gaius (ex_gaius583) wrote in snark_n_bark, @ 2008-06-27 04:04:00 |
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Entry tags: | complete, gaius, regulus |
A matter of ownership
Characters: Regulus, Schatten
Summary: Regulus meets a "new" friend
Gaius wandered the streets of Hogsmeade, his four lithe legs carrying him easily through the streets, his small size and black fur letting him slip through the milling shoppers virtually unnoticed. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't really care; he let the instincts and motivations of his feline self hold sway, losing himself in the basic needs of the cat as a way of insulating himself from his almost unbearable human grief.
He wasn't even certain how long he had been a cat, how long it had been since he'd bid Severus and Serenus farewell, telling them he was going to go back to Germany for a long-delayed visit as a break from the constant reminders of Sirius he'd seemed to see everywhere. He'd meant to do it, too - to pack a bag and use the Portkey he'd purchased to whisk him away from the pain and the memories, from the thoughts of why and how could he have done this to me. Gaius was not a man any more used to self-doubt than he was to severe emotional trauma. Somehow he'd managed to get through over forty years of life without ever having his heart broken; now that it had happened, he found he didn't care for the sensation at all, and yet it had been just as hard to face leaving as it was to consider staying, causing him to delay his departure and dither without being able to make a decision either way.
Yet Monkshood Cottage, where he'd been staying since the reading of Sirius' will, didn't provide the respite he needed, and he'd spent every night tossing and turning restlessly, reaching out for a body that wasn't there and would never be there again. He knew he had to get by somehow, and he'd briefly considered resorting to potions to allow him to sleep. Going to get one seemed like too much work, though, and so he'd done the only other thing he could think of: he'd become Schatten again, as he'd been doing at Azoth House, and as a cat he'd managed to collapse into an exhausted slumber at last.
When morning had come, he didn't change back, finding it much easier to cope with things in his Animagus form. Certainly Schatten missed Padfoot, but it was far more distant than the feelings he experienced as a man, and he found himself reluctant to return to the pain. He told himself he'd only stay in cat form for a little while, until his grief eased to a bearable level. A day or two at most, perhaps, certainly no more than three. He'd rest and be better equipped to cope with things afterward.
The difficulty with letting the cat hold sway was that he lost a certain amount of his clarity, making it simple to just remain a cat. He had everything he needed, after all: shelter, and food from the magically renewing dish that Severus and Remus had left in the cottage for when Winslow was brought over with the children. He even had the illusion of being around people, since it was easy enough to slip out of the dog door and make his way into town, wandering the streets and investigating anything that caught his fancy. Schatten liked people, but he was more independent than Gaius was, and for now, the occasional attention of children in town was enough for him.
It couldn't have been more than six days, or perhaps seven. Not that it mattered, really; Gaius was coping, after a fashion, and it was enough for now. Or at least it was until he rounded the corner of the Three Broomsticks and was suddenly faced with the sight of the biggest, meanest looking dog he'd ever seen in his life, which lifted its head and looked at him as though small black cats were the prime choice on the menu for the day.
A hiss escaped him, instinct taking over completely as he froze, his eyes searching out the best path for running from this unexpected menace.
Regulus had come to Hogsmeade with the intention of spending the day calling on people. If there was one lesson he had learned of late, it was that it was best not to put things off, and he had decided to make a better effort to keep in touch. Thus he planned to stop by and say hello to Serenus first, then check on Harry, and then stop by the cottage to see if Gaius was back from Germany yet. But he didn't want to start making his social rounds on an empty stomach, and he'd decided to stop in the Three Broomsticks for brunch and some tea.
As he approached the pub, however, all thoughts of food and fortification dissipated when he caught sight of a large dog bristling at a wee bundle of black fur. It looked too well-developed to be a kitten, but it was small for a full-grown cat, although it certainly was fierce, hissing at the dog, which looked as if it could easily snap the cat in two with its powerful jaws.
Regulus didn't consider himself an animal lover per se; he'd never had a pet other than an owl, which he viewed more as a useful resource that happened to be alive than a pet. He took excellent care of his owl, but he wasn't particularly bonded to it, and he'd never felt a strong desire for a more cuddly pet. But neither could he stand by and let the cat get torn to pieces. If the cat had any sense, it would turn and run, but still, there was no guarantee the dog couldn't catch up with it, and Regulus didn't want to see the little fluffball get hurt.
Drawing his wand, he aimed and fired a mild stinging spell at the dog's hindquarters, watching with satisfaction as it yelped and bounded away, its tail between its legs. He tucked his wand away and bent down to get a closer look at the cat he'd rescued. "There you go," he said, stretching out his hand to see if the cat would give him a sniff instead of a swat with its claws. "One dog, easily dispatched. I hope you stay out of his way from now on."
Schatten was so focussed on the dog that he didn't hear whoever came up behind him, but he did feel the tingle of magic in the air and see the dog suddenly whirl and run away. He blinked and spun around, finding a human bending down near him, reaching out with a hand toward him. Not just any human, either; someone he recognized at once, even though Schatten had never seen him through feline eyes before. It was Regulus, Gaius' good friend, and Schatten bounded forward toward that welcoming hand, relief at the rescue from the dog combining with Gaius' more distant happiness at seeing his friend. It was nice to focus on that, the simple emotion of pleasure at Regulus' presence, and he rubbed his cheek against Regulus' fingers, purring loudly to show his approval for Regulus' timely arrival.
Regulus was surprised by the cat's friendliness, but he was pleased as well since it meant he didn't end up with a scratched hand. "Aren't you a friendly one?" he murmured, stroking the cat's little head and down the length of its back. Its black fur was silky, and he could see it had vivid blue eyes. "And pretty too. Or handsome," he amended, in case it was a male. Not that it would know what he meant either way, but he had picked up a healthy respect for cats while living in Egypt, and one never knew when the Lady Bast might be listening.
Arching into the stroking hand, Schatten continued to purr. He didn't even try to sort out Regulus' words, but he picked up on the admiring tone and it pleased him. He gave a soft "Mrrow!" of acknowledgment, then returned to rubbing his cheek against Regulus' hand, enjoying the contact as he realized how much he'd missed being petted by someone he liked and trusted.
Petting the cat was oddly soothing, and Regulus found himself falling into a steady stroking rhythm as the purring lulled him into a trance. But as pleasant as it was, he couldn't squat on the pavement and pet a stray cat all day; he had things to do, and so he gave the cat a final scritch behind the ears before standing up straight once more.
"Right, well..." He wasn't sure how to say good-bye to a cat, and he felt a little foolish doing so, but he did just save the cat's life, so he didn't feel right about walking away without a word. "Try to stay out of trouble, all right?"
Regulus stood, and it was obvious he was about to leave, and to Schatten, that was completely unacceptable. The comforting touch had been just what he needed, soothing him in a way that he couldn't bear to lose. For the first time in days, he felt better, and he wanted more of that. He needed it, and he wasn't about to let Regulus run off and abandon him.
He gave a piteous cry, running forward so that he could twine himself around Regulus' ankles, purring so loudly his little body vibrated with it. He looked up at Regulus with wide blue eyes full of appeal. Surely Regulus could see that he simply had to take Schatten with him!
Regulus remembered Severus mentioning Lupin giving him the "wolf eyes", but he had never understood exactly what that meant or how it could be so effective. But it seemed he was on the receiving end of "kitty eyes", and he found it was a rather potent force indeed. He stared down at the cat, at a loss for what to do. On the one hand, it didn't have a collar, but on the other, it seemed clean and well-fed, so he wasn't entirely sure it was a stray that he could simply pick up and walk off with. And what in the world would he do with a cat anyway?
Bending, he patted the cat and then gently pushed it away to a safe distance. "Sorry, little one, but you should go home, wherever that is," he said as he began to walk away.
This was simply unacceptable, and Schatten gave another mew of distress before dashing after Regulus, following right at his heels. He wasn't about to let Regulus get away, no matter what.
Regulus heard the pitiful mew and glanced back, stopping once more when he realized he had a feline stalker. Releasing an exasperated sigh, he stared down at the cat. Obviously, it had taken a liking to him for some reason. Surely if it had a home, it wouldn't follow him around, would it? He bent and scooped up the cat, holding it carefully in both hands so they were almost nose to nose.
"What am I meant to do with you?" he asked it. "My flat isn't exactly feline friendly, and I've never had a pet before. Don't you have a home to go to?" Abruptly, he realized he was standing in the middle of the pavement, talking to a cat, and he fervently hoped no one he knew came along to see it.
This was much better, in Schatten's opinion, and he craned forward, purring again, to lick the tip of Regulus' nose. He inclined his head, thinking that Regulus certainly could see the obvious solution was to take him home. Regulus was smart; he'd figure it out so long as Schatten didn't let him get away.
At the feel of a rasping tongue swiping his nose, something within Regulus melted, and he sighed, recognizing when he'd been beaten. "All right," he said, cradling the cat against his chest. "Let's ask around, and if it turns out you don't have a home, you can come with me."
Yes, of course. Perfect. Schatten's thoughts weren't quite that well articulated, but it was close. He was satisfied to be held in Regulus' arms, feeling safe and warm. He continued to purr, rubbing his cheek against Regulus' chest to show his approval of Regulus' plan.
And so it was that instead of spending the morning visiting his human friends, Regulus spent it going around door to door to see if anyone in Hogsmeade had lost a black cat. As it happened, no one had. Some of the children thought it was the same cat they'd played with over the past few days, but none of them knew where it had come from or where it belonged. Shortly after noon, Regulus accepted the fact that he now owned a cat.
The question was, what was he supposed to do now? He wasn't at all prepared for pet ownership. The next stop, he decided, was Magical Menagerie in Diagon Alley. They carried pet supplies, and perhaps he would even find a book about how to take care of one's newly acquired cat.
"I don't even know what you eat," he said conversationally as he carried the cat down the bustling main street of Diagon Alley, absently stroking its little head and ears. "Fish, perhaps? But should it be raw or cooked? Is water or milk better for you?" He smiled, amused at himself, and shook his head. "And why am I asking you?"
Schatten's eyes were half closed as Regulus caressed him, the sounds of Regulus' voice soothing him. Regulus was going to keep him, and that was what really mattered, but he wanted to let Regulus know that he appreciated all the effort Regulus was going to on his behalf. He moved in Regulus arms, standing up on his hind legs with his paws braced on one of Regulus' shoulders. He nuzzled his head against Regulus' throat, buzzing loudly in approval.
It took an incredible amount of will power for Regulus not to say "aww..." aloud, but he managed it. Although he knew the cat couldn't possibly understand what he was saying, he supposed it was responding to his tone and the sound of his voice, and he found the sound of the cat's purr was having a pleasant effect on him as well.
"We'll figure it out," he murmured, giving in to the urge to nuzzle his cheek against the cat's furry head.
Well of course! Schatten couldn't verbalize the thought, but he certainly enjoyed Regulus returning the nuzzle. That was good. Regulus needed comforting too, and who better to understand than he? Of course, the reason he needed comfort was seeming rather distant, but that was all right. It was better to simply be, after all, and cats were quite good at that. "Mmmmrrrrow," he said, so that Regulus would know he agreed.
Taking that as a sign of agreement, Regulus settled the cat in his arms again and continued on to the pet shop. It wasn't far, and once inside, he peered around at all the different pets, bowls, bags and cans of food, leashes, collars, pet-related spell books... It seemed endless, and he found himself overwhelmed by the prospect of trying to figure out what he needed. It was better to ask, he decided as he headed toward the matronly looking woman behind the till.
"Aww, haven't you got a cute little darling!" She cooed at the cat and offered her hand for a sniff. "Is it a boy or girl?"
"Er. I don't know," Regulus admitted sheepishly. "I just... acquired it this morning. I rescued it from a dog, and it started to follow me home, so now I have a cat, and I've no idea what to do with it. I've never owned a cat before."
"You don't own one now, duckie," she replied, a mischievous light in her eyes. "Congratulations! A cat now owns you." She reached out to take the cat, still cooing over it. "Isn't that right, precious? You found yourself a human to take care of you, clever thing." She glanced at Regulus, smiling. "Let's find out whether you've got a little master or miss, and I'll cast a few spells to make sure it's healthy."
Schatten sniffed obligingly at the offered hand, then brushed his face against it in approval. This woman obviously knew what was what, and he felt a twinge of quite human amusement as she set Regulus right on the matter of ownership. He wasn't best pleased to be removed from Regulus' arms, but he didn't struggle, only gave a small cry of distress so that Regulus would know that Schatten definitely preferred him to this woman, no matter how nice she was. If she suggested that Regulus have him fixed, however, there was going to be violence.
"It's a boy," she declared after a quick check, and then she drew her wand and cast a series of charms. "He's quite healthy, especially for a stray. He isn't malnourished, and he doesn't have fleas or worms."
Worms? Regulus grimaced and shuddered at the thought.
"There are flea-repulsion charms, of course," she continued. "I've got a book you'll find helpful. I suppose you need food, dishes - all the basics?"
"Yes, please," he replied.
Half an hour later, he exited the shop with a bag in one hand, the cat in his other hand, and his head stuffed full of instructions. He went straight back to his flat, deciding since his original plans had been demolished, he might as well devote the rest of the day to getting his new roommate settled in and acclimated to its new environment. Once inside, he deposited the cat on the floor and stood back to watch its reactions.
"Well, this is it. Your new home. What do you think?"
Gaius had been to Regulus' flat before, even if Schatten had not, although the perspective was certainly different from down at this level. Still Schatten wasn't daunted at all, and he moved his paws out in front of him, leaning down over them with his tail in the air as he stretched luxuriously, completely at home. He looked up at Regulus, feeling mischievous, then sauntered over toward the sofa. With ease, he leapt up onto the seat, then stepped onto one of Regulus' fancy silk pillows, settling himself down with regal hauteur. He lifted a paw and licked it daintily.
Regulus had expected the cat to be skittish, perhaps even frightened, at finding itself in a new, unfamiliar environment; the woman at the shop had warned him it might take some time for the cat to adjust to its new home, but he should give it time and patience while it settled in.
Apparently, settling in took all of five seconds, and he stared with growing dismay at the sight of the cat curled up on one of his silk pillows. Had she said there was a charm for getting pet hair off furniture? He fervently hoped so. Perhaps he ought not even allow the cat to get up on his sofa to begin with, but... it looked so comfortable. He couldn't quite bring himself to risk frightening it by chasing it off.
With a sigh, he took the shopping bag into the kitchen to unpack it, feeling a glimmer of understanding of what the woman at the shop meant when she said a cat now owned him. He had bought a couple of food bowls, but they looked so boring and banal. If he were a cat, he wasn't sure he would like eating and drinking out of them, and he put them aside and rummaged through his cabinets until he found something more suitable - two fine bone china bowls, perfectly matched. He filled one with water and the other with some of the cat food the woman had suggested, but he made a mental note to pick up some fresh fish. Retrieving the book of pet spells, he returned to join the cat on the sofa.
"We need to decide on a name," he said, slipping off his shoes and curling up on one end of the sofa, facing the cat's cushion. "I can't just keep calling you 'Cat' if you're going to stay here. If you were female, I'd call you Bastet, but I don't suppose that would do. Horus, perhaps? No... Let me think..."
Schatten watched as Regulus curled up on the sofa, looking relaxed and comfortable. The naming thing didn't bother him; anything Regulus wished to call him was fine, although he was rather curious to see what Regulus would come up with. He stood up, stepping off the cushion and walking across the sofa so that he could settle into Regulus' lap, butting imperiously at Regulus' hand. Regulus could think and pet him at the same time. It was more efficient that way.
Regulus chuckled, amused by the cat's insistent demands. "Perhaps I should call you Severus," he murmured as he obeyed and began stroking the cat from head to tail. "That might cause some confusion, however, and I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea." He fell silent, thinking about suitable names. It needed to be something dignified and noble. Something befitting the stubborn little creature. "What about Anubis?" he said at last. "The dark lord of the underworld. What do you think about that? Does it suit your lordship?" he asked, a trace of humor in his voice.
The comment about Severus was amusing, but Schatten made no comment, since he was too busy enjoying the stroking. Regulus may not have owned a cat before, but he had a good natural instinct of how to pet properly. He was also surprisingly good at picking names. The mention of Anubis conjured up distant memories of being with Regulus in the desert, of them dancing in a club. It was a good name, and Schatten purred loudly, pleased with the choice.
"Anubis it is, then." Regulus continued stroking his new companion gently and scratching behind his furry little ears for a few moments, enjoying the soothing sound of Anubis' purr. "You need a collar," he said at last. "Not that I plan to let you roam around on your own after the trouble you got into today, but you seem like the type to enjoy ornamentation. I didn't like any of the collars at the pet shop, though. Too dull. Nothing befitting an Anubis. I might have something that would suit you." He scooped up Anubis and cuddled him against his chest. "Let's go and see, shall we?"
Schatten - or Anubis, as he was now called - found himself cradled in Regulus' arms again, but he had no objection. He was curious to see what Regulus had for him, and he glanced about his, ears perked up in curiosity as Regulus carried him into the bedroom. This was one room he'd not seen before, and he wasn't surprised to see that it was just what he would have expected. Dark wood furniture, jewel-toned fabrics, everything designed for comfort and luxury. It reflected Regulus' personality perfectly, and for a brief instant, the human inside the cat felt a twinge of guilt for being taken into Regulus' sanctuary under something that might be considered false pretenses. But those feelings were distant, and they retreated quickly as Regulus scratched him under the chin. They were both enjoying this, both finding peace and comfort, and so everything was fine.
Without thinking, Regulus deposited Anubis on the bed rather than on the floor, and it wasn't until he'd reached his wardrobe that it occurred to him he was probably being trained already. But if he wasn't going to object to Anubis being on the sofa, he supposed he couldn't object to Anubis being on the bed either. With that justification in mind, he opened the wardrobe and retrieved a large wood jewelry box, and he carried it back to the bed before opening it.
"I brought back some jewelry I didn't want to sell," he explained. "I never really had a use for it, but I liked it, and so I kept it." He pulled out an antique collar necklace made of lapis lazuli and gold beads and held it up for Anubis to see. "I think this will match your pretty blue eyes quite nicely," he said as he fastened the necklace around Anubis' neck, sizing it to fit with a simple charm. "There." He stepped back to take a look and nodded, pleased by what he saw. "I like it. It does suit you."
Anubis perched on the bed, watching as Regulus retrieved a large box, then walked over to sniff at it, intrigued at the interesting smells. Then Regulus pulled out a very beautiful necklace made of gold and semi-precious stones, so lavish that he couldn't help but blink, startled that Regulus would consider this a suitable collar for him. It was far too valuable, and yet as Regulus put it around his neck and sized it to fit, there was such pleasure in Regulus' eyes that Anubis couldn't help but feel proud and pleased as well.
He sat down on the mattress again, striking a regal pose, one worthy of the lavish adornment, and gazed at Regulus down the length of his tiny, upturned nose. The loud sound of his purr, however, showed how pleased and grateful he was for the present.
Laughing, Regulus caressed Anubis' regal head with his forefinger, amused by the way such a simple thing as a jeweled collar had brought out the cat's haughty pride as if it knew how it looked in its new adornment. "Perhaps I really should have named you Severus after all!"
He closed the box and put it away, and then he returned to the bed and crawled up beside Anubis, stretching out on his side and tucking a plump pillow under his head. "We've had a busy day," he said, reaching out to stroke Anubis gently. "How does a nap sound?"
It sounded wonderful to Anubis, and he didn't hesitate to move closer to Regulus, curling up in a ball pressed against Regulus' chest. He gave a wide yawn, then settled down, tucking his nose under his tail and continuing to purr softly. It had been a good day, and he feel asleep feeling happier than he could remember being in.... well. In longer than he cared to remember.