The young lady, yet unknown, seemed to be much more alarmed than he’d first imagined on closer inspection. Anthony, concerned for her and this rat—?! she had mentioned, bent again to peer around for the creature. He couldn’t see anything, or hear it, but he also wasn’t the one wearing an immensely heavy, multi-layered rose costume and petticoats. The young lady pressed into him alarmed, and for a moment, Anthony was reminded of his cousin Poppy and her dramatic fear of insects. He almost chuckled to himself. Almost.
“I don’t see anything—” the brunette tried again, but then something moved. Something big. Anthony didn’t see exactly what it was but the errant flick of a long tail definitely caught his attention just near her skirts and the gentleman balked. Oh, this would not do! In the same instance the young lady was pushing him back, all but crowding him for the exit, Anthony made one quick movement to lift her as elegantly as he could up and away from that creature. He was glad in that moment the room was primarily empty, save for a house elf shuffling around in the corner. It was brazen and forward and so rude of him to lay a hand on this poor woman, but he hoped her fear might trigger understanding and he quickly swept towards the exit.
She was exceedingly light in his arms, small as she was to begin with, and he made quick work of crossing the threshold and setting her down gently. The fog around their ankles had dissipated, enchanted as it was to remain in that particular room, but Anthony swept the floor with his gaze once more to ensure that thing hadn’t followed them out. When he was satisfied, the gentleman straightened and made to apologize. “Er- sorry about that,” he said, awkwardly, reaching up a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I saw it, your rat. Or, the tail at least. It was bigger than a normal rat and I just, er, reacted.” Well if that wasn’t bumblingly off-putting he didn’t know what was.
“Are you alright?” Anthony asked, more gently this time.
“I don’t see anything—” the brunette tried again, but then something moved. Something big. Anthony didn’t see exactly what it was but the errant flick of a long tail definitely caught his attention just near her skirts and the gentleman balked. Oh, this would not do! In the same instance the young lady was pushing him back, all but crowding him for the exit, Anthony made one quick movement to lift her as elegantly as he could up and away from that creature. He was glad in that moment the room was primarily empty, save for a house elf shuffling around in the corner. It was brazen and forward and so rude of him to lay a hand on this poor woman, but he hoped her fear might trigger understanding and he quickly swept towards the exit.
She was exceedingly light in his arms, small as she was to begin with, and he made quick work of crossing the threshold and setting her down gently. The fog around their ankles had dissipated, enchanted as it was to remain in that particular room, but Anthony swept the floor with his gaze once more to ensure that thing hadn’t followed them out. When he was satisfied, the gentleman straightened and made to apologize. “Er- sorry about that,” he said, awkwardly, reaching up a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I saw it, your rat. Or, the tail at least. It was bigger than a normal rat and I just, er, reacted.” Well if that wasn’t bumblingly off-putting he didn’t know what was.
“Are you alright?” Anthony asked, more gently this time.