March 31st, 1888 - High Street near the park, For This!

It was finally starting to feel a little like spring, though there was still a little crispness to the air, Febby didn't feel quite so uncomfortable without all her winter weight outerwear. She had a purpose today and was fairly certain her chaperon either didn't approve or couldn't keep up with the fairly athletic young woman as she made a beeline toward Padmore Park. Either way, February was on a mission! She'd heard from several of her friends that there were Easter eggs hiding around town that contained a surprise when picked up! She'd heard everything from absolutely nothing, to a sickle, to a rock! Needless to say she was quite intrigued and with little better to do with her time, February took her Saturday morning and ran with it- almost literally.

Her long legs ate up the ground rather easily, as she'd put on her good, worn in walking boots and a sturdy dress in a pretty green to execute her plans. There still had to be some left! She'd be sorely disappointed if there weren't! February had neglected to actually tell her chaperon about her plans until about halfway up High Street, when the woman finally got frustrated with Febby's constant stopping and erratic path through town. The huff of annoyance that followed only made Febs laugh and continue her search with increased vigor.

She really should have roped one of her sisters into helping, or even Nate perhaps, but she wasn't sure if the former would have been too interested of if asking the latter was even appropriate, no matter how much she would have enjoyed some company aside from her cranky chaperon. "Oh!" She squeaked as something bright yellow caught her eye in a bush outside a shop near the end of the buildings that lined High Street. "Oh excuse me!" Febs all but chirped as she nearly ran over a gentleman on her way to see if it was indeed one of the Easter eggs. She just narrowly missed colliding with him completely, passing him a wide, somewhat apologetic smile as she managed to sidestep around him, though had certainly gotten in his way. Honestly, she should have been the one to play quidditch!

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Rufus Bixby

  

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The Bixby siblings were all back home for the holiday and as such it was a pleasant break from the normal pattern of Rufus's days since the Quidditch season had ended. Which was the reason that when Sloane had asked if one of her brothers would take her to hunt for eggs with her friend Miss Thompsett, Rufus had gladly agreed. Of course he was never really one to say no to the young girl in the first place. As soon as they had reached High Street the two girls had shot off on a quest for eggs with Rufus following behind them at a leisurely pace keeping an eye on them from afar.

His attention was very much on the two young girls when a young woman rushed around him. It was very easily an almost into him, but she seemed to catch herself just in time and as Rufus found himself side-stepping the young woman did so as well. A good thing for it would have been quite a crash had she run into him. "Are you alright Miss?" Rufus asked, reaching out a hand if she needed steadying. She seemed vaguely familiar, had he met her during his time at Hogwarts?

The young lady's eyes were on something right beside him and Rufus found his attention on a bright yellow Easter egg perched on the bush beside him. Ah, that must be what she had been aiming for. Rufus smiled at her and stepped backward, grandly gesturing toward the egg with a bow. "Please do proceed." He chuckled, for it seemed that today everyone was enjoying the festivities.

  

"Oh yes! I do apologize for being so abrupt, I've been trying to find one of these all afternoon!" February chirped as she passed him a wide, easy smile. Chuckling at his bow, February scooped up the egg in her hands and eyed it carefully. It was a little larger than she expected, but not huge.

"Have you found any of these? I've heard all sorts of things about what's inside!" Febs could chit chat with anybody about anything, though she supposed he wasn't obligated to answer, considering she had just nearly run him over. It would only add insult to injury if she were to prevent him from being on his way if he had somewhere to be.

Upon further inspection of the egg, she saw there were delicate little bunnies painted on the outside,  how clever! Wonder what she would have to do figure out of there were something hiding inside, it suddenly began to shake! February started and nearly dropped it, but worried it would shatter if she did. Hopefully nothing too wild would come of it!

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“That’s quite alright, my sister and her friend have been too.” Rufus said pointing down the road at the two eleven year olds as they compared brightly colored eggs before scampering toward the next ones they saw. “I can’t say I have, but those two seem to being doing well. I think I’ve seen them turn into rocks, candies, knuts, so far.” Rufus reported of the two girls.

The yellow egg began to shake in the young woman’s held out hand and the look on her face was rather surprised although she had just been discussing that the eggs magically changed, Rufus couldn’t help but chuckle. Suddenly the egg was shattered and hanging over the young lady’s petite fingers was a bright yellow bunny whose feet were furiously kicking to find purchase. It sprang from her hand into the air as if toward freedom and Rufus, who made his living catching flying objects, grabbed for the bunny and caught it by the scruff of its neck.

“And now a bunny.” He added to his previous list, somewhat surprised at the turn of events. A moment later he remembered that the bunny should probably be returned to the lady who had desperately been looking for an easter treat. “I believe he is your’s.” He offered the bunny to her.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Febby listened to the possible choices that the egg could contain with renewed interest. As hers began to shake and crack, she really was rather bewildered by the whole thing and then sudden out sprang- a bunny! Laughing in delight, it managed to escape her grasp with its furious kicking. This elicited a gasp as she reached to try and catch it but the gentleman before her managed to do so rather quickly!

"My goodness you're quick!" She accepted the bunny back and gently stroked it behind the ears to get it to calm down. It looked pretty skeptical about whatever had just happened and Febs couldn't say she blamed it. "Aren't you just a sweetheart? I was not expecting that!" Of all the things! "Well now it's quite the list, I wonder if your sister and your friend will be so lucky." She wasn't entirely sure two young girls coming across a bunny would be considered lucky exactly, but it would be highly amusing.

Looking down the street at the previously aforementioned girls, she heard a squeal of delight from one and February couldn't help but laugh. "You're in for some trouble, I'll wager." Of course what would she do with a little yellow bunny herself?

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With an easy laugh Rufus admitted, “It’s part of my job to catch things quickly.” This time when he handed her the bunny she was ready for it. She seemed instantly taken with it coo-ing to the bunny in front of her.

The girls catching a bunny, he could just see how that might play out. Both at the time and back home if Sloane were the one to get the bunny. Bus-Bus likely would not like the playmate. “I think they’d likely have less luck than you in keeping it. Our mother might have a thing or two to say about it as well.” He chuckled looking back at the girls, Miss Thompsett appeared to have found another egg and the two girls were raptly staring at it waiting for whatever was inside. The sight made him smile, really seeing Sloane with a friend made him smile, likely because he knew when she was friends she was happy. Although that girl really was just a very happy child. She could teach their brothers a lesson or two about it.

  

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BEE-utiful set!

Febby looked at her company with just a hint of a sly grin. He caught things for a living did he? "You must either work with small creatures or play quidditch..." Febs was leaning toward the latter, of course, he looked like a quidditch player now that she paused to get a good look at him, but one never knew. "It's the small creatures isn't it?" She teased, holding the bunny up as proof. "You wrangle nifflers for a living, how exciting." She picked the most random small critter she could and followed it up with a laugh stifled behind the bunny in her arms.

"And that's a pity, every girl could use a bunny in their lives." Febs still didn't know if her own mother would let her keep the bunny, but Febs didn't ask for much so she hoped it would be alright. Young girls still in Hogwarts should have been able to swing a cute face to get what they wanted!

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Small creatures or quidditch, Rufus chuckled as she guessed his career to include creatures. “Yes, it’s the nifflers. Quick moving things things they are too. Keeps it exciting.” He told her good-naturedly with a quick before adding, “But, no, you were right the first time. I play for Puddlemere.”

“A bunny? Not a cat or a dog?” He’d heard it both ways. Then again he’d also heard owls, and Sloane inistsed on rats. “My sister has a rat, not sure he’d like the company of a bunny as well.” He glanced back at the girls, they still seemed okay, before returning his attention to the young lady before him.

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   Elsie Kirke

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BEE-utiful set!

February mock-pouted when he corrected her assumption and that yes, in fact, he played quidditch. That wasn't really bad news, Febs happened to thoroughly enjoy quidditch players. "Well, I suppose if it can't be nifflers, quidditch is the next best thing. My brother played professionally." Then he'd gone and disappeared, for a long while, presumed dead, the whole shebang. Now he was home and that as a rather long story for some poor gent she'd just happened to nearly run over on the street.

"Ah well, to each their own I suppose." Febby chuckled. "I've always found rats to be the sweetest little creatures. I have cat from my Hogwarts days. Not sure how Andromeda is going to react to a bunny now that I think about it." That was potentially problematic; but the bunny was yellow and absolutely adorable! "Guess I'll have to find out!" She added with a chipper smile.

"So Puddlemere you said, congrats on your last season." Yeah, Febby paid attention. "How do you think this next one will go?"

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"Your brother?" Rufus echoed. He shouldn't be so surprised, but the conversation reminded him of one with a certain other young lady only a few months ago. She too was also the sister of a quidditch player. "What team does he play for?" He added in case this young lady was rather like Miss T. and didn't easily wish to tell him either. Really if he were to keep running into their sisters he supposed he ought to actually remember to introduce himself and make such connections that were there.

The young woman seemed a bit concerned for a moment at the thought of her cat, but Rufus appreciated how quickly she shrugged it off, as if undaunted by the fact. "Well I hope for your cat's sake they get along."

Conversation easily turned to the recent quidditch season and Rufus grinned. "Thank you. Hopefully as well as the last. Are you a Puddlemere fan?"

  

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BEE-utiful set!

"He used to play for the Cannons. Unfortunate mishap prevented him from continuing on." That wasn't too specific, though there had been newspaper articles on it, on it wasn't exactly a secret either. "August Lynch? He disappeared very mysteriously, we don't know exactly what happened, but he's home now." The news had most likely made its rounds among the professional quidditch circuit at least.

Febby's smile turned a little sheepish when he asked if she rooted for Puddlemere. "Will you think any less of me if I tell you I'm a hometown kind of girl?" She batted her eyelashes playfully. She had of course, rooted for the Cannons while August played for them, but since his premature retirement, she tended to lean toward the Howlers. "I would hate to appear to be a fair-weather fan." Simply because they didn't finish at the top was no reason to abandon them!

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Rufus had heard of August Lynch and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his retirement. “I was glad to hear he returned home.” Rufus told her genuinely. “I’m sure you and your family are grateful to have him back.”

“Not at all. The Howlers are quite the respectable team.” He assured her with one of his charming grins. Catching out of the corner of his eye that Miss Thompsett was holding a struggling bunny in her arms. “Although I suspect they will hate me if I don’t lend a hand.” Rufus tilted his head toward the girls. “It was very nice to make your acquaintance Miss Lynch.” He bowed to her and headed down the road to save the girls from the wriggling the creature.

  

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BEE-utiful set!