you are what you do [erika]

"No, no," the tall girl said, laughter interrupting her, her gray blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "Mildred accidentally sent the note to Mr. Thorne instead of her boyfriend in Transport so it turned out that she called Mr. Thorne an 'inconsiderate git' who isn't 'appreciative' of everything she does for him. You can only imagine his response." Lulu Prescott laughed again, the sound light and airy, as she and her best friend Erika Trickett walked down the main road in the village of Hogsmeade. It was a cool November Saturday afternoon and the two friends had shared a late brunch before heading off to the town so close to their former school for some one-on-one time with some cute animals.

The pet shelter near the edge of town was one that Lulu had visited often during her school years at Hogwarts and partly out of habit and a lot out of love, she had continued to come back even after she had graduated. The only problem was.. she was allergic to animal fur. She couldn't even be near a furry animal for very long before she started to sneeze repeatedly and it just didn't stop. So she had to take this nasty potion that temporarily relieved her of her symptoms. Unfortunately the potion gave her an entirely new side effect: a severely stuffed up nose that was sometimes runny too. At least it was nothing too superficial. Lulu didn't know if she could handle the potion turning her hair blue or something equally horrifying. Nevertheless, she thought the side effects were definitely work it especially because she had always wanted a puppy, but could never have one. Sigh.

She fished around in her small bag for a moment before finding a familiar looking vial. Scrunching her nose up, she looked at Erika and said, "Bottoms up." She downed the potion like a pro, having done it for the past several years and grimaced at the after taste. It was like rotten bananas and sickly sweet candies. Ugh.

Lulu entered the pet shelter and a bell above the door way tinkled and chimed, announcing their arrival. "Hattie.. we're here!" Lulu called out in a sing-song voice. The owner Hattie and she were good friends and even if Lulu hadn't come back to volunteer here, she would have come back just to visit Hattie. THe woman was a riot and always had a smile on her face and her care for animals in need inspired Lulu and made her want to be better herself. A few seconds later Hattie rounded the corner and gave a one-armed hug to both Lulu and Erika as she was holding a small pomerian pup in her other arm. It was true that Hattie's shelter did have its share of magical creatures, but there were also non-magical animals as well. Hattie wasn't the kind of woman to turn away an animal in need.

"What should we help you with?" she asked brightly.

"She did not," Erika exclaimed with a snort of laughter, clamping her hand over her mouth. "What a dosey cow!"  The tall blonde said through her laughter, sliding one of her arms through Lulu's cheerfully as they walked. "That's why you should never date anyone you work with," she said briskly, turning her pretty face towards the habitual grey sky. "Did she get fired?" She asked keenly. Erika loved a bit of gossip. Oh yes she did.

Erika wasn't really dressed for a day volunteering at an animal shelter but then again, when she did she ever dress appropriately? She'd zipped up her leather jacket against the cool Scottish air, sunglasses on for no other reason than she'd bought them from a chap in Morocco last week and her long legs bare from the knee down, poking out of her clingy tartan pencil skirt. The treasure hunter visibly winced as her best friend downed the potion. "You're such a trooper," she soothed, reaching out to gently pat the other girl's back as she frowned deeply. Erika would love to have a pet but with Lulu allergic to anything remotely cute, it went out of the window. The only pets that they could have were either goldfish or snakes. She did once propose the offer of maybe adopting a gecko but that was shot down in flames.

Erika had been promised a fun filled afternoon and she was keen to meet some new friends.

Once inside, she slipped off her sunglasses and popped them into her back, only to be greeted by an older woman hug. "Ooof," she said softly, her big blue eyes wide but she returned the hug politely by sliding one arm around Hattie's waist. "Does anyone need feeding?" She asked brightly, following Lulu's lead as she looked around.

But then she saw the puppy.

Swiftly, her small red satchel hit the floor with a dull thud. Her plump lips parted as her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and she gasped. "Nuuuuu!" She exclaimed, her pale hands going to her face at the size of the small little fluffy ball in the woman's hand. "Oh my gosh!" She squealed, bouncing on the spot and ignoring anyone and everything else. "Is that real?" She asked stupidly, pointing at the little dog as it panted.

"What's it's name?" She asked quickly. "Is it Snowball? Oh please tell me it's Snowball," she blabbered but she couldn't wait. "May I?" Without waiting for a response, she reached out and took the puppy from Hattie's hand and cradled it to her chest gently. "I'm in love," she sighed happily, her fingers gently stroking its little brown ears and squealing hardcore internally. With a giggle, she held the puppy up and close to her face. "Oh you are precious," she gushed. "Oh yes you are!" She cooed in a sing-song voice as the little dog licked the tip of her nose and she positively melted on the spot. "Oh I could just squish your little head!" She squealed before looking up at Lulu and then to Hattie. "But I won't," she corrected herself lowly, stroking the dog and wondering if she could sneak it out with her in her satchel.

"Do the rabbits need feeding?" She asked with a smile, wandering over towards the hutches were she'd fallen in love (again) with a particularly large one. Juggling the dog, she managed to rip open a packet of crunchy pellets which she promptly emptied into one of the food bowls present.

Lulu mmmhmmmed right after Erika's comment as she matched her strides and steps to her friends, their arms looped together. She pulled a face and shook her head. "I wish. If that had happened we would have been celebrating, not volunteering," she said with a roll of her eyes. It was no secret that she didn't like Mildred that much. Probably because her co-worked was an absolute cow to her. Although.. Erika's earlier comment made her smile secretly and she glanced sidelong at her friend before bumping her hip gently against Erika's. "Jarrod in the AMR is pretty cute though," she said even though she (mostly) agreed with the whole don't-date-people-you-work-with thing. "He stopped by a few times this week that weren't completely necessary," Lulu added, a certain amount of optimism and glee in her voice and in her eyes.

The brunette smiled weakly at Erika as she swallowed back the potion. The sympathetic expression Erika had for her made her feel warm and cold at the same time. She liked knowing that her friend cared for her, even in such a small thing as an allergy potion, but Lulu also felt guilty that she was the reason that Erika couldn't get that pet that she had always wanted.

Her mood instantly brightened when Erika met the little pomeranian pooch. Downing the disgusting allergy potion was totally worth it just to see her friend like this and as Lulu stood next to Hattie, she shook her head once again at Erika's choice in outfit. Lulu should probably be used to it by now but a bit of an eye roll was deserved. Who wore a skirt like that when they were going to be covered in dog fur all day? The brunette couldn't help but smile indulgently at the blonde getting on so well with the pup. Lulu took a few steps forward and stroked the pomeranian's head, her finger tips loving the feel of the soft fur.

Hattie piped up from the corner with a knowing smile and said, "His name is Rufus, but he probably wouldn't be opposed to changing it to Snowball if you take him home with you." Lulu sighed with exasperation and gave Hattie a look. It was a common remark from Hattie and one that also didn't need an answer. Hattie was well aware of Lulu's allergies, but didn't think it was a valid reason especially since she knew how much Lulu and now Erika loved pets.

Lulu absently followed Erika, running her hand along the counter, as she glanced around at the animals. "Who are our newest friends besides Rufus here?" Lulu asked the shopkeeper, knowing Hattie was always getting in new animals to care for and hopefully find forever homes for. Hattie waved her over and chatted about her most recent additions and soon Lulu was also holding a small pet, hers a brown and white striped tabby with white boots. The only problem was that she was jumpy and dug her nails in to Lulu's arm at the slightest movement.

With what she hoped was a soothing touch, Lulu stroked the kitten's back softly and looked to Erika from across the way. "Did I tell you I got my brother to adopt a cat last week?" she admitted with a smile. "He's still getting used to the idea and pretends to be unhappy about it, but I can tell he likes her already."

Jarrod? Erika's spidey senses were tingling.

She zoned in almost instantly. She arched a slim eyebrow at her friend and offered her a knowing smile. "Jarrod, mm?" She purred before she cracked intoa  grin. "Someone's got an admirer," she replied in a sing-song voice as she gently poked Lulu's arm. "Cute!" She gushed, bouncing on the spot with a chuckle. "That's adorable," she purred. "Did he keep wandering past, asking to borrow a quill?" She giggled. It was adorable but she felt a stab of jealousy right in the centre of her chest. She pushed it aside.

Lulu was adorable. She was a perfect little package. She was petite and cute, funny and loveable and there was no wonder why this Jorrund kept dropping by. And right before Christmas, too! A festive romance. "Are you interested?" Erika asked, dropping her voice to a stage whisper as though the man in question was lurking around the corner.

"Rufus!" Erika gasped with wide eyes as she grinned at the little puppy. "Oh that's so perfect," she gushed, squeezing the little dog affectionately but maybe a bit too tightly as he yelped. Instantly, she loosened her grip, stroking him quickly and flashing Lulu a broad smile as she stroked his fluffy little ears. Oh man. She would dress little Rufus up in little tweed jackets and hats and wellies and she needed to stop.

Her heart dropped a little but her smile remained in place, for Lulu's sake. Her smile was soft and understanding. Sure she'd love a dog or a cat or a bunny or a guinea pig but her friend's welfare was more important. Looking back to Rufus, she kissed the centre of his forehead before placing him carefully on the floor, letting his short little legs scamper as he waddled away with his tail in the air. Her shirt was covered with fur but it did have a cat face on it so she thought that was allowed.


"Jimmy?" Erika asked, lost for a moment as she wracked her brains. Jimmy Prescott. Tall. Hot. Hit on her last Christmas. "Ah!" She gushed, tapping the side of her head before she laughed. "Really? He doesn't seem like a cat kinda guy," he grinned. "But I'm glad, well done!" She gushed, sending her friend an affectionate smile. The way she was going, all of the animals in here would find a new home by New Year.

She walked through the place, shrugging off her jacket and hanging it up before pausing near a glass box. An iguana. "Ever considered it?" She asked Lulu with a dimpled smile. "What's his name, Hattie?" She called over her shoulder, gesturing to the brightly coloured scaly lizard. She bent at the waist and peered in, absently hoping the creature was called Iggy Pop or Bluebeard. Or maybe even Daisy, if it was female.

"Hello gorgeous," she cooed as she reached into the warm box to take hold of the iguana with a broad grin. "Oh you are beautiful," she gushed as the iguana blinked lazily at her, wrapping its long tail around her forearm to keep himself steady. He was huge and heavy and cumbersome and amazing. She shifted him a little, using her free hand to run her fingers over his scales, pausing to stroke the spines on his back, finding herself more attracted to him than to little Rufus.

The lizard seemed to settle in her arms a little more as his eyes had closed over as she stood still. "He's really rather affectionate," she called out to Hattie, wondering why anyone would ever want to ditch him. He was magnificent. "Lulu!" She called out, looking around. "Come and stroke him!" Hearing no response, she carefully shifted the iguana as she turned. Seeing Lulu a little way away, she broke into a jog. "Come and hold him!" She called out again, forgetting that not everyone was as keen on reptiles like she was. If Lulu was going to run, she was going to chase her. Were there tarantulas in here? She loved tarantulas. Or hedgehogs. She was a big hedgehog fan.

Lulu smiled brightly at Erika's reaction, letting herself get caught up in the girly giddiness over Jarrod. They always seemed to revert to their fifteen year old boy crazy selves but she didn't care. They both embraced it fully. Made life more exciting that way! Lulu laughed, unable to keep the smile off her face as she shook her head at her friend.

"Well. First he just stopped by to say good morning and ask about a budget question for this upcoming event. He asked me how my weekend was. Which was nice, he's always so polite. But then a couple hours later, he came over and said a memo got delivered to him by accident but had my name on it. Doesn't usually happen, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. And then later, he stopped over and just ate some of those jelly beans I keep on my desk and we chatted. I didn't even realize until later that he didn't even have an excuse," Lulu recalled with a laugh.

The brunette gave her friend a sidelong glance, her cheeks showing her dimples and a flash of her white teeth. "I think so," she admitted with another smile. "He's really sweet and handsome and tall," she added, emphasizing the last word with a wiggle of her brows. Her minimum height requirement wasn't really a secret. Since she was so tall, Lulu was always on the lookout for guys that were taller than her, but who also weren't douchebags. Those two things didn't always go hand in hand.

Lulu shifted her weight from side to side, swaying softly with the little kitten in her arms, as he purred softly in her arms. He was certainly warming up to her and she snugged him even closer. What she wouldn't give to be able to curl up and cuddle with one of these little fluffy creatures at home, with a new magazine, and a cup of tea. She sighed longingly and then glanced up at Erika with a incredulous expression. "Jimmy? Merlin, no," she said with a chuckle and a shake of her head. "Adrian." She said naming her older brother whom she had convinced. The more responsible one. The one she knew she could trust to take care of a new animal. "Could you imagine Jimmy with a pet? Let alone a cat?" Lulu suggested with a devilish smile. Erika had met both of her brothers and her comment alone told Lulu that Erika fully knew that Jimmy probably wasn't the best candidate for pet ownership.

The kitten in her arms was almost asleep and Lulu gazed down at him with a loving expression before shifting slowly back over to the cozy little spot she had scooped him from. She gently set him back there and smiled when he curled himself into a ball and drifted back into sleep. When she turned around, she frowned at the glass box Erika was near and a little line appeared between her brows when she realized what Erika was planning to do. She instinctively took a step back. Sure, she loved animals. Didn't want any kind of animal to be out in the cold, without the protection of a roof over their heads and a warm bed at night. But she also thought iguanas were super creepy.

Lulu looked at her friend like she was crazy and by no means did she want to hold the iguana. When she did help Hattie in that section of the shelter, Hattie usually moved the creatures so Lulu could clean out the cage and refill the water and food. She wasn't sure what it was about iguanas.. maybe how their beady little eyes stared at her with a look of disdain or their really weird beard looking thing that made them look like grumpy old men  or their claws and the way they clicked along the floor as they crawled about or their long tail that gave her the heebie jeebies. Or maybe it was just all of that together. She dimly heard Hattie tell Erika that this one didn't have a name yet, it was one of the newest additions to the shelter and had yet to find a forever home.

"No way!" Lulu told the blonde with wide eyes and an incredulous look which soon turned to worry as Erika rapidly got closer. And she was just thinking that her friend was brave and fair to not care that this was a creepy animal. She loved the iguana just as she had Rufus. Now Lulu just thought she was crazy. "I won't, don't come closer," Lulu said with a laugh, but half seriously as she tried to dodge behind a shelving unit that was towards the back. "I don't like iguanas!" she wailed.

Erika laughed, high and melodious as her left hand came up to cover her mouth. "That's the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard," she cooed, bumping Lulu with her hip playfully. "And I'm thoroughly jealous," she admitted. It was true. She missed flirting. Flirting in a bar somewhere wasn't that fun any more. All the men who went there to hit on girls were stupid and creepy and usually inebriated. Things with Murphy were fun and everything but there was just something about the thrill of seeing someone new and knowing that they were interested in you.

When hearing she was interested, she bounced on the balls of her feet. "Yay!" The bubbly blonde grinned. "How tall?" She asked quickly. Why don't I make myself scarce one night and you can invite him over to the apartment for dinner?" Erika gushed with a wide grin that dimpled her left cheek as she offered an over the top wink. "My mum's been bugging me to help her with this Christmas party," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You're coming, right?" She asked Lulu with a bright smile. "If you don't have a fancy plans with the sweet, handsome and tall Jarrod," she joked, making kissy faces at her friend.

Erika snorted. "Didn't think so," she was quick to reply. Jimmy? With a kitten? Downright bizarre. The treasure hunter wandered around the shelter slowly, her big blue eyes flicking from left to right as she did so. "Is Adrian single?" The blonde asked, hoping she didn't make herself too obvious about the fact that both of Lulu's brothers were gorgeous. Out of the two of them, she figured Adrian was more her type. Jimmy, though charming, was too much of a playboy for her.

"I couldn't even imagine Jimmy with a girlfriend," she offered with a slow grin, snorting as she did so, her fingers reaching out to run along the edges of the various boxes, stopping often to have a look at the animals. Hattie ran a wonderful place and Erika didn't think for one second that any of these animals didn't find a forever home. It made her sad to see Lulu having to down a disgusting potion that didn't even work that well to be able to spend a few hours with these lovely little fluff balls. It hurt her even more to know that she'd never be able to own one herself. She often worried about her best friend when she had to leave for long periods of time.

But she was well and truly enamoured with this iguana. He was a fine specimen and in perfect health. He seemed a bit docile but Erika imagined being fabulous full time was really rather tiring. He seemed to appreciate her touch. His eyes seemed to close when she ran her finger tips over his head gently, his bony tail wrapped tightly around her forearm so there was no way he was going anywhere. She thought they were just fascinating. They were so unusual and bright and showy and Erika was currently looking at it like Lulu would a nice new handbag.

"Really?" She called back to Hattie when hearing he didn't have a name. She frowned. Erika tilted her head as she viewed the content lizard. "How about Colin?" She asked the reptile. He seemed very friendly for such an odd creature and she didn't at all mind that his claws were digging into her arm to support. He was gorgeous and she was head over heels in love with him.

"Lulu!" Erika yelled across the shelter, sure she heard Hattie laughing. "Don't be such a baby!" She called out with a roll of her big, expressive, crystalline eyes. "It won't bite. I don't even think it has teeth. Do you have teeth, Colin?" The treasure hunter asked the iguana, reaching out to gently scratch underneath his scaly chin and giggling when he let her. "So cute," she cooed, her slender shoulders slumping as a happy sigh left her full, scarlet lips.

"Everyone loves iguanas," she countered back with a tut. "But I can't put him down. He's comfortable and he's wrapped around my arm and I think he's sleeping so come out and I promise I won't come any closer," Erika stated, offering Lulu her most sincere face. "I'm turning around!" She called back, her back facing the shelving unit her friend was trying to hide behind whilst keeping one hand on Colin's back to affectionately stroking one of his spines.

"I think he's lovely," Erika countered with a shrug. "I've got my hands full so you're gonna have to fill up his water dish for me," she said before breaking out in a sly grin. Teehee. Poor little lamb. "Then I promise I'll put him back and opt for something with less scales."

Lulu grinned at her friend and bumped her hip against Erika's in return. "I'm sure he has a cute friend," she suggested with a wiggle of her brows, already imagining them doing a double date with the boys. It would save time, at least, considering Lulu always needed best friend approval before things got too serious. "At least four inches taller than me," she said dreamily, her eyes softening at the thought. "Maybe even five!"  Her fondness for tall boys rivaled her fondness for shoes, and that was saying something considering she spent every spare knut on shoes.

The brunette gave a small, shy shrug when Erika mentioned making dinner for Jarrod. Lulu was always looking for The Guy and she was interested in Jarrod, but they hadn't even gone on a first date yet. Making dinner for a boy seemed too much of a first step for her. "He hasn't even asked me out yet," she admitted to Erika as an excuse. She wouldn't know what to make for a guy anyway. That decision alone scared her.

"Wouldn't miss it even for Jarrod," Lulu said with a smile and playfully stuck out her tongue. The brunette loved Erika's family. The Tricketts were a huge family and she had been friends with a few different ones at Hogwarts. Family gatherings with Erika always meant fun, laughter, and entertainment... and if her cousins decided to stop by, it especially meant eye candy. Her own brothers were nice looking she guessed, but the Tricketts seemed to be blessed with drop dead gorgeous looks. Every. Single. One. "Are we going to make those little angel cookies again this year?" Lulu asked, naming one of her favorite holiday activities.

"Adrian?" Lulu asked as she thought of her older brother. She flicked her grey blue eyes to Erika in an attempt to find out the reason behind the question. Erika seemed nonchalant about it, but a smile still tugged at Lulu's lips as she gave her answer. "No, he's still dating Kate." The brunette shrugged and ran a hand through her short locks. Kate was ok. Lulu had lived with her and Adrian for some time before she moved in with Erika and while Adrian seemed very happy with her, Lulu always thought that her brother could do better. She had once secretly dreamed that Adrian would get with Erika so that when they married, she and Lulu would be real sisters. But that little pipe dream had turned out to be just that.

She snorted with a roll of her eyes at the mention of her younger brother. "Probably has lots of girlfriends," Lulu muttered under her breath. She didn't really know the extent of Jimmy's social escapades (and really didn't want to honestly), but she knew he wasn't the monogamous relationship sort of guy. She knew he wasn't really into the whole commitment thing either. His behavior alarmed her to a certain extent (she was concerned about his soul) but whenever she had said so to him, he had merely blown her off.

Looking at the iguana wrapped around Erika's wrist from a safe distance, Lulu repeated the name the blonde suggested. "Colin?" She had a doubtful look on her face but refrained from saying what she was thinking. Ugly or Creepy might have been a better name for him. But that was probably not very nice either. She tried not to think too harshly of the iguana, but that did not mean she wanted it near her. "It does too have teeth!" she called back to Erika, determined to keep away from that thing as she defended herself by hiding behind the shelf.

She peeked out as Erika mentioned filling up the water dish. That was something she was familiar with. The routine with Hattie popped into her mind, but she gazed warily at Erika for a few long moments before coming out behind her hiding place. She pointed a finger in warning at the blonde. "You keep Creepy Colin away from me," she said, her tone both amused and serious. She sidled closer, her eyes on Erika and finally relaxed a bit when her friend didn't make any hasty moves with the iguana on her arm. She turned to face the iguana's little glass home, bringing her wand out from her pocket.

Lulu had gotten quite handy with a cleaning charm and the aqua charm, thanks to her hours spent here volunteering. So she started the task of cleaning out Creepy Colin's cage. The sooner she got it clean, the sooner Erika could relinquish him back to his cage and turn her attention to an animal that didn't give her the heebie jeebies.

"Of course he does," Erika replied with a snort of laughter. The nights were drawing in and the temperatures were dropping so she needed a nice, strapping young lad to cuddle up on a sofa with. "I like dates. I just don't like dating," the tall blonde explained, knowing that Lulu would understand exactly what she'd said. Erika liked to be wined and dined. She liked cooking dinners and hanging out, visiting museums and having fun but she didn't like the bad parts of the relationship. The inevitable fighting, having to share everything, the feeling of being restricted.

"Five!" The treasure hunter replied with wide eyes. "Damn," she said slowly, letting out a long and low impressed whistle underneath her breath as she nodded in approval. "Does he like, bang his head when he enters rooms on low hanging lights and stuff? Do people ask if he's part giant?"

"Oh pfft," Erika pooh-poohed Lulu's concern with a wrinkle of her nose and a wave of her lithe hand through the air nonchalantly. "Why don't you just ask him?" She said, turning her bright blue gaze on her friend. "You're a modern woman. You don't need to be conformed by gender roles. You fancy him, invite him out! If you don't want to make dinner, we can go out somewhere. That way, if you're feeling comfortable, give me a sign and I'll scoot off and let you two have a bit of privacy," she purred, wiggling her eyes suggestively.

"You can invite him," she said with a slow grin with an over exaggerated wink of her left eye before she let out a tinkling laugh. "I'm probably just gonna go solo." She'd though of maybe inviting Murphy but she didn't really know where she stood in their "relationship" and inviting him to a family bash would only really complicate things. "Heck yes we are," she gushed with wide eyes as Lulu spoke about her famous angel cookies. "I stole a bag of vanilla sugar from Geri when he wasn't looking. You'd be surprised how many times I can get away with that."

Kate? Ah, yes.

"That's a shame," Erika replied with a gentle sigh. "All the nice ones are dating, married or serial killers," she stated breezily as though she'd personally dated one of the latter in the past. She snorted about the comment about Jimmy. "He better watch himself," she went on to say as she wandered around the unfamiliar shelter. "He'll leave a trail of broken hearts in his wake." She liked Jimmy. He was smart and flirty but she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. "We should follow him one day," she mused with a thoughtful frown. "I want to know what kind of power he has over girls. I want to bottle it and sell it." The idea of herself and Lulu in big hats and oversized sunglasses made her laughed.

"Colin!" Erika replied cheerfully with another smile. "He's really rather affectionate," she cooed to the lizard who seemed rather happy to be perched on her arm. "Do they?" The blonde asked, sounding surprised that iguanas had teeth. Well they had to eat somehow, she supposed. "Well I like him," she said proudly with a nod of her head. "I really wanna take him home," she said with a frown. She much preferred Colin to Rufus.

"Is there really no way we can have him?" Erika asked Lulu, her full lower lip jutting out as she pouted, giving her puppy dog eyes as she fluttered her long eyelashes at her. "He's not creepy. He's magnificent," she huffed as she kissed Colin's nose. He didn't seem to mind too much. "And I like him a lot. I think him and I have become fast friends. Haven't we, honey?" she cooed at the reptile who blinked at her sleepily as he made her giggle. Who needed a man when she was getting unconditional love from somewhere else? Exactly.

Letting Lulu clean and replenish the water supply, she carefully lowered Colin back into his warm little box as she leant in and fondly stroked his head. Why didn't Lulu like him? She was allergic to fur. Colin was really her only viable option, to be frank. Once Colin was safely deposited, Erika looked around. "Hey I forget to tell you," she began. "I bumped into Èdouard the other day. Literally. Walked smack bang into him," she stated conversationally as she stopped to fold up some spare fleecy throws that she imagined dogs and cats slept on.

Lulu widened her eyes as she stared at her friend and laughter bubbled up through her shock. "No, he's not weirdly tall. Not giant tall. Just good tall. A nice tall. Good-if-I-want-to-wear-heels-and-we-will-still-be-proportioned tall," she explained to Erika with a decisive nod. But that got her thinking... was he too tall? Noooo. But the idea got her thinking that maybe she should think about a height maximum and not just a minimum too, but something like that would limit her selection even further than it already was.

Erika's encouragement made her want to balk and agree at the same time, but as her friend spoke she knew that there was some wisdom to her words. Lulu leaned her head on Erika's shoulder for a moment as she mulled it over. Asking Jarrod out would take a lot of guts, guts that she wasn't sure she had. Plus if she was wrong about his intentions and he wasn't interested, she not only would be mortified but she knew it'd get around the office. How embarrassing! Lulu laughed again when Erika wiggled her brows at her and bumped her hip against Erika's playfully. "Oh stop it," she said with a smile. "You think if we do a group thing it won't be too awkward?" As always, she looked to Erika for advice and help. It had always been that way with them.

"Erika Trickett going stag?" Lulu gasped with pseudo-shock. "I've never heard of such a concept. Please explain this to me," she said with a sarcastic grin. "I thought you had a new guy though that was nice?" she asked turning a little more serious. She tilted her head in Erika's direction with brows quirked, asking silently for all the deets. "Amazing!" Lulu said brightly, picturing the little delicious angel cookies in her mind already. "Speaking of Geri," Lulu said, speaking familiarly of the older Trickett who owned a baked good shop in Hogsmeade even though she didn't really know him all that well. "We should visit soon. I've been craving some of those little lemon bar treats. They are so so good." She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together as if tasting them right then.

The idea of Jimmy with all his girlfriends made her want to frown but she let out an almost forced giggle for the sake of Erika's joke. As much fun as it would be to secretly stalk her brother, she really didn't want to know how he treated girls. She feared what she might find out about her brother and Lulu had a habit of sticking her head in the sand to avoid such things.

Lulu watched from across the way her friend with Creepy Colin. She felt bad for several reason. The first being that her allergies prevented Erika from getting the puppy she really wanted. And the second being the fact that Colin couldn't help how creepy his face was. Lulu sighed forlornly. She really didn't like the iguana, but she felt bad denying her friend when she was already giving up the opportunity for a cute and cuddlier pet. She pursed her lips and folded her arms in front of her, but asked, "What happens when you're away traveling? I don't want to take care of him.." Lulu said trying not to pout too much as she began to concede just the tiniest bit.

The brunette tucked a few loose strands behind her ear as she moved to the next cage and began to clean out the old. soiled paper and started to replace it with new sheets. She glanced up at her friend with wide, surprised eyes. "Èdouard? The amazingly handsome Èdouard? The one with the lovely French accent? That Èdouard? Tell. Me. Everything."

Erika snorted. She had a similar problem as Lulu; her height. She didn't often wear heels like her fashionable friend but when she did, she felt like King Kong. Her brother, Fenris, often called her Queen Kong which wasn't half as funny as he thought it was. The bastard. "Oh well that's nice," she said brightly, looping an arm around Lulu's shoulders and giving her an affectionate squeeze. She had to amid, she was a bit jealous of the brunette. Envious of the fact that she had those warm, fuzzy feelings a person gets when they develop a crush on someone.

The tall blonde laughed as she was bumped, staggering to the side a little before she managed to right herself. "Of course it won't be awkward," she told Lulu patiently, squeezing her again. "There will be looooads of people. So really, you're just inviting him to a party. The word "date" scares boys," she explained with a roll of her big deeply blue eyes. "Yeah, I don't get it either. Anyway!" she said briskly, "There will be lots of opportunities for you two to spend time together and not make it obvious. You can ask him to dance. He likes dancing, right?" Erika asked the other girl promptly. "You know, because he's like Godzilla and he won't be trampling my relatives like Tokyo?"

Erika frowned at her friend as she deftly filled up some empty water bowls. "I'm a strong, independent women who don't need no man," she joked, flapping her hands at Lulu quickly. She frowned again, reaching up to scratch the back of her head, ruffling her bright blonde hair. "I dunno," she finally settled on. "I mean, I haven't seen him in three weeks," she went on to say. Or was it more like a month?

Murphy was a busy man and she understood that. Besides, it was winter, plenty of germs were floating about. They weren't dating, so she had no right to be mad at him for doing other things. "His family's quite big too, so I sort of imagined that he'd be spending the holiday with them rather than my lot." She sighed as she filled up another water bowl belonging to a rather long haired guinea pig who chirped angrily at her, causing her to yank her hand away in alarm.

"And he is nice," she said wistfully. "He's really nice. And kind. And romantic. You should see him, Lulu," she whined. "He's so good looking. And he's got tattoos," she said as she childishly chewed on her lower lip and twiddled a lock of hair around her fingers. "Smart, too. But we're just fooling around," she said quickly with a nod. "I mean, he's seeing other girls and stuff and I'm not really in the market for a boyfriend." Erika didn't think it was worth it. She was out of the country for most of the year and it wasn't fair having someone wait for her. Life was too short. "It might get messy if I start inviting him to family occasions."

"Do you wanna go after we've finished here?" Erika asked Lulu, referring to visiting the bakery for those lemon bars. The treasure hunter felt like she was letting the side down with her lack of interest in cakes. Honestly? She much preferred cheese. She loved cheese. She hadn't met a single cheese that she didn't like. Instead of getting flowers for her birthday, she wished someone would just buy her a cheese bouquet.

Erika grinned. "I'm just kidding," she said soothingly, smiling at her upset friend. "Honest," she said quickly. "We don't need a pet and stop feeling so bad about it. It's not your fault, yeah?" she asked, finishing up folding the blankets and placing them neatly on a countertop as she reached for a bag of dried rabbit food, which she promptly deposited in a small metal bowl with some hay. "Are you coming round to the idea of Colin?" Erika chided with a slow grin, placing the food in a little hutch for a black rabbit and pausing to pick up a carrot baton which she promptly took a bite of. Yum.

Erika blushed deeply. Handsome? She hadn't really thought about Èdouard in that way before. He'd always been her elusive French penpal who gave reliable and helpful advice when she needed it. "He really is handsome," she offered as she chewed on her lower lip. He was typically French. Tall, slim, had an accent that made her toes curl. Oh what the Hell was going on? Now she was having weird feelings about her pen pal? She was about to argue that she didn't know him but she did. Intimately. She probably knew him better than his fiancée did.

She blushed again and turned away, clumsily opening up another bale of hay for the rabbit hutches, fumbling with the plastic. Her eyes widened quickly. "Nothing happened," she said flatly, confused by her friend's eager interest. "I was in Paris, looking for an apartment to rent for a few weeks when I'm there working, looking for a nice one that you can come and visit for a few days if you want and I bumped into an angry Frenchman and spilled his coffee. I offered to buy him a new one but he just went bananas," Erika explained as she pulled a face. "I hurt my ankle so Èdouard gave me a piggyback to his apartment and the angry midget chased us most of the way."

She paused. "I know that sounds ridiculous but my life really is ridiculous," she sighed. "He said he wanted to take me out for dinner to catch up but he didn't get back to me so," Erika stated with a shrug. "Like I said, nothing happened. He didn't give me his address or anything so I doubt I'll be seeing him again. It was nice to bump into him though," she said softly. "He wears glasses now. They really suit him."

"The word date scares me too," she muttered with a roll of her eyes, even though she really didn't mean it. Lulu loved going on dates.. well mostly. She thought they were fun and she liked being romanced, but she didn't like being disappointed when she found out the guy she was crushing was definitely not The One. Sometimes she felt like she would be single forever and she would be an old maid with 15 cats. But she couldn't even have cats. "Okay, yeah, right," Lulu said with a nod, seriously considering the idea as Erika made her case. It was just a party, she could do that. The idea of her asking Jarrod to a party made her fluttery with nervousness but also excitement. She couldn't wait for him to stop by her desk for no reason at all on Monday so she could throw the idea out there.

Her friend's last little comment about him being Godzilla made her gasp with feigned outrage and she sent a playful glare in Erika's direction. "He is not like Godzilla! I would never date a Godzilla guy," Lulu said adamantly before laughing at he idea of it. Lulu stilled for a moment as she hovered over one of the cages to look more closely at Erika as she spoke about this new boy. She knew Erika was much less dependent than she was, but she still wanted to see her happy. And to Lulu, that meant in a proper relationship. she was always hoping, wishing that Erika's latest boy would be The One for her. She was a hopeless romantic like that. "Maybe you could invite him to a group outing type of thing with me and Jarrod?" Even lumping their names together made her heart thump a little louder. "Yeah know, no pressure, not too formal? Even if you're not looking for something so serious--" if Lulu could help it, she'd have Erika and this new boy dating by the end of the month. "--it might just be nice to spend some time with him?" Lulu, ever the matchmaker, was itching to make this happen for the Trickett.

"Oh gosh yes, let's do that!" she said with bright eyes, her mouth already watering as she thought of those little lemon bars she loved so much. She continued cleaning out the cage of a particularly cute all-white bunny, casting a simple water spell to refill the bottle hanging from the side of the cage. She frowned as Erika mentioned the Pet Issue. She nodded along with Erika's words, but an uneasy feeling stuck with her. She still felt bad about it, but she tried not to dwell on it too much. She wondered, once again, if there was some way she could find a better solution to her allergy problem. If only she had someone else to ask. The mention of Colin made Lulu glanced back up at the blonde and she kind of nodded and kind of shrugged. "If you really like him..." Lulu said as she tried to hide her grimace. Sure, she would have to check that he was in his cage every time she moved around the house and she might have to take care of him when Erika was out of town and she still thought he was super creepy looking, but if Erika was really in love with him...

Lulu nodded with wide, sparkling eyes as Erika agreed to his good looks. Even if Lulu wasn't obsessed with anything and everything French, she would still think Èdouard was drop dead gorgeous. She had even met the Frenchman for a nanosecond some time ago and had wanted to swoon. It was really, very easy for Lulu to approve of Erika's choice of that guy. She had stamped the Best Friend Approval without hesitation. But now, as Erika spoke about him, Lulu turned to look at her with curious eyes. Was she blushing? It made Lulu all the more curious.

"An apartment in Paris?" Lulu exclaimed excitedly and then tried to reign in her lust for that city. Èdouard. They were talking about Èdouard.  She kept nodding and nodding, hanging on every word of the story, adding in hmms and oohs and gasps in all that right places. By the end, her jaw was dropped and she was staring at Erika with wide eyes. "A piggyback ride? Through Paris?" It was safe to say that Lulu definitely lived vicariously through Erika. "That doesn't sound like nothing to me," she added with a bit of a sing song tone as she turned and picked up the all-white bunny, stroking him behind the ears. She didn't want to seem too pushy on this topic so she tried to go for nonchalance when she said, "Maybe he'll send you an owl soon or something. I'm sure he hasn't forgotten about you or something crazy like that."

"You're so cute," Erika chuckled, her big blue eyes sparkling as her cheeks dimpled. Lulu was an energiser. One of those people that once she spoke to her, she felt fully charged. Happier. Lighter, almost. She was genuinely excited for her friend and her new fledgling relationship. The Christmas party was a perfect set up and besides, miracles happened during the festive season. She was keen to meet Lulu's beau, he sounded very nice. He'd be good for her.

At that point, Erika had pretty much lost it. Her booming laugh echoed around the shelter as she doubled up, hands on her hips as she struggled to breathe. "I can just s-s-see you!" she coughed, tears streaming down her face as she clutched her sides tightly. "In a dinosaur costume!" Erika wheezed. It wasn't even that funny but she was way past caring. "I can't breathe!" The tall blonde squeaked, stamping her feet as she flat out roared, head back and everything as she turned to Lulu and did her impression of a tyrannosaurus rex. She pulled her wrists up to her chests to shorten her arms and let her hands form claws as she let out a roar. Sorley would be proud of her.

Her laughter soon stopped as she sobered up. Eh. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Murphy was lovely. Tall and handsome and smart and really quote polite, so why was she do reluctant? "I don't know," she said softly with a frown. If she went out with Lulu and Jarrod, it would be a date-date. Like a proper one. She'd have to dress up and behave and introduce Murphy to her best friend. The idea turned her stomach. "Maybe?" she offered noncommittally. She was being daft. Of course she'd ask him.

"Perfect," she said brightly. Crust and Crumbs was playing havoc with her waistline. Now it was almost Christmas, the variety of pepperminty treats was now tenfold. She'd had so many of those creamy hot chocolates and indulgent fudge, it was a surprise she could fit through the door. Erika had a hankering for pie. And she didn't care what type.

She smiled at her friend, genuinely touched. "Of course I do," Erika said brightly as she continued to add dry pellets to a little silver bowl, leaning over the hutch to place it in while picking the inhabitant up. It was a cute little Holland Lop with a pink nose and extra long ears. Erika cradled it preciously, lifting the little bunny to her face and grinning as it sniffed her. "But I can come back and visit," she said cheerfully, flashing Lulu a smile. "I don't want you to be scared in your own home," she said seriously as she rubbed the little bunny's ears delicately. "How would you feel about a tortoise?"

"Yup," Erika said with a wide smile. "Just for a few weeks, though. I thought it'd be easier while I'm working there to just stay there, rather than come back and forth. They were tiny though," the treasure hunter said with a wrinkle of her nose. "All of the half decent ones are pretty much triple the rent we pay now," she sighed, thinking about how lucky they were to have their large, open townhouse apartment in London.

"And the plumbing is old," she sighed dejectedly. "Old piping. Takes forever for hot water. I went to see a few, I've arranged to see a few more soon. I desperately want a balcony," she told Lulu, matter-of-factly. Apartment hunting in Paris was a nightmare but it was Paris. Gorgeous, vibrant, exciting, historical Paris. "You'd be welcome to stay," Erika said quickly, eyes sparkling. "In fact, I insist on it." She'd only been there an hour and she'd passed at least fifteen men who could easily be models.

She snorted as she placed the bunny back down. "It wasn't nearly as romantic as you're making it out to be," Erika commented with a gentle smile. "He actually saved me from getting arrested, which was nice of him. I was in the right place at the right time. And it wasn't through Paris, it was really just around the corner," she blabbed. No matter how she painted it, there was a spark of romance in there somewhere. Damn it. She frowned at Lulu, feeling her cheeks flame. She and Èdouard were just old friends. Yeah sure, he was smart and successful and bright and charming and handsome but no. Just no. Erika was so deep in thought, she didn't realise that she'd stopped suddenly and played with her hair. Wow.

"Mmm? Oh it's no big deal," she said flippantly, waving her hand through the air quickly. "I'm sure he's got far more important things to deal with regardless," Erika replied as she filled up some more water bottles, her long legs striding away from Lulu as she looked through some of the cages, trying to distance herself from the conversation. She wasn't going to get her hopes up. While it would be lovely to have a proper chat with Èdouard, she wasn't banking on it. They were just one of those people. They occasionally intersected one another and then didn't see each other again for years. Perhaps that was how it was meant to be.

Erika was frowning and she didn't realise she was doing it. "I don't have a crush on him or anything," she said flatly and out of the blue, hopefully quashing Lulu's ideas of romance. She did love her friends but not everything was a Jane Austen novel. "Do any dogs need grooming?"

As Erika succumbed to hysterical laughter, Lulu tried not to indulge her friend in her joke. She would never be caught dead in a dinosaur costume or with a Godzilla guy, but the more she thought about it and the more Erika laughed, the funny it became. Lulu soon found herself bubbling with laughter, laughing even harder when Erika did an impression of a t-rex. The brunette flapped her hands at her friend, wrinkling her nose as she held her side and tried to breathe normally once more.

Lulu nodded but then shrugged lightly, as if it really wasn't that big of a deal either way if she brought the new boy around. Honestly? Lulu was still learning when to push and when to hold back and she felt this wasn't the best time to push. She knew Erika had reservations about the whole 'dating' thing, but considering how great of a girl she was, she couldn't exactly understand why. Nevertheless, she gave a neutral 'hmm' and let the topic drop.

She was really trying to come to terms with having Creepy Colin as a pet, but then as Erika said she would come back and visit him and she tried not to show too much of her relief. She felt some tension in her shoulders ease out though. For probably the millionth time in her life, she wished she didn't have allergies or that the potion she took had longer-lasting effects and wasn't so gross. She sighed, floundering a bit in a pool of her own self-pity before Erika seemed to pull her back out with mention of a tortoise. Her blue eyes brightened and she nodded excitedly. "I like tortoises! Do you want to get one?" Why hadn't they thought of this before?!

As Erika spoke about her new Paris apartment, Lulu was completely engrossed. She didn't care if they were tiny, she didn't care if they were expensive or had old plumbing or anything. She didn't even notice that the water bowl she was filling was over spilling and water was dripping on her shoes. Lulu nodded doggedly as Erika offered to let her visit. "Yes, yes, please, please, please! That would be so amazing!" It was no secret how much of a francophile Lulu was and having her best friend rent an apartment in Paris no less was something short of a dream come true! Finally, she realized she was overfilling the water bowl and with a little "oops" she pointed her wand at the mess to clean it up.

Her friend tried to downplay her little rendezvous with Èdouard and even though Lulu didn't say anything aloud, she could see that look in her eyes. The corners of her lips twisted into a smile and she tried to hide it by turning to put down the bunny she had been holding. "Well, even if he is just your old--" Lulu muttered 'gorgeous' under her breath. "--penpal, keep me updated on him. Like if you go out for a lunch or something." She tried to keep it casual even though she was dying with the urge to force them together. Lulu already knew they'd be a super adorable couple. She could just picture it.

Erika was pleased Lulu had someone she liked. It was a wonder why she wasn't dating already. She was smart and feminine, funny and cute. Then again, a relationship wasn't something anyone should rush into. But she was hoping to meet this mysterious Jarrod at the party. There would be so many people there on Christmas Eve, Erika wouldn't be left alone long enough to wonder why she didn't have a date. Thank goodness. Her family were loud and boisterous so she wouldn't have time to think about, well, anything.

"Great!" The tall blonde said with a grin before letting it falter. "They don't do a lot though, do they?" she asked with a thoughtful frown as she reached up to scratch the back of her head. "Like they don't play fetch and you need to put them in a cardboard box for three months in the winter?" That didn't seem that fun. She sighed softly but offered Lulu a valiant smile. She, she'd like a pet but it was more so the brunette wouldn't feel lonely when she was away. There didn't seem to be a clear compromise. They could get a lizard or a tortoise but it wasn't a puppy or a bunny or a kitten. How depressing.

The treasure hunter snorted. "Okay, okay," she said gently in case her friend positively exploded. As much as she loved Paris, it was overcrowded and dirty. The people were as unfriendly, if not more, than Londoners. Hang on. "Why don't you come with me?" Erika asked, turning to face Lulu with a smile. "Come and help me find a place. It's a bloody nightmare and I can't do it by myself," she whined, stomping her left foot on the floor as her shoulder slumped in defeat.

"Pleeeease?" She pouted, batting her long eyelashes. "It'll be fun!" She squeaked. "We could go to some viewings and have some lunch and go for a wander and maybe go shopping." There was a place she quite liked. It was in Montmatre. Bright and airy with a lot of light and a balcony. It was actually close to Èdouard's place but she dismissed it. "There was a place I quite liked," she said thoughtfully. "Across the street is an amazing little deli that sells cheese and wine and you would love it, Lulu. You would. Take the afternoon off work."

That was such an Erika thing to do. She was rash and careless and it didn't occur to her that maybe her friend wasn't able to call in sick and swan off to a different country like she often did. But Paris was always a good idea. Always. There was no way around it and Lulu worked so hard all the time. It'd be nice if they could have some bread and wine along the banks of the Seine. Paris would be firmly in the grips of Christmas by now. Lights everywhere. Cold weather. Gorgeous.

Erika nervously folded and unfolded the blankets before she'd decided she'd had enough. She cleared her throat and began to wipe down some counter tops with a cloth and some detergent, rubbing the same spot over and over again. She usually repeated her steps when she was preoccupied.

"I heard that," the blonde called out, not bothering to turn around as she forcefully scrubbed the work surface so hard that the tips and the knuckles of her fingers began to start to hurt. Èdouard was gorgeous, she'd readily admit that but it was pointless. She was mad at herself. Why didn't she kiss him all those years ago when they met not too far from here? More so, she was angry that she was having weird thoughts. He was practically married. This was awful. She was determined to cull these feelings before they blossomed.

Erika shrugged gently as she moved on, still scrubbing roughly. "I doubt it," came the glum reply. "I think I'm getting my hopes up," she admitted with a sigh, turning to face Lulu again with a brittle smile. "He didn't even invite me to his wedding," she stated softly, her tone sad as was her expression. "I thought we were close, you know?" She asked her friend, thinking to the piles of his letters she had stored away. In a rather masochistic sort of way, she often referred back to them when she was in trouble. Èdouard was smart. The advice he'd given her was still sound to this day.

"I'd like to at least get an invitation to the cocktail hour or whatever they have nowadays," she mumbled, feeling perhaps irrationally upset with her former French friend. "I dunno," she said briskly, sighing heavily. "I'm being silly. I think I'm going to go out tonight," Erika announced with a smile, standing at her full height as she inhaled deeply as though trying to exhale any negativity. "I'm going to get me to a bar, get me some drinks and get a stranger to take me home. Yeah." With a nod, she finished cleaning the surfaces, pausing to poke her fingers through the bars and softly stroke a ginger kitten. "Christmas blows."

Lulu frowned and thought about tortoises. Then looked at her friend and frowned a little bit more. "I guess they don't," the brunette replied. Guess when she really looked at it, she didn't see Erika owning something as slow and as unexciting as a tortoise. She should have a flaming phoenix or a colorful parrot who could say curse words in Spanish or something else really fun and really hip. Lulu sighed when Erika did as they both came back to the same solution that a pet wasn't really in the cards for them because of her allergies. Stupid, stupid allergies.

"Oh! Oh! Can I? Please? Yes, yes, I want to!" Lulu's eyes were wide with excitement and happiness and glee and her little Francophile nature was showing itself in full. "I don't know if I can take off work since we have that big tourny next week, but I wanttttt to. Can I use one of those nifty timeturners so I can be in two places at once? When are you planning on going again? Maybe I can fake sick one day... " Lulu sighed longingly, already imagining spending the day in Paris (Paris!) with Erika. What a dream that would be. If only she were rich and well-off that she didn't have to have a job she hated. Ugh.

The brunette smiled and threw a wink over her shoulder at Erika. "What. He is gorgeous. Plus that accent," she sighed dreamily and pretended to faint onto one of the counters. She could listen to Eduoard speak all day if that meant listening to his French accent. Merlin, if she had her own French boyfriend, Erika would probably never see her. Lulu would be totally consumed with hearing stupid simple sentences in that French accent.

With observing eyes, Lulu turned and leaned her chin on her hands, momentarily abandoning her volunteer duties. She instead got caught up watching Erika as she cleaned this and that, but Lulu was more focused on the blonde's expression. She frowned with confusion w" then Erika said Eduoard hadn't even invited her to the wedding. Oh! Idea! "What if he wanted to, but his fiancee--" that hag "--didn't want him to? Maybe it wasn't his fault at all. Maybe she didn't want to be upstaged by someone who is probably much more exciting and fashionable and attractive than her." Lulu grinned, pleased with herself. Yeah, that was probably what happened.

After a few minutes of lounging against the counter, Lulu stood and trailed a few fingers over the counter top, smiling with brows quirked as Erika said she was going out tonight. "Yeah?" Lulu asked, assuming without asking that she was going along. "Come on," Lulu said as she went around the counter to line herself up next to Erika and the adorable ginger kitten she was holding. "We can find a nice, handsome, sexy man for you just in time for the holidays. Alright?" Alright. She wasn't taking no for an answer. Lulu considered herself the queen of matchmaking and she would be damned if her friend didn't have anyone to kiss under the mistletoe this season.

She reached out a hand to stroke the cute kitten, but just then she was attacked with an onslaught of violent sneezes. Once, twice, four times in a row before she got a moment to look at her friend. She groaned and made her way towards the door, silently signalling that it was time to go. Hattie knew the drill. Lulu's allergy medicine was wearing off and if she didn't get out of there soon her face would swell to the size of a quaffle.