what is it with magic and rabbits

[Rhiannon Archer]

todays transfiguration class was an interesting one. once the professor had introduced the class and once the days spell had been taught to them they were sent off in pairs to different parts of the school somehow Rhiannon had managed to get paired with Perseas Stratis. she had an interesting relationship with Perseas and to a lesser extent his twin. She liked him, and he was one of her only friends in the castle but no matter how cool he was he was so annoying at times. "where do you want to go?" she asked as they left the classroom. perseas holding the rat as he had wanted to and that was fine by her. she wasn't really a big fan of rodents.
she wasn't sure who's suggestion it was but they ended up in the courtyard. she put her bag down and pulled out her wand. "do you want to go first?" she said offering him the first try. offering also to hold it still for him as he tried. "how was your holiday? I feel like it has been ages since we last spoke" she said. she had been so busy recently she hadn't had time for friends. and being sick last week meant she really still didn't but she was feeling better now so she would be able to catch back up, and this was classwork so it didn't count as socialisation when she should be studying.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Sitting at the edge of his seat, Perseas was anticipating the professor's announcement of the pairs that were going to practice together. He wasn't particularly excited when his name was announced along with that of Rhiannon McGowan. This girl was talented at winning any single argument the two of them have ever engaged. The young Gryffindor wasn't used to be argued down often so, she was definitely getting on his nerves sometimes. The class was dismissed and soon after the third years found themselves clashing already. Perseas realized pretty soon that Rhiannon was not so eager to carry the rat, possibly out of disgust for the squeaking, little mammal. The Gryffindor snatched this opportunity to annoy her a little bit more by insisting her to carry Burrito (yes, this was the name he instantly gave to the rat). The two of them left the classroom still debating on where it was the right place to start practicing. At the end of another argument concluding in a defeat for Perseas, the two of them headed to the sunny courtyard.

"Brilliant idea to come and practice with a rat in an open space like the courtyard." Perseas grumbled as they arrived at an empty bench, facing the fountain of the four mascots. "I'm sure you're prepared to chase after it when it will no longer be a rat but a rabbit." he added and tapped Burrito's ears with his index finger. Surprisingly enough, the rat hadn't made any attempt to escape from his grasp throughout their route to castle's exterior. "Nope. Ladies first." he shook his head and placed the rat on the bench. The truth was that Perseas hadn't even memorized the incantation so he let her start first instead of exposing his absence of mind. Rhiannon had the tendency of switching conversation topics faster than the most advanced switching spell so when she did so, Perseas wasn't surprised at all. "It was...interesting...to say the least." he searched in his head for the appropriate word to describe the past crazy months he had spent away from school. He didn't disclose further information as he was expecting her to start preaching about recklessness and imprudence-because that's exactly what his summer included. "Any time now. Burrito seems to know what are we planning to do with him." he said and revealed his wand as well. The rat must have sensed that these two humans weren't meaning something good and had started moving towards the edge of the bench and weighed up its chances for a quick escape.

 

[Rhiannon Archer]

Rhiannon could see that the Perseas wasn't happy with the end location. she couldn't see why, the courtyard was quiet and warm as the sun was just starting to show the first signs of spring. however when Perseas voiced his concerns she looked around the courtyard had the four walls, watch with doors in, one wall had a large metal gate out into the rest of the grounds and the other three walls had doors which were shut. "It isn't open though. see it is enclosed and all the doors are shut, so unless you turn the rat into a rabbit with wings we should be good." she said smiling at her sort of almost attempt at a joke. besides if we keep a firm grip on it then it won't be a problem. she said.
as he said she should go first, and he was already holding the rat she nodded. she looked at the creature as Perseas said that his holiday had been interesting"[/b] she nodded. "interesting was good, mine was the same as always, school for half and then spending the rest with my aunt" she said pointing her wand at the rat and trying to picture it as a rabbit, she pointed her wand at it Burrito, what kind of name is that for a rat, or for a rabbit?" she said before focusing on the spell she was about to attempt 'Cuniculus" she said trying to picture a rabbit in her mind, and keep her eyes open she always felt like Perseas would tease her if she could only do transfiguration with her eyes closed, which wasn't the case, she just found it easer the first few times she tried it to picture a rabbit in her minds eye with her normal eyes closed. she wasn't really surprised that nothing had happened, in fact she would have been shocked if Perseas had been holding a rabbit. "Okay your turn" she said reaching out for the rat.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Perseas rolled his eyes as Rhiannon answered back, as always overanalyzing.
"You never know. I might do that." he revealed a half smile and pointed at the rat with his wand. Of course he had no idea how to grow wings on a rabbit or any other living thing but since he was three years old, Perseas was capable of causing strange things happen with his unruly magic. Ever since he was channeling his magic through that wand, everything seemed to be going alright. "You mean, if 'I' keep a firm grip on it. You don't look eager to lay a finger on Burrito." he chuckled as he imagined the girl chasing the rat around the courtyard. For now, Perseas wasn't planning to keep holding the rat. Not only he wasn't trusting her spell casting but also, he loved to see her struggling a little bit with the task at hand.

Perseas wasn't expecting to hear the girl, recounting something interesting about her holidays. He could actually bet his Quaffle, signed by the whole Thundelarra Thunderers team, that she had actually spent the most of her free time studying. "This isn't exactly what I would call a holiday." he commented. There was no chance for him to spend a single minute on school work during his holiday. It was a violation to his opinion. Perseas watched her pointing her wand at the rat and frowned slightly when she commended about the name he had gave to the animal. "It's only his rat name. As a rabbit we will call it Bunzilla." he replied, deliberately choosing a funny name to get on Rhiannon's nerves.

The two partners stopped firing mocking comments to each other when the Hufflepuff casted the spell for the first time. It was as much as Perseas could keep his teasing behind sealed lips. "Why you close your eyes? Is not going to explode." he shook his head, not surprised that her attempt was fruitless while casting with closed eyes. What was mind-blowing was Rhiannon's move to pick up the rat and hand it to him. "Holy moly! I thought you were too disgusted to touch Burrito." he said astonished and took the rat. He preferred to place it on the bench again and point his wand at it. "Cuniculus!" he said loud and clearly now that he was reminded of the incantation. Burrito grew a bit larger at the edge of the bench and white fur replaced the slimy brown. Beady, black eyes turned vivid red and the round ears stretched longer and fluffier. A rabbit was sniffing actually the air and the only thing reminding the rat previously standing at the same spot, was the long, like worm, tail extending out of the snow-white fur.

"Hmm. A ratbit." he chuckled at the sloppy effects of his spell and picked the hybrid animal from its long ears. "Still I did a better job than you geek." he said and blew a raspberry at Rhiannon who would have probably wondering how come he had managed to almost turn the rat into a rabbit. The explanation could be a lot different from just beginner's luck. In his veins was running his ancestor's blood, who had the habit of transforming sailors into swines. "Unless you know the counter spell, we'll have to wait a little bit for my spell's power to wear off." Perseas said and sat down on the bench. They had to wait before they were going to have another try. Awkward silence descended on the courtyard. Only the pouring water of the fountain was disturbing it until Perseas talked again. "Haven't seen you a lot around. Have you permanently camped in the library?" he wondered and petted the almost-rabbit on his laps to comfort it. Perseas tried to start a decent conversation with her, although it already seemed doomed to conclude into yet another argument.

 

[Rhiannon Archer]

Rhiannon sighed and shook her head as perseas said that he may make a rabbit with wings, she wanted to say if he did it would be his fault, and he would have to chase after it. however when Perseas said that she didn't look keen to hold the rat she forced a chuckle. "It isn't like you gave me much of a chance to hold it" she said this was true, though she wan't really rushing to hold it. she could tell that he was not that impressed by her holiday. "everyone likes different thin, and if enjoy what you do then every day is a holiday" she said, not realising how unintentionally wise it sounded, had she just made it up? or heard it from somewhere before? she wasn't quite sure.
as the conversation continued with Perseas naming the rabbit Rhiannon Smiled. "bunzilla, i quite like it, i just hoe it doesn't start destroying the buildings" she said, she wondered where the boy had got the reference from maybe it was the same movie she was thinking, an really old one about a giant lizard.
Rhiannon knew that Perseas would tease her if she closed her eyes but she was surprised he did when she hadn't shut them. "I didn't shut them or did you have your eyes shut instead?" she said "but i find shutting my eyes helps me focus on what i am transfiguring" she said as she took the rat and held it tightly against the bench as perseas tried the spell. she almost let go of the creature as she felt it grow under her grip. turning into a rabbit she was really quite impressed that perseas had managed to cause the rat to turn into a ratzilla. she almost let go of it in shock and surprise, though after a minute it started moving and she remembered she was meant to be stopping it running away. Great work, it doesn't mean you are better than me, I wasn't even trying so as not to get it into a rabbit before you even had a go." she said generally surprised he had managed to get it turning shape even on his first shot "I bet it was a fluke anyway" she said though she could tell that although the rat looked more like a rabbit than a rat, but its sort of twitching was still more rat like, as though he had forgotten the key thing professor Devonshire had been telling them that one also had to tell them on their personality as well as their shape. "i guess we have a bit of a wait to do" she said itching to let go of the animal as she needed to cough. she lifted one hand to cover her mouth, just as she started a coughing fit. once she was done she took some water out of her bag and took a few swigs of it. "the library, not really where i spend all my time. I prefer my dorm or the club academia common room. also last week i was sick so mainly my dorm and bed was where i spent my time. she said. she did like her dorm this year as she was the only girl in her year and house thus she got it all to herself.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

For someone who preferred to answer back with some references from her knowledge well or simply don't respond at all at Perseas' comments, Rhiannon had turned to be pretty good at shooting down his quips and mocks. But Perseas was a tough cookie and he definitely didn't want to be piped down by a bookworm. "I noticed the grimace of disgust on your face so I thought I should be a gentleman and not put you on the spot." Perseas claimed with his typical half smile on his face. "But if you insist, you can return the rat on your own back to the professor. Of course we'll wait for it to turn back to its primal form. Carrying a bunny won't prove your bravery." he challenged her and the half smile grew into a wide smirk.

Soon the smug was wiped out of his features when Rhiannon pointed something clever about holiday. Perseas couldn't find anything to come back. "Good point." he narrowed his grey eyes in disbelief that she managed to pull something so full of meaning without him being able to find something better to overshadow it. She had probably figured out by now that he took great pleasure from making her arguing with him because, surprisingly enough, Rhiannon stated that she liked Perseas' name for the newly transformed rabbit. "I can do that too." he started saying, trying to gain his lost momentum. "A few engorgement charms on this little bunny and it will be able to take a peek at the astronomy tower's windows." he said and looked at the tallest of the castle's tower, standing dominantly against the blue of the clear sky.

Perseas cracked an unintentional smile when Rhiannon admitted that shutting her eyes were serving her well when casting spells. It was one of the rare occasions that he preferred not to tease her further about it but he show some kind of fake frustration when she referred to his almost successful spell as a fluke. "I bet you're jealous I did better. I could be doing this all day if you like so. Just wait for this little fella to turn into rat again." he said determined to show her it wasn't beginner's luck that had made this happen. Unfortunately, his spell was still into effect and the white rabbit with the rat tail was still in his lap. Perseas stifled a pretentious yawn as she talked about some kind of club that he guessed it was composed by the school's geeks. "Now that you look fine and back to good health, you should do something more fun. Break your shell, come out and live a little." he advised her, although the way he did it sounded more like inviting her into trouble. "Let's see. What about coming with me at that ball taking place just before Christmas?" he said with a great amount of straightforwardness and immediacy, despite actually asking her on a date. He sealed his suggestion with his mischievous wink and his half smile on his lips.

 

[Rhiannon Archer]

"I am not saying that i am being brave, or that i like rats, just that is am not such a girly girl to not want to touch one" she said before perseas distracted her bay saying he could engorge the gabit to make it attack the buildings, she was pretty sure that he was joking "best not" she said lightly.
she was used to the Stratis twins teasing her in class and she was used to this, the truth was she may be a little jealous that he had got it to almost work first time she could almost kick herself for not trying first time. what was she thinking. "hey when it turns back into a rat it' my turn" she said when he said he could do it again if it didn't work. "actually before it turns back, say cheese" she said reaching into her bag and pulling out a camera and letting perseas hold the ratbit so she could take a picture, she had recently figured out how to develop her own pictures, both normally and moving. this one would have to be a moving one.
"what makes you think i want to get out more and am not happy as i am?" she asked in a slightly defensive way. she wasn't quite sure what Perseas was insinuating but she didn't want to get into trouble, as she knew his plans often had the potential to. what came next was a real surprise. she had not thought she was perseas' type, and she had never thought that she would have been asked to the ball with him. she wasn't quite sure what to say. biting her lip she was looking for what to say in reply. she couldn't lie but there was no way she could tell the truth. she looked and saw that the ratbit was turned back into a rat. she looked around the courtyard again she closed her eyes trying to calm her thoughts before opening her eyes her mind now thinking straight again, but that didn't last long as she started trying to figure out what to say, she began figeting with the end of her hair, and with her sleave as she started talking "I am really sorry Perse, I can't." she said biting her lip again feeling really bad about it. "someone else has already asked me, and I said i would go with them" she said partially wishing she hadn't but she had been surprised that anyone had asked her, and she certainly hadn't thought that two people would ask her. "i really am sorry" she said before glancing at the ratbit hoping she could use it to distract them both but unfortunately it was still a mixed creature and not back in it's native form.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

Self-confidence, arrogance and taken for granted that Rhiannon couldn't have been asked by someone else at the ball. All these had contributed to a dumbfounded expression when Perseas heard her turning down his suggestion. "Didn't see that coming." he said, forcing the smile to stay on his lips. The Gryffindor really wanted to ask her who had asked her but the last moment before pronouncing the question, he thought it was going to sound too nosy and he didn't want to show that he was actually bothered to know. "Well then, I guess I'll see you around there and hang out with you and your date." he said and found the courage to look her back into her eyes. By now, his curiosity had become an itchy feeling inside him. Fortunately, a flash of light in his hands, drew him out of his thoughts. His spell was reversed and the rat was cleaning itself now in Perseas' palms. "Time to shine." he said, finally deciding to forget about her rejection and focus on their practice. "Let's see if you can really do this." Perseas arced an eyebrow and set the rat on the bench between him and Rhiannon. He certainly didn't want to keep holding Burrito while she was casting.

 

[Rhiannon Archer]

it seemed to be as much as surprise to Perseas that she was going to the ball with someone else as it was to her that she had been asked to the ball at all, and twice was not something she had even thought to think of. she didn't think she was that popular, or likeable to be honest, she wasn't particularly pretty, hardly spoke to people unless it was regarding classwork but somehow she had still managed to attract the attention of the two boys. this was starting to get a little uncomfortable and she half wished that she was still in the classroom working on her own, not here with perseas and a really awkward silence. she looked at him trying to read his expressions, she was never good at it but she knew that she had never seen perseas upset before and although he didn't look specifically upset now he looked like he was trying hard to not let his thoughts show. "I'm sorry" she said again. however when perseas next spoke she was a little surprised. she had been expecting him to demand she told him who it was and without realising she had been trying to formulate ways of avoiding saying as she couldn't lie but she really couldn't tell him. instead he had practically invited himself along as a third wheel, at that she had to hold back a chuckle. she wasn't sure how well the boy would take to that idea when he saw who she would be with, though she couldn't and wouldn't stop him. "you can if you want to" she said wondering if this was a good idea.
thankfully they were momentarily saved from the awkwardness of the conversation by a flash of light and the rabbit turning back into a rat. taking a couple of deep breaths to calm herself she looked at the creature then closed her eyes trying to picture a rabbit, and what rabbits did, eating carrot, running through the run, digging holes. "Cuniculus"" she said as she opened her eyes to see a rabbit in perseas's hands. "See i said i could do it if i actually tried" she said trying to bring the old teasing tone of conversation back.

 

[Perseas Stratis]

With surprise no longer dominating his facial features, Perseas shook his head with a smile. "Why you apologize?" he asked her.
"It's totally fine, I'll find someone else to show them my exquisite dance moves." Perseas added with chuckle. Nothing now was giving away his need to learn who was Rhiannon's date. It was burning him like a wildfire on the inside but the Gryffindor stubornly resisted to ask. It make him wonder whether it was his usual curiosity that was causing this itch or something else. When he realized that Rhiannon had misunderstood what he had said, he hastened to talk. "No, no, no, no. I'm not intending to be the third wheel at your little date. If your plans consist of a romantic evening with a future boyfriend then I'll pass. I asked you as a friend and I meant to join you if you were going to show up with a friend." Perseas cleared out with a grimace on his face each time he was referring to the word 'romantic'. "Also, I'm gonna jinx your head into a pumpkin if I'll see this photo you just took of me with the rabbit, published in the school's newspaper." he warned her but his smiling eyes were showing he was just joking.

This time around, Rhiannon casted successfully the spell and the rat grew into a brown, scared rabbit which hopped closer to Perseas who picked it up. "Bravo." he clapped thrice his hands with a dose of sarcasm after setting the brown rabbit on his laps. He briefly searched in his backpack for something and when he opened his palm, he revealed a few carrot slices. The rabbit started greedily chewing them from his hand. Cross species transfiguration had to be exhausting for the little animal so he thought to nourish and return it perfectly healthy back to the professor. "Do you want to try again?" he asked her, not really interested anymore to try himself. He knew he could do this now. He was actually planning later to turn the dungeons into a massive rabbitry by transforming every single rat he was going to find into fluffy bunnies. "Or do you want to return Bunzilla back to the professor to show her your great effort." he tauntingly quirked an eyebrow as he wasn't expecting her spell to last that long.

 

[Rhiannon Archer]

Rhiannon bit her lip as Perseas asked her why she apologised. the answer: because who she was going with, because she would rather have one with perseas than him, and because it was impolite to change her mind. of course she didn't want to say any of this even though it was the truth. "oh, right" she said simply before shutting her mouth. "I will be keeping an eye out for them" she said in reference to his dance moves, she wasn't sure why but she had the feeling he was one of those awkward dancers. not that she was a pro herself. "Oh no we are going as friends, not a date." she said. at least that was the impression she had got weather her 'date' had other ideas she wasn't sure.
thankfully then conversation turned to the work in hand. "don't worry. the picture won't go into Hogwarts monthly' she said thinking. It would either just get hiding a photo album or (more likely) in frame with pictures of her friends and family, both in the school, and back at home. "I think we don't have much more time for any more attempts", she said pointing to the clock. It was almost the end of class and they probably had just enough time to get back to the class before the corridors were filled with the sound of students flooding across the school. "do you want to carry him or do you want me to?" she asked picking up on his challenge. she was sure that her spell would last long enough to gat the rabbit back to the classroom. she put her wand away and lifted her bag over her shoulder. "ready" she said not rushing but also not wanting to waste time just in case it didn't last that long.