CHAPTER TWO

Ambrosia Harkins and Remus Lupin first speak to one another about a month after they've both been sorted into Gryffindor. The first year Gryffindors- and Slytherins -were in Herbology, something he, and everyone else in their class, has noticed that Ambrosia is a natural in.

Though they were working in pairs that day Remus and his three roommates took refuge at two dirt covered tables that were standing side by side to one another, in the back of the greenhouse.

"Potter, Black, Lupin, Pettigrew," the middle aged Herbology professor snaps at the talking boys. The class had started fifteen minutes prior to that and none of the four boys had even started on their assignment. Each of the roommates look at the plump woman with a false sense of innocence in their eyes. While both Sirius and James has mischievous smiles playing on the ends of their lips, both Peter and Remus's cheeks heated up in a guilty manner, neither boy yet used to getting into trouble.

"Yes Professor," Sirius smiles charmingly. Remus takes note of how Sirius could probably talk his way out of murder charges.

"I'm splitting you four up," Sprout said, her greying curls falling in her line of sight, "Black switch partners with Meadowes-no whining girls," Sprout said to Dorcas Meadowes and Marlene McKinnon, the two were friends, despite Marlene being a Gryffindor and Dorcas being a Slytherin, who'd paired up together at the start of class.

"Lupin," Remus looked up at professor Sprout, "Switch with Evans." His honey colored eyes went to the front of the room and saw Lily Evans grabbing her bag, leaving her spot next to a still smiling Ambrosia Harkins.

With his legs suddenly feeling like they were made out of both jelly and concrete. To him, the walk to his new table feels like an eternity.

Remus places his bag on the ground next to what was now his stool, and Ambrosia turned to him. She wa still smiling-she was always smiling, Remus thinks. Not that it's a bad thing, but how did the professor expect him to work now if this girl made his mind feel all wonky with a simple smile?

"Hi Remus," crossing out Lily's name on the worksheet they were suppose to be handing in at the end of class. He saw that it was halfway done. Remus also felt his cheeks heat up.

"Uh-Ambrosia, hi," he murmured, suddenly finding the withering wood of the table very interesting.

"How do you spell your name?" She asked, dipping her quill in her inkwell.

"R-E-M-U-S," He said, still not looking directly at her, "L-U-P-I-N." He noticed how nice her handwriting was compared to his. Though most people's hand writing was nice compared to his chicken scratch.

"So I don't suppose that you got very far on your worksheet?" She wasn't being mean, or snobby, in fact, her tone held a playful note in it, but that didn't stop Remus from looking down ashamed. He knew was lucky to be at Hogwarts, and yet, here he was repaying that debt by slacking off in class.

"Hey," she smiled, nudging his arm with her own, he looked up at her and noticed her usually bright, carefree smile had dimmed into a more reassuring one that made him feel a pleasant kind of warm from the inside out, "No need to fret, I was joking, between the two of us, we'll bang this out in one-two-three."

"Thanks."

"Honestly there's no need," she told him, turning her attention to the paper. "Herbology comes easy to me."

"Why's that?" Defense came easy to some kids, like James and Sirius, while children breezed right on by in Potions like Severus Snape and Lily, but Remus didn't think he'd every heard of someone having an affinity for Herbology.

"Well, see, my mums a Herbologist, so she's been teaching me this stuff since she rescued me," Ambrosia said flippantly. Remus's eyebrows came together and he couldn't stop himself from asked,

"Rescued you?" Ambrosia bowed her head so her face was closer to the table, this time wearing a bashful smile,

"I'm adopted." Remus nodded simply because he didn't know how to respond.

"Now," she clapped her hands together as she looked up at him, "Do you know-" she asked in a silly voice, "What three potions Wormwood is used in?" Remus laughed and nodded, knowing the answer.

Remus was happy he and Ambrosia finally spoke to one another.