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[lilium_evansiae]

Wingardium Leviosa is a first year spell, one Lily's had down for years now, simple levitation.

Still, it's good to practice the basics sometimes.

Which is why there's a small brown teapot (empty, of course) hovering about five feet above a table tonight.

And below it, a redheaded witch with her wand out, watching it slowly spin in the air.

Comments

[lilium_evansiae]

She smiles back at him.

"I use magic every day when I'm at school, it's part of who I am, but every so often, even now after years of knowing about it and studying it, I have a moment of just pure wonder at it all.

"Would you like to keep the fish?"

[real_or_notreal]

"I'd love to." Comes out without him realizing it, except on the moment he's saying it, as he's pushing out of his chair, new leg and movement all forgotten, for peering down into the tea pot.

"I mean," a little flustered, but suddenly brighter. "Thank you. Too."

Beat. "Shouldn't we name him, then, if he's staying?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"You're very welcome," she says.

"And, yes, I definitely think he needs a name."

[real_or_notreal]

"It shouldn't have a District 4 name."
He was never naming anything after Finnick Odair.



"What kinds of names do fish get where you're from?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"Let's see. Names inspired by the colors they are, sometimes. So something green, for this one.

"I named my cat after someone I found mentioned in my first Potions book.

"Her name's Hesper."

[real_or_notreal]

It's light, a laugh when he says, "I don't what that is at all," this time.

[lilium_evansiae]

"Hesper?

"She was a witch who studied how the phase of the moon affected potion making.

"Hesper Starky.

"I just thought it was a pretty name, and it suits my cat."

[real_or_notreal]

He knows little about those things, but Prim has a cat, Buttercup, that he sees skulking about in Victor's Village now and then. He sees a lot of the Everdeen's lives.

Potentially a lot more than he wants to right now.
That happens when you live right next door to someone.


"What kind of green names are there?" He was peering down, again. "And do we need to know if it's a boy or girl, while making this choice? Just choose something that fits either?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"I don't know how to tell a boy fish from a girl fish," Lily says. "I don't think most people do. Maybe you just pick the name you like best and then use the appropriate pronoun for the name.

"Green things ... well, all kinds of plants, obviously. Ferns and moss and so on. And green gems, like emerald and jade."

Lily looks down into the teapot at the little fish.

[real_or_notreal]

It's a little sudden, but he shakes his head, saying, "Not plants."

Not plants. Not -- it was too alive. Swimming little rippling circles.

[lilium_evansiae]

"All right," Lily says.

"Well, I suppose we could pick something related to teapots or bread, in honor of its beginning."

[real_or_notreal]

"It's not very sweet looking," he said, looking up.
More toward the whole cookie and cake referencing.

"He'd be a terrible 'Frosting.'"



And a bad joke she wouldn't get.




(And he couldn't live with.)

[lilium_evansiae]

"No, he's not a Frosting," Lily agrees.

She watches the fish swim dart around in circles, and then looks up at Peeta, giggling.

"You could name him Tempest."

[real_or_notreal]

"Tempest?" He parroted the word again, looking up at her and down at the tiny green thing splashing around in the little water it had. It was definitely going to need more space.

[lilium_evansiae]

"It's a storm. And there's an expression, a 'tempest in a teapot' or a 'storm in a teacup,' that means a lot of fuss over something small.

"And then there's a play called The Tempest by a man named Shakespeare, about a wizard. And his daughter has a line. 'O brave new world, That has such people in't!'

"Which would seem to apply to this place, wouldn't it?"

[real_or_notreal]

Peeta stared down at the fish.






It fit a lot of things actually.






"Tempest it is, then. A magical name for a magical fish."
Beat, and he glanced up. "You're sure you don't mind?"

[lilium_evansiae]

"Not at all.

"I don't think I could bear to change it back after all this, and if I take it home ... well, it's not allowed, and I have a cat on top of that.

"I'm glad you're taking Tempest.

"And the teapot."