Fauna wandered into the Great Hall, eyes bleary and face pale from lack of sleep. It was about 10 a.m., and she hoped to catch Chance Ryker before he disappeared for the day. Her eyes zoomed in on the Gryffindor table until she found her partner (and fellow victim).

This egg was the most high-maintenance creature she'd ever met, and it hadn't even been born yet! She'd had it for only two days. Two days of hell. If the egg wasn't being held or cooed at it would rattle loudly until she paid it some attention, and it would purposefully lower its body temperature so she'd have to cast a warming charm on it every ten minutes. One time, it had even rolled away from her in the middle of Charms class, and hidden in another student's backpack! Fauna had decided that if midterms didn't kill her, this egg surely would.

Fauna made her way to Chance's table, hair still damp from her shower. She wore her polar bear hat today, in tribute to Darcy, who had reminded her of it in her last letter. Though she knew she'd get strange looks from Neely and some others for the fashion faux pas, she was too tired to care. It was a polar bear hat day. The beady little eyes atop her head said so.

She hesitated before taking a seat next to Chance, who looked to be finishing his breakfast.

"Hi," she greeted him shyly, putting the basket on the table with the large egg swaddled inside. The egg itself was green with brown spots.

"Ah, so... Spot should be set for a while. I, uh, hummed to it so it's in a good mood. And I just checked the temperature. And it had a bath last night, so..."

One of the students sitting next to Chance started snickering. She pretended not to hear it, but her face flushed.

"Um... so I guess I'll just leave it with you for the weekend?" She said hopefully, studying his face. "Er... you didn't forget, did you?"

It was Saturday. His turn to take care of it. Fauna needed to snag one of the tables in the library and study without the distraction of the egg. Of course, a few frogs were still hopping about the library stacks, but those she could ignore!

Chance had just finished his cereal, before he took a single bite of a banana nut muffin.  At that point, he caught sight of Fauna Blake, who lowered down somewhat sheepishly to sit beside him.  Normally Chance would have had greater appreciation for Fauna's company...but now she had brought an unwanted burden to the table.  Yes, the egg.  The egg was homework after all.  This was the kind of homework that not even Chance Ryker could escape.   Chance's deep green eyes stared, rather affixed on the large egg that had been set before him.

"Hey yerself...so where's m'bacon lass?"

He had to joke about it.  He didn't want to make Fauna feel bad, and he assumed his gawking at the egg and obvious displeasure to see it might have appeared rather rude.  Chance then noticed Fauna's polar bear hat and couldn't help but allow a sideways grin. 

"Now that I like.  It suits ya, Fauna."

Finally Chance drew his attention back to the big green, brown spotted egg.  This made him think of a humorous observation...

"So ya think he's got my eyes an' yer hair?  I suppose Spot is more of a boy's name than a girl's, eh?"

At the prospect of egg sitting the entire weekend, Chance grew panicked.

"Yer...yer not gonna be with me?  What i I bribe ya..an' bat me eyes an' make a big pouty face?"

Wow the Irish accent was really popping today!  Was it nerves perhaps?

At first Chance looked dismayed at the arrival of their 'bundle of joy', but then he grinned at her and complimented her on her hat, and Fauna blinked at him, trying to figure out if he was teasing or if he really meant it. She smiled back anyway, deciding that it didn't much matter.

"I... uh... I guess," she gave him an amused look when he told her his observations. Fauna pulled back the corner of the blanket around the egg and peered at it. "Well, it got... freckles from me. You know, the brown spots," she told him helpfully, worried he wouldn't get her joke.

Right after she asked him if he'd forgotten about the egg, a horrified expression settled on his face,  and Fauna's stomach sank to the floor. He had forgotten! She just knew this was going to happen! Why'd she have to get paired up with Chance Ryker, slacker of all slackers?

Then he surprised her by acting sad that she wouldn't be hanging around him today. Fauna drew back and gave him a skeptical look, completely baffled. She couldn't help but wonder if he was just saying that so he wouldn't have to take care of the egg. Or maybe he actually wanted to spend time with her.

It had to be the egg.

"Um, well Chance, I kinda have to go to the library today..." Fauna explained, shifting in her seat nervously. "I don't really know if that's something you'd wanna do?"

Chance in the library? Ha! Fauna was no Ravenclaw, but she got decent grades, and she worked hard for those.

"But anyway, the librarian is kind of..." An arse. "A lot like Professor O Morain," Fauna substituted, biting her lip. "And he's still peeved about the frogs, you know? And I just..."

She trailed off, running out of excuses, and feeling guilty about needing to study, of all things!

Chance was indeed dismayed by the responsibility brought on by the egg, however he was completely honest about enjoying Fauna's polar bear hat.  He always liked when people's personality showed through their look.  Being an individual and staying true to one's self was very important in Chance's book.

"Ahhh...I see, I see."

Chance gestured and gently touched a few freckles with his index finger.  He felt guilty...because Chance did not want at all to be a leech off of Fauna, but he was also not at all looking forward to having the responsibility of another life on his hands right now.  He hadn't ever excelled at Care of Magical Creatures, so he wasn't exactly at the head of the class...

"Library huh?  So...y'need some company?  A bodyguard against th' big bad librarian?  Well c'mon with me Little Polar Bear Riding Hood...an' we'll have an' puff an'...whadda ya need to do in the library anyway exactly?"

Chance was up for tagging along with Fauna it seemed and he did enjoy her company, but he felt like he needed her in order to keep from failing her and the egg.

Fauna started giggling. She covered her mouth with her hand and shook her head at Chance, greatly amused by his use of nicknames and even the reference to the Three Little Pigs!

"Um, I was going to write that Defense essay, about wards? Have you written it yet?" Fauna paused, fiddling with the edge of her hat. "We could maybe, uh, I dunno... work on it together?"

The very idea of working on an essay with a cute boy in her year made her stomach do the evil do-see-do routine. However, the essay was on her list of things to do today. Plus, Chance always did so well in Defense that she figured she might as well ask him questions and see if he could catch any errors in her thinking.

Fauna rose from the table, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and picking up the basket with the egg in it. Then she grinned at Chance and handed the basket to him, feeling strangely like one of those girls who forced their male friends to hold their purses and shopping bags. Still, she had an excuse! They'd agreed that Saturday was his day to care for the egg, so he could at least carry the basket. Right? Right.

Making people laugh genuinely pleased Chance and Fauna was no exception.  Her laughter brought an amused smile to his face. 

"Blast!  I ruddy hate essays!  I mean...if some dark wizard has ya cornered in a dark alley...are ya gonna whip out a quill an' parchment an' write a paper 'bout why he outta leave ya alone?  Ahem...err...no, I haven't written it yet.  Guess I should..."

Chance scoffed and shook his head of black, spiky hair before he exhaled slowly. 

"Sorry...just bookwork's not exactly my cup o' tea.  An' I'm not even a tea drinker!"

Chance held the basket that was handed to him and peered down at it, then looked back up to her.  He couldn't help but smirk somewhat.

"At least th' basket's not pink..."

The young Irishman stood up and walked along with Fauna.

"So which way's th' library again?"

Perhaps he was joking, but...it was rather obvious that Chance spent as little time reading and writing as he cold manage.

"This way!" Playing along, Fauna swung her arm out and pointed, almost smacking one of the students in front of her. She hastily drew her hand back and gave Chance a sheepish look.

"Uh, yeah, fourth floor," she reminded him as they walked out of the Great Hall, the not-pink basket swinging from Chance's grasp. Fauna realized for a moment that they must look quite a sight,  her with her polar bear hat and Chance with the egg. She smiled at the thought and glanced at him, still surprised that he was coming along with her to the library of all places.

"I don't like essays either," she admitted. "I mean, I'm pretty awful at them. I can never find the right words..." It was true. She was almost as bad at writing essays as she was at making speeches.

"Though I would like to see someone try to defend themselves with a quill," she added lightly. Fauna wondered what Tamis would say if she jokingly brought it up at their next lesson tomorrow. At least she wasn't bringing the egg with her. Even Tamis might not be able to keep a straight face if the little bugger hopped out of the basket while she was practicing spells.

As they neared the staircase Fauna checked to makes sure the egg wasn't getting any ideas about hopping. It seemed content at the moment.

"What do you think of the new Defense professor?" she asked Chance, curious if he missed Professor Mainwaring as much as she did.

Chance tried his best to stifle a snicker fit as Fauna nearly smacked a passerby with her arm while playing tour guide.

"Please keep yer hands an' feet inside th' vehicle at all times...or else Fauna might just whap ya one!"

No, Chance wasn't very successful at keeping his laughter in this time.  He nudged her though to show he meant no harm with his joke.  This was by no means a usual trip for Chance, and the fact he was carrying an egg in a basket while Fauna was wearing a polar bear on her head only made it more unique.

"Really?  Huh...I always thought ya had all th' answers, Faun!"

Chance couldn't help but start to imagine a duel between two quill wielders...

"Well...guess we'll just haveta wait an' see.  Seems a bit rigid t'me...but that's the usual with those bookish types...usually.  Maybe he'll loosen up when he gets comfy...but I doubt it."

He shrugged faintly as they proceeded to and up the staircase.

"Hmmm, yeah, I don't know," Fauna shrugged, glad that she wasn't the only one who thought Professor Storm seemed stern. The lines on his face looked like they might crack if he ever smiled. "I guess, well... Mainwaring was always strict, but... he had that grandpa-y air to him? Sort of?" A flush rose to her cheeks as she glanced at Chance. It was embarrassing to admit, but Mainwaring had been her Head of House and a professor she'd really liked and respected. Professor Storm was still an unknown.

"Anyway..." Fauna started up the stairs, then glanced at Chance again, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You see, at the top of these stairs, you'll uh... find another staircase! Which leads to yet another... staircase. And then, when you finally reach the fourth floor, there'll be... corridors."

Oh Merlin.

"And, um, at the end of one corridor, there's the library! Where you'll find, you know, books and things. In the library. 'Cause that's what libraries have."

She let out an embarrassed chuckle and vowed not to quit her day job as a Hogwarts student. At least she hadn't pointed or waved her arms around while she was talking this time!

When they almost reached the top of the stairs, Fauna heard a strange sound. It was the sound toddlers made when they scooted down the steps one by one... and it was the sound an egg might make as it hopped away from its caretakers...

Before Fauna even turned her head, she heard shouts, a giggle or two, and a 'watch out'! Her eyes widened and she grabbed Chance's arm, staring at the empty basket for a moment before looking down the stairs in horror. The green little rebel was making its escape!

"Not again!" Hadn't the egg put her through enough? First it tried to fly with the snitch at the Quidditch game, and now it was playing slinky down the stairs!

Fauna got out her wand and tried to aim, "Accio egg!"

But it was like trying to accio a brick wall, for all the good it did her. The egg continued its stubborn descent, and Fauna shared a look with Chance, about ready to run down and grab it if she had to.

"Yeah...but seems like th' Dark Arts prof changes every year or two, doesn't it?  Still...yeah, god ol' Mainwaring was a different breed altogether."

This was a compliment in Chance's mind.  He considered most professors as uptight bookworm sticklers.  To say Mainwaring was different, was definitely a compliment.  He canted his head on a faint angle as a smirk grew upon his features.

"Workin' on yer tan there, lass?"

Chance couldn't help but tease her about her embarrassment, though he wasn't quite sure why she was blushing.  Now that could be a fun game!  Make the Fauna blush!  She was quite reminiscent of a flight attendant as she gave her tour.

"I feel like I should be askin' fer my lid'l bag o' peanuts now?  Or should I return my tray table to th' upright position?"

But then came the gasp, the shouts, and Fauna snatching hold of Chance's arm.  His eyes were directed down to the basket...the EMPTY basket!

"Wait...AGAIN?"

This egg was going to be more trouble than even Chance thought!  Chance spun around and began to dart down the stairs after the egg.

"Egg!  Egg!  Come here egg!  Be good, egg!"

Everything was going so well, too! He talked about Mainwaring, commented on her blushing, and made a joke about getting a bag of peanuts to go along with the tour. Fauna Blake was actually carrying a conversation. With a boy. In her year. What was happening to the world? Fauna had just assumed that the only boys she could ever talk to were those younger than her and a certain Ravenclaw Seventh-Year she happened to have a crush on.

Luckily, Chance reacted fast after her failed attempt to accio the egg. She watched him bound after it for a second, and then decided to follow, dodging the students on the staircase that had stopped to giggle at the spectacle (and some who were grumbling about needing to get somewhere).

It was like something out a cartoon. In the lead there was the egg, and then there was Chance close behind, holding the basket like a net, and last there was Fauna, polar bear hat flopping on her head as she ran down the steps with wand in hand.

But the egg had reached the bottom step first, and now it was rolling, rolling, rolling down the hallway!

It was suddenly very difficult to continue carrying a conversation...stupid egg!  Poor Chance had no clue how much of a victory that this was for Fauna up until...the escape attempt.  Chance was trying hard not to knock into anyone in the process of catching the egg as the duo chased it!

" 'Scuse us...pardon...hey!  Runaway egg here lads n' lasses!  Scoot!"

Chance had been making attempt after attempt at covering the runaway egg with the basket, but when this wasn't working...he decided on a new tactic.  Chance's legs were long...and he made a mad dash to hop over the egg and sprint on ahead down the hallway, before sliding to turn around and aim the basket back at the egg...hopefully Fauna's pursuit would herd the egg directly into place.

"I gotcha, ya rotten lid'l bugger!"

When Chance leaped over the egg and turned to catch it in the basket, Fauna was ready. She crouched down, hands out, and as the egg rolled towards her it must have sensed her presence (or heard the squeak of her sneakers), because it immediately made a u-turn, right into Chance's clutches. The egg rolled in the the basket and Fauna let out a triumphant "Ha!"

She grinned at Chance. They'd managed to catch it before it hopped into the kitchens and onto the frying pan!

"Stay," she told the egg sternly, pointing at it. It rattled rebelliously at her, but otherwise remained in the basket.

"Well, that was... an adventure," Fauna commented, catching her breath and adjusting the hat on her head. "Should we try that again?" she asked Chance, looking up at the staircase. This time, the egg would stay where it was supposed to, she hoped.

"The egg literally jumped out of my arms in the stands yesterday. During the Quidditch game," she told him, shaking her head. "If Neely Woolfolk hadn't caught it, well, I don't know where we'd be." Spot would have likely gone ker-splat, and then she and Chance would have automatically received a Troll for the project.

Still, being grateful to Neely was almost worse!

"Ohhh yeah!"

Fauna certainly knew how to follow Chance's lead and the improvised plan worked to perfection!  Chance would soon realize he must have banged his left knee a bit in the abrupt landing he took in the hallway.  He stood up, hoisting the basket up victoriously in the air, then pausing and lowering the basket, protectively covering it with his free arm and shooting a glare at the egg inside.

"Try that again?  'ow 'bout we don't an' say we did, lass?"

Chance shook his erratic, black head of hair...thinking about the egg being loose during a Quidditch game being a bit too similar to it rolling about in a stampede.

"Well, it's a good thing Neely's got quick hands then!"

By this time, Chance had practically forgotten their original destination...but then fatefully stared up the staircase before sighing.  He smild faintly.

"Alright, well...guess a lid'l excitement before a lid'l study's good fer ya!"