Jack had sort of gotten over the fact that Goose and Sunny were not normal children, were independent little creatures who could never be tamed. They certainly did not appear wild, but they didn’t really enjoy being dragged along. It used to freak her out when Sunny disappeared, but now it was almost more unnerving to see them stick near her. She had finally gotten it through their heads to check in with her, and Kip’s little bracelet charm had really helped. One tug on the threads of either of the woven bracelets on her hand activated the bracelet on the matching child’s hand and dragged them through time and space back to her. And only Kip could get the bracelets off.
Goose had informed her he was off to the apothecary and Jack swore to be right after him – she had been stopped by a friend from the Ministry and was trying her best not to get roped up in a new bill concerning werewolves’ access to Wolfsbane. Goose was in no mood to wait, instead turning to his redheaded partner in crime, who was busy trying to stuff a cat into her rainboots, which she had been refusing to take off all week, despite the dry weather.
“You have to let it go, it’s not yours,” Goose said.
“Yeah, but I’d be a better owner,” Sunny responded, almost sounding bored.
Goose grinned. “I know where there are kittens.”
Sunny dropped the cat immediately, a straight face pulling her lips across her cheeks. “Show me.”
Goose’s favorite little section of the apothecary was probably best not visited by kids under the age of twelve, and yet he always found his way there. Picked creatures, lizards and tadpoles, newts and birds curled up in odd colored liquid. His scientific little mind loved the intrigue of these horrific jars, though Jack had not let him purchase any yet – for the exact reason that was happening now.
“WHO WOULD DO THAT?!”
“Sunny, shhh-“
“WHO DID THIS?”
The largest creature was a pickled newborn kitten. Goose tried explaining that the kitten was certainly born prematurely and dead, not killed or taken for this purpose, but Sunny was too busy reeling backwards from the sight. He immediately dropped his mischievous attitude for one of regret, truly sorry to hurt the feelings of his only real friend. The ten year old was incredibly protective of Sunny, who had always stood up for him and made him feel cared for, even though she was younger than him by two years. Her distress was enough to distress him.
That and he didn’t want to get thrown out.
He glanced up and spotted an attendant coming their way. “Go,” he hissed, immediately dipping around the shelves and strolling as casually as he could away.
Sunny tore herself away, though she had half a mind to demand an explanation for the kitten from the attendant, and hurried away. She began to weave through the shop, looking for her adopted… brother-cousin-whatever and barely laid her eyes on someone about Goose’s height, immediately bee-lining towards him, eyes turned to the side to look for that attendant.
“You’re going to get us kicked out of all of Diagon!” she hissed, standing petulantly next to the boy, crossing her arms. “This is just like-“ she turned to address Goose, only to find she wasn’t talking to Goose. Confusion morphed her expression. “Oh. Sorry, I thought…”
Hey, new friend. Got him now. “Hi!” She smiled brightly, her smile giving explanation towards her name, as her entire being seemed to light up from inside.