Poppy was glad there was only a week or so left until her coming out ball. It had been a sad day, her last at Hogwarts, but at least she’d had a moment with June and Ida to commemorate their time together as friends. Poppy hoped that over the coming years the three of them would stay friends, though she knew they could never possibly be as close as they had been. Not really. Especially because in truth, all three of them ran in slightly different circles. Poppy tried to shake the thought from her mind and scooted closer to June for comfort.

This was their first week of freedom and there was a lot to do yet leading up to both their coming out balls! Poppy’s was this week and June’s was somewhere in the very near future as well. They both had their attire long since selected, but Poppy had insisted today that they poke around and try to find a new ribbon to match her dress. She wouldn’t be wearing it of course, that evening. No, mama had pulled out a very fine selection of diamonds and pears from the family vault to tuck into Poppy’s updo for the ball, but for her own sake - and to find an excuse to see June - Poppy had made a thing of it.

In truth, she was nervous. They both were, in a way, but fussing and fretting and distraction certainly helped Poppy keep busy enough to not think about the flutter of doxy wings against her intensities should she… fall, or make an imbecile out of herself that evening. As such, they had embarked upon Hogsmeade with a pair of maids in tow. June had just scampered off to the apothecary in search of… Poppy knew not what, but it left the brunette to her own devices for awhile.

She had just meandered away from the main street and stepped to the side, in a slightly grassy patch under a tree, when something black caught her eye. It was… moving around her feet. Poppy’s heart beat quickly and she lifted her skirts a touch only to see a snake slither back under them. She shrieked, bloody murder, and practically jumped into the arms of a passing stranger. It was a man, she thought, from the feel of it - but that was so far from her mind as Poppy practically collapsed into him. “There’s a snake under my dress,” she hissed, trembling. “Please, please be rid of it!”

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