Chapter One
The small shop was the perfect peppermint juncture between Richmond Street and Holly Road, the pleasant light shade of green connected the two identical streets of tall white houses in a splash of colour.
From every window, planters spilt a variety of exotic and beautiful plants forward onto the street, and passers-by would stop and look entranced at the flowers that seemed to shimmer slightly or change colours in the light orange glow of the English morning sun.
The front door or the shop was painted white, and the brass letterbox had had small flowers delicately and lovingly painted emerging out of it.
When one would open this door the brass bell would chime from overhead and for the briefest moment, they would be hit with the most intoxicating smell of all the plants and flowers that dominated the shop.
The windows streamed light onto the hardwood floors and the small counter stood by the far wall, in front of another door that led into the back room. Flowers spilt from planter's vases and pre-made bouquets and dotted around every single available surface, pots of green, orange, pink, blue, lilac, red, yellow, Orca and more.
The quaint little shop and it's was a favourite of many and so were tales of the owner and his ever-escaping toad. The sign was displayed as such on the front of the shop- proudly declaring that the forget-me-not flower shop, was open for business.
Hermione Granger ducked into the shop out of the drizzle that had seemed to plague London over the last few days. The little brass bell rung and She sighed heavily as the aroma hit her. relaxing as the smell washed over her. She walked into the shop slowly, looking around-flowers were bursting from everywhere and Hermione only averted her eyes to look for a member of staff. There was no-one.
Walking towards a display of flowers underneath the pretty ornate mirror she sighed again. Hermione seemed to be doing that allot recently. Smiling to herself at the variety of violets, she became emerged in her own thoughts only jolting out of them as she heard the door behind her open.
Her eyes flickered up into the mirror as her body stiffened and her heart quickened. A tall man with a mop of brown hair was looking intently at something in his hands and he was murmuring quietly to himself.
She stared into the mirror in disbelief and blinked.
He hadn't seen her yet.
She blinked again.
It was still him.
She turned around slowly, scared as if she would startle him if she moved so quickly.
"Neville?" she asked quietly.
His head shot up and his blue eyes meeting Hermione's brown.
His heart fell into is stomach cold icy dread filling him. He didn't dare breath, never mind speak. But it was Hermione who talked first.
"It's been seven years. Where have you been?"