This is one of my first fanfictions, please cut me some slack. I've never really been much of a writer and I'm hoping to improve.
That last statement makes it rather obvious that I do not own Harry Potter.
Maera Black was not necessarily someone to be considered normal. Her neighbors decided that instead of being bothered by how different she was they would ignore it. For some it was harder to ignore the owls that seemed to come and go from her home at all hours of the day, her shared looks and last name with the mass murderer Sirius Black, and her rather sudden disappearance. When she hadn't been seen for a week they did as any good neighbor would do and called the authorities. Her immediate neighbors told them all they knew of the woman, she was nice to the neighborhood children, took good care of her home, and wore a ring on her left ring finger but they had never seen a husband.
Had Maera known the actions of her neighbors on her behalf she would have been touched and felt extremely guilty for worrying them and wasting the authorities' time, but she would never know of their actions. The woman wasn't currently in any sort of mortal peril, not to say that the turn of events wasn't rather unfortunate. Few would be happy to be stuck indefinitely in their animagus form, sitting outside a shop in Diagon Alley in the pouring rain.
To say that she was miserable would be a vast understatement. Maera was far past miserable at this point. She loved being in her animagus form but being stuck this way was something entirely new to her, many would guess that this would be considered the worst day of her life but they would be wrong. A past Halloween, the day her brother had been sentenced to life in Azkaban, the day Sirius had played that stupid, stupid prank on Severus, the day her mother had broken her nose after she was sorted into Gryffindor with Sirius, the day she refused the take the dark mark, was blasted off the family tree, disowned, and if not for Regulus nearly killed by her mother were all worse. Far worse than being hit with a curse by two fighting kids and stuck in her animagus form with no way to contact anyone. The dog shook her head, no use dwelling on the past. At least it was Monday, the day that her fiancée came to pick up potions ingredients from the apothecary. She stood, shaking the water from her fur as the rain began to let up.
Watching the comings and goings of the alley with little interest, the dwindling rain allowed the alley to suddenly fill with shopping parents and children preparing for the upcoming school year. Distracted by a child throwing a tantrum over a new broomstick she was brought back with a loud yelp as foot landed on her front left paw, without thinking she snapped at what was causing the distress with a snarl. Feeling her canines meet flesh she froze realizing what she had just done as a cane hit her sharply across the face. With another yelp she cowered backwards, pushing against the brick wall of the building she had been sitting in front of. Meeting the man's eyes she recognized him to be Lucius Malfoy and as he pulled his wand and pointed it at her she couldn't help the first thought that filtered through her mind. Well shite, today really isn't my day. Figuring that if she was going to die she might as well do the thing properly, Maera stood with a loud snarl. She may be a dog and unable to defend herself with her wand but if she could at least give pretty boy a few scars before he did her in she'd die happy.
As the man took a breathe to speak the spell, her attention was caught by a tall figure exiting from an apparition point and was only able to bark loudly before being hit with what she recognized to be some sort of cutting curse, not nearly as good as Severus's.
Severus Snape was having a normal day, as normal as the potions master ever had anyway. He spent his morning working on potions for the school's infirmary, visited Albus and refused any lemon drops, worked on his lesson plans for the upcoming school year, and planned on meeting his fiancée for lunch in Diagon Alley before picking up an order that had come in at the apothecary. After apparating into the alley from Hogsmeade his entire day went from normal to awful. The sound of a dog barking was not something entirely un-normal but after a glance in the direction of the sound the scene attracted his full attention. Lucius Malfoy was known for having a terrible temper but it wasn't often he lost it in such a public place and caused such a scene. It also wasn't often that one saw someone hitting a dog with a cutting curse in the middle of such a public place. Although if blood and his ripped trouser leg was any indication there was a reason for his anger. Preparing to go back to his original plan, the sight of the dog slipping to the ground and the silver eyes that met his own gave him pause. Eyes widening in sudden recognition, Severus raised his own wand as Lucius prepared to hit the dog with another curse, moving forward quickly with a shout of, "Protego!"
The blonde turned, his blue eyes narrowed dangerously, "Severus? Perhaps you could explain this?"
The black haired man dropped slowly to his knees, lifting the 'animals' head to look into its slightly dim silver eyes and thinking quickly. "Lucius, it would seem you have met my familiar." He said, looking up at the man, "I'm afraid that she has a few things to learn about appropriate behavior, I apologize."
Lucius regarded him coldly for a moment, "Believe me when I say this Severus, if you were anyone else I would have this animal confiscated and destroyed. I trust that nothing like this will be happening after term begins?"
"Of course," he answered, lifting the dog gently in his arms as he stood. "If you'll excuse me, I'd best return to the school."
He was regarded coolly for another moment before the blonde nodded, casting a quick healing spell on himself and repairing his pant leg. Nodding his good bye he continued on his way down the alley.
Glancing down at the dog in his arms he sighed, "What am I going to do with you?" Knowing better than to apperate with the heavily wounded animagus, he moved quickly to the Leaky Cauldron, ignoring the innkeeper he arranged Maera carefully in his arms, threw some floo powder on the fire and clutching her close disappeared with a clear cry of, "The Hogs Head!" Landing gracefully in said location, he gave the bartender a friendly (for Snape) nod as he exited and began the walk to Hogwarts. Glancing down to the dog in his arms, he paled at the sight of a lot more blood than he first remembered and without a second thought began to run. To this day he can remember nothing of this other than bursting through the doors of the hospital wing calling for Poppy.
Maera remembered nothing of this mad dash; if she did she would delight in teasing Severus with it. She could remember years later only flashes of color, gentle hands, and both raised and soft voices. Severus never told her just how close he had come to losing her. When she finally woke up she was unsurprised to find Albus Dumbledore standing next to her bed, speaking quietly with Severus. Lifting up her (still dog) head and staring up the two until the looked at her she listened intently to the conversation.
"Severus I am afraid there is nothing I can do at the moment. She will be stuck this way at least until she is entirely healed. The Ministry would turn her back only to put her in prison, I highly doubt that is something she would enjoy."
"Headmaster, surely there is something! A spell, a potion, anything! You know how she can be and I hate to think of what will happen if she is stuck this way and bite a student. Self-preservation is hardly her strong suit if biting Lucius is any indication!"
The headmaster seemed highly amused by this; his eyes twinkled brightly as they turned to her, "Really? Mr. Malfoy?"
Maera tried to look slightly repentant, really she did but her own eyes must have given her away as Albus chuckled. "My dear you do seem to have a talent for causing trouble. Whatever shall we do with you?"
To this she raised an eyebrow; did he expect her to answer? Turning her head to look a Severus, who looked less than amused, she waited for him to answer. After a moment he sighed, "She will have to stay here, where I can keep an eye on her. I told Lucius that she is my familiar and I suppose that is what we will have to stick with."
Albus nodded, "Yes that does seem our best option. Now," His eyes turned to Maera, who stared back, "I trust that you will behave and not bite any of the students?" She nodded, that was agreeable. She could do anything but bite... the students; smirking inwardly she continued to listen. "I will also ask that you help to patrol the halls at night, keep students away from the third floor corridor, and of course from the still forbidden, forbidden forest." Here he gave her a meaningful look. "You will also be interested to know that you will be granted entrance into each of the common rooms, dorms, and anywhere else you may be interested in going."
The headmaster soon excused himself, leaving Maera and Severus alone. They stared at each other for a moment, before... "You insufferable woman, I can't even leave you alone for 10 minutes without you getting into some kind of trouble." Even with his gentle tone she couldn't help but feel guilty. It was, after all, completely true. Her ears fell back against her head. "Maera, Albus and I managed to charm this to allow you and I to communicate." He said softly, pulling a leather collar from his robes, she studied it for a moment. It was rather nice, the black leather was smooth a rose vine pattern running over it, a metal plate proclaimed her the property of Professor Severus Snape, Slytherin House, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the space where her own name should be was engraved Frost. She looked at up him and he shrugged, "It would be unwise to use your true name in this situation and I assumed you would have an easy time answering to this."
She had to admit that she was surprised, Frostfoot had been her Marauder name and he had often expressed his dislike for the band of mischief makers. It was a simple gesture but she loved him for it all the same. As he fastened the collar around her neck she leaned forward and ran her tongue across his cheek. He stiffened slightly before sighing, "I suppose that is something I will have to get used to?" Using the device around her neck she answered, Of course love. He nodded in resignation, "I trust that you won't do it in front of the students." When are they coming? He stared at her for a moment and raised an eyebrow, "Tonight."