RP: Fetch!

[tt_lavender]

Date: 15 Feb 2002
Characters: Lavender Brown (and Duke the Crup), OPEN
Setting: Near the Command Centre
Content: PG
Status: Public : Open

"You want me to throw it again? Yes?" Lavender grinned, palming the small blue ball as Duke watched her keenly, wagging his forked tail nineteen to the dozen. "Go on, Duke. Fetch!" She laughed, standing up straight as the puppy bounded away to chase after his favourite toy. It was Lavender's new favourite, too, as she'd found it was a great way of working off some of his relentless energy without running herself ragged at the same time. Duke was always so grateful, as well, enthusiastically licking her fingers when he returned to deposit the ball at her feet.

She chose the area near the Command Centre for their playtime, sure to bring Duke here at least once a week. Settlement One had the smallest percentage of Muggles compared to any of the others, but she hoped that Duke wouldn't grow up to be aggressive towards them as some Crups could be. By bringing him out to play like this near the Command Centre, or even the market, Lavender wanted him to get used to being in the vicinity of Muggles without setting off that inborn Crup aggression towards non-magical folk.

Duke made his way back to her quite casually once he had recovered his ball, almost prancing. "Good boy," she told him as he dropped it in front of her. "You're so good at that, aren't you?" Laughing, she gave him a rewarding scratch behind the ears. "So clever."

Comments

[tt_fleur]

The sound of laughing was a welcome interruption to her thoughts. Thoughts that were heavy with various flora and fauna and drawings of indigenous plants. It was a lot to memorize but Fleur was determined if only because she liked to know things. That was not to forget that she still was undecided what to cook for dinner. Perhaps her and Bill could go out.

"Oh he is adorable," Fleur commented in her accented English with a smile as she walked up upon Lavender and Duke. "I 'ave not seen one since I was a child." While adorable they weren't too common pets among the French or maybe that was just because her parents had been over protective and not wanting to bring their children around one. Either way Fleur couldn't deny it was adorable.

"Does he have a name?"

[tt_lavender]

Realising they had company, Lavender smiled. "Sit," she told Duke firmly, hoping that he wouldn't embarrass her by ignoring the command. He was doing so well with his training and it would be awful if he forgot it all now. Thankfully, he only took a second before he sat down, little tail thumping against the ground.

"This handsome little fellow is Duke. I got him a few weeks ago." It was then that she properly looked up at the woman, squinting a little against the sunlight. Oh. That was a face you never forgot. Fleur Delacour. No, Weasley. Charlie's sister-in-law. Ignored for a few moments too long, Duke started sniffing around Fleur's shoes.

[tt_fleur]

Fleur couldn't help but smile at the playful impatience that children and pets often shared. It reminded her of a different time, a time when things were simpler and her biggest concern was how to convince her parents to let her stay up a little longer. While she wasn't exactly a pet person herself she didn't hate them. No she thought they were quite wonderful for the people that had the time needed to devote to them.

"Salut Duke," Fleur commented easily as she bent down and tentatively tried to pet the him if the Crup would allow it. "Lavender n'est-ce pas? I am Fleur, I do not think we have been properly introduced." Her words flowed off her tongue in one easy statement in a charm that was all her own. Had they been in France she would have kissed the girl's cheek in greeting but they weren't so she offered up her hand instead in a more proper greeting.

[tt_lavender]

Duke welcomed the attention, rubbing his head against Fleur's hand as she petted him while his owner smiled widely, the scars on her cheek crinkling slightly.

"That's right," she said, nodding. It was surprising, yet also kind of nice that Fleur knew her name. Lavender shook her hand, still smiling. "Um, just a second." Quickly, she scooped up Duke's ball and tossed it for him, careful not to send it too far; she didn't particularly like to let him out of her sight. "Fetch!" she told the Crup and he scampered away. "That's better," she said, turning her attention back to Fleur. "It's a pleasure to meet you properly."

[tt_fleur]

A hint of a smile played on Fleur's lips as she watched the Crup scamper away in quest of retrieving his toy. She could see why people got pets. The same smile played on her lips as she turned back to the owner and agreed with her statement. "Yes, it is nice to finally meet properly." By now her husband was probably tired of telling her the names of everyone, it was time she met some people on her own.

"Have you been here long?" It was a bit of an odd question but she didn't know what else to say. Like most people in the Settlement she couldn't talk about old times or family ties as she didn't know them or have them. It was one downside of going to school in France. So Fleur went with the next best thing since the weather was always a boring topic.

[tt_lavender]

"About six months or so," Lavender said, dusting off her knees and keeping her gaze half on Duke. Sometimes, law enforcement training helped a great deal when watching over her new pet. "Though it doesn't feel quite that long. Probably because it feels like it's perpetually summer here." She grinned.

"What about you? Have you been here long?"

[tt_fleur]

"Any place that feels like summer all the time is a good place to be," London had always been a little cold for her liking but it was something that you learned to get used to. Not necessarily like but still it was something that could be lived with.

Fleur watched Duke chase the ball for a moment before answering. "Hm, about a month now." Had it been that long or longer? She wasn't sure but it hadn't been much more than that if it had.