Change of Guard

Atop the stool, the blue eyed girl frowned, scanning the store. There were hardly any people here. After all, who went to candy stores on Valentine's? No, everyone was down at Madame Puddifoots, no one wanted candy.

And the new owner was perfectly fine with that.

She didn't want customers. She didn't want people coming up to her asking where Rosie was. She didn't want to have to explain over and over again what had happened. Knowing hurt enough.

Popping a Chocoball into her mouth, she chewed, frowning as she listened to the whispers behind her. Did they think she couldn't hear? She was right here. If they were going to go on about how she was only fourteen and couldn't handle the pressure of having a business - her hands clenched into fists, squishing the chocolate in her hand into pulp.

Eyes narrowing, she whirled around, ready to face her detractors.

There was no one there.

*Cling Cling* went the shop bell as the door opened. In stepped Professor Finch, dressed solely in crimson, except for her white lace bonnent under her ornately decorated, pointed hat, and her black leather boots.
As cheerful as usual, she walked though browsing this assortment and that, wondering what it was the little 'winglings' might like best for a sweet treat. Elizabeth always keep a little parcel of sweeties on hand and always a bowl full on her desk, the students liked that, and she liked a bite here and there herself.

"Oh Hallo there poppit! I say, terribly chilly out isn't it? What ever are you doing in here, by your lonesome?" she said sweetly with a kind concern...

She slowly turned back around, her heart racing and her head spinning. Clenching the counter in front of her until her knuckles turned white, her mouth became sawdust dry. No one had been there. So - so - what was going on? It was different from Honey and Ava, because they were at least consistent, but that had been anything but.

Forced out of her thoughts at the sound of a customer, Dia darted out from a shelf, the cat-sized dragon coming to a rest by her owner. The third year ran her fingers delicately over her scales, watching the woman warily.

She'd seen the women around the castle a few times before. A new professor, perhaps? It was her safest bet. "Good day professor," Savannah dipped her head formally, her gaze drawn to the windows. "It does look it, doesn't it? I'm glad to be in here." A couple passing outside, her face fell, thoughts turning to Chris. If he hadn't been in Canada, they might have been able to do something together.

She slowly turned back to the woman. "I work here. Er, I own it, actually," she rubbed at her ears embarresedly, "But all the same, I reckon."

Robin entered the shop, getting mentally prepared for terrible traffic in there. She was surprised to see a Hogwarts Professor and Savannah (her DADA classmate).

"I work here. Er, I own it, actually. But all the same, I reckon," She heard Savannah say, embarrassed.

"Wow, you really own this place? That's pretty awesome!" Robin exclaimed, when she entered.

Savannah turned her head towards the sound of another entrant, chewing on her bottom lip. What if someone wasn't even actually there? What if -

Oh.

Blinking at the brunette, she nodded at her, raising a hand in welcome, a slow smile crossing her face. "Hey, Potter."

But as soon as she heard the words out of the famous girl's mouth, her smile slowly slid off. Her expression falling, she glanced down at her feet, the dragon beside her nudging her softly. Reaching a hand to pet Dia, she offered a small smile before looking back up at the Hufflepuff.

"I - I do. I guess it's pretty awesome. But ... I don't know. They way I got it was ... less than awesome." She grimaced, hugging herself. Honeydukes wasn't worth it. She didn't even really want it. If Rosie hadn't had to get beheaded for it to happen, maybe it'd be a different story.

But she'd never know now, would she?

Robin saw Savannah's expression fall at what she said, had she said something wrong?

She glanced at the dragon, who seemed to have its way of comforting Savannah. "The way I got it was... less than awesome." Was said by her.

Robin looked down at her feet, ashamed that she would ask such a question. She didn't know what was wrong with it, but she knew it made Savannah really sad. She imagined her fidgeting uncomfortable, making her look up to check if she really was.

She decided to not press the subject further, and to change the subject. "So, why're you here all alone? I'm sure someone would've asked you to be their valentine!" She managed a smile on her behalf, and felt the awkward atmosphere change.

"Don't knock yourself up over it," Savannah shrugged a shoulder. She didn't want her pity. There was a reason she didn't know about it. If everyone knew, they'd run her right out of the store.

They'd want to smother her in hugs.

Her cheeks heating up at the question, she ducked her head shyly, a tiny giggle bursting from her throat. "Well, sort of. I have a boyfriend." Her cheeks reddened even more as her thoughts turned to Chris, warm and fuzzy feelings beginning in her chest. "But he's in Canada, but I Floo to see him every once in a while. I'm going later today," Savannah grinned widely. What was better than spending Valentine's Day with Chris?

"What about you? Got anyone?"

"A boyfriend, huh?" Robin gave a sly smile, "and in Canada; so far away. I wouldn't be able to deal with a distant relationship myself. But I'm glad you can find someone for you."

"what about you? Got anyone?"

Robin turned a dark shade of red. "Actually, I don't have a boyfriend, but I do fancy someone," she said softly, looking at the ground so she doesn't see her turning into a tomato.

Stupid Weasley genes that somehow managed to survive these generations, she grumbled inwardly.

Savannah blushed even harder. There was something just so amazing when someone said the word boyfriend. The butterflies she felt from just thinking of Chris increased tenfold. Her heart raced even harder, as if she'd just stopped the Seeker from catching the Snitch with a well-aimed Bludger.

And she loved every moment of it.

"Thank you," she squeaked out, rubbing at her scarlet cheeks, giggling softly.

"Ooh," Savannah teased, leaning flat onto the counter, grinning deviously. "Is the bloke in our year? Is it..." she hummed, tilting her head in thought. There really weren't many boys in their year, were they? "McQueen? Is it him?"

"You're welcome," she smiled softly, the blush finally leaving her cheeks.

She turned into an even darker shade of red and looked away sharply. "I'm not telling you who I fancy," she stammered out, clutching her cheeks to be rid of the blush. She felt her cheeks grow hotter by the second.

"McQueen though? Why would it be McQueen? I mean I hate him so much, he's a cocky bastard who thinks he knows everything and that he's smarter than me! But seriously, McQueen? Timothy McQueen? No way, not until hell has frozen over three times, and then melted by my super power that doesn't even exist!" She was aware that she was rambling to avoid the conversation.

Stupid McQueen, she grumbled to herself.

"Sure you won't," She nodded slowly, her tone still teasing. Maybe this was what she needed. To, at least for a moment, forget about Rosie. If she spent her time focused on something else, it didn't hurt so much.

Raising an eyebrow, her grin grew exponentially. "Well, I think someone has a little bit of a crush. But they just don't want to admit it." What was that like, she wondered. Her and Chris' relationship had never had that awkward dancing around the issue of a crush. They'd simply liked each other.

Robin shook her head violently, her face redder by the second. "Me? A crush? No way, especially not with McQueen or anything. A crush? Nope. Not me, anyway. I can't believe you thought I had a crush - especially on McQueen. Me and McQueen? Nope, not a crush. He's a total asshole, and I don't like him - not at all," she shook her head again, and added bitterly, "He's got this mad crush on a Hufflepuff fifth year, anyway, so it doesn't matter."

Savannah shook her head, amusement shining in her blue eyes. She couldn't help but feel so much older than the girl, even though they were in the same year. It seemed like life had made her older than she really was. Her father dying, getting kidnapped by a large crow, Ava and Honey's arrival in her life and Rosie dying...

How was she not a nervous wreck?

"C'mon Potter," the girl grinned, raising her arms extravagantly. "Where are those pranking Weasley and Potter genes hiding? We take this fifth year out. And then you're there to be all comforting." Savannah nodded, her eyes bright.

"Pranking? Me?" She squeaked in response, "the best pranks I know is turning someone bald, changing hair colour, tripping them up, stinging them, making their skin neon green, making their hair fuzz up weirdly, and dungbombing successfully," she frowned in concentration, realizing that it was quite a lot of things she could do, "that didn't seem like a long list in my head," she added quickly.

"And I told you, I don't like McQueen!" she exclaimed, "and anyway, I'd chicken out even if I wanted to do it. And she's a prefect - I can't very well prank a prefect!"

Savannah arched an eyebrow, one that only moved higher with each addition to the brunette's list, joined with an ecstatic grin. If she could do all of that and consider it nothing, Merlin, what would something be to the Potter? "Oh, but it is," she sighed softly, grinning. In one fluid motion, she jumped over the counter, throwing an arm around the girl. "And all such viable options."

She tilted her head, her grin only widening. "Why not? C'mon, what's the worst that can happen?"

"These options actually came directly from my granddad," she said, finally grinning at her.

"The worst that could happen? Well, pranking someone is 20 points off my house, pranking a prefect is 20 points extra and detention for a week! I'm not risking that for McQueen!" She exclaimed, "even if I did like him, which I don't!"

She paused a second, "oh wait, I can also make any part of an animal grow on a person - like, I can make tentacles grow out of your head."

Savannah grinned, "That's just amazing. What I'd do to have a family like yours..." her gaze grew dreamy, her voice wistful. No, she was stuck with a dead father and an absent mother.

How fun.

"House points," she shook her head, her laughter ringing around them. "Oh, Potter, there are more important things in life than house points. Like love." She nodded knowingly. "I'd get every house point for Gryffindor taken away in a snap for Chris."

Savannah sighed, "Oh denial. It's not just a river in Egypt, you know." Her grin widened. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you?"

Robin nodded happily at her first comment, completely unaware of what Savannah was thinking.

"I don't love him!" She laughed, going redder than apples would, "I don't even like him, or anything close to that."

She fumbled around in embarrassment at Savannah's clear amazement at what she can do, deliberately ignoring what she said about denial. She wasn't in denial!

"It's not much, what I can do," She said, "I mean, my cousin could make fireworks come out of his wand... I can't even compare to that!

She patted the girl on the head. The action could have easily come off as demeaning, but her eyes sparkled with amusement; she meant no harm.

Had she, it would have been exceedingly obvious. But instead, she was rather enjoying teasing her schoolmate. "How long are you gonna keep telling yourself that, Robin? The way you're acting, you're like a schoolgirl with a crush." For a moment, it completely slipped her mind that that was exactly what the girl was.

Savannah raised her eyebrows, grinning from ear to ear. "But what you can do is pretty epic. And with your pranking know-how and genes and my magic ability, we can show this prefect just what happens when you get in the way of love."

"How long are you gonna keep telling yourself that, Robin? The way you're acting, you're like a schoolgirl with a crush," Savannah told her, amused.

I AM a schoolgirl, but I don't have a crush! She thought to herself, but her inner voice sounded more 'pouty' than anything else.

Yes you do have a crush, her sly conscience told her.

Lies! She yelled back at it.

But outwardly, she crossed her arms and pouted, looking much like a little girl. Only she was older, and admittedly, prettier than what a little girl would look like.

"But here's the thing: I don't want to prank the prefect. And it's not because of whatever reason I gave you before, it's because this prefect doesn't even like him, and she didn't even do anything!" She exclaimed, "How can I prank someone who doesn't have an actual part in this?"

She laughed. Savannahh threw back her head and laughed, her pearls of laughter bouncing around the practically empty store. The childish attitude of the girl that was her age was just entirely amusing.

When she calmed down, she grinned charmingly, absentmindedly twirling herself around. "Oh, Potter. You have much to learn about the art of lies."

She'd become quite versed in them.

"Hmm, that's true," she tilted her head, nodding in agreement. "Okay, okay, so what if we prank someone else? Then he'd have to at least notice you."

Robin huffed indignantly but didn't say anything further about the subject. She knew she could be childish sometimes; and she didn't bother correcting her about not liking McQueen, because she was obviously not buying it.

"Hmm," Robin tilted her head in thought, "Well, what if I prank McQueen himself? I mean, he's bound to notice me if his hair turned bright blue and big dog ears sprouted out of his head..."

She giggled slightly at the image that formed in her mind. It would be funny if she did that, indeed.

Ideas, ideas, ideas. How did you get noticed, anyway? It wasn't as if Savannah had ever done anything attention grabbing. Maybe if she'd milked the kidnapping during her first year, she could have been Hogwarts famous. For a moment she frowned, but brushed it off. Why spend your life thinking about what you could have done?

"There's an idea," she said softly, grinning at Robin. "And a very good one. Who knew you were more than just a pretty face with a grand family history?" Her grin widened, her tone teasing.

"But there's one thing I want to add. Me. I want in on this." After all, she'd given her the idea.

She huffed in a very child-like manner at her comment, but couldn't help but grin and being called smart. "Thanks," she mumbled, not used to praises.

If possible, Robin's grin widened. "Well, of course!"She exclaimed, "You thought of the idea, you have to be in it too! It's only fair, anyway..."

She walked around the store, and found some chocolate frogs on a shelf "Do you think it's possible if we 'liquidify' the spell and get McQueen to eat or drink it? It would be easier to do, and harder to get caught."

"You're welcome," she grinned, her arm back around the girl's shoulders. It was nice, to for once be in charge of something. She felt like the older one in this duo, even without the knowledge of the Hufflepuff's birthday.

But then again, with her early birthday, the chances that she was older were much higher. That made her feel better.

Her grin widened and she bowed deeply. "Thank you, Ms. Potter." Pulling up into a standing position, a little giggle fought its way out of her throat.

"Like a potion?" Savannah watched Robin walk around, tilting her head. Wasn't there a Hufflepuff a few years above them who specialized in selling them? "That can be arranged. Just as long as we know exactly what we're gonna do to him."