Work Text:
Tallulah, the Acromantula
HELLO LITTLE WITCH, HELLO LITTLE WIZARD! HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE FANTASTIC STORY OF TALLULAH THE ACROMANTULA?
COME, SIT DOWN, OPEN YOUR EYES WIDE AND PERK UP YOUR EARS, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE GOT SOME COURAGE (AND I’M SURE YOU DO), YOU CAN EVEN HELP ME TURN THE PAGES!
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN ACROMANTULA? WELL, TALLULAH IS THE PRETTIEST OF THEM ALL!
EVERY DAY, TALLULAH TAKES CARE OF HER APPEARANCE. SHE BRUSHES HER SHINY TEETH AND COMBS HER SILKY HAIR. THEN, SHE LOOKS AT HERSELF IS THE MIRROR AND SAYS:
TODAY IS
GONNA
BE
A GREAT DAY!
AFTER THAT, TALLULAH TIDIES UP HER COZY NEST. SHE SWEEPS AWAY THE DUST, POLISHES THE WINDOWS UNTIL THEY SPARKLE, AND WASHES THE DISHES UNTIL THEY GLEAM. THEN, WITH THE PUREST, WHITEST, BRIGHTEST STRING SHE OWNS, SHE SEWS UP HER WEB. WITH A SATISFIED HUM, SHE SAYS,
A SOUND MIND,
IN A SOUND BODY,
IN A SOUND HOUSE!
NOW, TALLULAH IS ALSO A VERY THOUGHTFUL COOK. SHE EATS EVERYTHING, EVEN BRUSSEL SPROUTS! WITH THE RIGHT SEASONINGS, THEY TASTE JUST LIKE CRUNCHY FLIES (ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES, THEY DO MAKE HER FART. BUT SHH… LET’S KEEP THAT OUR LITTLE SECRET. WE WOULDN'T WANT TO UPSET HER, NOW WOULD WE?)
ONE DAY, WHILE TALLULAH WAS GOING ABOUT HER BUSINESS, MINDING HER OWN WEBS, DOING NOTHING SPECIAL, AN AWFUL WIZARD SUDDENLY APPEARED! HE HAD MESSY RED HAIR, ROUND GLASSES, NASTY BLUE EYES, AND A GROSS WEASEL-SHAPED SCAR ON HIS FOREHEAD!
HE WAS VERY MEAN AND HE YELLED AT TALLULAH :
WHAT A HIDEOUS BEAST YOU ARE!
OH NO!
OH NO, TALLULAH!
POOR TALLULAH’S HEART SHATTERED INTO A THOUSAND PIECES! HER MANY LEGS TREMBLED, AND HER BEAUTIFUL EYES FILLED WITH TEARS.
BUT WAIT!
DON’T CRY,
TALLULAH!
WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING FOR HER,
DON’T WE?
LOOK AT HER GORGEOUS FLUFFY PAWS – GO AHEAD, YOU CAN PET THEM. AREN’T THEY SO SOFT AND GENTLE?
AND WHAT A DAZZLING COAT! JUST LOOK AT ALL THESE COLORS! CAN YOU NAME THEM ALL? WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE ONE?
AND THOSE EYES! OH, SO MANY KIND EYES!… LET’S COUNT THEM TOGETHER:
ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR –
THAT IS WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR!
FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT –
SEE, TALLULAH, YOU’RE FEELING GREAT!
YES! THANKS TO YOU, TALLULAH HAS HER CONFIDENCE BACK! SHE IS NOT UGLY AT ALL! IN FACT, SHE’S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS! AND SHE HAS SO MANY FRIENDS WHO LOVE HER, JUST THE WAY SHE IS!
MAYBE THAT MEAN WIZARD WAS JUST JEALOUS, HMM? WELL, TALLULAH WON’T LET ANYONE HURT HER FEELINGS EVER AGAIN!
NOW, DO YOU KNOW WHO THE REAL HERO OF THIS STORY IS?
GO ON,
THINK ABOUT IT…
YES, IT IS YOU!
YOU HELPED TALLULAH WITH YOUR KIND WORDS AND LOVE!
SO, NEVER FORGET TO TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS YOU LOVE THEM! AND NEXT TIME YOU SEE SOMEONE FEELING DOWN, REMEMBER: YOU CAN BE THE HERO OF THEIR STORY, TOO!
Draco closed the book he had been holding and beamed at the sea of little faces gazing up at him. Most of the children were wide-eyed in wonder, their mouths agape with excitement. Others seemed more interested in unearthing treasures in their noses or counting their fingers.
“Well… Did you enjoy the story?” he asked, his voice ringing with cheerfulness.
A round of applause erupted, accompanied by gleeful shouts that echoed through the room.
“Which part did you prefer? Yes, you in the front!” he asked a little boy with a gap-toothed grin.
“One day, one day, I saw a spider thiiiiiiiiiis huge!” the boy exclaimed, stretching his arms wide.
“Really? That sounds amazing! Were you scared?”
A little girl shouted, diverting his attention. “Why does Tallulah like Brussel Sprout? I think it's yucky”
“Maybe your tastes will change one day. You should give them another try, next time” he suggested, a playful smile on his lips.
“Sir! Sir! Did you do the pictures?” another child piped up, bouncing on their toes.
“Oh. No. I wrote the tale, but it’s my friend Theo who did the illustr–”
Aaaand end of the story. He did not exist anymore. All the kids had decided that Theo was far more interesting. They clamored around him, climbing onto his legs, waving their drawings in the air and chattering excitedly about their own fantastic adventures.
Draco left out a soft sigh, a fond smile playing at the corner of his mouth as he watched his friend, who answered him with an embarrassed shrug, surrounded by a group of giggling children, patting them like some sort of oversized Pygmy Puff. He glanced over at the adults sitting at the back of the piece. Most were parents or grand-parents, some of whom hadn't noticed the names on the book’s cover. Probably they wouldn’t have shown up if they’d known, but maybe – just maybe – they would leave with a little bit more openness about ex-Death Eaters…
And if not? Well, at least, the kids had enjoyed the reading.
Among the crowd, he spotted a girl with a tender smile, too young to be a mother, her eyes sparkling, switching between Theo and him.
She was absolutely perfect. Every inch of her. From the bottom to the top.