You're Being Hugged, Harry

by David Silver

35 - Engaging Gifts

Arnavon didn't go back to the tree, instead bounding to the corner and wrapping his arms around a very considerable box there.

Harry blinked at it. "I thought that was just part of the decoration, if we're being honest about it."

"Reckon that's what I was thinkin' too." Ron shrugged, but waved Arnavon over in the same motion. "Open it up. If there's nothing inside, then we get a laugh out of it at least."

"Heavy, really heavy." Arnavon hefted the box up slowly and took ponderous steps towards the little tree they'd been using.

Harry lit up his horn, grabbing the box to provide some support on the bottom. "We have you. One step at a time there."

"Thank... you." With huffs, he made it back to them, letting the box slide carefully to the ground with a loud whoosh of air. "Has to be good."

Ron chuckled. "Really good or full of rocks 'cause it was just a decoration, right? Let's find out which it is." He clapped his hands together, rubbing them as he eyed the enormous box the size of Arnavon. "Could be anything, being that large and all!"

Harry perked an ear. Had he heard a giggle from in that box? He smirked, but decided to not say anything.

Arnavon began tearing at the wrapping, leaving the colorful paper scattered about as he worked into the smooth brown cardboard inside. It had a top, so he reached for it and... The whole thing collapsed. The moment he lifted the lid even a little, the walls fell down in each direction.

Revealed, Tillybell bounced around the one wall remaining that had fallen around Arnavon and grabbed him from the side. "Happy holidays!" she shouted as if the volume of her words made it clear how much she meant it. "I am gift."

Arnavon blinked as he sat back on his powerful legs. "Oh... Oh..."

"Not like gift?" Tilly inclined her head left and right sharply.

"No! Like gift. Love gift." He hugged her back, shock wearing off. With a brush of his arm, he sent the one cardboard wall that had fallen on him floating away to flop to the ground. "Perfect gift."

Ron chuckled as Arnavon and Tillybell nuzzled affectionately. "Shoulda guessed it'd be you in that oversized box."

Tillybell grinned, not looking the least bit guilty about her scheme. "I wanted it to be a big surprise!"

"Mission accomplished there," Harry laughed. His smile faded to curiosity. "But Tillybell, how did you even get in without us noticing?"

"Oh, I had some help." Tillybell pointed up - an owl swooped down from one of the rafters, dropping a letter into her waiting paw. "Your owl friend was kind enough to bring me here and get me set up!"

Arnavon gasped. "You made a new friend?!" He eagerly hugged the delivery owl too in his excitement.

Harry shook his head in amusement as he watched the scene. Only at Hogwarts could an owl somehow arrange for a tsuki to be gift-wrapped as a holiday surprise. But he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Merry Christmas, Arnavon." Harry clopped his hooves together with a bright smile.

Tillybell snuggled against her beaming mate. "Best gift ever!" Arnavon declared, not needing any box to hold his holiday joy now.

Ron let out an amazed chuckle. "Seriously... That means, official-like, an owl delivered an owl to an owl. Jus' sayin'!"

Harry swatted at Ron as they both laughed at the situation.

Arnavon wasn't really paying attention to the shared joke, having far too much fun hugging his mate. "Why wait?"

"Hm? Not surprise if not wait." Tilly pointed at the leftovers of the collapsed box. "Wait, good surprise."

"Good surprise," echoed Arnavon. "But miss. Stay." He drew her over to the others. "Have chocolate, talk, and enjoy the day. Today's a day to relax, not work so hard, even if it was a really good gift."

Tilly batted her lashes at Arnavon. "You use many words." The way she said it, it was as if she were intruiged by Arnavon's superior grasp of speaking, as if all the extra words that spilled from him just made her more attracted. "Keep talking."

Arnavon blushed under Tillybell's praise, looking pleased but shy. "Oh, I just want to explain things good. Use all the words I can think of."

"I think it's sweet," said Harry. "And I'm happy you're here to celebrate with us, Tillybell."

"Me too!" Tillybell agreed. "Arnavon talks about fun times with friends. Wanted to join."

"The more the merrier today," Ron said, grabbing a few chocolates. "C'mon, try some of these!"

Soon they were all laughing and chatting merrily around the glow of the fire. Tillybell delightedly listened to Arnavon describe holiday traditions, ooh-ing and aah-ing over the decorations. In turn, she shared stories of tsuki celebrations filled with snow sculptures, bounding games, and lavish community feasts, when they weren't hugging and wrestling a lot.

Watching Arnavon's eyes shine as he snuggled close to Tillybell, Harry felt a warmth in his heart that had nothing to do with the nearby flames. "It's good to have family nearby." He looked between his two tsuki friends and Ron. "And you're all family."

Ron colored just faintly. "Hey, we both got real family waiting for us."

"And they're both wonderful families." Harry lashed his tail, magic adjusting his glasses. "But having two families isn't even that odd. Friends are the family you get to pick out yourself."

Ron's eyes softened. "When you put it like that...yeah, I guess we did all sort of pick each other, didn't we?"

He smiled at the tsuki couple. "And any family of Harry's is family of mine."

Tillybell clapped excitedly. "More family! Do we challenge-hug?"

Ron blanched. "Uh, let's start with a gentler hug first..."

They all laughed as Ron was engulfed in an enthusiastic tsuki embrace. Harry met Ron's eyes over Tillybell's shoulder, hoping his friend could read the depths of affection and gratitude in his gaze.

They came from such different worlds, these mismatched friends of his. And yet Harry knew he would do anything for each one of them. United in that strange, wondrous school, they had found something together none of them expected - love powerful enough to transcend any barrier.

His soft thoughts were interrupted when Tillybell tackled him straight to the ground. "Human soft. Ponies take hug." And she meant it, wrestling him right to the ground. It was soft, warm, and entirely unyielding. A curious combination of things to be tackled by.

Arnavon came to the rescue, gently extracting her into a hug with him, a thing she didn't seem to mind.

Harry sat up, panting, but intact. "Well... Personally, I vote we relax a little. No more roughhousing, just relax at the fire until we fall asleep and it's morning."

Ron helped Harry up, both of them laughing. Soon all four friends were curled up on pillows near the crackling fire, full of chocolate and companionship. Harry rested a hoof on Arnavon's back, meeting his happy gaze with a smile. Tillybell was already fast asleep under her mate's protective arm.

The winter wind howled outside, but within those old stone walls, all was peaceful. Surrounded by the gentle rhythms of sleep, Harry felt his own eyes growing heavy. This imperfect patchwork family was all he needed tonight.

As he drifted off, the worries of the wider world faded into the background. For now, he was just where he wanted to be - home, safe among those who loved him best. Tomorrow could wait until tomorrow. Tonight called for rest in the arms of those who truly cared, and that was the greatest gift of all.

---

The next night, Harry had his new cloak on. Invisible, he crept through the forbidden wing of the library.

He had to be careful with each step. Being a pony had a lot of perks, but quiet steps was by far not one of them. This made his progress slow as he took the time to try to be as quiet as he was unseen.

The shelves were piled high with books Harry wasn't allowed to read. The scent of old paper was thick in the quiet air. Few were around, it was the forbidden section.

But few didn't mean none. He froze as he heard someone approaching, rapidly. Whoever they were, they were allowed to be there, and didn't care who heard them. Unlike Harry.

He ducked into a classroom off that main path and closed the door with his magic. He grabbed the latch, so even it didn't make a click as it came to a rest as if it had been closed ages prior.

Harry held his breath as the steps got closer... then began to recede. Whoever they were, they were walking past, unaware of Harry's presence.

He let out his held breath and turned to look at the room he'd hidden in. It was a somber and clean classroom, with few marks of having hosted any students recently. Still, he pushed into it, looking about for any hints. One thing that drew his eye was a mirror.

What was a mirror doing there? He walked up to it and saw... nothing. "Right." He reached up to unfold his cape, becoming visible.

The other him in the mirror appeared at the same moment, looking back at him. Two humans stepped out beside his reflection. Harry winced in surprise, looking, but those humans weren't there, just in the mirror, standing beside his reflection. "... What?" They looked... familiar, somehow.

They fit... the descriptions... Harry stepped forward, placing a hoof on the smooth glass. He stared at the two silent images. "Mom?" And his father. His human parents, standing there in silent vigil.

Harry's breath caught at the word. They couldn't hear him, of course - just silent reflections in antique glass. But even so, Harry drank in every detail of their smiling faces. His mother had the same vibrant green eyes he saw every day in the mirror. His father's grin looked so much like his own.

"It's you, isn't it?" Harry whispered. "You're really them."

He reached out, wishing desperately he could grasp their hands in return. Behind the smiling couple, Harry now noticed movement. His pony parents Cadance and Shining Armor stood supportively beside human counterparts. And gathered around them all like a fuzzy halo shone every friend Harry held dear, from Ron to Arnavon. His patchwork family, reunited at last.

Harry brushed away sudden tears. This mirror showed the heart's desire, not reality. But just for that night, Harry allowed himself to pretend. To lean against the cool glass surrounded by those he longed to embrace.

The holidays had brought him friendship and laughter, yes. But they'd also left Harry with an aching hole this mirror echoed back to him, the absence of those first loving arms.

If he closed his eyes, he could almost feel ghostly hands on each shoulder, his parents' whispered words warm in his ear. "We're so proud of you..."

But it was just an image. It was just a... fantasy. Harry turned from the mirror and pulled up his cloak. "Tomorrow," he promised to himself and he fled the room, not daring to glance back, to see more in that mirror that offered far too much, and far too little, all at once.

He rushed back to class, pretending none of that happened.

That evening, he spoke excitedly to Ron, insisting Ron come see that strange mirror. "C'mon, you know you want to see what your heart's desire is."

Ron swatted at Harry, but was quick to surrender to the idea. "Alright... Won't be anything that special."

So Harry brought Ron the next night.

What Ron saw left him looking uncertain. "That's... I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know!" Ron threw his hands wide. "Not sure I'd... even want that stupid cup anymore after they tossed you out of the league..."

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Owl in a box?

Tilly better be careful, the other box might have had Bert.

[tsaukpaetra]

Curious, does the mirror have an update delay where it may no longer hold the current viewer's desires? Wonder what it would show for someone who wants not...?
Gifting ones self is an old trick, approved in all the implementations' wholesomeness. Owl magic, it's a wonder nobody seems to have realized some other unique applications it enables.
Chocolate often does odd things to animals. Wonder if it affects Tsuki? Could imagine it boosting magical metabolism and throughout capacity. 🤔

[David Silver]

11768374
Mass matters. Even if one assumed it was toxic, the lethal dose to a big tsuki would be way more than a casual bar... or ten.

[tsaukpaetra]

11768491
Yes, that's part of the point, before it is at toxic levels it has potential benefits. 🤔

[David Silver]

11768697
It's yummy! That has to count as a benefit.