Characters: Padma Patil, Terence Higgs Locale: the Higgs family home; specifically the garden, Tinworth Date: After work, November 6, 2003 Warnings? Terence attempts to discuss philosophy--the world may come to an end.
The grounds surrounding Terence's parents' home were wholly taken up by gardens, reflecting his mother's interest in herbology. Terence wasn't particularly enamored of gardening, but in his mother's absence the various magical and mundane plants did require some care. Mrs. Higgs might have hired someone to take care of the property while she and Terence's father were on holiday, but instead she had left the gardens in her son's hands.
That Terence's hands were even slightly capable was in no small part thanks to the Pureblood tradition of homeschooling. Faced with a rambunctious and hyperactive little boy underfoot each and every day, Mrs. Higgs had found that garden chores were an excellent way to keep her only son occupied and--more or less--out of mischief.
The same principle held true now that Terence was--arguably--an adult. His former hobbies off-limits due to the constraints of his parole, caring for the garden was one way to use up excess energy and combat boredom. Most evenings found him outdoors, tackling one chore or another. This evening he was in the midst of one of his childhood favorites.
Terence stood poised behind a shrub, eyes on a small burrow a few feet away. As he watched, a light brown little creature with a lumpy, potato-ish head ventured out, peering curiously this way and that. With a grin and a quiet "a-hah!" of triumph, Terence pounced, grabbing the gnome by the ankles. He swung the gnome around--once, twice, three times--then lobbed it over the front gate.