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The Magical Menagerie has always fascinated Yangyang since the first time he had happened upon it. He remembers being barely eleven years old and staring in fascination from the other side of the shop window at the odd creature rolling around in its enclosure, fur constantly changing color and growing longer or shorter each second. That time he'd left the shop with a regular brown owl named Lewis, his faithful companion throughout his years at Hogwarts, after two hours spent choosing among an impressive variety of birds of all sizes. He had only entered the shop once more, during his sixth year, dragged there by his girlfriend at the time. She'd been meaning to find a nice cat for herself, and she'd loudly requested Yangyang's presence to “check their compatibility”. All the available cats had ended up hissing at them, and she had blamed it on Yangyang's unusual hair, as she used to put it, but he had doubted cats were the kind of animal to care about peach pink undercuts. She had broken up with him not long after, citing natal chart differences as the main reason, but Yangyang hadn't been particularly upset. Something about her had never clicked right anyway, the same way it had never clicked right for any of his past girlfriends.
He's twenty-three now and he's a reserve Seeker for the national team, he has just inherited a huge country house that belonged to his great aunt, and he wants a pet. He's also pretty sure he's gay, but that has nothing to do with wanting a pet or playing Quidditch. Well, it was a few Quidditch players that helped him figure out why girls don’t click for him, but anyway… He has a new home full of empty rooms and he wants a furry friend to help him feel less alone.
He's slightly nervous about the process, because he's never owned anything less self-sufficient than an owl. Lewis could catch his own food, didn't need to be taken on walks, and spent most of his time perched on trees in Yangyang's yard. He has a vague idea of what he wants from what his friends have told him about their pets, but his plan mainly revolves around asking the Magical Menagerie employees for help. He's not too worried about sounding clueless, after all it is their job to assist customers.
His resolve lasts about five seconds after he’s entered the shop, because the wizard at the desk looks cute but also incredibly menacing. He's looking at Yangyang expectedly, one eyebrow raised, like he's taking way too long to take the few steps that separate the entrance door and the counter. His hair is two toned, a warm brown on top with bleached strands framing his slender face. He huffs, tapping his fingers on the metal of the cash register, and Yangyang snaps out of his starstruck daze to cough awkwardly. Asking for advice now sounds like the worst thing he could do. He needs to look confident and decisive, like a real grown up.
"I'd like to adopt a Crup,” he says, barely registering the meaning of his words. A Crup is a safe choice, isn't it? Both Dejun and Kun have one and they spoke highly of them. Yangyang is sure his life would improve drastically if he owned a cute little Crup. Or an old and lazy one, he doesn't care as long as it's fluffy and affectionate. Yangyang obviously has some standards.
"Boring,” the clerk says with an eye roll.
Yangyang freezes. He must have heard that wrong. No way someone who works at such a well renowned and popular shop would talk to him like that. Yes, it's 7 am on a Monday and the shop is empty other than the two of them, but it's not Yangyang's fault if that's within store opening times and he's too busy with his own job to visit at any other time.
"Sorry, did you just say 'boring'?" He asks, because surely there must have been a misunderstanding.
“Yup.”
Well then. No misunderstanding, the boy is just very straightforward. Yangyang is unsure on how to proceed, doubts and worries starting to break down his confident facade. He shakes his head and tries not to let the boy’s attitude get to his head.
“Uhm, okay, anyway, as I said I'd like to adopt one. I heard you guys give out licenses too, right?” He did go in without a plan, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t prepared at all. He knows Crups have a forked tail, and that makes them a danger to the Statute of Wizarding Secrecy and therefore they require a license. He’s not too sure about the kind of test he needs to pass to get one, but if he was able to catch the Snitch in his last game against Thailand (the game had lasted about 36 hours and had been played inside the densest bank of fog Yangyang had ever witnessed) he can definitely do this too.
“If you really want one,” the clerk, Renjun according to his shiny golden name tag, replies lazily. Yangyang is starting to get annoyed, but he would never be rude to a store employee. Who knows what the guy has been through to already be this bitter on a Monday morning. His weekend must have been hell. But still, he shouldn’t talk like this to customers if he doesn’t want to risk getting fired.
“... Yeah, I would. Aren't you supposed to be trying to sell me stuff?”
“Not really. I get paid either way,” Renjun tells him with a shrug.
Yangyang, who gets paid even when his team loses, is in disbelief. Does he really want a pet so bad that he’s willing to put up with such a guy? If he doesn’t put an end to this interaction soon, he’ll end up losing all his motivation and he’ll have to go back home empty handed.
“So, can I get one?” he asks, hoping to get a straight answer from the clerk.
“If you're so sure.”
Is Yangyang so sure? He’s truly starting to doubt it. And why is this guy being so difficult anyway? He doesn’t look annoyed or pissed at Yangyang, but his eyes are glinting like he knows something that Yangyang doesn’t and it’s seriously terrifying.
“Why do you sound so ominous?” he wonders out loud.
“My tone is perfectly neutral. If you think it's ominous maybe it's because deep down you're scared of the responsibility of owning your first pet and you're not ready yet.”
“No! I mean, yeah it's my first pet and I am a bit nervous, but I've read up a lot about it!” He knows he’s too defensive, but it’s not cool for a stranger to be that correct about Yangyang’s inner conflicts. It’s spooky. What if he’s a Legilimens and he’s been listening to Yangyang’s thoughts this entire time? That would be illegal and also seriously unprofessional.
“Does your house have at least 6 rooms and/or a large yard?” Renjun, the unprofessional clerk, asks him suddenly.
“Yes to both, wh-”
“How many people are currently living with you?”
“It's just me.” The impressed eyebrow raise Renjun gives him ignites a little spark of pride in Yangyang. To be fair, it was just a matter of inheritance, he didn’t actually buy the house, but the other wizard doesn’t need to know.
“What's your job?” he asks Yangyang, scribbling a note on a piece of parchment floating in mid air next to him.
“Quidditch. I, uh... Passed the selection for the national team Seeker,” he stammers embarrassedly. He used to just say Quidditch, but people tended to assume he was a ball boy so he had to start specifying his role. It’s the first time he’s introduced himself as a national team player, mostly because they’re only letting him on the field for minor championships and practice so he doesn’t feel like he’s one of them yet.
“Of course you’re a jock.”
“Is getting insulted part of the examination for the license?” Yangyang asks with a huff.
“Who said it’s an insult? Jocks are hot,” Renjun replies without missing a beat and rendering Yangyang speechless in one fell swoop. Is this guy for real? Is he flirting now? Has he been flirting the entire time?
“I… Thanks. Can I get a Crup now?”
“Do you live in a Muggle neighborhood?”
“Yes, but my house came with all the standard disillusionment charms. I use my backyard for Quidditch practice so I am used to worrying about Secrecy. A two-tailed dog won’t be a problem,” Yangyang explains, surprising himself with how confident he sounds.
“Okay then, I guess your… occupation does come with similar concerns. You should be fit to become a Crup owner, if that’s really what you’d like.”
Yangyang gives him an exhausted nod and spends the next hour and a half getting acquainted with all the Crups and Cruppies of the Magical Menagerie. He leaves the store with a white and brown girl who won’t stop trying to lick his face. Renjun had actually been helpful when it had come to picking the animal, giving Yangyang insights on each of their personalities and habits. Yangyang just hopes he’ll never have to buy anything from him ever again.
He should have given it more thought. Of course the clerk from the last time was there, alone at the counter. He shouldn't have come at the same time on the same day of the week. Some people have jobs with real shifts, Yangyang. Renjun is there, writing something down on a piece of parchment, and so far he hasn’t spotted Yangyang loitering outside the shop window.
His hair is different this time around, Yangyang notices. It’s an ashy purple now, and the back seems to be cut shorter. It suits him.
The Crup starts barking in her basket, and Yangyang is harshly brought back to reality. Right, he’s there for a reason. He should have come at a different time, but he’s there now and Renjun has looked up from his writing and he’s staring at them and it’s too late to run away. Yangyang swallows hard and steps inside.
“I hate having to do this but-”
“You’re bringing her back,” Renjun interrupts him matter-of-factly. He’s right, of course, that’s exactly what Yangyang is doing, barely two weeks after their first meeting. Excitable and hyperactive Crups don’t pair well with empty houses whose sole inhabitant is gone for the entirety of the day.
“...Yeah. I don’t think Crups are the right pet for me,” Yangyang says, and it feels like he’s admitting defeat.
“I could have told you that, if only you had asked,” Renjun notes, abandoning his spot behind the counter to approach them. He crouches in front of the basket and begins petting Yangyang’s soon-to-be-ex Crup without sparing him a glance. Yangyang would have asked, if Renjun hadn’t sounded so intimidating. He won’t make the same mistake again.
“Oh mighty Renjun, could you please help this clueless jock choose the right pet?” he pleads, trying to sound as pompous and formal as possible.
“It’s not fair that you get to call me by my name because I am forced to wear this,” Renjun says, getting up and pointing to his nametag with a huff, “and I can’t insult you properly.”
“I’m Yangyang,” he replies, the automated response taking him by surprise. He shouldn’t have given out his name so easily. Renjun smirks at him and… Did he just check him out? Yangyang swears he just caught him giving him a once-over. The hot-and-cold treatment is really starting to wear Yangyang down.
“So, National Team Yangyang, what was the issue with the Crup and why are you so set on getting a pet?”
“I’m not home enough to play with her. I guess I need a more independent pet,” Yangyang answers. Renjun might be confusing and a little bit mean, but he hasn’t given Yangyang any reason to doubt his capacity to do his job. He’s ready to trust his judgment almost blindly.
“How do you feel about Horklumps?”
“Hork what ?” Yangyang exclaims, earning a disappointed look from Renjun.
“Horklumps. They’ll love your backyard,” the purple haired wizard replies, and he manages to make it sound like an innuendo even as he leads Yangyang towards a display full of mushroom-looking creatures.
“Are they alive?” Yangyang asks, choosing to ignore whatever Renjun might have been implying to focus on his main task of finding another pet.
“Of course they’re alive, did you ever take a Care of Magical Creatures class while you were in school? Did you even attend school or do they let you sport stars off the hook because you’re hot?”
Yangyang feels himself blushing, both out of frustration and because he’s been called hot again, and he’s so shocked it takes him a few seconds to reply.
“I went to school, I just never really paid attention to that course. Creatures are… not my thing.”
“So why should I entrust you with one of ours, then?”
Yangyang’s skin is itching. The back and forth is fun, but it’s definitely not how a professional business interaction should go. It’s taking him hours to complete a chore he could have gotten done in a few minutes, if it wasn’t for Renjun. He wonders if he’s like this with every customer or if he enjoys teasing Yangyang in particular.
“Because thanks to your precious advice, oh mighty Renjun, I’ll make sure to take the best care of whatever pet you think is the most adequate to my situation.” If you can’t beat them, join them. Yangyang catches the amusement in Renjun’s eyes, and he feels like he has finally figured out how to talk to him.
He ends up walking home with a transparent box filled with Horklumps and two scrolls of parchment filled with advice scribbled in Renjun’s tiny and neat handwriting.
He makes the same mistake. It’s an early Monday morning and he can see Renjun inside the store as he approaches its front door. He’s not surprised this time, but he’s not even that mad at himself for forgetting to pick another time. He has a feeling that Renjun would have found out anyway if he’d come to bring back the Horklumps when he wasn’t working.
He takes a deep breath before opening the door, mentally preparing himself for the incoming assault of thinly veiled insults and general disappointment dusted with a hint of flirting that he’s come to expect after two encounters with Renjun.
He’s greeted by an impressive eye roll and a sigh that immediately makes him want to turn on his heel and leave the store.
“Back so soon?” Renjun asks him before he can move. Yangyang doesn’t reward him with an answer, but that seems to only spur him on. “If you miss me, you don’t need to use these poor creatures as an excuse. You just have to ask,” Renjun actually winks at him this time, and oh, his hair is no longer purple now. It’s black and it makes him look more grown up, more in charge . Yangyang really likes it, but he can’t afford to get distracted by something as trivial as an attractive wizard his age who seems to be intent on provoking him.
“What am I supposed to ask? And they’re not an excuse!”
“You could ask for my shifts, if you want to stop coming here at 7 am on Mondays. Or you could ask when I’m free, that would be even easier. But okay, let’s pretend they’re not an excuse-”
“They aren’t-”
“-and let’s hear why you’re bringing them back. What have my tiny sons done wrong?”
“Your… tiny sons?” Yangyang is perplexed. He gets that it’s a figure of speech, but baby talking Horklumps seems a bit too much even for a guy like Renjun.
“They’re adorable, aren’t they? And so well behaved too!”
“Yeah. Sure,” he nods. He needs to steer the conversation back on track or he won’t make it out alive. “I'm sorry. They're really cool to look at but, you know... They don't really make the house feel less empty than it is. And about this green stuff on them, I tried really hard, I followed all of your advice, it just started appearing on them a few days ago-”
“They're blooming,” Renjun says, a note of fascination in his voice.
“Huh? So it's not mold?” Yangyang asks with relief. He was terrified he was going to get a scolding on top of the standard aggression, but it seems like he might be safe from at least one of the two.
“Of course it's not mold. Although, technically it is. It's spores. They only produce them when they're in a comfortable and safe environment,” Renjun explains calmly.
“It's not bad then?”
“No. It turns out they liked you way more than you liked them.”
“Ouch, now you're making me feel even worse for bringing them back.” The Horklumps must have really liked Yangyang’s yard. He barely did anything to them, trusting Renjun’s first tip to let them settle and pick their favorite spot in the grass. Maybe he should have given them more time to grow on him. “I guess I can try for one more week-”
“No,” Renjun stops him laconically.
“Excuse me?”
“No. You brought them back so you clearly can't appreciate them enough. Give them back.”
Yangyang has to agree and silently passes the box back to Renjun with a sad smile.
“Will you let me try one more creature?” he asks.
“Of course. No customer walks empty handed from the Magical Menagerie unless they really want to. Let’s get you something with a little more personality,” Renjun says, and he sounds surprisingly kind and patient. He must have received some customer training at some point, Yangyang decides. Maybe he’s just willingly choosing not to use it with him most of the time.
As promised, Yangyang doesn’t leave empty handed. He goes home with a multicolored tropical bird that comes with its own license and silencing charms, and a personality twice as loud as Renjun’s.
He goes there on a Monday morning on purpose, this time. He also wears his neatest robes and tries to style his hair a little bit better. It’s not his fault Renjun always looks so nice that it makes him feel shabby and underdressed every time he has to visit the store. He has already prepared a speech too, has rehearsed it in front of the mirror so much that it had decided to stop reflecting back Yangyang’s image in protest.
He enters the store, wondering if Renjun’s hair is still black or if it’s different again, but Renjun is not there. There’s a short witch behind the counter, and she immediately gives him a bright smile the second she spots him.
“How can I be of help to you and your Fwooper, sir?”
“I… Uhm, I’m bringing him back. The silencing charm keeps wearing off, I think my house charms are messing with it. Sorry, is Renjun here?” He feels bad about asking for someone else, but Renjun is already familiar with his case and could definitely assist him better. There’s a spark of realization in the witch’s eyes that Yangyang doesn’t like one bit.
“Oh. You’re that Fwooper guy. Renjun told me you might come by,” she says, keeping a neutral tone while her mouth begins to curl into a mischievous smirk not unlike those of Renjun’s.
“I guess that would be me. Did he say anything else?” Yangyang just has to ask.
“Just that you’d want to try another pet. He recommended a Niffler.”
“A Niffler?”
“They’re cute and affectionate but can be on their own for long periods of time. Convenient, right?” she tells him with a shrug.
“Okay, then. I’ll get a Niffler,” Yangyang concedes. It sounds exactly like the kind of pet he needs.
“Oh, Renjun also told me to let you know he’s not working mornings anymore. As you can see, I’m doing it now,” she says, gesturing to herself. “The evening shift ends at 9 pm,” she adds with a wink.
The Niffler was a mistake. It had immediately escaped Yangyang’s grasp once inside the house, and it had proceeded to steal and hoard every piece of jewelry and cutlery it could find in each room. It had taken Yangyang two weeks to locate its nest and drag it out to lock it in a carrier and bring it back to the store.
It’s not a Monday morning. It’s a Friday evening, and Yangyang has turned down a round of pub hopping with the team to get this done. He doesn’t regret it one bit when he spots Renjun talking animatedly to a customer, hair pink and curly this time.
He walks in and waits patiently for his turn. It’s the first time he has the chance to observe how Renjun acts around other customers, and well . He’s the perfect employee, all smiles and courteous replies. Not a joke, not a rude remark. It should anger Yangyang. It should make him mad that he’s the only one getting that sort of treatment, but he finds that he doesn’t mind one bit.
The second the previous patron is out of the door, Renjun’s demeanor shifts. He slumps forward and rests his forearms on the counter, head lowered. Yangyang is slightly concerned until he hears him speak.
“Yangyang, will you just ask me out instead of torturing these poor creatures?” he asks in fake annoyance.
“I’m not torturing them! This one tortured me , actually. I knew it sounded too good to be true, an affectionate and unobtrusive pet. It’s just a tiny thief, that’s all it is,” Yangyang mumbles. Renjun shakes his head and snorts.
“I see Yeri gave you our most problematic child. She’s even more devious than I am, that one.”
“She did this on purpose? Renjun, it took me three days to find my favorite earring! I thought it had eaten it,” Yangyang complains.
“You could try another Niffler. We have some very well-trained ones-”
“No. No more Nifflers for me. Please,” Yangyang begs, and he must look so pitiful that Renjun only laughs at him for a few seconds.
“A Clabbert, then. They’re pretty cool. They glow in the dark and won’t steal any of your jewelry.”
“Sure.” Yangyang says. At this point he’s resigned himself to the idea of having to try every single creature known to Wizardkind, so he doesn’t really care which one comes first. “Hey, about the whole asking out thing…” he adds in a sudden moment of bravery. “Are you serious about it?”
“Why don’t you ask me directly?” Renjun replies with a cryptic smile.
“Will you go on a date with me?” Yangyang asks him, loud and confident. He’s never asked out someone he’s only met four times, let alone someone he has done nothing but argue with. Well, their conversations aren’t exactly arguing. Yangyang can tell there’s no ill intentions behind it, it’s been obvious since the first day. Renjun was just trying to get under his skin to get a reaction, and he’d been successful every time.
“Let’s see how you deal with the Clabbert first, and then I’ll give you an answer.”
The Clabbert is fine, really. It’s a curious little creature, it catches its own bugs, it’s easy to spot at night and it shows no interest in any of Yangyang’s possessions. It likes sleeping on Yangyang’s nightstand and it’s smart enough to learn Yangyang’s schedule and wait for him near the door in the evenings. There’s absolutely no good reason for Yangyang to bring it back. He still does it anyway, because he misses Renjun and he wants an answer from him. Also, he’s been reading up about Clabberts and apparently they shouldn’t be kept away from forests. Yangyang is starting to feel really bad about forcing it to stay indoors. It’s an ethical issue, this time around.
The store is empty when he enters, and Renjun is turned away from the door, rearranging boxes with his wand. He turns around as he hears the door, and Yangyang gets the chance to take a good look at his expression as it goes from neutral to barely contained glee to fake annoyance.
“It’s you again,” he says at the end of his transformation.
“I brought-”
“Yes.” Renjun interrupts him, as he always does. Yangyang has no clue what he’s talking about.
“Yes what?” he asks.
“Yes, I’ll go on a date with you. Now tell me what’s wrong with that perfectly fine Clabbert.”
“Oh. Neat. Not the Clabbert, the date thing,” Yangyang stutters. Renjun gives him a trademark eye roll, but Yangyang thinks there’s a trace of fondness in it. He’s smiling too. “I just felt bad about keeping a forest-dwelling creature in my home.”
“You read up on them?”
“Yeah,” Yangyang says, slightly proud of himself.
“Impressive. I didn’t know jocks could read.”
“Why am I going on a date with you, again?” he asks, feigning hurt.
“I don’t know. You asked me, remember?” Renjun replies, and they’re both smiling at each other so big that it’s starting to hurt Yangyang’s cheeks.
“So, which pet are you suggesting this time?”
“A Kneazle. They’re basically cats but magical. I should have suggested it sooner but…”
“But?”
“Well, we don’t have any,” Renjun explains. “Or we do. Have one. It’s just that he comes with an owner.”
“Are you trying to sell me someone else’s pet?” Yangyang asks, confusion showing on his face. This has to be their weirdest interaction so far.
“Shut up for a second, will you? What I’m trying to say is that I have a kneazle.”
The gears in Yangyang’s brain come to a halt and slowly begin turning again. He feels like his brain has been reset. “He’s a very good boy, his name is Lion. The two of us need a new place to stay, and I happen to know you have a big pet-friendly house with rooms you don’t need,” Renjun continues.
“First you make me ask you on a date then you want to move in with me?” Yangyang teases him. He knows he’ll end up saying yes, but he’s excited at the idea of paying Renjun with his own coin for once and making him sweat it a bit.
“I was just wondering if you were looking for a housemate, that’s all. Don’t let it get to your head.”
“I was only looking for a pet, but since you don’t seem to be willing to part from your Kneazle-”
“I’m not.”
“-then I’ll make an exception. Your shift ends in ten minutes, right?”
Renjun nods and Yangyang can tell he doesn’t know what to expect. Having the upper hand for once feels good.
“Then let’s go on that date. Let’s see if we get along well enough not to murder each other after one day.”
They get along so well that Renjun ends up spending the night at his soon-to-be new place, and he’s moving in within a week. Lion the Kneazle is the perfect pet, and Renjun is the perfect roommate. They’re both clean and tidy, and they make the house feel a lot warmer and fuller with their presence. At some point Renjun becomes the perfect boyfriend too, after a few months of casual dating. Sometimes Yangyang has to leave the city for longer periods of time, and Quidditch season is so busy he’s only home to sleep, but he couldn’t be happier. Opening the front door, sweaty training robes sticking to his skin and limbs sore, to find his family waiting for him with a smile and a teasing remark, makes each day worth it.