Author's Notes: I was not planning on actually posting this story, to be honest with you guys. I was just wondering if some people were up for reading this and if so, if even one person wants to read this, I will continue it for their sake. I'll probably have to repost though.

Even flames are taken in with hugs. Because that means that whoever wrote it was willing to take time out of their life to spend it on me. Thanks.

Milady and the Half-Blood Cat

Chapter One

A whistle flowed throughout the corridors. Upon hearing this, the stealthy cat silently made way up the narrow staircase, taking his precious time.

"Crookshanks," cried a voice just beyond the door that he was heading towards. "Crookshanks, where are you? We have to begin the story. Our guests are already here."

The door was pawed open to reveal the cat named Crookshanks. He entered jauntily and jumped on a lap that was soon revealed to be the caller's.

"Bloody wanker," she huffed. "Do you have no sense of time? You had to keep our audience," she pointed you out, "waiting!"

The feline raised his head to meet her eyes and after a few moments lay back down.

"Fish? Of all the things to keep people waiting for!" She was quite aggravated. In another tone entirely she said, "At least Milady here has some manners."

She leaned in to pet the aristocratic feline on her left. The snake-like eyes flashed upon Crookshanks haughtily. Crookshanks rolled his eyes—or at least, he would be rolling his eyes if it were possible for a cat to do so.

"That's why," she continued talking to Crookshanks, "I decided not to call this story Crookshanks and the Duchess. It's your irresponsibility that's always getting in the way. Besides, the name Duchess doesn't suit you much, does it Milady?" Milady raised her head high. "Thought so."

"Well, we better begin with the story, shouldn't we? Before it gets too late. I'll be your narrator for today, or this week, or however long it takes to finish this story up."

"Where do I begin? Oh, of course! This is a story of two cats and their owners..."

It was the seventh year of Hermione Granger's education at Hogwarts. Crookshanks was lazily swishing his tail to and fro on top of a shelf where the luggage was held. He observed the three occupants of the train compartment with a tinge of indifference.

A male and female were in a heated discussion, and the third was busying himself by unwrapping a chocolate frog.

"I can't believe you're still going on about that!" she cried.

"But it's Kr-"

"Yes Ron, I know who it is."

"You can't tell me he's still interested in you after..." Ron stopped to count with his fingers. "Three years!"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Hermione's voice dropped.

"That he's...oh I don't know, desperate?" Ron replied with distain.

"Arrgg!" Crookshanks' human groaned. "First of all, Ronald Weasley, he's Victor Krum. How in the world could he be desperate! Second, so what if I saw him this summer? I accidentally bumped into him. And third...why am I having this discussion with you anyways? I'll save myself the aggravation of your overly-protective brotherly tactics by sitting in the Head Compartments. Good-bye Harry and farewell Ron!" Hermione exited the compartment.

Crookshanks heaved himself off the shelf and padded to the door. With his best imitation of his human, Crookshanks said, "Ronald Weasley, you are tactless."

Tail in the air, Crookshanks left the building (which really wasn't a building at all).

He followed Hermione's scent to the restrooms and just as she was closing the door, Crookshanks slipped in.

Hermione was leaning against the sink, deep in thought. Crookshanks sat patiently in front of her. Finally, she spoke her mind.

"Why does he always act like that?"

"Well, dear," Crookshanks replied after a few strokes against her leg. "You've got to be blind not to realize that he's liked you all these years."

Hermione bent over to pick him up.

"But, of course, you are female. So I can't blame you for not understanding the working of a man's mind. Especially one so thick-headed." Crookshanks purred into her arms.

His human smiled at these antics.

"That's okay. Who needs boys anyway? I've got you, Crookshanks, my brains, and my books. What else could a girl need?" She smiled a sad smile.

"That's a really sad way to cheer yourself up, Hermio," stated Crookshanks, grinning at the mutilation of Hermione's name. "I could probably do a better job."

He leaped out of her arms and into the toilet, making a gigantic splash.

"Oh, Crookshanks!" shouted Hermione.

Crookshanks waded in the water for a moment, turned around, and stuck his backside in the air, shaking it as he went.

Hermione giggled. "Crookshanks, get out of there silly. That's filthy water!"

Being the good cat he was, Crookshanks hopped out of the bowl and unto the sink. Then he began to shake himself dry.

"Hey, Shanks!" Hermione screeched with delight. He splattered the water onto her face. Hermione glared at her cat. If she didn't know better, she could have sworn that the cat was grinning.

"C'mon you," she told him, exiting.

Upon reaching the Head Compartments, Hermione straightened her posture and pinned a Head Girl badge to her robes.

"Let's see who's Head Boy, shall we?" Hermione murmured.

"We shall."

As Hermione entered, she gasped. She wasn't the only one. Crookshanks stopped frozen.

The occupants looked up in surprise at their intruders.

There was Draco Malfoy, book at hand, sitting comfortably near his gorgeous silver cat, though Hermione paid no heed to the cat. She was too busy staring at the blond-haired, grey-eyed adversary, who was smirking deviously.

"I, I didn't expect...umm, why are you here Malfoy?" questioned Hermione in her state of shock.

Draco arched an eyebrow mockingly. He then placed a bookmark in between the pages of his book and removed his glasses. "That's a funny question Granger. You see, right now we're in a place called the Head Compartment. You know, where the Head Boy and Head Girl usually sit." He said this as if he were talking to a three-year-old.

"But, I'm the Head Girl," Hermione blurted.

"Yes," Draco nodded, urging her to continue.

"But that would make you..."

"Head Boy," Draco completed her unfinished sentence.

"Oh. Right then." Hermione plopped herself on a chair. She blinked quite a few times before conjuring herself up a glass of ice water.

Hermione downed two more.

Meanwhile, Crookshanks was transfixed on the marvelous sight before him. At first, he was surprised at not being the only feline in the room. Taking a second look, he was stunned by her beauty. She (for he knew by scent she was not male) was unlike any feline he'd ever laid eyes on.

She had soft fur that looked as if it was made of pure silver and that begged to be petted. Her green emerald eyes would turn anyone's head. On that fur were stripes taken from a tigress herself. And she carried herself with such an air of aristocracy and grace that she must've been sent from the heavens above.

Crookshanks groomed the top of his head and mustered the courage to talk to her.

"So...did it hurt?"

She turned her head towards him in acknowledgement.

"When an angel like yourself fell from heaven?"

She rolled her eyes and jumped unto the coffee table. "You're an idiot. The only angels that fell from heaven were demons." She glared at him in a sinister way.

Unfazed, Crookshanks replied, "She speaks! And with what a beautiful voce she speaks with." He hopped on the table to be near her.

Hermione took in all her surroundings. The cushions were soft and velvety, there was a coffee table in the center, the window took over the whole wall, and it all would have been very pleasant if it weren't for the twitchy ferret across from her.

"But how did you...I thought Hogwarts didn't accept briberies!" she exclaimed.

Instead of the playful manner he used with her earlier, his facial features hardened.

"I earned the title just at much as you did, Mudblood."

"That was uncalled for Malfoy!"

"Then learn to shut up sometimes, Granger and stop assuming you know everything. Didn't your Muggle of a mother teach you any manners?"

"Keep my heritage out of this Malferret!"

"Or else what? You'll take away house points? Oh, I don't think so. You're not the only one here that's Head—"

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Their argument halted at the sound.

Tap. Tap.

There was nothing out the window. The sound was coming from the compartment door. Hermione, who was nearest to the door, opened it. In flew a paper airplane.

In an attempt to show off, Crookshanks pounced on it, but failed miserably, as it unfolded itself on the coffee table. The female cat just smirked.

Confused, Hermione picked up the paper and read aloud:

To Mr. Draco Malfoy and Miss Hermione Granger,

She looked up to see if Draco was listening. His look of indifference could have rivaled that of her cat's. She continued.

Congratulations on becoming Head Boy and Head Girl.

At this, she tried her hardest not to roll her eyes. Her first impression of the job was not all that appealing.

Your duties will be as followed:

Hermione read off the duties and started the last paragraph.

Please note that you must pass each class with O's with the penalty of losing your position as Head. Both Heads must set a good example of house unity for your peers and youngers. Any hostility shown between Head Boy and Head Girl will result in the removal of your position.

She gasped. Hermione wanted to bang her head on a wall right this second. How idiotic! She couldn't walk around acting the way she did with Malfoy. Her position was at stake!

Draco "hmm"-ed. It seemed as if that sentence was deliberately put in for them.

"Signed the Headmaster and Headmistress," Hermione finished. She was really put out at the end of the letter. So, acting the "mature" part, she said, "You know what this means, right Malfoy?"

"Of course," he replied in a nonchalant way. "Acting polite in front of teachers and students."

"Meaning everyone. Can you handle that?"

Draco looked up as she questioned his abilities. "The question is, can you?" He smirked in such a way that made Hermione's blood boil. It was enough to make her want to rip his head off (all three of them, badge and all).

"Can you please take this seriously, Malfoy!" demanded Hermione.

"Yes Granger."

He pointed to himself. "This is me taking things seriously." He changed the direction of his index finger to indicate Hermione. "And this is you blowing things out of proportion."

Before she could retort back, Draco exclaimed, "And Granger, what the hell is your nezzle doing to my feline?"

Crookshanks was standing with Draco's cat just beneath him. His paw touched the cat's ear affectionately. But she swatted it away fiercely.

"Get your filthy paws off me!" she snarled.

"Ah but mi amor..." Crookshanks had resorted to foreign languages.

The silvery cat hissed and extended her claws to give him a good swat across the nose.

Crookshanks howled with pain.

Both cats were lifted by her respective humans.

"Aw Shanky-poo!" Milady snickered at the use of this nickname. "Are you alright? Did that nasty cat hurt you?" Hermione waved her wand to get rid of the cut on his nose.

"Yeah, that brat," Crookshanks seethed crossly in Hermione's arms.

That "nasty" cat just hissed back from her human's arms.

Draco glared. "Keep that...nezzle or whatever, away from Milady. She's an extremely rare breed that was exported all the way from South America!"

"Oh, of course," Hermione's voice dripped with sarcasm. "No damaging Draco's new toy, right? And Crookshanks is not a nezzle, he's half a kneazle."

"That unkempt ball of fur has a name?" Draco bit back.

Hermione gave him fierce look. "Milady, or whatever her highness' name is, is a raving lunatic of a cat that shouldn't be allowed on campus!"

"Milady is the most well-trained and well-bred cat that your Mudblood eyes will ever see."

Hermione huffed furiously. "You're a prat, you know that?"

"Well, that's too bad for you because you're going to have to deal with this prat all year." Malfoy glowered menacingly and Hermione glared with equal animosity. Their pets were not much different.

"And that will be the end of our first chapter of Milady and the Half-Blood Cat. Oh, dear, I've kept you a bit longer than expected. I knew I should have started earlier." Our narrator frowned at Crookshanks.

"I was hardly in any of it," whined Crookshanks.

"Well that's because it was just the beginning," she explained.

"I cannot believe how prissy you got over a tiny scratch, Crookshanks," laughed Milady.

He placed both paws on top of his nose and stuck his tongue out at her. "You stay away from my nose!" Crookshanks cried as Milady trotted towards him.

"Aw come 'ere Shanky-poo. Shanky-poo poo poo. Lemme see that little button nose of yours," Milady purred playfully.

"No!" yelled Crookshanks, backing up against a wall as she walked near. "And don't call me that!"

"Why not, Shanky-poo? Your human does." She grinned and cornered him.

"You! Stay away from mee—" Crookshanks jumped from the wall and ran. The two cats began a round of chase.

The narrator watched them, amused. "If you haven't guessed already, both me and you have the ability to understand felines. Anyone else wouldn't understand a word of it."

"Lyyyyyllliiiaaan! Time for dinner!" hollered a voice from below.

"Okay, Mum!" Lylian shouted back.

"Well, now you know my name. Thanks to dear ol' Mum." Lylian smiled unhappily. "I really wanted to remain anonymous. And I'd invite you to dinner, I really would, but there's just so many of you that—"

"Lylian, are you talking to yourself again?" shouted her mother.

Lylian's face burned red. "NO MUM!"

She smiled back at her guest. "Sorry for the interruption. But, you guys have to go. My mum would kill me if—"

"Who's in the room with you?" yelled the voice again.

"NO ONE, MUM!"

"Then get down here for supper, young lady!"

"OKAY!" Lylian rolled her eyes, mumbling, "That woman..." Just as she was about to exit, Lylian spotted Milady and Crookshanks. "You two, let's go."

They stopped their game of tag and left, reluctantly.

Lylian's eyes' met with yours. Her voice dropped considerably. "Oh, and would you be a dear and review? It's that blue button on the bottom left of your screen. Yeah, that's it, just a click away. Well...see you later!" With that she departed, leaving you to ponder to do with that alluring little button.