Dogs Make Everything Better [Blair]

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

September 2025

Aidan loved the casual use of his animagus form. In Hy-Brasil, it was so so common to see druids switch from one to the other without a second thought, whether it be at school or work or just with friends. The forests of the island were a different experience for him as an Irish Setter, and it wasn’t unusual to see animals bound through the trees then change into human form upon entering Boudicca’s Grace. It was one of the many charms of life on the island.

So it had been jarring to hear that animagi weren’t all that common on the mainland, and that most wizards and witches kept their business face on and in human form most of the time. It didn’t stop Aidan from continuing to turn into a dog whenever he felt like it – whether to feel the breeze through his fur or break into a sprint alongside creatures in the reserve. And sometimes he walked around Hogsmeade like that too. It was a different perspective than walking around as a teenage boy, and people were generally much nicer to a dog than to an outsider. Especially a strange druid outsider who spoke bad English and had very little interest in adapting to mainlander ways.

It was a crisp September day, and Aidan could feel and smell so much more of it as a dog. The wind was sharp, morning dew lingered on the grass, and he could feel that it was going to rain soon. He was strolling along Hogsmeade’s main street, tail one step short of wagging, when his nose alerted him to something nearby that smelled delicious. Aidan redirected and followed his nose to a nearby witch walking at a slower pace than anybody else around. He couldn’t see the source of the delicious smell, but he knew it was there. Aidan gave a happy bark of greeting, tongue lolling, and planted himself in front of the witch to stop her from walking past. He’d had enough practice on Hy-Brasil to have nailed the begging puppy look.

@blair

[Deleted]

September 2025

It had been a good while since Blair had last set foot in Hogsmeade. She had no reason to go there, with practically everything in Diagon Alley or close to it, and she did maybe, sort of, possibly, totally avoid Hogsmeade most of the time, since her chances of running into Whiskey near where she worked were greater than not. Avoiding her ex-girlfriend was unfortunately pretty far up there on her list of priorities. Again, though, that was most of the time.

For once in the months that had passed since she had graduated from Hogwarts as an Ilvermorny transfer student, her wanting to see Whiskey was more than just a reflection of the things that she wished she could have done or said when they were together. Whiskey, out of everyone she knew from Ilvermorny, was the closest person to her. Blair wouldn't have said "in the world", just because that would have made her sound desperate, but she needed someone other than Bobby to know what had happened to her.

As she walked to and from the Three Broomsticks to grab a sandwich, she was more cautious than she would have been days before. She hadn't carried anything excessive on her person, and her replacement (or replacement of her first replacement, technically) wand remained close against her, on the inside of her jacket.

When Blair heard footsteps at first, she paused after a bite of food and grew more tense—only to realize how stupid she must have looked for doing that when it was only a dog, who then barked at her. She wasn't sure if he belonged to someone, but he was a fairly well-kept reddish… something or other? Whiskey would have known the actual breed. Whatever he was, he didn't look threatening at all, but he did look like he was eyeing her sandwich.

"Hi," Blair greeted the dog, her voice rising much higher and sounding much more juvenile than it would have if she were talking to another human. She quickly set her sandwich back into its paper bag, rolling up the opening and clenching it shut to keep him from getting to it. "Puppies don't eat sandwiches," she reminded him, as if he could actually understand her. "I'm sorry."

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

Success. Aidan knew he was a cute dog, and doing cute things was usually enough to engage with the vast majority of people – mostly witches, but he enjoyed a good pat from anywhere. Realizing that it was much harder here to recognize an animagus in their animal form had been a startling, but not career-ending, revelation. In Hy-Brasil, it was incredibly easy to know. The island didn’t have non-magical creatures, so it was simple enough to identify the animagi from the natural animals. On the mainland, it was more difficult, and this interaction was more evidence of that.

Still, Aidan didn’t mind the tone of adoration. He enjoyed making people happy, and spending time as a therapy dog on Hy-Brasil had taught him to sniff out the sadness and trauma. And this witch, sadly, emanated that feeling. He couldn’t know more unless she explicitly told him, but he didn’t need to. He was also preoccupied with her words. She said that puppies don’t eat sandwiches, but… That’s not true! I’m a good puppy and I eat sandwiches! Aidan thought, although there was really no way to say that out-loud. He tilted his head as if in thought, before whining slightly to show his disagreement with what she said.

Sorry’s not enough, gimme the food! Aidan needed to communicate, so he raised a paw the way a normal dog might to the command of ‘shake.’ It was the best he could do to point at the food – make it really clear what he wanted. She’d wrapped it up, but he could still smell it. He barked again and wagged his tail. He wasn’t above begging for what he wanted, but he could also do tricks for treats. And besides, if at some point he rolled over to show her his stomach – maybe he’d get some pats!

@blair

[Deleted]

September 2025

The dog tilted his head and whined at her, clearly disappointed that he couldn't nose his way into the bag to snatch her sandwich. The noise that he had made was a sad little sound, and Blair did feel sort of bad that she didn't have anything that she could give him. She had never had a pet of her own, so it wasn't as though she kept dog treats or anything else with her.

Raising his paw, the dog seemed to make it known what he wanted from her, and he barked and wagged his tail again.

"I know," Blair said sympathetically, still using her baby-talk voice with the dog, "it smells good." She didn't doubt that he could smell it even better than she could. "And you're a good boy," she added, holding her free hand out in caution to pet him on the top of his head. "Yes, you are!"

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

The witch was responding well. Aidan had learned to be a little cautious at times – not because anybody could resist his puppy eyes, but because sometimes people weren’t ready to be comforted yet. There was very little distance in Hy-Brasil (emotionally speaking, although it was true physically too) but he’d learned that mainlanders had more boundaries in place. Sometimes they weren’t receptive to hugs or physical affection, and sometimes they didn’t want to talk about things. It was hard to adjust to, and while Aidan wasn’t much of a fast learner, he was still learning.

But she wasn’t pushing him away, so that was a good sign! In fact, he was seriously enjoying her praise and when she finally began to slowly pet his head. He manifested his emotions physically, and his tail began to wag furiously as he closed his eyes in enjoyment. He took it as an invitation to get closer and butt his head against her knees, pressing against her legs to ensure the pats didn’t stop. She’d called him a good boy, which meant serious brownie points in his eyes. Even if she hadn’t given up the sandwich yet…it was still a win. Nobody else on the street had glanced their way, and it was slowly starting to empty as people got to where they needed to go. Aidan hoped that meant she might start talking soon -- she seemed happier now than when he'd first approached her, but he wanted to do his duty thoroughly before heading off.

@blair

[Deleted]

September 2025

While Blair might not have had any pets of her own at any time, she certainly couldn't resist how sweet the dog who had approached her was. He looked so content as she pet him, still wagging his tail. He was so soft, too! (Were all dogs so soft?)

"You like that, huh?" Blair asked, feeling the dog's head ram against her legs. She bent down, then kneeled so that she was sitting on her knees. As she moved, though, her hand slipped from the top of the bag, allowing the top of it to unroll.

Noticing that it had, Blair couldn't help but give in just a little bit. The dog was being so good, and he was so sweet. Didn't he deserve a treat? "Okay," she began slowly, reaching her hand into the sandwich bag. It rustled as she fished around for something that she wouldn't have to question if it would be safe to give him. "Because you're being so good…"

Finding what she was looking for, Blair tore just enough of a morsel off from the sandwich for the dog to enjoy, and she pulled her hand back out of the bag. "Do you like cheese?"

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

I like this girl a lot, Aidan thought excitedly as he let his nose guide him back to the nondescript paper bag holding the treasure. She had bent down to be more on his level while she continued petting him, and the gesture was a lot more symbolic than she probably realized. Aidan had never been kicked before, thank Boudicca, but he’d certainly encountered many kinds of wizards and witches in his constant search for affection. And there were plenty of people who wouldn’t lower themselves to a dog’s level, much less a random one on the street.

And, well, she’d finally caved and offered him some cheese. As a matter of fact, Aidan did like cheese very much and he didn’t hesitate to nose at the piece she’d broken off and offered to him before eating it all up in one big bite. He gave an ‘arf!’ of affirmation at her question before licking her face with his undoubtedly now-cheesy breath. He was a good boy, there was no doubt about that. But she was a good girl too! He walked a joyously happy circle around her before offering his head again for more pets. It didn’t really matter to him if she maybe had somewhere to go. This was a happy moment, and sometimes it was hard to find happy moments, so it was important to appreciate every one you encountered. Aidan had certainly already forgotten that he was due at the reserve sometime soon, and that he knew it was going to rain soon. That was less important than soaking in the attention.

@blair

[Deleted]

September 2025

The dog confirmed that he liked cheese by practically gulping down the piece of it that she'd torn off from within her sandwich for him and barking. It wasn't only the cheese that he wanted, though, because Blair soon found herself on the receiving end of some licks to the face.

It wasn't a sensation to which she was used, and it tickled more than she expected. Laughing, Blair continued to pet the dog until he trotted around in a circle and then returned right to her. He was such a good boy, and he wasn't even trying to get to the rest of her sandwich.

"You like cheese, huh?" Blair cooed at him. She didn't mind giving him another piece; he was obviously hungry… and grateful. "Do you know how to sit?" she checked. "Here. Sit, boy."

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

The witch didn’t look so tense now as she did at the beginning of their interaction, and she’d even laughed. This was good news, because life was a hundred times more enjoyable when one took everything that happened (good or bad) smiling and laughing. It was probably a scientific fact that the best people in life were the ones who let themselves laugh often. At any rate, it wasn’t something Aidan could do as a dog, so he settled for happy panting and letting his tongue loll as he savored the aftertaste of the cheese.

She asked if he could sit, and of course he could, what kind of animagus did she take him for? Aidan promptly sat down so fast he made a thump as he hit the ground. See, I can sit! I can also roll over and jump and eat many things, he thought proudly. Still, he promptly got distracted as he heard a bird pass overhead and he swiveled and followed its flight for a few moments before returning to the witch. Non-magical birds were still an odd sight to Aidan, and he found things like pigeons completely fascinating. He itched to continue following the bird, but faithfully kept his eyes trained on the witch. He gave another ‘arf’ with a questioning tone behind it – what did she want next? More tricks? More treats? A heart-to-heart conversation? Aidan was good at all of those!

@blair

[Deleted]

September 2025

Blair wasn't sure how she had had the luck of coming across such a sweet, happy dog, but she was enjoying his momentary company. It was a shame that dogs couldn't talk, she thought, not that they really needed to. Even without having had a dog of her own, she could tell that he was pleased—and he was obedient, too! He sat down when she asked him to do so, though she hadn't been sure that he would understand the command.

The dog sat down with a little thud, though he didn't keep his attention focused on her. Instead, there was a bird that caught his attention, and he looked at it for a moment before apparently remembering that she was there. He barked at her again at that point, but it almost sounded like a question.

"What do you want, huh?" Blair asked him sweetly, petting him on the top of his head and scratching him behind his ears. She smiled a little, wondering if she could take a hint. "Do you want more of my sandwich?" That had been her lunch, but she knew that she probably wouldn't finish all of it anyway. She hadn't intended to get sidetracked by a dog, either, but she could spare another bite for him.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

Aidan was a naturally distracted person and the trait got amplified by a hundred in dog form. He’d been completely absorbed by a pigeon a few moments earlier as it flew overhead, but he quickly lost that thread of thought when the witch began giving him pats again. He closed his eyes as his tail wagged and his body vibrated with the attention before he heard the magic words. More sandwich? Always always always! There was never a moment where Aidan would turn down free food – well, unless it was the wrong kind of food. There was plenty of that in the world and Aidan really only liked what he was familiar with. But he was now familiar with this sandwich, and he liked it, so yes yes yes!

He gave a bark of affirmation and, with the permission, began to nose at the mysterious brown bag again. He could smell every ingredient, and he was excited to get a visual confirmation. Even as it suddenly occurred to him that – hadn’t he been going somewhere before getting sidetracked by the witch in the first place? His head swiveled in the direction of the reserve as he pondered this new twist.

@blair
(I figure we can make the switch to human/human conversation soon? XD)

[Deleted]

September 2025

The dog's enthusiasm for the sandwich was just too cute. Blair wasn't usually a pushover; she was typically anything but a pushover, but somehow this dog had managed to charm its way into her heart. She couldn't say no to him! He was being so good, and he was wagging his little tail! He seemed to say that he wanted more of it, and it looked as though his tail might wag right off.

Then he barked and began to sniff at the bag, only to turn his head in the other direction—the direction in which Blair had been meaning to head for herself, come to think of it. It was so funny to see the dog distracted, but she supposed that he must have heard something. Dogs had better hearing than humans did; it could have been just about anything, so she didn't really focus on it.

Even if the dog was no longer as interested in it as he had been only moments earlier, Blair didn't want to deny him his promised taste of sandwich, so she stuck her hand back into the bag while he was sidetracked. She tore off another piece of cheese from the sandwich for him, checked to make sure that there wasn't anything on it that might hurt him, and then held it out. "Okay, buddy," she cooed to him. "Last bite before I've gotta go, okay?"

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn
OOC: Sounds good!

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

Aidan’s whole body practically vibrated with excitement as he remembered that he had in fact been heading to the reserve. He genuinely enjoyed going to work, even if he didn’t always get to do what he wanted. He was there to learn, right? That meant sometimes doing the dirty work (which he meant literally) and roughing it alongside his co-workers, who he liked very much. And besides, every day brought him one day closer to going home to Hy-Brasil. So it was all worth it.

But he had unfinished business, didn’t he? The tantalizing smell of cheese brought his attention back, although he whined when the witch told him she had to go. He had to go too, so he didn’t fight it much, but he definitely chewed on the bit of cheese she’d given him with a little more sadness at the thought of saying goodbye. Aidan gave another ‘arf’ – just to make it extra clear that he was a smart boy and understood she needed to leave. He nosed her face to say goodbye, then without further ado took off running towards the reserve (naturally, with his tongue out to enjoy the feeling of the breeze on his face). And maybe if he was lucky and extra extra fast, he could beat the rain!

@blair
[Aaaaand time jump?]

[Deleted]

September 2025

It was disappointing to part ways with the dog, but Blair hadn't actually come to Hogsmeade to spend her time feeding bits of a sandwich to a stray. The run-in with the adorable dog was just a bonus, especially when he barked and nosed her after she had told him that it was time for her to go. What was even more surprising, however, was that the dog ran off in the same direction in which she was headed, herself.

Blair chuckled as the dog ran on ahead of her, though he was more concerned with enjoying himself. He wasn't leading her, though Blair wondered if he hoped that there was another sandwich waiting for him somewhere. Maybe, she thought, he had heard something there. There must have been plenty of interesting noises, and the reserve itself must have had birds to bark at, if not chase.

She kept walking, not seeing the dog again as she entered the facility, and shoved what was left of her sandwich at that point into the nearest trash receptacle. Blair didn't think that she needed to carry it inside, and she was a little bit more preoccupied with why she was there, now that there wasn't a cute stray dog to pet and feed.

Was it a blessing or a curse that she didn't see Whiskey immediately? Blair wasn't sure, but she turned and shut the door behind her and hoped that she could find her and talk to her ex-girlfriend about the fact that she had been mugged without completely alarming her or interrupting her work.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

Aidan ran fast and without restraint. One of the many things that was different between England and Hy-Brasil was the weather – on the island, it never really got this cold with the crisp air and sharp wind. Some druids might have found the autumn weather distasteful, but Aidan enjoyed how different the wind felt through his fur and the hard-packed dirt on his paws when he ran at full speed. He didn’t spend so much time in his animagus forms these days. Shockingly, most wizards on the mainland weren’t animagi and there was always someplace to be and therefore go to in a hurry. Despite being away from the island for the last two years, Aidan had still managed to maintain most of his lifestyle from home. But he also found himself busier than normal at the reserve, so he never found too much time to just…enjoy the feeling of the world around him.

Soon enough, however, his refreshing run came to an end as he arrived at the now very familiar entrance to Hogsmeade’s nature reserve. Aidan dawdled a little longer as a dog, nosing at interesting smells and investigating them carefully before moving on to the next. Eventually, however, he transformed back into a human (to the surprise of none of his coworkers, who had long since become extremely used to seeing him go between one form and the other). It didn’t take long for one of the magical veterinarians to find him and assign him a long list of boring (and yet, still necessary) tasks to do. Aidan nodded enthusiastically to show he understood (because he really preferred not to speak in English if it was possible to avoid), before he exited the main building towards one of their stables.

It took approximately five minutes to realize he’d forgotten his work gloves. They weren’t strictly necessary for most of the things Aidan had to do, but he’d definitely had to go collect dragon dung for fertilizer without gloves before, and it was an unpleasant job. So it was better to get them now and suffer less later. He loved the dragons at the reserve – playing with them and taking care of them when they got sick or injured – but this was one job he wanted to do with as much distance as possible between him and the future fertilizer. So he cheerfully walked back the way he came, haphazardly pocketing the list in his back pocket as he entered the main facility again. He couldn’t remember exactly where he’d left his gloves, but this was definitely the last place he’d had them.

At the sight of the witch who had given him part of her sandwich – albeit at a different angle than he remembered, considering he was much taller now – he laughed a little. “Hello!” he greeted her enthusiastically, heavy accent obvious even in the single word. He had thought he wouldn’t see her again, but clearly the universe had other plans!

@blair