Finding Cooper
Title: Finding Cooper
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 1,660
Summary: Draco and Harry lose their puppy. Panic ensues.
Author's notes: Just a one shot inpired by this adorable video series on YouTube. Check it out, it's basically just a dude flailing over his new puppy and it's super adorable.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
The moment Harry set foot in Godric’s Hollow, he knew something was wrong. His smile faded and his hand, half raised in greeting, froze midway as he noted his boyfriend’s state.
Draco looked wan and worried, pacing across the living room floor as he wrung his hands. His hair was tousled and he was wearing one of Harry’s jackets and his old worn trainers. As far as Harry could tell, he was either just getting in or going out and given the look on Draco’s face, he wasn’t sure what to think.
“Draco?” Harry announced his presence, resolving to keep calm until he’d figured this out. “What’s wrong?”
Draco whipped around to face him, eyes wild and slightly damp. Harry was moving before he knew it, reaching out to pull him over.
“Harry,” Draco mumbled, as soon as he was within reach. He melted into Harry’s arms and curled into him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Okay, now Harry was seriously worried. Draco never apologised for anything, and he wasn’t big on seeking affection either. Something awful had happened, Harry just knew it.
“Draco, talk to me,” he coaxed, running a calming hand down his boyfriend’s back. “Whatever it is, we’ll fix it, I promise. Just tell me what happened.”
Draco trembled slightly in his arms. “You’re going to be so mad,” he whispered.
Harry tightened his hold and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Try me,” he insisted.
Draco pulled away. He couldn’t seem to meet Harry’s eyes. Harry tipped his chin with a gentle finger and offered a nod of encouragement. That seemed to do the trick.
“Cooper got out.”
Harry blinked, taking a minute to process what he’d just been told. Cooper was the newest addition to their family. Harry had spotted the golden retriever puppy on a trip to the local shelter. One look into those big, brown eyes and he’d fallen head over heels in love, and promptly taken Cooper home. That puppy was the light of his life, the best thing (besides Draco, of course) that had ever happened to him.
And now he was gone.
“How did this happen?” Harry asked, striving to keep calm. Oh, he was screaming and running circles on the inside, but Draco looked about one step from bursting into tears. One of them had to keep a calm head right now.
“I was working on a new batch of potions,” Draco explained, practically stumbling over the words in his rush to explain. “He knocked over my cauldrons again- you know what he’s like when he’s excited. I was exhausted and I just wanted to finish it…”
Harry nodded in silent agreement. He knew first-hand just how chaotic Cooper could be. He’d seen more than his fair share of chewed up case-files. But he also knew how impatient and frustrated Draco got when he was working. His boyfriend hadn’t quite adjusted to a pet that took up so much of their space and attention. Draco tolerated Cooper well enough when he was in a good mood, but more often than not, he complained and muttered under his breath about ‘the furry little menace’.
Harry’s admitted that this was partly his fault. He should have discussed having a pet with Draco before bringing Cooper into their lives, but his impulsiveness had gotten the better of him. It was done now though, and all he could do was try and fix this mess.
“Anyway,” Draco went on, looking more and more distressed as he spoke, “I was tired of him getting underfoot, so I put him in the yard. It was only for a few minutes! But…but when I went to check up on him, the gate was open and…and he was g-gone. I looked everywhere and I couldn’t find him and he’s gone, Harry, and I…I just…”
Harry pulled him over again, shushing him and running a hand through his hair. “Okay, okay,” he murmured. “I get it, I understand now. It’s okay, Draco. Shush now, it’s going to be okay.”
His anger had evaporated almost entirely in the face of his boyfriend’s misery. Draco didn’t like Cooper, but Harry knew he would never hurt him. He was clearly wrecked over this and yelling at him wouldn’t solve anything.
“He could be anywhere,” Draco whispered, hooking his hands in Harry’s shirt. “I…I know I bitch about him all the time but I would never…I never meant to…”
“I know, Draco. I know. It was an accident. Sometimes these things happen.”
He’s lost and it’s all my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” Harry promised, bussing a kiss to his head. “We’ll find him, Draco. I promise.”
“How? I looked all over, Harry. What more can we possibly do?”
Harry tried to think. Aurors got called in to rescue missing animals all the time. There were a few spells that could work, provided Cooper hadn’t wandered too far off. He nodded to himself and pried Draco off.
“We need a hair,” he said. “One of Cooper’s hairs,” he clarified when Draco gave him a blank look.
“That should be easy,” Draco replied. “He sheds all over the house.”
Harry rolled his eyes and headed for the sofa- one of Cooper’s favourite haunts. Sure enough, there were tufts of golden fur all over the cushions.
“Found it,” he declared triumphantly, selecting a single strand.
“Great,” Draco muttered, hovering behind him anxiously. “But you do realise we’re missing the entire dog, right?”
“True,” Harry noted as he pulled out his wand. “But this should be enough to activate a Tracking Charm.”
****
Harry’s side was starting to hurt.
“Draco, slow down,” he called, trying and failing to keep up with Draco’s frantic pace. Draco was practically running through the streets, following the Tracking orb as it bobbed merrily in front of him.
“I can’t, we’re getting closer!” Draco threw over his shoulder, barely pausing a moment. “Cooper! Cooper! Here, boy!”
Harry decided to save his breath and keep pace. At this rate, he’d end up losing Cooper and Draco in the same night.
Despite his worries, he couldn’t help the slightest tickle of amusement. For someone who claimed to be annoyed by Cooper’s very existence, Draco clearly intended to retrieve him, come hell or high water. He made sure to keep his smile hidden. Draco certainly wouldn’t see the humour in the situation.
“Cooper!” Draco howled, apparently past caring about making a scene. “Cooper, where are you?!”
There was a faint arf in response. Draco stopped in his tracks, and Harry almost ran into him. Draco clutched his arm.
“Did you hear…?”
“Cooper!” Harry yelled this time. “Here boy!”
A volley of barks sounded, to their far right, and then Draco was running headfirst for the source, Harry following close behind. They ran until they veered off the street and into a little park.
The Tracking Orb flew past them and headed right for a spot under a tree. It stopped and hovered in the air, its dim glow highlighting a small, muddy puddle and a very familiar tuft of golden brown fur.
“Cooper!” Draco practically gasped in relief.
Cooper spotted them and barked. His tail wagged merrily. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, vaguely noticing that their puppy was filthy. Cooper was caked in mud. He must have been rolling about in that puddle.
Oh well, at least that was the worst of it. They had found him. Crisis handled.
Cooper stumbled a bit before getting his footing. He belted out a volley of happy barks as he headed straight for them.
“Come here,” Draco urged, kneeling and holding his arms out. “Come on, Cooper. There’s a good boy.”
The puppy yipped and flew for him, jumping right into Draco’s waiting arms and licking him for all he was worth. Draco closed his eyes and his tense shoulders finally relaxed as he cradled the puppy.
“Oh, thank Salazar,” he whispered, hiding his face in Cooper’s soft fur. “You’re okay. Thank Merlin, you’re okay…”
“Draco, he’s filthy,” Harry chided, trying to keep from laughing. “Look, you’ve got mud all over you.”
Draco just huffed and tightened his hold on Cooper. “I don’t care,” he announced firmly. “Let’s just get him home.”
****
“Ugh! Damn it, you little beast! Hold still. Cooper, I mean it!”
Harry leaned against the doorframe, watching the chaotic scene with ill-concealed amusement. Draco was sopping wet and glaring, his hair and shirt streaked with mud and bath water.
Cooper at least, was much, much cleaner.
“Cooper, no!” Draco admonished, as the puppy tried to launch himself out of the bathtub again. Draco wrestled him back in and applied a fresh lather of soap, scrubbing determinedly. Cooper just shook off all his efforts, trying to twist around and lick him again.
“Bad dog,” Draco scolded. He regarded the pup with a look of utter exasperation. “You’re going straight to obedience school tomorrow, mark my words.”
Still, he was remarkably gentle as he lifted Cooper out of the tub and dried him off with a quick charm. When Cooper lunged forward and licked him before dashing off again, Harry swore he saw a faint smile.
He decided not to bring it up.
“Well, he’s home,” he said instead.
Draco huffed and fingered his torn, muddy shirt. “Yay,” he deadpanned.
“Oh, stop it,” Harry chided, pulling him over. “You were practically in tears over losing him a few hours ago. Admit it, he’s growing on you.”
“I will do no such thing,” Draco replied moodily. That said, he lifted his head and cast a worried look down the hallway. “But you did lock the door, right?”
Harry chuckled. “I did,” he promised. “Cooper’s not going anywhere, okay? He’s safe.”
That seemed to appease him. Draco sighed in relief and finally stepped into the circle of Harry’s arms, curling into him.
Harry squeezed him tight for a moment, before wrinkling his nose.
“Draco?”
“Hm?”
“Would you mind taking a shower? You smell like wet dog.”
Rating: PG 13
Word Count: 1,660
Summary: Draco and Harry lose their puppy. Panic ensues.
Author's notes: Just a one shot inpired by this adorable video series on YouTube. Check it out, it's basically just a dude flailing over his new puppy and it's super adorable.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. This was written for fun, not profit.
The moment Harry set foot in Godric’s Hollow, he knew something was wrong. His smile faded and his hand, half raised in greeting, froze midway as he noted his boyfriend’s state.
Draco looked wan and worried, pacing across the living room floor as he wrung his hands. His hair was tousled and he was wearing one of Harry’s jackets and his old worn trainers. As far as Harry could tell, he was either just getting in or going out and given the look on Draco’s face, he wasn’t sure what to think.
“Draco?” Harry announced his presence, resolving to keep calm until he’d figured this out. “What’s wrong?”
Draco whipped around to face him, eyes wild and slightly damp. Harry was moving before he knew it, reaching out to pull him over.
“Harry,” Draco mumbled, as soon as he was within reach. He melted into Harry’s arms and curled into him. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
Okay, now Harry was seriously worried. Draco never apologised for anything, and he wasn’t big on seeking affection either. Something awful had happened, Harry just knew it.
“Draco, talk to me,” he coaxed, running a calming hand down his boyfriend’s back. “Whatever it is, we’ll fix it, I promise. Just tell me what happened.”
Draco trembled slightly in his arms. “You’re going to be so mad,” he whispered.
Harry tightened his hold and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Try me,” he insisted.
Draco pulled away. He couldn’t seem to meet Harry’s eyes. Harry tipped his chin with a gentle finger and offered a nod of encouragement. That seemed to do the trick.
“Cooper got out.”
Harry blinked, taking a minute to process what he’d just been told. Cooper was the newest addition to their family. Harry had spotted the golden retriever puppy on a trip to the local shelter. One look into those big, brown eyes and he’d fallen head over heels in love, and promptly taken Cooper home. That puppy was the light of his life, the best thing (besides Draco, of course) that had ever happened to him.
And now he was gone.
“How did this happen?” Harry asked, striving to keep calm. Oh, he was screaming and running circles on the inside, but Draco looked about one step from bursting into tears. One of them had to keep a calm head right now.
“I was working on a new batch of potions,” Draco explained, practically stumbling over the words in his rush to explain. “He knocked over my cauldrons again- you know what he’s like when he’s excited. I was exhausted and I just wanted to finish it…”
Harry nodded in silent agreement. He knew first-hand just how chaotic Cooper could be. He’d seen more than his fair share of chewed up case-files. But he also knew how impatient and frustrated Draco got when he was working. His boyfriend hadn’t quite adjusted to a pet that took up so much of their space and attention. Draco tolerated Cooper well enough when he was in a good mood, but more often than not, he complained and muttered under his breath about ‘the furry little menace’.
Harry’s admitted that this was partly his fault. He should have discussed having a pet with Draco before bringing Cooper into their lives, but his impulsiveness had gotten the better of him. It was done now though, and all he could do was try and fix this mess.
“Anyway,” Draco went on, looking more and more distressed as he spoke, “I was tired of him getting underfoot, so I put him in the yard. It was only for a few minutes! But…but when I went to check up on him, the gate was open and…and he was g-gone. I looked everywhere and I couldn’t find him and he’s gone, Harry, and I…I just…”
Harry pulled him over again, shushing him and running a hand through his hair. “Okay, okay,” he murmured. “I get it, I understand now. It’s okay, Draco. Shush now, it’s going to be okay.”
His anger had evaporated almost entirely in the face of his boyfriend’s misery. Draco didn’t like Cooper, but Harry knew he would never hurt him. He was clearly wrecked over this and yelling at him wouldn’t solve anything.
“He could be anywhere,” Draco whispered, hooking his hands in Harry’s shirt. “I…I know I bitch about him all the time but I would never…I never meant to…”
“I know, Draco. I know. It was an accident. Sometimes these things happen.”
He’s lost and it’s all my fault.”
“No, it’s not,” Harry promised, bussing a kiss to his head. “We’ll find him, Draco. I promise.”
“How? I looked all over, Harry. What more can we possibly do?”
Harry tried to think. Aurors got called in to rescue missing animals all the time. There were a few spells that could work, provided Cooper hadn’t wandered too far off. He nodded to himself and pried Draco off.
“We need a hair,” he said. “One of Cooper’s hairs,” he clarified when Draco gave him a blank look.
“That should be easy,” Draco replied. “He sheds all over the house.”
Harry rolled his eyes and headed for the sofa- one of Cooper’s favourite haunts. Sure enough, there were tufts of golden fur all over the cushions.
“Found it,” he declared triumphantly, selecting a single strand.
“Great,” Draco muttered, hovering behind him anxiously. “But you do realise we’re missing the entire dog, right?”
“True,” Harry noted as he pulled out his wand. “But this should be enough to activate a Tracking Charm.”
****
Harry’s side was starting to hurt.
“Draco, slow down,” he called, trying and failing to keep up with Draco’s frantic pace. Draco was practically running through the streets, following the Tracking orb as it bobbed merrily in front of him.
“I can’t, we’re getting closer!” Draco threw over his shoulder, barely pausing a moment. “Cooper! Cooper! Here, boy!”
Harry decided to save his breath and keep pace. At this rate, he’d end up losing Cooper and Draco in the same night.
Despite his worries, he couldn’t help the slightest tickle of amusement. For someone who claimed to be annoyed by Cooper’s very existence, Draco clearly intended to retrieve him, come hell or high water. He made sure to keep his smile hidden. Draco certainly wouldn’t see the humour in the situation.
“Cooper!” Draco howled, apparently past caring about making a scene. “Cooper, where are you?!”
There was a faint arf in response. Draco stopped in his tracks, and Harry almost ran into him. Draco clutched his arm.
“Did you hear…?”
“Cooper!” Harry yelled this time. “Here boy!”
A volley of barks sounded, to their far right, and then Draco was running headfirst for the source, Harry following close behind. They ran until they veered off the street and into a little park.
The Tracking Orb flew past them and headed right for a spot under a tree. It stopped and hovered in the air, its dim glow highlighting a small, muddy puddle and a very familiar tuft of golden brown fur.
“Cooper!” Draco practically gasped in relief.
Cooper spotted them and barked. His tail wagged merrily. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, vaguely noticing that their puppy was filthy. Cooper was caked in mud. He must have been rolling about in that puddle.
Oh well, at least that was the worst of it. They had found him. Crisis handled.
Cooper stumbled a bit before getting his footing. He belted out a volley of happy barks as he headed straight for them.
“Come here,” Draco urged, kneeling and holding his arms out. “Come on, Cooper. There’s a good boy.”
The puppy yipped and flew for him, jumping right into Draco’s waiting arms and licking him for all he was worth. Draco closed his eyes and his tense shoulders finally relaxed as he cradled the puppy.
“Oh, thank Salazar,” he whispered, hiding his face in Cooper’s soft fur. “You’re okay. Thank Merlin, you’re okay…”
“Draco, he’s filthy,” Harry chided, trying to keep from laughing. “Look, you’ve got mud all over you.”
Draco just huffed and tightened his hold on Cooper. “I don’t care,” he announced firmly. “Let’s just get him home.”
****
“Ugh! Damn it, you little beast! Hold still. Cooper, I mean it!”
Harry leaned against the doorframe, watching the chaotic scene with ill-concealed amusement. Draco was sopping wet and glaring, his hair and shirt streaked with mud and bath water.
Cooper at least, was much, much cleaner.
“Cooper, no!” Draco admonished, as the puppy tried to launch himself out of the bathtub again. Draco wrestled him back in and applied a fresh lather of soap, scrubbing determinedly. Cooper just shook off all his efforts, trying to twist around and lick him again.
“Bad dog,” Draco scolded. He regarded the pup with a look of utter exasperation. “You’re going straight to obedience school tomorrow, mark my words.”
Still, he was remarkably gentle as he lifted Cooper out of the tub and dried him off with a quick charm. When Cooper lunged forward and licked him before dashing off again, Harry swore he saw a faint smile.
He decided not to bring it up.
“Well, he’s home,” he said instead.
Draco huffed and fingered his torn, muddy shirt. “Yay,” he deadpanned.
“Oh, stop it,” Harry chided, pulling him over. “You were practically in tears over losing him a few hours ago. Admit it, he’s growing on you.”
“I will do no such thing,” Draco replied moodily. That said, he lifted his head and cast a worried look down the hallway. “But you did lock the door, right?”
Harry chuckled. “I did,” he promised. “Cooper’s not going anywhere, okay? He’s safe.”
That seemed to appease him. Draco sighed in relief and finally stepped into the circle of Harry’s arms, curling into him.
Harry squeezed him tight for a moment, before wrinkling his nose.
“Draco?”
“Hm?”
“Would you mind taking a shower? You smell like wet dog.”