Strays
The pounding on my door startled me nearly into falling off my chair, where I'd been dozing by the fire. I got to my feet, still feeling oddly disconnected from my environment, and opened the door. There stood Hagrid, hunched around a bundle of rags that looked—bloody? Harry lurked at his elbow. I motioned them into my study.
"Anna we found him outside; he was crying," Harry started.
"He's hurt something terrible." Hagrid blurted, barely controlling his grief.
"Who?" I demanded. "Who's hurt, and where is he?" Hagrid extended the bundle to me. There in the bloodied folds I could just make out a muzzle. A muzzle? "A puppy, Hagrid?"
"We think a larger animal got him." Harry filled in, patting the half-giant's arm soothingly. "Can you see if you can do anything for him?" With that Hagrid let out a sob. I took the bundle from him and set it on the rug in front of the fire, then slowly peeled the layers of fabric away. The tiny black dog's tongue rested flat against the fabric. His gums were nearly white. I clenched my teeth.
I shrugged out of my robe and shot a sanitizing spell at my hands, then at the dog. I brought up the light level in the room and set to work assessing the damage. No, they didn't teach this in healer training. But you don't grow up around horses, cattle, and dogs without seeing a few horrible things and learning what to do about them. The puppy's breath came in short bursts. I felt along his ribs as they jumped with his breath. None appeared broken. I felt along his spine. Also all right. I turned him.
"Heavens," I breathed. A chunk of skin and muscle was gone from his side, along with way too much blood. I shot the weakest numbing spell I could manage at the wound; then I started cleaning the dead tissue. I was peripherally aware of Hagrid and Harry sitting in my chairs watching me work. As the numbness started to take over for the pain, the puppy's breathing recovered somewhat. Two ribs beneath the bite were cracked, though, and I couldn't tell if he was bleeding into his chest. I began to piece the edges of the wound together and meld the tissue with my wand.
It felt like days of work. Finally I had the wound closed, and the external bleeding stopped. I cleaned him up and set him on my robe. He let out a tiny cry when I moved him, and I held his head in my hands. His nose was still wet and his gums had returned to pink. There wasn't blood on his tongue. If I could just get him hydrated, I could probably trust him to do the rest himself. I transfigured a rag into a shallow dish and filled it with water, then carefully rotated the puppy's head toward the dish so he could drink. I held my breath. He tentatively stretched out his tongue. I heard Harry let out a breath behind me.
"There's a good boy," Hagrid murmured, his voice thick from crying.
"Hagrid," Harry said, "perhaps Anna or I could look after the puppy while he's healing so you won't have to worry about him while you're teaching." Harry had a good point. Hagrid already had care of a zoo full of animals.
"Harry's right, Hagrid." I murmured, trying not to upset the puppy. "You've got your hands full already, and I'll need to be there if he begins to bleed again." From the corner of my eye I could see Hagrid considering the idea of leaving the hurt puppy with someone else.
"I suppose you're right, Harry." Hagrid agreed. "You could just watch him a while, while you're here."
"I'll watch him, and I'll get Anna if he's hurt." Harry reassured. Apparently that was enough for Hagrid, who got to his feet and said his goodbyes. After he'd let himself out, Harry joined me on the floor, where I'd set the puppy's head back down.
"Do you think he'll live?" Harry looked at me seriously.
"I don't know, Harry." I returned his look. "He could be bleeding into his chest. If he is, there's nothing I can really do."
"I see." Harry said, lightly running his finger tips over the back of the puppy's neck. The puppy, tired from his ordeal, hardly twitched at the new contact. Harry's face looked tired and drawn.
"Don't count him out yet," I said. "I'm telling you the worst that could happen. That doesn't mean it will." Harry nodded.
"How are we going to do this?" He asked.
"Sorry?"
"Keep him, I mean. I'm staying down the hall for the week. I can keep him in my room if you want." He offered.
"No," I said quickly, "not tonight at least. Tonight one of us should be awake and with him, and he shouldn't be moved. I've just set those ribs."
"We need to keep him still?" Harry looked at me for confirmation. I nodded. "Right. I can take the first shift watching him if you want to sleep."
"It's a little early for me to fall asleep," I demurred, rolling my shoulders back to pull the kinks out of my neck. Harry watched me intently. "I'd love to get a shower, though." Harry nodded, his eyes a little glazed. I took that as agreement and moved to stand. I stretched my arms over my head when I stood, rising up on my toes to pull the tension out of my joints. Bending over to do that suture had really put a kink in my back.
When I returned to the room Harry had taken off his robe and shoes, and was lounging next to the puppy with his back propped against one of my chairs. I hung in the doorway to my bedroom a moment, preparing myself not to stare at him like a teenager. Come on, Arthur. You're a grown woman. Act like one! I squared my shoulders and walked into my study.
"I can take over for you if you want to sleep," I said quietly. He turned his head slowly to look at me; I couldn't quite figure out the look on his face.
"That's all right," he said. He regarded me steadily. Finally I couldn't take it.
"Is something on your mind?" I blurted.
"Sorry." He smiled. He looked down as he unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled them up his forearms. "My mind's on the Wade case."
"Tonks talked to you."
"She did." He leveled his gaze at me again. The day had given him a crop of black stubble outlining his full lower lip.
"She told you I promised not to decide for a month." I prodded.
"Until the twins finish with the film, yes." He kicked one leg straight and raised the other knee, then rested a fist on it. "You also promised you'd notify us before taking action," he added, looking me in the eye. I nodded. "We need to know more about who's working for Wade. That's what you could give us. The more names we know, the more witnesses we can question. It increases our chances of finding someone who'll talk." He looked away to the fire. "You can't be suspected of involvement with a case, Anna. You'd have to go in as a witch who doesn't know what she's getting into by associating with PlayWizard." He turned toward me again. "And you've been talking to Snape."
"That's got nothing to do with Wade." I said quickly. He raised his eyebrows. I sighed. "It doesn't. She—Hermione—likes Severus. I think it's mutual. I want her to be happy. I'm meddling. That's it."
"If that's it, why'd you tell me?" He looked at me shrewdly.
"Because I don't want you to think I'm up to something." I blurted. The puppy's leg twitched and he snuffled. Both of us froze. I crept over to the puppy and leaned over his head, leaning on my hands. My hair started to fall forward over my shoulder, and I felt Harry's hand dart out to catch it before the ends fell on the puppy's head. His hand came to rest on my shoulder, holding my hair. I fought to keep my focus on the puppy. "He's all right." I concluded, observing the even rise and fall of his chest. I brought my head up. "Thanks," I said, tossing my head to put my hair behind me. Instead of withdrawing his hand, Harry lightly took hold of my shoulder and traced the line of script from one of my tattoos with his index finger.
"What does it mean?" He asked, withdrawing his hand. I inhaled quickly.
"It's a blessing." I met his eyes as I sat back on my heels. "All of my tattoos are, actually. Well. Except one."
"What's the one?" He gave me a half grin.
"This one. I turned my back to him, holding my hair off my neck. "My American bald eagle. My brother Jack has the same one."
"I can't imagine getting a patriotic tattoo." He said, almost to himself.
"That's because your symbols aren't as cool as ours." I teased.
"Arrogant American," he charged, grinning. I chuckled quietly, moving to a more comfortable sitting position on the floor. "Why do you have so many tattoos?"
"Mostly to make my stepmother cringe, when it started." I answered honestly. "But then I got interested in my heritage, I guess."
"Your heritage," he urged.
"My family's been in America a long time. We're mongrels. Like most Americans, I guess." I let my eyes become unfocused, remembering. "My dad liked researching where we came from. I used to look at his books and study the cultures. I started collecting blessings from each of them while he was still alive. When he died I got them tattooed on my arms. I wanted something I could see, I guess." Harry was watching me talk. I suddenly felt guilty for telling him all that I had. "I'm going on and on. I'm sorry."
"No. I asked." He said. Then he smiled. "It's not like you got drunk and got them on a dare."
"Well," I smiled wryly. "Jack and I were pretty hammered when we got the eagles." I chuckled. "In fact, there's no way I can clean that story up enough to tell it." Harry raised his eyebrows at me, silently urging me to continue. I shook my head. "So, why do you look the way you look?"
"That's easy enough." He shifted his position slightly. "I look almost exactly like my father, but I have my mother's eyes. I have scars from fighting Voldemort, and I have a scar from falling off a broom during a quidditch match." He lifted his wrist to me to show a thin white scar running beneath his thumb and across his wrist. I sucked a little air past my molars at the positioning.
"That's awfully close to a major artery, Harry."
"So I heard." He seemed to stare off in space a moment. "When I woke up Madame Pomfrey gave me a lecture."
"Did you deserve it?" I pried.
"Probably." He gave me a half grin. "I'm sure you give a few of those."
"Now and again." I shrugged. "I know they don't listen. They're kids; they're not going to think of injury." Images of kids from the children's shelter popped back into my mind. I frowned. "They shouldn't have to. That's for us to worry about." I shook my head. "You were a seeker?"
"How'd you know?" He raised his eyebrows at me.
"It shows." I said seriously, then smiled. "I had lunch with Katie Bell and the twins the other day. They told me a little about the Gryffindor team."
"I haven't seen Katie in ages."
"What, no stories about your exploits as a seeker?" I teased. I truly was curious, though. When I cast my mind back over our conversation, I realized I'd done most of the talking. Arrogant American is right.
"I was kept from playing during my final years at school." He said. I could see a flash of bitterness pass his face. I'd stepped in it.
"I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry into your business." I blurted. We sat in uneasy silence for a while—at least, it was uneasy for me. Finally I just had to end it. "Thanks for bringing the puppy to me."
"Eventually you might see me when I don't have a medical emergency," he quipped. I smiled.
"I don't mind." I looked at the puppy, whose sleep seemed peaceful. "He must've been in an awful amount of pain. Poor thing."
"Hagrid was beside himself."
"He's a caring soul, as my mother would say." I mused. "Though he does think some of his creatures are tamer than they really seem to be."
"That's true." Harry nodded. "Malfoy was on the receiving end of a few of Hagrid's creatures." I raised my eyebrows. "You know Buckbeak, don't you?" I nodded. "He took a chunk out of Malfoy's arm when we were in school." Harry smiled.
"Did he deserve it?"
"I'd say so." Harry confirmed. "Malfoy's changed."
"For the better, according to Hermione." I added.
"That's true." Harry nodded. Despite my efforts, I yawned. I started to apologize, but another yawn overtook me. "You should sleep," Harry said.
"Maybe." I blinked hard. "Are you all right watching him?"
"Of course." Harry said. "I'll just be here."
"Wake me when you're tired." I stood. "That's my bedroom over there. Just walk on in, I don't mind." I gestured toward a door. "Oh. And that's the bathroom." I said, gesturing toward the other door. Harry nodded. "Good night, for now."
"Good night, Anna." Harry said. As I turned to leave I saw him lean forward to brush a hand over the tips of the puppy's fur. The tiny dog didn't even stir.
