Leonard finally managed to wrap the girl up, and the agitation in his chest eased a little. But in focusing on dressing her, he'd forgotten the paper bag of pancakes he'd been holding.
With his cloak now around the girl, the paper bag slipped free, rolled into the snow, and its sweet smell caught her attention at once.
Her eyes lit up, that sudden joy bright enough to light the whole world.
But her reaction was less than ideal. Instead of reaching for it, she dove straight at the bag, mouth open, a row of fine silver teeth ready to tear it apart.
"Stop." Leonard grabbed her in a scramble, fighting down his own unease to keep her from doing something that would ruin her image.
He had no desire to watch this perfectly beautiful girl crouch on the ground and rip at a paper bag.
The girl in his arms lifted her head and looked up at him with a coaxing gaze. She twisted a little but didn't try to get away. Instead, she leaned up and gave his chin a quick lick.
Leonard froze, but then he felt her trembling, and whatever faintly charged mood had been there vanished.
By now he had a good idea who this girl was. Her affectionate manner, the single horn on her forehead, the unicorns' reactions—this was clearly the little Unicorn.
The one thing that should never have happened was happening right in front of him. Hard to believe or not, the truth was obvious.
The little Unicorn had turned into a girl. And unlike the magical creatures Leonard knew, she didn't come with clothing of her own.
In this heavy snow, with no fur and nothing to wear, the fragile little Unicorn wouldn't have lasted until Leonard reached her.
The unicorns had been kind to this suddenly furless child who still carried their scent, gathering around her to block the wind and snow.
And that was exactly why Leonard hadn't seen the unicorn meant to fetch him—every one of them had been busy acting as a warm blanket.
So this was what the unknown potion did? Turn Magical Creatures into humans?
How bored did someone have to be to invent something like that?
Leonard grumbled inwardly.
But figuring out the cause didn't matter now. The real problem was that the little one hadn't adjusted to her new body at all. Her habits were still those of a unicorn, and that wouldn't work.
If she had a human form, she needed to act like a person.
Leonard decided he would have to teach the little Unicorn some basic manners.
Seeing that Leonard wouldn't give her a pancake, the little Unicorn nudged him with her head in a spoiled, coaxing way. Her golden hair was soft and smooth, carrying a faint herbal scent that lingered at Leonard's nose.
But that small, cute-looking horn still hurt when it poked him.
"Don't move around." Leonard freed one hand to steady her head, scolding her quietly. Her pitiful expression softened him again.
"Don't bite things outright. You're not a unicorn now. You have hands. Learn to use them." He patiently demonstrated the way hands worked.
Unicorns were intelligent and could understand human speech. And though overly energetic, the little Unicorn usually listened to Leonard. She settled obediently in his arms, watching curiously as he opened the paper bag.
A gust of cold wind blew through. Peeking out, the little Unicorn sneezed again. She curled herself into a small ball against Leonard, soaking in his warmth.
After finishing the bread Leonard had brought, the unicorns slowly gathered again, surrounding Leonard and the little Unicorn.
In the wind and snow, being pressed close by a circle of unicorns brought more than just warmth. There was a soft sense of comfort and safety as well.
Leonard soon taught the little Unicorn how to use her hands. Watching her brave the cold, stretch out an arm as pale and tender as lotus root, tear off small pieces of muffin, and pop them into her mouth with happy little chirps made Leonard feel a bit wistful.
The little Unicorn had given him a huge surprise, and now she'd handed him an equally huge problem.
What was he supposed to do with her?
In this blizzard, he couldn't just leave her in the Forbidden Forest. With no clothes in this kind of cold, catching a chill would be the best-case scenario. If she froze to death, then what?
Should he bring her back to Hogwarts?
Impossible. With the little Unicorn's habits and temperament, Leonard had no confidence he could hide her on campus. She wasn't an object he could just tuck away.
Leonard was certain that no matter where he placed her, she'd wander off the moment he left.
She was obedient, but only for a short while. Keeping her following a command long-term was about as difficult as making Gryffindor students obey school rules—she'd forget after a bit.
While Leonard was worrying himself sick, the little Unicorn had no concerns at all. After finishing her muffin, she curled up in Leonard's arms, diligently licking the maple syrup off her hands and smearing it all over his clothes.
Leonard didn't even have the energy to care about the mess. He looked at her, troubled.
Sensing his gaze and feeling his distress, the little Unicorn looked up at him with her cheeks puffed out.
Leonard stared in confusion, then watched her lean in and rub her cheek against his.
It was a habit she'd kept from before she turned human.
Feeling that soft, smooth touch, Leonard let out a sigh.
He didn't just need to find her a place to stay. He also needed to teach her some basic common sense.
At the very least, she had to stop thinking that "nuzzling is how you show friendliness."
"Let's get you somewhere to live first," Leonard muttered with another sigh.
After thinking it over, the only place he could settle her was the Botanical Garden. At least it was sheltered and hidden well enough.
It just lacked practical necessities, like a proper structure to block the wind and snow.
Leonard pulled out his wand, ready to conjure something. But before he could put the little Unicorn down, she clung to him.
She really did learn fast. Barely after figuring out how to use her hands, she was already gripping Leonard tightly, lifting her delicate little face with an expression full of reluctance.
That look was hard to refuse.
Leonard sighed, picked her up properly, and squeezed his way out of the unicorn herd.
Good thing he trained regularly. Otherwise, carrying around a little Unicorn nearly his own height would have been much harder.
...
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