In the Shadow of Summer

Chapter 1: Arriving at the Campsite

"Are you sure we have everything we need?" Poppy asks you for the third time as she's watching you lock up the cottage.
   "Yes Poppy, I'm sure." You answer her. "Everything we need is in our satchels."
"Sorry, I'm just a bit nervous." She says sheepishly. You give her a slightly exasperated smile. "I know, but really just trust me that we have all the important things. It's going to be fine and we'll have a lot of fun together!

The past month had flown by as you had spend it at the cottage. The first couple of weeks consisted mostly of you tending to the flowers and crops in the garden, cleaning and airing out the cottage and actually enjoying your alone time with a good book and relaxing in the hot weather.

Poppy had joined you in the middle of the third week and had brought a lot of stories of her and her gran finding out all sorts of things about Dugbogs – "they're actually misunderstood creatures, they're just very territorial" – , them having nice heart to heart conversations – "I finally told gran about Ominis and at first she was hesitant given his family name, but as I told her all about him, she wanted me to introduce him to her one day" – and how she had enjoyed spending her time mostly outdoors.
   She had woken you up on your birthday with a birthday song – you were surprised to learn how well Poppy could sing – and breakfast in bed, bringing over the pile of gifts that your friends had gotten so you could open them after eating.
   Ominis had gotten you a new cauldron, which was very practical as your old one had been very cheap and was already thinned out at the bottom. Anne had gifted you an assortment of treats and had put in a few of your favorites like Peppermint Toads and Chocoballs.
   Natty had given you a colorful handmade beaded bracelet. That left Sebastian's present, which was small and wrapped in the same shiny, dark paper as Anne's had.
   Ripping off the paper revealed a small box and as you opened it, you gasped.
Laying in the dark velvet was a silver necklace with a pendant shaped in the form of the Ancient Magic symbol that you always saw. You remembered pointing it out to him a couple of times in fifth year and he's seen your attempts at drawing it.

"Oh, that's such a beautiful gift!" Poppy commented and you just nodded your head. "Let me put it on for you."
   Poppy carefully took out the necklace, unclasping it only to move behind you and clasping it closed again behind your neck. The pendant fell just below your collarbones.
Still in awe, you let your fingers trace the symbol. "I've never received such a personal gift before." You told Poppy as you met her gaze when she stood in front of you again.
   She smiled. "Get used to it, because I can assure you it won't be the last."

"I know my gift won't top your boyfriend's, but I hope you'll still like it." A blush decorated your cheeks at her comment of your boyfriend, still not fully used to that.
   Poppy handed you a neatly wrapped long box, which you took. "I'm sure I will, thank you." You assured her.
   When the wrappers were gone, it left a box similar in shape to the wandboxes at Ollivander's. Curious, you lifted the lid and gasped in delight at what you saw.

A brightly colored feather that you recognized as a Phoenix feather had been made into a writing quill. There was even a bottle of ink included.
   "I love it Poppy!" You exclaimed happily. "I hoped you would. After you got me the quill made of one of Highwing's feathers, it gave me the idea to do the same for you."
   "How did you get his feather? I didn't even realize you got that close to him." You wondered. Every time you were in the Vivariums, you always stuck close together.
"Deek helped me with that. He got one after brushing Zephyr." Poppy explained.
"Zephyr?" You asked confused. She blushed. "I, uh, I decided to name him that. It means 'west wind' and I thought it was fitting because every time he flies past, it creates enough wind to blow my hair in my face."

You never really bothered with naming the beasts in your Vivarium, but now that you thought of it, it would make sense. You made a mental note to name all of them this year.
   "I like it. I'll remember to use it whenever I call him." You said and Poppy beamed at you. "Great! Now, let's go and get some of the cake that I baked for you!"