"Yes."
"Alright then." I look back at the kitten. Actually, he kind of does look like a Rhubarb. It's a cute name for a cute kitten. "Rhubarb it is."
But if I can avoid it, I'm not having the name a pet dilemma ever again. One kitten is enough for me.
"How did you make him again?" she asks.
I sigh and take out my wand and swish it around, not sure what my aim is with it. "You know the stupid feather spell?"
"Yes..."
"I tried to do that."
"And you made a kitten from it? That's kind of cool." Her face lights up, like she wants to try it herself.
"I don't think the spell actually makes kittens," I say with a sigh.
"Still, I want to try." Her wand waves back and forth, and moments later, tiny feathers flutter down from the ceiling, coating my entire room in a layer of them.
"Was that really necessary?" I ask, shaking my sleeves and letting the feathers fall away from me.
Rhubarb is having a whale of a time as he bats at the feathers with one of his paws. At least he's easy to entertain, that's a saving grace. I still need to work out all the rest though. What do I even feed a kitten? And is he different because he's magical? So many questions that I have no answer for.
"I was hoping for a kitten." Daphne flops onto my bed, a real pout on her face. Even so, this is the happiest I've seen her since her vampire slammed the door in her face. I'm sure he'll forgive her eventually, but it's not been an easy path so far.
"I have one." I point at Rhubarb.
"Of my own," she points out.
I consider offering her Rhubarb, but I really don't want to. I may not have set out to get a kitten of my own, but he's growing on me by the second and I want to keep him.
"Do you know what the rules about keeping pets are?" I ask, picking up a particularly large feather and dangling it in front of Rhubarb's face.
His eyes go wide, and he begins to chase it. My heart swells several sizes. How can one creature be so damned cute?
"I don't know how they can tell you to get rid of him," she responds. "You made him with magic at school, in front of witnesses..."
"I know, but Thomas said..."
"Thomas?" She sits up straight, clearly more interested now there's a guy involved. Saying that, there's a note of something I can't explain in her voice.
"Yes. He's doing his doctorate. He took me back to his office and..."
Daphne wiggles her eyebrows. "His private office?"
I throw a pillow at her, but she catches it deftly, not in the least bit fazed by my slight violence towards her.
"Nothing happened." I remember how it felt to have him checking out my ass though, even if my skirt mostly covered it.
"Hmm. Why don
't I believe you?"
"I promise, you'll be the first to know if something does."
"So you want something to happen? Seems like my little Mona is growing up." She clutches her hands across her heart, being far too dramatic than the situation actually needs her to be.
"No, that's not what I meant," I protest.