The Wolf

My place looks... decent. It's a far cry from homey, but it's respectable, substantial. It's something. There's a proper coffee table now, a sofa and an armchair. I wanted to get a rug today, but it was just too much effort. However, I did get a table and a mismatched set of chairs. I'm very proud of that accomplishment and will try not to think about the fact that I only got around to getting them because my neighbors rang the doorbell. They said they were going to move and had some furniture, then asked me if any of it would be of use to me.

The woman looked at me pityingly. I think she saw through the windows how empty my home was and felt the need to take care of me.. I keep attracting middle-aged women with strong mothering instincts. Maybe that's why Hermione sticks around me at all, fulfilling her need to tend to someone or take up a hopeless cause. I am the hopeless cause.

Maybe that's why Ginny left me. She had too much life in her, too much to do for herself to waste that energy on me. Ginny had a quidditch contrast to chase, quaffles to chase. And me, I've become passive, not chasing, not moving at all. But I'm sustaining myself and for today, that's good enough.

Today I'm making pasta with a ready bought sauce, but also a salad, which I'm making completely from scratch. And yes, I can cook better than this, but it's been such a long time since I had to. It's been such a long time since I had the energy to. And it's been so long since the taste or texture of food mattered to me.
I'm putting in more effort than usual today because Ron and Hermione are coming over. If it was justme and Ron I'd pop two frozen pizzas in the oven and we'd call it a feast, but I have something to prove to Hermione.

The pasta looks superb, the salad is finished and I cleaned all the dirty dishes in the kitchen. The only thing that is left to take care of is my little friend.

We seem to have developed some form of understanding. He hasn't been in the forest for a week now, only going outside in the garden. (except for when he does his business, which is unexpectedly polite of a wolf.)
I figured out that he seems to understand me perfectly. Yet I didn't manage to figure out what kind of magic there is around him. We tried yes and no questions, but I must be askng all the wrong ones because they're all "no" and after a while the wolf just gets irritated and snaps at me. I tried asking if he's in pain, if he was sent to me, if he was cursed, if he used to be a normal wolf... I'm at my wit's end.

I tried to give him a name too, but he responded, well, very badly to that. Just 'Wolf' seems to be the safe option for now.

"Wolf." I call. He lifts his head from where he's curled up on the couch.

"So, uh, I'm having friends over tonight." I feel a bit silly still talking to an animal. His upper lip curls up in a snarl.

"No, I'm not throwing you out. I was thinking maybe you could stay in my room. I do have a bed in there and I guess it's fine if you continue your nap on there. Even though you shed."

The wolf doesn't budge.

"They're going to be here real soon, can you please move?"

Nothing.

"I will resort to violence if necessary."

If wolfs can stare judgmentally, then that's what he's doing.

"You asked for this." I sigh, and seeing that I'm being serious the wolf scampers off the couch and heads for my bedroom.

"Alright, good boy.", I say and he takes the chance to jump onto my bed and kick the pillows around. Maybe letting him into my bedroom wasn't the best idea after all. Whatever, I'll deal with it later.

As I close the door and cast a locking charm just to be safe I hear a crackle and a whoosh form the living room, it must be Ron and Hermione.

"Ron, watch out you're stepping on my-"

"Yes, I've got it. Harry! We're here!"

I enter the living room to se my best friends, Ron grinning broadly and Hermione turning to me and lighting up before throwing herself onto me.

"Oh, Harry! I've missed you! And your place looks wonderful."
She takes my face into her hands. Ron is vibrating behind her, jittering and flapping his hands, waiting for his turn to hug me.

"You're looking better.", she decides and steps back.

Ron hugs me with three firm pats on my back before releasing me.
"Hey guys, good to see you too.", I reply.

Maybe Hermione is more like a bigger sister to me than a mother. Yeah, that makes more sense, considering age and all that.

"Oh hey, pasta and salad." Ron exclaims as he walks to the table I set.

"Uh, yeah. I know it's nothing fancy-"

"It's more than I know how to do, mate." Ron cuts me off.

Hermione waves off my comment, "C'mon, let's sit. I wanted to tell you about how the dementor regulation bill has been going. Assisting in the ministry during this time is gonna get me such good qualifications and experience for the study application. "

The moment we sit down however, there is an unmistakable howling. It sounds overly dramatic and forlorn. It sounds like it's coming from my bedroom.

Both Hermione and Ron have jumped straight up, wands in their hands and their eyes are flicking around the room. Hermione already cast a protective shield around all of us. I think we're all a bit touched in the head from the last... seven years. It's just that I'm showing it the most. Ron has Hermione by his side 24/7 and Hermione is the most resilient person probably to ever exist.
The howling stops, but just for a second or so.

"Damn it.", I mutter.

"Harry, what is that?" asks Ron.

"It's a wolf, I reply."

"You have a werewolf in your bedroom?" Hermione gasps.

"No, just a wolf. An annoying one. But there's nothing were about the wolf."

"Harry, why would you even have a wolf?"

"He's harmless."

"Ah, well then.", says Ron.

"Not the point.", says Hermione.

The howling is insistent.
"Oh for Merlin's sake." I mutter. "SHUT UP!"

The wolf is silent.

"Look, I found him in my backyard, he was-"

The whining starts up again, louder and shriller than before.

"Oh Founders, it sounds like it's in pain!" Hermione exclaims.

"Unlikely.", I say but it falls on deaf ears.

"I'm going to go check on the poor thing.", she decides.

"We could also just cast a silencing charm.", Ron suggests at which Hermione glowers at him. We follow her to the bedroom door.

"It's ok.", she encourages. "We're coming. Alohomora."

The door opens to reveal my wolf sitting in front of the door, perfectly proper and composed. He lifts one paw at Hermione and she shakes it.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger." she introduces herself distractedly. The wolf wrinkles his nose.

"How fascinating. You're not really a wolf are you?"
the wolf replies in a weird combination of barks, howling and wincing.

"Oh, Harry! It's trying to talk!"

The wolf's tail starts wagging and he paces up and down the room excitedly barking and howling lowly.

"Ah, wait. Like this." Hermione pulls out her wand. When she holds out her hand the wolf places his paw in it.

"Not fair!" I protest. "When I tried that he wouldn't listen at all!"

Hermione ignores me and spells ink onto the paw.

"Use it to write.", she explains.

"On what?" I ask with a horrified premonition. And the wolf places his paw onto the floor and begins to draw. One wonky letter after another. And the word he spells out is

'Draco'.

"What", asks Ron.

The wolf backs away with his tail down, each step leaving another black paw print on my floorboards.

"No way.", I say.