Lion Heart Errand solo

For the Original Origami errand

As Margo entered the Great Hall, she scowled. If she hadn't been doing some serious thinking, then she might have introduced herself to a stranger or joked around with a fellow Slytherin. As it was, she needed some alone time. Margo was very much an extrovert, but occasionally she liked to make solitary adventures into her mind, where nobody, not even her beloved cat, could follow her.

But that was the crux of the problem. Her cat. Summer was looming closer every day and as much as the girl looked forward to seeing her family, she also feared for the life of Hades, her kitten. The White household was not a cat household in the slightest. They went for long walks with their dog, Mimi, and spent summer evenings outside with the canine in the garden. But now that Hades was a part of the family, Mimi would no longer be the centre of Margo's attention, and, much like Margo, the dog did not like to lose the spotlight. Mimi loved to be around people - it was only when it came to other animals that there was a problem. She had barked at their neighbour's new poodle for hours because it had drunk from the water bowl they often left for Mimi under the hedge. Sometimes Margo wondered if she and the dog were kindred spirits... but Hades was the true owner of her heart.

Margo's mind was so preoccupied that she almost forgot the purpose of her quest. Origami! She was going to try her hand at folding paper. She looked absent-mindedly down at the instructions card she had picked up and came face to face with a paper lion. With an apologetic glance towards the origami snake card, Margo took a seat. She was just trying to break house stereotypes, t'was all. A snake would always be her internal mascot, but she could choose any animal she liked to keep her company outside of her head. Her choice of a lion was completely random. There definitely weren't any fierce cats on her mind...

Half an hour later, Margo had decided that origami was an evil art meant to confuse even the smartest of beings. She had folded an unfolded her paper so many times that she wouldn't be surprised if it crumbled to dust beneath her fingertips. She angrily flattened it on the table and turned her gaze back to the instructions. Focus!. One fold over the middle, two half folds to the centre, crease the middle... Merlin! Why oh why didn't her paper look like the picture? She was only a little preoccupied. Besides, weren't creative outlets supposed to allow for impressions and mistakes? Origami was proving extremely taxing. She wouldn't be surprised if they decided to turn it into an Olympic sport.

Margo took a deep, calming breath. This paper lion was vexing her. She couldn't just give up. Besides, most of the other origami options had seemed as if they had wings. As cool as a dragon was, Margo didn't particularly want to be reminded of flying. Especially after the Blossom Ball. No, she and her lion were perfectly content on the ground, thank you very much! Now, if only she could magic her lion into existence. She made a mental note to look up origami transfiguration the next time she was in the library. She could have saved herself a lot of irritation, but maybe that would defeat the point of the errand.

When Margo's lion finally managed to take form, her chin was resting exhaustedly on her palm and her elbow was growing numb on the table. The assembled lion in front of her was admittedly a little dishevelled, but it was a lion! Margo could practically jump for joy. Take that candles! Through the entire creative process, the candles had mocked her with their flames. They changed shape so easily, with their wax melting and freezing into place and the fire flickering in the drafty breeze. Margo hastily grabbed a marker to decorate her lion's face. The poor beast looked slightly irritated at its messy state, but altogether happy to be alive.

She wondered if Hades would appreciate his new friend. The lion was a token of her achievement and could now brighten up her dorm. Okay, so having an origami lion in the Slytherin dorms was a little strange but Margo had a fluffy burger cushion - she loved strange. And maybe the little lion could have another purpose. If it accompanied her home for the summer she could use it as bait for Mimi. Better to lose her origami to Mimi than to lose Hades. Did dogs know that love could be spread equally between separate beings? Margo hoped so. Cowering from her family pet behind a roaring paper lion was not exactly a flattering situation. But then again, it was unique. And Margo liked unique.

Word count: 817
Created a paper lion!