CatScratch

My first fic, so don't verbally castrate no, I do not own these characters, that's why I here and not living up in London town. XD. Cheers.

The sun was just setting at Hogwarts. Students looked for any reason to stay outside on the lovely fall evening, planning on ignoring curfew for as long as they could. The end of the war had lifted the grip that fear held over the enchanted school and everyone was glad to finally welcome some normalcy back into their lives. Even the teachers were reluctant to call in the care-free students. But as the sun dipped lower in the sky, everyone was called back into their respective rooms.

One witch however, per usual had already beaten her fellow classmates to the punch and was already at her ease reclining. She had to admit, the accommodations in her lovers rooms were far better than hers, and she was enjoying lying on a forest green sofa, using the last few rays of the golden sunlight to read a book. Hermione tore her face away from her book and sighed deeply, thinking for some reason that everything, including the rays of the sun, was so much lovelier now. She supposed that was because without the threat of war looming over them at every second, people could open themselves up to see things in a better light. She smiled softly and her dark russet eyes fell to the small gray tabby, circled up in sleepy content on her chest. Yes indeed, the end of the war had changed many things. Including the way a certain green eyed professor hid her feeling for her curly haired star pupil.

Hermione lightly traced the dark markings on Minerva's head, carefully not to wake her sleeping lover. Minerva purred and snuggled closer into Hermione's chest, contented to stay that way for at least a while. Hermione was happy to oblige her and decided that a quick late afternoon catnap would be lovely. She smiled at the irony of that statement and closed her eyes and began to drift off.

On the other side of the castle however, one animal was not in a contented state of sleepy bliss. The Weasely's family barn owl was desperately trying to find his way to his sleeping chambers. Age had clouded the poor things mind, making it hard to remember where things were and where they were not. An open window on the south most tower seemed like the right spot to fly into. Swooping lower, the tired and ancient owl dove head first into a room that was currently occupied by two peacefully content and sleeping witches. He had planned to stop and land quietly on the massive bookcase, but age dulled his vision and he ended up using it as a brake, toppling it over with a loud crash in the process.

Both witches bolted up, Hermione sat upright so suddenly that she startled the already shocked Minerva who instinctively dug her claws deep into Hermione's chest and used that leverage to launch herself up into the air. Hermione hissed in pain as she looked at the cause of the noise. Minerva, now standing her full height immediately whipped out her wand from its place on the inside of her robes, aiming it at the tired and now battered up owl. After a moment, both witches relaxed considerably, even to the point of a light chuckle as Minerva picked up the bird and used her wand to right the books and the self.

Minerva snapped her fingers and with a loud popping noise, a little house elf, with a her Hogwarts towels wrapped around her appeared.

"What is the Misses needed ma'am?" the little elf answered sweetly.

Minerva handed her the limp owl and gave it to the elf, giving her instructions on where to take him. She nodded and was about to disappear when she caught sight of Hermione.

"Little Misses, you is are bleeding yes!" She quipped, pointing a long finger at Hermione's chest, which was indeed, cut up by about six long bloody gashes. Minerva gasped and moved over to examine her young lover and was surprised when Hermione brushed her hands away and stood up quickly.

"Well I do suppose I am, Let me just go and take care of this now." She responded quickly, already on the way to the bathroom adjacent to Minerva's chambers and closing the door firmly behind her. Eyebrows shooting up to her hairline, Minerva dismissed the elf and went to the door. Quietly, she knocked softly.

"Hermione, dear? Are you quite alright?" she mentally beat herself up for inflicting such on her young love.

"I'm fine!" Came the surprisingly high response. "I'll be out in a moment okay?"

Minerva didn't move a muscle, instead choosing to wait for Hermione to come out. She heard some running water and Hermione digging around her small collection of toiletries that she kept in Minerva's bathroom. "Fuck." She heard her quietly whisper to herself. At that Minerva very quietly opened the door and stopped at Hermione's bare back, watching the girl taking something out of a vial and put it into her mouth. Minerva looked around at her feet, Hermione's muggle paraphernalia was strewn about the floor. Minerva had no idea what most of the things were for, after almost brushing her teeth with something Hermione had called 'moose' she stopped poking around in her things. She was under the impression that a moose was a large animal somewhere in the Americas, but Hermione used this bottle for her hair and it tasted quite nasty. She shook her head, not quite fully understanding muggles.

Watching quietly, Minerva saw Hermione take a tube of cream of spread it over her chest, a little tension coming out of her small shoulders. Minerva felt guilt claw at her belly. She most certainly didn't mean to hurt Hermione, instinct had just taken over. Still, she felt bad. Taking a few steps over Minerva placed her cool hands on Hermione's arms, resting her head into her wild mass of curls.

"Oh my dear, I'm so very sorry. It wasn't my intention to do that."

Hermione stopped what she was doing and stepped back into Minerva, twining her arm behind her lovers head and turning her head enough to press a kiss against her hairline.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, just a few scratches, I've had plenty worse in my life." She felt Minerva's arms tighten around her arms and bury her face deeper into her hair.

"Do you need anything?" came the reply, muffled by the massive quantity of hair."A cup of tea would be lovely if you'd be so kind, love" Hermione answered anxious to get Minerva out of the room before she saw what Hermione was using cream to hide. "Of course dear." Minerva moved away and pressed a kiss to Hermione's head and walked out of the bathroom. Hermione breathed a quick sigh of relief and started to button her shirt back up, quietly stashing the bottle of Benadryl that she had taken out. She loved Minerva truly, but her allergy to cats wasn't something that she needed her lover to know, especially when she spent a least a few hours of everyday as one.

Sighing, Hermione buttoned her shirt up, hiding the already swelling cuts. It wasn't a bad allergy, and magic did it's part to stop the sniffles and sneezes when she was around cat hair, but the salvia of cats always made her break out into a rash. And because all cats licked and picked their claws clean, the sharp bits of nails were covered with it and a cat scratch into her skin always turned into a swelled up bit of skin that itched like crazy. She only hoped the anti-histamine cream would prevent the itching.

Sighing, Hermione fished her cleaning up and wondered out of the bathroom, Minerva was already sitting down with a worried look on her face, she stood up when she saw Hermione and the nervous expression on her professors face was enough to make Hermione chuckle.

"Relax Min, it's a cat scratch, I'm not going to die." She went over to the couch and pulled her lover down with her, moving their bodies so that she was on Minerva's lap, straddling her. Minerva still looked upset and when her repeated comments of her physical health didn't wipe the look of worry off her face, Hermione bent down and pulled her lips into a kiss. After a heartbeat or two, Minerva responded, softly at first then with more fervor as she got caught up into what her young pupil was doing to her. After a few minutes, Hermione pulled back and closed her eyes contently, damn, she would be happy to stay here and kiss her lover for all time. The woman had the most remarkably wonderful way of…

"Hermione what the hell is that?!?" Came a strangled gasp from underneath her.

Hermione looked down. Damn, in the heat of the moment, she hadn't noticed Minerva carefully undoing the buttons of her blouse. Fuck.

Minerva was holding her shirt open and staring unbelievingly at the swollen red skin on Hermione's chest. Tears filled her dark green eyes as she whispered, "Did I do this to you?" The guilt in her voice nearly tore Hermione apart.

"No, no sweetheart, it was an accident. I know you would never…"

"But I did, didn't I? I clawed you so deep that you're starting to swell up! I can't believe that I did that to you!"

Hermione used her fingers to silence Minerva, who looked at her with tears hanging precariously on her lower lashes.

"No, love no tears. In truth you barely touched me. It's just that…" Hermione sighed, it looked like her secret was about to be spilled. She just hoped Minerva would take it well. Drawing up a breath for courage Hermione finally said it.

"It's just that, I'm allergic to cats."

Silence. Minerva stared at her young love and opened her eyes as wide as they would go. "You're allergic to cats?" Hermione nodded. "Since when?"

"Since forever. I've used magic to stop the hair from bothering me, but cat saliva always made me break out." Hermione could hardly stand to look at Minerva, who's mouth was hanging open in shock. Slowly, she closed it and brought her head closer to Hermione's chest. Slowly and sweetly she pressed her lips to each of the long furrows in Hermione. It was silent for a minute as Minerva made her way from the first to the last wound. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at Hermione. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Because," Hermione began, taking Minerva's face into her hands, deeply gazing into her eyes.

"Because I would never, ever, for one moment of my entire life stop you from being you. All of you." Minerva looked away, but felt her head being pulled back. "Minerva I love you. Just the way you are and I would endure anything if it meant that I got to be with you. Even the very minor discomfort and itching that comes with it." She smiled at this last bit and saw a small smile wind its way up Minerva's face. She lowered down and kissed the eyes clear of any of her tears and pulled back to look at her lovers face. Minerva smiled at her and pulled Hermione's face towards her and answered her with a searing kiss of her own.

After a moment, Minerva raised her eyes to Hermione's and said "Is there anything I can do to make you feel any better?"

Hermione felt a grin slip onto her features and replied with a slow. "Well, the kisses did make me feel a little better." Pouting for effect, Hermione watched the expression on Minerva's face. Her professor slowly and tenderly pushed Hermione back onto the couch and covered her body with her own. Planting a deep kiss on her lovers lips she asked, 'Did that make you feel any better?"And it did, as did the next one, and the next one…

A/N Whoo! First fic. Huzaah! Based on true events. (With my cat, not Minerva. That'd be awesome though right?) Reviews now yes?