𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥

Sprout's project

The moment she saw the girl, Minerva had a bizarre sensation. It was like she had seen her already, but she couldn't pinpoint who or what she reminded her of.

Blanche had made her entrance elegantly: her steps were well calculated, and she stood tall with seemingly no trace of uneasiness. There wasn't anything extraordinary in her appearance, but Minerva could discern that it wasn't ordinary, either: her straight shoulders and her very serious countenance provided her with a confident aura that was unmistakably remarkable. To catch her attention the most, though, were her piercing brown eyes: they had a bizarre spark to them.

She wasn't dressed fancily, as she wore a dark brown turtleneck, a long black skirt, and no jewelry; yet, her appearance was strangely charming. All in all, Blanche had something going on there, but Minerva couldn't put her finger on what was so noticeable about her.

She peeked at the girl while she was heading up the stairs, perplexed. Their eyes met again when Blanche turned around, right as Sprout was greeting Minerva, just for her to see Blanche suddenly rushing upstairs. She raised her brows, interrogating herself.

Did I say something wrong? No, I didn't. She was probably nervous, or maybe intimidated.

Following this line of thought, she resolved she'd be kinder to her at their next encounter.

"Minerva?"

Sprout attracted her attention. "I apologize, Pomona, I was diverted for a moment. It's good to see you again," she said with a warm smile. Sprout didn't seem to mind and just overlooked Minerva's distraction. "So, have you thought about the project?"

"Which project?"

"The Herbology course extension. I want to integrate it with a few optional lessons and a student-curated garden."

Minerva reflected for a few seconds, then she nodded. "We'll discuss it in the upcoming staff meeting, Pomona, but I must say that I find this to be a brilliant idea", she said, smiling warmly, "welcome back."

Sprout's face lit up, and she hopped away as she waved her hand to say goodbye, her grey hair flying around. She was a nice woman.