But you were born to be a peasant not a king
So just stop acting like you're running from something
You're gonna leave the way you came without a thing

Midnight, 31st August, 1888 — The Forbidden Forest

The summer had ended, and she had no money to go to Hogwarts. And no wand, either, try as she might. The summer had ended, and the carnival was on its way to leaving Hogsmeade, just like that!

Well, not Daisy - not Silence Daisy, no siree! She hadn't finished with Hogsmeade, and she hadn't finished with the idea of going to Hogwarts. She was a witch, after all, and witches didn't give up! She had spent the day making so much of a nuisance of herself as the carnival packed up - meddling in everyone's things, crashing into people and breaking things here and there - that, kindly or not, most of the folk there had sent her off to be out of the way.

She'd show them, and get out of the way! She'd get out of the way right to the castle on the horizon, aha! With a force of purpose she didn't usually quite manage to cobble together, Daisy had packed herself a suitcase - well, a carpet bag - and snuck off out of Padmore Park, deciding it would be best that she kept out of sight so no one would spot her and drag her back to beat her about the ears for her silliness.

But she wasn't being silly, see, she was being super duper smart and she had skipped into the forest (it was the one place in the area she hadn't explored this summer) thinking that if she wandered upwards wherever the ground sloped, that she would eventually find herself on the hill the Hogwarts castle sat atop. Easy peasy.

It had gotten pitch black around her, and Daisy had gotten into a scrape or five with thorns and brambles and tree trunks because of it, but she had not given up hope yet! "Nearly... there... now," she told herself as she lugged her carpet-bag up the slope behind her with two hands. She had no proof she was right, but she had a feeling.

---

  

February had heard rumors from some of the others that sometimes, when the children at the castle were really, really, really naughty, they sent them into the forest at night as punishment. Once the start of term had begun, she found herself hovering near the castle more and more often. She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't, but the days were long and boring and the others were hardly of interest to her. There was no one there that was like her. It was lonely existence.

She'd had a tea party with some other children earlier that day, yet she was left unsatisfied and wanting for more. Finally, after wandering the forest for 14 nights straight - she was rewarded with the sound of a clumsy crashing through the trees. February quietly trailed her for a moment, surprised to find that this girl was headed toward the castle, rather than away - and was carrying a bag. She didn't look like the other children.

Curiosity got the best of her.

"Where are you going?" She asked quietly, a mere few feet away from the girl, who likely hadn't even been aware of her presence in the darkness.

  

She was cold and tired and scratched all over, but Daisy didn't mind as long as all her struggling was rewarded at the end of the day. Night. Whatever. Soon, hopefully. She didn't want to die out here, wandering about until she starved. Maybe she should have packed more food, just in case.

"AHH!" Daisy shrieked, leaping backwards in fright at the voice that piped up out of nowhere. Her ankle caught on a root before she could flee any further, and she flopped backwards into the brush, losing grip on the overstuffed carpet-bag. The shock of falling, however, paralysed any fear she might've felt, so she only blinked, dazed.

"Oh," she exclaimed next, finally making out a nearby silhouette she hadn't noticed before against the forest. It was shorter than she had expected of any scary forest monsters, and it sounded human. Girlish, almost. Daisy squinted, latching her gaze onto two perfectly humanish eyes. Huh. "Sorry," she said hastily, trying to muster up some dignity in her tittered laugh, so she didn't come across a scaredy-cat or a nincompoop, "I didn't see ya." That was her excuse - a true one, too - but it hadn't answered the question, so Daisy cleared her throat and tried again, chirping proudly, "I'm goin' to Hogwarts, of course. I'm goin' to school!" Perhaps she was closer than she thought, and this girl was from there!

---

  

February was entirely unperturbed by the girl's shock. While people didn't fall down when they saw her very often, it wasn't something that had never happened to her before. She'd gotten quite good at traveling through the forest nearly silent.

"Oh," was all she said. She stared at the girl for a moment. In the dark, it was difficult to make out - but she looked as if she had the same hair color as that other girl that had played tag with her in the park. This one was thin and unkempt. Like she hadn't eaten well. Her clothes weren't as pretty as the other girl's either.

"Why are you alone?" Most of the students traveled on the road or across the lake. Never did they go through the forest. At night. Alone.

  

---

The shock of her arrival dissipated without incident, mostly because the other girl hadn't remarked upon it (or laughed at her), and Daisy had soon run out of things to be afraid about. She was only a girl, looked like, maybe her age. Her hair was dark and the shadows long, but as her eyes adjusted she made out a little more of the girl's face: it was shining a little in the snatches of moonlight, glistening and pale. (No freckles to ruin her face.)

Daisy shrugged, not the best liar and not entirely sure what to tell her. "I've got a bit lost," She admitted. She might have explained that she had run away by herself, but she wasn't sure Hogwarts would let her in if that got back to them, and she didn't want to risk her chances there. She also wasn't sure whether this girl would find that impressive or just laugh at her. Running away from the circus was a little bit different than running away with them. (Maybe she was the first to ever do such a thing, Daisy considered.)

"But you're here. So I'm not alone no more." Daisy offered brightly, like this was a funny twist of fate, like she might convince the strange girl to take pity and come along with her. Maybe she was a student, even! Maybe she would lead the way. "What are you doin' out here by yourself? Do you go to the school too?" She asked hopefully.

---

  

"We can walk there together. I know the way," She pointed toward the direction of the castle. It would take hours for them to pick through the forest, but February could easily lead her there. She'd taken the trip enough times to know it by heart, even if she hadn't had her extra senses to rely on.

  

---

The girl hadn't... well, answered many of her questions, or any of them at all, which Daisy was disappointed by, because she had been real curious, to be honest! But she couldn't complain, and she wouldn't, wouldn't dream of it, because at least the girl had proved she was a very kind soul, and invited her along to walk together!

"Thanks," Daisy said, with a broad toothy grin that she hoped would endear her to the girl still further, and maybe the Hogwarts student (she probably was one, if she knew the way!) would warm to her sooner rather than later. Perhaps this would be her very first schoolfriend, and they might exchange stories of themselves and might find themselves in the same common room tower and helping each other with spells and classes and... "That sure is nice of you! I'm new, so I 'spect you know the way better'n I do. What's your name?" Daisy inquired, breathing heavily between words, since all her efforts that were not directed towards the girl tied up in trying to lug her too-big carpetbag behind her through the bracken.

---

  

"February," She said as she led the girl through the forest. At first, February thought that maybe this girl would be fun to keep as a playmate. It had been so long since she'd been able to have a proper tea party. The others didn't like to play her games. As they traveled, the girl yapped and yapped on and on. Perhaps this girl wouldn't be very much fun to have around, after all.

Her complaint came out as a near growl, "You talk too much."

  

---

"February," Daisy echoed. "That's a funny name. Were you born in February? 'Cause I was born in August, see, but I don't know the 'xact day, and no one named me August - I think that might be a boy's name, anyway - although sometimes I do wish I was a boy, people mightn't laugh at me so much if I were a boy called August - I think that would be quite fancy, actually -" She sucked in another breath and continued talking, and hauling, and talking while she was hauling, getting a second wind of energy and a new pep in her step from not being alone in the dark anymore at last. "Oh! You didn't even ask me my name, silly. It's Daisy -"

Apparently the other girl had not been paying particular attention - about as little as Daisy had been paying to her in return, possibly - because her sudden snarl caught Daisy entirely off guard, and she flinched abruptly. "Oh," she mumbled, blinking rapidly and hoping, praying, she hadn't ruined all her chances of friendship with February so soon by being the pain in the neck she always was! "Sorry," she assured her, forgetting what she'd been doing wrong almost immediately, as she continued, "I get told that a lot. See, my name's actually Silence, because people always were telling me to shut it, even when I was a baby, but you know it's hard when you've got lots to say -" she broke off and peered at the girl earnestly, in the hopes she would relent, and understand.

---

  

A displeased frown creased her features as she said flatly, "No, I don't." February stopped moving then and stared at the girl named Silence Daisy. It was a wonder she'd lived so long with her irritating tendencies. She didn't head February's warning and had just continued on with her blabbering. She definitely wouldn't be someone February would want to spend anymore time with.

"I'm done with you now," The vampire told the girl just before she slammed her against the nearest tree trunk and knocking her unconscious. The fangs that protruded from her mouth dripped with saliva. It had been so long since she'd been able to enjoy a fresh meal. It was only a matter of minutes before she'd drained the body of blood.

The girl had woken toward the end, as if instinctively knowing she was about to die (they all did that), but had been too weak to do much than flop about. The first bite had been messy. She'd not been able to be patient. Covered in blood, she licked at her fingers to make sure she consumed every last drop - like a cat with its cream. Once she was satiated, February cradled her victim's head in her hands and gave it a sharp twist - the pop of the broken neck assured her that this girl would not come back as one of her kind.

Finally, she would be silent.

  

---