Based on a real-life incident.

WRITTEN FOR THC, YEAR 7

Gryffindor, DADA

Drabble

Prompt:

(animal) lion

WC: 850

"Father, lions are beautiful and majestic creatures like us Malfoys. Please, I want to see it up close," five-year-old Draco Malfoy whined, tugging on Lucius' hand.

Lucius raised his eyebrows at him pointedly until Draco let go and stared down at his shoes. 'Good, he really needs to learn how to behave.'

On Draco's insistence, the family of three had made their way to the local zoo. While Draco was having an obviously wonderful time, flitting around to point out all the different animals in their cages, Lucius definitely wasn't. The stench permeating the air was nothing a Malfoy should ever have to smell. The children running around him were obnoxiously loud and cheerful—a quality Lucius abhorred. And the beasts in their cages? Oh, Lucius would have Avada'd every single one of them if he were less civilised.

To top it all off, Draco wanted to ramble about every animal they'd come across. He was just overflowing with useless facts. Who cared if atlas moths didn't have any mouths? Or if the pygmy shrew had the fastest heartbeat at 1200 beats per minute? Lucius didn't care.

"Father?" Draco called out, distracting Lucius from his thoughts. Lucius looked down at his son and remembered the damn lions.

"Very well. Narcissa, take him to see the creature," Lucius said loudly, using his cane to nudge Draco away from him. The quicker Draco got to see all his beloved animals, the quicker they would get home.

Draco's smile stretched from ear to ear. He bounced over to Narcissa and happily grabbed onto her hand. "Thank you, Father. We'll be right back, we promise."

Lucius, dressed in his immaculately pressed black suit, stood to the side leaning on his cane and watched Draco and Narcissa stroll over to the lion's cage, which was only ten feet away. Even though he was irritated by his unfortunate surroundings, Lucius took a moment to admire his wife's shapely curves in her light-blue sundress. When he saw that they had reached the lion's cage, Lucius looked up at the sky, wishing he was anywhere else but there.

What has my life come to?

He looked back at his family. Narcissa was standing in front of the cage with Draco hanging onto the metal bars for support. Draco looked and pointed at the lion, laughing at something Lucius couldn't care less about. A small crowd began to gather near them, and the people started to 'ooh' and 'aah' in unison as the lion paced back and forth in its enclosure.

Lucius rolled his eyes. Haven't they seen a lion before? What's so interesting about this vile beast anyway? It is just a revolting creature who serves us no purpose except for mild entertainment.

Then, as if the lion had heard Lucius' insulting tirade, it snarled and turned its back to the crowd. It lifted its tail high up in the air before spraying the crowd with its urine—before spraying Lucius. The crowd immediately ducked and scattered, crying out in surprise and laughing at the incident.

Lucius dropped his cane and stumbled back. He gagged at the metallic stench of lion urine flooding his nostrils. His silk shirt was plastered to his chest. The crowd jeered and pointed, but most of Lucius' attention was on the slow dripping liquid that coated the strands of his now yellowing hair.

Draco let go of the grille and ran towards Lucius, a huge grin on his face. "Father, the lion peed on you!"

"I. Am. Aware. Of. That," Lucius choked out through gritted teeth, trying not to let the pee trickle into his mouth. He had never hit his son before, and he didn't want to. But Merlin, sometimes Draco could irk him to no end.

"Are you alright, dear?" Narcissa asked under her breath. Lucius noticed she wasn't wet and realised she had stepped out of the way just in time. Draco was too short to be drenched; only Lucius had been the unlucky victim.

Strangers walked past and pointed at Lucius, snickering and laughing under their breaths.

This is a nightmare. Muggles are laughing at me. Me!

"That was wicked, Father! Did you know lions can spray their pee almost ten feet away?" Draco chattered, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You must have been exactly ten feet away! That's so cool!"

Lucius clenched his teeth, almost breaking them, and glared at Draco. "We're leaving. Now," he hissed, demanding his family obey.

"Okay, Father." Draco muffled his giggles behind his hand and took Narcissa's hand. Narcissa shot Lucius a worried look, but Lucius waved her off, trying not to gag at the repulsive scent sticking to his clothes.

They walked towards the gates of the zoo. People were still staring at him, and Lucius was filled with the urge to cast the Cruciatus on the unkempt Muggles. Lucius promised himself he would never return to the filthy zoo ever again. Draco's pleas and puppy eyes were not enough of a reward for undergoing such a humiliating experience.

"Father?"

Lucius barely stopped himself from snapping. "Yes?"

"Did you know you stink?"