By nine o'clock I was ready to go and bouncing around like a frog on a hot pavement. That was no good at all; I needed to settle down. I am Mr Frosty Morning, not some tom on his first prowl.

'Fluffy, entertain me.' She carried on making squiggles on a piece of parchment. I started batting her legs. 'Fluffy. FLUFFY! Play with me.'

She looked down, and scratched behind my ear. 'Hello, Crookshanks.' She went back to her parchment.

What was so fascinating about what she was doing that it was better than me? I climbed up on her lap. By putting my front paws on the table and stretching I could see what was going on. It didn't look that interesting - compared with me.

'Crookshanks!'

'Gorg…Never mind.'

'I can't see anything. Move! I'm trying to do my homework.'

'But I want attention.' I laid on the parchment and rolled onto my back so she could tickle my tummy. She didn't.

'I'm busy. Move.' She picked me up and put me on the floor.

Well, be like that then; I shall find somebody who appreciates me. I spied a group of younger kittens and walked over to them. That was better; lots of stroking and giggling. Then one of them…I blame the parents. He just screwed up this piece of parchment and threw it. It was nowhere near the bin. I walked over and picked it up, carrying it back to him.

'Now come on, young tom. If everybody did that this place would be a tip. Try again.'

Well, even worse than the first attempt. I would persist; the kitten obviously needed to be taught. Ten times it tried before I gave up and put the parchment ball in the bin myself. Honestly, youngsters these days…

Ah ha! Ginny. Maybe she would play the parchment on a string game with me. She did too, and she's very good. She twitched it along the floor and always managed to flick it away from me as I pounced. I thought she could probably play professionally when she was older.

That passed a pleasant hour. Still only ten. Maybe Fluffy is free now. I decided to stalk her shoelaces. What fun that is! I still do it even now. She has this habit of crossing and uncrossing her ankles which makes it far more challenging. Ready…crawl a bit closer…there's a cross…next one…chest right on the carpet…bit closer…GO! Incoming!

'CROOKSHANKS! Now you've made me blot my essay and I've still got Arithmancy and Muggle Studies to start on.'

I got the impression from somewhere that she wasn't pleased with me. Well, I wasn't pleased that her evenings didn't revolve around looking after me.

'I hired you, I can fire you.' I turned my back on her and started washing my face. I could start preparing a few lines for tonight, I supposed.

'There must be something wrong with my eyes, I can't take them off you.'

Or…how about…

'You must be very tired, because you've been running through my mind all day.'

Pure class.

Still an hour before we were due to meet. Who else was around? Shameless didn't seem to be doing much, but I still hadn't forgotten his treachery the other night. Not only would he be getting lots of dead animals in his shoes but just wait until I find him with a molly. Revenge will be sweet.

Honestlyronald was talking to Hairy. I could maybe just saunter over, see if his rat was around. Perhaps I could lure it away.

'…yeah, I was surprised, Hairy! I know I don't like spiders but I never thought they'd be my Boggart!'

Hairy giggled. 'Still not over your phobia, then?'

'I don't think I ever will be, mate!'

Hmmm. So Honestlyronald doesn't like spiders, eh? I'll file that one away for future reference. His rat was nowhere to be seen so it might be worth a quick check upstairs. I rushed up to the tom's room, but he wasn't there either. The smell hadn't improved, by the way.

By the time I got back downstairs Fluffy was stretching and putting her things away. Good, she was off to bed. I went up with her, as she seems to like that. I'll say one thing for her, she falls asleep quicker than I do. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was gone.

-o0o-

The night was cool, with the fragrance of late summer flowers drifting through the windows, and the moon was out. Everything was just perfect; I couldn't fail.

She was waiting for me, in a patch of moonlight that made her fur glow. She'd obviously been combing it for hours. She sat very upright, with her tail curled around her legs - as any well brought up molly should do. She even looked away a little shyly as I approached. I felt my heart beat just a little faster.

'There must be something wrong with…' She put her paw over my mouth.

'No, you don't need to come out with the corny lines. Try treating me like a cat, instead.'

That stumped me. She wanted me to talk to her like she was a tom, or normal.

'How are you?'

She sighed. 'Well, it's a start. I'm fine, what about you?'

'I'd go to the end of the world for you.'

'But would you stay there?' She laughed at the expression on my face. 'See, I can give as good as I get. Would you like to go for a walk?'

Walking sounded good; maybe somewhere a little more secluded. Well, it didn't happen quite like that…

I'm not sure I can explain what did happen. We walked all night, and we talked all night, too. Before I knew it I'd told her all about mother, and leaving home and the Magical Menagerie and Fluffy and the rat.

Then she told me all about herself, as well. How her servant had come for her when she was quite young, so young she can't remember what her real name is. He - Argus, her servant - named her Mrs Norris, but she didn't know why. He's very good to her, though, and looks after her and feeds her only the best. I'm starting to like him.

She told me about last year, when she got petrified by a basilisk. That pulled me up short.

'Where?'

'Here, in Hogwarts. Something funny had been going on all year and one night I was doing my rounds…'

'Why do you do that?'

'I told you; Argus needs to know what the kittens are up to. Anyway, I was doing my rounds when…'

'Where?'

'I told you that as well; here in the castle!' She cuffed me gently. 'Now stop interrupting and listen! SO…I was doing my rounds and I found a puddle of water coming out from one of the toilets on the second floor. I walked over to investigate when…all of a sudden…'

'What?'

'Well, I don't know, do I? I'd been petrified. I don't remember any of it. But Argus was so pleased when I was unpetrified; he wouldn't let me out of his sight for weeks and insisted on feeding me himself and warming my milk. That was very nice.'

I was stunned into silence. Warmed milk. Then a thought struck me. 'Basiliks can kill you, can't they? You could've…died.'

She nodded. 'If I'd seen it directly, rather than in a reflection.' She seemed remarkably calm about it all.

Suddenly I didn't feel very nice. Norris could have died, then I'd never have met her. I didn't like that idea. I, sort of, liked meeting her. We walked on in silence for a moment. Then she stopped, and nodded her head.

'Gryffindor Tower. I suppose you should get back in so your servant doesn't worry when she wakes up and you aren't there.'

I hadn't realised it was nearly dawn. The sky had an almost silvery sheen to it.

'Yes. No, wait…we've not done anything…'

'We've done lots of things. We've had a walk, and you've listened to me. That was…different.' She paused a moment. 'You're nice, you know? Nicer than maybe I thought you were, once you stopped trying to charm the fur off me.' She briefly rubbed her head against mine. 'I've enjoyed tonight.'

'So have I. It wasn't what I was expecting, but…yes, it was nice. Can we do it again?'

'I'd like that. Tonight?'

'I'll be there.'

I knew I should go in, but didn't want to leave. I kept turning to the stone, then back again. 'Norris?'

'Yes?'

'Nothing, really. I just like saying your name.'

She laughed and shook her head. 'Mother told me to be on the lookout for toms like you.'

'You must remember to thank her.'

'Get on with you, Grrr!'

I watched her all the way down the corridor, until she was out of sight, then made my way slowly up to my room. The mollies were still asleep and I stretched out on my bed.

A funny old night but rather pleasant, I decided. Then I went to sleep and even the chattering didn't wake me.