Dog Star *

by: Raven Mirage

"No animal should ever jump up on the dining room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation." Fran Lebowitz

---

i
the kennels of doom

* * *

Delilah Tanner brushed a hand lazily through her white-streaked ebony hair with a sigh. The day was going so horribly boring. It usually was boring, mind you. She loved animals, dogs especially, but sometimes working in the Moore Animal Shelter was just downright ... snoozable; if snoozable was even a word. She wetted her dark cimson lips and fiddled with one of three ear cuffs on her right ear. With another irritated growl she threw a glance out the the window; Henri was late again with the "stray-mobile" as it was affectionately called.

It was already getting really late and she had promised her father she would be home before dark. He had blown a fuse when he heard she was still planning to go to work that day even after she knew there was an insane murderer wandering about. Frankly Delilah wasn't scared. If she was to die then what more exciting way to go was there than getting murdered by a fugitive....

She frowned to herself, dark eyes narrowing in thought. She could just go home and leave a note... "Henri, you ass, I left. Lock up the animals - - it's your butt, not mine!" Of course, that was a lie. It would be her butt because her job was to supervise and help placing the animals. The twenty-six year old climbed to her feet and kicked the wall.

After her emotional outburst Delilah grabbed the keys from their hook and stuck them in the pocket of her pants. She walked outside to wait and looked towards the horizon. Most of the setting sun was blocked by buildings from the small english town, but she could still see the tip of orange and the streaking the last rays were throwing across the sky. Darkness was fast approaching. Just the right kind of night to meet a mass murderer.

"Henri," she muttered, "you better hurry up." As soon as the words left her lips there was the sound of screeching tires and bright light flooded over her. She threw up her arms in a futile defense position.

*

No one had ever escaped from Azkaban - - not, at least, until now. They didn't have a reason to escape. Most everyone tossed into that hell-hole had no true strength if they were trully weak enough to commit murder, and whatever else they were convicted of doing. However, those with innocence and a means to survive had chances. Those like Sirius Black. He was living proof that one could, if given the right incentive, escape from Hell.

Being a dog had paid off extremely well. Never a day went by that he didn't appreciate the fact he had become an animagus, albeit illegally. It was also much easier to cover ground as a canine. Dogs seemed to have a natural ability to find "home" or the place in which they wished to go. Their minds also allowed the simplification of emotion, which kept him from going completely insane. Someone he cared for was in danger and he felt like he just wasn't fast enough.

Finally he had caught up with his Godson in surrey - - and had managed to scare him pretty well. Add another tick-mark to the "brilliant moves" list. But that wasn't the most brilliant thing he had managed to do during this journey. It was a week later while traveling towards Hogwarts when he made his big mistake.

He was caught.......

....... by a muggle dogcather.

He now found himself stuffed into the back of a dingy van amoungst god knows how many mongrels. He was sitting there, thinking about how his day could not get any worse, when the van braked abruptly, half spun and sent him against the wall where he banged his head. A door slammed and immediately afterwards a cursing female voice drew near.

*

"Dammit, Henri!" Delilah screamed. "What are you trying to do! Run over me?" If she didn't know better she would have really believed that he did. He was always pulling stupid stunts like that. One day he would actually hurt someone and she didn't want to be there when it happened. He looked sheepish as she rattled on at him, "... and the animals! What if you hurt one of the animals!" She cried and ran to the back of the van, throwing open the door; there was no danger of the animals escaping because there was a mesh protecter.

She peeked inside and let her hand snake inside a break to pat a cocker spaniel on the head. "Hello, Fritzy, owners lose you again?" The dog whimpered. Her eyes surveyed the rest of the lot. She was going to turn around when she spotted black shape with seemingly glowing eyes huddled in the back. Her eyes went wide and she stepped back, a hand going to her mouth. She almost screamed, but caught it.

"Anythin' wrong, Ly?" Henri asked, moving to stand beside her.

"Th-that black dog..."

Henri smirked, "kinda rough, isn't he? He was a pain in arse, I'll tell ya. Tried to bite me once before I could get him in. Nasty lil bugger."

Delilah smiled weakly, taking a deep breath. The dog raised up and she could see him now. He wasn't so menacing once light was on him. He did look very rough. His eyes were worn. "You're not so scary." She laughed as Henri went back up to the diver's side. The dog looked intensely at her and she stepped back again and quickly shut the door, unable to hold back the shudder that raced up her spine. On second thought, perhaps you are....

"Ya want me to pull the van over to the kennels?" Henri called back as he climbed back inside. Delilah thought for a moment. She didn't want a repeat of his earlier stunt, but then again after that ranting she gave him she was sure he wouldn't do anything else. She nodded and walked over to the gate to unlock it. The main gate swung open with a squeak.

*

Strange looking girl. Those were the only words that came to Sirius' mind as the young woman looked into the back. She was dressed as what muggles called "punk." She wore green cargo pants with a million, or so it seemed, pockets and a camoflauge tank top. She had black hair but it was streaked with white. She had dark blue eyes the shade of the sky just before it turned black. Her hair was stuck behind her ears so he could see each was pierced. The right having an additional three ear cuff, and the left having two. Even stranger....

As she saw him unmistakable fear shot through those blue eyes causing in turn his own fear to flare. She knew.... Then, Ridiculous. She could not know who he was. Hardly anyone knew that he had the ability to change into a dog. Still, what caused her to be so afraid. He climbed to his paws and took a closer look, raising into the light. She laughed at him, "You're not so scary." He studied her until she suddenly slammed the door on him.

Manners, no one has manners anymore.

*

Delilah left the big black dog for last. He seemed content on just lounging in the back of the van. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that he kept watching her. She couldn't quite prove it for sure because everytime she looked at him he had his head lowered on his paws, gazing out someplace else, but each time she turned around she felt his dark eyes upon her.

As she approached him she said, "now, you're going to have to behave yourself and I would appreciate if you not stare at me like I'm a piece of meat." She swallowed as his eyes seemed to dance momemtarily after that comment. He couldn't really want to eat her, could he? Don't be riduculous, Delilah. She shook her head. "C'mon."

She reached to pull him out but he was already moving towards the door. She jumped back, expecting him to go for her throat, but instead he clamored down from the back and onto the ground. Then he sat stiffly, as if waiting for furthur instructions. Strange dog.

*

He finally admitted to himself he was having a tid bit more fun freaking this girl out than he should have. He let her guide him to a private kennel near the back. She quickly filled a fresh - - and hey! a clean - - water dish and placed it inside with him. "Here you go, you look thirsty, but then again you're a dog." She knelt beside him inside the kennel, half closing the door behind her. She reached out a hand to touch him and he jumped back.

"Sorry." She jerked her hand away, eyes filling with guilt and embaressment. He stayed edged away from her for a good long minute before leaning in for a drink. He wasn't above drinking out of a water dish, at least not at this moment. He was famished. "Someone hurt you didn't they?" She asked solemnly, and he had to raise his head to look at her. It was scary how close she had hit the mark.

"I bet they did, poor baby." She added, "then I won't touch you then, how's that?" He barked, if not to comfort her then to play the dog bit. She smiled wanly. "And to think I thought you were a grim. Silly me." She giggled to herself and stood to leave.

Grim..... He thought. She's a witch....... The gate closed with a loud clang, as if it had somehow just sealed his fate. He watched as she placed a padlock over the gate and locked it. She walked away, throwing a wave over her shoulder. How was he ever going to get out of here....?

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Fairly short chapter I suppose. Then again there wasn't much to do this chapter but intro Delilah. Probably really bit, no pun intended. Haha. Errrr.... or not.

The original name of this piece was "Wish Upon a Dog Star." But I thought that sounded really.... dinky. So it's just Dog Star now.

R&R if ya want. I'll probably update even if you don't, but I'll be really depressed. - - Or I could go psycho say 'screw it' and work on my upcoming Snape fic. *smirk* Oh, this will probably also become Sirius/Delilah real fast, because I think he's .... cool... er yeah. But I'm a firm beliver in Sirius/Remus so I'll have one of those started pretty soon. *gives a really dorky looking thumbs up*

Severus: I think she's looking the other way now. Run.
Sirius: *pulling at collar around neck* He's not kidding.
Rave: I heard that..... *to readers* Come back soon!