Permission obtained from @Winnie Harper for Levi to name his pet after her. Winnie is a very common name...

This was, perhaps, the most normal he’d ever been and ever would be. A young son who wanted a pet. His well-off, desperate parents wouldn’t deny him, whether for need to turn his head from the happenings of the corner or for fear of suppressing the most human thing he’d ever done. Over the Christmas break, Evan and Kat had escorted Levi to the dynamic pathway of Diagon Alley, and it was particularly Evan looking more awe-struck than Levi ever had upon first entrance to its magical streets. There was an enviable twinkle in his eye, decades of youth flooding back into his bottomless pupil, and a quiet sigh blew through Levi’s lips. Making up for what he lacked was much appreciated.

The trio had come to a halt outside the Magical Menagerie. The voices of his parents were triumphing over the whimsical buzz of the street’s conversation, yet their son was pointedly avoiding questions, often redirecting the pair’s attention to some bizarre happening on the opposite side of the walkway. “Aren’t these shops charming,” he’d mused, or “perhaps some ice cream later?” His smile was strung up as though by thin wire, and frequently collapsed into a straight horizontal line when the two locked eyes with a local vendor long enough for his real flesh to breathe.

“Have you put any thought into what you’d like?” Katerina whispered, an out-of-place awkward tone melting through the motherly words. They’d pushed through the open store’s door, sharp inhales erupting from the pair of muggles. If they weren’t taken aback by the plush spherical Pygmy Puffs, it was possible they were merely amazed that the Wizarding World, too, enjoyed the distant company of normal cats.

Levi shook his head in response, advancing forward and offering a gentlemanly handshake to the male shopkeeper. Polite introductions were wasted time, a lie had been in the nature of his interaction with his mother, but what twelve year old boy couldn’t relate to that? He brushed by quickly, wandering over to the group of bunnies that were delightedly hopping around in their designated enclosure.

It was a miracle he was as secretive as was typical of the age. Don’t tell your parents about your first crush, or the one after, and certainly not the one after that. Teasing would ensue, you’d suffer the age-old problems of elderly giggles at how cute your clumsy, moderately developed stalking habits were. Levi was too busy for such trivial talks, his hours were better spent logging the happenings of his girls’ days, or plotting the seventeenth revenge plot that was simply bound to work on Percematt. It was in those pensive minutes this idea had struck him. While his lovely eve of accompanying Santario to a ball was likely a far future, Winnie was much easier prey, and to lock her on his arm was to kill two birds with one stone.

But how to win her over? Be what she wants. Yes, what she wanted seemed to be a soulless tree-boy who acted on malicious whims for no other reason than chaotic boredom, and even that was only craved because the memories of all other good things in life had been erased. Nonetheless, the brunet knew of another thing she wanted: a fairytale. A prince charming. A knight in vaguely rusted, mostly shining armor. A pet was step one to his disguise as this man of her poorly crocheted dreams. Particularly, a bunny to woo his Bunny.

Now, this was not to say it would not be cared for. The Gryffindor was no monster, and despite the predator lion that one measly hat had seen within his soul, the poor thing would be loved. Friend, not food, yadda yadda. For a while, he’d been under the impression he’d return the creature after it fulfilled its purpose, though gazing into its ember-shaded fur now, and the mindless way it stared back toward him unblinking, Levi felt his mind changing. No, it was somewhat… cute. And reminded him much of his elegant spirit with the fiery hair and the touch that faded right through your own. Besides, perhaps caring for such a thing would do things to his reputation that a very slowly crafted flexible personality would not. At least, not for a while.

There was something uncomfortable rinsing over him. He stifled a gag and beckoned his parents over.

“How do you guys feel about rabbits?” He asked, glancing back toward the beige-ish Lionhead Thumper that looked to him eagerly. A tether existed between the two, its reputed willingness to be a test subject in transfiguration likely contributing to their perceived mutual love. His and the prospective pet’s eyes met, and Levi could practically hear the elevator music behind those empty irises. No gears were turning back there. Pure joy, pure trust, and something he wanted to protect. To defend from anyone that might hurt it. To absorb something from it without taking any away, a low tide hope that maybe some of that emptiness would rub off on him.

He rather liked it. And whatever he liked, so did his parents.

WC: 852

What animal do you wish to purchase? Lionhead Thumper
What do you want to name it? Winnie
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? December 6th, 2020