August 11th, 1893 — Fortesques

Several weeks had passed since Benevolence and Charley's initial encounter at the shop. The shop still bloomed with vibrant colors, and its rooms were filled with the sweet scent of the opulent blossoms that formed the most obvious portion of the business. She was there even less now than she had been before her marriage and but she received proper accounts from her manager. It was clear that Charley was not a natural shop girl, and it wasn't clear how long the arrangement could possibly last.

The warm summer air flowed through the open windows of the ice cream shop, carrying with it a noise of the high street beyond. Benevolence had invited Charley to meet her once again, eager to catch up and see how the young urchin was faring. There was an extra nervousness in her movements, a subtle restlessness that she attributed to her recent marriage. Benevolence couldn't help but feel that her clothes were fitting a bit snugly these days, and she was certain that marriage was the culprit - and that perhaps the more oppulent food associated with doing the rounds after her marriage. she would need to tell the cook to make few rich sauces and pastries, if she wanted to stay trim that was.

Looking out the window, Benevolence noticed Charley's familiar figure approaching. A genuine smile tugged at her lips and she waved indicating her seat by the window. "Charley, it's wonderful to see you again," Benevolence greeted warmly, her eyes filled with genuine pleasure. "How have you been?" She offered a brief nod to the shop girl who brought them menus to order ices. Benevolence just ordered tea, but indicated that Charlie could order what she liked. The interior of the shop was a riot of colors and noise, a visual and olfactory feast that spoke of summer and long hot days. It reminded her of her father, who had used almost any excuse to go for an ice cream.

Benevolence's reached under her table to her bag, and removed a brown paper-wrapped parcel. It was a thick tome on practical herbology and dangerous plants, a calculated choice on her part. Benevolence saw potential in Charley, a certain affinity for the more unconventional aspects of life. She hoped the book might capture the girl's interest more than the pure pretty blooms that the shops dealt in.

"I have something for you," Benevolence said, her tone slightly conspiratorial. "I came across this book, and it made me think of you. It's practical and the more... intriguing side of plants. I thought you might find it interesting."

As she handed the book to Charley, Benevolence's eyes sparkled, eager to see how the young girl would react to the gift.

  

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Lady is a wonder

Charley was surprised Miss Crouch even wanted to talk to her. Since the day they'd met, Montague's flower shop owner had been scarce. The urchin was starting to think the lady just didn't like her. Which was fine with her, as far as Charley was concerned. Most people didn't like her and she survived just fine.

The urchin had her hands stuffed down into her pockets, cap slung low on her ginger head. She didn't look up at the wave from Benevolence, but her feet maneuvered around the maze of tables and chairs until she was standing in front of the woman. Empty hands still shoved in her pockets, all the tables here were clean of anything worth snatching!

"Good," she answered Miss Crouch, and sat down accompanied by a shrug of her shoulders. Charley was pretty sure the woman already knew how she was, Mrs. Mann probably sent an owl every time she messed up a plant or made an order late.

It wasn't her fault that flowers were crazy things that couldn't decide whether they wanted water or not.

She took her hands from her pockets and let them flop on her lap, hardly paying attention when the shop girl came over. The grown-ups talked like they normally did, like nothing really interesting. It wasn't until they were both looking at her that Charley blinked and tried to sit up straight on instinct. "Wah, really?!"

Her eyes widened and she leaned up closer to the menu in front of her. Benevolence hadn't ordered for her and wanted Charley to pick. Her choice! Of all the wondrous flavors the menu listed, she could hardly know where to start. She could close her eyes, but could not get rid of the enormous grin underneath as the urchin pointed to a name on the menu and then held up two fingers to the shop girl.

Two scoops. As long as Benevolence was paying, she was planning on walking out of her here with a bellyful of ice cream!

Charley propped up her cap to listen more intently at the woman's purpose today. She was sure it wasn't just to treat her to ice cream, but Benevolence had earned something for that. Part of her was desperately hoping it wasn't being fired, she liked sleeping somewhere warm for a change.

The urchin's cap slipped a little when she looked down at the second gift from the woman today. It was a book. Ugh.

"Oh," Charley started, and then tried to look happier about it. She could do that easily enough, pulling the corners of her lips apart and raising her eyebrows. The rest of her face followed easily, a face not so natural but still a close imitation of the pure magic she'd felt for ice cream. "Whadda mean by intriguing?"

Even magical plants were plants, just plants that sometimes wanted to eat her watering can instead of getting a shower.

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Benevolence observed Charley's reactions with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. The girl's enthusiastic response to the prospect of ice cream was endearing. As Charley eagerly placed her order for two scoops of ice cream, Benevolence exchanged a knowing smile with the shop girl who had come to take their order. It was a simple pleasure, but it was heartwarming to see Charley so excited. It was a remarkably restrained order - all things considered.

As the shop girl left to fulfill their order, Benevolence turned her attention back to Charley, her expression becoming more serious as she explained the purpose behind the book she had given. "Well, you see, this book is about the more... intriguing side of plants," Benevolence began, her voice taking on a slightly mysterious tone. "It's not just about pretty flowers and their colors. The ones from that the ladies who buy from the shop want. It's about the power of plants, their abilities to heal, to harm, and sometimes even to deceive."

Benevolence leaned in a little, her eyes holding Charley's gaze. "You see, the world of herbology is vast, and it's not just about arranging bouquets or cultivating the basics. The most skilled herbologists delve into the manipulation of plants, the dangerous ones that can be used for both good and, well, not-so-good purposes." Her voice low, as though importing some enigmatic secret, a great mystery. She gestured toward the book, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. She was trying hard to sell it, to hope the girl who had had very little schooling would find something she could hang her hat on.

Benevolence's gaze shifted to the window, where the vibrant flowers outside swayed gently in the breeze. "The shop, filled as it is with all those beautiful blooms, that's just the tip of the iceberg. The real work of a herbologist, the real work I do often involves these dangerous plants, the ones that require skilled hands and careful manipulation."

She turned her attention back to Charley, her eyes softening. "I thought this book might open up a new world for you, a world that goes beyond the surface and reveals the power that plants hold." her voice faltered at the last, wondering if it was as lame as it sounded to her own ears. Benevolence paused, studying Charley's reaction closely.

  

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Lady is a wonder

Charley tried to listen while the woman chattered, and she chattered on and on. Plants this and plants that, Miss Crouch really did have an obsession with her plants. Maybe she should be the one teaching Herbology up at Hogwarts, that might have made Charley actually like the class —not that it was hard, really, just boring.

The urchin found her attention drifting until the woman turned to look where her eyes had gone, and she snapped them forward. Her head bobbed a little, hoping to look like she was listening. The book had something to do with telling her how plants were dangerous and mysterious and wonderful, she guessed. Charley glanced at it and back to Benevolence, and her mouth opened.

"That's all? All this about a book?" She turned to look at it properly, like she was considering it hard. Her job at the flower shop interested her just enough for the coin in her pockets, and the guarantee of a safe place to sleep. Mrs. Mann's lessons seemed well enough, Charley was giving them the best she could after long days helping at the shop. Some days she wished she could learn the spell to make Mrs. Mann fall asleep early so Charley could, too. Her job itself was too much like Herbology class. "I thought this was 'cause..."

Charley buttoned her lip before she could say any more. Miss Crouch wasn't angry with her, or getting rid of her. In fact, she was giving her a book, and buying her ice cream! None of it really made sense to the urchin girl, not that she was about to complain about it.

She picked up the book again. The book felt heavier this time, somehow. It was just a book, but a book that seemed to mean something to the woman. And since she wasn't getting rid of Charley, not to mention buying her a treat, the urchin supposed the least she could do in return was read it.

Maybe Charley had gotten this lady all wrong.

"Look, I, umm," Charley felt her cheeks getting as red as her hair, and just as suddenly the ice cream arrived. Two scoops right in front of her, and all for her. She blurted out a, "Thanks!"

It was all she could do not to leap off the chair and hug Benevolence. But that would mean letting the ice cream melt and Charley was not about to let it go all melty. She dug the spoon in and lifted it to her mouth, stopping suddenly as she realized the way people were supposed to do things.

"But I don't got anything for you!"

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Benevolence couldn't help but notice the change in Charley's demeanor. The girl's attention seemed to waver as she spoke about the book, and there was a flicker of confusion on her young face. When Charley mentioned she had thought something else was behind this meeting, Benevolence couldn't help but be intrigued.

"You thought it was about what?" Benevolence asked, her tone carrying a mixture of seriousness and a touch of amusement. She took a moment to appreciate the sight of Charley's eyes lighting up as the ice cream arrived. It was a small joy, but one that was delightful to witness.

As Charley hesitated and expressed her gratitude, Benevolence smiled warmly. She could see the girl's genuine appreciation, and it touched her heart.

"You don't need to give me anything in return, Charley," Benevolence assured her. "This meeting wasn't about a transaction. It was about checking in on you, seeing how you're doing." Benevolence took a moment to enjoy her own ice cream, savoring the sweetness. 'I always loved plants, the power and magic that they hold is so much more subtle than wand waving'

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   Charley Goode

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Lady is a wonder

Charley couldn't figure out what had caused her to fret, over a grown-up for that matter. She was relieved to find that Benevolence wasn't expecting anything in return, and even more confounding about it was that she was being nice in the first place. Ice cream dripped off her spoon, splattering on the table far from her open mouth, and the urchin barely noticed it until a moment too late.

She closed her mouth around the chilled dessert, and let the melting sweetness fill her senses.

It was much better than actually listening. The woman went on like grown-ups did, talking more about her love of plants. Charley figured she could grow to love plants, too, if they ever liked her watering and care as much as Mrs. Mann's. She took another bite of ice cream, and then another, resisting the urge to slow down and savor the rare treat. If she never had it again, Charley wanted to know the joy of having her mouth and belly full of ice cream just once.

"That's ahh—" Charley's mouth snapped shut and she pressed a hand to her head. It was on fire and numb all at the same time, stinging wickedly from the roof of her mouth all the way up to the root of her noggin. "Ack," she muttered, pressing her tongue to the roof of her mouth to stem the rush of pain. "Das cohd!"

She shut her eyes tight until it passed, a grin springing to her face from the silliness of it. Charley giggled and covered for herself with a vocal sigh of relief, "Whew."

The urchin considered the ice cream seriously for a moment, as if rethinking herself. Then she turned her gaze to Benevolence, still sitting patiently like a mother hen. And acting strangely like one, too, now that Charley had a clear head to think on it. "You don't got children, right? You're a Miss Crouch."

Charley tilted her head in thought, then shook it, "Nah, nevermind. It's nuthin'." That would probably irritate the woman again, who was far too crafty to let something go only half-voiced. "You don't gotta worry about me, Miss Crouch. I do right by myself, always have done, even afore Hogwarts. Save your worries for when you got your own little 'un."

She gave the woman an exaggerated wink and a nod, looking back cheerfully to her ice cream.

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Benevolence watched Charley with a mix of concern and amusement as the girl's ice cream indulgence was momentarily interrupted by a brain freeze. She couldn't help but chuckle as well when Charley giggled and declared that the cold sensation had passed.

"I see you've had your first ice cream brain freeze," Benevolence remarked with a lighthearted tone, her eyes twinkling with amusement. She could see the joy on Charley's face and it warmed her heart. The girl's laughter was infectious.

However, when Charley brought up her marital status, Benevolence corrected her with a gentle smile. "Actually, it's Mrs. Crouch," she said. "I got married to Mr. Crouch earlier this year. But no children just yet." The mention of her newlywed status brought a soft, wistful smile to her lips.

Charley's wink and the suggestion that Benevolence save her worries for when she had her own children brought a warm chuckle from Benevolence. She appreciated the girl's independence and resilience.

"No children for now, but maybe someday," Benevolence mused, her gaze momentarily distant. She'd always envisioned herself as a mother, but the idea had started to grow on her recently. "In the meantime, I'll focus on the flower shop, and perhaps sharing my love for plants and books with you."

She reached for her own ice cream, scooping up a bite and savoring it. "So, Charley, How are things going with Mrs. Mann's and her lessons. How have those been going? Learning any interesting magic?" Benevolence was genuinely curious about Charley's magical education, and she hoped that perhaps their shared interest in learning and exploring the unknown might open up more conversations with the young girl.

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   Charley Goode

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Lady is a wonder

The urchin blinked back a stunned expression, wondering how she could have gotten Missus Crouch so wrong. If she looked at the woman's hand, there it was plain as day. A ring. Charley smacked her palm into her head with an audible sound, not caring how many heads she turned. The only one she cared about shook nearly hard enough to dislodge the cap that kept her head dry and her braids tucked away. "Blimey, Missus, and I en't one to miss that sort o' thing. A hundred times I musta looked, too!"

Charley scoffed and blew a spout of air up past her nose, waving a strand of hair that had come lose from her head. She glared at it for a second before looking past to Missus Crouch. The woman was practically doting on her, and all Charley had to show for it was a gigantic flub about her married nature. That would never do.

Sitting up straighter, the urchin did her best to recite off the lessons Mrs. Mann had drilled into her over the past few weeks.

"They're just fine, I reckon. Mrs. Mann wasn't all too happy about my wand waving, she says I let my wrist go limp at all the wrong times." Charley said, holding her eyes steady so they could roll like they had in front of the shop matron. The urchin was sure her form hadn't been all that bad, it wasn't like anyone else in her year at Hogwarts was all that much better. That was when Mrs. Mann pointed out that her peers would be starting their third year in a month and she'd finally relented. A petulant tug at her lips came along with the memory, "I had to practice swishing until my arm near fell off, and she only really let up on me when I said I'd never be able to hold a watering can again if she didn't."

Her wrist might have swished a hundred times again for how sore it felt at the moment, complaining at the mere thought of doing those swishes again. It wasn't like Charley could blame it, she hated them just as much. She took a bite of the ice cream to try to forget it all, letting it melt away with the frozen dessert.

"Then there was, lessee." Charley tapped a sticky finger against her chin, muddled in thoughts that had to fight the threat of another cold spell. She mastered it quickly, her face alight with the glow of victory. "Oh! Mrs. Mann taught me those spells for tidying up the shop. Not the grand one like she does come closing to set the whole broom closet at work, more the ones that gather up the dust and grime in one spot so I can sweep it away. Mrs. Mann says the drapes need tending every day and that's how I can get good at it, but they make me cough something wicked let me tell you!"

She looked pointedly over at Benevolence, not entirely sure the woman had ever cleaned a set of drapes in her life. If that really was the case, then it was about time someone told her what it could do to a body.

"Oh, and this one time, a bloke shopping in right near tipped a pot and I used that to clean up all the dirt that wobbled out!" Charley said more proudly, taking a triumphant spoon of ice cream between answers. It was melting faster now, so she spoke more quickly, all the better to have more time to shovel the rest of the dessert into her mouth before it became a puddle in her bowl.

"An' there's the plant things she wants me to learn. Not to give the orchids too much water or they'll drown, and keeping the Whispering Wisteria Vines separated so they don't get into spats. Are they always that much of handful?"

Her two scoops were all but gone now. Charley gazed down wistfully, scraping the spoon against the bowl with all the dedication of a raccoon washing his supper. She ignored the cries it made as the metal screeched against the bowl, too intent on scraping up the precious droplets of the dessert instead. Her belly cried as well, begging for more.

The urchin had none to give it, nor was she going to ask. Missus Crouch was being too nice as was today, it wouldn't do to put her out of sorts. Particularly not since the shop owner seemed all too happy to overlook her own shortcomings, Charley wasn't about to make her rethink that stance. Instead, she made herself put down the spoon and wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. As clean and presentable as she could make herself, the urchin told her benefactor, "That was sooooo good. Thanks a hundred times, Missus Crouch."

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Benevolence couldn't help but chuckle at Charley's animated reaction to realizing her marital status. The girl's genuine surprise and self-directed head smack were endearing, it also didn't hurt that Nev was still rather burning with pride at her husband, at her partner in life.

As Charley continued, recounting her lessons and experiences with Mrs. Mann, Benevolence listened attentively, her amusement growing. The image of Charley swishing her wand until her arm nearly fell off brought a sympathetic smile to Benevolence's face. The girl's determination, even in the face of mundane tasks, was something to be admired.

"I must say, Charley, you've come a long way in a short time," Benevolence complimented, her tone warm. "Mastering those cleaning spells and learning to care for the plants — it's all essential knowledge. Not everyone can manage their complexities." she enthused, fairly sure that the encouragement of herself and Mrs Mann, where perhaps the first kind words that she had ever recieved.

As Charley drained her ice cream, thanking her and bemoaning its finish, Benevolence signaled a nod to the shop attendant, silently indicating that another serving was in order. She watched with satisfaction as the attendant refilled Charley's bowl.

"You know," Benevolence began, leaning in a bit conspiratorially, "I think you're underestimating yourself. Wand waving might not be your favorite, but you're becoming quite skilled at it. And those practical spells? Well, you've just demonstrated how valuable they are, especially when dealing with everyday challenges."

The mention of the plant lessons sparked a thought in Benevolence's mind. "Would you be interested in exploring more about magical plants? Perhaps we could delve into that book I gave you at some point. It's filled with fascinating information, some of which might surprise you - there is a lot of power in plants."

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   Charley Goode

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Lady is a wonder

Charley drew in a refreshingly-deep breath, basking in the glow of praise from the woman. She fought against her instinct this time, resisting the feeling of oddness she couldn't shake from helping after helping of kindness. Lured in by the sweet, saccharine promises from Missus Crouch, the urchin leaned forward with a burning curiosity.

"By magical plants, you mean more'n jes the flowers and tame sort, don't'cha?" Charley could almost feel the twinkle in her eyes now, her mind racing as it considered the possibilities. The plants that Mrs. Mann wouldn't let her care for, the times she sent the urchin out on errands instead of teaching more lessons. It was all starting to make sense now. "Issat what you got hidin' in the back greenhouse, then? Summat with real power? An' all this teachin' was jes to see if I was ready?"

The urchin barely blinked from her stare when the shop girl returned, another bowl of ice cream ready to replace the empty dish. There was no need now to ply her with sweets, not that she was about to put up any protest. Charley grasped the spoon in hand again, jabbing it into the middle of a scoop to feel the warmth of the metal slice through as if the frozen dessert was softer than butter. A smooth, solid feeling, no different than the understanding she had just reached.

"I take back every bit o' sass Mrs. Mann got from me. I didn't mean a word of it, I swear I'm ready." She couldn't hold back the excitement now, nearly forgetting about the ice cream melting in the dish before her. The urchin's mind could already picture the contents of the forbidden greenhouse section, full of everything Hogwarts would held back from her until her final years. Real plants, real work, which could lead to real power. Clearly Missus Crouch was willing to share it, and she couldn't have picked a better student. "I'll be the finest pupil you ever conjured up, cross my heart!"

Charley didn't even know what she was getting into, and at this point it was the furthest thing from her mind. Whatever Benevolence had to introduce her to, she would eagerly meet the challenge. With everything the woman had done for her, it was only fair. Despite her eagerness, the urchin was feeling a lot calmer now, or much more assured anyway. All her fears and anxiety were melting away now that she had assuredly passed whatever test she'd been subjected to.

And that was better than a dozen scoops of ice cream right now.

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Benevolence couldn't help but mirrors the girls excitement as Charley's eyes lit up. The girl's eagerness to explore the realm of magical plants was palpable, and Benevolence couldn't help but find it infectious. "I'm sure you will be," Benevolence confirmed warmly. "I'm so pleased your excited to learn, and I have every faith that you'll make the most of this opportunity." she beamed. She wasn't sure if the girl was more excited to learn, or if she was more excited to teach.

As the shop attendant returned with a fresh bowl of ice cream, Benevolence nodded her thanks before turning her attention back to Charley. "Remember, Charley, this journey will require patience and dedication. But I have no doubt that you'll rise to the challenge."

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   Charley Goode

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Lady is a wonder