do you know the muffin ma- ohhhh, shiny! [#jonathan]

Sunny was here on business. Yup, yup!

Mum even let her carry around a miniature briefcase, where a sticker implosion happened on the entirety of the outside, and wear some fun glasses! Sunny adjusted those as she followed Skye into the Ministry, Bunny in tow. It was so big! Sunny's eyes were alight and taking in every detail that she could! The colors were so pretty! Green fading into black with pretty floating cars that had people inside and ohhhhh! Floo! The people tumbled out left and right! It was amazing!

Sunny couldn't stop smiling! What a fun job! And she got to spend the entire afternoon here! She was almost ten after all! In like a whole year! Her tiny fingers curled tighter around Bunny at the thought. Why? Because that only meant less than three years for Hogwarts! Her cheeks rouged as she peeked at all the grown ups. She'd be just like them! And wear shoes like her! And be ten feet tall! And wear dress robes like that lady!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

Thump!

Sunny lost her balance and ran into Skye's legs and flopped right onto her own bottom! "Owwwwuh!" Sunny grumbled quietly before gathering her things and using her Bunny-wielding hands to rub her bottom free of soreness. "Okay, you wait here, honey! Mama can't figure out where... well, where anything is so... sit. Stay. Be a big girl. And there's a vial of something in case someone comes near you; you use that and you scream... ummm, you just scream." Sunny nodded and sat down on some stairs next to a funny monument made out of stone. Sunny could scream so loud! And she brought her own backup too, only because she knew Skye would be worried. But Sunny could do this! She could take care of herself! She was a big girl! And besides, she was sure to see one of her family members somewhere.

Waving goodbye to Skye, who stopped and went about five directions before deciding on one to the left. Sunny giggled and pulled out her coloring book and smudgers and went to work! Mum was gonna have so many new drawings to hang! Sunny's Indian-styled legs gave a nice flapping motion against the step in excitement as she chewed happily on her lip!

"I've already told you, Jenkins. We can't use that! That forecast model is completely wrong."

Jonathan's voice was unusually curt. His often genial manners were replaced with a much tenser body language, with his shoulders kept in, his left hand curling into a fist as he gripped his attache, and his left eye twitching oh so slightly. Even this Emerson had limits on how often he had to repeat himself, which was currently seven. Just in the past hour alone. And yet again, the same question was posed by his fellow official, who definitely did not know a lick about arithmancy or economic statistics. "I've checked the runes used in that derivative scheme and there were several glaring errors. So no, I won't be presenting it in the meeting! The Albanian Ministry might not be so great at speaking English, but they sure can smell arithmantic rubbish from ten leagues away!"

The two continued to bicker as they entered the lift, and the distraction was enough for Jonathan to stay on when he'd meant to step off, going back and forth with Jenkins until they had exited into the Atrium. The noise was the first thing to alert Jonathan of his mistake, with the bustle and din drowning out whatever he'd meant to say to his partner. Jonathan had meant to go back to his floor while Jenkins fetched the foreign officials, to relax and compose himself for a few hours before the meeting later that day. Instead, his already frazzled nerves were now being bombarded by the raucous activity surrounding him. As Jenkins turned for the Floo gates, Jonathan thankfully parted ways.

He figured he may as well just turn back, but in the midst of all the movement, a shimmer caught the corners of his eyes. He was quite close to the Atrium fountain, and reckoned that a good-will gesture might send some karmic points back his way. He walked toward the fountain, with his free hand rummaging through his pockets until he pulled out a newly minted galleon. He paused for a moment, as if making a silent wish, and plopped the coin into the water, sending ripples across the surface. As Jonathan watch the golden coin fall gently onto the bottom of the shallow pool, his brow lifted as a thought came to him. His eyes glanced left, then right, then left again as he pulled out another galleon.

Instead of merely dropping the coin, he flicked it deftly, wondering how many times he could bounce it off the surface before it fell. Unfortunately, he'd overshot his release, as the trajectory of the coin was far too wide. It bounced once, then over the edge, hitting some protruding bump on the other side. "Whoops!"

Jonathan quickly walked over, only to realise that bump had been the top of someone's head, in this case of some little girl sitting. Jonathan's apology fell half-way as he realised that this girl was all by herself. Where were her parents? Who would leave their child in the Atrium of all places, where one could easily be swept away by floo or portkey to Merlin-knows-where? Jonathan crouched down to meet the child's level, curling his tall frame to match eyes as best he could, smiling at the sight of her epically fantastic glasses.

"Hey there. Are you waiting for someone?"

"Aaaaaand purple goes heeeeere," scribble scribble scribble, smudge smudge smudge, "aaaaaand oh! Blue!" Sunny fumbled with her tiny crafters and twirled the blue one around in her small fingers for a moment before scratching it against the paper. Enough so so that there was a small pile of blue pow -

"UMPH!"

Faceplant. Into the page. And pile of blue powder. Sunny's book dropped into her lap and her beanie flopped forward ever so slightly. What the heck was that! Sunny's face matched her blue eyes which were readjusting to her surroundings and suddenly she was suffocating in a fit of coughs. People were walking by, looking at her. Why weren't they helping! Sunny gasped and her hands stretched out in front of her, reaching for air! Any kind of air! Especially the really good kind though!

A deep inhale later and Sunny calmed back down. Only to realize her head was suddenly throbbing in the tiniest of spot. She reached a squishy hand back slowly and slid her hat off. Shaking her blonde hair out around her, Sunny winced a little more dramatically than necessary and scrunched her face together. "Owwwwwwuh!" she groaned for the second time today.

This place was dangerous! Sunny's shoulders slumped and she rubbed the back of her head gently before letting her arms fall to the ground beside her. At least Bunny didn't get hit! She immediately reached for her companion and snuggled him in real close. "Did you see who that was, Bunny?" Sunny sent glances over each of her shoulders and then double-taked when a tall, super duper tall, man was walking towards her.

Game blue face!

Sunny straightened up and pushed her frazzled hair out of her face. She had to get grown up and fast! Oh! Bunny! She slid him off her lap and hid him under her legs just as soon as the giant started speaking to her. And really she couldn't hide her expression of wide-eyed curiosity. "Umm... I'm here on business!" She patted her briefcase as if that should explain it all. But then something started triggering in the back of her mind. The small girl scrunched her face up and arched her brow before raising a finger towards this giant man, "You aren't planning on taking me are you, because... I... I have a wand and... well, I'm not afraid to use it against you!"

TADA! Sunny brandished her coloring pencil in all it's magical glory and jabbed it in the man's direction, saving that ear-piercing scream for if the time came.

Whatever frustrations Jonathan had pent up during the course of the day, they all vanished in a single moment, replaced by mirth and gaiety that was more in keeping to his usual state. How could one stay upset when looking at someone so cute? Her cherubic face, smudged with blue pigment, framed by her comically large glasses, was a welcome sight from the stoney, dull faces he often dealt with at work.

Jonathan grinned at her response, his brows raised in curiosity. Oh? On business was she? Jonathan's crooked smile widened as his eyes followed her gesture at the attaché she had, professionally made and handcrafted with only the best of stickers. His eyes scanned the rest of her belongings, glancing at the colouring book that seemed to have exploded with pigment, with odd smudgings that seemed to suggest that the girl used her face as a brush. He failed to make the connection that perhaps a galleon to the noggin would have made her do so, but his mind was already elsewhere, paying particular attention to the bunny she kept hidden, as if it were her a prized treasure. That was something Jonathan understood perfectly well, having so many plushed toys he refused to part with since childhood.

His vision blurred as something came into his central vision. His eyes focused to find her waving her finger at him. Who was the adult in this situation? Jonathan had to chuckle at the charge she laid against him. He was the one trying to make sure she wouldn't be kidnapped, and here he was, accused! He did not even get the chance to show some mock indignation as the child whipped out her supposed wand and brandished it. His instinctual curiosity made him lean forward to see it, which had been a mistake. The pencil was shoved right up his left nostril, sending shocks of pain from the point of contact and throughout his body.

Jonathan recoiled, howling and falling on his backside. His own wand slipped out of his sleeve, as did a few coins from his pockets. His attaché also fell beside him, the shock of which loosening the vintage clasps that Jonathan hadn't fully closed. It sprang open to reveal its contents, which made his briefcase seem just as professional as the little girl's. While he indeed had his work papers neatly stored in the case pockets, the top was covered with various sweets, some of which now spilled onto the floor.  If he was trying to be inconspicuous then, all charades were torn as several people turned their head their way. Fortunately, perhaps in their busy-ness or in their desire to stay out of matters that didn't particularly concern them, those heads simply turned back and went along their merry way.

Jonathan was still smarting from the pain, rubbing his nose to dull the sensation and to wipe off the snot that welled in reaction to having a foreign object lodged up there. His voice was warbled by his hand as he nursed his sore.

"Dat warn't werry nice! I wash only tryna hewp!"

Oh. My. Gooooooodnesssssss!

Sunny's bright blue eyes bulged behind her soft pink frames. This wasn't what she expected to happen! The coloring pencil seemed to have a mind of it's own! Sunny's immediate reaction was to pause and take a hard swallow of the lump that suddenly formed. Oh no, oh no, oh no! Mum was going to be sooooo mad at her for hurting someone! And she'd have to find Daddy really fast!

Only option! Drop the pencil!

And the blue creation device was flung from her hands in a tight, quick, and determined motion down the steps. Faint clicks sounded off every bit of the way that gravity and guilt helped it down. "I -- uhhhm..." Sunny finally willed herself to blink and she pressed her entire palm against a lens to help her glasses up her face. "The wand did it!" She sputtered out in a timid and squeaky voice. Uh oh. She sucked in her top lip and cuddled her legs into her chest as she watched the giant squirm and writhe and wriggle and twist in agony! He was dying!

That was about when Sunny's emotions got the better of her. She felt her eyes start to well up and the teeny blonde bit down hard on that magically disappearing upper lip. A small whimper later and she stood up, Bunny in tow as her default to instant comfort. One hand around Bunny's arm and the other twisted up in a tiny fist in her frilly skirt, Sunny took a small series of steps towards the man. "I'm sorry! I didn't realize! But it's gone now!" Her words came out in a tender and elongated manner. All the while, Sunny untwisted her hand and attempted to console the man--

Wait, was all that candy?

And a wand?

Sunny gasped and stuffed Bunny into the man's hands. Bunny would help him! He sure would! And then Sunny could make this all better and help the man clean up! And soon enough the petite girl squirelled herself around and collected every bit she could. She pushed the man's super-sized briefcase over to him and straightened up, tapping a finger to her chin. Now where did that pesky wand goooooo... AHA! Her hand shot up, index finger out and she gave a small yip! of glee!

Mary-janes shuffled across the floor and she nabbed up the wand, walked it back over and held it in her hands for a moment, regarding the man. "I think I got everything for you, okay?" Her small fingers wrapped around the wand and her heart started racing in hopes that this would be enough of an apology. Her hand started to shake a little as well and what with all the different range of emotions in the last few minutes and Sunny's grip tightened and then...

CRACKLEZAPZIIIIINGKSHHHHHH!

Blink. Blink blink. Jaw drop. Body numbness ensues. Cheeks rouge. "Uh... oh..." The candy multiplied ten-fold. Hooray for magical demonstration and Hogwarts reassurance much?

As the stinging sensation ebbed, Jonathan was able to focus more on his tiny assailant. He wanted to sulk and to be cross, but he didn't really have the heart to keep that up. How was one supposed to be mad at someone who wore giant frames that were twice the size of her head? Then her deflection tactic: blame the apparently sentient pencil! That level of cuteness should be illegal. It just wasn't fair! And wait, were those tears?! This girl was going to be the death of him. How was he going to go against whimper tears?

The tears that had welled up in Jon's own eyes slowly receded, and with a small sigh he propped himself up to sit a little more respectfully, or as respectfully as grown ass man could sit in the middle of a busy floor next to a pile of sweets. His lips twitched into a smile at her apology, and Jonathan gave up any pretense of still being upset. Plus, if she continued to cry, it'd be him who'd get in far more trouble! He started to speak to console the little lass--despite the fact that Jon felt it was he who needed actual comforting--but she was already onto something else.

Jonathan blinked, his brain temporarily flatlining. What? "Er…" He looked blankly at the dolly that had been unceremoniously dumped into his hands. Did she want him to do something with it? He pouted, examining the plush toy. He played with the soft, plush arms of the bunny, having it wave slightly at him, and thought about the dozens of similar toys he possessed. Well, this wasn't as nice as having his boo kissed, but he supposed it would do.

Sharp, staccato steps brought his senses back, and he watched her pick up his dropped items. Jonathan's face softened, and in a barely audible sigh, let out an "awww" at her attempt to make amends. Of course, having let his guard down for a moment, Jonathan realized his grave mistake. She was going for his wand! Was he dealing with a munchkin or a monster?!

He immediately scrambled to get up, but it was too late. She'd already picked it up and was returning with it. Jonathan smiled, cautious and nervous, his eyes zoned at her hand and the precious item she was carrying. He nodded a little too vigorously as she spoke, as if that would keep her calm and avoid making any unnecessary movements. All pointless.

He sensed it instinctively, and rose up to retrieve his wand from her. But again, he was too late. As if slowed in time, he watched her fingers tighten in grip, and observed the subtlest flicks of her wrist. And then the crackle. Of course it had to crackle! Why, wand, why?! It felt as if he was having an out-of-body experience, observing the foolishness he'd gotten himself into. His focus being on his wand, it took a moment for his brain to realise that he'd stepped on something round, losing his footing.

Gravity must really love him today, because this was the second time in less than a minute that he was again kissing the floor. There was just enough time for his mind to make an internal eye roll and scream seriously?! as he fell. Jonathan was laying flat on the ground, but he had managed to twist his body to take the shock without much pain. He could have broken his fall in a much better way, but he'd instinctively turned to prevent crushing the bunny doll he held in his hand.

His head was gazing right up at the girl, a vantage point that made her appear like a squat giant. His legs, meanwhile were half-buried in a huge pile of sweets. Luckily, it was enough to keep the booger frozen for a second, allowing Jon to reach up and gently wheedle his wand from her grip.

"You're quite the wandworker, aren't you?" he said playfully. "Did you know there are fourth years in Hogwarts who wouldn't be able to do what you just did?" He winked at her as he said this, only really half-joking with his compliment. Gemino spells weren't really taught and practiced until then, and this little snot had done it wordlessly!

He sat up, and at this height he was level with her. He glanced at the huge mess on the Atrium floor, and noticed the various witches and wizards giving them a wide berth on their way. He really should clean it all up. If any of his bosses were around, he'd definitely get his ears chewed off about this. But, since she'd already gone ahead and done the spell, it seemed like such a waste of candy if he were to just banish the extras.

He put on a sterner face and as sage-like as he could, he told her, "You have to be careful with a wand. There are some spells you can never take back. What you just did, we can't undo it, and it would be bad if other people got hurt if they stepped on the sweets." He paused then, hoping his words would sink in.

"So... we're just going to have to eat it all."

The jolt resonated everywhere but where Sunny stood. Still jaw dropped. Still wide-eyed. Her blonde curls poofed out into disarray and her focus searching for the owner of this wand once more. But... but... there was so much candy now! The tiny girl's mouth closed and she sucked in her upper lip and bit down gently, unable to decide what to do next. She was going to be in trooooooubleeeee! Skye was going to ground her so hard!

Shoot, shoot, shoot!

Feeling the movement in her hand she willingly let go of the wand and immediately went for Bunny. She snuggle the poor thing up close to her, breaking her all-growed-up cover she had been playing at earlier. He was cuddlier and safer anyways than that wand! At the giant's words, Sunny blushed. And with the faded blue her cheeks gave off a purplish tone. A palm pressed itself into her glasses once more and she peered at the giant from over Bunny's head. "No." she answered simply and honestly. Fourth years? But they were old! Her tummy did an excited flip but her mind reminded it that Skye would find out, for certain she would find out! And that... that won't be so exciting.

"Okay..." Sunny said quietly, tucking her face further behind Bunny upon being scolded. Why did she have to do that! She frowned and felt her bottom lip puckering out even more over her upper lip in embarassment and frustration. She didn't mean to though. But she didn't think this giant would believe her. Because what if she did hurt someone! It wouldn't matter if she meant to or not! They would be hurt, and that would be that!

A pit of guilt formed in her belly and Sunny started twisting her legs up into eachother as she stood waiting for the rest of the scolding.

Wait... what?

She arched a small brow and studied the giant through her spectacles. "All of it?..." She asked curiously, her eyes zipping over to the pile of sweetness. The glands in her mouth began to answer for her and she swallowed a needy bolus down into her empty stomach. "If you say so!" Sunny said softly and in a sing-song voice. She untwisted her legs and took a slow few steps towards the mound before plopping down into a squat and furthermore falling onto her knees. She sat Bunny beside her knees and reached across, grabbing her hands full of candies. Falling back onto her bottom, Sunny set her winnings on her skirt, legs folding over one another. She rested two pieces in front of Bunny and then looked up for the giant.

Giving a pat beside her and watching the giant with a small, happy smile, Sunny picked at a wrapper. "Who are you?" Sunny asked, crafting stories of this giant's life in her head. "Is your daddy a giant like you? Mum said there aren't many giants left. I didn't know they liked candy either! Or had wands!" Sunny's voice got higher and started squeaking by the end of her word vomiting.

It was all Jonathan could do from breaking his stern face, but he nodded as gravely as he could at her question, while replying, "Yes, all of it." It was perhaps slightly cruel, to force a child to eat so many sweets, and it didn't occur to the young man that certain parents held the insane notion that sweets were bad for their kids. Instead, he scuttled over to sit beside her, to help with the clean up. He tried to be as unassuming as possible, even though he was still several inches taller in their seated positions. At least she was no longer actively trying to kill him!

He scooped a pile nearer to him and picked out a lemon drop for his first. In one swift movement, he had the drop unwrapped and popped into his mouth, clearly showing he'd perfected this activity to an art, a mastery years in the making and several anti-cavity charms to boot. His face slightly puckered at the sour taste of the drop, but was still attentive to the little girl, smiling at how she'd saved two pieces for her little Bunny companion.

His smile widened to a grin at her barrage of words, until he could no longer contain his mirth, laughing heartily at her assumption. "My name is Jonathan. Jon is fine, if you like." He thought about going along with her train of thought, but he also recalled how easily painful it was to let this girl run about, so he decided to nip this idea of giants in the bud.

"My daddy is a big man, but he's no giant." He paused to suck on his lemon drop, but unable to wait, he just chewed it to pieces as he continued. With his wand now safely in his possession, he flicked it at some of the piles of sweets. A group of them clumped together to take on a rough shape of a little girl. A few more flicks, and three more piles of sweets were magically bound together into subsequent figures.

"If that's you," Jonathan noted, pointing at the candy version of his companion, "Then I'm about that tall when I'm standing, and that would be my daddy." The two figures were a little more than twice the height of the first, and waved at Sunny when Jonathan pointed at them.

"A real giant would be even three or even four times as big! And they can be very dangerous. That's why there aren't many around, and why they're not allowed to have wands, or else..." And that was when the last figure, a huge, hulking mass of toffees and fruit drops towered over the candy-people, before it raised its arms and flattened the three figures until they were just back to scattered pieces of candy.

Jonathan realised that his little re-enactment may have been a bit too much for his audience, so he quickly added, "You may never see a giant in your lifetime, so you shouldn't worry. And when you get to Hogwarts, there will be plenty of nicer animals you can study!" And with that, he whisked the treats once more, until they formed shapes of unicorns and hippogriffs that pranced and flew about them.

While he conducted his little show, he looked down at his new friend and noted, "By the way, I hadn't caught your name! Do your parents work here in the Ministry?"

The small blonde busied her tiny fingers with another wrapper after having stuffed the taffy-like candy into her mouth. She immediately experienced a flavor explosion of strawberries and -- strawberries! Sunny's eyes opened up wide in happy surprise as she experienced a strawberry sensation overload! She was in a filed of them! And then in a bucket full of them and swimming around with them, Bunny in tow of course! And then she was a strawberry! "Whoaaa..." Sunny said softly, looking to the giant as he joined her.

Swallowing the last of her strawberry explosion candy, Sunny gave a smile and pressed a finger into the bridge of her pink glasses. "Okay, Jon." She tried out and gave a small series of giggles. She set her newly unwrapped candy on Bunny's lap and went to work on another wrapper. But then... not a giant? "But... why not?" Sunny's brow arched upwards and she rubbed the back of her hand against her chalked face, unknowingly freeing up a small streak of skin to breathe freely once more.

Her head spun towards Jon's display and immediately the girl was enthralled. She tugged on Bunny's arm and set him in her lap, sticking his uneaten piece of candy in her mouth. Mmmmm! Peach! Sunny nodded and gave a wave to the candy people in return for their nice waves. This was so cool! Upon learning of a giant's actual height Sunny gasped. "But that's like as tall as... as tall as... the world!" Sunny threw her hands up to her sides and sprawled her legs out in front of her. Eyes locked onto the tall-as-the-world candy creation as it flattened Strawberry Sunny, Juicy Jon, and Juicy Jon's Dad.

Sunny blinked. Her smile gave a small tick of worry and just as she sucked in her bottom lip out of concern... there were unicorns! She squealed and rushed to her feet to charge at one of the creatures! She had never, ever, ever seen one ever before! Just in coloring books! And fairy tales! And they were just so cool! Sunny reached out and pet a unicandycorn, feeling her cheeks get warmer out of her excitement. "My name is Sunny!" She smiled the brilliance that her name represented and readjusted her glasses once more. "My mum is here," she shot a glance around her and gave a small shrug. "She just needs to get some sort of ticket for her shoppe though. I think she went... that way?" Sunny pointed to her left initially... then around behind her... then to her right... then up. She felt a nudge from the unicandycorn and she gave the thing a small pet before plucking away a purple piece of candy from its horn.

"And my dad is a Healer! He's the best! But he's working now so he isn't here. And Myf is working so she isn't here. And Auntie Mallie is with her boyfriend. But I told Mum I could watch Bunny by myself and that I didn't need anybody else because I'm almost 9 years old!" As if on cue, she popped the hard candy in her mouth and held up nine fingers, just in case Jon didn't understand. A nod to confirm, and Sunny tilted her head to the side and tucked her candy into her cheek. "Did your dad come for a ticket too? This place must give a lot of tickets away. There are so many people here!"