Poppy Sweeting
“Her name is Persephone!” Poppy huffed, blowing her cheeks out in utter annoyance at this brute of a Slytherin. Really she tried not to put all Slytherin’s together as cruel or bullies - Ominis Gaunt was plenty good company - but it was classmates like this that made it trying at times.
Ruben glanced somewhere over her shoulder, a smile twisting over his lips as he hunched his shoulders, flicking his hands around like a hooligan. Ammelia had been mocking her every single time Poppy spoke, hiding behind Ruben’s shoulder to do it. Poppy paid her no mind.
“Her name is Persephone! Hahaha!” Oh now he’d done it, Poppy was not above putting a toad under his pillow. She’d have considered putting one in his shoe but he might accidentally step on it and she wouldn’t wish that upon a toad. Still, she was about to give him the tongue lashing of his poor school career when a shadow fell over her shoulder.
“That’s really not funny.” Turning in surprise, she was met with the new student’s stern and unimpressed stare, fixated on Ruben. His expression was so blank compared to how welcoming it had been when she had introduced herself, Poppy wondered if this was even the same student. But his voice was the same and so was his face. “Off with you now, please,” he jerked his chin towards the tables in the classroom.
Ruben scowled, dropping his hands and leading his friend away from the pens(anywhere away from the pens is where Ruben should be). But Poppy was utterly confounded when Ruben smacked his shoulder against the new student’s on the way. The student didn’t do much in response, simply tilted his chin higher.
“Rematch in Crossed Wands, Ruben?” Poppy glanced at the student in surprise.
She’d heard of Crossed Wands, never participated in it though. Somehow it came odd that this gentle Gryffindor was in such a club. Now, looking at his stern eyes, as though he were a prefect scolding a first year, Poppy could see such a focus on defensive magic as well. Though his remark must have meant something to Ruben, because the Slytherin scowled, despite his shoulders locking.
“That was luck, mudblood.”
“The first and second round maybe.” Don’t provoke him! Poppy almost wanted to scold the student, but Professor Howin intercepted Ruben, clearing her throat. Her own pointed stare had Ruben grumbling and slinking away, Ammelia following after him. Poppy almost wanted to watch Ruben get a scolding for his behavior towards the beasts, as this hadn’t been the first offense, but the Gryffindor student(goodness she’d forgotten to ask his name) shifted to her side, looking in at Persephone.
“Thank you,” Poppy told him, “utter brutes, they are. Persephone didn’t deserve that.”
“No,” the student agreed the same shy smile she’d seen when first meeting him was back, “she didn’t.” Poppy smiled in return, continuing to teach him how to care for the beasts for the rest of the class. She hoped he didn’t have any plans after, as she had made up her mind to show him something extraordinary.
❈✢❈
Henry, he’d told her when she finally asked, both of them embarrassed that it’d taken the whole class for Poppy to know his name. As she’d told him, he was a real Augurey at noon in the desert. Ironically, he was very sweet as she led him to her meeting spot with Highwing, asking questions about beasts to the point that Poppy almost believed he was genuinely interested in what she had to say.
The conversations didn’t last long as Poppy finally moved in a slow jog up the last bit of the hill, seeing the clearing. She felt a little guilty when she didn’t properly answer Henry’s “Poppy, where are we going?” but the surprise would surely be worth it.
And it was.
Henry was also a pleasant surprise, once more, as he’d gotten along with Highwing just as Poppy hoped he would. They’d both get along well if Henry continued to hang around Poppy, and she really hoped he did. Though she might have to be the talker in the dynamic, as neither Henry or Highwing were much talkers. Still, she was already planning different things they could do together. Butterbeers on the log and talking about their days, or perhaps Poppy could show Henry the different beast dens around Hogwarts or… or maybe she’s getting a little too far ahead of herself.
Companionship suddenly feels a little bit like a dream.
“She’s magnificent, Poppy,” Henry’s voice had Poppy looking up from where she was sat on a log. It felt odd to leave after introducing them, so she’d leave when Henry did(if she was able).
Speaking of, Poppy was surprised to find that Henry was sat, criss-cross next to Highwing, lightly brushing over her feathers. He was certainly full of surprises, she was coming to find. Highwing had an eye on him as he brushed, but they both seemed comfortable in each other’s spaces.
“Yes, she most definitely is. I knew you two would get on. You can come here whenever you’d like,” she felt the need to say. “I can…” she hesitated for only a second, “I can take you to a few other creature dens nearby, if you’d like? Obviously you don’t have to, but I know a puffsekin den and a mooncalf den or if you’d rather-.” Henry interrupted her, his patient eyes somehow soothing her anxieties.
“I wouldn’t mind finding time to do that, just let me know when you’re ready and we’ll plan to go, yeah?” Poppy grinned, nodding. It felt too good to be true. Not that Highwing wasn’t a great friend, but having a friend that could talk back in words sounded very nice. Gran would be pleased when Poppy wrote to her this weekend.
“Oh yes! I spend most of my free time with the creatures, so owl me when you’d like to go.”
“Okay,” Henry nodded, fixing his attention back onto Highwing. He was certainly focused on his task and it warmed her to know some of her peers cared as much as she did. Professor Howin was a carer of beasts, yes, but, in Poppy’s person and very secret opinion, she could do more about the poachers. They were getting too close to Hogwarts and the dens nearby. Poppy was sure Henry had made a few comments to Howin about the poachers getting close, though Howin’s response wasn’t so reassuring, as they typically weren’t.
Henry… he seemed like the type to help her if she needed it. Or at least she hoped he was. Not everyone was truly as they were first glance or interaction. She hoped Henry was just as he is now, truly at heart. Something tells her that he is. Something about him felt comforting. Like a stag, rearing its hooves against predators but ultimately keeping to himself against any other social creatures.
If she blinked, she could see antlers growing out the sides of his hair. She thinks if Henry were an animagus, he’d be a stag. Poppy has though about being an animagus many times over. She’s almost certain she would be a levant sparrowhawk, their blue-ish grey feathers are lovely and they weren’t very big but they were fast. Spreading her wings and flying from the nest seemed fitting, she believed. Having wings would be just wonderful. Poppy’s only ridden Highwing once, but it was the best day of her life. Well, one of them.
She was getting ahead of herself again. So instead she asked Henry about how he was liking Hogwarts so far.