The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

Warm Milk and Tea

Warm Milk and Tea

Eureka Viridi submitted her resignation. Her heart was broken too deeply over Jasper Odair's sentence to life in Azkaban Prison and, as she wrote in her letter to the acting headmistress, she simply reckoned there would be no getting over the sorrow she felt so long as she was at Hogwarts School. And so McGonagall had written to Albus Dumbledore, imploring him to return to the school so that he could appoint a new Herbology teacher. However, the letter had found Dumbledore still trying to mend a broken Newt Scamander in New York and he had written back simply that he trusted the judgement of Minerva McGonagall to select a new member of staff.

The day that the new professor arrived was a sunny one and the Marauders were on the grounds, messing about and at transfiguring their trainers to have tiny wheels like roller skates and sliding down the curving stone bannister. Sirius was levitating Peter to keep him from smashing his face on the dusty ground when the new professor arrived, following after Rubeus Hagrid on the path, carrying an old fashioned suitcase, her hair in two short braids and a folded bandana tied beneath at the base of her neck. She wore farmer jeans that were patched at the knee with yellow patterned cloth and clogs about her feet.

Sirius stared, nearly dropping Peter in his distraction. "What do you reckon she's here for?" Sirius asked, squinting, trying to see the nameplate on the suitcase.

"Professor Viridi resigned," Remus said knowingly. Being friends with the girls during Care of Magical Creatures classes made Remus their information source - he had the gossip scene of Hogwarts tapped. "I'm guessing she's the new Herbology teacher."

Curious, Sirius sprang after her up the stairs and through the entrance doors.

McGonagall was running down the stairs when he stepped inside, holding her skirt so she wouldn't trip and she hurried up to the new person with a grin upon her face and gave the new person a hug. "You don't look a split different, Mona!" she said, holding the woman out at arm's length after a moment with a smile upon her face.

Sirius watched, smirking, from the hour glasses with the other three, Remus staring down at his toes instead of the reunion happening before them.

"The moment Albus told me to appoint the new Herbology professor myself, I knew exactly who would be the one I'd call upon," McGonagall informed her. "Professor Sprout."

Sirius's grin was wide as he turned to James, who was also smirking and stifling laughter. Remus was smiling down at his feet. "What?" Peter asked, looking between them, knowing there was something he didn't get. "What?"

"Reckon that's a right proper name for an Herbologist, inn'nt?" Sirius said, "Sprout?"

"Huh?" Peter looked clueless.

The farmer-jean clad woman smiled and knocked one of her braids back over her shoulder as it had snuck forward to hang upon her chest. "I can all but feel the stones of the castle dreading this," she laughed. "Both of us at once again... and I hear Elphie's here as well?"

"Had Elphie and Charlus - Fleamont Potter, that is - in my office at the same time just a week ago," McGonagall said.

"Gang's all here!" The Sprout woman said. Then, "Is Flea still with --"

Suddenly Peter snorted very loudly and both McGonagall and Sprout turned around to look at him, just now realizing the Marauders were there in the room and McGonagall scowled and said, "Come along, Mona, we'll continue this conversation in my office," and waved for the Sprout woman to follow her.