Animal Care Club Closed

Liliafix ran through the grounds, wisps of hair plastered to her forehead. It had been in a tight braid that morning, but it had now loosened, leaving strands drifting in the breeze. She did not want to be late. She was surprised she was joining a club- she never joined clubs. But this club was about animals- helping them, and that is what Liliafix loved. She slowed down her sprint upon arriving closer to the Forbidden Forest, partly from fear. Liliafix was not the type to break rules, but as long as they stayed on the outside, they would be fine... right? The other reason she slowed down is because she had spotted the clearing, where another girl was residing. Liliafix walked in what she hoped was a normal fashion, but she was practically trembling with fear. What if they don't like me? What if I mess up? What if- It's no wonder why Liliafix wasn't a Gryffindor. Nevertheless, she had to at least try to be brave.

Approaching the Slytherin, she smiled and sat down a few feet from her. "H-h-h-hello, I-I'm Li-li-li-liafix. I-is this the animal care club?" Her signature stutter was obvious. She sighed but looked up at the girl with a small smile.

She noticed that the girl had a bag, and remembered she had brought one of her own. It was a leather satchel, with sky blue stitching. In it she had placed several books on muggle animals, magical creatures, and one on basic first-aid. One thing's for sure: she wouldn't be the one administrating the care. Needles made her squeak, and she got nauseous at the sight of blood. Nevertheless, she hoped she could prove herself useful to the group. She was very good at tracking, and pretty smart when it came to identifying sicknesses. Liliafix was startled back into reality as the girl in front of her made comment. Embarrassed, Liliafix blushed. She hoped the girl hadn't noticed her daydreaming and smiled awkwardly. She hadn't heard what the girl said, but she nodded her head like she was agreeing. She bit her lip and waited for the Slytherin's reaction.

Muriel jogged from her dorm in the West Tower all the way to the Grounds, an anxious yet excited look on her face. She couldn’t believe that there was a club for helping animals; it was like a dream come true! Not only was she an avid animal lover, but she also had dreams of becoming a Healer, just like her mother. And although Healers helped people, helping animals would be a good first step in the right direction... right? Either way, she was eager to start, which was going to be very soon as she arrived at the Grounds, spotting two other girls already there.

Muriel had even brought a few things with her, hoping they’d help. Inside the handmade, green string bag she was carrying were supplies for both, magical and non-magical ailments. This included books on plants and herbs, one from her Herbology class and another from her father who was a muggle herbalist, a few actual herbs rolled up gently in paper towels, and her own journal full of notes and drawings that she’d taken from watching her mother at St. Mungo’s. Were any of these things going to come in handy? She hoped so... though maybe her practical skills like foraging and plant preparation would be more useful in the long run.

At the same time however, there were a couple red flags going up in her head as she neared the edge of the looming forest; she’d listened carefully to the headmaster’s welcoming speech on her first day and knew that it was forbidden to enter the forest. But... they weren’t actually entering, just staying near the edge... that should be alright. But what creatures exactly would they be trying to take care of? What if they were dangerous? Or got spooked and started chaos? What if one of them got hurt instead, or even worse an innocent bystander? What if a professor saw them and got suspicious, or even worse... decided that they should be expelled?

Muriel quickly tried to shake all these thoughts away, as they were starting to make her skin grow pale and her hands tremble. The club had good intentions, no one could deny that, and she believed the pros outweighed the cons, at least quality-wise. “H-Hi... everybody...” Muriel finally said when she arrived, giving an awkward wave and timid smile. “This is the Animal Care Club... right?”

"Oh, hello!" Sylvie said, smiling warmly. "Yes, this is the club, you are in the right place. My name is Sylvie, Sylvie Maple." She said, holding out her hand for both of them.

"You guys can sit down if you want, oh, one second..." She said, turning to her bag. Sylvie had forgotten the small picnic blanket she had packed in her bag the other day. Sylvie was sometimes very forgetful, so she packed it a day or two before the meeting, she couldn't remember. Anyways, she pulled out a pastel pink and green picnic blanket and laid it on the ground, sitting down on it and gesturing for the others to do the same.

Sylvie played with her hair, wondering what to say. She didn't really know much about this girls, except for the fact they liked animals, or why else would she join a club about them, and they wanted to heal them. Sylvie thought for a moment about what she was going to say, then faced the two girls. "Have you guys cared for animals before, and if so were they magical or not." Sylvie hoped they had taken care of magical animals because she didn't have experience with them, she had only read books, but she had helped birds, stray dogs and cats, snakes, and other animals very frequently.