Closed A Lion and his Tiger SOLO

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With a soft frown the young Gryffindor was wandering through the streets. His shoulders slumped and sore from the feeling of the beds at the Leaky Cauldron. They were not the best or what he was used to, making his neck and back ache. However the second year would not complain, as he felt that it was rude to do so. He guessed it was normal for Inns to have a slightly less comfy environment because so many would use the beds there. Alone the thought made his face scrunch up, however he would cast a Scourgify on the bed every evening and this made him rather good at casting the spell he had to admit.

It was only Easter Holidays now, he was staying in London, because he did not wish to visit his aunt during these holidays as it would involve far too much stress to get all the trains and flights to his aunt's place and then back to London. His frown was turning into a small smile upon breathing the fresh air that waved through the air, pulling at his hair softly; making it end up falling into his face ever so often.

He stopped when a mournful whimpering sound reached his ears, making him look around in confusion. He tried to locate the sound that he found out to be a pitiful meowing from what he supposed was a cat and he was not wrong. As he followed the sound into a dark alleyway he saw a cardboard box next to some stuff that was dumped into said alley. In between broken chairs and plastic bags sat a box made from cardboard, dampened by the early rain shower the sky had blessed the city with.

Upon stepping closer Alan could see the creature where the pitiful sound came from, a spotted cat that resembled the fur of a wildcat, making it look feisty. However the condition of the cat seemed to be similar miserable as the sounds it was making, so Alan fell down next to the box and gently reached one hand into the box, palms up and just waited for a while so the cat could react to him. As the small being hissed slightly, a sound that resembled a soft growl, he withdrew his hand slightly until the cat at one point get closer, nudging his hand softly.

A cooing sound, trying to entice the small feline to gain some courage, but as soon as he did so the spotted cat bit his finger before nestling the fragile head into his hand and letting out a small purr, which led Alan to snort. Planning already his next step he was mentally trying to remember each and every street to locate a vet, but of course the houses all looked the same – well they did not, but Alan had not actively tried to keep them apart until now.

So he just ended up taking the box after placing his soft red hoodie over the shivering form of the feline, before he walked out of the alley. A white shirt would now serve as clothing for his upper body, as he walked through the streets, asking many people for directions to a vet. His lips curling up when after an hour he found one just rather close to the alley he had found the cat. Yet he had seen so many new streets in that area, getting lost and taking wrong turns multiple times until he finally reached his destination.

When he found a vet, he looked around in slight excitement, but also nervous. He had never been at a vet, as he never had a pet before, so he was wondering what he was supposed to do now. Standing there lost for a moment he took in his direct surrounding of the waiting room and reception, which were mostly kept in a white color and light blue curtains that were pulled back to allow someone to look at the outside view. But it did not look like the Diagon Alley right in front of the door, making Alan wonder whether it had been charmed to make a soft forest appear.

Snapping out of his stray thoughts when he heard the grumbling meow of the cat below his hoodie, he quickly walked over to the counter where a small woman would stand. By small he meant small, even smaller than he was she was standing at four feet. Glasses had been pushed up her nose and her black hair was bound into a loose ponytail. Her skin was wrinkly, making Alan wonder whether she was a dwarf, which was most likely.

”G-good day, I would like to ask whether I could let this cat get checked by a vet?”, he mumbled with a slight stutter, making him stumble over his words. She looked at him over the edge of her glasses, making Alan swallow thickly. ”Where are your parents, boy”, she asked in a rough sounding voice, making him bite his lip. ”Uh... in the US... But I found this cat earlier and he really needs a check up, he looks like he hasn't eaten in forever!”, he exclaimed and gave her a puppy look until she tutted and gave in. She raised her hand and pointed her wrinkly finger towards the waiting area where white chairs where placed in a circle.

Alan gave a soft nod and walked over, placing the box on one of the chairs before he walked over to a table that displayed magazines. Seeing one about cats, he quickly grabbed it and sat down on the chair next to where he placed the box. He was sitting there, looking at the cat who seemed to have fallen asleep warmed up by the soft hoodie draped around her like a blanket. If he paid attention he could even her him purring softly as he took the magazine and flipped it open as she waited to be called up by the receptionist.

It took around one hour of time again until he heard his surname being called, making him perk up as he quickly stumbled to his feet. He grabbed the box and went to the assigned with fast steps, the cat being roughly awoken by this careless treatment, letting his displeasure be heard soundly, which led Alan to quickly apologize to the cat, as he entered the room.

Again he had to wait there for a few minutes until a young man entered, a handsome wizard who was wearing a white coat as doctors usually would wear. He introduced himself to Alan, while shaking his hand, making Alan stumble over his words all over again as he introduced himself. When the doctor asked him to have a look at his cat, Alan explained him that he had merely found the feline and handed over the box carefully. During the examination of the cat, Alan was asked many questions and learned a lot about the cats condition and needs. He learned that his approximate age was around three, that he was a cat breed called Bengal and that he was most likely abandoned after someone moved places. He learned where he could get toys and food for the cat, what he has to look for when deciding for a cushioned bed for the feline and how often a cat needs check ups by a vet. Then all of a sudden there was that one question.

”Do you plan on keeping him?”

Alan choked on his breath for a second as his eyes widened. ”That would be possible?”, he asked surprised as he stared at the vet in disbelief, expecting him to make April fools joke, even thought it was weeks after the first April. Yet it did not sound like a possibility for him to keep the cat, until the vet calmly announced his next words.

”Every young wizard needs a companion and I am sure you are rather fit for this task, aren't you?”, he was asked by the man in his mid-twenties. Blond hair combed back in a way that Alan supposed was stylish nowadays as he saw many young wizards having their hair styled in the exact way. Alan's hair had no real style, they just grew in slight curls down to his chin, in a soft brown with a reddish tint. Yet not red enough for him to be considered a ginger. At that question he could only nod slightly, still not realizing that he was about to adopt a cat just now, without even notifying his parents. He was pretty sure they would not mind, his parents had always when he reached the age of thirteen he could get himself a cat. But now realizing this was such a weird feeling and he felt a little numb.

”Well he needs a name then, don't you think?”, he asked Alan, making the second year nod slowly, before muttering a single word. ”What was that?”, the vet asked him gently and Alan muttered after moisturizing his lip, ”T-Tiger... Since his breed and his looks”, he muttered, slightly embarrassed about choosing such a simple name for such a precious animal. Yet he believed it was fitting for the animal and therefore he could not bother less about what other people thought about the name he chose. Also it was cool, they would be a lion and a tiger now.

Alan smiled as he left the cat with the vet, but he promised to come over the next day to check on him at to play a little with the feline so it would not feel lonely. And staying true to his promised, at the next day Alan stood on the doormat and opened the door, making the bells ring. Now knowing the youth the dwarf at the counter already gave him the permission to pass into the waiting room, where Alan would wait and continue to read the magazine he had started to read the day before until he was called over by the vet.

He quickly got up from his seat and skipped over, excited to see Tiger once again, hoping he would feel better after he got some medications and vaccines. Apparently he looked healthy enough for him to get the ones he needed, so Alan just smiled as he found him in one of the kennels they had at the vet to keep the animals separate from one another. Alan ran over to the male feline, with the wild looking spots and striped, making him grin brightly.

Seeing the Gryffindor made the cat get up on its four paws and pace around the kennel with what sounded like a soft hum, maybe a purr? ”I prepared some papers for him, did you bring the money for the treatment?”, the vet asked, making Alan nod. He had went by his vault in the morning, even though he was usually intimidated by the grumpy looks of the goblins that ran the Gringotts Wizarding Bank.

After giving the feline some nice cuddles, that were more or less appreciated - rather less than more, the second year paid the vet at the reception and got a receive for everything that had summed up to the cost of multiple galleons, making Alan pale slightly. He hoped he would not get a scolding by his parents, but he probably would. Well he hoped at least that it would not be a howler or anything, because that would be rather embarrassing for the Gryffindor.

He thanked the vet and the dwarf at the reception and bid them a good day, before he left the vet. They even gave him a small red kennel to carry the cat with. A towel had been placed there aside from Alan's hoodie to make the plastic ground more comfortable for the feline as Alan walked through the streets with relief written all over his face as he arrived at the Leaky Cauldron. Exhausted, yet happy with himself and with what he achieved.