“Open different doors. You may find a you there that you never knew was yours."

November 12, 1892 - The Florist Potts
Millie Potts

Sometimes when creative ideas didn’t seem to flow effortlessly onto the pages of her sketchbook or into the flowers she was arranging, Zinnia was left feeling frustrated and frazzled. She’d spent the better of part of the past few minutes staring into nothing, willing her fingers to do something, but she found she neither wanted to reach for the half-finished arrangement sitting in front of her or the sketchbook she’d haphazardly tossed to the side some time ago. She blew a hot breath out of her lips which sent loose strands fluttering from her face.

Well this was just great.

Zin stood from the workbench in the greenhouse and into the shop itself, figuring she could at least sweep or clean up during her downtime, since it was clear creativity was avoiding her at all costs. As she moved to grab the broom, her elbow knocked into a roll of purple and green striped ribbon she’d been using earlier to the floor and she could only watch as it rolled underneath a display. Zinnia dropped to her knees to dig it out, and she sighed softly as she heard the telltale chiming of the bells to indicate someone had entered. She didn’t immediately move.

“Just one moment!” She called out pleasantly as she reached forward to grab the ribbon, although her fingers only grazed it and pushed it further under the counter. Her wand was… somewhere, and finding it would take much longer than digging the ribbon out from underneath the counter.

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   Millie Potts

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Bee made this beauty<3

She winced when the wind banged the door closed behind her, its bells merrily jingling to warn the owner of her presence in the shop. Quick steps pulled the young witch from the noisy door and its commentary, her ears still echoing with the clamor of The Three Broomsticks she had just escaped. Breathing came a little easier in here, at least, with the familiar scent of peat and earth underneath the fresh smells of greenery in The Florist Potts.

Millie found herself at ease at once, now that she was back on familiar footing. The faces of friendly blooms smiled back in every direction she turned, ardently reassuring the young witch that she was in a safe place now. A place of happiness and good cheer, where comfort was near and her cares were far away. That part was especially true for Millie Potts, plants were nearly as siblings to her, adored and despised in equal parts. And behind those blooming siblings were her cousins tending to them.

Or underneath, as she found her cousin Zinnia at the moment.

The young witch bent down, a hand keeping her teal delaine dress in place as she looked down through the display. Behind it, her cousin was on the floor, her arm disappearing underneath the heavy counter. Millie felt her eyebrows rise with her curiosity, pressing lips together to keep herself from giggling at the moment of absurdity. Her cousin seemed to have an awful many of those.

Now Millie was even more grateful she wasn't in The Three Broomsticks any longer, and didn't have to avert her eyes from the embarrassing moment. Or the throng of male onlookers who would have been drawn to this kind of scene. She was hardly even worried, now, about what might await her at school having fled her chaperoned group in the bawdy tavern. Glancing down, her eyes caught the object sticking out from underneath the display, its purple and green fringes splayed out on the unswept floor in the front of the shop.

With the toe of her boot, the young witch tapped the spools to slide them back toward Zinnia's reaching fingers. A smile brightened her face as Millie peered through the display glass at her cousin, rising up from her skirts to straighten to her full, yet still shorter, height. "I like the purple, it's a good combination."

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The spool was magically within her grasp and she was pleased to wrap her fingers around it and tug free from under the counter, although the voice, albeit familiar, made Zinnia jump and hit her head against the edge of the counter. A quiet curse left her lips as she pressed her hand to the back of her head because damn did that hurt; her eyes narrowed at the counter as she finally stood to her full height, her hand dropping back to her side as she turned toward her cousin.

“Mille!” Zinnia grinned as she dropped the ribbon onto the counter and she moved around it to wrap the Ravenclaw into a young. She squeezed her before she stepped back to give her space, her hands lingering against her shoulders. “Do you really like the purple? I wasn’t sure if it looked… odd, but I guess you’ll have to see the arrangement itself to form an actual opinion.” She was much better at floral designs than she was on the business side with numbers and money, although with Daffy having her own shop now, Zinnia was going to have to suck it up and work both sides equally.

Her hands fell away from Millie’s shoulders then as she stepped back, her hands tucking behind her back. “'Oh, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?” She asked, tilting her head. It was Hogsmeade weekend, although it wasn’t as if the Florist Potts was ever overrun with students, not in the way Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes was. Her eyes flicked up and down as she appraised her cousin to make sure she hadn’t gotten into any scuffles on the way over, and finding none, Zin nodded to herself, content.

Still, she was curious about the visit, although sometimes Calla came in just for the familiarity. “Do you want some hot tea?” Zinnia was sure she had something she could brew, somewhere.

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   Millie Potts

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Bee made this beauty<3

The young witch tried to suppress a giggle at her cousin's injury, but couldn't help a smile from forming on her face regardless. Soon enough it was trapped in the crook of Zinnia's neck, as arms closed in around her tighter than the space in The Three Broomsticks. Her cousin was a welcome relief after the press of social confines, and Millie leaned in eagerly as one arm returned the gesture.

"I really do," Millie offered reassuringly, grinning at Zinnia's taller form. She should have liked the green better, her favorites colors were all similar shades. Something in the purple called to her from its spiraling weave. Her pinned locks threatened as the young witch nodded eagerly, peering past her cousin at the arrangements in progress behind the counter. Soon all kinds of ribbons and adornments would decorate the bouquets, and for a moment Millie thought she might pick out which one would fit the purple-and-green style.

Zinnia's words dragged her away, and she pulled the book out from underneath her arm. "I was in The Three Broomsticks," Millie made a face that explained just how much she had enjoyed that, "for a while. It's fine...for a while." She hadn't come to Hogsmeade to get elbowed in the head or subjected to the rank aftermath of drinking games, not even butterbeer could smell pleasant after coming back up. "I came here to get away, maybe find some quiet. And maybe something I can use for another bookmark? I'm afraid I lost mine at the Broomsticks."

A hand flew to her head as she nodded eagerly again, sensing the impending tumble from a lock of her brown hair. "I would love some tea. The closest in the Broomsticks is just pumpkin juice, even if I love pumpkin juice..."

Millie was certain Zinnia could figure out the rest, the young witch was just happy to be in a place that wouldn't rattle her nerves every other minute.

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Zinnia grinned at her, and then nodded. She’d been working on that arrangement for what felt like forever, and maybe now that she had some reassurance that the purple didn’t look as odd as she thought, she’d have a better mindset in returning to finish it. Tossing a look over her shoulder, Zinnia frowned at it – she wasn’t going to touch it until Millie left because sometimes the world melted away when she concentrated on something.

Instead Zin hummed. She understood how overwhelming The Three Broomsticks could be and had often sought out The Florist Potts for comfort, too. Her eyes softened as Millie explained her reasoning, and she was certain every Potts had done the same at least once in their life. Well, I’m sure we can find you both of those. Let me start with the tea first.” The fireplace in the shop was small, used mainly for warmth during the cooler months but it wasn’t unheard of for Zin to have a tea kettle there when she was helping man the storefront. “I’ve been trying to dry some mallow blossoms and cornflower petals to add to tea, so I hope you don’t mind being my guinea pig.” Zin tossed over her shoulder as she set to work reheating the kettle she’d let go cold earlier.

It took a moment to resettle it over the fire before she was turning her attention back toward Millie. “Let’s go see what the greenhouse has to offer you in the ways of a bookmark.” Nodding her head toward the greenhouse, the brunette offered her little cousin a smile before she turned on her heel to waltz through the door behind the counter that led directly into the greenhouse. It was much larger than it looked on first appearance, and if anyplace gave her a reprieve from life, it was here.

“If you find some florals you like, we can make a pressed flower bookmark before you leave.” Zinnia smiled softly at Millie; it had been a while since she’d made one, but it had to be like riding a bike.

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Bee made this beauty<3

The youngest Potts cousin felt an easy smile warm her lips, as her shoulders relaxed and her hand fell away from her head. Millie followed Zinnia's attention to the fire, moving to stand close enough to let the hearth's crackling flames warm up the rest of her. She drew in a peacful breath, finding it easy to relax in the shop surrounded by the comforting array of plants, an understanding cousin, a calming hum in the air, and the promise of tea.

"Not at all!" Millie shook her head at the question, not caring what her hair decided to do any longer. Her eyes drifted over the arrangements unfinished on the work counter, tilting her head as she imagined where Zinnia might add in the ribbon. Her thoughts drifted away from the young witch until the sound of her cousin returned, and she spun on the balls of her feet, letting momentum pull her along after a retreating Zinnia.

"What's in the greenhouse this time of year?" The young witch followed in step behind her cousin, and before she could hardly blink the world became a jungle around her. Her mouth opened, the shop was practically a desert by comparison. Millie clasped her free hand to her chest, holding her book tightly as she turned round and round, taking in all the different kinds of life just waiting to be admired.

"The ones at Hogwarts are nothing like this," she offered breathlessly, as if having already forgotten as much after a few months away. The young witch felt transfigured into something else, a different creature than the one who trudged through those damp halls and eked out a quiet reading spot in the Ravenclaw common room. It was nearly like home in here, or as close as Millie could get without leaving High Street, and she couldn't have asked for a better Hogsmeade visit.

At the mention of a pressed bookmark, the young witch drew in a breath, the spark of an idea zipping through her with electric excitement. "Do you and Auntie Laurel grow any Bells of Ireland?"

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“Let’s see… I’m growing some things for Christmas. Namely Amaryllis, Christmas catsues and of course mistletoes, which just happen to be the most popular when it comes to holiday events.” Every one of her sisters plus her mother had their own little corners on top of what they grew for the shop, and Zin had been trying her best to create some hybrid flowers for Christmas in her corner. It wasn't going well, so she’d abandoned it for the time being in favor of pouring all her attention into what they’d need for Christmas. Making mistletoes was mind numbing and she hoped that she could convince Calla to help her make some when she returned home from Hogwarts – maybe she could convince Millie in the same breath.

Zinnia giggled quietly. “Oh no. Mr. Skeeter is more of a herbologist than a florist. Although his knowledge of plants is probably well beyond mine.” The professor was well versed in his knowledge and she’d sat in his class soaking it all up like a sponge. Of course she’d do well in his class, but some of the knowledge had left her brain because she didn’t need it anymore.

“Here.” Zin paused at one of the rows of flowers and plucked one from the back; a white lily. Then she turned toward Millie and slightly bent down (not that her cousin was much shorter than her), and tucked it behind her hair. “Hopefully that pesky piece of hair will stay out of your pretty face.” She winked at her cousin before she tapped a finger against her bottom lip. “I’m pretty sure Mama grows some just for you. Come along.” It took a few more rows to find her mother’s portion of the garden, and there they were – the Bells of Ireland. Zinnia liked to use them for accents in some of her arrangements.

“Some blue carnations would be nice too. I think I might use some of those for mine.” The brunette laughed quietly. “Good thing you’re carrying that book. We’re going to use it to press them.”

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   Millie Potts

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Bee made this beauty<3

A sudden excitement had drawn a smile to the young witch's face, following her cousin deeper into the greenhouse. Her eyes sought out each of the plants in turn as Zinnia named them, easily spotting the cacti, while the amaryllis could pass for any number of plants until Millie found one with an opening bulb. She instinctively looked out for the next one named, until the young witch realized the name of it. Her feet stalled out before she caught them, forcing herself to step thoughtfully one after another with her eyes fixed stubbornly onto Zinnia's back.

Millie was grateful when the conversation moved on from mistletoe, breathing a soft relief through her nose. Even a discussion of Herbology classes was a welcome change. "He knows so much," the young witch agreed, pausing to turn up a drooping bud with a gentle finger. She spied the smallest hint of red at its center, expecting that Professor Skeeter would have been able to name it in an instant. She wasn't as certain, except that it would look beautiful when the flower finally bloomed.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, warmth returning to her cheeks as she found them in her cousin's hands. The stem of the flower seemed cool against her ear, an odd sensation for just the briefest of moments. Then Millie hardly felt it at all, except for knowing that she was now blooming with a flower in her hair. Her smile blossomed once more, a bouncing heart tugging her step lighter and her mood dauntless in amongst the greenhouse rows. "Thanks, Zin."

Her cousin had more than a way of putting Millie at ease.

"I just got to the part where Beauty's sold to the Earl's." Millie held up the book to show off the title of Black Beauty to Zinnia. She opened it, flipping through the pages a few at a time, peeking through squinted eyes until she recognized a line or turn of phrase that assured her it wasn't too far ahead. "Have you ever read it? I dearly want Beauty and Ginger to stay together, wouldn't that be romantic? I'm sure even horses deserve true love."

Satisfied with her page, Millie's eyes flicked up to the Bells of Ireland, staring back at her. Their viridian hues would look much better than the length of string she had been using before, especially mixed with blue flowers. She held out her book, eager to place the new bookmarks in its pages.

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Zinnia smiled at Millie as she nodded. She wasn’t one to wear flowers much in her hair, that was all Daffy’s, but sometimes it was an easy way to pin things that didn't want to stay in place. She liked to (ironically) tuck pink zinnias into her hair when they were in season, which was luckily most of spring to autumn. She smiled at Millie and nodded. “You are very welcome. Maybe next time we can make you something more permanent.” Just because she didn’t like to wear flowers in her hair didn’t mean that others didn’t. (Oh! Maybe that would be a lucrative item to add to the shop in the future, especially if geared toward children.)

Millie held up the book and Zin tilted her head at the title; she hadn’t read a lot of books after graduating Hogwarts, choosing to throw herself into shop and learning how to really paint (and maybe one day she’d have one hanging in The Magical Portrait Gallery Of England, but Zinnia was still too nervous to ask people to pay her to paint portraits). “I can’t say I have read it. Maybe when I was around your age.” The brunette hummed quietly, although a bright smile appeared against her lips. “Of course even horses deserve true love.” She sighed and pressed her hands against her chest. “Doesn’t everyone? I mean… I hope whoever I marry thinks of me as their soulmate, and I hope I’m in love with them too.” She was a romantic at heart. Maybe that was the reason why she’d never had a suitor — her expectations were too high for anyone to be able to achieve.

Her hands dropped the Bells of Ireland as she worked to carefully snap one on off, and then used her other hand to pluck carnations from their spot. Zin worked to twirl together before she placed them inside the book, motioning for Millie to close it. “Okay! So leave them for a little while, until they look flat. Then I’ll use a spell to protect them.” Zin tapped a finger against her lip. “Let’s see how that tea is coming along.”

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   Millie Potts

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Bee made this beauty<3

Nothing ever seemed to work well for Millie's hair. It didn't have curls or waves, it rarely shined, nor was it an enviable color like Calla's. With the sturdy stem of the flower holding it back, the young witch felt nearly good enough to twirl. That would have dislodged the flowers Zin had so carefully nestled in her book, though, so Millie just dipped her head agreeably at the suggestion.

She closed her book, poking in the flowers that wanted to stubbornly defy the natural boundaries of the pages. Closing Black Beauty, knowing that she had added one more beautiful thing inside, made the thrill of satisfaction bloom inside her as well. "Then I think you should read it," the young witch told her cousin, taking note of Zinnia's similar beliefs in the power of romance. Millie turned her smile on her cousin, her bright eyes brimming at the thought of Zinnia marrying someone she loved. "Oh, Zin, you absolutely deserve your soulmate!"

Zinnia had never talked about love around her, or marriage. Millie had been so little when her sister married, she barely remembered much of the circumstances or ceremony. Did Dorothea love her husband like Beauty and Ginger? It was a question she couldn't answer, and couldn't begin to fathom for herself. Stepping behind Zinnia on their way back to the stove in the shop, the young witch wondered about her cousin's prospects.

That's what they were called, as Millie heard when her parents talked about her brother; prospects.

Millie decided to ask Zinnia about her prospects when they sat down to take tea. She pressed the book to her chest, breathing in the scent of flowers to aid her thoughts of romance. The tea would complete the aroma, and Millie could hardly wait. Her feet barely gave Zinnia an inch to clear before the young witch was right behind her, excitement leaving her giddy for the cup of tea. "I can nearly smell the tea already."

She took another breath, and it was as if her magic filled in the rest for her. Or was it simply anticipation?

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Zinnia smiled at Millie. “When you’re done with it, I’d be happy to borrow it.” She hummed; it had been a while since she’d settled down with a book, maybe with a cup of tea if it didn’t turn out poisonousnon-consumable like some of the other ones she’d tried to make. Plus the book didn’t look too long, and maybe she’d find she enjoyed it — Zinnia was a sucker for romance. She laughed quietly as a soft blush touched her cheeks. “Thank you Mills.” All she knew was she wanted a romance for the books; to be swept off her feet, fall in love and live happily ever after.

She sighed dreamily as the fairy tale life flitted through her brain as she stepped through the threshold from the greenhouse back into the shop. It was warm in here, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d still be at the shop once (if?) she ever got married. Well that was a silly thought; Zin loved it here and wouldn’t give this up for anything. She wanted a house overflowing with flowers and a greenhouse she could call her own, but The Florist Potts was part of her and definitely her home away from him.

Shaking her head to dislodge those thoughts, Zin worked to pour the tea into two mugs, ensuring that she missed Millie given how close she was to her.. “It’s mallow blossoms and cornflower petals. The mallow blossoms have a slightly sour note to them while the cornflower petals are much sweeter. I’m not sure how they’ll taste, but they sounded like they’d go together.” Her nose wrinkled but she still giggled; sweet and sour tea didn’t exactly sound appetizing now that she’d actually said it aloud, but it was all she had.

She handed a cup to Millie before she moved to grab some sugar cubes and honey in case it needed something to make it taste better, and then thinking better of it grabbed a box of loose leaf black tea. “Just in case we need a backup.” Zin assured her cousin as she brought the mug up to her nose and pulled in the scent. It smelled amazing and Zin squeaked because she may be on to something here.

She took a sip and pressed her lips together, unsure of how she felt about it. Instead Zin glanced at her cousin to see her reaction; Millie was always expressive and it wouldn’t hurt her feelings if she’d failed at another attempt to mix tea and florals. She’d get there eventually.

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   Millie Potts

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Bee made this beauty<3

Anticipation propelled the young witch in the direction her nose pointed, and only at the last second did she pivot to avoid running into Zinnia's backside. She stifled a sound of amusement, letting it show unseen on her face instead. The book was a comfort as she held it tightly against her chest, hardly daring to peek at its developing contents. No one at school would have fresh flowers as their bookmarks, not when blossoms outside had long wilted and even the grasses were turning into motley brown sticks.

The beauty of the world inside her aunt's flower shop soothed her mourning for the world outside. Here the plants were bright and alive, like the bubbling water on the stovetop or the brightness in her cousin's eyes when Millie mentioned the romance of her novel. Books were hardly a substitute for the living things around her, and yet even so, the young witch found them just as alive in her mind's eye as what she saw through hers now. The steam rising from the dark surface of the cup Zinnia handed her was just steam to someone else, but to Millie it could just as easily be the steam rising from the flanks of Beauty, gleaming with foam after a mad dash across the pastures of his early home.

"Thanks Zin," Millie mentioned, inhaling a whiff of the tea. It smelled completely unlike anything she had imagined, and the freshness of it drew her eyes wide. She set her book down, discarding it from her hands at thoughts at once, to grip the cup with both hands as gingerly as she could around its scorching surface. "Oh, it smells even better than I imagined!"

Millie ventured a taste, sipping cautiously at the scalding hot liquid. It burned her lips and the tip of her tongue, as every first sip was wont to do. For a moment, the young witch wished she had asked for pumpkin juice instead, or even hot cocoa. Tea is what Zinnia had offered, though, and she would make a poor guest to turn it down or complain about it. She took another sip, and this time she could catch a hint of the floral tastes. They mixed together in new and unusual ways over her tongue, leaving her uncertain how she felt about it.

"It's so unusual," the young witch admitted at last. She wasn't sure how it was even supposed to taste. Another sip confirmed her thoughts from the first, but even so, it wasn't unpleasant. If anything, it was almost better than the bitterness of the teas she was used to. Still another sip brought satisfaction to her face, the tea was cool enough —or her mouth well-enough burned not to mind it— that she could drink it more easily. Surprised by herself, Millie found that she actually wanted to.

Sipping on her cousin's tea, the young witch could easily forget all her problems and thoughts for a few minutes. She grinned at Zinnia, reassuring her with not a glance spared to the backup tea, "I like it."

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Smell was the first step to making something and this one smelled absolutely divine. Even if it tasted bad, which Zinnia couldn’t quite tell from her first, she was proud that at least it didn’t smell terrible. At least she and Millie could agree on that. She grinned at her cousin then as she took a sip and Zin mimicked her; it didn’t taste awful, as she didn’t feel the immediate need to spit it out and make the black tea she’d taken out as a backup, and her face twisted, unsure how she actually felt about it.

“It is, isn’t it?” Odd. Millie had a point there. She’d have to alter it and try again.

The mallow blossoms' flavor came through first, and it was almost overpowering enough that it made her lips pucker; luckily the cornflower petals swooped in just in time, chasing away the sourness and allowing the sweetness to explode. Zinnia made a mental note to add less mallow blossom next time, and maybe add in a hint of fairy lilies to balance out how quickly the sourness had taken over.

Zin sipped it again. “It’s growing on me. Already have some notes on how I want to change it. I’ll owl you some, if you’d like? See if you like it any better.” Millie was going to be her unofficial taste tester until she got it right. In return she’d read Black Beauty for her.

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Bee made this beauty<3

Sweet chased sour down her throat as the young witch continued to sip on her tea. Her eyes fluttered half-open, finding herself in a relaxing calm with both the tea and company. The only thing she really had to worry about was not burning her tongue and lips on the hot concoction, taking small, quiet sips from it. Millie couldn't think of a better way to spend her Hogsmeade day.

"You'll owl me?" Millie giggled at the sound of her cousin's phrasing. She let the mug hide her lips, taking another sip to keep them behind it. "You sound like Mum." She sat up straighter, with the mug placed gently in her lap, and her mouth in a rounder shape. "'If anyone gives you trouble, just owl me.'"

The imitation of her mother brought a smile and blush to the face of the young witch. Around anyone else she might have stammered an apology or felt too embarrassed to keep enjoying herself. It was easier with Zinnia for some reason, and Millie grinned through the color in her cheeks. She lifted the tea to her lips again, sipping loud enough to slurp this time.

Now Millie found herself a little embarrassed, even in front of her cousin. Nerves sent another giggle past her lips, softer this time. The mug found a place on surface near her and the young witch opened the book onto her lap. It engrossed her for some pages, until she shut it and looked up at her cousin. Millie clutched the book tight to her chest as distress replaced embarrassment. "I'm really happy this is a flower shop, Zin," she said, heedless of the context her cousin might have missed from her book. "Some people can be so thoughtless with animals!"

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A small smile played against her lips at her cousin’s mimicking of her aunt, and as Millie blushed, Zinnia couldn’t help but giggle. It sounded almost identical to how her dear auntie would sound, although she didn’t voice it, not wanting to give Millie a big head when it came to that. Had they been anywhere else, or even if a customer or two had been in the shop Zin may have chided Millie for slurping her tea, but there was no one around and she truly wasn’t bothered by it.

“It’s what mums do.” She finally replied as she turned to grin at the younger girl. “Mine said the same thing, although I can’t say anyone ever gave me trouble.” Or maybe Zinnia just never noticed; she had her friends and tended to stick with them, although nowadays it seemed trouble found her. This trouble though came in the form of events, like falling into the stupid pond and almost drowning at Padmore rather than people.
Bright blue eyes blinked as she watched Millie look at her book. “Me too Mills, me too. I love this shop.” Zinnia’s smile softened. “Speaking of which, I really need to get back to work. You can stay as long as you’d like, but don’t be late heading back. Hate to have to owl your mum that trouble’s afoot.” She teased, although was quite aware that Aunt Beth would come flying like a bat out of hell if she was to receive an owl about her daughter. Standing then, Zinnia moved to sit in front of the arrangement she’d been working on when Millie came in; she tossed one last look over her. “I’m really glad you came in today.”

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   Millie Potts

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Bee made this beauty<3