hunting unicorns

[metamorphmaga]

As spring approaches and the snow begins to melt, Jenny and Emma take to spending their free afternoons outside, practicing flying or doing homework on the lawn or just generally enjoying the sunshine. Their spot of choice is not, as such things go, all that far from the forest, and for Jenny it becomes something of a game: see if you can spot a unicorn. She never does, but she never gives up hope. Someday.

After about a month of this, Emma decides to leave the lawn early- she's finished her letter to her parents, and wants to drop it at the Owlery- so Jenny is left to her own devices. Bored, she examines the forest. It's only supposed to be unsafe at night, right? It won't hurt to go wander around a little in search of unicorns. She won't go very far.

And if she's lucky- unicorns.

---

Half an hour later, Jenny is deeply regretting her idea. She is completely lost, and the forest has gotten much darker and gloomier. She would go back, if she had any idea where to go. She's taken to making little piles of rocks, to attempt to mark her way; unfortunately, so far all this has told her is that she is definitely going in a circle.

The next time she re-encounters a pile, she branches out to the left instead. She's pretty sure she came from that direction, so maybe-




Cold.

Jenny is friends with Miranda. Miranda has been compulsively researching Dementors all year; she knows what it means, this cold, the screaming terror. But it's so much worse than anything ever, ever said it would be. She's frozen to the spot, unable to move, brain screaming in terror.

And then the Dementor appears. Slowly but visibly, it approaches her. Is it bigger than the books said they should be? She thinks it is. It's already looming and it's not even close.

Frantically, crazy with fear, Jenny does the only thing she can think of- she shifts away her mouth.

The Dementor stops, seeming to hover in place. Jenny stays frozen in place. The Dementor doesn't seem to be planning to Kiss her... but it's not moving, either, and she's still stuck.

Oh, God. Now what?

Comments

[parental_guidance]

"Oops. I guess I don't actually know anyone with a rat, so it wouldn't have come up? Or something."

[chanuphis]

"I don't really see the point of rats. Or toads. Cats you can at least pet, and owls are useful too."

[witch_please]

"My cousin has a rat. They're pretty cuddly," Alli mentions. "And a lot cleaner and friendlier than you would think a rat is."

[metamorphmaga]

"You've held one? An actual rat?"

[witch_please]

"They're not bad at all! You should meet one. You'd like them, they're little and soft."

[metamorphmaga]

"...maybe."

(Nope.)

[pleating]

"I'd be sort of worried about getting bit. Even a tame rat."

[witch_please]

"And not by a cat? Same idea, smaller teeth."

[pleating]

"Those I'm not scared of, though. Kitties know how to warn you if they're mad."

[witch_please]

"Bet rats do too," she shrugs. Then she smiles wryly. "Not a clue how, though, I don't have a rat."

[metamorphmaga]

"Cats are still cuter," Jenny declares. Fluffy white cat ears peep out of her hair to emphasize the point.

(Normally she'd add whiskers, but... she's not feeling like modifying her face, right now. Maybe later.)

[chanuphis]

"If you don't know how to read the warning it might as well not be there. And cats are cuter, and purr."

[witch_please]

"I don't- Hmm. Ugh. Words, words are hard. I don't know if I can tell they're mad. Not, I don't know how to tell they're mad. I have never seen an angry rat! I could be able to tell, if I saw one. Or not." She pauses. "I almost want to get one now, to see. Promise you'd tell your owls not to eat it?"

[chanuphis]

"If you borrow someone's rat I won't let Amber eat it."

[witch_please]

"Mwahaha, my rat plans can continue!"

[chanuphis]

"You will have to warn me if you're carrying one around, though, if she just sees a random rat..."

[witch_please]

"I will." Innocent face. "Just not by owl."

[chanuphis]

Miranda giggles.

[marrinikari]

At this point, Madam Pomfrey apparently finishes arguing with Professor Fisher, and- from his continued presence in the infirmary- seems to have won. Free of that particular distraction, she bustles over to Jenny's bed, looking stern. "All right now, children, time to go. You've had plenty of time to chat and Miss O'Meara still needs her rest," she tells them.

[chanuphis]

"Feel better," Miranda advises Jenny, getting up.

[pleating]

Karen disentangles herself. "Yeah. Enjoy the chocolate while it lasts!"

[parental_guidance]

"Get well soon," Emma tells her with a last hug.

[witch_please]

"Later, candybar," Alli says cheerfully.

[wyrdsister]

The next morning, Professor Reed can be found awaiting Miranda in her classroom. It is, as promised, immediately after breakfast.

[chanuphis]

Miranda appears on time.