The Cat Came Back
Disclaimer: None of these characters are mine, as they all belong to JKR.
Hermione trotted up the stairs to her room, finally ready to turn in for the night. It had been quite an exhausting day, and she was looking forward to reading the latest book her parents had sent her before falling asleep. Opening her door, she felt something slip past her and into her room.
Looking down, she saw that a cat she didn't recognize had slipped into her room. It was a sleek cat, with neatly groomed white fur that gave the impression it was never out of place. Hermione closed her front door, then walked over to the cat. "Hello," she said, bending down to pat its head. "I haven't seen you here before. Have you lost your owner?"
The cat sniffed at her rather haughtily and stood up. It strode towards her bed with an air of superiority that only a cat could have. It leapt up onto her bed. Hermione watched amusedly as it circled around on her bed before finding a place suitable for it to lie down on. "That's my bed, not yours," she told the cat. "If you like though, I'll help you find your owner. I am sure she's worried about you."
The cat just stared straight at her, its silver eyes unblinking, as though saying that she should stop being stupid. Hermione frowned. There was something about the cat that was very familiar…and then it hit her. Hermione couldn't believe it took her this long to put two and two together.
"Neat trick," she finally said. "Really I should congratulate you. But Draco, I'm not going to let you spend the night in my room." She grinned. "I'm not that sort of witch."
That earned her another look from the cat, one that didn't need any translating. Clearly, Draco was saying that after all the work he did to get into her room without triggering that damned alarm, he wasn't going to be leaving so easily.
Her boyfriend had taken it rather poorly after she had told him that he wouldn't be able to visit her in her private room in Gryffindor Tower. Both she and the Head Boy, Terry Boot, had been warned that absolutely no visitors of the opposite sex would be allowed in their rooms. Evidently twenty-odd years ago, a Head Boy had abused the privilege of having a private room and used it to entertain many female guests. Ever since then, the private rooms given to the head students had been warded to sound an alarm should a student of the opposite sex be present in the room. Hermione supposed she was lucky that the rooms hadn't been taken away all together. Her boyfriend had vowed that he wasn't a Slytherin for nothing and that he would find some way past those wards. Hermione hadn't bothered arguing with him, thinking that there was no way he would be able to pull that off. Draco was smart enough to realize why she hadn't bothered to disagree with him, and that had only further fueled his determination to get into her room.
Hermione sighed and sat down next to her boyfriend. "Somehow, I'm not surprised your animagus form is a cat. Clearly, you have the same confidence as one. I suppose I shouldn't ask if you've registered or not." Draco glared at her. "Of course, you haven't. What's the point of secretly becoming an animagus if you're just going to register with the authorities afterwards. But honestly! While I am impressed that you figured out how to get in, I hardly doubt you can change back without the alarm going off. I want to be able to cuddle with my boyfriend, not a cat, so there's no point in you staying here." That only earned her another glare.
"That's enough already." Hermione was beginning to lose her patience. "Yes, you're more clever than I thought. I really should have given you more credit. It's late now, and I want to go to bed." Draco didn't budge from his spot on her bed.
"No," Hermione said firmly. "You are not spending the night. I couldn't sleep with you here—no, not like that, you prat!" She didn't know how, but Draco had actually managed to wink at her. "What I meant was that I'd be too worried about rolling over and crushing you in my sleep. So no. I'm sorry, but no." Hermione stood up and picked up Draco. He really was too adorable, and she couldn't help but give him a peck on his small nose.
"It's time for you to get back to your own bed," she said, starting to walk towards her door. Draco had other ideas, however. He squirmed in her grasp, until she couldn't hold on to him any longer. She dropped him, and he gracefully landed on all four feet. Not sparing her a backward glance, he made his way back to his bed. Once there, he turned around and looked at her as if challenging her to do her worst.
"Fine," Hermione said crossing her arms. "You may stay. On one condition though." Draco grinned smugly at her, waiting for her to name her single condition. Without a doubt, he thought that it wouldn't be anything he couldn't handle.
"You may stay," said Hermione again, "so long as you convince him that it's all right for you to do so." Hermione pointed towards a spot on top of her bookshelf.
Draco turned around to look in at what she was pointing at, and Hermione swore that he gulped. Crookshanks had been watching them the entire time, his hair gradually coming to stand at end. Once Draco actually looked at him, Crookshanks decided there was no reason to waste any more time.
"Rawwrrr!" he growled as he leapt towards the interfering white cat on Hermione's bed. Draco's instincts, honed by years of dodging bludgers, helped him evade the large orange cat's attack with no time to spare. He leapt off the bed, and on to the night stand, then on to the floor. Crookshanks chased him, knocking Hermione's books to the floor in the process. As her cat chased her boyfriend around the room, Hermione hurried over to her door and opened it. Draco had to leave now, before the two of them made a mess of her room.
"This way," she called. Draco stopped, somehow pirouetted around, and ran towards the door, dodging her cat every step of the way. Hermione bit back a laugh. The situation really was too funny. As Draco raced out the door, with Crookshanks hot on his heels, she couldn't help but say, "See you tomorrow morning, love."
Draco glared as the Gryffindor portrait hole once again. He stopped once he saw that it was a gaggle of third years instead of his ungrateful girlfriend. He sighed, as he leaned back against the wall once more.
Sometimes Hermione really didn't appreciate all he did just to be with her. She never mentioned anything about how thankful she was that he stood up to his parents to be with her. Not that his parents really could do much to him. After all, given that he was an only child, they couldn't very well disinherit him. They had switched sides during the war in order for the Malfoy line to survive. They weren't going to negate that effort by disowning the only Malfoy heir. His father had, however, sent him a twenty inch scroll on why Draco should reconsider his decision to date the Muggle-born witch. Draco had read it partly out of respect for his father but mainly because it was hilarious. He sometimes still pulled it out when he needed a good laugh.
Hermione's inability to appreciate him taking so much time and research into figuring out how to get into her room was different matter altogether. After all his hard work, he expected her to congratulate him. Sure, he couldn't change back, but at least, he had made it in. He doubted the wonder twins would have been able to find a way to bypass the wards on her room, even if they had worked together. But no, Draco got no gratitude from Hermione. Instead she just laughed as that rangy fur ball she called a cat did its best to unman her boyfriend. That should have made it on to his father's list. Reason #119—That Gryffindor bint will only laugh when her cat tries to unman you. Draco snorted. Not that it was going to make him change his mind about dating her, but at least that one was true. Unlike #37, which was just absurd.
Hearing the portrait hole creak open once more, Draco jumped to attention and focused his glare at the person coming out. That was the first thing he wanted Hermione to see this morning, so she would know how upset he was about the whole situation. He had been waiting here for the better part of an hour, and she had yet to make an appearance.
This time though, she finally came out. She took one glance at Draco and gasped. She promptly ran over to his side. Now of course, the silly bint would apologize. Draco felt it was well worth the wait.
"Oh Draco," she said. Her fingers traced the scratch marks that covered the right side of his face, before she leaned in to give him a quick good morning kiss. "How could you? How could you let Crookshanks hurt you?"
"Let him?" he half-yelled. "Hermione, that cat of yours is a monster!"
"I could have told you that," sniffed Potter, having followed Hermione out of the portrait hole.
Weasley narrowed his eyes at Draco, then looked away. "Although, Harry," Weasley said, acting as though Draco wasn't there, "Crookshanks is a phenomenally good judge of character. It's no wonder why he doesn't like the ferret."
If looks could kill, both Pothead and the Weasel would be dead. Of course, then Draco would be dead as well, since Hermione had a killer glare that rivaled only his own. He rolled his eyes and took Hermione's hand into his own.
"Let's go," he told her. She nodded her assent, and they started off towards the Great Hall for breakfast. Thankfully, this week they were sitting at the Slytherin table. After last night, Draco didn't think he'd be able to make it through breakfast without strangling one of his beloved's friends.
If she thought though that he had given up on infiltrating her room, she had another thing coming. There was no way a Malfoy would lose to a cat.
Once again, Draco sat outside his girlfriend's room, patiently waiting for her to come up and let him in. He grinned smugly to himself as he waited for her. This time her damned cat wouldn't be able to chase him out. And then there would be nothing else for her to do but invite him to spend the night.
"Oh, it's you again," said Hermione when she saw him. Draco just glared at her. Was that the best greeting she could come up with for him? "I thought that you had learned your lesson," she continued. She opened the door. "Well, come on then. I'm beginning to wonder why you weren't sorted into Gryffindor. Certainly if you're willing to try again, you're either brave enough or foolish enough to belong here."
Draco simply ignored her comments and strolled into her room as though he owned it. He jumped on her bed and took his place on her pillow. What she didn't know couldn't hurt him, and what she didn't know was that he had locked her cat in a broom closet before visiting her this evening. And spelled it close as an extra precaution. It was a stroke of brilliance. As her cat had no hands, there was no way Crookshanks would find his way out of the closet until Draco let him out.
The swaying of the bed alerted Draco to the fact that Hermione had sat down beside him. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Hermione asked. "Crookshanks is bound to be back any moment now, and I'm not going to lock him out. He always sleeps in my room. Oh, don't look at me like that. He sleeps in his own bed, over there by my closet." Draco glanced over by her closet, and sure enough, on the floor was a basket with some sort of pillow in it. He closed his eyes and purred contentedly. Somehow that made him feel better.
Just then a scratch sounded at the window.
"Last chance, dear," said Hermione, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'll let you out now if you want." Hermione walked over and stood by the window, waiting for some sign from him that he wanted out. Draco just sniffed. It must be a late night owl or something at the window. There was no way that cat could have found his way out.
"Have it your way then," said Hermione. She opened the window.
Immediately, a snarling orange ball of fur and claws raged into the room. Instinct took over, and Draco scampered away from the mad cat from hell. There was no time to figure out how the cat had been able to escape—Draco needed to make good on his own escape. He sped towards the door, hoping that Hermione would open it in time.
She didn't.
Draco was going too fast to stop, and he slammed head first into the heavy oak door. Great. Now his nose was broken on top of everything else. The growling behind him hadn't stopped though, so he cut back, trying to make it to the window. He wasn't sure how far the drop would be, but an uncertain death had to be better than a certain death. As he approached the window, he gathered himself and bounded into the air.
"Are you crazy?" Hermione shouted and shut the window. Desperate to avoid another painful collision, he twisted himself in the air, somehow changing his flight path so he had a softer landing.
On Hermione, of course, since she was the only soft thing around. Fortunately, he had remembered not to leave his claws out. Something told him that she wouldn't appreciate that.
"Oof," grunted Hermione as he landed squarely on her chest. "What have you been eating? You must weigh a ton. Stop that this instant, Crookshanks!" she said stridently to the orange tom who had now reached them. "He was just leaving anyway." Holding him by the scruff of his neck, Hermione marched to her door and unceremoniously threw him out. "Trust me, Draco, it's better this way. Who knows what would have happened if you jumped out that window. I doubt you would have survived."
Draco crossed his arms, as he waited for his girlfriend to make her appearance so they could go down to breakfast together. He touched the end of his nose and lightly pressed down. He grimaced. It wasn't broken but it hurt like hell.
Part of him still couldn't believe the events of last night. For starters, how did that mangy cat manage to get out of the broom closet? He had made sure to lock it with a spell, so that should have been impossible. Also, how could his girlfriend just toss him out like that? Draco supposed it was better to be tossed out than being unmanned by her pet monster or defenestrating his own self.
The portrait hole opened, revealing Hermione's smiling face. "Good morning," she chirped at him, standing up on her toes to give him a kiss. "Does it hurt much?" she asked, tapping his nose.
He winced. "It's not broken, but yes, that hurts."
"I guess I shan't do that again." She took his hand, when who should come out of Gryffindor Tower but two of Draco's least favorite people in the entire world.
"Oy Hermione," said Weasley. "It looks like you owe us one."
"Oh?" said Hermione. "And what makes you say that?"
"Because we found your cat last night, locked in a closet. He would've still been stuck in there if we hadn't let him out," Potter explained.
Hermione shot a sideways glance at Draco. He kept his face impassive. He knew he wasn't fooling her, but he had to keep up appearances.
"Is that so?" she finally replied.
"Yes," said Weasley. "So have you finished your Charms homework? Can I take a look? Because I haven't started it and…"
"Of course, that doesn't explain what you were doing out so late at night, especially if you had homework to do," Hermione interrupted him. "Let's go, Draco. It looks like these two will be doing their homework, instead of eating breakfast. I'll check it over once you're done."
Draco knew there was a reason why he loved this witch. No one could put those two in their place like she could. Sighing happily, he walked away with her, leaving her friends gaping after them. Life was good. Sure, his nose still ached, but now that he knew what had happened, he wouldn't make the same mistake.
"Well, go on then," said Hermione as she held open the door. She shook her head as Draco entered her bedroom and took his place on her bed. "I guess you never are going to learn, are you?"
Draco simply sighed, happy that he had finally beaten that damn cat. He lazily watched as Hermione got into bed beside him. She reached over him and picked up the book lying on her nightstand, opening it to where she had left off the night before. She began to read, her hand absently scratching Draco's ears.
Life was good. This was exactly the reason why Draco had spent so much time and effort learning how to change into a cat. As a cat, he could visit Hermione whenever he liked. It was too bad he couldn't change back into his usual self so they could cuddle, but that was the next thing Draco was going to research. With a little bit of luck, this time he would be able to convince Hermione to join him. The work would go much faster with her help.
There was a knock on the door. "Hermione, are you there?" Draco recognized the voice as the female Weasley.
"Yes, Ginny. Just give me a second. I'll be right there." Hermione set down her book next to Draco. She opened the door to reveal the Weasley girl holding the evil cat of doom.
Crookshanks promptly leapt out of Ginny's arms, determined to catch Draco this time. As Draco dashed around Hermione's room, trying to stay out of the orange monster's reach, the two witches stood there talking.
"I didn't realize you have a new pet," the Weasley girl said.
"I don't. As you can see, Crookshanks doesn't like him very much," Hermione replied. Draco rolled his eyes at that statement, as he narrowly avoided Crookshanks' claws.
"Trying to win understatement of the year again, are you?"
"I don't want to be accused of exaggerating. By the way, Gin, where did you find Crookshanks?"
"In the dungeons, if you believe it. I was visiting…well, that is to say, I just happened to be around and…"
"Just say you were visiting Theo and get on with it," Hermione said. That would have given Draco pause if he wasn't busy running for his life. He didn't know Nott was seeing the Weasley girl.
"Well, yes. I guess I should have expected not to be able to pull one over on you. Anyway, Theo said he had found him in his dorm room. Crabbe and Goyle had him stunned, you see, and were just watching him. Thankfully Theo came in before they could think up something dastardly to do to him."
"Yes, I'll have to thank him tomorrow at breakfast." Hermione spared a glance over at the ruckus currently being caused in her room. "Ahem. The door's this way," she said to Draco. "Shouldn't you be going home now? Before someone loses her temper and hexes you."
He didn't have to be told twice.
Draco half-expected Hermione to slap him when she saw him the next morning, given the mood she was in last night. However, his witch was full of surprises, and she simply placed a soft kiss on his lips.
"You're lucky I love you so much," she told him.
"I know I am," he responded. He took her hand in his, as they started to walk to go to breakfast. "But what brings that up this morning?"
"You should know," she said, tossing her hair. "I spent half the night awake, thinking how I should get back at you for leaving my poor cat in the clutches of Crabbe and Goyle. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized you had only done it so you could spend more time with me. So I couldn't very well punish you for that." She sighed. "So like I said, you're lucky I love you so much."
"I know, dear, I know."
"You better not do anything like that again, Draco. If you do, I can't promise what…"
"Don't worry, Hermione," he said wearily. "Trust me. I won't leave your cat in the hands of those incompetent fools ever again."
She laughed. "It's adorable when you pout. Very cute, I assure you." She only laughed harder when he huffed in disagreement. "Very, very cute. Kitty Draco is cute too. It's too bad Crookshanks doesn't want me to have another feline companion in my room."
Draco smirked. His wonderful girlfriend had just given him a brilliant idea.
Not bothering to slow down, Draco whirled around the corner in cat form. He could not let himself get caught. Not when he was so close to getting what he wanted. Scurrying down the corridor, he searched frantically for his target.
At last he spotted Hermione's favorite orange hellion. Skidding to a stop right next to his nemesis who looked on in surprise, Draco congratulated himself on successfully executing this plan. Surely Filch's cat would now start chasing after Crookshanks instead of him. The two of them were practically made for each other.
Draco really hoped they didn't wind up having kittens.
Mrs. Norris paused in her pursuit to look at the other cat who had just showed up. She tilted her head, comparing the two of them. There was Crookshanks, who on his good days looked like the long-lost lovechild of Snape and Moody who was recovering from a decade-long bender. Then there was Draco, who on his bad days pretty much looked like the exact opposite.
It really wasn't much of a choice. Mrs. Norris did what any other female would do.
She continued her pursuit of Draco.
Draco sneezed as he waited for his girlfriend outside Gryffindor Tower. Last night had been horrid. He had to jump in the bloody lake to get away from Filch's psychotic cat. And he had to stay there for almost two hours, since she just stayed by the lake and howled for him to come out. Now his entire head ached, his nose was stuffed, and he was certain that he had caught a cold.
"Good morning, Draco," Hermione said as she exited from the portrait hole. Draco sneezed in response. Frowning, she asked, "Are you all right?"
"Yes," he said, "I think I just have a bit of a cold."
She paced over to him and laid a hand upon his forehead. "You're a little warm, but I don't think you have a fever," she said.
"I still feel bloody miserable," he told her. He leaned forward, expecting his good morning kiss.
"I'm not going to kiss you when you're sick," she said. She stepped back as he reached for her hand. "No holding hands either. I wouldn't want to catch your cold. Come on then."
As Draco trailed behind her, he realized that his father may have been right about reason #37—Gryffindor witches are colder than the arctic frost. Trust me, my son, you would be better off with a Hufflepuff.
"I'm surprised to see you here," Hermione noted as Draco marched into her room and hopped on to her bed. "Shouldn't you be in your own bed, trying to get better?"
Draco put his head down on her pillow. His head ached. His nose was sore. It had still been smarting from when he had ran into her door and having to blow it constantly today only made it worse. He honestly expected not to make it through the night, not that his cold Gryffindor girlfriend would care. He didn't care what that cat did to him tonight. If this was going to be his last night on earth, he was going to damn well spend it in Hermione's bed. He tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable.
No sooner had Draco found a comfortable spot when there was a scratch at the window.
"You should probably get out now," said Hermione. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Draco ignored her.
"Come on, Draco. I don't think you're in any sort of condition to be dealing with my cat."
He put his paws over his ears. Maybe she would get the hint that he didn't care.
Hermione opened the window. Crookshanks stalked into the room, his fur all fluffed up. He vaulted on to Hermione's bed and glowered at Draco.
Draco closed his eyes, prepared for the worst.
A huge paw batted forcefully at his head. Draco saw stars as he slid helplessly off the bed. Though dizzy, he landed on his feet. The orange menace launched himself at Draco and he knew that this was the end.
"Crookshanks! Take one more step and I'm giving you back!" Hermione strode towards them. Draco figured he must be hallucinating. Hermione defending him against her killer cat? It couldn't be.
But it was. Hermione stood over her cat, hands resting on her hips. "Bed. Now!" she ordered, snapping her fingers at Crookshanks. Crookshanks obeyed, retreating to his bed and resigning himself to glaring at Draco.
"Are you all right?" Hermione asked as she gently picked up her boyfriend's form and placed him back on her bed. Draco simply twitched in pain. He could work with this. If making her feel sorry for him was what it took to stay here…well he guessed he was going to have to stoop to that level. He mewed softly, hoping to tug at her heartstrings.
Hermione frowned. "Are you trying to pull one over on me?" she asked. "I wouldn't put that past you."
Draco chose that moment to sneeze. He wasn't acting…much.
"Fine then," said Hermione. "You may stay on one condition."
He waited to hear what her one condition would be this time.
"If you're going to be spending the nights here, we will eat at the Gryffindor table for the next month." She furrowed her brow as she thought about what she said. "The next two months if you get me sick. I don't think it's likely when you're in that form, but just in case."
Draco slowly nodded his aching head. He would willingly endure breakfast with the Gryffindors if it meant he could spend his nights with his girlfriend. Even if it was only as a cat. He drifted off to sleep, only waking when Hermione finally put down her book and turned off her light. He snuggled closer to her, happy to finally have got what he had wanted.
Suddenly, an arm crashed against his middle, knocking the breath out of him. Glancing to his side, he saw that Hermione had spread both her arms out, with her left one accidentally landing on him. He wormed his way out from under her. When he was in this form, she was very, very heavy.
He breathed a sigh of relief once he broke free. His celebration was short-lived, however, when she turned over, reached for him, and crushed him against her chest. Draco was sure his eyes were going to pop out, she was holding him so tight. He tried to wiggle his way out of her embrace, but the more he moved, the harder she held on to him.
Great. He had survived her cat only to be hugged to death by Hermione herself.
From the corner of the room, over by Hermione's closet, a soft snicker sounded.
"Good morning," said Hermione as she saw her boyfriend waiting for her as usual. She frowned at his appearance. "You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."
He shot her a nasty glare. "Like you don't know," he said.
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Should I expect you tonight as well? So I know whether I should leave Crookshanks out."
"No," he huffed. "I think it's better for me not to. It's not the same when I'm stuck in cat form."
"You weren't able to get any sleep last night, I gather. Well, you can't say I didn't tell you so. I told you the first night you tried that I was a grabby sleeper."
"Not in so many words. Besides you'd think that would be a good thing," Draco mumbled.
"Not when you're a cat," was Hermione's rejoinder. "Shall we go? We're sitting with my friends today…and for the rest of the month."
"But..."
"Now, now, Draco. You did agree to that last night. It's not my fault if you no longer wish to take advantage of our bargain. I am certainly willing to let you do so. We're sitting with my friends for the next month." She sneezed. "Make that two." She sneezed again.
Laughing, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. "Fine. At least you can't say anything against me kissing you now." Taking her hand, he led her downstairs, feeling better than he had all week.
A/N: Please review and let me know what you think of this fic. Thanks.