Magical Menagerie || Drarry

Epilogue

The bell over the door jingled as Harry stepped inside Magical Menagerie, "I got your owl," He called as he pushed the door shut. Brynhildr jumped down from the counter to sniff Harry's trousers and then rub against his legs with a loud welcoming purr.

"Took you long enough," Draco said, taking his reading glasses off and sliding them into his waistcoat pocket. He closed the book in front of him. It was glamoured to look like an old leather bound tome but was in all likelihood one of many trashy romance novels Pansy gave him regularly after she had finished with them.

Harry rolled his eyes and gestured to his auror uniform, "I came as soon as I got off work."

"Mmhmm," Draco said appreciatively, raking his eyes over Harry.

Harry flushed, glad the shop was closed for the day, "What's the rush?" He knelt down to scratch Brynhildr behind the ears.

Draco turned to the back corner of the shop where a small, steep staircase led upstairs to Draco's personal apartment, "Pansy! He's here!"

There was the briefest of pauses followed by a thump and a string of swearing mixed in with a clatter that sounded like an animal. Brynhildr puffed and bolted back behind the counter. The clatter charged down the stairs and was sounding more and more like a dog sort of clatter.

The thought had barely passed through Harry's mind when a medium sized terrier exploded down the stairs and beelined straight for him, jumping up to put their paws on Harry's shoulders and press their face to Harry's neck with a happy whine. The dog's stub of a tail whirred back and forth with excitement.

Harry slid a hesitant hand down the dog's rough wire haired coat that might have been white, grey, brown or simply filthy, and was rewarded with a face full of slobbery kisses. Harry lost his balance and sat heavily on the floor, the dog coming with him and using the opportunity to thoroughly sniff Harry's hair.

Pansy stomped down the stairs, her hair sticking up and holding her arm. Merlin was perched on her head looking entirely put out about the whole situation.

Pansy pointed at the dog threateningly, "It's a good thing Potter likes you mutt because otherwise you would have been in a sack in the river-"

"No. No such thing would have happened," Draco said, ice coating his words. "If Harry doesn't like him, I will find another home for him."

Pansy glared at him, her nose scrunching, "Of course he likes the dog." She held out her hand and tsked, "I broke a nail."

"Where's he from?" Harry asked, scratching the dog's ears.

Draco had his elbows propped on the counter, leaning over to watch Harry with a pleased little smile, "He's been wandering around the Diagon and Knockturn alley for about a week. I asked around about an owner but it seems like he was abandoned and Pansy thought he was the perfect match for you."

"I did say so when I first showed him to you," Pansy examined her nails with a frown, "I could tell they'd be a perfect together because they're both an utter mess."

Harry laughed.

Draco sighed, "He's fairly young, still has most of his baby teeth. He looks like a crup-schnauzer mix but I can't say for sure, especially with the docked tail."

The dog stared up at Harry with large brown eyes and Harry knew he was a goner, "He is perfect."

"What are you going to call him?" Pansy asked.

Harry stared at the little dog, "Erm, Biscuit?"

Pansy snorted.

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Really Potter."

Harry shook his head with a smile, "...Padfoot maybe." His smile grew, "Yeah, I like that. I think Sirius would've liked you too."

Padfoot licked Harry's chin and wagged his little stump tail.

"I don't mind if he comes into the shop with you," Draco said, "He's afraid of the cats and doesn't care about the birds but he needs a bath."

"Oh. Can I give him one here?" Harry asked pointing up at Draco's apartment which had an amazing clawfoot tub.

Draco grimaced, "Fuck no."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "You have no imagination Draco."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Draco said defensively.

Pansy smirked and asked Harry without looking over, "Potter, what are you wearing under that uniform?"

Harry's brow furrowed, "A tee shirt?"

"Colour?" Pansy asked.

"White? -ish. What's this-?"

Pansy held up a quelling finger, her eyes still locked on Draco as she said slowly, "Your boyfriend, his white tee-shirt soaked with water, transparent where it's clinging to his skin, soap running down his arms, caught in his damp hair-"

"You read too many romance novels," Harry said shaking his head.

Pansy went on without missing a beat, "And afterward you might need to clean him up." She raised one eyebrow meaningfully.

Harry sighed. On one hand, it was what he wanted and it would be fun. On the other, Draco would inevitably complain when it wasn't right compared to whatever fantasy Pansy had now stewed up in his mind.

Draco pointed to the shelf by Harry's shoulder, "Dogwash potion, ten sickles."

"You're going to charge him?" Pansy said aghast.

Draco sniffed, "This isn't a charity."

"Oh the fuck it's not. You do it for fun and donate all your profits to animal rescues. Sounds like a charity to me."

Draco gave her a look, "Don't you have anything better to do?"

Pansy glared at him, "I fact I do. I found a new hot sauce. The saleswoman said it could melt lead. I doubt it. The last bottle I found, Longbottom and I went through the whole thing and barely broke a sweat."

Draco shook his head.

Harry had to agree. Pansy and Neville had ended up cultivating the weirdest friendship he could have possibly imagined. He grabbed a bottle of Goodpup's Dogwash Potion, Clean and Critter Free, Guaranteed, and threw a galleon on the counter.

"You're leaving, Pansy. Remember?" Draco said.

She rolled her eyes and sauntered to the door with a prim, "You're welcome."

Draco waved her off impatiently, "Thank you very much, Pansy, now kindly fuck off." As soon as the door was shut, Draco spelled it locked and lead the way to the stairs, crooking a beckoning finger with a devilish gleam in his eye, "Come along Harry."