#RFTV snippet

[jmagnabo92]

Teasing Padfoot

RFTV snippet, the morning of the first day of school, Harry and Sirius have the first period open and Harry’s friends end up teasing him because he prefers being Padfoot.

***

After a few minutes, they approach, and Lavender asks, “Harry, can we ask you a question without you getting upset?”

         Harry frowns, “You can try.”

         “Are you petting a grim?” Parvati asks, after a minute.  

         “Wha–?” he starts, surprised.  He looks down at Padfoot.  “Oh, yeah, of course.”

         “‘Of course’?” Lavender asks.  “You say that like it’s normal.  Why are you hanging out with a grim?  An omen of death?  Like the one you had in your teacup in our first divination lesson?”

         Harry laughs, “Padfoot is a grim, but he’s not just an omen of death.  Did you know that the grim actually protects innocent lives?  He walks with death, as a companion, and he stops death from taking the innocent. The protective instinct of a grim over those he’s supposed to protect is strong and overrides logical thinking sometimes.”  He chuckles, thinking of Sirius’ actions the previous day.  “You mentioned our first divination lesson, well, yeah, Trelawney was right, I did have the grim.  I’d seen him several times that year.  The night I ran away, for one, but he wasn’t there to collect me for death, he was there to protect me from him.  Even if he went about it in the worst possible ways.”

         Neville, who had been quietly watching, laughs.  “Yeah, I don’t think he was thinking logically in his determination to protect you from the rat.”

         “He did apologize,” Harry offers.  “Although, the Fat Lady still…”

         Ron laughs, “If I was the Fat Lady, I wouldn’t either.”

         Padfoot whines, quietly.  Harry knows that he didn’t mean to let himself lose his mind by attacking the Fat Lady, but there was no denying he’d done it, and he did feel bad.  Harry glares at Ron, who shrugs.

Lavender and Parvati are looking thoroughly confused with the by play, and Harry realizes that they didn’t know about Sirius.

“So, you just decided to adopt this grim that …”

Neville laughs, “Pretty sure it’s the other way around.”

Harry chuckles, “We sort-of adopted each other, but yeah, it does lean stronger one way.”

“I’m so confused,” Parvati says, honestly. “How did you get a Grim to join you, to come to Hogwarts?”

Harry laughs, “He practically insisted on it.”

“He can talk?  Can you understand him like you understand snakes?” Lavender asks, excitedly.  “That would be so cool.”

“Well, anyone can understand him, when he wants them to,” Harry teases, as Padfoot wags his tail.  “I bet if you asked nicely…he’ll talk to you.”

Lavender gives him a look.  Then she shares a look with Parvati.  “Okay.  Uh, Padfoot, you said?”

“Hmm-mm, he does answer to Padfoot.”

“Although sometimes, it’s Snuffles,” Ron jokes.

“Okay, uh, Padfoot,” she starts, noting the giggling from Neville and Ron, while Harry just continued to pet him, if a dog could smirk, he knew Padfoot would be smirking.  “Do you play fetch?”  

Padfoot nods, while Neville laughs, “Yes, but not well.”  Padfoot lifts his head and glares at Neville.

“Are you glaring at Neville?”

Padfoot nods, and Neville says, “It’s not my fault that you like to steal the rope and run with it rather than bringing it back like you’re supposed to.”  Padfoot glares, causing Neville to ask, “Hey, Harry, have you managed to get him house-broken yet?  Maybe that’s the problem.”

Padfoot growls, while Ron and Harry howl with laughter.

“You know, I try my best, but Padfoot’s a wild animal, not like a normal dog.”   He barks, and Harry adds, “But he’s mostly good, mostly, house-broken.”

Lavender and Parvati are staring at Padfoot uncertainly. “Do you bite?”  Padfoot shakes his head.  “Can I pet you?” Padfoot nods.  

Parvati looks at Harry, “You’re sure that he’s not going to attack us?”

“Trust me, he’s very friendly.”

“Then why does he keep glaring at Neville?”

Sirius having had enough of the joke, transforms, “Because he says I’m not house-broken and bad at fetch.”

Both girls spring back, screaming slightly. “Oh my Merlin, you – you…”

         The boys laugh, and Sirius says, “I’m sorry, but it’s almost time for class, and I couldn’t really answer that one as a dog.”

         “So, you’re not a grim, you’re just a big dog?” Lavender asks, sounding relieved.

         “No, Padfoot is a grim.”

         “But Grims are…”

         “They’re not bad.  They just have a bad reputation…” Sirius looks sadden slightly.  Grims have a similar reputation to Sirius himself.  

         “But now’s not the time, we should go to class,” Harry says, getting him.  He lets the others the lead the way before he looks at Sirius, “You okay?”

         Sirius nods, “Yeah, I was just…a little overwhelmed.  I’m fine.”

[jmagnabo92]

Wet

RFTV Snippet - it’s raining and it makes Sirius feel stuck inside like he’d been all the previous year, Harry comes up with a solution.

***

Just after lunch, Harry sees Sirius sitting on the windowsill, staring at the rain.  There had only been one day since they arrived that it had rained, and Sirius had gotten lost staring at the rain then, too.

“You okay, Sirius?” Harry asks, jarring Sirius from his thoughts.

Sirius looks at him, “Yeah, I just…”

“Don’t like being stuck inside?” Harry finishes.

Sirius nods.  “This place is so much better than Grimmauld, and I can NOT believe I forgot and stayed there…” he shakes his head.  “I used to love being outside and I was okay being inside, but now…”

“You feel trapped?” Harry offers.  He understood.  Having been trapped in the cupboard or his own bedroom, he didn’t really like being stuck inside either.  It was part of why he loved flying so much.  Although, with the weather in Scotland, he’d had to deal with it.  

Sirius nods, “Yeah, I guess I’m still getting over it. I don’t know if being inside will ever be the same.”

“So, let’s not be inside.  The porch has an overhang, and we are magical, we can protect ourselves and our research, even in the rain,” Harry states.  If it was a downpour, it’d be different, but it was just a regular rain, and he was sure they could protect themselves.  

Sirius smiles, “You’re absolutely right.  Let’s do it.”

***

Sometime later, Harry can’t help laughing as Sirius, who had transformed into Padfoot, decides to get soaked.  He’s running through the rain, splashing in the puddles, and soaking it all up as he happily barks.  For some reason just being outside wasn’t enough, but then, he’d been stuck inside for a whole year (something most of the order should’ve been more understanding of – and given him time outside) and he was still healing.  

As he watches, Hedwig returns and lands beside him.  She was carrying letters for both him and Sirius.  He whistles to Sirius, who comes running to join him.  Shaking the rain off in the doggy way showing Harry with water.  “Padfoot!” Harry yells, playfully.  “You got me all wet!”  In response, Sirius shakes again, dousing him with more water.  “Padfoot!”

Sirius laughs, as he transforms, “I thought you looked a little dry.”

Harry snorts, “That was the idea.  I wanted to be dry.”

“Being dry is boring,” Sirius responds.