Finally, the day came for Juniper to repot her Rat
Root. She had hardly left her house, except to check on her plants, for weeks.
Today, however, was a new day, and it was finally safe to come out. Once she
had made it abundantly clear that she wasn’t going to make any public
appearances, or participate in interviews, or sign autographs, her fame quickly
waded. The public was incredibly fickle, and never had Juniper appreciated that
more than that day.

It was a good day for repotting. It was a new
beginning for the Rat Root, and for Juniper herself. In its new pot, the Rat
Root would thrive. She packed the pot full of moist soil, and moved her
precious plant over into its bigger pot. It even looked a bit more confident,
she thought. She handled its roots carefully, and made sure that they were
firmly anchored in the soil of the new pot.

She frowned for a moment. Repotting was her time to meditate
on the nature of change. This was a new stage in the life of the Rat Root, and
it would be a new stage for her. She had won fame, and finally managed to lose
it. She was ready to start over, and to love the life she led.

But the meditation was broken. The Rat Root wasn’t
starting over. Not completely. The roots were the same roots that it had grown
when Juniper had first planted it. The life it lived as a tiny seed was still
within it. This wasn’t a clean break, but a growing process. The Rat Root kept
the old things in its heart, even as it moved into a new pot.

Juniper could feel the tears spring to her eyes
unbidden. She remembered her first ride on the Hogwarts Express, and sitting
next to a pretty girl with curly, red hair. She remembered how proud and happy
she had felt as she watched her new friend be sorted into Slytherin, and how
conflicted it had made her feel when the Sorting Hat told her she would be in
Hufflepuff. She was happy, and loved her house. But, there was sadness, too.
She would be separated from her friend.

Still, they were nearly inseparable. True, they
competed on the Quidditch pitch. But there were never any hard feelings. Delia
had helped her pass Potions, she had helped Delia pass Herbology, and they had
helped each other in all the rest.

Before she could even take off her dragon-hide
gloves to wipe the tear from her eye, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

For a moment, it scared her. She hadn’t even heard
the door open. But her fear lasted for only a moment, because she knew exactly
who it was.

“Delia?”

“Repotting, Junie?”

“Yes, actually. Just the Rat Root…  Although, I was thinking about doing the
Gurdyroot, too.”

“Gurdyroot? That’s this onion-looking one, right?”

“Yes, that’s the one.” Juniper watched out of the
corner of her eye as her old friend pulled the Gurdyroot down from its sunny
shelf.

“Delia. What are you doing?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve repotted anything
but… what the heck? I feel like giving it a try.”

“You’re going to mess it up, Delia. Please, just let
me.”

“I want to help you, Junie. I… I want to help you
with whatever you need. I… I’m sorry. Okay? I said it. I’m sorry for
everything.”

“Delia…”

“I was an idiot. It was a stupid thing, I just… I
just wanted to make you happy.”

Before either woman knew exactly what had happened,
they were embracing and crying on one another’s shoulders. It was just like
their first night at Hogwarts, as they parted ways to go to their separate common
rooms. It was just like watching Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup, even after
they had vowed that they would be happy whether Slytherin or Hufflepuff took it
home. It was just like graduation, when they realized that an important part of
their lives was over forever.

Juniper held her friend silently, as they cried
among the beautiful plants. But her mind was far from silent. She couldn’t help
but think of trees that grew together, and plants that shared so much for so
long. She looked over at the Knotgrass and Dittany out of the corner of her
eye. Beautiful, confident Knotgrass. Useful, unsung Dittany. They shared soil,
and water, and sunlight. They were like two little girls out after hours,
sharing secrets and wishing they could share a dorm. They would never be apart,
not for as long as they lived. They would grow, intertwined. They were attached
at the roots; there was nothing else for it.

And in that moment, Juniper Trimble realized why she
loved the plants so much.