fistbump. Of course it would be a discussion of masturbation over which he and Trent truly bonded. At Chase's salacious comment, Trent pulled a deadpan face. "Of course Chase. My libido is so out of control that I can't help but rub one off in the shower every morning thinking about all you sexy men I live with while you all bang on the door for me to hurry up and get out."

As Chase's face went distant and he began to ponder the history of masturbation, Trent couldn't help but to shake his head and chuckle. That was Chase for you - forever with sex on the brain. He didn't bother to answer - either the question had been rhetorical or - if it had been serious - it would lead to a conversation that Chase was too over-sexed and horny to take seriously.

Raising his hands up innocently in the air, Trent gave an apologetic grimace. "Sorry mate. I'm afraid she did." He shrugged, patting Chase on the back with a sympathetic smile, "As soon as I figured out where the story was going I stopped reading - way more than I ever wanted to know about yours and Em's sex lives - so I only got the general gist. But no, I didn't hear 'everything'. Just 'enough'."

He chuckled sympathetically as Chase ranted about privacy. Having never had a girlfriend, Trent couldn't really empathize, but he could imagine how bad the embarrassment would have been.

"Well..." Trent said in response to Chase's question about his holiday, unable to resist the urge to tease his friend gently, "There was a general absence of gorgeous girlfriends, unusual Christmas packages and mortified parents - so I think less eventful is a fair summary."

[Chase Connors]

Chase grinned. "Oh, so you think I'm sexy, do you?" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in order to limit his laugh to a chuckle and not a full out fit.

He just couldn't believe his mother would actually do something like that! Like... seriously? "So was before or after you read about the box..?" He grimaced as he though back to that day. It had seemed like a really good idea at the time... till his parents walked in of course. But, things seemed to have righted themselves after that.

But still, for her to write to Trent for him to keep an eye on him? Was that really necessary? Damn... it was because of that thing in the kitchen, wasn't it? He could just bet that was it...

"You know, the whole mightn't have been so bad if it wasn't obvious my dad had stood outside the door the whole time... he pretty much quoted us back... Gods that was awful..." Chase wasn't that easily embarrassed and he tended to be able to just... get through it, but hi dad mockingly quoting them? That was pretty bad...

Changing the subject a little, Chase asked after Trent's Christmas instead.

He grinned. "So you liked your present then, did you?" Chase had opted for a slightly more... 'adult' themed Christmas present for his friend this year. Mostly because he knew Trent would only open it on Christmas day when his parents were there, and wouldn't think to be a bit cautious by something sent by Chase.

He grinned and winked at Trent. "You loved it really, mate."

[lukejordan]

"Oh yeah, you're so sexy. I can't resist you, baby." Trent pulled a coquettish face and blew a kiss at Chase. "Make me yours." He chuckled along with Chase, resisting the urge to break into a fit of laughter, knowing that it would likely set his friend off too and unwilling to risk Chase suffocating due to a lack of oxygen while laughing.

"Unfortunately I did reach the box part. But the graphic description of how well you've grown up and how you're finally falling in love and Emily is such a lovely girl." Trent smirked, "Yeah, I managed to skip all of that."

As Chase related his father's reaction, Trent winced in sympathy. Thankfully his parents had been far more low-key in their reaction to Chase's rather risque choice of present. In fact, as soon as they saw Chase's name on the label of such a large package, he and his parents had been prepared for the worst.

And so they'd been unsurprised when the box was opened to reveal a sex doll. A sex doll of all things! Chase may have been a Halfblood; but where the hell had he found one? "Oh yeah, I thought it was great. I've fallen in love with her - Professor Flitwick will be performing a permanent Animation and the Headmaster will be conducting the wedding ceremony."