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Greenhouse Two was empty except for Professor Sprout and a Hufflepuff boy Andromeda had seen around but didn’t know the name of. She walked in, closing the door behind her, and tried not to jump away from the snapping plants oozing pus around her.
“Andromeda, welcome,” Professor Sprout said, looking happy despite the events. “You’ll be serving your detention with Edward here.”
The boy—Edward—waved, a bright smile lighting up his face. Andromeda waved back, but it wasn’t very enthusiastic. She really didn’t want to be here, and she couldn’t understand why Professor Sprout and Edward looked so merry.
“You two will be repotting our Dittany,” Professor Sprout said, gesturing t the corner of the greenhouse, where piles of large pots sat and next to them was a table filled with dittany that had outgrown their own pots.
“Once you’re done, you may go back to your dormitories,” Professor Sprout finished.
“Yes, ma’am,” Edward said with a small nod. Andromeda followed suit. Professor Sprout smiled, then left the greenhouse, leaving the two of them alone. Edward was the first to break the silence.
“I’m Edward Tonks. But everyone calls me Ted,” He said, holding out his hand. Andromeda took it, intrigued by this boy. He seemed nice enough, but she didn’t know much about him. He had curly blond hair and freckles splattered across his face. His dark eyes twinkled with merriment and some mischief, and his ears were a bit too big for his head.
“Andromeda Black,” She said.
“Like Phineas Nigellus Black?” Ted asked. “The old headmaster?”
“Yes,” Andromeda said. “He’s my great-great-grandfather.”
Ted’s mouth fell open as he stared at Andromeda. “That’s cool!” He exclaimed. “I don’t know much about him. I don’t know much about magic in general. I’m a muggleborn.”
Andromeda’s first instinct was to pull away in disgust like her parents taught her. Muggleborns shouldn’t be allowed at Hogwarts or in Wizarding society. At least, that’s what her family said. But Andromeda couldn’t imagine why they would hate someone like Ted so much. She figured she could make an exception for him.
“We should probably get started,” She said. “I’d rather not be here all night.”
“Good idea,” Ted said, nodding as he started to walk towards the pile of pots. Andromeda followed him, the task suddenly feeling overwhelming.
“How about I take the dittany out of the old pots, and you put them in the new ones?” Ted suggested.
“Sure,” Andromeda said with a shrug. “But I’ll warn you, I’m not very good at herbology.”
“Sure you are!” Ted said, waving away her comment. “You just need some practice!” Andromeda smiled at this.
“Maybe,” she said. She pulled the first pot of dittany to her and started unpotting it, the dirt quickly getting under her fingernails. That was something she never liked about Herbology. How messy it was. Ted, on the other hand, didn’t seem to mind the dirt and mud.
“Do you have any siblings?” Ted asked as they worked.
“Two,” Andromeda said. “My older sister, Bellatrix, is a few years older than us. She’s in Slytherin, too. And my little sister Narcissa hasn’t started Hogwarts yet.”
“Lucky. My brother doesn’t go to Hogwarts. He’s a muggle,” Ted said with a small frown. “It must be nice to have your sister here.”
“I suppose it is,” Andromeda said with a shrug. Ted looked at her, curious.
“Do you not like her?”
“No, I do. But she can be…”
“Bossy?”
Andromeda laughed and nodded. “Exactly. I think all older siblings are like that, though.”
“My brother certainly is,” Ted said with a laugh. “Us second children have to stick together.”
Andromeda smiled at him and found that talking with him was quite easy. From what her family said, muggleborns were stupid and undeserving. Ted seemed kind and smart, though. Maybe her family just hadn’t met many muggleborns.
“An easier way to take them out of the pot would be this,” Ted said, drawing Andromeda from her thoughts. He moved over to her and took a pot, demonstrating a different way to take the dittany out.
“You seem to know a lot about herbology,” Andromeda said, watching him. He shrugged.
“I like gardening. My mum and I have a garden back at home. But muggle plants are much different than magical plants.”
“Do you want to be a herbologist when you grow up?” Andromeda asked, copying what Ted had done and finding it much more successful.
“Nah. I want to be a healer,” Ted said proudly. Andromeda gasped.
“Me too!” she cried, a grin splitting across her face. She was beginning to like this boy more and more.
“Really? Awesome!” Ted said, matching her smile. “Maybe we could work in the same ward!”
The conversation quickly spiraled into what they would do as healers, and the time passed quickly. Soon, they had finished repotting and cleaning up, and it was time for them to leave.
“It was nice meeting you, Ted,” Andromeda said, feeling considerably lighter than she had when entering the greenhouse.
“You too, ‘Dromeda. Can I call you that?” Ted asked as they left. Andromeda nodded. “Cool.”
“Ted?”
“Yeah?”
“Are we friends?”
Ted paused and looked at her like she was crazy. Andromeda felt her heart drop. Was it too soon?
“Of course we are!” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Andromeda blew a sigh of relief.
Maybe now she wouldn’t be so lonely.