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.
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.
![[Image: uHwnE8q.png]](https://i.imgur.com/uHwnE8q.png)