The Joys of Herbology - Chapter Eleven

After finding a larger container for the bee, complete with flowers, twigs and good ventilation, the duo discussed their plan to return to Cornwall.

“I’m sure Professor Samling would take us again,” reasoned Mariah. “I’m sure he wants us to pass his class.”

“True, but it wouldn’t be soon enough,” Severus argued. “If you recall, Samling has been mooning for days about the wedding he and his wife have to attend in Germany this weekend. We’ll have to go ourselves, from Hogsmeade this weekend.”

“That could work,” agreed Mariah.  “Now that we know where to Floo and exactly where the GS lives down there, we could probably be there and back in a couple of hours.”

So the plan was hatched.  The pair would sneak away from their respective crowds at Hogsmeade, meet at the HogsHead, and floo to Cornwall as before.  Mariah anxiously awaited the weekend, not only because of her eagerness to solve the Herbology Project but also due to the thrill she felt at the idea of sneaking off with Severus.  She told herself repeatedly that she had no evidence he saw her as anything but a friend, but Mariah was nothing if not an optimist.  The fact that they were now friends was a miracle in itself, given the rocky start to their partnership, and it gave her hope for the future.

Saturday finally arrived, and the students were all excited about their trip to Hogsmeade.  Some students gathered in large groups, while others paired off for romantic excursions of their own.  Severus followed a group of Slytherins, speaking with no one, merely tagging along inconspicuously.  Mariah accompanied her usual friends, save for Erin who had a date with an older Hufflepuff boy for the day.  When Mariah’s crowd passed the Slytherin gang on their way to the Three Broomsticks, Mariah deliberately turned her gaze away from them in order to avoid seeing Severus.  She didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention towards them, since it was imperative that no one see them leave Hogsmeade.

The girls were among the first to arrive at the Three Broomsticks and picked a choice table by the window.  A few moments later, Madame Rosmerta approached, her face warm and welcoming.

“Good morning, ladies.  It’s always good to see the Hogwart’s crowd again.  What can I get for you today?”

“Butterbeers all around,” said Darby, knowing her friends’ preferences.  “and keep them coming!”

Mariah figured she’d have stay for one drink before making an excuse to depart early.  She’d already planned it, now she just had to execute that plan.  She willed herself not to be nervous.  She hated lying.

“So, Darby, is our Quidditch team ever going to win a game?  I’m tired of Silas taking all my money everytime Gryffindor beats us.” Mariah enjoyed teasing Darby about their team’s abysmal performance, since Darby accepted it with good grace.

Darby laughed as she shook her head and replied “I wish I could tell you yes, but sadly one amazing beater does not a Quidditch team make.  I think the Sorting Hat is out to get us, he smells Quidditch talent and sends it anywhere but Hufflepuff.”

“So then how did you end up a Badger, Darby?” giggled Brownwyn. “Seeing as you are a spectacular beater as you’ve said.”

“I think I threw him off by being a girl.  There still aren’t too many of us playing yet,” she hypothesized.  The others all laughed at this assessment and the conversation continued in much the same manner for several minutes. 

As Mariah gulped down the last of her butterbeer, she decided it was time for action. Steeling herself to sound genuine, she slapped herself on the forehead. “Oh no! I am such an idiot.”  She stood and removed her pack from the back of the chair. “I forgot to feed Mindy before I left this morning!”

Mindy was her pet ferret.  Her friends all knew she doted on Mindy, as they did their own familiars.  Hopefully they’d find it plausible she’d leave a perfectly nice day in Hogsmeade to make sure her pet was well fed.  She fished some coins from her bag and placed them on the table. “I’m going to run back and give her some food and then I’ll come back and find you all.  Sorry!”

Bronwyn seemed to accept her excuse at face value, though Darby raised an eyebrow as she said “Hurry back, Mariah. . .”

Mariah raced out the door and down back towards Hogwarts, then snuck around the back of the building so she could walk unseen to the HogsHead where Severus would be waiting for her. 

Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter were inside Honeydukes picking out several weeks worth of goodies to tide them over until their next visit.  Peter was in the back of the shop, trying to decide how many chocolate frogs to purchase, while James grabbed one of almost everything.  Remus had already made his selection and was accompanying Sirius as he pondered his decision.  The more chocolate, the better, thought Sirius.

“There’s your girl, Siri, wonder where she’s going in such a rush?” Remus pointed out the window to where Mariah was running by.

Sirius looked up and saw what Remus was talking about.  “Here, I’ll be right back.”  He handed the candy he’d chosen to Remus and bolted out the door. 

He didn’t see her anywhere.  How could she have just disappeared like that?  Sirius jogged down the street, glancing in the shop windows he passed to see if she’d gone in anywhere.  As he was passing between a barber shop and the owl post he saw her – running back in the direction she’d come, but behind the buildings!

What is she up to, he wondered, cutting between the shops and heading around back.  As soon as he came out behind the barber shop, he saw dive between two more buildings, back toward the street. “Looks like she’s trying to avoid someone,” he remarked to himself.  Curiosity getting the better of him, not that he ever fought it, he quickly traced her steps.  When he found himself back on the main street, he watched as she turned down a rundown side street.  He followed her, silently, from a distance, as she looked around carefully then stepped into the HogsHead.

Quite a bit of subterfuge just to go to the HogsHead, thought Sirius.  He was just about to follow her in when he saw Snape, that greasy git, exit the building across from the HogsHead and follow arrogantly into the pub.  This can’t be a coincidence, grumbled Sirius.  When will she see the truth about him, he despaired as he returned to Honeydukes to console himself in chocolate and his friends’ company.

“Perfect timing,” Mariah greeted Severus as he entered the smoky pub.  “Do you think you were seen?”

Severus shook his head. “Doubtful.  I was alone at Gladwell & Barnes, so there was no one to follow.  You?”

“No, I was very careful.  My friends think I’ve gone back to Hogwarts to feed Mindy.  My ferret.”

Snape grinned, “I would have thought you more of a bunny person than a ferret person.”

“You’d have thought wrong,” she chastised. “Bunnies are boring.  Sure, they’re cute and fluffy but they have no personality, no ambition.  Ferrets are more cunning and they work hard for what they want.  You just have to be careful of their claws, for they’re rather sharp.”

Interesting, thought Severus.  Perhaps that’s why she’s willing to associate with a Slytherin.  “I see, and stand corrected.  Shall we?”  He motioned toward the fireplace in the back of the pub, and then followed her to it.  He pulled a small pouch from his robes, loosened the grasp and held it out to her.  “Ladies first.”

She reached inside for a handful of Floo powder, then announced, “Norwich Brothers Pub, Cornwall,” before stepping into the flames. 

After Severus followed Mariah through the Floo network, he shook the dust off his robes and commented, “We’d better hurry, we’ve got a bit of a hike.”

So the pair scurried off to where they’d found the Graminis Socialis the last time they’d come.  The trip was much shorter the second time, since they knew exactly where they were going and did not have to move slowly, staring at the ground the whole time.  In less than a half hour they found the plant they sought, and as before, there were several bees buzzing protectively around it. 

Severus watched as Mariah opened her pack and extracted the small jar containing the Hogwarts bee.  “Here goes nothing,” she said as she opened the lid.

The bee flew right out of the jar and in circles for a moment, as it tried to recover its bearings.  It flew close to the local bees, but did not engage them, and then dropped down to fly near the flowers of the Graminis plant.  It hovered for a moment, and then flew away.

“It appears our bee does not have an appreciation for the Graminis plant,” commented Severus with a smile.  “Thank Merlin!”

Mariah agreed, “I think we now know why the plants are ailing.  They need the pollination to prosper, but if the bees ignore them they can’t get it.”

“This begs the question – how does one teach a bee to pollinate?” Severus queried. “One would think this is something they naturally desire to do.”

“I’m sure it is, for a normal, healthy bee.  Unfortunately, there seems to be something wrong with ours.  Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about bees, and haven’t an idea how to affect their habits,” sighed Mariah.

Severus motioned for her to follow him.  “We can discuss it on the way back.  I’m sure between the two of us, we’ll think of something.”

Rejuvenated by the breakthrough in their project, Severus began to enumerate a series of tests the two of them would perform on local bees when they returned.  They would try a variety of potion and charm treatments to try to rekindle the bees’ interest in the Graminis Socialis.  With luck, they’d find a successful remedy and the plant would be cured.  If not, they would have to be satisfied with reporting on the problem they’d isolated.  Severus felt confident however that they’d find the cure.  He rarely found an intellectual problem he couldn’t solve, and didn’t intend to start now.