Chapter 2
Crookshanks purred as Hermione stroked his head soothingly. He was napping on her lap near the fire, which warmed him. He closed his eyes and sighed. Today had been wonderful. It had been two weeks since he had met Nora and she had captured his heart completely. Crookshanks licked his paws clean while he thought about earlier that evening.
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"Goodbye my sweet. Watch the grounds for any wretched children." Filch bent down to scratch Mrs. Norris on the head, then hurried off to patrol the corridors. His face still bore red nail marks around his face from his desperate attempt to blind himself from the Peeves incident. Occasionally Filch would shudder violently and turn green whenever the burning memory of Peeves floated back to him. The students all assumed he was finally losing it or some worship-worthy person slipped some Sickening Solution into his morning gruel.
Mrs. Norris prowled around the grounds, sniffing out any troublemakers and sometimes catching a bird or mouse. The sun slipped slowly over the rim of the horizon and she stopped to admire the rosy light mirrored on the midnight lake.
"How's the patrol going?" Crookshanks inquired. Nora jumped and restrained herself from swiping at him. She hissed angrily, he was always sneaking up behind her. For a chubby, ginger cat he could be quite stealthy.
"Stop doing that," Nora spat. Crookshanks pouted then lay down, legs in the air. "What are you doing?" Nora said, unsure if he was mentally stable.
"I'm watching the stars," Crookshanks explained. "Plus it feels like I could sink my claws into the sky."
"You're crazy." Nora watched him warily as he rolled over and started inching along the ground towards her. "What are you doing? Crooks? Stop it." Crookshanks ignored her and when she looked away for a second, to look back at the castle for a sign of Filch, he leapt.
Crookshanks flew through the air a landed on Nora. She screeched and sunk her claws into him and they rolled down the bank, stopping inches from the edge of the lake. "You take things too seriously. When was the last time you weren't on patrol? When was the last time you had fun?" Crookshanks asked, bemused.
Nora looked sideways at him and snorted. "I have duties. Argus depends on me to catch any kids. Kids cause all kinds of trouble. They make messes, break rules and cause Argus nothing but grief."
Crookshanks licked her swiftly and rubbed under her chin. "You need to lighten up kitten. Kids aren't that bad, give them a chance. You'd like Hermione, she know just where to pet. There is nothing more relaxing than curling up on a warm lap, getting fed scraps from the table and more cushy chairs than you could dream of." Crookshanks lay down but Nora stared at him.
"Not everyone has that kind of comfort. Sometimes a certain someone has to patrol every bleeding hour of the day and on the rare times they have a nap, it's in a damp, dank, mouldy shoebox. The reason they're in the shoebox is because the only human who's ever shown them any affection is hated by every student and as a result hates that his cat as well." Nora ranted, irritable and upset.
Crookshanks grinned. "You're beautiful when you rant on and on." Nora rolled her eyes and collapsed on the grass.
"Everyone hates me," Nora sighed and curled into a tiny ball, tucking her tail in tight. She heard a rustling and felt Crookshanks warm form curl around her. She nuzzled closer and felt the warmth and love of his embrace. Crookshanks licked her roughly on the top of her head and they stared out together over the lake in the dark.
"I don't think they could hate you if they knew you," Crookshanks mused. He stood up and Nora groaned, missing his warmth. "Come here Nora, you can take the night off. I want you to meet someone."
Nora looked steadily up at him; her large eyes reflected the first stars of the night. Silently she stood up and rubbed against him for reassurance. He held his tail high and proceeded to lead around the corridors of Hogwarts.
*
Hermione glanced up from her thick tome to check her watch. It was nearly quarter to eight and Crookshanks still wasn't home. She looked across the hearth to Ginny. Ginny looked up, bemused. "He'll show up. He always does," Ginny reassured her. Hermione looked doubtfully back at the red head. "Five sickles he's scratching at the door within the next five minutes."
Hermione laughed. "You're probably right." She turned back to her book as Ginny stared idly into the fire. Sure enough in two minutes' time there was a scratching at the portrait hole. Hermione flicked her wand and the door opened. Hermione saw Crookshanks sitting on the ledge of the hole, waiting patiently. She heard a faint mew and looked at Ginny, Crookshanks never did this.
Ginny shrugged, "probably caught a bird or something." They both stood and crossed the deserted common room to Crookshanks' bushy form. Ginny leaned up against the wall, yawning, as Hermione crouched down the stroke Crook shanks' head. He purred but made no move to enter.
"Crooks? What's wrong?" Hermione asked concerned, looking up as Ginny laughed. "What?" Hermione asked for Ginny was turning as red as her hair.
"Look outside you dunderhead," Ginny choked. Hermione peered outside only to see two lamp-like eyes shining out of the shadows at her. Hermione gasped and fell flat on her bottom. Ginny bent down and petted Mrs. Norris on the head. "I'm sorry about petrifying you in second year," Ginny said. "I didn't mean to, it was nothing personal." Mrs. Norris licked Ginny's hand roughly and she laughed. "Looks like I'm forgiven," Ginny said.
"Oh, imagine the kittens Gin! They would be adorable," Hermione cooed. Ginny looked sceptical. Mrs. Norris was skeletally thin with huge eyes, while Crookshanks was rather chubby, with a thick ginger coat and his squashed in face. Ginny thought the kittens would look rather miss-matched, but she kept that to herself.
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Hermione yawned and Crookshanks looked up at her. She and Ginny had talked for hours on a new name for Mrs. Norris and after a few pricks from Crookshanks when names such as Fluffy, Fifi and Nicolette came up, they decided that Nora was close enough to Norris but was feminine enough.
"You did good Crooksy," Hermione said softly, "Nora's very sweet." Crookshanks and Nora had been fed scraps of chicken; Hermione always saved some dinner for Crookshanks, and then lay together for awhile on the hearth rug. Eventually Ginny was brave enough to scoop up Nora and pet her gently until she was purring. Nora relished the care and love from Ginny.
Crookshanks look lovingly at Nora then up at Hermione. It would be funny seeing what to other Gryffindors thought, but Hermione and Ginny would root for Nora. He laid his head down to rest on his paws and sighed contentedly. There was no place he'd rather be than on Hermione's comfy lap, with his fluffy lover across from him.
A/N: I'm going to make this a short, sweet story. Hopefully it will be drawing to a close soon. If there is a large demand I may expand the story.
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