Little Critter
| xxxxlittle critter |  xxx |
| xxxxxxDATE september 20th, 2026 xxxxxxTIME afternoon xxxxxxPLACE courtyardx |
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxTAGS solo, petxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxWC x1,149xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxNOTES hehe |
| xxx | A few weeks had passed since first-year classes had began. She had been disgruntled by the change of scenery and routine at first, but even Liesolette can begrudgingly admit that Hogwarts had its way of keeping her on her toes; for the better and for the worse, most of them were unlike any class she’s ever had in her entire life. Before Hogwarts, she had Science, Mathematics, English, so on and so forth. Now, those classes have been replaced by Transfiguration, Charms, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Potions, and Astronomy. To call it a strange but interesting roster would be the greatest understatement she’d heard. In order to keep herself sane in the face of these classes, Lettie had made a habit of going to the Great Lake. More often than not, there were very little students hanging out in the open space; and, even if there were some lingering stragglers, there was so much to explore that the girl didn’t have to worry about random crowds of students invading her private space. All the girl had to do was bring her books, material and homework, find a nice shady space under a tree, and get on with her session. Nice and simple, with little chance for disturbance. Unfortunately, it seemed the critters of Hogwarts had another plan in mind for her. The animals—a mother deer and its fawn, a bird or two, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, a whole raccoon, and even a tortoise—came to figure out her schedule. At first, Lettie didn’t really think anything of it beyond acknowledging how odd it was for wild creatures to approach a human. Then, the more she spent time leaned up against her favorite tree, the quicker this wild lot seemed to pick up on her routine. They crowded her in groves, always lingering in her presence despite the tension and confusion she felt. It’s reached the point of grabbing attention from distant students who looked amused and awed by the stranger gathering of wild animals surrounding her—and following her, if she tried to move places, which was the first thing she did—as if she was a spectacle to stare at. Thankfully, these group of animals seemed content to linger in her presence only when she’s within reach of the great outdoors. Majority of them preferred to remain outside, never attempting to follow her into the hallways of Hogwarts and into class. All but one specific critter. Lettie crossed her arms and stared down at the guilty-looking bunny in front of her with an incredulous expression. It was the tiniest thing she’s ever seen, small enough compared to other bunnies to not immediately process its presence until it was squished under your foot. No doubt a student would’ve accidentally hurt it had they been careless enough, and from what the girl had seen, Hogwarts students were more than capable of being careless enough on the daily even without a bunny to stomp on. “This is the third time this week,” she sighed, shaking her head as she bent down and picked the bunny up by its scruff. “What are you doing this far out?” It struggled slightly, uncomfortable by the grip. Awkwardly, Lettie shifted her grip into a carry, supporting its hind legs but keeping another hand in front of its front, as if to ensure that it wouldn’t jump out of her hold. Not that the bunny seemed to have any intent in doing so, as it only letting out a happy clicking noise, snuggling into her warm touch. “You’re lucky I’m done with classes for today,” the girl shook her head. “I’m taking you back to your ragtag group, and this time, you have to stay there. You can’t follow me to classes unless you want to get curb stomped by some reckless students.” Honestly, perhaps she was losing sanity every hour spent in Hogwarts. She was talking to a bunny, for goodness’ sake! Said bunny let out a squeak, as if understanding and protesting against the idea. No doubt it was intent on staying right here where she was, claiming the space in her warm hands for its own. “You’re joking, right?” Lettie eyed the bunny again, her eyes narrowing. “You don’t seriously expect me to keep you? What makes you think I want a pet?” Another squeak, this time followed by seemingly pleading eyes. “Don’t use that on me. That’s not fair.” As she passed through the halls, her mumbling caught a few students’ attention, making them turn towards her in confusion. Not surprising, as she was talking to a bunny, but she glared at them in warning anyway. “Mind your own business,” she huffed. The girl knows for a fact that these students have seen plenty weirder in their time in Hogwarts, so why should they judge the girl with a bunny? It doesn’t take long for Lettie to reach her favorite space. Surprisingly, the bunny’s ragtag group of wild animals weren’t immediately there to flock her this time, so she gently put the bunny down on the grass with a sigh. It stayed rooted in place, looking up at her with the same expectant eyes. “I’m not keeping you.” Its stare remained. Behind it, its fluffy tail twitched, as if mildly annoyed by her denial. “No, seriously. I can’t. I don’t even have the materials to take care of a bunny.” Even as she said that, Lettie found her resolve faltering at the quiet plea in the critter’s eyes. The last straw was when it let out a sad, low-pitched whimper, the tiny ears on its head drooping. Now, Lettie prided herself in her strong-headedness, using it to keep her wits about her and make strong decisions. It wasn’t as if she was particularly fond of animals either; more often than not, she was tense and awkward around them, not attempting to reach out. However, seeing the bunny like this, all sad and sulky.. it’d be a lie to say that it didn’t affect her at all. The sight of it was familiar, slightly reminding her of how her sister would cry when she was sad. Lettie sighed one final time, in disbelief that she was actually considering it. I don’t think Ma and Pa will mind, she relented internally. And Giselle will be overjoyed. Those words repeated through her head as she leaned down to pet it on the head. “Fine, you win. You can stay.” She paused for a bit, looking conflicted. “..Hold on, are you a boy or a girl?” Quickly, she lifted the bunny just enough to check underneath. Seeing that it was a male bunny, she hummed as she put it down again, surprised by its lack of alarm at being suddenly picked up. “..You look like a Dorian.” The bunny only let out a happy chitter, knowing full well it had won. |
❝ if you value your ability to speak, you better keep your mouth shut around me. ❞