Daddy's Girl

Pairing: Ron/Lavender
Word Count: 995

Written For:

- Chocolate Frog Cards: Puffskein (challenge): Incorporate the location of Magical Menagerie into your story.

- February Event: (quote) "My six word love story: I can't imagine life without you." (Unknown), (colour) Rose Red

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Secret Diary: (plot/action) Counting money, (plot/action) Practising a pretend sad face, (word) Conversation, (dialogue) "You're a bad girl." / "I know!"

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/All Colours: Azure, Red

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Said Synonyms: blurted, whined, offered, commented, simpered

- Gringotts Prompt Bank/Elder Scrolls OC Names: Sven

- Word Prompt Express: dad

"I really want him, Lav," Rose blurted out to Lavender. Rose, Hugo and Lavender were all waiting in the Magical Menagerie for Ron, who had nipped over to Gringotts, with the promise of withdrawing some gold to buy Rose a pet, as she was going to be heading off to Hogwarts in less than a month's time.

Rose was referring to a huge white tabby cat that was stalking the Menagerie. Lavender had never seen a cat quite so big, but Rose didn't seem to care. She was treating it as though it was a kitten, and the cat seemed to have taken quite a shine to her too. She was sitting on the floor with the enormous cat in her lap, stroking it's ears.

"He'd love a good home," called the saleswoman, who was leaning over the counter. One eye was trained constantly on young Hugo, who was stood by a large cage of baby Pygmy Puffs, watching them bounce around. "We've been calling him Sven around here, because it was an old Swedish witch who brought him in. We couldn't quite understand what she said his name with, so we've just been saying 'Sven' ever since. But I imagine if you buy him, he won't mind you calling him something else."

"I love Sven," Rose whined, burrowing her face into Sven's fur. He purred loudly, the sound seeming to vibrate throughout the whole shop. "Oh, Lavender. Dad will never let me have him. Mum's insisting that Dad buys me my pet, and he wants me to have an owl so that I can write home without having to use any of the school owls." Rose paused and looked at the tag that was attached to Sven's rose-red collar, which read seventy galleons. She sighed.

Lavender bent down and made to stroke Sven, but he grumbled at her as she advanced. She pulled back her hand, and instead patted Rose on the head as she observed the cat. She could see why Rose was so attached to him—Sven was a beautiful cat with a mane of thick, sleek white fur. There was a long stripe of grey down his back, and each of his paws were grey too, making it look as though he was wearing socks. His most defining feature was his wide, azure-blue eyes.

"Even if Dad did buy him for me, he wouldn't be able to come home during the holidays. Crookshanks doesn't like any other cats."

"Well, Sven could always stay with your dad and me during the holidays," Lavender offered. "I've always liked cats—even when they don't really like me." Rose looked up at her hopefully.

"So—you'll get Dad to buy him for me?"

"Wait, wait. Remember what I taught you?"

Rose nodded.

"Well, show me. Show me your best sad face," Lavender prompted. She observed as Rose crumpled up her face in mock sadness, sticking out her bottom lip and furrowing her brow. Lavender gave her a thumbs up. "Perfect. If your dad resists that face, then he's got a heart of stone. Remember—that's our little secret," she gave Rose a large wink, and Rose giggled.

The saleswoman was grinning, but she shook her head. "You're a bad girl, Lavender Brown," she commented, and Lavender rolled her eyes.

"I know. But it's worth it if Rosie gets what she wants—and every little girl needs to have her daddy wrapped around her little finger!"

Ron walked into the menagerie as Lavender was in mid-conversation with the saleswoman, but he didn't catch what they were talking about. He dusted his coat down as he entered, and shook his head at Rose, who was still cradling Sven on the floor.

"Put the cat back, Rosie. Lets have a look at some owls."

Right on queue, Rose stuck out her lip and scrunched up her brow, giving Ron the most heartbreaking expression that she could muster. Lavender was leaning against the counter besides the saleswoman, and she caught Rose's eye behind Ron's back. She gave her another thumbs up encouragingly. "Please, Daddy!" begged Rose. "I really, really want Sven!"

Ron sighed loudly. "Rose, we've already discussed that you can't have a cat! Your mum would kill me. We all know what that little bas—what Crookshanks is like with other cats. Other animals in general, really."

"Lavender said Sven could stay with you during the holidays," simpered Rose sweetly, and Ron averted his attention to Lavender, who was looking away pointedly.

"Oh, did she really?"

"Ron, don't be such a grumpy old dad," Lavender replied with a giggle. "We don't have any pets. Sven wouldn't be such a big addition to the household."

"Just when I'd got rid of one mangy old mental beast—ow!" he was cut off. Sven had jumped off Rose's lap and reached up to swat at Ron with his paw. "Oh, for Merlin's sake. How much for the abnormally large cat?"

"Seventy galleons—but we'll call it fifty," the saleswoman replied.

"That desperate to get rid of him, are you?" Ron grumbled as he started fishing gold coins out of his pockets, counting them out on the desk.

"No, of course not! But I've never seen Sven look so happy around anyone." She added the money to the till, and Rose stood up, scooping Sven up.

"Thanks, Daddy!" she called, the sad face she was wearing already gone. She and Hugo hurried out of the shop, already playing with Sven out on the street.

"You wouldn't have had something to do with that, would you?" Ron muttered as he leaned towards Lavender, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

"Oh, come on," Lavender sniggered. "You know you love me."

"My six word love story," Ron began, interlocking his fingers with hers. "I couldn't imagine life without you. You are so great with the kids, even though they're not yours."

Lavender smiled, before giving him a playful shove. "Lets go before I have to grab a sick bucket, soppy-pants."