A/N: Um...I almost always forgets to mention this, but this story is slightly AU. Harry Potter fans, you'll see why. This story will get more interesting as it goes. And just in case again, this story is totally NOT a slash story.
Disclaimer: This site should really get a big 'Disclaimer Banner', but as for now this would have to do: I do not own Harry Potter. J. K. Rowling does.
The setting sun leaves a trail of bright blending colours as it moves toward the west sky. A humid, warm breeze delivers from trees to trees, and shimmers an orange shade to the otherwise quiet town.
"Here we are, Theodore!" Aunt Mary suddenly stops in tracks. "Can you smell the flowers tinkling through your nostrils?"
"You live in a flower store?" Theodore asks, disbelieved as he watches his aunt opens the gate to the green little store. He knows his aunt is a tree-hugger but not to such extend.
The silver gate slides open. Aunt Mary laughs when she sees his expression. "Don't worry, we live upstairs."
Theodore drags two of his luggages and follows Aunt Mary's lead, who's carrying the rest of his belongings, through the miniature forest. The moment they step in, a warm and soothing light lights on. Green and purple vines spiral the cash register near the front door and the staircase at the back of the store. When they reach upstairs, the first thing that comes into view is a wooden showcase mainly of china dishes in the first two rows, leaving the last three rows with souvenirs and well framed pictures. Adjacent to the showcase, near the window view of a well bloomed garden, is an armchair and the rest of the living room. The kitchen is connected to the living room, he realizes. There is no wall to separate the two areas. On the left of the showcase is a hallway of rooms.
"I know this is different than your house, but you'll get use to it." Aunt Mary assures. "Now come on, let's go to your room."
At the flicker of a switch, a small but tidy lime green room is revealed. The bed is centered at the first three quarters of the room with a closet standing guard on the opposite. They place down the luggages at the side of the bed.
"You can start unpacking and I will prepare dinner." She says, "But before that, I want to explain a few rules in this house."
He looks at his aunt as she hesitates on how to go on. "Yes?" He narrows his eyes, "You have my attention."
She chuckles suddenly and then sighs, "As you can see, Theodore, I don't own any house elves. Not even one. So things run a little different around here. I look after myself and since you're going to sleep under the same roof, I expect you to take part in this household."
First, the mention of no house elves and now this? Theodore does not like the sound of it.
"I know it will be different, but you will get use to it. Perhaps you will even enjoy it! As I always believe 'achievement and success through hard work.'" She laughs again.
His face twitches for a second at the mention of 'hard work'. He knows what is coming. He pretends to yawn, "Um, Aunt Mary can you leave it until tomorrow? I'm really weary from the trip."
"Oh no, it's going to be quick!" She responds, "Really, all you have to do is water the garden every morning around seven and again at four in the afternoon, take out the garbage every other Thursday night, clean your room every once a while…yes, that's about it I think…Oh! Also, come downstairs to help out the store during the day. Theodore, can you do that?"
Every morning watering the senseless plants and so as every heating afternoon. He hates being under the sun. The odor that will clung to his nostrils every moment his hands are on the filthy garbage bag. Talking to cupid-wrongly-strikes men and recommending them the perfect flower makes Theodore's stomach twist in disgust. That's not how he imagines his summer would be like. He imagines that he will be in his room most of the time, minding his own business. "Isn't that a little too much?"
"Oh, you're just tired today." She smiles. "Well, I will prepare dinner now. Make yourself at home!"
The cool breeze of the morning chills down Theodore's spine when he takes a step further into the garden. Everywhere, flowers bloom. He is not used to the bed and has the longest trouble falling asleep and just then, Aunt Mary drags him out of bed at six-thirty this morning.
He does not wait another moment longer and takes out his wand. He chants a water spell and soon small grey clouds hover above the plants. Big droplets of rain hit every part of the garden except for where he's standing. By the sound of the rain falling on the ground, it is not a gentle rainfall, but rather a rush one. The rain stops and the grey clouds disappear. Theodore tucks his wand back, satisfied with his work. Suddenly, water splats at the back of his head just as he's about to leave. He turns and water hits his face, blurring his vision. He pulls out his wand again and the other hand rubs his eyes. Before another attack, he glimpses a green leafy arm throws a water ball direct at him. When he finally realizes all the plants surround him possessing lives of their own, his wand slips out of his hand before he could counter the water attack. He tries to retrieve his wand while one hand desperately blocks the water. He grabs his wand and attempts to hex these crazed plants, but the water attack stops. He stands up to find the plants are in their original places, as if the event never happened. His clothes are soaked and he knows better. He turns to the house and his aunt runs toward him.
"Oh Merlin! Are you aright, dear?" Concerns fill her eyes. "You're all wet!"
"Funny coming from you, your stupid plants tried to drown me!" He straights his clothes after he casts a drying spell.
"My plants?" She gasps. "They wouldn't do that."
"Oh sorry, my mistake." He says sarcastically, upon seeing his aunt's disbelieved face. "It wasn't the plants, it was me. I pour ice cold water all over myself just for the fun of it. Did I mention it's freezing out here?"
"Oh Theodore, don't be unreasonable. They're gentle, they wouldn't do that. They wouldn't do that unless----" Her face suddenly relaxes, her lips curve into a smile. "Theodore, did you use any sort of magic watering the garden?"
He glares at her, feeling irritated.
"Theodore?"
"Yes and your stupid, ungrateful plants attacked me." His glare still lasts.
"Theodore, I wish you would stop calling my plants stupid." She sighs. "But to explain the 'attack'…I charmed the garden."
He raises his eyebrow.
"Magic is great, but when comes to plants, it takes more than a dose of magic to make them bloom full and beautifully." She looks at him warmly. "It takes patience and hard work."
There she goes again, saying 'hard work' and now adds with 'patience' just for the heck of it. Why can't Aunt Mary just cowers back like the rest of the Hufflepuffs? She's a Hufflepuff, isn't she?
"Well, I'm not going to water them again, if that's what you're thinking." With that, he stalks back into the house.
Theodore ignores his aunt's calls when he steps out of the flower store. 'What is she going to do? Ground me?' He sneers in his mind, 'Who does she think she is, telling me what to do?' He doesn't care that she's now his legal guardian, he isn't given a choice anyways. At least now, he finds himself hating Potter like he should. He glances at the huge signs as he strolls down the street. Just as he tries to remember where is the music store that he saw yesterday, he sees an instrument display across the street. He looks up at the name: Andy's World.
"Hi, can I help you?" A guy with huge acne on his face behind the counter asks.
"Yes, I'm sure you can." Theodore takes out his pocket-size guitar and set it on the counter. He points his wand at the guitar says the magic words, reverto expletus, and the guitar instantly returns to its full size. "I need a new set of strings for my guitar. Replace the strings on the guitar as well…and make sure they're of the highest quality."
"Yes, of course. I'll be back in a moment." The man replies and takes the guitar to the back room.
Theodore walks around the store, not particularly interest in any of the music this store has to offer. He heads back toward where the counter is, looking at the various instruments. There are trumpets, violins, saxophones, flutes; some drum sticks…an electric guitar hanging on the display wall glimmers its body. He feels draw to it. His hand moves along the neck of the guitar and around the body. Unlike a muggle electric guitar, an electric guitar in the wizardry world don't need an amplifier, it already have a switch attaches to the bottom of its body, making it more convenient.
A range of beats out of nowhere, just in time, lets him to lose into his thoughts. Like a song he is working on recently, the drumming matches the beating of his heart perfectly. A surge of energy bursts from his heart, racing through his nerves, his body, and his mind. At the strike of an inspiration, he grabs the guitar off the display wall, turns the switch on and starts to add into the conversation with the drumming. He closes his eyes, forgetting everything that ever exists, anybody that he ever encounters. For a while, he continues like this until he realizes the drumming stops. He opens his eyes and finds a boy around his age, messy brown hair that almost covers his confused brown eyes. He didn't say anything and still wears an astonished face staring back at Theodore, as he stands at the door near the display wall.
"You were the one drumming, right?" Theodore asks, breaking the silence.
The boy hesitates, his face flushes and he gazes down as he answers, "Y-yeah…"
"Why did you stop?"
The boy's gaze shoot up, surprised at the question. "Um…I…I ah, um…"
"Hey Neville, you still have five more minutes. Eager to get back to work already?" The man behind the counter brings back Theodore's guitar. "Here you go young man, anything else?"
Neville? He looks at the drummer again. 'Longbottom!' Theodore realizes. The Neville Longbottom who keeps blowing up every potion assignment Snap ever gives. Longbottom can actually drum? This makes no sense. Doesn't he have clumsy fingers? "Yes, wrap this up as well." He answers the man as he hands over the electric guitar.
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