Walking right out of town to the fields of the Plunkett's farm was as much of a treat as the scent of the autumn air. Maybe the big farmer wouldn't sell her his even bigger pumpkins anymore, but she could at least come to marvel at them. One was as big as a house this year, standing guard over the festivities. It tickled the urchin's fancy, whispering the life of a fairy tale that Hogsmeade had never lived up to.
Charley could have stayed for hours at the comedy troupe performing on the farm, laughing herself sick. To be up on stage with them, riffing off jokes and the audience, now that would be her fairy tale. Let the rest of the town have their magic, the theatre was hers. She could only break away when her stomach demanded, making her pass the apple bobbing for a place serving food that took far less effort to obtain.
The line was too long, like always at festivals of these sort. Charley had no family tent to return to, though it didn't mean she couldn't graze from other plates like she had then. If festivals drew any crowds, it was those most untidy and forgetful, and all to her advantage. The urchin strode past several empty seating areas, picking up a piece of cheese and brushing the ants off half a sandwich left behind from a picnic.
Her mouth was full when the little troublemaker shouted behind her, making the urchin whirl to face her accuser. Mouth full, she raised her sandwich-fisted hand ready for a punch, or a toss to buy herself a few seconds head start, only to find Maggie standing there instead. Charley belted out a short laugh, forgetting about food in her mouth and the ache in her belly.
"Eatin', couldn't say no to a full belly," she explained, then spotted the stick-mounted apple in the little girl's hand. Even full of sandwich, her mouth watered at the sight of the treat. Fairy tale or not, those apples were the prize of the day. Charley held out the remainder of the cheese to the girl, swallowing quickly before she asked, "Oi, trade ya for a bite?"
Charley could have stayed for hours at the comedy troupe performing on the farm, laughing herself sick. To be up on stage with them, riffing off jokes and the audience, now that would be her fairy tale. Let the rest of the town have their magic, the theatre was hers. She could only break away when her stomach demanded, making her pass the apple bobbing for a place serving food that took far less effort to obtain.
The line was too long, like always at festivals of these sort. Charley had no family tent to return to, though it didn't mean she couldn't graze from other plates like she had then. If festivals drew any crowds, it was those most untidy and forgetful, and all to her advantage. The urchin strode past several empty seating areas, picking up a piece of cheese and brushing the ants off half a sandwich left behind from a picnic.
Her mouth was full when the little troublemaker shouted behind her, making the urchin whirl to face her accuser. Mouth full, she raised her sandwich-fisted hand ready for a punch, or a toss to buy herself a few seconds head start, only to find Maggie standing there instead. Charley belted out a short laugh, forgetting about food in her mouth and the ache in her belly.
"Eatin', couldn't say no to a full belly," she explained, then spotted the stick-mounted apple in the little girl's hand. Even full of sandwich, her mouth watered at the sight of the treat. Fairy tale or not, those apples were the prize of the day. Charley held out the remainder of the cheese to the girl, swallowing quickly before she asked, "Oi, trade ya for a bite?"
![[Image: bZbZdaH.png]](https://i.imgur.com/bZbZdaH.png)