Dog Star *

by: Raven Mirage

"No animal should ever jump up on the dining room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation." Fran Lebowitz

iv
the shaggy hero

* * *

Oh, Padfoot, you're starting to enjoy this all too much... Sirius thought to himself as Delilah proceded to scratch behind his ears in a very, very nice spot. He couldn't believe how at ease he was just sitting there letting this strange girl, who he had only meet mere days before, stroke and croon over him. In a way it was humourous, but in another way it was very endearing and for a moment he didn't covet being human. Animals have it so easy.

Suddenly she shocked him by leaning down and placing the smallest and gentlest of kisses on the top of his head. He felt a sudden pang deep in his heart at this. If she knew exactly who he was she wouldn't even dream of doing something like that. Everyone was so frightened of him, held so much hatred. He wondered if she, too, would share their fear, their hatred. Would she also turn her back on him?

He realized that if she did that it would hurt very much. Bad Sirius, you went and got yourself attached to this girl.... He scolded himself, but as she gazed down at him through deep midnight blue eyes he understood why. Her eyes were so clear and held so much pure emotion. There was nothing more to her than affection and love. He couldn't, he wouldn't, picture those lovely eyes etched with horror.

She stood abruptly, bidding farewell for the evening. He couldn't keep the sorrow from his eyes as he regarded her. Take me with you. He thought, wishing she could read his mind. He considered turning back in a man and grasping her round the waist and begging her to stay, begging her not to leave him alone. He hated how much he wanted to be near this girl, but when she was near he forgot the rest of the wizarding, and some of the muggle, world was desperately looking for him. He forgot that everyone believed him to be a mass murderer, and the worst - - that he had betrayed and killed his best friend and his wife.

Oh quit acting like a child, Sirius! He growled at himself. Just let Delilah go. You're only going to cause more problems for yourself - - and for her. So with that thought he let her close the gate on him. Immediately shadows appeared behind her as she fumbled with the padlock. A sick sensation reached into the pit of his stomach as a face appeared out of the darkness. Jameson.... He began to bark warnings, hoping she would turn around.

She stepped back, eyes filling with confusion. "Calm down you, nutter. What's wrong with you anyway?" She didn't even sense Jameson standing directly behind her, his face full of cruel satisfaction.

OH, GOD! LOOK BEHIND YOU, DELILAH! As Jameson's hand grasped Delilah's neck Sirius panicked. He began throwing himself against the fence, growling and barking futilely. He felt helpless. He knew Jameson was going to hurt her, and badly. GET AWAY FROM HER!

Jameson shoved Delilah to the ground, skinning her elbows. He saw her eyes flicker to the padlock still hanging askew on the loop. If she could knock it off and swing the gate open he could get to her. Apparently she thought the same, but Jameson proved to be just as smart. He pointed his wand at her. "Twitch wrong, Tanner, and I won't hesitate to make you very miserable."

Do it and I'll make YOU miserable!

"What's the difference...." Delilah said, easing back, "you're going to hurt me anyway. If I let him go then I get the pleasure of knowing you will be ripped to pieces."

I will! I will rip him to pieces for you, Delilah! Sirius thought.

"Figures only an animal would care that much about you, you filthy excuse for a witch." Jameson spat. "But it looks like he's not in any position to help you. Poor you... and," he glared at Sirius, "I might just decide to punish him for growling at me last night. You see, I don't like being growled at."

"Don't you dare!" Delilah cried. "Don't do it, Chris, please!" She begged. "Beat me up, curse me, but don't hurt any of the animals here."

Sirius' heart clenched in his chest. No, don't say that! Don't worry about me! He found himself caring for her even more.

Jameson pointed his wand at her. "I'm really going to enjoy this, Tanner. Do you know how long I've wanted to take you out..." He began to laugh. "and I'll probably get away with it, what, with that mass murderer running around."

"You're sick."

".... and you're dead." He bent to slap her across the face, sending her sprawling back again. He hit her so hard that when her head connected to the concrete she was immediately sent into unconciousness.

Sirius didn't know whether he had killed her or not but he was suddenly filled with such an acute rage that it shocked him. He hadn't felt such hatred before or since Peter had betrayed them. With one last great shove the gate flew open, the padlock finally jarring from out of the hole. He leapt on the assailent, attempting to dig his teeth deep in his arm, but was stopped by a heavy denim jacket.

Jameson cried out in surprise. "Blasted dog!" He shrieked, tripping backwards and landing on his butt on the ground. Sirius approached him, canines barred. He gave a warning growl to his three friends, who promptly scampered from sight. "FINE! LEAVE ME YOU COWARDS!" He pulled up his wand hand, preparing a spell.

Sirius saw Delilah's wand laying close by; it had obviously dropped from her pocket as she was knocked down the first time. In that moment, his mind clouded by anger, he did something that he would later realize as stupid. He went for it, and just before he grasped it transformed back into a human. He rose to his feet dark eyes full of fire. "Cowards, they may be," he said, "but they'll have a better chance of getting out of this without injury..."

Jameson's too-blue eyes widened, his hand dropping to his side. "Y-you're, dear god, you're Sirius Black! That murderer!"

"What of it? And you're Christopher Jameson, stupid git," was Sirius' harsh reply.

Suddenly Jameson sputtered, "don't hurt me! Please! Uh... er... my dad's rich!"

Sirius couldn't have been more disgusted. He sneered, "you're even more pathetic than I first thought - - and that's really bad considering what I first thought of you."

(A/N: Remember he first compared him to Lucius - - but we all know Lucius wouldn't be begging for mercy...)

"You can't kill me!" Jameson cried, "they'll find out you did it! You'll be sent straight back to Azkaban!"

"Now you see..." Sirius drawled, spinning Delilah's wand in his hand, "there's a problem with that statement..." He narrowed his eyes dangerously, his voice lowering, "who, pray tell, is going to inform them? You're friends are gone, Delilah is out of it... who are they going to arrest? A dog!" He mustered the most evil laugh possibly and enjoyed the way Jameson's face paled. His mouth opened and closed, looking strangely like a fish.

"NOW GET OUT OF HERE!" Sirius barked. Jameson scrambled to his feet, but looked back, seemingly afraid that he might be struck in the back with a paticular unforgivable curse, become Black's fourteenth victim. "GO! Go, before I change my mind... oh and, Jameson, if you tell anyone about me I'd like to see you explain why Ms. Tanner was knocked unconcious..." The fear in Jameson's eyes was enough. He wouldn't say a word. He hurridly departed, not looking back.

He turned and quickly applied his attention to Delilah, who, thankfully, had only been knocked out as he hoped. Her breathing was light, but not unnaturally so. If it wasn't for the gash across the side of her forehead she could have passed for sleeping. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't leave her lying out there on the ground. He gently moved her so that she was leaning against the fence. He replaced the wand in her pocket.

*

Her head ached. No, scratch that, every fiber of her body ached. "Bloody... freaking... hell..." She groaned, raising one hand to her throbbing skull. A sharp pain lanced through her brain and she jerked her hand away to see the tip of her fingers coated in sticky red blood. Ick...

"Erm... Deliah!" a familiar voice called. "Hey! Deaf girl! Call your dog off!"

"Huh? What?" She looked up. Her three best, and only, friends were standing close by, closely huddled together. She raised an eyebrow wondering what strange affliction they were suffering from. Then her eyes moved to a black form placed between her and them. She began to laugh. "Hey, dog, it's all right. They're my mates. They won't hurt me."

"Ly, I don't think he's gonna....." Tyler Heathrow began but ate his own words as the grim-like dog backed down and went to lay beside Delilah. "Maybe he is gonna..." Delilah grinned widely and reached to ruffle the dog's fur lightly.

"Um... sweetie, could you perhaps explain why you are sitting against that kennel there - - with a gash across your head. Not to mention Cujo here." Candace Crenshaw inquired, not being able to take her eyes off the animal.

"Aww.... he's just a big cuuuuutie!" Delilah crooned, bombarding him with over-affection, finally placing another kiss on his muzzle. She giggled to herself, swearing he mock-glared at her.

"Insane, this one." Tyler laughed, jerking his thumb towards her. "So... enough stalling Delilah - - and don't give me that innocent look I know you were stalling - - tell us what happened."

Delilah lowered her eyes, her fingers softly running through thick, black fur. "I had an accident." She said.

"She's lying." Lenny Mathas said solemnly, speaking as if she wasn't there.

"I'm not lying," she raised her face, "I did have an accident... it just involved one Chris Jameson..."

"That bastard!" Tyler exlaimed. He was two years older than Delilah and self-imposed leader of their four-person posse. He was most protective of everyone being the oldest. He, also, had a vendetta with Jameson. He yanked out his wand as if he was about to run off and go take care of him once and for all.

"Ty!" Delilah cried, "Don't do anything. It's no big deal really. It's just the same old shit."

"Okay, fine." He relinquished reluctantly. "But I just don't like it ..."

*

"OWWWWW!" Delilah screamed, "that fragging hurt." She was sitting on a table in the shelter's main office getting her wounded elbow doused in hydrogen peroxide by a very impatient male.

"Well, if you wouldn't get into rows all the time then we wouldn't have to do this," Tyler said. She blushed sheepishly. She did tend to get into a lot of trouble, didn't she? Tyler sighed and placed bandages over each elbow; he'd already taken care of the gash on her head. "Better?"

"Yes, daddy..." She teased, jumping off the table and standing on tip-toe to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you." She laughed. He frowned, but also broke into a laugh a second later, running his hand through his dark brown hair.

Candace smirked. She was sitting in the corner with a very lazy dog beside her. Delilah found this surprisingly refreshing. Candy was a cat-person. She was probably a cat in her past life and tended to try and steer away from anything in the canine family. Delilah couldn't help but grin at the way she would steal some scratches or strokes when no one was looking.

"Hey, guys, it's seven." Lenny informed, pushing his glasses up on his nose. He was the only muggle within the posse, which sometimes the other's forgot and ended up having to explain things to him when they would get off into a conversation about something of the Wizarding world. They had mentioned Quidditch so many times that he finally learned about the sport and yearned to actually see a game played.

"Oh shit...." Delilah cursed, "my father's going to kill me."

*

Sirius decided he liked Delilah's friends. Tyler was a natural born leader, that was apparently obvious. Lenny was the smart one. Candace was all her own. Through bits of conversation he learned she went to Beauxbaxtons and would on occasion begin to spurt off into a subject in French. Then everyone had to calm her down and get her back to speaking English again. Overall they seemed like a nice lot that cared about each other a lot. Sadly, they reminded him of the maraudars during the better days.

He was walking along with them towards Delilah's house. She had nodded at him and made motion to follow, so he didn't argue and did so. He couldn't help be curious as to why she didn't tell her friends about what really happened. She refused to tell them Jameson had almost killed her. He frowned upon that, but supposed that she had her reasons, whatever strange, for not doing it. He only hoped Jameson would leave her be. She didn't deserve all of what was being thrown at her, he was sure of it.

Finally they reached their destination. It was a two-story house painted a light blue-grey colour. He could see lights on downstairs and someone pacing past the closed curtains. He assumed that was her Father. She paused briefly at the step to hug each one of her mates in turn. She turned to open the door, but Candace reached out.

"Hey, you never did tell us why you were knocked out...."

"I.. uh..." Delilah stammered, "you see I-" The door flung open and there stood a man a good foot and a half taller than Delilah. He had graying reddish hair and wore glasses.

"Lilah! Where have you been....?" He cried.

"Bye guys." Delilah smiled weakly and ushed Sirius inside. As soon as the door was closed her father began to ask questions.

"Lilah, what happened to you?" He asked, noticing the bandages on her arms and forehead. He reached out to touch her but she pulled away.

"I had an accident at work." She replied cooly.

"Accident?" Then he added matter-of-factly. "See, I told you that you should quit that job..."

"I'm tired." She cut in curtly, pushing past to go up the stairs. "Tommorow's Sunday so don't bother waking me early."

Her father stared after her then noticed the black, furry thing railing behind his daughter. "Lilah! What the hell is that?" He demanded.

She stopped and looked ta him, "That is called a dog."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sirius: You do realize that you had me way ooc at the beggining of this brilliant chapter, right?
Rave: Erm... yeah. *blush* Sorry, I got carried away with the emotions there.

'Allo all. Sorry I didn't update last night. I had a friend over to spend the night. I was setting her up with a FF.net account. ::Shameless plug for best friend:: -- Her name is RosesandGod. She's already got the first two chapters of her first story posted. It's called "Bedroom Love" (Get your mind outta the gutter it's not like that.) Anyway. It's a Ginny/Draco fic. *frowns* Not my kinda thing, but good. Take a look if you like that pairing. ^_^

ANYWHO.... Last chapter you got to meet Delilah's enemies. This Chapter you got to meet her friends. Whadija think? Tyler's a little bit like Remus and Charlie Weasley combined. The smart, mostly quiet, but big-brother type. Candace is a little like Hermione, but has some Fleur in her (hey, it's the Beaubaxtons thing.) Lenny reminds me of Neville kinda except he's not that shy. But hey, nothings wrong with Neville, cos he's awesome! *cough*

Heehee... listening to Jessica Simpson's Irresistable... like Sirius. I'm evil, but he's hot... so what's the greater evil... hmmm... philosophy.

Alright... on with the thank you's before I bore you to death....

Lady Matsu - - all right all right.... lol I'm updating... see! *grin* And btw, the biggest compliment anyone could have given me was to say that my story idea was original. That's what I mainly strive for when I make up a new fic. So I was like "Yay! It's original!" And allllsssso. You get credit (along with Elfmoon87 and L`etoile) for Sirius' appearance as human in this chapter. I didn't think of that. Now I have some material for later... future problems perhaps?? *smiles evilly* Bad, Jameson, Bad. Thanks a bunch!

xxSilmarilBladexx - - Thanks to you also for thinking my idea creative!!

NervHQ - - definetely counted!

Abraxis - - lol.... Indeed!

Mockingbird - - *wink* Yup... I agree on the Oliver comment.

And to everyone, and anyone else, I love you lots....

Rave: They like me, they really like me!
Sirius: *crosses his arms across his chest* They don't really like you, they like me. That's why they keep coming back....
Rave: --_--

Next Chapter: Cats, Cupcakes, and *gasp* Baths *wink* Pure Humour and Chaos.