This was inspired by a Fairly OddParents episode that I watched earlier. Go cartoons!(:
It's a simple Herbology assignment, really. Just successfully raise a Venomous Tentacula and you are almost guaranteed to pass for the entire year. No big deal, it's only a man-eating plant with rows of teeth and poisonous spikes.
Yep, passing Herbology is going to be easy as pie.
Dominique is the happiest of all the students when she receives her tiny little carnivorous plant, a grin taking up half her face and her eyes twinkling brightly.
It's a chance to prove herself, to show she's capable and responsible.
Dominique follows all of Professor Longbottom's instructions perfectly. When she leaves the greenhouse that day with dirt caked under her fingernails and streaks of mud on her face, she has this feeling in the pit of her stomach. The kind of feeling you get when you know everything is going to turn out absolutely perfect.
The next day Dominique finds her plant drooping and brown, dead. She's failed as a mother and a student and she has never been more disappointed in herself.
"Why does everything I touch die?" Dominique wails, stomping her feet childish.
Everyone in the room takes a step away from the sobbing Gryffindor, just in case.
Neville – Professor Longbottom, if you must get official – puts a hand on her shoulder. He's trying hard to hide the amusement on his face though the laughter is bright in his eyes.
"Don't worry, Dominique. We'll get you a new plant and you can try again. I'll help you."
Suddenly she isn't so upset anymore.
They take the assigment step by step, Professor Longbottom holding Dominique's hand (literally and figuratively) every step of the way.
Dominique's not ashamed to admit that she develops a teacher crush quite quickly on her Herbology professor. He's sweet and funny and he genuinely cares about her which is more than she can say about most people in her life.
The way his breath always smells like peppermint is nice, too.
When the assignment is done Dominique can't help but feel a sense of loss that she's not too familiar with. That stupid plant gave her an excuse to spend extra time with the man she likes – really, really likes – and now that it's over she's just another regular student again.
It's surprisingly painful.
But Dominique knows that their love will never be, so she let's it go. She moves on to more approachable guys ( guys like Scorpius or Lorcan or someone else equally as boring ) but she knows that Professor Longbottom – Neville, his name is Neville – will always have a place in her heart.