Secrets Lie Within: Year 1

Secrets Lie Within: Year 1 Part 7

Chapter 7:

Softpaw turns to see her schoolmate, Hermione Granger. The secret wolf girl stops in her skates, balancing perfectly. She's a bit confused because she didn't know you could see your classmate outside of school.

"Her-Hermione Gr-Granger?" Softpaw asked, confused.

"Hey, Softpaw! I didn't know you were going to be here!" Hermione smiles big.

"I-I did-didn't kn-know y-you'll b-b-be h-here too-too."

"You still have the stutter, huh?" the brunette slightly chuckles. "It's cute!"

"Cute?!" Roselia thinks, freaking out and blushing madly.

"There you are, Roselia!" Qurriell grins, seeing the white-haired girl among the crowd. "Oh, g-good day, M-Ms. Granger," he greets a student of his, stuttering like in class.

"Good day, professor; why are you here with Roselia?" Hermione raised a suspension eyebrow at the two.

"I-I've adopted her," he answers with a fake smile. "O-Our apologies, M-Ms. Granger, but we m-must take our l-leave!" Qurriell says and begins walking away.

Roselia turns to begin leaving, but her arm gets roughly grabbed. The force froze in her place. Colour is gone from her face, and her eyes widen.

"If you are really kidnapped," Hermione whispers firmly, "I can help you."

Softpaw didn't know what to think. What does she mean about "kidnapping"? Is that her way of saying "adopting"? "Th-Thanks?" Roselia questioned, confused. She manages to pull away from her grip and runs back with Qurriell.

"Is everything okay, Roselia?" Qurriell asked, somewhat worried

"E-Everything okay, Daddy," she answers, smiling.

"Good, well, we have a little more time before heading home," he mentions, walking with his daughter. "Why don't we go out shopping?" The Professor suggests with a smile.

"What's that?" the young wolf-girl asked curiously.

The professor, clad in purple, is shocked to hear such a question. "Well, shopping is when you go to a store and buy something with money, like when you bought sweets on the train, but with a big store."

"Oh," Roselia understood now. "What are we shopping for?"

"Christmas shopping," the older man answers. "You and I are going shopping for each other for Christmas. You don't have to get anything big and expensive; just a little something will be fine."

Roselia nods her head. So, this is the first Christmas that she will undoubtedly celebrate, and she wants it to make it the best yet.

The shopping stores are filled with so many people. Softpaw has never seen so many humans in one spot; it's a lot more than the people from school. She's getting a little nervous that her body begins to shake slightly.

"Don't embarrass yourself, don't embarrass yourself," Roselia repeats in her head, feeling the familiar feeling.

While walking around, something caught their eye. It's a small stuffed animal of a wolf in gray and white fur. Also, its big blue eyes caught Roselia's attention. She smiles and takes the animal in her arms to show it to Qurriell.

"What is it, Roselia?" he asked, turning his head from looking at something on the shelf. She shows it to him. "Oh, that's cute! Do you want to get it?"

The white-haired girl nods her head, hugging it.

"Have you been good lately?"

"I don't know," the little girl admits softly.

"Do you promise to help out more for the holiday around the house?"

"Yes," she whispers.

"Than you can have him," Qurriell smiles, making her smile more. "Daddy has to take care of a few things when we get home. Let's go buy him and the food, okay?"

"Okay!"

Love for the stuffed wolf grew more and more on the way back home. Roselia immediately heads to her room for playtime with the wolf she named Beowulf.

"Beowulf, you're so silly!" she giggles happily as she raises the wolf as it jumps onto her licking her face.

Quirrell hears the laughter going on from the living room. He was wrapping a Christmas gift for the little girl. A smirk curls on his face. "Everything's coming into place, master," he whispers before humming a meaningless tone and finishing up wrapping the present.