Disclaimer: I don't claim any rights to Harry Potter & Co. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling & the publishers!

The Mute Mutt

By: Jodelle

Chapter 3: She Saw Green

"I would look at a dog and when our eyes met,

I realized that the dog and all creatures are my

family. They're like you and me."

-Ziggy Marley

Madame Appleton frowned as the young redhead looked into yet another cage making little noises of consideration. "hmmm...no...maybe," the girl murmured to herself. Had the owner of the Magical Menagerie not heard the jingling sound of money in her customers pockets as she bounced around the room she might not have found the patience to deal with the girl.

"An owl, a cat, or a toad." The girl sighed as she looked at the rather big toad puffing out it's chest in a desperate way that yelled pick me. Her room mate Alice was allergic to cats and Lily already knew what with there being school owls she didn't really need or want an owl. Oh, but she didn't want a toad!

As she stared at a cat with neon pink fur she thought to herself about the rabbit a third year had. Hadn't Marilyn mentioned that it was more about the animals not being too big than about species. The animal chosen had to be quiet, paper trained, and not too big to fit comfortably into the dorms with the other students. If whatever creature she picked fit those guidelines she was all set.

Lily might have spent another half hour looking into various cages had it not been for hearing a crashing noise coming from behind the counter. Madame Appleton's face became beet red before she bellowed, "Rachelle, what did I say about not touching the Peruvian Piglets!"

Lily watched with an open mouth as the woman turned around knocking things over in her haste. As the lady had turned around a hallway had appeared in front of her that revealed many doors . It was clearly a charm put in place so nobody would snoop in the owners house.

There were doors that would have been to the left or right of you had you walked into the hall but the door that had been flung open by the owner was accessed by walking straight ahead. Lily didn't want to pry but she wondered if the women might need help. Peruvian piglets could produce noxious odors that would make a person pass out for several weeks before waking.

So biting her lip she stopped hesitating by taking a few steps into the hallway. When nobody yelled at her she walked as one normally walks as if you were invited in. There was another noise this time a bang followed by a whimper.

As Lily edged into the room she saw owner hunched over a black puppy. The little creature was trembling uncontrollably probably out of fear and pain. There were small scratches along its head and down to its shoulders. If you thought about it- it seemed that the puppy had something glass fall on it.

Forgetting that she wasn't really supposed to be back in this room Lily moved forward dropping her purse on the floor. The owner shot her a look but remained silent clearly she had a soft spot for injured animals.

Lily sorted through her purse before her hand wrapped around her manicure kit. There was a thing of nail scissors, cuticle trimmers, nail cutters, and the thing she needed a pair of tweezers.

--30 Minutes Later--

Lily had removed the splinters of glass from the puppy and then had rinsed the cuts with an antibiotic Madame Appleton had given her. The woman had only left the room once to flip the sign from open to closed. If she had disliked Lily before those unkind sentiments had vanished when she saw how gentle the girl was with the puppy.

As Lily gave the puppy a real bath with shampoo she hummed to herself a merry little tune. Once she had gotten all the soap out of its fur she laughed as she held up her hands. Many little black hairs were stuck to her hands.

"Your such a hairy little monster!"

Upon hearing his name Harry wagged his tail happily.

"You hairy little mutt," Lily murmured into Harry's now sweet smelling fur. Had Harry been older he might have protested at the feminine smell of strawberries wafting off of him but as it was he liked the smell as much as she did.

"Madame Appleton?" Lily said her voice surprised somewhat as she looked at Harry.

"Yes, Lily?" Madame Appleton was using scourgify on the sink where they had washed Harry handing a towel to Lily.

Lily fluffed Harry's fur as she tried to dry him off. She looked into Harry's eyes before looking up to Madame Appleton from her stool. Lily held Harry out to her as she started talking.

"Don't you think we have the same colored eyes?"

As the owner looked into Harry's eyes she stifled a gasp. They were the exact same shade without at doubt. She looked at Lily with suspicion but then realized Lily was too young to do magic out of school so this was no trick.

"Merlin, well I'll be."

Lily took a nervous breath before asking what had been on her mind since she'd seen the puppy with the shattered glass covering it like a porcupine with its quills. It looked like it needed looking after and someone to love it.

"How much is this puppy?" She was met with silence as the woman frowned.

"This dog doesn't belong to me it's a stray, a mutt." It was hard to call the dog a mutt as it was so beautiful but it was unlike any breed of dog she'd ever seen.

"But as you saw it first it belongs to you surely."

Madame Appleton sighed. Even if she had wanted to she knew she couldn't keep the dog so she thought about it for a moment.

"It's a bit steep but the dogs eyes up its value to five galleons. It has no bad temperament, we've seen that it's paper trained, and it is a darling. Those are three things that determine if the dog is going to find a home or if it needs to be put down."

Lily didn't look fazed for a minute. " I have that much money and more. The only thing I need is permission from the headmaster. If you can simply hold him for a week I'll give you ten galleons!"

Lily left the store humming once more. She wasn't usually so frivolous but looking into its bright green eyes she had felt like she did at home like she was with her family. The dog reminded her of her grandmother smiling at her with the same colored eyes twinkling. It was a rare find indeed to feel so close to someone you just met.