𝕿𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖔𝖗 - ʳᵉᵍᵘˡᵘˢ ᵇˡᵃᶜᵏ

Chapter 28: Mary

[ February 20th, 1978 ]

"WHAT ARE you doing?" Pandora questioned, sitting next to Theona in the library.

      Theona jumped, unraveling half the work she'd just done, "shit. A little warning next time 'Dora."

     "Sorry," Pandora mumbled, her head tilted as she eyed Theona's creation.

     Theona had spent almost her entire afternoon working on her gift for Sybill, made almost entirely of scraps she'd stolen from Emmeline Vance's craft box. It was turning out alright... well, it was turning out. She was sure with a few more hours work it would be perfect. At least, she hoped so, she only had a few more hours to spare.

     "It's a dream catcher," Theona finally answered, resuming where she left off wrapping teal string around the metal circlet. "Sybill's birthday gift."

     "Her birthday is tomorrow, Theona, you're not even halfway done," Pandora, unhelpfully, reminded.

     "I know, okay?" Theona grumbled, "I was stumped on what to get her until this morning in Divination when I saw Professor Monroe's dream catcher on the wall."

"I got her limited addition Ferra's Fantasy tarot cards," Pandora informed, with a little triumphant smile.

"Good for you," Theona deadpanned, struggling to tie a knot between the beginning and end of the string. "Fucking hell, this is no fun. I miss having money."

"I'm sure your parents will un-cut you off as soon as your D.A.D.A. grade is back up," Pandora comforted, patting Theona's back.

"Very likely," Theona drawled, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Be optimistic," Pandora lectured, "negativity never got anyone anywhere."

Theona glared, sticking her tongue out, "negativity got me here, so that's not true."

"Well, you're clearly miserable so I don't know what you're trying to prove," Pandora humphed, crossing her arms.

Theona sighed, "sorry, 'Dora, you're right. Positive attitude, I got it."

"Much better," Pandora grinned, pulling her wand out and tapping the nightmare catcher.

Suddenly, the string weaved an intricate web across the centre of the the circlet, a small heart forming in the middle.

"Say 'Thank you, Pandora'," she requested smugly.

"Thank you, Pandora," Theona repeated, huffing out a breath and pulling out a few multicoloured stones from her pocket. "Now all that's left is hanging these crystals from it."

"Those are plastic, Theo," Pandora observed.

"I'm poor, remember?" Theona whined, stuffing them back into her robes. "I'll just finish it after dinner."

"I thought you had a meeting with McGonagall this evening?"

Oops. Theona had forgotten she'd fed that lie to her friends.