Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Written for Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition.

Holyhead Harpies, Beater 2.

Mandatory Prompt - Write about losing a pet (to death or otherwise).

Optional Prompts - 2. Preposterous / 8. Running / 10. Receiving a pet as a gift.

Word Count - 1551

Beta'd by Lo and Liza :D

Flapjack

Draco could hear his parents arguing in the lounge. He sidled along the corridor, straining his ears to try and pick up a few of the words. He'd learned when he was very young that it was better to know what he was walking into when his parents were rowing.

Dobby herded him towards the room, but Draco paused outside the doorway, leaning back against the wall. The house elf pulled nervously at his ears, but didn't try to force him into the lounge.

"A Crup, Lucius? That's preposterous!" his mother hissed, her tone angry. "It is Draco's eighth birthday! Who buys a Crup for an eight year old? He is not old enough for a pet that requires such attention! He cannot handle a Crup!"

Draco scowled to himself, wanting to storm into the room and deny his mother's words. Of course he could handle a Crup!

"I've bought him the best of breeds, from one of Celestina's prizewinning litters. He's registered, and his tail has already been sliced. It is time for Draco to begin learning responsibility."

"With a Crup? Destructive little beasts, it's going to ruin the house!"

Draco decided he'd heard enough and pushed himself off the wall, walking into the lounge. His parents quieted immediately, and his mother's lips thinned as she offered him a tight smile.

The box rustling on the floor by his father's feet drew Draco's attention, and he barely listened to what his father said to him before the lid of the box was lifted and the cutest thing Draco had ever seen popped it's head out.

"What will you name him?" his father asked, as Draco dropped to his knees by the box, the puppy Crup immediately tipping the box to move closer to Draco, sniffing at him.

Draco stared at the puppy for a long moment before he grinned.

"Flapjack."

…

Draco lay on his bed, Flapjack curled up beside him. He'd been grounded for letting the puppy run amok in the gardens, scaring his father's prized peacocks in the process, but at least they hadn't taken Flapjack away.

His mother had tried, of course — she didn't really like the Crup — but Flapjack had snarled at her whenever she approached to move him away from Draco's side. In the end, his father had told her to leave them be, but he'd also refused to allow Draco to leave his room for the entire weekend.

"Bored!" Draco complained, stroking Flapjack's head idly. "This is your fault. I told you not to go near Father's peacocks."

Flapjack nipped gently at his fingers.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine being sorry now. That doesn't help much does it?"

Flapjack whined and crept up the bed to lick Draco's nose, before he rested his head on Draco's chest. Draco rolled his eyes but he let his hand rest in the Crup's fur. Closing his eyes, Draco drifted into a light doze, hopeful that his parents would take pity on him soon.

…

"Why can't I take him with me?" Draco demanded, barely restraining himself from stamping his foot. He'd just received his hogwarts letter, and his eyes had zeroed in on the line about pets.

Students may also bring, if they desire, an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

There was nothing in the letter about bringing a Crup, but Draco really didn't want to leave Flapjack behind.

"You'll be able to see him during the breaks," his mother told him, her tone gentle. "But taking a Crup to Hogwarts just isn't feasible. How would you spend time with him, when you have so many lessons? You know Flapjack needs attention, Draco."

"And who is going to take him running in the mornings when I'm not here?" Draco asked, a scowl fixed firmly on his face. "And snuggle him when he's tired at night time?"

"Your Father and I will be here, and Dobby will take him for his morning runs. Flapjack will be fine, Draco."

Shaking his head, Draco threw the letter onto the kitchen table. "If I can't take him with me, I don't want to go!"

He stormed from the room, Flapjack at his heels.

When the two of them settled on the grass outside, Draco hugged the Crup close. "I'm not going without you," he muttered. "They can't force me."

Flapjack licked his nose and then pounced away, chasing the butterflies fluttering around the beautiful flowers that had bloomed under the summer sun.

Draco chuckled wetly.

…

Draco was bouncing with excitement. His mother chucked at him as she gripped his arm to Apparate them home.

As soon as they landed, Draco didn't even get a moment to steady himself before Flapjack was leaping up at him, licking his face excitedly.

They ended up on the ground, Flapjack climbing all over Draco as the two reacquainted themselves with one another. It had been a long few months at Hogwarts before the Christmas Break, and Draco was happy that Flapjack had apparently missed him as much as Draco had missed his Crup.

"I will see you inside," his mother murmured fondly. "Make sure you clean yourself up before you go and greet your father."

…

Draco sobbed into Flapjack's fur, his fingers gripping the Crup tightly. His father had been sent to Azkaban, and Draco would be expected to take the Mark to make up for his father's mistakes.

While he would never admit it to another human being, Draco was terrified at the prospect of taking the Dark Mark.

Flapjack lay still, comforting his human in the only way he knew how. When Draco had cried himself out and fallen into an uneasy slumber, Flapjack curled around him and rested his head on Draco's stomach.

…

Draco felt the bed dip as Flapjack jumped up, crawling up the sheets so he lay next to Draco. He licked at the red skin around the Dark Mark, being careful not to touch the black. Draco tried to push the Crup away, but Flapjack wouldn't allow it, pausing momentarily in his licking to nip at Draco's fingers.

"You can't help me with this, Flapjack," Draco murmured. "It's supposed to hurt, as a reminder of what will happen if I fail."

Flapjack huffed, shifting his position so he could instead lick at the tear streaks on Draco's face.

"I know you want to help," Draco agreed, rubbing the rough fur between the Crup's ears. "You do help. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Ears twitching, Flapjack nuzzled Draco's neck, settling in against his human. Draco cuddled him as much as he could with one arm, his left lying out over the bed, the silk sheets helping to ease the burning a little. He took comfort from Flapjack's slow breathing.

If nothing else, he knew he'd always have Flapjack to come back to, when he had a bad day.

…

Flapjack lay on the ground, unmoving. Draco could feel tears gathering in his eyes but he refused to let them fall, unwilling to allow himself to show that kind of weakness in front of the monster who'd just murdered his Crup.

Staring straight ahead with the Dark Lords laughter echoing in his ears, Draco curled his hands into fists, hidden by the folds of his robes.

"Perhaps, Draco, you will do better in future."

The words were laced with a not so subtle warning, and Draco nodded his head stiffly. "Yes, My Lord."

He stood between his parents until the end of the meeting, unwilling to look at Flapjack until he was alone. He knew that as soon as his gaze fell onto his best friend, he would lose his composure, and he couldn't afford to do that in front of the Dark Lord or the Death Eaters.

…

"I want to bury him."

Lucius blanched at the thought, but Narcissa stilled him with a warning hand around his wrist. "Of course, sweetheart. I'll have the house elves prepare a site for him on the grounds."

"Under the big tree, where I play with my practise snitch," Draco requested, sniffing as he stroked Flapjack's head. As soon as the room had emptied, Draco had crossed the floor to his Crup, carefully lifting Flapjack's head into his lap. "He loved running around out there."

Narcissa nodded, glaring at Lucius when he looked set to complain. Lucius nodded tiredly, rubbing a hand over his temple.

Draco paid them no mind, his attention fixed firmly on Flapjack. The Crup had seen him through some of the worst times of his life, and the Dark Lord had snuffed him out with a lazy wave of his wand and a vindictive smile.

…

Draco sat by Flapjack's grave, picking petals from flowers.

"It's over, Flapjack. The Dark Lord… he's gone. Father is back in Azkaban. I don't… I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. The Wizengamot found me not guilty, and I'm allowed to live my life, but they all know what I did. The whole world knows that I bare His mark on my skin."

Draco tossed the flower stem away.

"I wish you were here, Flapjack. I miss you."

A breeze flowed over the garden, and for the briefest of moments, Draco was certain he felt the familiar feeling of Flapjack licking his cheek.