Author Notes: Hello everyone and Happy Easter if you celebrate this day :) This isn't an Easter themed story, but an idea my daughter came up with, mixing my love for Snarry and her dislike for the same. This is the result... and still a work in progress.

Appreciation: My thanks goes to Schattengestalt, talented Snarry writer and good friend, whose wonderful story Furry Matchmaker was the basis for my daughter's inspiration.

Summary: Severus Snape's two familiars have a mind of their own. The good news is, they both want him to find love. The bad news is, they don't agree on whom he should love. Pre-Snarry. Hopefully.

Warnings: Two OCs, some OOCness, some fluff and a general disregard for the more serious incidents in canon.

Rating: 'T'

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the brainchild of JK Rowlings.

- Chapter Start -

"Severus belongs with him!" The gray kitten with velvety soft fur insisted, glaring at her friend.

"No, he doesn't!" The caramel coloured kitten with orange stripes glared right back.

"They belong together!"

"No, they don't!"

"Yes, they do!"

"No, they-"

"Ladies?"

Both felines immediately turned their heads towards the owner of that deep, rich voice. Slitted pupils expanded, narrowed eyes rounded and snarling mouths softened to emit innocent little mewls.

"What were you two going on about this time, hmm?" Severus asked. He crouched down and stroked their small heads with gentle fingertips, smiling as they rubbed against his hands, enjoying the attention.

"Don't try to distract me," he told them. "Today is bath day and you know it."

Both kittens looked up at once, Velvet with a reproachful expression and Caramel with one of glee.

Severus chuckled before a thoughtful look entered his eyes. Since his potions lab was sparkling clean and his store cupboard sorted for the week, perhaps a different sort of detention could be issued next?

Of course, it all depended on which student that would be since it would take place here, inside his personal quarters. All above board, but that didn't mean he wanted any Tom, Dick or -

Harry.

Severus exhaled as a familiar face with bright green eyes under an unruly mop of black hair came to his mind's eye. Scowling, he stood up. Caramel and Velvet might enjoy Potter's company, but that wasn't something Severus wanted to encourage.

It was too risky.

- o -

It was almost time for the last class of the day - Double Potions for fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins.

Harry sighed, dragging his feet as he, Ron and Hermione made their way to the dungeons. He had always dreaded Potions, but this year it was for an entirely different reason. During his first night back, he had discovered something about himself that suddenly made Potions both his most and least looked forward to class.

His crush on Professor Severus Snape.

His unexpected, unexplainable and completely idiotic crush on the teacher who hated him the most. Apart from the gender issue, the notable age gap and the whole teacher-student thing, he was also unsure about the why.

Snape wasn't easy on the eyes by any stretch of the imagination and had always treated him abominably besides. Harry supposed it had to be because of that one brief glimpse of the man a month ago, lasting no longer than half a minute and – oh God, just admitting it to himself was enough to turn Harry's cheeks scarlet.

"C'mon mate, you don't want to be late for Potions!" Ron's urgent voice broke through Harry's reverie and made him hasten his footsteps.

As luck would have it, Snape appeared to be in a foul mood when he swept into the classroom two minutes later, his robes billowing behind him. A quick flick of his wand caused a list of ingredients to appear on the board and then he stopped behind his desk and spun around, pinning the entire class with his piercing gaze.

"Anyone," he uttered in a sibilant whisper that was heard in the furthest corners of the now silent room, "who does not pay sufficient attention when brewing today's Draught of Peace shall suffer both point loss and detention."

His eyes narrowed on Neville who squeaked before cutting to Ron who swallowed hard before ending at Harry who just blinked at him.

"Begin."

- o -

Snape might as well have asked Malfoy outright to botch his potion, Harry thought resentfully at the end of the lesson. The blond Slytherin, never one to let up on both opportunity and a short tempered Potions Master, had just tossed something into Harry's cauldron, causing the pale lilac liquid to curdle and turn an immediate rusty orange.

Harry glared at him before looking around, his heart sinking further when he spied various shades of pale coloured liquid in the other cauldrons. Even Neville's lemon yellow solution was nearer to their colour than his was.

"Well, well, well. Mr. Potter."

Harry swung back and found Snape looming over him with his botched potion between them, those thin lips twisted in a sneer. He almost took a step back, his heart giving a lurch at the man's sudden proximity.

"It looks like you will be the one helping me tonight." Despite his vindictive tone, Snape looked somewhat... resigned.

- o -

After a dinner of chicken and mushroom pie which he only picked at, Harry waved off a worried Ron and Hermione and made his way back to the dungeons. He found the door he had been given directions to after two wrong turns and ignored the raised eyebrows of the very old wizard in the portrait guarding it.

Taking a deep, fortifying breath, he knocked on the door, one part of him wondering what sort of detention had to take place in Snape's personal quarters while the other tried to decide if he was more nervous or excited by the fact. When the door opened without a sound, extending a silent invitation for him to enter, he took another breath and stepped inside.

Two high pitched meows from the direction of the floor pulled his gaze downward and then he smiled, his nervousness momentarily forgotten.

"Hello, Velvet, Caramel," he said softly and knelt down. The two kittens immediately climbed into his lap, mewling as if they were all alone in a cruel, uncaring world, left to fend for themselves.

Harry chuckled as he ran his fingers through their soft fur, ignoring the fact that he would have a few cat hairs clinging to his school robes after this. Snape's kittens were standoffish creatures, looking at everyone with arrogant eyes and disdaining clutching fingers, grabby hands and girlish squeals. Only their master was allowed to touch them... and the schoolboy fussing over them right now.

Flashback to the first night of term a month ago...

Harry and Ron ducked out the main entrance after the Welcoming Feast. Ron insisted he had dropped his dragonhide gloves while on the carriage ride to the castle. The gloves were quite worn through, having protected Bill and then Charlie's hands for years, but the memory of the Howler Molly Weasley sent in their second year convinced Harry and Ron it was worth the risk of being caught outside to look for them.

Luck was on their side; a few minutes' search and a quick Accio found the errant gloves lying on the ground, looking like they had been badly trampled on. They were about to turn back when a soft cry for help had them walking another twenty feet where they found a small gray kitten lying on the ground with a caramel kitten fussing around her.

Harry dropped to his knees beside them and softened the glow of his lit wand. The two kittens looked warily up at him and Ron, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Hello," Harry said softly, "are you hurt?"

The gray kitten blinked up at him and then very slowly held out a paw, giving a soft meow of affirmation.

After taking a quick look at the bleeding paw, Harry scooped both kittens into his arms and stood up, ignoring their startled protests and Ron's "Mate, what are you doing? Whose kittens are they?"

Harry didn't know, but he was sure Hagrid would be more than willing to help and was still in the Great Hall. That was good otherwise going all the way to his hut would almost certainly end in both him and Ron being caught out of doors.

Unfortunately, a different member of staff greeted them at the open doors of the castle, booted feet apart and arms crossed over his chest, a triumphant look on his dour face. Harry felt his full stomach fall to his feet.

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. Wanting to lose points for your House a bit earlier this year?"

The mocking voice froze Harry and Ron to the spot, the former berating himself for following Ron and the latter thinking of the Howler that would surely arrive tomorrow. Before they could say anything, there was a shrill meow from Harry's arms and the caramel kitten leapt at Snape.

"What - Caramel, where have you been? Where's Velvet?"

A second meow sounded from Harry's arms. He instinctively held the gray kitten out to Snape who took it from him with unexpected gentleness, cool fingers brushing over Harry's own.

For the next half minute or so, Snape examined the tiny paw the kitten held out in the light of a soft Lumos, seemingly oblivious to his astonished audience. Ron's blue eyes were bugging out at the sight of the intimidating Potions Master with one kitten in an arm and the other draped over his shoulder. Harry's green eyes were equally wide at the sight of a Snape he had never seen before, those thin fingers holding the kitten with utmost gentleness, the cruel mouth uttering soft, reassuring noises.

Then Snape looked up and his face morphed back into his cold, expressionless mask.

"Where did you find them?"

"Ouutside, on the grounds."

"And what were you doing outside when you should already be in Gryffindor Tower?"

"I had dropped my dragonhide gloves, sir," Ron answered.

Black eyes flicked down to the old gloves clutched in Ron's fist and the thin lips twisted in derision.

"Those, Mr. Weasley? Are you sure you did not mistake them for Filch's cleaning rags?"

When Ron turned red, Harry quickly cut in. "I'm sorry, sir. We'll go now."

"I have not dismissed you, Mr. Potter. You were caught breaking a rule that was put in place to safeguard the students. I wonder what Professor McGonagall will say when she finds out that her precious Seeker has already lost points on his first night back?"

Harry felt his face turn red as well and gritted his teeth to avoid saying something he knew he would regret. This was the Snape he knew, not the look alike fussing over an injured kitten.

"Ten points from Gryffindor," Snape announced, "and deten-"

"But we found your kittens!" Harry protested, his full stomach squirming and falling to the ground again at the thought of telling his fellow Gryffindors that he had lost points they hadn't even earned yet.

"That does not excuse you from going outside," Snape hissed, "and you did not go out to find them."

"But-"

"Meow!"

Snape's eyebrows went up and he looked down at the gray kitten. She seemed to be glaring up at him and so was the caramel coloured kitten on his shoulder.

"Shush. They were outside," he told them.

"Meowr!"

"And it is after curfew."

"Meowrr!" Velvet sounded adamant as she waved her injured paw in his face, Caramel meowing her agreement from his shoulder.

Snape glared at them and they glared right back. He sighed.

"Do not make me regret this," he said and looked up. The sight of Harry and Ron staring at him with eyes wide and mouths opened made him scowl.

"Go."

Harry and Ron gaped at him and traded disbelieving glances. Then they took a step to the side.

"Me-eooow?"

Snape's lips twisted again, this time looking as if he had just sucked on something sour.

"And ten points to Gryffindor for finding my kittens," he gritted out before his voice rose to a near shout. "Now, go!"

Harry and Ron fled, not needing to be told twice.

End of flashback...

"Mr. Potter."

Harry's head jerked up at once, startled green eyes first latching onto polished boots before going up long legs encased in black trousers leading up to narrow hips and a snowy white shirt. He gulped upon encountering those black eyes; Snape seemed so much taller when viewed from a crouched position on the floor.

"What are you waiting for? Bring them to the bathroom."

"Yes, sir." Harry stood up and looked around him, but the two kittens had vanished. "Uhm..."

A teasing little meow from the direction of the sofa had him turning to see Caramel's head peeping out from under it. It was followed by another meow coming from the direction of an open door where Velvet's head could be seen.

"I will get Caramel," Snape said in a long suffering voice. "You get Velvet. Accio Caramel."

A startled yowl was followed by Caramel zooming out from under the sofa and landing in Snape's hand, her little stomach resting squarely on his palm. She looked up at him with a grumpy pout, four tiny paws and a tail dangling in midair.

Harry's lips twitched despite himself. He dived across the room causing Velvet to utter a squeak before disappearing.

Too late, Severus realised his mistake.

"Potter, wait! That's my bedroom!"

- Chapter End -

A/N: Thank you for reading! Worth continuing? Let me know :)