No one ever thought that Neville Longbottom would be the center of anyone's attention, but here it was. After the war, things didn't really work out with Luna, and Neville found all these witches wanting his attention. It wasn't for him or his personality, it was because he killed the last obstacle they had to defeat Voldemort.
Giving the fact that he was oblivious to a lot, it took him a few dates with several different women to figure it out. The women only cared about what he had done, not about who he was or what he loved. Even Hannah Abbott, who he thought would be his everything, turned out to be just another fan.
It was very disheartening and he wasn't sure what to do. So to make things easier, Neville turned his attention to his career. He tried his hand as an Auror but after a few years, he finally admitted to himself that the Auror life wasn't for him.
When Professor Sprout contacted him to take over her post as Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts, Neville was over the moon. Since he was so proficient in the subject, he only had to apprentice for a year before he had the position.
So here he was, close to 30 and a Professor at Hogwarts. If anyone asked, Neville could say that he loved his life. The only thing he would change was being so lonely. Little did he know that the perfect someone for him would be waiting close to home.
It was before a trip to Hogsmeade when Neville heard that a new shop had opened up. It was a shop for plants and flowers. Of course this piqued his interest so he offered to be a chaperone on the next trip.
On the day of the trip, Neville made sure to bring extra money in case they had anything he wanted or needed for his classroom or personal collection. As he watched the children rush off, Neville couldn't help but smile as he remembered his days as a student.
Seeing the new establishment, he came to a stop to admire the outside. It was a lovely bright spring green with the sign above the door looking like a garden gate. It had flowers all around in love shades of purple and pink. Normally Neville didn't like such colors but it looked nice with the shade of green the shop owner had picked.
It was named Rosemary's Garden and the bell chimed when he opened the door. Inside was a delightful menagerie of plants and flowers of the wizarding variety and even looked to be some muggle options as well. Blinking Nevile closed the door behind him, hearing someone call out from the back of the shop.
"I'll be right there!" The woman that came stumbling out caused Nevile to stop in his tracks. The word exquisite didn't even cover her beauty in Neville's eyes. Bright blue eyes were the first thing he noticed. They lit up the entire room, especially when she smiled, which she was now doing.
Her hair was a lovely shade of dark chocolate with a few streaks of striking royal blue. It was shaved mostly around the base of her skull and was styled in a mohawk fashion. It's not the kind of haircut Neville would choose for a woman but it suited her.
Blinking, Neville realized that she'd spoken to him. "Pardon?" The woman smiled again and moved towards him. "Welcome to Rosemary's Garden. I'm Rosemary. How may I help you, Professor?" Neville's face flushed and he looked down to his shoes. Rosemary was a perfect name for her.
Shaking his head, he lifted his eyes with a shy grin. "How did you know I was a Professor?" Rosemary grinned and made her way over to a few tables, straightening things as she went. "You have that aire about you. Professional, you know? And how lucky am I to have Neville Longbottom in my shop!"
As soon as those words left her mouth, Neville's spirits deflated. Of course she knew him. He said nothing, so Rosemary continued. "Everyone knows how much you love Herbology and plants so I'm honored that you would come into my shop."
Feeling better, Nevile smiled and looked around. "It is a lovely place, I must say. I like the diversity of it. However, I must ask what these are for?" Gesturing to the muggle herbs behind the counter. Rosemary followed his gaze and smiled, making her way over to them. "These are the most common herbs found inside muggle gardens. However, I find that they have a lot of use in the magical community as well. They are good for cooking and in some teas and tonics."
Wringing her hands, Rosemary bit her lip, worry on her face. "Both of my parents were pureblood but it didn't pass to me, I'm afraid. I'm a squib but they taught me everything they knew about plants. Herbology was the one thing I COULD do, so I fell in love with it." Looking at her with wonder on his face, Neville felt nothing but awe for the woman.
Being a squib in the wizarding community was hard and rare, but she was doing it with pride in her heart and a smile on her face. Smiling, Neville nodded. "Well, their lessons have made you into the woman you are today. It took a lot of guts to open a shop here, and here you are. I can only imagine that your parents are very proud of you."
Rosemary looked at him with tears in her eyes and she smiled as they fell down her cheeks, looking around her shop. "They died in the war." She whispered, causing Neville's eyes to jerk back to her face. Swallowing past a lump, he turned his eyes to the floor. "I'm so sorry."
She shook her head, taking his hands in hers. Neville noticed how soft they were and thought her tanned skin looked lovely against his. Shaking those thoughts from his head, he turned his eyes to hers, shocked to find thanks in them.
"No, don't be sorry. The war is over and they died doing what they felt was right. I thank you with every fiber of my being! Harry Potter may have dealt the final blow, but YOU are the reason Voldemort was so weakened. So I thank you for doing what you needed to do to end that war."
Smiling softly, Neville squeezed her hands and nodded. "You're welcome, Rosemary." Seeming to realize herself, she blushed and dropped his hands, clearing her throat. "So, what can I help you with, Mr. Longbottom?"
He tapped his chin as he looked around the shop, setting his eyes on the muggle herbs behind her. "What would you suggest for a beginner?" Smiling, Rosemary began to fill him in.
"Parsley is usually used for a food garnish but it's really good in stews. It aids in digestion and is a good source of vitamins A and C. Mint is delicious in teas and it also helps to freshen the breath. People often use it to calm irritated stomachs as well. It can be an invasive plant so if you plan on growing it, it's best to use containers. Sage is a wonderful herb you can use for seasoning sauces, meats and vegetables. It can be used to relieve cuts and inflammation and even helps with memory issues. It's a great attractant for bees as well….."
Neville listened to her in awe as she relied only on memory to tell him of the dozens of herbs she had in her inventory. She knew as much about different plants as he did and he was enraptured. Rosemary finally figured out she was just prattling on as he listened and her cheeks began to flame.
"I'm so sorry for rambling. Would you care for anything today?" Smiling, Neville straightened and nodded. "Yes, I shall take one of every herb you have." Blinking at him, Rosemary figured out he was serious and began working on gathering them.
Once everything was packaged for him, she included a book on the herbs free of charge. When Neville protested, Rosemary shook her head. "You're my first buyer, so I'm including this as a thank you." Feeling anger towards this, Neville grit his teeth and nodded. "I'm sorry you're being excluded."
Shrugging it off, Rosemary wrung her hands and forced a smile. "Maybe people will visit if they know that Neville Longbottom shops here." Her smile towards him turned genuine and he felt his insides melt. "I hope so. I know that I will be back."
As he made his way to the door, he bit his lip and turned back. "I know we just met….and um…..I'm not certain how many friends you have…...you know…..in the area…..I was wondering….if I could…..if we could…..exchange owls?" He hated the stammer and felt embarrassed of it, but when he saw Rosemary's face light up, he instantly felt better.
"Oh yes! I would like that very much! Owl me if you have any questions that the book doesn't cover. Or…...if you want to just talk…" Neville heard her stammer and saw her cheeks flush and his smile grew. "Great! Have a good day, Miss…..?"
A shy look overcame her face and she looked to her hands. "Donahue." Neville's smile softened and he nodded once more. "Have a good day, Miss Donahue." Hearing her name on his lips caused a thrill to race through her. "You as well, Mr. Longbottom."
As he left the shop and made his way back to the castle with everyone else, Nevile knew he would be spending a lot of his extra time in Hogsmeade. Rosemary watched him leave and felt giddy. Her first customer was Neville Longbottom himself! Wiping her hands on her apron, she smiled again and made her way to the back to restock the herbs.