Dog and Cat People

A/N: So here's another drabble for you, though this one's a bit short. I hope people are still aboard the Charlie/Hermione train! The ship will never sail!

He's at it again, she sighed to herself, peeking from behind her curtains across the motorway. Doesn't he know that the more he feeds it, it'll keep coming back looking for food? Honestly!

Hermione tried to restrain herself, to cloud her mind with how much cleaning she had planned to get done by sundown, yet her hands and feet acted upon a mind of their own, for she found herself marching towards her front door and walking outside, a canvas of grey painted above her.

Asphalt meeting shoe, she carried forward, entering into her neighbor's yard before knocking upon the door. Waiting several moments paired together with some shuffling, it opened as Charlie Weasley's curious face greeted her.

"Yes?"

"I've noticed that you've been feeding the dog again," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing, except the fact that I've asked you to stop."

"And who says I have to take orders from you," he questioned, leaning against his doorframe. She noticed he was wearing a blue hoodie, grey sweatpants, and black socks.

"The dog upsets my cat," Hermione relayed, balling her hands into fists.

"So?" he shrugged. He looked completely unperturbed over the situation.

She glared over at him. "So that means you have to stop feeding him."

"Listen, there isn't any law that says I can't feed a stray," he returned, his eyes gazing fondly down at the sandy-colored Corgi on his front porch, its face hidden as it dug into the food bowl Charlie set out for him. "Besides, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised by your actions. I did always hear that cat people are pretty heartless, just like the felines that control them."

"Excuse you, but cats do not control people," she tossed back. "It's dog people that are just as brainless as their own canines!"

"Listen, are you just going to stand out there all day and complain?"

"Until you remove the food off your front porch, yes," she told him.

"Good to know," he stepped back and slammed the door in her face.

Hermione stood dumbfounded for several seconds, feeling her mouth hanging agape, before she bristled with an electric current of anger and thumped loudly against his door.

"No one's home," came Charlie's voice from inside.

"Oh fine, fine, if you want to act like a little child, I guess you won't mind that I get rid of this dog's food dish!" Hermione bent down and stole the bowl away from the Corgi. It began to whine as if in distress. She stopped for a moment, looking back at the dog, then inwardly said, The dog's too fat anyway. I'm doing it a favor.

She got halfway across the street before she heard Charlie's door open behind her. Hermione turned and waited for him to reach her.

"What d'you think you're doing?" His face was a mask of a building temper.

"Taking control of the situation," she shrugged. "I asked you to remove this bowl from your front door," she continued, holding up the object in point for him to observe, "and when you didn't, I found it easier to just do it myself."

"Don't you know it's a crime to steal? That's my property!"

"Yes, but the dog isn't."

"Adam needs to eat," he said with a forced calm.

"Adam? Who is that," she tossed back, feeling lines race across her forehead in puzzlement.

"Adam," he repeated, "the dog, to you."

"You actually named him? What on earth were you thinking?"

"You said you have a cat, right?"

"So?"

"What's the cat's name," he questioned.

"That's completely different," she responded hotly. "My cat belongs to me! This dog, Adam," she said with distaste, "isn't yours!"

By now, the Corgi had padded over to the pair, sitting to the side of Charlie. Its eyes were fixated on the food bowl Hermione held out of its reach, whimpering.

"Why are you being so difficult?! It's just a dog!"

"I already told you the dog upsets my cat!"

"And that's supposed to be my problem? Let your damned thing out in the backyard then!"

"I'll have you know that since I own my cat, I can let him out wherever I please."

"So what're you going to do? Let Adam starve to death?"

Hermione gazed over and saw that while Charlie's face was turning a ripe red, his sapphire blue eyes swam under a pleading nature. The Corgi whined once more.

Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a car horn suddenly blared at them. The sound alerted them that they were standing in the middle of the road, effectively blocking any vehicle that wanted to pass. Charlie grabbed her arm and dragged her off to the side.

"Come on," he nearly begged, "all I'm giving him is some food. No harm, no foul."

She let out a heavy sigh before thrusting the bowl back into his hands. Adam jumped up on Charlie's legs impatiently.

"After today, I don't want see him again," she pointed at the dog.

Without waiting for a reply, she retreated back across the way and into her home, locking the door behind her. Parting the curtains a bit, she saw Charlie lead Adam back onto his front porch where he placed his food dish down, letting the dog resume his meal. He patted it once on the head before stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jacket. He chanced a look over at Hermione's place before he shook his head and went inside.