Luck of Nines

10

Chipper stared from the makeshift cage they seemed to have pulled out of nowhere and shoved him into, the two men failing at making a decision somewhere overhead.

Evidently Jonah was not coming back from wherever he went with Alice to until Tuesday, he didn't know what day of the week it was, but the way they both said that made it feel like it was more than just tomorrow or the day after.

Asmir, had been gone for some time at some place called 'St. Mungos' where he was apprenticed, and John had seen him stumbling back; the man had not brought a cat and as a 'muggle born' he still believed in cleanliness standards that cat fur did not adhere to.

"Do you think..." it was John who stumbled onto the right answer, "That it was smuggled in with Bennett?"

"Ah," he could here the discomfort in the remaining unnamed man's voice, "Possibly, what with that thing with Seine and all... that idiot probably would."

John sighed in frustration, "Great so now the bloody idiot has gone and managed to kidnap somebody's cat, that's more likely than it happening to just wander in what with the wards and all."

The nameless man snorted, "With our luck it'll be some poncy pureblood's prized kneazle," that was said with a firm, audible, roll of the eyes, "Then we'll all get sent to Azkaban as accomplices for good measure."

"I'd almost prefer that," John growled, "I can't be responsible for babysitting him all the time, I've got my potion's apprenticeship to deal with too!"

"Look, you're the one who wanted to watch out for him."

"Yes! As a group! But no! Asmir sleeps whenever he's here, Jonah is off galavanting around with Alice- a girl he's known for all of three weeks and is playing him and he knows it! And I don't even know what the hell you get up to in your free time, but it sure as hell ain't the dishes or anything else that'll be useful for that matter!"

"Jonah has a life and maybe if you got one too you wouldn't be so up tight all the time! Let's not forget why Seine left, and let's not forget why you're so focused on being there for him either. We all have stuff we want to do rather than watch Bennett feel sorry for himself and do nothing. "

John growled audibly, "Back off."

"Or what?"

Chipper was more than tired of hearing this discussion, it was all posturing anyway, but no matter how hard he pried at the lock, or how much he willed it to open; the cage door remained firmly closed. Miserable and trapped, he curled up inside and waited twitching, but mercifully in the drifting half asleep state he had learned to keep watch in, for his opportunity to escape.

        The next day he was dragged off to a potions workshop, still trapped inside the cage, "Muller? What have you brought in there?"

         "You mentioned a rat problem, sir, one of my roommates brought home a stray last night, and I've brought it to see if it can help fix the problem."

         "Hmm, I can see why'd you think that would be a good solution, but Potioneer's familiars have to be specially trained, they're expensive and after all that time only good for a year or so. Unfortunately the strict standards of what we are working with here for non-contamination of ingredients and intent as well as other such things rule out all the other more common methods of pest control as well."

           "Ah... I see..." Muller sighed seeming defeated. 

          "But, since you've brought it and gone through all this trouble, I see no harm in setting up some wards to restrict its access to the potion's room and seeing if it helps any. So long as the ward doesn't quite reach the door or walls, it should be fine. "