VIOLET (A Harry Potter Universe Fanfiction)

3.

Professor Munslow arrived at nine AM on Friday to deliver Caiti's plants.

"My goodness," he said, setting the plants down on the open table space Caiti had left for them. "How did you come upon this so quickly?"

"Marlowe," Caiti said. "He built it."

"Did he really?"

Caiti just smiled. She still couldn't quite believe it herself.

"Well, it certainly beats renting out a stretch of a table in a shared greenhouse like I'd suggested," said Professor Munslow. "It's a beautiful space."

He helped her get the plants all set up, updated her on the few developments of the past week, gave her a few tips on the other plants she had collected, and assured her that should she ever have any trouble or any questions, she shouldn't hesitate to send him an owl.

Then he left and Caiti stood in the quiet greenhouse with her arms folded and stared at all the bright yellow blooms she had spent the last six months cultivating. She willed them to turn out to be worth all that time.

—-

Marlowe came by to see them when he got off work. "They just look like ordinary flowers," he said.

"I know," said Caiti. "I swear if I've wasted all this time and energy on them, I'm going to find a very high cliff and hurl them all over the side."

"I doubt it'll come to that," said Marlowe.

He peered at the one with the most blooms.

"That was the first one," Caiti said. "It took like a month to even sprout. I've gotten better at getting them started."

"Did you try anything with them today?" Marlowe asked.

Caiti pulled herself up to sit on the edge of the large table in the middle which she had left mostly open as a workspace. "No," she said. "I'm too scared."

Marlowe walked down the row of plants again.

"Scared of what?"

"They just traveled. They might be stressed. I don't want to screw it up by plucking off petals too early."

Marlowe cracked a smile. "You talk about them like they're people."

"They might as well be for how temperamental they are," Caiti said darkly.

Marlowe turned back to her, placed his hands on her knees and slid his palms up her thighs and to her hips. "Give it the weekend then. You can start Monday."

Caiti just looked at him for a while.

"How are you feeling?" she asked out of the blue. The full moon was just a few days away. "Can I make you anything to help?"

"I don't know. I felt alright today, I guess," Marlowe said. "Usually it's the two days before I start to feel really achy. I guess my joints felt a little creaky today."

"Come with me," Caiti said. She slid off the table, linked her fingers with his and then slipped past him and headed towards the office.

She let go of his hand beyond the door and started going through the various bottles and containers she had already collected on the shelves Marlowe had installed for her. She pulled out half a dozen items, set them on the table, and grabbed her silver cauldron.

"Do you just use whichever one you feel like?" Marlowe asked.

Caiti laughed. "No. They each work a little differently. This one isn't practical for a lot of potions, but it's good for the one I'm making."