Disclaimer: Please don't make me say it one hundred and one times... Oh, fine. Harry Potter and all copyrights are not mine. Capeesh?
Prompt: Matchmaking
Word Count: 644
"Honorable ancestors, please help Mulan impress the matchmaker today."
– Fa Zhou
When Hermione had returned to find her flatmate on all fours on the living room floor, trying to coax an unwilling Crookshanks to come out from under the couch, she supposed that she probably should have helped. Crookshanks was her pet, after all. It was just that Charlie's well toned posterior was angled way too perfectly relative to her location that she decided to enjoy the view instead.
"Alright. We can do this the easy way or we can do this the hard way, but one way or the other, I'll definitely–" Charlie's threats are cut short when Crookshanks decides to retreat further back from his reach.
'And he calls himself a dragon keeper,' Hermione thinks to herself in amusement.
"I'm giving you from the count of three, you rascal," warns a now ticked-off Charlie, who had been chasing the cat for a good fifteen minutes before it dove under the couch. "One," He says, holding up an index finger. "Two... Get out from under there!" Charlie shouts at the uncooperative cat when it became apparent that it wasn't going to move any time soon. The redhead inserts an arm under the couch to try and drag it out when he suddenly jerks back; Crookshanks had taken a swipe at him.
"Fifty foot fire-breathing reptiles, I can handle no problem... Merlin help me if the guys back at the reservation see me now..." Charlie grumbles to himself as he checks his arm for any scratches. Satisfied that there's no damage, he risks his arm for a second time but like earlier, it was only met by Crookshanks' claws. He lets out an annoyed puff of air.
The redhead gets up, his back still facing Hermione, before he crosses his arms in annoyance. "Now see here, you bloody demented cat. I promised 'Mione–" A hiss escapes from under the couch at the mention of Hermione's nickname. "–oh, don't you start with me. I know you bloody well have noticed that I fancy your owner–" Hermione's jaw drops open as the dragon keeper continues his rant, "–and you're probably jealous and all but can't you just be happy over the fact that she gets to cuddle and hug you everyday? If anything, I should be the one jealous of you!" He points an accusing finger at the couch, even though it was way out of Crookshanks' sight. "So listen to me, and listen good; get out from under the sodding couch so I can give you the bath that I promised her I'd give you!" Charlie finishes with a loud yell.
For a few seconds, only a light shuffling from under the couch is heard, but eventually a nose emerges, followed by a head, a body, then finally, a tail. Once completely out, Crookshanks shakes off some of the dust it had accumulated on its fur before lifting a paw and licking it. Crookshanks looks up at Charlie innocently.
"Quite an infuriating little bugger, aren't you?" But while it was only a rhetorical question on Charlie's part, Crookshanks makes an affirmative meow.
"Bleeding cat," Charlie mutters darkly before bending down to pick him up. To his frustration, Crookshanks suddenly darts forward and escapes through the space in between his legs.
"Don't make me use a summoning char–", Charlie says as he sharply turns around only to abruptly stop when he finally sees Hermione.
Charlie feels his body tense up. "How– How long have you been standing there?" He asks, his face slowly turning red.
"You like me." She states. It wasn't a question and Charlie feels his face burn.
"I–" But he doesn't get to finish what he was going to say because Hermione strides forward and hungrily presses her lips to Charlie's.
Neither of them would notice Crookshanks proudly stroll to the kitchen, his bushy tail wagging merrily behind him for a job well done.
Author's Notes:
Well... they had always said Crookshanks was very clever. *laughs* Thoughts?