Disclaimer – everything belongs to J.K Rowling except for the plot and my OC, who is mine, all mine! Ahem…
Chapter 1 - Peace and Quiet
Minerva McGonagall's day had been a hectic one as usual. She was up to it of course and she enjoyed her job tremendously. She couldn't think of doing anything else. However she still treasured these moments at the end of the day, if she had finished her work, when she could get away from it all and take a walk in the fresh night air. She climbed up the spiral staircase to the small tower which housed her living quarters. It spread out over three floors with a study at the base, a living room up the stairs and at the top, her bedroom and bathroom. The two upper floors had wonderful views with one window overlooking the grounds and the Whomping Willow and the other looking out over the rooftops of Hogwarts. She didn't consider the later a worse view as some people might, instead she quite liked being able to watch over the castle and see its many turrets and roofs.
She opened the window leading directly out onto the roof, spilling the cosy light of her living room onto the dark slate. She breathed in the fresh night air. It held the wonderful smell of the rain which had been showering all day. Now however it was dry and crisp and cool. She breathed deeply and then transformed effortlessly into a cat with spectacle markings around her eyes. She lept up onto the small table, put there for this very purpose, and then onto the window sill. With a feline sureness and grace, she slipped put onto the roof. She looked back at her window and then smiled as only a cat can as she walked out into the night. She couldn't help feeling a sense of freedom being up here. It was like the exhilaration that comes from doing something forbidden. Not that anyone would probably mind her moonlit walks, it was just that no one would ever suspect that this was how she spent her time, and she was content to keep it that way. Beneath her the students of Hogwarts slept, oblivious.
Her paws made no sound on the slate tiles and she found herself taking her favourite route to the edge of the tower where she sat, perched on a balcony and looked out over the glassy stillness of the lake. Ripples were sent to the edges as a great tentacle unfurled out of the water and then slipped below the surface once more. The sounds of the owls and the trees were magnified by her cat's ears so that she could hear far more than usual and her eyes ensured that she had no trouble seeing in the darkness. Her long tail swept rhythmically from side to side as she stared at the bright reflection of the crescent moon in the water.
Suddenly she sniffed the air. She could smell something different. Minerva strained to try and figure out what as she enjoyed testing out her feline senses. A dark shape jumped from the window sill above her onto the balcony and she lept up in surprise, her fur bristling and her ears flat against her head. The dark shape reviled itself to be a sleek cat as it came into the light. It looked at her curiously. She forced herself to relax and settle down. She was rather glad that no one could have seen her. 'Get a hold of yourself Minerva!' She thought. 'Imagine, frightened by someone's pet!' She sat and took in the new arrival; a handsome Tom cat, dark grey with black flecks along his back and black stripes on his tail. His coy green eyes watched her watching him. He cocked his head to one side, flicking his tail. She stood up haughtily. It seemed that she would have to find somewhere else to sit now that this Tom had interrupted her peace. She made to turn away. He grinned. Wait that couldn't be right, cats don't grin she reminded herself. Oh they do show amusement in their own way and they certainly bare their teeth, but they do not, she decided, grin. Despite this fact, the animal continued to grin at her. 'Half cat half crocodile,' Minerva thought to herself. She decided to call it a night and set off across the rooftops back to her quarters. As she went, she couldn't help glancing back every so often. Much to her chagrin, he continued to watch her until she was out of sight.
The next few nights all ended up the same way. She would be taking a pleasant stroll when all of a sudden; the Tom cat would show up and follow her. She tried going somewhere different every night, but still he managed to find her. By Friday she was very irritated. She stopped and turned to face him. He sat down about a metre away and cocked his head to one side as usual.
"Choow!" She spat, struggling to speak with the differently shaped mouth. "I don' know wak you wan', but stop folaawing meee!" She coughed and worked her jaw. "Now choo! Shoo! Go on!" He stayed where he was, looking extremely amused and not frightened as she had expected. She rolled her eyes. "Too much to ashk really," she muttered. However as she turned and walked away he did not follow her and she felt that she was finally getting through to him.
The next few nights were spent peacefully alone although she did wonder where the cat had gone. She kept expecting to see him around every corner and was surprised when she didn't. Although he had been annoying, he had also been interesting. The sky was somewhat dull tonight and she found herself rather bored. 'I'm being silly! No need to be so contrary, the cauldron is always brighter as they say…' However as she sat on the balcony where they had first met a grey furred head peaked around the corner. She found herself actually quite pleased to see him. "Oh it's you again. Well I suppose you can stay, just this once mind," She teased smiling.
"Thank you I'm flattered," He answered her. She jumped again, her fur on end and she stared at him, gaping slightly. "What's the matter?" he chuckled, "Cat got your tongue?"
"You! You're an animagus!" She shrieked with disbelief.
"Top marks to the Transfiguration professor!" He replied with a smirk.
"You!" She suddenly remembered the way she had tried to shoo him the other day and if it weren't for the fur, she would have been turning quite pink. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Oh I feel such a fool!"
"Oh I'm sorry Minerva! Forgive me my bit of fun! I didn't mean to embarrass you at all," he apologized and gave what, even as a cat, was a winning smile. Minerva was extremely frustrated. Frustrated with him for letting her make a fool of herself and for trying to charm her with that winning smile and frustrated with herself because he was succeeding.
"Who are you?" The voice was hard to determine through a cat's mouth but she was sure that she had heard it before. She had already mentally ticked any of the students off the list as he had called her by her first name. He chuckled at her question.
"Oh I'll let you work that one out on your own I think. To see how long it takes you," He explained and winked.
"Now come on, that's hardly fair!" McGonagall exclaimed. He just smiled, his eyes twinkling in a way which reminded her very much of Albus Dumbledore. "Fine, if you must be so secretive! There are not that many animagi in Britain and certainly not in the employ of Hogwarts. I shall soon find out your identity and then I will have a few words to say to you in the staff room I'm sure!" She said triumphantly.
"We shall see." His tail flicked from side to side.
"And what should I call you till then? Tom Cat?" She laughed.
"Tom will do!" he said cheerfully. "Goodnight!" He then sprang onto the roof below and sauntered off, grinning back for a moment before he disappeared around the edge of the tower. Minerva smiled. She liked a challenge.