Placing the tea on the table, Agatha sat opposite the young man. His mother had left him here when she went off to meet one of her various suitors. He looked so ragged, clothes torn, hair unwashed. He held his cup in his hand as if he were absorbing the warmth from it. "Dear, would you like something to eat?" His eyes grew to the size of saucers. She should have known. His mother didn't care for the boy. Agatha busied herself chopping vegetables for a stew. She watched the boy as he followed the lines of the wood on the table. He sipped his tea slowly as if he didn't know where the next cup would come from. Now Agatha had seen the boy with his mother in town and the woman was far from missing a meal yet this boy looked as if he hadn't eaten in Merlin knows when. She laid a plate of bread on the table and she saw as he hesitantly lifted his hand before pulling it back into his lap.
"Please, take some. Would you like some more tea?" The boy lifted his head and finally met her eyes. "Yes, please," he whispered. 'Oh, he speaks' Agatha thought to herself. She took his cup a filled it. When she turned back to the table the boy had shoved a large piece of bread into his mouth. Agatha chuckled and then caught herself. She didn't want the boy to feel uncomfortable. She turned back to the stove a stirred the pot of stew. Suddenly, she felt the all to familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach. She didn't want this to happen while the boy was here but it was getting harder to control. "Please excuse me dear. I need just a moment." Agatha hurried down the hall and into her bedroom. She looked down at her hands and they had already turned furry. She locked the door and let the transformation take over. It only took a few seconds. She leapt onto her bed and looked in the mirror over her dresser. Looking back at her were the bright yellow eyes she had grown accustomed to. The fur on her face was a shabbier brown than the last time. She wondered if soon this transformation would be permanent. Lately, the transformations hadn't lasted very long but came unexpectedly. She had to work extremely hard to keep her mind about her. Already she was thinking about the mice she knew ran around in her garden outside. 'No, no. Think about the boy. You need to be there for him.' Agatha thought to herself. She checked the clock on her bedside table. Five minutes had already passed. She didn't know what to do. Since she had locked the door to the room she couldn't let herself out. No opposable thumbs. 'Soon,' she thought, 'Just wait it out.' It was then she heard the footsteps in the hallway. Had the boy just wandered off to use the bathroom, or… There was a knock on the door. "Um, ma'am. Are you alright? I can go if you don't want me to be here."
'Oh no', Agatha thought. She didn't want the boy to leave. Luckily she felt as her tail began to retreat back into her tailbone, the fur growing back into her skin. She tried to speak but only a small 'mew' came out. She waited another moment and tried again. "Just a moment, dear." 'Oh thank goodness', she thought. She only had to wait another few seconds, brushed herself, and opened the door. The boy stood in the doorway and then looked passed her, confused. "Do you have a cat, miss?" His eyes seemed to brighten just a bit. Agatha placed her hand on top of his head while closing the bedroom door behind her. "Do you like cats, my dear?" The boy let a small smile shine through. "Yes ma'am. I used to have one. It ran away though. Or at least that's what me mum said." The smile left his face and he looked down at the ground. "Well let's head back to the kitchen shall we? The stew should be just about ready." The two entered the room and the smell of the food filled the air. The boy took in a deep breath and his stomach growled so loudly, Agatha could hear it from the stove. She placed a boy in front of the boy. "Now eat up, you." The boy didn't need to be told twice. He finished the bowl so quickly Agatha barely had enough time to fill her own. "Would you like a second helping, darling?" Agatha said with a chuckle. The boy wiped his chin on his sleeve and gave a vigorous nod. She refilled his bowl and gave it back to him. "Now this time maybe slow down a little so you can actually taste it. Its my special recipe. My late husband used to love it. He'd ask for it every night." She sat at the table with her own food and slowly slurped up the broth. They sat like this for a bit, Agatha trying to get him to open a little but he only answered in short. He had had two more bowls of stew when there was a knock at the door. Agatha rose and went to answer it. There at the door was the boy's mother looking as disheveled as ever. She spoke over Agatha's shoulder at the boy. "We're going home. Lets go." The boy quickly ran to the door as if he knew that if he took to long there would be consequences. "He's a lovely boy. He's welcome here anytime," Agatha said as the two walked off without a word. The boy turned back and gave a genuine smile and a small wave before his mother turned him back around, heading off to the other side of town.
It was another two weeks before Agatha saw the boy again. There was a knock at her door and when she opened it, there he stood. It's a good thing she never went anywhere often. She would have hated for the boy to have been left on the doorstep with nowhere to go. "Come in, come in." Agatha welcomed him. "I have a kettle on. Why don't we sit in the parlor this evening. I've got some sweets that I picked up in the market today too. That'll be a treat won't it. The Witching Hour is about to start and I do believe Celestina will be performing tonight." The boy gave a polite smile as always and sat in a chair near the window. The radio was already tuned to the Wizarding Wireless Network. Agatha returned from the kitchen with the tea tray. There was a plate of tea cakes and a little bowl of chocolates to go with the warm drink. "These are my favorites," Agatha gushed as she took a chocolate from the bowl. "Now you sit here. I need to excuse myself for a moment. Just enjoy the cakes and I'll be right back." Agatha had an idea about the boy after his last visit. While her transformations came on suddenly sometimes, she was still able to change at will. She stood in her room, door left open this time and felt as her body changed. She fell to all fours as her fingers retreated into her hands and became paws. Transformation complete, she pranced down the hall and into the parlor. She rubbed against the boys leg until he looked down. "Oh my! You're a beauty!" The boy picked her up and hugged her. Agatha winced for a moment as he squeezed a little too hard. "Where did she go, girl? She disappeared just like last time." He made a move like he was going to get up but Agatha began to knead his leg. "Aww. Okay I'll stay. She'll be back soon I'm sure." He sat in the chair and petted her fur while music drifted from the radio. He enjoyed several pieces of chocolate before Agatha decided it was time to return to her own form. She hopped from his lap and ran down the hall using her back paws to kick to door closed behind her. She transitioned herself back straightened up her clothes and walked back to the parlor. "Oh good I haven't missed the show." The two sat together listening for a while and Agatha could see the boy start to settle and almost look content. then, just like the time before, there was loud rap at the door. The boys face changed back in an instant and rose from his chair. "Thank you ma'am. Could I come around tomorrow? Maybe I can help you with some things. I'm always cleaning up around home. It wouldn't be a bother." Agatha's eyebrows rose as this was the longest statement she had ever heard the boy speak. "As I said before you are welcome anytime, and I won't make you do chores." She patted the boy's shoulder and walked him to the door. She watched again as the boy and his mother walked across the town square.
She stiffened and took a deep breath as she felt another involuntary change coming. At this rate, she knew she was going to have to tell the boy soon. She closed the door and locked it behind her before the change could take effect.
Several weeks passed and the boy's visits became all the more frequent. At this point, he was visiting every afternoon. Most times Agatha could control her transformations, a few times changing so he could play. He seemed at ease playing with the animal. Much more so than when he was with humans. But he had begun to open up more. Instead of awkward silences the afternoon was spent discussing the weather, what the boy liked to do, and what he thought about school. As the boy was ten she assumed he'd be going to Hogwarts next year but when she brought it up the boy looked close to tears. "No ma'am. I won't be going to Hogwarts. I can't do magic. My mother says I'm a filthy squib. She says it's probably my no good father's fault but I wouldn't know. She says he died when I was just a babe. But she says he wasn't very good at magic neither. No I'll be continuing to go the school in town. It's not bad ma'am. Honest. Little cold in the winters but I like maths. Can I take that?" He motioned toward Agatha's empty teacup. Despite Agatha's objections, the boy had taken to help clean up after tea and would tidy around the house. She could easily use magic to dust the top of the curtains but the boy looked so pleased when he was able to help that she didn't dare take that away from him. She really had grown quite fond of the boy. She had never had any children of her own. Her husband had passed away at a fairly young age and she never married again. She watched as he walked around the kitchen cleaning the dishes and placing them in their cupboards. When he left that day he promised to return the next day, telling her he would help her fix the wobble on her sitting room table.
The summer was soon coming to an end. Agatha knew the boy would be returning to school soon and she wanted to get him something nice. The next morning she woke up and decided to take to the shops in town before that afternoon's visit. She didn't really know what she was looking for but knew she would know when she found it. She wandered through the shops spying quills and parchments and other odds and ends that any schoolboy would need but then she spotted it. There on the shelf sat a beautiful leather bag in a rich brown color with golden accents. It would mean dipping into her savings but the thought of seeing the boys face when she gave it to him would be well worth it.
She got the bag home and wrapped it neatly and waited for tea time. As usual the boy was right on time, no longer waiting for his mother to drop him off. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I brought something today. Nothing special, just tried my hand at baking this morning. Can't say it went well but they still seem edible." He entered the house carrying a plate of tea cakes. "They look lovely, dear. I got something for you today too." The boy looked confused. "But ma'am it's not my birthday or nothing. You didn't do have to get anything for me. You do so much for me already." Agatha went into her room and grabbed the package. When she returned to the kitchen, the boy had the tea set up. "Here you go, sweetheart." The boy placed the cups on the table and took the package from her hands. He very slowly untied the twine that held the paper together and unfolded the paper very carefully as if he was trying not to tear it. His eyes grew and brightened as his hand felt the soft leather. He stood up and put the strap over his shoulder. He unbuckled the flap and rebuckled it. It took him quite a few minutes to look back at Agatha but when he did his eyes were filled with tears. "Oh honey, none of that now. It's nothing. A young man needs a smart bag when going to school." Suddenly, the boy wrapped her in a hug. "Oh!" Agatha gasped in surprise. She patted the boys back. "Thank you ma'am. I'll take good care of it. Honest." They continued their tea and the boy had a smile from ear to ear. When the boy left again that afternoon, he hugged Agatha again, thanking her even more for her gift. She smiled as she watched him walk across the square with a new skip in his step. Nothing could prepare her for tomorrow but she vowed to tell this boy her secret no matter what. Before it was too late.
The next morning, Agatha was ripped out of bed by the sound of someone pounding on her front door. She grabbed her dressing gown, wrapped it around herself, and rushed to the door. She pulled it open and there stood the boy and his mother. The boy was staring at his feet and rubbing his arm. HIs mother shoved the bag Agatha had given him in her face. "Did you give this to him? I know I didn't give it to him. I reckon he stole it but he wants me to believe you gave it to him. Did you? Why would you do that? He's a useless, good-for-nothing squib. He's not yours and you should be grateful for that. This is a nice bag. Why?" Agatha kept her cool and stood her ground. Her hand was on her wand at her hip just in case but the woman didn't seem the kind to throw a curse. Agatha cleared her throat and invited them into the house. "Would you like some tea? I could put on the kettle, then perhaps we can talk about your son." The woman looked as though Agatha had offered her a cup of yesterday's bathwater. "No I do not want tea, you old hag!" At this, the boy jumped to attention. "Don't talk to her like that!" His mother looked at him with a moment of shock before laughing. "Oh look who decided to wake up. What are you going to do? You're going to defend this woman over your own mother?" His fists were clenched at his side. "She's more of a mother to me than you've ever been," he muttered under his breath. "Why you ungrateful, little…" His mother raised her hand above her head ready to strike the boy but Agatha caught her at the wrist. "That will be quite enough of that, Mrs. Filch." The woman ripped her arm from Agatha's grasp. "Fine,you like it so much here you can just live with her!" With this, Mrs. Filch threw the bag on the ground at her son's feet and stormed off.
Agatha wrapped her arm around the boy and ushered him inside. "I'll get the kettle on. Perhaps later a warm bath. That'll be nice. Always calms my nerves." Agatha could use that right now. Literally anything to ease the anxiety welling up in her. She couldn't send the boy back home to his mother, who knew what she would do to him when he returned. The boy had picked up the bag and was now trying to brush off the dirt, with tears streaming down his face. The tea brewed while the two sat in silence just as they had on their first visit together. When the kettle whistled, Agatha jolted to attention, bustling around the room. "Do you think it would be okay?" the boy asked so quietly that Agatha almost didn't hear him. She placed the cups on the table and sat down. "You know, what my mum said. About me living here? Do you think it would be okay? I can't go back there. I could help with more chores and keep you company. I could play with the cat." With that statement, Agatha's head fell into her hands. "Oh I see. That's okay. I can find somewhere to go. Perhaps the boys home. They could find me some work too." Agatha's head snapped up and she shot him a nasty look. 'You will do no such thing, young man. It's not that I don't want you here, I just don't know if that's realistically an option. How about I draw you that nice warm bath I was talking about earlier and I'll cook up some breakfast while you relax a bit. I'll even wash your clothes too. I have an old robe that belonged to my husband hanging in the linen cupboard there in the washroom. After breakfast, we can discuss everything moving forward." With that, Agatha went to draw the bath water. She didn't know how hot he liked his water. Then again, it hardly looked like he'd had a good bath recently. She made it a nice warm temperature like that of the lake on a cool summer's day. She placed a towel on the hook by the tub as well as the robe from the closet. "Alright, I'll leave you to it, then," Agatha said as she entered the kitchen. "Soaps and everything are on the shelf. Help yourself to any of it. Leave your clothes outside the door and I'll grab them. Bacon and eggs sound good for breakfast?" The boy nodded with a soft smile as he made his way to his bath. She wanted to give him plenty of time so she held of starting the cooking for a bit. Instead, she took her tea and went into the parlor. She flicked her wand to light the fire. The flames erupted and filled the room with warmth. She grabbed the laundry bucket from the corner by the fireplace and filled it with soapy water. Outside the window, it had started to rain. 'Good', Agatha thought. 'It's not so good weather to go with a not so good day.' She gathered the boy's clothes from outside the washroom and enchanted the bucket to do the washing/ She decided it was about time to start the food. She gathered up everything and just as she was flipping the last bit of the bacon, the boy came into the room. She could smell the soap wafting from him as he brushed his hand through his hair. "Thank you, maam. That was really lovely. And breakfast smells delicious." His face had returned to its content, almost happy appearance. The two ate breakfast with a weird air above them as they both knew that after the food was gone, the conversation would be a bleak one.
After breakfast, the boy cleared the plates and Agatha went to dry his clothes. A quick spell did the trick and he was able to go get dressed. As he did so, Agatha prepared herself for what she about to say.
She was pacing the parlor when he returned. She motioned for him to take a seat and he did. "Okay, how do I put this? I don't really know where to start. I've only ever had to tell one person and that was my husband. We never had kids you know and I was able to keep it a secret as a child but there's really no keeping a secret anymore it's getting worse." She could tell she was rambling and the boy looked so confused. "Okay. You know the cat?" At mention of the animal, the boy looked around. The look of confusion stayed on his face as he nodded. "Well the cat is me. There I said it. I am the cat, the cat is me." The boy looked as if he was working out an extremely difficult maths problem in his head and then it looked like it clicked. "You're an animagus?! That's really neat." Agatha shook her head, "Not exactly. Right now I can change by choice. Most of the time." As if to demonstrate, Agatha transformed into a cat and back again. "But the change is becoming less and less voluntary. You see, I am what the magical community calls a maledictus. It means I have a very rare blood disease that causes me to change into an animal. But one day that change will be permanent. One day I will cease to be me and be only cat. And that is why you can't stay here. You need somewhere that will have someone who can take care of you. We'll continue exploring to find that place but I promise you we will." Agatha sat down, exhausted after revealing her secret. "That's stupid." The boy exclaimed rising from his chair. Agatha looked at the boy confused. "I beg your pardon?" The boy continued, "I meant what I said back there with my mum. You're more of a mother to me then she ever has been. You're kind to me when didn't need to be. I love coming here and I love you. This house feels more like a home to me than any place I've been. Cat or no cat, this is where I choose to be. I love you, Mrs. Norris and I promise no matter what, I will be here to take care of you. Always. Whether you like it or not." Agatha stood from her chair with tears streaming down her face and embraced the boy. "Argus, you have no idea what those words mean to me. It's going to be difficult but maybe we can figure something out."