NOTE: Okay, fixed up some spelling and grammar issues, nothing too major…
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
Warnings: Again my brand of humor… Some fluff, okay, a lot of fluff.
Key: See chapter one.
AN: Hi! Bet you all missed me! Okay, sorry about the wait, but as my bio says on my page I managed to flip my laptop off a chair where it landed rather spectacularly on the floor, breaking the arm that reads the hard drive. So now I am laptop-less until I can get another one because it is way too expensive to try to fix it. This is my fiancé's, I 'borrowed' it. Okay, well I lost all I had written so here's hoping this turns out as well as it had the first time around, eh?
To all my lovely reviewers: I responded separately, but I'd still like to express my thanks. Keep reading even though there was a huge gape! I'll try to update more, but no promises.
Chapter Four: Pet Shop of… Kittens?
-Draco-
I followed Harry as he hastily made his way to the shop keep, all too happy to change the subject. I smirked. 'Not that easy, I will exact vengeance.' I think to myself, already plotting against him.
I approach in time to hear Harry ask him what animals he had. I had to stifle my laughter as the man stared at him, a look of confusion and distress on his face.
"Um… Do you know what you're looking for? We have at least fifty different species here…" the man trailed off, hesitant to read out the entire list. I imagine it would be long and unenlightening. I step up to save the poor man from Harry's confused questions.
"Actually, what do you have in way of messenger owls?" I ask quietly, the man shoots me a grateful look and Harry just blinks at me, confused by my question no doubt. I keep forgetting this is all new to him.
"Ah, we have some barn owls, a couple hawks… a nice assortment. Here, follow me." He turns and calls out to someone to watch the desk. He then gestures for us to follow him.
We wander along behind him, passing a varying assortment of animals. I'm watching Harry the whole time as his eyes dart back and forth between the cages, everything catching his attention.
-Harry-
'Messenger owl?' As I ponder this I follow alongside Draco as we follow the man deeper into the store. I can't help turning about and staring at all the different animals caged around us. 'He wasn't kidding when he said about fifty, maybe underestimating…'
'Wait was that a -?' I glance back and sure enough there is a kitten, doing cartwheels around his cage. I stare for a moment, bewildered and a little freaked out.
"Show off," I hear Draco mutter, having followed my line of sight.
"What is he?" I ask, still watching as we passed. The kitten had now upgraded to a few back flips and round-offs.
"Magical kitten, they're just like regular cats except they like to show off a bit." He explained, smiling. I could tell my curiosity amused him to no end. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned back to our guide.
Just in time to crash into his back.
Stumbling backwards I feel Draco grab me around my waist, steadying me against his chest, chuckling.
"Today seems dead set on one of us falling to the ground, eh?" I nod, stranding up as the man gives me an apologetic look.
"Sorry about that, here they are. They're all already trained, though you can probably special order one if you want to train one yourself." He says, gesturing at the long line of cages, each with a different bird in it. I blink, confused.
"Okay, I give, what's a messenger owl?" I whisper to Draco, though I'm sure the man heard me as well. The guy smiles and Draco… giggles? I laugh mentally and raise an eyebrow, he just giggled. 'How cute.'
-Draco-
I couldn't stifle my giggles and I can see him smirking at me, raising an eyebrow. 'Darn…' Coughing, I quickly began to explain it to him.
"Well, wizards use them like muggles use the post office, you give them a letter and they deliver it. They're very reliable and quite fast." I tell him, glancing at all the birds lined up along the wall. "Most people have one."
I notice one in particular, a small hawk with red and brown markings. It was very majestic looking and had a very intelligent light in its eyes.
"What's he?" I ask, gesturing towards the hawk. It turns and scrutinizes me and I'm terribly curious as to what it's thinking.
"Oh, that's Devi (1), she's a red tailed hawk. Quickest we have, very reliable, though she's very picky about her masters… She doesn't like most people." he tells me, smiling at the bird and holding out his hand to her. She sticks her head through the bars and he pets her.
"She's beautiful," I breath, watching her turn her head back to look at me. I can see Harry watching me out the corner of my eye as I approach her, holding out my hand for her to inspect.
She tilts her head and considers me, then nudges my hand, wanting me to pet her as well. I smile, relieved. I'd been afraid she wouldn't like me.
-Harry-
I watch Draco approach the hawk, his attention focused as he reaches out to her cautiously. I was afraid she'd bite him, but she just nudges his hand, wanting to be petted some more. I smile, relieved.
Though my smile pales in comparison to Draco's, he lights up the instant she nudges him. 'So damn cute.' I can't help thinking as he pets her, still smiling brightly.
I turn and inspect the other birds, figuring I might as well get a messenger bird. My eyes are drawn to a snowy owl and I point it out. "What's her name?" I ask the man, he seems surprised.
"Oh that's Hedwig, she's a sweetie, nice and reliable. Very docile, she likes most everybody." he tells me. I approach her and she fixes me with her big eyes.
"I'll take her," I tell him, smiling at the bird. He nods and gently grabs her cage down, handing it to me.
"I'll take Devi." Draco says, admiring Hedwig as the man goes and grabs her cage as well, handing it to him.
"All right, you boys follow me up front and we'll get all the things you'll need for them. We have a sale on bird feed right now, actually, so you're in luck." he tells us, heading back to the front. We follow, each carrying our new pet along.
Getting back up front we both pay for our pets and the food and treats, plus cages. Exiting we notice that the streets have cleared considerably from earlier in the day and we walk in silence back towards the Leaky Cauldron. I can't help feeling a little sad as the day has finally ended and soon we'd have to part ways until school started.
"Hey, Harry…" Draco calls, stopping just shy of the brick wall. I turn and raise an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. He smiles. "Want to be my pen pal? At least until school starts that is."
I laugh. "Good idea, I mean we even have messenger birds now!" I'm elated, having forgotten the purpose of the birds we'd bought only moments ago. He smiles back.
"Well, I've got to head back this way," He points back over his shoulder. "So I'll write you later." He extends his arm and hands me my bag, then holds his arm out for me to shake. I grasp it firmly and shake it, smiling.
"Talk to you later then Draco." I say, turning and opening the wall. I glance back in time to see him smile shyly and turn and walk away. I enter the pub, happy and content. Which is something I haven't been in a while.
:at 'home,' hours later:
Harry got out of the car, carrying his stuff behind him, glad they'd given him the weightless bag as he doubted his relatives would help him carry his things inside the house. He held Hedwig's cage close. Earlier he'd covered it, not sure how they'd react to the owl. They smuggles him in, as always, and ushered him up the stairs into the spare room they'd given him out of fear right before the whole Hagrid incident. He listened as all the locks slide home and sighed, setting down everything and giving Hedwig some food.
Unpacking his stuff, he realized Draco had somehow stuffed a trunk into the bag. He stared, slightly bemused. Apparently the bag was also bottomless as he pulled the three foot long, two foot high trunk out of the bag. Looking back inside he say all his books and miscellaneous items carefully stored away so nothing got crushed or damaged. 'Thank you Draco.' Unpacking it all, and then repacking some of it, mostly robes and such, into his trunk and stowing away the books in his hidden floorboard took him the better part of an hour.
Finally finished he grabbed a pen, still uncomfortable with the thought of a quill, and sat down to write to Draco. He sat for a minute, not sure how he should word the letter. 'Blah, what to say? I don't really know much about him…' Deciding just to wing it, he started writing.
Hey Dray,
It's okay if I call you that right? Argh, I'm terrible at this kind of stuff, I've never really written to anyone before. Actually… I've never written a letter before in my life… Wow, that sounds kind of pathetic…
Anyway, I'm just sitting here… bored as hell… Unsure as to how to even write a letter to the guy I met only hours ago…
Hey you never explained that 'Quid-thing' you were telling me about today and I didn't get to see the flying brooms! Can any broom fly? Or do they have to be special? Though I guess I shouldn't try to fly while still in muggle London.
Do you even live in London?
Blah, anyway… (pokes you). Write me back or I'll keep poking you!
Harry
Satisfied at the odd, random, and probably confusing letter he stuck it in an envelope and sealed it, then stopped.
"Shit…" he realized he had no idea where Draco lived, didn't the letter need an address, but then again, owls can't read… or can they…? Looking up at Hedwig, he decided just to write Draco's name on the envelope and if he got it, good, if not Hedwig would bring it back, hopefully, and he'd wait for Draco to write him. Scrawling 'Draco Malfoy' across the letter, he let Hedwig out her cage and handed it to her. She took it, nipped at his hand, and then took off out the open window.
TBC…
(
1) Okay, this is actually a name I steal from one of my best friends.
AN: Okay, so it's short I know, but I wanted to get this part out of the way so I can jump right into writing about the rest of the summer vacation and school. Please let me know what you think and tell me what you think they should talk about! 'Cause I have no clue!