It was a quiet Sunday. The girls had just gotten back from a trip to town. While they weren't allowed to bring any souvenirs back, Jasminka had smuggled some food she had bought back to the school.
Once she reached her dorm, she let all the food and candy drop onto her bed. Amanda laughed and Constanze stared, and Jasminka started to sort through the food, trying to decide which one she wanted to eat first.
Amanda watched Jasminka from her bed. "Hey, Jasminka, what are you gonna eat first? You've got a lot to choose from!" She laughed. Jasminka grabbed a bag of chips and opened it up, stuffing her mouth.
"I'll choose these chips," she responded, eating the chips happily. Amanda stared at the bag.
"Salt and vinegar? How can you eat those? So bitter!" Ananda stuck her tongue out. Jasminka giggled, and Amanda looked at Constanze. "Don't you think they're nasty?" She asked. Constanze shrugged her shoulders. Amanda gazed at Constanze. "Hey, your birthday is coming up, isn't it, Cos?" Amanda asked. Constanze have a nod.
Jasminka grabbed some candy and stood up, heading to the door. Amanda and Constanze watched her, confused. "Hey, where you going?" Amanda asked.
"Giving some candy to Sereana," Jasminka responded. Amanda smirked, her green eyes flashing.
"Oh, Sereana?" Amanda asked. Jasminka nodded.
"She likes Swedish Fish, it's her favorite," Jasminka replied, holding the bag of Swedish Fish in her hand. "So, I bought her some, and now I'm going to give it to her."
Amanda stood up and walked toward her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You like Sereana, don't you?" Ananda asked. "You're always buying her things and talking to her."
"Yes, I do," Jasminka responded warmly. "She makes me really happy, just like Akko makes you."
Amanda blushed and scratched the back of her neck. "Hah, I guess Akko does make me really happy!" She chuckled. "I love that dork." Amanda grabbed the door and opened it for Jasminka. "Go and get the girl, Jasna!"
"Thank you," Jasminka said, grabbing her broom and heading down the hallway.
Sereana sat in her dorm with her room mates, Nevenka and Paulina. Sereana lay on her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest. Nevenka stared at Sereana.
"Whatcha thinking about?" Nevenka asked Sereana. She looked over at Nevenka, a dreamy look in her eyes.
"Jasminka," Sereana responded, a soft smile playing on her face.
"You really like Jasminka, don't you?" Paulina asked warmly. Sereana's gaze flickered over to Paulina.
"Like her? Paulina, I'm in love with her!" Sereana told her. Paulina and Nevenka's eyes grew wide, and Nevenka opened her mouth to say something, but a knock came at the door. Nevenka stood up and got it, and there stood Jasminka.
"Hey Jasminka," Nevenka greeted. Jasminka gave a wave of her hand.
"Hello Nevenka," Jasminka replied. She looked past Nevenka's shoulder to see Sereana sitting in the bed. Jasminka held up the Swedish Fish. "I brought you some candy."
Sereana's eyes grew wide and she held her hands to her chest. "Jasminka, you shouldn't have!" Sereana smiled, getting to her feet and walking over. Nevenka gave her a smug look, and Sereana took the candy from Jasminka. "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome," Jasminka replied. As Sereana grabbed the candy, her hand brushed against Jasminka's, and she felt her face grow warm in a blush. She couldn't help but smile, and Jasminka returned it.
"Wah, no candy for me?" Nevenka asked. Jasminka gazed sadly at her.
"I'm sorry," Jasminka apologized. Nevenka laughed.
"Don't worry! I'm only kidding." Nevenka giggled. Jasminka smiled and looked at Sereana.
"Would you like to go and walk around campus with me, Sereana? Bring your broom." Jasminka asked. Sereana's eyes grew wide.
"M-me? I-I'd love to!" Sereana replied. Jasminka dipped her head and grabbed the door, opening it up. Sereana grabbed her broom and walked up to her, grinning.
"Have fun, you two," Paulina told them. They waved their hands, then closed the door behind them.
They walked down the hallway, and Jasminka looked at Sereana. "Actually, I'm baking a cake for Constanze's birthday," Jasminka told her. "I'm looking for a specific cake topper to make it extra special."
"Oh! Okay," Sereana responded, smiling. "She's turning seventeen, right?"
"Yes," Jasminka responded.
"What kind of cake you baking for her?" Sereana questioned. Jasminka gazed at Sereana warmly, and Sereana couldn't help but stare into Jasminka's eyes.
"Black Forest Cake," Jasminka answered. Sereana licked her lips.
"Oooh, how delicious!" Sereana beamed. Jasminka flashed her a sweet smile, and the two headed out of the building to the outside. Sereana looked back at Jasminka. "Where is this cake topper? Is it in town?" She queried.
"A little ways outside of town," Jasminka answered. Sereana gave a nod.
"How do we get to town without being caught?" Sereana questioned. Jasminka smiled softly and grabbed Sereana's hand. Sereana let out a barely audible gasp, and Jasminka led the blushing Sereana to the truck unloading area.
Jasminka had timed it perfectly- there was a truck unloading sweets. Jasminka licked her lips but resisted the urge to go scrambling through the sweets, grabbing as many as she could. Sereana was surprised as it was a Sunday, but when no one was looking, Jasminka and Sereana hopped into the back, and the truck traveled through the leyline and off the campus. There was a bit of a drive to get to town, where Jasminka informed Sereana they would be getting off. While waiting, the two girls sat and talked.
"So Jasminka!" Sereana started, her voice shaking lightly. "You're from Russia, right?" She asked. Jasminka nodded. "Moscow?"
"No," Jasminka responded. "From a little village up north."
"How cute!" Sereana smiled. "I'm from a little village too."
"In Fiji, right?" Jasminka questioned. Sereana gave an excited nod. Jasminka scooted closer. "What kind of magic do you want to do when you're older?"
Sereana thought for a moment. "I think... something with singing," Sereana told her. A grin crossed her face, half from talking about her passion and half from being with Jasminka. "I'm not sure what though. Maybe teach a magic singing class?" She laughed. "All I know is that I love to sing!"
"Sing a song for me," Jasminka said. Sereana's eyes grew wide in shock. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat. Jasminka giggled. "Please?"
Sereana stayed worriedly at Jasminka. She was so scared, and she knew she would mess up. She was too afraid to sing for her, but the way Jasminka looked at her, Sereana finally gave in.
"Alright," Sereana sighed. She inhaled deeply, then exhaled. She closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and began to sing. She sang a beautiful song from her childhood, one her mother used to sing to her. It was in the Native Fijian language. Jasminka closed her eyes and listened to Sereana's beautiful voice, her tone rich and her vibrato shimmering. Sereana channeled all her attention to singing her song, and eventually, the song came to an end. The two girls opened their eyes and looked at each other.
"Wow," Jasminka breathed. Sereana felt like she was going to cry.
"Was I bad? I know I was!" Sereana whined. Jasminka held her hands up.
"No, you were absolutely amazing." Jasminka replied. "Your voice is beautiful, just like you." The girl reached out her hand and took Sereana's into it, giving it a tight squeeze. Sereana gazed at her, her body slightly trembling. Did Jasminka... like her back?
Jasminka looked out the window. Standing up, she grabbed her broom, and she shot Sereana a glance. Sereana knew it was time, so she stood up as well and grabbed her broom. Jasminka opened up the back doors, and the two girls got on their brooms and took off into the air. They landed in the grass right outside of town, where their magic was depleting due to their distance from the Sorcerer's Stone.
Jasminka started to walk toward town, and Sereana walked beside her. Jasminka was taller than Sereana, so she had to look up at the pink haired girl. They continued to walk to town, then through town, then out of town. Sereana looked back at it as they headed up a hill, watching as the buildings grew smaller.
"Jasminka... how far out of town is this cake topper?" Sereana asked.
"Not too far," Jasminka answered. Sereana sighed. That didn't help at all.
After what seemed like an hour, the sun started to set on the horizon, spewing milky colors across the sky. Sereana started to grow worried, extremely confused. Just where was Jasminka taking her?
Jasminka turned to the right, taking a small path leading into the dark woods. Sereana stood close to Jasminka, fear radiating through her. It was getting darker by the second, and once they reached the woods, the thick canopy kept hardly any light from hitting the forest floor. Some small beams of light filtered in through small breaks in the branches, but it was still very difficult to see.
"A-are you sure you know where we're going?" Sereana questioned, her voice trembling. Jasminka nodded, and she wrapped her arm around Sereana and pulled her close. Sereana blushed deeply, her heart racing.
After another half hour, up ahead in the woods was a small clearing, and in that clearing was a small fire. Jasminka picked up her pace and jogged forward, pulling Sereana along with her. They tried their best not to trip over the undergrowth.
They broke through the trees into the clearing. Behind the small fire was a cabin. Jasminka walked past the fire and stood in front of the cabin, knocking on the door, her other arm still wrapped around Sereana. There was rustling inside the cabin, and out jumped an older lady.
"Who's there?!" She spat, waving a wand around. Sereana let out a squeal and hugged Jasminka tightly. The lady's eyes landed on Jasminka. "Oh, it's just you."
"Hello Miss Katerina," Jasminka greeted. "I've come for the cake topper."
"Did you bring the candy?" Katerina asked. Jasminka reached into her pocket and pulled out some Warheads, and Katerina licked her lips and snatched the Warheads from her. She then turned and walked back inside the cabin. Sereana watched the exchange, severely confused.
Katerina walked back out, handing the cake topper to Jasminka. It had a mecha on it, and Sereana stared at it, amazed.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Jasminka," Katerina told her.
"Wait!" Sereana cut in. "Who are you? And what are you doing all the way out here? What's with the cake topper and Warheads?"
Katerina slid her tongue over her yellow gapped teeth. "I don't like the townspeople." She answered. "But I do like Warheads, and Jasminka here, she's a doll. So we set up an exchange- a mecha cake topper for her friend, and Warheads for me."
"How'd you two even meet?" Sereana queried.
"Witchslist," Jasminka answered her. Sereana put a hand on her chin, a little less confused than before.
"Now get on outta here! Before you're eaten alive." Katerina warmed, then put the fire out and hurried inside her cabin. Sereana felt her stomach drop in fear.
"W-what? Eaten alive?!" Sereana stammered. Jasminka stuffed the cake topper in her pocket and grabbed Sereana's hand, turning and quickly jogging out of the clearing and back the direction they came. Sereana stared up at Jasminka, fear in her eyes. "What did she mean by 'eaten alive'?!" Sereana wailed.
Suddenly, there was some growling behind them. Jasminka picked up the pace and started to run, and Sereana struggled to keep up with her. They raced through the forest, whatever was behind them on their heels. If only they could use their brooms!
That moment, Sereana tripped over a root. She fell flat on her face, and the growling got closer. Jasminka stopped dead in her tracks and whipped around, grabbing Sereana and carrying her. Sereana looked over Jasminka's shoulder, but couldn't see anything behind them. Jasminka continued to run, and eventually, they broke through the trees and raced down the path, stopping at the road. Whatever was behind them, wasn't there anymore.
Jasminka took deep breaths and sat Sereana down on the ground. "Are you okay?" Jasminka asked, worry in her voice. Sereana's nose felt warm and wet, and she immediately knew she was bleeding.
"I have a bloody nose," Sereana whined. Jasminka pulled a napkin out of her pocket and gave it to Sereana, who dabbed at her nose with it. Jasminka frowned and hugged Sereana tightly, and Sereana froze.
"I should have never taken you with me," Jasminka whispered, and Sereana felt hot tears on her shoulder. "I could've lost you."
"Jasminka, it's okay!" Sereana reassured, hugging her back tightly. "You saved my life!"
"You wouldn't have almost died if it weren't for me," Jasminka pointed out. Sereana shook her head and gave the weeping Jasminka a squeeze.
"Don't worry, I'm alive, that's all that matters." Sereana tried her best to soothe her.
"Sereana... I love you."
Sereana swore her heart stopped for a second. Did Jasminka really say she loved her? Sereana pulled back, gazing into Jasminka's teary eyes.
"W-what'd you say?" Sereana asked. A blush crossed Jasminka's cheeks.
"I love you, Sereana. I really do. You're so nice, and you make me so happy. Will you... be my girlfriend?" Jasminka confessed. Sereana's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing! She took Jasminka's hands into her own.
"Jasminka... Yes! Yes, I will!" Sereana replied. Jasminka hugged her tightly, giving her a giant squeeze. Sereana hugged her back, unable to breathe.
Jasminka eventually let go and stood up, grabbing Sereana's hand and pulling her up. They held hands and walked back to town.
"Jasminka, what on earth was that?" Sereana asked. Jasminka shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't know, Katerina just told me to watch out for it," Jasminka answered. Sereana frowned and kept walking with Jasminka, fingers intertwined.
A few days later, it was Constanze's birthday. All her friends stood in the room, holding presents. Amanda elbowed her in the arm, and Constanze glared at her.
"Happy birthday Constanze! How does it feel to be 17?" Amanda asked. Constanze shrugged her shoulders, looking at the presents.
Akko looked around. "Where are Jasna and Sereana?" Akko queried, confused.
"They said they have a special surprise for Constanze," Sucy muttered. Akko crossed her arms.
"Well, they better hurry up!" Akko complained.
That moment, the door opened, and Jasminka and Sereana walked in, holding a giant Black Forest cake. On top was the mecha cake topper. The girls gasped, and Constanze stared, wide-eyed.
"Happy birthday Constanze!" Jasminka and Sereana said in unison, setting the cake on the table. Sereana distributed plates and forks, and Jasminka cut the cake into different slices. She put the first slice on Constanze's plate, and urged her to take a bite. The girl grabbed her fork, took a bite, and then gave a soft smile.
The other girls cheered, and they all grabbed slices and dug in. They took bites and smiled, laughing. Constanze grabbed the cake topper and stared at it, and Nevenka walked over.
"Yo, Jasminka, Sereana, where'd you get this awesome cake topper?" Nevenka asked.
"It's kinda a long story," Sereana replied. The two girls giggled, then planted a kiss on each other's soft lips.