Let Me Be Your Kitten
1. Chapter: Transfiguration
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters! I simply borrow the character from time to time just for fun at the story.
Note: This is a loose translation of an eponymous German fanfic also posted on . I simply loved the story and got the permission to translate it by the author: Mystera II. All reviews are therefore dedicated to her!
Published: 16th September, 2013
An agonizing sound left quietly Harry's throat while he tried to defend himself from the burning pain, which was rippling through his body like waves, his eyes tightly shut. His skin was aching like it was on fire, his bones seemed to twist, his eyes throbbed and his scar was burning with such a searing pain and he thought his head might burst.
Tormented the young wizard curled himself up and tried to breathe steadily while he suppressed another moan. He knew pain pretty well but something like this he had never felt before. It was even worse than every Crucio.
The pain decreased briefly but came back with a brute force and merciless ran over him like a tsunami.
"Argh!"
Blood ran down his sweaty, deathly pale face and dropped down on the white linen as he was overrun by the pain and bit his under lip hard. He didn't even notice it as the other pain was massive. Nothing existed for him except the pain which seemed to eat him.
He didn't notice Madame Pomfrey as she came into the room, and screamed upon seeing, the tablet with the healing potions she carried crashing to the floor. He didn't notice that she had called a house elf to get Dumbledore and Snape neither, nor that she hurried to him and unsuccessfully tried to drench him a pain reliever.
The arrival of both professors went by unnoticed. He could only sense the pain.
All of a sudden the pain decreased.
With the help from Snape and Dumbledore Poppy had finally succeeded to administer a strong pain numbing potion which Severus had brought with him.
Sighing silently Harry relaxed as the pain decreased to a lever he could manage. He felt a heavy fatigue coming over him. Slowly he fell into a deep sleep.
The last thing he sensed as the world drifted away was to scent of herbs which surrounded him
He smiled and then succumbed to the call of sleep.
A silent moan pierced the silence in the dark Hospital Wing as a person whose shadowy silhouette of a person lying on a bed moved and then sat up cautiously. Green eyes gleamed in the darkness and glanced around the room wearily and unsure, wandering over the sterile white beds, the curtains separating the beds and the white walls, not a spark of recognition in his eyes.
Where am I?
Again the slightly obscured figure, a seventeen year old boy let his eyes roam around the Hospital Wing and again he didn't know more than before.
Somehow I have the feeling that I actually know this room and am not particularly fond of it but I can't imagine were I am.
The boy threw the blanket from him and wanted stand up as he suddenly heard voices outside the room which grew louder and came nearer. They sounded upset.
"…suddenly during the night. I have tried everything, but the spell seems permanent!", a female voice said, which the boy who sat stiffly on his bed and listened seemed to recognize somehow.
"And Harry has really…" He knew this voice too. Dead certain… but from where?
"For the umpteenth time, Mr. Weasley, yes… he has!"
"Did you really search in all books for a counter spell?" Another voice joined the discussion and the boy could hear a huff.
"No, Ms. Granger … naturally I chose a random spell and then, after he didn't work, surrendered." The female voice said with biting sarcasm.
"Now, calm down my dear… I'm sure that Ms. Granger didn't want to offend you with her question. For now, let us look after our problem child."
While the boy was trying to fathom why he knew those voices the door to the infirmary opened and light flooded the up to now dark room.
With a hiss the boy closed his eyes.
Too bright …
„HARRY!"
Loud and piercing rang out the voice, which should belong to Ms. Granger according to the earlier conversation, in the boy's ears and a heavy weight landed on him, while arms wrapped around his body and the smell of oranges and old parchment reached his nostrils. The girl clung to him and started to talk without an end.
The boy flinched and hissed again. Somehow this person's presence felt unpleasant.
Now the other persons came nearer to his bed and a wave of sound and smells overrun the boy. The sensory impressions were too much and fear started to rise.
Who are those humans? What do they want of me? Who's that Harry?
It's too loud!
Let me be!
Nobody seemed to notice the boy's fear, which rose higher till he began to panic. His reasoning has been overpowered by his instincts which told him only one thing … fleeing.
With a surprising move he shoved away one person, a boy with red hair and the smell of chocolate and broom polish and fled from the grabbing hands.
As fast as he could he hurried in the direction which the persons had come from but as he reached the door it was locked. His gaze wandered while he had to avoid the people who wanted to grab him. There wasn't a way out. And the voices grew louder, echoing in his ears and causing him to get a piercing headache.
Away … I need to get away from here … from those humans …
Panicking he searched for a way out.
Then his gaze fell at a high wardrobe. Without thinking too much he crouched down and jumped …
"If there isn't a really important reason the old goat ordered me to stop at one of the most critical brewing step … he's in for a nasty surprise taking residence in his lemon drops!"
With a grim face Severus Snape hurried through the corridors of Hogwarts and caused Peeves with a look which screamed bloody murder to make himself sacred. The times in which the potions master was in this mood, nobody sane would block his way. Except of one Albus Dumbledore but even his supporters declared the man now and then a bit insane. Due to this he doesn't really count.
„To order me to the infirmary as if I was a measly house elf …"
With billowing ropes he swept around the edge and made a fifth year to jump to the side with a girly scream and hide behind an armour. He didn't even notice.
"Surely Potter has something to do with the commotion. The brat is nothing but trouble!"
Snappily he countered the locking spell on the doors of the Hospital wing and swept inside with gleaming eyes and a stoic mask.
"Albus, I …"
He went silent. By Merlin's beard, he had never seen a sight light this ever before. The headmaster, the deputy headmistress, the medi-witch and Potter's best friend stood in front of a high wardrobe and seemed to reason with it.
Have they finally lost their marbles?
"What's going on in here?", he snapped at them.
Apparently relieved Dumbledore turned around to the potions master. A bright red scratch decorated his face. "Severus, my boy!" The voice of the wise wizard sounded slightly helpless. "We have small Problem concerning on Harry. He fled on top of the wardrobe and we aren't able to get him down here again.
"It was clear that Potter again … wait a moment … on top of the wardrobe? Fled?"
Disbelieving the black-haired man looked at the nearly eleven feet high piece of furniture and really saw a pair of familiar green eyes which looked down at them clearly not trusting them. "How in Salazar's name was the brat able to get up there and …" His eyes grow bigger half in surprise, half in disbelieve. "… are those cat ears at the top of his head? No, wait … I think I don't want to know. Why don't you use a spell to get him down here?"
"Well, it seems that the misused spell of Mr. Longbottom which had hit Harry in Transfiguration has some disturbing consequences. It seems he underwent some changes including a resistance to magic and amazing climbing abilities. In addition he has the cat ears you mentioned a fitting tail … and claws." He fingered his scratch and Severus couldn't help but had to gloat a little. "In any case our spells rebound from him not effecting him at the slightest. Moreover he doesn't seem to know us, which is the reason he had fled on top of the wardrobe." Severus raised his eyebrows. "We've tried to get him down here for an hour but he doesn't react to neither of us and attacks everyone too close to him."
"Hn, and you think I'll be more successful than you?", asked Severus with a biting undertone and crossed his arms. "Naturally … probably I should stand in front of the wardrobe and say Mr. Potter come down this instance and he'll do it. That's really … "
A silent noise coming of the wardrobe interrupted his little speech. Caught in his sarcastic mood he turned around. His robe billowed wildly around his body due to the movement.
But his sarcasm left him like fog on a warm summer day as he saw what was happening.
Harry Potter had come down of the wardrobe and stalked him with gleaming eyes and smooth movements.
After Severus had entered the hospital wing those present had faced him and had nodded at Albus explanation. Nobody was mindful of Harry anymore. If they would have, they would have noticed his weird behaviour.
Curious he sniffed the air and his tail swished from one side to the other, his ears strained as if he was listening to something. All aggressiveness left him and one could see that all his tension left him either. His green eyes fixed on the potions master and started to twinkle like gems.
He didn't know why but somehow this stranger was unlike the other humans who had hurt him with their loud voices and had scared him. His voice was velvet and calm. His ears didn't hurt anymore as his voice was like a balm and gave him the feeling of peace. He smelled like fresh and dried herbs, he somehow knew the smell and he was sure he would save with him.
There was only one thought running in his head, he wanted to be with the man with the velvety voice.
The black-haired cat boy stretched his slightly stiffly limbs gracefully. For one moment his gaze wandered to the man with the velvet voice and the other humans down there, before he jumped down with one smooth movement and landed with a soft thud on the floor.
The sound was nearly non-existence a nearly not noticeable but it brought back the others' attention.
"HARRY!" A happy Hermione ran towards her black-haired friend but stopped immediately as he stepped aside throwing a hissy fit. "But Harry …" Hurt Hermione looked at her best friend who looked at her with hostile eyes which followed her every movement.
Lurking. Warily.
She couldn't explain why Harry was reacting like he was. After all, she was his best friend … why was he behaving like she wanted to hurt him?
But Harry didn't know that she didn't want to hurt him as she was running towards him. Her loud and high voice hurt his delicate ears and her closeness let him feel the urge to flee to the farthest edge of the room or simply flee on the wardrobe again.
Neither her nor the utterly flabbergasted and rudimentary angry Ron nor the pensively Dumbledore nor the two concerned women Poppy and Minerva weren't anything other than a potential hazard.
They did after all hurt him and did so again and again. Everything in him was reluctant to come near them.
On their own his eyes wandered back to his calm anchor amidst his fear, the dark Mann with the velvet voice and the smell which promised comfort and safety.
Murky cat eyes locked with inky black irises which showed the same disgust at the humans' behaviour as him.
This man understood him.
If I'm able to reach him, then I'll be safe!
The black-haired boy inhaled deeply the smell of herbs which floated towards him carried by a whiff. He could feel how the tenseness – which was the result from the brunette girl approaching – left his body and were replaced by a feeling of calmness.
He started to move smoothly and sneaked with a catlike grace towards the man while he was mindful of the persons near ham and did his best to avoid them. Those were deeply engaged in a discussion and called out the name Harry again and again. The voices were like sharp needles drilling his head and hindered him to think clearly.
If it hadn't been for the smell, the gaze of the black eyes and the assurance to be safe soon, he would have fled as farthest away as possible. He focused on his target instead … his calm anchor.
"Mr. Potter … what do you think you're doing?"
Again the voice soothed his tender ears. He stood only three feet away from the dark person who was walking away from him with backwards steps until his knees hit one bed and he unwillingly sat down on the edge of the bed.
The boy's green eyes momentarily flashed happily, then with on smooth movement he was directly in front of the man with the herbal fragrance and sat down smoothly on the man's lap.
With soft purr he cuddled into the lean, warm body and buried his face in the loose, nice smelling robe.
So nice … so safe … so … at home …
"Mister Potter!"
The bewildered Severus Snape glanced down at his most hated pupil who was currently curled up cosily on his lap, his head lay securely on his chest and had one arm looped around his waist while he was purring loudly.
This couldn't be true! He had to be dreaming … but … not even in his wildest nightmare he would be able to imagine something like that.
An into a catboy morphed Harry Potter who wouldn't even let his friend close to him but chose to cuddle him instead.
Next thing would be Voldemort dancing through the door and declaring he would quit his plans of the enslavement of the wizarding world in favour of being a professional figure skater.
Snape looked at Dumbledore pleading him for help, who was as speechless as Poppy, Minerva, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley were. However his blue eyes were twinkling madly besides the astonishment showing in them. It made Severus want to flee immediately and as fast as possible. Those twinkle never meant something good.
The last time he had seen those twinkling eyes ended with him being stuck in a crowd of insane people who had dressed up in completely ridiculous costumes, completely drunk and were driving around in big, colourful cars and were shouting around even more ridiculous words, only to let themselves be thrown at with sweets. Afterwards he had searched the dictionary and found the appropriate term for this madness. It had been called a carnival.
It wouldn't have been that bad if the old goat hadn't had spelled him a more than ridiculous costume on his body which he wasn't able to undress or change with a spell. Thus he had to have run around as a pink Easter bunny the whole day.
On top of that Dumbledore wasn't able to keep his mouth shut and had told all staff members what a cut little bunny he had been and how well he looked when he had been dressed in pink.
It had been weeks of hard work till Hagrid had stopped laughing every time he saw the dour potions master and his reputation had been restored.
Not that the story was coming back at times to bite him in the ass. Such stories weren't easy to kill off. The birthday gift he had gotten from Minerva last had been a plush toy rabbit in pink. Oh joy!
Now who could accuse the marred potions master to alarmingly get his hackles up and dreading this twinkle? No one, he thought.
Nevertheless he ignored his feeling of the oncoming doom and concentrated on finding the solution to his current problem.
"Mr. Potter! I demand that you remove yourself immediately off my person. Now!"
The only reaction the catboy showed that he had actually heard the words was to lift his head and look at him with sleepy eyes before he resumed to lay down his head on the chest underneath him and burying his face in the black robes. The purring started to grow louder.
"Albus …", he turned around and addressed his mentor.
In the mean time the addressed man seemed to have collected himself and smiled at him.
"Wonderful, my boy! You made him come down from his wardrobe!"
"Albus, he is sitting on my lap … that's not even remotely better!"
"…"
"Do something!" He said through clenched teeth as the headmaster continued to smile at him with twinkling eyes.
His words startled Madam Pomfrey out of her shock and motivated to try to remove the boy off the lap of the man but as soon as she came to close to the pair the head of the boy shot up and hissed warningly at her. His fangs glittered dangerously.
Severus winced shortly as the boy's claws dug through his robes into his skin.
It seemed it wouldn't be easy to remove the unwelcomed burden from him.
The boy only causes me trouble.
Poppy understood the catboy's warning and as she stepped back Harry leaned back against Severus again. But now his body was tense and one of his hands clawed at the black robes. The other hand still wound around the potions master's waist.
"This isn't going to work at all." At that words Severus glared at the headmaster.
Well done, captain obvious and now? Severus thought and snorted inwardly.
Although he didn't say it out loud and only raised one eyebrow.
"Maybe we should let him be for a while, we know that spells won't work on him anyway and it seems like he is overly comfortable over there.
The second eyebrow shot up. The old goat couldn't be serious!
"Albus …" began Severus with tedious calm voice but was soon interrupted by Weasely who had finally found his voice again.
"You can't mean that, serious! Harry hates Snape!" His voice nearly somersaulted with flurry and stepped closer towards his best friend and his reluctant cuddling pillow. "Harry, come here now!" Again hissing could be heard and was joined by a painful hiss from Severus himself did stop Ron.
Argh … Thanks Weasley … for another few nice scratches … the Gryffindor will pay for that during potions next time with so many house points that even Potter wouldn't be able to compensate them with a heroic deed!
"Wonderful idea, Mr. Weasley. Why didn't we think of commanding him before, after all Potter is known for his obedience, init?" Severus watched the redhead with slight satisfaction as he recoiled from his piercing eyes. "Anyone who has a similar wonderful idea or could we possibly concentrate on the problem at hand? There is a very delicate potion waiting for me in the dungeons, which is demanding my attention. It would be a shame if Potter would ruin not only his potions now but mine too."
"I'm sorry about that, Severus." The twinkling in his eyes however told the potions master he wasn't really sorry.
Silly old goat!
All of them lapsed into strained silence.
A deathly silence spread around the hospital wing, only interrupted after some time by the parlayed purring of the transfigured Potter, who relaxed and again slacked against his professor. His head now rested in the crook of the potions masters next and Severus felt the steady breath and the soft hair tickling his skin. The pitch-black tail had slung around his arm and he caught himself stroking the soft fur with nimble fingers.
He stopped his had immediately and looked around to control if someone had seen the embarrassing action. He sighed as he met Dumbledore's amused and twinkling eyes.
Certainly!
He gave his mentor the evil eye and continued with his musing.
He wouldn't be able to save his potion since in the meanwhile it would have probably changed into an indefinable black pulp but it would be nice to finally be rid of the burden.
Severus conveniently suppressed that the burden had ceased to disturb him since the body warmth of the boy and the purring were somehow reassuring.
"I think I …" Hermione began talking, whose presence Severus had conveniently forgotten. The catboy flinched at the shrill sound of her voice and his ears started to twitch restlessly.
"Sh! Would you be so kind to speak more quietly? Your friend seems to react badly to loud noises and I'm not eager to serve as scratcher again."
The blushing brunette girl lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Sir!" She said and tried to speak quietly. "I... I think I figured something out to remove him."
"Due to Neville's miscast spell he apparently had been transfigured partly into a cat and gained a variety of feline features." Harry confirmed this by starting to purr again. "Maybe we could tempt him away from you with catnip or something other that cats like."
"That's brilliant! Five points for Gryffindor!" At the praise the girl started to glow. "However, I suggest we all leave the infirmary since it seems we're unsettling him and the possibility he'll leave Severus' lap will be better without us in here."
It was clear that the girl as well as her red-haired friend wanted to protest but had been shooed away by McGonagall and Poppy.
Dumbledore also headed to the doors but stopped. "Please report to me at my office when you're free of the boy. Poppy will wait in front of the doors."
Then he left and Severus started with his plan to get his mobility back.
-to be continued-