Scales- Larry Stylinson

Chapter 2

Harry listened to the shortish human scream on the phone after he left the room Harry was in. The hybrid frowned slightly but remained where he was, laying with his soft belly scales up, trying to catch the last of the warm sunlight streaming into the window for the night. Harry knew that he was demanded he be returned. He also knew that he wouldn't be returned, not for three days. This wasn't Harrys first placement.

Harry sat up and rose an eyebrow as he heard the sound of the front door slam. He waited, listening to the sounds of the empty house. After about three minutes, the hybrid was satisfied that he was in fact alone. He got up, slithering to the door and opening it. Harry found himself leisurely exploring his new home. Well, his home for the next three days.

It was nice. It was a simple two bedroom, all on one floor. There were some nice pictures on the wall and a few homey decorations that told Harry the man had been living here at least a while. Harry went into the kitchen and started to help himself to the food in the refrigerator. He pulled out chicken strips, milk, and butter, flattening himself a bit so his human half was lower to the ground as he dug through the mans cupboards for pots or pans. There was one pot and one pan, and they both appeared flawless. Shiny, almost. One glance at the trash can full of take out containers told Harry all he needed to know about his new temporary owners cooking habits.

Harry got to work boiling the water and cooking the chicken, the smells making his mouth water. He hummed and smiled contently. While he waited for the noodles to finish cooking, he went into the living room, noticing a large fake fireplace. Harry hummed again in approval and started to tinker with trying to figure out how to start it. He let out a noise of annoyance as the thing just would not turn on. Whatever. He would have the human turn it on later. He wasn't too cold, and-

Harry paused as he remembered his heating pad. He pushed his way into the crate he had been brought in, pulling out the blue pad. He slithered back into the kitchen, plugging the pad in and placing it on the floor in front of the stove. Harry sighed softly as his scales warmed up, He balled up the back of his tail onto the small mat as best he could. He added the chicken to the pasta, making a sauce out of milk, cheese, butter and spices.

Finally Harry made himself a bowl of his pasta, slithering over to the couch. He unplugged a lamp and plugged his heating pad back in, lounging on it as he ate. The warm food made his uneasy stomach feel better. Food always helped. Especially if it was hot. He didn't get a lot of hot meals at the shelter. A lot of cold bologna sandwiches, which made digestion hard. One handler just gave him raw meat and expected him to be able to eat that. Harry wrapped the heating pad around his torso. The warm meal, combined with the warmth of the heating pad made Harry very comfortable. For the first time in weeks he felt warm and full. He was almost asleep when the front door banged open.

"Shit- He's on the couch." He heard his owner mutter. Harry rolled his eyes and sighed, not making an effort to pull his tail off the couch to give his owner a chance to sit. Harry knew the man would not sit near him.

"Where is he?! I wanna see him! You said I could play! Where?!" A excited voice that did not belong to his owner sounded. Harry frowned and sat up, crying out as he was tackled from behind.

Harry found himself tackled to the floor by a blonde hybrid, with a large blue eyes and a heavy wagging tail. Harry hissed and defensively wrapped the creature up in his muscular tail, flipping so he was the one in control, squeezing the possibly aggressive hybrid.

"No! Bad boy! You cant eat Niall!" He heard his owners panicked shout. Harry flinched and turned as he felt cold water hit his back. He cocked an eyebrow and glared at the brunette who was holding a squirt bottle

"Bad! Let him go!" his owner demanded, squirting him again. Harry hissed, baring his fangs at the man. He didn't notice until he spoke, but another man had walked up behind Harry.

"Niall, is he hurting you?" Harry spun around, quickly moving so his back was to the hallway, and not to either of the humans.

"What do you mean?! Of course he is!" The other human shouted. "He's squeezing him to death!"

"Uhm." Niall, the creature Harry currently had wrapped in his tail, answered. "Not really? It feels weird." He rubbed Harry scales with his hands. "Like one of those cowboy shoes at the store I got in trouble for chewing in the mall...." Harry could see the cogs in the dogs brain turning as he stared at Harrys tail with his mouth open. As soon as the hybrid moved to bite Harry, Harry smacked him across the ears.

"Hey!" The second human shouted and suddenly was lifting his human torso up under his arms. "No hitting. Niall, no biting." The man scolded.

Niall whined, rubbing his ears.

"How can you be touching him, Liam?" Harry heard his owner demand. Harry let his tail relax, pulling away from the hybrid and human and slithering back onto the couch. He sighed softly.

"Food?" Niall started to sniff around.

"I didn't make anything- No, Niall!" His owner called as the hybrid rushed to the kitchen.

"He can cook?" Liam, the second human, let out a noise of being impressed.

"Niall, do not eat that. You have no idea what he put in that..." Harry stopped listening at that point. He unplugged his heating pad while the three were in the kitchen, arguing about what Harry could already hear Niall was eating and if it was safe.

Harry took the distraction as his chance to slither off back to his room, the one with the sun facing window, and close the door. He pulled back the blankets and sheets, putting the heating pad down and reburying it. Harry plugged it in and laid down once more. He closed his eyes, content with falling asleep when he felt hands on his tail. Harry sat up and frowned, seeing the puppy hybrid, his cheeks white and saucy, sitting on the bed and pulling the end of Harrys tail over his lap. Harry hadn't even heard the door open

"I'm Niall." The hybrid introduced, licking around his own mouth. Harry glanced around the room and handed Niall a box of tissue that was on the night stand. Niall wiped his face.

"You cook real good. Where'd you learn that?" The puppy asked, climbing up and sitting on the coil of his tail. He rubbed the scaly sides curiously. Harry couldn't help but hum a little. That contact felt nice. He was used to people being too afraid to touch him, so this was kind of soothing.

"Do you talk?" Niall pressed on, looking at Harry with his head cocked a bit. Harry shrugged and shook his head. He could talk, he just never found a reason to. Plus his voice was a bit on the hissy side.

Just another thing to make him feel ugly.

"Do you know how?" Niall laid so he was on his tummy across Harrys coiled tail. Harry nodded, giving Niall a strange look. He was the first creature in a while to give him the time of day.

"Well I wanna hear you talk." Niall reached up to his mouth and poked his cheek. Harry chuckled weakly at the strange little dog hybrid, moving his face away from his hand.

"No...touching.. my faccce." He spoke quietly, his voice low and a bit hissy. Nialls eyes widened and he smiled.

"You are so cool!" He grinned. "I've never met anyone like you before. Lets be best friends!" His tail wagged excitedly.

Harry smiled weakly. He knew he wasn't going to be here very long. He was gonna be taken back to the shelter and sent to a new home and back again. However, the hybrid looked so happy and had such big puppy dog eyes that Harry couldn't help but agree.

"Bessst friends." He whispered in agreement.