A Queen and Her Kings

Under the Pale Moonlight

"So I guess it just depends on the animal?", the short boy questioned. Ash nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I've met good animals, but you have to keep in mind that animals are just like people; they can be good or bad, like who they want, and have any kind of personality.", the green eyed boy said wisely, before smiling when he saw Rosa on Cassandra's shoulder.

"So, who's that?", Ash asked, pointing to the hedgehog. Riddle smiled.

"That would be Rosa. She's the hedgehog I use when I play croquet back at the dorm. I'm usually the one who takes care of her, since I'm the only human she likes, but since I was busy today I let some first years do it. Clearly, that was a mistake.", the short boy elaborated, frowning when he got to the last sentence. Ash nodded, and while all this was happening, Shorter had tried to pet Rosa with a finger and a goofy smile, only for her to try and bite him, which caused his smile to fall as he yanked his hand back. Cassandra laughed at his antics, and Ash looked to Yue and the herb-filled pestle and mortar on the coffee table with a raised eyebrow.

"So I take it she got hurt, Riddle didn't know what to do, and so he came to you?", the blonde asked. Yue huffed, glaring at him as he quickly petted his ponytail to keep his beautiful black hair smooth and sleek, which was now in front of his right shoulder; an old nervous habit from when he was younger. He was clearly distressed by the fact he was given a task he didn't know if he was capable of doing.

"No shit Sherlock, but I'm not exactly a vet, so this whole thing is basically a shot in the dark for me. I'm used to fixing people, not small spiny rodents.", the purple eyed boy shot back in a tired, defensive tone. Ash just stared at him for a moment before turning back to Cassandra, hands in his black uniform blazer pockets.

"Shorter and I are gonna go see if there are any clubs we wanna join. Call us if you need anything.", he said, before giving Cassandra a quick peck on the lips and walking out the door. Shorter gave her his signature goofy grin and did the same thing. Cassandra watched them leave with a smile, before turning back to face Riddle and Yue, Rosa still on her shoulder.

"Let's try something different.", Cassandra suggested, before she gently picked Rosa up and sat down on the couch between her two boyfriends, setting the hedgehog down on the coffee table. To the shock of Yue and Riddle, she stayed put, and Cassandra hummed a tune as she dabbed her finger into the salve-filled mortar and began to apply the substance to Rosa's paw. Once she was done with that, the tanned girl wrapped the wound with a small cloth bandage that was lying on the table. After she finished treating the wound, Cassandra picked the hedgehog up and handed her to Riddle.

"There you are, all fixed up.", she said with a smile. Rose squeaked happily, and Riddle was looking at his girlfriend in awe.

"How did you do that? She wouldn't even sit that still for me.", he asked. Cassandra shrugged.

"I have no idea. Small animals usually avoid me like the plague; its the big ones that usually like me. Big dogs, alligators, lynxs... ", the redhead trailed off with a fond smile, shaking her head and chuckling. Riddle blinked when he heard the second one.

"Alligators?", he asked. Cassandra nodded.

"Yep. My home town is like ninety percent swamp. You literally cannot leave your house without seeing one somewhere; you may not know you've seen it, but you've seen it.", Cassandra said as she leaned back against the couch. Riddle did the same thing and let Rosa curl up in his lap.

"What's your home like? You speak of it fondly.", he asked her as he curled into the fellow redhead's side, absentmindedly petting Rosa. Cassandra smiled as her eyes went alight with nostalgia, and she laced one of her hands with Riddle's free one.