My first Fantastic Beasts story! A little AU-ish snippet I've tried to tie in with the main story.
Happy Reading!
Little Jacob Kowalski ran down the hill as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. Grandma had a gift for him for the holidays. And if he could get there by noon, he could be back in time for supper at home.
He ran so fast he soon realized he couldn't stop.
His eyes widened as he was coming upon not only the end of the hill but also a man who was standing on the curb. A businessman, a man that hated little lower-class kids.
His legs, practically jelly, felt numb and his chest burned from the cold and frigid air but he pressed on. His heart thudded in his ears as he tried to slow at the curve of the hill. He thought he had succeeded but a large rock thought otherwise.
He tripped and rolled down the rest of the hill, limbs flailing. He hoped he'd clear the businessman by some chance but his lower half collided with the man on one of his rolls. He cringed and waited for the smack against the pavement that said the other had fallen but it never came.
He opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of his own skin.
"Hey kid!" a person behind him called.
Jacob turned, still looking around at the sudden change in scenery. He had been twenty feet from his grandma's and now he was in the middle of the industry section on the other side of town. The businessman he had collided with was crossing the busy street, looking like nothing had bothered his day.
The person that spoke to him was behind a stand of fruits. "Here!"
Startled, Jacob managed to catch the object thrown his way - an orange. He stood up and brushed himself off. He looked up at the seller and smiled. "Thank you," he called back. Grandma always reminded him to use his manners especially when speaking to those in the industry section. She always said most of them had a lot of money - they could eat lots of pastries.
He put the orange in his pocket before guessing where he was and what direction his grandma's house was in...
Soon, he came upon her house once more. Giddiness at what he was given today took over him and he scurried down the lane.
"Grandma!" he shouted, running into the house. He skidded to a stop and raced to the front, shutting the door firmly. He continued off again. "Grandma! Grandma!"
"Jacob, I had no idea you'd be this excited," she greeted with a wide smile.
He plowed into her, his arms outstretched. A wide and happy smile adorned his chubby cheeks as he looked up at her. "Guess what I got today!" He pulled out the orange and handed it to her before she could even guess.
She widened her eyes playfully and took the orange. "Oh my! Wherever did you get this precious fruit?" Her eyes sparkled as she spoke.
"In the industry part of town, Grandma," he replied dutifully. "A mister gave me one."
Her gaze turned curious. "And what were you doing in the industry section, young man?" But her voice wasn't scolding.
Jacob frowned a bit. He didn't quite understand how he had gotten there in the first place.
"Well... a mister was standin' at the end of the hill, and I was runnin' to get here..." He scratched his head in confusion. "I kinda ran inta him and then instead of knockin' him down, I landed in the street in the middle of town."
Grandma frowned like Jacob. "Hm, very odd." She looked down at the orange in her hand. "Well, I know exactly what we can do with this!"
Jacob's face lit up. He scampered to the kitchen, all thoughts of the strange man and the strange happening forgotten. He stopped just before the kitchen table - his gaze just a little taller than the edge.
A plate of freshly baked paczki sat on the surface. Jacob inhaled deeply and his grin widened. He looked to his grandma who had gotten a knife. He watched her zest the orange and place the shavings on the hot pastries.
"We'll see how that makes them taste," she said cheerfully. "I think it'll definitely brighten them up."
Jacob couldn't wait for either permission or the pastries to cool. He plucked one from the cookie tray and took a big munch from it. He hummed his approval. "Whttff wwptt n thbttrrr?" he said with a full face.
She gave his arm a light pat. "Manners, Jackie, dear. Don't speak with your mouth full."
His cheeks reddened in embarrassment. He managed to swallow the pastry. "I said what if we put the orange in the batter?" He looked up hopefully at his grandma. She always baked and he always helped but he never got the chance to try something new with her recipes.
She gave a short hum of thought to his question. "Well!" she sighed pleasantly. "We'll just have to eat these up and try it!" She set the orange down and scooped Jacob into her arms.
He squealed at both the excitement of remaking the paczki and at her kiss on his cheek. "Come on, Grandma. We gotta go give Auntie Betty and Uncle Adam some so we can start sooner!"
He rushed from her arms and into the kitchen to search for a tin box...
"Hey! Mister English Guy!" Jacob shouted in alarm. The egg in his hand was starting to rattle a lot. He saw the man look at him with a spacey gaze. "I think your egg is hatching!"
Jacob had turned his attention back to the wobbling object, but soon it had been far too many milliseconds and he looked up at the English guy again. Then before he knew what hit him, he was pulled across the bank floor by an invisible force towards the other where he collided with his solid frame and landed in a stairwell.
After the English guy took the strange little snake creature, Jacob blinked.
He was no longer on the main floor of the bank. He stood there for a moment and tried to make sense of what just happened.
Then, he remembered colliding with the businessman and the change in scenery...
Oh boy.