The Importance of Being Different
First Herbology Lesson

In June Irwin started his new job at the Ministry. This meant that it was more difficult to collect Olivia from school, school ended at a quarter past three, but neither of them got out of work until five o’clock.

Fortunately, Anne managed to talk to Griselda about starting early and finishing early. This meant that Irwin could drop her off before he went to work, and then Anne could pick her up afterwards.

June slowly drifted into early July. By this point they had been living in the new house for nearly three months and they had all settled in. Olivia had made lots of new friends, and Anne and Irwin were both enjoying their new jobs.

On the first Friday in early July, Anne apparated from the Ministry to go and pick up Olivia.

“Hi sweetheart,” said Anne giving Olivia a hug as Olivia came running over to her.

“Hi Mummy!”

“How was school?”

“It was great, me and Bethan made daisy chains.”

“I can see that,” chuckled Anne.

Olivia’s hair was full of daisy crowns, that were beginning to wilt slightly now.

“Did you know,” said Anne as they headed to the alleyway, “that when I was a little girl, me and your Aunty Luna used to make flower crowns all the time.”

“Really?” she asked.

“We used to make them out of wildflowers in their garden.”

“Wow cool!”

“Hold tight darling,” said Anne as she prepared to apparate.

Olivia gripped onto Anne’s hand as they apparated back to the house.

“I’ve got some good news for you,” said Anne as she fetched Olivia her afternoon snack from the fridge.

“What is it?” said Olivia excitedly.

“Well it’s a few pieces of good news really,” explained Anne.

“I work for the Department of Education, this department at the Ministry is usually only open during term time. Things have been a bit hectic recently because of trying to sort out the staffing issues and getting the school reopened. But the good news is, all the work is done, I don’t have to go back to work until late August.”

“So, you get Summer holidays like me?” she asked as she ate an apple slice.

“And Christmas and Easter,” nodded Anne.

“That’s so cool,” beamed Olivia.

“The other good news is, now that I don’t have to go into work every day, I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind having some people to stay.”

“Ohh like who?”

“Well, I was going to ask Luna to stay for a bit.”

“I like Luna, she’s nice.”

“Luna is nice isn’t she,” chuckled Anne.

“She teaches me about nargles and crumple horned snorcacks,” nodded Olivia.

“Are they real?” she asked.

“Well, I’ve never found any evidence for them not to be real, so I don’t see why they couldn’t be real.”

“Cool,” muttered Olivia, “anyone else coming?”

“Well Daddy’s brother Rolf has got a fortnight off next month.”

“I like Uncle Rolf, he’s cool, he knows all about different creatures, even the ones that aren’t magical.”

“He is pretty cool, he used to look after me when I first started at Hogwarts.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“He used to make sure I was eating properly.”

“Have you always been so skinny Mummy?”

“Um yeah,” muttered Anne pulling at the end of her plait.

“Is that why Daddy has to remind you to eat sometimes?”

“Yes, darling it is,” she nodded.

“So, what do you want to do this afternoon?”

“Can we do some work in the garden?”

“Of course,” beamed Anne.

It was starting to reach Summer, so the plants were starting to grow, but this also meant that the weeds were starting to come through. This meant that Anne spent a lot of time in the garden trying to pull out the weeds.

“What’s this one?” asked Olivia as they did the gardening.

“That is mint,” explained Anne patiently, “it is a seasoning, sometimes used in tea, it goes well with lamb.”

“And this one?”

“Hellabore, be careful it’s poisonous.”

“What do you use it for?”

“Daddy and me use it when making the Draught of Living Peace.”

“Why do you have to take that?”

“Mummy gets very stressed about things; she’s been very stressed at the moment with all the extra things going on at work.”

“This potion makes you feel better?”

“Yes darling, it stops me from having as many panic attacks.”

“And whats this one?”

“It’s called dittany, it helps heal minor wounds.”

“Cool,” muttered Olivia.

“Now I know what this one is,” she beamed.

“Those are daisies!”

“Yes, they are,” nodded Anne.

“But why are you growing daisies? They’re pretty but they’re not magical.”

“They are very pretty, but they are also used in certain potions. Daisies are used for example in a shrinking solution.”

“Mummy,” said Olivia as they pulled out some of the weeds.

“Hmmm,” muttered Anne as she harvested some Hellabore.

“Are you pregnant?”

“I’m sorry?” she chuckled.

“Are you pregnant? Dai is a boy in my class, he has lots of brothers and sisters. His Mummy is having another baby, he said that she is pregnant.”

Anne just continued to pick the plants. Anne and Irwin had been having trouble conceiving and it wasn’t for a lack of trying. If nothing happened by the end of the year, they were going to go to St Mungos to see if there was anything wrong with either of them.

“That’s nice.”

“So, are you pregnant?”

“Not yet no,” she sighed.

“So, I’m not going to have a little brother or sister soon?”

“No, but me and Daddy are trying very hard. It just sometimes takes a bit longer for some people to have babies than others.”

“Oh,” said Olivia somewhat disappointed.

“Are you sad Mummy?”

“What do you mean Livi?”

“Well, you and Daddy are trying very hard to have a baby but nothings happening. Isn’t that making you sad?”

“A bit yes,” she admitted, “but it’s ok though, because we’ve already got you.”

“There’s my two favourite girls,” chuckled Irwin as he came into the garden.

It was a warm day, so he had taken off his robe and tie, and rolled up the sleeves on his shirt.

“Daddy!” yelled Olivia leaping up from the ground.

“Hi princess,” said Irwin picking her up and spinning her around in the air.

“What have you two been up to this afternoon?”

“I’ve been learning about different plants; did you know that some muggle plants like daisies can be used in potions?”

“Yes, princess I did,” nodded Irwin, “have you been having your first Herbology lesson then?”

“What’s Herbology?”

“Herbology,” said Anne as she harvested the last of the plants, “is the study of different plants.”

“Do you know who the new Herbology teacher at Hogwarts is?” asked Irwin.

“No,” said Olivia shaking her head.

“Do you remember Neville?”

“He gave me a chocolate frog, and he showed me his old toys, he has a toy stuffed dragon that could fly!”

“Your Uncle Harry used to have one of those,” said Anne.

“Should we get you cleaned up in time for tea?” said Irwin touching a smudge of dirt on Olivia’s nose.

“When’s Aunty Luna coming to visit?”

“Not for another few weeks,” said Irwin as he carried her inside, “she want’s to spend some more time with her own Daddy.”

“But she is coming to stay for six whole weeks,” nodded Anne.

“By the time she comes I’ll be on holiday too!”

Irwin carried Olivia upstairs for her bath and Anne took a shower in one of the other bathrooms.

“Kreacher,” called Anne as she headed back downstairs.

“Yes Mistress Anne?”

“I was wondering as it’s such a nice day if we could have dinner in the garden?”

“Kreacher thinks that is an excellent idea. Kreacher is making a fresh salad with grilled chicken.”

“Sounds perfect,” nodded Anne.

It was a beautiful warm evening and they all had a lovely time. Anne didn’t have anything to worry about no Tom, no deatheaters, she didn’t even have to worry about going back into work until the end of the Summer. All that mattered was her family Irwin and Olivia and having a nice peaceful life. Maybe someday they would have more children, they would have to wait and see.