A/N : Hello everyone! This week's chapter is done by yours truly :) Hope you enjoy it! Please give me your thoughts about it! I would love to hear all about it! Positive or negative :]

Chapter 3

Pets Galore

- Chi Sayumi –

"James Potter," the boy dressed in a plain maroon shirt paired with faded jeans mischievously said before reaching his hand out.

Elina stood there, her eyes open as widely as it possibly could as the boy waited for a response from either of us. I nudged her lightly as it was getting awkward with him just waiting and Elina not moving a single muscle. Heck, I think she wasn't even breathing at that moment.

"O-Oh! N-Nice to meet you!" Elina managed to finally say, cupping his hand with both of her own and shaking it vigorously.

"Nice to meet you too,"

"Sor-r-ry about this. I mean you are …. What I want to say is-"

"Don't worry about it. I get that quite a lot," James said cutting Elina off midsentence with a dashing smile.

"Sorry I didn't catch what you said your name was. What was it again?" James asked, turning towards me, with his hand reaching out once again.

"That's because I didn't"

"Excuse me?"

"I said that I didn't what my name was. Elina mentioned it for me,"

"…So may I get your name then?"

"I don't give my name to strangers," I said glaring at him before turning around and walked away with my basket of books from the both of them. I could hear Elina apologizing profusely for my actions in the distant as I headed back to the shelves to find my final textbook required, 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration 35th Edition'.

After scanning the covers of the books in a quick manner, I finally found it, but to my dismay, it was on the very top of the shelf. I tried desperately to reach out to the book, tip toed and stretching my arm out as far as humanly possible, holding on to the layers of the shelf for support.

After a good 5 minutes of trying, frustrated, I took a book that was wrapped in plastic and flung it towards 'A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration 35th Edition' and both books fell to the floor.

I picked both up and placed the former back and marched off with the latter in my basket of books that was getting quite heavy.

"SAYUMI!" A voice behind called out to me. Turning around, I saw Elina with cheeks flushed like the colour of rose.

"What?" I asked slightly annoyed.

"How could you just march off like that?"

"And your point being?"

"How can you walk away from...From the son of the boy who lived?!"

"Simple. I don't care. AND it was just his son," I said rolling my eyes at her.

"You're impossible Mi,"

"Elina, I did not grow up listening to stories of the battle of Hogwarts, and Dumbledore's army or anything of that stuff for that matter. I didn't even know anything about it until you barrage me with the stories about it,"

"WELL! You could have just been a smidge nicer to him!"

"Now you're impossible,"

I placed my books on the counter alongside with Elina's and optioned it to be delivered to the orphanage. As we continued bickering, at the corner of my eye I spotted James Potter teasing some poor boy that seemed roughly the same age as Elina and I. Ignoring it, I dragged Elina out of the store.

"What's next?"

"A first year, if desired may either bring with them an owl, toad or cat," Elina said reading off the list.

"Great, is there a pet shop around here?"

"There is one up north called Magical Menagerie or something like that. That's where my family used to go… I think?"

"You think?"

"NO! I AM ABSOLUTELY SURE!" Elina stated, huffing out her chest as she marched in front of me, leading the way.

As we walked, and walked, and walked, and walked, for what it seemed like a hundred miles, we finally reached a pet shop, but not the one Elina mentioned. Fed up, I told her that we should just give up on looking for that shop and try this one instead. Elina tired and weary, was quick on agreeing to my idea.

Before turning the dusty old doorknob, I observed the exterior of the shop. The window display was dusty and cloudy but you could still see bits and parts of the interior. Above the window was a sign written "Pets Galore" with the 'e' at the end of 'galore' missing.

As I pushed the door open, a puff of dust greeted me and Elina making the both of us cough and sneeze.

"Hello?" Elina greeted but nobody answered.

The old wooden floor creaks with every step I take and the musty smell of the shop made my eyes water just a little. The shop was cramped with cages filled with animals in every nook and cranny. I peered into some of the cages where the animals inside stay still without moving as if it were dead, but as I observed further, I could see small movements of the chests indicating that they were indeed alive, but just barely.

"HELLO?!" Elina greeted, louder this time.

"Coughs* I 'ave already paid tis month's rent!" a muffled old voice shouted as an old lady emerged from the room behind the counter.

"Oh hello 'earies, and who might ya be?" The old lady expression quickly shifted as soon as she laid her eyes on us.

"We came here to buy pets" Elina answered her in which upon hearing it, smiled from ear to ear.

"Oh did ya now! Well look around and see then! Let tis old 'ady know which one ya 'icks"

"Sure," I answered, slightly annoyed by all the dust floating.

"Don't be shy now! Just 'ick one! I will be in the 'oom at the back! Call me when needed!" The old lady said and briskly walked back to the room she came out from.

"It might be a mistake coming here Mi,"

"Just pick one. There is bound to something cute here for you,"

With a grumpy mood, Elina scanned all the cages hoping something will catch her eye. She stopped in front of a rusty old cage that was hanging off the ceiling. It looked like a ferret but at the same time not, possibly due to malnourishment judging by the state of its skinny frame. It was shivering with its tail between its legs eyeing Elina warily, as she demanded asked the lady (rather loudly I must add) if she could carry it. Surprisingly, she managed to coax it out of its cage and into her arms. Beaming, she turned to me.

"Isn't this cute?"

"No…. Not the slightest"

"It was a rhetorical question Mi,"

"Still a question,"

"*Roll eyes* found anything you like?"

"Other than that century old book of Jane Eyre on the counter, nothing,"

Elina sighed heavily ,exasperated by my lack of enthusiasm.

"Well, we don't have much time left. So just pick something, anything!" she cried desperately, jostling the sleeping ferret awake in her arms.

Rolling my eyes, I scanned the room once more to see if I miss anything. All the creatures were strange and weird-looking. Almost giving up hope, I walked towards the counter hoping that the old lady could help find one for me, when a cage on floor started to move a little, catching my attention.

Bending down, so that I could look at the cage at more appropriate angle, I noticed that the creature within wasn't unlike all the creatures in the store. It looked happy to see my face as its tail wagged faster than a heartbeat.

Placing my finger near the bars of the cage, the little pup licked me gently. Its eyes were different colour from each other, making it heterochromia.

"It looks scary," Elina blurted out carrying her ferret in her arms, backing away as if it would consume her whole with one bite.

"No more than your little weasel" I teased.

"IT'S A FERRET!"

"Yeah, yeah,"

"Are you getting the pup?"

"I'm not sure. Should I?"

"It looks like a wolf and its eyes are different from one another. The brown eye looks okay but the pale blue eye on the left looks kinda scary. Is it a dog? Or a wolf?"

"The label is smudged, I can't read it," staring at the pup whose eyes reflected my own image as it stared at me with its tongue sticking out.

"My, my did ya take a liking towards tat ol' pup there?" The old lady emerged from the room once more, peering at our actions.

"This is a puppy? Or a wolf?" Elina asked confused.

"Tat lil one is a mix. It 'as bits of wolf, dog and an Arctic fox,"

"Is it allowed in school?"

"They don't grow as big as a fox, ya know? Probably could grow 'ust a lil smaller than the artic fox,"

I patted the wolf/fox/dog hybrid's paw. The gray with white undercoat fur of it deserved a good brushing and scrubbing.

"I'll take it," I murmured.

"'cuse me laddie?"

"I'll take it," I said with a louder voice.

"MI! Don't be insane!"

"I'm buying it and that's that,"

"Very good then! 'Ust come to the counter to pay for it then. Ya taking the Jarvey mix then laddie?"

"JARVEY?! This cutie in my arms now is a JARVEY?!" Elina asked rather loudly making my ears ring.

"Ferret and Jarvey mix. 'Ould pass of a ferret ain't it? Don'tcha worry. It 'as only 1 quarter of Jarvey blood in it. Diluted. Never heard it spoke human speech befor- oh what am I sayin',"

"Just take it Elina. I don't think it will be a problem," I coaxed her. The faster we buy it, the faster I get to go back to bed.

"…...FINE…."

"Very good laddies. This old lady shall giv ya laddies a lil discount!" The old lady said with a hearty laugh.

After making payment and choosing a collar for each of our pets, we proceed to meet Madam Sally at the agreed place. Elina, being as happy as she was, skipped practically the entire way.

"How was your shopping dearies?" Madam Sally asked observing our new pets.

Elina started talking non-stop about everything that happened to the last detail. It was tiring just listening to her but Madam Sally just nodded to everything she said, smiling happily. As we walked, a girl wearing all white bumped in to me. She bowed as a way of apologizing and left rather in a quick manner. As she ran past me, a familiar scent and a glimpse of a ruby earring made my heart stop for a moment.

I knew her. NO. I know her. Shoving my stuffs into Elina and Madam Sally's arms, I ran after her.

The girl walked faster and faster and no matter how fast I ran, she was still ahead of me. I have no idea how many people I pushed out of my way as I tried to catch up to her. My mind was in a state of confusion. I did not know why I ran, who she was and why I was so desperate. All I knew that I have to see her face.

"S-STOP!" I finally shouted at the top of my lungs. People turned and stared at me as I ran like a mad person.

Finally, my legs gave in and I fell, skinning my knees and arms. Blood trickled down my legs and arms as I got up. I look around me for the girl in white but she disappeared from my view. My head felt light and patches of darkness clouded my vision. The last thing I remembered before seeping into the darkness was a maroon shirt and the smell of plum blossom. The smell of home.