Reality Bites Harry Potter

Spike makes friends

Life with a pet clabbert really wasn't all that difficult. You make sure they have plenty of lizards to munch on, keep a litterbox handy because they're surprisingly easy to train, and you give them constant cuddles, which is easy to do when you have a half giant to help you. It becomes a little more difficult when the half giant gets a bad cold and his sneezes scare the poor baby. "Hagrid, I promise I can handle Spike on my own for a few days. Look, I even made a baby wrap" I say, using a scarf to securely hold Spike to my chest and he snuggles his little head under my chin. "If you're sure he won't effect your studies" he says before sneezing again and I feel Spike curl more into me. "I'm sure. I'll feed him on my study hall and ask for help if I need it" I say, holding him tight as I run back to the castle. Fred is the first person I run into and I can't help but laugh a bit at his horrified face. "Why do you have a baby?" He asks and I hear George laugh. "I'm pretty sure you'd know if she had a kid" he teases. I roll my eyes before carefully moving the scarf so Fred can see Spike's face. "His name is Spike. He's scared of Hagrid's sneezes so I'm in charge of him until Hagrid gets better" I say and Fred nods, carefully petting his head. "He is awfully cute" he says softly and I smile up at him. "Right? He's just the first of many animals I will foster over the years" I say and George laughs again. "Hear that, Fred? You're gonna be a fur dad forever" he jokes and Fred shrugs. "It's better than actual kids" he admits and I laugh. "I have to go, potions class is starting soon" I say, heading for the dungeons. I make it with a few minutes to spare and I feel Snape staring at me so I decide to approach him, if only to prevent the awkward confrontation later. "Hi, Snape. This is Spike" I say softly, moving the scarf slightly again and smiling fondly when I see him asleep. Snape blinks at him and I watch him, waiting for his reaction. "Why did you bring him to class?" He asks in his slow, deep voice. "Because clabberts need lots of body heat and cuddles and Hagrid is sick so I have to take care of him. Spike, not Hagrid" I say and Snape rolls his eyes. "Very well. But if he interrupts my class in any way I will take 50 points from Hufflepuff and walk him back to Hagrid's hut myself" he says. I nod, making extra sure he's tucked into my chest and heading to my seat. I do pretty good in class, focusing better than normal because I wanted to make sure Spike wasn't taken away. After potions I head to the dining hall and Spike is finally able to stretch his legs a bit. I let him loose on the table while I eat and Pansy and Pyper are quickly playing with him. "How did you get so lucky to get an adorable pet like Spike?" Pansy asks and I smile, watching him climb her arm and snuggle into her neck. "I was helping Hagrid and he got a cold and Spike is scared of his sneezes so I offered to take care of him while Hagrid heals. It's not permanent, unfortunately" I say and she nods. Alex comes running up to me looking a bit annoyed and I blink at her. "What's wrong?" I ask and she groans. "You forgot about the initiation meeting. It's supposed to be tomorrow and you haven't planned anything" she says and I look at her with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" I ask and Pyper laughs. "She did tell you. Last week you said you'd start and then Hagrid needed you and then she tried again 3 days ago and Spike happened. I think this animal thing is taking too much of your time" Draco says softly and I glare at him. "I didn't say it was a bad thing, I think you just dove in too quick. I love seeing you this excited, you helped me out a lot last year it's good to see you helping yourself" he says. Alex sits beside me and lays her head on my shoulder. "You need an apprentice, since you became Hagrid's" she suggests. "I'd suggest a first year, that way by the time you're in 7 they'll be in 5 and more than capable of running the group" Susan says. I nod, already knowing in my brain who the smartest choice would be. "I'm going to have to make myself love Astoria, aren't I?" I sigh and Pyper smirks. "Serves you right, she's just like you anyways" she teases. "I'm not that confrontational about things. Or that overly confident. Like i considered making her wait a year just to check her ego" I say and Daphne rolls her eyes. "She's always been that way. Mum gave her everything she wanted so she was spoiled. And then she was smart on top of it so she doesn't know what no means" she says. Pyper laughs and gives me a look. "Shayla, when was the last time you were told no?" I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at her. "Minnie told me no once" I say and Pyper rolls her eyes. "Is that why you never want to go home?" she asks and I shrug. "It doesn't matter. Let's get this initiation planning started" I say. We all work together to get everything planned and I make a mental note to quickly start in on Astoria, knowing I'd need all the help I could get. We finish planning and Spike is fast asleep so I scoop him up, heading to my dorm and quickly falling asleep.