Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of its characters.
Losing the Familiar
Miriam stole a glance at her husband as they walked down the corridor. Severus' face remained stoic, but Miriam saw the weariness buried in the depths of his dark eyes. Everyone, but especially Severus, seemed tired; tired of Umbridge, tired of the Ministry, and tired of the uncertainty surrounding Voldemort's return. She longed to ease his burdens, but the current troubling times made that impossible. Severus told her repeatedly that the simple act of standing at his side was enough, but Mia wished she could do more.
Tonight, though, Severus was with her rather than reporting to the Order or to Voldemort. It had been too long. Miriam wanted to give Severus a relaxing evening. Her plan was to start with a nightcap of Firewhiskey by the fire, followed by a back rub. After that, who knew where the evening could take them?
At the door to their rooms, Severus paused. He saw Miriam smirk, and idly wondered what she was up to. He removed their wards and gently guided Miriam through. His hand lingered against the small of her back as the door closed behind them. Miriam gifted him with a soft smile, which Severus returned as he took her robes.
Miriam moved lithely to the fireplace. On the rug, curled up next to the warm glowing flames was Nosferatu, her familiar. A smile lit up Miriam's face at the sight. Miriam knelt down, and stroked his soft black fur. "Who's a sleepy kitty?" Miriam whispered as she playfully rubbed Nos's ear. Rather than flick his ear in protest, his posture remained unchanged, and Miriam frowned slightly. It was then she noticed how cool he was to the touch, and Miriam knew in an instant that her companion had departed this world.
Severus heard Miriam's voice crack when she spoke his name. He turned to find her knelt over Nosferatu, and when she looked at Severus, her grey eyes were wet with tears. Severus crossed the room quickly and knelt next to his wife. "He's gone," Miriam choked out. The tears began to fall down her face and Severus wrapped his long arms around Miriam and pulled her close.
Severus closed his eyes as Miriam's sobs punctuated the quiet. There was a time when Miriam's display of emotions would have made Severus extremely uncomfortable. As a general rule, he valued control and discipline. Miriam, however, was his exception. Through the years, he learned to accept and reciprocate Miriam's emotions when she shared them. Severus felt sadness descend over him as he held his sobbing witch. Nos may have been Miriam's familiar, but he and the feline shared a fondness for one another.
After several minutes, Severus spoke. "I'm sorry, Mia. Nos was a wonderful companion. I will miss him."
Miriam sniffed loudly. She took several deep breaths before she replied. "As will I. Can you help me prepare him?" Miriam asked quietly.
"Of course. Anything." Severus' gentle voice roused Miriam to action. She gazed into his face and saw his brow furrowed with worry. His hand caressed her damp cheek and Miriam gave him a small, sad smile. Together, they rose from the floor and set about preparing Nosferatu for his final journey.
Miriam went to her closet to find an appropriate shroud. As Miriam searched through her linens, her mind wandered back almost nineteen years to the night she first found Nosferatu. It was a late fall evening; the air had developed a bite, but the rain refused to give way to snow just yet. The fifth years were released from an evening astronomy lesson early due to a sudden torrential rain. She and Severus were soaked to the bone before they could even cast a repelling charm.
The wind whipped around them as they struggled to keep hold of their books and scrolls. As they ran through the rain and their shoes squished through the mud, Miriam heard an odd sound carried on the wind. Small, yet urgent, the noise took Miriam by surprise. She stopped abruptly, and Severus almost knocked her over. "Did you hear that?" Miriam asked Severus.
"Hear what?" Severus hollered over another gust of wind. Miriam looked around; confusion evident on her young face. The sound came again, and by the way Severus' forehead crinkled in bewilderment, Miriam knew her heard it as well.
"It's over here!" Miriam sprinted towards the sound as her eyes sought out anything unfamiliar. The noise continued and grew louder as the pair made their way towards the castle. In a small hole, close to the tower wall, Miriam found a small, black kitten struggling to keep its head out of the water. The hole filled rapidly from the rain, and the small kitten desperately clawed at the muddy earth to no avail.
"Severus, look! This kitten doesn't even have its eyes open yet," Miriam exclaimed. She squatted down as the animal continued to struggle. Worry overcame her and without hesitation Mia reached for the small animal.
"If you touch it, the mother won't want it anymore," Severus said as he leaned over Miriam.
"If I leave it, the poor thing will die!" The house mates shared a look before Miriam scooped up the animal and took off at a run. She knew the kitten needed help, and fast. Only one person came to mind, and Miriam intended to seek him out.
"Where are you going?" Severus hollered as he ran after her. "We have curfew, you know!"
Miriam took the kitten to the first person she thought of- Hagrid. He took the kitten in, but its outlook was grim. Miriam returned every day to Hagrid's hut, with Severus accompanying her more often than not. She fed the kitten with an eye dropper, and gradually he grew stronger. Eventually, Miriam gave him the name Nosferatu, due to his pointy upper canines.
When Hagrid deemed Nosferatu old enough, he joined Miriam in the castle. The pair bonded hard, with Nos choosing her as his favorite human. Severus became a close second, however. There were several times when she thought her cat missing, only to find him curled up on Severus' lap as he read. Naturally, Severus played it off with exasperated annoyance, but Miriam felt he was secretly pleased that Nosferatu preferred his company.
For the next nineteen years, Nosferatu was by Miriam's side. The feline traveled everywhere she did, and home was wherever Miriam hung her cloak. Miriam ensured he was spoiled and well-loved. Miriam sniffed loudly to hold back the tears her memories brought forth and wiped her nose with Severus' handkerchief. Nosferatu lived a long, comfortable life; regardless, Miriam was not prepared to let him go. She blinked back her tears and settled on a soft gray blanket that Nosferatu was partial to. With a heavy sigh, Miriam returned to the sitting room.
Severus waited for her by the fire. His hands held some fresh clippings of catnip. Miriam nodded in approval; catnip was one of Nos' favorite treats. Together they knelt on the rug, and Severus helped Miriam shroud Nosferatu's body in the blanket and catnip. Wordlessly, Miriam placed a stasis charm over the shroud and reached for Severus' hand.
"I don't know what I would have done tonight if you weren't here, Severus," Miriam said softly. Her fingers entwined with his, and Miriam rested her head against his rounded shoulder.
Severus nodded slowly. The idea of Nosferatu not greeting Severus with his signature purr and chirps as he returned from class filled Severus with sadness. The couple would feel the void of Nosferatu's loss for a long time. He was as much a fixture in their lives as their wands; a reassuring presence that was constant through the years. Severus squeezed Miriam's hand in comfort. The silence grew long as they were each lost to their thoughts.
The next day, they buried Nosferatu on the grounds. Hagrid and Fang paid their respects at the burial, which Miriam found rather touching. As the weeks wore on, neither Severus or Miriam talked about getting another companion- it was simply too soon. Rather, they threw themselves into their daily tasks. There were several demands on both their time, so grieving had to wait.
One such daily task took Severus to Hogsmeade on a gray, cold afternoon. Winter had yet to release its hold, and as Severus looked at the sky, the clouds told of an oncoming storm. Armed with his list, Severus set out to accomplish his errands before the snow hit. His final stop took him to Dogweed and Deathcap for some obscure potions' ingredients. Severus stopped outside the shop to read his list one last time. Lost in concentration, Severus felt something catch on his cloak. He flicked the long fingers of his free hand dismissively against the heavy wool and continued to read. An abrupt, substantial weight ascending his cloak tore him away from the list. Severus glanced down to find a small bundle of fur climbing up the voluminous black fabric. With effort, he pried the wriggling bundle off his person and held it in front of him. In his hands sat a kitten. It was a small ball of chocolate and orange mixed fluff with bright green eyes.
Severus narrowed his dark eyes at the kitten as it mewed at him. "Where did you come from?" Severus mused. He glanced around. The only other people he saw were several shops down. "You'd best get home before it snows," Severus told the feline as he placed it on the ground.
Severus walked away. The potions master made it a short distance before he felt the weight again, only this time on the back of his cloak. "What the hell," Severus muttered. The kitten was back. Severus watched the stray swat at the hem of black fabric; he pounced and jumped after his imaginary adversary as only a young kitten could. Severus rolled his eyes, scooped the animal up, and looked up and down the street once more for signs of an owner. The sky caught his attention, and Severus frowned. With a sigh, the wizard carried the kitten up the street to the quaint Magical Menagerie shop.
A small bell tinkled overhead, but the sound was drowned out by the cacophony of animal noises in the shop. Though not as crowded as its sister store in Diagon Alley, this shop still had several animals on display. Severus wove his way through the owl cages and toad enclosures to the back of the store.
"Excuse me," Severus said to the short woman behind the counter. "Do you recognize this kitten? I found him outside. Surely he belongs to someone?"
The woman pushed her round spectacles atop her nose and peered at the animal, who eyed her wearily from the counter where Severus placed it. The kitten scooted back until it bumped against Severus' arm.
"Looks like the stray that's been hiding around Dogweed and Deathcap. I've been trying to catch him for weeks, haven't seen an owner. Seems you have found yourself a familiar!" the shopkeeper exclaimed with a smile.
"I don't know about that…." Severus began to say. He didn't think Miriam was ready for another cat. But the woman cut him off.
"Nonsense! It's clear he has chosen you, and you should feel grateful. Tortoiseshell cats are believed to bring good luck and fortune, plus the males are rare. Shame I couldn't catch him to sell," the shopkeeper muttered to herself before smiling at Severus. "Let me get you some kitten food. Do you need anything else?"
"No," Severus said simply. As he watched the woman gather up food for the kitten and then dust him down with dry shampoo and a bit of flea powder, Severus wondered what he would tell Miriam when he got home. He couldn't leave the animal to fend for itself out in the elements. If Miriam was unhappy with his decision, Severus felt sure someone at the castle could take the feline in. At last, the shopkeeper was done and Severus paid. He stuck the cat in the inside pocket of his cloak and walked back to the castle.
At the door to their chambers, Severus opened his cloak. The kitten purred quietly inside his pocket; its bright green eyes half open. "You stay quiet until I figure out what we're going to do with you," Severus told the cat.
Once inside, Severus found Miriam on the couch in their sitting room. She was at work on a cross stitch pattern, a blanket across her lap with her feet propped up on an ottoman. There was a steaming cup of tea on the end table, and a roaring fire in the fireplace. His wife paused her work and looked up expectantly. "How was Hogsmeade?" Miriam asked as she smiled at Severus.
"It was quiet," Severus replied as he skirted around the couch and tried to think of a way to bring up his stowaway. He shouldn't have bothered, because just as Severus walked by Miriam, the kitten let out a loud meow.
The couple froze. After a pregnant pause, Miriam spoke. "Severus…. did you just…meow?"
His plans ruined, Severus sighed and reached in his pocket. He lifted out the kitten and placed it on Miriam's lap. Miriam inhaled softly as the wee thing blinked at the bright light, then looked at her and mewed softly. "Severus what is this?" Miriam asked as the ball of fluff tried to climb up her blouse. She gathered the animal up and cradled him in her arms.
Severus frowned as the kitten closed his eyes and began to purr loudly. "He mistook me for a tree outside D&D. Didn't even get a chance to finish my list. When I made some inquiries, it appeared he was homeless." Severus sat down beside Miriam on the couch and looked at his wife. "I know we have not talked about getting another cat, but I could not leave him with the weather coming in." Severus sighed. "Perhaps there is a student in the castle that would like him."
"It seems as though he's already picked his person.," Miriam said. She tore her eyes away from the stray and looked at her husband. "I suppose we could make room for another fantastic beast."
"Hmm. Fantastic is quite a stretch. He looks like he was patched together from two cats with his fur markings," Severus mused. "And he's much too skinny. Not to mention everything we have going on right now, I'm not sure we have time for a kitten."
Miriam's eyes lit up. "That's perfect! We shall call him Patches!" Miriam exclaimed as she gently scratched Patches under his chin.
Severus smiled at Miriam's reaction. If his concerns were of no worry to her, Severus was willing to overlook them for now. "So, we're doing this?"
Miriam took a deep breath as she considered Severus' question. "Yes," Miriam answered firmly. "Yes, we are."
"A cat was not on my list," Severus told his wife. He put his arm around Miriam and pulled her close. Severus looked at their new pet, content in Miriam's lap, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "We'll make do, though."
A/N: Hello! Sorry for the long, long wait between stories. Life has been a mess. Deaths, moves, kids, school, jobs; everything has changed in the last year it seems. My characters have always been in the back of my mind though, and you, the readers as well. This story came to mind, and I needed to get it out, get back to writing. Until next time!