In Search for the Lost [Nuri]

[Emory Williams]

Emory Williams cursed as he left yet another pet store. He didn't know why but he just had a feeling that Bird was waiting for him somewhere. They'd bonded during the long years they'd spend travelling together and Emory could still feel that bond between them pushing him to spend his weekend searching high and low for the blasted raven. The Druid had lost everything in that one second it had taken to travel 17 years into the future. Lost his father's staff, lost his revenge, lost his friends, lost his purpose. He'd be damned if he lost Bird too.

He hadn't had a clue where the familiar might be, but Bird was a lazy creature and so Emory had figured that he might have found himself a nice pet shop to care for him. So far that hunch had proved completely wrong. It was getting late and the sun was beginning to create long shadows in the alley but Emory had one more stop to make. It wasn't far from his current lodgings anyway.

He headed to the nearest public fireplace to Floo back to Hogsmeade and appeared in the Hogs Inn, coughing out a cloud of smoke. He waved a quick hello to the barman as he passed, motioning that he'd be back for a drink, or several, in a short while. He didn't expect this to take long. Go in, ask the owner if they'd seen a large raven with an insatiable appetite and when they said no, leave.

He glanced at the name written on his hand, 'Riko's Menagerie' and looked around for the shop. He finally found it just outside of the village proper and strode purposefully towards the door.

"Riko? Hello? Anyone here?" he asked as he arrived, glancing at the watch on his wrist. Hmm, maybe it was too late he mused as the sun started to set behind him.

[Nuriko]

"Customer! Customer! Customer!"

'Riko's new talking heads chimed in unison, setting off a small cacophony as various animals rustled, called or otherwise took notice of the heads. Despite the large number of animals and supplies, there was a lack of offensive odor and the shop was spacious. "Upstairs, Upstairs, Upstairs!" The heads echoed, eying the newcomer with curiosity. Nuriko was upstairs in the aviary, buckets of live mice and rats trailing her, and along with some fruit and nuts for the parrots. As footsteps sounded on the stairs she was offering cut meat to a raven, and staring down a particularly curious parrot who liked to mess with the raven, despite not actually eating meat as the raven did.

"Back here!" She called, cleaning her hand and releasing a mouse into a kestrel's run. "Watch your head!" A bright scarlet shape dive-bombed the new comer, though soaring easily over his head. Gateway loved to play that trick and see the reactions of the patrons.

[Emory Williams]

“Customer! Customer! Customer!"

Emory glanced at the talking heads, an amused grin lighting up his face as he looked around the shop. As with all things to do with the Natural side of things, the young Druid had a fascination with animals. He started to move towards the cages for a closer look when the heads called out again.

"Upstairs, Upstairs, Upstairs!"

Maybe another time then. It was getting close to dinner time and he was already on a mission to find one specific creature. Perhaps, once he’d exhausted every avenue and accepted the fact that he’d missed out on Bird’s final years, he could return here and meet a new companion. He took the steps two at a time, and had just reached the landing when a colourful blur swooped down over his head.

Emory let out a laugh at the birds antics, even as his heart panged with loss. Bird had liked to do stupid shit like that too. He remembered fondly the many times the raven had tried to follow him into shops only to be confronted by glass windows and land in an undignified lump.

“You’re a playful one aren’t you? Bet you cause all sorts of trouble,” he addressed the parrot before turning to the lady feeding the other animal residents.

“Excuse me ma’am,” he said respectfully. “I know this is a long shot but I’m looking for a rather particular raven. I’ve been away unexpectedly for a rather long time you see and he was my familiar for many years. I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t try to find him and make sure he's ok.”

[Nuriko]

Maybe another time then. It was getting close to dinner time and he was already on a mission to find one specific creature. Perhaps, once he’d exhausted every avenue and accepted the fact that he’d missed out on Bird’s final years, he could return here and meet a new companion. He took the steps two at a time, and had just reached the landing when a colourful blur swooped down over his head.

"Gateway you looby!" Nuri launched a walnut at the bird, who turned and caught it in his claws, cackling wildly. A wave of her wand and the buckets clanged to the floor, rats scrabbling and trying to push past the barrier magic keeping them from escape. Though she had a few parrots like Gateway, she mainly had owls and other predator birds. She turned to her guest, swiping her long green hair behind one ear, the other side of her head was shaven bald. "Nuriko. What can I do ya fer?" She stuck out her free hand, tucking away her wand with the other.

“Excuse me ma’am,” he said respectfully. “I know this is a long shot but I’m looking for a rather particular raven. I’ve been away unexpectedly for a rather long time you see and he was my familiar for many years. I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t try to find him and make sure he's ok.”

Nuri waved her wand at the smallest bucket, levitating a last scrap of meat. "I've only got one at the moment, I was just feeding him... Shit! I left the run open!" she dashed off, sliding around the corner to be presented with an empty run. Suddenly a screeching noise broke through the general clatter of the aviary, accompanied by loud caws. Gateway streaked by, walnut firmly clutched in his claws as he was pursued by the raven.

[Emory Williams]

"I've only got one at the moment, I was just feeding him... Shit! I left the run open!"

Emory couldn’t help the chuckle at her exclamation. “Can I help?” he asked but before she could answer there was a loud screech followed by several familiar sounding caws. His ears perked up. He tried to reason with himself that it could be any old raven but then the parrot flew past him followed by…

“BIRD!” Emory shouted. He’d recognize that feathered head anywhere! And if he needed any more confirmation, there was an angry caw as the large raven, distracted by an almost forgotten voice, flew straight into the wall. “Ha!” Emory said with a laugh, “you haven’t changed a bit have you old boy?”

The bird in question straightened himself up with an undignified caw and hopped over to the Druid, eyes gleaming with intelligence. Emory reached out to straighten an askew feather and leapt back with a shout as he received a sharp peck for his efforts.

“Oi!” he said, glaring balefully at his old companion. “I didn’t leave you on purpose! Don’t be mad at me!” The raven narrowed his eyes and turned away with a quick hop, trying to find his colourful nemesis.

Remembering that he was in fact, in the middle of a pet shop with an audience, Emory turned to Nuriko with a wry grin. “Guess I deserved that. I have been gone for seventeen years. How long has he been leeching off you then?” he asked. He’d give Bird a little time to settle down before trying again to mend the broken bridge between them.

[Nuriko]

"I've only got one at the moment, I was just feeding him... Shit! I left the run open!"

Emory couldn’t help the chuckle at her exclamation. “Can I help?”

Nuri growled in exasperation as she saw the open and empty run. "its just that Gateway just loves to torment this raven in particular..." Suddenly they were divebombed by the squabbling birds, Gateway suddenly disengaging and winging up and to the other side as he caught sight of Nuri's raised wand, barely dodging her caging spell.

“Guess I deserved that. I have been gone for seventeen years. How long has he been leeching off you then?” he asked. He’d give Bird a little time to settle down before trying again to mend the broken bridge between them.

Nuri counted back the years, lips moving as she marked them on her fingers.  "14 years? It must have been soon after I opened.. and no one has wanted to buy him." She motioned over her head in general, not seeing where the parrot was at the moment. "Same for Gateway. Although people did buy him, but they always returned him." And now she didn't accept sales on him at all.

[Emory Williams]

Nuri counted back the years, lips moving as she marked them on her fingers. "14 years? It must have been soon after I opened.. and no one has wanted to buy him." She motioned over her head in general, not seeing where the parrot was at the moment. "Same for Gateway. Although people did buy him, but they always returned him." And now she didn't accept sales on him at all.


Emory snorted in amusement. "If you were feeding him then I doubt he wanted to be anywhere else!" he said, grinning, even as doubt tugged at the edges of his mind. Bird had been his familiar for several years, but nothing close to fourteen. Maybe he wouldn't want Emory back after all. Nuriko seemed to be doing an excellent job looking after him and he had the company of other birds here.

What could Emory offer compared to that? He didn't even have a job yet, though the Herbology Professor position had opened up unexpectedly and he was already making inquiries.  He sighed, glancing around for the bird as if hoping Bird would swoop down and forgive him, take him back and they could ride off into the sunset together. But both birds were hiding somewhere.

"Do you need help with anything while I wait to be forgiven? And if that does happen, I'll of course find a way to reimburse the costs of his care. It's not your fault I disappeared for seventeen years and left you with his fat arse."

[Nuriko]

Emory snorted in amusement. "If you were feeding him then I doubt he wanted to be anywhere else!"

She grinned in responde. "He's great! A real character. I've got customers coming in just to see him, he loves doing tricks. Did you teach him?"


"Do you need help with anything while I wait to be forgiven? And if that does happen, I'll of course find a way to reimburse the costs of his care. It's not your fault I disappeared for seventeen years and left you with his fat arse."

She shut the run and 'picked up' the remaining buckets, levitating in a neat row. The two miscreants would be back at some point. There really wasnt anywhere to go, she'd closed the owl door for the night already.
"Sure!" a bucket moved out of line, now followimg Emory. "Gotta give the raptors their mice'n rats, and i have one last cage of parakeets to feed." the barrier kept the mice in, but would allow a human hand to reach in and grab one. She waved her hand at his offer of money.

"That would be quite the bill! No worries laddybuck. Unless you want to work for me? I really need another clerk. Really I need two. O'course you'd be paid."

She dumped a small bag of seeds into a little feeder, fingers carressing the small birds that flocked for their dinner before she refilled their water bottles.

[Emory Williams]

"He's great! A real character. I've got customers coming in just to see him, he loves doing tricks. Did you teach him?"

Emory snorted in amusement. "Nope, he picked up those all by himself. He's clever until he forgets about glass. I'm still unsure how he hasn't given himself permanent concussion!" The Druid chortled. "Do you need help with anything while I wait to be forgiven? And if that does happen, I'll of course find a way to reimburse the costs of his care. It's not your fault I disappeared for seventeen years and left you with his fat arse."

"Sure!" the cheerful shopkeeper replied. "Gotta give the raptors their mice'n rats, and i have one last cage of parakeets to feed." She waved her hand at his offer of money and Emory let out a quiet sigh of relief. He'd felt obligated to offer though had no idea where he would have gotten the money from.

"That would be quite the bill! No worries laddybuck. Unless you want to work for me? I really need another clerk. Really I need two. O'course you'd be paid."

"Oh, I mean I'm looking to teach at Hogwarts when term starts again, but I can perhaps help out until then? Would part time be ok though? I have a few other things I need to take care of. Returning from the dead leaves a lot of paperwork and loose ends apparently... " 

He followed Nuri around, helping out where necessary when he suddenly felt a heavy weight settle on his shoulder and he glanced up with a delighted grin. "Bird, you mangy rascal. Does this mean I'm forgiven then?" He reached up to pet the Raven and was rewarded with a sharp peck. "Sorry, treats, of course," Emory said quickly, reaching into his pocket where he'd stashed some treats that he remembered Bird loving. He hoped 17 years hadn't changed the bird's taste buds too much. He needn't have worried, they were gobbled down in seconds and a happy caw in his ear almost deafened him. But things were finally getting back on track. The team was together again. And Nuri had offered him a job which would help a little financially. The rest would fall back into place.

"I'm staying nearby, and I'm away for the rest of the week, but I can come by Sunday to discuss how I can help out?"