Ingress had a brilliant birthday. She’s eleven. Eleven is nearly grown up! It’s also the year when children in the stories she’s read come into their own. Adventures begin, schooling starts, worlds are saved… she can hardly wait to see what will happen next
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She hasn’t played dress up with tutus in a while. She shimmies into it, and it fits again! Her blue shoes glitter on her feet, and there are shiny beads around her neck. Her sword, however, remains in its scabbard attached to her belt. Some things don’t change.
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That and the huge, slightly misshapen, brightly colored butterflies that are fluttering out of the fireplace and swirling around her.
Dancing.
Then they explode, soundless and bright, in a shower of glitter.
And soot.
Raven picks himself up out of the mess, nose wrinkling as he sneezes.
His coat is white.
"It is, I think, almost old home week, yes?"
He reaches forward, cupping Ingress' chin in one hand.
"Try not to forget."
Some things really don't change.
Except when they do.
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The butterflies have curly eyelashes, and they wink at her. Ingress winks back as she chases after them.
When she sees Raven, she squeals in glee. Once he speaks, she throws her arms around him in a big big big hug.
"I shall never forget, silly."
She drapes one of her necklaces over his head. It has purple and blue beads with tiny prisms in between. It is one of her very favorites. It can be his now.
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"That, I think, is what I said, too."
And then he's gone.
So is the necklace.
The glitter, however, remains.
That stuff gets everywhere.
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One of the huge purple butterfly flaps its wings over her, its wings shimmering.
"Oh, it's magic," she whispers. "Glitter magic!"
It winks again and reaches down a gloved hand. Ingress takes it, and the butterfly pulls her up into the air.
"Eeeeeee!" she squeals in delight. Flying is so much fun, even if it's only as high as the rafters.
The rafters are awfully high up, though.
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"Well," Puck chirps pleasantly, "taking the air, mistress?"
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"Hi, Puck," she calls, fluttering over a beam. It's easy to fly.
Because it has to be Puck. Who else would be such a pretty robin?
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"Shall you come and wave hullo to the rest?" he inquires. A birdy smile. "We've all come round, you see, in your honor."
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"But in honour of the occasion, perhaps we can let it slide."
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"Can you save the endless technique refinement for the bedroom? We're here to celebrate."
She grins at Ingress.
"Cute shoes."
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"Thanks, Lilly," she says, kicking her legs out to see the sparkles better. She does this with very little wobbling as her wings flap and balance her.
So there!
"I didn't know so many people came up into the rafters."
That hammock looks comfy cozy.
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"It's a fair enough place to watch the world go by," he says, and then because in dreams you can be as honest as you please, "I like it here."
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"All the people you like best are here."
She flutters around Lilly, kissing her on the top of her head.
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"Quite so," he agrees cheerfully.
"And you, Ingress? What of the people you like best?"
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The ice cream cones are from Florean's in Diagon Alley, twisted into fanciful shapes like unicorn horns and intricate loop-de-loops. The flavors are unusual, too, and Lilly's smells a little like her drink. Okay, Ingress thinks, it smells a lot like her drink, but just as there are adult milkshakes, she reckons there are adult ice cream cones, too. She hands Lilly's to her and then Havelock's to him.
How a bird can eat an ice cream cone, Ingress isn't sure, but she has faith that Puck will figure it out. He's clever!
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"Ice cream and everything," she says, sampling hers. It's very good, in that special adult way that will give Tom apoplexy when Lilly teaches Ingress about it in a few years.
"You definitely know how to party."
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