Post by Layla Ellison on Aug 12, 2013 12:56:34 GMT -5
"I want to see the unicorns one last time," Layla told Rister suddenly, drawing him a few paces away from the other people in the room and shrugging at his blank look. It was a comment completely out of the blue, and it had been roughly a decade ago. She still remembered it though. She had been eleven years old and desperately unhappy, mute and bullied and with her leg caught in a trick step. She had been lucky that Rister was still wandering around and had happened to spot her, and even more fortunate that he had known how to cheer her up. The unicorns had been mystical and beautiful and it hurt her heart to know that soon they wouldn't ever allow her anywhere near them. They might not let her approach even now; she certainly wasn't anywhere near as pure as she had been back when she was eleven. "I promised I'd never go into the Forest without you, remember? Pity you didn't get the same promise off Pip," she added scathingly, thinking of how many times the Slytherin boy had shown up covered in scrapes and bruises.
She had always felt like she could tell Rister anything - except that she was in unrequited love with his brother, obviously - but it was somewhat awkward to essentially be informing him that she was possibly, probably, going to be sleeping with Jared soon. Like tonight, if she could manage to break through to his thick skull. Merlin knew she loved him but Layla had absolutely no idea how Jared had managed to get Sorted into Ravenclaw. He wasn't exactly the brightest sometimes. Honestly, he even had Ashlyn's permission to do whatever he wanted, as long as her cousin didn't have to hear about or see any of it, and not even Layla had thought that Ashlyn would have reacted so calmly. Damon must have been subjected to the worst of her reaction. Maybe she should just get Kris to deliver her to Jared's bedroom door again, Layla considered, giggling.
The unicorns were no less lovely than she remembered them. They were shining and beautiful...and so reluctant to approach her. Maybe it was the fact that age stripped away innocence, or maybe they could sense her intentions. Still, Layla had always been good with animals. So she stayed there, sitting patiently at the edge of the clearing until one curious foal finally broke away from the herd to investigate her. He was like a horse, despite his magical origins, snuffling at her hair and letting her slowly reach out to pet him with gentle and unhurried movements. Finally, she bowed her head to rest against his, careful of the pointed horn that rustled against her hair, and breathed in the scent of the forest and purity and magic. When she carefully separated from the foal and rose to her feet to cross back over to Rister, her face was stained with a few drying tears but her smile was serene and more peaceful than it had been in years.
"I'm ready to go home now," she told him, cuddling into his side and letting her brother's heat seep through to warm her chilled skin.
She had always felt like she could tell Rister anything - except that she was in unrequited love with his brother, obviously - but it was somewhat awkward to essentially be informing him that she was possibly, probably, going to be sleeping with Jared soon. Like tonight, if she could manage to break through to his thick skull. Merlin knew she loved him but Layla had absolutely no idea how Jared had managed to get Sorted into Ravenclaw. He wasn't exactly the brightest sometimes. Honestly, he even had Ashlyn's permission to do whatever he wanted, as long as her cousin didn't have to hear about or see any of it, and not even Layla had thought that Ashlyn would have reacted so calmly. Damon must have been subjected to the worst of her reaction. Maybe she should just get Kris to deliver her to Jared's bedroom door again, Layla considered, giggling.
The unicorns were no less lovely than she remembered them. They were shining and beautiful...and so reluctant to approach her. Maybe it was the fact that age stripped away innocence, or maybe they could sense her intentions. Still, Layla had always been good with animals. So she stayed there, sitting patiently at the edge of the clearing until one curious foal finally broke away from the herd to investigate her. He was like a horse, despite his magical origins, snuffling at her hair and letting her slowly reach out to pet him with gentle and unhurried movements. Finally, she bowed her head to rest against his, careful of the pointed horn that rustled against her hair, and breathed in the scent of the forest and purity and magic. When she carefully separated from the foal and rose to her feet to cross back over to Rister, her face was stained with a few drying tears but her smile was serene and more peaceful than it had been in years.
"I'm ready to go home now," she told him, cuddling into his side and letting her brother's heat seep through to warm her chilled skin.