Quote:
Originally Posted by
Felixir 
Abey drummed his fingers on his lap and fidgeted in his seat a bit. Of all his cousins and siblings, Junia was the one who was most often privy to his little... confessions. Mostly because Hassan and Lilian were proper grown-ups, and Eureka and Rula may as well have been, and though Aaron and Alanna were still young, they had always seemed a little too... well... sensitive. It had always been different with Junia. She felt much more like a partner in crime than the others did.
"Well," he started, then started drumming his finger tips against each other. "I suppose mama will find out soon anyway, but..." Before he knew it, Abey had burst forth into a rambling explanation that actually didn't really explain much at all actually, regularly switching back and forth between English and Arabic, transitioning so fluidly he hardly seemed to notice he was doing it. "Really, it's actually really only fair, really. 'Cause Feo's mine now 'cause Jaddi said he could be mine. And I really can look after him here, and I didn't technically ask if I could bring him so it's not like anyone really told me no, but I was worried that if I did ask that they would tell me no, so I thought if I just bought him with me anyway, nobody would take him away again. But I don't think mama wanted me to bring him 'cause of I had to beg her to let me bring Squigs." Abey turned his big shiny brown eyes on Junia. "But I do love Feo so much and I couldn't just leave him behind, Junebug. And I heard that people can get away with all sorts at Hogwarts, so I can probably keep him hidden, right?"
... Right?
Junia listened thoughtfully, used to the way her cousin navigated between languages. It was something she'd also done when she was very small, something she assumed all the Botros children had done. It made her feel connected to her family somehow. Speaking of, the mention of Feo had the thirteen year old up and out of her seat, eyes wide because she was fairly certain having more than one pet at Hogwarts was forbidden. Feo, though, he wasn't really a pet. He was a part of the
family. She was pretty sure there were no specific rules about bringing
family along to school.
"It'll be tricky and if we're found out, you have to say he stowed away in your luggage without your knowledge. We also need some kind of plan." One to get around the whole only having one pet thing.
"Maybe you can make a friend that didn't bring a pet, so if anyone asks about Feo, that friend can say he's theirs." Yeah, yeah that could work!
"But it can't be just anyone, Abey. It has to be someone we can trust." Did he understand that?