October 16th, 1890 — The Florist Potts, Hogsmeade

He was going to survive.

He decided that rather quickly after reading the letter that Fallon left for him. To say it broke his heart was an understatement—(how could she have been so cold and heartless as to use his body, promise him her heart, and then abandon him with a letter?)—but it was anger that fueled him in the days that followed. Depression led to inaction, but anger... well, anger led to uninterrupted action. To be specific, it had led to action so destructive that he hadn't realized what he'd done until he was left standing in his front yard, struggling to catch his breath as the sun fell low in the sky and and the evening autumn breeze rolled through the hills of the Hebrides.

He'd ruined his yard—completely ruined it, and with only a shovel. Every plant, weed, and fledgling tree was dug from his place, replaced by uneven piles of dirt. It had been an excellent workout and a way to keep his mind busy, but it was not ideal for the long-term. He nearly twisted his ankle trying to navigate the path to his front door and realized then that it couldn't be left that way forever.

Unfortunately for Lachlan, he'd never had much of a green thumb.

So the next morning, he found himself the lone customer of The Florist Potts, a shop he knew was in Hogsmeade and presumably far, far away from wherever Fallon and her lover lurked. He would go in, ask for recommendations, buy supplies, and then disappear back to the Hebrides for another month and a half. He'd be okay.

Unfortunately for Lachlan, the woman assisting him seemed more than pleased to go at her own pace. She'd popped her head out to acknowledge his existence before disappearing for another five minutes. When she finally returned, Lachlan suspected it was going to be a long morning.

"Hi," he began, awkwardly shifting on his feet. She was much younger than him, and much shorter, too—but that wasn't what caught his attention. Did she have... flowers? In her hair? Yep, she did.

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@"Daffodil Potts"

  

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Daffy was, as always, a distractible creature. She was always starting one project and then finding another, working on the new one for a little while, then resuming the first. It was an endless cycle, but she always seemed to get done what she needed to. Daff was still nowhere near solving the mysterious broken pots in the far back of the greenhouse, but she wouldn't be surprised if Beatrice was to blame. Silly kitty, forgetting how big she was.

That mess had been cleaned up, though she had to repot a couple of the fallen plants, but everybody had survived just fine. After that she'd watered and checked on the more sentient plants and then was doing some arrangements when the bell signaled someone's arrival.

Daff popped her head out to let the gentleman know she'd be right there, then finished up her arrangement a moment or two later, which had been closer to done anyway. There was another to do and she started, before realizing she'd already forgotten about the customer. Wiping her hands on her apron, Daffy readjusted her crown of violets in her hair and ventured out into the front. "Hello," She greeted a bit breathlessly, looking up at the gentleman before her. "You're quite tall, how delightful. How can I help you?" She smiled dreamily at him, wide blue eyes taking him in for a moment.

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When Lachlan pictured a florist in his head, he somehow came up with an image that was nearly identical to that of the woman in front of him: apron covered with dirt, hair flying out in all directions, aloof smile, and overtly feminine attributes—specifically, the crown of flowers that became more distinct as she neared. He felt comforted for a moment, because if anyone knew how to pretty up a thoroughly destroyed yard, it would be a woman who looked just like her. However, he was fully taken aback when she spoke, and he found himself staring at her, brows raised.

"Um... thank you," he said slowly. He'd been called tall before, along with all its variants, but never had his height been described as "delightful". He shook his head, because all of this was beside the point when he only had a nine hours of daylight left before he was left to stumble around his yard for another day. He couldn't afford a sprained ankle, not now. "I... Well, I know this is going to sound... strange." Hopefully florists were well-accustomed to strange requests. "But yesterday I dug up my entire yard,. I now realize having the ground around my home covered with a weak layer of dirt isn't the safest thing, so I need to replant everything. Soon," he explained, keeping an eye on her expression as he spoke.

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Daff was quite used to strange things; she was a strange thing, or so she'd been told before.

Listening to him carefully as he explained his predicament, Daff let out a little hum of interest. However, it wasn't a very long explanation and so Daff tilted her head when he finished and simply asked, "Why?" Knowing full well it really wasn't any of her business, but she was curious. Ever the Ravenclaw.

Catching her own societal faux pas, she pushed on. "I'm afraid I need a little more information." Pulling a piece of spare parchment and quill from the front desk, she turned her attention back to the handsome giant before her. "What is it you dug up, how exactly did you pull it up and are you looking for new plants or just to fix what you have?" Her questions may have sounded almost businesslike, if it weren't for the airy tone in which she spoke.

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Why. It was a loaded question, and one Lachlan wasn't sure he could answer without revealing anything he wasn't comfortable with sharing. Somehow he didn't think saying oh, just something I did to busy my mind in the aftermath of heartbreak was something anyone would take easily to, nor something they should know to begin with. He also didn't think she'd believe him if he claimed it was on impulse—which, really, it wasn't. He hadn't intended to be so destructive, but it was a situation where he'd spiraled. Even saying that much pushed it too far. He stayed silent instead, letting her continue on to her more businesslike questions.

"It's about two-hundred square feet of loose dirt," he admitted, knowing how awful that sounded. "It was grass before. I had a garden, but it was poorly tended to. I remember planting a few trees at the end of last year, too, but they're goners now." Even weeds were gone. That was an improvement, but not really. "I don't know what I want to do, but I know something has to be done. Maybe grass... to begin with? Something to keep me busy." It was the one hint he would give. He needed a fix for sure, but he didn't want something that would never be touched again after it was planted. He needed work.

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Daffy's eyes widened in excitement in only the way a florist or herbologist would at the mention of 200 square feet of fresh overturned Earth... "Oh, oh my." The ideas were already spinning wildly in her mind.

She was quite intrigued as to what it was that caused him to create such chaos to his yard, but Daffy was more than happy to help him put it back together. "I have a full greenhouse of magical, medicinal, muggle and mundane plants in the greenhouse behind me. Do you want flowers? Shrubs? More trees? Vegetables? A chomping cabbage?" It could be a mix of everything. There is was so much space! So many possibilities!

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The following 1 user Likes Daffodil Grimstone's post:1 user Likes Daffodil Grimstone's post
   Fallon Gillespie

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He found himself watching her, an amused gleam in his eye as her eyes went wide with excitement. Only a florist, he thought, momentarily glad that he’d come to a professional shop rather than his mother or sister for assistance.

And then she presented him with ideas. It was his own eyes that went wide then, his mind unable to process all the options that she’d listed off.

“Slow down, there,” he said, only the words chomping cabbages sticking out from the listed options. He’d only received an A on his Herbology OWL; he hadn’t dealt with any magical plants since school. “I want something that’s easy upkeep, but still nice-looking. I didn’t get the green thumb in my family.” Well, that wasn’t true. Lach had never had a black thumb, but he’d never been interested enough in Herbology or plants as a topic to invest his time in trying.

“But I’m open to suggestions,” he continued with a noncommittal shrug. It wasn’t like he had to commit to anything that day, right?

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   Daffodil Grimstone

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Daffy could make suggestions for days, but she was struggling to envision the spot and therefore what he needed. "Are you local?" She mused with a hum of audible thought. She had two reasons for asking. One, she needed to know what the climate best his home was like. And two, she was wondering if he was close and she could feasibly see what she was working with.

"Easy upkeep should be easy enough..." Daff giggled quietly at her own words. "Come, come, we'll get you started." Daffy motioned for him to follow into the back. "Take that tray there," Daffy motioned to the nearby wooden tray behind the doorway. "Tell me some more about the space?" She requested as she moved into the greenhouse, pausing here and there to put a plant or two on the tray. He looked like a strong gentleman, certainly he could handle it.

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He cocked a brow at her question, but answered it anyways. "Local as in... Scotland?" he asked, trying to imagine why she would need to know that, and then realizing that oh, it was probably a climate-related question. Plants. It made sense. "Not a lot of vegetation around where I live. Grass, meadows, moss—not a lot of trees," he explained as he picked up the tray at her direction. Admittedly, he'd never been to a professional florist, though he couldn't imagine any greenhouse was any more impressive than the ones at Hogwarts.

He was wrong. His eyes went wide as they ventured into the greenhouse, which seemed more a jungle in some areas than the organized rows that made up the greenhouses at Hogwarts. Some plants were on their own, potted in place, while others were lined up in rows. Some were grouped in ways that allowed an easy path, while some rows seemed to be dead ends. Organized chaos. He didn't think much as she started piling the tray with plants.

"It's a clean space. Not a lot of rocks, not a lot of roots. That's why it's so easy to sink into, I imagine." Because he really didn't know for sure. "I used to have some bushes that were planted when the cottage was built. None of it's there anymore," he explained, finding that it was too easy to talk while distracted while walking through rows of plants he'd never seen before.

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Pausing here and there to debate her choices, Daffy, wound her way through the tangled greenhouse with practiced steps, warning every once in a while for him to watch his step— "Oh watch out!" She reached out just in time to swat her chomping cabbage away from taking a nibble out of his arm. "So naughty Hector, mind your manners when we have guests!" She chirped and tossed him something from the compost heap. "He's probably not what you're looking for." She giggled again.

Guiding him onward, his tray only half full, Daff had a plan forming in her mind, but without truly knowing what she was working with, it was quite difficult. "It won't fit on there, but you'll probably want a pair of yew or aspen trees, hardy for the soil you describe. Pumpkins will be a lovely ground cover, though it's a little late to plant them..." She could easily get them to grow herself, but she wondered if she could give accurate enough directions. "A steady grass to fill in if you like?" She questioned, pausing at the little flat of soft marshy grasses in the middle of a block of plants.

"Do you want some flowers or no? I know it sounds overdone, but I love the flowering thistles we have." Some perennials would be alright and easy to maintain if he wasn't well-versed.

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The farther they went, the more tangled the paths got. His height did not play in his favor for once, and Lach found himself ducking away from slanted trees and overgrown vines that swung to and fro as Lachlan bumped into the various tables and pots they passed. He watched his step, but not close enough; he was fully taken aback by the sudden appearance of the chomping cabbage—and the florist's nonchalant scolding of it.

Scolding a plant. What had he gotten himself into!?

"You've named the plant," he said, more a matter of fact rather than a question. He hadn't known her for more than ten minutes, but he found himself considering that it didn't seem too out of character. Hector was a strange enough name in itself, one more akin to a human being than a pet. He certainly didn't need any of those in his garden. "Probably not. Do they have a purpose other than... mischief?" he asked, wondering if should have just let it be.

They continued through the greenhouse, and the tray he carried grew heavier and heavier. He wasn't concerned by that, however, but rather what was being put on it. He couldn't identify half the plants she'd placed there, and there were more than enough seeds to make him worry that his garden was about to become a greenhouse of its own.

"Grass would be nice," he said, too overwhelmed to be able to consider much else at the moment. "I would hate to crush your enthusiasm, but I'm no gardener. I wouldn't know how to plant half of this. What's a flowering thistle look like?" He wondered if they also sold books. That would also keep him busy.

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

"Of course I've named him," She said, blinking, as if it were odd not to. "Look at that handsome little love." Daff smiled fondly at the chomping cabbage as one would look at a kitten or puppy. "Oh yes, they're wonderful decomposers, take care of all of the dead plant material from pruning." It was a matter of fact statement, clearly he should know that.

Pulling a couple of pots of grass from the middle, she added it to his tray. "This is going to be a lot of work to put in, do you have help?" She was growing increasingly anxious over the fact that he didn't seem to confident in his skills; certainly he just needed a little guidance! The pumpkins alone, however, would need some tender loving care to take properly!

Without a second thought, Daffy summoned a thistle plant from not too far off in the greenhouse, the shorter variety close to blooming. It was such a vibrant purple when it flowered... which she helped it do with a practiced wave of her wand, the bloom opened into the prickly flower in the palm of her hand and a smile blossomed on her lips in a similar manner. "It's only the national flower of Scotland, Silly." He really did need some help! "One of my favorites, I've a sister named Thistle too."  A bouquet of the Potts sisters was a handsome sight!

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"Lovely," he said, a bit uneasily. Lachlan had heard of herbology lovers considering plants their children, but never before had he seen it in action. He gawked at the florist as she spoke so fondly of the creature and was struck by the realization that he'd never had a single pet he'd spoken to so adoringly, and yet she had it in her heart for a cabbage. A cabbage. There were a lot of things he could say, but nothing he felt would make the florist realize how bizarre this was to him. Instead, he took a step backwards away from the cabbage—Merlin only knew how he'd explain that bite mark away—and dropped his gaze to the grass she'd just placed on his tray.

"No help, but it's no issue. I need the work," he admitted. He could asked Tilda to help, but it would make something that was intended to be relaxing that more stressful. Besides, if she had anything—an instruction manual, a book, written directions no matter how long—he'd be able to figure it out. Eventually.

He watched as she summoned the plant, the thistle. It was an ugly plant, really, looking closer to a cactus than a flower. Perhaps Scotland should reconsider its choice for "national flower", assuming there was a need for one at all. He let her place it on the tray, not wanting to dissuade her from her fun. He could buy what he needed, he reminded himself. "Thistle, hm? Is it normal in your family to name daughters after plants?" He wondered what her name could be. Rose was a common one. There was also Lily, Poppy, Iris, Violet, and... well, he couldn't think of any other flowers.

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Daffy was unperturbed by his lack of enthusiasm for Hector, if fact she barely noticed his lack of response to the thistle either. She quite liked their spikey weirdness and Hector, well, he'd been a school project Professor Skeeter had let her bring home knowing she could properly care for him.

What did stick out to her was the fact that she had a plan forming in her head and she knew it would be impossible to describe how exactly he was to put everything in without some long, detailed instructions.

She'd circle back around to that in a moment. "Oh yes, all seven of us. My father is as marine herbologist you see, and my mother owns this shop. Each of my sisters and I are named after a flower. I'm Daffodil, but my friends can me Daffy." It had gotten her made fun of as a child sometimes, but she'd never paid it any attention, it was unique, just like her, and she liked it very much.

Smiling softly at him, she added a couple more flowers to his tray, hardy ones and it was quite full. "Alright, I'll take that and you pick up that tree there, best to pick it up by the pot," She motioned to the young yew sapling standing at the end of the row before reaching out to take the tray. "And we'll get you all squared away."

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Daffodil Potts. It was a unique for sure; Lach couldn’t even picture a daffodil in his head, though he knew of them.

Some families invested all their time and energy into a single business. The MacFusty family was invested in their dragon reserve, and it seemed the Potts family was invested in... plants. So invested that they’d named their daughters after flowers, too. It would have been like his mother naming him Fireball, his older brother Ridgeback, his younger brother Ironbelly, and his sister Horntail. It seemed almost obscenely funny, but he reminded himself that her family had knowledge of things that he never would.

Which led him to his next problem.

“I’m really not sure I’ll know what to do with all this, Miss Potts,” he said, a variation of what he’d said twice already. He was willing enough to hand over the tray, but less eager to pick up the potted tree; he did so, though, but looked at it as if he expected a head to pop out and snap at him. He wouldn’t have been surprised.

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— way too attractive set by mj <3 —

Daff shouldered the tray like it was nothing, her slight form betrayed the lean muscles underneath from years of hard work in the gardens and greenhouses. Leading her new company back through the greenhouse to the front, she moved lightly, a skip in her step as she was quite pleased with the spread she'd put together for his yard.

Once out front, she set the tray on the counter, and pulled a form from beneath the till to start tallying up what she had. Her plan had formed slowly on her way back; it all hinged on if he wanted delivery. "Right there is fine, now, name for the order?" She would need that anyway, but her curiosity about the gentleman who needed so much help with his yard had been mounting throughout their time together in the greenhouse.

"Would you like delivery? It's quite a lot, I could have it to you by lunchtime." That's when Senna came in to help and then she could skip out for a little while to tend to this personally. If he wanted to take it now, she would have to come up with something else. Daff was increasingly intent on seeing just what it was he was attempting to do.

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