by Galena May » Wed Feb 05, 2025 9:21 am
Your head hurts with all the scolding you've had from Colby. You struggle to open your eyes, as the smoke dissipates. You've rarely seen them this angry, they're the calmest person in this universe. "What's wrong with them, suddenly? Have I been this dumb? It must be the pressure of this issue that's causing them to be like this. Weird of them to take anything so seriously, especially this, but well okay! Maybe they're just pressed in by the urgency! Or maybe they're bothered that we are adventuring on a holiday like Valentine's Day! They'll forget and be their charming selves again when the ordeal is done!" A flashback of the once-in-a-blue moon incidence of Colby being angry returns to you. They usually avoid you till they're calm (and the wait is nonetheless painful and distressing) but then they act like nothing happened! They are one to avoid confrontation, and when it's really important to them, they usually deal gently by asking you casually in a tone similar to "What's cooking for dinner?" or with avoidance!
You feel a strange pang of guilt in your heart for dragging Colby into this!
"Oh no! My sweet partner-in-crime is angry!" you think.
"Is this the time to slow down?" your brain barks at you, "We have an emergency!" And, as you regain your senses, even though you still feel so unsettled about Colby that you are not even trying to compose yourself but still effortlessly vibing with the urgency of the situation, you make up for the few seconds you lost in thought by jamming your body against the opening left by the smashed door, to prevent any exits! They're not giving you the slip again! Not that a gingerbread train has only one exit, but the train is moving, now very fast, so breaking off the side-wall or roof and jumping off the train would cause severe injuries. You feel sure that that won't be risked! And even if it is, it won't facilitate a speedy escape!
Your eyes dart to the hole on the wall, through which the other compartment is visible. Not even stopping to think if the crowd poking and peeping through the hole are just casual observers or in-league with the mysterious man, you say in a very urgent and over- enthusiastic tone, "Hold him", referring to the mysterious man. Not that it'll be any help, there is no way he'll push through that huge crowd even without anyone holding him actively. In a flash, you realize that you can no longer feel the familiar shielding touch of Colby's front against your back. You choke, and then shift your eyes to the mysterious person.
To your surprise, you find him crying, hunched on the gingerbread floor. It could be a trick, another way to escape, another way to give you the slip.
"He looks so harmless now", you think.
Just then, you notice a familiar head poke out from the hole towards the adjacent compartment.
It's Colby! "Oh! Colby!" you think. Now you know where they went when they disappeared from behind you. They went to stop the hole. Ever so mysterious, even without trying!
You turn your attention back to the mysterious man. But, Colby speaks before you can,
"It's no use trying to escape, you are practically and unfortunately sitting on a bit of gingerbread frosted with your own bit of caramel, the one you magicked with advanced magic, and it's going to take some time to get you released!" There's a pause, and then they add, "Unless my partner wants to blast you off it, with Bombarda!" Colby chuckles and looks at you slyly, as they finish their last sentence.
"You already knew that?" you mouth at Colby. The urge to hit his arm playfully was strong, but you hold yourself back.
"Now, you know why I was so unhinged when you magically blasted off the door. The caramel, it wouldn't have stuck to the bottom of this man, if you hadn't magically blasted the doorway!" Colby explains.
"You should've explained, you're usually more communicative", you breathe in relief at Colby. That partially explains his behavior.
"There was no time! We still haven't found out his motives. I thought you were going to use 'Finite Incantatem', I was so surprised when you blasted off the door!" Colby replies.
Now you understand where Colby was coming from.
"Well! I understand! That indeed is unlike me!" you say to Colby, with a relieved sigh, even though you can't figure out what got into you! It must have been the adrenaline! The tension in the atmosphere between Colby and you is released, and you feel slightly relieved. Colby's tone of speech is back to their usual, normal, charming ways, and they prove it by lending you a hand through the hole as you move closer to the mysterious wizard on the floor, and seat yourself beside him, trying to figure out your next steps.
You take a moment to look at Colby and say, "Thank you for joining me on this adventure!"
Meanwhile, the crowd around you is having the time of their life, amused by the drama unfolding between you, Colby, and the man stuck to the gingerbread floor by a piece of magicked caramel. With a now subdued but shy face, among the crowd, is the fidgety one from earlier.
"Okay!" you say, after taking a deep breath. "Why did you run from me? Back when I settled myself down in your compartment. Are you alright?" But there's no answer, because he is still sitting, hunched, on the gingerbread floor, and sobbing.
"I will tell you that", the fidgety one from earlier replies. And the whole crowd turns toward him, even you and Colby.
"He was going to blast the whole train. He had doused the chocolate frogs with some sort of blasting potion and he was going to leave them in different places on the train, couldn't cast the last charm in the process because you turned up in his compartment to investigate, so he failed, I was going to tell your partner, Colby, but I saw him flying out of his compartment on his feet, so I gave up trying to tell, and gave chase after him." said the fidgety one. "Then you two chased both of us, and cornered him here", he finishes. Then, after a second of thought, he adds, "I saw him brewing the potion yesterday, and I guessed he would try to do something like this, but I didn't know exactly what. I figured out a little more about his plan when Colby told me that he had bought chocolate frogs".
"I, I," the mysterious man now speaks, "I hate Valentine's Day. My sister lost a year of Hogwarts studies, because of being at St. Mungo's. What sent her there, happened on Valentine's Day. Her treatments cost a lot, and I couldn't bear to see so many Galleons being spent on a majestic train!"
Colby sighs, and you know that they are thinking about why one would choose to blast a whole train, whatever the reason, but they put their hands on the man's back, comforting him, in their usual, charming, and supportive manner.
"By the way, just so you know, this train was made by magic, with the hard work of the house - elves who made the gingerbread for free as a Valentine's gift to the school, and the professors who charmed the gingerbread. This was meant for all of us to enjoy, even you. No Galleons, no money was involved", you respond, then add, "It is okay to act a little queer sometimes. And, I am happy that we prevented the damage. But, please try and talk to someone the next time you feel this way, that will relieve you a lot, a lot more than blasting a train!"
The man seems to understand, for he nods, and stops sobbing. A look settles over his face, a dreamy one, as if still contemplating about his sister, then he relaxes his body, and a more peaceful look forms on his face.
"We could send his sister a Valentine's gift package by owl, addressed to St. Mungo's", Colby adds, ever the considerate charmer.
You nod. "Brilliant idea", you say, and thank Colby.
The mysterious man looks so happy, and starts sobbing again, but this time, these are tears of gratitude. You feel so relieved.
"Okay, now how do we unstick him?", you say, realizing that this is still not over, "If we blast him off, (and you cannot suppress a giggle), the train's floor may be blasted to bits, and even the rest of the train may crumble. We can't risk it. We have to undo the advanced magic. What's the counter-charm? Any ideas?"
"I do not know the counter- charm", the man stuck on the floor says, sounding and looking terrified, as he takes in the full impact of his plight.
"Hmm! Let me see. There must be a way", Colby says, putting two fingers on their chin and thinking, like they do when trying to figure out a solution, and you dreamily stare at their adorable figure and face, not just charmed, but feeling a whirlwind of emotions, as you wait for their answer. You feel relieved that the ordeal is over and more so that the matter with Colby's sudden anger doesn't trouble you anymore, you feel excited and happy that you successfully completed yet another adventure in the story of your life and that too on Valentine's day with Colby by your side even though you can't appreciate the full happiness yet because of the vestiges of adrenaline that are still dissipating (you are still taking deep breaths and sighing heavily in relief), and you feel relieved that Valentine's day is adventure-free again. You can't wait to enjoy the rest of Valentine's day with Colby, but for now, you are waiting for Colby's answer on how to unstick the man, and then, you are going to put together and wrap a gift package for the man's sister together as you tell him about the empty potion vial you saw earlier (knowing fully well that you two are going to love investigating the contents that had been in the vial), so there's still a lot to do before you finally manage to get to enjoying the rest of the day with your favorite person in the world, Colby.
Last edited by
Galena May on Wed Feb 05, 2025 9:37 am, edited 1 time in total.

Thank you so much, my secret elf, for my ava + sig!
Beauty is everywhere, if only you will choose to see it!
Galena May for you, a first year witch student at Hogwarts. Say hi if you see me.