[Madam Malkin's] a cat to be loved (Winifred)

The dome was finally down, and Zachary was relieved.  During the time the students were trapped inside Hogwarts, Zachary usually visited his great-grandmother in Japan.  She had come to England to visit him herself once she heard the good news, and they were both walking down Diagon Alley.  Zachary's great-grandmother, Akari Jung, looked well for her early hundreds.  She had short grey hair, a beautiful light pink robe with a purple trim, and a long cherry wood wand in her left hand by her side.  Zachary had on a green T-Shirt with a black cat on it, his usual large cargo shorts with a belt hanging on by faith, as well as his usual black sandals accompanied by knee-high grey socks.

Beside Zachary, he was holding a long purple piece of fabric.  Attached to the fabric was a matching harness that was home to a small black cat.  Most of her fat was stored in her belly, and it wobbled back in forth as she walked.  She had amber eyes and a white spot on her chest, as well as noticeable white bald spots on her sides, stomach, and arms.  She had a small tag attached to her leash reading 'Luna "Lunatic" Faulkner'.

He needed a new Hufflepuff tie for the school year.  His messy brother borrowed his for a day and it was returned wrinkly and the furthest from yellow.  He headed to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, and from the store window a particular student caught his eye.  He saw a shorter girl with long blond hair who he recognized from his house.  She was in the same year and he believes that talked, or at least saw each other once.  Her name was Winifred.  Zachary was excited to see the girl, he is a very outgoing child.  His great-grandmother also saw the girl.  Unfortunately, not in the way Zachary did.  She pestered him to go talk to her, but she had other ideas in mind.  Still, he walked into the store while Akari made a lame excuse that she needed a new spell book.

While Winifred was short for her age, Zachary only stood a few inches taller than her if that.  He walked up to her with his cat still on the leash with a smile on his face.  "Hello Winifred!  Remember me?"

Wini wasn't sure if it was a good thing that she had gotten to do her Diagon Alley shopping twice this year. Once in August like normal and now again since most of her uniforms had gone up in flames literally from the fire. But she wasn't that upset considering she loved shopping and any guilt she might have felt had been assuaged by William.. her father.. no, that sounded weird she mentally corrected herself. By William. He had assured her that it wasn't a problem money-wise, that she should get what she needed and he had even surprised her with allowing her to get a few of the Wonder Witch potions. Wini was excited to show Sophie the new hair shine and curling lotion she had gotten from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Wini and William were currently in Madam Malkins with one of the shop assistants flicking her wand, a tape measure floating here and there taking measurements. The fourth year watched through the window as groups and pairs of people made their way down Diagon and Wini couldn't help the smile on her face. She had the most wonderful feeling that when they all returned to Hogwarts that she would have the most magical time for the last few months left in this term. She couldn't help the optimism, it was part of her make up. And it was even more in abundance now that her and Marin were on good terms and they wouldn't be returning to a castle that was a cage.

Hearing her name, she turned and a smile lit upon her face in recognition, a giggle slipping out as she looked at Zachary. "Of course I do, Zach. You're funny," she told him with a grin. "We've only been in the same year for four years and it has only been a week or two since I saw you last in the common room." She spied his cat on a leash a second later and while it wasn't usual to see a cat on a leash, Wini didn't pay that any mind. She thought he looked absolutely adorable.

"Awww," she cooed as she knelt on one knee and reached out her knuckles to the cat, petting him between the ears when the cat came a little closer to him. "What's his name again?" she asked. She remembered seeing him around the common room from time to time, but she was rubbish with names. "Are you here to get new robes too?" Wini asked a second later, glancing up at Zach where he was standing.

Zachary looked back down at the bald cat.  He was happy that Wini took an interest in her, as most people thought of her as a crazy freak.  It's not her fault she has OCD.

He smiled at her, "Her name is Luna!  You can call her Lunatic, that's her nickname."  The small cat started screaming, "RAAAAARRRRHHHHHH!  REAAAAOORRHHHH!"  Zachary started stroking her to calm her down.  "Don't worry about that, she does that when she's happy."  Luna walked on her short little legs to Wini as her belly wobbled back and forth.  She jumped up and rubbed her head on Wini's knee before turning around and staring at the wall intensely.  She started bolting towards the wall, and pulled the poor boy holding her leash with her as she slammed her head into it.  Zachary's cheeks filled with red as he walked her back to Wini.  "Sorry about that, that's why I call her Lunatic."

Remembering Wini's previous question, Zachary responded.  "Sort of.  My brother isn't exactly neat.  I lent him my tie for a few days and it came back all wrinkled and a really weird brown color.  I'm here to get a new one.  My great-grandmother is taking me.  She likes going to wizard towns outside of Japan, and she rarely visits here.  She's in Flourish and Blotts getting a new spell book, or so she says."  Zachary saw Akari out of the corner of his eye spying on the two.  His back still hurt from when she slammed a book on him for not wanted to date another girl he saw in Diagon Alley just a few days ago.

Zachary picked Luna up while she screamed and yelped.  Most of her body was bald, and a light grey color from the little fur that was still there.  Her huge belly sagged off to the left while her giant eyes were like laser beams wherever she looked.  Zachary gestured for Wini to pet her.  "She won't bite!  Well...."  He looked over to the bite mark on his wrist.  "She won't bite as long as you don't excite her too much.  Want to?"

"Aww, Luna. That's such a nice na--" The cat began to make the most awful noise and Wini jumped, snatching her hand back and looking worried up at Zach. "Did I do something wrong?" she asked before the other Puff told her not to worry. "Oh," Wini said with a little relieved laugh and a smile. "Okay. I just didn't expect that," she explained as the cat waddles over and rubbed its head on her knee. Her heart melted a little at how affectionate she was even if the cat had given her quite a start. But then in the next second, Wini had that worried look on her face as the cat started running away and right into the wall. Wini gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, her wide brown eyes growing wider by the second.

"Is she okay?" Wini asked, watching Zach as he brought her back. "Does she do that often?" Thinking of the cat's curious and slightly crazed behavior actually reminded her of her first pet that accompanied her to Hogwarts. She smiled and shook her head as she glanced up at Zach. "I used to have a slightly crazy owl named Owaiffan, I called him Waiffy. And he was really crazy. Maybe Waiffy and Luna would've been friends," she said on a laugh. She knew her.. father. William, she mentally corrected. She knew William still kept Waiffy at his house and from what he had told her, he was doing much better. Maybe Waiffy just hadn't liked her. Wini tried not to dwell on that thought.

She nodded as he mentioned getting a new tie and then glanced at him with interest as he mentioned his grandmother. "Does your grandmother live in Japan?" she asked with a little bit of wonder in her voice. She had never really traveled much of anywhere. Hogwarts was the furthest she had been away from her home in Penybont, Wales and every year she grew older, she felt like the bubble she lived in was growing smaller. "That's amazing. Have you been there? Do you visit her often?" she asked.

"Sure," Wini said as she watched Zach hold Luna. She reached out hesitantly, not wanting to excite her too much and pet her just between the ears. The cat was different, to say the least, but Wini could see that she was very sweet. "Are you planning on doing some other shopping today too?" the Hufflepuff asked a second later. "I was hoping to visit Flourish and Blotts to see if they have they newest copy of Witch Weekly. I heard there are some new photos of 3Spelled in there," Wini told him, citing her favorite wizarding pop band.

Zachary responded to all her questions.  "She does it pretty often.  She is diagnosed with OCD, that's why she's all bald.  My great-grandmother has only been to Britain once before this.  She lives in Japan.  I usually see her during break but since we were trapped in Hogwarts she came as soon as the dome was down.  She was here for my mom's wedding.  She would have been here for some other weddings but... nevermind."  Zachary's cheeks burst with red.  It wasn't like him not to stop talking, but he knew she was watching them.

"I have been to Japan tons of times.  The shops in Takamagahara are really cool!  Onogoro island is beautiful!  There are waterfalls, bamboo forests, sakura orchards, and Mahoutokoro castle of course.  That's where my great-grandmother went.  She was in Kitsunebi, the house of the tricksters.  So was my grandma.  She moved to Britain after marrying my grandpa."

"I love Witch Weekly!  3spelled is my favorite band.  Maybe I can come with you?"  Zachary smiled brightly as he stroked Luna.

"Oh, I didn't realize," Wini said sympathetically with another glance at his cat. She would definitely have to keep an eye for Luna when they returned to school. If she could help him make sure she didn't go running into any more walls, Wini would certainly try. The fourth year stood and glanced over at the counter. The shop assistant was done taking her measurements and William was deep in conversation with the shopkeeper. He looked like he had it under control so she focused back on Zach as he told her about his grandmother from Japan. She noticed with a tilt of her head that he had trailed off in the middle of his sentence, but she wasn't going to pry if he didn't want to tell her and instead rushed to fill the silence to put him at ease.

"Wow, that's so cool," she told him with one of her sunny smiles. "I wish I could visit Japan, it sounds so pretty. You'll have to show me some photos some time." With mention of the other school, she nodded as recognition lit in her brown eyes. "Oh! I've heard of that school before. Have you ever visited that school before? I've always wondered what it would be like to visit another school, but the closest I've gotten to that is this penpal I wrote to in my first year. He was from Durmstrang. You've heard of that school before right?"

As the topic turned to 3Spelled, Wini's eyes brightened at finding Zach was into 3Spelled too. "Hey, I didn't know that!" she said happily as she nodded. "Yeah, let's go! Oh, wait. Let me just tell William. Be right back," she told Zach, holding up one finger as she hurried to William's side and spoke with him for a few minutes, nodding toward Zach with a tilt of her head. William nodded after a moment and told her he would meet her in front of Ollivander's in half an hour and Wini nodded her agreement before dancing back over to Zach. "Ok, all set. Let's go!"

She moved toward the door of the shop and held the door open for Zach and Luna before starting to walk in the direction of Blott's. "I didn't realize you were a 3Spelled fan, Zach," she commented with a smile. "Do you have a favorite? Liam is mine. His dimples are just so cute!"

(( OOC: FYI 3Spelled is a band I made up and referenced in the Daily Prophet a few times. For some basic info on them, see here and here ))