Dog got your wand?

[Mungo MacFusty]

"OCH AH'LL FEED YAH TAE A DRAGON YEH MANGY CUR!" Hardly the most dignified thing to be shouting--not really at the top of his lungs but the man had a voice that could carry--as Mungo MacFusty lumbered through Padmore Park, startling ladies and their chaperones into little fits of indignation and fright. A streak of dingy white and brown darted out of a bush as he closed in on it and he let out an outraged bellow. He was going to skin the damn thing alive and then feed it to a dragon! A nice, feisty toddling dragon that would play with it first! Damn mutt had snatched his wand right out of his pocket when he'd been sitting at a bench and had led him on a merry chase through much of the Park, making a right fool out of him.

Wand still in its mouth and tongue flapping in the wind, the medium sized dog bounded up a small hill and spotting a pair of ladies walking leisurely along the path, angled towards them. When the dog--more of a pup really and far too playful for his own good it would seem--reached the young lady and her chaperone, he gave a muffled bark and began to dance and prance around the two, oblivious for the moment to the large, angered Scotsman lumbering up the hill, his green eyes spotting the mutt near a pair of ladies he growled and stormed across the lawn, hand clenched at his side. Strangle the mutt til near death, skin it then give it over to a toddling dragon as a toy.

As he drew nearer, however, his gaze settled on the younger of the two women and he was struck by her pale beauty. He'd seen his share of beautiful women in his life and for nearly the past two years had been doing his best to avoid women while he worked on regaining his independence after the incident and he'd been doing a good job of it. But with every passing month it seemed that more and more of his brothers were getting married. Even Hamish had gotten married and now he was in danger of becoming the eccentric Uncle to all his nieces and nephews. Before he knew it even Vina would get married and it would be him and little Rabbie left. Pessimist that he tended to be, he rather thought that Rabbie would find a woman before he did but he was coming to the stubborn conclusion that if he put his mind to it he might find a girl willing to overlook his rather glaring faults.

Squaring his shoulders he approached the women and bowed his head respectfully. Feeling like the awkward one-armed oaf that he was, he did his best not to sound like some uncultured Northerner."Sorry tae bother ye, but does that mutt..er...canine belong tae one o' ye??

  

[Gardenia Hathaway]

As the dog yapped at her heel, the radient blonde bent down to ruffle it behind the ear, smiling as it dropped what appeared at first to be a stick at Gardenia's feet. Although tempted to pick up the stick and throw it for the dog to go play, she instead picked it up and turned it over in her elegantly gloved hand. A wand? How peculiar! The little paws of the dog had left slight prints of mud on her pastel green dress, a colour that made her blue eyes pop. Her hair was decorated with silver and emerald pins, matching closely to the dress. Her parasol hung on her arm, having been closed when the dog came over.

As the tall man approached herself and her companion, or more correctly chaperone, Gardenia felt herself blush pink at the man's handsome features. Her eyes glanced over his strong frame, not blinking at his one-armed silhouette. She found herself happy to just admire his green eyes and it was only at a nudge from her chaperone that she noticed she was being rude and that he had spoken.

"I am terribly sorry, but I don't quite understand your accent! Please excuse me, I am not from around here," Gardenia flashed him a bright white smile, all her teeth in order and perfect, "although, I am guessing you are not from around here either!" she looked down to the dog, bending to scratch behind it's ears once more. "A beautiful pet, is he yours?"

Gardenia smiled, battering her long blonde lashes up at him, her blue eyes twinkling as she smiled. She stroked the dog and told it to sit, to which it promptly did so. She played idly with the wand in her hand before gasping and blushing darkly at her lack of manners. She straightened up, smoothing down her dress.

"Oh! I don't believe I have introduced myself! Miss Gardenia Rose Hathaway!" she smiled sweetly, holding out her hand but noticing his matching arm was not there. "Oh! Please excuse me!" she smiled, switching the stolen wand in her hands and holding him out a hand he could shake. She stared up at him with her sweet delicate face and waited for him to shake her hand.

  

[Mungo MacFusty]

A quick once over of the girl both confirmed her beauty as well as a few other things. She had beautiful hair, gold like grain, and artfully pinned up with emerald pins that matched a rather becoming pale green gown. She was fresh and youthful and he had an overwhelming desire to flee which he viciously beat down. He also took note of the faint paw prints on her gown and the way the dog was dancing around her and thought perhaps he'd assumed right that the mongrel belonged to the girl. Not exactly the pet he'd expect from a little flower like this one, but coming from the family he did, he knew better than to assume anything about a woman aside from one thing; all of them found him repulsive.

That was why he was so baffled by the look of admiration that overcame her pale face when she looked over him and locked eyes with him. She had the bluest eyes he'd seen; like cloudless skies, bright and clear. Blinking and glancing away when the girl's chaperone nudged her he found himself looking back immediately when her peculiarly accented voice reached his ears. She spoke English but with an accent that didn't hint at where she might be from. Then he seemed to register her words and his cheeks faintly colored with embarrassment. He hadn't tried hard enough to take the highlands out of his voice. His lips parted to repeat what he'd said before when she smiled and his mind went blank.

"Ahm, wat?" Blinking, he shook his head and cleared his throat, watching as she scratched the unrepentant pup behind the ear. "Ah mean noo, the pup doesnae--doesn't belong tae me. Ah thought he was your's miss." It was then that he noticed the wand in her hand and once again opened his mouth to speak only to look up at her face and be completely gutted by her twinkling eyes and batting lashes. When she straightened his slightly bemused and baffled expression went carefully blank as she introduced herself and held out her right hand. He was used such things by now but it still tweaked his pride a bit that he couldn't properly greet others. Green eyes close in color to the pins in her hair, Mungo searched Miss Hathaway's face for any hint of revulsion or disgust and found a sweet smile as she changed her hand to accommodate him. His eyes widened slightly as he relaxed his clenched fingers and reached out to take her delicate hand and lifted it to his lips as he bowed over it, lips barely skimming her knuckles then straightened, releasing her hand and speaking carefully. "Tis very nice t' meet you, Miss Hathaway. Ah am Mungo MacFusty. Ah think the wee pup brought ye--you something of mine."

  

[Gardenia Hathaway]

"Mungo? Macfusty? You don't get an awful lot of names like that in Massachusetts!" she grinned, but her cheeks were blushed brightly from the way he had greeted her. She was used to something less chivalrous, a more American handshake, like men shook hands. However, this handsome young man was welcome to greet her that way every single day! She looked down to his gaze which was on her hand and the wand.

"OH! Goodness! This is yours!" Gardenia felt herself grow red with embarrassment. Of course he wasn't coming over here to talk to her! Why would he do that? She was an undesirable American girl. She was from an extremely long line of witches and wizards that dated through to English and German settlers, but that meant little to the upper class that heard American and assumed she wouldn't be good enough for them. She felt a little crestfallen that this was why he was here in front of her. A wand. A stupid wand! "Here..." she smiled, silken voice softened by the fact she was sure he would not want to speak to her much longer. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, you must be quite eager to have it back." She held it out to him, smiling sweetly. Everything about her was elegant, her poise, her features, her hair, her dress, everything. She smiled to him, taking her hand back once he had taken the wand.

The yap of the dog startled her and she looked to it with a smile, bending again to scratch behind its ear and pat its back. "If he's not mine, and he's not yours...oh goodness, do you think he's a stray???" her face fell, a pout befalling her lips. "Oh poor little soul! What a cruel fate to not have a home!" the small dog wagged it's tail at the attention that she showered it with, but it was skinny that was for sure.

  

[Mungo MacFusty]

Dunny's lips twitched as she seemed to puzzle over his name. Massachusetts? Well that would explain the slightly off accent; the girl was American. Even some of his English compatriots balked at his name and much preferred to call him Duncan which was well and good. His name did sound rather silly coming from Miss Hathaway's lips. Still the incessant drone of his Grandmother that cropped up from time to time in his head warned him that it wasn't proper for him to request that she call him by so familiar a name as Duncan but if it was easier for her then perhaps it was a kindness? Glancing at the chaperone, he weighed his options then finally decided that being a MacFusty already painted him a cad in the eyes of much of the upperclass so what did a small breech of propriety matter here and there?

"Ah ken tha' mah..." He blinked then blushed and cleared his throat and started again. "Ah know that my name is a bit strange. Ah sometimes go by Duncan Macfusty." He shifted his weight, feeling a bit awkward. He shouldn't have done that. He should've listen to Grammy's voice and kept his mouth shut. What did she care what he was called? She probably never wanted to see him again. He was disfigured and gruff and bore a tainted name. She was clearly of some standing to have a chaperone and such beautiful adornments. She was also American. He'd never met an American but he'd heard they often came to Great Britain in search of wealthy, connected husbands. Dunny's family was wealthy though he was nowhere close to being an heir and his family name was tainted in polite society by their proximity to the dragon reserve they had founded in the north and their propensity for less than decorous behavior.

When she held out his wand, he hesitated. He would take the wand and she would leave. She'd have no reason to stay. Mustering up a friendly smile, he reached out and took the wand, calloused fingers brushing against Miss Hathaway's briefly as he pulled away the wand and slipped it into his pocket. "Well 'tis mah second wand. I dinnae--do not want tae have tae get a third." He chuckled softly though wasn't sure if it was possibly to rectify how awkward he was. If any of his brothers were here they'd be giving him hell...or charming the girl right out from under him. Thankfully, the mutt intervened, voicing his desire for attention which Miss Hathaway obliged.

Mungo watched her as she stooped to pet the pup and blinked, confused at her sudden outburst. The look on her face...her pouting lips commanded his attention and he was suddenly quite wary of those pouting lips. If he entertained the idea that this young woman would ever even want to be in his presence again, he could imagine that those pouting lips could cause his demise. She was sad and he didn't like that. Granted he didn't like seeing any woman in distress but this dainty little thing bemoaning the fate of one of the many strays in Hogsmeade fascinated him. Crouching down, he watched as the pup wagged its tail though his attention was more for the girl than the critter. "Och, aye. Puir wee thing."

  

[Gardenia Hathaway]

Gardenia was quite happy that he had not left and was sticking around, even if he was a little awkward. Gardenia found him sweet, and there was something so sad to his eyes, it made her want to stroke his hair and kiss his brow. Gardenia watched him slightly, blushing a tad more. A shiver had run through her as his rough fingers had touched her lace-gloved hands and she honestly had never yearned more to feel a man's hands on her again before.

"I would take him home, but I am not sure that my guardian would approve, he doesn't seem the pet sort of man," Gardenia continued to completely adorn the pup with her attention, giving him scratches here and there. Her chaperone thought it wise that she get to know an upper class gentleman, and with her here there was nothing wrong with it! Gardenia was just returning a wand to its owner! Gardenia looked sadly, again with the same pout, to the mutt and sighed very softly, a sweet exhalation of breath that clearly said 'I wish I could take you home'. If only she had been merely referring to the dog.

"I like the name Mungo, there's something jolly about it!" Gardenia grinned to him, catching his eyes with hers, those sad, sad eyes. "Most call me Gardenia, the Rose is just a flourish! My guardian, Mr Kernaghan, called me Miss Rose, but I believe it is because he cannot recall my full name most moments, and to be honest he's not altogether all there sometimes!" Gardenia winked, trusting that that was now a secret between the two of them.

"I am new to Hogsmeade, Mr Macfusty, gosh that's a mouthful!" she laughed spritely, a sweetness like nectar to the tone. "My first visit to England! But if I am correct you must be...Scottish?" Gardenia smiled to him and her eyes rested on his lack of arm for a second, before smiling sweetly to him. "Second wand...what happened to your first?"

  

[Mungo MacFusty]

As Dunny watched the girl with the dog, he found himself entranced by the way the light kissed her hair and made her hair pins glitter; how it defined the line of her straight little nose and cast her bowed upper lip in shadow. So used to keeping himself well apart from anything resembling a girl since well before his graduation, he found himself at a loss for how to behave and a glance at the girl's chaperone told him that he wasn't doing a particularly good job. However, when that sad, heart wrenching little pout appeared once more, coupled with a sigh the second youngest MacFusty lad did something that he would probably come to regret.

"Ah could take 'im in." The second the words left his mouth he winced and then quickly covered with a smile. There was no taking back those words once spoken. He'd just condemned himself to suffering the company of some smelly little mutt that he'd previously wanted to destroy because some little foreigner had pouted and bat her lashes. His brothers were going to have quite a go of this little blunder, if his mother didn't tan his hide for bringing in a stray without asking. But at least it got rid of the sad little pout; that was something. Reaching out, he tentatively patted the pup on the head and couldn't help the smirk that curled his lips when the mutt licked his hand with the never ending excitement only a pup could have.

Looking up only to be blinded by another of Miss Hathaway's grins, Dunny chuckled. She thought his name jolly. He supposed a couple years ago it would have been true enough. Before the incident he'd been full of life. He'd played quidditch and helped out with the dragons and caused all sorts of trouble with his brothers and friends. After...well people had treated him differently--his brothers for the most part still harassed him as much as ever and even gave him cute nicknames to keep the fight in him--and along with the increased difficulty of just about everything it had taken a lot out of the lad. He'd stubbornly relearned how to cast spells with his remaining hand and had returned to school after he'd more or less mastered the art of dressing himself with one hand. He'd even gotten an internship at the Ministry the summer before graduation which had led to his employment in the Beast Division after he'd graduated.

While life with his family and closer friends hadn't changed much, his peers were awkward and strange around him and ladies for the most part tended to shy away from him. Since his return to Hogwarts he'd had to deal with the stigma of being a damaged man. The fact that Miss Gardenia Rose Hathaway seemed so at ease talking to him was a gift in itself. "So many flowers." He rather thought it suited her. He listened respectfully as she imparted a tidbit about her guardian and with a lopsided smile returned her wink. Her secret was safe.

"Och, aye. A fine guess lassie--" The chaperone cleared her throat and Dunny's flinched like she'd whacked him with a fan. "Miss Hathaway. Welcome to Hogsmeade. Ah am originally from up North. The Hebrides. Mah father is laird to most all the islands there." He paused debating whether or not to tell her about the dragons. As a newcomer she wouldn't be privy to the state of their family and might be at least slightly less likely to snub him proving that she truly was as nonchalant about his disfigurement as she seemed; which he wasn't certain of. Not one to practice in deceit, however, and sure she'd find out anyway, Dunny continued. "We tend t' the population of dragons th't nest and live on the islands; keep 'em from runnin' rampant."

As her gaze lingered to the right side of his body, Dunny tensed and abruptly stood, shifting uncomfortably and aborting his instinctive urge to reach over and rub at his shoulder where his arm should've been. His clothing had all been altered so there wasn't so much as a sleeve to draw extra attention to his disfigurement but it was kind of hard not to notice a hulking young man with only one arm. He was fully prepared for some sort of snide remark or Miss Hathaway's withdrawal. Her sunny smile took him entirely by surprise and he gaped at her until the chaperone cleared her throat again. Snapping his mouth shut, he fussed with the hem of his coat and sighed.

"Dragon ate it along with mah arm." Twice now he'd spat out words he wished he could recall. He hadn't meant to be quite so harsh but the fact that she didn't seem in the slightest concerned by his missing arm made him paranoid and jumpy and subconsciously he wanted to either run or chase her away; a deep seated means of self preservation that was at odds with his fascination with this girl. Grasping for some way to keep the wide-eyed chaperone from hauling the girl away even if she didn't run off, Dunny glanced at the dog then back up at Miss Hathaway, a frantic look in his eyes. "Perhaps Ah could emplore your guardian to let me bring th' pup tae visit?"

  

[Gardenia Hathaway]

Gardenia enjoyed the fact this man was so tall! So handsome, the most handsome young man she had laid eyes upon since she had arrived in this cold, wet country. His features were beautiful, eyes, GORGEOUS eyes, framed so perfectly, she wanted to stare at him for hours, trace the lines of his face, that awkward smile, the way he all but looked at her, and looked away so incredibly awkwardly. She found it all so charming and sweet.

"You would do that?! Take him in!" Gardenia grinned in happiness, "that is most generous of you, not many would look twice at an orphaned mutt like this one!" she turned to the dog, cooing and fussing over him happily.

Gardenia wondered what it would be like to kiss him, soft lips upon his slightly weathered ones. It would be an adventure, that was for sure! Gardenia watched him dreamily, wondering what his arm would feel like with hers linked inside. She would have sighed happily if it were appropriate, ever-romantic as she was. She suddenly wondered what Jasper may think of him. Surely the Macfusty family were very well thought of, you only had to meet Mungo to know he was well-brought up, with fabulous breeding, just look at tjose cheekbones!!!

"Dragons!" she exclaimed, blushing at her own excitement, "oh! I've always wanted to know more about dragons! To meet them, to study them! They are such strange creatures!" Gardenia's eyes had lit up with excitement, but that soon turned to shock as Gardenia's eyes widened as he revealed the disappearance of his arm to her, causing her to straighten up from where she had been fussing over the puppy.

"Oh you poor thing!" her delicately laced hand rose to her lips in a small gasp, her face full of sadness for him. Her elegant little fingers reached out for a moment to touch his arm, however she found her senses and blushed, lowering her hand to her other to fiddle with her gloves, her face reddening with embarrassment.

"I would love for you to visit with him! Jasper-Mr Kernaghan- is rather set in his ways, but I will try to let him know of our meeting and the little dog in time for your visit, I am sure you will hear from him," Gardenia blushed once more, smiling to him.

  

[Mungo MacFusty]

She was staring. He hated when people stared but there was something about the way that Miss Hathaway was looking at him that unnerved the second youngest MacFusty brother. He could face down dragons, fire breathing foxes and Merlin knew what else but this little blonde slip of a thing left him ready to run for the heather-covered hills of the highlands. What was he supposed to do? His brothers would all be laughing themselves silly right now if they could see him; scared of a little girl! But then over half his brothers had been tamed by one wench or another. The MacFusty men did rather seem to be dropping like flies straight into the bonds of marriage. Even Tavish had found himself a woman to marry; Tavish! Still...they were all whole men.

Mungo could feel the color creeping into his face as she grinned up at him and reached up to fidget with his collar. "Aye, well..." He shrugged, not sure what exactly to say and deciding that maybe instead of blurting things out he should just shut his big mouth.

Thankfully oblivious to her line of thought he raised a dark brow at her outburst. Great, he'd scared her and now she would...wait. She liked dragons? He stared at her as if she were some sort of strange, lovely breed of dangerous beast he was tasked with removing; fascinated and more than a little wary. Merlin's beard, she was lovely, kind and liked dragons. Yup, he should run before something terrible happened. When she stood, leaving the pup to stare up at her, tail wagging, he tensed as she reached out as though to touch him. The only women to touch him since the incident had been his mother, his sister and his cousin Sorcha. In all honesty he'd though he might have to marry Pip; she was sweet and endearing. Though, now family gossip said she now had a potential suitor.

"Tha' would be great." Though her sentiment over his arm had seemed quite genuine, Mungo couldn't decide if it was or not. Over the past two years he'd become a bit gun shy around women. Especially the beautiful ones. Miss Gardenia Rose Hathaway was perhaps one of the most beautiful young women he'd yet to meet. He had to be careful or she'd play with his heart then toss him aside for a man who was whole.

  

[Gardenia Hathaway]

Just as Gardenia was about to start talking again, really not wanting to leave the handsome young man ever again, her chaperone cleared her throat, causing the blonde's attention to wander to the woman.

"We should be getting you back now, Miss Hathaway, Mr Kernaghan will want you back well before dinner." The woman nodded, as though decided that yes, she was certainly right! She slowly began to walk on, as though Gardenia should follow.

The blonde looked sheepishly back to the Macfusty boy and smiled to him. "I really enjoyed meeting you, Mr Macfusty..." Gardenia blushed slightly, curtsying a little bit to him. "I hope we will meet again...and soon." Gardenia held back the urge to lean up and kiss his cheek, knowing it was most unsuitable for a girl and boy like themselves.

Gardenia began to walk away, turning after a few steps to wave at him sweetly. "Adieu!" she winked sweetly before following her chaperone, popping up her parasoul, blonde hair disappearing behind the white lace.

The little mutt began to whimper, ears down in sadness, left behind by the lovely kind human girl.