Whimsy and Unicorns Finished

Whimsy.

Fanciful, odd. It was a word that described Mari quite accurately today. She had attended classes with an airy sense of satisfaction; for what reason, it would not be obviously apparent to others. It seemed, perhaps, that a new personality had overtaken the Hufflepuff, who normally shuffled around silently, embarrassed at the even slightest glance from another student. Reddened cheeks were normally quite regular on the small girl's face. Today, they were still quite flushed, but for another reason: joy. The weather outside had been quite rainy, and though that would normally force Mari into a state of somberness, for she could not seek solitude outside, today was different. Today, she was one day closer to being a real pet owner. If she had realized how much this would lift her spirits, she would have asked for one sooner.

She had heard the rumors for quite some time. The ban on pets would be lifted; soon, cats would be lurking once more, toads would be croaking their songs throughout the night, and rats - gross, in Mari's opinion - would be scurrying, hunting for food scraps. The rumors had intrigued her, but she had no reason to know if they were true or not, for she was that isolated first year that you just couldn't help but feel sorry for, with her lack of friends. Lately she had been trying to change her solitude; on a whim, she had applied for the newspaper staff, hoping that maybe that would get her name out there. And she had been accepted for a trial run. Not only that, but her team had been tasked with the topic of pets. It was all such perfect timing: the newspaper, the owl she had just received, the upcoming Blossomball. Mari was running on a high, and she could not foresee it coming down anytime soon.

When the final bell of the day had rung, Mari had run out of the classroom. She had been bouncing all day in excitement. There was still a bit of time before she truly had to get ready, so she was left to her own devices as to what to spend her hours on. All day, she had peeked into her bag to find the letter and her present, wondering if they were still there. The letter was, of course, for it was not Leprechaun gold, just simply quill to parchment. As for the present, it was too. It would have been hard to pretend otherwise, in fact, as it was quite large. The pink ball of stuffed glory had overtaken her bag, leaving her no room for much else. Mari wouldn't have had it any other way.

The letter was, unsurprisingly, from her family. This one was specifically from Ewan, her father, and Grace, her youngest sister. Lately, Mari and Ewan had been in near-weekly contact, even if it was only a line or two updating the other on their lives. Ewan seemed happy, though he always mentioned how much he missed his eldest daughter. Luce-goose and Gracey have nothing on my sweet Mari, he had written this time. He had even admitted in a prior letter that he was reading A History of Magic, which, just six months ago, would have been unheard of from Mari's father. The Accounting firm was having quite a bit of success, he'd noted, but he was thinking about how much more efficient magic would have been when dealing with boring Muggle issues like taxes. So he had asked Isa for a recommendation, and she had suggested he start with the most basic book to learn.

Which led to the letter Mari had received on the morning of the first of April. It was much longer, though Mari knew that Ewan was in the brunt of Accounting season, as his firm often outsourced their business to the United States. When the owl had come that morning, she had been shocked to see that it possessed a large package and was filled with anecdotes and thoughts about A History of Magic straight from the cynic himself. And at the bottom, he had written: Upon reading this chapter, my dearest, I have reason to believe that you deserve a pet after all your hard work this year. It is truly a difficult task to be the eldest, especially given what our family has been through, and it is especially taxing for a child to move to a strange place with very little background and understanding of the school's culture. I know your mother has told you she wishes you would try just a bit harder and get those top marks that she had when she was at school, but I understand. You are doing amazing, my dearest, and I am so proud of you. So I'd like to inquire: would you like to take a trip, just our family, to see if we could get you a pet next year? I know you'll have your sister in your second year, but I feel as though you deserve a companion just for yourself, to celebrate you.

She had only needed to write two words: Of course.

Those who knew Mari, though there were few, knew that there were a few passionate loves in her life: her family, the outdoors, and creatures. Ewan had checked off two of those boxes when he had asked her to buy a pet. As for the third, Mari fantasized about being a second year, with that owl she had always dreamed of, flying above her while she playfully tossed owl treats for it to catch. She may not have paid much attention in class that day, but she had reached a level of joy that had not struck her since leaving her family back in Holt. That joy was only intensified by the second portion of her owl: the gift.

She had confided to a couple students that, while she loved both her sisters, she was slightly more partial to her youngest sister, Grace. Grace was a mere six years old and still knew how to love unconditionally. She loved unicorns, sunshine, rainbows, Mari, and the rest of her family - in that order. When Mari had returned over the Winter Holidays, she was dismayed to see that Grace had seemed to be over Mari in the sense that, when posed with the option of playing with her eldest sister or school friends, she chose the school friends. Though Mari had known that it was far more appropriate for Grace to play with her peers rather than her eleven-year-old sister, she had been quite heartbroken at this fact. It was during the spring term that she prioritized writing to her sister, hoping that she could do better at maintaining their relationship. It was selfish, of course. She merely wanted her friend back for the summer holidays.

Mari wasn't certain that she had succeeded until today. Today, Grace (as Ewan elaborated) had chosen to gift her most recent unicorn stuffed animal to Mari, to "show how much she loves you." While to the average eye, it was quite horrifying; to Mari it was the most beautiful creature she had ever set her eyes on. The unicorn was fantastic, weird buck teeth and all. Mainly, of course, as it was a sign of pure love from sister to sister.

Still running quite fast, Mari settled on embracing such a joyous feeling in the third floor corridors. It was quite a random place, of course, but due to its emptiness, she was partial to the thought of spending her time here. The Hufflepuff Common Room and her dormitory would only be busy as well, and due to the horrible weather, it was impossible to go outside. The third floor didn't have anything too remarkable, so it seemed quite unlikely that students would gather here.

Mari threw her school bag to a corner after she gently lifted the unicorn from its home. She cradled it and smiled. Now that she did not have the distraction of education, she could finally gift the unicorn with what it truly deserved: a name. "I think Chester suits you," she chuckled loudly. "We'll be good friends though, don't worry."

She bounced up and down though, energy still not satisfied despite deeming her friend worthy of his name. Mari stared quizzically at her friend. There was something still missing... He had a name, he looked quite cute (as always), but something was not quite complete.

It hit her. This was a gift from Grace, after all. Her six-year-old sister. And though Chester was not Grace entirely - or at all - if this unicorn was a symbol of Grace, Mari would need to embody the spirit that was Grace when interacting with him. What better way to do that? Walking handstands.

She giggled again and said happily, "Oh Chester, I know you're like Grace, but I think you'll just have to watch this. You don't quite have the hands or balance for it." Still cradling the unicorn like it was actually alive, she set him carefully on top of her bag.

And then she began. Up and down the corridors, Mari attempted handstand after handstand while she walked a few steps with her hands before falling once more. She was thankful to have slacks under her robes to save any embarrassment. At some points, she could attempt a few feet; others a mere "step" or two. A lot of this walking had come from a few years of practice with Grace, of course, and remembering the bonding moments between the girls made Mari's heart warm with happiness. Every few minutes she checked with Chester the stuffed unicorn to ensure that he kept his goofy little grin, though as it was stitched on, his smile remained the same. The whimsy continued for what felt like hours, but at some point, Mari ended up collapsing on the floor, giggling uncontrollably, smiling at Chester the unicorn, her new friend; a friend that would prepare her for her future new friend of a pet.

If this whimsy was such a form of bliss, she'd have quite a bit of it. Contentedness was quite unusual for Mari at Hogwarts, but something about the day had snapped her out of her normal misery, and she felt that nothing could stop her now.