The river has frozen over
Not a soul on the ice
Only me
Skating fast

Roma Avery Warrington

Herbology was a passion of hers. She loved observing the plants, giving them water, cutting back sprouts, applying manure. It was fascinating to watch these delicate green structures that could blossom into the most beautiful of flowers and at the same time they could bring you the most agonizing death. It was curious what great care nature had taken to make death glorious by adorning the murderess like a queen. There were less conspicuous plants too, of course, that were just as fatal. And then, there were other plants again that, as if nature had wanted to compensate for the poison, would bring salvation. There was a balance between all these things, and to study this was her greatest fascination.

There were a lot of practical aspects too that she embraced as well. She was very skillful with her hands, had to be as a surgeon, and she had a good eye, so she didn’t have any problem treating a plant. Also, she was convinced, it simply was in her genes. Plants thrived in her care like in her mother’s, she didn’t even have to try all too hard. Try though she did. Anybody could grow knotgrass, but the more powerful a plant and its property was, the more it had to be looked after. Then again, a Herbologist should never forget that the main purpose of their work was to assist potion making. She was excellent at this too, how else with a mother such as hers, though certainly far from as good as her or even Ivan. But she was also convinced that specializing was the right way to go about things. She was first and foremost a Healer, and as such she viewed other magical branches.

Plants were needed for healing, and it just so happened that many magical herbs were at their most powerful if picked during a full moon. This was going to be tomorrow night and for this she wanted to be ready. There were a couple of interesting plants that were growing wild in Scotland and one flower in particular was said to bloom during full moons and the petals were apparently extremely powerful. She had read up as much as she could, but there was shockingly little research. Partly, she even wondered whether these were old wives’ tales, but she wouldn’t know until she tried. So she had decided to go into the north over the next few days and see whether she could find any sign of these plants. She’d go early enough that she would know the landscape by the full moon. After all, the topographical information she had was not too exact either. But as she wanted to go before the whole family would be at home, she needed to at least say properly goodbye to her mothers. So after visiting the Ministry, she went to The Daily Prophet, walking straight to the office of the editor and knocking at the door. “Mother?” she said, pushing open the door when she heard the invite. “I’ve come to say goodbye before going to Scotland.”

Under Ice

Silver heels spitting, spitting snow
There's something moving under
Under the ice moving
Under ice through water

Roma had been many things in her life. She'd been a younger sister, and partially an only child, Burke and Avery and Dolohova depending on who she was with and who she was speaking to. Warrington, for her husband. A Slytherin, a Death Eater, a lover, a bride, a mother and a wife. A prisoner and a student, apprentice and journalist, Editor and Adviser. She held a tidy string of accomplishments in hand, carried them with her. Still there were a few she had never earned, and was unlikely to ever carry.

Herbologist was one of them, Potions Mistress another. It was quite. . .well. Roma simply wasn't born with a green thumb or an unshaking hand, or really, a head for fumes. She was quite ordinary in that regard, unlike Nora who was simply extraordinary. Much as Roma would like to say she'd been distracted by Nora during all their classes, it was only partially true that she'd lost her head there the most. It was fortunate hen, that of those traits, her children had had none of that from her. Coldness, of course, was from both mothers, and bloodlust-- that was perhaps more from her. They had the best from her, and all of Nora, spun into a glory of three.

She'd been studying the letters before her, drumming her fingers by the slants of a few articles. She held the Prophet, yes, and while it was certainly her job to advise the Minister, she truly felt as if the Death Eater voice wasn't being held enough. There were so many Morgana-cursed freedoms given to the filth, none of which they deserved. Truthfully, knowing what she did now, she might have tried to convince Nora that Wentzell served their purposes better. If one more pleasantry was given to them, was was certainly having a talk with those in her family. Still, it wouldn't do to let the Prophet go out under irritation.

The sound of footsteps-- family, of course, few else would be so bold-- had Roma moving to her feet to see the kin arriving, and invitation offered at a knock of the door. She felt a smile grow on her face. "Little Lori," the name slipped out, but Lori was silhouetted simply perfectly, Nora's golden hair in Lori's pale locks, eyes clear as ice. She could see the child Lori had been once, before the Dark Lord had fell.

"Scotland?" That wasn't far, thankfully, and should anything happen-- no, Lori was an adult, in her twenties. She didn't need a mother interfering. "What for, loveling?"

☆@loraine , 430 words☆

❤fai

Herbology was a passion she could share with both her mother and Ivan, which was very much enhancing her pleasure in the subject, being able to learn from her mother and with her brother. It was a little bit curious too, considering that she wasn’t related by blood to Ivan and Mother Roma had an average understanding of both Herbology and Potionology. And yet, Ivan was as talented as she was. She liked to take it as providence that her brother was her brother in skills. A sign that their family was simply meant to be. Not that she’d need such mundane signs. She simply had to watch her mothers together to know that they were only whole together. She had been very little when they had been forced to be apart, but even now she knew that her father had never truly been her parent — would never have been even if he had lived to see her this day — the way that Mother Roma was. He had never cared for her, never wanted her, hardly ever looked at her. And even though her existence had kept her mothers apart for two more years and she was sometimes disappointed with herself to have been in their way, they had never for a second given her the feeling of being unwanted — as a girl, maybe yes, but not as their daughter.

The nickname and even more the concern in her mother’s voice made her smile. She wasn’t a vulnerable child that needed protecting any longer, and if anybody would insinuate that she was… this person would be fortunate if they were still able to regret their fault. But when it was her mother, nothing was further from her mind than being insulted. It didn’t make her feel as if she were considered a child, it was only a reminder that she had once been a child and that this woman had cared for her, her brothers, and her mother back then and would continue to do so as long as there was life in her. And life there would be for a long time. Her mother, both her mothers, were exceptionally strong and gifted, and witches generally could reach an old age. She’d have her mothers for a long time still, and for a long time she’d hear their voices, asking and assuring and soothing and complimenting and simply loving her. She would never take her mothers for granted, not after all that had already happened, but she believed in them. And believing them made her believe in herself and feel proud, knowing that she could make them proud.

“Research — just a little project for my studies,” she replied, smiling warmly, as she took a chair and put it right next to her mother. “It’s going to be a full moon, so I hope I can observe a couple of interesting phenomena. But I’m going now so that I can make myself familiar with the territory. I’ve talked it all through with Mother. I’ll be back on Friday.”