Hadrian Romanoff and the Beginning

Chapter-17

Pomona Sprout nearly fell into the large pot she was planting seeds in when someone suddenly called out her name.

Righting herself, and trying to preserve her dignity if whoever it was had seen her almost face plant into the wet soil, she wiped her hands on her apron and turned to see one of her first year badgers, Wayne Hopkins, standing in the doorway of the greenhouse with an anxious look. Behind him stood a handsome man with slicked back hair and piercing eyes who had a large hand placed reassuringly on Wayne's shoulder.

"Ah, Mister Hopkins, and...?" Pomona trailed off expecantly even as she put her hands in the pocket of her apron, fingering her wand. She didn't recognize the man and her student looked troubled about something. If the stranger proved to be a threat then he had chosen the wrong place to meet her. The greenhouse was her domain and her power was held in the earth. The man would be in a world of surprise if he thought her no threat.

"Loki Skywalker, I journeyed here with young Hadrian's mother to help in his healing." The man introduced himself.

Pomona nodded, though she kept her hand on her wand. "And what brings you all the way out here with Mister Hopkins?" She asked with a edge of steel to her words.

Loki gestured to Wayne to step forward into the greenhouse. "Young Wayne here has something to inform you of."

"Is that so?" She asked, her eyebrows shooting up.

Wayne nodded before swallowing and nervously and looked back at Loki for support. Loki only arched an eyebrow at the boy and gestured with his hand towards the Hufflepuff Head of House.

Pomona frowned. The plump witch stepped towards her student and reached out to him in worry. "Mister Hopkins, Wayne, whatever it is it you wish to tell me, I'll listen. Is it truly important?" Wayne nodded slowly. "Then I will sit here and listen until you are finished. The only reason you should worry is if you've done something that's broken the rules, though I doubt that's what this is about." She added with a small, teasing grin and was rewarded with a shaky smile in return.

The Herbology professor led her student over to one of the benches, noting that Loki, while still within sight and earshot, kept his distance to allow some semblance of privacy. Pomona wondered what the man had to do with anything, though she guessed she would find out soon enough.

Once they were both sitting comfortably, Pomona having decided against casting a privacy ward around the two of them when she noticed the almost panicked looks Wayne kept sending the man watching them, as if seeking reassurance.

"Now, Wayne, would you mind telling me what this is about?" She asked gently. She absently wondered if this was something that would have to be taken to the headmaster.

Wayne took a deep breath. "Do you know why I'm failing every class except yours?" He started. Pomona shook her head, honestly not knowing the answer. It could be a multitude of things - from homesickness to not being able to adapt to the new world he had been thrown into or nerves or he could just very well be a less than spectacular student who only showed any effort in something that interested him. "I didn't at first either. I mostly understood the theory when we went over it in class, but when it got to actually casting the spells it didn't feel right."

"Didn't... feel right?" Pomona asked curiously.

"Yeah, like when you try to push open a door that you're supposed to pull. It wouldn't go the way I wanted it to go and it made it really hard to cast even the spells the professors said are really easy and simple." Wayne looked down in an attempt to hide his embarrassed blush.

"And you've discovered what was causing this difficulty?"

Wayne's grey eyes flickered over to Loki once again. "Yeah. Hadrian and his friends were showing his mom and uncle around the castle when Loki sensed what I was."