The First Annual Anniversary Exchange: Post Here

[Smaug]

This is the thread you can exchange your gift in, and post it for everyone to see other than your PM to your person.

Remember gifts should be posted by June 30th!

Feel free to post whatever your gift is here... Links to your story or whatever.

I'm looking forward to this, giving presents that take time is the nicest part

[dmf1984]

I hope this isn't a double-post! Sorry!

My gift-fic to MMADfan can be found in the humor section; it is entitled "Alphabet getrunken".

Di ;D

[jayejaye]

Ok, Here is a copy of my gift to Di. It is a sequal to my first ever charming roots fic, Side by Side. I haven't thought of a title for this yet so any suggestions would be appreciated. It's not my best, but all I had time for I'm afraid.


Filius Flitwick gazed through the grubby glass of greenhouse three at the woman he loved. She was hunched low over a flowerbed planting sunflowers. Pomona adored muggle plants, having written her doctorate on the subject. The vibrant golden colour was emphasised by the bright rays of sunlight streaming into the greenhouse, casting what appeared to be an aura around Pomona...But that's how I always see her, Filius mused. She always seems to shine.

Glancing back Filius noticed she had moved on to tend to a patch of Calendula, his muggle birth flower. He allowed his thoughts to wander back to that day almost one year ago when they had begun their relationship. They had unknown to each other, been culitvating the others birth flower and had chosen the same day to exchange the gifts. The plants still remained in the greenhouse growing next to each other, "side by side." Filius muttered, remembering his own words from that day.

Not wishing to disturb Pomona , Filius strolled back towards the castle; He had some very serious thinking to do.

After wandering the grounds for several hours Filius found himself near the rooms of his old friend Albus Dumbledore. "Well why not...A little advice fron the greatest wizard of the age can't hurt." The gargoyle guarding the enterance raised a wizened eyebrow and Filius realised he was talking to himself. With a self concious cough Filius gave the password and leapt onto the moving staircase.

When Filius entered his friends office Albus was nowhere to be seen. Moving through into his private quaters Filius came across Albus seated in a large chinz armchair, his boots removed and legs slung up over the arm. "Filius, good afternoon, have a drink my friend."
As Filius sat down on a neighbouring chair a drink appeared on the coffee table in front of him. Of course it was his favourite, cherry syrup and soda. Filius glanced toward the book Albus had been reading. He was carefully marking the page with a piece of tartan cloth that looked suspiciously like it had been clawed and chewed by a certain tabby cat. Resisting the urge to chuckle, Filius covered his mouth with a hand. "Good book Albus?"
"The Journey of Man, by a muggle, Spencer Wells. His theory on muggle evolution, fascinating really...But alas, I rarely get the chance to read it undisturbed. Oh, that wasn't a hint aimed at you my friend."Albus hastily added, a little too loudly and Filius suspected it was playfully aimed at the witch who was undoubtedly working in the small adjoining study.
"So." Albus began "You look like a man still unsure how to ask Pomona to marry him."
"I wish you wouldn't do that. "Filius mumbled in mock annoyance.
"Oh, no legillimency involved."Albus assured him."It's just written all over your face."
"Am I that obvious?" Filius raised a hand to his forehead and absently rubbed his temples. "I'm a grown wizard for Merlin's sake, how come I am reduced to a stammering teenager trying to invite a girl to the yule ball for the first time whenever I even think of asking her?"
"Because you love her."Albus stated simply, regarding his friend over half moon glasses. "And you're terrified she'll say no."

Filius nodded reluctantly feeling rather pathetic; Albus was right. Filius was renouned as one of the bravest and fiercest dueling champions there had ever been, yet here he was afraid to ask four little words, afraid of rejection. Albus spoke softly, pulling Filius from his reverie.
"Qui ose gagne... remember my friend?"
Filius blinked, qui ose gagne...their old dueling club motto...Who Dares Wins.

Filius jumped down from the overstuffed armchair with a squeak.
"You're absolutely right Albus, if I don't ask I'll never know." Pulling the small velvet box from a pocket deep in his robes Filius stared at it for a few moments...'It's now or never' he resolved.

"Well you'd better take this then." A voice from the doorway startled them both. A relaxed looking Minerva McGonagall appeared from the study holding out an old fashioned hamper to Filius. "Sushi," She explained, as Filius peered up into the basket. "Pomona and I were going to have a picnic this evening, however I'm sure she would rather spend the time with you."
Pomona's favourite food, Filius grinned as her best friend leaned down to whisper in his ear. "She isn't going to say no Fil."

Without another word Filius hurried toward the door, chuckling to himself as his ears caught the exchange between his two friends as he left the room.
"Don't even think about picking up that infernal book Abus Dumbledore, I unexpectedly have this evening free and I am not going to spend it watching you read."
"Oh, and what else did you have in mind then my dear?"

Filius retraced his steps to greenhouse three, hoping Pomona would still be there. What better place to propose than where they shared their first kiss.

Gazing in once again through the panes of glass Filius noted that even though the light of early evening was a pale amber Pomona still shone as she moved about the greenhouse. He watched her take a seat on a dusty bench next to the Calendula and her birth flower, Lily of the Valley, staring at them thoughtfully.

She turned as he pushed the door aside with a metalic rasp and broke into a smile as she moved to greet him. "Fil, this is a lovely supprise, I was expecting Minerva."
"Ah, yes...well... Min couldn't make it, so she suggested I take her place..." Filius shuffled uncomfortably and looked to his feet, he was losing his nerve. 'Who dares wins, old boy, he thought who dares wins. "Lets eat." He suggested, taking the yellow and blue blanket from the hamper and placing it on the smooth earth floor warmed by the sun.

They spent a pleasant hour eating the picnic and drinking ice cold beer, a guilty pleasure of Pomona's. She had remarked on the sushi and how it reminded her of an exchange program during her apprentiship where she had spent three months working with a Japanese herbologist. As he listened to her stories with amusement Filius wondered if he would ever get tired of hearing her voice, something inside his head told him that he wouldn't. As Pomona turned away to reach for another bottle of beer Filius took a deep breath...now or never.

He remained seated on the blanket and flipped open the box small box containing the ring with practiced ease...Pomona gasped as she turned back towards him, an open bottle of beer in her outstretched arm. The bottle slipped from her grasp, unnoticed by both of them and fell to the floor spilling the liquid across the ground. He met her gaze, frantically trying to think of something eloquent to say, but his mind had turned blank. He wanted to tell her she was beautiful, that she meant more to him than anyone he had ever known, that he loved her...but the words just wouldn't come.

His subconcious spoke to him...'Quick, say something you fool...before she thinks you've changed your mind.'
"Err...Mona...love...Will you marry me?"
Not how he had imagined his proposal to go and certainly not how he had practiced it in the mirror over and over, but there, he'd said it...So why hadn't she replied?

Refocussing his own eyes Filius looked into Pomona's. The soft chocolate brown was glazed as they brimmed with unshed tears and she was biting gently on her lower lip. Suddenly her face broke into a grin and she allowed a few tears to fall as she threw her arms around his neck and squealed.

Filius didn't know how long they had embraced, he learned later Pomona also had no idea. Eventually they broke apart as he planted a soft kiss to her temple and looked down to her, holding out the simple diamond solitaire between his thumb and forefinger.
"Erm... I take it that means yes?" He enquired, hiding the crossed fingers of his left hand behind his back.
Pomona giggled, a sound he loved, nodding up at him." I thought you'd never ask."

[SakiJune]

Here is the link to my gift to jayejaye!
Happy Anniversary to everyone! Yay!

OUR INVISIBLE ENEMIES

[mmadlyinlove]

Happy Anniversary Cody!

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything except… Okay nothing…

A/N: This is my gift for Cody. I was so tempted to just write a MMAD fic, since that is my specialty, but then I decided, since this for the Charming Roots board, that I should try and go with the spirit of things. LOL. So here you go, my poor, feeble attempt at a Charming Roots story, alright?

Just To See You Smile…[/u]

Filius made his way through the long, cold, sterile halls of St. Mungo’s hospital. He had walked this way many times over the past year; each time felt like the first time, and yet, he felt as though he had been doing it for years. He felt cold… lost… and completely alone every time he came here. And yet, in a strange way, it gave him a sense of comfort. As long as she was here, that meant she was okay, and that she was being taken care of. That was all that mattered, right? So what if she was not home, where she rightly belonged? So what if she was not spending the last bit of time she had left here on earth with the family that loved her? She was getting the care she needed, wasn’t she?

In his hands he carried a pot full of beautiful white carnations. Those were her favorite flowers, and always had been as far back as he could remember. Oh, how she had loved to spend hours in her garden, just tending to her beautiful carnations. She had other flowers, of course. Geraniums, roses, fleur-de-lys, and baby’s breath… All of these were her favorites. She even had a small group of tiger lilies, which had been his favorite. And yet, for all those beautiful flowers, with their bright colors and breath taking fragrances, she had always favored carnations. He had never known why exactly, but he never really cared for the reason.

He turned the corner and perceived before him the last, long corridor which separated him from his destination. With a huff of breath and a sense of determination about him, he toddled as best he could down the hall, his arms aching from carrying the flowers. He knew he could use his wand to help him, but he knew he would feel more accomplished if he carried them by himself. He always felt good about himself when he did things the old muggle way, even though using a wand might make things easier.

He finally reached the end of the hallway and stopped in front of the door he was looking for. It was the same door he had been coming to every day for the past year. It was the same door that, despite its neutrality to the woman behind it, brought a small semblance of comfort to him, for it meant that he was only a few feet away from seeing her. He set the flowers on the floor in front of him and, pulling out his wand, used it to whisper the Aguamenti spell. He had already watered it a bit earlier, but he felt as though he had not watered it enough. Once he was finished, he picked it up again and walked into the room without knocking. It would be her naptime, so he knew that she would not hear him knocking.

When he entered, he smiled to see that he was right. There she was, sleeping as she always was at this time of the day. Her head rested upon her pillow and her hair was all mussed around her. She had probably not wanted them to brush it out, as she was prone to do. This made him chuckle slightly. She didn’t like to have anyone else brush her hair, and it seemed as though she didn’t want to brush it herself. But the thing that caught his attention the most was her smile. He always felt good when he saw her smile. It was as though, no matter how bad things were for her, just to see her smile was comforting for him to see. That smile was comforting, solid, and beautiful. Setting the flowers beside her bed, he sat down next to her and took her hand, waiting for her to wake up.

Ooooooooooo

A week had passed, and, unfortunately, so had she. Filius somehow knew that she wouldn’t have lasted since the last time he’d seen her. Last week was the last time he was able to see her because the medi-witches and medi-wizards had said that she had been getting worse, and therefore she was not allowed visitors.

Despite the fact that he had known all this, he was still devastated when he had heard the news. She was, after all, a very important person in her life. She had been there for him for all the major events in his life, and now she wasn’t there anymore. The funeral services had been absolutely beautiful, and the best he could have hoped for. And when the others had left the gravesite, and he was left all alone, he felt a heavy weight upon his heart. She was gone and now he had no one. A hand rested upon his shoulder.

“She’s gone, Filius,” the voice said. He nodded.

“I know,” he said. “And that scares me.” He turned and looked into the sorrowful eyes of his wife. “I miss her, Pomona.” She nodded.

“I know, my love. I know. She was your mother, and nothing can ever replace her in your heart.” With that, she took his hand and stood there in silence with him. That was what he needed at that time. He needed silence. He needed love and companionship. But most of all, he just needed to imagine her smile. The loving smile of a mother, which could calm and soothe any child’s fear.

What he wouldn’t give just to see her smile.

A/N2: Okay this one just totally took me by surprise. Hahaha. As I had started it, the song “Just To See Your Smile” came on and I was about to make it all about Pomona and Filius, but then I thought it’d be kinda cool to do a fic about his mother dying. Kind of. LOL. Hope you like this, Cody. Happy Anniversary. ~mmadlyinlove~[/u]

[Smaug]

Happy Anniversary everyone!

But most particularly Saki, whose gift can be found here.

[pinkie]

Happy Anniversary! I hope everybody had a great time writing her fic!

My Secret Receiver is: OSUSprinks!

I have written two little fics in honor of her: one is in the fluff section and is called: Emergency

-

The other is a songfic, named Maybe i'm amazed and you can find it in the Friends of CharmingRoots thread.

I hope you will enjoy them!

Also, i am writing a whole other fic that i intended to submit for the Secrets, but i couldn't do it in time. That one i owe you and i will let you know when i put it in the right place.

[furandfeathers]

Here's my gift to Pinkie!!!! Sorry it's a little weird, sometimes I take things and just run with them...

Title: Tentacles
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Rating: K

Tentacles

Filius was ecstatic. After searching for days and calling in multiple favors, he had finally found the perfect anniversary gift for his beloved Pomona. They had been dating for one whole year, as of tomorrow. He had agonized over the perfect present for her. She wasn’t really a jewelry person, and flowers and chocolates were just so cliché.

They had been relaxing on his balcony, sipping a nightcap as they reclined together on a settee and watched the stars. Talk had turned to flowers when he’d asked her how her day had gone, and she was discussing several new species that she wanted to try growing. Filius had no idea what she was talking about, but nodded agreeably anyway. When Pomona mentioned her frustration at not being able to find any anemones, the idea for his anniversary gift had been born.

Now, a little over two weeks later, he finally had been able to get his hands on the plant. Although, it almost seemed a little too alive to be a plant. He glanced at the glass bowl on the table in his rooms where the two plants seemed to be waving their…stems…at him as they sat in the water.

As he waited for Pomona to come to his chambers as he planned, he couldn’t help but stare at the odd little plants on his table and wonder why she wanted them so badly. They were a pretty color, he admitted, and perhaps she was trying to start a water garden.

Reaching into the water, he reached to stroke the plant with one finger, but let out a cry of surprise when he felt a pulse of electricity where he touched it. Pulling his hand away, he found a small welt forming on his finger that looked almost like a bee sting.

“What on earth?” he cried aloud, but didn’t have time to ponder because at that moment, Pomona’s familiar knock sounded on his door. Quickly covering the bowl with a cloth, he went to answer it.

“Happy Anniversary, love,” he said smiling, and leaned in to kiss her.
“Happy Anniversary to you too,” she said stepping into the room.
“I know I said dinner, but I must give you your present first,” he said, tugging her over to the table.
“Fil, you shouldn’t…” she tried to protest.
“No arguing. You mentioned that you wanted these a few weeks ago, and I found them. Anemones!” he said, lifting the cloth with a flourish to reveal the strange plants. “Careful though, they apparently bite,” he added showing her his finger.

Pomona could no longer suppress her giggles. “Filius, I love you,” she laughed, placing a kiss on his injured finger. He looked confused by her reaction. “Darling, these are Sea Anemones. Technically, they are animals, and predatory ones at that,” she explained, gesturing to the welt on his finger.

“They did sting me?” he asked.
“Yes, darling. Poppy can take care of that sting in no time.”
“I got you the wrong kind of anemone?” he asked, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.
“These are not the anemones I was thinking of, no,” she answered carefully.

His gaze dropped to his feet. “I’m sorry, Mona. I messed up our anniversary.”
“You did no such thing,” she replied sternly, while gently lifting his chin to look into her eyes. “While these are not the anemones I was talking about, I love them anyway. And besides, I didn’t come here for presents, I came her for a quiet, romantic dinner to celebrate a year with the man I love.” Feeling bold, she added, “And there will be many more anniversaries if I have my way.”

“Do you mean it?” he asked softly.
“Yes. I love you Filius” she replied in the same tone. “And my new pets. Should we name them?”
The last of his worries gone, Filius laughed along with her, then pulled her into his arms.
“I love you, Mona.”
She smiled brightly, and leaned up on her toes to press her lips to his.

[pinkie]

I love it so much!
It is so fluffy and sweet and poor Filius, having that nasty anemone sting him like that! I love the flow the fic has, it reads so well.
Thank you so very much, i really really enjoyed it.

I could almost see Nemo living in that bowl of Filius - i am glad that everything worked out for both him and Pomona and for the anniversary.
I wonder what they named the plant. I hope it was something apt!

[MMADfan]

I posted my gift for Elo over in Fluff. It's called, "Now is Perfect." (clickable link)

Happy Anniversary, Elo & CR!

-MMADfan

[stefdarlin]

Happy Anniversary, mmadlyinlove!!

Your gift fic can be found by clicking this link: Flourishings

It is posted in the Drama section.

[morethanacrush]

My gift to furandfeathers. Unfortunately, I've been busy with many things, and if you really would like to know why your present is late and not very long, PM and I'll tell you.
Sorry again . I hope you like it... I'm not very fond of it. lol.

“Do you ever want to travel?”

Pomona shifted to meet Filius’ eyes gazing down at her in his lap. He smiled, “Of course.”
“You answered that pretty quickly.”
“… It’s just travelling, Pomona.”
Pomona sat up, and frowned at him, as he leaned against the thick willow tree outside his house.
“It’s not just travelling. It’s something you share with someone else.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, moving closer to her.
“I mean, it’s very important to travel with someone you care about. You want to share those memories with someone you’ll always have in your life – you don’t want to have them ruined by some petty argument, or something, you know?”
“I never really gave traveling that much thought,” Filius chuckled.
“Well, more people should; they would have happier memories, I think.”
There was a silence between the two eighteen year olds, filled with the sound of crickets and muffled laughter from the house.
“Do you want to travel then?”
“Yes, when I find that someone I’m going to have in my life forever, then I’ll travel.”
“What about with friends? Can’t you travel with friends?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not?”
“Because friends will get me into trouble. I’ll end up doing things I never wanted to do in the first place. And there’s something romantic about traveling, don’t you think?”
“I suppose,” Filius smiled. “How about traveling with me?”
Pomona smiled back at him, “Maybe. I’m not sure yet.”
“So you trust me?”
“I don’t know.”
“Do you think you could know that soon if you want to travel with me? We’ve only known each other for a couple days…”
Pomona nodded, “Yes. I think that sometimes you can know instantly. But the last time I did things that way, I ruined my memories of Rome.”
“Oh.”
Another silence followed. Pomona leaned back, into Filius’ arms.
“What brought on this traveling thing anyway?”
“I was watching a movie with my mom last night. I have the song Moon River stuck in my head.”
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s?”
Pomona looked up at him, frowning. “Should I be worried that you know the movie?”
Filius laughed, “No, my father has a thing for muggle things as well, and he and my mother watch it every year on their anniversary.”
“Oh. That’s sweet.”
“Yea. I’ve watched it a couple times with them.”
Muffled voices were heard from the house in front of them. “I think they’re calling us back,” Filius said, standing up. He offered Pomona a hand.
“I don’t want to go back.”
“Why not?”
“Because I like it out here… away from everyone.”
“I think your parents are leaving.”
“So? I can stay here.”
“You have to go to school tomorrow.”
“So? I don’t need school. I’m going to be a Herbologist, I can learn under my mother.”
“She won’t like that.”
“Fine. If you want me to leave so much, I’ll leave.”
Filius shook his head, helping her up. “I’ll see you tomorrow on the train.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
“Where do you normally sit?”
“Near the front, with Charms nerds,” he joked.
“No wonder I never see you.”
Pomona loosely held his hand while walking around the large trees and towards the house.

[furandfeathers]

aww, it's adorable! I never really gave travelling that much thought either, but she's absolutely right. Love the Breakfast at Tiffany's conversation too...
Thank you so much, this is great!!

[Smaug]

Elo's reviews of the stories posted here

@jaye: You know I love this! It was perfect and absolutely adorable. I love the Albus and Minerva bit, I love married flirting. Poor Fil, worrying so much, she would never say no. And this gave me the chance to re-read Side by Side which can only be a good thing!

@mayday: You made me cry! You had me so convinced that Pomona had died and left him all alone.... Oh the heartbreak. Knowing it was not Mona didn't make ti better though, poor Fil, you really made me feel for him and just want to make it all better. Beautifully written, but utterly heartbreaking.

furandfeathers: *Giggle* Aww Fil! Bless him, he's such a dear. I love his surprise at being stung. And they are so happy with each other that they can share and laugh over their misunderstandings and confusion. I am sure she will treasure her anemones regardless. Cute and wonderful.

@cody: Aww. I really hope they do travel together, they are so cute young. They fit perfectly even then. It made me smile.

And that's it. Well, that was a lot of reviews. I hope I've read them all. Shout at me if I've missed reading yours and reviewing. I love our exchanges, they're nice and we always get lots of wonderful fics to read.

[stefdarlin]

Alright, this too is a compilation of reviews for the fics listed here. Here goes:

Sequel to Side by Side: I loved the playfulness between Albus and Minerva. Somehow I got the impression that Minerva would come and bother him every time he would pick up that particular book, like a little joke between them. The fact that Filius is dubious about asking Pomona his question is so sweet and the quote is great to get him pointed in the right direction. Funny how such a daring man can be reduced in such a way. Her reaction was great. YAY! ;D

Just to See You Smile: This was so sad and it brought to mind a similar rl situation for myself just recently. At first I was afraid it was Pomona and though I was glad it wasn't her, I was still sad that it was someone so dear to him. On the other hand it was good that Pomona was there to help him through this difficult time. *sticks lip out* **sniff**

Tentacles: This was so endearing. I laughed when I read what she wanted and knew he would get the wrong thing. And his surprise at being stung, awww....he should remember Pomona, when plants are involved, is a bit like Hagrid and his creatures, lol. So even if what she had really wanted had been a bit on the dangerous side it would not have surprised me. tee hee!

Do You Ever Want to Travel?: I loved the interaction between Filius and Pomona in this fic. I have this picture of them as teenagers just sitting there as the sun goes down having this conversation. Sometimes it is very hard to stay simple and present a simple conversation between two characters and convey how they feel and I think you did a wonderful job. It makes you feel like you could take part in the conversation too.

I loved all the new fics we could read because of this. Everyone was brilliant!! ;D

And Again, HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to the Charming Roots Boards!!

Cheers!

Stef =o)