Familiars
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: I only play in the World which JKR created. I own nothing nor do I profit from it.
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After Hermione woke up the next morning she came up with a plan.
She would stay with the 'Hermione Imposture' during the day so she could keep tabs on the would-be-her incase she woke up or gave any clues to their true identity - of course they were in a coma so it wasn't like she was expecting an exciting time. Then in the evenings after classes she would follow Professor Snape and try to make him suspect her as something other than a cat. He would be the one to find out the truth, she knew. He was the only one intelligent and suspicious enough that it nearly boarded on paranoia. Didn't he suspect Quirrel, after all? Though naturally a deranged bushy kitten was slightly less obvious than having a dark lords worming away in the back of ones head - everyone would assume worm or rabies wouldn't they? But then there was also the whole situation with animagus' like Wormtail. She was sure she could pull this off.
As predicted, the start of the day past uneventful and the occasional appearance of Poppy Pomfrey was the only movement and company within the room. When the lunch bell tolled Hermione had been overjoyed to hear Harry and Ron's voices. They were arguing with Pomfrey and her refusal to let them see her - the would-be-her. She was somewhat dismayed by their dismissal but she knew it wouldn't be exactly smart to let them see her image in this state. They would look for revenge - a violent revenge - against the people they believed the cause of it. Slytherins. If they were told she was only in a coma it would be like when she was petrified for a length of time, the bruises would cause more of a reaction because they showed brutality.
Hermione was becoming bored and restless as she lounged on the foot of the bed. She had whiled away the hours by getting familiar with her new body. She could now jump from bed to floor without falling on her tail or side though she was still a bit wobbly when she ran.
She thought she could get use to being like this for a while.
However, as she stretched she felt a familiar pressure on her bladder and her eyes flew wide - "Oh…Bugger…" She was mortified. And who wouldn't be? Needing the loo was such an every day occurrence that it went over her head that she couldn't use a bathroom. 'Where do I go?' She normally left a litter tray out in the shared bathroom she had in Gryffindor tower for Crookshanks but she doubted she could get to it. In time or at all.
Underneath all that fur Hermione Granger was blushing profusely as she made a mad dash for the stairs and the entrance doors. She surprised herself when she didn't tumble head first down or that she lost her footing rounding corners - incidentally necessity took over when nature was calling.
Outside Hermione hesitated. What did she do? What if she was seen? What would she do if she mucked the simplest thing up? How was she going to get clean!? Maybe she could hold it in long enough and it would go away.
She hopped from paw to paw, front and back. Nope, no it wasn't going away.
"When you got to go, you got to go." She told herself firmly and marched purposely into a nicely concealed spot among the bushes and awkwardly dragged her behind along the dewy grass to feel somewhat clean afterwards. She absolutely, down right refused to lick herself clean.
Hermione groaned as the bell tolled the end of classes as she slinked into the entrance hall.
When she was up on the 4th floor each time the bell had tolled, for classes to end and switch, she could feel the students moving about the school. But now she was on the ground floor and a tiny kitten, she'd really rather not get caught up in the cross student traffic and get trodden upon.
Hermione kept herself to walking round the entrance hall perimeter to avoid all the people until she reached the stairs going down to the dungeons and ran down quickly.
A student's day consisted of 6 and a half hour of school time with 6 periods and two breaks. Each period taking up 50 minutes each; two periods then a half an hour break, another two then an hours lunch followed by two more before the day was through. That left Hermione two and a half hours to search for Professor Snape. The most logical thought would be that he would be in either his office or classroom especially straight after classes. Though truthfully, she didn't have a clue. She didn't exactly stalk the Potions Master.
Though by the end of all this mess she thought she'd have a pretty good idea.
She snorted to herself as she continued down the dungeon corridors, keeping to the shadows. "'A day in the life of stalking Snape - the floor perspective.' He will be fully blown paranoid by the time this is all over." She shook her furry little head in amusement, "He'll be thinking that fluffy little kittens are on Voldemort's side - God he'll be the next Moody." she chucked softy at that.
When she got to Professor Snape's classroom the door was closed.
Another thing about being 5 inches in height and of the feline species: no opposable bloody thumbs.
"Oh no!" She bemoaned, "I didn't think about doors and handles! Stupid, stupid Hermione."
She couldn't believe her luck this year. There was no point in checking his office door: that was always closed.
The only thing for it was to wait out side till Professor Snape decided he got the munchies and pop out to dinner.
In 2 hours.
"Oh bother."
It wasn't a particularly good idea. Even with all that bushy fur she was still getting a chill, sitting on the dungeon floor.
10 minutes past and Hermione was bored and cold.
30 minutes past and she had the strange sensation of wanting to sing. She shrugged her little cat shoulders. 'Why not? No ones going to here me.' She sniggered after a minute as a song came to mind.
She started tentatively, "Everybody wants to be cat, -" and stopped to looked around. Nothing embarrassing had happened. She was sure that as soon as she sung something bad would happen. That not being the case the continued but with more nerve.
"-because the cats the only cat
Who knows where it's at.
Everybody's picking up on that feline beat,
'Cause everything else is obsolete.
Now a square with a horn,
Can make you wish you weren't born…"
After a while if any student, teacher or ghost passing down in the dungeons would meet a peculiar sight of a small little bushy kitten doing something akin to a side step dance.
She went on like that for a while, singing Disney and cat related songs to herself and trying to remember the dances the films showed. Surprisingly Walt Disney knew how a cat could dance without falling flat on their faces. She had been tempted to sing 'We are Siamese' but felt she already sounded scatty enough as it was, she didn't want to push it.
"… Oh a rinky tinky tinky -"
"What do we have here?" A soft voice sounded through her inner beat.
"Eek!" Hermione jumped and lost her footing, making her loose her balance and fall on to her left side. "Oomph!" Shaking her head to rid it of the disorientating feeling Hermione looked to the person of the voice.
She saw shiny black shoes from her position of being sprawled on the floor. Sorting herself she looked up and was met with the amused eyebrows and impassive face of her potions Professor. Surely she wasn't dancing and singing for two hours, was she?
He was leaning against the wall just beside his classroom door, arms crossed over his chest. 'How long had he been there?' For some reason Hermione was blushing, not that he'd be able to tell. 'Thank you for small miracles.'
"Please" He said to her, "don't stop on my account."
Hermione just glowered at him and sat back on her haunches, mindful of her newly acquired tail.
She could swear she could hear him chuckling at her as he stood up from the wall. "You're the oddest creature I have ever had the misfortune to come across. I'll leave you to your… jigging."
Hermione huffed indignantly, "I was not 'jigging' I was - Hey!" She called as he started to walk away and she remembered her reason for actually being bored enough to do said 'jigging', "Where are you going? - stupid question Granger. Argh! Stop!"
Hermione had to run in her current form to even keep up with him. "Yes," She huffed and puffed to herself as they reached the Great Hall, "my health…will kill me by the end of…all this, not Voldemort…not mysterious flying lamps…my health. All so anti climatic."
Students late going to the Hall for dinner scampered out of Snape's way only to stare in amusement and confusion as they watched a kitten tagging along in the Potions Professors wake.
As they entered the hall Hermione was thankful that only a few people noticed her presence - she didn't think Snape would take to her tagging long after him starting rumours and ruining his reputation as a 'mean git' very well. She needed him not to hex her.
The few students who noticed nudged their neighbour and whispers followed them as they made their way for the Head Table.
Hermione felt sorrow stab through her as she saw Harry, Ron, Ginny and Neville. Her four friends looked miserable. She wanted to go to them and show them she was aright but kept her mind to the task at hand.
She really didn't have a clue on how to start her plan. All she knew was that she had to act - well for lack of a better term - un-cat like as possible. The thumbs and the height would have helped a lot now. "Why a kitten? Of all things. Why not a chimp or a dog? Maybe even a parrot, they can talk! Why something as inconspicuous as a kitten?"
"Oh this is fun." she sighed as she sat before Snape's place at the Head table.
He still hadn't noticed her, busy picking food for his plate.
She looked longingly at the platters as her stomach grumbled. She hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday's dinner. If she could just sneak one of those sausages off of one of the tables she was sure that would tide her over. It could wait till later though, when dinner was winding down.
She sat a stared at Snape. Willing him to look at her and become paranoid.
Needless to say it didn't work. Though thankfully Professor McGonagall looked up from her dinner and spotted her. She had a bemused expression on her face and patted Professor Snape on the shoulder to get his attention away from his bangers and mash. She nodded in Hermione's direction to him and his eyes followed to come upon the kitten herself. He scowled and Hermione scowled back whilst McGonagall tried to cover up a laugh with a cough.
Dumbledore had seen the exchange and leaned over behind McGonagall, "Seems you have a new little friend Severus." he said much to his young employee's chagrin as he glared at Hermione.
"It's that kitten from the infirmary, isn't it?" McGonagall asked no one in particular.
Dumbledore peered over his glasses at Hermione, "Ah yes, I believe it is."
"Why's it staring at you Severus? Did you try to drown it?"
Snape glared at his colleague, "No Minerva, I did not try to drown the thing, if I had I would have succeeded."
McGonagall bristled, "Really Severus I was only joking. Must you be such a sourpuss?"
Her only answer was a sneer.
"Well, why's it staring at you then?" She snapped.
"I don't bloody well know. The thing doesn't seem to need a reason to act strange. It was doing a jig in the Dungeons last I saw it on my way here. Maybe I insulted it by not applauding." he snarled back at her.
The Head of Gryffindor glared right back at the gloom and doom man. "Stop being over dramatic Severus, cats don't dance."
Hermione sat there watching her two Professors' bicker between themselves in amusement. They were like cat and dog yet the oddest thing was that they seemed to be - she could feel it mingled in their emotions - enjoying squabbling! So odd, so very odd.
Her attention was diverted when she caught a whiff of the food on a platter as it levitated on down the table, her eyes followed it hungrily.
Dumbledore watched her with a calculating look.
They still hadn't stopped yet. She was beginning to worry that she'd have to get his attention all over again when her hungry stomach decided to make itself known to most members of the table.
"Good grief, what was that?" McGonagall stopped mid-triad, her eyes searching of the source.
Hermione pressed her stomach to the floor in an attempted to quell the churning noises but her digestive system wanted nutrition and gave another loud growl.
Three sets of eyes were looking down at the kitten with surprise.
McGonagall's lips quirked, "Hungry?" She asked Hermione.
She felt heat rush into her little furry cheeks and bobbed her head only to watch the witch's eyebrows rise to her hairline.
"I told you it was odd." Snape said smugly.
"I - Indeed."
He snorted lightly in amusement as he cut half of a sausage up and placed it down for the kitten.
Hermione blinked at the meat on the floor and then to him. Sure she wasn't expecting a seat at the table but… eating off of the floor. She turned her head towards the Slytherin table and looked for a familiar blond obnoxious head and back at Snape. They'd never let her live this down. A mud blood eating off of the floor - even if she was a cat. It was this or starve - she wasn't even going to contemplate killing and eating a rat; they were probably the same size as her anyhow.
"What?" He asked when she hadn't moved. She could feel the disbelief coming off of him at talking to her but it also carried a hint of - 'What was that? Regret? Disappointment?'
"Minerva, you better give it something from your plate." He grumbled when Hermione still hadn't moved.
McGonagall looked up at Snape and quirked an eyebrow, "Severus, don't tell me your threats of poison's reached the familiars of Hogwarts. She must be a bright little thing." She quipped tartly
A tiny throb came from the base of Hermione's chest. It was disappointment - 'But why?' She shook her head and made for the meat by Snape's chair. "No, no. I'm eating it, I'm eating it - see?"
She quickly tucked into the food and found herself still hungry. 'I wonder if he'll give me anymore.' she pondered and a stray thought from Oliver Twist came into her head. She grinned and looked up at Snape.
'Hahaha - I can see straight up his nose; how odd.' Of course when you're a first year he's always looking at you down it, well actually he's always looking down at everyone - period - but the acute sharpness of her feline vision made it slightly comical.
Since waking up being a kitten, Hermione realised that she had developed the oddest sense of humour. Her deduction; being hit too many times up side the head.
She sniggered to herself.
It clicked in her brain just then, when he looked down after hearing her, that it had to be emotions that triggered her kitten vocals.
An eyebrow rose. "Enjoy that?" he asked her.
There! She felt a tinge of smugness from him.
She bobbed her head in appreciation and licked her lips. His lips twitched and turned back to the table.
She felt silly thinking 'What? No more?' but pushed the disappointment down and looked about the hall.
None of the students ever really looked up at the staff table less they catch a professors eye. They never knew if to just look away or give a friendly smile. The student population always seemed unnerved seeing a Professor out of their classroom even if they were all living in the same castle for 7 years together. To them all it made them seem, normal; human even. Hermione tisked at the stupid thought. Of course they were human! 'We should all just be grateful they're willing to teach us all.'
She suddenly shrunk back in surprise when a hand patted her furry little head. "Ah!" She cried out startled and swivelled her head around to see what it was.
Snape was looking down at her, a deep line forming between his brows. His hand was poised in mid air having pulled back from her. She blinked a few times at him. 'Did Professor Snape just pet me?' she thought disbelievingly. She stayed like that; blinking at him every now and then, her body poised for flight.
He turned back to his plate and dropped another half sausage beside her without looking at her. The deep line still there.
Guilt seeped into her senses from herself, not from anyone else. He thought she didn't like him. It was bizarre that he cared what he thought was a little 'thing' thought of him. Just like in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey, Hermione had the urge to comfort him. It was laughable! He'd most likely chuck her into a boiling cauldron for animal repellent if she tried, but the impulse was getting stronger. She looked longingly at the meat beside her and with a great sigh, gave in.
Hermione was tiny so she couldn't even reach the top of his seat to claw for his attention so she toddled round to the front, still hidden under the table. There was the chance that he would kick her seeing as no one would see it but she took the chance and placed both front paws on his right leg. She only came up to ¾ up his shin.
Snape gave a small jolt as a light pressure was applied to his leg and took a quick look under the table. He shook his leg slightly to shake her off. "Shoo." he hissed at her quietly.
She slipped off but did it again and flexed her small sharp claws this time. He pulled his chair back so he could see clearly without ducking and accidentally dragged Hermione along; she forgot to retract her claws.
She gave a startled mew and a small hiss in pain as her claws pulled out more than was comfortable. She never expected to jump up onto his lap then. Really she didn't realise what she was doing till it was too late. She didn't even make it all the way up properly as well. He gave a small wince as her claws dung into his thigh as she tried to pull herself up but she slipped and was left dangling there until he had enough of her antics and pulled her up by the scruff of her neck.
"Why have you decided to pester me? Go annoy Minerva, she's a cat too. You both can go play with some yarn!" He hissed softly to her. McGonagall heard the yarn comment and cuffed him lightly over the back of the head.
Hermione looked incredibly at the both of them, well as much as a feline face can convey whilst dangling in mid air.
Snape glowered at the both of them but gave Hermione a little scratch behind the ears before placing her on the floor and stood to leave. He bid McGonagall and Dumbledore 'Goodnight.' Hermione stood there looking dismayed at having gotten nothing done to make him suspicious of her - she needed to work fast! "Damn him"
As he swept down from the Head table Hermione made a quick decision, she grabbed the remaining sausage in her mouth and made after him. She miraculously caught up with him at the bottom of the dungeon stairs and stole under his lightly billowing robes to make sure he didn't notice her presence. She knew he'd be watching out for her and it was lucky she did because he looked back once or twice to see if he could see a little bushy brown kitten.
Hermione caught a hint of emotions from him when he turned back each time. Sorrow, unhappiness, hope, disgust and disappointment. It was hard work trying to keep up with him but trying not to stumble or fall from shock from what she was feeling from him was increasing.
She wasn't use to feeling this much emotion all at once. There wasn't just her own anymore there was someone else's along with them. It was over whelming, her pace slowed and eventually she stopped altogether, forgetting her mission to follow Snape for the moment.
Slumping down on to the dungeon floor, she dropped her meat and panted as the overload subsided.
'Buck up Granger, you're going to have to get use to all that for the time being if your wanting to find help in Snape.' she berated herself afterwards, still sitting in the middle of the corridor.
Snape.
Who knew that behind that façade of indifference was all that turmoil? She knew he was a person just like everyone else but feeling it, feeling what he felt, was another thing entirely.
Shaking her head she left the dusty meat where she had dropped it and followed the path she knew Snape had took. She wasn't entirely sure how she knew, her legs seemed to know and so did her instinct. Both took her to an unused corridor within the dungeons which lead to a dead end. At the end of the corridor held home to 2 doors, one of which lead to Professor Snape's personal quarters. Both of which were closed tight.
Hermione sighed in defeat and settled down for the night along the wall across from the two doors. She'd just have to wait till Snape came out, if that be for patrol or breakfast so be it.
