Okay, this is a story that was written mainly for my own amusement, and 100% because there was nothing else with this pairing. And that is about it.

Forbidden Love : A Tale Of Two Kitties

They didn't know how it began, or why they kept meeting like this. The only thing they knew for sure was that they couldn't stop. The force that drew them together was more powerful than any magic that been used within the castle walls, and despite their many partings and sorrowful goodbyes, they invariably wound up back together.

Crookshanks lay on an overstuffed maroon throw pillow, Mrs. Norris curled up around him. He heard her purring lightly beside him, and a cattish grin spread across his flat face. He felt her stir, and looked down at her.

"Missy, you awake?"

She stretched and glanced up at him. "Getting there."

"I was just thinking," he mewed, "What happens with us, when Hermione is no longer at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, Crooky, dear, don't think so far in the future. She's only, what, a fifth year?"

"Sixth." He sighed. "And I'm not just talking about when I'm gone for good. This summer... three months. Three months, and no you." He paused. "I sometimes envy those humans, if only because of their freedom to go where ever they please. Their ability to communicate over long distances... wizards have those owls, and muggles have those postmen. All we have is the here, and the now."

Mrs. Norris sat upright, to look him the eye. Some of the cats around Hogwarts (and that blasted Trevor, as well) called him names and made fun of his appearance, like his flattish face, a result of his mixed nature. Truth be told, his half-kneazle heritage is what drew her to him initially. He was so different from the other cats that roamed the halls, so much deeper, so much braver. And his loyalty to that Granger girl. Sometimes she was jealous of their bond, but it was one of the many things that made him who he was, and she wouldn't change any of it.

Not that it hadn't caused some friction between them. When he found out it was her who had alerted Filch when Hermione was roaming the halls after hours with those other two troublesome kids, he had thrown a fit. She didn't see him for a week after that, but he eventually came back... he always came back.

Not everyone understood their love. They both tried their best to ignore the cruel remarks some threw at them, but it was hard. Even the bats had gotten into it. The words meant nothing, but even so, hearing the same things thrown at them, day after day, some of it managed to seep in. But as long as they had each other, then nothing else mattered.

She nuzzled his neck, then lay back down beside him. "Then let's just enjoy what we have now, and not worry so much about things we can't change. And who knows, maybe something will happen to Hermione, and you can stay with me forever."

He layed his ears back against his head and growled, "I hate it when you talk like that."

"I was only kidding."

He raised his ears back up, but one of his ears kept twitching. "That makes it worse, you know. It's not nice to joke like that, when she's come so close already, so many times."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Besides, maybe something will happen to Filch, and you can come live with me."

"That's not funny, either." She glared at him, but they both began laughing quietly.

"You're right... the here and now. We have to enjoy it while we can." Crookshanks leaned over and licked Mrs. Norris between the ears, and she began purring again.

She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off when they heard Filch's unmistakable voice called out to her. Crookshanks jumped up, glanced at her apologetically, and ran off in the direction of the hidden passage to the Gryffindor common room.

She got up slowly and made her way to Filch. The only thing stopping her heart from breaking at Crookshanks absense was the knowledge that they would be back together soon.

"There you are, Mrs. Norris. Time to get going. I bet there's so blasted kids roaming about after hours. If only we could still use whips instead of bloody detention there wouldn't be so much of this. If Dumbledore would let me have my way of it..." Mrs. Norris followed along with him, already set in prowl mode, trying to get her mind off of her sweet cat lover.