Expectations When Expecting

Book 2, Chapter 1

As Yuu snored lightly she felt something strange happen within Ramshackle Dorm. The old, creaky bed with springs sticking out seemed to become firmer and a much warmer air danced around her, caressing her to the point where Yuu didn't wanna wake up.

"I can hear the wind..."

She hummed contentedly, reaching for the blanket before she froze at a brand new sound. She opened her eyes, shooting up, completely disoriented.

Unlike the previous dreams she'd had, she was no longer in a rose maze. Rather... she seemed to be in a field of sorts. She gasped as she looked up, a group of giraffes passing over her, nearly crushing her in the process. Yuu scrambled up, her eyes finally adjusting to the scene before her.

Possibly hundreds of animals seemed to have gathered all in the same place, all facing the same place. Yuu turned her gaze as she noticed a majestic lion, making his way over to the edge of a pointed rock. Shortly behind him stood a mandrill, seemingly male, cradling something in his arms.

"It seems..." Yuu noted. "As if he is a king looking over his people... I wonder what the occasion is?"

Overhead, a hornbill flew, toward the Lion and the Mandrill before bowing before the Lion. He seemed to smile charmingly as the Mandrill stood before the Lion, cradling a small, golden item in his arms.

Yuu felt her heart warm as she realized what the monkey was holding in his arms. A little golden cub slept in the Mandrill's arms, and a lioness made her way over to the two, rubbing her head against his in a show of affection.

Yuu's heart clenched in jealousy, remembering her own beloved whom she had lost.

A King and a Queen... where have I seen this before?

Yuu's eyes snapped to the mandrill as he made his way to the edge of the rock, overlooking the animals, turning the little cub to face the animals as he held it out.

It's a royal ceremony... a presentation of the heir!

Yuu realized as the animals began to bow, rejoicing for the birth of an heir. She closed her eyes again, sinking back into the darkness.

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Yuu's eyes shot open as she sat up. It was one of the rare mornings when she'd actually felt rested as she went to slowly sit up. She felt the rustling of the sheets beside her as several murmured meows escaped from her charge. Yuu watched the fiery-eared monster flail wildly, digging himself out of the sheets that he'd claimed for himself from her at some point in the night.

"Someone's having a nightmare." She cooed, stretching slightly as she watched the cat monster snore loudly before chuckling to himself.

"Thass whatchu get... fer crossin' Grim da Miiightyyy..." Grim mewled, making Yuu sigh in exasperation.

"Wow... even in his dreams he's a jerk." She sighed, gently nudging the cat awake. "C'mon. Up and at 'em!" She said, Grim completely ignoring her.

"That's right! Cower before me, teapot tyrant!" He grumbled, Yuu sighing in exasperation, picking Grim up from beneath his arms and letting him dangle for a bit.

"BWUH-MYAH?! ...Huh? Where am I?" Grim yelped, shivering from the sudden cold draft, fully opening his eyes. He squirmed, allowing for Yuu to put him down.

"Aw, man! I was dreaming that I was trouncing Riddle with my magic. You shoulda seen his face..." Grim rambled, making Yuu smile.

"As exhausted as we both are, you won't get that strong by snoozing all day." She said, placing her hand on her hip as she gestured for him to leave the room for a bit.

All right, lemme just fix my bedhead.Then it's off to class! I've got magic to master!"

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For Yuu, that morning seemed to have been a little more hectic than usual, given the amount of people who now knew about her secret.

She'd opened the door to her usual dose of Dire Crowley, and received her breakfast and a bag of snacks. From there, he'd left her be, only to be replaced by a very eccentric blond.

"Bonjour, madame trickster!" He'd shouted, genuinely surprising her as he burst through an unlocked window.

"Rook!" She yelped, jumping back slightly, clutching her hand over her chest. "Holy shit, you scared me!"

It had taken her a while, but had been presented with a few self care items, all of which looked to cost quite a bit of money. She'd tried her hardest to refuse the gift, feeling rather guilty that Rook had spent quite a lot of money on her.

"Please, at least let me pay you back!" She'd pleaded, earning herself an amused laugh from Rook before he'd dived out of the window.

Not even five minutes later, Yuu and Grim needed to leave for classes. She'd opened the door before being jumpscared a second time by none other than the Heartslabyul boys, all ready to escort her to class.

By the time lunch had rolled around, Yuu had found herself feeling more exhausted than usual, literally sitting with her forehead against the table.

"Ugh. Professor Trein must have cast a sleepin' spell on me." Grim groaned from beside her. "I fought to stay awake, but he was sooo boring!"

Yuu gave him a judgmental look, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, 'fought,' sure. I heard you snoring five minutes in." Deuce deadpanned as he stood, prepared to go get food before pausing uncomfortably.

Ace stood excitedly as well. "Grub time! What's it gonna be today?" He looked up, jumping slightly, prompting Yuu to look up before she yelped in surprise.

"What the-?" She said, looking around.

"Wait? What's going on? Why's it so crowded in here?"Ace said, looking around grumpily.

"Oh, that famous bakery from out of town is serving up their goods. It only happens once a month! Their stock sells out fast, so you'd better hurry!" One of the cafeteria ghosts informed the group as he floated by.

Yuu caught the faint scent of an apple pastry and her stomach growled, wondering if she'd like the taste. She stood up, following her idiots further into the crowd.

"Egg sandwiches are now sold out! Only one deluxe ham and cheese left!" One of the cafeteria ghosts called as the ravenous boys seemed to get more antsy.

"Oh, man, everything looks amazing. I'm gonna see if I can grab somethin'." Ace said, his mouth watering as he hungrily eyed the items on the table.

"Wow, they really do seem popular!" Deuce stated excitedly. "Hey, Yuu, Grim, what do you-" He began before pausing.

"Ah... dammit." Yuu grumbled, recognizing the look in Deuce's eyes. "The ravenous beast has gotten loose..."

As if on cue, Yuu turned to the grating voice of a familiar flaming cat.

"Hey! Outta my way, losers! That grilled cheese is mine!" He scurried over, bounding across backpacks and heads.

"Hey, no cutting!" One of the students yelped, rubbing the top of his head where Grim's paws had propelled off.

"A freshman, cutting in front of an upperclassman?! Time to learn you some manners." Growled another student as he reached for his wand. Yuu placed her head in her hands, sighing in exasperation.

"Mother FUCKER! I JUST WANT ONE DAY!" She groaned loudly as Ace and Deuce gently ushered her behind them.

"Don't worry about it, Yuu. He's got such a one-track mind when it comes to food!" Deuce reassured her.

Ace gave an annoyed sigh. "Alright... let's do this."