This chapter is darker than the first, but will lead to much fun later. =D
-o-o-o-o-
The whimpering was what caught Ron's attention, sort of a soft squeak noise under the rubble of a damaged home. A quick hand across his forehead to wipe at the sweat and blood there and then he was trying to magic away the sod, wood, and rock as gently as he could without causing what had once been a roof to collapse even more. He saw the woman first and, thinking it was her that was the noise came from, called over his shoulder, "We've got a survivor here!" but upon closer inspection he found with grim sadness that she was dead.
He could still hear the whimpering and so eased away the rest of the wreckage, face lighting in shock at the small bundle wrapped protectively in the woman's arms.
"A survivor, you said?" Harry appeared at Ron's side, hope on his battle weary face, and searched the spot where Ron was staring. He, too, gasped at the bundle and he and Ron shared a quick, uncertain glance before he leaned down to remove the baby from its mother's lifeless arms.
"Oh, he's already got his human-like face," Harry said in awe as he studied the Inugami pup for injuries.
"His eyes aren't open," Ron said, peering over his captain's shoulder curiously. "Is that normal or is he hurt?"
"I don't know. We should get him to a medic." Harry re-wrapped the pup in its blanket, frowning at the dirt and blood that stained the fabric. "Are there any here yet?"
Ron shook his head with a worried look as his eyes roamed over the battle site. They had intended to negotiate with the large gang of dark wizards holding the tiny, non-hostile Inugami village hostage, but the wizards had panicked and begun to attack everyone. It would be a while yet before the site was cleared for non-Auror personnel to enter.
"Scorpius has mediwizard experience, doesn't he? Isn't that what he was doing before being transferred to us?" Ron asked, suddenly remembering their young Auror's resume.
"Oh! You're right. I think he mentioned something about that…"
Holding the pup close, Harry took off at a fast walk back to where they were assembling the injured survivors, Ron at his heels. It was easy to pick out Scorpius's straight white blonde hair and smaller human frame amongst all of the dark brown and black curls and muscular bodies of the Inugami pack.
"Scorpius!" Harry called and rushed to his assistant's side, holding the puppy out for Scorpius to take. Scorpius looked first alarmed and then unsure as he hesitantly accepted the baby creature. "His mother didn't make it. Is he hurt?"
"Um, he doesn't seem to be injured…" Scorpius said slowly, examining the pup much in the same manner that Harry had.
"His eyes aren't open," Ron said. He and Harry crowded behind the former mediwizard in concern.
"Hm?" Scorpius glanced back at the vice captain with a confused wrinkle of his brow. "Yes they are…?"
Looking again, Ron and Harry saw that the pup's eyes were indeed opening. The tiny blue orbs were watery but focused on Scorpius.
"We should hand him over to the Inugami," Scorpius said, sounding uncomfortable. "They'll know what to do with him." And, muttering under his breath, "I'm not good with children."
However, to the surprise of Scorpius and his two bosses, the older female that Scorpius tried to hand the pup to took one look at the little one and then shook her head with a deep frown, pushing the pup back to Scorpius.
"See you, you mother," the female said, voice thick with accent but firm. At the three confused expressions, she pointed from the pup's eyes to Scorpius. "First see you. You mother now."
Scorpius paled.
"Huh?"
-o-o-o-o-
"Inugami puppies imprint upon whoever they see first. This is why Inugami mothers isolate themselves until their puppies are of a certain age, despite the common wizarding belief that they're reverting to the assumed dog ancestry and being overprotective."
Hermione Weasley flicked her wand, causing the files on her husband's desk to organize themselves.
"Being visually similar to humans does not mean they are half-human, half-dog," she said irritably. "Just another example of ignorance and prejudice by wizards."
Her anger with the issue faded into an amused smirk when she saw the terrified look on the young Auror's face.
"So… Is there anything I can do to… break the imprint?" Scorpius asked barely above a whisper.
Hermione shook her head. "I'm afraid not. You're a parent now."
"But I- I'm really not the parent type!" Scorpius exclaimed, tugging on her robe sleeve with his free hand, other hand holding the pup tenderly against his chest in spite of his words. "These last few days have been horrible! He… He… You know, he goes to the bathroom all the time! And he cries all night!"
"You'll be fine," Hermione said, trying hard not to laugh. She hadn't believed Ron when he told her that Draco Malfoy's son was a kitten in a Malfoy shell until she met the blonde – she could practically see the cute kid's cat ears flattened despondently against his head. "Inugami don't age the same way humans do since their origins developed differently from ours. He'll pass quickly through the baby form. His longest years will be spent as a toddler, teenager, and young man."
This didn't comfort Scorpius in the slightest. "But I've worked so hard to get this far! I can't quit my job now!"
"We're not going to make you quit," Harry interjected, leaning over Scorpius from behind the chair. He picked up the pup's fluffy, chocolate-brown tail and used it to tickle the little nose, saying in baby-voice when the little one started giggling and reaching chubby hand-paws at the fluff, "You're mommy is going to be on desk duty, isn't he? That's right! That way he can stay with you all day and Papa Harry doesn't have to do any paperwork. Isn't that awesome? Yes it is! Yes it is!"
"Stop it!" Scorpius snapped, slapping the captain's hand.
"Careful, Harry," Ron advised from Scorpius's other side, "You know how defensive first-time mothers are."
"What's in the bag?" Harry asked as Ron innocently ignored Scorpius's sharp eyes.
"Oh!" Ron pulled the bag off his arm as if he'd forgotten about it. "I had Madam Pipsy at Malkin's make something for our little Scorpius here, to help him bond with his new puppy."
"I don't want it," Scorpius said flatly, but was talked-over by Ron adding, "They're supposed to respond to his emotions."
Ron handed the bag to Scorpius to distract him, having already removed the item in question, and a moment later Scorpius felt something slip onto his head. There was a pause and then the trio around him all cooed, "Awww!"
Startled, Scorpius jerked his hand to his head to feel what the vice captain had put on him. It took him a moment, but then he realized that the shape and soft fur he was feeling were dog ears. Scorpius's whole body tensed in anger.
"You-!"
"Oh, they really do respond!" Harry awed as the blonde dog ears flattened backwards in response to Scorpius's rage. He grinned over at Ron. "Good idea! They fit him perfectly!"
"The color matches so well!" Hermione praised.
"Yeah, I plucked a hair so Madam Pipsy would get it right," Ron boasted, sounding proud of himself.
"We should see if she can make him a tail, too-"
"That's it!" Scorpius said shrilly, standing abruptly and interrupting their chatting. He snatched his baby bag off of the ground and, dog ears still folded back, began to stomp away from them.
"Where are you going, peanut?" Harry called after his retreating assistant.
"I quit!" was the furious response.
"Aw, don't say that!"
The doors to the Auror office opened before Scorpius reached them and in stepped Draco Malfoy, saying as he did so, "Scorpius? I've come to retrieve you since you cannot apparate with the… child…"
"Father!" Scorpius cried, sounding relieved, and he sped over to Draco. "You're timely arrival will allow me to escape these lunatics!"
Draco stared in shock at Scorpius's livid expression and the dog ears on his son's head, making Harry and Ron exchange caught, 'Uh-Oh' looks. But then, to their surprise, he merely smiled affectionately and gently pat his son on the head.
"You're so adorable when you're murderous."