A young woman walked in, about the same age as Melanie and almost her exact opposite. She was tall and blonde with pale skin and piercing blue eyes. She wore a black leather jacket over a red top and black leggings. Her eyes lit up as she saw Melanie.
"Ooh, what's this?" She grinned, reaching out for the frog "How adorable! Is it a new pet?"
"I'm not a pet" Melanie said indignantly.
"It talks?!" The girl exclaimed, looking at Cecil.
"That's not a pet, Lilliana" Cecil told her "It's Miss Jones."
"That's the girl you're trying to replace me with?" Lilliana asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Who' are you?" Melanie asked.
"I'm his last assistant" Lilliana replied, kneeling down next to the frog "Or rather his last apprentice. I was training under him but then he decided he needed someone new and more reliable, so I quit."
"Well you did leave a lot of mess behind when you did" Cecil said defensively.
"And it was boring" Lilliana added, picking up Melanie and looking her over.
"Can you try and help me? I hate being a frog!" Melanie asked desperately "Please. I'll do anything."
"Anything?" Lilliana repeated with a smirk "You might want to be careful who you make promises like that to. "
"Just please help me!" Melanie begged.
"Very well" Lilliana said, turning to Cecil "Do you mind if I give it a try?
"No, not at all" Cecil answered, watching as she took a step back, holding Melanie in her hand "It's not like I'm getting anywhere."
Lilliana took her wand out from her pocket and waved it around for a moment. There was a spark of light and then a poof of white smoke. The smoke cleared and Melanie was still a frog.
"Sorry" Lilliana apologised "Let me try that again."
She pointed her wand at Melanie once more, chanting an incantation that Cecil didn't recognise. Once again, a bright flash of light and then a poof of smoke. When the smoke had gone Lilliana looked at Melanie and groaned.
"Nope" She said with a sigh "That wasn't it. Sorry."
"You have got to help me" Melanie pleaded, starting to panic again "Please."
"Fine" Lilliana said reluctantly "I'll give it one more go."
Lilliana took a deep breath and began an incantation. It was a little different to the one before and seemed more complicated. She had obviously put a lot of effort into it, and after uttering the final word she was rewarded with a poof of smoke.
The smoke soon disappeared and when it was gone Melanie was no longer in her hand. Lilliana looked around, confused, wondering where she had gone.
"Miss Jones, where are you?" Cecil asked, searching for her.
"Here" Came a muffled voice.
"Where?" Lilliana asked, looking down.
There, laying at her feet, was a small, grey rabbit. Lilliana sighed, rolling her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Jones" Cecil said apologetically, kneeling next to her "I'm not sure what happened."
"I know" Lilliana said, annoyed "I'll sort it. Don't worry."
Lilliana raised her wand and was about to utter an incantation when she paused, a sly smile creeping onto her face.
"Wait a moment" She said, looking at Melanie, who was a rabbit now, lying on the floor and staring up at her, a worried expression on her cute, furry face.
"What's wrong?" Cecil asked.
"This might not be so bad" Lilliana mused.
"What do you mean?" Cecil wondered.
"Miss Jones here did agree to do anything for me if I tried to help her" Lilliana replied, her smile becoming even more mischievous.
"And?" Cecil asked, not quite understanding what Lilliana was saying.
"I think I might have changed my mind" Lilliana decided "She is adorable as a little rabbit. I've always wanted a pet."
"Are you seriously thinking of keeping her as a rabbit?" Cecil asked.
"Yes" Lilliana replied without hesitation "Why not? It will be fun!"
"But she'll miss her old life" Cecil argued.
"Maybe" Lilliana agreed "But she did promise to do whatever I asked of her."
"Please turn me back" Melanie begged, her ears drooping "I don't want to be a rabbit."
"Why not?" Lilliana asked "You make a great little bunny, Miss Jones."
"Please call me Mel" Melanie said, her heart sinking as Lilliana showed no sign of helping her.
"Ok, Mel" Lilliana agreed, kneeling next to her and stroking her head "And I might change you back one day. When I feel like it. For now, though, I think I'm going to keep you."
Melanie looked over at Cecil, hoping he would step in and help her, but he simply shrugged.
"You did promise" He reminded her.