Ep.2
"Trip to the Burrow & Owls Overhead"


Teddy, clasping onto the handle of his wheeled trunk with both hands, followed Andromeda into the green flames of the cozy living room fire place and reappeared into the messy kitchen hearth of the Burrow many, many miles away from home. Right away he was welcomed with a hearty clap on the back by George Weasley and a kiss on the cheek from Angelina, George's wife.

"Heyyy Teddy!" George exclaimed, ruffling Teddy's messy hair about. "Fred's just gone out with his Gran to the garden. He'll be right along."

Teddy smiled happily. There was something warm and perfect about being at the Burrow that made it feel like home. He followed Andromeda into the living room where an odd assortment of furniture pieces had been pushed into a circle in the center. Four figures stood up almost immediately as Dromeda entered the room.

"Mrs.Tonks!" Arthur Weasley grinned congenially. "It's so wonderful to see you and Teddy!"

"The pleasure's all ours!" Her lips spread nearly to each ear. "Teddy couldn't stop about coming here, of course."

Teddy looked up for approval to Andromeda with a raised brow. Once she nodded yes, Teddy left her side and rushed across the room to embrace Mr. Weasley.

Arthur knelt down and wrapped an arm around Teddy's shoulder. "We're going to have fun this month, aren't we?"

Teddy replied energetically, "Fred told me you've got loads of new muggle stuff in the shop! He knows I've got an eye for that sort of thing and said I could help. I can help, can't I?"

" 'Course you can!"

Andromeda addressed the other three people that were in the room, "Harry. It's a pleasure as always. And of course Mrs.Potter. Congratulations, by the way. I heard you were expecting."

"I am." Ginny grazed her protruding tummy affectionately with the tips of her fingers. "Thank you."

Teddy had never met the fourth person before. But he supposed he was a Weasley for he was tall, lanky and had long scarlet hair that was tied back fashionably into a pony tail.

"Harry!" Teddy shouted suddenly, forgetting that his God father was also in the room. "Gran let me buy a birthday gift for you while we were in Diagon Alley getting my school things. I know your birthday isn't until tomorrow but Fred told me you would be gone tomorrow so I ought to give it to you today while we're all here."

Harry laughed with amusement, "well alright. You didn't have to get me anything, you know. I'm just happy to see you!"

Seconds later, Molly Weasley, along with her grandson Fred and a charismatic young woman with long silvery, blonde hair entered the room. Fred mirrored his father with freckles and orange, tidy hair. But his eyes were bright and wide like his mother's. He was much taller than Teddy and had a wild smile on his face.

Immediately Teddy and Fred met outside the circle of couches and chairs while Molly hugged Andromeda and greeted her. Teddy could hear his Gran say, "Thank you so much for letting Teddy stay until the school year begins in a month. And I will of course be here the night before to help send them on their way."

"Teddy," Fred swayed his attention and they both headed up the crooked stair case with Teddy's things. "You have no idea how boring it's been around here. I don't know why dad insists we stay here half the summer!"

Teddy shrugged as they passed the first bedroom and continued up the stairs. "I like it. You think it's boring here? My Gran doesn't let me do anything."

"Anyways, my Grandpop got loads of cool stuff for you to see and he's promised to take us to a Quidditch match!" Fred responded casually.

"Really!? Don't tell my Gran. She thinks they're unsafe!" Teddy replied in an anxious whisper as they climbed the third set of stairs. "Are we going to see the Holyhead Harpies?"

"Of course we are. That's Aunt Ginny's old team. She's got free passes."

"Oh!"

The room on the third floor was where the boys would be staying. It was the biggest of the bedrooms because, according to Fred, had been his father's and his uncle's room together. "Cool, huh? Imagine all the crazy stuff they made in here! I've seen some of it!"


***

Hundreds of Owls swarmed the morning sky, flying low towards Hogwarts with rolls of parchment tied to their feet. Dotty'd never gotten to see the pre-school term events and after being tipped off by Slughorn, had camped out early in the morning out in the fields to watch.

To her surprise, one of the owls separated from the swarm and dove down towards her. Lying out on a large flannel blanket on her stomach with her feet crossed, she propped herself up on her elbows and squinted through the sunlight as the bird came in low on the wind. The paper back romance novel, "Helga Hufflepuff's Secret Love Affair," she'd been reading flipped open on the ground from the breeze and shed its old pages to the sky before slapping shut.

"Awh, I've lost my page," she exhaled irritably, sending her bangs flying off her forehead.

Coming closer into view, Dotty recognized the large eagle own almost immediately and sprang to her feet.

"I was wondering when Andromeda would send you with a reply!" she exclaimed to Andromeda's large, fluffy old owl, Darwin. However, Darwin didn't stay long. He merely dropped his parcel and continued to the owlery with the rest of the group.

Dot scowled after Darwin and carefully unrolled the parchment. The letter read;

Dorothy,("Ugh. I wish she wouldn't call me that!")
I apologize for the delay in my reply. Yes, I ended up folding in and giving Teddy his letter to Hogwarts immediately. He sent the reply letter himself directly after dinner.

Yes, in response to your question about Hufflepuff. He is so very much like his mother. However, he does have several qualities that are distinct among those sorted into Gryffindor, which he is most keen to joining like his father.

I know I've been over protective of him with home schooling him over the years. I'm a bit worried how he'll do around the other children. Please keep your eye on him - no, I'm not asking you to spoil him with attention, Dorothy. Just guide him, please.

Yours,

Andromeda

"Well, good." Dotty said to herself, folding the piece of parchment and placing it into her novel. "I don't plan on babying any of my students no matter who they might be."

She tucked stray strands of hair behind her round ears and sat back down comfortably on the blanket. Immediately, however, her attention was stolen by the curious sight of a figure nearly stumbling over the hill by the black lake. She shielded her eyes with her hands and gazed, frozen. The figure tripped at the top of the hill, spilling an armful of oddities into the grass. It cursed loudly.

Dotty grinned, "Professor Longbottom!?"

It looked up abashedly then smiled.

"Oi! What're you doin; out and about so early?" she called, getting to her feet. "Lemme come help you!"

She kicked off her heeled boots and climbed the dew-frosted hill with bare feet.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your owl watching." Nevile apologized once Dotty met him at the top.

"You knew I was up here?" she inquired, reaching down for a large glass jar which was opened and spilling its contents onto the soil.

Neville scooped what looked like small, pearly beans into his hands and, with Dotty's help, cautiously poured it back into the jar.

He answered, "Yeah. 'Passed 'ya earlier this morning while you were reading."

"I would have helped." she handed him the jar and paused to make serious eye contact. He winced in response as if he was in trouble, then bore a little half smile. Caught off guard, Dotty looked away and stooped down for the nearest fallen jar.

They collected quietly beneath the sparse flocks of owls and headed down the hill together.

"These plants," Neville piped up. "They're very peculiar."

Dotty glanced away. She had caught him staring curiously at her bare toes.

Neville continued, "they look like tiny seeds, but, right as the sun reaches over the lake, they pop open and spread pollens into the soil which are ... are very useful for curing bites from certain ... er... plants."

Dotty laughed quietly, remembering his bandaged thumb. They stopped beside her book, blanket and boots.

"It'll be alright," Dot said peering over the pyramid of jars down at her belongings. "No one I know would steal Helga Hufflepuff's Secret Love Affair." She chuckled. A hesitant, weak laugh from Neville followed.

They carried on across the field towards the edge of the castle to the green house. The glass walls reflected the watermelon sunshine that was filtering through lower-horizon, puffy cloud cover.

"Professor Sprout told me about you," Dotty mentioned casually. Neville might have tripped over his own feet at this remark, but Dotty was in the middle of a thought.

She continued, "I'm her niece, you know? Although I hardly know a thing about Herbology, so don't ask. But I suspect I can leave all that up to you. She says that you're a genius."

"Oh... not really - " he tried to protest, but Dotty intervened.

" - she said you might be able to give me a tour. - of the staff rooms anyways. I went to school here so I know the non-restricted areas very well."

"I could - "

" - and she said that you could tell me all sorts of things about the new green house plants you guys planted together incase I ever need to use them." Silence once she finished.

She could tell that Neville was waiting to answer to make sure she didn't interrupt again. This happened frequently to her. He strolled beside her, readjusting the jars of plants every now and again.

Neville began, "Well, what do - "

" - so how long have you been teaching here?" Dotty surveyed.

He replied hesitantly, "I helped ... - "

He waited for her to say something. When he looked over in her direction, she was smiling widely and nodded for him to continue with a little, "Uh-huh."

He went on, "I helped Professor Sprout run the green houses for the last four years, teaching more classes each year. This year, now that she's retired, I'm running it on my own."

"I can't believe she's retired." Dotty shook her head in disbelief. "Slughorn's nearly twice her age and he's still here!"

She followed Neville around the side of the greenhouse to where a nearly hidden back door was cracked open for easy access. The door, which was just tall enough for the average person, was half-concealed by the low hanging, budded branches of a near by short and fat tree. It reminded her of her aunt.

Neville ducked beneath the leaves and kicked the door open. "That's a Wolfe Tree." He explained upon catching Dot's expression.

"Why's it called a 'wolf tree?'" she inquired before they ducked into the building.

In the middle of stepping over a fallen tree trunk, he balanced his jars in one arm and rose his index finger to his lips. "Shh..."

SHe tilted her head with her ear to the wind and waited. She didn't hear, however, what Neville was hearing until she closed her eyes. A very soft symphony of howls were cooing from the tiny buds on the branches. She sighed in silent euphoria and climbed into the greenhouse after Neville. He had been explaining to her the purpose of the Wolfe Tree but she only cauht the second half of the lecture.

" - 'keeps most of them away anyhow. - ... This is where I keep the most sensitive and ill plants."

This section of the green house was humid and the roof was low. There were tiny pixie-type creatures hopping from plant to plant tending to withering leaves or sloppy looking petals. They had great big, bug like eyes which were the only visible feature of their extremely small bodies. They glowed bright orange and their wings were long and silvery. One of them flew directly into a jar that Dotty was carrying and showered itself with the dust.

"Must've gotten bitten," Neville stated in a normal tone of voice. Dotty noted that, now that they were in the greenhouse, Neville's tense body language had subsided and his smiles were not as uncommon.

"What are those?" Dotty wondered aloud, mimicking Neville as he set the jars down on a soil-covered table near the door.

"Those are Lilly Lovers. That's their common name anyways. They're technical name is lidivus dalanis. They mimic the appearance of common bees and things so that the plants willingly allow them to care for them." He abandoned the table and headed deep into a vine-roofed aisle of the strangest plants Dotty'd ever seen. She quickly followed behind as to not get lost.

Her bare feet crunched old leaves and pieces of soil. Some of the vines, purple and green in color, reached out their arms to her stroked her cheeks. She squealed.

Neville laughed, "those vines in particular are very affectionate. They love to be touched and talked to. When it was really ill, I spent an entire evening reading it to sleep."

He steered off the main aisle and with a flick of his wand, several windows along the back wall popped open and let in a whoosh of fresh air. Some of the plants sighed heavenly with relief. They stood silently together side by side; Neville gazing pridefully as if it was an artist's masterpiece, and Dotty gaping about with a wondering brow.

"Anyhow, thanks for the help." Neville said suddenly, as one of the affectionate vines wrapped an arm around his hand, tickling the bandage on his thumb.

"No problem," she assured him, staring about with an open mouth. Another arm of the vine was discovering the soft texture of her hair.

Before either of them could blink, an owl flew into one of the opened windows, dropped a brightly colored piece of parchment and went on its way. The parchment unrolled itself once presented to Neville and a bunch of confetti and balloons came popping out. A voice from the parchment cried, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! LOVE GRAN!"

The vine had backed away in fright and Neville's ears turned bright pink. The birthday package then commenced playing a birthday march song very loudly throughout the greenhouse. Quickly, he rolled it up and stuffed it into a drawer of nearby desk.

"Happy birthday, eh?" Dotty looked over at him with half of her lips curling into a smirk

"Yep. It's my birthday." He nodded as if it was an every day sort of deal.

Right away Dotty knew what she wanted to do tonight, "You're not doing anything tonight, are you?"

"What makes you think that?" He responded, taken aback.

"But you aren't, right?"

" ..." he squinted with a growing wonderment.

"Come on, now. Who here at Hogwarts are you spending your birthday with? Professor Trelawny?" She nudges him playfully with her elbow. "I am taking you to Hogsmeade tonight."

-End