Asteria nearly skipped down the street, holding herself back only slightly, the light bounce still present in her stride. Today was it, today was the day. She fumbled with the change in her pocket, fingers circling the still strange wizarding money, feeling the cool smoothness of the metal. For weeks- no, months - she had scrimped and saved, for this moment.

As a child, there is a certain sort of joy in being able to buy something for yourself. It's the attempt to engage in autonomy, not out of the need of adulthood, but a pure form of childish self-expression. This was that for Asteria. At home, she had had a pet, or rather, her father had had a pet (a beastly old cat named Max, who only partially tolerated Asteria's existence, deigning to allow the girl to pet her occasionally. Despite this, Asteria adored her) that Asteria also cared for. Today, she was to acquire a pet of her own, a companion of her choice. She wasn't quite sure what kind of animal she would get. Owls were nice, sure, and practical, but they couldn't cuddle. The cuddling - that was important. That was the thing that made her turn over the options of cats and rats and pygmypuffs; something that was soft and warm and full of care.

Caught in her reverie, she barely even noticed that she had arrived at The Magical Menagerie, until the door opened and someone else let, allowing the cavalcade of animal noises to escape from the shop. It was enough to shock her to her senses and she slipped inside, the doorbell ringing after her.

The scene inside was overwhelming, all feathers and fur and scales, flashes of color and the hurried scrambling of the shopkeeper struggling to maintain order. Asteria found herself unsure of where to begin, her normally rapid-fire instincts shitting down, leaving her still as a statue. That was when she felt a softness near her ankle, the warmth of a furry body twining around her leg. Glancing down, she came face to face with an orange cat. The cat was looking up at her, eyes wide and saucer-like, a warm brown that seemed almost plaintive. There was an edge to this cat though; already it seemed as if she had lived some, judging by the notches in her ear at least.

Asteria knelt down, intending to scoop the cat up in her arms. Already, she had become charmed by the creature, the way that it had found her, the way it had automatically provided the comfort she desired. But as soon as she knelt down, the cat made as to flee. But Asteria was quicker, reflexes honed by her wanderings and Quidditch classes, and the cat soon was nestled safely in her arms as she dragged it towards the counter. The cat glowered, the typical indignance of a cat held against its will, but it eased into her touch, beginning to lick at her hand that wasn't handing over the galleons at the counter.

"So you've picked Eglantine, I see. Or well, she's picked you," said the shopkeeper, counting out the eleven galleons that Asteria had pulled out her pocket with sweaty hands.

"Eglantine?" she asked.

"Aye, that's her name all right. Been here for uh- two, three years? Felt I should give her a name after all that time. Much too much trouble to yell "Cat" if I need her attention, y'see. She's generally too skittish to like any customer. Seems she's found a good ol' fondness for ye though."

"Well, I think I've found a fondness for her as well," Asteria declared, cradling the cat in her arms, ignoring the irritated wiggling of a cat that wants to be free and chase a loose sunbeam.

Leaving the shop, she hefted Eglantine in her arms, her pockets significantly lighter, and arms significantly more full, Asteria began her way home, heart full of love for this stranger older cat, a prickly ball full of potential affection.

WORD COUNT: 666

What animal do you wish to purchase? Red Mackerel Tabby
What do you want to name it? Eglantine
Is this a boy or a girl? Girl
What is your pet's date of birth? October 27th, 2016