Author's Note: For Alys, who suggested Voldy get a cat.

Also written for…

Weird Prompt Strikes Back!

Weak Spot

Tom had never regretted getting a roommate. Sure, there had been a few issues in the beginning. Hagrid wasn't the neatest person in the world, and he had an annoying habit of bringing home any stray pets he ran into on the way home – and more than a few times, pick up whatever was in the window of the Magical Menagerie.

Rules had been put in place early on: pick up your laundry; don't leave your dishes in the sink; eight pets are enough.

Three owls, one blood hound, one three-headed dog, one tortoise, one hippogriff, and a giant snake later, Tom was confident that he wouldn't have to come home to any more furry little surprises.

Then his birthday came along.

:-:

"I told you, I don't want a gift," Tom said as he finished washing the breakfast dishes. Hagrid was hopeless when it came to washing, and cooking, and anything else that didn't involve taking care of the pets.

"But I already got you one. Here!" Hagrid ran from the kitchen only to return moments later with a small pink box. "Open it."

Tom grimaced, afraid of what he might find inside. The last gift Hagrid had gotten him had accidentally blinded him for three days. He lifted the lid slowly, bracing himself, only to find a small ball of grey fluff inside. He thought for a moment Hagrid had made a mistake and wrapped up a pile of dust, but then the fluff was moving and suddenly a tiny face was peeking up at him.

"It's a … cat?"

Hagrid nodded enthusiastically. "Do you like 'im?"

"Well…"

Meow.

Tom scowled at the kitten, trying to balance the box as it attempted to climb out, it's tiny paws flailing as they tried to grip the edge. With his free hand, he reached inside and pulled the thing out, placing it down on the floor.

It meowed again, taking a few tentative steps away from the men and sniffing at the floor. It was alarmingly small, Tom thought as he watched it. It couldn't have been bigger than a small child's foot, and most of its length came from the long swishing tail.

"Do you like 'im?" Hagrid repeated.

"I thought I told you no more pets."

"Yeh did, but I know how much yeh like cats."

"I do not." Meow. "I want this gone by-" Meow.

Tom glared at the thing. It was staring at him with piercing blue eyes and he could feel his resolve crumbling by the second. "Alright, fine. It can stay."

Hagrid chuckled, picking the kitten up and perching it on his shoulder. "I thought we could call 'im Fluffy."

"You can't call him Fluffy. You already have a Fluffy."

The cat meowed in agreement and Tom smiled, already liking his new pet. He cupped it in his hands and it nuzzled at him, purring loudly. In the light of the window, its grey coat shone like silver.

"Silver," he said thoughtfully, cocking his head as he watched the tail jerk back and forth along his fingers. "His name will be Sterling."

Hagrid grinned, running a head along Sterling's back. "Does this mean I can get that fwooper I was telling yeh about?"

"Absolutely not."