Lunch came and went in a pleasant haze of grease-stained paper, shared drinks, and stolen bites.
Cassius ate efficiently, as he always did, but he made a point to sit with them, listening rather than planning—an intentional act, even if it felt strange.
The girls sprawled around the table, shoes kicked off, small prizes piled like trophies at their feet.
Ginny was midway through a story about how she'd nearly knocked a carnie unconscious with enthusiasm alone when Cho leaned back and tilted her chin upward.
Her gaze tracked something high above.
Very high.
Steel rails twisted against the sky like the skeleton of some colossal beast.
Cars screamed past, riders' voices shredding into exhilarated terror.
Cho smiled.
"That," she said, pointing, "looks worth standing in line for."
Ginny followed her gaze and grinned ferociously. "Finally."
Hermione stiffened. "Those rides exert up to four times the force of gravity on the human body—"
"—and we've all been thrown into walls harder than that," Ginny cut in cheerfully.
Astoria bounced in her seat. "I want the one that looks like it might snap."
Luna tilted her head, listening. "The tracks are singing. They're excited."
Daphne met Cassius's eyes, a challenge there. "You did say we were doing everything."
Cassius exhaled slowly.
This… was not a battle he could win, not that it was one he was willing to fight anyways, amusement park rides had been a guilty pleasure of his during his last life, so getting to ride coasters and rides that by his time were already closed or had been changed to become safer, or more toned down for family fun.
They were practically calling to him.
"Very well," he said. "Roller coasters first. Then water rides. Then whatever madness you decide comes after."
Ginny pumped a fist. "Yes!"
Hermione muttered, her displeasure still not being a fan of flying, and now about to ride coasters to simulated that very effect.
~
Flying Fish lived up to its name.
The coaster was smaller than the giants that existed across america, but it was fast—sharp dips, sudden rises, tight turns that snapped the wind into their faces.
They sat two by two.
Cassius ended up beside Daphne, after an intense game of rock-paper-scissors.
The chain clanked.
The ascent felt deceptively calm.
Daphne's fingers tightened around the safety bar keeping her secure in the cart. "This is..."
Only she never got to finish, the drop hit.
Wind roared.
Gravity itself seemed to vanish.
Daphne screamed—once—sharp and startled, then laughed breathlessly as the track twisted again getting over the fear of having no control and instead just enjoying the experience itself.
Cassius felt the familiar weightlessness, the same sensation as diving from a great height on a broom—but rawer, unmediated by magic.
By the time they rolled back into the station, Ginny was flushed and grinning wildly, Hermione looked equal parts thrilled and betrayed by her own enjoyment, and Luna clapped politely.
"The fish flew very well," she announced.
Cho wiped her eyes, laughing. "Again?"
Cassius shook his head. "One victory at a time."
Next came Depth Charge.
The queue wound around towering concrete, the sound of rushing water growing louder with every step.
Astoria peered over the railing at the plunge. "We're… going down that?"
"Yes," Ginny said brightly. "Very fast."
Hermione swallowed. "It's designed to simulate freefall. Like jumping off a waterfall."
Cassius noted—once again—that Hermione's ability to explain danger did not reduce it, if anything it made the rides themselves seem more fearsome instead.
They piled into the boat.
The lift carried them upward, chain rattling, the park spreading out beneath them in vivid color.
For a brief moment, everything was still.
Then the boat tipped.
And the world dropped away.
Water slammed up around them in a towering wall, soaking everyone instantly.
Ginny shrieked in delight.
Astoria vanished entirely beneath the splash, reemerging sputtering and laughing.
Cho wiped water from her face, breathless. "That—was incredible."
Hermione pushed wet hair out of her eyes, blinking rapidly. "I… I think my shoes are floating."
Cassius shook water from his sleeves, lips twitching despite himself.
He was soaked.
Utterly.
And it was… fine.
They followed it with Rumba Rapids, trading terror for chaos.
The circular raft spun unpredictably, bouncing over currents, slamming into rocks, drenching them from every angle.
Luna leaned over the side, watching the churning waters below with glee, as if she could see the very water itself was having as much fun tossing them about as they were being tossed.
Daphne attempted dignity.
It failed immediately when a wave drenched her from head to toe.
Ginny laughed so hard she nearly fell out.
By the time they disembarked, all of them were damp, hair plastered to faces, clothes clinging uncomfortably, though thanks to color choices none suffered a wardrobe malfunction.
Astoria beamed. "We look like survivors."
Cassius considered that.
Not entirely inaccurate.
Mr Monkey's Banana Ride was… something else entirely.
Bright colors.
Spinning arms.
Sudden drops that came without warning.
Astoria squealed in high-pitched delight.
Ginny yelled encouragement at the machinery itself.
Hermione clutched the safety bar and recited the ride's safety instructions under her breath like a mantra.
Cho laughed freely, hair whipping around her face.
Cassius found himself laughing too—short, surprised bursts he didn't bother suppressing.
When they finally staggered off, dizzy and smiling, Daphne steadied herself against him for a moment before straightening.
"I will never speak of this again," she said solemnly.
Logger's Leap came next.
The climb was slow.
The drop… was not.
The log tipped.
Time stretched.
And then—
They plunged.
Water surged up over the sides, drenching them anew.
Ginny threw her arms up, screaming triumphantly.
Cassius felt the sudden rush, the impact, the jolt of adrenaline flooding his system.
For a fleeting moment—
he left everything behind and truly felt like he was nothing but a kid again, leaving his adult mentality behind for a bit.
As afternoon slid toward evening, shadows lengthening across the park, they reached the Wicked Witches Haunt.
The exterior loomed dark and crooked, smoke curling around its edges, laughter and screams echoing faintly from within.
Astoria clapped. "Oh, this one's trying to be scary."
Luna nodded approvingly. "It's doing its best."
Inside, animatronic witches leapt from the darkness, cackling, spells flashing in bursts of colored light.
Ginny jumped—then laughed at herself.
Hermione yelped outright when a witch dropped from the ceiling.
Cho gripped Cassius's sleeve briefly before composing herself.
Daphne remained outwardly calm—until a sudden sound from behind made her flinch.
Cassius watched them all, senses alert but relaxed, appreciating the manufactured fear for what it was.
In the end they rode the ride numerous time, not for the fun of it, but because the girls declared it a good source of combat training letting them adjust to the jump scares, using them as a means similar to Cassius's manmade dungeon to prepare them for the unknown.
By the time the night was approaching, the park lights illuminated the lanes, and the final chosen ride was a winding down, the ferris wheel a slow crawl, letting the girls sit alone with Cassius high up in the air, observing the park below, while getting an open view of the starlit sky.