You Sunshine, You Temptress

3

Harry wakes up feeling weird. He can't even describe what it is. His muscles hurt and he's in a bad mood. He runs his hands over his face and is annoyed. From the sun that shines through the window, from the birds that chirp and sing in the forest, from the hammock that gently rocks, from his wings that itch and most of all from his mood itself. Harry didn't feel anything like that before, he's always balanced and in a good mood. When he takes his pillow and angrily throws it across his room and watches with satisfaction as it flies through the window, he suddenly feels better and the bad mood is gone. Harry frowns in astonishment, wondering what that was and why it's gone so quickly as it came.

He swings out of his hammock, rolls his shoulders back and happily wiggles his hips. He decides not to worry about it and throws on a light pink shirt and denim shorts. It's already very hot this morning and he decided to combine work with pleasure while looking for aquatic plants in the lake of Marvelous. His mother always needs a sufficient supply of the brown algae because they can be used for many injuries, so today he intends to collect at least a whole basket full. He goes into the bathroom and braids his long hair in a french braid to keep his curls under control and not to sweat too much. After washing himself and putting on a self-mixed perfume made from hyacinths and other nice-smelling flowers, he smiles contentedly at his reflection.

Humming to himself he goes to Anne in their dining room, who sits tiered at the table. "Good morning mum" he grins at her and she pats his back wearily as he walks past her to pour himself some of the black tea that the two drink together every morning. When Harry joins her at the table, he takes his heart and addresses his weird mood from earlier. "Mum...I felt a little weird this morning. I was so annoyed by everything and I don't know anything like that. Do you know what it could be?"

Anne looks at him in shock but quickly gets herself under control. "Oh I don't think you should worry about it...perhaps you had a bad dream?" she asks him and Harry watches as she nervously wraps her hands around her mug. He finds his mother's behavior more than strange. Is there anything in the air today? Anne is never nervous, her job as a healer alone doesn't allow it. "I don't know..." Harry mumbles thoughtfully.
"Maybe it's also because you're about to become an adult fairy? Maybe it's your male hormones or something?" Anne interjects and he looks at his mother, dumbfounded.

"I won't be of legal age for four months and what kind of hormones are you talking about? As a healer, shouldn't you know if something like this is happening in my body?" Harry is confused. This morning is more than strange.

"You're right. I think I got off on the wrong foot today." Anne giggles, giving him a sideways glance before hastily taking a sip from her cup. When Harry frowns and takes a sip as well, she puts her hand on his arm and closes her eyes. He watches as his mother listens intently to her magic. "Everything is okay honey, I don't feel anything that indicates something unusual" she finally says and gets up, "I have to go. The old witch Claire needs treatment for her rheumatism. It would be good if you could collect enough brown algae today," she says as she stretches out her wings to fly out of the house. Harry nods and tells her he was going to do that anyway.

❀

With a basket in both hands, Harry makes his way to the lake and on the way he happily absorbs nature. He lets his gaze wander through the forest, sees a deer looking shyly around a tree here and there or a forest rabbit hopping past.

Along the way he collects raspberry leaves and chaste trees, although he doesn't know why his magic makes his hands reach for them. When he passes johannis herbs and lemon balm, it's his magic that works in him again, but this time he knows that he needs the herbs for himself and feels that they can counteract his mood swings from this morning. Which makes Harry wonder if this will happen to him more often now. Why else would his hands want to reach for it if it wasn't necessary? Ultimately, however, he relies on his mother's gift, who didn't feel anything unusual and maybe it's really just some fairy hormones.