Millicent nips off the end of a hangnail on her thumb and replies without looking up. "Quite a bit of it." Sprout smiles.
Millicent was as suprised as anyone to find out she was good at Herbology and, moreover, actually likes Sprout, so she's almost glad there are no Slytherins in her group. It's perfectly all right for Draco to be proficient in her course and deign to treat Sprout like a proper Pureblood, but the rules are somewhat different for large-framed girls bordering on unattractive. A fact Millicent is just fine with, having had seven years to come to terms with it.
There was that summer spent with her grandfather in Munich fourth year, her last chance at changing her fate when Opa offered to speak with Igor Karkaroff about letting her in as Durmstrang's first female student. She thought she would want a way out, but it turns out she would have missing this mouldering pile of bricks and a few of the faces in it.
She glances across the way at Longbottom (subtly, she hopes, especially with Blaise in her eyeline, although he looks like he's mid-torment of a professor and thus is occupied). "All it really wants is a firm grip back."
The obnoxious Gryffindor in her group, every group has to have one, snorts.
"Very good!" says Sprout. And then, "Well now," as she stoops over to pull equipment from their box. Yes, four pair of long sheers and a whetstone handed off to Finch-Fletchley. And one, two, hmmm...
She wonders why Bulstrode let Herbology go after OWLs; she never put herself forward in lessons, but Sprout realises now she thinks about it that the girl showed promise. And she was never one to shrink from a bit of dirt under her nails.
... ah, four complete pair of quick-releasing gauntlets.
"There you are, Finnigan. Yes, take them all and share them round."
And... four reinforced gorgets.
"Let's see how these fit: we don't any of you choked along the way."
Sprout knows that once students specialize, they often let go of her course because it's not necessary in most of the career tracks. She understands that, but it seems a shame sometimes.
"Having difficulty, Finch-Fletchley? Here, let me help, no sense fumbling about."
Justin's still feeling a little foggy. Perhaps he should have had a nap instead of...
And now he's juggling an armful of long-handled clippers and was he supposed to sharpen these? He looks up, but Luna doesn't seem likely to know. She's sort of hovering over Sprout's shoulder, looking into the box.
Bulstrode jostles him and makes him drop the sheers. He's not going to argue when she snatches the whetstone from his hand and plonks herself down beside the pile. He steps cautiously back when she snaps open the first pair and begins sharpening its blade with great swishing strokes.
He puts on the gauntlets Finnigan hands him, but then he can't fasten the protective collar thingawotsit when Sprout hands it over.
Across the lawn he catches sight of Parvati Patil, laughing at something Dean Thomas has said, and Justin gets a funny flutter in his stomach as the sun glistens off her dark hair. Shame she's not in his group, he thinks.
And then he chokes as Sprout tugs sharply on the fastening beneath his ear.
He's still coughing when she asks her next question, so he figures he doesn't have to answer it.
Millicent was as suprised as anyone to find out she was good at Herbology and, moreover, actually likes Sprout, so she's almost glad there are no Slytherins in her group. It's perfectly all right for Draco to be proficient in her course and deign to treat Sprout like a proper Pureblood, but the rules are somewhat different for large-framed girls bordering on unattractive. A fact Millicent is just fine with, having had seven years to come to terms with it.
There was that summer spent with her grandfather in Munich fourth year, her last chance at changing her fate when Opa offered to speak with Igor Karkaroff about letting her in as Durmstrang's first female student. She thought she would want a way out, but it turns out she would have missing this mouldering pile of bricks and a few of the faces in it.
She glances across the way at Longbottom (subtly, she hopes, especially with Blaise in her eyeline, although he looks like he's mid-torment of a professor and thus is occupied). "All it really wants is a firm grip back."
The obnoxious Gryffindor in her group, every group has to have one, snorts.
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She wonders why Bulstrode let Herbology go after OWLs; she never put herself forward in lessons, but Sprout realises now she thinks about it that the girl showed promise. And she was never one to shrink from a bit of dirt under her nails.
... ah, four complete pair of quick-releasing gauntlets.
"There you are, Finnigan. Yes, take them all and share them round."
And... four reinforced gorgets.
"Let's see how these fit: we don't any of you choked along the way."
Sprout knows that once students specialize, they often let go of her course because it's not necessary in most of the career tracks. She understands that, but it seems a shame sometimes.
"Having difficulty, Finch-Fletchley? Here, let me help, no sense fumbling about."
Reply
And now he's juggling an armful of long-handled clippers and was he supposed to sharpen these? He looks up, but Luna doesn't seem likely to know. She's sort of hovering over Sprout's shoulder, looking into the box.
Bulstrode jostles him and makes him drop the sheers. He's not going to argue when she snatches the whetstone from his hand and plonks herself down beside the pile. He steps cautiously back when she snaps open the first pair and begins sharpening its blade with great swishing strokes.
He puts on the gauntlets Finnigan hands him, but then he can't fasten the protective collar thingawotsit when Sprout hands it over.
Across the lawn he catches sight of Parvati Patil, laughing at something Dean Thomas has said, and Justin gets a funny flutter in his stomach as the sun glistens off her dark hair. Shame she's not in his group, he thinks.
And then he chokes as Sprout tugs sharply on the fastening beneath his ear.
He's still coughing when she asks her next question, so he figures he doesn't have to answer it.
Reply
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