Reality Bites Harry Potter

Shay meets Spike

I loved Pyper but honestly it felt like she was stuck on the past. Sure, she was working her ass off and studying but she also was so busy freaking out over her dreams and these imaginary family members of ours that she wasn't seeing the bigger picture. The bigger picture being that we had a family already, a pretty badass one if I do say so myself. Between Minnie and the Weasleys plus the friends we had at school there's no way we could ask for anything better. Truth be told I was worried the truth would be a whole lot worse than what we'd built for ourselves. I head down to breakfast, kissing Fred on the cheek when I sit down next to him before immediately getting pulled into the early morning conversation. "You're still doing quidditch, right? I know you're apprenticing with Hagrid but I can't imagine not seeing you on the field" Pansy says and I frown. "I hadn't even thought about it honestly. Technically I could but I feel like my schedule might be a bit full. Between care of magical creatures being added to my courses and Gingerpuff missions being more serious this year it leaves me with very little free time. And in case you didn't know, I do have a boyfriend who would like my time occasionally" I joke and Fred blushes. "One day a week is all I ask" he mumbles and I kiss his cheek. "Of course" I say softly. George pretends to puke and I flip him off. "troll face, how's Megan doing?" I tease and he blushes. "That's what I thought. Leave Fred alone" I say and the whole table laughs. I eat before heading to classes. Care of Magical Creatures is about the only classes I find myself truly enjoying. I watch the others get to meet Buckbeak and I cringe when Millicent Bulstrode approaches and immediately tries to pet him. "You have to bow first" I say, loud enough for her to hear but not loud enough to be scolding. "I don't have to do anything. Just because you suck up to the animals doesn't mean you're better than me. They're animals, they're too stupid to follow rules" she says and I shake my head. "He's going to bite you" I say when I see him move away when she tries again. She lunges at him and he pecks her hand. She screams and I internally sigh. Of course this would still happen. Different person but same results as the dumb books. The class ends early with Millicent heading to the hospital wing and  I hang back, checking on Buckbeak. "You need to go to class, we'll be ok" Hagrid says and I shake my head. "You need me here more than I'm needed in muggle studies" I say and Hagrid gives me a look. "You're not doing anyone any favors by skipping class to help me. I'm fine here, I'll see you tonight" he says and I sigh but head to class. I struggled my way through the rest of classes, mind still preoccupied with Buckbeak and Hagrid. I felt a sense of protectiveness over Buckbeak and I was worried that he'd be hurt now just like in the books. Once classes finish I don't even go to dinner, just rush out to Hagrid's hut to check on Buckbeak. He's in the back and he looks sad so I'm sure Hagrid scolded him. "Hey, sweet boy. It's ok, it wasn't your fault" I soothe and he walks closer to me, bowing his head. I bow back before approaching and petting him. "She's a mean little girl, I'm sorry you had to deal with her" I say softly, looking up at him. I felt bad that he would probably not get to see any of the other kids anymore but I knew Hagrid was protecting him "Shay, come in here. I have a new friend for you to meet" Hagrid says and I follow him inside, looking around. I see a small, horned creature that looks like a cross between a frog and a monkey. I smile, coming closer. Hagrid has him wrapped in a baby blanket and I cautiously take him from him. "His name is Spike" he says and I coo. "Hi, Spike" I say softly and he curls into my arms. "He's a Clabbert. He fell out of one of the trees in the Forbidden Forest and hurt his arm so I have to nurse him back to health" Hagrid says and I nod. "Do you need my help feeding him? He looks pretty small, does that mean he's still on bottles?" I ask and Hagrid shakes his head. "Nah, Clabberts just aren't that big of creatures. He'll eat small lizards mostly so I take him out and let him hunt on ground level during the day. He just needs lots of cuddles and a safe place to heal so he doesn't get eaten" Hagrid says and I smile. "I can definitely handle cuddles" I say and Hagrid smiles. "I figured you could. I've gotta feed Fang and Buckbeak" he says and I nod, sitting down at one of the chairs in the hut and just gently rocking Spike until he falls asleep. I knew without a doubt this is what I wanted to do with my life. Taking care of animals and protecting creatures that couldn't take care of themselves was fun for me and I was so glad I figured it out early enough I could easily pursue it while still at Hogwarts.