Continued from this thread.


Fauna sat at a library table near one of the windows, glancing every so often at the snow falling outside. This was one of those times when she and her friends would head into the courtyard and catch snowflakes, but unfortunately, Fauna had work to do. An essay on wards, specifically.

Books were piled high on the table like the bars of a crib around the basket with the egg planted in the middle. Fauna peeked around a column of books at Chance, still surprised he was here without complaint, especially while it was snowing. She noticed him flipping through one of the books they'd collected.

Fauna glanced back at the blank piece of parchment in front of her and twirled the quill in her hand. If only essays could write themselves...

She tore off a little corner of the parchment (it was only a rough draft), crumpled it up, and then flicked it in Chance's direction. If she couldn't be outside when it was snowing, then she'd have to find a substitute! Fauna quickly ducked her head and pretended to focus on her nonexistent essay, though she couldn't resist smiling a little. A poker player she was not.

Chance Ryker's own deep green eyes were regularly drawn to any window he saw in this vast library.  This very clearly represented his deep desire to escape to freedom from books, study, and scholastic work of any kind!  However...Chance attempted several times to focus on the single book he'd been drowning in for hours...or at least minutes.  He could read quite rapidly actually, but unless he considered what he was reading it made no more sense to him than reading "Purple glue monkey toe ratchet." 

However...soon Fauna's own makeshift "snowball" bounced across his hand and the book he was flipping through.  This snapped him to his senses and he quickly looked up from his droll reading.  He smirked at her tightly drawn lips, grasped the little wad of paper, and stood up.  Chance went glancing about elsewhere, wandering around behind a shelf.  Soon...Chance tossed a paper toward Fauna's right shoulder.  He didn't want to bean her in the head.  That just wasn't his style.

Fauna kept her gaze fixed on the parchment in front of her, resisting the urge to glance up when the 'snowball' made impact. Her smile was growing, however, and she glanced at Chance as he suddenly left the table. For a second she thought that maybe he was annoyed. She turned around in her seat to look for him, then let out a loud laugh when the crumpled up piece of paper suddenly bounced off her shoulder.

She covered her mouth and tried to avoid the disgruntled looks of her peers scattered at the tables. Fauna picked up the ball and crept towards the shelves, peeking around the corner of each bookcase in search of Chance.

This was actually a dangerous move. Not because of her awesome stealthy skills (of which she had none), but because she was leaving both the egg and the table unattended. Throwing the snowball at Chance would probably only take a moment or two, but a moment was all it took for a stressed student to swoop down on their space in the library and claim it for themselves. And it would only take a moment for the egg to play 'catch me' if it chose to do so.

Fauna wasn't thinking about any of this. She glimpsed a shock of dark hair and chucked the paper ball in his direction. It bounced off his back and she meant to duck out of sight, but then he turned around and she froze.

That wasn't Chance!

"Blast! I'm sorry!" She immediately turned red, then put her hand over her mouth again to stifle the giggles at the student's dumbfounded expression. He warily handed the paper ball back to her and Fauna nodded in thanks.

Where was he? Fauna hoped he hadn't seen that...

Chance could be rather sneaky when he wanted to be, though he was no master ninja-he was quite the playful paper wad flinger.  He had been rather amused by ducking behind the bookcase and making a round to circle around behind where he'd started, to wind up on the exact opposite end of the library.  Hearing Fauna's laugh made him smile.  She was fun to hang out with and had been a fantastic partner thus far. 


He grinned mischievously as he saw Fauna creeping along right before his very eyes and he followed her with quiet, though very elaborate "Mr.Grinch-like" stealthy footsteps.  What it lacked in coolness and style, it more than made up for in actual effectiveness.   Chance paused right behind her, half tempted to give her a rib tickling from behind...but he paused and merely leaned his chin across her shoulder. 

"Whad're y'doin' there, lass?"

"Ahh!" She jumped slightly at the sudden sound of Chance's voice, taken completely unawares. Her shoulder connected with his chin and she froze, turning to look at him with a chagrined expression on her face.

"Are you alright? I didn't mean..." she peered at his chin, convinced that evidence of the bump would sprout up immediately and wave a little flag at her.

"I was looking for you," she held up the makeshift snowball, smiling a little. It seemed cruel to throw it at him when she'd just accidentally smacked him, so she held onto it and figured that she'd chuck it at him later. Chuck it at Chance, this time. Instead of some random passerby in the stacks.

"I need help," Fauna sighed. "Not the mental kind," she added quickly. "It's this essay. I don't know... what I'm doing. I'm not even sure what I should write about - you know, about the wards," she explained, anxious about the whole assignment.

It probably wasn't the smartest move on Chance's part.  He had intentionally snuck up on Fauna in order to surprise her...but didn't anticipate her jerking her shoulder in surprise?  Nevertheless, Fauna's reaction popped Chance's chin.  He wiggled and rubbed his chin a bit, then chuckled.

"I think I'll survive, thanks."

Chance nodded in response to Fauna's explanation, though he already knew quite well she was searching him out.

"Y'need help from *me*?"

This definitely surprised Chance, as he'd never been the "go to guy" on written work...ever.  Wow.  Chance was shocked.

"Well..." Fauna trailed off, anxiety on the rise. She knew it was odd, since Chance normally slacked off on his schoolwork, and he didn't seem to care much about his marks. He was still intelligent, just... goofy. A little like Devlin in that way.

"Um, you don't have to!" She said quickly. He was already keeping her company in the library - oh wait. She was keeping him company because he didn't trust himself with the egg, or something like that? The threat of midterms were frying her brain.

"But... you are good at all that Defense stuff," she told him with a shrug. Fauna had been getting better in the class, but she wasn't at the O for Outstanding level yet.

Fauna glanced around, as if worried the librarian would swoop down on them like he had tendency to do, but she didn't see Mr. Morgan at his desk or in the stacks. "I bet you could probably get past the wards in the restricted section, easy peasy!" She half-joked, not really expecting him to take her up on that.

With the idea planted in her head, she shot a glance at the Restricted Section. The entryway was roped off and signs snarled warnings when students got too close. She couldn't help but wonder...

Devlin was no stranger to jealousy. Sure, he avoided it by doing his best to be one step ahead and by dating girls that he didn't care about enough to get jealous over, but he had had his moments. Waker on the arm of any man aside from him had given him fits of jealousy for years, and still was for that matter, and now he was beginning to have them with Fauna. He didn't know why, considering she was supposed to be another one of those girls he didn't care enough about to get jealous over, but when he saw her laughing it up with some punk Gryffindor, he was furious.

After questioning some of his gofers, he discovered that the spiky headed little pratt was some kid named Chance (He snorted at the name) and that he was Fauna's partner for some stupid 'Egg sitting' project for COMC. Now Devlin didn't want Fauna to get a bad grade because of him, but the idea that she was playing mommy with someone other then Devlin as the Daddy made it difficult not to interfere. After much (AKA a few minutes) deliberation, he had followed them to the Library with murder, or at least maiming, dancing excitedly in the back of his mind.

He decided, in the end, not to out and out interfere. They weren't an official couple yet and he didn't want to scare her off. Recalling her affection for his other form, Devlin snuck off to a private corner and transformed into his rat form. He didn't have long to torture Chance, so he scurried towards the pair as past as his stubby, furry legs would carry him.

Arriving at their table just in time to see Chance get far too close to his Fauna and get popped by her shoulder, Devlin paused and considered biting him. Rat's teeth were very strong and he could easily bit to the bastards finger bone if he didn't get away from his girl. But Chance moved away before Devlin could get to him and the little brown rat had to find another way to get revenge. First though, he needed Fauna to notice him. Not an easy task when he was on the floor.

Hoping she wasn't squeamish, Devlin made a beeline for her legs. With a little hop and the cutest ratty climbing action, he made his way up her blue jeans and into her warm, soft lap. Normally he would be content just laying there, but he had a mission. Squeaking a little, he made his presence, and need for a treat, known.

The vote of confidence was surprisingly delightful in all actuality, especially from Fauna.  She was a sweet girl and far more intelligent and capable than she gave herself credit for.

"No worries!  I'll try m'best t'help."

This was one of the best ways to get Chance to work.  Being scolded and ordered around did not work well at all with the partially rebellious Irishman, but a gentle request went a long way!

"Aye...m'not too shabby, till it comes t'th' paper part."

Chance was almost always better and more confident in actual application than in the written form. 

"Ya think?"

Was this a challenge?  Chance was growing intrigued...even if what Fauna was suggesting was highly forbidden.  However...any further questioning was interrupted by...was that a rat scurrying up Fauna's pant leg?!?

"Wha?!  Watch yerself!"

Chance had no clue that the rat in question was a human being and quickly gave it a shove off of her pant leg protectively with his bare hand.  Chance hated that he acted so instinctively and that his first reaction was still physical action and not a magical response.  Immediately thereafter, Chance flicked his wrist to swing his ebony and bocote wand into his hand.  He cast a hover spell to catch and elevate the rat out of dangerous, sharp, pointy fang range.

"Sorry little guy, surprised me there!"

Fauna was relieved that Chance didn't seem to mind helping her, even if it was just understanding how the wards worked, and not necessarily helping with the written work. The new Defense professor made her a bit nervous, so she thought it would be nice to get a second opinion.

"Sure," she said with a shy smile, looking over at the Restricted Section. "Maybe... that's what I could write my paper on. Figuring out which wards are-"

Suddenly, Chance shouted a warning and a small little critter started to scurry up the fabric of her jeans. Fauna jumped, more out of surprise than anything, and then Chance tried to brush it off of her.

"Wait!-" She didn't want the rat to fall and hurt itself. Before it hit the ground, Chance levitated the rat into the air, and Fauna reached out and cupped the animal gently in her hands. The poor thing was probably terrified, she thought. Though she couldn't really blame Chance - most people's first reaction to a rat was to shoo it away.

"It's alright," she told Chance with a reassuring smile, then peered at the rat in her hands. "I think- oh hey, I know this one! I remember you," Fauna grinned at the critter as she inspected him for injury. "I thought I'd lost you last May," she continued talking to the rat, walking back to their table in the library.

Fauna glanced back at her egg partner and set the rat on the table. "I think this little guy must run away from his owner a lot, or something. He shows up looking for treats sometimes. Maybe he was trying to escape a cat..." she murmured, glancing around the library, but not seeing anything that would give a clue as to why it had scampered up her leg.

"Anyway, I might have a treat in here," she said, bending slightly and rummaging around in her backpack. Her own pet rat Bernadette was still in the Hufflepuff dorms this early afternoon, because Fauna hadn't trusted herself to take care of both the egg and the little animal while she had studying to do.

"Wha?!  Watch yerself!"

Before Devlin could catch Fauna's attention, and get his much deserved treat, he found himself violently swatted off her lap. To a person, such a movement was light and almost gentle, but to his currently small and fur lined body, it felt like he was being hit by a damn train. Flying off her lap, he barely had time to squeak when he was caught by some invisible hand and held aloft in front of the smarmy visage of Mister Ryker. It was lucky that Dev was in his rat form, because the string of curses that flew through his mind would have horrified and reviled Fauna.

"Sorry little guy, surprised me there!"

"Oh I'll surprise you, you piece of shite, I will surprise you so hard that you will wonder how your ASS was able to fit through your DAMN NOSE!" He shouted, though his furious words just came out as angry squeaks at the boy looming over him. Chance was lucky that he was holding him at arms length because otherwise, he wouldn't have much of a face when Dev was done.

"It's alright, I think- oh hey, I know this one! I remember you, I thought I'd lost you last May.."

Devlin breathed a sigh of relief when Fauna went to grab him. It took all he had not to succumb to his ratty instincts and relieve his bowels in the warmth of her hands. He would save that for Chance later, if he dared to touch him again. She murmured gently to him and soothed his ruffled fur before putting him down on the table next to her egg. As she rummaged through her bag, Devlin looked at Chance and then the egg back again, his beady little eyes twinkling deviously.

Originally he planned on just watching the pair and maybe biting Chance if he got too close, but the anger coursing through him from the humiliation he just suffered urged him to do more. Eying the egg, he rubbed his nose, pretending to clean himself, as he pondered his choices. Rats ate eggs didn't they? Well, they ate about anything really. And who would be to blame if the egg was accidentally broken and eaten by a stray rat? Fauna wouldn't blame a poor innocent creature for doing what was natural. Chance probably would, but that's what Devlin wanted. Fauna wouldn't react nicely to someone who yelled at an innocent little animal. Staring at the egg intently, he licked his chops.

Chance had been listening to Fauna, but the sudden appearance of any scurrying creature up her body would have alarmed him.  Hogwart's was a very different world and most rats that would be found belonged to a student, as a pet.  Of course this made Chance feel guilty for shoving it off of Fauna, but at least he'd managed to catch the creature with a gentle hover spell as intended.

"Oh yeah?  What's yer name, lit'l guy?"

Chance smiled down, without any form of knowledge that the "rat" had any malice toward him.

"I wonder whose he is?"

It seemed almost as if the little rat was squeaking out a response, which made Chance grin.  Little did he know that Devlin's ratty vocabulary was quite coarse and not at all cute and fuzzy-like.  The Irishman glanced about, but detected no signs of feline pursuit.  As Fauna went rummaging, Chance remembered their egg-that egg that had a tendency to run away! 

"Shoot!  Forgot all 'bout th' egg there!  Let's have a look at 'er, shall we?"

"Aha!" Fauna announced, finding a plastic bag with a few dried blueberries inside. She picked one out and returned the rest of the treats to her backpack, then glanced over her shoulder at the sound of Chance's voice.

"Oh, right, the egg," she nodded, biting her lip. It was easy to forget about the assignment when it wasn't hopping around and pestering her. Fauna placed the blueberry by the rat, and pulled back the blanket to reveal the egg.

Spot began rattling irritably, and Fauna shared a concerned look with Chance, turning their project over to find a large frowny face written in ink. Her mouth twitched, and she let out a sound that was a mix between a scoff and a laugh.

She put her hands on her hips and glanced around the library, but didn't notice anyone chuckling behind their books. Fauna soon gave up and glanced at her partner. "What do you think is wrong with it?" she wondered, rummaging in her backpack again for the list of instructions Professor O Morain had given them. "It's not the ink, is it?"

Fauna was a sweet girl and Chance knew this, but he couldn't help but smile at her finding a treat for the little rat. 

"Awww...so nice uv' ya!"

And seeing the egg definitely made Chance give a relieved sigh.  However...looking at the strange frown ink stain on the egg, he tilted his head and quirked a brow.

"Somethin's definitely not quite right 'ere...Maybe Eggy needs a bath?"

Fauna finally fished the instructions out of her backpack and looked them over as Chance asked if perhaps Spot needed a bath.

"Maybe. But I just gave it a bath last-" she glanced up, then let out a giggle. A line of ink trailed across Chance's cheek, making him look like he'd just gotten into a war with a quill.

"Spot inked you," she laughed, stepping towards him and reaching up to his face, trying to wipe away the ink with her thumb. Fauna removed most of it, but now there was a blurry smudge in its place. She frowned at the mark, then looked into Chance's green eyes, and seemed to realize how close they were.

"Oh, sorry," she mumbled, stepping back quickly, face turning red.