Of Blessings and Curses

Chapter 22

Familiarity is something that we don't notice. It is something that we take for granted. 

The absence of pain is something that we don't notice. Pain is a sensation that we feel, but we don't necessarily feel  the absence of that sensation.

Sight is something that I took for granted. 

Traipsing behind Jacob as he mutters and returns Dougal to his hanging den, back to familiarity, I smile again because I can no longer help myself. Looking upwards into the abyss that is Newt and I's case, what feels like a bubble of laughter rises to float near my heart. It does not go away. 

As Jacob disentangles his fingers from Dougal's long hair that now smells faintly of Macy's department store, I remove my tan overcoat, dirty and covered in a million different hairs from a million different creatures. I snatch my wand out of its pocket in the coat, replacing it in the waistband of my pants. 

I begin to talk to Jacob as I walk past different creatures, and the Magizoologist section of my mind temporarily goes on autopilot. Jacob and I have some talking to do. 

After a few tense moments of planning, I say, "Mr. Kowalski, I want to thank you for what you said to me in the cell, about my telekinesis being a blessing, and not a curse. That means more than I can explain in words, Jacob," My eyes feel almost wet, but I am not crying. Some kind of laugh/sob escapes me, and, in a past life, I would have scolded myself. 

But I am not the Heidi Ravenclaw that walked into this city. If I survived this, I'll survive anything. 

I'll survive anything. 

Jacob is quiet for a moment, eyes sharing some of my - gratitude? - as he begins to speak, chuckling dryly, "All I've ever wanted to do in life is make people happy, you know?" 

I smile broadly, "Don't worry, you've done it." Any residual tension exits my shoulders - leftover social awkwardness from my early teen years that never really left. I sigh, "Anyways, one of the unicorns snapped a bit of his horn off a few days ago. I need to check up on her healing process." I turn, but do not hear Jacob follow. 

"Did you - did you say - " He stutters, yet another epiphany of the magical world ramming him in the face. Poor guy. 

"I did," I smile, "Follow me! Keep up, please!" Grabbing a small vial of Horklump Essence, pale pink and syrupy, I walk quickly through the "forest". Once we reach the clearing I usually find the unicorns in, I hold my arm out in front of Jacob, "No offense, but they're more likely to approach women. They certainly aren't dangerous unless provoked, but you never really know with magical creatures. I'll let you know if it's safe to come over," I say awkwardly. Jacob's eyes are shiny with as much excitement as a Bowtruckle snacking on woodlice. I guess everyone has a little bit of stereotypical Muggle girl inside them. 

I click my tongue to call the horses as my footsteps sink into the soft soil underfoot as I make my way towards the edge of the clearing. My mind throws up a memory of my first time spotting a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest when I was 14 as I recognize the sound of hooves on foliage meandering their way towards me. 

I am not afraid of the forest - not in the daytime, at least. Sneaking out during dinner was, technically, allowed. Sneaking into the forest; however, was not. Yet, I somehow made it to this tree, and am hanging onto a hopefully-sturdy-enough branch. Peering through a pair of  portable binoculars, I finally see something. A smudge on the lens. 

At least, that's what I think it is until it moves. I remove the binoculars to hear the sound of hooves on foliage meandering their way towards me and the beautiful image of a unicorn and white as the vanilla pudding I would have been eating right now had I not skipped dinner. But honestly, it's worth it to see the majestic creature passing by just below me. The creature eventually passes through, but my body refuses to move.