Utterly Hopeless: An Ominis Gaunt Love Story

Chapter Five: Hufflepuffs Charismatic Badger

(Threa)

"Good shot," Poppy noted as Duncan scrambled up, holding his heavily bleeding nose.

"You are a fucking prat!"

"You wana say that again," Garreth spat taking a step towards him as he scurried away.

"Coward," Imelda yelled at his retreat smiling softly at Garreth. "Thanks red."

"No problem, someone needed to shut him up, and I couldn't let bludger here do it," he said motioning to me as I put my wand away.

"And why is that?"

"Promised you mum not to let you get in trouble," I rolled my eyes as he laughed.

"Dunkien deserved it and worse," Leander chimed in moving up to stand next to me. "He should just be lucky Weasley got him before I did."

"And what were you to do Leander," Everett asked slightly amused, Imelda snorted as Garreth moved in closer to her.

"Taught the man a much-needed lesson of course," Leander proclaimed proudly, Everett rolled his eyes nodding as I couldn't hold back a small laugh. Leander may have spoken up, but he didn't make any move to intervene.

"Are you alright," Garreth whispered to Imelda as I watched the two curiously, she blushed and nodded whispering even lower back earning a small smile from the potionieer. Something brushed my wrist as I looked down to see Leander's hand.

"Are you uh... You alright Threa?"

"I'm fine," I said back dryly moving from his touch over to Poppy who was trying to calm Gerald in his cage. "He okay?"

"Oh, he'll be fine. He's always been antsy near Duncan, I think he smells his fear," the brunette laughed as she let me pet the puff balls nose.

"A good judge of character this one."

"That he is, I swear animals are more inquisitive than people give them credit for!"

"Really," Everett said as he and Leander followed me to join us, leaving Imelda and Garreth to talk. "You sound like Professor Howin!"

"A compliment I hope," she teased.

"Very, may I," he asked gesturing towards Gerald.

"By all means he loves pets."

"I'm sure he does, adorable little thing," he rolled against Everetts hand happily.

"He's cute, I'll give you that, but not a verry useful creature," Leander joked cruelly. "Not like a chomping cabbage or Venomous tentacula."

"Puffskeins are quite useful!"

"As pets maybe."

"More than just pets their fur can be used to enchant clothing and is found in numerous potion recipes!"

"You eat his fur," he spat in disgust.

"You don't," I shot back trying to keep my tone civil. "The strongest healing potions have Puffskein fur in them, I'm sure if you ask Amit, he'd give you a full run down of Puffskein fur and its uses."

"Amit," he scoffed. "Hard pass," he turned his nose upward sticking his hand in Geralds cage trying to pet the creature as it cowers from his touch sticking his long tongue out defensively stretching it out up his nose to steal a bogey, Leander recoils back in disgust. "Ugh, bloody beast!"

"A good judge of character indeed," Poppy whispered going back to pet the creature as Leander stormed off.

"What's got his bloomers in a twist," Imelda spat as she and Garreth rejoined our group.