A/N: Hey y'all! This was written for Hogwarts. Prompts are below :)

Agricultural Studies Task 1: Write about watching someone grow (the plant and their relationship)

Word Count: 1876

Thanks to Grace for beta'ing!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.

Enjoy!

Really, it had all started because of Pomona's haircut. The way she smiled at him when she asked what he thought of it was difficult to ignore.

It had taken him right back to his youth when he'd first begun apprenticing with his predecessor. He'd felt so out of place then, in the middle of a magic castle when he knew he lacked that gift. Sometimes he'd been downright humiliated. But she'd always had a smile to offer him, and so he admired her from afar.

Then she graduated and he remained there, outside of things once more. But she was back now, teaching Herbology to the students. He'd changed quite a lot since his youth, but she didn't seem to mind.

There was always that damned smile.

"Well, Argus? Do you like it?"

He glanced over at her, his brown eyes widening with surprise. "I… yes."

Her whole face softened as she beamed at him. Her hair—dark as the soil she worked with—now curled about her face in a way even he thought was flattering. He could feel that old attraction creeping back up to the surface and quickly looked around for a distraction.

"What is that?"

Pomona looked over at the pot she'd been watering and laughed a little. "My latest project," she answered vaguely. "When it grows, you'll see."

He raised a brow, but didn't respond. After a moment he excused himself, leaving Pomona and her warmth behind him.

The next month, he found himself alone with her again.

Argus scowled when he saw the two black-haired boys running away from the greenhouses, Pomona's shout chasing them.

"Potter! Black! Return my property, boys!"

Argus hurried over to her. "What did they take? I can get the headmaster—"

Pomona looked surprised for a moment before she shook her head. "That won't be necessary. They'll bring the pots back; they always do. Yelling after them is more a formality than anything else." The former Hufflepuff's eyes sparkled. "You look like you've had a long day! I've got some tea brewing, if you'd like a cup."

Argus hesitated. The sun was setting and darkness was beginning to settle in, but he couldn't deny that he liked spending time with this woman. So after a moment, he nodded and followed her in. She sat him down in a chair, which he sat in stiffly, feeling out of place amongst all the plant life.

After a minute, Pomona's tan hands were holding out a teacup to him. He took it, trying to hide the way he trembled.

Pomona sat beside him and took a sip from her own cup, a smile on her face. After a moment, she pointed to one of the pots sitting on the windowsill in the sun. A little green sproutlet was peeking above the soil. "He's growing, see? It's a bit slowgoing, is all."

Argus recognized the plant from last time. He didn't hold any particular interest in it, but he wasn't about to tell her that. "Ah, yes. I see. Very nice."

He wanted to kick himself for those words, but Pomona didn't seem to notice how terribly disinterested they sounded. "Isn't he? I can't wait until he blooms."

She looked so content that Argus felt himself relaxing. He resisted the urge to tug on his long, mud-colored hair—a habit that came out when he felt pensive, though he'd tried to curb it ever since his mother called it "horrid". He simply looked at Pomona for a while, marvelling at how she seemed to think even the simplest of things beautiful.

Argus took a sip of his tea, not even wincing at the bright lemon color of the cup. She'd been so lovely to him since she began working at Hogwarts that he decided he should make an effort to return her kindness.

"I… missed you, after you graduated." He was careful to keep his voice neutral, but the words were so true they ached. "It's nice to see you again."

A light flush spread across Pomona's nose and cheeks. "I missed you, too, Argus," she murmured. She looked up at him, her mossy-green eyes sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the windows. "I wondered after you. I'm glad you haven't left yet."

He wasn't sure how to explain to her that as difficult as it was to be around magic, he couldn't imagine a life without it. As a Squib, there really weren't many jobs that could keep him connected with the wizarding world. He cleared his throat. "I'll be here for a long time yet."

Pomona smiled and patted his knee. "Who knew we'd be coworkers? This certainly wasn't the path I expected my life to take, but I must say that I'm not disappointed."

Argus took another sip of tea, liking the way it scalded his tongue. "Yes," he mumbled. "Who knew?"

Two months later, Argus' visits to the greenhouses were much more frequent. He found comfort in her company; she never showed any sign of annoyance when he dropped by. She seemed delighted, in fact. He was normally received in the opposite manner, so this change was very welcome.

The students were whispering, though. They noticed everything—it was something he'd always hated about the inhabitants of Hogwarts. Pomona wasn't annoyed by the giggles whenever Argus was near her—she seemed to think it was amusing, even though there wasn't really anything going on between them.

Argus wasn't amused. It was his private life, and he'd like it to stay that way, thank you very much.

Surly because of the looks he was getting from the students, Argus trudged down to the greenhouses one afternoon for tea with Pomona. He stopped at the door, trying very hard to calm down before he went inside. Pomona didn't deserve his anger.

When he entered, however, he didn't find Pomona there—he found Poppy.

Her eyes locked onto him when he came in. "Argus, hello. Are you looking for Pomona? She's in the forest, collecting some samples for me. Medicinal herbs and the like."

He nodded, slightly gruffly. He wasn't sure how to share this space with the other woman. The Hogwarts matron narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, don't let me scare you off, Argus. I'll be out of here in a minute."

He nodded again. He'd been about to say "See to it that you are," but when he pictured Pomona's face if she heard him, a wave of shame washed over him. So instead he said, "Thank you."

Poppy tilted her head to one side before taking a few steps forward. "You and I have been working together for a long time, Argus," she said softly. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm glad she's making you so happy."

He stiffened. This was dangerously close to topics Argus never wished to discuss with anyone. "I don't understand what you mean," he said a bit sharply, turning his head away.

Poppy just smiled. "Love is, I think, wasted on the young. I'm glad you both got this chance. Don't waste it."

Argus' chest tightened. "I don't—"

Poppy shook her head. "It's clear how much you two care for each other. Even the students see it!" She laughed a little, but not unkindly.

Argus stared at her for a long time, unsure whether or not she was making a joke out of him. Eventually, his eyes traveled over to that little plant Pomona loved so much. "Has that been watered today?"

Poppy followed his gaze and shrugged. "I'm not sure."

Without looking at the matron, he picked up a watering can and let the six-inch tall plant drink. Poppy didn't seem to mind his rudeness; she only smiled in an all too knowing way.

Before he could snap—the way she was looking at him made him uncomfortable—Pomona came in. "Oh, here you are, Poppy. I'm sorry it took so long. And Argus! I'm glad you're here—did you water him for me? Thank you so much, I've been so distracted lately, I can't believe I forgot…"

She prattled on for a few more minutes, but Argus wasn't paying much attention. I see how much you care for each other, Poppy had said. Which meant that, if Argus' feelings were clear, Pomona must feel the same…

He shook his head and tuned back in just as Pomona was shutting the door after Poppy. She beamed at him, her hair a mess but her eyes glowing. "Well then, it looks like it's just you and me, luv."

Argus swallowed when he heard the term of affection. Pomona was the sort of woman who used them frequently with everybody, but sometimes he felt that this one was meant just for him.

It was a ridiculous notion, but he clung to it nonetheless.

He suddenly remembered Poppy's behest—don't waste this chance. It was the only thing she'd ever asked of him, and it felt wrong to ignore it.

Pomona, oblivious to his internal struggle, reached out a hand and lightly brushed her fingers against his wrist. "I know it's a slow-blooming flower," she murmured, "but it means a lot that you've been as patient with it."

It was suddenly so obvious that she wasn't actually talking about the flower, he almost laughed.

He swallowed thickly, and decided to take a chance. Even if he'd misread this entire situation… Pomona wasn't one to hold grudges, or shy away to avoid conflict. He cleared his throat. "Some things… are worth patience."

When she grinned, he knew he'd said the right thing.

"That's it, guys," Pomona said excitedly a month later. "It's time to get rid of those thorns."

Argus watched carefully over her shoulder as their little flower—which had grown into a decent-sized clump of leaves and stems—shivered. It slowly shed its protective layer of thorns, finally fully grown. This was the fastest Argus had ever seen it move, and he had to admit it was fascinating.

Once all the thorns were gone, Pomona reached out and grabbed his hand, her eyes glued on the plant before them.

It happened slowly, but that made it all the more entrancing. The buds began to open up, revealing different colored petals. Some orange, some purple, some red—they were all gorgeous.

Argus cleared his throat. "They're here."

Pomona's expression was fond as she gazed upon the plant she'd been grooming for months. "Yes. And they're so perfect!"

Argus looked down at her. "What do they do?" he asked her, remembering the question he'd voiced so long ago.

Pomona placed her head on his shoulder. They'd taken Poppy's advice, and both were happier for it. The world really was brighter when you had someone to share it with.

"Each has different healing properties," she explained. "They're such a challenge to grow, though—they need to be in an atmosphere with plenty of love and affection."

She turned to smile gratefully at him. He realized what she was implying and cleared his throat. "Getting a cat… would've been easier, you know."

Pomona laughed out loud at that. "You get your cat, Argus Filch, and I'll keep my plants, thank you. Now, how about we have a nice cup of tea, eh? I think we could all use one."

And really, how could he refuse that?

A/N:

Writing Club:

Book Club: (color) black, (word) darkness, (dialogue) "Return my property!"

Showtime: 11. A Guy That I'd Kinda Be Into — (dialogue) "Who knew?"

Amber's Attic: 23. ArgusPomona

Liza's Lyrics: 13. But I find beauty in this world every single night - All Black

Angel's Arcade: Xianghua — (genre) romance, (era) Marauders, (dialogue) "It's just you and me, luv."

Lo's Lowdown: 1. (plot point) changing your hairstyle

Film Festival: 25. "Love is, I think, wasted on the young."

Seasonal Challenges:

Days of the Year: 13 September — Write about an optimist

Summer: 6. (word) tan

Colors: 9. Lemon

Birthstones: 8. Jasper — "That's it, guys. It's time to get rid of [word/name]."

Flowers: 10. Allium — (word) behest

Fire: 9. (word) warmth

Mix It Up: Character: Poppy Pomfrey; Prompt: (emotion) surprise