Needle and Thread

14

How Harry's house became the official headquarters for their biology project is somewhat of a mystery to him. One second he's still recovering from the shock of being put in a group with Mina and Jj, and the next, he's sitting in his kitchen with the aforementioned classmates directly across the table from him.

It's the first they've been together as a trio since their primary school days. They weren't friends, not in a group sense, but they were friendly. Mina would join Harry and Jj's forest adventures when her mother allowed her to, but she'd never last much longer than ten minutes before she spied an earthworm or a centipede and got too spooked to go any further. It's somewhat ironic that this stupid homework assignment will likely take them back there.

"Okay, so we need to plot our traps first," Mina says, asserting her position as group leader - not that Harry or Jj are complaining. Harry has never been confident enough for leadership, and Jj lacks the responsibility.

"Sounds good," Jj agrees, his hair bouncing with the force of his nods. He doesn't look happy about all of this, per se, but he doesn't look overly upset either. An enigma. That's what Harry sees. He just isn't sure he'll be able to solve it before Jj decides to clam up again. "Got anywhere in mind?"

It's then that Mina's face turns an appalling shade of pink. She looks across the table, her big, doe eyes fixed on Harry, and lets her mouth curl into a secretive smile. Oh no.

"Well, there's this one spot near here," She begins, eyelashes fluttering. Alarm bells start going off in Harry's head. He knows where this is going. He hates where this is going. He wants this all to stop.

"I know a place."

Damn Harry and his quicksilver tongue. Now he has to think fast. Faster than usual, which is already an impressive speed indeed.

Jj and Mina watch him with twin expressions of surprise, and Harry can't blame them. Not really. He's not overly talkative, carefully picking and choosing when he does use his voice, so it only makes sense that other people have come to expect the things Harry says to be of vital importance.

"Oh? Really?" Mina asks, clapping excitedly once the shock wears off. Harry isn't sure why she's smiling so much. They're hardly going to find a fairy tale worthy adventure in those woods.

Jj doesn't seem to share in Mina's glee. His eyes are narrowed with scrutiny and his mouth sits stonily on his face. He looks upset.

"Uh, yeah," Harry stammers, fidgeting with the clasp of the old watch his father gave him for Christmas. They haven't seen each other in person since.

"It's not far from here."

Mina is more than happy to go along with Harry's haphazard plan, but Jj isn't so easily pleased. He takes more time than Harry would usually allow to consider the option, by which point Mina is shifting in her seat, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden silence.

"Yeah, alright," Jj ultimately decides.

"Lead the way, Captain"

Harry holds back a snarky comment of his own for Mina's sake, but he manages to sneak Jj an unimpressed glare before she notices.

The trio pile out of Harry's house, equipment in hand, following him across the back garden, over the rickety wooden fence, and into the dense collection of trees lining the mouth of the forest.

The sun reigns the sky, dazzlingly bright, shading everything a muted hue of gold. It would be beautiful if it wasn't so hot. Jj's hairline beads with sweat, while Harry and Mina's cheeks have taken on a healthy shade of sun-kissed pink.

Their short journey takes them to a sunny clearing, circled with tall trees, sprouts of wildflowers and a halo of late spring sunlight.

"Oh, Harry. This place is so beautiful," Mina sighs dreamily.

She's right. It is beautiful.

Beautiful and overly familiar.

Jj stands beside Mina, but instead of taking in the natural beauty of his surroundings, he's staring at Harry. Actually, staring him down, would be a more accurate description. There's an unfaltering darkness shadowing Jj's gaze, but there isn't enough time left in the day for Harry to try to uncover the light. Not if they want to pass their assignment.

It isn't until they start plotting their traps that Harry realises where he has taken them. The creek, the rocks dotting its banks, the formation of the trees. Everything is familiar for a reason.

This is the place where he first met Jj, twelve summers ago.